Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Wonderful week!

Happy Tuesday everyone…it’s a beautiful windy day here in Wisconsin and perfect for drying my Down comforter – so on the line it will go after it’s done washing  (a fluff in the dryer first).
I have felt so good this past week that I’ve been a cleaning maniac – which may bite me in the end but I’m making hay while the sun shines so to speak.

This past weekend I washed ALL my windows…we have 18 windows plus the bow window and 3 doors…I always use just plain ole Vinegar in hot water and use paper towels to dry with…never use cloth as there is always a residue from laundry soap and softener…my windows shine like there isn’t even glass in them – until the first rain – then they will be spotted all over again!

Remember the Army blanket from awhile back – well I finally made a Penny Rug from it.  A customer ordered a Traditional Penny Rug and I gave her the option of fabrics…she jumped at the idea of the Army blanket for a backing and I just love it!!!   I will be offering them now with that choice along with the Osnaburg and FHWeavers cloth.
Here’s the one for my customer.

 Army blanket runner

Army blanket runner closeup

The next few weeks are going to be busy around here…our granddaughter’s baby shower is coming up – we have a graduation – and our step dad turns 90 on the 2nd so us and my brother/sil are taking him out to dinner hopefully next weekend.  It’s so hard to coordinate times with people anymore with everyone having such busy schedules.
Jamie has been keeping track of Alex’s pregnancy – how cute!  And YES, going to be Great-Grandparents…Yikes…
Oh…it’s a boy and his name is ZAYNE MARTINSEN-MELAHN
Alex

Our little Aidan is sick right now with a bad sore throat…throat culture was negative for strep.
Dr. said it’s just a plain ole sore throat and he threw up for the first time ever…he got scared and asked if he was going to die…poor little thing – he hasn’t been sick except with a cold before.
Little Miranda is crawling and pulling herself up to things and will walk very soon.
Her uncle and aunt sent her a little Minnie Mouse outfit for Christmas…adorable!
Miranda minni mouse

Looks like he hurts – poor baby!
aidan airplane

I’m selling my large hutch – want to put it on Craig’s list but haven’t figured out how yet.
I need something that has storage to replace it with.
It was built by a local furniture maker from my design – the construction is fantastic and solid.
Made from local barn wood
We do not deliver though!
Anyone interested can e-mail me.
Red Hutch 1
Plate rack 

Nice solid built doors
Door 1
Hutch Knobs

Have a wonderful week and thank you for stopping by to visit.
Karen

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Family Heirloom Weaver Bedspreads For Sale

Family Heirloom Weaver  Bedspreads
Queen size   95” x 107”
1 - Brown Check
1 - Brown Stripe

$80.00 each
E-mail me your full name and address
and the design you want to purchase
and I will send a Paypal invoice

kmprimitives@gmail.com

2 blankets

Plaid Blanket

Strpe Blanket

Saturday, April 20, 2013

New Wool and Spring just may be here!

Thursday and Friday we were at my brother and sister in-laws up north for a little R & R, but it seems when we go there it really isn’t resting at all because we seem to be in the car more than not going from place to place…not much different than where we live…have to drive far to get to anything worthwhile.

My goal was to go to
COUNTRY FRECKLES ( http://countryfreckles.blogspot.com/ ) in Wisconsin Rapids…Joni has the most wonderful shop.  She has so many beautiful things ( not junky things ). 
I always seem to walk out of there with a bag of ‘something’.
This time it was Wool (
but then again, when isn’t it Wool when I go there! ).
Oh and she had the rug hooking gals in too – one of the reasons I went there on a Thursday so I could get a few pointers on some of the problem areas when I do my hooking.  The girls there were so nice and some even knew me from my blog and I have to apologize for not remembering their names…something I’m terrible at.
Wool 3

Wool 1

The brown plaid on the bottom is not showing up as dark as it is – took a lot of shots but I think I got it now. It’s a dark Chocolate plaid.
Wool 9

I did get a chance to snap a couple pictures of the hookers!

This lady is making a most beautiful Owl hooking -
owl hook
Owl hooking

And this lady is almost finished with this beautiful sheep rug
Sheep hook

Country Freckles hooking class  

Joni is having a Coffee shop added to her shop – and she’s hoping also to have treats available as well.  The opening should be in a week or two. 
So please go and visit her shop, roam the huge store and then go back and enjoy her offerings in the Coffee Shop – it’s fantastic and you will see many, many wonderful treasures you will just have to come home with!

The gals were all wondering when I was going to be bringing in some of my products but I just haven’t had a chance and they also mentioned something like a Penny Rug workshop so I told them to go on my site and find a special design they like and we will have a workshop at Joni’s sometime in the winter - or sooner if I can manage it.  Sounds like lots of fun.
If I do decide to do this I will post the date and the cost on my blog and anyone who wants to join in can do so.

I finished up a special order for one of my wonderful faithful customers and got them shipped last week.  She has an Americana theme in her house and she asked for these items.
A long oversized runner
Long Americana Runner
And a scalloped edge runner
Flag scalloped edge runner
And a little tree skirt
Flag Tree Skirt

Okay…it’s a done deal…I put the door box back on and changed out the White Poppies with some little Yellow flowers.  Still not good but it is what it is.
door box final
And I put the floppy wreath on the family room window.  No more changes!
DSC09578

(A note:  I had this on my blog awhile back but took it off  almost immediately because I had soooo much going on – and saved it for a future post – but some of you may have seen it already. )
A few weeks ago we went to St. Charles, IL to a Primitive Folk Art show.  We found some beautiful dining room chairs, although we didn’t come home with them.  They need to be made.
When we were there for the Fall show this gentleman was there and we were going to order the chairs then but didn’t – well he was there again this time so we got to talking to him and ordered 2.  Not sure when they will be ready – he said approx. 4 months.

The Windsor chairs and accessories are built using the skills developed by the 18th century craftsmen, constructed by hand with tools long ago forgotten.

We have been looking for Comb Back Windsor’s for ages.  The finish will be Red undercoat with Black on top – it’s very subtle – barely know there’s Red underneath….and the seats, wow…they are scooped to fit you perfectly.
Don’t have any ‘real’ pictures of it.  We will put them at each end of the table.

Here he is doing his work:  Check out his site and read how he makes his chairs…all very primitive.
http://periodwindsors.com/about/
http://periodwindsors.com/
 Jim 
windsors

And the chairs we ordered
 
Windsor

Oh my…I did mention something about Spring didn’t I????
Well remember the empty nest from my last post?  I thought mama Robin had abandoned it but on Monday she came back and laid 4 beautiful eggs.
But it puts us in a huge bind because it’s right at the back entrance and when we even come onto the porch she leaves.
We need to power wash the porch – stain…go in and out of the screen room.  I guess we may have to change the door we use.
Wish the mama good luck!
Robins nest 1

That’s it for this week…thanks to all my wonderful friends who visit regularly, and to those who like to read but not comment…All are welcome!

Blessings to all
Karen
 

Sunday, April 14, 2013

What can happen in a weeks time???

Well RAIN…that’s what…5 days of it…we are over flowing here in Wisconsin.  But if that wasn’t bad enough – we woke up to snow this morning.  But it lasted not quite to noon as there was so much water in the ground and on the ground it didn’t have a chance.

Here’s what we had this week in our town – flooding!  These are the good areas– we could not get near the bad areas.
The water usually flows easy over the dam but this week it’s rolling and churning.

(remember you can click on pictures to make them bigger)
Echo lake 1

This is someone’s yard
photo (8)

Normally this area is closed off during flooding season…it always goes across the road.
flooding 2 

Spring is being kind and going on as usual in other areas like this Robin’s nest right at our back door (the only door we use). It’s so perfect – nature is such a wonder.

Birdsnest 1

Birdsnest 3

Birdsnest 2 
I doubt if mama will be back as it’s too busy in this area – but she has done it before there but the last time it was on top of the light by the wreath.
But this is all the good I can say about our Spring here…makes me wonder if it will ever arrive as our temps just can’t get past 37-38.

So what else have I been doing this week…again not a whole lot during the week but yesterday (Saturday) I looked on the internet for some antique or craft shows and found one at the same place in IL as the craft show we went to a couple weeks ago so off we went on a quick jaunt and a quick jaunt turned into almost double time as we did not believe the GPS….and headed down the wrong highway and ended up 45 minutes west of where we were to be.  Guess we have to start believing the ‘lady in the box’.

I didn’t find anything fun as far as antiques as it was a very disappointing show. Lot’s of vintage clothing, vintage jewelry, war memorabilia – stuff like that…nothing household or fun.
But….I did see a couple of wool blankets in a box on the floor and the lady came and said anything in that area was $10 each.  Well I had been looking at these 2 wool blankets for $28 each…took them both!!!  Could not leave them there for $10 each as there is lots of good wool for Penny Rugs and Rug Hooking.
I especially liked the Ivory/Tan one.  I thought the stripes would work up nicely in a hooked rug – giving it some depth with the 2 different Ivory/tans.  And it’s huge!!!
tan blanket

And this awesome huge Army blanket
army blanket 
Over the past year I had purchased lots of this great Army blanket wool from Margie (Hungry Hook Primitives) but I’m thinking she must be all out by now…lol
I will wash these and make sure they are free of ‘stuff’ though….who knows, right?

And at the beginning of the week I received a sweet little package from Danice from http://homespunhannahblog.blogspot.com/
I had won her Nodding into Spring Giveaway.
The cutest little felt chick on a spring nodder and an adorable Penny Rug…and she also put a bundle of potpourri as a surprise!
THANK YOU DANCIE…I love it all.
from danice

Today after church we went grocery shopping and as we were carrying them in the house we got a call from our friends from Janesville – they wanted us to meet them for lunch someplace in between them and us so we jumped at the chance.  They chose a Japanese place in Delevan but it didn’t open until 4 pm which we didn’t know until we arrived so they suggested going across the highway to Lake Lawn Lodge.
This place has been an icon forever but closed a few years ago and re-opened last summer again.  For this we were happy as it is also a golf course – well basically a resort.
We had a long enjoyable delicious brunch and great company.
We got together with them at Christmas time over here – which is normally the only time we see them each year.  So this call was great!   And it was Charlie’s 72nd birthday today.
Us with Helen and Cahrlie

This was the view from our table…imagine how pretty in the summer and not this cold, cold lake
view from table

That’s it for me this week!
Enjoy

Karen

Monday, April 8, 2013

Some of this some of that!

Not sure what to post about this week – not too much exciting a life I live.

The rain is coming down in buckets this morning and it’s dark – so happy it isn’t snow though.  But we are to get some of that this week but I doubt it will stick as it’s so wet now.

Went to visit my step dad yesterday before going to a cousins supper and he showed me a picture of my mother – one I didn’t even know or possibly didn’t remember, existed. 
It’s so lovely I almost cried.  Boots asked me if I wanted it and I immediately said yes then saw his face and then said NO…IT’S YOURS!  I will take it home and scan it and bring it back…he smiled!  He’s such a dear man. Mom has been gone now for 45 years…a lifetime it seems as I was just 24 when she passed.

I’m guessing this is her graduation picture. Oh but I do remember her heart locket – I wonder what ever happened to that.  I never got a remembrance of her so maybe my sister got it…she got her rings I know that.

I’m thinking of maybe taking this someplace to see if they can restore the cracks…I don’t want to make the cracks worse and I know he would not know what to do with it.
Mothers graduation picture

A couple weeks ago we went to a show and I found a few items – nothing exciting but it was still fun to shop

These pictures are quite large and we had hoped they would go in the screen room – the frames are so pretty done in an aged Aqua leaning toward a green.
Green pictures

I use a lot of pitches for gatherings – especially when I make Mimosa’s!
I have always had my eye on the White/God stoneware.
The little crocks I’m using for my salt and pepper at the stove.
White and yellow ware

And good Lord one always can use another sheep…LOL
This one is larger than it appears…it’s about 9 inches high and 12 inches long.
sheep

This poor wreath – I put it up here to see how it would look…I DO NOT LIKE HOW THE FLOWERS HANG OUT!!!
I’m going to have to find something to pin them close to the wreath – it looks like it’s going to take flight!
I like it much better than the door box and will like it much better after I fix it.
( I’m beginning to think this door does not need anything on it – the door box was hideous and now this is not working right )

Yellow Wreath

Then I bought a few sprigs of Spring!  Some purple things but they did not have a name on them for what they were but I liked the length and the color.
And some Forsythia branches and a couple clusters of Spring flowers to put in a crock.
flowers

These little beauties are going in a screen box for the screen room
three white plants

See how pretty two of them look in the screen box…can’t wait to get the screen room ready for use although we have used it several times since Christmas – but I don’t have the pretties out there yet.
I have to be very careful not to junk up that room – I like keeping it bare but fresh looking so I think this box on one of the tables will be all I need besides those two pictures at the top here, and my birds nest that I keep on the coffee table.  Won’t need any more ‘stuff’ out there.

Screen box

On Good Friday last week we had Darren/family and Brett/family over for lunch and gave the little ones their Easter baskets.
Mirand – who is now crawling as of yesterday:
Miranda 2
Grandma and Miranda

Aidan:
Aidan 1

Em and Joe:  I can’t believe how big these two are getting! 15 and 13 already.
Em and Joe

Kids sent this Easter picture of Miranda and Aidan:
mirand and aidan easter 

I wish I had something fun to post here for you all – some new things happening but there just isn’t.

Hopefully going up north the end of the week to my brother’s place.  There’s a few Open House’s in Tomah and then I want to get to Wisconsin Rapids to Country Freckles.  She has lots of new hooked rugs and wool in.
http://countryfreckles.blogspot.com/

I’ve been getting out more lately – the pain is still the same but I’m pushing myself to do more and that aggravates it but I’m so tired of ‘not doing’ things I want.
I’m finally able to drive – what a freedom!  And so the first thing I did was head to Kohl’s and look for some summer clothes. 
I’ve lost quite a bit of weight over the last several months and nothing fits now.  I’m counting on NOT PUTTING IT BACK ON as I really went down in sizes.

I get another injection on the 16th so hopefully that will take away the pain for a couple months and then probably more again.  Then it will be another surgery for the SI joint which is the culprit and was in the beginning but the dr. did the lesser of the two surgeries thinking that would help…NOT!!!!

 

Recently blogger has not been updating the posts from the blogs I have on my sidebar…I see that some are shown as just posted but when I click on them to read they are several days prior…not sure why it isn’t updating.
I went to Bloglovin and see the current posts and then check my list and they are not the same.  Not sure what is happening.
So some of the reason I don’t get to your blog right away is because it doesn’t show a new post for me here.  But I do try and get to you!

QUESTION:  If I want to get an e-mail that you JUST POSTED on your blog how do I do that?
I sometimes see a note at the bottom of peoples blogs that says “link to this post”…but I want to link to the BLOG…not just that one post.  Anyone help here????

 

Blessing to you all…remember to say prayers for all our blog friends who need them right now and there are many!

Karen