NAPKINS don't have to be paper

While reading one of my favorite blogs I found an article she had done on Napkins and how she had given up using paper napkins as being wasteful, expensive and not green.

Well in my family, or at least at my house, we don't use paper napkins. Haven't in years so I guess we were green before it was in "in" word. I could and maybe will write other notes in the future about doing things green before it was in.

This is the response I made to that blog article..... I decided it was easier to copy and paste than to rewrite it......

"Back in the 70s I decided paper napkins were very wasteful. So I started using cloth napkins. I bought some rayon linen in several colors and cut out 12 inches squares. I sewed a line 3/4 inches from the edge and then fringed the edges. I actually still have some of them. I had a brownie troop back in those days and I had the girls each fringe a napkin I had already prepared. They loved doing the fringing and I saved a lot of money for the troop by not having to buy paper napkins. They liked having their own napkins too…. It is no big deal to throw them in a wash load. And with the rayon linen I never have to iron."

I have added homespun type napkins in various colors, to better match the dishes we use now.

I just don't think there is need for paper napkins, even in a picnic basket. They are easy to clean, easy to store..... You don't need space for a huge package of paper ones.... I keep mine in a small basket near the table.

Just my thoughts for today.

Misery is a cold

Both my husband and I developed colds. There was a kid at the Daytona party with a bad cold and I am pretty sure that is where we got it. The host of the party got it too.
As a result there has been a LOT of coughing, sneezing and blowing of noses the past few days. Neither of us have much energy for anything. Even meals turned out to be things like Chicken Soup and comfort food like Macaroni and Cheese. So I have neglected daily chores and projects and my hobbies. At least I feel some better now so I think there may be light at the end of this tunnel. I hope so as I have a LOT to do.

Wallpapering a tiny house

It doesn't look like much in the beginning.

This project is a quarter scale house made using old priority mail boxes. Since we get packages here regularly it wasn't hard to find a couple.

You first make the basic box as shown here.
Then you begin to wall paper, add flooring and such.
I didn't get very far on my project yesterday. Too much real life got in the way. However
I did get 1/2 of the house wallpapered.



















And today I dug out a box of 1/4 scale items I have received in swaps over the past few years and I will see how many of them are usable in the house so far. Check back tomorrow to see how I did.

Back to Miniatures

To those of you following this blog that wonder what happened to my minis and the work I was doing. Well other things seemed to get in the way. But I am back at it, albeit in perhaps a SMALLER way. The Quarter Connection online Yahoo group is gearing up for their annual On Line convention and therefore so am I. I have to make 53 tiny little quarter scale items for a swap and I have begun work on the free project offered by our wonderful leader Luci Hansen.
Here is the project. A quarter Scale Holiday House. I made the basic boxes yesterday and have started one of the rooms. It isn't really photo worthy yet but should be later today.

Check back tomorrow to see my progress.

The Daytona 500

The Nascar Racing Season has begun. Yesterday we went to a neighbors annual Daytona 500 viewing party. It always includes a wonderful turkey dinner with all the trimmings. We always bring the Cake. (no I didn't make it, the bakery at our grocery store did.) The powers that be at Nascar keep making the race start later and later in the day and this year it didn't start until 3:30. As it turns out they should have started earlier because a rain storm came along and the race ended at lap 152 instead of 200. Matt Kenseth was the winner even though he had only run one lap. It felt kind of anti-climatic. But we still had a nice time at the party.

Back to Miniatures

Time to Get Back to Mini Making

My arm is getting lots better and so I have gotten back to miniatures. I spent a lot of time yesterday working on a couple of small projects for the bathroom area. Here is the first one. Because of the way the walls are I decided the bathroom needed more privacy.... so..... I bought a screen. I just got an inexpensive plastic Oriental Design Screen.

This is the picture from the online store I bought it from.Y ou can see what it looked like before.

The pictures on the screen were ok but NOT what I wanted so I took out them out, covered them and put them back in. I am pretty happy with the results......

More Kitty pictures

Since I can't work on doll house much or practice my violin or lots of other things I thought I get some current pics of the cats and here they are.

Three kitties in the house make for lots of cat food consumed. The kitties don't often miss a meal.

When not eating Tuffy and Spooky like to climb into baskets. Here they are. They take turns in the same basket.