Seems like there is a pattern....

Yes, it seems like I start every BLOG post with some excuse for being a slacker...actually, the reverse is true...I have been busy trying to meet 'deadlines'....The first was I found out that I was meeting Baby Ella on Saturday when we were in Sacramento for the Sac Betsuin Basketball Tourney. So, I quickly cut and crochet-trimmed the two blankets below.

I love the "I "heart" Mommy" and "I "heart" Daddy". Both blankets were for Miss Ella Kazuko Minamide, the daughter of Jeff's father's cousin, Jerry. Jerry is a year younger than Jeff...so, it's so nice to see him as a father...although, we didn't see Jerry...his wife, Marley, brought Ella out to Neil's basketball game.

Ella was such a good little girl! She slept through the whole bame also!!!

Before Jordan's second game (which they won), we went to Nationwide Freezer Meats for lunch. My brother and father joined us...they drove up to decompress and go to the Red Hawk...also at lunch was Auntie Marion, Auntie Joanne, the Watanabes, cousin Karen and Jeff's grandmother. Karen's husband, Haku-Jeff, was babysitting the boys at another table...

Jordan's team...they lost the first game, won the second game and lost the third...but I think they had a good time...at least the parents (mothers) did on Saturday night...we took over the breakfast area of the hotel to munch and drink....hee hee...

Neil's team....they had a good time....we will leave it at that!

My cousin is home safely! She was living in Waikiki for about 6 months while her husband was working there....they were scheduled to fly home on Sunday, Feb 28th...the day AFTER the TSUNAMI warnings for the Hawaiian islands. I am so glad she made it home safely!!!

The main reason why I have not been updating my Blog...Karen (from the picture above) has a baby shower this Saturday...I had to finish her present....Phew! I finished it earlier this week...booties and all!

The other reason was because, I still hadn't finished my friend Lori's CHRISTMAS present. Yes, I know...it's almost Easter...but, hey, it's Spring colors...I am just in time!

Now, before I start Ella's "welcome baby" present and Susan (Karen's sister) baby present...I am making a quilted purse...I'll post a picture later! It's a new pattern that I have been "studying" for a while....I hope it turns out!

Oh, an exciting Day!!!

Hmmm...there used to be a time, when I thought that "product releases" were exciting... When packing for our annual trip to Ko'Olina was exciting... When going to a bead/craft show was the highlight of my week...

NOW, I am totally excited about....

Yup, a new vacuum cleaner. To be fair, this is a way cool vacuum cleaner...even though it is "green"...it has a cord rewinder; a lever that empties the canister from the BOTTOM...no more turning it over and having it spill on the floor; a WASHABLE Hepa filter...no more buying, or not buying filters; and it has a SUPER STRONG suction...love it.


The only negative on the message boards was that it was heavy...but, this is a redesigned model and MUCH lighter than my old vacuum cleaner....


love it, love it, love it!!!!

On a much more serious note: I am so glad that our family and friends are safe in Hawaii. I spoke to my cuz, Teri, who is moving back to the Mainland TOMORROW, and although she had to "shelter in place", she did not need to evacuate because the condo is above the 3rd floor. Through FB, I heard that the Chuck and Jill Nakashima are ok....hope everyone else is okay...love you all....

Sample Cards

I finally had a chance to use the stamps/ideas that I picked up at the Sacramento shop, The Paper Garden. I loved the little jewels in the flower card. I might need to pick up a few more packets when we go to Sacramento for a basketball tourney.

The Thank You card with the purple ribbon has a removable note...I love it...but, it does take a little more work...and a lot more paper.

The heart has "tiny spongy confetti type of fluff", (for lack of a better description). But, it does accomplish the effect...

My craft room is a mess...it has been the dumping ground for a ton of stuff since the beginning of January. Now that my Mom is more stable, hopefully I can get organized and start/finish stuff.

First thing first...my friend's Christmas present...she only got half of her present...then another hat for Mom....then I can do my Christmas Picture collage. Every year I keep all of my Christmas Cards, and collage the pictures. After having the boys, I realized how much all of those photo cards cost...and, I love having pictures of all my friends' kids on our wall for the year! Yes, I know it is almost March...but, would you believe that when I did the collage in February, I still received "New Year's" cards? Keep your eyes open...I post a picture of the collage before and after!

Let it Snow...Let it Snow...Let it Snow...

Hee hee....my New Year's resolution of keeping my BLOG updated, isn't going well...oh well...I have good excuses...

Here is a catch up from the last snow weekend...

On Saturday of "President's Weekend", we drove to Reno with our "new friends" the Watanabe's. Their son is on Jordan's basketball team. There wasn't a TON of snow...but there was enough to throw snowballs, and sled down a "short slope"....I wouldn't call it a hill..just a little slope by the parking lot. The sledding hill was closed...bummer.

Here are the guys making lunch...besides hotdogs, we had mac salad, chips and salsa, udon, and other munchies...oh yeah, we left the hotel early and had breakfast on the slopes...nothing like spam and eggs with rice for breakfast.

The boys were making a snow fort for the snowball fight that occurred later...I don't know what Jordan was doing (blue jacket/red hat)...he was in enemy territory....

I love this picture...look at the branches...they are encased in ice. Lovely....

Have you been to Scheels? It is HUGE! And it has sports...not just hunting/fishing sports like a Bass Pro Shop. I found a cool purple Adidas bag for the gym....Oh, do you know what ADIDAS means? (All Day I Dream About Sheri)....hee hee....

I needed to visit my friend Joanie at the Bead Asylum...I made this pendant this morning. Isn't it cute? I also made a necklace...now to decide which "mom" gets which present for Mother's Day....

zip zip zip...it's done!

Yeah!!! I made my goal for the week...earlier I had finished knitting another hat for my Mom. I love her dearly and I know she is wearing the first knitted hat I made her often...so, now she has two...but, they are basically the same hat...just different yarn....so, Lori and I went to Joann's last week...and I found a pattern for a "fleece hat".

It looked like a really easy pattern...and it was. I cut it out and zip zip zip...it's done! I want Mom to try it on to make sure it fits before I make the other one...it's black fleece. Oh, um...yeah...the boys were asleep...so, there was no one to model the hat except for the two wine bottles. Did I mention that I took Neil, Jordan and 3 of Jordan's friends to see the Percy Jackson & the Olympians --- The Lightening Thief? Let's just say, it was a good thing that I bought the tickets yesterday because one kid showed up to our house 20 minutes late. We were lucky to get seats...as it was, we sat in the 4th row.

The movie? Well, it was a good movie....but, it didn't stick well to the books like the Harry Potter series. Some details were from later books, lots of details were left out...Jordan brought up a good point...if they left out some REALLY important pieces, does that mean there WILL NOT be other movies based on the later books?

Oh well...go see the movie and let me know what you think...especially if you read the books.

BTW: I try to read the "boys' books" before we go see the movie....but, there is one book I DON'T think I will read....and maybe Uncle Gary can take them to the movie....the book/movie? The Wimpy Kid series....the first movie is out in the Spring...oh joy! (not!!!)

Aren't you lucky??? Two posts today!

I was so excited...I couldn't wait until tomorrow...besides, the boys are home tomorrow and more about that below...but, first off....

Our Current order came in! Lori and I worked on a new project...a Shopping List and Coupon holder (see my earlier February posting)...we ordered these supplies before she went home...the notepads are smaller than I expected...but, they should still work. I did find some notepads for the pink and brown folders @ Joann's...I need to see if there are more for Lori! What are we doing tomorrow? We are going to see PERCY JACKSON & THE OLYMPIANS --- THE LIGHTENING THIEF. The boys read the entire series and have been eagerly awaiting the movie. (I am almost to the end of book 4.) Since we are "phasing out" the boys' birthday parties, I told Jordan that he could invite some friends to the movies...so, since there is no school on Friday, we are going to the first showing tomorrow at 11:10.

Neil just got home...last week, he bought some Valentine's presents for my mom and me. He was so cute...he used his birthday money. Neil told me not to look in the cart, (that I was pushing) and he asked my friend Lori to stay and help him wrap it. Oh, and he used some of my trail mix to put in the cup. Yes Lori, I was "surprised" when I opened it. (The BAD part is, after Neil went to bed, Jeff took out the cup and replaced it with the iFlip...I switched it back when JEFF went to bed....)

New shoes and finished projects!!!!

I "needed" to use my DSW reward certificate...and look what I found! Purple shoes! yeah...I just love them...and the girls at Jordan's basketball game said they were "really cool"...yeah, I'm a "cool mom" or at least a Mom with "cool shoes". I wish I could take credit for this blanket....Mom was in the process of making this blanket when she got sick. She was making blankets for everyone, and this is Jeff's (and the last one). I finished off about 10 rows and added the fringe.

I did finish another hat for Mom. This one has a little crocheted flower with a pearl bead in the middle. I have a pink fleece hat cut out...I hope to finish it tomorrow when the boys are home...wish me luck. I have material for a black fleece hat also...but, I want to see how the pink hat fits before I cut out the material.