The Kitchen

I'm back as promised, but I thought I'd show you my "new" kitchen before I show you my projects.  As you all remember I live in a rented duplex, so I don't have control over cabinets, backsplash (though I have an idea that I might be able to do to change it) and appliances.  However, I have fantastic landlord's.  I asked them if it would be possible to change the flooring in the kitchen.  It had ugly light colored berber carpet before.  Let me tell you if you've never had carpet in the kitchen it's horrible!!!!  It's even worse when you have kids.  The landlord said at the time when he bought it at a foreclosure sale 13 years ago that it was cheaper to put carpet in than linoleum.  Yuck!!! Anyway, Steve and I did pricing on flooring and took the quotes to them and said we would pay half if they would let us put the new flooring in and Steve would even put it down for free.  They decided they would pay for all of it because it would only be around $380.00!!!! Woohoo!!!!  You didn't have to tell us twice.  So, we decided on Swiftlock wood flooring in Fireside Oak at Lowe's.  It turned out gorgeous.  I LOVE it!!!!  So, I thought I'd let you be the judge.  The "island in the middle is an old table one of Steve's tenants left behind that he did some re-engineering on and added wheels to be able to move it.  I'm undecided whether I need to make a skirt to go around the bottom of it.  Steve thinks a skirt in the same color as the curtain under my corner cabinet would look good.  I had him build it because as you can see I have very little counter space to bake and cook.

I work the rest of the week so I'll be back next week with another post.  Have a great weekend.

Love Peace Joy

Yes, my friends, I've been busy creating this weekend.  I've started new patterns for the upcoming Christmas season.  The first one is available for purchase as of tonight.  Remember all PDF patterns are $7.50 and mailed patterns are $10.00 including shipping.  Please email me to order.  I prefer payment by Paypal.

I'll be back in a few days to show you other projects I've made when I was absent :-)  Please come on back.

Love Peace Joy

 

 

Fall In My Living Room

I finished tweaking this morning...  Enjoy!!!!  I'm uploading a few more on my Picturetrail so please take a look :-)  Click Here For the rest of the day I'm working in the basement on laundry and cleaning.  I need to price some new items for the booth too.

 

 

Recent Finds

I know I've been gone for awhile and I apologize.  Life got a little crazy here for me.  I was working a lot of hours at work in a short period of time.  I barely had time to breathe, so I prioritized and at the time something had to take the back seat and unfortunately this was it.  But I'm back, but may only post a couple times a week.  I've still been crafting a little and will slowly catch you up to speed.  Today I thought I'd show you a couple new items I've found to decorate with since we last spoke.

This past Saturday Steve and I went on a road trip.  This is the first time in months that he and I did anything together just us.  I came home from work and he asked if I had plans.  I said no not really so he said let's go antiquing. WHAT?!?!?! Seriously!?!?!? ummmm of course. :-)   Recently he has been working near Sandusky and said he had seen some shops up that way.  I'm always up to going new places.  So, off we went.  We stopped at some local shops first.  I talked myself out of a lot at the first shop and bought nothing.  If you have never been to the Seville antique store in Seville, Ohio you are missing out on wonderful pieces.  If I won the lottery I would go crazy in there!!!!  I figured I needed to save my money for the new shops instead.  However, across the street is a resale shop.  Kind of like a yard sale liquidation store.  Anyway, I found the crock and HUGE pewter platter.  You all know me and my pewter!!!  I have no idea where it's going yet, but like Steve says if I didn't buy it I'd kick myself later.  I bought it for $10.00.  I also got the crock there too.  I actually talked the guy down on both pieces.  This is the first time I've tried negotiating and was a little scared.  I figured what's the worst thing he'd say "no."  I got three of the wood bowls and the masher at a shop in Wellington Ohio.  They were awesome prices that I just couldn't pass up.  The mustard and blue one need darkened a little.  They are just a little too bright.  I may even strip the yellow one.  The last bowl I got near Sandusky.  I wish I could tell you the names of the shops, but I can't remember :-(  That last bowl you see the back of I need to do some sanding on the inside because there is some ugly painting in it, but for $5.99 I can do that. lol.

The first week of September my sister and I decided to hit some new thrift stores.  She is a thrift store junky too.  The good thing is we have different tastes so we aren't competing for the same things.  We actually look out for each other.  Anyway, we went to this huge thrift/clearance center in Akron.  If you aren't from Ohio, Akron is a large city with diverse cultures.  I really didn't think I'd find anything good, but I like adventure of going to new shops. Anyway, I bought this really great mustard shelf.  I wish you could see the patina.  It looks like it is crazed and crackled.  It was like $3.00.  I just happened to see it and walked OK ran over to it and draped myself over it so no one else would see it.  Then I called my sister on the cell phone and told her to come find me.  I was not leaving this beautiful piece for one minute.  Needless to say she brought the cart and we loaded this beauty.

We decided we couldn't look around with this huge shelf in the cart so we went up to pay for it and my sister happened to look in a cart that was just sitting there as I was paying.  She pulls out this other shelf and asks if I like it.  UMMMMM HELLO!!!! LOVE it!!!!! So, of course I had to have it for $1.00!!!! lol.  The wood bowls were a recent finds at a prim store for really cheap too!!!!  And now that I look the books were thrift store finds when the store was having a 50% off books.  I love the look of old books. 

I know these pictures are horrible but taking pictures this dark morning was near impossible. lol.  Anyway, I found these two brown crocks at thrift stores.  I'm starting to really like the solid brown ones and these were steals!!!!  So, for now this is my newest obsession. lol.  Like I don't have enough obsessions already.

Last but not least my copper compote type dish.  I have nothing copper, but when I saw this at the antique store I had to have it.  I just LOVE the dark patina of it. 

I'm off today and tomorrow and I'm hoping to finish up a few things so that I can show you some changes in my living room :-)  I think I'll just go room by room to show you what I've been up to when I was gone.  This way I hopefully won't forget anything :-)  Yeah right.  lol...

Happy Fall

Good evening everyone!  I've finally really gotten my fall decorating started. I'll start off with my dining room pictures because I'm still working on the living room. lol.  I promise to try to catch you up on the going on's here at the homestead since we last spoke.  I just have to figure out where to start.  So, I'll see you in a few days to start the rewind of the past few weeks. :-)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finishes

Hi friends :-) I hope everyone is doing well.  I have had a rough couple weeks here.  My brain has been over drive ever since the possibility of the booth closing.  As of today, as this could change, it looks as if the booth will remain open for the time being.  The other booth is now open and I of course had to go check it out.  Her items are mass produced, Made in China, overpriced junk.  I may have been a little harsh sounding, but it's true.  My girls do a wonderful job on their items and things are selling like hot cakes.  Hers on the other hand, according to the flea market owner, aren't selling in fact he has been receiving comments that she's overpriced. So good news for us.  On the other hand, I have had some things happen in recent months with items I have shipped through USPS that have been dropped kicked ummm I mean dropped and items have been broken.  So, as of yesterday I have decided I will no longer ship anything period.  UPS and Fed Ex are just not convenient for me to use instead.  It came down to having WOOD yes WOOD items broken during shipment that was my final straw.  I'm sorry everyone, but I just can't and won't use USPS.  I still have a few orders that were placed prior to yesterday that are not breakable that I'm finishing up and will send.  That is why I've not been around.  Orders came flooding in when I was on vacation and I'm still trying to catch up.  You all don't want to see apron and bonnet set after set on every post. lol. I know I'm getting tired of seeing them. 

That being said I had to do something else this week before I went crazy.  I had to work on something for me.  If you'll look back a few posts I had a post called In The Workshop.  Well, I finally finished up one of my unfinished pieces.  I now have a mini me make do. lol I made a child size make do chair. I may still coffee stain it a bit I'm not sure.  I used a brown ticking I already had in my stash.  It wasn't bad except for a few times I pounded my thumbs with the hammer. lol.  I don't really decorate with dolls so I need to figure something else out.

Then I don't think I ever showed you my finished sampler that I finished either.  If I did I apologize.  My mind has been absent for awhile now.  I need to fix the one seam and I'm still looking for just the right frame.  I did this one with the thought that a little girl, Ida Mae Schultz, stitched this to show her life.  The first scene on the right is where her parents met.  The second is when she was born and grew up.  And the third is when her parents died. Their initials are under the tree where they were buried and now they are stars that look down on Ida Mae.  I know kind of crazy, but I like to make up stories about my stitcheries. :-)

Well, I must make a few more last order items before I can start on something for me and finish up my other unfinished projects.  I'm hoping that letting go of shipping and selling on line will also reduce my stress level.  I feel as if my kids and Steve have been neglected as I have been crafting a lot!!! So, I'm slowing down and may end up buying more items from other great crafters to fill my booth instead of thinking I have to make a bunch of things.  I'm on my 4 day off stretch and my son has been bugging me to make camouflage curtains for his room.  So I think a trip to Jo Ann Fabrics may be in order. :-)  Have a great day!!!

FREE Cross Stitch Pattern

Since I haven't posted any free patterns lately I thought as a gift from me to you to say thanks.  Please feel free to print off the pattern by clicking on the picture so that it opens into a new screen then right click your mouse Save image and print.  I have not included colors to use because I want for you to be creative.  If you happen to complete my pattern please email me a picture so that I might share it on my blog.  Enjoy :-)