Such a busy summer

 I've been keeping myself busy making products for our upcoming show October 2nd
and trying to keep cool.
The weather has been great BUT when it gets hot it really is HOT!!!
 And I don't like summer - I may have mentioned that at some point
(many times) over the years.

Anyway - summer has been filled with lots of things
and one was our new great-granddaughter.

Kira Haze Julin born June 7th, her big brother turned 8 on the 16th.

Then on the 20th we went to our grandson Aidan's 13th birthday,
on July 3rd his sister Miranda turned 9 so that was another gathering 😄

Are we tired....yep!!!

And in between other things cropped up....family get togethers, lunches
and just general things, you know like cleaning, cooking, groceries!

KIRA - 2 days

KIRA - 4 weeks

ZAYNE - 8 years


MIRANDA - 9 years

Like I said - in between all of these things I've been creating for the show

Here's just a few items

I had such fun making these

PUMPKIN SPROUTS

I put one set on a long board and then separated a set to have 3 on a board

They just make me smile!!!

A few Punch Needle

Thanks so much for stopping by!
Karen

So much going on!!!

How does one start when there has been such a lull???
Well I guess I back up to last month - and this month is already half over.
I don't know about you all but time goes so fast and you really don't realize it until you look back...scary!  It's like you don't have a feeling of 'time' - a week or 2 weeks seems like it was just a day or two ago...okay, I won't go there anymore...but it just seemed to hit me this past few weeks how fast time does go by.

So what has been happening in my neck of the woods - well, not a lot of interesting things but we did go down to TN to visit my sister again and it was so nice seeing her and her family. I miss my big sis being close but I don't have any control over where she lives...so we travel to see her.  
While there we stopped in at a wonderful place called 'The Gallery' and I found a wonderful large basket that is going to get some Geraniums in it.

(remember you can click on the pictures to view larger)

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Two weeks ago we went to Springfield, IL for a wholesale trade show and we had time when we arrived the day before so we went to the Abraham Lincoln Museum and it was the BEST!!!  I love this kind of history and the museum left me with wanting more.
If you get to Springfield, go to the museum and his home - you won't be disappointed.
I won't show more than these three pictures as there were several.

Lincoln's Home

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I did find just a couple things at the show and one is this doll that is for sale on my other site 'KM Primitives'.
http://kmprimitives.blogspot.com/

She has beautiful red hair and carries a key around her neck.

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Well, Spring does not want to come and stay with us here in the mid-west, but we did take advantage of it last month to get the mulch down and trees trimmed and one cut down.  Good job done and we have our sons and grandsons to thank for it.

We had an ornamental Pear tree in the back corner and it seems to grow up so straight and ugly so we had our son Brett take it down....plus it was in the back and we never got to enjoy the flowers anyway.

All finished and deciding who did the most work - no, they all worked themselves bone tired.

Eventually the flowers on the Service Berry bush came out but it was so windy and rainy that they fell of almost as soon as they came on. (these are not this years Service Berry's)

There are now flowers planted in this area

Our son Dan caught this shot of Aidan under a bush - he quietly peeked around the corner of the house to get the shot - I love it.

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And again it is Rhubarb season and yesterday I baked my first 
Rhubarb cake (recipe is above under 'Favorite Recipes')

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Oh my gosh - I think my mind has kind of gone wonky as well from those pain meds...Know what this is?

It's one of these!!!  The little plastic drip tray for under the George Forman grill that I use for making Panini sandwiches  :(

I went to make Panini sandwiches Saturday and after I turned it on we smelled this plastic odor - hummmm - lifted the lid and sure enough - a perfectly formed tray totally melted but fortunately it pulled right off - and YES, I let the grill get hotter and hotter to burn off any odor.
But the sandwiches turned out delicious as usual

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Aidan did take his First Communion and it brought tears to my eyes - we were so proud and blessed by it.
He was chosen to carry the wine.

Taking Communion

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And lastly - I have Two more Punch Needle designs on my KM Primitives site and am almost finished with another.
http://kmprimitives.blogspot.com/

This one is Peahen & Posies

And this one is Watering Can & Purple Coneflowers

Thanks again for stopping by - I will hopefully get some time to do some Blog hopping later today and visit you all!

Karen

DO YOU KNOW WHO MADE THESE

I am asking for help finding the make of these dolls - they are made by hand:
Abraham Lincoln, Betsy Ross, Ben Franklin and the Headless Horseman dolls

I have a customer who wants to purchase some for her shop.

They were made by a lady in Ohio, but she can't make out the rest of the words on the tags.  But it looks something like: V Mattoney but it could be something else. She purchased them in Lancaster, PA.

Any help would be greatly appreciated

E-mail me if you know something

Karen