It was Wally World yesterday.........

I also went to the Dollar Tree and got a few items but not much of what was on my list.  I had looked at a Pinterest "hack" posting of 50 things you could get at the dollar store to organize especially in the kitchen....well....they had none of those items!  Maybe the wrong dollar store?  I'll try Dollar General later this week.  I did get this cute sign for Halloween though...........for $1.............

   I found more primer in the basement that was "fresher" and I put a coat of it on the steps this morning.........so tomorrow I will try the gray porch paint again

My other books arrived today which is great because I finished this one last night..........so good these books...just gentle and relaxing  reads...........

I already started book #2 of Joanna Fluke's Hannah Swenson mysteries.......I was itching to read her again.....it reminds me of home in the midwest and snow and small town living........and she's single!  They are great mysteries too and a bit humorous at times plus she has a cat.....of course!  P.S. It comes with great recipes also!

I got this first book in the Poldark series which was a PBS Masterpiece Theater series that I only saw about 2 of.  A friend of mine said the books are great and she couldn't put them down.....I'll let you know.  BTW , did I ever get back to you on that monkey butt powder?  It's awesome and I love it!  The calamine lotion makes all the difference!

I got out my pumpkin cross stitch from last year...I'm going for a totally handmade house as much as possible...........sorry for the crooked angle......

I also started a "halloweenie" washcloth.........tis getting to be the season...although evidently not in the Ozarks........still hot and dry.......but it's supposed to change right on the first day of Fall....I can't wait!  

Are you decorating for Fall?  Any color changes where you are?  Any leaves falling? 
I hope you have a great weekend planned!
Happy Trails!!!

Things are not going well but they're going!

I have really been trying to get some back burner projects done around here but I take 10 steps forward and 15 steps backwards!  I've been trying to paint the steps to the garage from the kitchen.  An easy accomplishment right?  So, I washed the steps and then painted the 1st coat of dark gray porch paint on them.........
BEFORE:

AFTER:

What???  It went on like water and I stirred it really well.  I've painted for years and never had this happen.  They used some strange paint and wallpapers in this house.  I know the paint's alright because the stir stick looked fine....see the dark gray? 

So, I thought okay, I'll just slap some primer on it and that should take care of it.  I grabbed the primer in the basement and undid the lid and tried to stir it.  It was liquid on top but pretty solid mud underneath.  I could not get the stuff to stir!  It must have been an old can that was here.  I thought I bought some more recently.  I'll look again tomorrow.  I was frustrated as a little job was turning into a big pain.  But I forged ahead and tried another priority on my list...setting up a new email account since I have a new service provider with the fiber.  Google kept telling me I had an email but it was my old one which is no longer valid....it wouldn't allow me to set up a new one....What?  I gave up after over an hour.  The problem is I bought a cross stitch app for $3 that I was really excited about but they wouldn't let me access it until I set up an account!  I put in my old email and they told me it was invalid.....now, when I have paid for something why do I have to have an account and a password and sign in?  Really?  I don't have to do that when I go to the store and buy something.  It's nuts!
I did receive my Wet and Forget mold and mildew remover.  Far Side of Fifty, Connie, mentioned it on her blog and it sounded like just what I need for my sidewalk and drive way.  I hope it works!  I also got one of my 3 Thrift books in the mail..........the 3rd book in The Elm Creek Quilter's series. 

I finished Becoming by Michele Obama and it was excellent!  I could barely put it down it was so interesting.  Her Mother and Father should give parenting classes!  Right now I'm reading Cuckoo Brow Wood which is the 3rd book in the Beatrix Potter Cottage Mysteries by Susan Wittig Albert.  I love these books....the animals talk!
I did make some progress on my rag rug and now need to sew more strips together......this is going to make a great rug when it's done....that is the width of it......36 inches wide

I finished the JAYG joining of the Maybelle squares and started on the border...........doing great UNTIL I ran out of the colored yarns for the border!  What?  I had forgotten about the border but I should have some of that yarn left but can I find it?  Of course not!  It's probably stuffed in some project bag so I guess there will be another yarn order.  I am joining a few CALS so I could get some of the yarn for that to make the order worthwhile.  The dryer isn't fixed yet so I'm still hanging outside which is okay but it is so hot and it takes so much more time and creates more ironing.  I am being a real complainer today....sorry.  I just can't believe how I can waste an entire day working and get nothing accomplished.  I hope tomorrow is better.

I did put some effort into cleaning and decorating one side of the family room for Fall..........finally some visible progress!

It's so pleasurable because each year I have more and more handmade decorations.......like my crocheted gourds and pumpkins........

and my crocheted leaf banner which you can barely see strung around the mirror..........and then my Fall berries.............I hope you had a good day regardless of any roadblocks you might have run into.

Happy Trails!!!

YOP Week #10

This has been a pretty good week.  I'm keeping things balanced between all my interests and goals.  I didn't do much cross stitch but I did get my yarn order in the mail!  Get this........Amazon takes 2 weeks.....Deramores from the UK takes 1 week....yes, Amazon basically blackmails you if you don't get Prime.  They hold your packages hostage for a week or more before they mail it out.  I can tell because they don't charge you for it until they ship it.  I will not be shopping with Amazon if I can help it.  I use Walmart and I get free shipping and 2 day delivery and I don't have to pay $12 a month for it!  Greed!  It's everywhere!  BTW Walmart has way more online than they do in their stores...check it out.  Anyway, I digress.....I will now be able to finish my color tipped scarf but while I was waiting for the yarn(s)...I started a washcloth.......Grandmother's Favorite and mine too!  I make mine with 54 stitches before decreasing as apposed to 44 like the pattern calls for.  This will be for my daughter for one of her Advent gifts.  Her favorite color is orange and I had a little bit of variegated left over from another cloth so I used it in the middle.  This should definitely be a finish for next week.

     I couldn't stop myself from making a few more Victorian blocks..so fun!  I want to make at least one a week and maybe a dishcloth too as mine are depleted after last Christmas.  I also need to make more scrubbies.

I've been working on my rag rug but the picture didn't turn out so maybe next week.  I have about 4 rows so far at 36" wide and I just sewed a bunch more strips together so more rows!

Do you remember this Maybelle blanket?  It was from last year or the year before?  I ran out of the joining yarn and finally ordered it so I could finish it.  I loved making this blanket.  I'm doing Join As You Go (JAYG) method of connecting the squares.  I did one and had to redo it but I have the gist of it now.  The squares were all done ages ago......it's just a small baby blanket or throw.  I have lots of old furniture to cover up so it will come in handy! LOL!

My acquisitions looked like this...........I tried to order yarns that would match my cross stitch blanket picture....I hope I got enough to do some more squares.  This is all Stylecraft DK acrylic yarn...

and I got some sock yarn (wool and nylon)...........West Yorkshire Spinners "Goldfinch" from their bird series.......I see a cast on in my future!

I'm really wanting to clear up some WIPs and get some finishes under my belt.  My goals for YOP for this next week are to finish the color tipped scarf, the Maybell blanket and the dishcloth.  I want to cast on the socks and do some cross stitch. 
This week has been productive all around the house.  It's awfully hot here but I go out early for yard work which lately has just been hanging clothes out on the line and watering.  I did call and have the appliance repair people out and I need a new mother board for the dryer and it will cost about $400 total.  A new dryer (I checked the cheapest one) would have cost over $500 with installation and hauling the old one away.   This should be like a new dryer anyway by the time they get done.  They had to order the part so I'm still having to hang outside.  Maybe by next week.
 I've been making some headway on household projects like "back burner" ones and WIP's in that category too.  This week I'm hoping to paint the garage steps and wash and use "Restore" on the kitchen cupboards.  That goes for all cupboards in the house and probably the doors too (it might take more than 1 week). 
The grands are going to a "Grief Camp" which helps children process their grief ( I wish they had one for Grandma's!)  But they need some clothing items of Jim's to make a Memory Pillow so I picked out a few things and mailed them off Friday.  I've washed everything of his so that wasn't a problem.  Staying busy really helps.  I hope you had a good week.
Happy Trails!!!  



I made my list for 2019-2020 finally minus the pictures and links.  If you want to see those you can click on the right hand side link "YOP2019-2020".

SCARVES:
1.  Color Tipped Scarf by Purl Soho - in progress
2.  WIP
DOILIES:
1.  The Dainty Dollie finished  July 2019
2. WIP
SWEATERS:
1.  Purl Soho Pullover
2.  WIP
HATS:
1.  Helix Hat- finished August 2019
2.  WIP
RUGS:
1.  Crocheted Rag Rug - in progress
2.  WIP
GIFTS:
1.  Little Hearts
2.  WIP
MISC:
1.  DIY Lip Balm
2.  WIP
DISHCLOTHS ETC:
1.  Square Knitted Scrubbies
2.  Orange washcloth for Amy's advent present
MITTENS AND FINGERLESS MITTS:
1.  Easy Fingerless Mitts
2.  WIP
SHAWLS:
1.  The Prohibition Shawl Recipe
2.  Multnomah shawl but must do Feather and Fan cowl first for practice
BLANKETS:
1.  Hibernate Crochet Blanket
2.  WIP
*additional* 3.  Vicroeian Squares
COWLS:
1.  Fan and Feather Cowl
2.  Gradient Cowl on Line Weight
SOCKS AND SLIPPERS:
1.  Simple House Slippers
2.  Felted Loafer Slippers
*additional* 3.  WYS Goldfinch socks
SEWING:
1.  Christmas  Pixies
2. Frida Kahlo Basket - in progress
GARMENT SEWING:
1.  Japanese Gardening Slacks
2.  WIP
QUILTING:
1.  Whole Cloth Quilted Journal Cover
2.  WIP