Fun Day and catching up . . .

It's that time again. Linking up with Wendy at Sugarlane Designs.

Here's what I've been up to:

Block 3 of Crabapple Hill's Lace Cabin. I'm making fairly descent progress. This tree is almost done and then I can move on to the cabin itself. There's two more "quilt blocks" that are already stitched and just need to be added to the block. 

Honey Do was out of town this week. I had a little work to do for them while they were gone.

Just some re-labeling, nothing too taxing.

I did some gardening, picked up supplies for a little project and to get my pictures re-hung in my living room. I'll work on those this coming week.

I did finally manage to get my winter/Christmas wreaths replaced with more seasonal ones. I took the Christmas wreath down quite a while ago, just didn't put up its replacement. I did when I cleaned house the other day.

I had a little excitement this week:  we had twins !!!

This Mama had twins in the neighbor's yard. I happened upon them just shortly after she gave birth. Just long enough for her to clean them up and they were dry. In the middle photo, the baby was just attempting to get up for the first time. I caught her eating a little while later, up on her legs that don't quite fit her yet.

Honey Do came home Thursday evening. We made plans to spend the day together on Friday.

We went to a hardware store. A rather large one :)

In fact, the store was large enough that these house "fronts" are built right in the store.

They were all different styles and full sized. It was fun to see them.

After that we went to the "Market". This is a giant flea market, but we also found a good table of fresh produce.

This is our haul: 

2 eggplants

6 lemons

3 lbs. of strawberries

4 green bell peppers

6 hot banana peppers

3 lbs. Vidalia onions

1 watermelon

10 lbs. of potatoes

All this for less than $25 !!!!

The potatoes were only $1.00 for 5 lbs. !!!!

See the blue box in the lower right corner - that's the new curtain rod for the dining room. 

Yeah, that project needs done this week too.

Once we had our fill of shopping, it was time for lunch. Hartville Kitchen was the place to go when I was growing up for really good comfort food. It's still one of my favorite places. Honey Do thought it was a glorified Bob Evans. I was sorry he was disappointed, but we still had a good lunch.

The day was gorgeous. Temperatures ended up in the upper 80s, so we took advantage of the cooler temps of mid 70s and spent a little time

Relaxing int he back yard with a new magazine and beverages.

Thanks for stopping by,

Wishing you days filled with countless blessings. 

Slow but sure progress

I've set myself up with another goal.

After talking to a friend about gardening and perspectives.

Her perspective:  Anything you don't enjoy doing is work.

Yeah, that's not my perspective on gardening . . . or at least weeding :)

So my goal:  work in the garden until I fill one trash can everyday, Monday through Friday until the gardens and yard are all cleaned up and pretty again.

I made a good start this week. I have two cans filled. I didn't start until yesterday. I have more than enough to do, but with this goal I won't feel so much like it's a job and as you can see, it doesn't take long to make decent progress. I'm really hoping to be able to get mulch in the next few weeks to make it the finishing touch.

I spent Tuesday morning with BF. We had a great time sharing progress on our projects. She's working on a pre-printed baby quilt for her great nephew due at the end of summer. I'm working on Block 3 of the lace cabins.

This block only has one tree and this section is about half complete.

I haven't been very diligent with my stitching the last couple of nights.

BF's local Walmart had fabric on sale. I know that it's not quilt shop quality fabric. I knew that going in. But at 10 cents a yard . . . 

Did you catch that?

10 cents per yard !!!!!!

Yup, I had to at least go and look.

I found a Waverly that was a peachy orange and clocked in at 8 yards.

I chose these two polka dots to make curtains for my dining room.

It's hard to tell from this photograph which is actually better suited.

BF liked the lighter color (the dots actually match the wall color) and suggested seat cushions in the darker.

Honey Do likes the darker because of the contrast, stating the lighter blended in to much.

BF also suggested making tab topped curtains and embellishing them with like colored large buttons.

For now, they are leaning up against the wall until I decide on color and style before I do anything else :)

I'm open to suggestions and opinions, if you want to share :)

Thanks for stopping by,

Wishing you a day filled with countless blessings.

Three's a charm

Three's a charm . . . 

It took me three attempts before I finally got my little cabin to go in the right direction. I started Block Three of the Lace Cabins Sunday evening after I finished mending and some other odd chores.

Stitching is going to be interesting on this blue print. Looks like an angry sky, doesn't it. That's how winters look here on some days. We're never bored. Even when we get snow in the middle of May which is what happened on Sunday. I was worried that I would lose some of my tender young vegetable plants, but they survived. We're expecting rain on Tuesday and then 80s for the rest of the week into next week. 

While I worked on this, I started a new book.

I've read a couple of Nancy Thayer's other books. They all take place on Nantucket. Who doesn't like an escape to the ocean? I know it's my favorite place to go, even without leaving the house.

While I caught up on Facebook yesterday, I ran across a post from this company.

                                                  

https://www.accuquilt.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/So-God-Made-A-Quilter.pdf

I wanted to share it with you.

It's called So God Made a Quilter.

This is the free downloadable PDF version. 

I hope you enjoy it. I sure did.

Thanks for stopping by,

Wishing you a day filled with countless blessings.

How I spent my Saturday

How I spent my Saturday . . . 

Block 2 of the Lace Cabins is complete :)

 

The miniature quilt blocks are three dimensional and the "snow" is stitched with a glittery, iridescent thread. It was a bit challenging to work with because it doesn't stitch like cotton thread, but I really like that it looks like shimmering snow.

 

I stitched the snowman in the same thread. The fluffier "snow" is actually dimensional yarn with an iridescent ribbon woven around it.

 

All the "joints" of the tulip lace have an iridescent bead sewn over them.

I can't think of anything else to add to this block, but if I do, I'll let you know :)

The lace cabin was done mid afternoon, so of course I had to have another project to work on, but I didn't really want anything to involved.

So I pulled out my scrap vortex. I managed to get three more blocks quilted AND I put the row together AND attached it to the first row. 

Yes !!! I'm very excited to have gotten this much done for a Saturday.

Honey Do and I spent mid-day gathering supplies for several other projects that I want to work on, so all in all a very good start to the weekend.

Thanks for stopping by,

Wishing you a day filled with countless blessings.

Blessed Thursday

Spring has finally sprung in my neck of the woods. And today, I knew we were getting rain.

 

When the peony bush goes into bloom - it rains. Unfortunately, they don't bloom for all that long, and the rain only shortens their time.

Absolutely thrilled with these double Narcissus.

 

The lilac bush (tree - LOL) is blooming too.

As are the dandelions :( 

The weeding has gotten away from me and I'm going to have to buckle down and get some much needed yard work done, especially in the flower beds. There must be an easier way to have curb appeal !!!

Work is continuing on the lace cabins. I'm looking forward to finishing it on Thursday. Then I'll move on to a small project, a UFO and some mending before I start the next block, which will be some time over the weekend.

Thanks for stopping by,

Wishing you a day filled with countless blessings.

Joyful

(Yahoo Images)

That's my theme for today :)

I managed to spend the entire day in my house and yard.
Please understand, I love my Bible Study kids and their moms but I (and all the other leaders) were ready for a break.

My biggest concern today was that I would be lazy and not get anything accomplished. I have a daily to-do list and most days I get done most of the list. Some days - not so much. I was afraid I wouldn't feel like doing anything today.
I managed to get my dailys done and even a few extras.

I also managed to work on my stitchery project . . . Lace Cabins

Making progress. The trees are finally all stitched.

I added "snow".

Next up is the snowman :)

I got myself a mother's day gift. I found this adorable little shelf (12x12x41 inches) at Aldi's. Before I did, I priced them through my second favorite shopping location - Amazon. I found them. $120 !!!!! This one was only $30 and I decided I needed it. I knew exactly where it was going too.

This is in the corner of my dining room, next to the chair I sit in when I'm home and working on my stitchery or sewing.

The purpose for this unit is to hold the supplies for the current project. Everything close at hand, readily available. As you can see on the bottom shelf the space is high and deep enough to hold the $1 plastic shoe boxes. 

Absolutely perfect !!!!

Thanks for stopping by,

Wishing you a day filled with countless blessings.

(Yahoo images)

Hand-me-downs and Memories

Hand - me - downs . . . 

To hold and keep someone's belongings . . .  isn't something to be taken lightly.

You are holding their memories, as well as your own.

You are holding a piece of your family history . . .

To be cherished . . .

To be treasured . . .

To be shared . . .

Thank you, Mom

**

Happy Mother's Day

(both images from Yahoo)

Summer Goals

Before I get to my Summer Goals, I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend especially all my "MOM" friends. You were thought of often .

For myself, I had a wonderful day of sharing with my own MOM. She came to visit. Honey Do grilled, Mom made a vegetable dish I requested and dessert, and I made potato salad. Newton had another commitment, so it was just the three of us.

After we ate, I did dishes and made coffee to go with dessert. Then Mom and I sat at the diningroom table. She was knitting and I finished the t-shirts I started altering on Saturday. I am very happy to report that all the shirts are altered, laundered and put away. That project was long overdue. Mom is happy to report that her little knitted vest was almost finished. She had a small bit of hand sewing to finish and I'm sure it got done today.

I am making good progress on block two of Lace Cabins. My goal for this one is to be finished by the end of the week.

Now on to Summer Goals. 

It almost doesn't feel right talking about these yet because it's barely spring. And the thermometer is definitely not cooperating. This is the coldest wettest spring, two years running.

Anyway, I'm thinking this way because today was my last Bible Study leaders' meeting for 2015-16 year. We won't meet again until September. In the meantime, I have to decide what I'm going to study over the summer.

1.  Summer Bible Study

2. Finish painting

3. Weed/mulch flower beds; fine tune butterfly/hummingbird garden

4. Redecorate summer bedroom

5. Finish stitching Lace Cabins

I'm going to stop there because I know that I can easily add 100 more and I want this to be doable. As I check things off the list, I can add new goals.

So have you thought about your summer goals yet. I hope some of you can add traveling to your list. My goal for traveling is to stay home as much as I possibly can :)

Thanks for stopping by,

Wishing you a day filled with countless blessings.

New Project !!!!! Catching up :)

It's been awhile - again :(

I've been keeping busy. Not only is the garden in but the first seeds have sprouted.

Radishes :)

 

We've had a fair amount of rain and more is coming. This blue rain barrel is now full.

 

Spring is finally putting forth some effort. 

I got a dozen and a half marigolds to put around the garden in an effort to keep the deer out.

Met with BF on Wednesday. I had a new project - the first one this week. 

I decided to change the knobs on Grandpa's china cabinets. They have a bit of old-world feel to them. I'm very happy with the end results.

 

Thursday, I went to see Mom :)

What a beautiful site - besides Mom.

These are white Dogwoods

Purple phlox in the rock garden

A gorgeous lavender iris in the other rock garden.

BF called with a piece of fabric she thought might work for curtains in my dining room. On the way over, I spotted this gorgeous chartruese tree. Yes, it was this vibrant. 

Overcast and rain. But it makes for beautiful pictures :)

Now that my Wool BOM is finished, I have the privilege of starting a new project :)

Lace Cabins by Crabapple Hill. This is block number two of six.

Making good progress.

My Saturday will be spent hemming sleeves on Honey Do's tshirts. Waiting for more rain and cuddling with Rocky. He has been ill the last couple of days, so he's needing some extra TLC.

Thanks for stopping by,

Wishing you a day filled with countless blessings.