Stickler

I'm a stickler for a holiday and always make too much snack-y, sweet things.  That's okay though, because my neighbors are on the recipient end of our treats!  And my family is sure to have fun in the kitchen, too.  Little wonder then today, as I was thinning out my herb garden, I got to thinking about the pretzels and chocolates in the pantry.  Hmmmm.

My oldest wasn't able to make it home for Thanksgiving due to school and work obligations so my youngest was part and parcel of Mom's "Hey let's do this!" and "Come, come, let's do that!" and "Wow, we have GOT to try this!"  I think she's alright with all the projects and whims because she jumps right in and gets busy.

We melted two batches of chocolate:  one white chocolate and the other dark chocolate.  I chopped up some Heath Toffee, some butterscotch bits and some peanut butter chunks.  After coating each pretzel with chocolate and coaxing it into draping thinly, then working with our hands, we pressed the chopped bits onto the chocolate slathered rod.  I know some folks put the pretzel rods in the freezer to firm up quickly but I leave them at room temperature for a few hours.  Voila!  A quick treat.


Try putting some in a glassine bag and tie with a
festive bow and you too can treat your neighbors.

I don't have to speculate for I know we're making memories in the kitchen today and we have a batch of sugary treats to give away!  It IS the most wonderful time of the year!

Long Winter's Nap

I admit I'm a cozy, comfy sort of gal.  Given the chance to wear yoga pants instead of tailored trousers, I'm all in.  Naturally this time of year our home is all about the comfy.  I also admit I can be found shuffling through pinterest at least once a week for that next great, wow-ie-ka-zow-ie project.  When I saw these, I had to do some of my own and put a different spin on them.

Instead of boiled wool I opted for a suit-grade flannel.  Something with a soft nap.  And right about the time I settled on this project my local fabric store, much to my surprise, had several bolts of suit fabric just in.  In plenty of color options.  I nabbed up about 8 yards of each style in grays, beiges, reds, navy blues and more.  Next, I made my way over to the bolts of wool flannel which I would need for the leaf appliques.  Lastly I settled on cotton batting which would make these cozy and comfy throws a bit warmer for those long, winter naps.

High-tailing it back home I threw all the fabrics in a very hot wash cycle drying them on the hottest dryer setting as well.  Preshrinking all the fabrics makes for warmer blankets.

Next I tracked down some basic leaf patterns.  The leaves are about 8 inches long.  Place the leaf patterns on  the flannel, cut them out and blanket stitch to the top portion of your throw.  You know the drill from this point.  Cut the flannel to the size you want: mine are 72 inches by 54 inches.  Cut the batting to match and the underside flannel, too.

Stitch them together leaving an opening to turn right side out.  Slip stitch the opening closed then at every 6 inch intervals tie off the throw with either satin ribbon or embroidery floss.  Don't skip this step.  This will keep the batting from bunching when you wash them.

I'm only speculating but I bet we'll enjoy plenty of wintery nights around the fire all comfy and cozy: sipping hot chocolate and watching the chestnuts pop.  Doesn't it just warm your heart to imagine it?

Pining For Trees

I saw some wooden Christmas trees on pinterest and thought:  I can do these and I think I'll kick it up a notch, yessiree. 

I started with some scrap plywood.  I think it was from another project in which the backside of something large, hot and red needed rebuilding.
After a little measuring and a little cutting it was time to  sand and prime the plywood.  Then paint however you like.  You can use stencils of stars and other patterns; you can free-hand or you can simply white-wash them for a dramatic, wintery look.

Then it's time to drill! 

Yeah, that's the drill, baby.  She's a yellow, battery-packed hunk o' man-machine but I use her, too.  Mooorrre poweeerr...argh, argh, argh.  Oh, and that's my coffee mug on the work bench.  A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do!  There's nothing quite like steel and power and the smell of sawdust to make a girl's day. I have a bit which drills the perfect size hole for small, LED, battery pack, lights.  I use the 20-pack of lights and drill as many holes. 

Once the bulbs are positioned into the openings I dab a bit of glue onto the back of each light where it meets the hole (using Elmer's wood glue but I think craft glue might work).  At the end I affix the battery pack near the trunk of the tree using Gorilla glue.  That's key because other glues will dry out and turn brittle and won't hold from season to season.  Gorilla glue it is!

After the paint and glue are dry here's the final product. Shiny and bright.  Bejeweled and blinged out!  Snow Queen Elsa would melt. 


I don't have to speculate much for I know my kids will be barking up my tree hoping to nab a few of these for their holiday decor.   FIR-realllll, Mom!  And I'll be de-light-ed.

It's All About The Boots

I've probably brought this up in these blog posts a time or two:  among my earliest memories is that of my sister and me getting a fancy pair of short, white, go-go boots.  Somewhere, someone in my family has an old black and white photo of the two of us standing on my parents' black sofa (remember it was the 60's) wearing nothing but our go-go boots and dancing to Nancy Sinatra's These Boots Are Made For Walking.  Years later I would come to know the son of the trumpet player on this tune: Roy Caton. Roy has played with greats like The Beach Boys, Elvis Presley, Harry Nilsson, and more.   Roy's son Bruce is a private pilot and personal friend.  Even as I type this I'm hummin' away:  bum--bum-bum-bum-bum to the tempo of the Roy Caton horn solo.  Six degrees of separation right?  Sometimes I marvel at all the fun stuff God does to entertain me.

A number of years ago I began connecting with many ol' friends with whom I went to school.  I guess our kids have grown up enough that all our time is not parsed out among running errands; driving carpool; cheering at games; fittingly clapping at recitals; making breakfast, lunch and dinner; and walking the line between being a domestic goddess and being a hot momma!  Can you believe most of my lady friends are grandmothers!

Reconnecting with friends we are doing some traveling; enjoying ladies' nights out; giving a hand up at charitable functions and comparing notes on such things as home improvement projects, grandbaby stories, and daily beauty routines.

One of my friends whose father was a beloved and  favorite teacher in high school and who was my homeroom teacher for four years, happens to share my interest in embroidery.  About 2 weeks ago she sent me a pattern and had even transferred it to a tea-stained square.  A surprise!  I got busy stitching immediately.

I got to thinking that I might not finish this by the end of the month but wouldn't it make a great Christmas piece if I tweaked it a bit?


Don't they look like three little elf'n ladies which might be busy in Mrs. Santa Clause's kitchen baking all sorts of goodies?  C'mon...you can just imagine!

And here it is fashioned into a pillow.  Don't tell her, yet, but I'm going to ship it back to her and surprise her with my jolly interpretation.

I don't have to speculate, if I know her she'll be kickin' up her boot heels once she opens her box and sees her present.

Birthday Crown

"What do you want for your birthday?" he asked.

"I think the three of us should choose a color and paint the east bedroom.  Get it done in one day"  I smiled sweetly and coyly.

"I was thinking of a trip or jewelry or something like that" he said with a half smile and probably a roll of the eyes.

That's when the conversation stopped.  My youngest, in the back seat of the car was eerily quiet.  She was not about to contribute to such nonsense as discussing a home improvement project for a birthday gift!  I could feel her stare boring hot holes in the back of my noggin.  She is a celebrator.  An entertainer.  Aware of every detail of every bar b cue, birthday party, and slumber party we've ever hosted.  Painting a bedroom to celebrate a birthday is practically profane.

Before the crown moulding

You see, when you are like me and you get a bee in your bonnet wanting something painted or reupholstered or refinished or re-purposed you've got a one track mind.  You're a heat-seeking missile.  A birthday becomes an occasion to rally in your loved ones and achieve some goals!  Yes we can!

After our dinner and on the drive home I chimed in:  "What I really want is crown moulding in the east bath.  We could knock it out in a day and ta-da happy birthday to me!"

Fancy this:  the next morning moulding was in the garage, the saw was humming and tape measures were snapping to and fro. The sound of success!

There was talk of millwork and coping and joints and caulk.  There was the scent of sawdust and paint.  There was the grunt and squawk of the neighborhood woodworkers coming over for a nod and a note of approval all man-like and happy.  I even thought I heard Tim Allen asking for more power and the "aaarrghh-aaarrrgghhh-aarrgghh" tool time call of the manly woodworking beast!





And here she is!  The crowned bathroom.  Topped off quite nicely, don't you think?

I'm only speculating but I think I might take advantage of the next holiday and ask for a new wing on the house.  Columbus Day is in a week.  Mooooorrreee power!  Grunt, grunt, grunt.

Country Living

We decided to do the Country Living Fair again this year.  We were not disappointed.  Not for one minute.  Arriving a day early we enjoyed dinner together reminiscing about high school; sharing ideas for crafting; and laughing the night away.  Truth is we were all tuckered out from traveling but we are no slouches...we are party girls, don't you know!  Giggling, sipping wine over ice (carefully counting calories) in plastic cups, nibbling on M&Ms and sesame sticks we fancied ourselves quite cosmopolitan!


The days were cool and slightly overcast; the breeze was quite welcomed and there was, to our relief, no rain.  We saw felt crafts; handbags, stationery, rugs, barn signs, and knit wear.  We sampled kettle corn, dips of the savory and sweet kind; bruschetta, jams and jellies.  We saw vintage fabrics, oil cloth, toile, vintage buttons and notions.  And ornaments, glassware, antiques, and collectibles.  We saw handmade soaps; repurposed furniture and milk paint of rich and vibrant colors.  We saw Cari Cucksey who told us every true junker needs to do the 127 and start in Tennessee and Shawna Robinson of Happy Chair (you have to see her things!) 

 We, in a nutshell, shopped 'til we dropped.
When we were done with the Country Living Fair we shopped at Easton Town Center; caught a movie then crashed in our hotel room talking long into the night. Again.

The next day we hit the neighborhood circuit for a couple yard sales and packed our vehicle with so many treasures there was barely room for us!  I'm not saying who, but one of us cannot pass up a chair or three!

I'm only speculating but its possible my gal pals think slumber parties are as much fun as I think they are!

What's next ladies?

Bag Lady

I told you about the *snap* brilliant idea a had for making my own key fobs after spying one in a touristy boutique priced at $40.  It's only natural, then, I'd think the same thing about those fancy toiletries, make-up, and gadget bags.

Look at this one for $34.  This one for $40. Folks, a simple canvas make-up bag can cost easily $75 and upwards.

I know I can do these. I wanted a size I couldn't find.  A little on the large size.  My daughter saw the first one I made and thought it would fit her things quite nicely and with those beautiful eyes smiling at me I handed it over.  Quite satisfied that once again I knocked out something she wanted.  SCORE!

There are a variety of ways to make your bag.  With or without lining.  With the zipper ends hidden inside the lining or flapped out.  With the ends of the zippers notched inward or with them flared out.  Lined with Pellon fusible fleece or Heat and Bond UltraHold.  After making a dozen or so in various styles using differing materials I developed a style I like best.

 Here you'll see contrast lining and zipper.  This is a simple rectangle pouch without a broadened bottom.  Note the zipper ends are notched to angle inward.  I also used the UltraHold on this.  Ultra Hold is my favorite notion!

 Here you see a bag with the zipper ends sewn into the lining but flared outward.

 NOTE THIS BAG.  One I tried using only fusible fleece.  First mistake.  There is no firmness to this bag, it is soft and doesn't stand upright on its own.  You'll also notice the fleece bunching where the zipper ends, outer fabric and inner lining come together.  There is too much bulk for the zipper ends to meet nicely.  So fusible fleece is outta here!

 This bag is shaped like a trapezoid. That is wider at the top than the bottom.  It also has a notched bottom so that it is broader and will hold far more items.  Again, you can see the results of using the Heat and Bond. 

I looked at several patterns and do-it-yourself magazines and got a good idea of the various techniques and fabrics others have developed. But watching tutorials on YouTube were best.  Take a little time to sit through a few tutorials.  You'll see there are a variety of ways you can install a zipper and a number of ways to line your bag.  After trying several products Heat and Bond is by far my favorite notion for this project.

Here are some good tutorials:

1.  Very good visual, step by step guide to making a bag.  Grace uses iron on vinyl and a lining.  Check it out.
2.  Tutorial for simple bag.  She uses a 4 x 5 template but you can cut to any size you like.  My large bag is 10" at the top by 12" tall.
3.  Here's a tutorial including lining and interfacing.
4.  Anna Evers has a good visual DIY.  She notches the bottom and uses a plastic bag as a liner.  TIP:  Instead of using a plastic bag use the Heat and Bond. 

I'm only speculating and I'm not making this up!  My kids like them; my friends have ooo'd and aahhh'd and they are easy and zippy to make.  Seems like I've got this in the bag!

All Keyed Up

You know we spent the summer up in the Great Lakes area.  We were doing something nearly every day. From visiting relatives and old friends; to craft projects and furniture projects; to canning strawberry, blueberry and cherry jam; to welcoming my oldest into the fold for 4 days and entertaining my youngest daughter's dear friend for the last week of our stay.  We kept those young ones going so much that each time they rode in the car they nodded off to sleep.  Yes!  They did!  I have photos to prove it.

One of our excursions took us to Mackinaw City and Mackinac Island.  After the touring and walking and the afternoon tea at the Grand Hotel we took in a little shopping.  I focused in on some small, lined, zippered bags and some key fobs.

"Hey!  I can do these!"  I thought to myself.  And for pennies on the $40 price tag in those tourist boutiques.

You can do these, too.

  

What you'll need:

• One 3" x 10" rectangle of fabric.  I used a medium weight canvas.
• One 2" x 10' rectangle of Pellon 987F fusible fleece.  I found this to be a little too lightweight.  The next batch I will use a heavier weight fusible..
• One key fob hardware set.  You can get them at JoAnne's for $.3.48 each or try ordering online here.

And here's a good tutorial on how to sew and assemble them.

I've already made 14 snazzy key fobs and it took me about 4 hours.  Talk about a nifty project with quick results!

I must be doing alright because my kids are already staking their claims and asking me to make them for friends.

I'm only speculating but I bet this item will have me singing songs in the key of life knowing my kids think they're cool!

Don't Do This At Home

She needed a desk so that she could keep up with her summer homework. Yes. Summer homework. In our family we like to do  things together during the summer, casting off homework and assignments but apparently schools don't have the same ideas.  That's a topic for another post.

We got here and nestled into lovely surroundings in the middle of a beautiful wood only 200 yards from the Lake.  THEE LAKE we call her.  She murmurs to us with each crashing wave:  "come back to me.  Dip your tired feet into my cool water..."  but again, I digress.

Like I said, she needed a desk so that she could keep up with her summer assignments.  The day after our arrival we hauled ourselves off to the nearest Lowe's.  A family friend had been using Valspar's spray paint:  the 2 in 1 primer and paint and recommended we try it.  We took her advice and figured we'd give it a whirl.

After a few minutes in Lowe's she settled on a bright yellow gloss.  Once we got back to the house, I set about sanding the desk and against all I've known to do to paint almost any surface, I did not use a primer.  Remember Valspar's 2 in 1 primer and paint in a can should do the trick.  Right?

Hark!  Do not ever try this at home.  Trust me on this one.  A primer would have been far better than the 2 in 1 fancy-schmancy product I tried.  This small desk took four cans and it could still take 2 more cans easily.  I do not think the coverage is sufficient and I do not like seeing the shades of what was once the brown of the original desk, peeking through the 2 in 1 paint and primer, glossy yellow.  Since the weather here is humid it usually takes four to five days drying time between coats which was simply too long to spend on this project and diminished the convenience of a 2 in 1 product.  So you understand my experience.

Here is the before: 
and after: 


I'm only speculating but I'm sure this sunny, cheery piece will brighten her days and make for enLIGHTened learning.  Sunny side up!

Mi Casa Es Su Casa

Through the years she's been painted but always at the hand of a "professional".  This year however mi casa needed some repairs and an overall facelift. She was built in 1954 so the wood siding needed attention. Those pesky termites, on occasion, had brunch and those places needed repair, too. No painter fella with a handy-dandy sprayer is going to do the detailed job we would do on our own home so after rustling around the garage and gathering the caulk and wood putty and sander and paint brushes...and...finally we got busy.

After the repairs, we decided to keep the siding painted white and  cover the green trim with grey.





Grey I tell you!  Does this look like grey to you?  The paint was supposed to be Harbor Seal Grey.  But nooooo it doesn't look grey at all.  When a couple neighbors commented on liking the purple trim I knew a trip back to the paint store was my next stop. 



Finally!  Grey trim. Portsmouth Grey to be exact. 



And a red door.

I don't have to speculate because I was here every day the house was being polished and painted and repaired and brought back to the lovely lady she is.  Mi casa es su casa so come on over and see us soon.