And we always blame the TEENS!!!!

I spent an hour with HP yesterday morning and I got my computer fixed!!!!!    Yep - after calling them and they confirmed that the laptop was still under warranty until January 2013 (that date will be the first entry in my NEW "keep track of the warranty" info) - they went ahead and fixed the thing for me. And the reason it took so long was the system did not want to shut down. Of course - I never shut it down - it is on 24 hours a day!!!!

While that got the ports working (most likely an overheating problem, although we did update the BIOS), the printer is still being ornery!   I tried rebooting, I tried a new cable and I tried to load new drivers and NOTHING. I am going to retry those things again this morning and if that doesn't work - then another call to HP. Although I know the printer is NOT under warranty. I do have a backup printer so I could dig that out until the one I want gets on the market. Of course the style I wanted - the only one available was the floor model and a newer version is coming out in January so I'll wait!!!!   In the meantime  - I have to find a solution to this problem.


If you have teens - you will know what I mean by "the teen MUST have one that". Oh is was "the teen's fault". And while that is mostly the situation - I mean we have chips on all of our dishes (it is my teen's job to unload the dishwasher and I shall put up with chips on the dishes until she leaves home - OH YES - she will leave home!!!!), stains on all the towels - then look out - I am getting new towels, and new dishes!!!!!

See a CHIP on one of my favourite glasses

I mean this was from EXPO 86 (in Vancouver) and had my name etched on the other side. Now it is destined for the garbage. 

But when I got home yesterday, DH was hand washing some dishes (that's another story) and he managed to snap off the top of one of HIS favourite glasses. I don't think he was very happy. 

So yes - I must get over the breaking/chipping of things and know that soon - (well a couple of years), I can actually have nice, unchipped, unstained things in the house. And I will make her pay a security deposit if she ever comes back!!!!!


And then we got mad at M when she lost her camera charger and battery this summer while on vacation. We have called all the relatives and no one has seen anything, however we did stay in a couple of hotels, but - well I think the charger is gone. Guess what she is getting for Christmas - a new charger!!!!

However I have to hang my head shame faced at this one. I have TWO batteries and TWO chargers for my small camera. Hey - when the old camera dies - you do not throw this stuff away and since I stick with the same brand/style of camera (OK - so I wear cameras out - I am checking out the warranty on those guys) - the batteries and chargers are the same.   Anyway - I have MISPLACED one of the chargers with a battery in it. I know it is HERE - but where?????   As a result when we had show n tell for Welcome to The North Pole yesterday - yes my battery ran out and I had to borrow Liz's camera. As soon as I get the pictures, I will post them  - they are AMAZING.

However when I was looking for a new printer cable yesterday and went back down underneath the computer desk - guess what I found.

Found this little white gadget which is what you use to download pictures to the iPad.  When I was experimenting, I left it plugged into the cable and then frantically tried to find it. Now it is back where it belongs. 

Yes - I LOOKED under the computer desk for the missing charger, but did not find it!!!!!   It is here - just have to figure out where.


So while we blame the teens and yes they are at fault lots of times - the adults are just as bad!!!!!   At least in house - I just hate to admit it!!!


Since I can't post all the pictures of our reveal - let me catch up with some other pictures that I haven't been able to load.

Customer quilt - trimmed and GONE

Customer quilt - trimmed and waiting for pickup

I've got a big one to do today. I am behind only in that I did NOT do the pillow shams yesterday. I have a mental block about those things. However I have to move my sewing machine to do some embroidery later today so I will throw the quilting machine into the table and get them done. Yes - I am whittling the pile down, but I will be glad when this coming week is OVER.  Yikes - one week to Christmas day - so much to do - so little time!!!!!    And I just want to SEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Speaking of sewing - I managed to get a couple more blocks done on Elm Creek. I don't even remember how many, but I am whittling that pile down.

Elm Creek - look the bottom row is DONE!!!!!    Only have 13 more rows to complete!!!!!

Actually once the blocks are cut, the actual sewing for many of them does not take long. It is the cutting and trimming (making half square triangles) that take up the time.


Oh yes - let's go back to my BAD day. I mentioned that I found the glove - well here are the girls enjoying the mess...................

Booster Juice all over the floor - those containers just explode when dropped!!!!!  The girls had fun - still haven't washed the floor - they did such a good job, but today I will get it done. I'm good at vac cumming, not so good at washing!!!!

Now the squirrels are starting to tick me off. The big problem is our backyard isn't that big and there is no place that is wide open. It would appear that the squirrel sits on the edge of the deck and JUMPS to the metal bird feeder and then hangs off for dear life. Well hopefully this will discourage the little buggers!!!!!!

The ball isn't very heavy so may need to get something else to put here, but the ball isn't attached to the bottom so if they try to get on it - it will fall. 

So the score right now is Elaine 1 - Squirrels 1 and I am GOING TO WIN if I have to get a gun an shoot them all. Just kidding!!!!


Here is the update on the t-shirt quilt.

I need an elf hat to work on this cause that's what I feel like. I have my scissors and rotary cutting and I make a few snips here and a few snips there - then to the iron, then the sewing machine. So far it is coming very nicely and I see no problem in getting it ready for Christmas. I do need buy border, binding and backing fabric - no help from the customer. They are leaving it up to me. I had better get it together so I can shop tomorrow.

The next three pictures relate to the This n That mystery that I was working on.

We had to make TWO sections like this and it was bugging me - I did NOT like it

After consulting the pattern again - I realized it is supposed to look like this!!!!!   Yep - I sewed those two rows on backwards!!!!!

And this is the final project. It actually doesn't look too bad in the picture, but I DO NOT like the black on the ends. Ronda agree and is letting me cut into her charm pack from this fabric line and I already have a replacement on order for her. I am going to make the white in the ends all WHITE (I have extra of that) and I am substituting the black for green/red as fits the colour scheme. Then I have to put some holly leaves and berries in the white part. Got to get it done so it can go in the draw!!!!!

And last but not least - here are the TWO shelves loaded with my 2012 projects!!!!!   Trust me there is a LOT of variety there so I won't be bored and I would love to get that all done!!!!!   Wish me luck!!!!

Work for 2012. And see how easy it will be to whisk those two shelves (on wheels) into the stash room when I need the space for someone else to sew in. 

And now let's see if the video works. This is what the Stash Room looks like.

And there you have it - I'm off to get some work done.


Have a great day!!!!!


Ciao!!!!!!