So, I've been a little creative.
Tom got me a sewing/embroidery machine for my birthday (no, it's not my birthday yet...not till June) and we HAD to open it and make sure it all worked as advertised and that we didn't need to take it back...lol.
I got this idea about making a sign for my door when I have it shut because I am in a telecon, or testing, or training. (Everyone else that has an office has professionally made signs that say 'Teleconference in Progress'.) I could have asked for one but thought it would make a good project. Luckily all the things I do behind a closed door start with 'T'.
So, I went shopping at the new Target in town (since I hadn't been there yet) and found this sign shaped marker board that would be just perfect for the base. ($4...you can't beat that) The nice thing about the marker board was that it already had magnets on it that could stick to the door frame like everyone else does.
So, here was a chance to put my embroidery machine to the test. Since I am not smart enough yet to figure out how to match up the letters if I do some of them and then remove the cloth from the hoop and then do some more....I decided it had to fit in one sewing session. So, I chose "T I P" to embroider on the cloth. The good thing is that it will allow the guys to come up with some good jokes. I love to generate jokes in the office because it brings in camaraderie into the group. It will be something like, "Are you slumming for tips now?" or "I've got a good tip for you...blah blah bah". I'll just tell them that it stands for "Teresa in Progress" and to be glad that I did not make it "R I P". HA!
Anyway, I got the cloth together and decided to use a color of the embroidery thread for the test run that would be one that I would probably rarely use. I chose a gold color. Well, it turned out so good that I just decided to use it on the sign. Black lettering probably would have been better but if I want to, in the future, I can always redo it with better material and lettering. It is just glued on...easy to get off (I think). Here is the finished product. (You might remember that material from the box that I covered in it.)
The next project I did on the same day, was simple also. Every 5 years, Boeing sends you a certificate to commemorate the amount of time you have spent slaving away for them. In March, I went over 15 years and received my certificate, 15 year pin, and I got to select something from the catalog to order. I chose this crystal flower vase. While I was at Target, I found a couple of flowers and some river rocks to hold the flowers in place. Here was the finished result of this project (took 5 minutes...gotta love those types of projects).
The green and blue candle vase on the right were given to me by my son years ago and just seemed like a good addition to the vase. Both are EXTREMELY heavy so I don't worry about the cat knocking them over...lol. Not that the cat would EVER climb up on the kitchen table. (Right...hence the removable table cloth.)
You might be looking at the picture above and see part of the gazebo and be wondering "What are those piles of stones to the right of the gazebo?" Well, good question...
That was yesterday's project. (I did the other two on Friday when I got home from having my oil changed and my tires rotated and balanced.) I decided that I was NOT going to waste those stones. I started drawing on Tom's trusty graph paper the 12X8X8X8 designs over and over and cut out the pieces and laid them on my desk to try to make a square out of them.
I knew I was starting with an isosceles trapezoid. That was a mark against me right from the beginning. How do you make a square out of multiple isoscles trapezoids? Is it even possible?
Just for the fun of it, I tred the circle thing to see if any inspriration might arrive....None did...
I found that I could make a chevron with them if I wanted. Tom saw a spaceship out of this picture...(He says capable of WARP 10 but the pilot doesn't turn into a lizard - reference Star Trek Voyage episode where Tom Paris breaks the WARP 10 barrier.)...Ah, the difference in the minds of males and females...
The best I could come up with was a parallelegram.
Since I felt like I had failed the IQ test, I picked them up and dropped them randomly to the desk in hopes of a magical surprise. None came...lol.
So, I picked myself up and dusted myself off and went outside to play with the actual stones again while Tom was mowing the grass. I ended up with something that might be recognized as a funeral pyre from a distance. I was one stone short in the front and if we decide to keep this bench setup (which is probably doubtful) then we'll have to get another one. We gave the bench the sturdiness test (had Tom and I both sit on it) and it wasn't wobbly in the least...quite sturdy. It has (as I am sure you will agree) a very unique architechural design to it...LOL. The missing stone is quite obviously on the front left underneath the castle wall stones I put on top.
Here is a FANTASTIC Max for today:
"Finishing the Race
By Max Lucado
The Lord said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 2 Corinthians 12:9
Derek Redmond was favored to win the 400 meter race in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Halfway into his semi-final heat, he suffered a torn hamstring. Even as the medical team was approaching, he pushed away to finish the race. A big man pushed through the crowd.
“You don’t have to do this,” he told his weeping son.
“Yes, I do.” Derek declared.
“Well, then,” he said, “we’re going to finish this together.”
And they did! His dad wrapped Derek’s arm around his shoulder and helped him hobble to the finish line. What made him do it? His son was hurt so the father came to help him finish.
God does the same. Our attempts may be feeble. Our prayers may seem awkward. But He comes to help us finish the race!"
Amen and Amen
By Gace Alone -
Teresa
