'Thorne'

This is 'Thorne'.  Thorne is made of 11 thrifted t-shirts and 1 thrifted bedskirt.  And if you look closely at those thorns beside Thorne-you will see they are green and brown. 

This is my spring windowsill.  Things are growing quite nicely.  That is basil on the far left.

That's Rocco-and he looks like he might be saying, "Peekaboo!".  But really he's saying, "But I don't waaaannnnaaaa come in!".

I hope you have a good day!

Making the bed-literally

After searching and searching for far too long for new mattresses for my happy camper, I decided to make my own.  The ones I could find online were either not the right size (I needed long and skinny) or too much money for custom made.  So, I got the idea to use memory foam from the Life in a Shoe blog.  I ordered four inch memory foam in the California king size from Overstock.com.  It cost 70 dollars with free shipping.

(This reminds me of cinnamon rolls.)

I originally thought I might be able to get away with a single layer-but no-I tried it out this morning and I need it doubled.  So-I guess I'll be ordering another roll.

Here it is all spread out.  (Which takes about half an hour to happen.)

I didn't know if I wanted the egg crates to go in the middle or to be on the outside, so again-I tested it and it seemed more comfy to have them on the outside.  I figured out that I need more than a full sized top sheet to make a sleeve for the 'mattress'.  I had a Ralph Lauren king sized sheet in my closet that I could use.  (I bought it at Goodwill a long while ago for eight dollars, because I thought it would make a nice quilt back.)  So I double it over, sewed one end shut, then the long side, and left the other end open.  I think I'll add some ties to the open end instead of stitching it shut, so I can remove it easily for washing.  I wrestled that bugger of a 'mattress' into the sleeve.   (The nice thing is that I can use that sheet again if I want to by just ripping out my stitching.)

Tada-a bed for my camper!

I made the bed, and then I made the bed I made-haha!

 

I think these beautiful sheets will become happy camper curtains.  I'm kind of excited about that.

Anyone want to make a reservation to stay at Holly's Happy Camper???

Have a marvelous Monday, everybody!



She's a Star!

I went to my mom's today, to do a wee bit o' cleaning for her.  My camera was there, so I took pics of this rug, that I named 'Star', inspired by the prop I grabbed.  Star is a name- let's not forget Star Jones.  Mom had wanted me to make her friend a rag rug, so that's why I took this rug there and why I went ahead and took photos there.  I may never see Star again.  (Hmmmm-that was confusing!) Anyhow, this rug was made from thrifted t-shirts, some double knit fabric I found in my basement, and some fabric from the braided rug that I had made for the Handmade Home Project.  Yes, I tore Maddie's rag rug apart.  I hadn't sewn it together very good and I like the crocheted rugs better, and plus I needed some more red fabric.

And here's a better shot of Berry.  The reason Berry was at mom's house is because on Sunday, after church, in the parking lot, I had shown her my two latest rugs and she asked if she could have Berry-so Berry's hers now.  I think he's 'berry' handsome.

I also took Mom a bundle of note cards that I had made from some of my own images.  (That strawberry pen smells like strawberries.  Love it!)

I've had cards printed from my own photos before, but I wanted to do it again after seeing an article by Emily Falconbridge on Today's Mama.

I purchased some of the note cards from Shutterfly.  I had a 30 dollar credit for transferring photos there from a company that is going out of business (Photoworks)-over to Shutterfly, otherwise I probably would not have ordered them.  They are not cheap, especially if you are not ordering large quantities.

The top two cards here are from Vistaprint.  They are a little bigger than the Shutterfly note cards and just as nice.   I got 10 of each print.  They were 'free', except they weren't because they charge you for uploading your own photo and shipping.  They came out to be less than a dollar a piece-which I didn't think was too bad for something personalized.

I've rambled on long enough, I hope you have a lovely day!

Might as well face it, I'm addicted to mugs

More web cam photos!

Lookie here at this tall turquoise mug that I brought home with me from Goodwill yesterday.  I love tall mugs-they're the ones I always grab for first.  Since this one was a beautiful color and was only 49 cents I decided to add it to my collection.  It's Gibson china.

I had to bring this one home too.  It's pretty heavy and it's pretty beautiful too.  There was a set of four I think, but I limited myself to one-not because of price (49 cents), but because my cupboards are already bursting with mugs!  All it has on the bottom is an imprint of (not actually an imprint because it's raised) USA.

Oh yes-I love these little mugs from Goodwill too!  I've had two of them for a couple years now-but just last week I found another green dotted one.  The dots get me every time. These all have an imprint of USA on the bottom. They make great mugs for milk for dipping cookies.  They are just too small for my tea.  I wish sometimes that I was a dainty tea drinker-but that's just not me.


I hope you have a wonderful Monday!

I don't have a camera, but I do have my netbook

My daughter took my camera (well-I guess it's hers) with her last night, but that's alright-she'll bring it back.  I hope.  Waaaaaaaa!!!!! (That's me crying.)

My mom has my Kodak Easyshare.  But that's alright because I don't really like it anymore, anyhow.  My ol' Tracfone doesn't have a camera, but that's alright too-I like only paying seven dollars a month for cell phone service.  Anyhow-I thought-welp, I'm not taking any pics for a while.  Then I remembered my netbook has a webcam and I can take pictures with my webcam.  It's not easy though, believe me. 

I loaded my two new rugs and my netbook (aka-Ace) in my car and drove to the bottom of-(it's true!) my driveway.  I parked and carted my stuff a whole-I don't know-20 feet or so into the woods for a little photoshoot with the webcam.  HA!

This is Woody.  If you could see him better, you might think he looks a little like a tree stump-thus the name.  He's got browns and little brownish-purple in him.  I found a bag of some double knit fabric that Larry's aunt had given me long ago-in the basement.  It's the printed fabric in Woody.  The rest is thrifted t-shirts.  I really like this one and thinks it's very pretty and you might too, if you could see it better.

This is Berry.  No, not Barry, Berry-for his berrylicious coloring.  Berry contains thrifted and gifted sheets and some more of the ol' double knit fabric.

Want to know something funny?  I started to walk off without Berry.  Then I remembered him and for a split second I couldn't see the 'Berry' for the trees!

I hope you are having a good day!

Oceana

I named this rag rug Oceana, because-of course-'she' reminds me of the ocean.  Made with thrifted t-shirts and sheets that my friend, Dawnie, gave me-again!

 I like Oceana, but she's not my favorite.

It's turning into a beautiful day today.  And since I have to watch that my pup doesn't run off, I have be outside.  I've been digging in my-(what used to be a flower bed) veggie bed.  I've added ( yippie eye eh!) cow patties from the pasture field and some old coffee.  I'm saving egg shells-I wash them and then stick them in freezer in a Ziploc baggie, then I'm going to pulverize them and add them to the soil.  (All the cool kids are doing it!)  I'm saving my used tea bags too and I'll add them also.

 

I'll probably let everything die once it gets hot-but right now I'm pretty gung ho.  :)

Actually, there's nothing in there yet.



This is Rocco the Rowdy Rottweiler with a dirty nose and the world's longest tongue!

Say cheeessseeee, Rocco.  GOOD DOG!!!  :)

Happy St. Patty's Day!



Happy 17th!

(Patrick and his mom, Jodie.)

birthday to my nephew Patrick (aka-Patty)!

You're turning into such a handsome, fine, young man!  I love you, Patty!

'Americus'

Did you ever read Where the Heart Is? (It was made into a movie too.)  The main character, Novalee Nation, names her baby Americus.  And that's what I'm naming this baby.  My sister asked me to make a rug for one of her friends at work with these colors, and so I did.  I hope this one's okay, Jodie!

I've been buying tons of 29 cent t-shirts at Goodwill.  There are just sooooo many in every color of the rainbow.  The best ones to get for crocheting with are the soft ones and I go for the extra large tees if I possibly can.  You know-more bang for my cents!

As I'm looking through the racks, sometimes I'll come across a 29 cent tee or two that I think-hey, I like that one, or I think Jess might like this.  The red shirt I'm going to keep for myself.  I paid a good $7.00 or so for some just like that one only in black and white.  (Faded Glory is my brand of choice-ha!)  The blue monkey shirt is Aeropostale, and I thought maybe my niece might like it.  If not-the monkey's getting hacked up!

I started some seeds the other day, using this seed starter thing-a-ma-bob that my husband ordered last year.  I'm also testing some older seeds I have to see if they will sprout. 

Let's hope I'm a good gardener this year and not a lazy one.

Have a nice day!

I named this one Linda

I named this rag rug Linda, after my mom, because that's who requested it.  She asked me to make her a "green, lavender, and purple" rug for her spare bedroom.  And she said it could be a little smaller than I usually make them.  This one is about 29 inches in diameter instead of my regular 36.   Your wish is my command, Mom!

Linda the mom is made of sugar and spice and everything nice.  Linda the rag rug is made of thrifted sheets, thrifted t-shirts and also some old flannel pajama pants that belonged to my niece, Jess.  I will have to let Mom know that her granddaughter's clothing is in this rug.



I picked up these seed packets for a dollar a piece at Big Lots the day I drove Mom to the doctor last week.  I found 'Envy' zinnia seeds there.  I saved an article from Country Living magazine about green 'Envy' zinnias.  It's from June 1999 (I was still a youngin!).  So I was quite tickled when I came across these.   I blogged about that article before-here.

I hope you have a good day!

 

Something old, blue, and new

One of these is not a potato!

Thats right, one's a potato scrubber.  Every time I use that scrubber, I have to chuckle to myself because I think it looks so real.  (It doesn't take much to amuse me.)  I must have had the thing for well over 10 years.  It came from a little shop over in Amish country.  It even has a green tint to it now, just like real potatoes that are exposed to light.



Here's the something blue.  I picked up this genuine Ransburg tin at Goodwill on Saturday for 99 cents (I paid full price!).  Apparently I gravitate to the Ransburg brand because the orange cookie jar? beside it is Ransburg too.  It came from Goodwill also and is one of the first things I ever blogged about.

 

This beautiful mug and teapot are Christmas gifts for me from Larry's aunt.  (I just got them.)  I'm crazy about red and white and I LOVE this print.  I don't really use that type of teapot, so I thought I'd use it to hold pencils and miscellany.  The mug is smaller than my usual, so I'll use it in the evening when I don't want to use two tea bags.

Oh, and doesn't the Salada tea bag tag match perfectly?



Okay, this my fifth tea bag of the day!  Have I ever mentioned that I love tea?  I think I have. 

I ordered two boxes of Trefoil Girl Scout cookies this year.  It could be my imagination, but I don't think they taste as good as they used to.  Perhaps they've changed the recipe.

Have a terrific Tuesday, everybody!

"Eartha"

I named this rug "Eartha" for her earthy colors.  And yes-Eartha is a name.  Remember Eartha Kitt?

There are 8 and 1/2 t-shirts, a piece of fabric, and part of 2 sheets in this here little 36 inch in diameter rag rug.

I'm really starting not to mind cutting up the tees by hand.  I start at the bottom and cut round and round in one continuous piece.  I just cut right through the seams.  I'm getting pretty good at being able to use nearly all the fabric which is nice.

My rhododendron has opened up nicely and I suspect it will be in full bloom soon. 

PS-I saw my first robin of the year on Friday!

Have a nice Sunday.  :)

Our Rocco turns one!

A year ago tomorrow we lost our faithful friend, Duke.  Little did we know that the day before-our new faithful friend, Rocco, was busy being born.



From the second hubby carried in this scared, shivering, BEAUTIFUL, little Rottie-it was LOVE, LOVE, LOVE! As far as puppies go, he's been an easy one. We got lucky!

Seeing hubby without a dog for six weeks was the saddest thing!

Hubby's the type that must have a "man's best friend",
 and I'm starting to think I am too.

He's a good pup but
don't get me wrong, he does get into trouble at times.

He likes to go on walk-abouts.  One day he was gone for over three hours and I was stressed!

And he gets so excited when we get company-he's goes a little wackadoo!

 

But man-you gotta love this face!



Happy birthday, Rocco.  We love you!