Saturday, May 21, 2016

At last............wet paint drying!

Finally!  I got some paint on the wall.....well actually this is the ceiling............
but here's a wall.............it will need 2 coats....what doesn't?  But I love the color so far.  This is an entryway closet that is directly across from my front door and is not really needed so I took off the doors and decided to make it a little entryway alcove instead.  Those are shelf brackets and the shelf will most probably go back in but then probably a mirror and a little piece of furniture.
So, more painting today and............when I was looking for grout sealer the other day at Walmart (which they didn't have or I didn't find) I ran across this handy item....hopefully.  The bristles are sturdier than what I've been using.
 More grout cleaning is in my future!
Seeing progress, albeit small, is motivating.  Also, Duck Tape came out with their brand of Washi Tape which has been sorely ignored in this country.  The Brits have had it for forever! 
 Little owls.....how cute are they?  Have a great Saturday!
Sunny here and getting to 76 today....clothesline weather.
Happy Trails!
 

Friday, May 20, 2016

Slacker week............

 I just couldn't seem to get any traction this week.  I was busy but it was just maintenance and no real progress on anything I really wanted to get done.  I did laundry, cooked, baked, paid some bills and that was about it.  It rained most of the week too and was chilly.  Maybe I went into hibernation mode.  I did finish this book, the 3rd in the Ladybug Farm series.  I really enjoy this series.  The 4th book wasn't available on Thrift Books and Amazon wanted $13.00 so I guess I'll wait until Thrift Books gets it in.
So, I started over with the Harry Potter books and boy did I forget a lot!  I'm enjoying it more this time.  After I read this first book I will watch the first movie and so on and so on.
I also finished the audio tape of The Beardstown Ladie's Common Sense Investment Guide but there is so much good information and resources in it that I need the book.  Plus, right as I got to the end the tape broke so there won't be any re-listening to it.
I'm still reading this one and trying to pick up some organizational tips for storing crafts and supplies.  There are quite a few but some are pretty pricey looking or requiring a custom remodel!  Many of the rooms are from professional craft people that make their living doing these things. I bought this book a while back but now I would just go on Pinterest for ideas.
 Reading another National Geographic and I learn so much from these magazines.....I'm an armchair traveler.  I got them all free at our library.  Such beautiful photography too.
 I started knitting the 2nd sock of my Canadiana Hudson Bay socks and actually I finished the cuff and was several inches down on the leg when I realized that the colors weren't showing up and the other sock had 2 stripes by that point.  I sat and thought and realized that I should have evenly split the skein at the beginning of making the socks and that the colors were probably at the other end of the ball.  So, I frogged it all and rewound the ball and..................

 VOILA!  There are the colors.....so I will start over now.  Still not sure if they will line up exactly but that's not that important to me.  I need to not use a long tail cast on when trying to match colors or else make the cast on the exact same length for both socks.   The more I knit the more I learn!
I finally sewed up my Happy Hooky pillow using needle and yarn and doing an overcast stitch with right sides together and going under the 2 loops on each side.  It's a little twisted but I'm hoping the pillow form will take care of that or at least it won't be so noticeable.

I found some buttons at Walmart that look perfect for it but I'll wait until I get a pillow form in it before I decide on placement.
I also worked on my Maybelle flowers..........squaring them up............
Of all the flowers I've ever crocheted, I think these are my favorite!  I have all the yellow done, 1 more brown to do, 3 of the dark rose color and then 4 of each of the top 3.  Then there's the joining.  I'm really enjoying this project.
 I hope you had a good week and I will be doing my usual "catchup" with all of you!  Enjoy your weekend!  Happy Trails!






Tuesday, May 17, 2016

Excuses, excuses, excuses.......

For not blogging. Yes, I have them!  Do you want to hear them? No?  Alright, then I'll just show them to you...........
On Friday I went shopping at Walmart and then Saturday I mowed the lawn
Sunday I washed 2 loads of clothes and hung them outside as they predicted rain for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday......  
The girls (Nitty and Annie) guarded me while I worked..........
Nitty
Annie
 I tried to get them to help me but they said guarding was a full time job...........what do I know?  I worked at weeding and mulching around my propane tank which I have wanted to do for a while now.  I probably should have used stones but the mulch bags were heavy enough! LOL!



I got one side done but ran out of mulch......
Do any of you have a good method for enclosing the mulched areas so I don't eat it up with the mower?  A rock border?  My neighbor who doesn't live here anymore had some T-shaped plastic borders that I thought were wonderful but I have never seen them anywhere.  Picture an upside down T with one side under the mulch and the other side allowed you to put your mower wheel on it so there was no trimming needed and yet it kept the mulch in too.  Brilliant!  But I have yet to see any anywhere.
2 bookends back-to-back with no books in between would be the same.  It would require a lot of bookends though! LOL!
 I also spray painted my bench. All that's left of a picnic table set that was about 40 years old.  I tightened all the bolts and sanded it and used 2 cans of spray paint but need more paint. 
  After all my running around to get things done before the rain yesterday......it never rained a drop until last night after I went to bed!  But we did lose power for about 3 hours yesterday and I have no idea why.  Crazy!
I hope your week is going well so far and I hope to get back on track with my WIP"s which I have now put on my right hand side bar.  I will update regularly.  I feel like I'm making progress on some worthwhile projects for a change.  Sometimes documenting what we do makes us realize we really do get things done! LOL!
Happy Trails!