Happy Birthday Brian!

Today is my oldest son's 28th birthday! I do believe it was a bit chilly when he was born - not today though - still warm and muggy. We are still waiting for fall here in Texas. We had one cool, and one almost cool morning this weekend. Just a tease I guess.

I finished ladybugs and bumblebees yesterday. I'll get it pressed and post a picture of that tomorrow. (maybe) Now I need to see if I can find something for a giftie to stitch.

Kay - that container came from an antique shop several years ago - I love it! I change the 'stuff' in it now and then.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend.

my get up and go

got up and went. :( I just can't seem to get motivated to do much today. I lost my mind for a minute this morning and went to Wally World (Wal-mart) I have no idea what got into me. It's Saturday - I know better! I just can't seem to get myself in gear since I got back.

I wanted some kind of 'fallish' table cloth for my dining room table. I didn't like anything they had at ww but I just really didn't have the umph to go to the antique mall so I ended up with this crochet one. (fresh out of the package - needs a little help with those wrinkles!)

My great grandmother used to crochet things like this all the time, but I only have one small one and it is framed and hanging in my bedroom. Anyway, this will do for now. I picked up the little pumpkins too - aren't they cute? They weren't with the fall decor but back in the (pitiful as it is) craft department.

I think I will go stitch a bit - maybe that will help me out of this funk I'm in.

Big spender

Well, I went to Canton with a couple of friends yesterday. That is the way for me to go - keeping up with them kept me from buying a lot! All I came home with was some small pumpkins. Four little pumpkins - 2 real, 2 not. I've got them on the hutch in the dining room for now along with a pumpkin I made for my grandmother a really, really long time ago. She once lived in a house that had orange kitchen counters. (don't think that didn't take some getting used to - especially first thing in the morning!) She kept this little pumpkin out all year. And of course there is the 'Too cute for pie' pumpkin. I just love that little piece and I keep it out all year.

So, Melissa at http://thecottagerose.blogspot.com/ tagged me for 7 random things. Hummm - can I come up with 7 things you don't know about me.

1. I got married when I was 16 (we are still married 28 years later)

2. I am right handed, but I deal cards left-handed

3. 2 of my 3 children are left-handed. (stretching it a bit but I've got to come up with 7!)

4. My middle child was born in the front seat of a Ford Escort. At 6:50am I was getting ready for work, at 7:33am I had a baby!

5. I took the classes, passed the test and had a real estate license but I only worked at it for a couple of months and I let it expire.

6. I stitched samples for The Needlecraft Shop for several years.

7. I had a few designs of my own published by The Needlecraft Shop and considered trying to get a design company going but I haven't pursued it (yet).

Okay - since I'm a little late coming to this party, I won't tag anyone specific, but if you feel the urge to reveal 7 random things about yourself, go ahead!

Cherry - the color on my living room walls is a Sherwin Williams color, but it was from before they had the change a few years ago. At the time I used it it was called 'Cactus' - I have a color swatch with the # on it, but it is in a file in the attic - and it is too hot to go up there! I'll try to remember to dig it out next time I have to go up.

want a cookie?

I picked up this white cake plate at Pandora's the other day. (I tried to put a link in here, but it isn't working at the moment - Margo had pictures of this shop on her blog a few days ago) I seem to have developed a thing for cake stands lately. Anyway - I thought this cute little white cake stand needed some decoration so I made cookies last night after work.

Sure wish fall would make it to east Texas - it was really too hot to have the oven on but they sure taste good!

I was going to put up some pictures of favorite things in my house but when I started going through the pictures I realized I seriously need to take some new photos! Almost every shot has changed in some way since the last photos. I get bored easy! LOL

Thanks so much for the comments on my framed sampler and the painted table and drawers. (more like a spray of the can, Margo! I was too lazy to brush this weekend but considering how much spray paint it took, I think it would have been faster to brush!) Still haven't decided what I am going to put in all those drawers. They will hold CDs but I have way more than that!

Becky - go ahead and paint it - I won't tell! LOL.

Framed sampler

I did finally get my Second Sunday Sampler framed and it is now hanging on the wall. Not sure I exactly like where it is hanging, but unless I do some major moving stuff around it is pretty much the only place for it at the moment. (and major moving means lots of holes in the walls and I'm just not up to that right now!) Also not the best picture but you get the idea.

I know the calendar says it is now fall but I wish that message had made it all the way to east Tx. Still warm and humid around here. (at least it isn't blistering hot - I'll give it that) Still too warm for me to think about buying pumpkins and mums. I did put out a few fall things inside the house, but nothing outside as of yet. Maybe next weekend.

Have a great week!

One thing always leads to another!

So remember the drawers I got at Margo's barn sale? http://http://www.robolady.blogspot.com/ (scroll back to Sept 12 post - then down to the picture of the multicolored drawers)
I brought those home with no idea what I was going to do with them. I fnally decided to paint them white but still needed a place for them, so I started here. What do you think? Late 1980s or early 90s? I know it had to be around then sometime because I remember one of the boys still being in a stroller when we I bought this table at a craft fair.




I painted both white and added glass knobs to the drawers. Of course that means the stuff I had on the table before doesn't fit the same now and I haven't decided on what will eventually end up there but this is what I have for now.


Not a very good picture. I'll try to do better next time!

Michelle - do keep me posted!
Linda - wouldn't a 'stitch in' be fun!

one...two...

two new charts came in the mail yesterday! I just love getting stash in the mail. Been a busy couple of days - nothing really accomplished, they just seem to have gotten away from me.

The grand-dogs are still here. I wanted to take them home today but hubby said if the kids don't come get them this weekend, we will take them Wednesday evening. I think he would like to keep them.

Well, I've got some sanding to do!
Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Where I stitch

Well, kinda sorta! This is my stitching chair, but it has been moved to the other side of the table since this picture was taken (swapped with a wing chair - I'm thinking of swapping back again). Anyway - it was made by a man in Gladewater. My hubby bought it for me for Christmas a couple of years ago and I love it! The arms have 'wells' in them for storage and the 'well covers' are two sided - one side is flat the other is puffed so you can use it for a pin cushion. Both sides have a fold-down shelf (only one is up in the picture) and both sides also have those little cubbies on the bottom - they are pretty shallow so not a lot will fit in there. There are also three pockets on the back where I can stash stuff, trouble is I forget I put it there! If I took a picture today, you would see that I'm not good about using the storage areas - everything just stays out and ready! The ottoman opens for storage too. The Daylight lamp has been replaced (moved to the guest room) with a Dazor. So, that is where I stitch.

We went to a play at the high school last night so I didn't get to stitch any. Tonight it will be a toss up between stitching, browsing through the JXS ornie issue that came in the mail today or re-stretching a piece I thought I had ready to frame - it's not tight enough so I'm going to have to work on it a bit more.

Fifty!

Wow - I can't believe I'm at fifty posts already! Maybe by the time I hit #100 I can do a give-away of some kind. I just didn't realize early enough that fifty was sneaking up on me! (I'm talking about the blog posts here - I know the other fifty is looming out there!) Thanks so much for all the comments. I love getting them - lets me know I'm not just talking to myself here!

Here is an updated picture of Ladybugs and Bumblebees. I just love how this is working up. I'm pretty sure I will be hanging it in my bathroom but I never really know until I actually have hammer and nail in hand.

Thanks for the suggestions on the pillowcases - I haven't given up on them - yet.

Hope you are all going to make the Italian Cream Cake - it is so yummy. I go right by the recipe except when I first got the recipe you could buy a smaller can of coconut that the one I can find now. I usually use 1/2 to 2/3 of the can (probably about a cup when it is 'flaked') This time I thought what the heck and put it all in - I think it had a bit too much coconut. I hate it when they change the package sizes on things. Don't they know how many recipes that call for a 'package' of something? Oh - and another tip - if you think you want to cut calories and use fat-free cream cheese - don't. Trust me on that one! LOL

Suggestions?

I stitched yesterday while watching season 1 of Two and a Half Men. No pictures from yesterday yet, but I finished up a set of pillowcases (they are soaking at the moment) and then worked on Ladybugs and Bumblebees.

This picture is of a set of pillowcases I did a few weeks back. It was an iron on pattern and I can't get the pattern to wash out! The one on top was the first one I did and it is much darker than the second one. They have been soaked in Oxy-clean, scrubbed, soaked some more and washed in the washing machine. They have not been ironed or put in the dryer so if anyone has any suggestions on how to get the markings out, I'm willing to try. There were no instructions in the book for getting the marks out. The others have all come out with just a soak and wash but this from a different book. I had intended this pair for a gift, but if I can't get the marks out, I'll just use them myself and try tracing the pattern on another set with an erasable fabric pencil.

Thanks for the doggie love yesterday. Nicholas belongs to my son and daughter-in-law and they will be coming to get him and Squeaky (hopefully) on Wednesday. That dining set was bought to replace the one 'our' dog used for a chew toy. She also used the kitchen table, but it is still being used - I'm waiting for a kid to move out and take that one before I replace it - I want a drop leaf in there but so far I haven't found 'the one'.

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend.

Bad dog

Who me? But I'm so cute. My grandma thinks it is time for my mommy and daddy to come get me. (it will be at least Wednesday)



That would be my dining room chair you see there. Nicholas apparently thinks it is a chew toy. Nicholas is spending some time outside today.

It gets better. I live in an old house - 60 years or so. I'm not sure if the bathtub was put in when it was built (out of scrap no doubt) since it was originally built as an office, but it is about the only thing we haven't replaced here. It has to be at least 50 years old -anyway, the finish is pitted and stained and no matter how much you scrub it never looks clean. This morning I thought I would give it a good soak in bleach water. I 'thought' I turned the water off, but apparently I didn't get it quite all the way off. Are you getting a mental picture here (because I sure didn't take the time to get the camera out!) Yep - bathroom, hallway, closet and pantry. Of course the floor in the pantry was full of stuff (that is now out drying) the hall closet only had the vac on the floor, thankfully. An hour later, I have a full load of towels and the bath mat in the washer.

I think I should spend the rest of the day stitching.

Made from scratch

Today is hubby's birthday so I made his favorite cake. This is also Timothy's favorite so I make it at least twice a year - in September and February. I've had this recipe for a long time and it is still finger lickin' good!

Italian Cream Cake

2 c. sugar

1 stick butter (my recipe says oleo - I told you I have had it a long time!)

1/2 c. Crisco

5 eggs, separated

2 c. flour

1 t. soda

1 c. buttermilk

1 t. vanilla

1 can coconut

Cream sugar, butter, Crisco - add egg yolks one at at time, beating after each. Sift flour and soda. Add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk (add dry ing. first and last) Add 1 t. vanilla.

Beat egg whites until stiff (like for pie topping) Fold coconut and beaten egg whites into creamed mixture. Bake in 3 - 9" pans at 350* for 25 minutes.

Frosting

1- 8oz pkg cream cheese

1 stick butter

1 box powdered sugar

1 t. vanilla

Sprinkle 1/2 cup chopped pecans on top.

Now just waiting for hubby to get home from work so we can have a piece!

no pictures today

Because blogger won't let me upload pics for some reason - says all required fields must be complete but I can't find any that aren't filled in and I'm out of time this morning! I hate to post without pictures - my favorite blogs are the ones with pictures!

I went to Margo's http://www.robolady.blogspot.com/ barn sale yesterday and she has 'kindly' posted a picture of the two of us on her blog. If you scroll back to her set up pictures you will see a stack of different color drawers (CD size) - that is what came home with me. I have no idea where they will end up - or what color they will be when they do land in the house. They are separate pieces so they might not even end up together. From there I went to the Shabby Shack but my headache was not being nice (it was hot in there - no a/c) so I only came out with an old sewing machine drawer that I'll photograph when I paint it later.

Have to get out again today as tomorrow is hubby's b'day and since he was with me all day yesterday it was hard to shop for him!

Before and after

I stitched this family tree for my mother in 1983. At some point I added some names to it, but it had been a long time (the 'babies' of the family are now teenagers!) So I took it apart again and added some names to it. Grandchildren are as far as it can go as there is not enough fabric on the bottom to add any more names! My youngest is the only grandchild who is married so far, but if mother wants to have something with the grand children's spouses, I'll have to stitch something else! I changed out the mats while I had it apart. Sorry about the flash in the after photo - it was cloudy that day and I couldn't get a good shot w/o the flash.

Thanks so much for your kind words yesterday. The headache thing is an on-going issue (2 years - not always at the level it has been for the past 5 days, but daily none the less) and we have yet to find a med that works for me. So far, none of the regular migraine meds have worked. I try really hard to ignore it and not to mention it here in posts, but by yesterday it was getting to me again. While the headache is not better today, 'I' am doing a little better. (this morning anyway - by afternoon I could be back in a funk!) I know that is not what you tune in to see here so I'll try to keep the headache talk to a minimum. If you are reading this - thanks for coming back!

What to say?

I have no idea. Hard to figure out what to say when all you do is wonder when your headache is going to go away. If this one is anything like the one this time last month it will be at least several more days. Ugh. (yes, I have meds - they aren't working - going to have to call the dr again) Not looking for sympathy just telling it like it is. Not exactly productive at the moment, although I did stitch on a pillowcase a little last night - no counting! I don't have to concentrate as much on those as I do on cxs.

I thought I would post a picture of my first biscornu. I finally got it sewed up last week but didn't get a picture until yesterday. The instructions I have say to sew a button in the middle (on both sides) but the buttons I bought didn't really match too well, and I decided I liked it as is anyway. The hardest part of the whole thing was holding the little bugger while sewing it together - I think a larger one would be easier simply because you would have more to hold on to while stitching.

Simplicity

When I got these two pillowcases at Canton I thought I would add some embroidery to them. Once I got them home I decided I like them just the way they are. Of course, I could still change my mind.

Dapoppins - LOL. Yes, Squeaky is a dog! She belongs to my daughter-in-law. I 'think' she is a Chihuahua/Pomeranian mix.

Hubby's home

PDA, pager, business phone and personal phone. You can always tell when hubby is home. All of his 'attachments' end up on top of this bookcase in the living room and that is where they stay every night and every weekend unless one of the phones needs charging.

Melissa - thanks for the comments on names. I sometimes think I'm the only one with that particular pet peeve. If you were close by I would be happy to have lunch with you!

Tina - that sweet little doggie sheds like you wouldn't believe! I can't believe she has any hair left on her body after all I've swept and sucked up!

Linda - you need to get that blog going!

Been fighting a migraine since Thursday - I'm not exactly creative today.

can you say humid?

Man the humidity is terrible today! The weatherman says we have some cooler temps coming next week and I hope he is right! (he actually used the term 'cold front'!) The last couple of days got away from me but I want to say thanks to those who have stopped by and left comments. Amazing how good it can make you feel to just read nice comments!

Linda - Yes, Canton is great. An experience like no other! LOL Be sure to let me know when you get your blog up.

Lani - there is no 'recipe'! I used one of those package things. This one was from McCormick I think, made for slow cookers and this one was for pot roast, but I used stew meat instead. Throw it all in and cook for 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high.

One more bit of old business before I get to the new stuff! Becky at http://sweetcottagedreams.blogspot.com/ tagged me in the name game (my first tag!) so here goes. You are supposed to use your middle name and tell things about yourself. My middle name is Annette - why couldn't I have a short middle name?

Anxiety - yep, I have issues.

Nuts - I'm nuts about

Needlework (two for one!)

Envy - I envy people who are full of self confidence. I don't have a 's' for shy so that will have to do.

Tina is short for LaTennia (pronounced LaTina)

Timothy is my middle child and I HATE it when people shorten his name to Tim or Timmy or whatever. I know, considering my first name that is somewhat of a double standard but from the day I was born, I never went by anything other than Tina. Timothy was never anything but Timothy until he got in 6th grade band. Really set me off when I introduced myself as Timothy's mother and his teacher had a blank look on his face until I gave my last name. 'Oh, Tim' NO, TIMOTHY. Can you tell that is a button pusher. Pretty much everywhere except home he goes by Tim these days but he is 23 and nothing I can do about that, but he is still Timothy at home!

Even though my kids are all grown, I still don't have an empty nest.

I'm supposed to tag 7 people here, but not that many people read my blog and several of those have already been tagged so if you are reading this and haven't already played this game, consider yourself tagged. Stop by Becky's blog for instructions!

Okay - now to new business! I went to an estate sale this morning. I did not get out early because I knew it would be packed and well, I just don't get dressed that early if I don't have to be at work! Anyway - I picked up these three thimbles. I didn't come across them until I was on my way out and I had a lunch date so I didn't get to look as much as I would have liked - probably a good thing, there were tons of them! I also picked up this cute little box - I think my thread winders might have found a new home. Lastly - check out these buttons! There were 3 bags of them but another girl and I spotted them at the same time - she was closer so I only got the one bag. My favorites are the two right on top. I haven't even opened the little baggie and looked at the loose ones yet. Will see if I can resist going back tomorrow to see if they have any thimbles left.

House guest

We have a 'house guest' this week - well, actually Squeaky will be here for 2 weeks. Nicholas was here but he went back to Nac to meet some 'fans'. Jason (baby boy) and Nicholas were in a series of internet videos back in the spring. http://one.revver.com/find/user/maddisonatkins (this should take you to the page - note, these are college kids so you have been warned! LOL They are in reverse order so make sure to start with the first one if you are going to watch them) Apparently they have 'fans' who were in Nac yesterday and wanted to meet them. Jason will be bringing him back either today or tomorrow to stay for a bit. Anyway - Autumn isn't at all fond of Squeaky. She stays as far away as she can! Maybe by the end of the two weeks they will at least make nice with each other - I don't think they are going to be friends!

Other than dog sitting it was a pretty quiet weekend here. I did stitch some yesterday, but no pictures yet. I added names to a family tree I stitched for my mother in 1983 but I think I am going to put new mats on it before I put it back together - I'll take a picture then. I also stitched up a little freebie and am going to try to make one of those biscornu thingies I keep seeing - I just love those little things and I'm hoping they are not hard to make! If I don't make a total mess out of it, I might have a pic of that tomorrow.

Thanks for the comments on my dough bowl and door knobs. I have been collecting them for a bit and had them just here and there. I like having them all together.

Hope everyone enjoyed their long weekend!

In the oven!

This cake is so good - and it's so easy to make! It has been a favorite around here for a long time and is one of those things you probably always have everything you need on hand. This one should be ready in about 45 minutes!

Chocolate Chip Pound Cake

1 pkg yellow cake mix

1 pkg instant vanilla pudding mix

1 pkg instant chocolate pudding mix

1 1/2 cup water

4 eggs

1/2 Crisco oil

1 (6oz) pkg chocolate chips (I like to use the mini chips)

Mix first 6 ingredients until thick. Fold in chocolate chips. Bake in Bundt cake pan for one hour @350.

'First Monday'

We went to Canton yesterday. They still call it 'First Monday' even though they are open the Thursday through the Sunday before the first Monday of the month. (when it started 100+ years ago it was actually on the first Monday)Thankfully the weather isn't quite as hot as it has been. Don't get me wrong - it is still plenty hot, but it is at least bearable if you get in the shade and catch a breeze! I picked up this cute sign that I hung over my living room window and the dough bowl to put my glass doorknobs in. Still not sure it is exactly what I want to display them in, but it will do till the right thing comes along. I picked up a few pillowcases too, but they are in the laundry so those pictures will have to wait.

Hope you are having a great weekend!

making do

I was going to make 'Not Yo' Mama's Banana Pudding' for dessert last night http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_21275,00.html but when I went to the store they didn't have Chessman cookies so I thought, okay - I'll use Lorna Doone cookies, nope, they didn't have those either - 'Nilla Wafers will have to do. Then they didn't have the French Vanilla pudding mix (I love small town shopping) So, while I started with Paula Deen's recipe it wasn't exactly the same but it was still yumm, yumm! (oops - forgot the bananas in the first picture!)

Esther and Melissa - what happened? We waited until 6:00, but then had to have dinner without you! Melissa, you aren't but a few hours away.