A little up-do

So, my phone had this plain, pink cover.

Sorry about the blurry pic - I didn't see the need to go back and take a better one, but you get the idea.

Anyway - HL has their scrapbook stuff on sale this week so I popped in and picked up a package of stickers

and gave it a little up-do!

I have no less than a half-dozen projects out at the moment. I think I have craft a.d.d.

Hope you have a great weekend!

Topped!

I've got this quilt top ready to mark and quilt. Now I just need a little time!

Oddities

Well, I totally missed yesterday - got caught up in 'stuff' and never made it to the old blog, then I had to turn the computer off this morning and I just now turned it back on (electric was flickering and kept restarting the 'puter so I thought it best to just turn it off). We got about two and a half inches of rain!

Anyway - I showed you pictures of my just re-painted table, now I want to show you where it is because I'm not sure if I have it sitting exactly where it should be or not.


I took this standing at my kitchen sink. You can see that the table isn't actually centered under the light (though it isn't off by far and it is centered side to side) but it is pretty close to centered with the short wall that divides the breakfast room from family room.


The bar/kitchen wall is longer than the wall between the breakfast room/family room. The choices I have are to leave it as is, (most likely) move the small table that is by the window and shove the table closer to the window (which would center it under the light fixture) but I'm afraid that would look like it is pushed too far over


or I could center the table with the kitchen wall, but that would make it stick out into the walkway.


Just thought I would throw the question out there and see what other opinions would be. I honestly can't remember how the previous owner had her table but there was only a can light there at the time (we put up the light fixture after we moved in) so it wouldn't have been as noticeable. I think I would like to put an area rug under the table but would that just bring more attention to the fact that the whole room is a little odd?

I've managed to get a little stitching done, a little sewing done and a piece of applique ready to start. The applique is purely a practice piece - when we went to Galveston the other day the lady at the shop where I bought the fabric and paint was working on a piece of needle-turn applique and she made it look so easy I thought I had to try it! She suggested starting with a heart so I cut one out and tacked it to a piece of background fabric while I was w/o the computer this morning.

Have soup in the crock pot so all I need to do is make a pan of cornbread and supper will be done! As always, I'm more than a little behind on blog reading!

Paint, sand, wax, buff - margarita!

Whew - it took me a week but I finally finished the breakfast table and chairs.


This is a before picture with the old chairs.


And here is a now picture!


After all the painting, sanding, waxing and buffing she looks much better! And yep, after all that, it was time for a margarita!

I still have the bench to paint but since I tend to get a little 'tunnel vision' when I start projects I should probably take a little time and do a some cleaning up around the house before I start on the bench.

Hope you had a great weekend! (you see how I spent mine!)

This and that

Been keeping busy with this and that. No progress pictures to show. I've done a little (very little) stitching and all four chairs are painted and waiting to be sanded - hopefully I'll get those finished this weekend, and with any luck I will get the table done too. This is one of those 'long time coming' projects so I'm ready to get it done! Supposed to be nice weather again this weekend. Last weekend was nice so we went to Galveston.

Went here - Robyn Pandolph Design Studio and picked up a few cuts of fabric


The whole line was on sale (Beach House) and I couldn't decide which one I liked best (I could have taken a cut off of each bolt) so I came home with 3 pieces - no idea what I will do with it, but ain't it purdy?


Also picked up a couple of cans of paint. The Old White is what I am using on the table and chairs - I have plans for the Paris Grey but one thing at a time. (stop laughing)

Can't go to Galveston without a stop at the Fiesta store (Yesterday's Best - I don't guess they have a website. If they have one, I can't find it)


Anywho - came home with 4 pasta bowls. Love me some Fiesta, but my cabinets are getting a little over full! (this stuff is great but it is heavy!)

No such plans for this weekend - I'll be covered in paint and sanding dust!

Hope you have a great weekend!

Painting chairs

Is really slow!

Or maybe it is just me? I spent over two hours getting one coat of paint on two chairs. (minus all the time I spent walking back and forth to let the dogs in and out) I'm not sure I like painting chairs (which is not to be confused with liking painted chairs - I love painted chairs!)

I'm thinking I will be lucky to get the first coat on all four today. Bummer.

Keeping it short today - my computer is really slow today. (a theme perhaps?)

Hope you are having a great day!

ps - head over to Carolyn's blog - she is having a great give-away!

Decisions, decisions

This is a picture of my new chairs (sorry about the terrible color) I love them! Just the change in shape makes a world of difference !


This is a better representation of the color. Anywho - back to decisions. I first thought I would paint them all white (ASCP - Old White) but then hubby wanted me to consider staining them, so I considered it. All weekend. Went to several different paint stores (one was somewhat helpful, one was totally useless and one was very helpful - guess where I will be going when I get ready to paint the kitchen cabinets) After thinking about it all weekend, I'm back to painting them all white. I'm going to repaint the table and the bench too (the bench is hanging out in the entry these days) since the white on both of them is 'whiter' than the Old White. The top of the table is actually laminate (which makes it a great space for crafts etc) so it won't be painted.

Now the bigger question is when will I actually get them painted?

Unexpectedly unplugged

Yesterday I found myself unexpectedly unplugged - in other words, without power! That, in turn, had me way behind for the day and I'm still trying to catch up.

We did get my new chairs picked up yesterday afternoon and now I have to decide how to finish them. I had planned on painting them all white (with ASCP) but hubby likes the wood and wants me to stain them so I'm thinking about staining them each a different color (which is how they were at the restaurant when I first saw them - grey, pink, yellow and green but they are custom colors for that restaurant so I couldn't have mine finished like that at the place they were built)


Since I don't have anything new to show today (I stitched a little last night, but not enough to rate a new pic) I went back to see what I had posted on Jan 13 in the past. These pictures are from my first Jan 13 post (2008 - I started my blog in 2007 but I didn't start it until July)


Christmas gifts from a friend


and I still have all of them! The little felt houses are still hanging in my office/sewing room and the doxie magnets are on the fridge.


Have you stained anything lately? It has been years since I used stain on anything.

Maybe my Monday I will have decided what to do with the chairs - who knows, I might have even started on them!

Have a great weekend!

In pieces

Cut some fabric up into little pieces and started sewing them back together.

Stitches

In fabric!


I did manage a few stitches in fabric (which is better than in my thumb!) Kind of a late start but these are my first stitches of the new year. I decided to work on something that was already kitted up (still need to pull the DMC, but that is easy) instead of kitting something new and since I wasn't sure I would actually be able to stitch I picked something small. I didn't get much done since the needle kept sticking to my band-aid and pulling back out, but I enjoyed every stitch!

The thumb is getting better. Still can't leave it uncovered as it wants to pull open then it catches on stuff, but hopefully another day or two and I'll be good as new.

Spent a little of my non-stitching time reading. I used to read a lot but the last few years it seems if I wasn't stitching I was either reading magazines or blogs. When I got my iPad I downloaded the Kindle app. and I'm reading my second book on it. I'm enjoying it so far. Not sure how I would like it for magazines - I like looking at the pictures in magazines, and I like saving them (in theory, I would save just the pictures/articles I like and get rid of the magazines but in reality I have stacks of magazines everywhere!) If you have tried getting magazines on an e-reader I would be interested in hearing your thoughts. (also, if you have any good books to recommend)

Kinda chilly here today so guess what I am going to make for dinner? Chili!

The green knife

First, I'll apologize for the picture being sideways - the computer and I are not in agreement today.


This is the green knife. The green knife is sharp. I'll spare you a picture of what happens when the green knife meets the thumb. We will just say I have not been too productive since Saturday evening. I did finally get a few stitches put in on a new project yesterday afternoon but it is slow going when the needle keeps getting stuck on a bandaid.


It is dark and dreary today. Lots of rain, lots of flooded roads. At least I don't have any reason to leave the house today!
When I moved the little garden house outside it already had lights in it - I had put them in the first Christmas we were here and left them after Christmas and I would plug them in on occasion. When we put all the Christmas decor away this time I left the lights in the garden house again and I left them on the daylight/dark timer. As you can see, they are on in this picture - that is how dreary our weather is! (they have been on and off several times today) We need the rain so I'm not complaining too much - just statin' the facts. I can't decide what to put in there with the angel. I don't want to put plants in there that I have to move inside when the weather gets cold (like it is supposed to do later this week) so it may just stay empty for now.

I'm rambling so I guess I should go do something productive.

Fabric Friday

I really have nothing today.

I've got most of the house back together - with the exception of my sewing room/office and that may take awhile! I need to shovel out so I can get to my machine. I have pulled fabrics for a project (pictured above) but that is as far it goes. I will be starting said project next week. I need to pull fabric and floss for a cross stitch project too - I haven't stitched in weeks and I miss it. I'm ashamed to say I didn't finish a single ornament for our tree this year. (I did make two for gifts but that doesn't count)

Hope you have a great weekend.

Rounding out the holidays

After our trips to see TSO and Mission Impossible, we spent Christmas Day at home. It was kinda nice.



We missed our New Yorkers but had a nice long (3 hour!) video chat with them. Isn't amazing how far technology has come?


During the video chat Ashley asked who found the pickle - which sent everyone to the tree since no one had found it yet. To let baby boy and his bride in on the fun, hubby took them to the tree (via the iPad) and they directed him around while looking for it. Ashely is pretty good and usually finds it when she is here but this time Brian found it. Autumn looks like she is trying to get in on the fun, but she is really just trying to get someone to throw the ball again.


Ashley made me this pin cushion - isn't it cute? I don't know where she found the little teacup, but I love it!


Of course, then there is the clean up. I didn't think to take any pictures until I was half way through (at one point you could not see the surface of the table)


Stuff is kinda stored all over, but the bulk of it goes in the attic so it that all has to be hauled upstairs and boxed. Thankfully we managed to get it all put back in the attic while hubby was off work on Monday. I've been spending this week trying to get everything back in place. I'm getting there - except for my office. I have a bit of a disaster in here at the moment. Hubby got me a new monitor for Christmas (if you have been here long, you know mine has been giving me fits for months) I'm loving being able to actually see what I am doing on the screen (instead of that smeared ink look I've been used to) but it meant pulling everything out of the cabinet to get to cords and such and since this one is wider than the old one, I'm having to re-think everything before it goes back in. Unfortunately it did nothing for the actual computer. She's old and she's slow. (but hey, so am I) I almost ordered a new one while Timothy was here (I'll need him to help me transfer everything over - I won't even pretend to know anything about that) but it wouldn't even ship before he left so I'm hoping to get one ordered in the next few months and have him come back. (I promised him an Italian Cream Cake if he comes!)

That pretty much sums it up for our holiday this year. (still have the girlfriends gifts to deliver but not sure when that will happen) I've got several projects in mind for the next few months and hopefully my new chairs will be ready to pick up next week and they will need to be painted - along with the table and bench. (I will have to make a ASCP purchase first - I might have enough but I don't want to get in the middle of it and find out I don't!).

Well, it isn't going to get done with me sitting here. (what a shame - I would much rather sit here and visit blogs than vacuum and dust!)

First time for everything

There are some things you just don't expect to hear from your kids. Brian asking to go to the hardware store is one of those things. The only thing he has ever been interested in 'building' is computers. Computers he knows his way around - lumber and power tools, not so much. Never-the-less, he arrived for his Christmas visit with a plan to build a game table so off we went to buy lumber! I should have taken a picture of him shopping - bad mom/blogger.


Anywho - after shopping, we came home and his dad showed him the tools and set him up to work.


Never thought I would see him using power tools!


He was building a portable gaming table. There are two other sections sitting off to the side - I think it can extend to 8 feet but it comes apart in sections small enough to fit in his car and to store in his apartment. Not bad for a first try! He is planning to cover it with something so he didn't finish it out, just sanded the rough spots.


In between the TSO show, a trip to the IMAX to see Mission Impossible and other assorted 'Christmas fun' the guys gave it a test run with a game of Risk.

Still working on catching up around here!

Long time, no post

I really didn't plan to take such a long break - just happened that way! Brian was here 4 days and Timothy 9 days so we had a nice long holiday. I will save some of the photos and stretch it out a bit.

The boys came in on Wednesday and Thursday - we didn't do much, just visited and made a trip to the hardware store (more on that later) The reason they came in that early is we had tickets for a concert on Friday afternoon. We went to see The Trans-Siberian Orchestra.


Hubby took well over a hundred pics - until the lady next to him asked him not to take so many!
(they should be click-able)


I picked out ten to show you. Note all the over-head equipment - they told us how many tons it weighs but I forget.


We had really good seats


Timothy has seen them several times (he goes every Christmas) but this was the first time for the rest of us.


Our seats were close enough that we could feel the heat from the flames on stage - I can only imagine how hot it must have been for them!




I included this one just to show you how close to the audience the equipment got when they went moving it around.


Then they ran out on it while playing


Again with the flames - it was really warm this time!


See the eyes and teeth? Hard to get pics of it actually 'opening and closling'
It was really a great show. If you ever get a chance to see them you really should go!

I'm now trying to tackle all the post-holiday clean-up. All the decor has been put away but there is still the cleaning and putting 'regular' stuff back out along with all the everyday things to get done.

I'll share more of our holiday next time!