Thursday, January 31, 2013

YABBA DABBA DOOOOOO....



 
YABBA DABBA DOOOOO !!!!!
 
Finally because of Linda and Ana of  Lanas de Ana some incentive to MAKE ME use up some of this atrocious yarn that I have been blessed with......That doesn't sound very gracious when this was given to me in good faith. Doing charity work a lot of different yarn comes my way. This will be a challenge to see what all I can do with it. I see a lot of hats and scarves....I up to the challenge to see what all I can put together and make it all compatible, I have more that I didn't photograph :-) I was the 82nd person to join I think....It will be fun to see who comes up with what.
 


Wednesday, January 30, 2013

JOYful surprise.....


Look what Christy dropped off at work for my homeless mission !!  I came back from lunch to find these soft and yummycrocheted  hats and scarves for wee ones.  Oh what a nice mid-day surprise it was.  Thank you Christy !! 


Sunday, January 27, 2013

For the love of glass.....

I am a glass and rock nut !! For some reason I am attracted to both. What makes it even better is that the two go together well.
 
 
I got the idea when my husband put these rocks. native to Colorado, in one of our flower beds a couple of years ago. I have made stepping stones for quite some time making my own pavers but this gave me a whole different and "funner', avenue.
 
 
Then I started poking around in the surrounding woods for rocks with flat surfaces and came up with ones that look like these.......
 
 
....but before these I did some mosaic pieces like this.....
 
 
one of my many stepping stones looks like this....
 
 
Then I went on the magic of bottle trees. The story behind them started a looooooong time ago in the  southern states with slavery. The slaves believed that the pretty colors of the bottles would attract the evil spirits which in turn would get inside the bottles and be forever trapped. Trust me....with as many bottles as I have on this property I have no evil spirits :-)
 
Here are a couple.....
 
 
 
I haven't done any mosaic pieces of late. I usually only do them in summer. I work in an area of my shop that usually only I go into which is a good thing because if I don't keep it all vacuumed up someone is liable to get a sliver in hand or foot. Believe me when I say that all my pieces contain a piece of me....my blood!! I don't know how many times I have been cut. I aways try to hide that part because my husband does not like me messing with glass. I am good to wear my goggles but gloves are to cumbersome and don't work well.
 
So....do you want to give it a try?? I encourage you to do so....it is way fun!!
 
 
 

Saturday, January 26, 2013

A quiet Saturday....

 
Hubby is sick today and is in bed. I, on the other hand, got up early (as usual) turned on my fairy lights....LOVE the fairly lights
 
 
made myself some tea.....
 
 
after checking out the blogs I follow I decided to make some biscuits. My biscuits contain no lard nor butter, nothing to "cut" in. I only use my organic bread flour, salt, baking powder and buttermilk. If you might be interested in the recipe just give me a holler. It is a recipe all my own.
 
 
If I do say so myself, they are DELISH!!  They are a soft, chewy biscuit.
 
The pot holders are made from wool and then felted.
Ahhhh....another idea for my 2013 "Christmas Box".
 
 
A little later I made chicken and rice soup. Chicken soup IS good when your not feeling well. I read somewhere that it is not a wives tale of old, that it does have healing qualities.
 
 
 

 
I then went on to make these little cuties that Jacquie posted from her blog  bunnymummy.blogspot.com. There other brother is hanging from another plant but he didn't get his picture taken :-)
 

 
I didn't quite have this one done from last week so I finished it up. This pattern came from Lucy @ attic24.typepad.com
 
 
 
I took the non edible fatty stuff from the chicken and rice soup to the cat we adopted last week. I was at work and saw her wondering around and could tell she was quite friendly. I also new she was a stray so I thought.... how would you like to come home with me?? She said okay and away we went. She is very skinny and needs some winter fat on her. You can feel her little hip bones and such. A month of so with mama janie and she'll be as good as new!! We live in the country so we have trouble with mice and the like. I am suppose to be getting a couple more so she'll have company soon.
 
There you have my day....
 
The movie Jerimiah Johnson with Robert Redford is on the TV for about the 10th time in 5 years!!! My husband can watch re-runs like no other. Be glad when he's feeling better and I won't have to be so nice anymore  :-)

 


 
 
 
 

Monday, January 21, 2013

ahhhhhhh....a three day weekend.....

 
I wanted a new purse so I went hunting on the Internet. Found this pattern and said, "yes, this is the one".
 
 
Got out ol' Lucy......
my 1949 little jewel.
 
 
Went to cutting and marking.....
 
 
She is just the right size with lots of inside compartments and the ties will loosen for more storage.
 
Ya gotta love a 3 day weekend.....

groovin' on vintage.....

 
I have gotten the word out about my homeless project so from time to time people give me yarn. I had a friend give me her grandmothers yarn stash. Almost all of it is from the 60's and 70's and we are talkin' WOW....
 
 
This picture does not EVEN begin to show the "florescent" colors shall we say.....
 
 
This is a fun scarf pattern that is a quick "do". I got the pattern off Etsy. The pattern is created by simplybrenna@etsy.com. It is a great pattern and I would highly recommend. It give directions using 2 different types of yarn ad hook size. I used it for gifts over the holidays and was very pleased. You need to check her out.

Sunday, January 20, 2013

Naked Juice....

 
 
Have you ever bought Naked Juice from the grocery store only to pick it up and say "Ye Gads Gerttie"!!! This stuff is good for you but that is a hefty price to pay?? Well I have my own solution for this. By putting the above ingredients in my so handy-dandy Vita Mix I am able to create my own "potion".  You can add any combination you'd like. I use water or ice cubes to thin down and it is yummy!! I have used berries that are in season, different fruit. Frozen fruits work great!! This weekend I couldn't buy any fresh spinach so I used dark leaf lettuce and kale, just as good!! This drink is good to keep the pipes clean....so to speak :-)
 
 
I then put it in containers and throw a jar in my lunch sack for work. Before turning up your nose, as many do, try it...you might like it!!


Thursday, January 17, 2013

Are you a Nettie Potter???

 
 
I was going to go to the local Drug Store to purchase the usual mix for my nettie pot when I had this "vision". I thought there is  a recipe for everything, how hard can this be?  I asked myself.  Sure enough.... you can "google" anything...I made the mixture myself using  this recipe:
 
1 1/4 cup non-iodized salt ( I used sea salt)
6 TBL of baking soda
 
Mix both in a container. When you want use a "snort" just mix 1/2 tsp with 8 ounces of tepid water. Don't use tap water, go buy a cheap gallon of distilled water. There you have it !!


Saturday, January 12, 2013

Something to make you giggle and add some JOY!!

 
 

 

I just had to share these. I am a REALLY BIG animal person and these really made me giggle out loud!! I think they are Far Side cards. Would love to find a store that sold them. Will have to check that out my next trip to Springfield.

2013 Homeless project.....

 
My stash of hats and scarves for my 2013 homeless project is slowly growing and growing!! I LOVE LOVE LOVE to crochet these puppies!! Anyone that wants to help can join in!!
 
 
 
I crochet just about every lunch hour of the week. My yarn and hook are the last item thrown in my lunch bag. I feel "cheated" if I don't at least get to crochet at least one row!!
 

Sunday, January 6, 2013

Same product.....new twist....

Here's a new twist on using products other than intended. I was cooking some quiona this morning and instead of paying attention, i.e. not playing on the computer, it burnt !! It was a mess. I remembered my son telling me about soaking such messes with fabric softener sheets. I had tried it before with much success and walla... It worked again !! After it soaked for a little while it washed right up.
 
Now it was on to the laundry. Here about a week  ago I learned that vinegar makes a good fabric softener. That too works, and no, your clothes don't come out smelling like vinegar !!
 
I have twice now made my own laundry soap. But I have found that the only way to grate the soap is TO HAND GRATE IT. I almost burned up my vita mix trying it an easier way. Talk about an expensive error !!  So glad that little voice told me to stop !!

Saturday, January 5, 2013

Driving with color.......


I made this using a pattern that I think I got from  www.attic24.typepad.com. I used cotton yarn that I got from www.hobbylobby, which by the way is my favorite kind of cotton to use !! My husband isn't to thrilled to have it there because sometimes I let him drive Lucy my Subaru, Lucy. Yea....that's what I named her. I make it adhere to the steering wheel using Aileens tack it over and over, got that at hobby lobby too !! That way when he is by himself he can remove it and I can put it back on!! It is fun and cheery to look at while driving. You need to make ya one !!


Thursday, January 3, 2013

Have you ever.....

 
.......wondered what it would be like to be homeless?? We have nice warm homes, food to eat, dry clothes. What would you do if suddenly you no longer had these items? I was thinking about that one night almost 3 years ago. I went outside with no hat or scarf, only a jacket.  It was cold, dark and a little unnerving. That's when I decided to start my mission for the "homeless".  I knew a guy here in town that had mentioned how he traveled to St. Louis once a month to help feed the homeless living in tents down by the arch. I then got in touch with him and that's how it all started. I was able to make around 50 hats by myself that year to send when he went in October.  I told some local ladies about what I was doing and asked for help. I then sent out a couple of letters to other surrounding churches and in 2012 we were able to distribute almost 200 hats and scarves!!! With that many hats and scarves I was able to divide "my cache",  between St. Louis, MO and Springfield, MO!!  Now
 
 THAT IS A JOY!!!
 
SO............ I've started again for 2013. If you would like to help leave me a comment and who knows..... maybe I can deliver even more!! Unfortunately there are homeless everywhere...even in your community. Grab a jacket, go outside and ask yourself the same question...
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

My joys for New Years Day.....

 
 Today I was able to make a traditional southern New Years day meal which consisted of black eyed pea soup (for coins for the new year), cabbage (for money) and ham chunks, some use jowl meat (for love). I am not sure what the corn bread is for but it made it yummy!! I think only in the southern states do they have this tradition....

 
Worked on my Mod Scarf pattern I recently purchased from the Etsy shop of  www.petalstopicots.com. This scarf, also has a matching hat pattern, is made up using DC clusters and is fun to do. I urge you to go have a look at all of Kara's patterns, such a pleasure to deal with.



I was also able to finish working up a fun and cute pattern called Galilee from yet another Etsy shop belonging to Tara @ www.mamachee.etsy.com. This little hat comes in several different sizes and is going to be a baby shower gift on Saturday. It too has a matching scarf. They are both patterns I fall back on for gifts as they are fun and fast!! Thanks Tara!!