Thursday, January 27, 2011

To Post or Not To Post

Well, that heading got ya didn’t it - but really I haven’t been blogging for quite some time and haven’t visited your blogs like I want to so by making a new post of my own I feel wrong until I get around to all of you…..but I feel so darned chatty and when you start reading you will see – I just can’t stop….lol

I need to say Thank You to everyone who has been checking in on me – I knew I had many internet/blogging friends but to have you e-mail me with concern and love, well, I just am overwhelmed…what a great wonderful group of friends – I will try not to stay away so long again.


I haven’t been in the mood for the computer or anything like that - I have barely been on the forums for that matter.
Maybe it’s the Winter blahs or just nothing good to talk about, but that’s no excuse for not visiting all of my friend.
I certainly have no creative energy flowing for my website - it’s  being challenged right now! I have had no updates on products for quite awhile either.

RUG HOOKING….
So what have I been doing the last month????
I have given myself some fun time with Rug Hooking.
Remember back in the Fall a friend sent me a wonderful package of wool, etc. to get me started, and I also purchased a frame - well I finally got to it!
I drew a Pineapple pattern much like the Pineapples on my Penny Rugs and found it to be very relaxing (after figuring out how to start it).
I have the design finished but need wool for the background.
Pineapple HR Pattern 

Karen HR 1

Lots of boo-boos but I still think it’s fine for a first-time rug. What about a Chocolate Brown background???

Pineapple Hooked Rug

Then I drew a traditional Penny Rug pattern and started that one yesterday but that is a challenge!
I don’t have enough wool to create it with even colored Pennies so I decided to do it in a random design and I think it will work out better. I will need to increase the border by 2-3 more rows but needed to set a parameter for guides.

Pennies Rug Pattern

Pennies HR

Yesterday we took a drive into Milwaukee to LOG CABIN RUGS which is in the JUST A LITTLE BIT COUNTRY shop in Waukesha. And one of the most wonderfully Colonial/Primitive shop in the area.
I had no intentions of buying anything - just wanted to see what she had to offer and possibly get some scissors.

2 squares of Red Wool, piece of Monks Cloth and 2 rugs kits later we left. Whew, I guess I’m on overload with Rug Hooking kits. Can you have too many ‘starter kits’?
Plus the one I ordered from the internet a while back…have to start that one but I wanted to do some practice ones first.

 HR Chair Pad

HR Saltbox sheep 

DAMAGED WOOD FLOOR
So what do you get when you let a 2 year old play with your Pewter Goblets???? This.

Hole in wood
I stared at this little hole for the rest of the weekend and then called the installer to come see what he could do - he’s actually our daughter in-laws brother. So he came and said it was not going to work to patch it but recommended replacing the board - all I could see is the entire half of the floor tore up just to get one board replaced but he assured us that he could take the one board out and it would be fine. He does the every so often and it works very well.
So that’s what he did and it’s like nothing happened.

Doug cutting floor 1

Floor 1

Floor 2

Floor 3 
So now Aidan is off the hook and Grandma learned her lesson. Normally he doesn’t  play with the Pewter, but he was playing ’eating’  and at one point got away from us and dropped the goblet and it hit just right .

Speaking of Pewter…a couple weeks ago I bid on a Pewter Creamer and Sugar set…I placed the first bid and lo and behold I was the only bidder and got it for $5.00. I hadn’t given it another thought and a few days later there was the e-mail from e-bay saying I won! Yeah…I have only bid on something years ago when I was buying my Strawberry Hill dishes.
It’s small and rather pitted but for some reason I gravitate towards the darker, more worn Pewter. It tells a story of it’s life.
Pewter creamer and sugar
Here it is by something so you can see the size better
Creamer set

BATHROOM….
We are in the process of getting our bathroom redone - not gutted and all new everything, but we had a glass company come to measure for a shower/tub enclosure. I’m tired of always going upstairs to shower so this will be much more convenient.
We had our choice of styles and chose to go all the way with the clear frameless glass - I don’t want it to be turned into a tight dark space. We have about another week before it’s in and I can’t wait.

We’re also replacing the cabinet fronts. We would love to replace the counter and sinks BUT back when the bathroom was put in (in the early 50’s) they used these tiny 1 inch tiles and the entire bathroom and counters are done in this - and if we remove it, it will tear up the walls and that will lead to new drywall…you know how one thing leads to another - so that will have to be decided soon. A new floor is in order as well.
IF we change the cabinets and counters, we are going to just one bank of cabinets, not the L shape. But we will keep 2 sinks. The space under the window where the cabinet is now will be a Primitive cupboard of some kind.

Tub area now – it used to have a glass enclosure years ago but were removed when we had the tub-sinks-tiles re-surfaced.  It was ALL in that horrible ‘50’s Pepto Bismol Pink!
And I never wanted those old ugly doors put back on either.
Tub 1

Bathroom cabinets 2

Bathroom cabinets 3

Bathroom cabinets 4 
The drawer and door fronts will be a paneled door – maybe in a Shaker style.
And then that will in turn make the room need to be re-papered…see, one thing leads to another.

We could have the room gutted and redone but with the age of the house and all the other improvements we have made we could very well over-improve the house with too many changes and never get the money back if and when we sell.

So that’s what I have been up to this past month as well as running to Janesville visiting our ill aunts and me still doctoring with my disc/hips. That’s on-going so won’t go into it.

Oh dear, before I  foget – In return for a favor, one of our blogging buddies sent me some beautiful goodies…I want to say THANK YOU TO VAL – http://lifeslittlegarden.blogspot.com/

She sent a handful of her own hand made Okra Santa’s….aren’t they cute!
And… a wonderful mini spatula ( I love these for desserts), a cute ‘spade’  with Thank You on the handle, a lovely color of Pink Lip Gloss! It tastes good too…, and a handmade dishcloth. Now am I spoiled or what just for loaning her some books to read. Who do you think got the best of this one????

 Gifts from Val

This is the life of a cat in my house….always sleeping and very cozy! Lola’s favorite place to sleep because the morning Sun shines on the pillow topper.
Lola on bed pillow 2
Lola on bed pillow

Thanks for visiting me and I promise to get around to all my friends as soon as possible – don’t give up on me.

Karen

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Snowy Ride and Whispers of Christmas Past

A few days before Christmas – the 21st to be exact - we had a very pretty snowfall so early in the afternoon I asked Doug if we could take a ride so we headed on out into the country – what a peaceful ride with anticipation of Christmas soon to come and then the New Year. I wasn’t feeling well at all as you all know so I had hoped this would take my mind off of everything and it did for awhile so join me on my little 2 hour ride.

Snow on fence

Water Tower

Gate at B&B by our house

 B&B

Old Cabin

 Fence

Just too pretty fence 

Another house in country

House in country

 Country road

We put all our Christmas things away yesterday and today and I really miss the look and feel the greens and berries give. I could have left just those up but then it’s re-arranging everything in the containers to put them away later so just as easy to do it all at once.
My home feels bare now – what I had out before the decorating doesn’t feel right for some reason. Do you feel that way???
In a few days when my eyes have time to reconnect to the old familiar decor everything will be good again.
So I thought I put a few Whispers of Christmas Past for one last time.

Photo 10
Photo 9
Photo 8
Photo 7
Photo 6
Photo 5

Photo 1

Photo 2
Photo 4
Photo 3

Our New Years was very typical of all our New Years Eve’s. We stay home and have a nice evening meal and watch a few movies but this year he watched, I kind of did but read my Kindle – Doug had Steak and Crab Claws and I had a steak and that was our evening. Quiet and very traditional for us.
Today was a very lazy and snacking day and leftover Scalloped Potatoes for dinner tonight – maybe later I will pop some popcorn but it had better be sooner than later, it’s already 7 pm here.

Yesterday and today my discs hurt something awful so it has been keeping me low…but when I think of all those out there that are suffering I feel small – very small.
Some are hurting to the point of no healing so I thank the Lord I have just this bothering me and that brings me to
JEN of Taylor’s Farmhouse Attic 
http://taylorsfarmhouseattic.blogspot.com/
Jen…my heart goes out to your family, your brother, for the loss of his precious little son. What a tragedy. Your brother is strong…bless him and your entire family.
Robby
Jen’s Nephew Robby

Thank you to all my wonderful followers and friends – I’m so honored to have met several of you this past year and hope this coming year to meet even more of you. We all seem to be ‘like’ kind of people and that is a good thing.

May you all have a wonderful happy new year.
Karen