If procrastination was a career choice, I would be a leader in the field.

So, I've already mentioned a few times that it's time to get going on my classroom at school.  But for some reason this year I am having a little trouble getting it in gear.  I guess I have had a good time crafting lately and I kind of hate to see it come to an end.  Once the school year starts, I usually can't find nearly as much time for home things.  So today when I should have gone into school, I stayed home and finished a stitchery and did a few other things.  Here's what I worked on.  First, I finished a stitchery for myself.  The pattern is one that Kaaren from The Painted Quilt offered as a First Friday Freebie in September 2009.  I think this might even be her very first one.  I made one for my Great Pumpkin Swap partner, and I knew I wanted one for me, too.  Kaaren's pattern was for a wall hanging, but I wanted to try my hand at putting them into barn wood frames.  I really like the way they turned out.  (You can see my partner's here.)  I liked working on these stitcheries for another reason, too.  Kaaren has been experiencing some health challenges so this gave me some time to think positive thoughts and send up prayers for her, and for other friends who have had challenges lately.  I like doing that when I sew.  It's almost like meditating I guess.

Another procrastination project I worked on was trying out Misi's recipe for parched hearth corn.  My results don't look as good as Misi's so I am going to have to mess with this a little more, I think.

When I went in the garage to get the staple gun to put my stitchery in the frame I walked past a garage sale purchase from a year ago.  I think I bought this for $2.00 - definitely not more than 3.  When I bought it, I loved the oil painting.  It is signed, but the name is hard to read.  The year says 1960.  The name looks like Sibyl, and it made me laugh because 20 years ago when I was pregnant with our son, I had a little hormone swinging going on.  (Probably just a fluke, right?) Anyway, my husband used to say to me, "Sibyl, I want to talk to Melissa now."  Funny guy.  He knew I couldn't chase him down in my condition.

Well, I don't really like the frame so it got stuck on a nail in the garage til I could do something with the frame.  I'm thinking about painting it, but now I can't decide what color.  Would love to hear any suggestions anyone has.

Now one last thing.  I've been meaning to share this one for a while.  I bought this doll in a little shop that I wandered into back in the Spring.  I really liked her and when I saw the price tag said only $16 I decided to buy her.  She's really tall - over 30 inches.  And the sampler on her apron says, "At times I did so dread my needle and thread.  Mary's work 1832"  

At the time I thought maybe it was actually a manufactured doll, but after bringing her home and looking her over, I decided that she really was hand made by someone, so now I really can't believe the price.  There's just a couple of problems.  Number one - my family thinks she is creepy.  They don't get the whole no face thing.  Totally weird to them.  And can you spot the second issue?  Look closer at her feet.

If you noticed that her feet go the wrong way, you are correct!  There is a string on the back of her head for hanging her from a peg, but it's actually the front of her!  I need to cut the string and put her clothes on the other way.  Still no face, so the family is still going to be creeped out probably, but at least she'll have a little more dignity.  Perhaps I'll do that for another day's procrastination project.

I'm off to go to dinner with my husband.  It's $1 taco night at the bowling alley a couple towns over.  He loves this!  I will be ordering the chicken finger wrap with ranch dressing on the side.  We both end up costing about the same amount because it takes about 6 of those tacos to fill him up!

Tomorrow I will not have the luxury of goofing off all day (and believe me, I do get it that this is a luxury)!  I have a workshop at a school an hour away so I'll be practicing getting out of the house at my usual time for school.  I don't have any problem getting up early.  (We are usually awake by 4:30.)  But during the summer I don't rush out the door unless I have to.  Play time's over.  Back to the real world. 

I hope the week is off to a good start for everyone.