Little Gifts

 

Kristen ordered these reproduction blue Ball canning jars for me.  They are so pretty, a very different color from the vintage jars I collect.  That's a good thing.  You don't want to pay vintage prices for new jars.
They mark the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Ball Brother's introduction of the Perfect Mason canning jars.  You know I am partial to the blue Ball jar,  I have been collecting for a while and have a couple of jars commemorating the bicentennial of our country that was celebrated in 1976,
the year sweetheart and I were married. (It was a messy business, people being eaten by dinosaurs during the ceremony...;-)

 

So these add to my collection.  Don't they look charming in their little box?
Just a note...Kris ordered them through Amazon, they are also available from Ball directly.

 

I had company yesterday and I received this beautiful bunch of dandelions and violets from my sweet little bird who is almost 5!  Yes, this summer!  As impossible as that is, our own sweet p. will be ONE YEAR OLD in May.



These beauties are from dear sweet Elizabeth!

 And...May is tomorrow!  Hooray, I remembered!  Last year I forgot my dear friend Jean's birthday, which is on the first.  This wonderful friend sends me a get well card if I have a cold, she is so thoughtful!  I was in a tizzy about the birth of my first grandchild... I was so distracted that I was well into the first week of May before I turned the calendar page to see what I had missed.  Not this year, I'm gonna be early.  Happy Birthday dear friend.  May all the love you show to everyone. may it come back to you a hundred fold!  While I'm at it, Happy Birthday Kath, Happy Birthday Jane...They are the best friends a girl could possibly have...Oh yeah, Happy Birthday Larry, my talented brother and Tracy my dear niece, Happy Birthday!  Then my sweet granddaughter... Plans for that celebration warrant their own post!

No dryer yet but I am getting pretty good at this old school laundry.  I was telling my son Jon this morning that I wish I had a clothes line on a pulley like we did when I was young.  The line stretched from the back porch window to the garage, and had the most appealing squeak when you pulled the line in or out.  It is probably against some ordinance in my village to have a clothesline, and really the ease of throwing in a load of towels and have them soft and dry in less than an hour is hard to beat.  I guess the nostalgia factor is what I'm looking for, oh, and the bark cloth clothespin bag Mom had...and Buscia's Polish willow laundry basket.  OK, now I just gonna cry with all the memories...

Have a great day my friends and enjoy this beautiful day.

Our First Spring Weekend Update

 

Rummage sales were near and far...
we opted for near since we we waiting for the
delivery of our clothes dryer and installation.

 

This is the caddie that I painted and tried to transfer onto.
I just sanded some of the corners to give it that
aged look...that will do for now until I get another idea.
I wanted it to hold the cutting boards I've been collecting,
inspired by a photo on Pinterest.
Three cutting boards,  $1.50 for all.

 

This is where it sits on the counter, right next to a gift from sweet Joy of Savvy City Farmer.
The graphic once belonged to our dear Annie, and Joy turned it into the rustic art you see here.
I love seeing it each day, remembering Annie and the kindness of my friend Joy. 

 

My rummage treasures, glass... 2 more canisters... $1.25

 

Little pitcher, 4 juice glasses (jelly jars)  and short and squat jar. 75 cents for all.

The rest of the story as they say is that we have our new dryer...in the garage.  When they came to install it,
the very young tech could not open the fitting on the gas pipe.  He said it was bad and that they could not safely install the dryer.  The tech left. We believed him and called the plumber.  The plumber said there was nothing wrong with the fitting.  It was old but still safe and showed us how it operated.  To avoid any future problems, we had him install a new fitting. $$$$$$  Now SEARS, wants us to wait until May...(which is just days away, but we have been without a dryer for 9 days now...) Maybe Tuesday or Wednesday to get the dryer installed. We are not happy campers.  Grumble grumble...

 

We used all of our negative energy cleaning up the garden, sawing a hole in our deck...long story, and enjoying the beautiful first REAL Spring weekend.  Can't wait to get to the nursery for some plants...unless it snows again.  Have a great week my friends, enjoy this beautiful day.

Complimentary Cloud Photo ;-)

The dryer is dead, long live the washer!

 

View of the laundry room, circa 2010.

 

I took these photos back then, when our long lived washer died and we had to get a new one.
That prompted a little makeover of the laundry room.  The room still looks the same, a little more clutter, but it functions as a pantry and a laundry room. 


 

Our dryer needed a new motor.  The tech that came advised us against that costly repair on a 14 year old machine.  We only buy Maytag...remember the loneliest guy in town ads.  It's true.  They last for a very long time, and work great.    We went to the local Sears, found the only Maytag dryer on the floor, bought it and were home in 45 minutes!  I will spend a while in the garage, since they have to deliver the dryer and take out the old one that way. Everyone has something in our garage, and it needs some straightening up!

   

Just thought I'd add this photo from Mequon, Wisconsin. Taken in June of 2010.  It is one of my favorites, with  beautiful Lake Michigan shining in the background.  It's 45 degrees today, and even me, a four season girl can't wait for some warmer weather and the summer road trips we love so much.

I am almost finished with the centerpieces for our Pastor's anniversary.  I spent too much time looking for some photocopies I had made to use with Citrasolv to transfer on a tool caddie I painted.  The Citrasolv bubbled the paint and no transfer happened.  Grrrrr.  I tried to sand off the offending paint, what a mess.  Ended up repainting.  I was asked by my friend Barb from Babs Just a Babblin to stamp a bird on a piece of fabric for her.  We saw a great pillow at 363 when we went to the Midwest Meetup, and she is trying to recreate it.  It was so scary to stamp on Barb's fabric.  Thank goodness it turned out well. I hope she will like it. (I'll let Barb show the finished project.)

I am blessed in so many ways.  We are so spoiled with washers and dryers, faucets and all the "headaches" of having a home today.  I never forget how much we wanted our own home, and what a haven it is to our family, extended family and friends.  How grateful we are to have this home, and the sheltering comfort it gives us.  Counting our blessings.

Have a great weekend my friends.  Enjoy this beautiful day.

Spring Spruce Up

 

Here's the faucet that hubby installed for me.  It is similar in style to the last one, but not as pretty. 
The big news is that it works!  Everyone who sees it asks, No more handle to the right side?
That's how we lived with the old faucet for way too long...it leaked unless the handle went to the cold side!
I had to make announcements at holiday gatherings to avoid a flood.


 

Repainted the top of my coffee table.... 
Under the paint it's the golden pine color of much of my furniture from the 80's.


 

This coffee table goes even further back, to the late 70's.
I built it from a kit when my kids were very young...before Mikey was born.
It has had a few re dos.  Son Jon asked me how many times I've painted it?
A few, was my answer.  I told him I would leave this table to him.   Someday, he
said, he will paint it every year in my memory!  (That is what I get around here...humor!;-)


 

I used the same gray I used for the dresser in the guest room.  Not sure how I'll finish this yet.
I did paint the hardware years ago, but if I were a patient type,(but am not)
it would look cool with dark hinges.

 

This is what my family room looks like this morning.  That is all of Jon's laundry. Forgetting that I wouldn't have a dryer until hopefully today, I threw everything in...  Including the shirt he came in wearing.  Bad decision.   He is going to have a stiff and scratchy week, but all his clothes are clean.

A rainy day is forecast for today.  I have plenty of projects to keep me busy. I hope to have a finished thing or two to show you soon.  Have a great day my friends.  Thanks for stopping by.

Weekend Update/Fun with Flags

 

Silly title I know, but this little flag had quite a journey...
(and I love to reference The Big Bang Theory
whenever I get the chance!)
I've had this little flag for years, it's one of my favorites, so cheerful and uplifting.
Last week I needed all the help I could get, so I put it out in front of our door.
Thursday night was blustery...
When I woke up in the morning the flag was gone!
I looked all around the outside, up and down the block...
Every time we got into the car I looked...
Then Sunday as we got to the end of our block,
I spotted it!  It was in a puddle covered in mud!
I jumped out of the car and did a happy dance...
You know the one...you raise your hands like Rocky
and jump up and down.
I picked up the dripping nasty flag. (Honey really didn't want it in his car, but I convinced him ;-)
After a soak in Oxyclean, it is good as new, now safety pinned
so it can't fly off for another adventure.

 

Saturday morning!

 

Not just a dusting, real snow!

 

It didn't stop us from our rummaging. Hi honey!

 

Some treasures...

 

I wanted this book a few years back but balked at the $20 price tag...
$1 at a local rummage sale
with all the patterns

 

Old buttons and a cake pan.

 

Yes, another lamp.

 

Score of the day, cotton fabric for rug making.  No price on the box...
I held my breath as she counted out the skeins...  Then she said, "They are ten cents each, but everything is half price!"  SCORE!  Kristen has first pick and was equally excited by my bargain.
It is kinda like bias tape for crocheting. (anyway that's what we will use it for)

 

Some beautiful old fashioned fabric prints, and a yard of black rayon velvet!

We made some progress on the home front.  Hubby installed a new faucet in the kitchen.  The old one, though beautiful, leaked...  We needed new phones for the house, the old ones sounded terrible.  Are we the only people that still have a land line?  Anyway, it was not the phones but the line.  Waiting for the technician.  Then the dryer started squealing...tech coming tomorrow.  One step forward, two steps back...The joy of home ownership!

Hope you had a great weekend, and have a wonderful week ahead.  Thanks for stopping by and for your kind comments. Enjoy this beautiful day my friends.

Here is the capper of the worst week....

It's called adding insult to injury. Things are looking up, I think...
Have a great weekend dear friends!


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8 Pillowcases

A little sewing, a little crying...What a week! I'm glad to see the weekend, even though it's snowing yet again. Better than more rain, as so many try to dry out from the week of pouring rain.


I used fabric that I had left from other projects and the king sized pillowcases I thrifted.



Cuffs from Ikea fabric...


The beautiful print from the thrifted pillowcases. Keeping busy, making things is balm for my soul. Do you feel drained by the events of this week? Imagine how they feel in Boston and Texas.

To the good people of Boston and West Texas...stay strong!

Love, Penny

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Sewing...

I found 2 king sized pillowcases at the local thrift weeks ago. I just loved the cheerful floral. I took them apart and recut them to make 2 pillowcase bodies and 2 cuffs.
I had the bright green in my stash. All that's left to do is the French seam to close them up.



As long as I was sewing, I also pulled a few other fabrics out. This ticking stripe paired with a Ikea floral makes a fun combination.

Yesterday, vacuuming prompted rearranging the living room, painting my coffee table and many tasks to keep me occupied. The weather is gloomy, and so is my mood. Working and keeping busy is how I cope, and with the news since Monday...
I know we all feel the same. Back to work.



image from Pinterest

Thank you for stopping by and for your kind comments.

Love, Penny


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

By My Bed

 

Here's how my little lamp from the rummage sale looks next to my bed.

 

On my table is my needle keep from dear Barb,
with my Mom's crochet hook safely tucked inside

 

Under the glass a photo of a small girl dressed as a bride
for Halloween...

 

A new addition to our bedroom.  This towel holder now holds some treasures.

 

Irish Linen from dearest Lynne, a vintage towel from Barb, these girls are the sweetest! 

Vintage tablecloths and runners.

 

and a shamrock for good luck!

Thinking of Boston today...Believing that Good is stronger than evil and Love overcomes hate.

Take good care my friends.