NEW DISPLAYS

I have been wanting some display cubbies for my home show in November so I can put ornaments and other small items in them instead of baskets and I can also stack them so people don't have to bend down for items so I purchased one at wholesale last month that had 4 sections in it and asked Doug if he could make me some more - well after much objection he went out and bought the wood and made me some yesterday!

But after starting them I decided if he was actually going to do it then I'd put in a suggestion...lol
I had him make them with 3 sections instead of 4 - so if I have larger items it would be easier to use....so he did and here they are unfinished.

I think we're going to paint them with our house trim paint - it's sort of a sandalwood tan with a greenish hint to it. I wanted them done with our dining room trim paint but he thought they would look too much like the house....well duhhhhh, they're going to be showing in the house like the trim....maybe I'll win, not sure - we'll see!

So I ended up with the 2 he made and then the one we bought which he spray painted black and we don't like so it will get painted the same as the others

A couple weeks ago I won a bingo game on A PRIMITIVE JOURNEY forum I belong to...isn't this apron just adorable???? I hung it on the peg of my mitten box and it really looks cute there. Also included were some grungy tags and grungy cheesecloth - both I can use!

And then on the Country Sampler forum I was in a traveling swap box and these are the goodies I chose from the box before sending it along to the next person....I also took a note pad but don't have it now.

I am going to use the tin molds for some tarts or pantry cakes and I'm not sure where the spools are going.

Todays post was a bunch of nothing but I'm trying to stay visible - hopefully I'll have some goodies to post this weekend because I'm going to a craft show in Muskeego at the historical society. I haven't been to a craft show in a couple years....there just aren't many around here.

Have a great day everyone and hope to see some familiar faces here!

Hugs, Karen

NOT MUCH OF ANYTHING

Hi all....Well not a lot going on here right now...I've been laying low this week doing more sewing - last Friday's long day put me over the edge with my lower back so I'm letting it die down.

I had purchased a gourd garland at wholesale market last month and had it in several places, it finally ended up on my pie safe but not sure if I like it there....I think it's a bit overwhelming, don't you? I think it needs to be on a larger opening.

I tried it on my fireplace but the dark red expanse and the bright gourds didn't work...they jumped off the fireplace - too stark.

So - this is where they are for now.


I also made a new Penny Mat for my website - It's a simple Winter Tree - good for the whole Winter season and also for Christmas - and it's a good 16 inches round....I was going to put tabs on it but decided to keep it simple.


Then I made my Basket of Flowers in black - normally it's in a deep Cyprus Green but I love this in black!

Okay, enough showing off!!!!
Wish I had more fun things to show you all but it has been rather dull here.
No kids yesterday - they went to Sioux Lookout, Canada on a fishing week! Fun!!!!

Have a wonderful day everyone and I'll get over to visit you as soon as I can...I know I have been MIA alot but business calls.

Hugs, Karen

MY SPECIAL DAY!

Yesterday I watched Emily and Joe again while mom/dad worked and they surprised me at 7:30 with an early birthday treat of some beautiful flowers, a delicious cake and the funniest card! I look a bit ruffled but didn't expect a picture that early!
Aren't they just the best!!!! Oh, and early that morning Emily was sitting in the screen room and she saw our fox running through the yard hi-tailing it back to its den! They're too fast for the camera


Soooo today was my birthday and I got to spend it with lifelong friends, Marilyn and Jim Hepp....they retired several years ago, moved from Wisconsin to Mesa, AZ and each summer come back home to visit family and then on their way home via Indiana they stop in our former home town and we meet them there for lunch - how cool is that! Well this year it fell on my birthday and I couldn't have spent it with nicer friends.

They actually got an earlier start than planned so they were going to be at our spot by 9:30 instead of 11:30 so when they called us at 8:30 and said we had an hour to get there we flew! It takes an hour to get there! lol We pulled up to the restaurant as they were walking in the doors. Good timing huh?

We actually met at Crackerbarrell instead of our other place and had breakfast instead of lunch but it was delicious.

My brother and his wife were supposed to meet us as well but they had a 2-1/2 hour drive so they didn't get into town until 11 - and by then they went to the rest. we were supposed to go to in the first place for lunch and called us to meet them there...so we had 45 minutes in between meals! lol So we only ordered soup....oh my gosh we were full!!!

So Gail and I decided we needed to walk it off so I had tons of Coupons for Michaels Crafts and Hobby Lobby and I really needed mache stacking boxes and didn't want to keep going back in for them so I gave each person a coupon and some money and handed them the box and said go buy it! I got an entire set each piece 40% off!

Then after that we went to the Mall and did some clothes shopping and then Doug and I headed home. So what was to be a morning away and home right after lunch turned into an entire day...we got home at 4:45 and just a bit ago Doug and I went out for my birthday dinner.

When we got back we had the rest of the cake the kids brought over...CAN YOU SAY STUFFED! Needless to say it's diet/exercise time and sorely needed.
Here we are at breakfast....left to right Doug, Me, Marilyn, Jim (as if you didn't know by now....lol)

Sorry for rambling - guess it's all the food today plus a wine at dinner tonight and the chocolate cake/frosting....I'm wired!
Hugs, Karen

WHAT A DAY

This has been a very busy Tuesday....we always have our two grandchildren so that alone is busy....but we had to go to the store - they chose the MiceCream treats from the little cook book so we had to buy the ice cream - Emily wanted Chocolate for a brown mouse and Joe wanted traditional white!
They had fun making them but they really had to rush because it sure was warm in the kitchen and the ice cream started melting too fast and the decorations started sliding off so it sent them into a giggle session as you can tell by the picture.
They ate their treat in the screen room while watching a movie.

But in the morning after we went to the grocery store we went to the high school for the Football Camp.

Tony Romo - QB for the Dallas Cowboys comes here every summer for 2 days to do this camp....now mind you this is Tony's home! He's from right here in Burlington so it's nice that he comes back and does this for the kids of the community. It's a free signup and from what we saw it was a good turnout. What an honor for the kids huh?

We didn't stay too long after they left the field for a short talk from Tony because my bottom was killing me on the bleachers...my lower back and hip have been acting up and it isn't the softest thing to sit on so we headed home.

Oh, I've been trying to get a picture to share - we have a family of 7 Fox's living up the street under someones porch/deck and they wander the neighborhood like puppies! Sometimes they play with the cat up the street but only are after the rabbits and mice - they leave the dogs alone as well and the authorities said they are harmless unless they have been hurt. Only if they start to cause trouble will they do something about it.

Anyway...last night we were sitting in the screen room and one sauntered up our sidewalk and across our side yard and out onto the road like it was a normal thing to do....brazen little things they are! But too dark to get a picture.

Okay, enough rambling. I just thought I'd poke my nose in and let you all know I'm still here and doing nothing exciting.

Hugs, Karen

KIDS,GOODIES & PARTIES

Last week I was in Pennsylvania (anyone surprised! LOL) for the Buyers Wholesale Show at Valley Forge and I found this beautiful Robin's Egg Blue Mitten Box - I thought it would look nicer than the shelf I had in its place by our door...cute isn't it? I think so!
And get this......my husband thinks he's actually going to put winter hats and mittens/gloves in there! lol

I bought a few other items but have them all packed in containers for my home show - sorry I didn't take pictures but I like to have my customers have a surprise at show time.

The picture doesn't show how nice the color is - I couldn't get it right. But I love how it looks.

On Tuesday's during the summer we have two of our grandchildren and last week Grandpa bought them a cookbook so they/we can make lunch or treats when they come.

They take turns picking out a recipe and by the next Tuesday I have all the ingredients for it...and then the other one chooses something for the next week. It's fun and they learn as well.

Today they picked Grubs and Bugs made with tiny Oscar Mayer Hot Dogs, Pillsbury Crescent rolls and pretzels for legs!

Emily and Joe preparing the Bugs and Grubs


Emily with her lunch

Joe with his


I hope you all haven't expected too much from me lately - I just don't seem to have time for anything except sewing - it even went to PA with me...each evening in the room I would relax and stitch away.

After getting home late Friday night from my trip (oh, Doug was in California while I was in PA and he got home in the wee hours of the morning) on Saturday we had a birthday party to go to all day for our son's Mother In-Law and then all day Sunday it was a graduation party for my nieces son.

Aidan and mommy at his grammies birthday party

Our whole family (minus Darren, MaryAnn and Aidan - they still had overnight birthday guests/family)

My family and my brothers family and our Step parents - the graduation boy is in the front in the green shirt - he's a big one. That's Alex!

Our step dad, sister in law, brother, step mom, me, Doug

I'm going to try and be more conscious about posting on here - but don't wager bets...I'm GOING TO TRY!

NOTE: Lately I've been having trouble with my lower back again so I had to call off the GATHERING OF FRIENDS...I'm not sure what's happening with it right now so I didn't want to get all the gals there and not show up. This was the wisest and only thing I could do.

Hugs and thanks for visiting me again.

Karen