Colonial HomeKeepings

~Tis a Season of Slowing Down~

2012-01-18T11:39:00.002-07:00

Today it is snowing here in the Pacific Northwest - so much that I am relieved. No reason to drive anywhere, no reason to expend any unnecessary energy, and certainly a day to be wearing my slippers all day long. Dinner is in the crock pot, I have a fire to keep warm, and all is quiet out on the street that runs along the front of our home. The snow is coming in sideways, piling high against the windows, and all is sacred. However, because all is cozy within, I am blessed to spend my entire day in my sewing room. I have my cup of herbal lemon tea, the wind is raging outside, and my Bernina is a humming. Life is good. Life has indeed slowed down.

Create your own sort of slowness this day and be glad in it!

~Shanda~

~Visiting~

2011-10-20T09:09:00.002-06:00

Our daughter Sarah and I are going 'Visiting'. We will make our morning visiting calls, stay at home to greet visitors, and visit quilt shops, historic places, antique shops, and lots of family. We will be visiting a pumpkin festival where the courthouse lawn is filled with ornately carved and decorated pumpkins and the town of Sycamore has a Pumpkin Parade which is second to none. We will be visiting a corn maze. We will visit the corn and soybean fields of my Uncle Ken. We will more than likely visit Panda Express, Sarah's favorite restaurant. We will be visiting cousins, aunts, uncles, grandmas, and friends. We will visit while we have a girls craft night, and visit while we do some yard work. We will be visiting with trick-or-treaters as they make their way around town. We will visit with family on the drive to and from the airport. We are going home to Illinois for a couple of weeks to 'Visit'. Visiting is pure comfort, rejuvenating, and soul satisfying.

Going from Idaho to Illinois is a journey. We have our projects planned to take with us on the airplane that leaves at 'O Dark-Thirty' in the morning, and we have the Anticipation thing going on for the next few days before we leave. We will even 'visit' the airplane window beside us frequently as we fly, looking below at all the beautiful fall colors across the many wooded areas, fields, and states we fly over.

Go 'Visiting' today. You may lift spirits, even your own.

Happy Fall Harvest!

Shanda

~Tis a Lesson on Anticipation.......~

2011-09-02T15:59:00.001-06:00

Why did I wait so long?

I picked my settee up from the Upholstery Shop the other day and it wasn't love at first sight....... it was 'why did I wait so long to have this done? It was Anticipation. I was getting up courage to re-upholster this myself, but just couldn't bring myself to it - scared I would make a mistake, not enough self esteem to undertake the challenge, on and on. So then began the Anticipation. Once I made up my mind to have someone else do it, it still was Anticipation. When I took it to the upholstery shop and he said it would be 8-10 weeks, the Anticipation really began. Every photo I saw in a magazine of furniture that had this fabric, every dream at night, and all the visions of what it was going to look like haunted me because I had taken so long to make the decision to get it professionally done. But Anticipation is half the fun. The settee is done, and I am so happy with it! Can you see it peeking through the doors at you?

As a reminder - here is the 'Before':

And here is the 'After':

I am very pleased with the results. Anticipation is worth it.

Summer is coming to an end, but Fall is right around the corner. Again - Anticipation! Tonight is my first Finish-It-Friday Night with the girlfriends after the long summer months of not having our sewing group meet, and I think everyone is gearing up for Christmas and planning some gifts. I will be working on some needlework/sewing kits, pincushions, a family cookbook, and learning to crochet some edging on flour sack dish towels. Anticipation...... which project to start with?

I am almost done with canning, and have been busy quilting on customer quilts, but the second biggest piece of news is that I finished quilting my first of many class models for my Living History Civil War Quilting Class that starts this Fall. My first class is October 22. Anticipation. Won't you join me? I think this quilted up well and the top and bottom border reminds me of Clara Barton and the American Red Cross.

And the back so you can see the feathers:

I did take a quick photo of my Fowl Rack that I made last month. It isn't 'decorated' completely yet because our son who is home for a week yet before going back to college is staying in that room. I have so many things to get done once he vacates 'the spare bedroom', but this one I am not in a rush for. It can wait this last week while we spend a wee bit more time together before he leaves - I am sure you know what I am talking about! This is what I call 'Bittersweet Anticipation...........'

Hope you enjoy this last official weekend of the summer. I haven't seen my first leaf fall, but then again, there is that 'Anticipation' thing going on. Blessings on your late summer days, and

GO BOISE STATE BRONCOS!!!!!!

Blessings on your Anticipations!

Shanda

~Tis a Couple of Finishes!~

2011-07-19T18:40:00.000-06:00

This past week I am been fairly busy - when am I not busy? This week it was cherries and the civil war quilt top I needed to have done for a shop model. Those squares are 3 1/2" unfinished.... and there are 350 of them. I told you I have been busy! I have also been cleaning my sewing room and hanging up some new colonial tavern curtains. But truth be told, I am DYING to paint and finish my colonial fowl rack. Someone somewhere, is saying 'what the heck is a fowl rack?" Check back next post and see!

~Twas a NICE visit!~

2011-07-06T19:01:00.000-06:00

This weekend we had a nice visit from our son who is attending BYU-Idaho and some friends from the great state of Texas! We had quite the fun time! Whether sailing, barbecuing, or traveling back across the beautiful state of Idaho, we had a grand time.

No sunburns, but the crew had a 'slow' wind, so it wasn't too exciting for a sailing weekend, but the girls had their first experience steering a sailboat. Beautiful neighborhood fireworks Monday night, along with a first attempt at our own BBQ pork loin ribs. Not bad! Then, Tuesday, driving back to Rexburg, Idaho, we stopped and saw our daughter in Twin Falls. David and Sarah had a bit of brother/sister time:

And then on to Rexburg, the beautiful new temple:

And then the most amazing stop of the weekend:

TWIZZLEBERRY!

This is a frozen yogurt place and the kids introduced me to Dance Central on the XBox 360. Ummm, ya, no photos of me here, but I got this special, special, video of my son, such a crack up. This video kept me smiling all the way back across the state on the drive home. Sorry for the turning sideways, I didn't know my little camera wouldn't show this right side up, but you can get the same laughs I had. Here goes:

I thought I was going to have an accident right there! And I laughed for 4 hours driving home. I never thought he could make me laugh so hard. Go, Mr. David, my '22 going on 15 year old!!!!!!'

I sure hope you have moments that make you laugh, cry, and feel blessed. I have an abundance of them. Driving home last night, I experience sweet joy. I spent time with loved ones and had a great time with family rejuvenating those batteries.

Sweet blessings to you! ~Shanda~

~Tis Simple Summertime Sharing, Makeovers, and Other Blessings!~

2011-06-30T21:10:00.001-06:00

Boy, Howdy!

Isn't summertime just busy? Garden is in and growing, although everything is about 2-3 weeks behind. And this evening I hung a bunting on my chicken house - just in time for the automatic sprinklers to go off! Whew! Our son and some of his college friends are coming home for the 4th of July Holiday, so been moving things about and 'tweeking' ~ some in our family call it putzing. Anyway, here goes:

Anybody know who Arnold Friberg is? Very famous painter who painted Prayer at Valley Forge? I recently discovered he had another sweet painting called Winter at Valley Forge. Found it for a very reasonable price and hung it above the pie safe......

Also discovered a Civil War clothing 'suttler' in my area - could hardly stand walking into his workshop. I was jumping out of my skin at all the reenactors clothing, leather goods, and amazing civil war accessories he had for sale. I have always wanted a 'cartridge case' to use as a kind of purse...... found one. Can check that off my bucket list......

I did some shuffling in the spare bathroom getting it ready for company..........

This shelf was actually a made over thrift store find ....... see the star at the top? It is covering up a cut out (shhhhhhh! - it's an 80's thing) heart. After painting and antiquing the whole shelf that was (again, shhhhhhhh!) pink, I just put some fabric over the 'hole', nailed it down with old upholstery tacks, painted a primitive star ivory, and antiqued it. TaDa! My new .99 shelf. But my new super fun find I got last weekend at my FAVORITE store, Heritage Reflections, was this cute little red shelf.......... it really looks so much cuter than this, I just need a better camera........

My mother loves cabins, and I found this gem for her at the local thrift store. She lives in Illinois, so this one is going to have to wait for alternative shipping, like when she drives out West this Fall, as I am fearful to ship it. It is heavy resin, and that lamp shade I feel could get crushed.......

I am also working on my civil war quilt. In fact, I was awake at 3 this morning and couldn't get back to sleep, so up I got and went in my sewing room and worked on it. Here is a sample block.......

Now remember, I haven't blogged for almost two months, so I need to get caught up. I prefer to blog once a week and not have quite such a gap in Posts. This is my new 'vision'. Weekly, not quarterly, Posts.

Anyway, two more topics and I will be done 'for a week.' Remember my settee that I got at the thrift store over two years ago? The one I have been scared to death to tackle? You remember, this one?

It is finally in the upholstery shop! Can you believe it? But first, I had this old chair done........ I am in awe....... I so wish I had a before photo, but alas, I have searched to no avail. It is not 'in place' yet and all decorated about, but tomorrow I am cleaning before the weekend company comes and will make it all cozy. Simple beauty:

See, I have been quite busy. Tis good to stay occupied, but I also have been reading in the evenings. Reading history, which I love. I am always studying about the War for American Independence and the Civil War. I truly believe I was born at least a century too late. Currently I am reading a book on Johnny Appleseed. I just finished the classic 'Farmer Boy' by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I skipped over that one in the series when I was little, and, wow, I am wondering, 'why'? It was so inspiring.

So what are my plans for next week? If you could only take a gander at our family room upstairs, you would see this mess. We are painting white walls a dark ivory, and I can't wait for the finished product:

You can kind of see the darker ivory in the corners and on the back wall to the right of the window, old color to the left. I think I will just love it!

In closing, I know we are all busy. Kids to raise, gardens to tend to, laundry piling up, day to day responsibilities. But remember what it is all for. Make good choices. Be the person you are suppose to be, not who you have become. I am an avid Glenn Beck fan, and he has inspired me to think, question, and act. Be kind to your family, and enjoy the 4th. It truly is a blessing to live in these United States. It really is - don't take it for granted! Please. Don't take it for granted.

Oh, and one more parting photo for my Aunt Lynn of my clematis - I think the vine has hit the mother load for fertilizer, it has just taken off!

Blessings on your holiday weekend!

~Shanda~

~Tis National 'Wear An Apron Day'!~

2011-05-10T10:00:00.003-06:00

Now this is a holiday that I can get into! Clean or dirty...... store bought or handmade....... frilly or simple...... aprons are just the best!!!!!! They have so many uses, but two of my favorites are to snuggle little children in when they come to you with little 'ouchies', and the articles that one can find in the pocket of an apron. These are better than what you could discover about someone by going through their purse. Pockets of aprons carry so many telling things. I have an apron I wear all the time when I am home. In the pocket of my apron this morning is a semi-clean tissue, some Chapstick, kernels of chicken scratch, and a quarter I found on the road out to my mailbox a few weeks ago. Must mean that I am boring - nothing but common items in my apron pockets.

My mother recently gave me a treasure that I will always cherish. 'Back in the Day', when she was in high school, apparently they gave out pins for 'homemaking' class. When she was a senior she earned this pin for attending all four years of homemaking education. The pin attaches in two places - and creates a chain in between in which two other charms slide - a key charm and a scroll charm. This is one of my favorite earthly possessions and I let it reside on my apron. I just love it!
Call me sentimental, old-fashioned, or just a plain simpleton, but I wish they had these programs still. Our children need to learn these things at home, but there are some that would benefit from homemaking classes during their schooling years.

So go put on an apron - and celebrate 'National Wear an Apron Day!' You might just feel a little more domestic in your duties today!

Blessings on your apron wearing day ~ Shanda

~Living Civil War History Quilting Class~

2011-05-03T18:36:00.014-06:00

I am just so excited!!!!! Starting this Fall 2011, I am teaching a Living History Civil War Quilting Class. I am 'commissioned' to teach two battles each year at my local quilt store. This fall will be the Battle of Bull Run along with the quilt pattern "Prairie Bound" from Country Sampler in Spring Green, Wisconsin (oh, and by the way, I LOVE this quilt shop!). I am working on a quilt for each of the classes, have been researching 'hardtack', and am sewing on a civil war dress as I am going to be teaching this quilting class in period costume. The fabrics above are for the first quilt. Aren't they yummy? The dress I am working on 'tis the one on the left.

I finished quilting a quilt that my mother has been working on for sometime and mailed it to her today for Mother's Day. She cross stitched all these blocks and embroidered family member names on each square. Quite the project. She stitched, I pieced and quilted, and now she will finished with the binding. She lives in Illinois, so God bless the mail system!!!!!

Also, short post I know, but I have a 'find' to decorate. Pewter? Redware? Crocks? Quilts? These are delimas that must be solved. What do you think? Suffice it to say that this has found a home in my dining area, and I am so pleased with it that I can't bring myself to decorate this work of art. It is beauty in itself.

Enjoy your bounty this evening in the sunset and blessings on your slumber!

~Shanda~

~Pantry Boxes, Cookbooks, and Projects - Oh, My!

2011-04-01T14:32:00.008-06:00

Boy, have I been going through the sponge brushes!

Whew! These are my latest project to get done - I have had these unfinished paper mache' pantry boxes sitting in my laundry room for nigh unto 8 months. I painted, sanded, and stained them and they are now ready to put away. Let's see where they were placed around the house.....

In a grouping on the dry sink:

On top of the pie safe in the Entry:

On top of a dresser in the spare room:

Near a night light in another bedroom:

In the kitchen sink window area:

And on top of my dresser:

So glad they are all done and not taking up space on top of the washer anymore!

I also imbibed in some interesting cookbooks on Amazon - they are really interesting, if only for the verbiage they are written in and description of ingredients:

And last but not least, this evening is my monthly 'Finish-It-Friday' Night with the girls - we all plan our projects so carefully to get maximum benefit of serious sewing time. I have three projects that I may work on this evening - finishing the quilt binding on my log cabin quilt (notice Abe Lincoln as my backing - get it? Abe Lincoln/Log Cabin? - I thought it went together nicely):

Or possibly working on a counted cross stitch project started in 2008!

And last, I just started this wool rug hooking kit - this is my first, so I am learning:

So much to do and so little time. BUT, I have finished a bed and all my pantry boxes, plus a dozen other projects since the beginning of the year, so I am making some headway.

Blessings on your day and hold your family ever so close - practice patience and understanding and we will all be the better for it. I wrote our son an email this morning, wished my Aunt a Happy Birthday, and now I think I will go call our daughter. All live so far away, wish I could have them for dinner. Nice weekend expected here in the Pacific Northwest - I may just plant my peas tomorrow!

~Shanda~

~Tis a Blessed Bed!~

2011-03-13T18:27:00.005-06:00

It is finished - after two years, painting a half dozen pieces of wood for color samples, sanding, painting, moving kids out of the house, moving kids back into the house, more sanding, making a canopy frame, sanding, painting, and even more sanding, last night we slept in our NEW (used) $17 thrift store bed. I kid you not - I found this solid hardwood, no veneer, colonial four-poster bed at a thrift store for $17. (Really, it was $24.99, but I had a coupon.) Not a whole lot of reading this blog, just a few photo explanations:

Bed right out of the thrift store - I had my DH help me set it up in the garage so I could make sure everything fit together and all the pieces were there. It definitely needed to be refinished, scratches, dings, dents - it was just a nightmare:

Then the bed got taken apart and stored in the garage for a year. After a year it got hauled up to the bonus room so my DH could make the canopy frame for it -

Then I took over with sanding for eternity, and painting in near zero degree temps in the garage. The final step though was applying the antiquing medium - if that stuff doesn't get wiped off within the right time, gets too cold, or the wind dries it out, too bad - gotta start all over again:

Then it finally got moved back upstairs in our room and assembled. Saturday late afternoon my DH was able to start putting it all back together, drilling:

and lining everything up:

And then he took a nap:

But I think he deserved it:

~'Tis the 'New Bed' Eve~

2011-03-03T19:13:00.003-07:00

I promised it was coming. It has been way below normal temps here. I am refinishing this bed in the garage. Very chilly weather, highs in the mid-20's. So cold, that I was afraid to put my last coat of paint and then antiquing medium on our bed, so I am a day or two behind. Tomorrow morning it should be warm enough to put last coat of antiquing medium on, and then tomorrow eve it will be moved into place after dear husband can help me move it from the garage to upstairs. Getting so excited. Thank you all for being such dearhearts and showing an increased amount of patience. This bed has been two years in the making - from the thrift store find, to sanding, to having children leave an empty bedroom long enough for me to claim again, to now the final refinishing. Photos coming.......... but this is how it looked right out of the thrift store for $17:

And the next photo will be posted Saturday or Sunday Morning of the final end result. 'Tis a bittersweet time for me. I am so excited, I can't hardly stand it. 'Til Saturday, then. Blessings on your evening...........

Shanda

~A Coverlet Pick Me Up.....~

2011-02-22T12:20:00.003-07:00

I went to my favorite store yesterday, Heritage Reflections in Meridian, to spend some money my mother had sent me for my birthday. I just LOVE that place. Anyway, I came home with a woven coverlet square for my dining room table. They really didn't have any left, BUT one of my kindred spirit friends works there and she had one set aside for herself in the back. SHE GAVE HER COVERLET UP TO ME! A true patriot and primitive decorating friend. I love it and I thank Debbie for her sacrifice. What a gal!!!!!!

This is a short post, I am working on a few other projects that will be coming in the next week. I have been busy working on my colonial pencil post bed. Yes, finally, the one I found at the local thrift store for $17. It is being painted and will be set up, photo ready in the next week. I cannot wait, it has been such a long time in the making, bedrooms to be switched around with two kids off to college and rooms to be painted, but the wait for my colonial bed is almost over. Patience is golden they say, so I must have quite a stash being built up somewhere.

Check back in a week for some some photos of before, during and after. Until then, make a pot of your favorite soup today. It is a blustery one in the Pacific Northwest!

Blessings on your day -

Shanda

~home-bod-y. noun.~

2011-01-21T21:44:00.002-07:00

home·bod·y n. pl. home·bod·ies One whose interests center on the home. Homebody - A person who seldom goes anywhere: one not given to wandering or travel.

All I want to do anymore is stay home. Be in my pajamas. Quilt. Do laundry. Clean my fridge. Finish projects. Be domestic. Ponder a bit while I am stitching. Does this make any sense to anyone else? Am I 'letting myself go?' Does this mean I am getting soft? Am I turning into a couch potato? I can't be doing that because we don't watch or even have a TV. I just 'reflect' a lot and am trying to be the person I was meant to be. I am being mindful of my existence and making the best use of my time. I love being home and I try to run errands or do my limited shopping either on my two days of work, or every other week. Saves money and time to be at home. In colonial times, so much work was done at home - even to light their evenings they had to set aside several days a year just to make candles. While I don't have to do that, I can rejoice that I have an inside bathroom to clean. That I have running inside warm water for laundry. That I can just walk over and flip a switch on the wall for heat. That I have a great OTT Light to see to stitch at night. AND that I have a crock-pot to cook my dinner for me. All this. Wow - all this! And I get to choose to be a homebody.

With that I am going to go read. With a good bedside lamp. Curled up underneath a warm quilt. AFTER I say my nighttime prayers - thanking my Heavenly Father for these blessings in my life. I am blessed to be a 'homebody. '

~Tis My Colonial Hearth~

2011-01-10T14:15:00.003-07:00

Colonial hearths, like the one pictured above, have fascinated me for many, many years - ever since I was a little girl. I was afraid, as a child, that when the fire crackled and popped, embers would fly out onto the floor and start a house fire. Yet, I loved to sit near a open flame, whether in a home or around a campfire, and just take in the ambiance of the flames. And to think that the early colonial hearths were open and people cooked in them, and sat around them at night for family time, and really, were the center of their lives and survival, just really fascinated me. There was always one added element that signified safety, security, and self-reliance, and that one element was the black powder rifles that hung above the mantle.

I have always wanted a black powder rifle. I don't know anything about them, really. I liked the romantic coziness they gave to the hearth, the look of stately belonging. I knew that both revolutionary and civil war reenactors today use them, but I couldn't tell you anything about the different sizes, makes, or anything about how to tell how old a gun was. I knew from the Little House on the Prairie books that Pa had one hanging above their fireplace mantle, but I didn't know what all they took to fire - the amount of black powder to use, or the size of 'ball' needed to fire it. I just knew that some day I would like to have one. That 'someday' came Christmas Morning for me - bless my dearhearted husband!

Our hearth before:

Our hearth after:

I have a very understanding husband who made a purchase for me that I will always treasure - and while some wives may think me a bit off - I am a simpleton. I may live in 2011, but my husband knows that at times I wish I lived during the early days of our nation, and he tries his best to get me there.

It is lightly snowing outside, and I think I may get my copy of "Woman's Life in Colonial Days" by Carl Holliday, pull up my settee by the hearth, and read.

Blessings on Your Day!

~It's Beginning to Look Alot Like Christmas!~

2010-12-16T18:40:00.006-07:00

The decorations are out............

Packages are being delivered......

The gifts have been started - everyone was making a mad dash to get those loved one's items made.........
And even our missionaries were there for a baked potato bar and moral support..... one even ironed for me, but I missed his picture..........

Now the countdown to the Eve of Christmas begins.......

~A Primitive 16-Patch Quilt and Prim Photos~

2010-11-08T10:20:00.004-07:00

This is a quilt I have been working on - a customer brought me this and I fell in love with it, the main reason being it has no borders. It is such a simple quilt.

A new rug - finally found something for in front of my kitchen sink:

Just a photo of my favorite reading spot. I still haven't recovered my thrift store find of this settee. If the truth be told, I am scared to death. I may break down and pay someone to do it, rather that do it myself. The fabric was so expensive, I am scared I am going to make a HUGE mistake!

And last, my painted $9 cupboard from Michaels - in my bathroom for storage.

I am getting ready for our trip - just wanted to post some photos before I take off - can't wait to share all the photos from Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio upon my return. Blessings on this Fall Time to you.......

~Tis Some Spooky Effects......~

2010-10-31T18:27:00.006-06:00

Take about 15 missionaries carving pumpkins:

Add some memories and silliness, along with cool weather and rain:

And you get the most beautiful outcome:

Thank you Idaho Boise Missionaries!

~'Tis a Good Mail Day!~

2010-10-25T16:45:00.007-06:00

I received my copy of 'A PRIMITIVE PLACE' today in the mail - but I am WAITING to break the cellophane and read it! Very soon, our family is taking a plane trip to Illinois and driving thru Indiana and into Ohio - this is my airplane reading material. I may cause Security to confiscate the magazine though - they may see that on the x-ray machine and decide it is such a GREAT magazine it could cause a 'mob' to form!!!!!!!!

Does anyone have any 'highly recommended' places to visit in Indiana or Ohio? Primitive Shops? Quilt Shops? Antique Shops? Being from Idaho, there is a serious shortage of these out here..... I am so anticipating my travels and time with family in the Midwest.

And we have managed to get some new family photos since our son has return from his LDS Mission - still picking out our favorites for Christmas Cards (it really is not that far away), but we had so much fun.....

It is definitely Fall outside in the Pacific Northwest - one of the most beautiful I have seen here in Idaho in a long time. Windy and in the low 50's today - chili and cornbread tonight. Then I have some quiet time by myself this evening - time to sit by the fire and READ!

Blessings on your Fall Evenings!

Shanda

~ Tis THE Day............~

2010-09-22T08:54:00.003-06:00

This is the day our son comes home after serving for two years in the California Ventura Mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Needless to say, I am a little emotional. So I decorated yesterday. That helped my soul a bit! Enjoy the photos, and Happy Fall!

Blessings on this First of Fall Day!

Shanda

~Tis the End of Summer via Simple Pleasures!~

2010-08-30T13:45:00.005-06:00

Simple things don't have to be things, although sometimes they are. Family, friends, and memories, are what simple pleasures are to me. We have had time spent at the close of the summer with all of these, family, friends, and memories. I couldn't ask for a more faith-filled life and am blessed to be able to share with you some of our end of the summer memories:

Our daughter making her way off to school. We were LOADED! In the cool-whip container is her pet turtle. Um, yah, that one I wasn't going to take care of......

One of my six fruit trees that bore fruit for the first time. Apples, pears, nectarines, cherries. It is a little tree, but mighty in growth......

A HUGE 'friends' camping trip. Life is GREAT with friends like these........

A special order from Farm House Primitives.........

A really fun trip with our missionaries to an old ghost town in the mountains of Idaho. And check out the beautiful architecture that existed. Beautiful............

My husband started his 12th year of teaching. He wanted a new Disney Cars tie, so I made him one.......

And I got a new bike at the end of the summer sales. I haven't had a bike since I was a kid, so this is a huge simple pleasure to me. I just wanted to 'cruise' around the neighborhood. I am having a blast! My husband picked it out - said it was so appropriate for me 'cause it had quilting motifs on the fenders. I am just glad it didn't have pin striped 'flames'..........

Hope your summer is ending well, and take time to enjoy the geese flying overhead, the low sunsets, and hugging a loved one. These moments are so fleeting. I am preparing myself for a flood of emotions that have also come over me as I prepare to welcome home our son.

Blessings on your day!

Shanda

~Can someone please get me my smelling salts.........~

2010-08-02T13:47:00.004-06:00

I can't breath....... it came in my mailbox today....... oh, if I can only make it to my chair to read it cover to cover.......... I'm stumbling in the front door........ okay, I can make it to the chair....... it came, it came, it came......... oh goodie! I can't stand it...... I can't believe it is here....... deep breath........ I'm getting a little fuzzy, can't see straight........ focus, girlfriend....... Okay, I made it to the chair........ relax....... turn the cover open....... WOWWZERS! I AM OUT FOR THE COUNT!!!! IT IS BEAUTIFUL! CONGRATULATIONS APP!!!!! Subscriber for life!

~Faith, Family, and Friends~

2010-07-08T21:58:00.004-06:00

Faith ~
This summer, 223 years ago, 55 men spent the summer sweltering in Philadelphia hammering out our Constitution. In the beginning, these delegates were arguing amongst one another, selfish, and were at an impasse on the form of government our country should have. Then, after 5 weeks, around the end of June, the most amazing thing happened. Benjamin Franklin arose and proposed they should begin each morning with a prayer, that they importune the Lord for strength, inspiration, and guidance. He said, "That God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aide?" After this simple, yet humble and acknowledging act of prayer began, these men worked with one another, not against. No man esteemed himself above another. They were being led by inspiration to build a government that to this day is the longest lasting in the World. This is a beautiful example of Faith.

Family~
I was able to pick up my young cousins from Alaska at the airport and deliver them to the horse camp van that would whisk them up into the mountains of Idaho. We had one brief night together, so we took in the Capital Building in downtown Boise. Sorry girls for being a little late at the airport - I was only following the security officers directions (long story)!

Family is SOOOOOOOO important- keep all your family members safe and hold them close!

Friends ~
I am blessed to have some wonderful friends! And I times I feel like I could go back in time and make more friends:

What a blessing we have in Faith, Family, and Friends, some of the most important ingredients of the summer, and all year long!

Blessings on your Day!

Shanda

Another Parent Payday.......

2010-06-05T20:36:00.003-06:00

Being a parent is hard work. But parent paydays are the benefit! And you don't even have to pay taxes on that kind of income/blessing. Graduation is another in a series of our recent parent paydays. So glad she made it. Her future 'dream' during the slideshow for the graduation seniors said ' Sarah's future dreams include blowing bubbles off the Empire State Building.' And yes, she wore her red converse tennis shoes down the isle!!!!!!

You gotta love that smile....

She got a .22 for graduation. Her she is with her grandmother - she looks like Sarah Palin II....

And a quilt from grandma......

And then can you believe it - my camera died!!! Guess it is time for a new camera before David comes home and all the other family memories come upon us. We are truly blessed!!!!

~Aprons.......~

2010-05-26T16:44:00.005-06:00

I begged my missionary son to send a photo - any photo - as I wanted to make a post about him. I received this - him doing dishes. I LOVE IT! It made me cry....... I now know how much he has matured because prior to leaving home in September of 2008, he would have never, ever, donned an apron! If Great-Grandma Siebrasse only knew.......

I love you Elder Lindsay!!!!! You make my life smile.......

~ Tis THE phone call, prom, and crafts!

2010-05-10T15:39:00.004-06:00

Yes, I received a phone call from Elder Lindsay last night about 6pm. My, how he has matured! I only have about 4 1/2 months before he comes home, and it was very 'bittersweet' to hear his voice. 'Bitter' as that was technically my last phone call while he is out in the mission field before his return home, but 'Sweet' as I miss him so and it is so good to hear his voice. He will be sending some photos home this week, so hopefully I can get them posted.

Also, it was Prom for my daughter, also 'bittersweet' - This is her last high school dance as she is my baby and a senior this year. Again - where does the time go? As a mother, I still can't answer that properly! This was her 'silly' pose from the group she went with:

And what do we have here? I helped our own missionaries, Elder Watson and Elder Martinez create something for their Mother's Day gifts to be mailed this afternoon. They worked diligently on them...... tiles with vinyl sayings. Elder Martinez said they were 'stressful' while Elder Watson said 'this is gonna kill me.' Guess missionaries are not cut out for crafts!!!!

The missionaries worked on these early during my 'Finish It Friday Night'. For those of you who don't know, I have a finish it project night on the first Friday of every month. It is potluck, from 6 'til midnight, and you bring something to work on. We have everything from cards, scrapbooking, quilting, painting, coupon clipping, knitting, punchneedle, cross stitching, sewing, and the list goes on and on. I have held this faithfully in my home for nigh unto 2 years now, and if I miss a month, my friends faithfully hold me to having it twice the next month to get 'caught up'! Here is the group hard at work:

I couldn't even get the missionaries to look up for the camera - they were dead serious at their 'craft'. It is all really fun!

Gotta dash - time to get these 'crafts' in the mail. Mom Martinez and Mom Watson - look for something coming to a mailbox near you!

Blessings on your day - Shanda

~'Tis a sweet cover for a WONDERFUL magazine!~

2010-04-23T22:46:00.003-06:00

Don't you think this is just the sweetest cover? This is one of my favorite magazines. Love it, love it, love it! And I have such a fettish for early lighting, so naturally, when this appeared in my mailbox, I was captivated. She is just the sweetest thing.........

AND

What is it with me? I found this listed on our local Craigslist. Spotty photo, sorry.....

I have always wanted a colonial four poster bed and an antique rope bed, and my patient shopping has acquired both within a year. This is not placed where it is going to be, my husband just put it up so we could look at it while deciding where to put it. (My log cabin quilt is laying out on the floor in the back ground.) I have only seen one other rope bed in person and that was in Illinois antiquing with my aunt one beautiful Fall day. I have loved them ever since. Then I stumble onto this one, complete with a newly manufactured 3/4 mattress. Me and my hair brain ideas! Rest assured, it wasn't $17 like my pencil post bed was, but still, compared to what I see on eBay and what these go for back East, I got a bargain. Maybe living in an 'antique desert' is a blessing for finding the real good antiques that make their way out West. Most people don't shop much for these kinds of things out here. Even though I am LUCKY to find this way out here in Idaho and I am grateful that it is now residing in our home, I am banned from shopping at thrift stores or Craigslist for awhile. My husband is afraid of what I will come home with next!

True Statements and Quilting for the Shop Hop......

2010-04-19T21:17:00.004-06:00

A good friend bought me this several years ago and I have enjoyed this sign many times over! I laugh at and curse this statement both at the same time. I am so blessed to LOVE to know how to use a thread and needle, whether it be quilting, cross-stitching, embroidery, punch needle, sewing, mending, and the list goes on. I inherited this from my ancestors, and am so grateful to be able to sew on a button, which some women (and men) pay big dollars for at the local dry cleaners. But at other times, I get frustrated with either the materials I am working with or my limited patience. 'Quilting' and 'mending' are two totally different arts, but I am glad that I can do both, and everything in between.

This past weekend was our local shop hop for us 'quilty' people. One of my local shops asked me to quilt their shop's version of the quilt that all the blocks are given out for at each shop. It reminded me of Christmas, and I loved quilting a Christmas quilt when I wasn't rushed to do it, as I am around the holidays. So, without further delay, Ta Da...........

Christmas in April.... who knew! Could be a new trend.......

Blessings on your work, and find something to mend today, or better yet, learn how!

Shanda

~I'm an Early Weekend Warrior at the Thrift Store~

2010-04-10T20:39:00.003-06:00

Sometimes you find things at the thrift store, and sometimes you don't. Wednesday, I did. I found two WONDERFUL things. This quilt was $8. Fairly good condition. Even if I cut it up for projects, it is a great find. I sure wish these thrift store finds could talk. Who wrapped up in this? Who made it? It was quilted by hand, so who is lacking a quilt stitched by their grandmother? Was it made out of the families old shirts, dresses, or other household odds and ends? Where did it originate from? See, all these questions need to be answered! While I was looking around, there was a BEAUTIFUL old photograph, at least 10x12, of a small child dressed in what I would guess was baptismal clothes. Who in the world let that out of the family possessions? Family heirlooms need to be treated with respect and handed down to those who can be trusted. My heart breaks for these family items that are reduced to the level of being sold in a thrift store.

AND I FOUND ANOTHER FIRKIN!!!!!

Legs are already screwed off and this one has a real nice 'hinged' lid. Makeover photo forthcoming, but I couldn't stand it, I wanted to show it to you. This is the biggest size firkin in my collection to date, so authentic or not, I am very excited to have it.

Thursday Night I met my friend Pam for dinner, and look at the goodies she had for me!!!!

She bid on these at a silent auction at her workplace. Two geese, the wooden hayfork, and a cool peg board. Not sure where all of these are going yet, but they are going to be finding great homes throughout my house. Thanks, Pam!!!!

I am so very grateful for family and friends. Simple pleasures always rate the highest with me, and I am mindful of the joy that small events bring me. Today I inspected my budding fruit trees, used a new flour sack dishtowel to dry my dishes, and marveled at the beauty of my VERY pregnant friend, Kim. All of these moments in my day, and others, give me true happiness. It is the simple abundance in my life, and that fact that I recognize it, that makes me sleep peacefully at night and feel fulfilled. For this, I recognize my Heavenly Father's hand in everything. May we all recognize from whom our blessings flow!!!

Shanda

The Case of the Missing 'Thrift Store Bed'

2010-04-04T22:08:00.006-06:00

Some of you may remember my pencil post bed I found at a thrift store for $17 last May. Many of you have emailed me wondering why I hadn't posted photos of it finished or what the status of the bed 'makeover was. Well, my husband set it up in our bonus room and tinkered with it for a month and got around to making a 'canopy' for it. Now it just needs to be refinished. But the story has a much better ending than I was thinking it was going to have. All this time, almost a year, I thought it was a full size and it was going to go in our spare bedroom, hence my procrastination on getting it done. Come to find out, after getting it all put together, it is a QUEEN! I think I am very quickly changing my mind and it is going in our room. We currently have a sleigh bed.

But it is either going to be sold, or it will go in the spare bedroom. What a joy I had to discover that I had a queen and not a full pencil post bed! Now to get busy refinishing the find of a life time!

I have been busy while away from my Blog for the last two months!!!!! I made some 'bandanna' ties and flag football flags for our missionaries:

Painted a bedroom that DESPERATELY needed it:

And I am vigilantly still trying to keep up with my quilting customers:

But one night I put myself in a much needed 'time-out' and cleaned up this mess in my sewing room:

So now it is a bit better:

My husband also put this up in my sewing room - a bulletin board with all my 'ideas' pinned up and the shelf above it used to reside in my daughters room and was hot pink.

I did mention in my last post - I know it was in January - sorry for that - had some family things that really needed my attention - that I would show you what was in my sewing basket. I have been working on a cross stitch for nigh unto two years now. And I do have it finished, I just can't show you the final project as it is for my mother and I don't want her to see it yet.....

Lastly - have most all of you have seen these cute 'pouting chairs' at Michaels? They are in the unfinished wood section. I bought one last summer with my 40% off coupon and also finally refinished it in blue. I am pretty happy with the way it turned out:

Hope everyone had a nice weekend and wonderful Easter. I know I did. Life is good, and even though I complain at times, I am glad I have the life I have. I am blessed!

Shanda

Quilting in the Mountains!!!!

2010-01-26T16:10:00.008-07:00

The Solaas Bed and Breakfast, Salmon, Idaho

Wow!

Have you ever had such a good time that there were no words to describe the event? Yeah.... that is the predicament I am in!!! Quilting in the mountains..... HUGE homemade soup breadbowls........ VERY creative women....... a DIVINE Bed &Breakfast ....... just take a look at the bounty I had last weekend......

My friend Pam ready to go to her first quilting retreat...

The BEAUTIFUL drive into the mountains, but notice the photo of the rest stop.... at 7200 feet altitude there was NO WHERE to go to the bathroom!!! Thank heavens the nearest bathroom was ONLY 28 MILES DOWN THE ROAD! Yikes....

Sawtooth Mountain Range near Stanley, Idaho

A quaint cabin along the way - now that is primitive for you. I could fix it up real cute...

We finally arrived, so let the quilting begin.....

And in the morning, the most sumptuous homecooked country breakfast...

Pause for group identification..... the Salmon Quilt Guild.....
More quilting.......

More eating - lunch of homemade soup in HUGE HOMEMADE breadbowls.....

WOWZERS! What a weekend! I did a Trunk Show Saturday Morning and taught the ladies how to do a quick nine-patch out of 2- 5 inch squares that they enjoyed making, and then sorry to say, it was over. Pam and I got to stay another evening, as the Solaas Bed and Breakfast proprietors are next to my kin, and it was wonderful spending time in their home again. I grew up there, and it was so nice to be in the mountains again. Thank you all, for a well spent weekend. It was worth the five hour drive into the beautiful mountains of Idaho!

Next post - 'What's in your Sewing Box?'

Until then - Happy end of January stitching!

Shanda

~ 'Tis a Primer on Firkins!~

2010-01-11T19:02:00.005-07:00

My friends think I am making up a new 'questionable' word.

I have had several inquiries as to what firkins are. They say with a chuckle ..... 'A WHAT? What is a 'firkin'? Aren't they called sugar or sap buckets?" I submit they are called all of the above. A firkin is described as follows on Wikipedia:

"A Firkin is an old English unit of volume. The name is derived from the Middle Dutch word vierdekijn, which means fourth, i.e. a fourth of a full-size barrel.

The term firkin is currently used to refer to antique wooden buckets, usually with wood handle and lid, about 10 inches (250 mm) high and 10 inches in diameter (about 10L or 2-3 dry gallons in capacity), formerly used to store sugar and other items."

I have a love affair with firkins. Firkins are simple. Firkins are early american art, because true antique firkins were handmade, as was everything else then. Firkins were a necessity, not a want. We have bowls today. Colonists had firkins then. A kitchen and home staple.

I have a couple of firkins, all reproduction, but each one has a story, like all pieces in a collection does. My most 'recently acquired firkin' came at Christmas from a very dear friend. She hand painted this several years ago and wanted it to have a home. Oh, it now has a home - at my house!

The next two are reproductions from my favorite shoppe, Heritage Reflections:

These two stacked firkins were 'finds' that I painted and refinished to look like real firkins, but I still love them:

Firkins are a simple pleasure to me!!!!

I also had a surprise delivery from a dear 'great cousin' in Wisconsin. Cousin Diane has become very special to me because I have only recently discovered her and met this wonderful family member. She follows my blog and sent me a fun Christmas package containing two jewels. The sheep platter in this photo actually stands on a pedestal, but the picture of the sheep was so cute I wanted to tip it on its side so I could see it better.

And isn't this star with a painted bittersweet vine just the best?

Thank you Cousin Diane - from your 'cousinette'!

I have been gone from my blog for too long, but I have had a fun time reading all your blogs! Such creativity out there! I miss them when I can't read them for a while!

I am teaching at a quilting retreat this weekend up in the mountains of Idaho. I will be taking some photos and sharing them with you all as the mountains are beautiful, as is the Bed and Breakfast that the retreat is being held at. New friendships, food, good times...... these are the simple pleasures I am blessed with this weekend.

Blessings on your week!

Shanda

~Tis Simple Things for Christmas~

2009-12-20T08:54:00.002-07:00

Please - come in from the cold and visit with me for a moment - take a break from your Christmas preparations and let me pour you a cup of warm hot chocolate. A very heavy picture post for you all this time that I have been promising to share - so enjoy the Christmas Music and visit with me for a moment. If you want a close up of any of these photos, just double-click on it, then hit your Back Arrow to return to my Blog. Enjoy -

My small 'thrift-store' pewter collection -

A pillow I made several years ago -

An antique Santa my mother bought me many years ago when I was a teenager - I hold him near and dear to my heart -

A new Christmas display this year - all wooden 'makeovers' finished by me or made for me by dear friends - some that have passed on this year -

Remember this 'Illinois find' Firkin?

A counted cross-stitch from a pattern found in a 1980's Country Living Magazine -

Our half bath downstairs -

One of my favorite punch needle patterns I have made -

My great-grand parents were married December 15, 1914 and their wedding portrait hangs in our entry staircase -

Our dining area -

View from the kitchen through to the family room -

and back again to the kitchen-

A homemade ceramic ornament from a class I took with my mother when I was a senior in high school. I made a dozen and happy to report 28 years later - none broken!

The tree coming home in our daughter's pickup -

This year our tree is decorated with 'car parts' - long story..........
I hope this season finds you with loved ones. People keep asking me if I am ready for Christmas and I keep thinking to myself, 'Christmas is more than just THE day, it is the whole season. And I guess I am ready, even though my packages went out a little late and my Christmas cards will be received by acquaintances in January, but, I do know one thing - this is Christmas, the time we celebrate the birth of our Savior, in whom I am incredibly grateful and that is really what the season is all about. So Merry Christmas my friends, and I wish the season's choicest blessings to be with you all. In the immortal words of Tiny Tim, "God bless us, every one!"

Happy Christmas -

Shanda

~It's the Most Wonderful Season of All......~

2009-11-29T18:13:00.002-07:00

What a beautiful weekend! I get so 'reflective' this time of year, as I suppose many of you do. I really ponder the importance of things, and even in the hustle and bustle of this most glorious of seasons, I dig inward. I want to make the season meaningful, for me and others. This weekend we had family for Thanksgiving, I wrote my missionary son a very long letter, and 'putzed' in my home. Yes, everything comes back to home, as it should be.

For the last three years, I have a very special experience on Black Friday. Now I am not a shopper, in fact I detest it. I have one haunt I visit every Black Friday, and I even get to sleep in, because the shop doesn't open until 10 am. This shop is called Heritage Reflections, and every Black Friday they hire a string quartet of a cello, violin, and flute. The three women dress in black formal dresses and play while you shop. I love to shop this day, and this year I bought a bulb. That's right, I bought a flicker bulb, but I must have wandered this shop for a good hour because it felt so quaint. The Christmas decorations were minimal, and in that I mean, greenery and lights only. No blow up Santas, no loud commercialism screaming at you like in a Mall. I feel like I am shopping in colonial America when I am in this shop, like Bob Cratchet from the movie Scrooge. When on the Eve of Christmas as he spends his schillings preparing for his holiday feast with his family, there is a warm gratitude of expression as he scurries through the streets to prepare for the following day. He doesn't stop at ToysRUs, nor is he searching for the latest electronic game. I look forward to this experience every year at Heritage Reflections, and it soothes my soul.

The weeks ahead hold baking, decorating, entertaining, and visiting. On the 8th, an old fashioned Christmas Cookie Exchange along with a book review of Little Women will be held here, and the 11th will bring my 'Finish-It-Friday' craft club to my home from 6 to midnight. Several of my friends are using this time to finish some sewing, crafting, and painting for their gift giving. And on the eve of the 15th, I am hosting the first leg of a Progressive Dinner for 40-50 women, which I am so excited about. I love entertaining for the holidays. From making gingerbread boys, cinnamon rolls, and homemade bread to give to neighbors, along with Christmas music playing in the background while I finish a craft, quilt on a customers quilt, or make dinner in the kitchen, this is Christmas to me. Christmas in the Home. There's no place on Earth I would rather be at Christmas.

Next post will have photos of my home decked out for the holidays and my most requested recipe. Now, if I could just get it to snow in this part of the country.......

Blessing on your Christmas Preparations,

Shanda

'Tis a peek thru Santa's Workshop Window....

2009-11-19T19:10:00.004-07:00

The magic of Santa's workshop! This is such a busy time of year for me, but I love it! Knowing so many customers come to me to have their quilts quilted for loved ones and then those loved ones will be waking up to quilts under their Christmas trees in Idaho just thrills me to my quilting fingertips!

This is a VERY short post - please stay tuned during Thanksgiving Weekend, when I will be 'decorating my blog' for the holidays........

Until then -

BLESSINGS to you and your families on Thanksgiving Day!

Shanda

P.S. Homemade is best!!!!!

~ Antiquing and Fall in Illinois! ~

2009-11-01T15:54:00.004-07:00

Fall and Pumpkin Fest is alive and well in Illinois! I recently returned from an 'excursion' with my family, and I can honestly say that family time is always best! From antiquing with the girls, scrapbooking with my favorite cousin, and quilting with the favorite aunt, to family eating, parade watching, and all points in between, WOW, the family in Illinois know how to have a good time! I took a quilt I had been working on to my mother, and she loved it. I finished quilting it just 2 nights before the plane was to take off with me and the quilt in it - nothing like the last minute, huh?

Mother loved it, and I enjoyed making it for her.

While in northern Illinois, we girls took a day trip to Sandwich, Illinois. Small town, but FULL of antique shops. Now I don't get much in the way of antique shops out here in the west, but if you talk to my 'favorite cousin', she literally saw me sprinting across one shop in pursuit of an antique coverlet. I didn't end up buying it, but I was so overwhelmed with the 6 or so I saw that day. My first coverlets ever to lay eyes upon, so it was a ah-ha moment for me. All shapes, sizes, and conditions were they in, but I was googly-eyed at all the treasures in the antique shops we visited that day. Kept looking for firkins, some were 'fake' and others were a little out of my price range; I will keep looking.....

Visited the 'Red Geranium' in Sandwich also, and personally, I am making a prediction here that this shop will be in the Quilt Sampler Magazine in the not too distant future. She had a wonderful shop that had both primitive goods and quilting fabrics. OH, TO DIE FOR!!!!!! Wonderful shop! Highly recommended! Still, I kept looking for firkins.......

Went around the corner and there was another intrigue......

This beauty was 'Two Sisters' and since we had two sisters on the trip, my mother and favorite aunt, they got their photo taken......

Also a destination shopping experience! A cute sign met us on our entry into the store....

Bought a wool blanket here for $15, what a deal, saw a few antique coverlets, but no firkins.

Saturday dawned, and went to a few craft shows, and what would happen to be found?

A FIRKIN!!!!! Finally, wanted to find a firkin, and found my version of one, $7! I think this one is calling out for red paint...... It matches my other one perfectly.

Also went to a quilt/basket shop in Claire, Illinois. I get such a kick out of this shop's name:

She had some reasonably priced wool that I was looking for. And I can't tell you how beautiful the burning bushes were back there, along with all the fall foilage. This tree is 'multi-colored.' How does that happen?

And the crowning point of the trip was the Pumpkin Fest Parade. Time for traditional pictures on mother's buckboard wagon, and check out the 150 pound pumpkin my aunt grew:

The sisters:

And the cousins in attendance this year:

I had a good time with family and now back to my real world. Yesterday was spent in my home, where I feel comfortable and love to be domestic. Laundry, a little bit of cleaning, and in general putzing around the house was the order of the day. I did manage to bake a new recipe of glazed pumpkin pecan bread, and it was yummo!!!!

Time to end. Just like vacations, time goes by so fast. But the memories are what we have to get us through until the next 'excursion' day. I am blessed to have both wonderful family members and memories.

Live Simply ~ Simply Live!

Shanda

~ 'Tis my new laundry soap container and other makeovers.....~

2009-10-13T08:54:00.000-06:00

Whoa! it feels so good to have a working computer back - actually it was our external modem that died. I blog on a Mac, so normally I don't have 'issues' - I can really blame it on the modem. And it is SO very blustery and wet here this evening, but oh how I love it!!! Nothing like soup in the crockpot when it is raining and cold outside.....

I have been busy! Have had my laundry soap 'bucket' done for awhile. It is kinda cute sitting on my dryer holding my laundry soap. Who wants to see a Tide box? My laundry room is right off my kitchen, so it gets a lot of foot traffic and I just had an inkling one day to do something about the Tide box that was obstructing my view - have you ever noticed how BRIGHT a Tide box is? It can cause you to loose sleep at night! Ugh - this is definitely more primitive friendly. Bright vs. Bucket - hmmmmmm.....

Also, I have been working on a shelf I bought clear back in mid summer with a 40% coupon from Michaels. It holds my woolens in my sewing room and I love the colors - the shelf is Olde Pewter from Old Century Colors and when you organize by color all that wool - it became very 'hue friendly!' I hardly use any other brand of paint these days. The colonial paint hues are just gorgeous! Anyway, here it is 'Before' - I almost forgot to take a photo and remembered as I started painting it:

And After:

And here it is in my messy (can you say "Christmas Projects") sewing room:

I am hooking a rug that is a Maggie Bononomi design, and will be looking for a few more green and blue wools. This room probably looks a little familiar from one of my posts clear back in 'March..ish'. It became my sewing room and yep, gets quite a bit of use. My kids are getting older, sad to say, so when Friday and Saturday nights come around and Sarah, my daughter, is either working at the pizza parlor or out with friends, you can find me in here. Our son David is on a two year LDS mission, so he is not living at home at the present. I have always made it my policy to wait up for my kids to come home from a late night out, and it is easier if I am working on a fun project. An added plus is that my kids know I am waiting for them, so they know not to be late! So needless to say, this is my 'hang out joint.'

Makeovers I still need to paint, including 8 wooden bowls that are next in line for a makeover - meet the laundry/makeover room:

So much to paint and so little time. No more thrift store shopping for me until I get this pile under control!!!!!

Do you ever have something you put out on the horizon so you have something to look forward to? It could be a shopping trip, or a day with the girls, or maybe you really look forward to a day trip with your husband. Once a month I drive to Kuna, Idaho and quilt from 6 until midnight with some very fun ladies:

I so look forward to my quilting nights. There is food, giggles, and things accomplished that I can't get done at home. I am also planning a trip to Sycamore, Illinois next week for Pumpkin Fest and quality family time with relatives. I will have a special post on that later. We all need to create our 'escapes'. Promise yourself one, even if it is to the bathtub for a really quiet, hot soak in the tub! In this economy, SIMPLE PLEASURES RULE!!!!

Last but certainly not the least, look at these beautiful quilt blocks my favorite aunt found for me at a garage sale this summer! Aren't they the best? Don't know how I am going to finish these yet, but there are 13 of them:

I can hardly wait to start in on these beauties after the holidays. I can see them appliqued on some really tea stained muslin or darker tan fabric, or even on a simple shirting. Can't quite decide yet. I need time to let this decision stew in my mind.

That's all for now ladies. Hope all is well in your neighborhood and you can see the blessings in your life. It is time to hunker down for the Fall and Winter - all kinds of projects await!

Wishes for a blessed day!

Shanda

~ 'Tis the ABC's of the Harvest Season!!!!~

2009-10-07T18:27:00.006-06:00

I know I have been gone for such a long time! My computer has been down and it seems kinda touchy right now, but thought I would try to make a post. Sorry, no photos this time - can't 'upload' anything. But my favorite time of the year is here, from now until late Februaryish. I love Fall and Winter!!!

A is for Apples, those wonderful crisp signs of the harvest season.

B is for Bounty, something we all have in daily blessings. There is ALWAYS something to be thankful for! B is also for BITTERSWEET, something I can't get out here in the Pacific Northwest!

C is for Crows, Candles, and Cornstalks, the perfect decor for Fall.

D is for Days that grow shorter and shorter........

E is for Evenings, spend them with the ones you love!

F is for Firkins, those wonderful things I am in search for (that are reasonably priced!)

G is for Gathering, may nothing go to waste.

H is for a Harvest Moon, such a sight to be seen!

I is for Indian Corn, displaying beautiful fall colors.

J is for Jam, preferably my Aunt Lynn's homemade black raspberry.......

K is for Kandy Korn - nothing but sugar!

L is for Lights - one fetish I have, lots of primitive lighting!
M is for Maple Trees, someday I will get to New England in the Fall!

N is for Nutmeg - it can be used in all our Fall baking.

O is for Overhead Flying Geese - I love the sounds they make!

P is for Pumpkins, in decorating, food, and seeing in the roadside stands.

Q is for QUILTS, of course!!!!

R is for Redware, a wonderful choice to also use in Fall decorating.

S is for Simplify.

T is for Thanksgiving, may we never forget to give thanks!

U is for my Upcoming Trip to Sycamore, Illinois and PUMPKIN FEST!!!!

V is for Very good homemade soup.......

W is for Wool Sweaters, aaahhhh, pure comfort.

X is for X (Cross) Stitching, the perfect Fall hand project!

Y is for Yarrow, a great dried flower.

Z is for Boo at the Zoo, an annual event my kids looked forward to in their childhood.

That is all for now - hope this will post before the computer gives way....... photos and makeovers next time! Thanks for spending some time with me. Until next meeting....

Harvest Blessings,

Shanda

Whatcha Workin' on Wednesday!

2009-09-16T15:33:00.000-06:00

I have been gone for awhile I know, but canning, a couple of funerals/deaths, and customer quilting has kept me from being too much at my computer. I do have some Fall decorating photos and some finished projects for you today though.

First of all, I have been waiting since February for this specific post. Now I know that was almost 9 months ago, but I have a very specific 'Whatcha Working on Wednesday' post. I have a dear aunt who remembers EVERYTHING, and she remembered that I was looking for an antique corn cob drier. She set out and found me one, and I have waited all these months to dig out my dried indian corn to display on it. So I did just that this morning - I 'finished' getting these two elements together, the corn and the drier. With gratitude, the first photo above is for my Aunt Lynn. I just love it!!! Thanks to my FA (favorite aunt)!!!! Here is a shot from a distance:

Do any of you remember the tutorial from Jenny at Taylors*Farmhouse*Attic? She gave a GREAT tutorial on making your own redware plates. I did take some time over the last few weeks to get mine done. I did 5 total and they did take a while to dry between each coat, but I am so happy with them! I found .25 cent plates at the Goodwill and used the colors she listed. I really, really, like they way they turned out. Can you spot the one on the mantel above? (It looks so cool displayed with the corn cob drier!) See if you can find each of the remaining 4 that I made in the following photos. I thank Jenny so much for that tutorial!

Next, I have been in such a Fall decorating spirit, yet I want to get a quilt done that I have been thinking about for some time. This is a kit from Wisconsin, and oh, how I would love to work on it! The colors SCREAM autumn, and it actually is a quilt commemorating the Battle of Antietam during the Civil War. I can't wait to start this one, but it is gonna be awhile!

And speaking of quilting, did you get your 'hot off the press' copy of Quilt Sampler yet?

Isn't it one of their best? My very favorite shop listed was this one:

This semi-annual magazine I wait for with baited breath, just like each issue of Country Sampler. One of the other shops highlighted in this issue is Tammy Tadd's in Sycamore, Illinois, and I have visited that shop also. Such a surprise to see some of the shops I have visited be highlighted as being among the Top 10 in the country. I need no excuse at all to visit a quilt shop, and you gotta admit, each shop is unique and oh, so, inspirational! Some shops are cozier than others, but all are definitely unique!

Any canning going on out there? I did bing cherries earlier in the summer, and some carrots, and am now starting tomatoes. It really is more like a soup base, 'cause I add carrots, celery, and onion to my stewed tomatoes, but it is sooooo YUMMY in the soups that I like to make this time of year. Canning is also what I am working on today. This is a small batch ready for the pressure canner.......

I leave you with one of my favorite photos of my pumpkin doll. She doesn't have a name, although I would love some help in naming her. Does she look like a Hilda? Maybe Zelda? Or even a Tilly? Ugh - I am not good at naming things some times.....

'Whatcha Workin' on Wednesday' is just that - WORK! But it is such a blessing to work. Saturday I am going high into the mountains of Idaho for a quilt show. The colors should be breathtaking, so the work needs to get done before then. Hope this September day finds all of you in good spirits and enjoying your daily labors!

Shanda

~ A Source for Primitive Colonial Inspiration! ~

2009-08-25T09:20:00.000-06:00

"Stay. Stay at home and rest. Home keeping hearts are happiest."

The summer is over. I beheld my first leaves falling from our trees. Harvesting is in full swing in our home. I am aching to decorate and 'stir the nest'. Sound familiar? My husband went back to school (he is a teacher) last Friday, and my daughter starts Monday. This 'back to school' season truly is the beginning of the Lindsay's New Year. We revolve on a school year more than a calendar year, and that is okay with me. I am a fall and winter person to the very core of my being.

Warning - picture heavy post this morning. I promised eye candy decorating ideas and my firkin makeover. So here goes!

These books that I stumbled across several years ago truly are my decorating authorities. Many of you may have them, some may not even know about them, but all of you I think would LOVE them. They are located at http://www.marshhomesteadantiques.com/ and I believe they are advertised in Country Sampler as well. Pages and pages of photos, NO ADVERTISING, and great photo shoots are the perks of these books. The only downfall they would have is they are a little on the pricy side, although if you consider the cost to be a years subscribtion to a magazine and there are way more photos and ideas, then they are worth it. The early books have a few lesser quality photos, but overall, they have a rating of 9 out of 10 for me. Enjoy a preview:

Right now there are about eight of them out, which I only have 6 pictured here. They really are good inspirational decorating books.

And now the good news! My firkin is done, my one and only firkin! Being out in the West, these jewels are really hard to come by! I really struggled with the stressing of this one, but I hope to find more and refinish them in many colors, so this one I learned a lot on, and I love the way it turned out.

Before:
And after:

Hope you all are enjoying your last of the summer rites and are participating in the harvest around your area. The bounties are many, and we should not let anything go to waste. Blessings on your work this day and small simplicities be yours!

Shanda

~ Twas a new Thrift Store I found! ~

2009-08-17T09:04:00.003-06:00

I went 'thrifting' last Friday and spent a whopping $4.23. I was on my way out to a quilting group work night when I happened upon a new TS! Lucky day for me. Easy to get in and out of and the re-do's were even easier. I found the little resin salt box house lamp and firkin first. The lamp just needed a shade which I already had at home, and the firkin in going to be a gorgeous antique blue. This is the first firkin I own! I already have the base coat on it, but the finished photo will be next post. I put the lamp in my quilting studio with some of my other 'houses'. I have always loved salt box houses!

I next clamped my eyes onto this gem - like I really need another lamp - but I do need something for the top of my husband's dresser. I was so excited! I have seen these for between 39.95 to 89.95, and I picked mine up for $1.00! It did need some spray paint as the back side had been painted with little streaks of fingernail polish, of all things. I bet some little girl got a hold of mom's polish and went to town when mom wasn't looking. Uh oh! Before:

and after:

The last thing I found just before proceeding to the check out register was this cool old book, published in 1972 on the historical places in America. The photos and history, along with TONS of inspirational photos, are wonderful!

And lastly, not necessarily on a thrifting note, but the upholstery has been chosen for my $17 settee. What do you think? Good choice or no?

I need to be getting back to work - quilting for a customer today. But in closing, check back in my next post for some REAL eye candy books for afternoon reading. Many of you probably have some of these, but these books have become 'set in stone' decorating for me. More later. Until then -

Blessings on your Day,

Shanda

~Legally, we are 'EMPTY NESTERS'!

2009-08-11T06:00:00.001-06:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SARAH!!!!!

I don't know how I managed to get my only two childrens birthday's so close together, but nonetheless, today, 18 years ago, we welcomed Sarah, our daughter into our hearts and our home. She has one more year of school left, but legally we can say with heavy hearts that we are empty nesters. How sad. This day came so fast!!!!! Sarah is our outdoor child who loves to ride motorcycles:

Absolutely ADORES glitter, as evidenced by this banner she made for her marching band:

Enjoys working on cars with her dad, especially when it is her own ride:

And she loves to smile:

She has grown into quite the young woman. We love you Sarah, and please don't move out TOO soon!

Love,

Mom

~Tis a Monday FULL of Makeovers.......~

2009-08-03T12:30:00.001-06:00

When it is 100 plus degrees outside, your husband is gone for the weekend, and you have free time, what is one thing the tough can get going on? MAKEOVERS!!!!! Lots of photos here, so Ready, Set, GO!

This 50 cent goodie:

became this:

I know I need to decorate more around it, but or the sake of getting photos published, some of these makeovers were thrown into place somewhere. I am actually getting antsy to do some Fall decorating, but need to hold my horses some, so there will be lots of tweaking going on later. The next two photos are math equations; no calculators needed.

This ugly $1 bench:

plus this REALLY ugly $1 bench:

became:

I am gonna use the small one for my harvest table display. The red one was COVERED in shellac so thick my sander wouldn't even cut through it, so it couldn't be distressed, but the red came out okay. It looks more like rust in the photo. Maybe it would be nice as a riser for something. I'll find a proper home for it, even in a bathroom as a magazine rest if need be. The smaller one came out really nice with a distressed mustard finish, the photo didn't come out well. I am working with a 'lesser quality' camera for the time being.

Then I saved the BEST for last.

This $1.29 find:

plus a .79 cent bowl:

equals:

I used Yankee Blue by Old Century on the bowl and Thistle on the spoon rack. One of my very favorite stores, and about the only primitive/colonial store for thousands of miles, is called Heritage Reflections. I have seen a set up like this in the store selling for $100-$120. I have less than $15 into mine, and that includes the paint! The bowl is distressed with the original red showing through on the rim and bottom. My daughter liked it bowl side out, not bottom side out like I do, and since she was my stage person for the photo shoot, she won. (I think it might get turned around when school starts, she's less likely to notice then.) I was very happy with how everything turned out.

I still have my pencil post bed to makeover, but that is such a big project that I need to do that in the garage this fall when it isn't quite so hot outside.

On a closing note, have you ever read a novel series that was so powerful that you were moved beyond tears, and more towards action? I started Volume 6 of the Prelude to Glory series last night and I am forever changed. I am falling in love with our nation's early history, and last night I finished reading the powerful account of suffering and sacrifice at Valley Forge. I have been to Valley Forge in Pennsylvania, and what hallowed and holy ground! Reading the historical accounts of what transpired there, I am reminded of what a life of luxury and ease I live! Even possessing something as simple as matches!!!!! I have matches to light my candles, they didn't even have matches to light their fires to keep warm! In tatters, bare feet, and starving, those early patriots gave ALL for my freedom and liberty, so that one day, my husband and I could board an airplane, travel 2300 miles in less than 7 hours, rent an air conditioned car, and drive, not walk, to visit Valley Forge.

Me outside the Visitors Center:

And my husband outside Washington's Headquarters:

I feel at times I am such a spoiled rotten brat! I complain about scrubbing a toilet and these men had to dig their own! What an ungrateful benefactor I am. I am devoted to learning all I can about my country and being a better individual for the sacrifices made on my behalf.

Blessing on your families, work, and choices, and please, please, please, take NOTHING for granted.

Shanda

~Tis Elder Lindsay's 20th!!!!!!!

2009-07-25T06:00:00.002-06:00

Elder Lindsay, left, with one of his Camp Morrison buddies in the MTC

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DAVID!!!!

Yes, my oldest is 20 today, and I can hardly believe it because we just brought him home from the hospital a week ago Thursday! And today he is turning 20! Wow, how time flies.

David LOVES applesauce, and can chug a quart all by himself......

He can work on a car, when he HAS to......

And he and sister Sarah can chill with the best of them, even feeding the ducks in a far away town......

David was easy going as a child, and from attending a Boise State Football game, to working at Camp Morrison, showing his skill in a chess game, and even locking his keys in his car about a dozen times in one month, he is a blessing to our family and a huge joy in our lives. We wouldn't trade him in for anything!

~'Tis a Thrift Store Thursday!~

2009-07-16T09:31:00.005-06:00

I think I need to be put on heart medication.......

I am still palpitating over the colonial pencil post bed I found this Spring, and what do I find? This settee in WONDERFUL condition for $17.00! I am no where near having a heart condition, but if I keep this up, I may cause one to come upon myself!!!! I want to learn how to do some light reupholstering, so guess this is the piece to learn on. I can just see this in a real colonial fabric. Maybe paint the legs black. It is sitting just as it is in my home right now, but oh how I have come to LOVE TS shopping. People throw away the most AMAZING things!!! When I found it, my daughter Sarah was with me and we actually christened her new little truck (new to her anyway) and it was the first thing she got to 'haul'.

Also, have been getting caught up on some customer quilting. I did manage to squeeze in one of my own quilts to quilt. I have been toying with entering it in a local quilt show. I love going to quilt shows, enjoy the vendor isles, and my hand melts when it touches good fabric. But quilt shows are not why I make my own quilts. I want them to be used, cuddled in, used in decorating, and thrown over sofas and chairs, not made for display in a quilt show. The quilts I make are for family, my home, and myself. I enjoy the PROCESS of making them, not finishing them to enter in a show. Anyway, I did get one done, and the binding is not tacked to the back of this one yet, but I did get one quilt project finished and off my summer 'to-do with joy' list. Here it is on my Gammill:

And here it is all done:

This morning was such a beauty as I was on my walk. Going to be almost 100 today and then over 100 for the next 2 before it gets a little cooler. I do not do heat well at all! That's okay; my favorite seasons are right around the corner - fall and winter!

Blessings on your Day,

Shanda

On Being 'Thrifty'........

2009-07-08T08:28:00.006-06:00

I truly believe that there is so much we can live without, and even more that we can do for ourselves to be a bit more thrifty and less wasteful. I have been doing some canning, bing cherries for starters, and have frozen some HUGE Marionberries, and for those who live in the Midwest and on the East Coast, they are like a very large blackberry. These that I picked from a very generous neighbor, were bigger than my thumb!! But while I have been preserving and saving summers bounty to imbibe in on a cold winter's day, I have actually been filled with the spirit of 'thriftiness and self-reliance'. I WANT TO BE THRIFTY! I love work, any kind of work, but work within my homeplace is the best of all. Our family has been busy with all kinds of work: fencing, planting grape vines, quilting, cleaning, gardening, auto repairs, painting, weeding, canning/preserving, studying, serving our neighbors, and even a little playing. Sometimes playing IS work, especially when the ol' body is not wanting to move! Guess what I am trying to say is that no matter what our occupation for the day or week, being thrifty is wise.

The first paragraph in 'The American Frugal Housewife' states this:

"The true economy of housekeeping is simply the art of gathering up all the fragments, so that nothing be lost. I mean fragments of time, as well as materials. Nothing should be thrown away so long as it is possible to make any use of it, however trifling that use may be; and whatever be the size of a family, every member should be employed either in earning or saving money."

What are you doing today to be thrifty?

Blessings on your Work Day!

Shanda

~ 'Tis a Very Scenic Idaho! ~

2009-06-24T16:01:00.010-06:00

We took a beautiful drive on Father's Day through part of Idaho. I forget what a beautiful state our family lives in. Our son David is on a two year LDS Church mission, so he was unable to be with us for Father's Day, but John and I LOVED sharing the day with our beautiful daughter Sarah. Here she is standing in front of a water fall. The day was rainy and much cooler than seasonal norms, but since that is my preferable kind of day, no bad feelings here!!! The total trip was about 160 miles, mostly dirt roads, and VERY REMOTE. So the following photos have a 'discretion advised' warning for viewing. CAUTION: BEAUTIFUL SCENERY AHEAD!!!!

Central Idaho Mountains......

Indian Paintbrush Wildflowers..........

mountain springs........

See the snow?

One of Idaho's many famous rivers......

We had a great time, and most of the trip was passed in silence as we all took in the awe inspiring visitas. We were in reverence over the mountain passes looking out at the heights of mountains and at the depths of valleys. The day was relaxing, yet still our souls were stirred. The 'roads' were quite questionable at times....

but all in all it was time well spent. Critters were scarce that day, I think it was all the rain and they were hiding.

In closing, I came upon this BEAUTIFUL pile of rocks and I wanted to tell my Cousin Aud that I ordered them delivered to your house a week from tomorrow........

A beautiful week to you all ~

Shanda

~McCall, Idaho, Cooler Days, and Random Thoughts~

2009-06-17T11:11:00.004-06:00

Sorry I have been gone for so terribly long - my husband is a school teacher and he is home for the summer now. Talk about getting nothing accomplished!!!!! 'Can you help me do this..... I need you to do xyz for me today.....' Ugh! You girls get the hint. It messes up my routine. But he is getting some things done for me also, so I guess that is a good thing. The blog will just suffer for a few short months in the summer time. Sorry.

Monday was my Retreat day with Lisa Bongean up in McCall and I had a BEAUTIFUL time. But would you believe a left my camera at my in-laws house , so no pictures. I did find this photo of McCall on the web, so just pretend you are with me, in McCall, sitting at a table with all your sewing implements nearby, with this view out the conference room window. It was a very nice day!!!! We learned Lisa's methods for working with wool, and I came home with something like this......
This one is not mine - remember I am minus a camera right now, but these beautiful wool table mats were what we made. Mine is about 70% done. Fall is right around the corner.............. Woo Hoo!!!!

It has been so nice and cool here. I have been busy in the quilt studio quilting for customers. I do have a quilt of my own that needs to get quilted, as I am going to enter it in a quilt show. I will take photos when I get my camera back and post for you. I canned 14 pints of carrots the other night. I wanted to get those done while it was cool, and I see my hens are starting to get to my blackberries. Lay off those delights, girls!!!!

Not a real long post today. I have photos on my camera that will make a nice post next time though. I will stop blundering and get back to my quilt studio. Does this post make any sense to anyone?? Blah, blah, blah, blah blahblah!

Thinking of you all in blogland and wish we could have some time together -

Shanda

~'Tis a Way Overdue Blog Post!~

2009-06-01T08:21:00.026-06:00

'Fruits of several days labor - clean carpets at last!!!!'

Wow, finally!!!! Carpets have been cleaned, Memorial Day Weekend has come and gone, and so much to update on!!! Lots of photos this post - sorry for those of you who use Internet Explorer. I am on a Mac, but hear there has been lots of trouble out in blogland!! Let's get started....

First off, Memorial Day Weekend was a very thrilling one! My husband was able to race in a once in a lifetime event with his dad's car. I am not a big race fan, but THIS day was exciting for him AND me!!

The baby calf is doing great! He is growing so fast, kinda like a little kid!

I have a few make overs for you. Remember the plastic gold frames from several months ago?

They became sillhouette frames. I have two upstairs with Martha and Thomas Jefferson beside my reading chair in my bedroom:
And two are downstairs on the piano, Jane Austen and a young George Washington:

I found this green clock at the TS and it had teeth marks in it. All it needed was some new batteries!!! I had allready started to paint it red when I forgot to take a 'before' photo. Here it is semi-before....

and then 'After', on a shelf in our Den....

And then I found this GREAT solid oak box, not sure what it was ever used for, but we turned it into a 'hide the remotes' box. This is one of my favorites!!!! Before......

and then 'After', on a table in the family room with a 'madeover' lamp from several years ago....

The next few photos are of some TS finds that I didn't even really have to make over. A cute candle holder for .75. The green candles are gonna get rolled in cinnamon....

and some cute mini wooden pears that were YELLING my name in the store for .50 for the whole lot of them! TS finds are the best!

And last, but not least, I have a few 'Now You See It, Now You Don'ts......

The computer in the family room....

And the next minute it is gone.....

And the thermostat on the wall....

is now gone!

And remember some curtains I have been working on? I finally got the ones for the den done...

No wonder I have been so 'out of it!' Whew!!!! I am going to be slowing down, though, I do have many other things I need to get to that aren't so time consuming, like a bit of reading and gardening.

I leave you with a photo of a quilt my husband and I did just get hung up on the dining room wall. I found this beauty in Utah at a junk shop, and it has over 6,000 pieces in it and is called a Pineapple Quilt!! Can you imagine - 6,000 pieces? But what makes it so endearing to me is that it was all done on a treadle sewing machine. The back reveals feeds sacks from local Utah feed and grain mills and long stings of thread that were not trimmed like we trim threads now. It is very special to me, and since in my lifetime I doubt I will ever make a quilt with this many pieces in it, it was worth way more than the $80 I paid for it 5 years ago.

It was not a 'square' quilt, but then, back in the late 1890's, who knew what a square quilt was. I love it hanging here. Gives lots of color to our wall.

I hope you find joy in your day. Today is my Cousin Tammy's Birthday!!!! Happy Birthday, Miss Tammy!!!! June 1st...... Wow.... Don't mean to scare you all but Christmas is right around the next bend. Are you making your gift lists????

Blessings on your Day!!!

Shanda

~Whatcha Working on Wednesday?~

2009-05-27T07:36:00.004-06:00

I do have lots that I am working on today, but as we speak I am going to loose my posting devise - my computer. I have to move 'cause the carpets are being cleaned today, and that includes under this very desk. Isn't that great!? I love having carpets cleaned because then when you put all your stuff back, you get to tweak to your hearts content! And I have been finishing some of my makeovers to put in place so there will be photos next post. Gotta dash - I am being disconnected in 30 seconds I am told. Look for me later in the week.

Blessings -

Shanda

~ I'm dreaming of further simplification........~

2009-05-19T08:34:00.006-06:00

To Do List for the Summer:

plant grapevines
help hubby build a 'chicken coop/critter structure'
new bark down in the front flower beds
call to have carpets cleaned!!!!
finish up some thrift store make over's and the new bed
can some bing cherries - yummmmmm!!!
finish my red basket quilt top - my annual 'Christmas in July' project
read Volume 5 of 'Prelude to Glory' and the novel 'Wives and Daughters'
finish my curtains for the front of the house bay windows
June 15th - trip to the mountains for my retreat with Lisa Bongean -
(CAN'T WAIT for that one!)
plan my Holiday 2009 'Christmas Tea Amongst the Quilts' Open House
paint the potting shed

SIMPLIFIED To Do List for the Summer:

Do all the above, but do it with JOY!!!!

Sometimes we look at 'to do lists' with agony and dread. I know I do. But this summer, I am glad to be able to 'work around the ol' place' and beautify things. It is my choice. I can do work (and add fun) with an attitude of ugghhh, or I can think of how much will be accomplished and how beautiful it will look.

If you look closely, the clematis above is growing on an old metal wheel. I saw this idea down in Utah at a WONDERFUL shopping hub called 'Gardner Village'. The gardners down there had the most beautiful honeysuckle growing up and all over this metal wheel. I loved it!!! But I didn't have a wheel. But my mother had four!!! I did some bartering, and we came home with this wheel, to which my husband welded an old metal post or axle of some kind. He worked in 90 degree temps one day while I was gone, mixing cement for the hole by hand and all, and wow!!! And he did it all with JOY! One of the biggest lessons he ever taught me. Work with joy - because it does matter.

I can't wait to get started on my 'To Do List'!!!!!

Blessings on Your Work Day!

Shanda

~ The ULTIMATE in Thrift Store Finds!~

2009-05-13T17:44:00.007-06:00

'Old pillows, can you tell me where you have been?'

Wow! I had a great day yesterday at the TS!!!! Check out my most thrilling find (and sorry for the photo of the messy garage).....
It is a full size pencil post bed! This is a huge project for me to refinish, but I think it will look great stressed finished in black. And then I need to make the colonial curtains and all for it, give me until the Fall. 'How Much' you ask? Don't hate me and never visited my blog again, but I only paid $12.50 for it! My heart was palpitating in the store hoping it was all there, and it was. I don't think I slept that night for the thrill of it all!!!!

And I found this cute basket for $1

and this Pig Platter for .75 cents. It has a raised embossed pig on it and I think it will be perfect for serving Easter Ham.....
But what to do with this? Not the shade, I do have a home for that and I didn't get that at the TS, it just happened to be in the photo, but the fluted pan. Any ideas?

I have been busy quilting, 'tis the time of year for weddings, graduations, and baby showers. It is a good thing I don't have or watch a lot of TV.

My thought question this week, not that I have one each post, but my thought question is 'Where do you sit to ponder the things in life?' I have a beautiful set of adirondack chairs on my front porch, and I sit there to relax, ponder, stitch, read, write in my gratitude journal, visit, listen to the birds, and in general, live. I shall post a photo next post or two, when it is nice outside to take a photo. It is getting to be that time of year when I can spend hours out there. I have had such a wonderful time visiting TS though this past week, that I have a feeling I am going to be spending time there this summer 'sanding' things. I also found couple of nice pairs of candlesticks that need to be sanded and painted. I am saving those for before and after photos. I LOVE it when you fellow bloggers show before and after photos side by side. Gives me so many ideas!!! So anyway, do you have a 'favorite spot'? We all have them I am afraid. Inside? Outside? Favorite refreshment while you are relaxing there? Is it the same place year 'round, or does it depend on the weather? Does someone else know about it and try to get there first, before you?

Gotta dash. The family is starting to arrive home from the days activities. I have asked so many questions this blog post, does anyone have any ideas for dinner?

~ An Amazing Bunch of Mothers!!! ~

2009-05-08T08:02:00.002-06:00

Sarah, Shanda, and mother Linda

There have been many women in my life that have shaped me into who I am, and I can say that they are mothers themselves. My mother is the first most amazing woman in my life! She is so very supportive of all I do and very compassionate to those around her. She serves others without any selfishness, and taught me the principle of perseverance.

My Aunt Lynn (FA - stands for Favorite Aunt) is so very caring to what is going on in my life. She remembers the smallest of details and makes the best dips in the world!!!! Always accommodating and easiest to be around. She is a very rare person indeed.

My Aunt Betty has always been the one in our family to be the rock. She never waivers in the face of adversity, and always lets her light shine as a beacon to save harbor. Her homemade sloppy joes and vegetable soup are second to none!

My Kool-Aide mom, Sharon Solaas, had forever shaped me with lessons from 4-H and being the neighborhood bus stop. From running her Bed and Breakfast to raising a flock of chickens, and from the Baker Busy Bee Quilt Guild to lessons of eating rutabeggas, she has taught many people life skills. Summer kool-aide stands, Barbies, and floating the Baker Ditch are all more rich memories because of her influence.

Many other women including my Daughter Sarah, Aunt Carol, Cousin Audra, Girlfriend Nicole, Childhood Friend Linette, and 8th Grade Literature Teacher Mrs. McCallum, have had a turn at the potters wheel of molding me. Their examples have been without merit and priceless. My life is rich indeed, and I owe that to the women in my life. Mother's Day is one of my favorite holidays each year. And we wouldn't have it without some truely amazing women!!

~ I remember Mrs. Kaufman...... ~

2009-05-01T08:38:00.003-06:00

HAPPY MAY DAY!!!!

Growing up, I had an elderly neighbor, Mrs. Kaufman. Every time May Day rolls around, I think of her, because she ALWAYS left a fun basket on our door, in honor of the day.

Now I am older, and have made up some May Day Baskets for a few of my friends and neighbors. Tonight is Finish-It-Friday at my house and my circle of friends, about 6 of us, will gather to work on our creative ambition of choice from 6pm 'til midnight. I have made each of them a small little May Day offering. I hope it gives them a nice surprise and lifts them from any burden they are carrying. If I lived near any of you, I would like wise leave a gift on your doorknob today.

Blessings ~

Shanda

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

2009-04-28T08:27:00.001-06:00

"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 ~

2009-04-18T09:56:00.000-06:00

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!~

2009-04-14T10:08:00.000-06:00

'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!

2009-04-03T08:47:00.000-06:00

'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

~What are their Concerns?~

2009-03-24T08:50:00.000-06:00

What do you suppose these women are visiting about? Weather, their gardens, children? Or maybe they are sisters and are passing the time together? I love silhouettes, and a good friend gave this card to me last year for my birthday. What a treasure I have in it! It sits near my bed, and reminds me to be productive in my day, to be industrious, and to never let time go to waste. Even as these women 'visit', they can still be busy with their hands. My father-in-law always reminds me that 'Busy hands are happy hands, Shanda', and mine always try to do good, create, and emulate kindness.

I have spent the last couple of days at home without running here and there, without doing any errands, and just enjoying my home. I have stripped an old 1970's Lane cedar chest and refinished it (photo in the next couple of posts), completed our taxes, and in the evenings have been watching the really long movie 'John Adams'. This staying at home thing could be really addicting! I am an incredible homebody, but still get out to see my neighbors, go for my country walks, and manage to get an early scout out on the weeds poking through my flower beds. Being at home makes life all the better!

It is Spring Break here, and life is good. This post is kind of a ramble of different various things, but indeed, life is good. Even though sometimes there may be a huge rain cloud bursting right over your head, there is ALWAYS something worse that could happen and we need to be thankful for those cards that we are dealt.

Be 'doing' today, and let life live in you. Find joy in your journey - today!!!!!

~I'm Missing Vermont and New England as a Whole!~

2009-03-16T09:09:00.000-06:00

Red Covered Bridge, West Arlington, VT

Several years ago, my DH and I went to Vermont in the spring, and every year at this time I start missing it. We had never been to that part of the United States and decided it was high time. So we boarded the plane here in good ol' Boise and took off. During this trip we had 2 'rules' - no freeways (or tollways, which is a very foreign concept to us here in the West) and no eating at fast food or 'chain' restaurants. We wanted to experience the back roads and taste of local cuisine. Oh my, what a trip we had!! No reservations, just purchased two airplane tickets for Albany, NY and reserved a rental car. And hit the road we did! Logged 980 miles on a PT Cruiser in 6 days, took in parts of Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and back to Albany, on back roads and only 37 miles of freeways/tollways, and saw the most beautiful countryside! This was our favorite place of all - West Arlington, Vermont! Oh, man! So every Spring, I revisit those roads and the fun time we had driving down little country lanes, turning corners to see the most quaint villages and covered bridges. I was in love again - with architecture, townships, and beautiful old churches and cemeteries, covered bridges........ all the things that we don't have out here in Idaho. And every spring I see it all again in my mind and feel the ache to revisit. Not only am I suffering from Spring Fever right now, but I am in 'New England Withdrawals'. Not a good disease to have......

I have an update from my 'Finish it Friday' Night with my girlfriends. This is my friend Sarah who machine quilted a baby quilt.....

And this is my friend Tracey who pieced a baby quilt..........

And girlfriend Kim who was scrapbooking Valentine's Day photos......

And then there was my quadrant of the dining room table filled with 5-6 unfinished smaller projects.........

which turned into.......

I framed two cross-stitch and a punchneedle projects that night, finished a pillowcase, stuffed a couple of pillows/pin keeps, and the stack green and gold nine-patch blocks really are pinkeeps that I sewed together, just ran out of time to stuff with walnut shells and oak shavings. So see, you really can get a lot done at Finish It Fridays. We girls hum those machines along, crop those photos, and make the night profitable. We really have a great time. We missed you working with us, so won't you come next month? Our next meeting is April 3rd from 6 - midnight. We have a potluck, so bring your favorite dish to pass, or just come with project in hand. I'm the house down on the corner, so come on over!

~ Come for a Visit! ~

2009-03-06T08:45:00.000-07:00

I know it has been a while since I have visited with you, so I would like you to come for a visit today. The fire is warm, and even though Spring is around the corner, 'tis still cold enough for a fire. And I have a pot of soup on for us, along with a fresh loaf of bread, so please plan on staying for lunch. Bring your stitching or a project you would like to work on for the afternoon, and we will catch up.

I actually finished my punchneedle and aged it last weekend. It is a design from 'With Thy Needle and Thread', and it is called 'Have Ye Any Wool.' I love it for the rich colors and texture that it possesses. Also, my colonial brown sugar cones came out fine, first time I have ever made those.

This evening I will also be working on projects. I host a craft/sewing/project night once a month at my home called 'Finish It Friday' and it is just that - you finish or work on a project. There are about 3 ladies besides myself who come and we 'visit' from 6 'til midnight. We all bring food dishes to share, and we accomplish so much!!!! I started it last October, as a way for some ladies to get out of their homes and work on Christmas gifts without other eyes being around, and it became so popular, they all wanted to continue this tradition into the next year. I like hosting it, and it reminds me of an olde-fashioned sewing circle, although we have everything from sewing aprons/bags/pajamas, quilting, painting, scrapbooking, needlepunch, and cross-stitching going on. You can come and join us for that time also, if you'd like.

I was recently visiting with a neighbor and she was of course commenting on this economy. It was again important for me to remember and know that as times get harder, we all tend to turn inward and truly reflect on what is important. Practicing economy in our homes and lives is not a bad thing, in fact, it can be quite the opposite. It can be refreshing, humbling, and reflective. I have a sign hanging in my dining area that says:

This was a quote from Jane Austen in one of her books. I found this sign in Illinois two years ago, and immediately fell in love with it. I am never bored at home.

Also, it is my dear kindred spirit girlfriend's birthday today, Happy Birthday, Anne Girl!!!!!! She lives clear in California, and I miss having visits with her. I consider it a HUGE treat to be able to sit with her and stitch for even a few small moments. I taught her to cross-stitch many years ago, and I enjoy her so much! Even though we don't get together very often, memories are enough at times to carry me through.

Enjoy your weekend and be content. I will be putting the finishing touches on our spare bedroom after painting last weekend and will also be doing a bit of cleaning. Spring is right around the corner. Will I see you later on then?

Blessings on your day!

Shanda

~Whatcha' Working on Wednesday?!~

2009-02-26T07:13:00.000-07:00

I know it is really Thursday morning here in Idaho, but yesterday I worked on my colonial brown sugar cones, and they are currently drying, so there will be a photo of them all wrapped up and pretty next post. I did work on my punch needle project, and it is soooo close to being done. I need to divide my time between three things today - my quilting studio, putting another coat of paint on our spare bedroom, and this punch needle, in that order.

This morning it is raining and very windy, something that doesn't happen too often here - storm. I love rain, and like snow even more, but since it is 7:15am and already in the low 40's, I guess rain is second best. I love the coziness of home when it is storming outside. Just images of curling up by our fireplace with either a stitching project or a good book just reaks of comfort! I am in the middle of a 9 book historical fiction series about the revolutionary war and life in the colonial days of early America called 'Prelude to Glory' by Ron Carter. Like I said, there are nine in this series, and there are only five pictured here, but one I had to borrow and the others I can't find yet. This series was only published in the late 90's - early 2000's, but one of the books is over $200! That will be one I borrow! They are out of print and are very hard to find. Anyway, they describe early American life very well. I am only on the third book! Ha, but I love them.

What are you doing today? Are you doing some creating, rearranging, or beautifying? Whatever it is, enjoy it - tonight we are having lasagna soup for dinner with some "homemade" rolls, perfect for a rainy day. Thanks, Cousin Aud, for this timeless recipe!

Enjoy the moment and blessings on your day!

Shanda

~ Some Precious Girl Time in Wisconsin! ~

2009-02-19T17:17:00.000-07:00

~ The Girls in Wisconsin ~ Cousin Diane, Aunt Lynn, Audra, daughter Sarah, me, and mother! ~

I know we just celebrated Valentine's Day, but I need to digress just a bit. Over the Christmas holidays, my daughter and I were able to take a train trip from Salt Lake City, Utah, across the plains to Illinois. Oh, my ~ how gorgeous our America is!!!! Especially all snowy and white. Over the rocky mountains was beautiful during the daylight hours, and then at night, crossing the plains, christmas lights galore!!!! Barns, silos, houses...... so many lights lit up the night. And in the morning I awoke to the most torential snow storm somewhere in the eastern part of Iowa, but my ..... it was a simple pleasure to be on that train, chugging along, listening to christmas music on my iPod and looking out the big window at the snow storm. Very soothing and nostalgic, actually. Wow!

Anyway, my mother, dear heart that she is, took a car load of us family girls and went to a dream quilt shop in Spring Green, Wisconsin, called Country Sampler of Spring Green. The shop was filled with Chistmas spirit, smells, decorations, and inspiration enough to last through five christmas seasons. This was a day of pure delight to me - I bought projects to last me for two years and met Cousin Diane, who I had never met before. We went to lunch, visited, and laughed . I shall never forget these moments. Thank you for making this day possible, all of you! These are the moments that last, these are the things that are important. These are the simplest of pleasures!

Coming up next post..... making colonial brown sugar cones!

~'Tis Sweetest Day~

2009-02-13T17:38:00.001-07:00

'Love is not Love, until it is given away.'

'Tis Sweetest Day. Who is your sweetheart? Who makes your heart beat faster? Who does nice things for you to cheer up your day? I am the kind of person that doesn't need a dozen red roses or a heart shaped box of candy, although I am very weak with DARK chocolate. But I do have a dearheart husband that jumps everytime I need something fixed or I am struggling with a project. I love the way dearheart has suggestions to make daily life easier. He writes wonderful letters to me and is very patient and is 'long suffering' with my weaknesses. Dearheart's name is John, and he is my Valentine. We have been married for almost 22 years and have 2 beautiful children. He makes great fruit smoothies and the best scrambled eggs. He is very much in every one of my days.

On a side note - I am still working on my curtains and finishing a cross stitch. I wore my apron all day today and rearranged some furniture. I have been 'tweeking' as Linda from Behind My Red Door has been doing. I do like to tweek, and I am going to be painting a spare bedroom this next week and trying to decide which quilt to put on the bed. I will be taking some before and after pictures of the redo. The weather here is blah, and by that I mean no weather at all. No snow, no rain, no wind, no nothin'. Just ugly gray fields, grass, and sky. So it is perfect to still stay inside and 'stir the nest.'

Enjoy your long weekend, and have fun, whatever is happening. Be simply minded and love your family. Blessings on your time spent together!

Shanda

A Great Uncle ~ No One Could ask for a Better One!

2009-02-11T20:32:00.000-07:00

Uncle Chuck, March 13, 1947 - February 5, 2009

I just got back from Illinois, where I was blessed to pay tribute to a wonderful man. My Uncle Chuck was laid to rest this past week. His entire family will miss him greatly and there is a hole no one can fill. Uncle Chuck was a funny and yet greatly compassionate man. We love you Uncle Chuck!!!

Meet Goldie and my Quilting Studio

2009-02-05T08:11:00.000-07:00

This is my quilting studio - I spend several hours here each day quilting, mixing colors, and in a sense, creating. Goldie was the name of my great-grandmother who liked to sew, and I feel a kindred relationship with her. So I named my quilting machine 'Goldie', in her honor.

My quilting studio is right off the main entrance to our home - notice all the quilts on the church pew? Those are some of the quilts that need to be quilted in the next few weeks.

Today, though, I am working on creating a quilt top. I like to make quilts that are scrappy, or look just like grandma would have made them , with what she had on hand. Here is a block from the quilt I am currently working on:

I am also working on a cross stitch sampler that is the alphabet:

It doesn't look like this yet, I only have the middle three rows stitched, but I also love to cross stitch. I have so many projects! And they are started, I just get so excited to start them and I want to finish them all, but you know how it is - 'you can't have just one'.

I think I will go get started on finishing my basket quilt. One good day and it would be ready for quilting. Dinner tonight is left over spaghetti. It should be 45 and sunny today.

Blessings on your day.

Shanda

~How to be 'Simple'~

2009-01-29T22:31:00.000-07:00

'Winter Hill'

My heart is so full this evening as I write this post. I have so many blessings in my life and I feel content. I want for nothing. I enjoy everything. My needs are met. This is being 'simple' to me. I see simpleness in my daily walks, I feel simpleness in being in my home doing laundry, and I am ever vigilant for those simple pleasures that pop up everywhere. 'Tis such a beautiful thing to be aware of those small moments that can light up your day; they exist everywhere around us. Huge amounts of snow is somewhat of a rare thing where I live, and when it does fall, I stop to enjoy the quiet that is being created. This is simple moment of pleasure to me. We create simplness by our being aware of our surroundings.

I hope you can have peace and contentment in your day. I am in the middle of making some insulated curtains and will be working on those tomorrow. I have also been invited to the quilt store for some sewing time with my friend, Nancy. What a better way to spend a Friday. Needle, thread, visiting, and friends. What more could one want? These are simple things.

Contentment and blessings on your day.

Shanda

Start Creating!

2009-01-23T08:29:00.000-07:00

Beautiful snow this morning! It can never snow too much for me! And today I am blessed to be able to create in my quilting studio - double pleasures! I already went for my walk in the gorgeous white stuff and now I am ready to quilt my day away.

I believe that we women don't 'create' enough. And it can be as simple as a nice evening meal in the crock-pot to an elaborate oil painting - I think we need to be more creative and explore those things that we enjoy doing. I have a beloved cousin who loves to create with photos. The gifts she gives are such 'blasts to the past' because she finds these darling photos from when you are 5 with a cheesy smile or funky 70's clothes. Those photo gifts are so precious to me! But she likes working with that medium and it gives her and others pleasure. You go, Girl!

Create something today or this weekend. It can be anything. Try something new, or simply take some time to get back into an old hobby that you have been yearning to renew. We all need at times to turn inward and create.

Blessings on your Day,

Shanda

One Giant Leap!

2009-01-19T16:20:00.000-07:00

My very first blog post! Wow! There are so many of you I want to meet! I have been following your blogs for some time now and you have inspired be to start my own. Over the next few months, please be patient with me as I learn and 'come to understand' this new way of communication. I have so many photos to post and thoughts I can't wait to share......

I am a displaced new england spirit, living in the pacific northwest. I envy those who live in the east. I am a quilter, wife, mother, daughter, sister, cousin, and have also been given the distinguished title of FN (favorite niece) by a beloved aunt. I enjoy family, home, hearth, and being quaint. My dearheart husband and I live in a dear place called 'Winter Hill' and share our home with our two children, a 17 year old daughter and 19 year old son.

I look forward to getting to know other kindred spirits and lovers of home and hearth. Nothing is more important to me than being the keeper of our home on Winter Hill.......... until later

Shanda