Good Riddance February....

TGIF!  Sunny and cold this morning in SW Virginia.  Brrr...  Looking forward to a warmer day tomorrow to hopefully get out and clear and clean some of the flower and vegetable gardens.   It's almost garden season!

I will be putting these little cabbages in the ground in just a few weeks.  I usually don't plant too many cabbage, because they take up valuable space and they are cheap to buy, but I love to have 3 or 4 fresh ones.

And my tomatoes that I just planted last weekend, they are up and looking great!

There is also some basil, thyme and parsley!

Probably by next weekend I will be transplanting them in their larger containers.  I love doing this!

 

In crafting news, I have finished my second Easter stocking.

I doubt any of you recognize the rare Smith Mountain Lake Bunny Fish!  LOL!

This stocking is for my son who is crazy about fishing.

 

Also on the craft table is an Easter banner for my mantle.  It's not quite finished but I am liking the way it is turning out.

 

Hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!

 

Linda

Once you have two bunnies.... you know what happens!!!

Good Monday Afternoon!  Last week of February and can I just say I am so glad this horrible month is almost over! 

Dear Mother in law came home from the hospital on Wednesday.  I wish I could say she is better, but she will never be better.  I took Thursday and Friday off from work and stayed home with her.  Her short term memory is less than a minute.  It's just hard to comprehend.  She is paranoid, afraid and depressed.  They are giving her medications for these and they are helping some.  I took her Saturday to get her hair cut and when we returned home she wouldn't believe that she lived in her house.  She thought I had taken her somewhere else.  When I convinced her she was home then she was sure that someone had came in and rearranged everything just to fool her.  She spent the next hour and a half walking through the house moving every little thing a fraction of an inch.  It is a HORRIBLE disease that strips you of everything you ever known and leaves you with confusion and fear.  There was to be something that can help, just pray the Dr.s will eventually find a cure.

During what free time that I had, I crafted.  It is such a stress reliever to concentrate on something fun.  I can't seem to quit making bunnies!  While sitting with my MIL I crocheted this little fellow.

His name is Bobby.  Because I think his ears look "bobbed" off.  I used a pattern, kinda, and then improvised.  I should have improvised on the ears, they could have been a bit longer.

He has a fuzzy little pom-pom tail.

Then I made this funny bunny

He hasn't been named.  Unusual, because I name everything with a face.

Suggestions???

I found this pattern a couple years ago online, but I can't remember the source.  So if this is your bunny pattern, Thank You, he was lots of fun to make.

 

Then I remembered I needed to make a stocking because everyone knows that on Easter Eve the Easter Bunny hops up on your roof and jumps down your chimney and fills your stocking with eggs and candy!  I do have that right, don't I?  I thought so!  LOL!!!

I am breaking tradition this year and using stockings instead of baskets!  How cute is this!  I used the Avon McCalls pattern that I got in the 1980's.  I have no idea how many stockings I have made using that pattern, it is the best. 

 

The stocking is made of a heavy canvas that I found at the Goodwill last week and is accented with yellow calico and gingham.  Rick Rack, buttons and a pom pom tail complete this fun stocking.

 

I am making one for my son, but it isn't finished yet, here is a glimpse,

Can't wait to get this finished!

 

Oh and just so you don't think that I skipped St. Patrick's Day, here are my decorations

Tacky, no?  This little tree is pink, and I'm not buying another one, so this will have to do!

( I think the Dr. Pepper in the background is the perfect décor for the holiday!)

 

And one more thing.  CURSE YOU Brachs Chicks and Rabbits!!!  I have already eaten an entire bag!

Sorry for the fuzzy photo, it is probably sugar induced shakes!

 

Hope everyone has a great day!

 

Linda

Having the Wintertime Blues

Good Tuesday Morning!  The sun is out, it is supposed to get up to the upper 50's today and that makes my spirits soar!  I am so tired of this winter.  We have had more snow and record cold temperatures for the last month. 

This weekend we had to take my Mother in law to the hospital because she was showing a marked increase in her confusion.  We wanted to make sure that there wasn't anything physically wrong with her.  They didn't find anything too bad.  Her heart rate and pulse was a little low and there is a little fluid around her lungs, so they kept her for observation.  They are tweaking her meds for her Alzheimer's and also giving her something to help her sleep.  It's so hard to watch someone who was so vital and full of life just become a shell of themselves.  They are hoping to release her to go home today.

So have I been playing in the snow?  NO WAY!  I have been in my craft room sewing and gluing and cutting and having a grand time dreaming of spring and Easter!

 Normally I would not buy a porcelain doll but when I saw this one at the Goodwill I thought she was so pretty so I brought her home and gave her an Easter makeover.  I sewed her a Springy apron and made her a Easter bonnet that will certainly be seen at the Easter Parade.  Dear Husband says it's too big but I like it big!

I pulled up my Pinterest page and made some of the things that I had pinned for Easter like this carrot

I loved this and I will make some more when I get out to the craft store to get some more orange felt.  It only took minutes and even though I stuffed mine, I think they would be cute if you left the top open and used them for a goodie bag.

An online friend just got herself a Tammy doll so I made these P.J.'s for her.  I love making Tammy clothes. 

I have seen several of these online and decided to jump on the bandwagon.  This was so much fun!  Oh the possibilities!  I got about 20 of those rabbit heads at a yard sale last summer. 

But this was my favorite thing to make.  Her name is Virginia.

She is sporting an adorable floral dress with a hand embroidered apron.

Of course she is one of the Easter Bunnies helpers so she has one of her eggs that she colored with her.

What a sweet face. 

 

I will be sending her off to an internet (or as Tammy says "an imaginary" ) friend tomorrow.

 

What have you been doing to keep yourself busy during this dreary winter weather?

 

Blessings

 

Linda

Happy Valentine's Day!

T.G.I.F and Happy Valentine's Day!  How many of you got snow???  Before the snow started, the weather lady said we could have up to 12-14".  Guess what?  We had 21" of snow!!!  Ridiculous right?  It started about 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday and didn't let up until around 4:00 p.m. yesterday.  It's been several years since we have had this much snowfall.  And for only the 2nd time in over 20 years, our company closed.  Snow Day!  

Good thing we have black shutters!

Snowing on the lake

Poor Lucy!  It almost buried her.

I appreciate my son shoveling the walk, but seriously, shorts?

By the end of the day, the son was out and it was finally over!

 

This morning we slipped and slid on into work though it took twice the time it usually takes, but the sun is shining and it is in the 40's!

I spent my snow day crafting and plan to take photos of the things I made tonight.  Such fun I had!  Lots of Easter stuff!

 

I have my table all set for tonight's Valentine dinner.

I am hoping to get to the grocery store this evening for the supplies!

Hope everyone has a wonderful Valentines Day!

 

Blessings

 

Linda

Blogging Friends are the Best!

Good Hump Day!!  Mike, Mike, Mike... What day is it???  Hump Day!  LOL!

The other day I blogged about my Spoolie Swap partner not getting back with me on the swap and I was okay with that.  Life happens, you forget stuff.  No big deal, I made myself a spoolie and life is good.  However, Pam who blogs at Virginia Retro contacted me and said she would like to send me a tag.  I thought that was sooo sweet of her.  Little did I suspect that this box of goodies was headed my way!

Tag?  This is no tag, this is a treasure trove! 

Of my heavens, look at that sweet face on the spoolie that Pam sent to me!  It is so adorable

Lot of tags!

Lots of ribbon, lace and buttons for crafting

vintage playing cards, candlewicking yarn, cupcake liners, coasters, etc..

It just goes on and on.

I was like a kid at Christmas opening all this stuff!

And look at this Valentine!  So pretty, it's hanging in my dining room!

This vintage Fondue dish towel reminded me that I have a avocado green fondue pot in my pantry that I'm going to pull out for Valentines Day.  I'm thinking chocolate fondue and fruit!

What a thoughtful, generous blogger, and fellow Virginian!

Thank you so much Pam you have no idea how surprised and thrilled I was with your package!

 

We are hunkering down for the "Blizzard of 2014" The weather lady says 8-14" inches of snow today through tomorrow.  That's a lot here in Southtown!

 

Happy Humpday!

 

Linda

Vintage Recipe Monday- Broken Glass Salad

Good Monday morning!  Hope everyone had a great weekend.  I got a lot of cleaning done and quite a bit of sewing, some which I will share later in the week.

This weeks Vintage Recipe is one that was handwritten in an old photo album that someone stuffed recipes into.  Of course, I put it away without taking a photo of it, but they are my favorite kind.  I seek them out at estate sales.

Apparently, Broken Glass salad was very popular in the 1940's and 1950's.  It really is beautiful and very tasty.  It does take at least 24 hours to make, so plan ahead!

Broken Glass Salad

 

1 small package of four flavors of Jello.  I used cherry, lime, lemon and orange.

Dissolve each package of Jello with 1 cup of boiling water.  Put into 4 separate, somewhat flat containers and chill until firm.

 

1- 14 oz. Sweetened condensed milk

2 envelopes of unflavored gelatin.

 

Remove the 4 different Jello's from the fridge and cut each into 1" blocks.  Mix all of your colors of blocks and put into a 9x13 pan.

 

Sprinkle the 2 envelopes of unflavored gelatin into a 1/2 cup of cold water and once the jello has started to bloom, add 1 1/2 cups of boiling water.  Stir and cool slightly.  Add your sweetened condensed milk and stir.  Pour this mixture over the colored Jello in the pan making sure you get it into all the nooks and crannies.

 

Put in the refrigerator and chill overnight.  Cut into square and serve in your nicest crystal bowl. 

 

I think this would be really cool using just red and blue Jello for the 4th of July.

 

We are looking at possibly getting some substantial snow on Wednesday.  I do not like snow and am doing my "Go Away" snow dance to try and ward it off!

 

Hope you have a great week!

 

Linda



What A Valentine!!!!

What Joy I had yesterday afternoon when the mailman brought me a lovely package in the mail.  When I saw the return address I was ecstatic because I knew my Valentine Box Swap had arrived! I was lucky to be paired with Linda Lou for 521 Lake Streets Valentine Box swap.  I frequently use by office's address for my mail because on the little peninsula I live on, mail delivery can be sketchy.  It's like the mail carrier decides she doesn't want to deliver to every house so she just stuffs all the mail into one box and that person spends their evening trying to get the mail to the right people.  Ahhh... the joys of living in the country!

Anyway!  I opened that box right there at work and my squeals of delight sent my office workers running into my office to see what the ruckus was all about.

Let me just say that Linda Lou totally outdid herself.  Oh My!  First there was this lovely box.

Look at that adorable ribbon flower....

and even before I opened the box I found wrapped in lovely heart tissue paper these treasures

The cutest Valentine clown ever

A new table and chairs for my doll house!

This tray with the cutest Peanuts fabric and Housewares fabric in it.

and then I opened the box!  Holy Cow!

 

Seeds, Flower stickers, heart buttons, a little cameo, vintage seals,

candy cups, ribbon, the cutest plastic clothes pin ever,

Lip gloss in a button shaped container, glitter, chipboard dress forms, millinery cherries, chocolate,

heart appliques, scissors brads,

Hearts cut of an old quilt

Of my goodness, look at this pattern with the hearts on the dress...

A Safeway stores needle book and the cutest little pen that you pin to yourself!

This little chenille skunk won my heart!

And this precious card with the little girl sewing is just perfect!

I am truly overwhelmed with the things she put into this swap.  How lucky can one girl get, right!

Thank you so much Linda Lou!!!!!  You have no idea how much this made my day!

 

And here is a peek at the box that I sent to her, though I won't show what's in it!

What a fun swap!

 

I plan on getting my pansy seeds planted this weekend and hopefully get my craft room cleaned.  It is a disaster area!  Hope everyone has a great weekend and stay warm!

 

Linda