Happy Halloween Everyone

We don't get trick or treaters out here where we live so I don't get to see all the cute kiddies in costume. But hope everyone will be safe and have fun.

I have been keeping myself very busy doing tons of sewing projects and crochet projects. We have three birthdays next month with our Chick group and with Christmas just a couple months away, I decided this would be a nice way of giving gifts. I can't show them to you because some family and friends that I have made these for read my blog. Just know that my hands are needing a rest for a few days. It seems when I get on a roll it is hard to stop. I so enjoy making things for others.

I did stop by one of our local antique stores last week, At Home on Hope Street, while I was in town. I purchased a cubboard that was once used as a ice box also. I plan to use it as a new center island in my kitchen. It is not real pretty with the crackle brown to me so my daughter and I will be painting it and putting an old piece of rusty metal on top. Here is what it looks like now.

We looked all over town for metal, stainless steel was too expensive for my pocket and copper could'nt be found. We finally found a shop where the guy gave me a piece of metal after he cut it to the dimensions I needed.

We plan to leave the look of the rust for character but we will cover it with polyurethane. I plan to paint it a rusty, pumpkin color. I can't wait to show you when we get it done. Just waiting for a bit warmer day to get started.

This piece was actually purchased by the owner, Betty, up in Washington at the Farm Chicks antique show they had up there a few months back. She said it was definetly a show I needed to go to. There were about 10,000 ladies, she said, in cowboy boots with skirts, aprons on many of the gals, and hats of all kinds. She said it was beautifully displayed in each booth and there were lots of antiques for everyone. I am hoping to plan next years show into my agenda of trips for next Summer. 2011 show is June 4-5, so I hope I'll get to see it.

Well guess I'll go and take a nice warm bubble bath and relax for the rest of the evening. I am kinda glad I don't have to pass out candy until 10 pm anymore. I can just go and watch a movie or read a good book until I fall asleep, which does'nt take much any more.

Nite.

Rainy Days are for Shopping

I was not able to do the yard sale because we are getting some well needed rain. So what is a gal to do? Go shopping! I was wanting to take some pictures while I was driving into town of some clouds going out across the mountains. I pulled off to the side of the road and found I had not put my camera back into my purse. I usually carry it everywhere I go, so I will have to snap some next trip into town. It was so pretty to see the beginning of Fall with all the colorful leaves on the trees, sprinkling of the rain, and the river running smoothly. There was even a light dusting of snow on one far off mountain I could see. So as you can see, I must not forget my camera again.

Even though I was'nt able to make any money from a yard sale, I found a way to spend some. Went into a few thrift stores and found some goodies I could use in a few projects. Bought some nice material to make some gifts for birthdays coming up, and bought some much needed sewing pins and needles. All my pins starting bending and tops breaking off. This time I bought brass ones, maybe they will hold up a little longer.

After spending the day with my daughter, shopping till we dropped, I came home and finished a crochet yarn rug I had been working on for a week. I would start the darn thing and have it half way finished and would tear it all back out because it would curl up. This is my first try at anything like this. I am not sure that I am reading crochet patterns correctly so will need to find some one to teach me. I would begin the rug and after five times starting, I decided not to use the pattern any more and do what MJ says she does. Add an extra stitch around the corners when it starts to curl.

This worked as far as not curling but as you can see it still is not uniform but I'm happy with it any way. I would like to try a cloth one next and with practice hope to make them a bit more uniform. I decided against fringe because to me, yarn fringe gets all crummy looking.

Right now I am ready to go and look through all the patterns I picked up today, McCalls, for 99 cents at JoAnns Fabric store. I got a really cute chicken and rooster material that is going to make a nice looking vintage apron. At least that is what I am hoping for. Some of my patterns are for craft projects. We'll just have to wait and see what comes out of them.

But, with the rain outside and a nice warm toasty fire inside, it is time for this old gal to kick back and relax. Hope everyone else has had a wonderful day. Thanks again for stopping in.

Catching Up

I have been away for a bit from here. Busy getting the yard ready for Winter and making a few crafts when I can. I hauled three loads of mulch and spread over my perrenial beds yesterday. I'm working on a new craft for me which is a crochet rug. Now if I could just figure out why it always wants to curl up. May have to skip the pattern and try something different. I have also been making Christmas tags for a trade on the MaryJanes Farm Forum in Swaps. I'm still doing swapping of monthly postcards, which is always fun to come up with an idea for the next month.

Yesterday I made my sister's recipe for Banana Nut Bread. She uses sour cream in her recipe and it is really good. With the weather turning off cooler it is always nice to have something baking in the oven. This is when I use the crock pot a lot more too.

I went to our Charming Chick meeting Sunday where we also celebrated two of the girls birthdays. Our group is growing even more. We had another gal join us which now brings our group to a total of 14. We have such a nice, diverse group of gals and boy do we know how to have fun together. Susan made a Potatoe cream soup which was to die for. Wish she could remember what all she put in it. Everyone was wanting the recipe.

Today I think I will deep soak some more of my trees and do a bit more pruning. Once I get everything ready and put up for Winter, than I can stay busy indoors with all the bunches of material and books I have.

This Saturday I am having a huge yard sale on a corner lot in town with several other people. Hope I can get everything sold out of our trailer so I can use it for hauling home the cow manure I have been wanting to get from Patty. My flower beds are craving it. What ever does'nt sell is going to Hospice or Goodwill. Then I hope to not have another yard sale for a couple more years. I enjoy going to them, but hate having them because of all the work of putting things out to display nicely and then having to put it all away if it does'nt sell.

Well I must go and have my other cup of tea and get my day going. I'm still sitting here in pj's. Am I bad or what?

One Last Trip

Just got back from our mini trip to Winchester Bay. The weather was'nt too bad, some wind but at least it was'nt cold. My daughter-in-law and I went shopping in Florence old town. We left the men in camp to watch all the dogs. Florence has some really cute and quaint shops. I especially like that most things were affordable and there was lots of really unusual art.

We decided we were to be girly and buy things in pink instead of the usual dark black or gray.

We bought these sweatshirts at a trailer set up on the beach. The lady just started this business, GotThrottleNow.com,  and she prints and designs her own things. They say "scream n sand" on them. We had many compliments from men and woman alike while we walked around the shops.

We also purchased pink earrings, a pink leather purse and silky pink scarfs. You know, I even found two cute pink leashes for my dogs to match their pink outfits.

Pearl had to show off her dress while riding around on the quad with me. It says 'born to bark'. She loves to ride. Onyx (left) had to stay in camp after we played around on the beach, because she snorted so much sand her allergies went bonkers. That's their buddy Kora, in the background. Her and Pearl are only a month apart in age, so they played great together.

After spending three days here it was time to head back home. With Fall in the air there were lots of pretty colors from the leaves all along the roadway.  It is a really pretty drive along the Umpqua River to the beach.

I guess I am starting to feel like its time to settle in around the fire, drink hot cocoa and find another good book to read. I have been going and going this year and I am now ready to sit down and do some sewing and maybe do some baking.

But for now I must go and see what some of you have been up to and what you have put out in decorations for this Fall season. It's time I start making it look like Fall around here since I'm pretty sure our Summer is over for now.

Happy Fall Everyone

Trying to create again

I've been quite busy trying to get my creative juices flowing. I'm looking through all my craft papers I've downloaded from the internet, all my craft books, any where I can find something that catches my eye that I might want to try and make. I love to try something new and always enjoy making some of my old things as well. My daughter and I plan to make a few crafts for our local town of Bonanza at an Arts and Craft fair that is held the last Thursday of July every year. Something I have never done, but thought it would be nice to have another booth out there as they did not have many and a lot of them were jewlery. Besides earning some extra money to buy more supplies can always keep me busy.

I finished the other two Dream Spinners Bittersweet Bears for my neice and her daughter. I hope they like them.

Then my daughter was wanting a cat door stop that I had made back in my twenties, so I made the pattern from scratch and this is what it looks like.

I wish I could find some of my old patterns. Back in those days I always made my own because I never had the money to go out and buy one and did'nt even know that some of what I made up was actually out in a pattern.  This has a brick in the bottom to keep it weighted. That's what makes it a door stop.

I've also been able to relax for a day and finally read the book I borrowed from my daughter called "The Memory Keeper's Daughter", by Kim Edwards. It was really good and sad at the same time. I know first hand what it is like to raise a challenged child. My youngest challenges me every year with heartache and worry. I will never stop helping him with whatever I can, but it seems to be getting harder as we get older.

Amoungst other things I have been loading the motorhome with necessary clothes and food for a four day trip to Winchester Bay with my step son and his wife. It is suppose to be in the low 60's there this week. It's mid 80's here, go figure. Where was that all summer?

Our men want to ride their new quads and us girls will walk the beach, shop the local craft and antique shops and have plenty to gab about. I hope this will be a few days of peace of mind. I think just listening to the ocean all day can definetly change one's mood. I'm too afraid to try and fish as with my luck I'd probably catch a big one and it'd pull me right in that big scary ocean. I don't mind looking at it, but don't want to go out on it.  I think I'll enjoy walking in the sand looking for seashells this trip.

Hope everyone else is getting ready for fall. I can't wait to get home, settle in and start decorating for fall around here. This has been a roller coaster year for me and  some down home time is just what I'll be looking for next.