Sew-In Sunday

“A person who is interrupted while performing a task takes 50% more time to complete it and make 50% more errors.” 
― David Brooks

I was thinking about this today. Every day - even on Sundays - I go to "work". I go into the sewing room, shut the door, and put on my headphones. Some days I work on figuring out measurements for patterns. Some days I film tutorials. Some days I get things listed on eBay. Some days I narrate the Cruising with Confidence book. (It's going to be on Audible soon. So exciting!) Some days I write. And sometimes those things all happen on the same day. Yes, it's a 40+ hour a week job.

Hubby is pretty good about leaving me alone. He knows I will leave for work by 9:00 a.m. and will come out for a yogurt around noon. Then I head back to work until Dr. Phil comes on at 3:00. At 4:00 hubby heads for a nap and I head back to work until about 6:30 p.m. Now with the baby kitties my work schedule is all over the place. It seems to take a lot more focus to work on a project. It took me what seemed like forever to figure out measurements for my next projects.

 Even one of the kitties got tired and gave up.

Safety at Sea

It's Cruise Ship Saturday! Today we're talking about Safety at Sea.

“You're never perfectly safe. No human being on Earth ever is or ever was. To live is to risk your life, your heart, everything.” 
― Rick Yancey, The Last Star

Every time I hear about another person falling overboard from a cruise ship I think one thing. Stupid people. While sometimes the waters are rough, they aren't rough enough to throw you overboard. Still, you do have to be careful when on a ship.

Remember, you are on a moving vessel. Stabilization systems reduce the movement felt but do not eliminate it entirely. Walking is relatively easy when the ship is gently rocking but becomes much more difficult when the ship is really rocking. Watch your balance and be prepared to grab a handrail. Most certainly hold onto handrails when using the stairs during rough seas and be very careful when walking on wet decks. Even with rubber soled shoes a moving ship can be slippery. Being docked in port is no guarantee of absolute safety on deck. As careful as I am about walking I still slipped and fell on my bum after a rainstorm - while the ship was docked.

Other things unique to a cruise ship:

• Raised thresholds are everywhere. At the cabin bathroom and ship restrooms, at the doors to the exterior of the ship, at a cabin’s balcony, and at the fireproof doors in the hallways. Be extra careful crossing the thresholds as they may require a higher step.
• Cruise ship railings are 48” high. You can’t accidentally fall over with a railing that height unless you really try. Never sit on the side rails of the ship and don’t hold anyone, including children, up there either.
• Cruise ships have cameras everywhere. Unless you are inside the cabin you are probably being filmed. So be good.

Excerpt from Cruising with Confidence, 2nd Edition.

Seeing a view like this is worth the small risk.

The Friday 15

“You sell off the kingdom piece by piece and trade it for a horse that will take you anywhere.” 
― Colin Wright, My Exile Lifestyle

Maybe that should be my eBay mantra. Sell off my junk and use it to buy my way onto a cruise ship. Maybe.

• eBay did well this week with five things sent off.
• Kiddo and I went through our duplicate pictures from the last 30 years. Shredded several hundred photos.
• I went through more fabrics and decided to discard the smaller boards I used to wrap the fabric. 100 boards are going away.
• A metal zipper, six plastic Easter eggs, and a leftover tutorial project are leaving.

Technically that's more than 15. Yay!

Blue Lagoon in Reykjavik, Iceland

It's Wanderlust Wednesday! Today we're talking about the Blue Lagoon in Reykjavik, Iceland.

I'm not sure how our new black suitcase with colorful tape wrapped around the handle and the loud luggage tag could be mistaken for someone else's, but it was. They had our winter clothes with them and we didn't. And it was cold in Iceland during our Thanksgiving break.

At least it happened after our visit to the Blue Lagoon. Actually, technically it happened during our visit to the Blue Lagoon. A transfer from the airport to our hotel in Reykjavik included a stop at the famous Blue Lagoon. Very warm blue-looking geothermal pools were a super-nice way to get warmed up and relax after our long Idaho-to-Iceland flights. Many airport-to-Reykjavik city transfers add the Blue Lagoon so the place is prepared for tourists. They even have a baggage check right where the bus pulls up to drop you off.

We had read ahead of time that you are required to shower before entering the pools. Showering naked, that is. Nope, no swimsuits allowed during the shower. There are attendants in the locker rooms monitoring the showering. And monitoring that you are really dried off before stepping back to the locker room. Interesting.

But the water in the pools, oh my! Warm, bordering on hot. Full of minerals. Want super-soft silky skin? Try using some of the pots of silica found in the lagoon. Rub some of it on your face and body and you'll come away with skin feeling soft as a baby's bum.

The Blue Lagoon is one of those places that pictures where the pictures just don't do justice to the beauty of the place.

Such a relaxing day.

The relaxation ended when we went to pick up our luggage before catching the shuttle to our hotel. The luggage that had been taken by someone else. An extensive search of the luggage storage area came up empty. So off to the hotel with nothing but the clothes on our back. Let's call that an adventure.

Sew a Fabric Lanyard - Tutorial Tuesday

Tutorial Tuesday sometimes becomes more difficult than planned. On days like today when one of the kitties is sick and has to go to the doctor, on the same day when hubby had his home visit from a doctor, on the same day the three garbage trucks come through the neighborhood for the composting can, the recycling can, and the regular can. Trying to record a video and voice over is downright hard on days like these.

Today's project was a lanyard. Quick and easy.

Looking for more quick and easy ideas? Check out these projects!

Disclosure: Deb's Days is a participant in affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to affiliated sites. This means that, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase. Your purchase helps support my work in bringing you new sewing and crafting content.

Find the step-by-step how to tutorial for making your own homemade fabric lanyard right here: