Recycle. Refurbish, Repurpose. Reuse.
After my first, disturbing visit to the doctor, I spent the following months reading and researching. The more I learned, and the more time that went by without my world coming to an end, the less disturbed I became. Parkinson's is different for everyone who lives with it. Patients progress at different rates and my… Continue reading Life with Parkinson’s Disease Part 2: Finding the PPMI Clinical Trial
I was 48 years old when I first noticed that something was amiss. It started in my little finger. I was sitting quietly and noticed a slight tremor. It was the oddest thing I'd ever felt. It didn't prevent me from doing anything that I wanted to do though, so I tried to ignore it.… Continue reading Life with Parkinson’s Disease: Part 1- The Tremor
This piece has been SOLD~
The Catalina Sling is one of my favorite patterns. It would make a great pattern for a beginner because of the simplicity of the design and yet, it doesn't look like one of those boring "easy pattern" bags. It is fairly quick to assemble and always results in a bag that looks great. The hardest thing I… Continue reading Pattern Review: #101 Catalina Sling by Pink Sand Beach Designs
Everyone expects patterns to be perfect. After all, they are made by big companies like McCall's or Simplicity. They should know what they're doing; they've been making patterns for years. They have tested their designs over and over again, right? As a maker of handmade handbags, I have tried lots of patterns. The biggest thing I've… Continue reading Pattern Review: McCall’s M6094 Quilted Tote Bags by Whistlepig Creek
If you've been following my "Staycation-Vacation" posts you know that since quitting my job last fall, I have been going through my home room by room, making changes to transform my house into a more comfortable place — a place that feels like a favorite vacation rental where stones and seashells become collectibles and the outdoor spaces are as important as indoor rooms. As… Continue reading Clear the clutter…and make a few dollars at the same time.
Coconut Washboards are an old fashioned cookie that has been around since my great grandmother's day. When I came across a few original recipes I was reluctant to try any of them because the reviews weren't very good. But with half a bag of coconut in my fridge that I wanted to use up I made some adaptations to fix the problems that… Continue reading Coconut Washboard Cookies: an Adaptation of an Old-Time Recipe
One of the reasons I love a vacation house is because it doesn't have a lot of clutter. When I decided to create my own "staycation-vacation retreat" and remake my home into something that feels more vacation-home-like, I knew I would have one huge challenge. To live in clutter-free spaces, I must face the problem of organizing and storing all of the… Continue reading The Dressing Room: Making a Staycation-Vacation Retreat at Home
Home at the WhackyShack 