Prairie's Edge Farm

Happy Birthday, Rick!

2012-03-08T08:27:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday was my wonderful husband's birthday.

We had dinner at home with the kids. I made him a favorite, chicken pot pie.

I found a chocolate cake recipe on Food Gawkers and had to try it. It's called Triple Chocolate Truffle Cake and it took me forever. (I messed up on 2 of the layers and had to start over!) But it was really good, though I think we decided the top layer should just be whipped cream instead of white chocolate- it was a little too sweet.

Rick got some great presents, including this chess set:

And we admired Tad's newest accomplishment, standing up and trying to balance on his own.

I have been sick with a bug for the last few days. Laying around, drinking tea, and watching TV. I don't feel like doing much, but I have done a little crocheting for an afgan (closed granny squares) and some quilting.

The quilting is almost done. Then the binding and I'm ready to start another one. I already have fabrics and an idea in mind. I'll show it soon.

It feels so much like spring out. Is there anything better than hearing birds singing in the morning? Well, I'm sure there is, but I'm loving it right now:)

Thinking of the Spring Garden

2012-02-28T12:15:00.000-08:00

I wanted to show a little wall hanging I just finished up. I had bought some cute fabric with tiny carrots that inspired this, but I ended up not using it. I found a piece in my stash that matched better and even looks like little radishes.

I used some felt for the radishes and peas, and added embroidery. Like I've said before, I love texture and these small touches add so much. No binding here, just right sides together with rickrack, some quilting and done! After the time consuming (for me) design part, the project went very quickly.

We are having a fairly warm day, about 50 degrees and I'm getting spring fever. I can't wait to get out and start digging in the dirt!

What To Do With All These Scrap?

2012-02-21T06:58:00.000-08:00

I didn't mean to be gone from the blog so long, but "things" kept me away. Like family - son # 1 going back to Europe, so we went to Chicago to see him, son #3 moving back home from the dorm. And work - even though I work part time, my hours are all over the place and I'm still acclimating.

I started this project a few days ago. I'm going through my huge stash of scraps and cutting the small pieces into usable squares. Since my color choices are changing, I need to use up the dark reds, blues and greens. I'm thinking a huge nine patch quilt. We'll see...

I also want to come up with a new way to store my fabric. I have been using several drawers in a dresser, but it is hard to see what I have without taking out piles of fabric and risk them getting all jumbled up. I would love to hear how every one organizes their fabric.

Since I didn't post about Valentine's Day, I'll leave you with the one decoration I actually put up. I made this wreath after admiring one at Joann's that was still $30 on sale. I made it for about $4!

Time for Tea

2012-02-11T06:02:00.000-08:00

I've had this design in my mind for awhile now and finally had the time to come up with a workable pattern.

I haven't done much designing, so it was a real thrill when they actually came together like I envisioned. I think I will be adding a vintage button to each and next time do the quilting by hand. The next batch will be in my shop soon, I hope.

I couldn't resist these tulips from the grocery store. The pink really brightens up the kitchen and makes me happy. And it's a reminder that spring really is just around the corner!

A Good Day

2012-02-05T18:24:00.000-08:00

What a nice Sunday we had, just staying at home. In the morning, our son Andrew came by with Tad, to give Alison a little break. We played and walked around the yard, watching the chickens and soaking up the sun.

After Tad's nap we had a lunch of homemade vegetable soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. (Well, Tad didn't eat that, we did!) After they left, Rick and I spent the afternoon trimming the fruit trees. It needs to be done in late winter before the trees start to bud.

As I was putting a dish of lasagna in the oven, some friends stopped by with a plate of chocolates they had made. Aren't they pretty? Yummo!

In between all this, I got some hand quilting done and talked to our other 2 sons on the phone. Have to hear from them at least once a week or this mom gets anxious:)

The only bad part of the day was finding out the bees had died. These days it's not unusual, but we were sad. The guys cleaned out the hive and collected the honeycomb.

Andrew took two big pans of comb home to render the honey.
And look at this comb without honey. It is so pretty and you can really see how perfect the hexagons are. I'm going to be making some lip balm with this.

Now Rick is watching the game. I'm watching the commercials and quilting. Yes, I'd say it was a good day!

Valentine Swap

2012-02-03T11:34:00.000-08:00

Earlier this week I came home from work to find a box on the porch. Don't you just love that?! And this is what was inside - all from my swap partner, Terri from http://tinkerthroughtime.blogspot.com. We had entered the Valentine's swap hosted by Vivian.

Terri included so many beautiful things! Take a look at that trim, the sparkly hearts, and the velvet and lace.
She also made this cute little box with stickpins and charms.

Thanks so much Terri! I'm going to enjoy using and admiring all these lovelies.

Job Update - I just finished my first week at the library and I have to say I love the work, but not the hours. After being a full time mom for 25 years, I have tried several part time jobs in the last 5 years looking for the right fit. (I'm not interested in pursuing interior design, which is my college degree.) The other jobs I tried had great hours, but left me bored. So even though I have to work some weekends, I'm going to stick with it. What can I say? I love books!

Fabric Love

2012-01-29T12:07:00.000-08:00

I am really excited to be sewing again and new fabric really helps. Last weekend we took a short road trip to Noblesville, a small town north of Indianapolis, and found Always In Stitches. A great shop just full of quilting fabrics. As it was getting near their closing time, I just bought a few pieces:

I also picked out some beautiful fabrics from an etsy shop, Sew Deerly Loved.

Japanese fabrics with a great feel.

These colors are so different from what I usually work with. I blame it all on blogland! And I say, my style is evolving. That sounds good, doesn't it?

Here is a bag made with some of the new fabric. I got the pattern from an old American Patchwork and Quilting. I did change it up a bit, doing the lining differently.

I love all the details, like the yoyo flower and tied handles.

I decided I needed to purge some of my older fabric scraps to make room for the new. So I made up an old favorite pattern Paddlewheels and Pinwheels by Thimbleberries. I made one of these years ago and it's in tatters now.

Very quick and easy, and it showcases hand quilting nicely.

So this is what I'm working on today, while my husband cleans up the basement :) I don't know if any of our kids are coming for dinner - Tad has been sick, and Eric is doing schoolwork - but I'm making a pork roast. Yum! They should come and help us eat it and the chocolate cake with truffle frosting I made.

I hope everyone has a great week. This will be my first regular week of work. I'll let you know how it goes.

Instead of Doing Housework...

2012-01-19T12:26:00.000-08:00

As you can tell from my last post, I have been having a lot of fun making small sewing and quilted projects lately. When I am working on a large quilt I feel like I have to finish it before starting something else. And there are so many cute things I want to make!

Here are a few of the projects I've done lately:

The pattern for this pincushion and needlebook set is from Country Threads. I love anything with herbs, so I had to make it. But I had trouble coming up with enough fabric from my stash. I don't have much lavender and purple, so I had to change up the pattern a bit.

This cute little needlecase is from a tutorial on this blog.

I used a different design for the front (can't remember where I got it, sorry), but I loved what Amy did for the back.

And for the inside:

If you like cute little quilting morsels, you should check out her blog. Lots of inspiration.

Well now I need to get some housework done. Oh, and guess what? I got a job working part time at the library branch near our house. So convenient, and I've always wanted to be a libraian. Being around all those books! I can't wait to start.

Recent Projects and a Book

2012-01-11T18:33:00.000-08:00

With the holidays over and my hands completely healed, I've started in with my job searching. Not Fun! But after each session on the computer I reward myself with some crafting time.

This quilt pattern was in my new craft binder. I made it somewhat smaller than shown, so it will be the right size to hang on one of our quilt racks. I really like the soft colors, and doing the applique.

Then I made a bag that was inspired by one I saw on this blog. I like how she used a small cross stitch design on linen in the lower section. I don't have many cross stitch patterns anymore, so I looked for one online. Then I found some linen in my stash. But the weave was so small I thought I would go blind, crazy or both if I kept working at it.

I finally finished the stitching (with many mistakes) and made up this lined bag with a covered button. I still have to get some stretchy bands for the closure.

It's a nice size to store our Nook. I bought the Nook for my husband, and even though we prefer books, it has already come in handy. During the holidays there was a discussion about The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, and I knew I wanted to read it. It's a very interesting story. Anyone else reading it?

Some New Year's Organization

2012-01-06T09:33:00.000-08:00

I have an addiction to magazines. There, I said it. I have a serious problem with all the wonderful, colorful, creative magazines. Can any of you relate? Well, I decided I needed to do something about all the craft magazine I had. All those projects; I was overwhelmed and I could never decide which ones to make. Besides, all those magazines were taking up valuable shelf space.

So this is what I did - I went through all the magazines, tearing out only the projects I knew I wanted to make, making sure I had the directions and patterns for each. Then I just put them in page protectors in a three ring binder.

I tried to keep seasonal projects together to make it easier to choose what to make. I will probably keep the pattern pages even after making those projects. If I need a pattern for a flower or a bird I can probably find it somewhere in here.

Now when I want to make something I just flip through my binder. And since I can see how many projects I have waiting to be made, I can use a little discretion about new magazines. At least I will try:)

Our youngest son is packing up to go back to his dorm today. After dropping him off at Purdue (a 10 minute drive!) I'm going to my favorite garden center to buy some seeds. They have a huge selection and it's very hard to limit myself. But there are certain perennials I start every year, like delphiniums, hollyhocks and foxgloves. And now that we have the greenhouse, I'm going to get more annual seeds to save money in the spring.

So how is your new year's organizing going?

It's a Family Tradition

2011-12-31T09:14:00.000-08:00

6 month old Tad sitting up. Isn't he a sweetie!

We had a wonderful Christmas, but we're not done celebrating yet. Tonight we are going to a friend's house for dinner, and then more Christmas tomorrow with my niece and her family. Of course, Tad will be here with his parents, and Eric. Justin is in D. C. interviewing for jobs. (Good luck, Justin!)

Tad was just 2 weeks old the last time Justin saw him!

Rick was sick on Christmas and didn't go back to work until Wednesday. Now I've got his bad cold. But we are not surprised. At least one person in our family has been sick during the holidays for as long as we can remember. We can tell stories of kids spending Christmas Day in bed, or Thanksgiving on the sofa. It's a curse, I tell ya. Maybe if I sleep this afternoon I'll be well enough to do what needs to be done. Wish me luck!

I want to wish a Happy New Year to all my blogging friends! Can't wait to see what we come up with in 2012!

Cookies and Candy and Bread, Oh My!

2011-12-23T13:47:00.000-08:00

I've spent the afternoon finishing up the cookie baking to add to the candies and quick breads I made earlier. I've cut back on the cookies this year to just these three family favorites: Mexican Weeding Cakes, iced sugar cookies, and Santa's Whiskers.

I really enjoy making candy (and eating it!) so I made caramels, chocolate and peanut butter fudge, and cashew brittle. Our youngest son, Eric was helping me with the brittle and we were laughing and having a good time, and I forgot to chop the cashews up. I just poured them in without thinking. It's all Eric's fault!

The fudge recipe is from my late mother-in-law. I'm not sure where she got it, but the recipe is called "The $350.00 Fannie May Fudge Recipe" I don't know if that's true, but I can tell you it's the best fudge we've ever had and we buy fudge where ever we travel just to check.

I made two kinds of quick breads: cranberry orange, and applesauce. These are for gifts and snacking this weekend.

So, I'm just about finished with the preparations. Tomorrow I'll make pies, and wrap the last gifts. Sunday we will have a buffet that we can munch on all day. Baked ham, biscuits, veggies, fruit, cheese. All very simple.

I hope everyone is getting things done and can relax and enjoy this wonderful time with family. Merry Christmas!

Tag Swap Goodies

2011-12-21T13:06:00.000-08:00

I wanted to show all the wonderful tags I received from the swap hosted by Elizabeth here.

So many fun and creative tags. I love them! Thanks ladies. Let's do something like this again in the spring, OK?
(Sorry, I forgot to get a picture of the ones I made.)

Holiday Home Tour

2011-12-17T09:12:00.000-08:00

I don't know about the rest of you, but I like my house more during the holidays than any other time of the year. With the trees, lights, decorations, and good smells, it is so cozy and comfortable.

As I was finishing up the major cleaning (to be ready for the messes to be made this coming week!) I was admiring the afternoon light coming in and how beautiful everything looked bathed in the glow. You know I'm not a photographer, so I can't capture what I was seeing. Just use your imagination!

Family room, part of kitchen.

Sam wanted to say hello.

Up until last year, the cabinets were dark green. I'm still deciding whether I like them:)

Counter display with Christmas cards. Love to see everyone's growing families.

Our bedroom. Lots of local artists' ornaments here.

Living room.

Favorite Christmas books.

Rick made this hutch for one of our first Christmases.

Can you believe that I got this church at an antique store for $7.00?

Now up the stairs...

The upstairs, with my craft room and guest room is done in pastels. This tree has tiny glass ornaments.

Well, that's the end of the tour. I hope you enjoyed it. We try to go on a holiday tour every year. One of my favorite houses to see is our state representative's. It is over the top for Christmas, just like the lady herself, but so fun and so much to look at. Not my style, but I enjoy it anyway, you know?

Have a great weekend!

Some Decorations

2011-12-14T08:48:00.000-08:00

I'm having trouble getting some good pictures of the decorations in the in the kitchen. So bear with me...

This is our nature tree. It's one of those twiggy trees and I put handmade nature related ornies on it. There are some carved bee skeps, seed covered balls, and birds nests. I need to dry some orange and apple slices. They look like stained glass when the lights are shining through them.

I made this guy last year from a tutorial by Linda Albrect, I think.

Nativity made by my step sister about 25 years ago.

I made this Santa from a pattern in Create and Decorate.

I put a strand of battery lights in here. Got the idea from Elaine at here.

We have been having problems with our Christmas lights this year. They worked fine when we put them up, but one by one, they are going out. So guess what I'm doing today? Taking all the ornaments off the tree in the living room, replacing the lights, then redecorating. My husband is putting new lights on the greenery around the porch doors. Hopefully we will be fine for the rest of the season!

New items in Etsy shop

2011-12-11T08:47:00.000-08:00

Just a quick post about some new things available in my etsy shop, here. I have a few new clothespin bags, hand embroidered to match vintage look fabric.

I especially like the chicks, which come from an old transfer, that match that chick fabric.

I also have some new lavender scented sachets, made using vintage hankies.

Any of these would make great gifts. I will be including a handmade tag in each order!

We are having a busy day today. My husband and I are going to a home tour - six old houses decorated for the holidays. Also cookie baking, and dinner with the kids. How is everyone coming along with the preparations? Have a great Sunday.

Decking the Halls

2011-12-07T16:12:00.000-08:00

I've finally finished the decorating and thought I would first show this little cabinet in our entry hall. It was easy to fix up with some greenery, berries, and vintage candles.

My husband made the little Noah's Ark toy.

Poor little tree melted a bit :)

I made those little houses a year or two ago from an online class offered by Lisa Pace. Lots of fun!

More of my cross stitching. I can't remember the company, but they've come out with a new Santa every year since forever. I haven't done one in a while, so I need to get caught up!

I'll be back later to show our kitchen/ family room.

The Stockings Were Hung....

2011-12-02T08:26:00.000-08:00

We don't have a chimney or mantel anymore (we used to have a woodstove) so I hang the stockings on various pieces of furniture in the living room.

Years ago I was into cross stitch (and I mean, really into it!). I made these stockings for Rick and I in 1987.
These are hung on the dry sink that Rick made.

I made the boys quilted stockings with cross stitch accents. But sadly, they got stained while being stored in the attic.

I made Tad's stocking last weekend. I used a design in an old Debbie Mumm book.

Now I'm going to go work on some clothes pin bags for my etsy shop. I'll let you know when they are ready. They'd make a great gift for your "green" friends!

Have a great weekend with all your holiday decorating, crafting, baking, and shopping. Sheesh, what a busy time, right?

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T10:43:00.000-08:00

I know that almost everyone is either eating or cooking their Thanksgiving feast right now. We are having a late dinner, so I'm taking a quick break before I go clean up some of the mess I made this morning.

We are having a small group this year, just Andrew, Alison, Tad and Eric. I miss my oldest son Justin, who is in Europe, but he will be home for Christmas.

We will be having a very traditional meal: turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry relish, green salad, and rolls. And for dessert, apple and pecan pie with whipped cream and ice cream. I made an apple and pumpkin pie on Monday for Rick to take to his shop's Thanksgiving lunch.

My husband likes to make little pies with the leftover dough.

Then two more pies yesterday.

My favorite pie is chocolate pecan, but everyone else likes plain pecan. So when I made these I made a little one with chocolate and we ate it last night. So good!

I hope everyone has a wonderful day with friends and family. I can't tell you how much I have enjoyed being a part of this wonderful group of bloggers this past year. Thank you for all of your sweet comments and ideas!

Finished WIP

2011-11-21T08:59:00.000-08:00

Don't you just love finishing up a Work In Progress? I do, because I'm a little OCD about not starting a new project until I'm finished with the old one. (I did sneak in the fall quilt.) So I'm very happy to have finally finished quilting this Irish chain quilt that I started earlier this summer.

And, like usual, I quilted it within an inch of it's life! I can't seem to help myself. Though I know I could make a lot more items if I didn't do so much quilting or even had it machine quilted. Oh well. I'll just keep slowly turning out the quilts. Now which one do do next?

Sandhill Cranes

2011-11-17T07:00:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday we decided to drive an hour north and see the sandhill cranes at their migration stop. It is such a spectacular sight! Thousands of these huge birds converge for the night in one place after feasting in the harvested fields.

It's hard to tell, but the field in the background is just full of birds. We were standing on a viewing platform and for some reason they were landing farther away this year.

I guess the deer knew they were safe because they congregated here also.

We could hear hunters in the distance, but the deer didn't startle.

Tad, his parents, and great grandma were with us.

We had a great time with the other bird watcher. As it started getting cold and dark, we made our way back to the cars and dinner at The Whistle Stop, part diner, part train museum.

Fall Quilts

2011-11-12T08:25:00.000-08:00

I finally finished up this fall leaf quilt that I started before my surgeries. I loved using the felt with the cottons, and adding embroidery.

I never wash my fabrics before sewing the quilt. I use a thin batting, and wash it after the hand quilting is done. I like the old fashioned texture that it gives.

I made this quilt a few years ago and use it on the dining table. It's from a Thinbleberries book, I think.

See that spider? My fun loving husband tried to scare me with it this morning. He didn't succeed, well, almost!

We are going to have a sunny, 60ish day and I have some bulbs to plant. We'll see how I do with a trowel. Anyone planting bulbs? I'd love to hear what kind. I've got some of those gigantic alliums, some snowdrops, and blue scilla.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

The Greenhouse

2011-11-06T09:55:00.000-08:00

Last week my husband got the potted plants from around the yard put in the greenhouse. This is just the second year for of having the greenhouse and I love it! It's so nice to come out here on a chilly day and mess with the plants.

It's also a good place to store the many pots and soils I have. It isn't heated so we will have to keep track of the night temperatures and bring some things in later. But I think they will be healthier having a longer time in the bright light.

This evening we are having the kids over for dinner: Italian beef sandwiches, chips, coleslaw, and oatmeal scotchies. Pretty easy meal. I love having everyone over to get caught up and see Tad.

Well, I'm going to go upstairs and work on a scrapbook page of our day at Shades State Park. Hope everyone is having a good Sunday!

Halloween Treats

2011-11-01T04:35:00.000-07:00

Last night we went over to Andrew and Alison's to see Tad in his costume. Andrew and Tad were going to be the Blues Brothers (!), but Andrew realized he had an evening test. So Alison and Tad were dressed as Willie Wonka and her Umpa Lumpa.


The pumpkin bear was a gift from us.

Tad was in such a good mood and we had fun handing out candy with him. We don't get any trick or treaters out in the country, so this was a treat for us!

I made treats for friends and family. I had never done the dipped pretzels before. They were so easy and fun to make.

I made a little felt bag for Tad with a book and bear.

I hope everyone had a great Halloween. I can't believe we are in November now. Switching over to Christmas crafts!

Free Memories

2011-10-27T13:15:00.000-07:00

Like a lot of public libraries, ours has a shelf in the entry for free magazines, to give and take. We make use of it frequently. But this week I found a box of sewing patterns just waiting for me to go through. Boy did they take me back! They were all from the 70's, a time when I made almost all of my work clothes for the job I had while going to college. The funny thing is, I would like these dresses now!

That is, if I felt like sewing garments. I got pretty tired of it. I also had a sewing and alterations business for about 10 years. The only sewing I do now is quilts and crafts. I don't know though, these are kind of cute....

Ripple Afgan

2011-10-23T08:47:00.000-07:00

Before my second surgery I was able to finish this afgan for the family room.

I used our new rug as a color guide for the yarns.

I loved how it turned out. It was very easy once I got used to the pattern. And it's done just in time for the cooler weather we're having this week.

On the Other Hand... Some Fall Decorating

2011-10-18T07:36:00.000-07:00

Here I am again, on the sofa recuperating from carpel tunnel surgery. So glad this is the last hand. It was much more painful than the first time. But I've got some good pain meds and will be back to crafting and everything else in a couple of weeks.

I took a few pictures over the weekend of some fall decor around the house.

My husband made this little hutch many years ago, and I got it out of the attic to display it again. It was so fun to find all the miniatures to put in it.

This washstand is in our entry hall. Great place to decorate for the changing seasons. Those corn cob candles were made with our corn muffin pan.

This is the shelf above my desk in the kitchen. Another great place to decorate:)

I love this old paper turkey. I got it for pennies at an antique store that specialized in ephemera. Sadly, it closed a few years ago. BTW, the little guy on the right was made by our youngest many moons ago!

A couple of my homemade items. So fun!

One of my fall quilts. I was inspired to make this by the beautiful vista of fall colors overlooking the Wabash River.

And lastly, our little sweety boy Tad, at 4 months.

He's the best decoration!

We have a winner!

2011-10-13T16:48:00.000-07:00

Thank you to all who entered my giveaway for this felt covered journal to celebrate the opening of my etsy shop.

This evening my husband drew a name -

And the winner is Nellie! Congratulations! If you will send me your address, I'll get it mailed out to you.

This weekend will be spent getting the house cleaned in anticipation of my other hand surgery. But tomorrow I am going to visit a girlfriend in another town. Good times!

The Great Outdoors

2011-10-10T07:41:00.000-07:00

Remember the cotton plant I showed awhile back? Well, I saw that one of the pods was ready to open and I couldn't wait. I picked it and got this:

After a little teasing, I got a fistful of cotton. I don't know if there is time before a frost for the rest of the pods to open. But I think this is pretty cool!

On Saturday my husband was dealing with the chickens and came into the house saying he had something to show me. Look at this puff ball he found:

You can see how big it is by the folded newspaper it's sitting on. Can you believe it? We had never seen one this size before. Our son, the mushroom expert, says that these are edible. I don't think I'll try it though. What about you, would you eat it?

We had to take advantage of this beautiful weather, so yesterday we went to Shades State Park for a picnic and hike. What a wonderful time! The only thing that would have made it better would be having our oldest son Justin with us.

We climbed down a ladder to get to this ravine that leads to the creek.

Tad enjoyed the hike!

This rock tower has been here for a few years. We added to it.

This is the creek we canoe on. No canoeing this month!

I hope everyone had a great weekend. One more week before I get my other hand operated on. Not looking forward to that!

I will have the drawing for my giveaway on Thursday. Good luck!

A Grand Opening and a Giveaway!

2011-10-06T13:15:00.000-07:00

Well, I've done it. I've finally opened an Etsy shop. And I've actually sold some items! Since I enjoy doing all sorts of crafts, there will be a mix of sewn and papercraft items. Also some vintage crafting supplies and decorative things. Here are a few examples of what's up for sale now:

An embroidered felt table mat.

Felt pear pinkeep.

Vintage hankie lavender sachet.

With every Grand Opening there has to be a prize, so I will be offering this giveaway:

This is a hand sewn and embroidered felt notebook cover. It is accented with seed beads. It comes with a composition notebook, and can be removed. Just right for keeping nearby for all your lists and ideas.

Just leave a comment at the end of this post to be entered in this giveaway. And please stop by my Etsy shop at www.etsy.com/shop/prairiesedgefarm/.

Thanks!

Some Shopping Therapy

2011-09-28T09:18:00.000-07:00

After a week of no driving, no crafting, and no gardening my sweet husband knew I needed a diversion. So he suggested a road trip to Indianapolis. I accepted! So he drove me around and very patiently waited while I shopped at Archiver's and my favorite quilt shop, Quilts Plus.

Look at all this scrapbooking goodness! I had been wanting those Tim Holtz Halloween stamps for awhile, so glad they had them. I'll use the min-misters to make up my own spray with Perfect Pearls.

I have admired the work of Australian quilter Lynette Anderson for a long time. So I was excited to see some of her Christmas fabric at Quilts Plus. And I also got a new Halloween Threads book.

Thank you to all the well wishing comments! I can't do much yet, though I did drive yesterday. I get my stitches out on Monday, and hopefully by then I can do some needlework and the housework that my very helpful husband doesn't see. I also want to hold our little Tad the next time we see him!

Out of Commission

2011-09-20T10:22:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to let you all know that while I will be checking everyone's blogs, I won't be commenting or posting for awhile. Yesterday I had carpel tunnel surgery on my right hand and I won't be doing much for awhile. Even trying to type this is hard with just my left hand. And I am kind of sleepy from the pain pills. I'll spend the next week or so reading and watching movies...Going back to bed!

Cute and Cuter

2011-09-16T09:31:00.000-07:00

Tell me, what's cuter than our sweet kitty, Loyal, taking his nap in the doll crib?

I'd say this little guy! What do you think?

Tad, at 2 1/2 months

Our World Traveler

2011-09-13T10:39:00.000-07:00

On Sunday we spent the day in Chicago with our oldest son, Justin. He's leaving this week to live in Macedonia for nine months. (Where the heck is Macedonia? I had to look it up - it's north of Greece). His girlfriend will be teaching there and Justin will put the finishing touches on his dissertation, when he's not sightseeing. He will come home in December to defend it and spend Christmas with us. (Yeah!) Then graduation in June. He has already been to Turkey and Greece this summer. He's really getting around!

We had such a wonderful day. The weather was perfect, so we had a picnic and explored the Logan Square neighborhood. We are sure going to miss this guy, but we are happy that he has the chance to do the traveling that he loves.

Yesterday I made up this simple little quilt and started sewing on some felt leaves that I die cut using Papertrey Ink dies. I am going to embroider the leaf veins with several strands of floss so they stand out.

I've had that leaf pattern fabric for years. So glad I finally found a use for it!

Vintage Garden Swap

2011-09-08T07:55:00.000-07:00

This summer I participated in a matchbox swap hosted by Sheila from http://cheekymagpie.com/. It was right up my alley - vintage garden. This is the box I decorated and some of the goodies I filled it with.

I was so excited to find out my swap partner was Heather from http://speckled-egg.com. Here is the what I received from her:

So many crafting goodies! The charms, glitter, crocheted trim - I love it all. Thanks, Heather! (And Sheila!)

This is just the second swap I have done. Must do more! And speaking of goodies, I just put in an order for Halloween stuff - charms, tinsel, paper. Can't wait!

The Fall Garden

2011-09-05T08:14:00.000-07:00

Now that we are into September, the gardens are winding down. I didn't plant fall vegetables because I will be having hand surgery in a few weeks. No gardening for me after that. But we have lots of peppers and tomatoes.

The flower beds are looking kind of bare as I cut back the perennials and pull out spent annuals. The mums and asters haven't started yet. But the herb garden seems to look as good as ever.

I try to keep the plants cut back so they are not overgrown and floppy. And I am continually using the basil, dill, oregano, and others.

Notice the butterfly bush growing between the bricks.

The roses are doing better now that the Japanese beetles are gone.

Joseph's Coat

And even though it is kind of weedy, I love Sweet Autumn clematis. I like how it drapes over trellises and fences, and smells so good.

And speaking of draping, look at this morning glory. Growing up a plant hanger and into a crab apple (that has already lost most of its leaves).

The temperature this morning was in the 50's. Can you believe it? It was almost 100 on Saturday! Much easier to work outside now. Enjoy your fall gardens!

Favorite Foods

2011-08-31T07:19:00.000-07:00

We have some new favorites for dinner right now. When we were on South Padre Island earlier this summer I ordered a variation of a Caprese Salad at a wonderful deli. All I can say is "Yum"! I've finally got the pesto the way we like it and with tomatoes ripe, I made this:

So good! I think I could eat the whole thing myself.

A main dish we have been enjoying is hash. Have you ever made it? Super easy and a good way to use up leftovers. Baked or waved potatoes fried in some olive oil, add onions, maybe some peppers, or mushrooms, and then whatever meat you have. We like smoked sausage. But leftover roast or meatloaf is also good.

Saute until the potatoes are nice and crispy. Add a salad or vegetable and meal is done! Easy, peasy!

Cucumbers, tomatoes, and onions with sour cream and lemon juice.

What are you making for dinner tonight?

Vintage Finds

2011-08-24T09:57:00.000-07:00

On Sunday we met up with Andrew, Alison, and Tad at one of our favorite antique malls. While we walked around holding and cuddling the baby, we found a few things to bring home.

I was intrigued by this old booklet. It was full of labels of different fruit. We thought maybe it was for labeling preserves for sale at church bazaars.

I also found another Eloise Wilkin Little Golden Book.

I got some plain hemmed linens for doing my own embroidery and a tiny tomato pincushion. But my favorite find was this doll crib. I know it's weird that I bought it, but I love the look of it and I have a child's ironing board and iron. Thought they might look nice together. I could fill the crib with old linens and quilts.

And it was only $15.00! I'll show it again when I make a "mattress" for it and have it with goodies.
Have a great day!

Summer Lovin'

2011-08-21T15:01:00.000-07:00

We are back from our mini vacation to the beach. We had such a good time. We went to Holland, Michigan and the little resort area known as Ottawa Beach. We used to camp here at the state park with the boys. This time we rented a small condo right near the beach.

This is the back side of the condos. There were places to sit and look over the water. But we (along with many others) walked down to the beach to see the sunset over the water.

Before it got too dark, I snapped this picture of the lighthouse. Pretty, isn't it?

I didn't take too many pictures while we where gone. Too busy laying on the beach, playing in the water, and eating great food.

On the way home we stopped at our usual beach destination near Michigan City. By the time we got there, there was hardly anyone else there. But the water was still warm, so we stayed until almost dark.

This is called the Florida House.

I've been wanting to get pictures of these houses above this beach. They were built in 1933 for the Chicago World's Fair, "A Century of Progress". There are 4 or 5 in all, made of different materials, and very modern for the time. Thankfully they are slowly being restored and hopefully will be open for tours in the future. If you are interested in more information, search - Beverly Shores World's Fair Houses.

And lastly, I wanted to show you a project I made while thinking of the beach:

Of course, there are no shells like this on Lake Michigan beaches, but I love shells and everything about the beach. (Except for jellyfish!)

Lazy Days of Summer

2011-08-16T11:01:00.000-07:00

Since the weather has gotten a little cooler, I've been working in the garden more. I can also play in my craft room, sewing and scrapping. And I'm sleeping better at night.

But in the evening, I've been spending a lot of time on the deck. My husband and I will sit at the table with our cold drinks, alternating between watching the birds and reading our books. We put a hummingbird feeder on the railing and we can't get enough of watching those little guys.

I've been so excited that my favorite authors have come out with a new book this month. I knew I had to read the previous one again, and I just finished it and bought the new one on Sunday. I don't usually buy novels, but I do from the guys:

They write thrillers and have the most interesting main character. I can hardly put the books down. But Rick is very understanding, and so is Eric, if dinner is late or the laundry doesn't get folded. They can get into a book that way too.

While at the library I found another favorite author had just released a book in each of her two series.Have you read anything by her? One series is about an ex-lawyer who own an herb shop and solves mysteries, and the other is a fictional series about Beatrix Potter. Very good reads!

When I'm not reading in the evening, I'm working on this new quilt. I love to sit back and do the hand quilting. It's so relaxing and satisfying.

I will end up quilting it very close together. I just love the texture when I do that.

So, I think I'll be set for awhile. Rick and I are going up to Lake Michigan for a few days on the beach. Nice lazy days before starting back to work at the school. How are you spending these last precious days of summer?

Cotton Pickin' Plant

2011-08-08T08:09:00.000-07:00

Every year I try to grow something different and this year I tried indigo and cotton. The indigo seedlings didn't make it, but I did get a cotton plant. I later found out that they don't like to be transplanted and that's probably why I only got one.

The plant itself is pretty, and (surprise) it likes this heat. But the flowers were the real surprise:

On this one plant there were white, pink, and lavender flowers. But they just bloomed one at a time and I only got this one picture.

Then after a while this seed pod formed, which when ripe will burst open into a cotton boll. But it takes about 8 weeks after flowering to form and I don't think we will get many before a frost.

I will definitely show pictures of the fluffy cotton boll. I read online how to make it into thread. How fun would that be?

Pumpkin Patch

2011-08-05T18:56:00.000-07:00

We used to grow pumpkins, melons, squash, etc. in our main garden. But when we downsized we gave up those space eaters. And we were having trouble with squash bugs. Ugh, how I hate those things.

A few years ago we started throwing some pumpkin seeds near the compost piles. They grow like crazy back there and they can stretch out as much as they want. This is what we found the other day:

I'm sure there are more out there, but it's pretty weedy and I couldn't see them all. This one looks just the right size for a Jack 0' Lantern.

We didn't find this guy in the pumpkin patch, but he is our "little punkin"!

Do you see Tad's t-shirt? It says "My dad's a Geek". Love it!

Summer Reading

2011-07-30T08:05:00.000-07:00

I read all the time, but certain books seem made for summer. Have you ever read anything by Luanne Rice?

Most of her books are set in New England by the beach. Very good stories. This one isn't new, but I hadn't read it yet. Quite a tearjerker!

I just finished A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness. If you like vampire stories, you'll love this! It is really a good love story. And since Ms. Harkness is history professor, there is a lot of interesting factual history thrown in. Makes for a believable story - but not scary.

Right now I'm reading Hiss of Death by Rita Mae Brown and her cat Sneaky Pie. I know, weird, right? But her books are great mysteries, and if you like cats, dogs and horses, you'll love them. The only problen I have with this author's books is that she gets a little preachy about whatever topic she is into at the moment. Fine if you agree, easily overlooked if you don't.

So, what are you reading? I'm always on the lookout for a good book!

Scrapbooking

2011-07-27T11:56:00.000-07:00

Like most crafters, I go through phases as my moods dictate. And I do so many different crafts, sometimes I can't decide what to do next! But when I have new pictures made, I want to scrapbook them.

I am more than a little obsessive about my scrapbook albums. I am up to # 23 in family albums. (That is 30 years worth.) I also have albums for each of the boys, and my husband and I have childhood albums. Plus wedding and heritage albums. That's a lot of albums! I have trouble finding room for them in our small house.

Anyway, here are a few pages I have done lately:

I have so much fun digging through my supplies and finding just the right embellishments.

Beating the Heat

2011-07-22T16:50:00.000-07:00

I thought I would show a few things I have been working on, crafty-wise. It's too hot to even walk in the garden these days, though I do it to water and pick veggies and fruit. So I've been inside, sewing and crocheting. I can't work upstairs in my craft room because it isn't air conditioned. I can't bring all my paper crafting stuff downstairs, (way too much!) but I've brought my sewing things to the kitchen/family room and set up a work space for the duration.

I made up these pillows earlier this summer. I am redecorating our kitchen from dark country colors to lighter cottage/farmhouse colors. It was fun working with a different palette. They actually match the sofa better than this picture shows. I will be posting about the new kitchen soon.

I made this bag from an Annie Downs book. The panel is made with felt, then added to the patchwork bag.

I'm using it to store this work in progress, a ripple afgan, from a pattern by Lucy from Attic 24. Again, the colors are for the kitchen, they perfectly match the new rug we bought.

This set is from patterns in a Country Threads magazine, which is from Australia. I love all the stitchery projects in this magazine. I haven't chosen a closure button for the bag yet, but I'll enjoy going through my collection to find the perfect one.

I will continue to work on my afgan this weekend, and I've got a few more projects in mind. What are your crafty projects this summer?

Backyard Nature Center

2011-07-17T19:18:00.000-07:00

We are a family of nature lovers and have tried to make our property inviting to all sorts of creatures. We have a barn full of bats and swallows. A small pond that's home to frogs, toads, and fish. Several birdbaths, feeders, and houses for different types of birds. Lots of fruit and berry producing bushes and trees. Uncleared areas that provide homes and protection for all sorts of critters. And LOTS of flowers.

So, we decided we should put out an official welcome mat:

We put these signs on the fence by the pond and butterfly garden. Though I saw several monarchs today, I never had the camera with me. I did get a few pictures of this tiger swallowtail on the oregano:

The flower beds are in full bloom and looking better than ever.

We are busy harvesting, canning, freezing and eating the produce from our garden. And the tomatoes are starting to be ready. Yeah!

Cucumbers

Acorn squash and tomatoes

Green beans

Different peppers

Today we had Andrew, Alison, and Tad over to celebrate Alison's birthday. I made Texas barbecue sandwiches, coleslaw, green bean and tomato salad, and cherry cheesecake bars. Andrew brought a loaf of his good homemade bread. I didn't take any food pictures because I was too busy with this little guy:

Isn't he a cutie-pie?

Scrum-dilly-icious!

2011-07-13T11:56:00.000-07:00

Our family loves dill pickles. In fact, our oldest son can eat a whole jar of Clauson's in a weekend visit, including the juice! I used to can dill pickles and water bath them every year. But my niece Sheila found a recipe for refrigerator pickles that stay so crisp because they are not cooked. Yum!

If you would like to try these, here is the link for the recipe:

dan koshansky’s refrigerator pickles — A Way to Garden

Lavender Days

2011-07-09T10:10:00.000-07:00

I don't know what it is about herbs that just enchants me. It could be their history, or their usefulness. But I think it is more the plants themselves. I love the way they look, whether in flower or not, and the varied fragrances. I just feel good walking through my herb garden. I pick one leaf and then another, sniffing and sometimes tasting. Watching the insects they attract and checking for swallowtail butterfly caterpillars on the fennel.

I do use some herbs for cooking, especially dill, sage, rosemary, basil, and thyme. And through the years I have done quite a few crafts with herbs; wreaths, potpourri, and sachets. My favorite herbs for crafting are lemon verbena and lavender.

I've got the lavender picked now. (I do leave a some for the bees.) Then I spend some time rubbing the buds from the stems. Now I've got a few jars of lavender for the embroidered sachets I will make this winter.

Sometimes I make lavender wands, but they take a lot of time. I love the look and use them to scent my linens.

We are having a weather- perfect summer weekend. Planning to do some swimming, gardening, and maybe a hike. Have a great weekend!

Family Fun and Flea Market Finds

2011-07-06T12:20:00.000-07:00

We had everyone here for the 4th for swimming and a cookout. My niece and her family came over from Illinois, Andrew and Alison brought baby Tad, Justin came down from Chicago and brought his new girlfriend, and of course, Eric. The weather was perfect, and we had so much fun just being together. It can't get much better!

Tad was the center of attention.

Justin and his friend Lizzie. (Justin got stung by a wasp and had ice on it.)

Alison and Tad.

Sheila and Davin.

Orion and Alexander really enjoyed the pool!

Rick manning the grill.

My attempt at Martha's cookies.

We ran out of matches for the bottle rockets and snakes, so the boys used a magnifying glass!

On Sunday we went to the monthly flea market. We didn't get much, but I did find a cute spice cabinet, some Eloise Wilkin books, and a great old game.

I hope everyone had a good holiday with family and friends. We sure did!

The Year of the Frog

2011-07-01T08:09:00.000-07:00

We have had our pool for 15 years and have never had the problem we are having this year. FROGS! It started when we were late opening the pool and had bullfrog tadpoles in it.

So we got the tadpoles into the pond, and refilled the pool. It's nice and clear, and chlorinated. But the frogs keep coming. Every night there are at least 3 frogs singing in or around the pool. At first we didn't do anything and woke up to find frog eggs in the water. Now we have "Frog Alert". Our son Eric goes out every evening and catches the frogs using a flashlight, and takes them over to the pond. EVERY NIGHT!
Eric seems to enjoy it, but I'm wondering if this is going to go on all summer.

We love wildlife, but sheesh! Give us a break.

Patriotic Swap

2011-06-27T09:39:00.000-07:00

Well, I finally did it! I entered into a swap, and I'm so glad I did. It was a patriotic ornament swap hosted by the wonderfully talented Vivian of http://vivs-whimsy.blogspot.com/.

Look at all the cute goodies I received in the mail last week!

(I forgot to get a picture of the tags I made.)

Thank you to all who participated. I haven't had time to display them around the house, but I will be decorating for the 4th soon. (Better be soon, it's fast approaching!) We are going to have a family cookout, and Tad will be coming! Yeah!

I wanted to say thank you to all who sent congrats for the baby. It really means a lot to me to read those comments and know there are people out there that are becoming my friends, even though we might never meet in person.

Since we took it easy yesterday, going to a movie (Super 8) and hanging out in the pool, I better get back to some chores. Laundry, bill paying, menu planning and shopping. Then after dinner I can feel good about sitting down to do some hand quilting on a little quilt I just put together.
Bye for now!

He's Here!

2011-06-23T08:10:00.000-07:00

Our sweet little grandson, Theodore Robert, aka Tad, was born yesterday at 2:30PM. He is so perfect, I can hardly stand it! (You grandmas out there know what I'm talking about, don't you? )

Alison, Andrew, and Tad make such a cute little family, don't they?

Justin, our son who is going to school in Chicago, came home for a few days visit, and was here for the big day. It was wonderful to have us all together.

We are going back to the hospital in a little while. I can't wait to hold him again. Then I get to scrapbook all the pictures. Lots of pictures!

Summery Screened Porch

2011-06-19T08:33:00.000-07:00

I have finally gotten the back porch cleaned up and thought I would pot a few pictures. This is part of the addition we made to our house about 15 years ago. I love to decorate it, but rarely spend time here unless we have company. I'm always working in the yard, swimming, or crashed in front of the TV!

I just repainted the wicker this spring. I like the white, but I'm not fond of the cushions. I just bought them last year so I can't replace them. But I am pretty happy with how it all looks, for the time being!

It's fun to arrange my garden stuff on this potting bench. And I'm always on the lookout for new goodies to put here.

I keep my garden gloves in the little wheelbarrow my husband made. You can't see it very well, but the wooden board that the hooks are on was once the seat of the swing for the boys.

If you shop at Joann's, you may notice that I do too! They have a lot of neat garden things in the spring and by summer, it's all on sale. I never pay full price there.

I hope everyone has a great Father's Day. Our son and daughter-in-law are having us over for dinner. The baby is due any time now. Maybe today!

Strawberry Season

2011-06-15T18:58:00.000-07:00

It's almost over, but we have had a great strawberry harvest. We've been picking about 2 quarts every other day for 3 weeks. I've been freezing some for desserts and making lots of freezer jam. I used to make cooked jam, but freezer jam has such a fresh flavor and color. Put some on a slice of homemade bread toast or biscuits, and it's heaven!

Here are a few things blooming right now:

I have always wanted a rose covered arbor, but that wasn't going to happen until I got over my fear of growing roses. So a few years ago I threw my trowel into the rose growing ring, and bought several climbing and shrub roses.

And voila'! As it turned out, roses aren't that hard. We just give them lots of compost and water and they bloom like crazy.
And lastly, I found a great place to take pictures of the garden border- from our deck. Why didn't I think of this before?

Thank you to all who sent well wishes about my foot. It is healing nicely from the surgery, and best of all, I can work in the garden again!

Rosemary Topiaries

2011-06-10T10:50:00.000-07:00

I got a really good deal on some rosemary plants at Walmart. There were 4 plants in each pot, and I bought 2. Eight plants for 8.00! They were the perfect size to train into globe topiaries. I had done this before and had kept two alive for ten years or so. But last winter they both died and I wanted to try it again.

After potting them up, I trimmed off the lower growth. I use wooden skewers to stake them and tie up with raffia. I'll keep trimming the side growth until they are as tall as I want. Then I'll start trimming to make a round shape. It takes quite awhile to get the perfect topiary, but I love the look.

Here they all are, lined up like little soldiers.

I'm taking a bit of a rest today. Had to have some out patient surgery on my foot. So no gardening for a little while. I'll use the time to browse blogland, and work on an embroidery project I want to finish up.

Have a great weekend!

Herb Gardens

2011-06-08T18:22:00.000-07:00

I've been working in the gardens every morning trying to get the weeds under control. The heat usually does me in by 11:00 or so. By that time I'm red in the face, my clothes dipping with sweat. I probably look like I'm ready to collapse. (I am!) And no pool to jump into yet.

Here is my deck herb garden. No weeding required! Though does need a little trim.

Today I worked in the big herb garden. The rose below is Joseph's Coat, surrounded by larkspur, lamb's ear, and clematis. (Can't remember the names of all my clematis.)

The lovage, valarian, and rue are all blooming.

I let larkspur and bachelor button reseed all over. I like the cottage look they give.

Look at this big batch of fennel, both green and bronze. They have reseeded all over too.

In just a few short weeks, the bed below will be full of basil, dill, and cilantro. I think dill is my favorite herb. The smell of it just means summer to me. What are your favorite scents of summer?

Invasion of the Tadpoles!

2011-06-07T10:17:00.000-07:00

Since we left for our vacation at the end of May, we didn't open up our pool when we usually do. So when we went to take the cover off on Sunday, we found the water on the cover full of tadpoles. And not just little ones, but HUGE bullfrog tadpoles! My husband couldn't stand the thought of them dying, so he spent hours netting them out and putting them in our fish pond.

We probably got at least 100 of these guys. Then when we were tried to take the cover off, it ripped and all that leafy garbage fell into the pool. Talk about gross! Well, the only thing we could do was drain the whole darn thing, and start over. Hopefully, it will be all drained tonight and we can start filling it. With an expected high today of 97, I wish it were ready. I sure am!

Back Home

2011-06-05T18:51:00.000-07:00

My husband and I had a lovely time on our anniversary get-away. First we spent several days on South Padre Island.

We are real nature fanatics, and there was so much to see here. Across from our hotel was a Birding Center. There were boardwalks through the tide marsh, and we saw so many different birds.

And then we saw this:

He was about 15 feet away when I took this picture. Then as I was watching him through the binoculars, he turned around, got into the water and started swimming towards us. Even though we were on the boardwalk, I was a little anxious having him only 3 feet away!

We went on a dolphin watch boat trip. They knew just where the dolphins were feeding and we saw about a dozen of them, along with several babies.

Couldn't get a picture of them though!

Then we went to San Antonio and saw the River Walk. Really liked this!

Then on to Fredericksburg, where we stayed at a B&B with beautiful gardens.

We saw more birds at a State Park nearby:

If you know us, then you know we can't be near a creek without getting in it!

More gardens at Wildseed Farm:

and at Fredericksburg Herb Farm:

It was wonderful seeing all the gardens, but as usually happens, we started missing our own. It's amazing how much can change in a week! OMG, the weeds! Our son did a great job keeping the strawberries picked and he didn't eat too many.

I'll be very busy the next few days getting the yard in order, making jam, and cleaning house. Got the laundry and grocery shopping done today. It's good to be back home!

"School's Out for Summer"

2011-05-27T19:03:00.000-07:00

School is done and so am I! With work, that is. Now I can be at home, my favorite place to be. Gardening, crafting, baking, even cleaning. I love it all!

We have had a week of cold, rainy days. So the garden hasn't gotten a lot of attention. Most of the roses are on hold; just big buds ready to burst with the first sunny day.

This "Golden Showers" is the only one blooming. It hasn't bloomed in several years. I'm not sure why, but I'm very happy to see it again. (It's a little droopy with the rain.)

The Japanese irises around the pond are coming on. I just love that shade of purple.

And the peonies are just starting. Love the fragrance. I like to bring them inside for arrangements, don't you?

Well, have a good weekend, everyone! I just hope the sun comes out!

Birthday Bees

2011-05-25T13:31:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was our middle son's 27th birthday. We had a special dinner for Andrew on Sunday, complete with his favorite, strawberry rhubarb pie. Our gift to him was a hammock. But his gift to himself came Monday night, and this is how he spent his birthday:

Andrew has wanted bees for a long time. He and his wife bought a house in town, so he asked if he could have keep a hive at our house. Well, of course!

He and his younger brother, Eric, spent the afternoon getting the bees settled in their new home.

For a short time the bees swarmed in a nearby tree, but the boys took care of that. Then they sat near the hive and watched them and talked. It was a great day for Andrew and guess what? No one got stung!

Happy Birthday, Andrew! (The bee whisperer)

2011-05-20T05:55:00.000-07:00

Lately we have been seeing this a lot. Our neighbor's white cat and our Loyal sitting outside the chicken house, just watching and waiting. We figure they are hoping to catch a mouse that they can hear inside.

They crack me up with how intent they are. Hope they get a reward for all that vigilance!

Our Sam is too timid to venture far from the house. But sometimes she gets brave enough to go down the garden path.

Do You Believe in Fairies?

2011-05-18T18:14:00.000-07:00

When we were in San Diego last spring we went to Summer's Past Herb Farm. They had so many great garden ideas, but the one I liked the best was their Fairy Garden in an old wheel barrow. When we came home, I was able to replicate it. We had an old barrow just like theirs!

I already had the metal miniature pieces. And I just transplanted some of our small sedums, thyme, and moss. My husband found the round rock that was split in all those pieces.

We haven't had a fairy visit yet, but this gnome has made himself very comfortable.

I really like sedums and have been collecting them. When we went to Chicago we stopped at Gardens on the Prairie in Lowell, Indiana. They had a huge collection of sedums and other succulents. I bought the ones below and put them in the kids' old wagon.

They don't mind getting dried out occasionally, and there are holes for drainage for when it rains.

I've got a couple of hypertufa troughs that we made last year that I need to plant up. I'm thinking alpine plants, or more sedums. Decisions, decisions!

30 Years Ago

2011-05-16T12:54:00.000-07:00

Today is our anniversary! Thirty years ago Rick and I became husband and wife. It was such a wonderful, fun day. And it almost didn't happen!

The year before, I was going to marry someone else, and canceled those plans when I realized I was in love with a friend of ours. It was a hard decision to make, of course, but I knew it was the right one. And we have built a good, happy life together. It has gone by way too quickly!

To celebrate, we will be taking a trip soon. I'll have some pictures to show when we get back.

Garden Update

2011-05-13T20:00:00.000-07:00

With the July-like temperatures we've had for the last few days, the garden is growing like crazy. But we haven't had enough rain to settle in all the new plantings, so we've been lugging the hoses and watering cans around. Not my favorite thing, especially this early in the season.

The bearded irises are starting to bloom. We mostly have the old fashioned blue ones, but I try to add a new color each year. Then I forget what I bought and get pleasantly surprised, like with this very pretty white one.

The perennial bachelor buttons and columbines have seeded themselves along the side of our deck and the path to the vegetable gardens. I love the lush look they give to this spot.

Here is another columbine that just turned up. I really like this woodland variety.

The herb garden is starting to fill in (except for that bed in the middle - basils and dill will be coming up soon.) We have lots of those old fashioned poppies. I got a start from my dad, who got his from my grandfather. A good pass-along plant.

The fruits and veggies are coming along. Just look at all the strawberry blossoms! I can't wait to pick a bowlful of berries for breakfast, and pies, and shortcake, and...

I wanted to pot up some herbs to put on the deck. I know most people would do this to use them for cooking, and I will. But I mostly like the look of herbs and especially in this planter on the wire shelf. I'll show the rest of the deck and the back porch as soon as I get them cleaned up and "staged" : )

I'll leave you with this picture of our newest "babies". Since we don't have large fish right now, they have a good chance of maturing into insect eating toads for the garden. Though I have noticed that in the years we have lots of small toads and frogs, we also have snakes. Oh, the fun of living in the country!

A Busy Week

2011-05-06T18:53:00.000-07:00

Just like many of you, I have been spending every spare moment working in the garden. This is such a glorious time, with changes happening everyday, and so many plants to buy at my favorite garden center!

To make the season even more special, we are anticipating the birth of our first grandchild. Andrew and Alison's baby shower was on Sunday. It was a great time and they received so many lovely and useful gifts.

I made this quilt using fabrics that Alison gave me. They are doing the nursery in muted primary colors and vintage toy motifs. We are so proud of our Andrew; he is remodeling the room and even put in new windows. Alison is doing the painting. It will be such a sweet room when they are done.

My niece and her boys came over from Illinois for the shower. We had some time to go to the first of the summer flea markets. We always have a great time shopping together. Sheila bought a unique wire egg basket. I finally bought this cast iron plant stand. I had my eye on it all last summer, and my husband told me to go ahead and make an offer. It was still $60.00, but I love it. What do you think?

Now for the last installment of my garden tour. This is the pond garden. It doesn't look that great right now, but when the butterfly bushes, loosestrife, and irises are blooming it's a wildlife magnet.

This last area is the border next to the veggie garden. We put in the greenhouse last summer and getting a lot of use out of it. I have the tomato plants in there waiting to be put in the ground this weekend.

That tree stump is from the last of the fruit trees we took out. (We decided to go with dwarf varieties.) Now I'm wondering what new garden to put there. Mmm..

My gardening buddy, Loyal.

Now, if you're still with me, a few plant pictures.

Mouse Ears hosta

Japanese fern, pulmonaria, and caladium

Jack-in-the-Pulpit and a new coralbells

Late tulips and "Thumbles" oregano

A new iris, "Fall Fiesta"

Can't wait for these to open - love them!

I hope everyone has a great weekend, and a Happy Mother's Day!

Garden Tour Part Three

2011-04-29T06:48:00.000-07:00

I'm here to show another part of our yard. This area is what we have always called the shade garden, but this spring we had two huge maples removed, so it's not so shady now! We tried to plant a new tree near the old one, but couldn't because of the roots. I'm not sure what will happen to the shade loving plants. I plan on moving a few, and keeping the rest well watered, and hope for the best.

This shade garden is really best in the spring. The crabapple, redbud, and sand cherry are all in bloom, plus I have put in quite a few bulbs here.

I love the bleeding heart and wood poppy, and they reseed easily. A friend gave me a few bluebells and they are spredding, as are the marsh marigolds. I have slowly been adding some woodland plants, such as jack-in-the-pulpit, bloodroot, phlox, and trillium.

And you can see that I have quite a few hostas, and those ferns are a great fill in plant.

When it comes time to add annuals, I will plant impatiens around to add summer color. I also like to pot up some coleus and what ever else looks good and put them around the garden.

Well, speaking of annuals, I think I am going to the garden center today and see what they have out. It's one of my favorite things to do every year - that first big plant shopping trip of the spring. Heaven!

Oh, and on Sunday we are going to my daughter-in-law's baby shower. B-day is coming soon! I can't hardly wait to cuddle that little boy!

Easter Weekend

2011-04-25T10:51:00.000-07:00

We had a very good weekend because we got to see all our boys. On Saturday we went to Chicago to see our oldest, Justin, who is finishing up his dissertation for a PhD in philosophy. We spent the afternoon at the Chicago Botanic Gardens. Even though it is only 2 1/2 hours north of us, they are about 2 weeks behind us in spring. So we were able to enjoy daffodils and other early spring flowers again.

Look at all these daffodils!

Beautiful Japanese gardens.

Lovely flowers.

Some good ideas.

These are my handsome boys, Justin (29), and Eric (20). Eric is a sophomore majoring in chemistry. Our other son Andrew (26) and his wife couldn't come with us this time. And if you wondering about the beards, look at their dad:

For Easter dinner at home I served baked ham, cauliflower salad, biscuits, and deviled eggs. Andrew and Alison brought a warm potato salad, and meatballs. For dessert I made carrot cake. I had fun making these almond paste carrots:

I topped the cake with finely ground nuts because the frosting didn't go on very smoothly:) The terracotta bunny is from the gift shop at the Botanic Gardens.

My last crafting project for Easter was these decorated eggs I made from blown out eggs. I painted, glittered and gussied them up with flowers, ribbon, and lace.

I did this last Thursday. All weekend I had plugged up ears like you get when you've been on an airplane. But it wasn't until last night that I put two and two together. If I do this again I'm getting one of those "baby baster" thingys to do it!

I hope everyone had a great weekend with their families enjoying this wonderful season.

Garden Tour Part Two

2011-04-18T16:54:00.000-07:00

I'm back to show the next area of our yard, the herb garden. I started this garden in 1996, the same year my husband was single-handedly building an addition to our house. I was also homeschooling our boys and baby sitting several children. Don't ask me how I had the energy to do all this. I can't even imagine!

I have the herb garden informally divided into areas of plant use; culinary, tea, medicinal, and household herbs. One of the center beds is full of lavender surrounding a sundial that has been in my husband's family for over 50 years. The other center bed is for basil and dill.

I have roses and clematis on the arbors. The rose above is Zephirine Drouhin. So pretty and grows quickly.

Rick built a covered platform for the beeskep, after several had rotted from being out in the weather. There are several thymes in front of it, though they are being taken over by garlic chives. Have to work on that!

The tulips are going strong now. I love the pink ones, but I want to move those yellow and orange ones to a different area. I really prefer pastels for spring.

This tree is not in the herb garden, but I wanted to show it. The sand cherry is one of my spring time favorites, not only for the lovely blooms, but for the fragrance. We call it the "grape bubble gum tree". That's exactly what it smells like!

Well, that's it for today. I hope everyone is enjoying their gardens and/or getting a lot of Easter crafting done. I'm thinking about blowing out some eggs and decorating them, after being inspired by Martha Stewart's special.

Finally!

2011-04-14T12:34:00.000-07:00

I was waiting for that crabapple to bloom to use in my new header. But guess what? It's not going to bloom this year. It's only done that one other year and I don't know why. Maybe because last year it produced a huge amount of apples. Oh well, I decided I'd better do this. I'm certainly not interested in winter anymore!

I thought I would start a tour of our gardens so everyone can get a feel for the layout. But a little background info: My husband bought our little bungalow in 1976 when he was 22, on the advise of his stepfather, who owned a realty company. The house was built in the 20's and was the original homestead for all the farm land that has since been sold off. (There was even an older home on this site; we can see the foundation in late summer.) Rick and I were married in 1981 and we have been gardening all this time. The gardens have changed a lot from when we started. We did much more vegetable gardening when the kids were young. Now I'm more interested in herbs and perennials, but we will always grow our favorite veggies.

The above photo was taken right off the deck toward the side yard.

The raised beds are for vegetables. Behind those are the strawberries, rhubarb, grapes, and raspberries. On the other side are blueberries and dwarf fruit trees. This whole area was once all vegetables.

This view is going toward the backyard. Those woods back there were once planted in sweet corn, then raspberries took over. We have let it go to trees, we like it as a background, and our compost piles are back there.

Here is what we call the south border. There are roses, lilies, coneflower, poppies, and phlox in here. I haven't gotten to edging the beds yet:)

The chickens used to be in the shed by the veggie garden and this shed was our son's blacksmith shed. But he has his own house now, so we moved the hens. The tool shed stays cleaner now!

Hope you liked the first installment of my garden tour. I will be back with some more soon.

Happy gardening!

I'm in the Garden!

2011-04-10T18:56:00.000-07:00

The weather this weekend was just wonderful for working out in the garden. I got so much done. Cleaned out the tool shed, divided the water lilies, planted the early spring veggies. The house didn't get cleaned, but who cares! The garden looks great! Here are a few things that are blooming now:

A pretty white anemone.

I love the smell of hyacinths.

Bloodroot

Pulmanaria just starting to bloom.

I tried to get some pics of the chickens, but they weren't cooperating. They kept running away from me.

I'll be showing pictures of each whole garden soon, when there is more to see! They are really at their best from mid May through June. And I have got to get rid of that snowy header, but I'm waiting for my crabapple to bloom. Any day now!

I hope everyone had a nice productive weekend too.

Inspiration Everywhere

2011-04-04T13:38:00.000-07:00

A while ago I was looking through a craft magazine and happened to notice an ad for Crafty Secrets. They had a tag book in red and black using their chicken stamp set. Well, I really liked that color scheme. It was perfect with the chickens. I decided to do my own version using some StampinUp chicken stamps I've had forever. This is what I came up with:

With the layout already done for me, it was fun to make it my own with supplies I had. Later I'll add some pictures of the chickens to the back of the tag.

It is so good to know that there is inspiration every where, we just have to be open to it. Don't you agree?

Inside and Out

2011-03-29T12:44:00.000-07:00

I've been inspired by so many blogs that I thought I would show a few Easter things I've put around the house.

I just found this Peter Rabbit tea set at Tuesday Morning. Love it!

Some of you might recognize this mat as a pattern offered by Elizabeth of Bluebird Papercrafts.

There is not much in bloom here yet. After a warm weekend, we've had temps back in the 40's. We've got a few crocuses left and the daffs are starting. I planted out some violas to add more color.

Every day I go out and see what's come up. It's like seeing old friends again! Soon I will be cleaning up the perennial borders and getting the spring veggies planted. I'll show more soon!

So Many Books, So Little Time

2011-03-24T12:05:00.000-07:00

Let me just start off by saying that we are a family of readers. We love books! One of our favorite places to hang out is a book store. When we go to the library, we bring home stacks of books.

Of course, each of us has our favorite genre. Rick, Andrew, and Eric prefer fantasy and science fiction. Justin mostly reads non-fiction. Right now I am enjoying mysteries and thrillers. We have all tried to read most of the "classics". And our all time favorite as a family would have to be Lord of the Rings.

Even though we get most of our books from the library, we still buy a lot of them. We were running out of shelf space, and some books were put in the attic or given away. So that is why Rick built the bookcases in Eric's room this winter.

Since we now have the space and are going to have a grandson this summer, I was happy to get the children's books out of the attic. My husband and I had a good time looking at those books that we had read a million times to our boys.

I have many favorite kid's books, but I was interested in seeing how many Little Golden Books we had by the illustrator Eloise Wilkin. I just love her drawings of sweet chubby cheeked little children. Her books are becoming quite collectable. A few years ago, you could get one of her LGB for a dollar or two. Last month I saw one for $10.00 at an antique store. And Georgie Finds a Grandpa is going for 20.00 on line! But there is no way I'm selling mine. Too many good memories!

Aren't they precious?

Happy Spring!

2011-03-20T16:53:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that the first weekend of spring was so...springy! I got so much done, not all in the garden, but stuff that needed doing and a little gardening. Saturday and Sunday mornings were chilly, so I did some housework, paid bills, and did laundry. And since Eric was home for spring break, I did a little baking - yummy banana bread.

It was so nice to be able to put the sheets on the line. I feel good about saving a little electricity, and I just enjoy the process. Being outdoors, hearing the birds singing, folding up fresh smelling laundry. It doesn't get any better!

Even the chickens seemed to be in a good mood about the weather. And boy, are they laying! It's a good thing we have some regular egg customers.

We even went out to Lowe's to see what they had in the garden center.. Not much yet, but I bought a sweet almond bush, and a flat of violas. I like the smaller violas, rather than the larger pansies. We were picking out some trees, then realized we had the wrong vehicle. Can't put much in a Ford Focus!

This plant stand is on the screened back porch. I'll be showing more of it and the gardens soon.

Did everyone get a chance to see the "super moon"? Pretty cool, wasn't it?

Have a good week and thank you for visiting.

Early Spring Ritual

2011-03-16T06:05:00.000-07:00

Most years I start quite a few perennials from seeds and put them under lights in the basement. My husband built a very nice light stand for me. But since we now have a greenhouse too, I thought I would try to start some of the annuals that I usually spend so much money on. I've already planted some Lemon Gem marigolds, Cut and Come Again Zinnias, some heirloom tomato varieties, sweet peppers, and a bunch more. I also got some seeds for cotton and indigo, just for the fun of it. I get most of my seeds from Pinetree Gardens. They have a good selection, and their prices are reasonable.

Here I am pricking out seedlings into packs. I really enjoy this process. I just use a pencil to dibble a little hole. My husband wanted to know why I was doing this on a kitchen counter instead of the potting shed, the greenhouse, or the bench on the porch. Well, it was cold outside!

I finally couldn't stand it and went out to do a little raking. Had to see what was greening up under those leaves. Rick was cleaning out the chickens' nesting boxes. And look who came over to see what we were doing:

I'm so glad I braved the cold!

Another Birthday

2011-03-13T11:25:00.000-07:00

I want to tell you that I think my birthdays are coming around way too fast these days. And I don't feel as old as I am, (well, physically I do!) so I just wish time could slow down a little. Especially when I see my boys all grown up I think, sheesh, where did those 30 years go! Well, I better stop or I will be getting my computer wet. Anyway I had a great birthday on Friday. Rick took me out for dinner and then a movie (The King's Speech - it was really good). We had a dinner last weekend with Andrew, Alison, and Eric. Rick's birthday is on the 3rd, so we usually celebrate ours together. The kids got me a frame of mounted butterflies, which I just love.

I also got some new garden tools.

And my niece, who is also my crafting buddy, sent me all these paper crafting goodies. I just love that wrinkle ribbon, and the German Easter scrap, and everything!

Since it's still pretty cold today and I don't want to be in the garden, I think I will make something with these pretties.

A Tisket, A Tasket.....

2011-03-10T08:02:00.000-08:00

After being inspired by Diane of Saturday Finds and others who have used peat pots in their crafting, I decided to give it a try. It was so fun to make these cute little Easter baskets, especially since I found matching eggs and chicks at HL. I added satin ribbon and paper flowers from my stash. When I was almost done, I found the framed Easter images I made in an online class by Lisa Pace. They were just what I wanted to finish the baskets.

I've taken the day off from work to give my injured wrist a rest, but there are a lot of things I want to get done. I want to straighten my craft room, get out the Spring/Easter stuff, buy groceries....so I had better get started.

Oh, last night my husband and I just happened upon a pbs show about the folk singers of the 50's and 60's. We both had older sisters who turned us on to this great music when we kids. It brought back such good memories. I'm thinking I'll be buying some songs today!

Instant Antique

2011-03-04T12:26:00.000-08:00

I love the look of hand embroidered linens, and it just so happens that I love to embroider. It started when I was a teenager. I'd take the iron-on transfer sheets out of my stepmother's Work Basket magazines and embroider designs to sew on my jeans.
These days I add embroidery to quilts, pillows, and even papercrafts. Now, I've added it to some pillow cases for a "real" vintage look. As it turns out, this lace I got at a yard sale was a perfect finishing touch. I love when that happens.

Have a good weekend!

Feathering our nest...

2011-02-28T14:56:00.000-08:00

Happy Monday, everyone.

On Saturday we were in town doing our errands, and had to stop at a couple of antique stores while we were out. (We had to, right?) My husband spied this beautiful painting, and knew we had to get it. $18.00! Not bad. It's the perfect subject - I have a thing about creeks. I just love them and want to wade in every one I see!

We also found this pretty shelf. But when we got it home, I had a hard time finding a corner for it. We finally moved some things around and it looks pretty good. I will decorate it when I get out my spring things.

I found this little chicken egg cup at another shop. Isn't it cute? And then at Michael's I bought a few Easter things. I am so ready for spring.

Well, time to get ready for work. Have a good week.

The Bedroom Makeover

2011-02-23T06:00:00.000-08:00

Our youngest son Eric moved to a dorm this semester, and I was finally able to get into his room and do something with it. It has been driving me crazy! It needed everything, paint, new furniture, etc. I had Rick make a wall of built in bookshelves, and he did a great job. We also bought an antique bed.

I can't accessorize the room - it is Eric's for as long as he needs it. And I don't think he wants my choice of gee-gaws all over his room. But I feel a little better. Now if I can just have him keep it clean!

Garden Memories

2011-02-18T17:26:00.000-08:00

With the warm weather we have had in the last few days, I am thinking, dreaming, planning, gardens. Of all my hobbies, gardening is the closest to my heart. And, besides my kids, what I enjoy photographing the most. A few years ago, in my obsessive way, I started a garden album. I add to it every year, look through it in the winter, and use it to help decide what to do the next growing season.

I'm not very good at taking pictures of my pictures, but this will give you an idea of how I put the album together.

I have already started some perennial seeds, and will start some annuals and veggies in a few weeks.
I just can't wait to get my hands into the soil!

Valentine's Day

2011-02-15T06:02:00.000-08:00

I had quite a day! First, I started my new job. It's like a parent volunteer work. You know, copying, cutting paper, getting things ready for family night. Not very exciting, but I am getting paid.

Then when I got home my husband had these waiting for me:

Such big, beautiful roses! Along with 2 bird books and a pair of earrings.

Then we found out that Andrew and Alison are having a boy! We are so excited!
We had them and Eric over for dinner Sunday night and this is what they got from me:

Lots of goodies and fun. What a nice day. And I even saw several robins in the yard!

I hope everyone had a good Valentine's Day. And next....spring!

Tag Crazy

2011-02-10T13:08:00.000-08:00

With this bitterly cold weather we have been having, I have more time to mess around in my craft room. Besides decorating little boxes, I have been making a lot of tags lately. They are such a nice size, and I can play around with different techniques. I guess that is why Tim Holz, Two Crazy Crafters, and others enjoy working with them too. Here are a few that I've done in the last few days:

I just found out on Monday that I got a new job! (After being a stay at home mom for 25 years, I got a job as a teacher's aide. But I was RIFed after 2 years, so I'm very happy to get this one.) It's part time, so I will still have time to do all the things at home that I love to do. Best of both worlds!

Old Boxes, New Trick

2011-02-07T12:41:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago I bought some pretty 3D stickers from K and Co., and was thinking about how to use them. I searched through my craft supplies and came upon a bunch of small boxes I had saved. They became the perfect surface to cover with paper and add the stickers, flowers, lace and buttons. I love how they turned out.

I don't want to become a real hoarder, as in the TV show, but it is nice to have some things on hand, like these boxes to craft with.

A Finished Project

2011-02-06T11:23:00.000-08:00

Quilting is one of my many loves, and I always have one in the works. I love choosing the pattern, the many beautiful fabrics, and the sewing. But my favorite part of the process is hand quilting. Most quilters think I'm nuts; they take their pieced quilt to get machine quilted. Machine quilting is beautiful, especially the meandering designs, but I like the look and texture I get from hand quilting. And it gives me something to do in the evening while watching TV with my husband.

This pattern is from a Thimbleberries book. I think I want to do a little more quilting on the lighter squares, but I have some (a lot) other things to finish, including a baby quilt, embroidered pillowcases, a candle mat....you get the idea.

My Craft Room

2011-02-01T14:44:00.000-08:00

Since I got my craft space all cleaned up and organized, I thought it would be a good time to take some pictures. It may never look this good again!

I use one half of our finished attic room that is open to the living room below. This limits the amount of wall space I have, but my husband has made built- in cabinets and desktops. There is also a closet that I use to store my stamps and labeled boxes of craft supplies. In addition there is a dresser on the other side of the room where I keep my fabric.

Starting on one end of the room is my vintage Singer that I got a couple of years ago. The drawers were full of old sewing supplies. It was like opening a treasure box of goodies! On the floor is an old carrier that I have been keeping my "Inspiration Station" - supplies for a season or holiday.

Next is my sewing machine and supplies.

Along the back wall are shelves where I store some of my magazines and display my two antique toy sewing machines, along with some stuff I've made. Under the counter, I have lots more storage.

On the other end of the counter I have my TV, printer, and computer.

On the wall opposite the window is a built in bookshelf. I use it to store buttons in canning jars. Underneath is a couple of old wooden file drawers. I put cards made, envelopes, and cd cases of clear stamps in here.

On the wall opposite the cabinet is my desk and a bookshelf. I bought baskets and labeled them for small scrapbook supplies.

We bought the desk at the university's salvage store. It's huge and gives me plenty of space for getting messy. There are file drawers for storing my papers, and regular drawers for my tools, inks, and dies.

After getting everything put away after all the cleaning and organizing, I decided to clean up my mess of ribbons. I have them wound on plastic embroidery floss things. Don't they look so pretty?

Well, that's it. I hope you enjoyed the tour!

Art with a Past

2011-01-28T09:36:00.000-08:00

There is a story behind this frame. During WW2 my father was a Navy flight instructor and flew supply missions to South America. After one trip to Brazil he brought back two frames like this. Each was filled with a beautiful design completely made of butterfly wings. At some point one was given to my sister and one to me. When I was in college I kept my frame on a coffee table. One day I bumped into it. It fell on the floor and the wings, which were very dry, broke into a million pieces. I was devastated! I kept the frame all these years, not knowing what to put in it. Then I saw this idea on a blog (sorry, I can't remember which one). It was perfect.

I've had these stickers for years. I just popped them up, typed up the Latin names from a guide book, and distressed everything a little. Now my butterfly frame is on the wall (of course!) and a reminder of the gift from my dad.

Some New Finds

2011-01-25T13:40:00.000-08:00

On Sunday, Rick and I needed to get out for a little while. After a nice lunch we went to one of our favorite antique malls. We didn't find much to bring home this time, but I did get this little tiny tea set, which was very reasonable.

Not long ago, at this shop, I got this "Bunnykins" baby dish which I just love, even though it's not old:

And this cute little toy that added to our chicken collection:

Here are all my little chickens things in a shelf above my kitchen desk. We use the egg scales when we get a really large egg and get excited when it goes over the "extra large" mark.

Now I can't wait for May when the flea market in town starts up again. More treasures to find!

A Good Day

2011-01-21T12:00:00.000-08:00

It doesn't take much to make me happy.

First, the chickens have started laying again. Hooray! We collected these 5 beauties today. And they are full size! I think I will make our favorite sausage quiche for dinner tonight.

Then I received these needlework books in the mail. I can't wait to get started on a new quilt or maybe a needlecase.

Now, I'll just heat up some chicken noodle soup and browse through my new books. See, it doesn't take much!

Birthday Book

2011-01-18T09:24:00.000-08:00

I just finished this book to help me keep track of birthdays. I was inspired by Melissa Phillips at http://lilybeanpaperie@typepad.com. She has made several of these in her lovely shabby chic style. I made mine using an old Bazzill cardstock book, Jenny Bowlin calendars, and misc. papers and trims. All I need to do now is add the birthdays and then maybe I will remember to send out those cards that I love to make!

Spring Fever

2011-01-15T11:58:00.000-08:00

I just couldn't pass up this pretty primrose while grocery shopping. I will have near me as I make out my seed catalog orders. Hope I can show some restraint this year. Probably not!

New Years Calendar

2011-01-10T10:43:00.000-08:00

I was organizing my craft closet last week and came across a couple of blank calendars I've had for years. I decided to make one up for this year using vintage greeting card images that I found on various sites, including http:/twocrazycrafters.blogspot.com. I wanted to use stuff I had on hand, so I used lots of old papers and trim. Sometimes, we just got to use it up to make room for the new, right? Here are a few of the pages:

Now I'm ready to make some things for Valentine's Day. Have you seen the pretty heart cone that Sheila, over at www.cheekymagpie.com, has designed? I think I may start with that.

Happy News!

2011-01-03T13:05:00.000-08:00

I always have several crafty projects to relax with while taking a break from working around the house and yard. Right now I have a quilt (I'll show later) and a baby blanket I'm crocheting. I'm using a Bernat Softee Baby and a simple shell pattern. I'll put a lacy edge around it when I'm done and add some ribbon. And who, you may ask, is it for? Well, our son, Andrew and his wife, Alison are expecting their first baby in June! Our first grandchild! We are so excited, as you can imagine. We don't know the sex yet, but I had to make something, so I chose this soft baby yellow.

Not only am I dreaming of holding that sweet baby, I am dreaming up all kinds of things to make for him/her!

"Big Red"

2011-01-02T11:46:00.000-08:00

I had wanted to get a Kitchen Aid stand mixer for Christmas, but since we had just gotten new appliances and a new car, I didn't think we needed to be buying anything else for awhile (like, forever!). But Rick wasn't having any of that, so here it is...

The first thing I made with it is this Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake (from an old Taste of Home magazine.)

I loved using it. I am going to have so much fun trying out new baking recipes this year. Too bad I'm trying to lose weight!

2010-12-27T12:33:00.000-08:00

We had such a good Christmas this year. I know, I say that every year, but it's true! Justin came by train from Chicago on Wednesday night. On Thursday we all did our last minute shopping, then went to Adolino's for dinner. It started snowing on Friday, so we stayed in - I baked pies, Justin and Eric played games, and Rick read. Justin made us the best French Onion soup for lunch. On Christmas morning, Andrew and Alison came for presents and breakfast. Then we went to their house for a wonderful dinner. Andrew made roast duck, pork, and lots of sides. Yummy!

Justin is showing a bottle of wine that he got from Andrew.

I was having a hard time getting a good picture of these two. We were all laughing and opening presents.

Justin and Eric had a fun time playing Stratego and Mario Bros. on the Gamecube.

I hope everyone had a great time with your families. Now, I'm ready to take down the Christmas stuff and get ready for spring!

Merry Christmas...

2010-12-24T08:37:00.000-08:00

from our little farm on the edge of the prairie to you!

Homemade Bread

2010-12-22T08:26:00.000-08:00

What could be a better snack after shoveling the walk and driveway than warm homemade bread and strawberry jam? My youngest, Eric, couldn't think of anything better!

Joyful Days

2010-12-20T13:02:00.000-08:00

After celebrating with friends and family over the weekend, I decided to treat myself to a little crafting time. I have been enjoying making seasonal banner this year and needed a Christmas one. This is what I came up with:

I can't remember what paper company this is, but I know that it is new this year. Since we don't have a mantle I have to hang my banners on various pieces of furniture throughout the house :)

Now it's time to get back to work - bill paying, laundry, dinner...

Here Comes Santa Claus...

2010-12-17T08:06:00.000-08:00

I bought this 7gypsies printer's tray at Archiver's awhile ago and couldn't decide what to do with it. Since I had all this neat stuff out in my Christmas "Inspiration Station", I decided to use pictures of my boys meeting Santa through the years. Then I added scraps of paper and trinkets I've been saving. I'm really happy with the way it turned out. Now I want to do another one that can stay out a little longer.:)

Holiday Treats

2010-12-14T12:42:00.000-08:00

Every Christmas I like to make something special to give to the mailman, coworkers, and people who stop by. Quite often I make fudge, and sometimes homemade bread or jams. This year I wanted to do something different, and I remembered this cashew brittle that my husband and I got when we were visiting the Amish country in northern Indiana. It was so good, so I got a recipe from southernfood.about.com. It was very easy, though it took awhile to bring the candy to the correct temperature. When it had cooled,, I packaged it up in cello bags and tied it off with baker's twine. I made a tag with a Papertrey Ink stamp, added some ribbon and a bell. It looks very festive sitting in a basket by the door waiting to be handed out to friends. Now if we can just stay out of it....