Saturday, November 29, 2014

a passel of projects

We got a ton of stuff done this weekend!! First let me say welcome to my new followers!! I have TWENTY followers!!! Wowzers - I feel pretty popular!!
Also, I hope you all had a lovely turkey day. Scott and I hung out at home - we made a chicken and all the goodies that go with it. Sat in front of the fire watching TV and flakes fell from the heavens - but not enough to shovel which made it perfect!!
Scott got some framing done...
finished 2012 Mosey N Me

finished 2013 Lizzie*Kate

finished 2012 Little House Needleworks

hard at work in the workshop
 The frame on the first picture came from an estate sale - the third frame Scott built - he started building it when we lived in Colorado!!
So I have to give lots of thanks to other blogs. The first thanks is to The Inspired Stitcher on her 2013 finishes she has a necklace using the Queen Bee mini card by Prairie Schooler - and I thought ohhhh that's what I can do with that pattern - I've had it for years and always wondered what I should do with it!! Scott and I found a really neat "watch" to put it in at Hobby Lobby
open

closed

I think it turned out lovely!! When I posted it on my blog - Meari from Meari's Musings sent me a link to another blog - which I had commented on when it was originally posted and then forgot that I loved it (silly me) So thanks to Meari for pointing out the absolutely adorable time piece that Mouse from Tales of a Stitching Mouse made I took her idea almost exactly (thanks Mouse!!) except I added a heart and I made one in blue. It's stitched one over one on 40 ct country mocha Newcastle - which I love!! Look how tiny the stitches are....

I finished the small quilt I was making - (thanks Jessica - the outer border quilting idea was perfect - I added another set of hills - maybe made them too small but what are ya gonna do now? lol)



You can't really see the quilting as I had hoped - but there is the front, close up, back and it hanging on the hanger we got last month!
I made a little table runner - we had seen one in Ohio with a lace edge - they wanted too much for it - I spent $4 on crocheted ribbon and used some fabric I already had - I have half the ribbon left so I can make another!! I might tea dye it - maybe.


 I had posted the Harvest Keeper finish already - I left off one hive - Meari suggested more bees - brilliant!! I added just one more bee - maybe another one would fit but I love the additional bee (thanks Meari!!)
put on a box

still needs touch-up paint
Scott made oatmeal peanut butter scotchies mmmmmmm

I got goodies in the mail....
snowflake needle keep

YAY!!!
That's a lot of finished up projects - I'm proud of us!! I have most of my Christmas shopping done - have to since everybody lives far away!! We may decorate tomorrow - we'll see how it goes!! Hope you are having a jolly holiday season and thanks for stopping by!!! HO HO HO



  

Saturday, November 22, 2014

Scott is so clever!

That man is good at fixing stuff up!! We found this medicine cabinet at an antique store in Greencastle. It was homemade - had too much varnish on it so it was thick and yellow. I thought I took a picture but I did not!! We only paid $20 for it!! Scott painted it and put chicken wire in - all the rage right now!! Hardly cost us anything and it's so darn cute!!!
Perfect for the little bathroom!!
 I had to take a close shot because the darn light - too dark to take it with the light off grrr. Scott also got those little  mason jars - he says maybe we should put two cotton balls in there in case you have a cotton ball emergency - silly!

 We bought this little quilt hanger - good deal of course - $15! Scott stained it.
before
after
darn you can't really tell a difference in the picture but it looks darker. I think the little quilt I am currently working on will be perfect for it....
I forgot to show you this crazy acorn squash I bought and the orchard!! I love squash!!
A few months ago we went to Kelley's Island - we bought some Ohio wine
it was super sweet - tasted like apples! My face swelled up and turned red - sexy right? Guess I won't be drinking that wine again. Scott bought some wine on a business trip to Ohio.


The one on the right - despite it's cute label - too sweet. Like grape juice and vodka yuck! The one on the left is delightful!! Sweet and crisp!
In the last few weeks we had a fire alarm that would chirp - not often enough to to figure out which one. How silly it is to try and figure it out. This week it finally chirped often enough that could stand in each room waiting to see what chirped - turns out it was in the basement! Scott took it down to see if that was the one - never made another noise. Replaced the battery anyway and it isn't chirping. It's crazy all the things that can chirp in your house!
I am baking cardemom braids - our traditional breakfast bread on Thanksgiving - to send to my kids and one for us. I love cardemom - so delicious! It made me realize my blog is almost 2 years old!  Time sure flys by!
I hope you have a nice turkey day - gobble gobble!

Monday, November 17, 2014

leaf me alone - wood ya!!


Holy cow…. The weekend is already over and I can hardly move!! We raked and used the leaf blower all day Saturday – allllll day!! 


Raking, bagging and then crushing the bags with my knees to get more leaves in – my whole body aches. Scott carried that blower around all day – after about 10 minutes it seems to weigh a ton so he is in the same sore boat!! It was cold out too … 38… and even with all the work my little digits were froze!! We had to stop halfway through and have a cheese and cracker counter picnic!! Brie with fig jelly, green chili cheddar, peppadew Havarti – mmmmmm. My new favorite thing is a cracker with some walnuts and honey on it – delicious!! 
Anyway, I’m glad the raking done – and that was the last time this year we will be doing it!! A deer went running by the back yard while we were out there – I didn’t get a picture because I sure didn’t expect it!! After we got it done we had to run to Bloomington to do some errands – plus go to the craft store!!  We went to dinner at Scotty’s Brewhouse – nothing like burning 1000 calories and then eating 2000 calories! I got a crazy burger called The Shrewman – it has bacon, cheddar, jalapenos and peanut butter – yep you read that right! It was really good – the peanut butter does not make or break it though. It would have been just as good without it. I had their homemade chips –not as good as I wanted them to be. I didn’t take any pictures – darn it!! They have Sprechers Root Beer on tap – my absolute favorite root beer!! Only place you can buy it here – other than restaurants - is a store called Menards. The cream soda is pretty good too!! Scott got the Philly Burger – mushrooms, onions and Swiss. Scott also had Two Lucys Blackberry Wheat beer, a local brew. He liked it. We took a piece of peanut butter pie home to share – it’s so rich that one slice is enough for two. Here is a link to the recipe I use (same thing) – delicious!!  Peanut Butter Pie.
Sunday morning we had 3 ricks delivered – that is a stack of wood 4 feet high by 2 feet wide by 8 feet long not 3 guys named Rick – I didn’t know any of that information until this weekend. They dumped it in the drive and we had to stack it. That is a lot of wood – more sore!! 

Scott had cut some trees off the property but not enough for the winter and they are all wet even though we had covered them. 
We also filled this box in the garage with wood – so it can dry out before coming in the house!!
 The best part of that was when Scott built a lovely fire and just a few hours after we finished out outdoor chores – it started to snow!!
 I finally got to spend a few hours stitching, with my cat and some tea – ahhhh cozy.
 I got a new issue of Cross Stitch and Needlework (January 2015 already!!). There is a new pattern by Barbara Ana. It started in the September 2014 issue and I didn’t think I liked it very much, but this issue has the whole picture and I just love it!! 
So I tea-dyed a piece of fabric for it – machine-stitched the edge and I am ready. 
Oh wait, I have to finish the things I’m working on grrrr. Not enough time!!  
Scott framed a picture this weekend – Victoria Sampler Pumpkin Farm. I finished it in 2012. I changed all the non-variegated threads to DMC.  
Scott found the frame in Colorado at a thrift store for $1.25. He had to cut it down – re-paint it and distress it. It looks marvelous!! He does such a good job on my pictures!!
Being sore and the snow made getting up to go to the gym this morning a real treat – NOT!! I need a weekend of stitching and bon bons!! I hope you had a restful weekend – thanks for stopping by!

Thursday, November 13, 2014

more furniture?

We have been hanging out at home the last few weekends – I think we got burnt out with all our running around!!  We should run around while we still can – if this winter is like last winter we will be staying home a lot this winter!! We did go into town to Traderbakers – one of our favorite places to wander through. People have booths and sell trash or treasures. Sometimes we find a great deal – sometimes we find nothing!! We got this fabulous antique table for a steal!!
I had to have this sled – I have no idea what I am going to do with it.
This table - too cute!!
 Then I had to have this dresser thing – it’s small and didn’t cost much but I felt a little bad stealing it for the craft room.
 These pictures are in a circle – overlapping a bit so you see the whole room






 My thread boxes don’t fit but my specialty threads – beads and fabric do!! I love it!!
I also found this lovely Santa nesting doll! I love that place – I really love finding a great deal on something I just HAVE to have!!
We did manage to make it to Indy and eat at....
The Rathskeller

Mephistopheles

Don Quixote

so delicious!! the mustard will melt your brain

Jaegerschnitzel with creamed spinach and potato cake

Mixed Wurst Platte with spätzle and potato cake
We also tried the stuffed mushrooms - very tasty and the serve dinner with a salad - also good! It was expensive but very good!! We took half home of course - tons of food!!
Looks like Scott and I will be alone for the holidays this year. It’s so expensive to fly the kids here and they certainly can’t afford to get here – neither one of them has worked for more than a month or two the whole damn year (grrrr) We are both still sad about it – but we are not going to let it bring down the holidays!! I think we are staying home and making a chicken for Thanksgiving – mmmm – I will stitch and we will watch movies. It will be fun!!  
Hope you are getting ready for the holidays with loved ones - thanks for stopping by!