Flying Time Designs

2009-05-01T11:01:00.007-06:00

I keep promising (at Sugar and Meringue) to post photos of my redecorating projects. So… here's the latest. We ripped out the carpet (it was very stained in some places) and replaced it with wood laminate flooring. We have an open floor plan so the flooring extends into the kitchen/dining, entry way and hallway. having the same flooring throughout make the place feel much more spacious. The brown paint on the walls was fairly recent so I left that, but I painted all the oak trim white. (Much better!) The couch was in the family room downstairs, so we just switched the couches around. Things I bought (other than the flooring & trim paint):

The shelf above the couch - $5 ( I painted it with the same paint I used on the trim)
Both lamps with shades-$17 & $25
The coffee table- (I cut the legs down to make it coffee table height) $35
The rug- I bought that at Target. I think it was $80.
The little wooden chair with the crazy fabric seat $5.00 + $15.00 for the fabric on the seat.
I made the pillows on the couch from some fabric I've had laying around for a while.

I didn't buy all of these things at once just a few things at a time over the last several months so all-in-all, I would say it was an fairly inexpensive redo.

One area I still need to adress is the stairway. You can just see a little of it on the left hand side of one photo. I can't decide what color to paint it. It's such a big, pain-in-the-neck wall to paint that I'm afraid to commit to a color.!

Nebraska Junk Jaunt Finds

2008-09-29T05:35:00.002-06:00

Just wanted to show you all my fun finds. I'll come back and add some details later!

Finding Myself

2008-07-09T20:33:00.013-06:00

It's been a while since I've posted anything here at Flying Time.

Wondering what I've been up to?

Well… I've been on a quest to find myself, to figure out who I am and what I'm all about. After some really deep thinking, here are the results of my quest:

If I were a TV Mom I would be just like Lois from Malcolm in the Middle (TV Mom Quiz) and the Super Hero I most resemble is Spiderman. My Austen Heroine is Elinor Dashwood and my Grey's Anatomy character is Isobel Stevens.

Vincent Van Gogh is my Dead Celebrity Soul Mate and my Classic Rock Song is Ruby Tuesday by the Rolling Stones.

I'm probably quite psychic and the common dog breed I most resemble is the Doberman.

My personality type is either INFJ or INFP depending on the day and the questions, and I scored highest in the Visual/Spatial category on the multiple intelligence test.

So there you have it. That's who I am. Who are you?

Whirlwind Week

2008-06-20T05:35:00.003-06:00

Why is it that a weekend away is always followed by a week of insanity? It's been a whole week since my trip to the Walnut, Iowa Antique Show and I'm just now getting around to writing about it. (Honestly, I should be doing a million other things but, it's early and I've gotta drink my coffee before I start working)
So, the Walnut Antique Show – really nice primitives, collectibles, etc.– fairly priced…
Not for me. It was an "antique" show and many of the booths carried things that really were 100 years old or older. The vendors knew the value of their items and they were priced fairly. I'm more of a flee market type of girl. I like finding mid-century junk, at dirt cheap prices. None of us bought very much.
While the antique show was kind of a let-down, the trip itself was not. I went with four good friends and we had so much fun just getting out of town and leaving our responsibilities behind for a while. We had reservations at a hotel in Red Oak, Iowa and when we got to Red Oak after our day of antiquing, we were starving. We drove around Red Oak and after seeing all the gorgeous houses in town decided they must have some really great local restaurant somewhere. So we drove and drove with out finding anything. Finally, we found Johnny's Bar and Grill. The place looked kinda run down and frankly, I was a little afraid to go in. It was the best meal ever! The service was fast, the waitress was friendly and the food was a heart attack waiting to happen but delicious.
The route we took back home, took us through some flooded areas. My gosh, it was awful to see all that water, and we weren't anywhere near the areas that were said to be hit the hardest. I can't imagine how awful it must be to deal with that.

As soon as I got home, it was off to the park for a Father's Day picnic and the first s'mores of the season. Yumm!

So, here I am a week later still trying to get caught up. But it was so worth it!

Tornado!

2008-05-30T22:01:00.003-06:00

Our town was hit by multiple tornadoes late Thursday afternoon. Thankfully my family and home are completely unscathed and no serious injuries were reported by anyone in town. However, there was extensive damage throughout our community. You can see photos and get all the statistics from our TV station and newspaper sites.
I'm afraid any commentary I could offer about the storm would sound either overly dramatic or less concerned about the damage than I should be so I'll just tell you what we were doing during all of this.
4:00 p.m. - I get off work, aware that severe weather is approaching. My husband gets home just before me and decides he better get the yard mowed before it starts to rain.
-I check the radar on the computer to see where the storms are and which way they are going. Looks like the worst of the storm might miss us and be north of us before it gets this far east.
-I turn on the TV to see what they are saying– Tornado warning for Buffalo County, the city of Kearney is in the path of this storm–sounds like we've got a good fifteen to twenty minutes until it gets here.
-The doorbell rings. It's the Fed Ex guy, delivering the Guitar Hero game that my husband bought on ebay
-The phone rings. It's my mom calling to make sure we know about the tornado warning.
-I have the kids put on their shoes and get ready to go to the basement, find my cell phone and a flashlight and put them in my pocket and put my purse and a few photos and things at the top of the basement steps to grab on my way down.
-I continue to monitor the situation on the TV, totally absorbed and unaware that my son and our Boston Terrier puppy have been playing a little too rough, and my son has been injured. He has quite a scratch on his face and is crying! (No, it wasn't a viscous dog attack, just one of those things).
-I break from the TV to care for my son and then the siren blows. I send the kids downstairs with the dogs then go outside and try to get my husband's attention. (He's still mowing). Finally he sees me making a twirly motion with my finger and gives me a nod. So, I go in and join my kids in the basement. I make them go in our office where we have a sturdy desk and table that they can get under if need be. I even gather blankets to cover them in case of shattering glass.
-I should note here that the sirens blow a few times every year and we always go to the basement when the sirens blow. But, we don't always make sure we have shoes on, we don't always make sure we have our cell phones, we don't always grab photos and things and we don't always go in the office with blankets, ready to dive under the desk. But this storm felt more threatening than others we've had.
–So, we've been in the basement for a couple of minutes, my husband still hasn't come down and my son is starting to get very concerned about him. I run up the steps to yell at my husband and I can't help but take a really quick peek out the window looking to the southwest. I don't think I actually saw a funnel cloud, but I did see the darkest, scariest looking cloud I've ever seen. I quickly go back downstairs and my husband follows shortly after.
-The lights flicker and then go off for a few minutes and we lose our TV reception.
-The storm seems to be right overhead and the house isn't falling in. We relax a little and let the kids hang out in the family room (in the basement). They play the new guitar hero game until the storm is over.
-We're able to get TV reception again and hear reports that multiple tornadoes have touched down in the city of Kearney. There are reports of damage in an area where a couple of my friends live. Then there are reports of damage kinda close to my parents' and grandparents' houses.
-I try to call my mom on her home phone. No answer. I try her cell. No answer. I try my dad's cell. No answer. I try my grandparents. No answer. The TV continues to report touchdowns and damage in Kearney. This is the scariest part of the whole thing. Knowing that we really have been hit and not knowing if my family and friends are ok.
-I go outside and see if there's been any damage in our neighborhood. We're fine but a low spot on our road is completely under water andthe neighbor's trampoline is in pieces in the middle of a nearby field.
-While I'm outside I finally get a hold of my mom and dad on my cell phone. They're fine, Grandma and Grandpa are fine, their houses fine except for some dings in the siding.
-We stay home, walk around the neighborhood, watch TV… I can't take it. Both land and cell phone service is spotty, it's hard to get through. I want to discuss what just happened with someone. I want to know how bad it was. We head for my mom and dad's house.We live just outside of town and they live on the edge of town, so we can get there without driving through town and getting in the way.
- Some houses about half way between here and there have major damage. A garage is leveled. The side of another garage is missing and several trees are uprooted.
-My parents and grandparents aren't home. My mom and grandpa are leaving for a special vets' trip to Washington D.C. on Friday morning and they're having a "send-off" party for the vets at the legion. It it going on as scheduled to so that's where they are.
So we go back home and listen to the news accounts of the tornado some more then go to bed.
Friday 5:00 a.m- I haven't heard anything about or from the place that I work. I have an adjusted schedule so my work day begins at 7:00 a.m. Almost everyone else, including my supervisor and the head of human resources, starts at 8:00. I don't want to bother them. I check the TV station's website for closings. Nothing there. One nearby factory is closed but another looks like they plan to open later in the morning. About 6:40 I decide I better head out. It's very, very foggy. I try taking my usual route but the road is blocked and I can just barely see that there are power lines laying across the road. My alternate route takes me by the fairgrounds, where the Expo building has been destroyed. I see lots of downed trees and power lines and other (fairly minor) damage. The fog makes it seem so ominous. Finally I turn into Morris Press and just then they come on the radio and announce that we're closed for the day.
The rest of day is spent calling friends (they're all ok) and hauling food from my parents and grandparent's house to my house to put in our fridge/freezer since they still don't have electricity and we do. We have grandma over for supper and later my aunt comes over and we spend a nice evening visiting around the kitchen table.

Power was restored at about 10:00 last night. We're going to spend today shopping and going to a concert in Omaha, and feeling very lucky.

M.O.Y.S.

2008-05-20T18:53:00.003-06:00

Superhero Hideout, originally uploaded by Flying Time Designs.

As a blogger, I typically discuss, crafts, decorating, baking, junking and other domestic issues. I feel it is time for Flying Time Designs to address a more serious topic and to perform a public service. That's why I'm introducing M.O.Y.S. (Mothers of Young Super Heros).

Raising a "super" child can be quite challenging and there are very few resources out there for moms. We want to help our children harness their power and use it only for good. In the words of Ben Parker (Spiderman's Uncle), "With great power, comes great responsibility." We as mother's must ban together to raise responsible children and fight the forces of evil! Join M.O.Y.S now! (just leave a comment)

Our first M.O.Y.S topic…

Creating the Perfect Secret Hideout

Every superhero needs a top secret hideout/headquarters. Here is the hideout my son and I created this weekend*. Some sturdy boxes from my work provided the building material. To make the structure look more solid and intimidating, we used a sponge to stamp on some bricks and we painted a fake door on the front to fool the bad guys. The real door is on the side! We used packing foam, aluminum pie tins, cut up pieces of expired credit cards and even an old cell phone to create the interior controls. See more photos here.

You might also want to check out this previous post. It was written prior to the creation of M.O.Y.S but still offers some helpful ideas. You might also want to check out my Comic Book Wallet tutorail.

Coming soon…
•links to some great superhero sites
•what every M.O.Y.S should know about comic books
•recommended reading
•recommended tunes
•costume making, art projects and more!

*Warning do not disclose the location of your hide-out. Posting photos may be considered dangerous. Pertinent details of the this hideout will be modified to maintain its secrecy.

Happy Mother's Day!

2008-05-11T20:55:00.002-06:00

mothersday, originally uploaded by Flying Time Designs.

Yep! That's me with my feet up, wearing the brand new, hand knit slippers that my daughter made for me. I had a great weekend and there's lots to talk about but for now… I think I'll just sit here with my slippers and take it easy. Hope other moms had a chance to relax today too!

The Friendly Book & Focus

2008-04-30T20:54:00.003-06:00

The Friendly Book was one of my favorite books when I was a kid . Basically it's just a nice little rhyming story about someone who likes pretty much everything. Here's a snippet:

I LIKE DOGS
Big dogs
Little dogs
Fat dogs
Doggy dogs
Old dogs
Puppy dogs
I like dogs
A dog that is barking over the hill
A dog this is dreaming very still
A dog that is running wherever he will
I like dogs.

So the book just goes on and on like this about different things the narrator likes.

I've come to the conclusion that this book may be to blame for all of my adult woes! This narrator and I seem to share some sort of strange disorder. We like pretty much everything and can't seem focus on anything in paticular. If I were feeling a bit more sharp witted tonight I'd write some clever rhyme… I LIKE CRAFTS, every kind of craft, needle crafts, kitchen crafts, crafts on a raft… oh brother!

My focus lately has been on baking and vintage kitchen things. I'm having so much fun sharing this over at Sugar and Meringue. I sort of feel like that might be my "thing". But I still love to craft and decorate. The ideas for projects just keep piling up in my head and I've had absolutely no time to get to them. I'm beginning to wonder if I'll ever craft again!

Oh well, it's silly to complain about all the things that I like doing. I may not write as many posts here, as I spend more of my time at Sugar and Meringue and focusing on the 3 things I like most…

Flying Time…

2008-04-22T20:06:00.005-06:00

You know those extra vacation days I talked about last time? Well, they're over! I had a five day weekend and I have no idea where all the time went. Today, at work, everyone asked how my long weekend was and my response was that it wasn't long at all. I had so many things I wanted to accomplish that I didn't get to!

Really when I think about it, I did do a lot:

A trip to the copy shop, 2 trips to the post office, 2 trips to Hobby Lobby, a trip to Target for a last minute kid's birthday party present, a trip to the Holiday Inn for the birthday party, several trips to the school for district music contest, a trip to the grocery store to buy breakfast for the three girls my daughter invited over after contest, another trip to the grocery store for all the stuff I forgot to get the first time, supper out with my mom and… a trip to the gas station. OUCH!

I baked and decorated, photographed, packaged and blogged (at Sugar and Meringue) 3 dozen cookies. Made about 80 cupcake toppers. Read the whole third Spiderwick book to my son. Listed a couple new things at my Sugar and Meringue Etsy Shop. Started gutting Regi (our '64 Avion Camper). Swept the dead mice out of Regi. GROSSSS! Washed some clothes, mopped the floor, vacuumed, emptied the dishwasher several times, took out the trash, made some appointments, checked some favorite blogs, looked at pretty pictures on flickr, drank way too much coffee…

I know everyone is busy these days, so thanks for taking the time to stop by and read about all my silliness. I really appreciate it!

My Happy Day!

2008-04-16T17:18:00.002-06:00

My Happy Day!, originally uploaded by Flying Time Designs.

Actually it's been my happy week!
-Mom picked up a really fun '50s end table and some cute old children's books at the junk store (including this one) for me.
-It was my employment anniversary and I found out I had 3 unused vacation days! I thought I was out. I have 2 weeks to use them or lose them so, I'm taking tomorrow, Friday and next Friday off! Yeah!!!!!!!!
-Some friends and I made plans to go to the Walnut Antique Show together in June. It will be such a fun girls' weekend. I can't wait!
-My daughter played her flute solo perfectly at her performance last night.
-The weather has been nice.
-I found $10 in my pocket this morning!

Life is good, for now…

Trying to get organized

2008-04-13T15:25:00.007-06:00

Trying to get organized, originally uploaded by Flying Time Designs.

Organization is an issue for me. Getting organized is one of those things I dread doing but once I start the organization process, I actually kind of enjoy it. It feels so good to be organized. You would think I could get organized and then stay that way, but time gets away from me, I get a little lazy and things end up in chaos all over again. Ugh! One thing I have learned is that I'm more willing to work on organizing if I can find a way to make it more fun and pretty. This binder and dividers I found at Target did the trick this time. Love them! I have sections with:

• contact sheets with photos of everything I have listed, need to list, or sold at Sugar and Meringue.
•master copies and CDs for my recipe cards and cupcake toppers.
•labels for packaging
•a catalog of my vintage illustration scans that I can refer to as I design new recipe cards and cupcake toppers.
•Invoices and print-outs of e-mails that I need to refer to.
•receipts
•a SPREADSHEET! I'm so not the spreadsheet type so this is really good for me. It lists all of my income and expenses for each item I have listed at etsy. Now I just have to keep it up-to-date. We'll see how that goes.

I'm still posting lots of new things at Sugar and Meringue. I made some May Basket cupcakes and I'm just about to post them. So, if you're bored with the whole organizing thing come visit me over there. That's where the fun stuff is at the moment!

And the winner is…

2008-04-09T18:05:00.002-06:00

Well I flipped a coin and…Sarah (from Vintage Lily) is the winner of the "Baby Dwight" contest!
But, I have to say, I really liked Catherine's (from She's Sew Slye) tragic comment!

I also want to thank Absolutely Delish for featuring my vintage fabric covered buttons on her site. I'm very flattered!!

By the way, if you missed this giveaway, I have another giveaway going at Sugar and Meringue right now, so go check that one out!

Thanks!
Emily

May Baskets

2008-04-07T16:03:00.006-06:00

may basket, originally uploaded by Flying Time Designs.

I've been working on some ideas for May baskets. My plan was to make a bunch of different ones and write a post about them early in April in so that if anyone wanted to use any of my ideas, they would have plenty of time to get them ready. Well…so far this is the only one I've made. It is a cake mix box that has been cut in half and covered with a copy of a vintage illustration.

I bought this basket (as part of a set) on clearance at Target a while back. It's just a Pixie cup covered with gathered crepe paper so it would be fun and easy to make.

And here is the May Basket Pattern I posted last year which came from a 1940s Activities for Children magazine. If you click on the image it should take you to flickr where you can get it in a larger size (click "all sizes" then large).

Do people exchange May Baskets where you live? A flickr friend said they don't very much where she lives. Not everyone hands them out here but quite a few people do. Last year, my teenage daughter even made some to put in her friends' lockers and a friend of mine at work left a beautiful May Basket made from a vintage fruit crate in my cubicle.

I'm working on some May Basket cupcakes and will be posting those to Sugar & Meringue soon.

Oh yeah, don't forget to leave a comment on the previous post so you can take part in the give-away! So far, it's between Catherine and Sarah! Please read the comments. They're funny!

A Mystery and a Give-away!

2008-04-02T17:32:00.005-06:00

Long, long ago in the land of cubicles, I was listening to a podcast interview with Alison Houtte, owner of Hootie Couture, a vintage clothing shop in Brooklyn. It's been so long since I listened to this podcast that I hope I've got my story straight, but I remember them talking about how they make up a little story about the each items' history and put it on the tag. Like a leather jacket that said, "I tried heroine. It wasn't worth it." (something like that) I LOVE that idea. Whenever, I aquire some vintage item, I always wonder what its history might be.

So, I'd like to borrow the "story" idea for my very first blog give-away. I found this baby card in my collection of ephemera announcing the birth of baby Dwight. Leave me a comment with a couple lines about what you think happened to Dwight. For example:

Dwight grew up to be a lawyer, and sued Flying Time Designs for slander.

In one week, I'll put the names in a hat and draw a winner! The winner will get Dwight's vintage birth announcement along with the other fun little baby things shown in the photo. Good luck and have fun!

Disclaimer: All comments regarding Dwight are fictional. Any resemblance to the real Dwight are purely coincidental. I do not know this Dwight.

Analise's Button Challenge

2008-03-29T18:50:00.002-06:00

I was invited to take part in Analise's Button Challenge, so…here's some of my favorite buttons! I like bright, happy vintage buttons. They look like candy!

I have to admit I'm beginning to question my sanity. I spent way too much time sorting and "posing" my buttons for this challenge. But, it's so much fun! How could I resist.

The Farm House

2008-03-26T04:37:00.008-06:00

Imagine going to your great-grandparents home, abandoned in the early '40s, but (almost) just as it was when they left… full of furniture and household items and with food still in the cupboards! My mom got to do just that in the early '70s.

My great-great grandparents (Clother Allen and Mary Susan C00k) moved into this house in Lowell, Nebraska in 1894 and 4 of their 5 children were born here including my great-grandfather (Allen Cook).

Old age made it difficult for Clother and Mary Susan to live in the farmhouse during the winter and summer months so they stayed with family, often my great-grandparents. When my great-grandparents moved to California in 1939, Clother and Mary Susan came to stay with them. Mary Susan died and Clother was advised not to travel due to poor health. Consequently he spent the remainder of his life with my great-grandparents in California, never returning to the farmhouse in Nebraska.

A tenant farmer living in a neighboring house kept an eye on the house and it was never broken into or vandalized. Great-grandfather always intended to move back to his boyhood home one day so he left it as it was. Finally, in the early '70s after the death of my great-grandmother, Great-grandfather re-married. He took his new bride to the farmhouse and suggested that they live there. By then the place was pretty ramshackle and very primitive so of course she wasn't crazy about the idea. At that point my great-grandfather asked my grandpa to clean it out and tear it down. My parents were just married and helped with the clean up.

I grew up with many items from the farmhouse decorating our home. My parents still talk about all the fun things they have from there and regret all the things they chose to get rid of either because they didn't know any better or because they didn't have room in their tiny apartment.

On Easter, my grandpa gave me my own memento from the farmhouse. It's a croquet box that my grandpa built little shelves into. On the front is the original shipping label from Montgomery Ward. It bears my great-great grandfather's name and the date, 1914. The quilt in the picture below is also from the farmhouse. It was passed down to me by my mom a few years ago.

I've always enjoyed the idea of being able to walk into an old house, full of great stuff and being able to take almost anything I wanted. Wouldn't that be fun? But after talking about the farmhouse with my grandparents, I see everything that came from the farmhouse as more than just cool old stuff. It's a way of connecting to the stories from my family's history. I will treasure the things that I have that came from this house and the stories that go with them.

Faux Bois Fun

2008-03-19T18:55:00.008-06:00

Faux Bois Fun, originally uploaded by Flying Time Designs.

I'm loving the Faux Bois trend. I saw some really cool vintage yellow plates with a brown faux bois pattern at the antique store the other day. Kind of regret not getting them but they were a little expensive. Maybe I'll go back and look at them again after payday. Hopefully they are still there! They inspired the "faux bois" cookies I made last weekend. Check them out at Sugar & Meringue.

Also, check out the cool old building this light fixture came from in Aorta's flickr photos. I'm always curious about what is in the upper levels of old downtown buildings. Maybe I should become a building inspector or something so I can do some snooping!

Happy St. Patricks Day!

2008-03-16T20:05:00.001-06:00

Happy St. Patricks Day!, originally uploaded by Flying Time Designs.

Just some fun green things I found on flickr.

I have a couple of projects almost ready to show you. Hopefully I'll get them posted in the next couple of days.

Grandpa's Birthday

2008-03-09T14:14:00.007-06:00

Grandpa in the Navy, originally uploaded by Flying Time Designs.

Yesterday was my Grandpa's 82nd birthday. He joined the Navy towards the end of WWII and served as a medic in Guam. Considering it's been about 60 years since this picture was taken, I have to say, he hasn't changed that much!

Grandpa took us all out for dinner last night. Then, we went to my mom's house and visited about the "good old days".

Otherwise, I spent most of the weekend baking and decorating cookies. I've detailed all of my baking adventures at Sugar and Meringue. Most of my creative energy has been devoted to cookie design lately, so I've been doing a lot more posting there.

Mid-century Momma, BFFs & the Undead David Copperfield

2008-03-01T21:28:00.020-06:00

Emalee,
To a terrific friend that I've had since preschool and I know for many years more. Good luck with cruise directing, Tim and all your years at NHS. Let's party and have a great time!
Your twin friend,
Aimee ('86)

Em,
To my "best buddy" remember when we used to call each other that? –I'll never forget the song. We've been through some really wild and crazy and sometimes really stupid times together! But I've loved every minute of it! We'll have to go "camping" again sometime but we'll have to watch out for the coyotes HA!
Best of luck always,
Love,
Amy

My friend, Amy celebrated her birthday on the 27th so to honor her, I dug out our old school pictures. The photo is of us in preschool and the quotes are what she wrote to me on the back of her 7th grade and senior pictures. In seventh grade we decided to spell our names differently. We also had our own secret codes so that we could pass notes in class and if anyone read them they would have no idea what/who we were talking about. We sort of looked alike and tended to dress the same. After a week of summer camp we found out that people thought we were twins. They were surprised to find out that we're not even related! Ohhhh… how funny to think of what weirdos we were in junior high, but really… who wasn't wierd back then? I hope Amy doesn't kill me when she reads this!

Friday, we had four couples over for "game night". This was the third time we've gotten together for games and it was so much fun (as always). When we played the TV trivia game, one of the guys made up a question about what killed David Copperfield and even though none of us could remember hearing anything about David Copperfield dying, we totally fell for it!

My mother had a great deal of trouble with me, but I think she enjoyed it.

–Mark Twain

Yesterday was my mom's birthday. She is now officially a "senior citizen" . Wow! "Senior citizens" seem pretty young to me these days. That must mean I'm getting old or something! My mom and my grandparents laugh at my love of mid-century modern decor. Guess it is funny that I love stuff that was "in" when my parents were born.
We had mom and dad and my grandpa and grandma over for supper last night to celebrate mom's birthday. It was a gorgeous day so we grilled some steaks. Mom requested pudding poke cake for dessert. YUM! (shhhh…don't tell my kids I had a leftover piece for breakfast this morning!)

Ready for a New Home

2008-02-24T18:04:00.012-06:00

Maryelle and Martin, originally uploaded by Flying Time Designs.

I promise– I'm not turning into a weather blogger, …but, the weather this weekend was so gorgeous I have to mention it. 60º with a gentle breeze. We threw open the windows, lit the grill, walked some dogs, and even did some spring cleaning. It felt sooooo good.

Martin and Maryelle, the birds in the picture are now in my etsy store and looking for a new home. So is Antonio, the dog in the picture below. He's one of the dogs from the Humane Society that we walked this weekend. My daughter is required to do 20 hours of community service for her political science class, so she's been volunteering for the Humane Society and she's gotten the rest of us involved too. What a great way to get some exercise!

I feel like I've got a new home since I recently painted my living room and kitchen. Last weekend I found the "Fall" posters, that are hanging above the couch, at my favorite junk store and I got them framed and hung yesterday. I'm really happy with the way they look . They seem to pull everything together. After 8 years of struggling to figure out what to do with my living room, I finally feel like it looks "right".

Making My Own Spring

2008-02-20T17:16:00.003-06:00

My creation, originally uploaded by Flying Time Designs.

The current temperature– 14º F, with a windchill of 0º F. I'm thinking of moving south! I'm so sick of winter! But, since moving isn't very practical and whining does no good, I'll just have to make my own spring!
Over the weekend I went to my favorite junk store and found a few fun "springy" things, then I decided to try my hand at making some gumpaste flowers. It was a fun project and something I will definitely try again.

Kids' braided purse project

2008-02-15T20:20:00.004-06:00

braidedpurse, originally uploaded by Flying Time Designs.

I found this project in a 1946 issue of Children's Activities. I think it's a great project for kids but I have to say,I had fun making it myself. I'm not a knitter but I love all the great yarn that's out there and this gave me a chance to use some of it. I'm going to hang it up in my cubicle and use it as a wall pocket. Here's the directions.

A few more things in my esty shop

2008-02-12T20:10:00.001-06:00

etsy additions, originally uploaded by Flying Time Designs.

New Stuff in my Etsy Store!

2008-02-10T17:37:00.001-06:00

New Stuff in my Etsy Store!, originally uploaded by Flying Time Designs.

I listed these guys in my Etsy store today. This is the first time I've listed anything on Esty so I'm a little nervous. Oh well…guess we'll see what happens. I had fun coming up with names for all of them. All of the names are from a list of popular names from the '40s.

I LOVE snowdays!!!!!

2008-02-05T14:36:00.001-06:00

sneekpeek, originally uploaded by Flying Time Designs.

Woooohooooo! It's a snow day. The kids are home from school, I don't have to work, can't go anywhere, nothing to do but craft!!!! I'm getting quite a bit done and should be ready to list some things on etsy within the next couple of weeks.

I love the letter Cc

2008-02-04T19:31:00.001-06:00

Big C little c, what begins with c?
Cupcakes, concerts, cards and company!

A slightly weird observation I had was that nearly everything we did over the weekend started with the letter "C" . Too many years of watching Sesame Street I suppose…

I cleaned and worked at the speech team concession stand on Friday.

Saturday I cleaned some more, baked cupcakes with white chocolate peppermint cream cheese frosting, and cooked a casserole to prepare for company. Then I went to see my daughter play her cello in an honor orchestra concert.

Later that night I went to another concert. The St. Olaf College orchestra performed here and we hosted 4 of the students for the night (company).

Sunday after I had my morning coffee, I went to the flee market and bought cards, a colorful toy top and a couple of baby booties. I finished the day by reading comic books to my son and carving a camper for a linocut.

Sorry this is such a corny post!

I Love Slippers!

2008-01-30T20:12:00.001-06:00

I Love Slippers!, originally uploaded by Flying Time Designs.

Ok… I've given myself a March 1 deadline to start selling things on etsy. I'm also considering doing a local craft show in April. That means I've got to focus, and make the things that I plan to sell. The problem is I keep finding things I want to make for myself! I absolutely love slippers and I've wanted to make myself a pair ever since I found this pattern in an old book I bought (The Complete Guide to Sewing ©1943). Then I found these patterns from Sew Green & Stardust Shoes (as mentioned in my New Year's post) and today, I bought the February/March issue of Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion and found this slipper pattern!

Valentines Day Cookies

2008-01-20T08:48:00.001-06:00

valentines day cookies, originally uploaded by Flying Time Designs.

Chocolate Cut-Out Cookies

1/4 C. Butter
1/4 C. Margarine
3/4 C. Sugar
1 Egg
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 1/2 C. Flour
1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
1/4 tsp. Salt

Cream butter, sugar, egg and vanilla until fluffy. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Chill until firm. Roll to 1/4 inch thickness. Bake at 325º for 5-7 minutes.

Royal Icing (for pink dots)

6 C. powdered sugar
2/3 C. water
4 1/2 T. meringue powder

Mix powdered sugar and meringue. Add water slowly until the icing is the consistency of thick frosting for outlining and thin with more water for flooding.

Chocolate Royal Icing

1 lb. powdered sugar
1/3 C.cocoa
7 T. water
3 T. meringue powder

Mix powdered sugar, cocoa and meringue. Add water slowly until the icing is the consistency of thick frosting for outlining and thin with more water for flooding.

Note: Thinned icing should be the consistency of a thick batter. Thin enough so that it will smooth itself out, but not too watery.

How to Decorate:

Using a pastry bag outfitted with a #3 or 4 tip, outline cookies with the thick chocolate icing. Fill another pastry bag outfitted with a # 4 or 5 tip with thinned chocolate icing and flood the inside of the cookie. (I use a glass to hold the bag while I'm filling it with thinned icing)

Add pink paste coloring to the plain royal icing and thin with water. Put thinned icing in a pastry bag with a #3 or 4 tip. While the chocolate icing is still wet, make dots with the thinned pink icing.

See more photos here.

A Cure for the After Christmas Slump

2008-01-06T18:36:00.001-06:00

Inspriring Junk Collection, originally uploaded by Flying Time Designs.

A trip to the "junk store" was just what I needed to get past that "January Christmas is Over" slump. I found lots of bright inspiring things to decorate with and to use in upcoming projects.

Happy New Year!

2007-12-31T00:00:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year, originally uploaded by Flying Time Designs.

The new year is just getting started and I'm already feeling overwhelmed by all of my crafty ambitions. So many projects so little time…but…time flies when you're having fun!

My (crafty/blogger) goals:

Figure out how to make this blog look a little better – I kind of know what I want it to look like just not how to make it work! A time consuming frustration for me!

Design a personal website? Maybe?

Post a few tutorials /projects –About mid to late January I'll try to post a recipe and instructions for decorated Valentines Day cookies. I would also like to come up with a few more projects for moms & kids to work on together.

Launch an Etsy store by March– I'm working on some spring and Easter designs right now!

I also plan to work harder to connect with other crafters. I enjoy a lot of great craft blogs but I'm not very good about leaving comments. I hope to do better this year! Maybe I'll join an exchange or two, also… we'll see what time allows!

As if that weren't enough to keep me busy for the next five years, I keep finding fun projects I want to try on other blogs…

Fabric Flower from Wise Craft
Thumbtacks from How about orange…
Slippers from Sew Green & from Stardust Shoes
Festive Bunting from Stitch Rip & Repeat
Pencil Bag from The Monkey Basket
my daughter and I want to play with resin as shown on Craftlog

and I need to make curtains and cushions for our 1964 avion camper…

…anyone have any great time management tips?

Comic Book Wallet

2007-12-28T23:09:00.001-06:00

Comic Book Wallet, originally uploaded by Flying Time Designs.

Here's the directions!

Makin' a List, Checkin' it Twice

2007-12-22T21:57:00.001-06:00

Making a List, Checkin, originally uploaded by Flying Time Designs.

I think I am finally done with all the Christmas preparations. Time to sit back and enjoy.

A Happy Birthday

2007-12-12T21:52:00.001-06:00

Weekend Fun, originally uploaded by Flying Time Designs.

My birthday was Monday and my best friend, since preschool, came to town for the weekend to help me celebrate. We had a great time shopping for junk while our kids (teen, tweens, and two seven year olds) stayed home with my husband and made graham cracker gingerbread houses!
Then on Monday, my mom made me fried chicken with mashed potatoes, gravy and cake for supper. My favorite!
Except for the getting older part, my birthday was perfect!

Christmas Cookies

2007-11-23T14:36:00.001-06:00

Christmas Cookies, originally uploaded by Flying Time Designs.

Comic Book Bedroom

2007-11-12T21:23:00.001-06:00

Comic Book Bedroom, originally uploaded by Flying Time Designs.

I spent the weekend painting my son's comic book/superhero inspired bedroom.

Grandma

2007-11-05T21:39:00.001-06:00

Grandmaplane.jpg, originally uploaded by Flying Time Designs

Today was my Grandma's 80th birthday. This picture is of my grandma and her dad. After high school, she got her pilot's license and even flew competitively when she was in college.

She and my Grandpa have both done so many interesting things. It's so much fun to hear all of their stories.

Last weekend was also my niece's first birthday and Handmade'ns so we got to eat a lot of junk food and do a lot of celebrating.

What fun!

We Proudly Announce the Arrival of…

2007-10-12T17:10:00.001-06:00

Regina Louise
Weight– 2740 lbs.
Length– 21' 4"
Born– 1964
Adopted– September of 2007
Place– Pella, Iowa

This is why I haven't posted anything for a while.

2007-10-11T16:09:00.001-06:00

handmade'ns 2007, originally uploaded by Flying Time Designs.

The Rocket Summer

2007-09-15T20:13:00.001-06:00

Favorite Omaha photos, originally uploaded by Flying Time Designs.

With both of my girls celebrating birthdays, these past two weeks have been crazy, but fun.

We took my oldest daughter & one of her friends to Omaha last Saturday to see "The Academy Is" (an alternative rock band). We couldn't have asked for a better day! Before the concert we shopped at the Old Market and while we were there (at Homer's Music), one of the opening bands, The Rocket Summer, came in and played a few songs. The lead singer, Bryce, was so nice! My daughter & her friend got his autograph and had their picture taken with him. Supper at Spaghetti Works was delicious and the weather was perfect for waiting in line out side to get into the concert.

Okay, just so I don't give the impression that things usually go so perfectly, here's what happened after the concert…

We got home at about 2:30 a.m. My other daughter and son had spent the night with my parents. Our dogs were supposed to be shut in their kennel for the night. However, somehow they got out. Our new little Boston is not completely house trained yet. I walked in the front door and stepped right in a pile of poop with my new shoes. So, I was up until after 3:00 steam-vaccing the carpet.

Labor Day Flea Market Finds

2007-09-02T09:46:00.001-06:00

Labor Day Flea Market Finds, originally uploaded by Flying Time Designs.

Here's what I found at the flea market in Lexington this year. It's always so much fun!

It was a dark and dreary morning…

2007-08-26T08:56:00.001-06:00

spider web, originally uploaded by Flying Time Designs.

I looked out the back windows Saturday morning to find that a spider had done a little early Halloween decorating. Spiders give me the creeps but my son likes them (thanks to Spiderman). We've been reading about spiders lately, and learned some interesting facts about spider webs. It was cool to look at this one. My son was fascinated.

Bark!

2007-08-25T17:12:00.000-06:00

I promised some friends I would post pictures of these barkcloth drapes I found at an antique store last weekend. Right now I have them hanging in my living room. My hope is that one day they will be converted into pillows/cushions/curtains for my Airstream (if I ever get one).

Cooky and the other puppy book were added to my "vintage puppy collection" last weekend as well. My mom bought me all the ceramic puppies when my son was born because my intent was to decorate his room in a puppy theme. However, his love of tractors at the age of two replaced the puppy idea with plans to create a farm themed room. Now he's into superheroes and I have elaborate plans to paint a cityscape on his walls in bright comic book colors with speech balloons and the whole shabang. We'll see if he stays interested long enough for me to get that done. Anyway, the puppies have found a happy home in my living room.

Step by Step

2007-08-01T21:37:00.000-06:00

Step by Step, originally uploaded by Flying Time Designs.

Sorting Some Things Out

2007-07-28T22:04:00.001-06:00

sorting, originally uploaded by Flying Time Designs.

A New Blog for Cupcake Makers & Cookie Bakers!

2007-07-08T18:30:00.001-06:00

Doll House Cake Pattern, originally uploaded by Flying Time Designs.

I've created a new blog which focuses on decorated cookies, cupcakes and all kinds of sweet, nostalgic things from the kitchen. Hope you'll come check out Sugar & Meringue!

I'll tell you where you can sew!

2007-07-01T19:59:00.001-06:00

a place to create
Originally uploaded by Flying Time Designs

Inspired by the young, hip, alternative craft movement, my teenage daughters have shown a strong interest in sewing over the past year or two. Unfortunately, my sewing machine has always been shoved off to one side of my work table and buried under piles of stuff. Setting it up would require moving all my works in progress out of the way and cleaning up my huge workspace mess…until now!

I was listening to an interview with Amy Carol on the Craftsanity podcast when something she said about sewing/working while caring for her kids made me think I needed to find a place to set up the sewing machine so that the girls could get at it and sew whenever they wanted.

The solution was this eight foot table in the office. It was covered with CDs, papers, an old computer and printer and all kinds of junk. Pathetic, I know, but the office is always the last room to be cleaned around here. I already had the tablecloth and all the accessories. The only thing I bought was the shoe organizer.

I'm so happy with the way it turned out, I might do a little bit of sewing myself. My daughter found some really cute handbag ideas at U Handbag. Anyway, from now on, the office will not be the last room I clean.

Meet Marvel

2007-06-12T05:22:00.001-06:00

Marvel J. 2
Originally uploaded by Flying Time Designs

Introducing the newest addition to our family, Marvel J. (M.J. for short). She is a Boston Terrier, born on April 9, 2007. She's so sweet, playful and cuddely. Her brother Mikey (our pug) is a little jealous but most of the time they get along really well.

Happy Mother's Day!

2007-05-13T06:20:00.001-06:00

My daughter made this pillow for me for Mother's Day. She knows how much I love vintage campers and campfires. I think the pattern is from Jenny Hart/Sublime Stitching

It's such a nice weekend. I got my flowers planted and my mom gave me two hanging baskets for Mother's Day. It's so nice to have flowers again. Now I just have to keep them watered!

My other daughter gave me the new Bright Eyes CD, Cassadaga. I almost bought some of the songs on this CD from iTunes but I'm so glad I didn't. The case this CD comes in is the coolest thing ever! It's just gray splotches, but inside the case is a secret decoder which shows hidden pictures when you slide it over the case!

May Basket Pattern

2007-04-29T16:12:00.001-06:00

May Basket Pattern from 1947 Magazine
Originally uploaded by Flying Time Designs.

I found this May Basket Pattern in a 1947 "Children's Activities" Magazine. Happy May Day!

What I've Been Up To

2007-04-09T21:49:00.001-06:00

Eating too much candy, drinking too much coffee, and gathering ideas for my Christmas 2008 collection.

Happy Easter

2007-04-07T21:29:00.001-06:00

Happy Easter
Originally uploaded by Flying Time Designs.

The "Pokey" little puppy

2007-04-02T17:08:00.001-06:00

The "Pokey" little puppy
Originally uploaded by Flying Time Designs.

This weekend I learned to needle felt. Very Fun! I will definitely be making more little critters!

Busy Weekend

2007-03-19T13:00:00.000-06:00

It was another busy but nice weekend. Tried to work on some paper mache stuff, but kept getting side tracked.

Went to my favorite "junk/thrift/antique" store with my dad and got a bunch of cool vintage fabric, a cute red corner shelf, a patchwork quilt, and a red wooden divided tray thing. Then dad and I ate lunch at a small town cafe. I had a delicious hot beef sandwich.

Mom & I decorated cookies for my cousin's bridal shower.

2007-03-08T19:28:00.000-06:00

I've been looking at some of my favorite things trying to get some inspiration for a new color for my living room walls. Right now they are the boring beige you see in the top right picture.
The downstairs family room (which is visible in the room from the open staircase) is red and I love it but I'm not sure I want another red room. Maybe some shade of green?

Friday Favorites

2007-03-02T20:01:00.001-06:00

It's snowy and 30ºhere with 40 mph wind. I need a dose of springy things. The "scrap boxes" get me in the mood to do some spring cleaning. I can't wait until the first big thunderstorm and the first s'more of the season. Wish I had an airstream like the '54 flying cloud to hang out in at the lake. Sigh… will winter ever end?

New Words & Phrases

2007-02-26T20:24:00.001-06:00

Due to my son's interest in Super Heroes I've decided it would be fun to use some of their words and phrases in everyday life. Here's a list:

"We must be strong and we must be swift!" (I've been saying this alot!)

foe (what a funny word- I hope I don't have too many!)

"Go get 'em tiger!" (I love the way Mary Jane says this at the end of the Spider Man movie.)

"It's clobberin' time!" (said teasingly, of course)

"I'm the best their is at what I do"

"You don't want to make me angry!"

"Say goodnight, Gracie!"

Runza Recipe

2007-02-25T21:13:00.000-06:00

This is a combination of my mom's recipe and a friends recipe with a few tweaks of my own. I usually end up with more meat than dough, so you may want to use just two or three pounds of hamburger (You can still put in a whole head of cabbage. Mom's original recipe called for 2 lbs. hamburger to 1 head of cabbage– I just don't like that much cabbage.)

Dough: (make 2 batches)
1 envelope yeast
2 cups warm milk or water
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1 tsp. salt
2 beaten eggs
7-8 cups flour

Soften yeast in liquid. Stir in remaining ingredients. Let rise until doubled. Punch down & let rise again.

Meanwhile, prepare the filling.

1 head of cabbage- shredded
4 lbs. ground beef
2 boxes (4 envelopes) Lipton Beefy Onion soup mix
salt and pepper to taste

Brown hamburger. Add cabbage, soup mix & salt and pepper. Simmer 'til dough is done rising.

Divide dough into 32 equal balls (16 from each batch of dough). Roll each ball to about a 1/4" thickness. Place a portion of the filling in the center (maybe about a 1/2 cup?) Bring sides together, pinch to seal securely. Place pinched side down on greased baking sheets. Bake at 350º about 20 minutes until golden. Brush tops with butter. Eat a bunch right out of the oven, then freeze the rest for a quick meal when you need one.

cozy weekend

2007-02-25T09:40:00.001-06:00

runza.jpg
Originally uploaded by Flying Time Designs.

Well, the blizzard missed us, but we had a cozy Saturday inside anyway. My daughter and I spent the afternoon baking Runzas. She makes the dough, I make the meat, then we both put them together. Yummmm! (I'll post the recipe if anyone wants it.) Then, my other daughter baked cookies. She tried a new recipe and had some trouble getting them off the pan in one piece, so I don't have any pictures, but they tasted pretty good and made the house smell yummy! I spent the rest of the day working on some paper mache projects in between loads of laundry. Today, I suppose I should get the house clean. Ick!

Preparing for a Blizzard

2007-02-22T21:38:00.001-06:00

supplies.jpg
Originally uploaded by Flying Time Designs.

Yesterday it was almost 60º here. Tomorrow, there's a good chance of severe thunderstorms, and we're in a bilzzard watch for Saturday. We're used to crazy weather like this in Nebraska and we know how to prepare. After work, I went shopping for all the necessary supplies. Milk, water, bread, batteries…no…styrofoam, clay & paint. What could be worse than being snowed in without craft supplies? As long as I have everything I need to make what I want to make, I'm perfectly happy to be stuck inside, unable to leave the house, cut off from the rest of the world for a few days. (I will get all the groceries we need before the storm too.) Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

My Hero

2007-02-20T06:22:00.001-06:00

hero.jpg
Originally uploaded by Flying Time Designs.

My six year old is really into Super Heros these days so of course, I had to make some. This guy is the third "Hero" I've made. The pencil and the "Palmer Method Handwriting" merit pin are new additions to the design and were added because my son just got a little award certificate from his teacher for working so hard on his hand-writing. I rarely keep the stuff I make but I have to keep him!

I Hate Sewing!

2007-02-18T20:35:00.001-06:00

fabric.jpg
Originally uploaded by Flying Time Designs.

The sewing machine and I don't get along very well and I don't like reading patterns. So why did I buy fabric yesterday? A couple of years ago I got rid of a big stash of homespun plaids and calicos that I had collected in the '90s and never used. After that I swore I would never buy fabric again unless I had a specific project that I needed it for and planned to make right away. It really wasn't too hard to stop buying fabric 'cause there just wasn't anything new and different in the local stores and I don't really like buying fabric on-line. But we now have a store about 40 miles from here that has really cool, fun, fabric and when I was there yesterday, I gave in to temptation.

Happy Friday!

2007-02-17T18:28:00.001-06:00

iPodcozy.jpg
Originally uploaded by Flying Time Designs.

When I came home from work yesterday, my daughter gave me this iPod cozy that she knitted and felted. I love it! I'm so glad she knows how to knit. My mom gave her and me a lesson at the same time. My daughter caught on, but I did not. So…I'm always requesting knitted things from her. She's so talented and I'm so lucky!

Handmade'ns 2006!

2006-11-12T19:25:00.000-06:00

Handmaden's was great this year! Everyone made really fantastic things to sell and I thought our display was gorgeous. We had two large vintage silver trees (and 1 new one) on the tables in the center with white cheese cloth and lights draped from the ceiling. We also had white tulle and lights along the table in the back. It looked like new fallen snow! The only sad thing was that we had such a mad rush of people when we opened our doors, that I don't think anyone really had time to notice our displays! Oh well! I have pictures.

A Handmade'ns daughter described Handmade'ns as a family holiday… Halloween, Handmade'ns, Thanksgiving, Christmas… It is like a holiday for us. We work so hard to prepare. We stress and wonder why we do this. Then the day finally comes. Our family and friends come to show their support for our creativity. A long line of people forms at the door, waiting to see what we've made. The doors open and within about an hour the tables are almost bare! It's like a gift to know that people really like and appreciate the fruits of our labor.

Getting Ready for Handmade'ns 2006

2006-11-05T07:34:00.000-06:00

Next Sunday, November 12, I will be selling my paper clay pieces at Handmade'ns. Handmade'ns is a local group of around 10 "crafty ladies" who meet about once a month to eat, chat about the local craft scene, share ideas and projects and just have a good time. Then, each year, on a Sunday afternoon in November, we have the Handmade'ns Boutique when we sell our individual creations. We all get a little stressed out about getting stuff ready for our boutique but when the day comes we have so much fun!

Handmaden's has been around since 1977, with different members coming and going. The group has developed quite a reputation for having quality stuff. People usually start lining up at the door an hour to an hour and a half before we open to get the free pin we give away to the first 50 people through the door and to get first choice of our stuff. It's so much fun to be a part of the excitement!