Saturday, August 11, 2012

Nancy Jo gets the Gold in Gifting!!!!

Yes she does and here's why!  She even wrapped them!  And it's not my birthday or anything!


and wrote me a really sweet card...............(I'm the one on the right with the blonde hair and the walking stick because I have RA! LOL!)
I couldn't have said it better myself, Nancy Jo!
And look what all she sent me.....................a lavender sachet and BUTTONS!  Don't we love us some buttons!
A crochet book that has everything in it........pictures of all kinds of stitches with instructions (no excuses now!), edgings like I want to make and doilies..........it's a great book!


and 2 pamphlets with more patterns....which means more options!

yarn for my stash...boucle....I don't have any of this...it's gorgeous................

And 3 fantastic Crochet Today magazines...where have I been?  I've never seen these before....but they have the greatest projects in them....wonderful!
Thank you, Nancy Jo!  You get the Gold Medal in friendship and thoughtfulness too!  I'm going to try and be as good a friend so watch your mailbox!  Also, for the rest of you.....I will be having a drawing when I reach 100 followers and I think I have 91 so it won't be long now!  I'm excited!  Hope you're having a Super Saturday!

Friday, August 10, 2012

Oh, I am such a BAD BLOGGER!!!!

I apologize for not blogging the last couple days.  I am out of sync and it's because I keep thinking I can "do it all" but alas......as you can tell.........I cannot.  I've been preoccupied with the Olympics and when I wasn't I was doing mundane housekeeping that I really didn't think anyone would be very interested in.  But here's a posting which is still not very glamorous..........I'll get back on track once the Olympics are over....won't I???? 
I finally used some beautiful Crab Tree and Evelyn scented drawer paper I've had for years.  I was saving it....for what?  Lining my casket? LOL!  I've been cleaning while keeping my eyes on the t.v. and got to my Mother's dresser which I use for out of season clothes.  It's an old dresser and the drawers stick so I don't use it for every day....too much of a struggle but for out of season clothes it's perfect! 
  Isn't this the prettiest print?  Plus, it's scented with their "Summer" scent.  The box it came in is covered in the same paper....it's like 2 presents in one!  You betcha I saved the box! 
 I finally got my next block pattern traced and ironed onto the wool for the appliques.........
 Other than that I really haven't gotten anything "fun or glamorous" done.  
But.........I did get a wonderful present(s) in the mail from my blogging buddy Nancy Jo  which I will post about tomorrow!  You won't believe all the lovely things she sent me!  And I didn't even win a drawing!  she's just sweet and generous and I am blessed that she is my friend!  So, I promise to be a better blogger and tune in tomorrow to see what Nancy Jo sent me!  Woo Hoo!  Hope you had a great Friday!
 

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

An ode to cotton..........or at least praise!

These are dish towels....the ones on the left are over 30 years old and I'm still using them!  One has a little  hole but that's about it.  The ones on the right are about 6 months old and I found them at the Dollar General store for $2.00 each.  What do they have in common?  They're both made of 100% cotton!  The new ones are bigger than the older ones and I also bought dish cloths to match.  I buy a lot of things made with this wonderful fiber.  I have bath towels too that are very old.  The edges are frayed but the majority of the towel is still good.  If I was really fussy I guess I could hem the frayed edges but it doesn't bother me.
This a brief post from me today as this morning I had the annual termite inspection (not me personally but the house) and then I had to take Nitty for an allergy shot she was suffering terribly and the Benadryl just wasn't doing the trick.  The nice thing is that the shot lasts for 6-8 weeks.  I did manage to keep working on my bedroom this afernoon, did some laundry and got to see some Olympics.  I hope you had a great day!  Tomorrow is Wally World and Farmer's Market....busy, busy, busy!

Monday, August 6, 2012

Motivated Monday and the U.K. gets gold in equestrian and I got to see it!!!!!

I might as well just move to the U.K.   they seem to have everything I love....we have so much in common!  They have lovely places to walk everywhere it seems....they encourage and accommodate walking and hiking and they are very "equestrian oriented"!  In fact, I bet they got to see all the Olympic equestrian events!  Plus they have the perfect gardening weather there and I like tea and quaint and cozy.  I'm thinking the U.K. was made for me and my personality.  Hmmm.....I'll have to think about this....I have options!
Meanwhile, back here in the U.S., it was more cleaning and clearing events  and I'm not talking about horse jumps! LOL!
This quilt was on it's way to the Thrift Store when I happened to stop by a friends.  I unloaded her whole car into mine and saved her a trip! LOL!
It's too small for my bed so it must be a twin but it's okay for now but eventually it will be a chair cover.  It's a store quilt, nothing handmade or handed down which makes it more comfortable to use it in whatever way I wish...tablecloth, chair cover, picnic blanket....whatever.  It's colorful and I love it!  I changed all the linens and started dusting and cleaning counter-clockwise around my bedroom. 
Below is an appliqued tea towel that same friend made for me several years back for my birthday.  I use tea towels as dresser scarves, curtains...you name it.  The same goes for cloth napkins. 
I washed windows and hung clean curtains....cloth napkins that I bought at a sale for cheap.  The one thing I like about my Pella crank style windows is that the screens clip in and out from the inside and once I take the screen down and open the window full out, I can wash both sides of the window from inside the house!  Pretty convenient and it's so convenient I tend to wash my windows more often than I ever have with other windows. In addition, I use Invisible Glass window cleaner....no streaks!   I got those clip curtain rings at Target years ago and I use tension rods so no hardware to install and I can adjust the height depending on the cloth I am hanging....easy, peasy!   I'm moving so I am not doing much permanent other than important stuff like the new roof, ac and furnace etc.   

I have more to do but the catalog below came in the mail and I think I may need to take a break now and take a peek! LOL!  Have you ever gotten this catalog?  It's The Stitchery  It is mostly cross stitch and needlepoint and embroidery but lovely, lovely things!  They even have a few clothes and jewelry and now, paint-by-number.  Paint-by-number paintings are really popular in vintage collecting and decorating right now.
They have a website where you can shop online and/or request a catalog just click on the link/name above to check it out.  
I hope you're having a great Monday and I apologize for not visiting and getting around like I usually do.  Hopefully, I'll improve after the Olympics....plus I really do need to get this house on the market!  Once it's sold and I'm moved I will be a better blog friend...I promise! 

Sunday, August 5, 2012

Ravelry YOP Update...........

Below is my bathmat which is nearly done as the center is finished and I am now working on the edge which will only be about 4 or 5 inches more of knitting.  I shouldn't say "only" as a lot could go wrong between now and then! LOL!  
  I did a few more rows of crochet on my Granny Stripe table runner and of course I try not to let the "ends" get away from me so I only do a few rows and then I weave in the ends.  
 The most I did on my wool applique  was to gather the wool for the next block! LOL!  Only 2 blocks to go and then the appliqued and embroidered binding/edging that goes all around it.  

Hope you're having a great Sunday and guess what????  I FINALLY got to see some equestrian on the Olympics today!  YES!!!!!