~ Time For Some Catch Up..... ~

"We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures." -Thornton Wilder

I am still trying to learn how to make my blog site a little more 'inviting', so to those of you who visit, please bear with me. I do have a dear friend coming in the next week to show me how to add those cute little things down the sides. I have so many 'lists' that I think would be fun to add to my posts.

Let's see - lots of photos today! First, I want to talk about my spare bedroom makeover that finally got done, only I don't think it is going to remain my spare bedroom for long. You see, I have a sewing room in my home, but the light is not quite good enough, nor the view out the windows neither, so I think I am going to hijack this room for my personal space. Anyway, let's begin:


This was my daughter's room 'before'. With our son gone from home for a few years, Sarah wanted his room, and he said he was 'okay' with that. So, enter paint brush and paint, and take down the fairy wallies and cover up those 'poka dots' that made the room look like it had chicken pox. After some new paint, some furniture rearranging, and sewing some new curtains,

Ta Da!


It is not as 'colonial' as I would like it, but I am working with what I have. This was my daughters bed since she was a little girl, it is an antique as it is a '3/4' bed, not quite a full, and man, oh man, is it heavy!!!!! I finished my counted cross stitches, three of them in all, and put them in here. Can you find them? For a bigger and better view, just double click on the photos. Anyway, I think I was premature in turning this into the spare bedroom. I do believe this bed will be moved into our 'bonus room' above the garage, and this space will become my new home for this mess:


UUUGGGHHHH!!!! I am almost too embarrased to reveal this hodge podge of an area to you - I am revealing my soul here! But creativity has a price!!! This is my 'baby' ~

and she needs a new home. One with better lighting and more space. AND a closet to hide all the mess! From my previous posts, you know I have such a list of projects to be finished. I know it is really bad when my tastes have changed and I still have unfinished projects that I started from prior 'tastes'. MAYBE some of these blocks will be future gifts or giveaways:





Also, I have had a few requests for some photos of the inside of the Salt Box book I mentioned in a few posts back. I had found this book at a TS and fell in love with it. Here are a few of my favorites:



It is a book mainly for refrence for architectes and builders, but I love it! There are a TON of good ideas in here.

And lastly, do you recognize the chest at the top of my post? Yep, this is my 1970's Lane Cedar Chest redo. I haven't dolled it up completely yet, don't know what I am going to decorate it with, but wanted to leave it kinda bare so you could see the top. I use Heritage Village and Olde Century Colors Paints, and my, they are wonderful to work with! They are kinda hard to find, but I have one store in about a 200 mile radius that carries them. They are historical colors that are from colonial times, and I love painting with them. Anyway, the bottom of my cedar chest is called Savanah Red and the top is called Olde Ivory, with an Antiquing Polyurethane rubbed on top. I painted the easter eggs with some of the colors from the Olde Century collection. And the penny rug is from the class I taught at The Quilt crossing earlier this month.

I am swamped with customer quilt tops to quilt in the next few weeks. A couple of baby shower gifts, two graduation quilts, and a wedding quilt. Isn't that great! I love the fact that these heirlooms that I have been entrusted to quilt are going to be used and possibly passed down for others to enjoy. I am blessed to have such a great customer base, and this is such a happy business to be in!

I leave you with blessings for a 'simple' week and a picture of some quilts I have quilted for myself in the past years. This photo is kinda old, but thought I would use it anyway!


Blessings on your week, and indulge in a quiet, reflective moment for yourself!!!!

Shanda

~ 'Wee Things ~

Little things mean so much - fresh sheets, clean car, and homemade bread for toast in the morning. I love morning walks in the countryside near my home, and the sound of sprinklers irrigating a farmers field. To sit on my porch and read a really good book with the birds voicing their opinions in the background, now that is pure pleasure.

I AM WORKING ..... on my counted cross stitch from Birds of a Feather called "Alphabet Sampler." I also have a punch needle project going from Primitive Gatherings called "Wisconsin Wig Rose." Both projects I purchased while I was in Wisconsin last Christmas. Every time I pick one of them up to indulge myself for awhile and stitch, I remember my day in the quilt shop with family members and what moments we had. 'Tis a nice reminder.

TODAY I WILL BE ...... pruning my fruit trees. They are still small yet, but I want to form them while they are young. Sound familiar? 'Tis a beautiful morning and promises to be a nice day.

I AM THINKING ABOUT ..... several of my family members and their health concerns. I will pray for them in my heart as I am working outside today and keep them in my highest of regards. I have a son serving a two-year LDS Mission in Ventura, California, and my thoughts are with him everyday and what he is doing. He currently has an apartment with a view of some commercial tulip fields that are in full bloom. Wow, the ULTIMATE in simple pleasures to be able to wake to that every morning!!!!

I AM CURRENTLY READING ..... 'Prelude to Glory, Volume 4', and also Jane Austen's 'Emma'. Don't ask me how, but I am able to keep two books straight in my head.

THIS MORNING ....... while I was on my walk, I saw a neighbor up on his roof, doing some repairs. I called out a greeting, and he greeted me back. How wonderful it is to have good neighbors.

AND THEN THIS EVENING ..... we will have leftovers for dinner, feed the calf as he is still being bottle fed, and putter around the house/yard. As silly as it seems, just at dusk, I like to go outside and wander completely around our house, looking at the plants, being amongst the landscaping, checking the blooms on things, and just being observant and reflective. Just the stillness of that time calms my soul and prepares me for my slumber.

I plan on ENJOYING today.

~Simple Pleasures disguised as Thrift Stores!~

'Tis a Gift to Be Simple....

How was your Easter? I hope everyone enjoyed the day. We did, and the weather was beautiful!

I finally made it to a couple of thrift stores in my neck of the woods...... oh my, what bargains! Not only good bargains, but treasures galore! I spent a whoppping $5.67, including tax!

The black box I don't even need to stress sand, it is just perfect the way it is. It will look great with a chuncky candle and fixings. The three 'gold' frames I have already spray painted a black matte and am just looking for some nice silhouettes to go in them. Can anyone direct me to some nice ones of George and Martha Washington, or maybe John and Abigail Adams? But then there is a third frame, so I have to think of something for that one too. I just love them. They came with oval glass and everything for .50 cents a piece. WOW!!



And the SaltBox House Book!!!!! Oh, I am so happy with it, beautiful photos and nice reading. My dream is a salt box. We would have liked to build one here when we built our home 6 years ago, but our builder didn't understand what a saltbox was, let alone know how to build one. You do not see ANY houses like that here, so I settled for the next best thing, a farmhouse cape. I love my home!

I have really gotten backed up on my customer quilts and have been busy in my studio. This is a blessing, to do work that you love. I have a few 'primitive' quilts of my own I want to get quilted, but the customer quilts come first. I have also been reading a great deal about colonial life and the revolutionary war.

My old 70's Lane cedar chest is still in the works. Oh I can't wait to show it to you! It sure looked like it needed a redo, and I have painted it a savannah red on the bottom and olde ivory on the top. Now it just needs a good sanding job and antiquing medium put on. These pieces of furniture take so many 'steps' to refinish, no wonder they cost so much in stores. But since I can't stand it, I will give you a sneek peek, and I am sorry, I didn't take a before photo, but just think early 70's and you can get the idea!!!!


I had to do some saw work on the legs to get them square (think 70's and scrolly, ornate - yep this chest used to have scrolly ornate legs, but not anymore!). And the whole chest is sitting kinda wonky on the table because I have one side propped up with a can of paint to let the legs dry. I also have a few other pieces out in the garage there that I am working on, like the small bench I picked up unfinished a couple of YEARS ago that I am finally getting around to painting and an old cutting board.

Life is good, and bargains are great! Now if I could just find an old metal strainer like some of you have picked up and redone.

'Tis a 'Teaching' Weekend for Me!

'She seeketh wool and flax and willingly worketh with her hands.' - Proverbs 31:13

Happy Friday, Everyone!!!

Welcome to the weekend, although I do have to say I wish it were a bit more on the warm side here in Idaho. Just so windy that with a 45 degree day makes it a bit nippy!

I am teaching at the Quilt Crossing Saturday from 1-4. I have a class called 'Primitives in Wool' and it is two table runners for the price of one class. That is my way of helping the economy along. I am teaching both the wool table mat above and the more colonial penny rug pictured below.



I love to teach, mainly because I get to meet new people and help them be creative in their lives. It is very rewarding to teach others a new craft that will hopefully bring them many hours of enjoyment. And working with wool is so soothing. Wool is like butter, and when you stitch with it, it melts into your soul. Wool table runners and penny rugs are so traditional and old-fashioned. I love the primitiveness of them.

On another note, isn't this little fella just the cream of the crop?


He is now residing in our 1/2 acre pasture and it is wonderful to see a critter out there. I also went and purchased 15 baby pullet chicks and will have chickens again. We haven't had chickens for 6 years, since we built our new house. Brings joy to my soul to have farm animals and be responsible for them, although this morning, I haven't seen our female kitten we just had fixed, and I am worried about her. Where could she have gone? 'Tis not like her to be missing.

I have been reading a great deal and cross-stitching a new sampler. I have some quilts for customers I have been working on, and thinking about planning out my garden. Life is full, and I love it that way, not full of 'things', but full of enjoyment in small ways, and I wouldn't have it any other way!!!

Blessings on your day!

Shanda