Which one do you like?

Well, I did it.  I cut the old quilt.  Just a corner for now - until I decide the best way to use it some more.  I was like a little kid trying out scissors on their bangs for the first time when I started, but it didn't take me long to just cut.  Before I started, I "had a little talk" with the quilter who made this quilt and explained that I wanted to share her work with other people and make sure that it didn't just get thrown away.  I think we came to an understanding.  
Now I am wondering which style of heart people like best.  I think the one on the right looks more prim, but I really like the one on the left, too.  I am planning to add some little touches to them over the weekend, but I wanted to show what I've done so far.  

My husband and I found the springs in a mattress in a dump.  They aren't the older kind, but I think they'll work just fine. I could rust them a little more, but not sure I want to.

 We are going back for more, but I had to prove to him that I would use them first...  I can't believe he doubted that.  

Oh, wait, he's seen my pile of unfinished projects.  

I think I am seeing a connection here. Uh oh. :O

Here is a little door-knob hanger that I made from the quilt, too.  The pictures show both sides of it.

I seriously need a distraction...

... from "pink eye" in both eyes!  Yes, both eyes.  

"Itchy, itchy, I feel twitchy." 

(Have you ever seen the book, Itchy, Itchy Chicken Pox ?) 

Well, this reminds me of how the kid in that book feels!

Ok, now that I am done whining, I'll share some pictures of my laundry room.  My husband is the brains, brawn, and designer of this little room.  It's actually a pass-through room to our garage, but he turned it into a really nice spot to do laundry.  He designed and built the cabinets and shelf, too.  Amazing.  But again, I am biased.

I love my pocket door!

The door to the garage needs painting and trim work.
So easy to put at the bottom of the list when it's in the laundry room...

Cabinets designed and built by my husband.

My primitive laundry by Mammy's Treasures.
I think good thoughts for her every time I do laundry.

My little quilt quilt. : )
It's a paper pieced pattern my MH Designs.

I bought this sign before I even had my new laundry room.
Just fell in love with it and couldn't leave it at the store.

Found this in an attic.  I love old school things!
I spelled "Welcome", but the men of the house changed it.  : )
The top red part says "Fox's A B C Black Board".
There are numbers on the back for doing math.

Wise words to think about.

And now if I have an ounce of common sense, I'll get away from this computer and do a little laundry.  And maybe sew a little.  I have some very near to finished projects to share soon!

Check out this new blog hosting a giveaway!

Marcy over at W H Baxter & Co. is having her first New Blog Giveaway.   There are lots of ways to get chances to win this adorable bunny.  Doesn't he look like Spring?!  If you go over and sign up be sure to mention that you heard about Marcy's blog from me.   :)   


And I must add that this was a fun thing to see when I got home from taking my young man back to college.  I kind of hate to see the new semester start, but I'm glad he is loving college and is happy where he is.  (But I hope he wants to come home for a few weekends before the end of the term...)

Did you ever...

...just want to take everything out of your house and put it on the front lawn and have a do-over?  This would not be in my best interest today as there  is a lovely snow falling and it would be chilly and wet.  However, that is how I am feeling.  I really do love my home and my "things" for the most part.  I enjoy my furniture, I still like the pictures and decorative accents that I have purchased over the years.  (The ones I fall out of like with get taken to Goodwill or Salvation Army pretty quickly any more so someone else can adopt them.) But I am really challenged when it comes to arranging said items.  I could really use a class or something.  I look at all of the lovely pictures that other people post (THANK YOU!), and then I look at my rooms and feel like things just aren't where they should be or something.  Does anyone else out there have this issue, or is this yet another one of the many qualities that make me what we will politely refer to as "unique"?

Prettier than I deserve...

Just wanted to pop on and share what my husband made this week.  He used only scraps of wood he had left over from other jobs.  He really is an amazing carpenter (yes I am a little biased).  This little gas fireplace is in my sewing room which is actually a pretty big room so now I have to arrange things so there' s a nice little sitting area.  And I need to get the sewing area cleaned up better - I mean a room that has this in it should look more than presentable I think!

The fireplace sits in a corner which makes the decorating of the top a little challenging.
Any suggestions?

Here's close-up of the detail he added.

Now I want to get the room painted - we've been talking about it for a while now.  We started to paint it a few years ago - hence the burgundy color on the bottom portion of the wall, but we didn't follow through with the top color(was going to be a tan shade).  Now it all needs to be done again I think.   And I want to put new carpeting in - but that's really pushing my luck.  I'd go with a wood floor, but this room is over our unheated garage.  The floor gets pretty chilly in the winter.

My husband is scheduled to begin building a house for someone this Spring.  Wonder what my chances are of getting some painting done before the thaw?  I've been so enjoying all the beautiful painting that Dan has done over at Yesterday Once More, and it's making me want to give my walls a drink.  They've been the same color (mostly antique white) for almost 20 years now.  Isn't that long enough?  

Suggestions Welcome... And another finish :)

I have been thinking about doing the unthinkable...  

I have had this quilt that I rescued from the corner of an attic for lots of years now.  It is pretty rag-taggely, and I don't think there is any real repair.  This might be authentic prim stuff here.  But it's not usable and I am thinking about cutting it up to make ornies of one kind or another.  Currently I have been eyeing it up for some Valentine ornies, but I'm feeling a little funny about cutting up a piece of history.  Stupid, huh?  Can't use it like it is, might enjoy it the other way, but still hesitating.  I need a pep talk!  Along with some suggestions about how you would use it if you had it in your possession.  Thanks!

Also, for those of you who read this post and said to yourself, "What is she thinking of another project for?  She has so many UFO's!"  Well, I have one less UFO.  I finished the I Spy quilt binding!

So clearly I should be rewarded with a fresh project to think about...  Hey, I am following the Dilly-Dally approach... what can I say?!

Letting go of Christmas and moving on to snowmen

For the last couple of years I have been putting out Christmas decorations in December and saving back snowmen for January.  This year especially I kept things pretty simple and didn't put out a lot of my decorations. I actually like doing it this way because then when I get the decorations out the next year I find "old friends" and they feel like new things to use.  (I'm a little simple-minded at times...)  Here are some pictures of my December/January decorations.  
The first three pictures show my favorite Christmas pictures.  I leave these out for the whole winter.  They are pastels that we had done by a very talented woman in our town.  You can see her website here.  We also have a series that she did of our son fishing on a little family vacation we took.  I'll post those with some Spring pictures later. 

This one is my absolute favorite.  She captured joy on my husband's face perfectly.

It's not really a Christmas picture, but I call this one "A Gift for the Baby"
because it makes me think of Jesus in the manger.  

Our little Christmas tree in Clinton's red wagon.

I got this for gift at school this year.  The kids stood around it in my
classroom and pretended to warm their hands.
That gave me joy. :)

I took the red ornaments off the garland and left the lights and garland on the railing.  
Actually, I have lights and garland of some kind on the railing year round.
I hope the white light maker people never figure out that they could
charge therapy prices for those little twinklers. : )

The switchover from Santa cookie jar to Snowman cookie jar.  These are Nancy Halvorsen patterns (Art to Heart).

Some favorite snowman things.  I love the little burn barrel especially.
The two on each end get tealights and they look so cozy when they are all aglow. 

 

This is my mantel.  It's tricky to decorate because it's set into a corner.
The airplane is thinking about flying away to a new location soon,
but my husband doesn't know that yet...

I know the "Pledge of Allegiance" isn't particularly Christmas or winter,
but at our house we think it's an every day thing. : )
The snowman on the left is also an Art to Heart pattern.  He fits over a 2-liter bottle.

The plate above the shelf was done by by husband's great aunt.
We have a collection of four, one for each season
and I love getting each one out as the seasons change.

I found some joy while I was getting the snowmen out last night. : )

This is one of my favorite quilts that I've made.  See, I do finish things occasionally! 

And another New Year's finish! 

I'm planning to use it for a table topper 

or wallhanging in late summer/fall.

Joy!