Making hay while the sun shines!

 Trying at least.  This was yesterday....I got one clothes pole painted.

Today I got the second one painted..........

They could use a second coat but that will probably be in the Spring....I have lots more to do before it gets cold.  You're not supposed to paint outside when it gets to 50 or less at night.  It was 51 last night so I have got to speed it up!  

The Kilz interior/exterior satin primer plus paint is awesome!  It covers like a dream and is so easy to work with.  I highly recommend it and I am able to order it from Walmart and have it delivered for free!

I hope you are all fine and enjoying your Fall. 

Happy Trails!!!

Duh! I totally forgot to blog yesterday!

 I am distracted by the beautiful weather and fall right now.  It was Book Date yesterday and I have finished several books this past week and have started some new ones.  I am still 20 books behind schedule and have 40 more books to read before the end of December to meet my Good Reads Challenge.

I finished 2 Nancy Drew books.  They are not too long usually 180 -200 pages and they keep my interest. 

Next I'll be reading book #8 in the Nancy Drew series......Nancy's Mysterious Letter

I also finished My Grandfather's Blessings...such a wonderful book.........

I need to pick out another non-fiction to read and also my magazine which was left in the kitchen when I was using their sourdough recipe! LOL!  I've been watching politics, news, and some of my favorite podcasts....Celeste Creates, Brenda and the Serial Starter, Luminous Fibers with Misty Percell, Kitten Stitcher, Colorado Stitcher and The real Housewives of Cross Stitch.  I've watched several Miss Fisher's Mysteries.

What have you been reading, watching and/or listening to this week?  Oh, and tonight is the first presidential debate if I can stay up that long! LOL!

Happy Trails!!!

YOP Week #13

 Welcome to week 13 of The Year of Projects blog.  This is my favorite time of year for crafting but also for being outside so I am torn and trying to balance it all.  I did manage to get a few things worked on but no finished items this week.

I always work on my "linen" project on Saturday and I have finished the cuff of the glove........

These are the 2 finished objects that I was in the process of "final finishing" when I misplaced them
This seems to happen whenever I start cleaning and organizing around here!  They'll turn up eventually, I hope.  Meanwhile, I have kitted up 3 more of the "31" little pillows for the grands annual Halloween ornaments.

I did find the trim for the Pumpkin Spice Farm finished cross stitch....so hopefully a final finish on that will take place this week.

I worked some on When Witches Go Riding...............

and last but not least...........I worked on Brill and I am ready to change colors to the pink!

I hope you had a crafty and productive week.  Stay safe and stay well!

Happy Trails!!!

Cleaning like a woman possessed (I wish)

 It got too late to blog by the time I stopped my cleaning frenzy yesterday.  I also forgot to show you my finished linen closet from the other day..........I'm getting organized but have way too much "stuff" because whenever I clean it messes up another area.  I have a big plastic bin filled with things that came out of that closet that don't belong in there or there is no room for.  I need an entire closet for candles, room freshners and battery operated candles and more!  There are no sheets in there or blankets as they won't fit.  What kind of a linen closet is that? LOL!  I do  have tp and paper towels and light bulbs and cat litter in there though.  At least I know what's in there now.

Yesterday I spent cleaning out my desk drawers.....whoa Nellie!  I hate paperwork and I actually got rid of a whole garbage container full.  The drawers are clean except the middle drawer........

There are 3 more drawers and they are all very clean and neat but then there's this............

Why is it when I "clean" I end up with bigger messes???  I think I know why.....I saw a You Tube video about how to de-clutter without making a bigger mess......evidently I am not alone!  The problem is not putting stuff away where it belongs IMMEDIATELY!  Most of the time people don't want to de-clutter because if you get started and get interrupted you may not get back to it right away and there ends up to be a bigger mess...exactly!  I wish I would have watched that video first!  I don't get interrupted as much as I run out of steam before finishing.  So, before I start anymore "de-cluttering" and cleaning I will deal with one item at a time...lesson learned.....maybe.  But I am happy about the desk drawers and the linen closet plus I got more painting done!  These were "big rocks" this week!  Yippee!

I hope you had a productive week and did something you wanted to do.

Happy Trails!!!

It's Thursday already???

 I can't keep up! LOL!  But I got a few things done....I washed my roller and paint equipment from yesterday and did some laundry.  I cleaned the frig and some of the family room.  It has been cloudy and cool all day.  I took my walk this morning and if I look closely I can see some color change in the woods and not just dead leaves.  Here are a few pictures from some more Fall cleaning and decorating..........

That's all for today.  What have you been up to in your neck of the woods?

Happy Trails!!!

Cloudy, cool, rainy and cozy!

 It was chilly in the house this morning so rather than turn on the heat I had a fire in the fireplace..........

I cleaned up the house and did some laundry and did some painting with the new to me Kilz primer and paint in one.  What a dream paint!  One coat......look at this which was unfinished wood.....

It probably could use another coat and I'll see.  It's in a corner and hard to see really but I was extremely pleased with the paint.  This is going outside on eaves and doors and of course my pantry in the garage which was the first guinea pig!

I worked on my When Witches Go Riding on breaks.

I made some phone calls and I'm done.  Boy, that day went fast!

Happy Trails!!!

Happy official first day of Fall!!!

It's official!!!!  It's Fall!!! I'm still waiting for the rain they keep talking about but it is in the 60's and I have been decorating and I have soup on the stove!

No fire in the fireplace but I'm ready for that too when it gets cooler.  Meanwhile I lit some candles....
 

I dug out my Fall mug to use!

and I baked some bread this morning........

I hope you are  thoroughly enjoying the first day of Fall!

Happy Trails!!!

Craziness!!!

 See this beautiful gentle Miss Peeps sleeping quietly?  Well, inside hides a monster! 

I had just turned out the light and laid my head down and she jumped on the bed above my head and went over my pillow.  I thought she'd settle in but all of a sudden she attacked me! She hit me hard with her paw and cut my lip and scratched my face up.  I was bleeding like a stuck hog and was so shocked.  I got her out of my room and shut my bedroom door while trying to stop the bleeding.  I was really hurt that my sweet Miss Peeps would do such a thing.  I've had lots of cats and many were feral farm cats and never did any of them ever do anything like that.   If I had been asleep I may have thought it could have been a bug on me but I had just laid down so I don't think that was the case.  I googled it and it is not unusual evidently.  Well, Miss Peeps is now spending her nights in the basement again and from now on.  I won't let her on my bed in the morning or on the back of my chair when I am sitting.  I won't let her anywhere near my face.  Live and learn.  I'm lucky she didn't get my eyes!

On another strange occurrence, something has been eating my tomatoes but just parts of them....well, I just happened to be looking out the window and saw 2 birds go into my tomato "bushes"!  Sure enough they were eating my tomatoes!  I googled it and yes....birds will eat tomatoes and other garden vegetables too! I never knew that!  When I had my farm I had 2 dogs that ran free and cats outside and never had a problem except with raccoons in my peach trees but here I have no dogs and no outside cats so I am a sitting duck for all these animals.  But I managed to get some beans that the deer didn't and some tomatoes that the birds left alone!

 

The squirrels are gathering their nuts and the spiders are making lots and lots of webs!

As for Book Date........I can't remember if I told you I finished 50 Acres and a Poodle.  It was very good and different than what I expected.  I truly enjoyed it!

I'm still reading My Grandfather's Blessings but like I said,  each chapter is like an essay and it is so full of wisdom that you need time to digest it before reading more.  I'll be getting her other book or books for sure!

  I started reading another fiction Nancy Drew..........so far so good but I do wonder how an 18 year old girl can get the police to follow her orders?  LOL!

I'm also listening to an audio book that was a good deal on Modern Miss Darcy.   She sends me emails about bargain books that she gives her seal of approval to and she has good taste in books IMHO.

This is great to listen to while knitting my Brill Shawl............

I've been listening to podcasts again and the weather channel when there are live reports.  The podcasts are Kitten Stitcher and Celeste Creates and some new ones which I tried but didn't care for.  So that's all for this week!  What have you been reading, watching and/or listening to?

Happy Trails!!!

YOP Week #12

 I  missed YOP last week and actually hardly blogged all week.  I was tired, busy and feeling a bit overwhelmed with all I need to do before the short Fall season is over.  I also had 2 finishes but cannot find them....woe is me!  I've been cleaning and organizing and that always causes a problem!

But I am here this week!  I had another finish for this week except I couldn't get it done because it required some beads and sequins to be put on.  No problem, except the beads are so tiny and they won't go on the needle that came with the kit!  So, I guess I will have to order a beading needle!  Anyway....it is done except for that......the black dots are where the sequins and beads go.  This is Mr. Cat by Satsuma Street on Etsy.  I'm going to check the instructions again.  Maybe she said you needed extra supplies.

I have worked on quite a few things....some more than others...........I finally got all the stitches picked up for Brill and started on the body of the shawl.  There are 2 colors...the blue and a pink.  There is 20 rows of each before you switch colors.  I am decreasing so it should get faster to finish a row as I go along. 

I love this project!  I love Prairie Schooler patterns.  

I finished the top banner and I'm now working on the words and the moon......very enjoyable stitching

I also worked on this one, just a bit though.........

I'm up in the left hand upper corner so you can see this is a long term project!

Remember when I said I wanted to try and work on linen again but not black and use a hoop?  Well, I found a kit that a gal gave me and it included everything except the needle!  It had a 30 count linen which is better than 40 and I loved the pattern and it also had hand dyed floss!  Blackbird Designs too which is a favorite!

I started it and have had no trouble whatsoever working on this linen!  I am so happy!!!  I have linen that was given to me and kits that have linen and I hate to not utilize it so now maybe I can!  Yippee!

For new stash/haul I got this pattern book by Blackbird Designs.........

 

and this sampler pattern...........

the pattern from the booklet that will be the first one from the book that I kit up is this one.......another Halloween one.........these are future plans and may not get worked on until next year but I have discovered that some patterns go out of print especially Blackbird Designs so it's best you buy them when you see them although that can be dangerous too! LOL!

As for what I'll be working on this week, it will be more of the same.  I did watch a tutorial for a tomato pincushion by Celeste Creates podcast so I'd like to sew a few of those for gifts.   But I have so much painting outside and mulching and trimming and burning that unless there is rain, I doubt I will get to it.  Rain is not forecast for the the next 10 days so I hope I get lots done outside!  Wish me luck!  BTW, the weather is just gorgeous here.  I have been waiting for this all summer! LOL!  No AC needed and the windows are all open all the time! LOVE!!!

Happy Trails!!!

Beautiful Friday!!!

 I hope it is nice where you are.  I took my walk this morning and it was in the low 60's!  Oh yeah!  I wore a jacket.  I fertilized plants inside and outside.  Yesterday I got treasures in the mail from Thrift Books...

I'm finishing baking some Potato Chip cookies that I started baking last night.  It's a Paula Dean recipe and very good.  I had some leftover tortilla chip crumbs and I used those too.  Waste not want not. 

I also started cleaning my linen closet which is a real mess!  I got the top shelf done and I'm working my way down......it's really fun because I find so many things I didn't even know I had! LOL!  It's like going shopping and not having to pay for anything!  I'll show a picture when it's all clean and organized.  I'm waiting for supplies before I start more outdoor projects but never fear there's plenty to do inside my house too! 

I hope you are having a wonderful Friday!

Happy Trails!!!