Showing posts with label house and home. Show all posts
Showing posts with label house and home. Show all posts

Saturday, October 17, 2009

table: before & after

Yesterday I posted about having numerous projects I wanted to tackle. In order to wrangle those projects I need space, clean space. But I have one problem. My craft table is a mess.

So what's a girl to do???

Clean it up, sillies!!!

Whew!!! Now I can begin my projects. After my walk this morning I came home and started cleaning this area up. I stated yesterday that living in Tennessee you learn fairly quickly that weather forecasts are usually wrong and I was correct. It was cold and very windy this morning. It was 40 degrees, but it did not rain one bit. Not at all today. Then I find out that the remainder of the week we’re to see almost 70 degrees. I can live with that. That’s if that is correct weather forecasting. But I digress; back to the projects…


I’m adding buttons and cotton vintage lace to ‘Grandma’s Pillow’ (as I’m calling it from now on). Lace will be added atop too. I really can’t wait to get this complete and laying on my bed. Since the “photo shoot” I began sewing the lace onto the piece. I concurred with Aunt Pam and decided to use fiber fill instead of a store-bought pillow form. This way I can make it any size my heart desires. I’m really pleased with my choices thus far.


[Play video]

First, please ignore the floor. We have long overdue plans to replace it. It’s partly ripped up so it looks pretty raunchy (and that’s an understatement) at this point. Second, try, try, try and put out of your mind the music DH is playing in the background. He's categorizing music on his PC. Anyway, Cameron was sitting on Chloe, our 80 lb Vizsla. She didn’t mind. Then she nonchalantly rolled on her side. Play the video of Cameron – he’ll do anything to get her back up. Too cute.

Sunday…Chia Head status. Yay! LOL Talk soon!


Monday, April 20, 2009

from the babbling brook

Ahhhh!!! I’ve got so much to blab about it isn’t even funny. Ever since last Wednesday I’ve been rather busy and not just with stitching because I really don’t have a whole lot of stitchy-news, but just life in general. My Uncle and grandparents came to town for a visit on Wednesday and just left yesterday morning.

Sunday, April 19 was my Aunt Pam’s birthday and as far as I can tell she received a lot of lovely gifts. My mom sent her a Rascal Flatts CD along with a discontinued Vera Bradley bag called Little Traveler. This bag is genius for stitchers, let me tell you!

30 ct. Straw linen by WDW
DMC threads listed by designer

I stitched and assembled primitivebettys My Favorite Kitten Pinkeep for my aunt. I even added my own personal tag to the side of the kitty. My aunt’s home is a safe haven for cats of all denominations. :o) I think at one point she might have had 12 cats, and she has a dog too. She’s an amazing feline mother and thought it only appropriate for her to have one of “my cats” for her “studio” (as she calls her room). She loved it and I’m happy that she does. It may even be her first “primitive” piece. My aunt’s specialty is samplers. Her walls are like a museum of sampler art from the last 20+ years. She does amazing work. She received other wonderful treats from her friends and daughter too. I think she had an overall fantastic birthday. Happy Birthday, Aunt Pam!!!



28 ct. White Monaco (coffee dyed)
DMC colors of choice

Awhile back I stitched my mom primitivebettys Spring Time tulip freebie design as a just-because-I-love-you gift. I made moms into a wall hanging and used yellow and gold tones as the primary colors. I liked hers so much that I made myself one. I changed the colors just a tad, added some buttons, fabric on the back and made it into a pinkeep. I really like how it turned out. And I must admit that I’m getting better at whip stitching which is a much needed relief . The navy blue, flowery fabric in the background is what I used as the finishing fabric.

4o ct. White linen
DMC threads listed by designer

I have begun a dainty piece from Blackbird Designs called My Needle Book. It’s from the My Heart Is True booklet that was released earlier this year. I decided Tuesday needed to be filled so BBD took its place. Wednesday is still open, can you believe that? In addition to this project I decided to take a stab at the contest piece that Alma and Barb are having. It’s a sweet, sweet piece so go check out the details on their blog.

An outside report ~ Spring is definitely in the air and so are my allergies. I am miserable! Can’t say it enough. When I was younger I used to get shots in both arms twice a week. This went on for sometime, but now I have nothing to help me cope. I need to get on this and soon.

Aside from this, there is a robin that is making quite the home atop one of the columns on our front porch.






Before she accomplished her temporary home she had one hell of a time getting the initial twigs and debris to stay up there. We’ve had many, many storms come through and to say that it hasn’t been windy would be an understatement. As you can see, she made quite the mess on the porch, which I’m leaving there in case she needs extra insulation for her babies, but I believe she’s a good mama. She never quit. She kept on persevering until the job was done. Day in and day out ~ she never stopped gathering whatever she could fit into her mouth and find on the ground to stack up on that column. Yay for mama robin!

On Saturday morning the older boys were doing “manly” things outside while Cameron and I stayed inside. (I could barely take the outside because of my allergies.) It was perfect weather, but I couldn’t handle it. Once I stepped foot outside, it took at least 30 minutes to recover once I returned inside.





Jose mowed the front and backyards. We are almost on a full acre (.79 to be exact) and that may not sound like a lot to some, but when you live within city limits, 8 minutes if that from downtown, that is a gracious amount of property…and we’re paying for every shard and blade of grass too!

DH played with his Cobra Mustang while the child worked his tail off (he did assist though). DH does this every spring because he stores the car through the winter, so it is time to get Sally out and play around with her. He’s had this car a long time and has spent many, many nights, days and mornings with her. She’s been driven like 10,000 horses and treated like a baby all her life. She is a beauty though and she is extremely and violently fast. The torque is insane in this thing. There is some work to be done in the rear so DH is going to sell one of his guns in order to pay for it.

I have really been on a reading kick lately. Ever since I dove into the Twilight saga I have been so curious to read as many novels as I can cram into my life, for the rest of my life. I’ve read books here and there in the past, but never religiously or diligently; not like I have with the Twilight series and not how I want to continue from this day forward. I also met a really neat girl named Annie on Goodreads. She writes and has amazingly articulate reviews to what she reads. She is a read-aholic in my book and I love reading what she has to say. I find her opinions insightful and comprehensive.


my 'to-read' shelf:

 my to-read shelf


I joined Goodreads dot com in October 2008 and have recently added more and more books, especially in the last week. I’ve taken a few quizzes and read reviews. I have found numerous quotes that I simply adore if not stand true to myself. I’m a bit philosophical myself at times. I have a few friends and hope to gain more. I really need help and insight into the storytelling world as I’m fairly new to this arena and wouldn’t know what was good and what isn’t. Tanya is another great source of reading insight too. I don’t know how she crams all this reading into her already abundantly busy life. :D

Anyhoo, I’ve added numerous ‘to-read’ books on my sidebar and quotes that really mean something to me now or struck me when I read them, especially Stephanie Meyer. So far she is my favorite author, and she’ll always be a favorite but there are other favs of mine, but she takes top-spot right now. I love the quotes from Twilight.

I’m nearly finished with Breaking Dawn by Meyer (on page 601) and I believe I’ll pick up The Host by Meyer after BD. I hear The Host is excellent and that Meyer only gets better in tune with her writing. Since I cannot afford to buy all the books, I’ll need to head to the library. Hopefully, it’s available.

Ugh! I’m finished. My babbling brook has arrived at the precipice. Talk soon!

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

current cleaning rotation

I have postponed housework and need to get back on board around here. Since my current rotation for stitching is coming along splendidly I decided to do the same thing for housework. I figure if I feel so accomplished with my needlework why not feel the same way about my home. I've been so busy organizing, crafting and chasing after Cameron I have neglected my home. I do pick up each room everyday because it's just part of the routine around here and Cameron is in on it. Nothing is ever left just sitting around waiting to be moved or picked up. But the housework of dusting and so forth need tending. Here's the Current Cleaning Rotation:

Sunday ~ bathroom, wash towels, wash sheets, sweep
Monday ~ day of rest
Tuesday ~ day of rest
Wednesday ~ sweep/vacuum, collect trash, mop
Thursday ~ kitchen, 1/2 laundry
Friday ~ 1/2 laundry, dust, sweep
Saturday ~ filing, office work

I think for now this will do ~ looks promising enough. :D