Best Laid Plans . . . . .

Thoughts and Quotes: When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Unknown

Well, alright then. I can't go anywhere. No one can visit. I can travel in the car, but there's no place to go, because everything is closed. I'll work on my books. I've been sitting around waiting for this virus to end, but it seems it's going to be awhile, so between July 1 and December 31 I can finish five books: Afternoon Tea, Tablescapes, Theme Dining 1, Tissue Box Cards, and Soup.

Or maybe not. I was being very careful when making cards that I didn't use Stampin' Up stamps because they're so strict about their designs, you'd think you're dealing with the Disney people. Then it suddenly occurred to me that the dies I use for cut out shapes are probably copyrighted as well. They are. And then what about the embossing folders used to make raised designs? Yes. Punches? Yes. And even the tissue boxes are copyrighted. I spent days on the phone and on the internet, trying to determine whose products I could use, who needed to be acknowledged in the book, who said I could only sell 200 books (probably a distant dream, but who knows?), etc. I'm still waiting for answers from some, and I hadn't even started contacting the tissue makers. 

For example, this simple card: 1. The tissue box 2. the embossing folder used to put the polka dots on the white piece. 3. the die to cut the flower outline, and 4. the stamp for the inside. In this case, I cut the flowers from the tissue box to decorate the envelope; otherwise, it could have been two more stamps for the front and the back.

So, no tissue box book, and I'm sure there are cardmakers who haven't considered using the boxes to make cards instead of just pitching them in the recyle bin. I'd have loved sharing this idea.

So next year's book of Wallpaper Greeting Cards - nope! Wallpaper is copyrighted and there are lots of different companies.

Cards from trash - no, can't do that book either. The cards would be made from pieces from magazines, junk mail, newspapers, calendars, etc. - all copyrighted. What a nightmare that would be. 

Cards made from repurposing greeting cards I've received? Are you kidding? They don't want you to repurpose their cards - they want you to buy one.

So you might as well see what I have so far. I used one side to make a book mark to include in the card.

Some tissue boxes just need a layer added.

Twenty down, so I had thirty-two to go. I'll continue making tissue box cards, but now there's no deadline. For cardmakers who sell cards, consider using Hampton Art, Sizzix, Memory Box, and Poppy Stamps. They're wonderfully agreeable to your using their products.

I've working on do-overs for the Tablescapes book. That glass-topped dining table was a problem.

Old Butterfly Table

New Butterfly Table

Old Birds Table

New Bird Table

Old Duck Breakfast

New Duck Breakfast

Old Sunday Brunch

New Sunday Brunch

I have two more do-overs and two replacement tables, and then I'll be finished with all fifty-two.

I only needed to make a hummingbird cake to replace this photo to be finished with Theme Dining, but I made the cake today and now I'm considering a change for the Hurry Up Holly Luncheon. It just doesn't seem festive enough.

So now I'm working on the Soup Book. 

Artichoke

Zuppa Toscana

Cold Cantaloup Soup with Cinnamon Nibbles

Pumpkin - Sweet

Beef-Vegetable

Library Soup

Hash Soup

Hot Beet Soup

Eight down, forty-four to go. I have to do two each week to make my deadline.  I can make more than two per week, but I can't eat more than two each week.

Now the butterfly, birds, ducks, ivy, morning glory dishes are gone, and the yellow brunch dishes and the maroon dishes above are ready to pack up and find homes for them. I think my kids are thrilled that I'm finally getting rid of all the dishes so they won't have to deal with them.

I have Theme Dining 2 about two-thirds finished, but I just can't do another Tablescape book next year. I only do twelve Theme meals, but fifty-two Tablescapes. That's a lot of dishes.

I'm considering a Tea Tray Book - 52 in all. Do you think that would be interesting enough? This is just cucumber sandwiches and lemon curd tarts, so I wouldn't put recipes. Oh, and these ivy dishes are gone also, along with the placemats.

This is hummingbird cake, so I would put the recipe.

I've also been shopping. I got a new ceiling fan with a light for my screened patio (not installed yet),  a new mixer so I could replace that Kitchenaid I hated, an Instant Pot I haven't used yet, and a BBQ grill I haven't put together yet. I can assemble the big one (I've done one before), but this is just a baby - $17 - that's how baby and it uses real charcoal. Too hot to barbeque right now anyway.

I haven't been to a restaurant since March 10, except once when I picked up dinner for my niece. I've picked up fast food a few times, but it was always lousy. I feel like Goldie Hawn in Private Benjamin - "I want to wear my sandals and I want to go to lunch." But, on the up side, I did get my cataract surgeries behind me before this all hit, I have a computer and a phone to keep in touch with others, I have a bazillion books to read, and over 250 recordings on my thingy box that goes with U-verse. Plus I can make cards forever without going shopping for anything except white cardstock, gluesticks, and double-sided tape.

I hope this finds everyone well, happy, cool, and busy.

STAY HYDRATED

WEAR SUNSCREEN

PAMPER YOURSELF WITH A NAP

IF YOU HAVE A POOL, DIVE IN

EAT YOUR GREENS

AND APPLES

THANK YOU FOR SHARING MY LIFE