Happy New Year!

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

Comic Book Wallet, originally uploaded by Flying Time Designs.

Here's the directions!

Makin' a List, Checkin' it Twice

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

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

Christmas Cookies, originally uploaded by Flying Time Designs.

Comic Book Bedroom

Comic Book Bedroom, originally uploaded by Flying Time Designs.

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

Grandma

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…

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.

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

The Rocket Summer

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

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…

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!

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

Step by Step, originally uploaded by Flying Time Designs.

Sorting Some Things Out

sorting, originally uploaded by Flying Time Designs.

A New Blog for Cupcake Makers & Cookie Bakers!

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!

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

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!

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

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

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

Happy Easter

Happy Easter
Originally uploaded by Flying Time Designs.

The "Pokey" little puppy

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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!

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!