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

AIDAN IS ONE!

Our youngest grandson, Aidan, turned one on Saturday and we went to his party - it had to be one of the hottest days this week as well - man it was hot! But we all had a wonderful time.
Unfortunately their pool wasn't ready otherwise it would have been a great way to cool off...but little Aidan got to - one of his aunties bought him this adorable pool and he sure loved it.

HERE HE IS WITH DADDY DARREN

DOUG, AIDAN, ME, MARYANN AND DARREN

So you see I don't have a lot to post right now....business has been busy for me so that's what has been keeping me away lately.

I'm so missing posting on here but the orders come first.

I miss all of you as well - I try and check in now and then but after I'm on the computer for about 1/2 hour I start getting antsy to get back to my sewing....so for now it's going to be slow for me posting.
Thanks for viewing today!

Karen

WHAT I BOUGHT

I did a lot of business shopping last week in Pennsylvania but you must know by now I always save a little money for something fun!

We purchased a birdhouse from Primitives By Kathys about 3 years ago and silly us we didn't weather proof it and this past winter took a toll on it so in the trash it went so I decided I'd replace it with the same one. We fell in love with it and couldn't imagine the garden without it so home came another one with us....isn't it pretty? No matter where we are we can see this from the house or the screen room



This red roofed birdhouse was its replacement this Spring - but it just didn't do anything

to us so we put it in the back yard garden area and really like it there - luckly we didn't have to put in a post for it - it just wedged on the fence post and with one screw up the bottom it now has a new home.


I also have been wanting a beeskeep - but a straw one...couldn't find one but did find the vine kind so we bought the large one for the garden and a smaller one for the porch bench which you can see in the flag picture - it's on the left side of the bench near the front corner.

When I arrived home I had a package in the mail and it was my long flag I ordered from Dawn of Holly Hills Primitives....doesn't it look wonderful there - I can see it from the screen room and the courtyard and driveway. It's really long too - drapes on the porch boards but it's the only place I could find to put it.

And a great surprise when we arrived home were my CHIVES...they finally flowered - last year they were dormant for some reason...I'm so happy!

I bought way more than these birdhouses but they are packed in the basement but will try and get to them soon.

Enjoy - Karen

HOME FROM PA

This past week I was in Lancaster, PA for a round of shopping, checking on the motel for THE GATHERING and attending a Graduation party....all went great! Well, all except the weather...RAIN EVERYDAY except for the day of the Gradutation party - sunshine all day and a great evening temp. and that was a blessing.

But first we stopped in Cranberry, PA for the first night and visited a friend, Linda Moczan - center with the white top....she's the one who will be doing home parties whenever I can get this thing off the ground. She invited us to dinner that evening for spaghetti and then some wonderful desserts. The two girls in the aqua are friends and they are sisters and the other lady is Kathy who came here to our house with Linda the first of May to talk about the party prospect.



Then on Wednesday when we arrived in Lancaster we met Grace Maurer from the Amish View Motel and what a charm! She gave us a most wonderful tour of the motel and I have to say to anyone wanting to have a peaceful place to stay on a visit to Lancaster...YOU MUST GO THERE!

The rooms, the gathering spaces and the views are to die for. After the wonderful tour we went up to Kitchen Kettle Village for lunch at the awesome KLING HOUSE. I do hope we can all get to have lunch there at least one time during the Gathering.

We are getting reservations slowly for the GATHERING so if you are thinking of joining us please get your name into the motel to reserve your room.

I got information on lots of places to shop and am still waiting to hear from more people before I decide on the Sight & Sound because of the group price....not that we can't do it even if we don't have a sure 15 - the price break isn't all that much.

I never thought I'd say I'm tired of shopping but I was glad to get in the car on Sunday morning to head home....POWER SHOPPING is a killer! lol So anyone coming to the Gathering you better get your rest in before hand!

View of the front of the motel - it's part of a huge complex of Family Style dining, shopping and relaxing.


This is the most wonderful gracious Grace!


View of the common space where the full course breakfasts are served

King rooms which we all will be having

On Thursday I met a group of girls in the little town of Columbia, from A Primitive Place forum. We had breakfast and exchanged gifts and then headed out shopping. I got a good taste of seeing what 'new friends' like to buy and the excitement was thick. I'm really looking forward to the GATHERING more than ever now!

Linda, Terri, Nikki, Kathy and me

Opening our gifts - my gifts are packed so I don't have a picture of them but we got pin cushions on a zink lid, a huge potted SWEET ANNIE plant...how wonderful, an adorable painted wood Colonial house plaque and a sweet prim pin and a fabric covered box with sugar cookie wax tarts in it.

After we went shopping as a group some had to leave but Kathy and I went on to an Antiques shop and she found me playing the ole pinball machine and riding a rocking horse!!! She had a hard time keeping track of me! lol

I do hope you enjoyed this little vacation with me although I have no goodies unpacked yet to take pictures of...that will be much later as I have a ton of things to unpack, laundry to do and tons of orders to get started on....by the way, I stitched out and back on the trip so I did get a couple orders finished.

Karen