Karen

National Park Meme

Outside The Interzone posted this meme today. It is two lists of National Parks, the Most Visited and the Least Visited. Instructions are to bold the ones you have visited, and italicize the ones you have never heard of. Here’s my list:

Most visited:
10: Glacier
9: Acadia
8: Grand Teton
7: Cuyahoga Valley
6: Rocky Mountain
5: Olympic
4: Yellowstone
3: Yosemite
2: Grand Canyon (you all know I work and live here! Best backyard ever!)
1: Great Smoky Mountains

Least Visited:
10: City of Rocks NR, Idaho
9: Cumberland Island NS, Georgia
8: Florissant Fossil Beds NM, Colorado
7: Chiricahua NM, Arizona
6: Tonto NM, Arizona
5: Dry Tortugas NP, Florida
4: Katmai NP & Preserve, Alaska
3: Kalaupapa NHP, Hawaii
2: Hagerman Fossil Beds NM, Idaho
1: Russel Cave NM, Alabama

So, how does your list stack up?

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I’ve Been Nominated!

Karen · 3 Comments

I was really surprised by this, but my blog has been nominated as one of the Top Medical Blogs for 2011 in the “Diet” category. I do feel honored by this nomination, as someone out there thinks my blog is pretty good! So, what do you think? If you think I should be honored as the winner of the award, click on the link below and go vote for me. When you get to the page, put in the this url, https://fabgrandma.com, and click on submit to vote. And thank you if you do!

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I’m Ready For A Party

Karen · 2 Comments

I have my new barbecue grill set up and ready to go on the picnic table.

Got my new outside rug and the solar lights down on the ground.

Got my cute lights hung up in the trees.

But good gosh! The weather just won’t cooperate! Although it was about 70 degrees with sunny skies, and little puffy clouds, the wind is blowing about 45 miles per hour, with gusts up to 60 miles per hour. So, while I’d love to have a barbecue, all I can do is sit here and enjoy the view from my picnic table.

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Amelia’s Dress Finished

Karen · 5 Comments

This has turned out to be a very satisfying project. That curtain panel really looks great in the finished product.

The pattern I used does not call for an overskirt, so when I cut the skirt, I cut it about 3 inches wider on each side than the underskirt, so that it would be “fluffy”. I also cut it with the original hem at the bottom, and cut it 3 1/4 inches shorter than the underskirt, so that when I hemmed the underskirt, it is just the right length.

Here is the pattern I used, McCall’s 2053. I bought it in 1999, when Miss Sarah was born, and used it to make a dress for her, too. Her’s was a baby plaid seersucker. It turned out just as cute. I made that hat for Sarah, too. I’m thinking this dress needs a more “baby bonnet” looking hat, though.

I finished the back with baby snaps instead of a button, so that it will be easier on her mommy when she is dressing Amelia. Can’t wait to see the pictures, except that it is about the size to fit a 6-8 month old so I will have to wait. Sigh.

I’m sharing this on Everything Etsy’s “I Made It!” Blog Party

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Something New In My Shop!

Karen · 6 Comments

copy-quilt-01 — Amelia's Quilt Pattern available in PDF file.

I have written up the instructions for making Amelia’s Quilt, and made it into a PDF file. There are lots and lots of pictures showing each step of the way. If you’d like to make your own baby quilt, you can get your own copy of the pattern for $5.00 by clicking here.

DSCN2181 — I love to see quilts hanging on a line.

DSCN2196 — Here's the back of the quilt.

OH! and quilts always look better with a baby!

amelia and her quilt 4 days old — There she is with the quilt I made for her. Sweet!

Sorry, I can’t provide the cute baby, you gotta do that yourself. But doesn’t the quilt look so much sweeter with Miss Amelia sleeping on it?

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A New Dress For Amelia

Karen · 4 Comments

Yesterday when I was in Kanab, I found this old curtain panel in an antique shop for $4.00.

DSCN4251 — Soon to be a fluffy baby dress!

Today I made this dress for Amelia. The bodice is lined and it has an underskirt, both made with a piece of fabric I got in 2002 in a thrift shop in Forsyth, Georgia. There used to be an Arrow Shirt Factory there, and this fabric was once used for making expensive men’s dress shirts. I think I paid about 5o cents for a yard of it. It was just right for this dress.

Here is a close up of the bodice. I used a piece of lace around the neckline because the sheer fabric showed the seams in an ugly way.

I still have to finish the hem and put on a button on the back, but I am so happy with the way this project turned out. And I can’t wait to see a pic of Amelia modeling her dress.

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A Day In Kanab, Utah

Karen · 6 Comments

Remember this? Well, today we added more to it. We got up very early to go to Kanab, Utah. It’s an 85 mile drive, with a one hour time difference once you cross the Utah border. We wanted to get there by 8:00 a.m. Utah time because we were having work done on the truck. So, we left about 5:50 (Arizona time), went to pick up Gaelyn of Geogypsy, and took off.

DSCN4237 — Gorgeous sky in the Kaibab National Forest

Early morning in the Kaibab National Forest, just outside the gates of the Grand Canyon National Park, is always interesting. You might see deer, turkeys, a coyote, or a buffalo out there. Today we saw this beautiful sky.

We got to the auto shop just at 8:00, and dropped off the truck. They gave us a loaner vehicle so we wouldn’t have to sit around there all day. We went to Houston’s Trails End Restaurant for breakfast, then headed about a mile or so north of town to the private campground where our friends, Marcie and Jim, and Chris, are staying while they are workamping in Kanab. I didn’t think about taking pictures while I was there, but that campground has some wonderful scenery around it.

Marcie and Chris are going to be staffing a booth at The Kane County Farmers Market, which will be held every Saturday from the last weekend in May through the middle of October, beginning at 9:00 am to 11:30 am. Chris makes some really cute “tea bag wallets”, which are big enough to hold 4-6 tea bags for hot tea. What a great idea! Marcie makes crocheted items, which I unfortunately did not see. But, if you find yourself in Kanab on a Saturday morning this summer, go on over and check out our stuff. They are going to be selling some of my things, too. Thank you so much, girls! I can’t tell you how much I appreciate that.

When we left their place, we went over to the Family Dollar store, where I picked up some packing tape and another cute dress for Amelia. (yeah, I know, I have it bad, hehehe). There just happened to be a thrift shop next door, so we went in to see what they had. I picked up a luggage carrier for a good price to use to take my laundry to the laundry room. By then, it was almost time for my hair appointment.

Since the post office is right behind the hair salon, we parked there and I finished packing up the things I had to mail out. Heads up to all my kids, I sent gifts out to all the grandkids today. They should get them soon. Got the hair cut and made an appointment for a pedicure in two weeks, and another hair cut in 5 weeks. Yay!

We went to another thrift shop, the one for the hospital auxiliary, where they had these cute fabrics for 50 cents a piece, for 1/2 yards!

DSCN4244 — Lots of inexpensive fabric. Yes!

I also picked up all this lace trim, for practically nothing!

DSCN4246 — Almost a hundred yards of laces, for less than $5.00!

The best bargain of the day, though, was this fabulous thread bin, full of thread, for $15! Some of that thread is silk. And all of the spools are wooden, which I haven’t seen in years. OH, I am just loving this!

DSCN4242 — Some of this thread is silk! a great bargain here.

And last, here is a lovely piece of fabric, all pink and flowery. It is actually an 84″ X 26″ curtain panel, that I picked up for $4.00 in Deja Vu Antiques. I am planning to use it to make a fluffy dress for Amelia. Yes, like Scarlett O’Hara, she will be wearing the drapes before she is old enough to walk. Hahahaha. But, don’t you think that is just soooo pretty?

Somewhere in there, we went grocery shopping, and ate some lunch at Escobar’s. Finally, around 4:00 p.m, they got finished with the truck. They added a Banks Intercooler under the hood. See all those new manly pipes! FabGrandpa is in “guy heaven”.

DSCN4255 — Those gray pipes were added to increase the flow of air to the turbo.

And FabGrandpa finally got to add the Banks sticker to our truck. One on each side. He says they only cost $1100, each.

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Not So Fab This Week

Karen · 11 Comments

So I was working ay the entrance station the other day, and this kidney infection came to visit. He seems to be one of those long term guests who overstay their welcome, as if there was any welcome to start with. I was in some pain and having a hard time walking by the time I got off work. Fortunately, one of my co-workers came through and told me the name of a doctor in Kanab to go to. I looked up the number and called to make an appointment for the next day.

Driving 85 miles to a doctor appointment when you don’t feel good is not so much fun. Finally got there, got seen, got a prescription and got home. I’ve been alternating from sofa to bed and back since then. And percocet has been my special friend. I’m hoping to be feeling better soon. And back to writing here on a more regular basis. Hope that is real soon.

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