fun

Blog Goodness – Pay It Forward!

Angela Pea9 Comments
Like many others, I have been very much inside my own head universe lately, fretting about this, worrying about that, wavering under the pressures of making a living, feeding the hungry, clothing the [almost] naked and educating the masses, all of whom currently live under our roof. I’m so embarrassed to admit that I’ve been moping around feeling sorry for myself. When I saw this meme, I decided to shake myself loose from my funk, remembering once again how to give with Joy.
I am entering into the following agreement with the first 5 people who comment on this post and then commit to doing the same on their blog. Just read below and if you feel up to the task copy the following into your blog and leave me a comment.

I am willing to post overseas (I am in the U.S.), but remember you must commit on your blog to do the same for others.

  1. I make no guarantees that you will like what I send you. But you may be pleasantly surprised. It will definitely be sewing/craft related.
  2. What I send will be made just for you, with love, by my own hands. You’d be surprised how much of our personalities does come through online.
  3. I will complete all 5 gifts this year – 2009.
  4. I will not give you any clue what it’s going to be. It will be something made in the real world, that you can touch and feel, and not something cyber.
  5. I reserve the right to do something strange. It may be weird or beautiful. Or it may be monstrous and annoying. If you find it truly horrendous, just let me know. Perhaps you’ll send it forward to someone who will absolutely love it.
  6. In return, all you need to do is post this text on your blog and make 5 things for the first 5 to respond to your blog post.
  7. Send your mailing address – after I contact you to confirm.
Everyone is welcome. I guarantee that you will receive something from me providing you do the same for 5 other people in your blog post. Are you game? Let’s do this and I can’t wait to send you what I hope you’ll consider a nice surprise!!!!!!!!!
I just want to say that, if you have stumbled across this post, and you’re feeling the squeeze of life, and you need a pick-me-up, and you need to have someone show you some care and you’re number 6, go stalk the blogs of the first 5 who respond until they post their pay-it-forward and get on their list. Seriously. That, to me, is exactly what this meme is about. It’s about caring for those who need it, and passing that on once our soul has been refreshed in some small way.
Editors Note: This meme has been completed….but don’t hesitate to start another one of your own!
creative

Ceiling Fan Refashion – Tutorial

Angela Pea9 Comments
Blah ceiling fan getting you down? Refashion it with fabric!

You will need:
about 1 yard of fabric, enough to cover the surface of your fan blades
same amount of Heat and Bond Craft Bond, the extra heavy duty stuff
Pencil, Scissors, Sharpie, Iron, Screwdriver, Awl

Time to Complete:
about 1 hour, including time spent looking for the screwdriver and retrieving dropped screws from under the bed
1. Turn the ceiling fan off and remove the fan blades. Remove the arm from each fan blade.
NOTE – Keep all of the screws from the fan blades in a safe place, like a bowl, preferably one that has a lid. It is extremely annoying when the darn things grow legs and wander away some time during the refashioning process.

2. Trace around each blade, marking the paper side of your heat and bond. Number each piece, and write a matching number on the fan blade. Yeah, yeah, they should be exactly the same size, but alas, each one will be just a little off from its neighbor. Cut the shapes apart, leaving about a 1/2″ edge outside your pencil line. You’ll trim them later.
3. With a sharpie marker, color the edges of the fan blades in a complementary color to your fabric. Color over the edge about 1/4″ as well; this will camouflauge any squiggly trimming of your fabric.

4. Following the manufacturers’ instructions, fuse the Heat and Bond to the wrong side of your fabric.
ANOTHER NOTE – Pay attention to the pattern on your fabric! Make sure that you line up the Heat and Bond shape on the same repeat of the pattern, so that all of the blades look the same when you are finished.
5. Trim the bonded fabric to the final fan blade shape. Remove paper backing from the first piece, and iron on to the corresponding fan blade. Repeat for all blades.

6. Open holes through the fabric with the awl at each existing hole in the fan blade – this will make it easier to put the screws back in.
7. Reassemble the fan blades, attaching the arms, and then reattach to the fan base.
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Oh Frabjous Day!

Angela PeaLeave a comment
I have been working on a computerized water model for the City of Weatherford since last August. It is by far the most difficult simulation I have ever tried to build, with a gajillion miles of pipe, five elevated tanks, three ground tanks, a clearwell and a semi-manual operating system.

Oh. My. Goodness. Today is the day. The water model is finished. Really and completely finished. It has been almost finished since early spring, but not quite completely right. The deadline for the EPA has been flying in my face, and I’ve been DREAMING about this darned model and puzzling over it in my sleep! Last night I woke up with one last idea on how to get it to balance without pressure problems, and I had the foresight to write it down. Got to work today, make some changes in the logical controls and BAM!!! It works! It really works! I now have a computer simulation of the water system, and it is calibrated to the point that the computer model matches the city’s collected system data!!!


Whoot!!!! I’m grinning like a fool today.