Snazzy, jazzy BP cuff case

Good morning Blogland Neighborhood and TGIF !! Hope all is well in your little corners of the neighborhood ! We here at MBIAJ are slogging along as usual .... unfortunately our MBIAJ Sewing/Quilting Dept has had all of their gazillions of half started, almost started and not quite done projects along with their "next brilliant idea" put on the back burner for what seems like forever due to many factors (one of which is an increased schedule with the day job). So, in an effort to try and indulge our need to see, touch and be near pretty fabric on a daily basis, Headquarters has decided to ......



...pull this pretty little handmade zippered pouch off of the shelf where it was put the last time we went away over night (that was so long ago I can't even remember where we went or what was put in the pretty pouch .... maybe toothpaste, deodorant, emergency chocolate and a comb .....). Anyhow, since traveling happens so rarely around here, but working happens almost daily, it has been decided to give this zippered pouch a new job where it can be seen and appreciated DAILY .....





....it is now the new home for our blood pressure cuff and stethoscope because , really .....






....how can you possibly jam that stuff back in this crappy little black case that comes with it ?!?!?!!!






....see! Everything fits right in there just perfectly AND the zipper even closes EASILY !!!!! Isn't it fun and bright and cheerful ?!?!?! This was actually a handmade gift that was sent to MBIAJ Headquarters by none other than Lisa Boyer a couple of years ago. We here at MBIAJ Headquarters are big fans of Lisa Boyer .... we can SO relate to .....






.....this book she wrote !!!! It has allowed us to let our P.I.S. SHINE !!!!!! Hallelujah !!!! What is P.I.S. you ask ..... well it stands for our Piecing Imperfection Syndrome ! ...and this has led us to adopt some other mottos too..... for example "Lower Your Expectations" and "Mediocre is Fine" and last but not least "Let it Go and Just Sew" !!!!! ..... and it seems this trend is growing ..... the other day while going through some magazines that are headed for the recycling bin, we came across .....





...this hysterical article in the Oct/Nov 2009 Quilter's Home magazine by Megan Dougherty ...and if you like that, you should read her blog .... also FUNNY !!!

Now speaking of visiting blogs .... you should zip on over to our new blogland friend Wendy's blog because she's having a give away to celebrate her 1 year blog-iversary. You better zip on over there quick because I think the give away ends this Sunday .

Be back soon !
Toodles,
Mary Anne (aka Mare)

MBIAJ Queen Mother's BIG Italian/American 4th of July birthday party !!!!

Good morning Blogland Neighborhood ! Well we've been busy here at MBIAJ Headquarters over the past couple of weeks getting ready for (and then cleaning up from) .....




.......our MBIAJ Queen Mother's BIG 80th BIRTHDAY SURPRISE Pary !!!







....Mom was born July 4th, 1930 to.....












.....Italian immigrants Harry and Maria Mondell (Mandarello)

















.......and here are those Mondell kids !
Nancy (Annunciata) the birthday girl, Irma her younger sister, and Anthony (Tony) her little brother...








......and a BIG BIRTHDAY SMOOCH from her hubby George (aka Dad) !




The MBIAJ Decorating Dept went with Italian flag colors green, white and red (they bought 6 yards of each color fabric at Walmart for $1.97/yd) and draped it by pinning it to the umbrella and the blue canapy (pinned on with big safety pins ) ...... then they cut out red and white striped fabric triangles and used clothespins to attach to clothesline for the pennant style banner (they had every intention to sew something more permanent however, as usual the decorating came down to zero hour (as in guests were arriving) so safety pins and clothespins to the rescue!)




.....and since the theme was Italian (as in Under the Tuscan Sun )...





.....there were lots of fresh flowers (especially sunflowers) and candles on the tables (eat your heart out Martha Stewart !)









..... so, a wonderful day was had by all .... and as the sun began to go down and the guests began to leave, Aunt Irma bid us all a fond farewell and a Fourth of July salute to the USA and her sister Nancy on their birthdays!!!! (oh, and Aunt Irma has a purse to match those shoes !!! )





Hope you all had a good holiday !



Be back soon!
Toodles,
Mary Anne (aka Mare)

What's going on here at MBIAJ Headquarters ......

Good morning and TGIF Blogland Neighborhood! Sooooooo...... what's going on here at MBIAJ Headquarters ? (......other than trying to get those Moonbeams Boys back on their feet , scaring off bears , and working longer hours at the day job?) .......... NOT MUCH !!!! ...including , but not limited to ......



..... NOT doing something about our REALLY REALLY BAD HAIR !!!!and....


















....NOT getting to spend some quality time with Betty (cue crickets .... chirp, chirp.....)










However, unlike MBIAJ Headquarters, there are some blogging friends of ours who have LOTS and LOTS of WONDERFUL things going on !!! They are moving onward and upward faster than a speeding bullet !!!! Check them out! First of all , there's Sharon of Red Geranium Cottage who has recently opened an online quilt shop Daisy Cottage Quilting !!!

Next there's Miss Monica Happy Zombie who has recently designed her very first line of fabric Holiday Happy !!! (Just the cutest stuff this side of the Milky Way ....and you can now buy it FOR REAL !!!)

And last , but not least there's Miss Elizabeth Late Bloomer who has also recently designed her very first line of fabric Red Rose Farm (So very pretty and fresh like a breath of fresh air !!!)

Way to go !! and a great big CONGRATULATIONS to all of you gals !!!!

Be back soon!
Toodles,
Mary Anne (aka Mare)

Happy 20th Birthday Matt !!

Good morning Blogland Neighborhood! Yesterday was a momentous day here at MBIAJ Headquarters ..... our first born , Moonbeams Boy Matt, left his teenage years behind him and celebrated his 20th birthday ...... TWENTY ?!?!?!!?!!!! AAAAAaaaack!!! (Well, all I can say is his Moonbeams Momma must have been a child herself when she had him since she's STILL only 29 !!!!) Oh my gosh .... look at that cute baby picture taken the day he was born ....how did he go from that teeny little guy to .....





....this dude SO FAST ?!?!?!?!?!!!!

(sigh) .... well, since the birthday boy is currently sidelined from his favorite activities of dirtbike racing, mountain bike racing and airplane flying (due to a recent knee injury during a dirtbike race ), he had to spend his big day doing somethinig a little more .....





.....tame (a little mini golf at Heisler's Dairy Bar outside of Tamaqua, Pa)


(yay .... crutches are gone and the knee brace should be gone in a couple of weeks) .... good thing because this boy is SO BORED !!!!


.....anyhow, here are both Moonbeams Boys (with their very cheesy grins) standing still for a split second so their Moonbeams Momma could take yet another (blurry) picture to commemorate the big day .


Happy, Happy Birthday Matt !!! (from your very YOUNG mother !!)

Be back soon!
Toodles,
Mary Anne (aka Mare)

Rotary cutting mat does double duty !

Good morning Blogland Neighborhood! Well, here we are the second full day after Moonbeams Boy Matt's knee surgery. He started outpatient physical therapy yesterday afternoon. As part of his P.T. program he was given a home exercise program that he does lying down. A couple of the exercises are made much easier with a smooth surface. Now, since our regular day job here at MBIAJ Headquarters for the past 30 (GASP) years has been none other than that of a physical therapist (in particular a home care physical therapist) these exercises are well known to us. AND, in homecare, you do NOT have all the fancy equipment that they have in outpatient PT Depts and Rehabs, etc, and you learn to make do. For example, a bag of frozen peas or corn works just fine as an ice pack. Also, a cookie sheet has long been the standard for a smooth surface to do certain leg exercises on while lying down. Well, today, the MBIAJ Sewing/Quilting Dept has graciously donated something that is a bit bigger and works just as well........




....this (slighly warped) rotary cutting mat!


.....with a towel under his heel to make sliding easier (and a little help ) Matt has plenty of room to slide his leg out to the side, or to try and bend his knee (OUCH !!!! NOT his favorite excercise right now!)

So, hopefully, the MBIAJ Phys Therapy Dept will have Matt back on his feet fairly soon, and the MBIAJ Sewing/Quilting Dept can have the rotary cutting mat back to do some rotary cutting with ! ....because as usual, they have plans to make yet another graduation quilt from ....






.....this new pile of fabrics .... adding to the already rather large pile of unfinished I.O.U. Graduation Quilt tops from previous years!








Be back soon!
Toodles,
Mary Anne (aka Mare)

Look who tried to come to dinner ......

Happy Monday Blogland neighborhood! Well early this morning was Moonbeams Boy Matt's knee surgery. It was same day surgery, so he was home by noon. Well, by 4 pm the pain really REALLY started to kick in, so things have been a bit stressful here at MBIAJ Headquarters. To add to today's excitement, we had .....



.....an uninvited guest show up literally at our door !



......this open screen door to be exact .... he came right up on that little side porch and was SNIFFING AT THE SCREEN !!!!!!!

and there he is scurrying back around to the back yard after he made eye contact with me and heard my shrill " HOLY _______ the bear is on the porch !!! "


.....and here he is looking at me with those big brown puppy eyes (he really wasn't a big bear ..... not a cub, but not a full grown one like some of the big 500 pound daddy bears that occasionally come around .... still , I wouldn't want to be on the business end of those claws!!!).

PHEW ..... well, it's been a LONG day ..... time to give Matt some more pain medicine and try to get some sleep around here (except there's some noise outside near the compost bin ..... think Yogi is back for a midnight snack!)

Be back soon!
Toodles,
Mary Anne (aka Mare)

The bored (future) engineer and the Simplicity Rotary Cutting Machine

Good morning and TGIF Blogland Neighborhood ! How bored can an almost 20 year old college dude who is sidelined by torn ligaments in his knee from a dirtbike race be ????????? Very, VERY, VERY BORED !!!!! So bored that he didn't mind setting up ......




.....this !(which was purchased last fall by the MBIAJ Sewing/Quilting Dept who, as we all know, seem to have very little time for sewing and quilting ..... thus the yet to be opened box containing the Simplicity Rotary Cutting Machine). SOoooooo, tired of the college boy's complaints of BOREDOM and looking to use that to their advantage , the Sewing/Quilting Dept put that future engineer to work.....


......it involved using a screwdriver to adjust the rotary cutter blade ....


.....to get a clean cut through the fabric , however.....



.....getting a straight edge was a different matter ....


...and the Sewing/Quilting Dept didn't do much better!!!!


......at least Shadow doesn't care how crooked those fabric strips are!








So, the MBIAJ Sewing/Quilting Dept had high hopes that this little contraption would be the magic wonder strip cutter that would give them all sorts of perfectly cut fabric strips in the blink of an eye! After all, the lady in this demo doesn't seem to be having any trouble......


We're guessing much more practice will be needed ...... RATS !!!

OK, be back soon! (after Matt's knee surgery on Monday morning)
Toodles,
Mary Anne (aka Mare)