min-myinnersoul

I don't know what to make of this story. An economics soap opera ? How the most unexpected things can happen  ? How sometimes prosperity can hit you from the strangest of directions ? Read on - judge for yourself. The story starts in a very boring manner. Everybody knows Americans guzzle gas. With the Sheikhs turning the screws, Americans are feeling the pinch. Ouch - the price of oil is hurting. Drill baby drill , is fine, but oil is, alas, not to be found. Need new forms of cheap energy so that Americans can continue to guzzle away. Suddenly they discovered a new "source" - Shale gas .  Apparently natural gas is  found in rocks called shales. And apparently shale gas is rather plentiful in the US. Wonder of wonders, use of shale gas even releases lower greenhouse gases than evil Oil.. Voila, the new gold rush is on.  All very good. What's new. This sort of thing happens all the time. The real interesting bit is that, in order to extract this gas, you have to do &quo

 So are you all so very proud of me for having a post every single day of this week? I can't remember the last time I have done that..crazy!  So, anyway, here is another outfit.  This is my first time to use chevron. I have purposefully not bought or used chevron in anything, whether it be in clothing or in decor because everyone else was doing it, and I was being a rebel....obviously my rebellion was short-lived. I finally broke down and got some from  Nauvoo Quilt Co. I decided to name this little outfit Up, Up, and Away because of the appliqued balloons, and now, much to my dismay, that song is stuck in my head..bah! For a long time, I have wanted to make an apron skirt. It's amazing how inspired you get when you have great fabric:o)  This is S.R.'s favorite part...the pocket. That was the first thing she noticed when I showed her the skirt.  I wanted it to truly look like she had an apron tied around her waste, so I made the apron ties for the back of the skirt. This is

 I found a new-to-me Etsy shop called  Nauvoo Quilt Co. They have some of the most fantastic fabric choices. They also have some pretty rockin' customer service as well:o) So as I was perusing the many, many choices in my new favorite Etsy shop, I spotted and  fell in love with the Candy Shop fabric from Michael Miller.  I am a sucker for anything that looks vintage:o) It had to be mine, and so it was. And here is what it became.  A two-tiered skirt, with matching appliqued shirt.  The yellow gingham was also purchased from the same shop. The perfect complimentary fabric, and when turned on it's side, makes the perfect waffle cone:o)  Don't you just love all the little cuties on this skirt?   Easy-as-pie applique.  I am so glad that Walmart still carries plain shirts in S.R.'s size...not for much longer though:o( I had so much fun putting this little outfit together, and best of all S.R. loves wearing it:o) Stay tuned for other outfits!! 

I know that if you have seen a Star Wars party, then you have seen these pool noodle light sabers. They are easy and extremely inexpensive to make, so that's why everyone is using them.  I saw several different types of light sabers, but never saw a tutorial on how to make them.  One of the problems I kept seeing with most of the light sabers was that the bottoms were kind of bubbly. The tape wasn't smooth. I knew how to remedy that, and I wanted to share with you how to do it as well.  Your supply list: Pool Noodle Knife Tape Measure SHARP Scissors Silver Duct Tape Black Electrical Tape You will want to measure your pool noodles and cut them in half using your knife. Then you can begin taping.  The pictures, I hope, are self explanatory...so I'll let them do most of the talking.  Snip to the edge and overlap, all the way around each side.  Smooth bottom of pool noodle.  Turn noodle on it's side and begin taping around, making sure to keep it close to the bottom of the

 I was given a strict budget for this party, and I actually stuck to it:o) That NEVER happens, but the hubs cracked down on me, and I had to follow instructions...there's a first time for everything, right?;o) So here is a break down of some of my purchases for the party. Let's start with the party favors, since that was the first thing that I purchased. I bought these Star Wars trick or treat buckets off of our local Facebook yard sale page. I paid $2 for the lot...super score:o)  I bought the blue crinkle filler at the Dollar Tree. It took the entire bag for one bucket. I purchased the note pads and pencils from Target. They were in the party supplies section. I found the Star Wars playing cards in the toy section and they were clearanced at 88 cents each. I also found some Star Wars fruit roll ups.   Each of the kids got to take home a pool noodle light saber as well. Pool noodles were purchased at the Dollar Tree. (I'll share a tutorial on how to make those in my next p

Saturday was E's 6th birthday party. E requested a Star Wars theme this year. I am no Star Wars buff..I have watched almost all of Episode 4...I fell asleep before the end...so I had a difficult time getting jazzed up about this theme. Thankfully the internet helped me out, and I was able to pull his party off without having to actually sit through any of the movies(yes!!) Today, I am just sharing highlights of the decorations and the invites. I'll get a little more detailed in the coming days. Enjoy:o) The invitations. The food table I opted for cupcakes this year. Easy, and quick. The dining area. The boy party favors The girl party favors The adult party favors. And some happy kids:o) Stay tuned for all of the details of this party and a few cost break-downs. Have a great Monday!