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Thursday, March 25, 2021

My Easter Egg Collection

As Easter is upon us again, I take out my plastic egg collection I decorated and place baskets around the house. I love making these from napkins, tissue paper, wrapping paper, old cards, dried flowers, sequins and lots of love. 


Wednesday, January 23, 2019

I Love Winter

I know it's crazy, but I love winter. It can't top springtime, but is a close second. I love the fact that it gets dark early and you can't work outside. I love to shovel and the exhaustion I feel after. You burn a lot of calories shoveling. I love winter foods, like soups and casseroles.

It's hard when you are hot all the time. In the summer, I feel like I can hardly ever be outside. And then there are all the bugs that for some reason love me more than anyone else. So on a nice camp out when it's maybe 60 or 70 degrees, I have on long sleeves and knee high socks. I sit there fanning myself while others wear shorts and tank tops.

So, I'll enjoy the cold a few more months, and await the first budding of the trees signaling springtime.

Saturday, January 5, 2019

Texas/Chicago Christmas 2018

 CHRISTMAS 2018
The gifts I made this year were some of my favorites. I tried something new that I love! Polymer Clay. When I saw some of the pennant jewelry you could make, I became obsessed.

I had to have everything. The pasta machine to prep the clay, the mica powders, shapes to cut with, glue that can bake and still work and of course the clay itself. At around $5 per 2oz square, it can all add up. But so often I use my accumulative bounty of craft supplies, it was time to spend some money.



Finding just the right guy gift (I do have 4 sons now) was difficult. I came up with this key/coin holder. I start with a glass candle holder base and then making a square shaped cane cut pieces to resemble faux tortoiseshell to cover it. Of course you learn as you go along, and I would do them different the second time around, but I loved the way this looked.



The pennant gift was super fun. I would start with a shape cut from black clay, then put on elements prior to baking. Of course presentation is everything, so I had to make a tag to put them on. Everyone who received one loved them. I will definitely do this again.








The final gift was a tag with dress stand and dress. I love the way you can take a scrap of material, add beads, scrapbook paper and ribbon to make something pretty. Putting one of these on top of a wrapped package would be an added bonus.

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. We were fortunate enough to fly from Chicago to Texas the week before the 25th, then fly back to Chicago Christmas Eve and wake up Christmas Day just the two of us with nothing to do but enjoy the hotel’s amenities. We swam, used the work out room and the hot tub. Then, drove from Chicago to our nice quiet home. We filled the rest of the week with family fun, but this will be a Christmas to remember as the Texas/Chicago Christmas.

Wednesday, March 28, 2018

Mother's Day Gifts




For the past Mother's Day, I took altoid tins and made a miniture scene. Ballerina dress hanging with vintage background. I enjoyed this so much, I could make a dozen more.

Motherhood was celebrated with my family vacationing. We had Greg's two boys, 16 & 20, my two adult son's, one with wife and 5 year old grandson. We rented a house in Wisconsin Dells that came with tickets to the biggest water park in Wisconsin. It was great entertainment for all of us. There are not too many places you can have a 5 year old and 37 year old both enjoy. We had home cooked meals made ahead of time, played games and let our boys get to know each other.

Monday, January 15, 2018

The Button Memory

 I was looking through my button collection to finish some boot cuffs I had just made.
 



I came across a white button with a sketch of a blue boat. I had used the matching buttons to make Brandon a sailor suit when he was a year old and about to be baptized at church that morning. Joshua wore navy blue trousers, white shirt and red tie. So handsome, he was even then.  I simply had to find the picture I knew was taken that day.

It was a day I was so grateful to God for. Two beautiful healthy little boys, what more could I ask for? Gosh, I haven't changed a bit!

Saturday, October 14, 2017

Straight Lines

As I walked across the newly black topped parking lot where I work, I admired the freshly painted lines where cars would park. It all looked so straight.

It reminded me of a time several years ago, when I attempted to put brick behind a Franklin fireplace stove. I had done my wifely duty of sufficiently harping on my husband to put it up and finally took things into my own hands, literally. The directions were easy enough. You were to mark certain places by measurement and start here then work out. But, I didn't follow the directions. I started on one end, made sure it was a straight (imitation) brick and then spaced accordingly.

When you are working closely to something, you don't see that a bit off here and a bit off there make a big difference.  I was congratulating myself on how quickly I finished, as I backed up to take a look. To my horror the tile had gradually slopped and looked terrible. Luckily I was able to shift several into place while the grout was still soft.

It's kind of like our daily walk. We put one step in front of the other making decisions and are unable to see the big picture as God does. But all these little choices can gradually get us off course before we even realize it. Fortunately, we have a God full of grace.

This is a pillow I made with my grandmother and great grandmother's (born in late 1800's) lace handkerchief, buttons removed from the cuff of a blouse, broach & earnings. A great way to display precious keepsakes.

Tuesday, April 25, 2017

Overkill?


I know I'm an organizer, but I have to admit it's fun having someone here to notice. Greg has been renovating the kitchen and wondered if I knew where the 'kitchen' paint was. And also the 'ceiling' paint, which was what was used in the front room. I went to a closet and brought out both for the touch up he needed to do. 

He just laughed and said, "I should have known."