my week

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Until today, the weather has been a string of beautiful warm, sunny days.  The grass is growing non-stop and requires mowing every three days.

The trees are in various stages of getting their leaves, our flowering trees are bursting with fragrant blossoms, and the lilac bush is covered with sweet smelling purple flowers.

Lots of things have had to take a back seat, like the rush seat on my rocker, the sweater I was trying to finish knitting, most sewing, and my punch needle project.  Spring cleaning is moving along slowly, but happily a major job was checked off the to-do list.  The living room and dining room floor has been freshly painted gray, its third color to date--though I liked the green, it was a little dark for these north facing rooms.

Last weekend I planted radishes and more lettuces since my seeds never came up.  I also planted some Early Girl tomato plants, {though we are not yet past the last frost date}, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and lots of onions. 

Most of the week was spent weeding, weeding, and weeding some more in the flower beds...and painting the picnic table and benches--just two more benches to go.  This weekend is looking cool and rainy, but I hope to do some more planting.  With the cost of groceries ever on the rise, I am hoping to depend more upon food we can grow ourselves

and freeze, can, and dehydrate more than I have been.

 

What is your favorite garden crop for stretching the food budget?

 

~

 

Wishing you all a Happy Mother's Day!

 

 

 

May flowers

 

Spring is here and we are spending as much time as possible outdoors--there is sooo much weeding to be done, seeds to plant, and outdoor furniture to paint.  The tulip and daffodils we've put in the last two falls are putting on an amazing display...in the flower beds, up the lane, alongside the barn, around the pasture fence, and next to the henhouse.  Soon the allium and lilacs will be in bloom.

Each day we have geese in the cornfield next door, living happily off the leftovers of last year's harvest.  Bluebirds are nesting in one of the birdhouses on the pasture fence posts and barn swallows in the other.

The rhubarb is ready to pick, and I am hoping to make Clarice's recipe for Rhubarb cakes later today.

I found some good books at the library this week but haven't had much time to spend with them, so they are waiting patiently for a rainy day.  I also have a new craft to learn--needle punch!  My oxford punch needle came this week and I did a little practicing--it's easier than I thought it would be, but I still need to practice my technique--I think my stitches are a bit too dense and crowded, but that just makes the cloud look a bit puffy, right?   :)  This is going to be perfect for using up bits of leftover wool!

 

in my kitchen recently

Last week's weather took us from summer to winter and back again.

We had sunshine, 80 degrees, blustery wind, rain, snow, lows in

the 20's...a bit of everything.  One day we would keep cozy by the

woodstove, another day would find us out in short sleeves

working in the yard and garden.

 

 

 

I had a sudden craving for Swedish visiting cake,

which I haven't made in a long while, for teatime.

I think it may have had something to do with watching

Call the Midwife,

and the fact that someone is always serving tea with cake,

biscuits, or cookies in each episode.

 

I also made some lotion bars.  I've been wanting to try

these and finally got around to making them.  They're

very simple and I found the recipe here.

I used a combination of shea butter and cocoa butter,

with the beeswax and olive oil.

My lotion bars don't glide on as I thought they would,

but seem a bit tacky/sticky.  Maybe it's the shea butter

or my beeswax--not really sure, but I do still like

them and the fact that they don't leave any oiliness

on my skin.

 

I also made up an anti-aging serum, which I found

on Blissfully Content.

This smells wonderful with geranium and lavender and

leaves my face feeling soft...

I am also counting on it's anti-aging properties! :)

 

Hope your weekend was good.

between the April showers

 

Winter's hold on us seems to have ended

as we begin to have a day here & there

of sunshine and blue skies in between the frequent April showers.

The daffodils and primroses are the first here to bloom.

 

I've started work in the raised beds,

turning the soil and weeding,

and planting some lettuce and spinach.

I planted a bed of garlic since the cloves I planted

last fall never came up.

I pruned the raspberries and blackberries,

though not sure I really know what I'm doing there...

 

The hens are happy to be outside and scratching around

to their heart's content.

The new chicks are on order and scheduled to arrive

in May.

 

I took a pair of clippers out to the edge of the woods and

cut some grapevines for a wreath.

I gathered some pussy willows, stuck them in,

and hung it on the front door - somehow it

makes Spring seem more official.

 

And, the elan mitts are now checked off the projects-to-finish list.

I am so happy I discovered  faux" fairisle!

 

 

 

 

rocker redo

 

 

This is what I've been working on a little bit the last couple weekends.

My goal for this year is to complete as many unfinished projects

as possible, and I will be really happy to check this one off the

list...I think it will make a nice spot to sit, relax, and maybe do a bit of knitting...like finishing that sweater I started a couple years ago :)

 

This rocker, a yard sale find, has been in the basement so long

that I no longer remember what sort of seat it may have had

when I bought it.

I'm fairly certain it was not rush, but since I have a couple rolls

of rush material on hand, which has also been stashed in the basement

for a long time, that's the seat the rocker shall have.

 

It's been 20+ years since I took a class on doing rush seats,

so I found a video to refresh my memory--

it's coming along,

though a bit wonky in spots.

I'll just be happy to have it done.

 

Shabby Apple giveaway winner

 

 

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

15

Timestamp: 2013-04-10 22:07:06 UTC

 

The winner of the Shabby Apple $50 gift card giveaway

is

Kim Stewart ~ congratulations!

{Kim, please let me know your email address.}

Thanks everyone for entering!!!

 

Shabby Apple $50 Giveaway

 

 

Today, I have a great giveaway to announce

courtesy of Shabby Apple, who are generously offering as grand prize a $50 gift card!!

 

With Spring weather actually approaching, I have been browsing their website,

where I always know I'll find many beautiful styles.

These are just a few of my favorites {links below pictures} so far...

the hardest part is narrowing down my choices!

And, then there are the beautiful tops and bathing suits, like the

Fisherman's Find and the Sailboat.

 

 

 

 

Decadence

 

Pier Patrol

Conductor

 

 



 

Hydrangea

 

 

To participate in this fabulous giveaway, for a $50 gift card to purchase any Shabby Apple

 item you would like, just meet the following requirements:

 

1. "Like" Shabby Apple on Facebook  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Shabby-Apple/56291792791
2. Leave me a comment mentioning your Facebook 'like', and let me know what Shabby Apple dress or item is your favorite.
3. Contest is open to USA shipping addresses only.
4. One entry per person.

Entries will be accepted until Wednesday, April 10 at 9AM.  The winner will be announced later that day...Best wishes!!

 

 

 



welcome April...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I hope your Easter was a joyful one.  Ours was blessed by time spent

with favorite people and delicious food as well.

 

It has very much continued to be winter here.  The ground is still hard

and frozen beneath my feet as I walk or play with the dogs in the early morning.

Flurries fly from time to time and the woodstove is still keeping

us cozy inside.  The hens are not ready to give up their heat lamp

and their water is still kept on the warmer to prevent it from freezing overnight.

The bulbs are very, very slowly pushing their way up from the ground.

When the birds are singing and the sun peeps out,

it looks like Spring cannot be far off--it just doesn't feel like Spring yet.

 

I recently checked a project off my to-do list,

that has been awaiting doing for a long time:  a linen liner for our bread basket.

It took very little time once I set my mind to it,

and it felt very peaceful to sit and do a bit of hand sewing.

The idea comes from Martha and can be found

here.

 

My last bit of news...there will be a Shabby Apple giveaway here very soon!

See you then.

 

 



happy work

 

 

I hope you all had a good weekend.

I scrubbed some floors, cooked Bolognese sauce for the first time

{thank you Clarice!},

dragged a rocker upstairs that needs a new rush seat,

went to Palm Sunday Mass,

and watched some old movies while hand sewing patches

onto an old patchwork quilt top.

 

This is what's been keeping me busy for the last few weeks,

and, thinking on it,

I'm so thankful to be doing what I love:

 

 ~sewing vintage kitchen textiles into yarn sack zipper pouches

 

 

 

~ knitting some household goods

 

~giving new life to 'pieces-of-the-past' grain sacks

 ~ working more & more with leather

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the leather bag that I spilled a drop of leather dye onto.

To camouflage the stain, I hand stitched a strip of leather

over the spot on the outside...inside, attached to the leather strip,

is a snap clip to hold keys.

I would like to see this simple, classic tote find a home...the leather is a wonderful, sturdy yet supple, brown 4 oz. cowhide

that will just get better with age.

There are unique variations and markings due to the nature of the leather.

It is unlined, and there is a removable, leather-covered reinforcement

in the bottom.

Measurements are approximately:

top opening  15.5"

height  14"

base  9.5"w x 6"d

handles  11" drop

This bag will not be going into my shop,

but will just be offered here to the first reader to let me know, via

comments or email, that they are interested.

I'm pricing it at half of what I would have listed it for before the ink-spill:

$75 USD + $10 USD shipping to anywhere

in the continental U.S.

**************The leather tote is now sold.************

 

Everything else is over at the shop.

 

Thanks again and again for your support!!

 

 

 

craving some color

 

Despite the imminent, official start of Spring, it is still winter here in all it's varying shades of browns and grays with a bit of drab green.

Feeling a need for some color, I dug out a crochet project from 2 years ago--some granny squares to be made into a pillow cover.

After spending some time under our bed, the squares had ended up

in the basement, where I rescued them this week.

After some digging in my knitting basket,

I found the blue yarn and spent some enjoyable time,

with tea and some Irish soda bread,

crocheting the last round and connecting them at the same time.

{Tutorial for that can be found here.}

Hopefully I can get the pillow cover finished before

two more years go by!