Runs for Cookies

May 28, 2020

Help! I bought a serger...

Several weeks ago, I decided to finally splurge on myself and buy something that has been on my Amazon Wish List for a long time--a Cricut Air Explore 2 machine (Amazon affiliate link). I love to design t-shirts and I was told this would be a great way to do it myself.

Usually, I would create a design using a Photoshop-like program. Then I would email it to a local sports supplies shop, who would print it out on vinyl for me and then press it onto a shirt that I supplied. It was simple, but a little pricey.

Here is an example... Anyone know what TV show this is from? :) (I made this for Eli for Christmas--it's his favorite TV show!)

After receiving the Cricut in the mail, I let it sit in my living room, unopened, for a couple of weeks. I watched videos and read websites about it, but I just didn't feel confident about it--I felt totally overwhelmed.

Ultimately, I decided to return it. While I do create the occasional shirt design, I don't know that I would use it all that much to make it worth it.

After returning that, I decided to re-spend the splurge on something else that has been on my Amazon Wish List for a very long time... a serger. I love to sew, but I usually just do simple things (lately, I only really used it to mend clothes).

When I started making the face masks, I remembered just how much I really miss sewing as a hobby, and decided that maybe it would be worth investing in a serger. I remember using one in sewing class in high school and I thought it was the coolest machine! But I hadn't used one since then.

I'd been checking Amazon frequently to see if the price was going down on the one that I wanted (Brother 1034D--for some reason, Amazon isn't stocking it now--maybe it was the last of the model?). It had been $200 for the longest time, and that particular day, it was $185. So, I decided to go ahead and buy it.

At $200 (or $185, in my case), it's obviously not a top-of-the-line machine, but it was the best seller on Amazon for sergers and it got a ton of good reviews, so I figured it'd be a good way to see if I like it and use it often.

The problem is, now I don't know what to do with it!

I've watched several YouTube videos, but they don't really explain well what the best uses of it are. When I used it in school, I just remember loving that it made the raw edges of seams inside clothing look finished and more professional.

(Our first project in sewing class was a pair of pajama pants--which is a standard first project, of course!--and I was so impressed it the machine)

I'm very excited to get started with it, but I have no idea what to do with it! So, I thought I'd ask here... do any of you use a serger? What are your favorite ways to use it? Are there any particular projects that you think would be a good "starter" for someone working with a serger? Is it something that I can use to help me mend clothes (seams that have come apart, hemming, etc)?

Also, are there any accessories that are a "must have" for a serger? It's kind of funny, for the last 30 years, I have only ever used a sewing machine with the standard presser foot--I've never tried anything else! So I'm excited to try some new things.

Anyone with advice about a serger, I'd love to hear it!

May 27, 2020

The Best Video I've Seen All Year!

Over the last couple of days, SO MANY PEOPLE have recommended this video to me (which I've shared at the bottom of this post). Being a crazy squirrel lady, I can totally see why. A very high-tech squirrel obstacle course? YES.

It's kind of a long-ish video (about 15 minutes), but it's totally worth the watch! I was a little impatient at the beginning when he was talking about bird feeders, but it really highlights that squirrels are serious problem-solvers.

I love that not only is the video adorable and very clever, it shows that squirrels really do have their own personalities and they are very smart. We currently have about six that are "regulars" around here--squirrels that we've named and that visit us daily or at least frequently, and take nuts from our hands.

It was interesting in the video where the videographer mentions that after several tests to see what nuts squirrels like most, they always chose the walnuts. My squirrels are the same! I've offered peanuts, almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios, pecans... but their very favorite is the walnut.

If I have time to sit outside and hand feed them, then I'll give them the walnuts in the shell (their favorite). Or, if they come to the door and I am busy, I'll just leave them a little handful of the shelled walnuts.

I have a squirrel "lunch box" on my deck that I always keep filled with raw, unsalted peanuts (in the shell) so they can come take them as they wish. And the birds can't get into it.

Anyway, the squirrels all have their own personalities, and it's so fun to see their personalities come out as we get to "know" them. And they are super smart! The whole video shows just how smart squirrels are.

Thank you to all of you who thought of me when you saw this! (I would totally love to make a squirrel obstacle course, but that is just a whole level of skills that I don't have right now--all those contraptions!

May 26, 2020

Van Life?!!

My friend Adam, who I met the summer before 10th grade when I moved to a new school, has been talking for years about wanting a "tiny house" or living out of a van. It was actually a running joke among our high school friends. Adam moves frequently, so I could totally see him doing it, but I honestly never really thought it would happen.

Several months ago when he came over to visit, he again brought up the topic of living in a van. The idea was so crazy to me and I couldn't understand why anyone would want to do that!

I asked a trillion questions (where will you shower? where will you go to the bathroom? for the love of God, where will you park the van every night?). In short: 1) his gym or friends'/family's houses; 2) public restrooms or a special "van life" toilet-thing; and 3) a friend's house who he pays monthly for parking and wifi--it's conveniently located close to his job.

At the time, I had no idea that "van life" was a thing. When he left, he told me to search #vanlife on Instagram and check out those photos to get an idea of what he was imagining.

Well, I fell down a huge rabbit hole and was completely immersed in this way of living. It's amazing! People have van interiors that are nicer than my house--hardwood floors, beautiful shelving, creative storage, etc. At one point I actually thought, "If I was single, I would totally want to do this!".

Adam asked our friend Paul, who does carpentry, to remodel(?) the back of an old van that Adam bought from a friend (who gave him a great deal). He didn't want to spend a fortune in case he decides a few months down the road that he doesn't enjoy "van life". If he really likes it, then someday he said he'll upgrade to a bigger/nicer van.

Paul go to work on gutting and remodeling the van:

Paul finished the van and Adam was excited to show Jerry and me, so he came over this morning for a little while to give us the (very brief) tour (and answer lots of questions). I was amazed at how great it looked! From the exterior (which I should have taken a picture of) you would never guess that the interior is so stunning.

My parents stopped over for a minute and my dad called it a "Van Cave"--hahaha!

Paul framed the entire skeleton of the van with wood paneling and added shelving, a sink, cupboards, a bed that has storage underneath, a vent on top, and a wall/door that opens to the front of the van. As long as he has wifi, Adam can even stream Netflix and Hulu and all that to a TV! I was super impressed, to say the least. Paul did a great job.

While the idea of it is such a novelty to me, I honestly can't imagine actually living that way. I'm not one who desires a huge house, but I would miss the space--probably because I share it with a husband, two kids, four cats, and a dog. Adam is single and has no kids or pets, and this is a dream of his that he's been talking about for years. So I'm thrilled for him!

I want to give a shoutout to my friend Paul, too--he does beautiful carpentry work, so if you're in the southeast Michigan area and are looking for updates, I highly recommend him! You can see lots of his work on his company's Facebook page (Wiggins Custom Carpentry) and on Instagram @paulwiggins1000.

May 25, 2020

Just Some Random Photos

I hate that I start every post with "there is nothing new to write about!" but that's just how it's been lately. With the COVID-19 quarantine, my days are pretty much the same every day, so there isn't much to write about.

Our governor in Michigan has extended our "stay-at-home order" until June 12th. It just keeps getting extended!

Anyway, I haven't taken a ton of photos lately, but here are a few...

Even though Estelle hasn't totally fallen for the kittens, she's at least tolerating them now. And this morning, she and Duck were very interested in watching the squirrels as they came onto the porch and begged for walnuts (only to go bury them in the yard).

Here is a photo of what the garage walls/ceiling looked like before I started working on it...

These are the soffit vents I had to install on the ceiling right above the walls...

And then this is after installing the soffit vents and insulation. The next step is the drywall on the ceiling.

I'd been wanting Eli to cut his hair short for a LONG time, but I don't force my kids to cut their hair unless they want to. Their style is their own. But Eli suggested a deal with me one day--he'd let me cut his hair short if I'd take him to the Metropark and stop at the bait store on the way. I felt so guilty, and I asked him over and over if he was SURE... and he said yes, it was fine. He wasn't going to be seeing his friends anytime soon anyway.

Here is Eli before his haircut...

And here is his "after" cut. I love the shorter hair!

He looks so grown up. I still can't believe how fast the time goes by after having kids.

Of course, I have a trillion "sleeping kittens" photos...

Tucking in with Jerry for the night:

Chick is SO relaxed... I wish I could sleep this soundly!

Duck was super sleepy when I brought him to Eli, but as soon as he saw Eli's colorful stuff, like his Rubik's Cubes, he was wide awake.

I get a lot of photos of the kittens sleeping with Jerry because I stay up so much later than Jerry does. The kittens love to sleep with him! They go up there all on their own after Jerry goes to bed. And of course they are there all night long--which is one of the reasons I get very little sleep!

I happened to be wearing a cat t-shirt today, and Duck was ALL OVER me--super affectionate, rubbing his face all over my face and hands. And then he finally fell asleep like this:

Brothers. They almost always nap together, cuddled up like this:

Chick came and kicked Duck out from his spot on my lap, and then Chick just stared at me adoringly, hahaha. At this point, I had to pee so badly... but as all cat owners know, you learn to hold it when cats are on your lap!

Tomorrow, Jerry is off work and I'm hoping to get some serious work done on the garage since he'll be home to help me lift drywall onto the drywall lift (no, that's not a typo). The drywall lift will elevate the drywall to the ceiling, so that I can screw it into place, but I can't lift the piece of drywall onto the actual lift itself.

I'm so excited to start getting stuff finished in there! I've been taping and mudding here and there as I go, so it's less to do after the drywall is in place on the ceiling.

I hope everyone had a great weekend!

May 24, 2020

A Huge Collection of My Crafts Through the Years (Part 2)

This isn't a very exciting series of posts, but it was fun going through photos of crafts I've made. I've always been a crafter, but didn't start taking photos of things until I joined Ravelry, an online knit/crochet community.

I think that was in 2007. From 2007-2010, I did a LOT of knitting and crocheting. I liked to do it at night while watching TV because it kept me from binge eating (this was when I was losing weight from 2009-2010). In 2007 and 2008, I did it while sitting with the boys playing outside or when they were napping. Anyway, almost all of the photos I posted in part 1 were knitting/crocheting, so in this post, I'll just share projects that I've sewn. I love to sew!

Up first... I loved these jeans so much! They were bell bottoms so I made them look a little retro by putting fabric patches on them and scuffing them up a little. I love how they turned out! They are too small for me now, unfortunately, but I saved them in the hope that I'll be able to wear them again someday.

This is an apron that I made for my sister for Christmas one year, and her husband modeling it :)

I used fleece to make covers for these cat pillows (which I also made). The covers are orange on one side and gray on the other. I got tired of a cat tree taking up so much space and being an eye sore, so I made some little shelves for the window to place pillows on for the cats to sleep. They love these!

When Jerry and I first moved into our house, I made valances for the windows. This one in the dining room always bothered me, because there are two red stripes on the far left!

One year, the kids were young enough to let me make costumes for them. I made a dog costume for Eli out of a faux fur fabric and I made a Batman costume for Noah...

These are some of the masks I made and shipped to blog readers all over the country.

This is a "gocket". I hate the name I came up with! It is goal + pocket = gocket. I made these and sold them on my blog way back in the day to earn money for my skin removal surgery. Basically, you write down goals and put them in this pocket (a magnet or a keychain).

When I was at the Purina headquarters, we made blankets to donate to an animal shelter. This wasn't exactly "sewn", but a tied blanket.

When I was losing weight, I saved my old jeans as they got too big so that I could cut squares out of them and turn them into a quilt to remind me of my weight loss.

This is incredibly ugly but super comfy! It's just a quilt made out of my kids' sweatshirts. Sweatshirt fabric is so comfortable that I wanted to make blankets out of them.

I made some orange throw pillows with fabric that I bought from Salvation Army. I just covered the pillows we used to have.

This is a race shirt quilt that I made out of lots of shirts I got from races that I did. I made the quilt top and then my sister-in-law, Becky, asked if her mom would do the quilting. She used a running shoe pattern for the quilting, and I LOVED how it turned out!!!

This is a sparkle running skirt that I made. I wrote up a tutorial for how to make it on this post.

This shirt has the CUTEST story behind it! Here is the post where I wrote about the story behind this shirt.

Jerry gave me a sweatshirt that said "Cookies" on the back with my favorite number (11). It got to be way too big when I lost weight in 2017, so I cut it up and turned it into a pillow.

This is a walker caddy that I made for Mark when he was in the nursing home. It doesn't look like anything without the walker! I don't know if he made use of it, but I wanted to make him something useful!

I wanted to make a Runs for Cookies shirt, so I wrote up a tutorial for how to add lettering to a shirt like this...

This is a "tea wallet"--you slide tea bags (in their wrappers) into the pockets, and then you can carry around the tea in your purse. That way, you'll always have your favorite tea whenever you are out and about.

Finally, this is a cover that I'd made for my Weight Watchers food journal. I included pockets for my required materials, like my weigh-in booklet.

Again, I still have a ton of pictures of crafts I've made throughout the years... so I'll post them here and there. I really miss sewing! Now that I have some cute fabric, I've been looking on Pinterest for things to sew. When I'm done drywalling the garage, I can't wait to start working with fabric!