It's the Little Things...

I often say it's the little things that make life worthwhile.The items in this photo are no exception.  The mug is a hand-made mug I got on Kwajalein, which is a part of the Marshall Islands (google it!).  I had a chance to meet the woman that made it, which makes it even more special.  I also picked out another one for my Crafty Momma, made by the same woman.  In the back, from left to right, are a power valve off a 1979 MGB, a glass bug knick-knack, a name tag, and a souvenir button.  The valve is something my Handy Dad gave me while restoring his MG.  The bug my Crafty Momma gave to me when I had a particularly bad job.  Included in its box was a note that said "Don't let it make you buggy!".  I always remember this when I look at it and it's always a good reminder.  The name tag is from my first professional conference that I went to has a EHS (Environmental, Health, & Safety) Specialist for my company.  And the button?   The button was picked up out of a bar in the French Quarter and pinned on me by a very dear friend.  Later on, he made a point to stick in my purse as I left Nola saying "Don't forget your pin, it'll remind you of the best weekend ever,".  Sadly, I lost him in January but the button makes me smile when I think of him.  And it still does remind me of the best weekend ever.  

Remember - it's the little things...

When the Wind Comes Sweeping Down the Plains...

And now - for something new...  In all seriousness, my friends at Springfield Bloggers have been encouraging me to write a new blog about all things safety - especially since it's what I do for a living.  Lots of people think occupational safety has nothing to do with private/personal safety.  This is absolutely not the case!  I tell my crews a lot of the time, safety starts at home!  If you implement safe actions in your personal life it will be easier to translate them to your professional life. 


As I'm sure some of you are aware, the National Weather Service is already predicting some nasty weather for the Ozarks (and most of Missouri/Arkansas/Kansas/Oklahoma) this weekend.  And if the NWS is already saying something - early - you can bet they're serious.  On that note, I thought I'd share some tornado safety tips to keep you and your family safe (and alive?) in the event of a tornado.  Some of these you will know, some will seem to be common sense - but a reminder is always good.  It's the called the Law of Recency - whatever you learned most recently will be at the forefront of your mind.  With no further ado...

Tornado Safety Tips

• Watch vs. Warning: A watch means you should 'watch out'.  Conditions are right for a tornado, but one hasn't been spotted.  Go about your business, but keep an eye to the sky.  A warning means a tornado has been sighted and you need to take cover.  NOW!  Don't wait, don't assume it is a false warning.  Think of the robot on Lost in Space "Warning, Warning!".
• Be the Man with the Plan:  Where do you go when there's a Tornado Warning?  A basement is all well and good, but do you have head protection to grab?  If there's a Watch in place, I always leave shoes by my bed and make sure my phone is charged and easy to grab.  Sounds silly, but if the worst does happen you'll be glad for close-toed shoes and communication.  Especially if you need to crawl out of the rubble of your home.  You should also have blankets/pillows/textbooks to cover the back of your head/neck.  A somewhat-local meteorologist always says to put kids in their bike helmets (KH, here's looking at you!) and we laugh... BUT it's not a bad idea because children don't understand WHY we cover our head/neck like adults do. We understand the seriousness of a neck injury, they don't. In fact, one child in the Joplin tornado's life was saved because he put on his bike helmet.  Always remember, a number of tornado fatalities are not a result of the tornado directly, but from the debris!  
• No Basement, No Problem?:  If you don't have a basement, where do you go?  Interior room/closet or bathtub.  Remember, especially in this situation you need to cover yourself.  I would recommend a bathtub myself.  Several people SURVIVED the Joplin tornado because they were in their bathtub.  Including the Catholic priest - the rectory and the church were completely demolished!  Why bathtub?  Because in a house on a concrete pad, the bathtub is usually actually attached to the pad.  Only thing in the house most likely - makes sense now huh?  Or, if this makes you uncomfortable - make arrangements with a neighbor with a basement.  Most local schools, churches, and libraries have either basements or certified storm shelters.  And will gladly welcome you!  
• The Wrong Place at the Wrong Time:  Where do you not want to be when a tornado hits?  A vehicle.  Get out - you're much safer in the ditch than in that truck.  A mobile home.  Again, get out - safer outside it than in it.  A large, barn-type structure (ie. Lowe's, Wal-Mart).  Think of them as very large mobile homes.  I'll be honest and say if there's a Watch, I stay away.  My errand can wait, storms won't. Don't shelter anywhere near glass, even in your basement - glass can be very deadly at high speeds.
• What I Can't See Won't Hurt Me:  The sirens go off - you look outside and can't see a tornado, so you're fine right?  Wrong - tornadoes travel at speeds we can't even fathom and if the sirens go off you should assume this is serious.  You might have 20 minutes warning, you maybe have 2 minutes.  Always prepare for the worst, hope for the best. 
• There's No Place Like Home:  What if you're not home?  Travel for work?  Already somewhere when the Watch comes into effect?  Hotels, public facilities, stores should always have a plan for a storm.  Ask a Manager about the plan.  Most hotels have a 'safe room' or even a basement that you don't even know is there.  If they don't, ask about the nearest church/library/school.  And if the place you are doesn't have a plan, make your own.  Don't expect someone else to guide you in an emergency situation!  Also - always go to the ground floor, no matter what.  It's almost always safer there than up on the fourth.

These are just a few of the many things you can do to keep yourself and your loved ones safe during a tornado.  You can feel free to disagree with me about all of these if you'd like, but as an ASP (Associate Safety Professional), a tornado participant (three!), and a life-long resident of tornado alley I'd like to think I know a small something about this.  The most important thing I can reiterate is have a plan.  You need to know what you would do if the situation should come about so well you don't even have to think about it, just do!


I hope you'll take these words to heart.  Tornadoes can be devastating property wise, but so much more so when loved ones are lost.  What about you?  Do you have any other tornado safety tips you think I've missed?  Let me know in the comments - knowledge really is power!


Jen

 PS - Yes, my Company Logo is whited-out on my hardhat.  Because this advice doesn't come from them, it comes from me!  Because I care about my community and the people in it.

Ad-dressing the Issue

I haven't blogged recently.  I've had a lot of un-fun, none-creative stuff on my plate that had to be done.  I've had mixed results on what I like to call 'real-life stuff'.  The list includes:

• Associate Safety Professional (ASP) Test - taken, passed!
• Buying a house - looked, can't find, fail
• Minor issues w/ vehicle - fixed!
• Find my Prince Charming - been looking, varied results, still taking applicants :)

However, once I passed my ASP (actually a really big deal people-I'm thrilled about it) I got back to sewing and had immediate success with my next project. Maybe this is God trying to tell me something...

I had a conversation with the Bestie awhile back about the fact that although I sew a lot, I had not yet ventured back into the arena of making clothes for myself.  Because when you have a *cough* figure like I do, it can be difficult to fit clothes to oneself.  I decided last Friday it was time to try my hand at clothes for myself and my attempt was a great success.

I know - you're thinking, "That dress has a tag - you didn't make that!  LIAR!".  Well, yes...and no.  I took a tank of mine that shrank in the dryer (too short) and added a skirt.  The skirt was about a yard of fabric, which made a fairly gathered skirt.  You could use more or less depending on the look you're going for.  I also added elastic into the waistband to give the dress more shape and keep the skirt from dragging the top down.  So, I must admit - it doesn't look that great on the hanger.  I don't put a lot of pictures of myself up here, but I really think this dress has to be seen on to be appreciated...

So, I apologize because this picture is definitely grainy and blurry.  This is what happens when one lives alone and has an older iPhone.  But as you can see, the waist of the dress hits at/just above my natural waist (yes, I'm short waisted!) and just above my knee.  I love the shape and fullness of skirt and the length is just about perfect for me.  I have to be honest and say that this project was totally a crap-shoot and I'm pretty pleased at how it turned out.  I even wore it that night and my 'date' was very complimentary.  I wore it w/ a little cardigan and flats, but I think flip-flops and a long necklace would also be cute.  The Bestie suggested chunky jewelry and I think that's a great idea too.  It turned out being very versatile - more so than I even planned!


There you go - I've ventured into making clothes for myself at long last.  The success of this project has been a huge confidence boost.  I'm looking forward to trying my hand at making something else for myself.

What I'm Reading:  Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver

Something to Blog About...

So, I must admit that I've been a bit lost recently for what to blog about.  I'm currently in the midst of studying for a professional certification test so I can get some fancy letters behind my name.  My head has been swimming with trigonometry, statistics, chemistry, federal regulations etc. and nothing very fun or creative of note.  But today I awoke to find the sun shining, the birds singing, and a Saturday with no plans!  

That's right, a Saturday with NO PLANS.  I'm sure some of your are aghast at this elusive creature; frankly, I was shocked myself.  So after leisurely drinking my coffee and writing in my journal, I decided today was the perfect opportunity to be busy around the house.  

And so I was... TA-DA! (As my little buddy would say).

I've been planning this grouping for awhile, centered around an old school embroidery piece I completed at the end of 2011.  I've had a few of the pieces for months, but finally got around to arranging them and putting holes in the wall.  Or, at least that's what Handy Dad calls it.  The women in my family call it 'hanging pictures, but not so that you'd notice they're crooked'.  Hence, the asymmetrical nature of the arrangement.  Oh - and I just like things that way too!  Slightly flighty, you know...  I still want to add a couple items, maybe something next to the lemons (a vintage find) and a small something next to the blue birds.  Overall, I'm very pleased with how it turned out and am happy to have it up on the wall.  And - I have something to blog about...


PS - If you look closely, one of the pictures on my mantel is a baby picture of me.  Lord, I had hair!


What I'm Reading:  The Land of Oz by L. Frank Baum (2nd book in Oz Series)

Another One Bites the Dust...

Alright, so remember those resolutions of which I spoke?  The good news is that I seem to be making headway on them.  All of them actually.  *insert fist pump here*

My Crafty Momma has a February birthday which entitles her to, amongst other things, a kick-ass birth stone (Amethyst!) and a present pre-Valentine's which will come whether my Handy Dad decides to recognize Valentine's or not.  Also, she does not share her birthday month with anything else that takes precedence (re: December birthday) and every four years she gets an extra day in her birthday month.  All in all, it's a pretty rocking time of year besides the fact that she's my very awesome Momma.  So, consequently, birthday gifts should try to measure up to the awesomeness that is my Momma and her birthday.

This year seemed like the perfect opportunity to rise to the challenge and satisfy one of my resolutions, complete a sewing project every 2-3 months.  But what to make?  In to my fabric stash I went, hoping for inspiration.  Do you know what I found?  A beautiful yellow floral flannel that I bought approximately two years ago to make....wait for it...pj pants for my Momma!!!  So, I'm either an ingenious fabric hoarder or a total slacker.  Either way, I had a project all picked out and had all the accoutrements (that's notions for you sewing people) ready to go.  And go I went.  I think all told I managed to finish the pj pants in under four hours.  That's some kind of record, people!

The best part?  She really loved them.  Actually, she gushed.  I love seeing people I love gush over things I give them - even more so over things I make them.  So, there we go.  One project down for the year, 4-6 more to go.  I can do this!

On another note, my very first cousin Abby (born three months after me) had her very first baby - a girl - a week ago last Saturday.  I made this for her little Katelyn the minute I found out it was a girl, so it doesn't count as a 2012 project - but I think it's still worth showing off.  Anyone watch Big Bang?  "Soft kitty, nice kitty...".

What I'm Reading: Catharine The Great by Robert Massie

A New Addition...

The new addition to my Pyrex Family. I picked this little pretty up in Branson last Friday. Read about my other Pyrex and collection here.  Highlights: unusual (ie hard to find) pattern in my favorite color, original lid (also rare), and small size. It was Pyrex Love at first site...

If you're as enamored by vintage Pyrex as I am, you must check out Pyrex Love.  These people are serious about their Pyrex.

PS - Always a good gift idea for me - as my Bestie proved a few weeks ago.  She found me a little solid blue mixing bowl that matched a set I have as a 'Pick-Me-Up' gift - and it worked!

What I'm Reading:  Catherine The Great by Robert K. Massie and The Mill River Recluse by Darcie Chan

The Finale'

And again - I've been remiss at blogging.  It's amazing how one that enjoys writing manages to convince oneself NOT to write.  Maybe I'm afraid of censor by my peers?  Nope, just too busy and too lazy!  But this year I made a few 'creative' resolutions - including these:

• Complete a sewing (machine) project every 2-3 months
• Complete an embroidery project that I've been working on for two years
• Research avenues to market/sell my projects

But, more about those resolutions later.  As a part of those resolutions I promised to blog more.  About sewing.  And creating.  And my travels - and just life in general.  However, all of these lofty goals were inspired by one event alone....

I finished it.

What's that?  I finished it.  I completed a project that I've been working on for over a year.  It was a big one too - not only one that I made a custom pattern for, but also designed especially for a friend.  It was a big project, but also challenging and rewarding because I made unique.  And I finished it.  The best part?  She loved her apron!  The smile when she saw it was worth all the hard work and sweat.

Details you ask?!?  I made the apron from a light upholstery fabric for durability and sturdiness.  I extended the length of the apron at Linden's request and the length of the straps.  It also has a towel ring and pen holder, especially for Linden.  I also added a hidden 'cell phone pocket' because I always get flour on mine when I cook.  It was a hit, but more importantly gave me a sense of accomplishment and motivation that will hopefully carry me throughout the year.  I'm once again excited about sewing, creating, and sharing it with y'all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What I'm Reading:  Catherine The Great by Robert K. Massie and The Mill River Recluse by Darcie Chan