Our New Neighbor, A New Condition and Not Much More

Not that I'm one of those neighbors who keeps who nose pressed to the window watching our neighbors comings and goings, but I do have to admit I wish I had gotten a recording of this new neighbor's arrival: Actually, Hubby is the one who spotted the little guy/gal lying down in the field so of course I grabbed my camera and literally leaped out the door. Hubby is talking to me but you can't hear his voice (didn't want you to think I was talking to myself, although I often do). My monthly Giftaway is back on! Yes, a name will be pulled from the scant list of people who commented during the months of February and March. The scant list is my own fault - I took a blogging break and know that several people, believing I had either died or broken both hands and was unable to type or manipulate a microphone stopped reading and commenting. But, both the Giftaway and I have both returned! Look for the announcement of the winner's name April 1 or 2! The April Giftaway and those following, however, will have a New Condition. In order to be eligible for the monthly drawing you must not only leave a comment for that month, you must be a follower of this blog. Simple enough, eh? I've noticed that most of Blogland has been sharing their home Easter decorations. I'm not one to decorate much for Easter but here goes: This is a little vignette I put together for my office. The Peter Cottontail plate in the background is something I made several years ago simply because I like bunnies. Yes, I'm a bunny lover. Well, except for when they raid our garden. Then I feel like Elmer Fudd ("Kill the wabbit...") I made these eggs from felt the other night and threw them in a heart-shaped basket. I'll put them on our kitchen table whenever I clear it of a new batch of items that are awaiting their turn to be priced. As you can see, I obviously didn't go all out for decorations. I must confess, though, that the felt eggs do look better in person. Actually, they're quite beautiful and rival the Faberge' eggs. Okay, so I exaggerate. But the bunny in the basket with them IS quite cute...

Confessions, Sales and a Finance Lesson

OMG, is anyone else ready for this Winter to be over??? Hold up your hands, let's have a count...okay, never mind. I can't see beyond all those hands. It's been rough for those of us who have illnesses affected by severe cold (yes, I'm talking about my rheumatoid arthritis. I haven't hurt so badly in my entire life) and rough for all of us paying heating bills. Whew! And, no, that's not the confession I was referring to in this post's title. Actually, my confession isn't much of a confession; it's been so obvious. But, here goes: I've become a terribly tardy blogger. Here it is, the end of February and this is my first post of the year. It doesn't seem like it's been that long. I have had some depression with the pain I've been feeling the past several months and just haven't been able to get into blogging. I've also become terribly addicted to some of the games on Facebook; they help take my mind off things but now I have to conquer my Farmville and Mafia Wars addictions. Okay, on to other things like auctions and estate sales!!!! Take a look at this calendar from 1993! It's a wilderness calendar from the Sierra Club and it's almost like new, with mostly unused dates and beautiful photographs. And, as luck would have it, the 1993 dates correspond with this year, 2010! I love that there are so many ways to recycle and reuse, but look at what else was included in the same box lot: Yes! Similarly almost-unused calendars from 1994 and 1995. I'm now calendar-set for three years! (It's the little things, you know...) There were also several pages of this sweet stationary: Isn't this cute? Happy little peeps (baby chicks) on stationary that folds into its own envelope and stickers for fastening. It will be included in the March Giftaway. (Yes, we'll be doing that again!) There were plenty of other cool things at that last auction but we'll save those for another day. Meanwhile, here are a couple of little projects I've been working on: I love the picture of this lady flashing the City of Paris in front of her window. Okay, I just realized that's what she's doing. Maybe nobody can see into her room. But back to the project - I'm not finished with this altered bottle but am thinking that it might be a part of the March Giftaway, too. I lifted this lovely lady's picture from the net. She looks so serene so I decided she should be a sweet fairy. I fashioned little wire antennae for her, gave her some color and a set of wings and plopped her into the middle of this silk rose. She's become one of those items that I just enjoy looking at. My sweet friend, Vickie, over at Sand Flat Farm was sharing personal experiences about foreclosure sales and hard luck stories she's been handed in her business. She confessed she doesn't have a lot of sympathy for people who "can't" pay their bills but can somehow manage to continue getting manicures, drive flashy cars, etc. I completely agree with her; many people don't seem to be able to tell the difference between a "need" and a "want". Many of you know that I was in the mortgage business for over 20 years. You wouldn't believe (or, maybe you would) the percentage of people who literally DO live from paycheck to paycheck and are simply one paycheck away from being homeless. With so many people now enjoying tax returns, I'm reminded of a great number of people who have good intentions of how they will spend that money - pay off bills, catch up bills or put it in savings - but, when they get it in their hands, decide to instead "treat" themselves with an expensive night on the town, new outfits, etc. Why? Because they've decided that they DESERVE it. It's the same line of thinking they had as they loaded their charge cards with things they "deserved", yet couldn't afford when the bills arrived. I'll get off my soap box but have decided to later share some things with you that I learned during my mortgage career, specifically, about your credit report. I think most of you will find it interesting. At least, I hope so. Until next time, stay warm and be Blessed and be a Blessing. And don't forget to leave a comment to be eligible for the upcoming Giftaway!

A Win for Me, A Win for You, A Bird Bug & A Dodo Bird

I had to show this off first! It's a gorgeous, beautifully designed and crafted pillow that I won by spinning the Make Mine Pink slot machine! The pillow is from Janets Creative Pillows! It soo reminds me of the beautiful florals and dresses in Hawaii. I just love it and appreciate all the work that went into every stitch! Many thanks to Make Mine Pink and to Janets Creative Pillows!

Speaking of Hawaii (did you like that segway?), I was in a mood the other day to do something creatively different, something with an underwater theme, something with melted WAX...and came up with this strange looking can. You know how you start out with something obscure and know what you want to do but have no idea what you want it to look like or how you're going to do it or what you're going to do with it once you've done whatever it is that you kind of had in mind?

Well, this is one of those projects. I think I accomplished the underwater theme and it definitely used a lot of melted wax. And, I actually like it. I'm not too sure what I'll do with it or where I'll put it. But, I really like that I found the cute little plastic fish with the big eyeball during my gathering process.

Last week was an exceptionally busy week. Ever notice that, during an exceptionally busy time, something major happens in your household that has to take priority over everything else? Our cockatoo, Bailey, got sick. He stopped eating, stopped playing, stopped talking and his stool droppings were discolored. This was reminding me too much of years ago when my children were little. He was definitely one sick birdy and if you don't know much about birds, rest assured that it doesn't take a long time for them to perish from dehydration or lack of nutrition.

Our feisty, strong-willed cockatoo had become relatively docile; he generally doesn't hold still for his checkups but didn't argue much about having a cold stethoscope pressed against his body and barely flinched when our vet, Gina Robinson, checked his nasal cavities and throat (...say "ahh-h-h-h...").

Blood and stool samples were taken. Thank Goodness he didn't have anything immediately life threatening, but he did have a nasty staph infection that we are treating with antibiotics and now he's back to his noisy, raucous, playful self.

This next picture probably looks very boring. Big deal, sheets on a clothesline, right? Wrong! It only took me a few short years of begging before Hubby finally got around to finding some laundry poles (that part happened early last summer) and getting them cemented into the ground (this happened last week). I celebrated by annointing the lines with just-washed bedding. Yaaaay! I've said it before, I'll say it again - It's the little things, Girls...

You've seen my win, my bird with his bug and now to reveal the dodo bird part of this post. Maybe I should call it dodo bird brain. See this cute little clothespin bag I made? Isn't it sweet? This is the front side...

(BTW, if you know me at all, you'll know the only time I use a pattern for anything is when I'm making clothes for myself or the grandkids.) ...and here's the reverse side...

Notice anything strange? Here's a hint: Do you see an opening for the clothespins? *sigh* Me, neither. An easy fix, but I still can't believe that I did that! Or, didn't do that, whichever way you want to look at it.

And finally, what you've REALLY been waiting to find out - the WINNER for my March Blog Giftaway is: MICHELE of Country Vintage! Michele is a great gal and a loyal commenter, just several of you and this is the first time she's won one of my Giftaways! So, congratulations, Michele and as for the rest of you, keep reading (I miss you when you don't come around) and commenting (I love to hear from you!).

Hugs and blessings,

Sher

SURPRISE - It's not a surprise!

Isn't this vintage cream pitcher adorable?   And this ceramic serving dish was made (well, painted) by someone in 1969.  How do I know?  It's signed and dated at the bottom.  But those two items aren't the surprise that isn't a surprise.  I just listed them and an oh, so sweet dolly outfit that someone took the care to crochet on my Etsy.  

HERE is your non-surprise (part of it): ...a feedsack towel and a wooden-and-ceramic trinket box... ...a vintage apron (don't look too closely, I haven't ironed it yet - but what a great pocket it has! You can look at it, it's pleated and kind of moon-shaped)... ...and this tiny little pitcher and saucer (it's only about 3 1/2" tall).  

Get it yet?  Okay, I'll tell you.  The last three pictures are items that are included in this month's blog giftaway.  The surprise is, this month's items aren't a surprise because I actually remembered to post them!  Thus, a nonsurprise.

To be eligible, just post a comment.  

Friday Flea Market and Giftaway Info!

  It's Friday and that means it's Flea Market Time!  Instead of listing the items I have for sale , I've decided to just post my Etsy Shoppe link and hope you have the time to visit there.  However, I'm running a special for those of you who read my blog; if you see anything you like, let me know and you can have it for 15% off!  Just let me know that you saw the offer on this blog!

Please click on the polka-dotted logo to see a listing of all the participants!  

Remember that last month's Giftaway was a surprise package?  Well, Dummy here forgot to take a picture of the surprises before she mailed them out.  Last month's winner, Patricia Rose, posted a picture on her blog and I've "borrowed" it:    She said she thinks the big fuzzy bee is quite a character and put it next to her computer, as it makes her smile when she looks at it.  

Remember, all you need to do to qualify for my monthly Giftaway is leave a comment on this blog!  Just wait until you see what I have planned for March!  

Wishing you an abundance of blessings for the weekend!

Hugs,

Sher

Crowded Studios, Spring is Sprung and February's Winner

Spring is here, for about the third time this year!  The high today is above the mid-70's.  

I thought I'd show you this yellow crocus  from the prospective of a tiny fairy.  Although we have many colors, my yellow crocus is always the first to bloom.

Don't they look happy to be above ground?

I can almost hear them cheering, "We're free!  We're not buried in the dark anymore and it's beautiful and we're free!"  

A thought befitting a beautiful Sunday, don't you think?

I listed a few things on Etsy last week:  Like these three oatmeal juice glasses, for example.  I also listed two oatmeal whiskey glasses.

They're called oatmeal glasses because they used to be buried in the middle of oatmeal boxes.  Can you imagine opening up oatmeal today and finding such a glass?  I wonder what the FDA would have to say about such a notion.  Anyway, I digress.  They're beautiful glasses and were designed by Anchor Hocking.  I believe it was during the 1950's that people were buying oatmeal to get a collection of this pattern.  It was about the same time that Dreft detergent was including a bath towel in their boxes.  

     I remember it like it was yesterday

Of course, I don't remember any of this.  I was much too young.  

I listed this peahen trinket box, too, as well as a couple of my altered tobacco tins.  If you get a chance, click on the images or HERE to see my listings.  I'll be adding more goodies throughout the week.  

Remember that, in my last post, I challenged you to post pictures of your uncleaned craft/sewing/art studio?  A couple brave souls raised to the challenge!  DEB is always a good sport . Click HERE to see her area and after you visit her, click HERE to go to Michelle's Country Vintage Blog.

     She's another good sport who's not afraid of falling objects.

     If you know of any others who responded that I don't know about, please let me know so I can post their link here on this blog.

     Okay, start your drum rolls!  Time to announce the February winner!!!  (Notice how late  I am this time - later than normal???  The short month messed up my internal calendar.)  

     The WINNER for February is PATRICIA of PATRICIA ROSE!

     She has no idea what she has won because I didn't post pictures!  I figure, why spoil the surprise and post now?  So, Patricia, if you email me your snail addy (Miller.sher@yahoo.com), I'll get your package in the mail to you!

     Meanwhile, I'll try to be on top of things for the March Giftaway!  What will it be?  *Hint* - I'm still thinning out my supply of aprons.  Stay tuned!  ;)  Have a blessed week, all of you!

Sorry, I've been MIA - is it too late to wish you Happy New Year?

     Here it is, the second week of the year and here I am with my first post of the year!  For someone who really wanted to see 2008 end, I have really been slow to get started with 2009.  Thanks to those of you who have taken the time to check on me; my family and I are fine - the past two or three weeks have been a stretch of time where my get-up-and-go truly got up and went and forgot to tell me where it was going.

     We had about a ton of rain the other night (okay, maybe half a ton) - enough that my hubby was concerned the creek might flood its banks.  He went out to check on it and look what he saw:    No, not a snake.  Here's another shot:    Can you make it out?  There was actually a pair of them - salamanders!   And they were huge!  He put a Coke can on the ground before he took the pictures so I could see how large they were.  They were at least twice as long as the can.  

    The two of us will be heading out again for Indiana in just a few short days.  My grandson will be born January 16 (if not before).  I'll be taking sewing supplies with me, along with my camera(s) because I'm STILL working on a few items I wanted to put together BEFORE Christmas.  That lets you know how far behind I've allowed myself to get.

   I have somehow managed to do a few florals for Valentine's Day.  They've proven to be pretty popular at the shop (the Corner Nest in Elizabethton, TN) in the past and I've already sold some.  Here are a couple I've made:

     

I ended up putting a couple taller flower stems in the baby shoe.  It looks really sweet.  Too bad I have no idea where the other shoe is.  

I've been hand-dipping individual florals and stuffed cloth hearts into scented wax and I love the primitive look of them.  If you have silk flowers that have lost their shape, try dipping them into wax and allowing them to dry upside down.  

This old teapot was in a boxlot I recently purchased at an estate sale.  It didn't have a lid and the handle had been broken but mended.  I love the windmill design and of course you know how I don't like loading up our landfills with items that still have some kind of reusable value.  I've added these and a few others to my Webshots album if you want to take a look.  I'll try to get the rest uploaded in the morning.  

    Finally, are you wondering whether I had a monthly Giftaway last month that you missed?  Well, I decided not to have one because it was such a busy month for all of us.  But, yes, there will be one this month and here's one item that will be included:

Isn't it cute?  A handpainted wicker cup and saucer!  Yes, there will be a bundle of other items included, as usual.  So, stay tuned and be sure to leave a comment to be eligible for the drawing.  All of you who commented in the month of December will receive extra chances for the January Giftaway, so keep commenting!

And, have a very blessed and Happy 2009!

More Photos Added & November's Giftaway

 I'm just a photo-snappin' fool!   As usual, we forgot a couple items that we had planned to take to the shop before this weekend, so guess where I went yesterday?  At least, I remembered the camera!  I added more shots to my "Preparing for Santa" album on Webshots.  If you want to see the new pix, you can start HERE so you won't have to go through the ones you've already seen!

     We put a tree in another of our rooms and decorated it with mostly handmade ornaments (ornies).  This tree is decorated with 100% primitives.  It has a couple rubber band guns stuffed in it but you can't see them in this picture.  

     Do you recognize my work?

    

   These photos are all on my Webshots album but I wanted you to see how the shabby ornaments look on my lime green tree:   

     It's decorated with all pink, white or green ornaments.  We bought this tree a few years ago at Menard's in Indiana and you wouldn't believe the number of people who want to buy it! (We don't have a Menard's in Tennessee, so Menard's, if you're reading this...hint*hint...)

     Now, let's talk about this blog's November Giftaway:  I messed up on the October Giftaway - I failed to include a Thanksgiving themed item!  So, for November, you know that the only thing to do is to include TWO Christmas-themed items to make up for Thanksgiving.  If you followed this line of thinking, you must be either as old or confused as I am.

     

     So, what will those two items be?  I'm leaving it up to you - leave a comment letting me know whether you prefer primitive or shabby.  

     Either way, you will be receiving this item within your package:  

  

     I hope you love it as much as I do!  

     And no, that's not all.  You know me - I'll be adding more to this Giftaway later.  What will it be?  Hmmm...I do need to think about sharing more of my vintage aprons.  But who knows?

    Just leave a message!  If you don't have a blog, be sure to let me know how you can be reached if YOU win!  And, be sure to let me know your preference - primitive or shabby!

This Month's Giftaway, Playing with Google & Welcoming Fall

     Okay, here it is - the complete Giftaway package for this month!    You already knew about these two items:        But you didn't know the package will also include this absolutely adorable little pink and white crochet apron that was handmade probably (I'm guessing) some time back in the '50's.     Isn't it cute??   The lucky winner will also get a little "bling".  I'm adding in this retro spring-wire bead necklace (it's comfortable to wear and easy to put on because there are no snaps!)     AND this sweet little hearts bracelet.  It's not signed but I'm guessing it's probably retro, too.  Don't worry whether it will fit because you have a large wrist; I have large hands and it slips over them!  Good luck to all of you who leave comments!

  Oh - regardless of where you live, you are eligible to win when you leave a message.  So, whether you are in Japan, Thailand or even Nebraska (just kidding, Nebraska!) you are eligible!        Have you checked out the goodies that Google has to offer?  I've been loving Google Docs (access it through igoogle by signing into your Google account - if you don't have one, create one and play!) for quite awhile now and, just the other day, decided to check out Google Reader.  I love it!  You can list all your favorite blogs and will be notified when they are updated!  My morning routine was to sit down at the computer and click on each and every one of my favorites, checking whether they had been updated - a simple but time consuming little task.  This is soo  much simpler, not to mention timesaving.  And yesterday morning I finally downloaded their browser (Google Chrome).  It took a few minutes for me to get used to it and am deciding that I'm loving it, too.      I love the tab browsing feature that Firefox has but I have had major problems with Firefox crashing and don't even open it anymore.  Internet Explorer is nice because it's familiar and "comfortable" to me but it doesn't have tab browsing and more importantly, it's not secure.  So, I'll use this Google browser for awhile and see how it goes.      And no, I'm not being paid nor even urged by Google to talk about them.  I'm also loving this cool Autumn weather!  It invigorates me; I used to look so forward to Summer but, in the last few years, I've decided it is not fun to move around my yard with my clothes sticking to me, frizzy hair and perspiration dripping from each of my cells.   So the other day I was rummaging around the attic and found this old cinnamon scented broom (with the scent long gone) and decided to turn it into a really simple trash-to-treasure project that could help me welcome Fall.  Before we go on, let's pause for a show of hands.  How many of you have had one of these brooms in your possession at least once in your life?  Uh-huh.  That's what I thought.  Okay, now be honest - how many of you have stuffed at least one of them deep in  your trash?  Okay, that was no surprise, either. Okay, let's do something with them.  Grab some ribbon or a strip of fabric, your glue gun and your imagination.  Here's what I did with mine:  Here's a closer look: That's all for now!  Be sure to leave a comment so you'll be eligible for this month's Giftaway before you go!

More on this Month's Giftaway and a Candle-lier Redo

Not too far from here is a little old farmhouse that has been abandoned for several years. The exterior shows obvious signs of neglect. The wood planks that make up the front porch have curled up in areas like a perm gone bad; much of the paint has been beaten off by the weather and the roof - well, the roof looks like you would expect the tin roof of an old abandoned place to look.

Still, the house holds some form of mystery for me. It's in an area of town where one would not expect an empty house to sit for years on end. The lawn stays mowed, yet the house remains unoccupied.

Now, imagine me driving my van past the house today, past a small sign in the yard that reads, "Yard Sale". Yard sale??? Now, imagine how quickly I found a place in the road wide enough to negotiate a U-turn.

I was greeted by a sweet elderly couple who was obviously happy to share a story, their story - anybody's story, actually - to anyone willing to listen. They had just celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary last week. She was 77 years old; he was 84. The best anniversary gift, she told me, was the one the doctor gave them yesterday when he told her husband he would no longer need cancer treatments. He was cancer free. She clasped her tiny hands as she gave praises to God. Her excitement was contagious and I had to hug this sweet stranger.

They told me that they had purchased this house four years ago. He was much more spry then than he is now, her husband told me. The repairs would probably take him awhile to do. The people who used to live there were "really old" when they died, she explained. I had to wonder how old "really old" was to this 77 year old youngster. She told me matter-of-factly the house had been in that family for years, until everyone got old and died. All except for the son, who had promised them that, if he ever wanted to sell the place, he would give them first dibbs. The house came with all that was in it. Although I didn't see a lot of furniture, there were piles of books, window coverings, Christmas ornaments and items that had been handmade by the unnamed lady of the house. She had obviously been skilled in crochet, knitting and sewing. Piles of handwoven place mats, old but never used, were spread across a dining room table. It was in the midst of these place mats that I found these aprons.

Well, to make a long story not quite so long, the aprons made it home with me. And why am I telling you this story? Because it affects YOU, if you choose to get in on this month's Giftaway. In addition to the items I've already told you will be included, the winner will get to choose one of these sweet vintage aprons (I'm guessing they were made in the 40's or early 50's) as part of their prize. Apron Selection - August Giftaway

And all you have to do to be eligible is comment!

I've had this black iron hanging candle rack drifting around in the shops for almost two years. I finally decided it needed a facelift, a whole new look. So, I brought it home, hung it in the tree and thanks to magic fairy dust in the form of white spray paint, Phase One was about to begin. (Okay, call it Phase Two if you want to count Phase One as covering up the copper flame protectors.) The final stage was to sew sleeves to cover the chains, slip them into place and add candles. Oh, and to add a strand of little bubble-bauble things...

It's probably hard for you to get the full idea of this little changeover, as I took the picture this morning after hanging it in the shop.

What do you think? Tell me the truth, I can take it. Actually, I probably couldn't take it if the truth is that it looked better before. But then, it did hang in the shop for almost two years... Okay, tell me the truth. Really.