Where is the sun?

Enough with the cloudy days already! Mama needs some sun! It isn't quiet as cold as it was, but it still is far from warm! That wouldn't be so bad if there was just a little sun to go with it. (and if my hair didn't look like I stuck my finger in a light socket! can we say frizz?)

I have stitched a little over the past few days - I've also un-stitched a little over the past few days! Between that and my hands being so dry, I'm not moving very fast on the stitching front but some is better than none!

Bertha and I are working on something



if it doesn't look like total crap when we finish I'll show you a picture next week!

I think we have some work in the bathroom on the schedule for this weekend. Hopefully it won't rain since I have some boards that need painting and I would rather paint with the garage door open. Hubby will be painting the walls this time.

Hope you have a great weekend!

Let there be light!

So - I seriously think I need a time management lesson (or three!) I never seem to get through my daily to do list. For instance, I intended to write this post on Monday!

Anyway - on to the lighting. I think the builder looked for the cheapest lighting possible when building this house. We have been working on replacing most of it and we are almost there! (the previous owner didn't change anything - nada, didn't even so much as hang a curtain!) This house has an open floor plan so the kitchen looks into the breakfast area and then into the living room. The kitchen has 4 can lights (hate, hate can lights - still haven't quite figured out what to do about the ones in the kitchen yet) and the breakfast area had one dinky little can light - way on up there. (the kitchen/bay window ceiling is 9' and as you can see, this goes on up from there)


The hubby got a little ahead of me and had already taken the bulb out before I could get my 'before' picture so just imagine a bulb in that little black hole.


Out came the useless can light


And in went a chandelier!


So much better!


And look - it actually throws light on the table! I would have liked to had some cute (maybe even vintage) fixture here, but the whole reason for the replacement was the lack of light and some of those really cute/vintage fixtures are just that - cute. I tried to pick something with bulbs that were directed down for maximum light. (I took this picture on Monday when it was cloudy - sorry about the off color)

Now, how long do you think a project like this should take. Couple of hours maybe? Try more like seven! The converter kit for the can light said 'takes minutes, not hours'. Ha! They don't say how many minutes! LOL. Part of that time went to two trips for spray paint. The converter kit had an adapter plate in it to cover the hole but it was white. The ceiling is builder beige and the fixture is brushed nickel so that was going to stick out like a sore thumb. Off we went to Wal-mart (closest place) to get some spray paint (the closest thing I had in the garage was chrome) They had a satin nickel so we got that. Two coats (dries in 10 minutes!) later I brought it in only to find it was too 'gold'. Back out again, this time to Lowe's where we found brushed nickel - only the dry time is one hour! (we used that time to have a bowl of soup for dinner) Of course by then it was dark so we had to use the lights from the kitchen and living room along with my stitching lamp and a flashlight. At least it is done now!

Whatcha think? Better?

We have sun today, but it is cold. (for Houston anyway!)

Hope you are having a productive week! :)

Good mail!

Look what was in my mailbox yesterday!



Aren't they 'yummy'? Terry (from Arlington - no blog) sent them to me! They were wrapped and tied with that ribbon - too cute! I can't believe she sent them to me 'just because'. They are going to be so cute on my 'sweets' tree I'm hoping to have on my breakfast bar next Christmas. I'm off to a pretty good start with it - I will have to wait and see what size tree I will need, depending on how many 'sweet' ornaments I can round up by then.

Thanks again, Terry - you are the best!

Oh so slow

I seem to be moving oh so slowly this week. Of course my 'to be done' list is always way longer than the 'possible to get done in one day' reality. As usual, I made a good start yesterday but have lacked motivation to get much done today. I tend to get stuck now and then - like today. Oh well - I suppose it isn't going anywhere. I wish I was one of those people who can look at a space and see how to organize it. I spent a LOT of time organizing and re-organizing. Like I said, it ain't going anywhere!

I thought I would show you pictures of a couple of ornaments I did for Christmas gifts.


They are both the same so I turned one over to show that backing fabric.


I have one more ornament I stitched for a gift but it hasn't been delivered yet - hopefully I can show it next week. That is the extent of the handmade gifts I managed to turn out this year. I had really hoped for more.

Hope you are having a productive week! (someone needs to)

Getting back into the groove

Or at least thinking about it!

All the Christmas decor has been taken down and put away. Now comes the task of cleaning and putting the 'regular' things back where they go. Or in my case, trying to remember what went where and where I stashed it while the holiday decor was out. Since most of my stuff is still on a quest to find a permanent home (I move things. a lot.) who knows what will end up where - but I guess that is what makes it fun!

I had all these big ideas for handmade Christmas gifts but most of them didn't pan out. I did sew up this quilt for my mother.

Never mind that I actually bought the fabric to make it two years ago.

Yes, it was planned as a Christmas gift two years ago and I finally got it made this year! Maybe there is hope for all those other projects I've had planned - someday.

Hope you had a safe New Year's weekend.

Asleep at the wheel

Obviously I wasn't all together when I posted yesterday. Now this really is the last post for 2010. LOL

Last post for 2010

Thought I would share the last of the holiday photos before then end of the year.


Hubby came in with flowers a few days before Christmas.


Last year I put lights in my 'garden house' that is in my bedroom (because the HOA won't let me keep it on my front porch!) - I liked them so I left them in all year.


A couple of weeks ago we finally had our first freeze which took care of most of the blooming flowers in the front flower bed and after we pulled them it just looked empty so we added this tree.


Christmas Eve we drove to Galveston to see the Festival of Lights at Moody Gardens. The weather was great - breezy but warm enough that you could have done w/o a jacket if not for the breeze.


Do they look interested?






The only thing I don't like about my camera is the battery indicator - once it shows half charge and starts blinking it is pretty much done for - that happened after just a few pics at MG. Of course I didn't take an extra battery with me. :( It started to sprinkle just as we started back to the car. By the time we got on the road it was really raining and rained all the way home.


Around here our entertainment seems to be the dogs.




We always open gifts on Christmas morning but we usually have to get through and get ready to leave. This year we stayed home and we were all still in our jammies at noon! We had lunch around 2:00 and spent the rest of the day just hanging out.

The hubby spoiled me this year (he always does, but don't tell him I said that) Our CD player quit long before we moved and I haven't had anything to listen to music on so he got me an IPod! I always thought I didn't really want one because I hate earphones but I used some gift cards I had and got speakers for it.

Good thing Timothy was here to help me out with it - silly me thought they were only for playing music! He helped me load some CDs on it and showed me how to shop the ITunes store. He also showed me that you can play games on it - now I'm hooked on 'Angry Birds'. I also got a pair of earrings and pink drill to go with the pink tools I got last year!

Well, that about does it for this year. Hubby has a long weekend - will see what rolls around. May take down outside lights if the weather is decent. Other than that, we plan on just spending some time at home.

Next time I post it will be 2011!

Have a safe and Happy New Year!