Been Bad

Oh, I've been bad at keeping this blog updated. Sorry! Give me until next week & I'll update you on our Holiday festivities.

-RM

I told you I was good at untangling!

It's common for me to grab a mass of tangled yarn from my yarning buddies when they try to unravel it in my presence. The reason...I'm good at untangling things.

I beat all 17 levels of the online game "Untangle" last night after about two hours total playing time over the past few days. The last two levels were actually very difficult for me, but the victory was sweet!

Untangle

Completely Sweet

This incomplete painting of my daughter as a baby was sent to me by my sister Rachel. While I would have loved to have seen it finished, there is something really cool about its pencil lines and unfinished state.

I love it! Thanks, Rege!
-RM

Martha the Lesser

I know that I kind of romanticize or even idolize the artistic. Putting creative people up on a bit of a pedestal. Well...if you have ever looked at my craft blog and you've pegged me as some sort of Domestic Diva, I'm here to tell you...you are sadly mistaken! Here's a little story to put it into perspective. (No, this is not an advertisement.)

Yesterday, my daughter had to grab her jeans out of the laundry because I failed to wash them in time. (Hey, at least they were on top of the laundry pile...and I did sniff them to make sure they weren't really too dirty!)

Once she had them on, I thought I'd make double sure that they didn't have any hint of odor, so I grabbed the Febreze off of the shelf, gave her pants a few mists and took her to school.

I came home and went in the laundry room to finally do some laundry so that we'd have clothes and towels the next morning. I looked up on the shelf and realized that I had sprayed my daughter with Endust. The allergy and odor-free kind.



Hey, they do have similar sized bottles! Although, I really didn't notice the 'fresh' scent when I sprayed her down. Now I know why!

And...that's the kind of Diva I am. Not very Martha-ish, am I?

Oh well!
RM

Hand Springs Fingerless Mitts - Free Knitting Pattern

Thanks again to Linda Welch for the use of her gloriously easy-to-read lace chart on her Spring Forward Socks Pattern, which make these mitts a joy to knit, even for those unaccustomed to chart reading.

I'd like to thank my test knitters and proof readers Bonnie, Donna, Jen, Katie, Linda, Sara and Susanna for making this free pattern what it is today! I would not have wanted to do it without you all! XOxo

I have had trouble getting the pattern posted onto my Craft Blog at www.recyclemicol.com so, please be patient. For the time being, you can access the Free PDF here.

(Pattern also soon to be added to Ravelry.com)

Happy Knitting!
RM

Computer Ghost

There's a ghost in my computer.

I sometimes find emails. Un-opened from my friends in my Deleted Items folder that I know I didn't send there.

I sometimes get emails or posts on my blog from people answering questions that I didn't ask them.

I think someone is writing/sending/deleting things, but whom?

I have a good security system, or so I thought.

This is not good. If you've ever gotten a strange sounding email from me, or if I never replied and you sent something, let me know!

Yes, I drew this in Paint.net. It's a little computer ghost.

RM

Titles

Since everything I say can and will be held against me in a little courtroom in other people's minds, even if I don't mean it toward anyone in particular, I'll resort to omitting the articles and just give you the titles.


Are All You Men On Viagra Or Something?!

Let's Artificially Create High-Risk Pregnancies & Multiple Births, Resulting In A Higher Infant Mortality Rate, Then Blame It On Poor Healthcare In The US!

Electing A President...Still Undecided?

Church...Who's Really In Control?

My Imagination Is Closed For Repairs

Trafficking Much?


Some of the things have nothing to do with personal experiences with friends or family. I just read about them this week on the news feeds, so don't try to figure out to what I am referring. Ha-ha. I have more titles. Some day I'll post them.

RM

Eschew. Bless you!

You know, I often have something to say, but I don't write it here on my blog because it's not like it's a complete thought, really. I somehow think that if I don't have a whole article's worth of commentary, then I should keep it to myself until I do. I guess I've never been a 'short and sweet' type of writer, nor am I really very good at grammar. But, I love words. I love vocabulary. I love to read the thesaurus and the dictionary for fun. I tend to elaborate and amplify. Never mind that I could say it in ten words or less...it's got to be a paragraph for me, when a sentence would do. So...perhaps the recognition of this fact in my own mind will jar something loose. You may actually begin to see more frequent posts here because I promise to begin to try to curb my appetite for all things loquacious and...

Eschew Obfuscation.

RM

So proud!

I'm sick as a dog today, but it won't stop me from popping my buttons with pride for my sister Alisha and her family today! Here is a photo she sent of her husband James and family at his Military Service Retirement Ceremony. (Not sure what they call it.)

Isn't it amazing to be so young, yet to have already amassed so much training, knowledge and experience? I couldn't be more proud for what they have already accomplished together, nor more excited for their future.

Way to go, James & Alisha!!!

Trash Bash

In our city, after the Homecoming Parade, volunteers meet for a 'Trash Bash'. Cleaning up the parade route, as well as our city parks. This was our first year to participate.

Flashback 1975

My dad had this record, along with several other comedy albums with these crazy men telling funny stories and having pretend phone and CB radio conversations with God!

Don't press this link unless you want to hear someone having a conversation with God!

First Day

After five years of almost 24-7 mother-daughter time, I really thought I'd cry. She was so brave, though. She told me that she wasn't even feeling shy. I can't wait to see how the day went for her. Me? I'm kind of lost. I don't know what to do first. I think I'll go have a good cry. :-)

"You and your shoes..."

My daughter and I went to visit my Grandmother a few weeks before my daughter’s fifth birthday. I was wearing a pair of black wedge-heeled sandals that I bought at the beginning of summer. Grandmother noticed them and asked me if they were new. I told her that they were ‘sort-of’ new. She said, “You and your shoes…you have a new pair of shoes on every time I see you.” I was shocked at her comment and I protested vehemently. I told her that I am hardly a frivolous person when it comes to my wardrobe, and I might buy one or two new pair of shoes a year, mainly because the ones I’ve had for years have worn through the soles or straps. In fact, ALL of my shoes, totaled, fill one drawer in my dresser! Adding, “I don’t know too many women with that conservative of a shoe stash. Do you?” Grandmother quickly recanted and we went on about our business of visiting, having a lovely time.

A few weeks passed and I thought about Grandmother’s comment every time I went to my drawer to get a pair of shoes. I just couldn’t understand why she had that opinion of me.

At my daughter’s birthday dinner, I was sitting near my husband’s Grandfather at the table. He is in his late seventies; the same age as my Grandmother. He said, “Time really does seem to move more rapidly as you get older.” This was no surprise to me, as I had heard that all of my life and have experienced it myself, especially since the birth of my daughter. It was what he said next that made more of an impact on me. He said, “A whole year will go by, but it only seems like three months to me.”

Again, I knew that time seems to speed up as we age, but I never realized just how fast time could seem to fly by for the elderly. Within just a moment, that statement made a quick connection to my Grandmother’s comments about my shoes. I suddenly understood that, while I may buy one pair of shoes every blue moon, given her own relationship with time, it may very well seem to her as though I have some sort of insatiable shoe fetish.

Since grasping how differently time is passing for all of us, I have enjoyed a better understanding of our Grandparents than ever before. It’s easier for me to understand the younger people in my life as I try harder to remember how slowly time crept by when I was younger.

I’ll try to not get so upset at my young daughter and teenage step-son in the car, for instance. In their minds, the 25 minute drive to Grandmother’s house becomes a two hour road trip. I do realize that my daughter thinks she has waited hours upon hours for me to get finished with this article. I’m sure she thinks mommy is never going to get away from the computer and bake muffins with her. I love the fact that she won’t recall how long it took for her patience to be rewarded; she’ll just be so pleased when I tell her that it’s finally time to bake together.

Manga is People!

So...I go to this site to make myself a free Manga Avatar. Unfortunately, they don't really have a nose quite as 'pug' as mine. Of course, they wouldn't have my style of hair...because, I mean...who would imagine anyone else choosing it?! So, this is the closest I could come up with. Pretty good. I had to add my RM swag button to the cap. If I had the time, I'd alter the hair and the nose.

Later!
RM

Grandma Edie & Lizzie

Doesn't my mom look good?! I'm happy that she was feeling better today after a rough week and discontinuation of a new medication. I really almost envy her having an 'airy' scalp, since it's just so hot and humid here in Texas right now. Feels like 110 degrees today.

RM

Mother & Daughter

Sweet mommy! She is undergoing chemotherapy, so we went with her to get her head sheared today. She was so strong and didn't cry while we were there. I think she looks marvelous!

There are more photos of her haircut here in my Flickr Photos.

Chalk it up to heredity

I suppose our child is destined to become a very creative individual. I mean, it's in her genes. Her father and I are both artistic. She sees me creating things almost every day. We look at my friend's Flickr photos together sometimes, so she sees other people's creativity as well.

She asked me for some bread this morning so she could use her cookie cutters. I walk in the dining room to find these sitting on the table:





She loves playing with the little felt strawberries that I got for her in a Craftster.org swap.

Maybe she'll end up being the pastry chef that I always wanted to be! Who knows. Whatever she does, I know she'll be great at it.

Later!
RM

Check your local LISThings.

So...here's a list of things that make me sad, each followed by something to be grateful for. (I like to try to end on a good note most of the time.)

1. I got a sunburn last week and I'm starting to peel. However, I have really great memories of the time I had with my daughter at the pool while I was getting the sunburn.

2. I skipped lunch and it's too close to dinner to eat now. However, my husband is taking me out on the town tonight while my daughter sleeps over at my In-Laws. Woo-hoo!

3. My mom has Stage 3 Cancer. However, she is such a young, strong, positive soul that she ends up encouraging me every time I talk with her.

4. I feel like I have a million things to do and I'm too overwhelmed to do them. However, I know my daughter won't be this little forever and it will get easier as time goes on and she starts school...so I will just enjoy every minute of her childhood.

5. My step-son is now 13 and it's hard to watch him make mistakes. However, he really is a good kid at heart and I believe he will always learn from the mistakes that he makes.

6. I miss my far-away family. However, I'm glad that I'm an independent and capable woman.

Okay...that's enough for today. Lists are fun. More to come later.

RecycleMicol

What a day!

Well...here is our precious darling before the dentist visit this morning:
















And $5 grand later:














Needless to say...as parents, we're both exhausted by the whole proceedure. Sixteen cavities taken care of at once. Multiple caps, crowns, nerve treatments and extractions.

My advice, with one heck of an experience to back me up, is...take the kids to the dentist within the first month of the first tooth like the books say! FORCE them to let you brush their teeth if you have to...don't let them brush on their own and finally, help them floss like there is no tomorrow!

Stay away from sticky sweets like gummy snacks (worms, bears, jelly beans, etc.) caramel and fruit roll-ups unless they brush and floss immediately afterwards. Soft drinks corrode the enamel very quickly as well.

All stuff that we should have known, but unfortunately ignored in the past. Not anymore!!! So...parents, consider yourself officially warned.

RM

Godly Right?

This is usually a light-hearted blog, but I may make a few folks mad here.

People...please understand that young, impressionable children hear the lyrics in music and it often effects their belief system. Believe me, I know. I grew up listening to secular-turned-Christian music star, Gary S. Paxton. As one of his titles read, "Terminally Weird, but Godly Right"

I will say that I have gotten some good from hearing his records. I have always loved his song Whiskey Wet, for instance because I can really hear the honest angst in his voice and he is speaking in the first person about his regrets.

This is not really a 'Gary-bashing' post. However, Paxton fans will probably not approve of this post, either. Hey, I'll admit...there are several songs of his that I do still like for nostalgia's sake, but others that I would certainly not want my children to accept as the Gospel truth, or "Godly Right". I'm just saying that kids are so impressionable and I see the wisdom in teaching them to be more open-minded and kindhearted, rather than cynical and sarcastic.

So, if you've developed a multi-phobic, hypocritical, judgmental, intolerant, fault-finding, condemning personality, finding it hard to pinpoint the cause, and realize that you grew up listening to these albums as I did, just bring copies of Gary's records to a good licensed counselor. It should clear up a lot of confusion. Ha-ha!

For reference,THIS site has quite a few of his songs, in their entirety, in streaming audio. Click on all of the pages to see the whole list. His Christian music discography is HERE, along with excerpts of all his songs.

By the way, I don't blame you too much for playing those records, Dad. You were an awfully strange hippie in those days too, after all. Ha-ha.

Later!

RM

Lizzie's Bird's Nest

Lizzie's Bird's Nest
Originally uploaded by RecycleMicol

I opened the blinds in the kitchen this morning while Lizzie was eating her breakfast and in our usual manner we said together,

"Good morning Mr. Sun!"

Today Lizzie made a very thoughtful observation and added,

"He always wears the same thing every day."

Daughter Days

Micol & Lizzie February 2008
Originally uploaded by RecycleMicol

Here we are...sharing a Big Red in a local diner. They have left the soda fountain and interior pretty much as it was back when our town was young.

The photo was taken last February by my Mom. I just thought it was a really cute shot!

RM April 14 1973

RM April 14 1973
Originally uploaded by RecycleMicol

Here I am...with my doctor...35 years ago. 4 lbs. 13 oz. 19 in. long.

Ah...those were the good old days! Ha-ha.
RM

Swap Loot from Patchy

Swap Loot from Patchy - All The Loot!
Originally uploaded by RecycleMicol

Yeah...I'm a bit excited, so I'm cross-posting. Check out my craft blog for more pics and the whole description!

RM

The Venerable Red Eye Knights

Ok...the title is an inside joke, but dagnabbit! This is the second time a blood vessel has burst in my eye in the last month and a half. It's called a



subconjunctival hemorrhage, technically.

I'm so mad. It doesn't hurt, nor does it affect my vision, but it is sure unsightly and takes over a week to go away.

Yes, this is an actual photo of my eye today.

RM

Earth Hour

LONG POST WARNING!

It's 'Earth Hour' day today.

We were so excited when our city (a suburb of Fort Worth, Texas) recently voted for curbside recycling! It is incredibly freeing (and space-saving) for an artist to not feel like he/she has to hang on to everything that they don't want to go into the landfill so they can re-purpose it. Now I only keep the things that I KNOW I have a need for and recycle the rest! Yay!

We also switched almost all of our household lightbulbs to the evergy-saving Compact Fourescent Bulbs.

We shop for used items and participate in Freecycle and other local swap/sell/trade boards on a regular basis and look for ways to re-purpose things. I think my need for thrifting comes from my Paternal Grandmother, who always reminds me that she was born during the first year of 'The Great Depression', 1929.





















Depression Era Junk Shop (National Archive Photo)

From the World Wildlife Fund website:

Earth Hour is tonight, March 29, from 8 to 9 pm local time! Get ready to make it a great celebration for the planet. TURN OFF YOUR LIGHTS for this one hour!

Wondering what to do after you turn the lights out? Here are 10 fun ideas to help you, your family and your friends make a change and make a difference today.

1. Host a Green Party
Get your friends together for an Earth Hour eco-party. Fire up the flashlights and battery lanterns, serve organic food, avoid the disposable utensils, use natural décor (like flowers and hanging plants) and have a friend provide acoustic music. Talk to your guests about how you're each reducing your environmental footprint and share ideas and solutions for saving more energy, money and carbon dioxide.

2. Give Yourself an Energy Makeover
Use Earth Hour to make your home more energy efficient: Replace your old light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs; install power strips (so you can turn computers and electronics on and off more easily); and change your air conditioner filters. Or go one step farther and install one new energy-efficient item, like an EnergyStar qualified DVD player. And on Monday, call your local utility and sign up for green power-like wind, hydro or solar.

3. Go Green with Your Kids
Earth Hour is a perfect time to talk to your kids about the environment and why we need to protect our planet from the dangers of climate change. Check out books on the environment from the library and read by flashlight, or head into the yard and have a night picnic. Or how about a night of board games? Check out our downloadable Earth Hour kids' activities.

4. Do a Recyclables Scavenger Hunt
Get your flashlights and scour your cabinets and shelves for cans, bottles and cardboard (like cereal boxes) that you don't normally recycle. Make a list of all the non-recyclable containers you're using now (like plastic shopping bags and butter tubs), and figure out ways to reduce your consumption of items that end up in landfills. One easy tip: get reusable grocery bags... and reuse them!

5. Green That Workspace!
Working the night shift? Even if you can't turn off all the lights at work, look around and see what you can unplug, turn down or use less of (like consuming less paper by printing double-sided). Every day millions of computer screens and speakers are left on overnight--shut 'em off! And talk to your coworkers about what they can do to help make a difference, too.

6. Involve Your Local Leaders
If your city or town isn't hosting an Earth Hour event, ask your local government to set up a community "green" discussion this spring. Help organize attendance by reaching out to local environmental and community groups, and come prepared to ask your leaders what they're doing to make your city greener.

7. Clean Up Your Neighborhood
Grab a flashlight and take a long walk through your neighborhood, picking up trash and recyclables as you go. It's a great chance to do some stargazing, too!

8. Unplug and Chill Out
Most of our daily activities--like watching TV, shopping online and texting friends--require loads of electricity, but do we really need to do so much stuff all the time? Take one hour for yourself to just chill... turn off the screens, put down the handheld devices and just take some "you" time to reflect, read or talk to your family. After all, why do more when you can do less?

9. Take Your Temperature
Your thermostat and your refrigerator are responsible for a huge portion of your carbon footprint. If you lower your thermostat by just 2 degrees and set your fridge to 37 degrees F. and the freezer at 0 degrees F., you'll make a big difference.

10. Make a Pledge for the Planet
Earth Hour shouldn't end at 9:01 pm--it's a chance to take a first step toward lowering your overall impact on the environment. So use part of that hour to make a personal pledge to do more--recycle, drive less often, turn off or unplug electronics, and beyond. The only way we're going to stabilize our climate is if we make real changes in our everyday lives. That change begins with Earth Hour, and ends with a healthy planet.

Of course, there are more than 10 ways to make a difference. Visit WWF's website for additional ideas on things you can do every day to help the Earth and reduce your environmental footprint.

Thank you for being a part of Earth Hour and committing to lowering your impact on the planet.

That's my girl!

I don't want this to turn out to be a 'brag on my kids all of the time' type of blog, but hey. Sometimes I just can't resist!

I was doing laundry and it was quiet. Too quiet. So I look around for my daughter and she's in her room. I peeked in at her diapering one of her dolls and I said, "You're taking care of your baby dolls, huh?"

She said, matter-of-factly...

"Yeah. I'm dedicated."

Holding back the laughter, I said, "You sure are dedicated, aren't you?" She said that yes she was and that she was just diapering her baby. Then she went off to find the clothes and shoes that go to it.

I guess I'm partial, but for a four and a half year old, I thought that was pretty sweet!RM

Trowbridge Museum Online

What a nice hour I just spent reading the information on Cloth Making on this website. I thought I'd share it with my readers.

Cloth Making in the 'olden days'.

Later!
RM

"Here's a scratchy sweater with no shape...enjoy!"

After reading my last post, I know some people are probably thinking about the 'kitsch' factor. I must say that I do think it's totally fun to make and wear zany things sometimes. I am one of those self-expressive people who still like wearing some odd nostalgic garment or accessory from the thrift store...but that's not something for the uptight or the average Joe. My Craftster pal Tess is a great example of a free-spirited dresser who likes wearing handmade articles without reservation. I love her Flickr photos. (Hi Tess!) So, there are times when an orange acrylic macramé owl purse with wooden bead eyes and beak might be appropriate for the intended recipient, but only because they themselves would buy one at a thrift shop and they would probably swoon if you made one for them that didn't wreak of 'vintage smells'.

I think the key is to know the market you're targeting. If you know your daughter has never liked turtlenecks, don't give her a crocheted dickie! Now, if you're thinking that you could ask someone if they would like you to make 'such and such' for them, you should consider that about half of the people you ask are going to tactfully lie to you and tell you that they would like one, just to be polite. Trust me...it could be packed up in their next shipment to Goodwill, or worse...it will sit in their drawer for the remainder of their life until one of their surviving relatives toss it in the garbage, not knowing from whence it came. How many painstakingly-made lace doilies do we see in the thrift stores for a dollar?

Before you craft for someone, view their blogs and virtual wish lists. Pay attention when they genuinely, out of no obligation, show their approval of something around them and try to note their style choices in their clothing and home decor. Can they wear wool without getting a rash? Will that color wash them out? Some people have very minimalistic tastes in decor. If you look around their home and they have very few trinkets, realize that it may pain them to have to display your lovely set of hand knit coasters. I myself live with an individual of that nature and trust me, you won't see a doily anywhere near our home. If you want to make someone a dishcloth set and can't find matching colors for their kitchen, go with neutrals. I would presume to say that most people do care if things match, otherwise you wouldn't see such a wide array of colored counter top appliances on store shelves.

My advice for gift-giving is to stick with simple, useful items in natural fibers. I'm not saying that I'll never again work with synthetics. Loving nostalgia the way I do, I myself have been hanging onto some fabulous vintage double-knit polyester fabrics in a variety of wonderful prints hoping that one day I might find the perfect pattern for them. Like I said in my last post...I will only work with materials that are pleasing to me. Yes...even polyester fabric can be pleasing to me! Now, something that I would never do with it is make it into a scratchy tied quilt and give it to my brother and his wife for their new baby. (Oh, the horror!!!)

Finally, when I give a gift I like to tell people that there are no strings attached. If they feel someday like changing their decor, their child grows out of it, or something else happens that makes it lose it's necessity, Pass It On! Donate it, sell it or if it's beyond repair, toss it. I will not show up on their doorstep three years later expecting to see them wearing it.

Did you need to read this today? I think I needed to write it...just to reestablish it in my own mind. Now I am at crafting peace.

RM

If I had not made it...

I've come to the conclusion that I must really be honest with myself about the things I create, especially where clothing is concerned.

I must ask myself this question and be brutally honest with myself as to the answer:

Would I want to wear my items if I had NOT made them myself?

In other words, if I had seen it for sale on a store shelf, would I have grabbed it up and headed for the dressing room or register with a silly grin on my face, or would I have passed it right on by without giving it a second thought?

I feel that I sometimes work with a material that I would not normally use simply because it is what is on hand. If I do have fabric or yarn sitting around that is not my style, it was either 'too good of a deal to pass up', inherited or it was given to me by a generous friend. Most of the time I try to only buy or accept the things that I know I'll use, but sometimes the 'pack rat' in my loses touch of reality which can lead to the creation of a garment that I myself would not usually wear. I do understand that not everyone has my tastes and that someone else may want to buy it from me, but then it's sitting there in my shop, regarded by viewers as a direct representation of my style and taste.

As hard as it is for someone like me who loves to 'Reduce, Reuse and Recycle' to not stash any and all supplies away for a future project, I must be truthful with myself about my materials.

Will I use that which I do not love?

Then, an even more important thing to think about is...

Is it fair to my loved ones and friends to make them something handmade if I myself am unhappy with the materials that I use?

Yes, the hat that I knitted in the photo above is pretty cute, but my daughter would not have worn it if I had paid her off in ice cream! (I tried.)

How many coarse, ugly-colored knitted or crocheted hats must people have hidden away in their sock drawers since the invention of acrylic yarn? How many people have hand sewn items in their closets that will never see the light of day because all their moms or wives buy is cheap, unfashionable, discounted fabric prints which in all honesty, had they been seen in a garment on the racks of a department store, would have certainly been passed over by the same women who buy it by the yards?

As someone who has just packed up a box of fabric that she herself has bought at discount prices, I urge you...

"Don't walk away from the store with cloth or yarn that you're not thrilled about...no matter the price!"

I really don't want to sound harsh, and I'm not saying that I wouldn't be pleased as punch to find a $1.00 fabric table or even a gently-used cotton bed sheet with a fabulous print that is just perfect for a project. It just seems to me that we, as artists who display pride in the skill and dedication to the quality of our workmanship, should be willing to seek out the kind of quality in materials necessary to maintain that high standard.

Now, remember...I am Recycle Micol! So don't worry about any supplies currently in my stash going to waste, of course. I do like to use a lot of vintage and repurposed fabrics and materials which I feel represent me perfectly in my crafting. When I do have to 'weed out' some undesirable supplies for lack of storage space, I would never let anything that can be useful to someone else just go into a landfill somewhere. I have wonderful local artist friends who work in costuming for the theater and others who design their own crafts who always benefit from donations of my fabric and craft destash sessions.

So, I hereby vow: I will not create with materials that are not thoroughly pleasing to me.

With all due respect and love for myself and others,
RM

She's very clean.

My four year old daughter had a wee fit of coughing tonight. I asked her if she was alright. After she finished, she said, "Yes, I was just dusting my mouth."

Ah...kids say the darndest things!

RM

Apron Love

I walked past the pantry area where we hang our coats and things....

Me: Where are all of my aprons?!

DH: I put them in your closet...you have like...fifteen of them!

Me: I do not. I have about ten.

DH: I'll bet you have more than you think.

Me: I'm sure I don't have fifteen.

...I found one more in my bedroom...I do NOT have fifteen!

I have sixteen. *blushes*

Here's my favorite vintage apron. It was given to me by my dear friend Angelia. I usually have it all neatly pressed, but I wore it yesterday.