Telescoping magnet, AKA cheap piece of crap back scratcher

Right from the fertile and demented mind of me, another homemade tool.  So my bestie has a real telescoping magnet to pick up things that have fallen to the floor. I wanted one but didn't want to spend the money. I recalled that right there in my pen cup was a back scratcher that would extend out.  It really was a cheap piece of crap that everyone got during welcome season at my previous job.  It was useless as a backscratcher and I figured it would break if I tried scratching the itch to roughly.  So I used E4000 glue on the tip and adhered a small earth magnet I had and WHA LAH, a telescoping magnet.

You could do the same with just about any long thin object, a dowel rod or yard stick.  Or perhaps you too have a cheap piece of crap extending back scratcher at your home too!  Think outside the box my dear friends.  Let your imagination blossom!

Tis the Season (of stitching of course!)

I've got my stitch on...do you?

Life here in the Lilac Thicket is beautiful as the holidays quickly approach.  We have had our first snowfall of the season.  The weather has been warm and the weather has been frosty. Mother Nature just can't decide what she is aiming for here. I think she is a typical woman.

I found myself a couple of great little bargains, one being the pumpkin basket pictured above.  I love the double handles and the touch of bittersweet around the opening.  It was 70% off at Michaels as was the sweet plaid ribbon.  The "Home" was a $3.00 find at Dollar General.  It is simple yet has a touch of bling for the winter season.  You can also see some progress on my "Autumn Still Life".  

Saturday my bestie Leslie, a true Scottish lass, and I Skyped and we started our stitch along on Mirabilia's "Lady of the Flag". We are both stitching it on  Primitive Hare's "Constitution" 30 count linen.  I am stitching it as charted. Leslie on the other hand being a rebel has reversed the pattern.  She also is going to make the head of the lady a wee bit bigger.  I think her head is fine. By the way the blue and white hoop cover on my Lady is a steering wheel cover from Dollar Tree.  I bought 3 of them when the new location opened and have yet to find them since. They had honest to goodness project bags up there and I bought 6 of them.  Again, haven't seen those since either.

I gave into temptation and purchased Mirabilia's new Lady Justice.  I absolutely love her.  I had Sue Hillis' "Hello Halloween" fall into my cart.  I just couldn't resist all those skeleton's in a pick up truck heading off to rattle their bones at some spooky haunted cemetery any longer.

Leslie and I were talking about how my stashing habits have changed.  I have been to the LNS only once this past year.  I really have been making due with what I have.  I have so very too much stash and have a lot of bills stacked up as we are still paying off Orin's medical bills from his cancer scare/miracle earlier this year.  I still have more spending I need to cut out, waste less, do without or whatever. We live in such a consumer driven culture, it is hard sometimes to not get caught up in it.  I have found myself more and more being really critical about things I want to purchase.  I ask myself do I really "need" it.  Will I use it or will it just sit for years before being given away or thrown away. I find Orin and I eating more at home and really cutting down on processed foods, making more and more from scratch.  Last month I tried my hand at making laundry soap. Tide pods are 22¢ per load and my from scratch detergent is 8¢ per load.  I cannot tell the difference in the clean laundry. I am looking at this as a challenge and a choice, a new life style so to speak.  God is guiding me well so far.

I am so thankful for those who read my blog of nothing.  I know others think I a boring person, which I am but I am really a boring BLESSED person and honestly that is DAMN terrific. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and give all your gratitude to our Creator.