Friday, September 30, 2011

Brunch – Bored – Building an Ark!

 

Yesterday we had our Son/MaryAnn and Aidan over for brunch for MaryAnn’s birthday.

Besides the Egg Bake we had sausage links, Sour Dough toast and fruit
It went from this…
From this

To this…
To this

To this….
Then this

End result…
Egg Bake


Aidan was preoccupied with hit little cup of Nutter Butter cookies – so nothing mattered at the moment…don’t know where his mind was but he sure was quiet.
Aidan window 1
After brunch he kept busy with his new Crayola coloring book and Magic Markers
 Aidan w Markers

Darren bought MaryAnn her Tony Romo Jersey
MaryAnn Jersey 1   MaryAnn Jersey 2

All of us 4

Grandpa Grandma Aidan 1

So on to the bored part…we had been so busy pretty much the entire month and now nothing…nothing to look forward to until the 20th of October when we go to PA for the Wholesale Show – it can’t come soon enough – I’m getting PA withdrawal. It will be one year since we made the trip and that’s just not a good thing!
Not even anything happening around here…no shows, no parties, no dinners – but I do have orders I’m working on and that’s good. Plus I really should get my mind in gear with some new ideas for next August for the Lititz show and the Artisan’s Porch Walk shows. Time does go by faster than ever it seems and it will be here before I know it.

Jump Drive    And….today I’m transferring all my files onto Flash Drives.  I have a few but they are small in storage space so today I bought one with a large enough file to hold ALL of my photos and website and other things can go on the other drives. 
I’m getting way too many photos on the computer.  Plus at the moment NOTHING is BACKED UP so it had better not crash while I’m in the process or I will have lost EVERYTHING important.  And YES, I do back up on the Flash Drives…but last night I cleaned them all off to start over and that’s when I discovered not a single one was large enough…so please say a silent prayer for me today.

Noahs_ArkAnd for the Ark…well it has been raining here since last Sunday….every single day and night…off and on, off and on…just pouring when it does come on so it makes you not to even want to leave the house. Very gloomy. I need some kind of pick me up and quick!
If I was a drinker (for pleasure that is) I’d have my husband light the fireplace and sit back, read and gulp sip on a Mimosa!
How’s that for bad behavior - and on a weekday at that!

Two leaves Two leaves Two leaves Two leaves

Where does the time go – this month just started and it will be October when we wake up tomorrow…It feels like Sept. just started. I know the older one gets the time flies by, but this is ridiculous – is it just me?  Or do you feel time is just going by way too fast ?

I had thought maybe it’s because we plan so far ahead for things, or maybe we are wishing our lives away wishing for the next ‘fun’ thing to happen.
I wish I could just sit back and not think about tomorrow and then maybe it wouldn’t get here quite so fast.  What’s the answer.

So my blogging buddies (Thank You) and all others that come visit me from time to time (I thank you too)…I hope I didn’t run on too long.
Guess for not having much to say today I did go on and on didn’t I ?

Have a great weekend and wishing you all a beautiful October!

Blessings,

Karen

Friday, September 23, 2011

A Bit more Fall & Some New Goodies

Well this week I have been busy with ‘business’ things so not much has been happening in my little world , no more gallivanting around the countryside like the last two weeks– but I did manage to buy some White pumpkins and get them out on the porches and I put out a few Halloween things but not much.  My decorating is finished!

Pumpkin Tree

This is in the screen room
On Table in Screen Room 

Chandelier

Wreath 

Front Porch

Front Porch 3

Back Porch 1

Today Doug’s cousins are coming over for a little get together – a few can’t make it so it’s going to be a small group but we’ll still enjoy the day and then we’re having a Soup/Sandwich Supper.

There are so many wonderful shows coming up this Fall – only wish I lived in several places at one time to attend them all.  I think besides the Oaks, PA Wholesale show late October and then the Simple Goods Show the first weekend of November that’s all we’re going to be doing. Except for the trip to Arkansas and little jaunts up north we haven’t gone anywhere since January and I’m getting antsy legs!

If you look in the side bar to the left I added two new items for Fall – my Candy Corn Hugger and Mug Mats.
 DSC04690-1

A couple weeks ago I ordered some Weavers Cloth fabric from a dear blogger who was selling it. I think now to date I bought all she has (the other order arrived today).  It’s coming at a good time too because I’m preparing for next Summer’s Littiz Craft Show. Need to get stitching some goodies.
Weavers cloth

Oh, last weekend we went up north to the Wisconsin Dells for their last hurrah for the Summer – I found a couple things at the Flea Market and some great hand made mittens at the craft show.

Another Pewter top Syrup Pitcher and a much needed Pastry Blender – it has a metal handle so it should fit nicely in my hand.
Pitcher Blender 

And the warm mittens made from old sweaters
Mittens

Nothing else is going on here so I’ll close for now – just wanted to check in.

Karen

pcdividergcg

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Home - Rich – Warm – Aromatic - Cozy

These are a few of my favorite words that describe FALL.

I don’t like pushing the year along but Spring and Summer even with their awaking of life with new baby animals, buds on trees/bushes and the bright flowers that make us smile…I still like the warm, rich warm colors of Fall.

it’s a secure feeling and I’m sure you all get that feeling too – like a cocoon to hold us in for the long haul of Winter – such rich soothing colors and aromas.

This past weekend I packed away all the bright pastel fru-fru colors of Spring and Summer and brought out my favorites.
It may look like a lot of decor because of the amount of pictures here, but seriously it’s just placed here and there…if you aren’t looking you may not even notice I put Fall out in some areas of the house…but I don’t want clutter.

I first want to tell you about our fantastic camping get-away with (almost) life long friends, Paula and Rick Anderson. I met Paula just after starting 10th grade (15 years old???) and we first met in Home Economics class – she was this adorable naturally curly headed cutie…and you just wanted to be friends with her and we have been ever since.  I spent many of over nights at her house and I think I fell in love with her parents too – I guess because my parents were freshly divorced it felt good and warm to be in a whole family situation…but anyway – we have been friends since 1959!

They have a beautiful motor home and spend the summers in Woodfuff, WI as hosts of one of the State Campgrounds.
We have been invited up there many times but this is the first it has worked into our schedule.

Camping 1

We just arrived….
Karen and Paula

We had a fantastic dinner of Blue Gill and Crappies and campfire potatoes!
Camping 2

Camping 5 

Friends camping at a different park joined us for dinner and a great evening
Camping 3

The next evening Rick took us for a boat ride to check for Eagles…we saw two.
Eagle 1

Eagle 2

The next day, Paula took me into Minocqua to a fantastic shop I’ve heard so much about and always wanted to go to but a 5 hour drive is just too far for a shopping day. THE 13TH COLONY.

I must say I was not disappointed – it lived up to everyone’s description.
I’ll post a photo of it here but then you will have to click on the tab at the top to see the wonderful shop.
I asked to take pictures and was graciously given permission – even so, I felt guilty snapping away.

I did buy a few goodies there.
Three different bunches of drieds to hang on my beams, and a bunch of Sunflowers for my daughter in-law, and some really neat gourds that look like pumpkins – called GOURDKINS. Never heard of them but I liked them.
And I got a string of Pumpkin rinds and a wax pumpkin.
Drieds

A customer of mine wanted my Pumpkin Basket Penny Rug in black and I love how it turned out.
Some of my best designs are from customer suggestions…Thanks Linda! Hope you like it!!!

DSC04355

So on with the Fall decor!
Photos may look like I put out a lot but seriously it’s only here and there. I have about as many totes of Fall as I do Christmas so I packed a lot of it away and probably will take it to Goodwill.

I have to show you these pumpkins side by side…left one is as it was and the right one I rubbed with Brown paste shoe polish to make it a bit more Prim and it turned out nicely.
Pumpkins before after

Another one only half done
Pumpkins before after small

Both are done and are in my large trencher on my family room coffee table.
Trencher with pumpkins 1

On fireplace mantle
Fireplace

Looking from family room into screen room – I put a berry wreath around each of the mirrored sconces
FR into SR

On coffee table in screen room
Pumpkin basket

In screen room
Fall leaves screen room

Table in kitchen at entry
Kitchen table Fall

On top of pantry
Above pantry

Noodle board in kitchen
Noodle Board

Above the cabinets, the only space we left open – the rest have soffits
Above cabinets 2 

Grain box on dining room table
Grainery Box and Goose 

On hutch in den
Hutch

Our room – not fond of Sunflowers but ran out of flowers
Bedroom Sunflowers

Today I went out and bought some real Pumpkins and large potted Mums for the porch benches – still need more outside so no pictures yet.

Saturday we had our family/cousins golf outing. Now this has been going on beginning with Doug’s mother and her sisters. They are all gone now and it is being carried on with the next generation.  We didn’t go to the first ones – had little ones and couldn’t afford to go for a weekend and you had to be 18 years old to join – no kids!
We have been going for approx. 30 years now – and for me the last 3 years. I had no interest in golf but it is growing on me and they are a great fun bunch to be with so even if you don’t golf you can still go.
This year there weren’t as many as normal – but there were 36 of us. Afterwards one of the cousins owns a golf driving range/pro shop and restaurant so that’s where we ended up for dinner and presentation of prizes.

Our team came in 2nd…they play ‘best ball’ so there was no help from me!!!
Second Place
But I did score a towel by default because someone didn’t claim it….
Karen

Dan and Jamie came this year too – I was glad they could – Jamie golfed and Dan had to work and came in time for dinner
Dan and Jamie 1 

We had a great grilled pork chop, cheesy potatoes and corn
Meal

It looks like I save up all my posts and pictures and put them all in one but really I don’t…You all know by now I’m just a chatty one, and have lots of pictures.
I know this one is long but I have one more thing to show you….one of my customers bought one of my patterns for this Mitten Penny Rug and she sent me a picture of her version of it…isn’t it adorable. I love how she changed it up with colors she had and I love the Prim stitching here and there.
Thanks Lecia…you did a great job.
SD531999
Here’s the original design
Mittentablemat

Well folks that’s about it for me…thanks for sticking with me and I will be around to visit you – Google has not been my friend this past week.
It loads very slow and when I open your blogs it just sits there…can’t even comment….and I had to do this post 3 different times…my pictures are pixilating on me…what’s up with that!

Karen