Progress or Excuse???

I'm betting you are visiting me today to find out if I started redecorating or not.  We had this conversation in my last post and I'm happy to report I have made progress.  I'm not done yet, but I'm getting there in the living room.  If you are one of my friends on Facebook you may have already seen some of thee pictures, however, you haven't seen them all.  :-)  I thought I take some this morning before I jump back in and do some more.  I'm not going to lie and say my hoarder tendencies didn't take over, because that would be a lie.  LOL.  They did, but I fought off the urge to over decorate.  I know this isn't real simple, but it's less than what I had.  So let's take a walk through the living room.  I took a few random pictures for now.  I will do the entire room when I'm done...

 

Ignore the cord and my shoes in the above picture.  I forgot to move them. LOL.

Remember the 3 boxes above are still for sale :-)

Did you notice I took down all my stitcheries?  I'm still using them just broke them up. :-)  I think I want to have a wool rug either hooked or penny style with a black horse on an olive green background below the shelf. 

I'm still working on the table below with the fish on it. LOL. 

I still have a lot to do because I now have empty spaces on my walls like where my gameboards were and above the TV.  I'm still working on that.  I'm slowly getting together my sell pile, but I can tell you there will be a lot when I'm done.  I also went and bought a postal scale so I can quote shipping a little better without running to the post office all the time.  

Thanks for visiting :-)  I'm hoping more pics to come soon.

Collections

I thought I would start out by showing you the table runner all stained up and old looking.  I think it turned out fantastic!   The customer LOVES it :-) Shew!!!!! LOL. 

I still have some coffee stain left and I have some things I'd like to stain like my last cross stitch sampler I finished and this other quilt I made awhile back, but it looks like rain outside so I wouldn't be able to hang them outside to dry.  I guess they'll have to wait for another day.

I thought today would be a good day to show some of my collections because I have been thinking a lot recently of stripping my living room and dining room and starting over decorating it.  I'm not changing my style just simplifying.   I need to decide which collections I want to keep and others that I can let go.  It won't be an easy process since I really do LOVE all my "stuff."  Anyway, I looked up the word collecting today and this is what I found.  Wikipedia explains it as... "The hobby of collecting includes seeking, locating, acquiring, organizing, cataloging, displaying, storing, and maintaining whatever items are of interest to the individual collector.  The items collectors collect may be antique, or simply collectible. Antiques are collectible items at least 100 years old; collectibles are less than antique, and may even be new. Collectors and dealers may use the word vintage to describe older collectibles. Most collectibles are man-made commercial items."  Yep that about explains my "collectibles."  I think my "collecting" may have gotten out of control though. LOL. 

So, let's have a sneak peak at SOME of my collections...

Redware...

Yellowware/blackware...

Pewter...

Crocks, jars, and candles, wood bobbins and Indian corn lol...

coverlets and I still have more elsewhere around the house....

quilts...

Cheeseboxes, grain measures, and just plain wood boxes... ignore the mess in the background lol.

And of course my bowls (have tons of these elsewhere even some more to paint up like these) and cookie cutters...  the bowls with the tarts are going bye bye I forgot to move them for the picture. lol

wood spoons and mashers...

and of course my samplers...

Gameboards... (which I think will be one of the eliminations unless I decide to move them to the wall going upstairs, but I'm really thinking about selling them.  Make me an offer I can't refuse and they could be yours.)

ughhh... I didn't realize I had so many  collections....  I'm sure there are others I have missed, but this is a start.  This is not going to be an easy task to purge, but I keep finding myself  running out of time to dust, clean, and care for everything.  Let's just hope my hoarder tendency doesn't kick into high gear and I find myself not able to let go.  I will be selling a lot of my stuff not only in the booth, but on here I just need to get a scale so that I can quote actual shipping for those who want to buy.  If any of you who read this ship items and have a scale can you let me know what kind and where you got yours.  I looked at some at Staples, but they look expensive.

So, I guess what I will be doing is taking everything down, cleaning, and rearranging today unless I talk myself out of it since this is my weekend to work.  I wonder if Steve would be up to painting again too... shhhh don't tell him I said that yet. lol.  If I decide to eliminate some things on the walls we'll have to patch holes and repaint right?  teehee If I don't get done today it will all just sit around until my next day off, which will drive me crazy!!!! So I may wait until next week to dig in.  It is time for me decorate for summer so now is as good time as any to go through and get rid of. 

Have a great weekend!!!! I'll see you next week with progress or an excuse :-)

My Finish and New Finds

Good morning everyone!!! :-)  How is everyone today?  I will settle for OK or good it is Tuesday, right.  LOL.  I'm happy to report I finished up my special order quilted table runner.  Once I got started it was hard for me to put down.  So, as of this morning it looked like this... all washed up and no place to go...

UNTIL....... it is now swimming in my secret sauce (yeah instant coffee and water lol) for awhile trying to appear old and aged... Next stop the clothes line for that oh so tropical tan.

Now that Steve and I are working on things and spending some much needed time alone together HE suggested a trip to the Goodwill and the flea market.  You all know I couldn't say no.  I know, I know, I keep complaining I have too much stuff and I do.  But it's the thrill of the hunt!!!!  I do have to admit I have been thinking about pairing down my collections.  I have to decide which ones I want the most.  I just don't have room for all of them.  This subject is a whole other post. LOL.  I'm finding though I'm being a lot more picky in what I buy.  That's a good thing so I don't end up with stuff I don't redo or resell. :-/

Anyway, for those who are friends with me on Facebook remember this item from the Goodwill.  Nothing like taking a picture with your phone and sending it to Facebook to ask what it is before you buy it. LOL I LOVED it because it reminded me of redware.  It is actually a Middle Eastern and Turkish cooking pot called a tagine.  I'm seriously not that smart to know that my Facebook friends told me :-) It isn't this bright my stupid flash washes everything out.  It is really a deep terra cotta color.

Then we ventured out to the flea market where my booth is.  I haven't been out there for awhile.  I know shame on me.  I need to get busy and make new things for out there.  Anyway... I found some awesome things recently. 

It's a little dirty and there is no light bulb in it yet, but for both the shade and light $12.  It's hard to see but there is a candle snuffer hanging off the side.

I have always wanted a tricorn hat!  It fits in with the colonial theme so well.  I LOVE the greyish muted braided mat too.

No explanation needed on this one. LOL.  The only thing I can say is I will be getting a new make do chair made :-) I will have you know I went out to the garage to take these next two pictures and I wasn't alone.  While I was out there I heard a rustling in a plastic bag I had out there.  What it is I don't know.  I didn't stick around long enough to find out!!! I hurried up took my picture turned out the lights and came (OK ran) inside. LOL.

Lastly, I found this baby!!!!  I know what you're thinking.... What in the world???? Really???? Who would want that piece of junk??? MEEEEEEEE!!!!!  I see a textile hanger OR a herb drying rack.  LOVE the patina on it.

I have a few other things I gotten recently and just not shown you.  I have no idea why.  Anyway, another flea market find.  I need to darken them up a little.

I actually bought this before my tricorn hat.  What you can't see is there is some staining on the flag.  Awesome I know!!! I can't wait to use it to decorate this summer. :-) a thrift store find for $2.

Then last but not least this darling little Amish bonnet.

Close up shows little hearts embroidered along the brim.  I tried to mark around a few of the hearts because they are very hard to see.

I think that's it for the time being. LOL.  I have dinner in the crockpot,  have a hair appointment this afternoon FINALLY, and my son's soccer practice later.  Then some me time.  I painted my nails on Saturday and wouldn't you know it they chipped all ready.  So, I guess I get to redo them.  Have a great day everyone!!!!

Quilt Runner Progress

Well here it is Saturday night and I'm posting.  I know don't have a heart attack because I don't normally post on the weekends.  I promised I'd show you the progress I made on the quilt runner for a customer/friend.  She told me she wanted something civil war-ish.  I'm not quite sure this is civil war-ish, but I was thinking they might have used odds and ends of fabric from clothing, blankets, or whatever they could find.  Then I thought the blocks should be simple nothing fancy.  The only thing she requested was when it was done she wanted it stained dark.  Otherwise she gave me free reign on colors and design.  So, I think all of these fabrics will look awesome darkened up.  I still need to put the borders on tomorrow though.

You should see my workshop after this baby. LOL.  I have fabric everywhere!!!! It helps me visualize when I have everything laid out to see what colors work and what doesn't. 

I had a little retail therapy today at Goodwill and the flea market.  This of course was Steve's suggestion not mine! LOL.  I can't turn down a trip to either one you all know that.  Though after today, I better get busy crafting to pay for what I bought.  I'll take pictures and share on Tuesday.  I'm so excited!!!!  Let's just say I think there will be another make-do chair in my future ;-)  That is if Steve can find time and if he brings his tools back.  Well, I better get moving just thought I'd pop in and share.

My New Needle Case

I haven't been working on much recently, but I have today through Sunday off to get busy.  I have a great idea for a new stitchery, but I still need to start my table runner for a friend.  I should definitely work on hers first.  I may chart my new design just not stitch it yet. Anyway, on to what I have done.

If you'll remember awhile back I stitched up this cute little stitchery and couldn't decide how I wanted to finish it. 

Well, I finally decided it was time to get it done. So.... this is my new needle case.

Inside... the perfect fit... I can also slide some small scissors in the pocket too.

So now I really need to get busy stitching so I can try it out. LOL.

My day in court went well on Tuesday.  The trustee let me keep my tax refund, my parents don't have to pay back the money I paid them, and I get to keep my car and of course all my debts were discharged.  I got to sit in on some other people's cases before mine and found out the trustee was very nice to single Mother's and lucky for me I just happen to be one. LOL. I'm so glad this is all over.  Now I can move on and look to the future. :-) 

I will try to be back within the next few days with any progress I make crafting.  Until then have a great day!

Happy Monday!

Hi everyone!  Seems as though I've been away for a very long time.  Thank you everyone for your well wishes for Steve and me.  We are back together and working very hard to make changes and communicating.  One of the things I'm working on is to start dressing a little more fashionably.  Most times on my days off you'll find me wearing t-shirts, sweatshirts, or jeans.  When I paint and craft this is still what I'm going to wear. lol.  My sister always looks so well put together when I see her, so the one day I was telling her what I was doing and showed her some "new" clothes I bought at the Goodwill.  So, on Saturday she was at the GW and she leaves me a voicemail where she is and said there were a bunch of capri's in my size.  So, I jumped in my car and met her down there.  Long story short... I came home with some great looking clothes that compliment my body type. The ones I had already bought were wrong for my body type.  Oh well, I'm still keeping them :-)  My sister has been reading a book "Good Girls Don't Have to Dress Bad." by Shari Braendel.  Basically, the book tells you how to dress for your body shape.  I need to camouflage my butt and hip area!!! LOL  I also need to stay away from V neck type shirts because well, I'm not well endowed.  That means I need to find longer more flowing type shirts to draw attention away from my problem areas.  Anyway, I had fun and I think my sister did too because she wants to do it again.  I call it Dress Barbie Day. LOL.

In the meantime, I have been able to get a little crafting in.  I'm really trying to finish up my UFO's. These boxes have been sitting in my crafting hutch for awhile now.  I have a hexagon shape set left to do.  Anyway, enough with the talking... LOL

 I LOVE this red and mustard set!  It is For Sale $30 includes shipping.

The black and mustard set is already SOLD, but I really like this one too.

My Americana Boxes I painted. $30.00 includes shipping.

In progress:

I have this towel rack in the works.  It too will be for sale when I finish it.

A scoop I started and will be for sale too.

I also have a few more Amish clothing pieces I came across.

This actually a seafoam green Amish onesie.  $7.00 includes shipping.

A 5 year old size Amish little boys outfit. $10.00 includes shipping.

This is actually peach crepe Amish children's dress.  $7.00 includes shipping.

I also have this beautiful blanket for sale. Excellent condition. $17.00 includes shipping.

Well, today I must do my mountain of laundry.  This means I will be in my workshop creating and painting since the washer and dryer are right there.  It's suppose to rain, so I won't feel bad if I stay in all day.  I also had a request from a Facebook friend to make her a quilted table runner, so I need to start thinking on a design for that also.  I'm going to keep busy today as tomorrow is my day in court for my bankruptcy.  I excited and anxious all at the same time.  I know it will be painless, but I just hate going to court proceedings for anything.  Ugghhh.

I will see you all in a few days :-)