'Noel'

I had a request for red and green.  I said-as in Christmas?  Nope-as in apples.  Oh, okay-well I guess it works for apples and for Christmas. 

This is Noel.  I LOVE the name Winter Noel-but I'm saving Winter for a different rug!

Noel is made from all thrifted t-shirts and she is heavy!

Hope you had a nice day!

'Blaze'

Oh, this is Blaze.  Isn't he nice?  I got my color inspiration from the photo below of the trees all a'Blaze' with color from a few weeks ago.  Blaze is a name too-there's a boy in our town named Blaze.  Blaze is made from 100% thrifted t-shirts and he's a heavy bugger!

See-the trees were a 'Blaze' with color a few weeks ago.  Not anymore-they are bare now.

Oooooo-yesterday the sun was shining in so prettily, I had to grab the camera.  Parts of  Blaze are in this photo.

That's not Blaze, that's Hope.

And anytime I find something heart-shaped, I just gotta snap a pic of it.  Some things heart-shaped that I've taken photos of off the top of my head are:  potato chip, tomato, rock-okay, that's not many but that's all I can think of right now.

I *heart* potatoes and my ample butt shows it!

Have a terrific Thursday, everybody!

'Novella'

This is Novella.  I was asked to make rug for Novella Carpenter by her sister for a trade and so I did!

 

So 'Novella' will be shipped to Novella who lives in the city on a farm.   I'm sure she'll have a good life! 

 Novella is made from thrifted sheets and shirts and I sure do like her.  :)

Have a wonderful day, everybody!



Handmade gifts

I went over to my sister Jodie's house today to do a few things for her.(Because she works full-time and-well, I'm a bum.)

I delivered 'Candy'-the rug, because she said she would like to have it and my sisters usually get what they want.  Isn't that right, girls???

Anyhow-I took my ipod around and took pics of some of the things I had made and then given as gifts.  Also, one item that Dave's aunt made and gave to them and then something that Jodie makes and gives as gifts as well.

An unnamed rug!

'Ginger'

'Pinky'

There's the hankie blankie (or bandana blanket) I made Jess one year for her birthday.

There's a tied quilt I made Jess for her birthday another year and also another unnamed rug.

Here's a little lap quilt I made for Jodie (Kim got one too)  for Christmas one year.  And it's hand quilted-I doubt that's ever happening again!  The hand quilting that is!

Jodie makes stuff too-she crochets washcloths to give as gifts.  And I love that basket, it's made from paper.

There's Smokey-aka Mok or Mok Mok or Motor.  He's lying on 'Davey' the rug!

This is a tiny quilty that I gave to Jess.  I quilted it with my sewing machine.  (I went through a tiny quilty phase-I made three and then the phase was over.)

Oh, I've always loved this basket.  Dave's aunt makes these.  It's made from pine needles and walnut shells.

There were quite a few more things (like Jess's rainbow rug, two shower curtains, etc.), but I didn't get pics.  Phew!  I didn't realize all the stuff I'd made and given over the years!  There will be more in the future, I'm sure-'cause I sure LOVE to make and give.  :)

Happy 23rd birthday...to our home

On October 30, 1988 we officially moved into our home.  Yes-we were married December 19, 1987-so that means I lived with my in-laws for nearly a year.  It wasn't too bad-we both worked full time and I was young.  (Now-I'm too set in my ways, I wouldn't be able do it.)  But I couldn't wait to get into a space of my own!  I was 20 years old.

Anyhow, the reason we had to wait is because we built this home (we-meaning my husband, me, family and friends, and our friend and neighbor who was a HUGE, HUGE help) with our own hands, and it wasn't ready yet.  It took about a year and a half to complete.

I was thinking about what the date was today while I was coloring my hair this morning (go figure)-and thought-oh yeah, today is my home's birthday.

So I went around and took some unstaged (okay-so I picked up some dirty clothes and piled some things up, closed the toilet lids and such) photos of the clutteredness, bad lighting and all.

Above is our dining room-although we don't eat at the table.  Never have and probably never will!  The wall paper has changed (quite recently) and so has the floor (really recently).

Ahhhh-the downstair bathroom.  I'm thankful for it-it's meant a lot less climbing of the stairs!

I've painted the top part, but the wallpaper is the same and so is the floor-vinyl.

There's my little kitchen(ette)!  Sometimes I'd like to strangle the architect that designed this tiny kitchen for this home.  Other times-I'm just grateful I have a kitchen.  Mostly I'm grateful.

The floor is the same, but the walls have been repapered.  I'm about ready for a change in here soon, stay tuned!

The living room-yep, a lot of living goes on in this room.  I rocked my baby COUNTLESS hours in that spot where the Lazyboy is.  That's our third Lazyboy.  We're hard on them.  This is where we eat too-a whole lotta eatin' has gone on in this room.  And Larry sleeps here too-I guess living room is the perfect name.

The floor has changed-it used to be carpet.  The walls are the same, they haven't even been painted.  And now you know-I have a deer head hanging on my wall.  The poor dear!

Our stairs-I'd like to know how many times I've climbed these over the last 23 years.  A LOT, I know that.

My bedroom, my bedroom!  You know how I love my bedroom!!!

Same carpet, same walls-the only thing that's changed over the years is the decor and I like it!

The upstairs bath-the place where I bathed my baby for so many years.  The same room where the teenager took hour long showers.  There hasn't been mold on the walls since she left!

The floor is the same, the paint is the same, but the wallpaper changed a few years ago.

Hoper's room-aka the junk room again.  It started out as the junk room, then became a nursery, then became Larry's bedroom for seven years (as little Hope wanted to sleep with Mommy), then became Hope's room again as she decided sleeping alone was A-okay!  Now back to a junk room.  Man, time flies! 

The carpet's the same, but the walls have been painted.


Happy birthday, Little Home-you've been so good to us!

This and that

I didn't do any decorating for Halloween (or fall for that matter) (besides with the natural cobwebs, gnarly apples on branches, old birdie nests, pine cones, and acorn tops) this year, but this morning I moseyed on down to the basement to find the magic potions that I made last year.

(See that recipe box on the bottom-I bought it at a yard sale and it's filled with recipes.  I think it was 50 cents or a dollar.  The top recipe box came from Goodwill.)

They're none the worse for wear.   They look exactly the same as they did last year.

That old spice rack that I bought at Goodwill a while ago really came in handy.  I have a ton more bottles-I'll have to remember to get them out and use them for little vases.  I think that would be sweet!

Oops!  Guess what-I forgot to buy treats for Halloween.   I found some Hershey bars that I had for smores and I have some Little Debbies in the freezer-so I think I'll be okay.  We only usually get two Halloweeners anymore, anyhow!

Ohhhhh-here's my little Halloweener from Halloweens past.

• Hoper just clowning around
• My lil' pumpkin
• P-p-power ranger
• Calling nurse Hope!

Oh, those were the days!

I pulled another partial quart of grape sauce out of the freezer and made some more grape jam.  The others that I made is gone.  I gave three little containers away and we (or I should say mostly I) ate the other two.  Can you say sugar coma?

Oh, yes!  Today was the first snow of the season-bring it on, I say!

Oh, dear!

Oh, dear-oh, me-oh, my-that's what keeps going through my head!

I have a neighbor (and friend) that is very sick and in the hospital right now-I don't really know what's going on at the moment and I'm fretting.  I don't like to fret!  Anyhoo-there's always hope!  I'm praying for a miracle for sure!

Speaking of hope-I had supper with my daughter (Hope) and my mom, last night.  Hoper wanted to go to Mexican (as we call it), so that we did.  It was so nice to see and talk to her.  I think I saw her for only 15 minutes last week!

  I can't tell you how many times a day that I think about how quickly the last 20 years have gone.  I don't know if it's because we have always lived in the same house-but I always am picturing scenes from the past in my head as I sit in this house and always wonder how the years of raising my child have gone by so soon!  (I know I'm not the only one that wonders that!)

This morning Rocco and I went and picked some tomatoes-that's pretty much all we have left, with the exception of a few small green peppers.  If I wasn't so lazy-I'd make Larry some fried green tomatoes-but I think I may just be too lazy for that.  Poor Larry!

Oh, tea-how you comfort me!  I need to go and make another cup.  :)

Rocco-he always brings a smile to my face.  (I love that sun spot there.)  Of course-right now he has a sore front paw and he looks so pitiful as he stands there on three legs with his gigantic paw paw in the air.  Poor guy!  I know he'll be fine though. 

Now, I'm going to try to be thankful for all the little things in life that make me happy.  (They're the ones that are the most important, if you ask me!)

Hope you have a good day!