Why are Realists Called Alarmists?

Some of these photos are from happenings from this past week!  
Most within the past 12 months!
Two from 12 years ago.




Some global -----  Others Local ----  Many Personal


Most caused by Nature's  unrest ---- 
Some by Mob unrest . . .
Others by Individual unrest 






National emergencies and local emergencies . . .
that affect many
     that affect some
           that affect one

that might personally affect YOU and your family!




There are personal emergencies 
Millions losing jobs. . . 
Hundreds lining up for a limited number 
of available jobs

Then there is the one that changed most everyone in one way or another




Emergencies, or in many cases even the prediction of  potential situations, often result in . . .



What if the emergency was one that, while causing no structural or physical damage anywhere, left us without the ability to do little-if-anything anywhere?  Think how a widespread or worldwide power outage would render the "computerized" world helpless!


WHAT IF . . . ?

Most of us have car insurance, home insurance and medical insurance "just in case." 

Life insurance provides for our loved ones after we die.

How much better to have insurance to help us and our loved ones endure any emergency we may encounter.

Does simply being prepared make us a realist   or an alarmist? 

The Old-Age Dilemma AND The Perfect Anti-Aging Cream

When we hit the later years of our life we are faced with an old-age dilemma, which is 

How do we (and others) refer to us?

The options are bleak and none of them are the least bit appealing. We'll start off with over-the-hill, retiree and senior citizen. You can take it from there.

Below are two of the best ways to help us feel (or look) younger--- even when we don't and we aren't.

Attempt #1  Remember the wonderful carefree days of youth, back when there was nothing better than an ice cream cone, crammed full with the creamy stuff, eaten on the hottest day of the summer, leaking from the sides of your mouth, dripping all over your hand, down your arm and onto your clothes?

On-lookers thought we were so cute!

Well . . .

Can there be any anti-aging cream that
works as well to recapture youth
as an ice cream cone?

Attempt #2

Instead of exercising, eating well, dressing in younger styles,  layering all types of make-up, and coloring your hair to cover the tell-tale signs of aging, simply do the following. 

It is amazing, free, foolproof and instant --- convincing others you look great without you doing all the not-so-great things to maintain that image. Actually, without you doing ANYTHING other than this one thing.

I guarantee it!




Tell people you are 10 years older than you actually are!

(I may not look like much at 70 but I am quite presentable for 80!)







 

Make Baby or Toddler Pants from Shirtsleeves

    (You don't have to look too closely to see where I forgot
to tighten the elastic on one leg.)

This week I used a $1.00 thrift shop blouse to make a little one- piece sun-suit for our September-arriving granddaughter.


"What does this have to do with making baby or toddler pants?" you ask.

The blouse had 3/4 length sleeves with band trim across the bottom.  

I simply couldn't let all that sleeve material go to waste. 

Plus, the shape of the sleeve when I cut it from the rest of 
the blouse reminded me of the pattern shape for little pants.

I laid my "pattern" on the sleeves so 

the cuff bands of the blouse became 

the hems of the pants---another time-

saving step.  And I love how the little 

"slit" feature, originally on the cuff, looks

at the bottom of the pants. 

I was really excited when I saw how cute they turned out.

Then I realized I hadn't asked Dave to take before and during photos of the process!

I have tried to recreate it by cutting the sleeves out of a
blouse I had in my closet. It wasn't cotton and had short sleeves so the layout doesn't look quite right but I think it is enough to give you the idea.  

(Oops! I drew the line too close to the leg of the pants. 
Obviously a "do as I say, not as I do" situation!)

Step 1
Fold the sleeve in half. Fold the "pattern" in half and lay it on the sleeve fabric.  Important: Although my photo above does not show it---
you must be sure to allow extra length at the top of the 
pants for the waist band casing. Cut around the pattern allowing extra for the seam.Repeat with second sleeve.  


Next, I copied some illustrations from a baby pants pattern to give the visual direction.

Men's shirts would give you even more fabric to work with.  Since most children grow more in length than they do in "width" the longer sleeves on men's shirts would allow you to make pants for children, not just infants and toddlers.

Denim shirts would provide options of pants from the sleeves and --- skirts, vests, jumpers, shorts and more from the rest of the shirt.  

Now, if they would only make the buttonholes on adult clothing closer together we could utilize that part of the shirt also.  What a time- and effort-saver that would be!

Happy Sewing and Happy Thinking  ... 
of things you can do and things you can make do with.

I am Simply, Gail --- the creative cheapskate!