Monday

Well here we are at Monday again. Hope you had a good weekend.

I finally have the cabinet in the house. I'm not finished but I hope to at least get started on painting the shelves today. It was a long weekend and I'm not getting anywhere fast today so that remains to be seen.

Would you like to see what I have so far?

Here is a pic of what the top looked like when we brought it home. (this is the side with the mirror - the other side was much the same)



Here is a bigger picture. I thought I had a better one, but I can't find it.

You can see two different kinds of hardware - neither of which is original. There was original hardware on the two bottom drawers but one of those was broken so I ended up replacing it all.


Some white paint


Some new hardware


Some gray paint (that looks blue)- and here is what I have so far. There are shelves to go behind the door. I have it where the bakers rack was in the breakfast room.

I'm planning to keep cookbooks in the door side. The section below the mirror folds down to make a desk - I forgot to take a pic of that. I'll show it again when I'm finished, if you are interested. :) Still have to figure out what to do with the two pictures that were hanging on either side of the bakers rack since this piece is wider.

Always something

So, I've been working on this project all week. I really do plan to show you the whole thing - eventually. I'm finally done with all the painting on the main part (still have to paint shelves but I need to get the main part inside so I have room in the garage to paint those) Anyway - it is old and most of the original hardware is gone. Some of it was replaced - obviously at different times since the replacements don't match each other or the originals. So I went to Home Depot and stood in front of the hardware for a good half hour trying to decide what I wanted. I tend to lean towards brushed nickel but I finally decided on some Venetian Bronze ones that I thought would best suit the piece. Since I can't count, I picked up 10 pulls and 2 knobs. (I only need 8 pulls and 2 knobs)

I came home and got after it with some sandpaper. Decided it was distressed enough. Looked at it a bit longer and decided against glaze. I can't move the big piece by myself (will bring that in when hubby gets home to help) so I brought in a drawer, waxed it up a bit and opened up one of the pulls.


Looks good, doesn't it.

Except for this -


It doesn't fit. I took one of the old pieces with me to measure and it measures the same size but the hole for the screw on the new pull is as close to the inside of the handle as it could possibly get and they don't cover the holes in the drawer! Argh!

I'm going to have to go back and look again (I may take the whole drawer with me this time) but it just started raining here so it will have to wait.

I think I need a snack.

ps - is anyone else having trouble with blogger? I haven't been able to get spell check to work for the past couple of days and it took three tries (hours apart) yesterday to get my post up - haven't tried this one yet but if it posts, excuse any typos.

Still painting

This is my third time to trying to post this - keep getting errors! Argh!

Mercy - I must be the slowest painter on planet earth! How do all these people finish projects so quickly. (right now I'm waiting on some paint to dry so I can put on another coat - hopefully the last)


Here is another little sneak peak.

Sneak peek

Do you under-estimate how long a project is going to take? I always do - you would think I would learn, but no.

Here is a sneak peek at what I was working on over the weekend.



I worked on it all day Saturday and Sunday but I'm still far from being finished. I had to take a break and get some things done around the house. You know, little things - like laundry! (and blog reading!) I tend to get 'tunnel vision' when I start projects and everything else goes to you-know-where in a handbasket. Since I have enough 'other things' to keep me busy most of the week, I likely won't get back to this project until next week. I was really hoping to get it finished over the weekend so I could bring it in the house.

Guess I should get to some of those neglected things so I can maybe get in some blog reading!

Mushrooms and plates in the garden

Several years ago I bought a couple of ceramic mushrooms for the flower bed. When I went back to get another one, they were gone - and the place where I bought them no longer carries them. I've been looking for another one ever since.

Fast forward a couple of years and I go to the hardware store to mail a package to baby boy (yes, the post office is in the hardware store, now doesn't that sound like I like in Hooterville rather than just outside of Houston?) Anywho - I wandered around looking at the garden and giftie things they have in there (they have some cute stuff!) and I came across one lonely mushroom! I couldn't believe it! Only problem was that it was the same color as the smaller of the two I already had. I should have looked earlier - maybe they would have had other colors. I thought about it a bit and decided to get it anyway - who knows if I will ever find them anywhere else. I stuck it in the flower bed with the other mushrooms. (flower bed looks awful!)


The smaller one on the front right is different from the other three - I found it at Home goods one day - the cap on it is attached. The other three are not attached, they just kinda sit there and will 'ring' if the wind catches them right. I thought they looked a little crowded there so I moved them.


Not sure I like them here either. Once spring hits, I'll plant some more flowers out here but for now I'm just trying to fill in some blank spaces.


After I moved the mushrooms this corner seemed a little bare so I went digging in my box 'o plates and 'planted' a few. Trying to decide if I want to add a few more. I guess I should have stepped back and taken a pic of the whole bed. Maybe I'll get to that this weekend. I do have a project I'm working on - I'll show it when it is finished, but it is not a quickie so it will be awhile!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Mid-week post

Well, I totally missed posting yesterday! Sometimes the day just gets away - must have been that walk around the block. It was sunny and 72 - perfect! Today we still have temps in the 70s but it is cloudy. I'm still going to try to get in a walk (don't be impressed, it is only a half mile around the block and I usually only manage to make it around once!) Cross your fingers it doesn't rain until after my walk- not really supposed to but it sure looks like it right now!

Anyway - thought I would share some pics from Valentines Day.

I made cupcakes

Aren't they cute? Tasted yummy too!


I found the cupcake papers and picks at Wal-mart.


Hubby brought home flowers


okay - the pictures got mixed up (operator error) I intended for the full shot to be first, but I am too lazy to fix it. :)


Aren't these roses beautiful? I love the pink around the edges.


He also gave me a Pandora bracelet! I've been wanting one for awhile. He picked out the charms - my initials, a puffy heart and a queen bee! Perfect. I didn't realize you couldn't see the stones in the clips until I downloaded the pics (again - I'm lazy) but they have tiny pink sapphires in them.
He done good - think I'll keep him a bit longer!

Hope you are having a great week.

Happy Valentines Day!

We have sunshine again and the forecast for the next few days is perfect - 50s - 70s!

I don't have a lot of Valentine decor going on around here but I thought I would share what I have.

In the breakfast room - you have no idea how hard it is to keep my hands out of those jars.


In the kitchen. I picked up the 'Kisses' tin when we went to Hershey, PA in the fall.


Several years ago I made about a half-dozen hearts - this year I kinda spread them around instead of putting them all in one bowl together.




Made these rag balls the same year as the hearts - I think.

For those of you who tried to find the mistake in the pillowcase - thank you! Sticks out like a sore thumb to me, but I'm glad it isn't so obvious to others. However, since you looked so hard, I'll tell you. I stitched the first heart (on the left) like the directions said - with 3 stands of floss. When I picked it back up I didn't pay any attention to what I had done before and the other three hearts are stitched with only two strands of floss. Eventually I'll stitch the mate - and I'll stitch it with only two stands of floss.

Hope you have sunshine where you are!

Happy Friday!

Happy Friday everyone! Hope the sun is shining bright in your corner of the world.
It is nice and sunny here - still cold, but sunny!
I've been floating from one project to another - project A.D.D. Anyway - here is the pic of the pillowcase I finished the other day.


Can you spot my goof? I have no idea how long ago I started this but I'm guessing when I did the first part I actually read the directions. (they are really just guidelines, right?) Well, when I picked it up to finish it I just started stitching. I'll leave it at that. I was almost finished when I noticed what I had done and I figured since it is just for me, I could live with it. Why is it that I can live with some things and not with others? I have unstitched again on the Home of a Needleworker sampler due to a mistake no one would know about but me. (especially since I frame my own pieces and no one else will see the back!) Oh well.

We are supposed to have a sunny (and warmer) weekend - yeah!

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Happy Birthday, Timothy!

Today is Timothy's birthday!



Happy Birthday!
Love you,
Mom

Stitch, frog, repeat

I couldn't decide what to stitch on next so I pulled out a stamped pillowcase and finished it up - I also forgot to take a pic of it so I'll get to that later. (maybe tomorrow) I had no idea what happened to the mate to the pillowcase since it wasn't in the project bag with the one I had started so I went digging in the UFO/WIP pile and came up with this. (and found the mate but I was out of the mood)

Home of a Needleworker. I had already stitched the house and the top border so you can see progress is slow. I had to take some out - it takes way longer to take out over one stitching than it does to put it in, and it is pretty slow getting it in! I started this back when we were living in the old house (yellow house with a green door) so I changed the threads and stitched a green door. Now we live in a yellow house with a red door, but there is no way I'm taking out all that green!


Just to give you an idea of how big this project is, here is a pic with a ruler.

I'm working on another project today but I won't be able to post it until after the 3 Stitches get-a-way in March. :)

Hope you have sunshine where you are. It is sunny today but they promise it won't last.

Houston is closed!

Houston is closed today! We were supposed to have snow but what we have is ice. Ice + elevated roads = closed for business! The picture is what my van looks like this morning - and that is far out the door as I plan on getting!

One would think I would be getting lots of stuff done but one would be wrong. I've been sitting in front of the tv like a bump-on-a-log. I have no idea why. The only thing that has been on is weather/weather related stuff. Have I picked up anything to stitch on while I was watching tv. Nope. Like I said, bump-on-a-log. The local stations skipped the regular morning shows and have been on air all morning showing the iced over roads and the idiots that tried to drive them. How many of them had a choice of getting out is any one's guess. There are always those people who have to go to work even in bad weather (police, fire, ems, etc.) but then there are those who just think they can drive in it. I'm sure all the people up north are laughing, but people down here don't know how to drive on icy roads. I'm guessing the rental car business will be booming since there will be so many cars in the body shop.

Me? I'm staying put. I guess I'll go start some laundry and see if my chair is still warm! Maybe I'll even pick up something to stitch while I sit there. :)

Have a great (safe) weekend!

Finished!

Silent Sampler
Rosewood Manor

I finally got around to pressing Silent Sampler and getting a pic. I started this one two years ago - can't believe it took me so long to finish it. I kept putting it aside to work on other things. I really like the way it came out. Hopefully I can get to the frame shop next week and pick out a frame. (I don't miss working, but I do miss instant access to framing!)

Believe it or not, we actually have sunshine - the weather report didn't show any until Saturday. It looks pretty, but when you open the door you are quickly reminded we still have below freezing temps. (the only reason for opening the door is to let the dogs out - not going out myself unless I have a reason, and I can't think of one!) My hands and feet are like ice blocks inside the house! I have on socks and slippers but my feet are still cold! Thought I might stitch a bit (more about what I decided to stitch on later) but it is hard to stitch when your hands are cold and I sure can't stitch with gloves on! Maybe I will go iron some of hubby's work shirts - that might warm my hands up a bit.

So long sunshine

Well, the sunshine from last week is gone. It played peek-a-boo all weekend and is now gone for the rest of the week.
The colder weather blew in this morning - and when I say blew in, I mean it BLEW IN.


At 6:55 this morning it was 70, at 7:15 it had dropped to 50, last time I checked (30 minutes ago) it was37 - I have no idea what the wind chill is other than COLD! Yes, I know it is colder up north, but we aren't up north - we are in Houston! It is supposed to keep getting colder, in the 20s overnight and there is a 60% chance of snow on Friday. When we moved here I thought we would never see snow (not that we saw a lot of it in East Texas) but we had snow last winter and here it comes again!

I still haven't pressed Silent Sampler but I will get to it today (I'm sure not going anywhere!) and hopefully post a pic tomorrow - though I will have to take it without the benefit of sunlight. I also haven't decided what I want to work on next. Maybe I'll do that today too.

I think it is a good day for a crock pot full of stew and a pan of cornbread.

Hope you are keeping warm!