splendid.

yup. my friend Rachel was given boxes of fabric from her great-grandma. well, after Rachel and her sister had picked through what they wanted, Rachel decided to donate the rest to a thrift store.

yes. that is what i said. the above fabric was on its way to a thrift store.

those of who sew understand how shocking this is.

Rachel insisted she had taken all she wanted, her house is to small, she has enough fabric already...

excuses, excuses.

i volunteered to "store" in case she needs to access it again.

after Serena and i dig through it!

what is better than fabric? free fabric!

and now an admission.

i was scammed! its so shameful to admit. and the only reason i will now admit it to this shame, is because i am the last person to take a scam lying down.

so last week, i found out about an amazing work at home opportunity through this link.

i know, i am shaking my head in shame- mary, what were you thinking?

well, i was thinking- consumer watchdog? hey, that sounds legit. and why wouldn't it? the real and honest consumer watchdog, is conveniently found at consumerwatchdog.org

so i followed link on the fake consumer watchdog to this site: to become a "webmaster program specialist"

yes. i am a fool.

my initial reason for going was to show sam... he loves being on the internet, and i know he's considering other options for work... slowly- he's NOT quitting his job.

he really like the sound of it, but thought it might be better suited for me.

so we paid the $249 for it.

yes. i am a fool.

did we really research it? google anything about? no. that would be the act a person who isn't a fool.

so i received access to "the training" and eagerly started right away. sure i did learn somethings, and was buying into absolutely everything i was being told.

however. after i completed "the training" (a horrid investment of 1 1/2 days of my time, time that could have been spent doing ANYTHING else) i was told that i would have an exam to certify my completion.

as i was working on this "exam" i noticed something odd.

a little information: part of being a "webmaster program specialist" is the set up blogs and to promote various things that are for sale. easy enough, right? in order for this to work, a huge KEY to this success is to use meta codes to have your blogs be crawled by search engines.

well, i was having all of the "blogs" i was setting up be verified by Google, Yahoo, and Bing.

until i noticed a little tiny exclamation mark by the Google verification.

seems that yes, my blogs were being verified as existing- but they would NOT be crawled. meaning that if someone was searching for something my blog would be talking about, google would not list it as a viable web page option.

well, everything i was told in training really said nothing about this, in fact in order to be a "webmaster program specialist" i needed this google search to work.

so i immediately started emailing the "school" to talk to my "counselor".

at that time i also started doing something else.

Googling this "school program".

what did i find?

initially nothing. which was a huge RED flag.

so i dug deeper. googled harder.

and found tons of information from other people about how i had been scammed.

of course i was irate, frustrated, mad, shameful, and above all else disappointed about the loss of my time.

i contacted the "counselor" demanding a refund. i got a song and dance, and was asked questions about my "problems" with google. so i quickly realized this "counselor" was going to be no help at all.

so i contacted the third party internet source that had taken my money demanding a refund, giving them a reason. well- the third party internet source contacted the "school" and the school disputed my request saying that there was no merit for it.

did i stop there?

no.

i privately contacted the third party internet source, and gave them a strongly worded email.

and i received an email almost instantly telling me my money would be refunded.

i have yet to hear anything from the "school".

why i am admitting to this shameful scam that i fell for?

1) to alert everyone to the scam.

2) to give everyone a good laugh.

3) to tell everyone who is looking for a "part time job" to not be tempted by the online scams, but instead put your energy into finding a way to be paid for something that you LOVE to do. and for me that is putting my focus on sewing (more to come on this later). or to simply encourage you in knowing that Lord will provide. if He cares for the sparrows, He cares for you.

4) well, i can admit to this now because i am please to announce that my money has indeed been refunded.

yes, i am a fool.

but at least it didn't cost me anything!

i love books.

before the amazing fabric, we stopped at Powells. i had been to Powell's several times, and had a wonderful time, however Serena had never experienced the full city block with 4 stories of books. we had an amazing 2 1/2 hours in this phenomenal bookstore. Mason behaved just like a perfect little gal. its hard to be strapped into a stroller for 2 1/2 hours, but she watched as we moved from aisle to aisle, as i through tons of books into the back part of my double stroller.

when i was a little girl i had thought i would be a librarian when i grew up. i guess i will happily settle for the organizing and reorganizing of my own personal family library.

my new favorite reusable tote,

with the books i picked up for Sam.

books for me and the kids:

We're Going on a Bear Hunt,

Charlotte's Web,

Little Princess,

The Napping House

plus two Curious George readers,

and a huge Curious George Activity Book.

for me? the What Your Second Grader Needs to Know

saturday stash

again- another stash of old! actually, really, really old. but fabric is beautiful, and i believe no matter when it was bought, it should be shared!

sam picked up the 2 bottom fabrics for me as a surprise. a wonderful surprise, because i rarely buy fabric at full price. the little green on top, i picked up during a 20% color of the month sale at ben franklins (cannont remember what color it was...)

i believe these beauties are modas.

but i am to comfy on the couch right now to get up and search.

and these finds were pretty fun. Ikea! i love finding fabric for 2.99 a yard.

now, the white fabric with the green birds has a fun story. when the helpful man came to cut my fabric and i asked for a yard, there wasn't a full yard (maybe 7/8) on the bolt. so he said he couldn't sell it- and he gave it to me! almost 2 yards for the price of one!

i can't wait to make something out of this. perhaps i shouldn't be blogging, instead sewing. hmmm.

a different kind of friday five

i am getting very frustrated with myself and my lack of motivation and my misuse of time (this is being written at 12:49 while i wait for cloth diapers to finish washing).

i am just not happy with what is getting fit into my day, and just what is not getting done.

this isn't really how i want to live my life. i am pretty happy and content with what i have, but not with what i am doing.

so i am going to try something.

my 5 in 15.

i am going to try and add 5 things into my daily life that i wish i was doing now. and i am going to try and do them for the next 15 days.

and i am officially removing "try" from the words above. i am going to do it.

my 5 are going to be fairly specific.

one that brings me closer to the Lord.

one that is directed towards Sam.

one that is directed towards my children.

one that is directed towards my body.

one that is directed towards my mind.

so here are my 5 in 15.

1) devotions. at some time everyday. i will read at least a chapter in the Bible, and i will journal at least a sentence. and i will pray. and this could take 5 minutes, or 50. its the act of doing it.

2) make a lunch for Sam everyday. he never eats at work (usually just snacks on samples) so i really want to be an encouragement to him, and help him stay energized at work.

3) spend my mornings with my kids. i usually stumble out of bed, zonked to the world, dragging until 1 1/2 cups of coffee has seeped into my skin. allowing my kids to wander around, watching pbs and eating breakfast bars. that isn't the morning i want for us. i want breakfast together at the table. i want us to read a story from their Bible, and i want us to start our day together. of course, after that- its pbs and wandering while i get focused for the day!

4) brushing my teeth. i bet some where expecting either exercise daily or eat right in this category. well i do weight watchers so diligently as if a drill sergeant is in the kitchen with me. and daily exercise gets me through every single day. but i do not have great dental hygiene habits. and that really needs to change.

5) reading. i need to read at least a chapter in ANY book. i need to re-establish my passion and eagerness for reading, so that i can set a great example for both my husband and my children.

so that is my 5 for the next 15.

i would love to encourage anyone who would like to, to do the same! and if you do, i'd love to know what you are doing.

i love fabric.

yup. its true. i love love love love love love it. and from where i am sitting right now, i can see little piles of it all around. no, i am not in a glorious sewing room, i just have fabric absolutely everywhere, literally fabric pops out of the seams around here.

so obviously (really drawing this word out for emphasis) i need more.

as we (Serena and myself) were headed to Puyallup, WA for our homeschool convention (more to come on that later) we decided that Portland would be a pit stop because we had a place to stay.

so what's better than shopping at new fabric stores? shopping at new fabric stores tax free.

ahhhhh.

know, we had high hopes (delusions) of visiting 3 separate fabric stores in Portland, and Powells, and eat, all while managing 2 nursing babies, 2 little girls, and one unbelievable helpful couldn't have done this without- Kay(Serena's mom, who is called Baba).

all in one day, before heading up to Puyallup for the evening.

yeah, right.

well, high hopes was right. we made it through Powells (2 hours later), back to the condo with lunch (another 90 minutes) and then headed out to our first stop: Fabric Depot (thank you Christina for a wonderful recommendation).

well, Fabric Depot was just amazing. it was just so giagnormus (not a misspelled word- that's how i spell it) and we were seeing fabric as far as the eyes can see.

for starters- the whole store was 25% off that day.

and- the store's outdoor clearance sale had started.

after Serena and I walked through the entire store (intending to get our bearings, but this was really just the ultimate distraction as we stopped every 3 seconds where gleeful "ooooohs" could be heard throughout the store.)

at this stop, i actually only bought sale fabric.

here were my finds:

a very odd fabric, but at 1.80 a yard

i wanted to see what i can do with it

i love these owls!

another cotton for the stash

just another nice cotton for my stash

this fabric was just to cute to pass up

trim that reminds me of Mary had a little Lamb

hmmm... aprons? kitchen curtains??

i know, great finds, huh? just looking at the fabric makes me smile, mainly because i will always remember how much fun it was entering the store and Serena and i stopping dead in our tracks (conversation halted and all) and were just blown away.

ahh, memories.

but wait- was that it? just one little fabric store?

nope.

and even though this post is becoming incredibly long, i will still share pictures of our other great find!

while in Puyallup, we may have cut out of the homeschooling convention a tad early to head to another fabric store.

side note- we were in search of a fabric book: Weekend Sewing, by Heather Ross.

the search led us to Pacific Fabrics (they did not have the book- but lucky for us a Borders was right next door... and yippee! the book was in our hands)

now don't think Pacific Fabrics was a bust. just the contrary.

it was wonderful.

a beautiful knit which will become a tank top

the bottom green floral is a fabric that i previously bought,

and was quite excited to find at 30% off

buy 3 fat quarters get one free... a friday special.

a book i spotted in Borders and just had to buy... its amazing!

oh so tired.

i'm home. for those of you who didn't know i was gone- i was gone. a wonderful, fantastic, fun-filled 4 day road trip with my bff, mason and henry, my bff's two girls, and her momma.
wonderful, fantastic, fun-filled 4 day road trips are amazing.
but all that wonderful, fantastic, fun-filled time has left me super drained.
probably doesn't help that i drove (absolutely by choice and desire) about 32 hours in those 4 days. or that i average 6 hours of sleep every night.
and that last night, i got in at 3 am, and up at 8.
i will need to be toasting my husband for father's day on thursday. because i am not doing a great job today. but he is giving me a lot of grace.
i have many exciting posts scheduled... so stay tuned.
the trip was amazing, get prepared to hear about fabric... books... homeschooling... car stories with babies... and much much more.
but first, i need to unpack, have a 4th cup of coffee... and try to dream about getting back on track with weight watchers... tomorrow (yup, i did consider this another day of vacation).