Well, well, well... Hi people. I'm just back after the long weekend. I'm very glad I've made it a bit clearer to you all. Actually my first name is Xuan and my last name is Ha. However, in Vietnamese language, the last name comes first (hahaha... cultural difference, isn't it?) So you can call me Xuan (pronounced like Swan, which, in our language, means "Spring" - and that's why I love flowers and plants so much !!!) Feegle, you friend in Maryland is a Vietnamese, I suppose. Ha can be a man's or a woman's first name depending on the "tone" it carries. But it's also a family name, too. It's difficult for people from another culture to tell our names, so I can understand the puzzle I've created for you all. My apology. Anyway, I'm very happy to be a member of this forum. And another word, my AVs are getting better in the new smaller pots. I counted them yesterday and all together I have 24 in four different hues: white, light pink, darker pink, and light purple. The collection is growing, which makes me very happy and busy too!

Our house got broken into while we were in the process of closing and we were out-of-state. Fortunately, there was nothing in the house to steal AND we had an active and monitored alarm system. We received a call from the police department and they said it was probably some teenagers wanting to vandalize. They popped a window off the tracks using a screwdriver, but ran away when the alarm went off. In the 7 years we lived there, our alarm was never activated, but we paid for services every month. Just that one time prevented us from losing our sale and potentially costing us thousands in damage. It was worth every penny we paid over the years. I know a lot of people who put those alarm monitoring signs in their yards and may even have an alarm system in their house, but many burglars/bad guys know they aren't monitored or there aren't actual systems installed. They are deterrents for sure, but if you are showing your home, pay to have your alarm system monitored.

The Tailor Board and pad set at Nancy's Notions is item (just put the item number in the search field): TBST2 Suggested retail price for the tool and the pad set is $47.96. (The Nancy's Notions web site doesn't allow you to easily link to a specific item, but you can search by item number.) At Nancy's Notions, also take a look at these items, which you may have had in your garmet sewing tool collection: PSPB2 -- Pant Seam Pressing Board APS-20PG -- Teflon prssing sheet EHG3 - EZY-Hem Gauge PCT2 -- Pocket Curve Template BHCK2 -- Buttonhole Cutter set SG2 -- SimFlex Gauge (for laying out buttonholes) EC-1 -- Electric Scissors, Dritz G-6R -- Applique Scissors Bias Tape making tools (or just put "bias tape" in the search): FBTPK4 -- Fusible Bias Tape Maker Pack BTMPK -- Bias Tape Maker Pack Other pressing tools you might have had: Press Cloth http://www.thesewingplace.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=891 Pressing Mitt: http://www.thesewingplace.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=1409 HTH, CMC

lol, my DH knows everything I write. I sometimes read it to him and he sometimes comes on here to read it and he's even made his screen name, but hasn't posted anything yet. He thinks it's too much to read and he'll be on here too much if he does. (he's not a fast reader) As for BM reading it, nothing I've written isn't true. There are some personal things about my life that she doesn't need to know about but it won't matter if she does. Like I've said before, I used to use my blog on myspace to vent and it was much more hostile and raw. Nobody wants to hear bad things about themselves. The truth is the truth. (now if I were writing things like wanting to be mean or hating my SD, then I could understand worrying, but that's not the case for me) Plus, if she reads it here that she's being called a crappy mom, then maybe she will do things differently just to prove me wrong. I can always hope.