Well, Hello!

 It's been a little bit, I've been doing a few family things, since my little family has come to America to visit for the first time in 4 years.  My grands spent the night last week, Thursday, and are coming to spend the night with me tonight!  

My place is small, but we all fit, and we have a wonderful time.  

They are staying with family about an hour north from here.  I drove up to see them, all his cousin's  and their families, and all his siblings came...they had a really good time.  It was fun to watch them in the pool, laughing and talking to each other, as grownups, for probably the first time.  I hope they took group pics.

There are a couple of "things" going on, family wise.  Of course, right?  One may be fixable.  The other I think it could be written in stone that it is finished.  

You know, people feel how they feel.  I think it's disrespectful to try to change the way they feel.  But I will, however, suggest a different way of looking at a situation.  That's about all I can do really.  

So, I've been creating little Pleather (faux leather) Critters.  Really liking the Pleather Suede a lot. I'll get my photobox and stuff back out of the closet once the kids are gone.  

Good Boy Greg is one year old!  Our routine is so comfortable, but he's still a "teenager" in most ways.  Energetic, mischevious, cantankerous when he doesn't get his way...but also sweet and cuddly when he wants to be.  

I love this cat.

Here's a couple pics of something I've been working on.  Those are I think 5 x 7 stretched canvas.  I've hand appliqued the kitty's and handsewn them to the canvas.  Teal and a few shades of purple.  

I think they are so cute!  

And of course, I can do them in just about any color combo,

and have some printed felt, as well.  

Send me a message, I would love to create something for you!

Alright, it's almost 1:00 pm, they will probably be here in a couple hours, so I better do anything that needs to be done before they get here because that's how I roll.  I only have them for a short time, and it will be a long time until I get to squeeze them again.  

Play Nice!  xxoo

Found those Benihana Buddahs on the free table in the community laundry room!  

Score!  One for me, one for Mary! 

(tiniest Gain bottle, for scale) 

HandmadebyCosmo

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Weekend Wonderings

Friday.  Mary come and got my car to run some errands in.  Her car is still having starting problems.  I wasn't planning on going anywhere anyway, except for the food pantry.  I won't die if we don't go today.  

The project I mentioned yesterday, here's the finished product.  Please keep in mind this is the prototype.

    

First off, the cheeks are too big and too low.  I didn't like how I attached the ears on this one.  I gotta figure out how to do a mouth on these guys.  

I have another pleather one in the works, getting ready to go work on it right now, because I have had another idea to start on after this one...

Saturday.  A beautiful morning here, but I am sure it is going to get pretty warm today.  I am going to make a run into town, to see my boys, and to grab a little food for this week. . 

I had a feeling the old boy in the duplex across from me passed away, and I was correct.  I went to the office to turn in a work order for a repair in my apt, and the office was full of people.  I filled out the form, and found out the family had catered in a meal for the residents here, which was really nice of them...I guess he had lived here for awhile.  I didn't know him, but I did talk with his sister for a minute to share my condolences with her.  

We were blessed with a small thunderstorm last night, which was great.  

I have a neighbor,  He's very nice, he has a couple of raised bed gardens in his yard that I have been watching grow...found out last night his name is Jeff, and he mentioned that he would be willing to share some home grown tomatoes.  I am really looking forward to that!  

More later!  

Sunday - two of the 3 boys in my life came to visit.  I fed them scrambled eggs and we had a nice visit.  I spent most of the day going through all my downloads on my computer...some back as far as 2017!  Mostly pics that my daughter had sent to me and I just downloaded them.  It's a process, but soon my photo files will be organized.  

I don't know exactly why it is so important to me right now for everything to be in it's place where it belongs...but I don't really mind.  I have all the time in the world.  

So, It's Monday morning, so I'm gonna go ahead and post this.  

Play Nice!  xxoo

Handmade by Cosmo

Friday Again!

 First of all, I can't believe that I didn't update all week!  I went to town on Wednesday for a few things, saw the boys.  I've been home, happy and content...but a little hungry...

While I appreciate the food pantry, last week's haul was pretty slim.  I got really happy watching them load up a bunch of fresh fruits, but sadly most of them had already past their prime.  The black grapes and pineapple were deluxe, though.  

My sister and I are going again today.  We have the first two Fridays of the month.  It goes by alphabet, what letter your last name starts with.  Glad she and I are on the same day!  I will be thankful for and use as much as I can of what they are giving.  And as always, I will share some of mine with my boys. 

I was just getting another cuppa and looked at the calendar...in just a couple of weeks I will have already been living here for 6 months!  

Curtains for my windows is my next project.  I just had the thought that if I had enough fabric stashed away I could make my own, but I just don't think I have enough fabric that I would actually want curtains made out of.  

I've been toying with a project idea in my head, and actually made a physical piece of what I've been thinking about.

This is one of my kittys, but instead of making a 3D piece, I've stitched it together and stitched it to a stretched canvas.  Keep in mind that this is the first piece (I've started another and attached the ears to the body before putting it on the canvas.  It has some dimension to it, and future pieces will probably incorporate more items in the background, or words, or something.  The possibilities are not endless, but there are a bunch of them!  '

Later...I've had a shower, done all the morning chores and then some, my house is straightened up enough I could invite someone over without worry, as if, ha ha ha ha!  

I am happy to report that Good Boy Greg is healing nicely and feeling so much better!  He still takes his nap in the afternoon, but he's staying in the living room with me instead of the bedroom, which I take as a good sign.  He is also completely transitioned from clay litter to crystal, not Pretty Litter yet, but hopefully soon.  

If you are going to get a kitten or a kitty, don't get the clay litter.  It is so gross.  And I clean the litter box twice a day.  It's the pee part, honestly.  And the Mess!  

Anyway, I better get, gotta do a couple things before I get to Mary's.  

Play Nice!  xxoo

I made this for my Aunt Trish, 

dropped it off at her house, she loved it.  

Wednesday Morning Coffee Thoughts

 Synchronicity - Just yesterday I was thinking as I was putting things where they  belong, "I have a lot of 1 yds of fabric...I wish I had a simple pattern to make some tops.

Boom - Last night I found the perfect pattern, and it is printing out now, in all it's PDF glory.  

My little family in Germany are coming for a visit in June!  I haven't seen them for 3 years, and we really don't video chat very often.  Times are different, they are SO busy...so I am really looking forward to this visit.  

The Twins were 2, and Delightful was 9 when they left, I watched the babies grow to toddlers in person, from then on it was all in photos, and they have all changed so much, but have remained the same, somehow.  Phew, are they gonna get squeezed!  

I was a little stymied with getting all my sewing supplies put away, but the solution was right in my kitchen, again, with the synchronicity...I had started looking for a small craft cart, but somehow I ended up with one through the move...I don't remember owning this before, but that doesn't matter.  I have it now and it will be the solution I was looking for.  

So, now that I've found that pattern, I am gonna want to get my fabric and sewing machine out, but I can't yet because of all the other things that need to be put away, which is great incentive for me to do that so I can do that.  

I posted some LLBean khaki slacks on Mercari yesterday.  I posted a Mini Kitty on Instagram/FB yesterday.  

Later...

Norm the Maintenance Guy just came and went, had to replace a filter.  

Play Nice!  xxoo

I call this one Hannibal.  

Being Positive in a world of Negative Nellies

It is in my nature to look on the bright side of things.  By now I have learned that not every "disaster" is really a disaster, there is always a way to learn something from it, and so far I've survived every  one of them.  

I think that those with a less than positive outlook on life, because everything is just shitty all around them, have the mindset that this is how it's gonna always be, because it has always been this way.  

And that's what they manifest in their lives.  

I can't do that.  I know for sure that when things get shitty around me that it's NOT always going to be like this.  

When someone relates to me a problem they are having, my logical brain kicks in to find solutions.  I will offer up some suggestions I have come up with.  

I don't mind the "what if?" responses, those are good, let's figure this out.

The "Yeah...but" responses, those are arguments, almost asking me to defend my suggestion.  

Hey, my suggestions are free, use them or not.  I'm cool.  

At this stage of my game, I feel that my ego is nestled snug wherever it stays inside me.  I am loved and love many.  I am sure there are people out there that don't like me and I don't care.  There are people I don't like.  I don't go out of my way to bother them, and hope they do the same for me.  

I woke up this Sunday morning feeling a bit cautious and wary...I'll be keeping my wits about me today.  

Took a buncha photos yesterday of some Critters.  

This is a Mini Kitty, 2" x 2"

She's $10 + $5 s/h 

There are many more available, I'll be posting an album on

Handmade by Cosmo

Play Nice!  xxoo

If it ain't broke...

 A girl at DG wants me to take a cat from one of the employees there.  Not steal it, just re-home it, and I refuse.  She says, "yeah, but Greg needs someone to play with."

No.  If he wants to play, I will play with him.  He has his ways let me know that's what he wants and we will run willy nilly around this place with the wand toy, or we'll throw a toy behind the toy box, we will play.  

She says, "Yeah, but what about when you are gone?  He'll be lonely."

I am pretty much home 24/7.  If I have to go anywhere, I go do what I need to do then I come back home, to my cat.  And I am certain to be home before dark, so my window of being gone is brief.  A "cat nap" amount of time for him.  

I brought Greg into my life for us to be buds to each other.  As much as I love animals, I'm not a rescue unit.  I am a single woman, with one cat.  We are learning each other, both of us are smart and learning quickly, and we enjoy hanging out like we do.  That's it.  

Now, if a cat happens to choose me/us, that's a whole 'nother story.

Random

I decided on Friday that I am officially not going to wear makeup anymore.  I haven't, really, for over a year now, but always thought that maybe if I was doing something special I might, but no.  

Instead I am going to invest what I would spend on makeup on creams that firm this and that on my face.  I'll still have what I lovingly refer to as laugh lines, they just hopefully won't be so deep, and that puffiness under my eyes that I do not refer to in any type of loving way whatsoever, should tighten up a bit.  

Of course, I will have to wait until payday to start this plan of action.  Already have 1 cream lined up, in a cart, ready to go. 

I will call this version  the New Old Real but Improved Me.  

Gad, sometimes I think too much.  Side effect, what can I say?  

I did not wake up to an alarm this morning, but did naturally wake up at 7:58 am.  

Tomorrow I actually have plans to have lunch with my darling daughter's husband's Aunt.  She's cool, and I haven't seen her since the kids left 3 years ago (how can it be that long ago?) so I sent her a "hey how you doin'" type of message, and from there we're meeting for lunch.  

My son-in-law has such an interesting family, and I get along with most of them.  Of course, as in all families, there is that one or two that are balancing on the tips of the branches, really wanting to be an important part of the flock, but their crazy squawking won't allow it.  All the others are nice to them in their own ways, but everyone knows, even the squawkers know, but they just can't help it.  Bless their beaks.  

Today is going to be another warm day in February.  I gathered quarters yesterday, so I'll be doing a couple loads of laundry this afternoon. 

 I try not to do it on Mondays or Tuesdays because the landlord is in his office on those days, and his office is connected to the laundry room, which causes it to be a little steamy in there, but I'll leave a door open since it's nice.  I need to fill out a work order, too.  It's gross, but my shower drain needs a good snakin'.  

Not a fan of standing in ankle deep water while I shower.  

Later that same morning, just turned noon...

My laundry is in the dryer, I was able to use the big washer and the big dryer, plus the dryer was warm from the last cycle, so that's a plus.  I'm back at my apt, trolley loaded for the dumpster, then I'll pick up my mail, grab my laundry and be home.  I have a couple of windows open, as it's 64 degrees right here right now.  Looking forward to setting up a bird feeder outside Greg's window.  

Besides going out to lunch tomorrow, I have zero plans for getting out in the world for the next few days.  Rain on Wednesday, and while still warm for February, the rest of the week will be chilly outside.  But my sweats will be clean, and my really cool socks will be, too.  I have one pair of really cool socks, and the underwear situation is not great.  I have other socks and I do have underwear, it's just time for some freshin' up.  

Ain't nothing like a brand new pair of undies, though, right?  

I guess I better close for now.  I will have done enough chores after I get my clothing put away to warrant a little "me time."

Play Nice!  xxoo

P.S.  Greg is amazed by the open window.  He's so smart! 

Valentine Kitty

Could be Valerie, Could be Valentino...

Hand stitched with a verigated pink embroidery floss

 and hand stuffed by me.

$15.00 + $5.00 s/h
One of a Kind!

Message me if you are interested.  

Happy Happy New Year!

 I started my new year in my very own place of my own, got the keys mid November, moved in by December 1st.  

My place became a home the night that Greg, aka Good Boy Greg, moved in.  

He's a good kitty.  I love him.  We had a moment this morning, though.  For the 3rd time he knocked over a jar of water with long stem lillies in it.  I almost got angry but then I thought to myself, "who's the dummy here, the cat doing what cats do, or the dumb human that has already cleaned this mess up twice, expecting it not to happen again?"  

Ok,then...moving forward...

Living alone for the first time in forever is really suiting me.  Making me stronger in many ways, like doing things for myself instead of waiting for someone else to do them was a bad habit I let myself get into.  I'm getting my independence back.  But no worries, if I need help with something I am not afraid to ask.

My furnishings are sparse, just a couple things hanging on the walls, the floors are bare, and most of the furniture was free or usually less than $10.

And I am happier than I have been in a really long time. . 

I'm not just sitting around eating bon bons, though.  My hands have been happy, too!

Cosmo's Kittys

There are some holiday ones, I especially love the Anti-Valentine Kitty.

A couple of Terriers, I call these two Pinky and Gramps.

This is a smaller version, not completely finished, no name yet.

I've been doing some woodburning, too, trying some new techniques, and happy with the outcome so far.  I have a couple pieces to finish, waiting to finish one piece before I get the sealer out.  

These are cigar boxes, they'll be ready to go soon.

That should pretty much catch us up, and hopefully I'll be more better at blogging on a regular basis...that's a novel idea.  

If you have any interest in any of my goods, please send me a message on FB or Insta, or here, of course.  I'm HandmadebyCosmo (I am pretty sure) on those forums.  

I'm always open to a custom order, or to a question, even a suggestion if you have one.  

Play Nice!  xxoo