Friday, July 30, 2021

It's amazing what a little spray paint can do!

 I finished painting the table and it turned out just like I imagined it would.  That doesn't always happen with my "big ideas"! LOL!  It was just a  wood table I've had for years and of course bought at a sale somewhere.  It goes perfectly in my bathroom with the new shower curtain.  Like I said...I need to find more green gingham to make curtains.

This afternoon I did some mending and sewed some binding together for my little mini-quilt.


 

That's all for today folks!  I hope you are having a nice Friday....it's still my favorite day of the week!  All those years I worked......Fridays always felt good!  Not that I didn't work plenty of weekends too and was on call 24/7 but now I'm free as a bird!  It's 97 here and the heat index is like 110 -115!  I went out this morning and watered and once again to get the mail.  The heat has burned up all the humidity that we usually have! LOL!  Bless the person who invented AC!

Happy Trails!!!

Thursday, July 29, 2021

Some decorating accessories!

 I have 2 showers in this house but since I am a bath person I have never put up a shower curtain.  I decided it would be nice for those people who would rather shower and maybe for me if the day comes when I cannot traverse the tub.  So, I bought one...........just what I wanted....green gingham!  I love it!  Now I need to make curtains to match.

I also spray painted a little table for my bathroom but it needs another coat so I'll show you tomorrow.

This little cupboard....so cute, is from my grandson Grayson but one of the drawers fell out so he will be sending it to me.  He's always giving people things...mostly his own things!  He gets his generosity from his Mom.

The tomatoes are coming in but the weirdest thing is they are bright red but hard.  They look like they are ripe but they're not.  I did take few over to my neighbor but the rest will have to ripen more.  I've already cooked one batch of banana peppers.  I split them down the middle, take the seeds out and cook them in garlic and olive oil.  I make a sandwich of them  on my rustic bread........yum!  The grands loved them too.  They are big vegetable and fruit eaters.

Celeste Creates (a podcast I watch) is having a quilting series/tutorial so I thought I would join her.  It will be 6 sessions and the intro was today with the material list.  So, of course I had to go find the 8 fat quarters required so I could join in!  Here's the fabric I ordered......Christmas in July!  It's vintage....just like me!

I hope you are all well and having a great summer!

Happy Trails!!!





Tuesday, July 27, 2021

I'm back!

 My company was here for 2 weeks and they left yesterday.  The house is awfully quiet.  We had a great time together.  Here is a picture of my daughter, Sam who is taller than his mother and just turned 14 and Grayson who just turned 10.  Amy had a birthday too so we celebrated all of them.

I made each of them their favorite meal and dessert for their birthdays along with some presents. 


They were so helpful why they were here too!  Amy cut down all the weed trees, Sam cleaned my garage and Grayson was my kitchen helper.  They also replaced light bulbs for me and installed the solar path lights that they had given me for Mother's Day.  

I must admit....I cooked more than I have all year! LOL!  Those kids eat 3 squares a day and then some! LOL!  Now the house is quiet and yesterday I did laundry, changed sheets and ironed.  It's hot here.....it's what I call my winter....I stay inside.  But they all went to the lake every day in the afternoon and swam.  I stayed home and cooked! LOL! I go out early and water.  I've been getting tomatoes and banana peppers and there is eggplant coming.  I didn't do much handwork while they were here but there's plenty of time for that now.  I miss them already!

I hope you have all been fine and enjoying your summer.  I'll try and catch up with you all this week!

Happy Trails!!!  
 


Sunday, July 11, 2021

YOP Week #2

Off to a good start considering I have company coming.  I don't know if I will blog next week.   I'll see how it goes.  I worked on my socks and I'm almost done with the foot on the first sock.  I also worked on the Giant Granny Square blanket and it is growing.............

I finished the Fox Scarf and dang if I didn't forget to take a picture of it before I wrapped it up for my daughter's birthday present!  I'll take a picture when she unwraps it.  I started on a Waffle Knit dishcloth.............I like the pattern but I hate pooling!  I don't think a variegated yarn is good for this pattern.  I'll finish it and keep it for myself.

but I was able to get some solids at Walmart and they will be the next ones...........

I also received some beautiful Malabrigo worsted 33g mini's for the linen stitch scarf............

In addition, I have some 2.75 straight needles coming to start the Jell Roll blanket!  They should be here Monday.

In other news...........I made my rustic bread this week ......

and started some sourdough............which is coming along...........I'm hoping to make sourdough pancakes for the grands.....they are so good!

I made another batch of Veggie Cassoula which is just roasted vegetables that I love........there are 3 things that I can make when  I clean out my frig.........scrambled eggs,  pizza, and roasted vegetables.  I had some vegetables that were going to go South if I didn't do something...I had an eggplant, some peppers, a zuchini and you can use anything else you  might have on hand.  I threw in an onion and some broccoli too.   I toss with  olive oil, salt and pepper and I throw in some spices like oregano or thyme and some fresh basil.....you can't mess it up.  I roast it at 300 F for an hour or an hour and a half.  I'll eat it cold or heated up with my rustic bread or you could make a sandwich out of it.  

My daughter sent me a present..........this is the picture on the box.  It's an infusion pitcher and I have wanted one to make flavored water and/or tea.  I have recipes I got off Pinterest.  Such as mint and watermelon, cucumber and all sorts of other combo's.  We'll try it while she's here.  She got it on Amazon...where else?

That's all for this week....I hope you all had a great week and that you have another one this coming week!

Happy Trails!!!
 






Tuesday, July 6, 2021

Camp Grandma is OPEN for business!

 It's official!  Except for grocery shopping, cleaning the entire rest of the house, cooking, and wrapping birthday presents.....I'm ready!

Here's what I've been prepping.....


 

There's a couple pictures to hang but I am waiting for those dry wall hooks I ordered.

All the birthday presents have arrived except one.  I have a new bathrobe coming...the other one was pretty threadbare and I didn't want to scare the grands! LOL!  They've emailed me with their birthday dinner and dessert requests which I ask them for. 

I also dug up  43 VCR tapes of family gatherings although my ex didn't label but about 4 of them.  I can get them transferred to DVD's for about $465....Whoa Nellie!   I'm thinking some might be blanks and I wonder if I would have to pay for those?  It's $35 for the first one and $10 after that for each one.  But it will cost more because I can't afford to get them done all at once!  Walgreen's does it and my daughter would take them back with her.  

Other than that I've been cleaning the living room so the boys will have a place for the queen size air mattress they are bringing.  I'm roasting some Brussel sprouts to go with some sausage I had on the 4th.    They're so easy and so delicious this way.  Heat your oven to 425, toss halved sprouts  in olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt and place halved side down on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Bake for 17-25 minutes....YUM!  Be sure and cut off the ends and leaves that fall off.  Enjoy!

Happy Trails!!!



Sunday, July 4, 2021

YOP Week #1

 

Thank you Becki for the graphic!  Here we are again!  I am excited for this YOP but in my case it is more like "golden oldies".  I revisited all my past YOPs and realized how much I had not gotten done, how many WIPs I had buried somewhere in my house, and also, how many things I wanted to make and never did. I went through all my past YOPs and figured I have about 30 different categories of "making" that I dabble in.  There may be 3 items in each category: a present WIP, an old WIP and a new project.  The old WIPs may not show up right away as I have yet to clean out my craft's room and unearth many of them but when I do they will be put on the list.  In actuality, there is only one new project this year (so far...lol) and that is the Jelly Roll blanket and there is a KAL by the Bakery Bears as it is Kay Jone's design.  It goes until the end of August.

Blankets:

present WIP Giant Granny Square blanket (crocheted) (2020-2021)

 


 

and future Jelly Roll Blanket (knitted) (2021-2022)

Socks:

WIP plain vanilla socks (2020-2021)




Rose City Rollers (2020-2021)

Jill Draper Hudson Valley socks (2013-2014)


Washcloths: these are all new since they are small I listed 3 of them

Waffle Knit washcloth (knit) (2013-2014)

Scrubby Dishcloth (knitted) (2013-2014)

Apple Dishcloth (2014-2015)

Cowls:

Tornado Twist (crocheted)  (2012-2013)

Knitted Ronbais (2016-2017)

Gradient Cowl  (2020-2021)

 Miscellaneous: 

Hooky Holder (crochet & sewing) (2015-2016)

 Big Snowy Owl (knitted) (2013-2014)

 

 Maple Leaves (actually I made these several years back but I gave them to my daughter so I need to  make some for myself.) (2013-2014)

 Scarves:

Knitted Noro Scarf 

 Noro Scarf X

 Linen Stitch Scarf (crocheted) (2016-2017)  Becki made this and I love it!!!

Malabrigo Linen scarf (knitted)

Cross Stitch:

Suffice it to say I will always have these XS projects in my rotation:  A red sampler, A Blackbird Design project, a Stitch Maynia piece, a small, and a focus piece.

As for the rest....this is taking me way too long to put pictures in so I will just type the rest.....

 Embroidery:  Pins, Village, and Make It Do

Punch Needle:  Theresa Kogut's Halloween Dancers

Wool Applique: Snowman, Folk Art Quilt

Quilting: mini-quilt, quilt for my bed, Halloween quilt

Hats:  Irish Hiking Hat, Hudson Hat, Bankhead Hat

Ornaments: Mary Engelbreit Little Girl ornament, Alicia Paulson felted wool ornaments. Little Deer crocheted ornament, Annual Halloween and Christmas ornaments

Sewing:  Pixies, Dottie Angel smock, School of Sewing #1 Pillowcases

Mitts/Mittens: Michele's Mittens, Lenticular mitts, Kay Jones Mitts/mittens

Rugs: granny square tree skirt, rag rug, Shirret rug

Shawls:  Brill, Multnomah , Little House Shawl

Crafts: Christmas shadow box, Mexican trays, DIY lip balm

Charitable giving:  Mother Bear Project

Final Finishing XS:  Bear, Chicken Joy, Liberty

Hexies:  Diamond Wall Hanging

Doilies:  The Dainty Doily, Boho Crochet book doily 

Sweaters/Vests: Purl Soho Pullover, Green cardigan in magazine

Baby Items:  Debbie Bliss book, Kay Jones

Painting:  Diamond painting, paint by number

Techniques: double knitting, continental knitting, colorwork

 

I know, it's a bit much but then I figure, if you're going to dream, you should dream BIG! Reach for the stars!

I do have a few finishes this week and some treasures came in the mail!

Here are the WIPs I worked on this week..........my Giant Granny Square blanket........it's getting bigger!

my redwork sampler..........

and I have a finish except for the beading.........the Pumpkin Witch Halloween ornament

As for treasures........I did receive my needles for beading and for doll making............but the big treasure is my Halloween Kit that I ordered and had to reserve several months ago............I have all the materials including the binding and the backing.........

Here's the panel......

and here's the backing........it's called Kitty Corn and is by Urban Chiks for Moda.  I love every fabric they come out with because it is always vintage.  I have never ordered a quilt kit before but I am so thrilled with this one!

I apologize for the length of this post but actually, it is something I refer back to during the year.  I hope you are all as excited as I am to begin another wonderful and productive Year of Projects!

Happy Trails!!!

P.S.  I have been watching Bakery Bear's podcasts for years and I finally joined as a patron for $5 a month so I can have access to Kay's tutorials, their magazine, their Knitiversity, and their patreon  podcasts.  That's a lot for $5 a month!  Well worth it in my estimation.  There's even more if you pay more but I'm happy with this so far.  I'll keep you informed!