Wonderful Wednesday...................

I promised you that I would share some websites/blogs from the book Blogging for Bliss by Tara Frey.  I thought first I would feature Tara since she has her own blog but evidently she doesn't anymore so scratch that one.  I will intersperse these links with pics of my flowers which have "returned" since the rain and the cooler temps.  I tried getting pictures of the blogs but there are copyrights on them and also they would not let me...I tried! I guess these are "professional" bloggers! LOL!
 First up then is Dear Daisy Cottage which is Kim McCole and she DOES have the cutest yellow cottage and lives in Florida.  Unfortunately, her last entry was May 2011 but she has 3 years of archives that are worth going through.  She is a great vintage decorator among other things.
 BTW....does anyone know what this flower is below?  It started coming up in my yard and I love it but I have no idea what it is. 

 Okay.....next blogger is Lisa Tutman Oglesby and she has a crafting blog with tutorials on just about everything.  Her current post is about props for your photos and what a great post it is!  I need so much help with my photos.  Once you see her banner though you will see that she "does it all".  I can't wait to go back and read her archives!
Below are my garlic chives in bloom....whew!  I thought I might have lost them this summer as I forgot to water them.  I love TOUGH plants....the kind that flourish despite my neglect! LOL!

This next blogger is not for me but so many of you love anything French that I am including her.  It is said to be "a beautiful and inspiring blog about American Corey Amaro's life in France".  I don't know why all that French stuff doesn't do anything for me but it just doesn't.....I don't care for furs, diamonds or chocolate either.  I think I must be missing a gene.  Okay, I like some chocolate but I'm not over the moon about it like they portray most women.  I don't even care for candy much at all.....now cookies....that's a whole other story and don't even get me started on ice cream! LOL!
 Anyway, her blog is www.willows95988.typepad.com 

Below is my brown-eyed Susan vine which just about didn't make it.  I have it in a pot and I think the poor little roots got fried this Summer but here she comes....another survivor!  Love her!

 

This last blog is color heaven and is a quilting and fabric blog by Malka Dubrawsky.  It says she's a business woman so evidently she makes her living at this and she has a gorgeous book published that will be going on my book list for sure!  Check her out at A Stitch In Dye

Below is Monkey Grass in bloom!

What else did I get done today?   Not much...the girls and I took our 3 mile hike, cleaned up the house, made bread dough for bread later tonight and now I'm getting ready to clean the bathrooms.  I guess I don't really get wound up until about noon! Ha! Ha!  I am really more like a slug but I keep plugging away at it all.  I hope you enjoy some of these blogs and bloggers if not all of them!  Have a great evening and thank you always for your comments....I cherish them!

 

Terrific Tuesday!

 What a great day here....70's, blue skies, nice breeze.....all the windows open!  Heaven!  I got some little "niggling" projects done today too........remember this one with the notebooks?  Done!

 

The items inside are all in plastic sleeves and I can remove them when I need them but the sleeves will protect them hopefully during the life of a project.

One of  my blogging girlfriends, Tammy of T's Daily Treasures asked me to show her my cross stitch.  I had misplaced it along with my applique.  That seems to happen every time I clean!  What's up with that?  But I finally unearthed it and so here it is........that little gold stitching is all I have done.  I haven't cross stitched in years and I've never used that plastic like material that will dissolve or tear away when I'm done (hopefully). It is basted onto the material that was provided in the kit.

The rest of the design is printed on it and it came with the Cath Kidson book Stitch that I purchased awhile back.  It also came with a zipper and is supposed to end up as a little purse.

This is a great book with lots of awesome projects!  Wish me luck!

My financial life has been like a bell curve.....poor when young, saving and building up some financial security in middle age and then the "golden years"...where I got sick and Wall Street, savings, real estate all went to heck along with my savings.  So, without time or energy to have a "do-over" I am back budgeting and trying to stretch the few dollars I have left.  God knows I love a challenge so I dug out my old budgeting books to revisit and redo.  It's easy to move up in the world but it's lots harder to scale back and readjust but I am determined to live within my means and still be able to pay for my expensive meds! LOL!  No retirement junkets for me!  But I am happy and healthy (except for my chronic diseases of which I am holding my own) and I am so blessed!

Pay no attention to those numbers....it's a sample worksheet! LOL!

Here I go...........again..........wish me luck! LOL!

This is the book I am using...very basic but very concise and to the point.  I'm not even sure if they publish it anymore but they should.....it should be taught in the schools!

 

I finished another book which was informative and interesting because it listed LOTS of famous and wonderful bloggers and their blogs.  Stay tuned tomorrow as I will be having Wonderful Wednesday's which will be similar to my Sunday Spins that I used to do.  I will be featuring the blogs from the book so you too can visit them for yourself!   

 I hope you had a great day where ever you are!  See you tomorrow!

 

Miscellaneous Monday!

Here we are again..........Monday for me is cleaning,  cooking, changing the sheets and doing laundry and ironing.  I did get laundry done and I took a bath when I got up this morning and I was brushing my teeth and all of a sudden there was no water.   The girls had been barking but like I said I was trying to brush my teeth.  I looked outside and "sure nuff"  there was a front loader in my front yard digging away with about 4 or 5 people watching.  They do this every year...sometimes twice. "They" being the city workers in the town I live in.  Specifically city water workers.  There's a leak and they fix it and it breaks again and they fix it and yada yada yada.  They never call and warn me, they don't even knock on my door.  Why they can't fix it once and be done with it I don't know and why it is always my front yard and no one elses?  I don't complain as I would be a "marked woman" in this town as if I'm not already.   So,  that's how I started my day but the water was back on soon and I got on with my chores.    No, I never called and complained....what's the point....they do what they want anyway and if you complain they take your name and number.

The lawn mower man called and said he had my tire ready so he came over, changed the tire and pumped up the other ones and checked them.  It was only $115.00 including labor, tire and all.  I need to get the chimney sweep over here too and he's usually $75.00.....going to be a pricey month.....probably won't be adding to my yarn stash much if at all.
I did some cleaning and cleared off this little bookcase and will be moving it out of the hallway....where I don't know but it doesn't belong in the hallway.

Then it was on to the "fun" stuff...............removing caulk outside.......see that ugly white "stands out like a sore thumb" old caulk?  Finally, I got some good advice from a wonderful gal who just happens to have the same name as me and has a blog called Sawdust and Paperscraps and she told me about a You tube video on how to remove silicone caulk using a product in a spray can (it's a strong chemical and you must use gloves...the right kind too!) and after you spray you leave it on for 24 hours and then (with gloves on) you scrape it all off and you're ready to apply the new stuff.  Now, I hate using chemicals but there is no way I'm going to be able to get this fixed if I don't so I'll be looking for "the stuff".  The brand on the You Tube video was Unibond but he said there are all types.  Then why didn't my local hardware store know about it?
I always "assume" people know more than I do about things but I am really beginning to wonder!?!?!?

Isn't that ugly?  Why didn't they use clear?  Which is what is going to replace it!  Thanks Sandra from Sandpaper and Paperacraps!  She is so talented and awesomely brave when it comes to DIY projects and she always answers questions.  Please check her out and You Tube also!
Sorry there were no "pretty" pictures today but this is a real life blog and it isn't always pretty! LOL!
Hope you had a great Monday!

YOP Update!

I have a turned a corner in my knitting....literally!  I turned the heel! And I 'm working on the gusset now.  The knitting angels were with me this week for sure!

 Can you see the cuff and then the curved heel????  Can you?  I am simply amazed at myself! LOL!  By next week I may have frogged it all and started over but every time I get a little farther and one of these days I may actually have a SOCK!  It will be a red-letter day for sure!
I worked on another potholder in boy colors for my cooker son.  I'll make another...a set of 2 for Christmas.  He doesn't read my blog so not to worry, he won't see it.

 I have a question for you who have knitted forever or close.............I've been sticking all my yarn "snipets" into this jar and saving them but I'm wondering if there is anything I can use them for or am I just being a pack rat?  I hate to throw them out if there might be a use for them but they're such small pieces I can't come up with anything but using them for stuffing something small.  Any ideas or should I just pitch them? 

For those of you who like to coordinate your reading and your needlework, I am reading a series of mysteries about a sorceress in training who owns a yarn shop in Sugar Maple, MA.  This is the second book in the series and yes, it is important you read them in order.  I read the 3rd one 1st and was thoroughly confused!  There are many more too.  They are good I'm just not sure I want to read about sorcery and magic...I'm such a realist.

Last, I found these "pencil cases" at Dollar General for $1 each and they have clear plastic fronts that allow you to see what's inside.  They also have rings for fitting inside a notebook.  I have been looking at expensive project cases in knitting magazines etc.   Granted these would not work for anything big but I think a sock in progress, cross stitch, potholder project would definitely fit and you can see what's inside plus it's only a dollar!  What do you have to lose?   Run quickly to your local Dollar General before they're all gone!

I hope you all had and have a great week!  I have been pretty involved lately in other projects but still striving for the ever elusive "balance in all things".  The weather has forced me to go outside and attend to all the things I didn't get done outside this Summer because of the heat.  Hugs to you and success in ALL your endeavors!