A Winner, Some Progress and some Finds

Dear friends,

I'm sorry I'm late in posting the winner - it's been all kinds of crazy 'round here. I haven't had time to really read or comment too much but I hope to remedy that soon. This was an easy draw - only 34 comments and not everyone was interested so I just asked Rob to pick a number between 1 and 34. My random number generator, Rob picked lucky number 13! Guess what, lucky number 13, SIOBHAN passed so I had to ask him to pick again..... Lucky number 20! That's you, MICHELE!! If you will please email me your address, I'll get this out as soon as I can. I guess Miss Kitty is not overly popular but I hope you'll like her, Michelle. I enjoyed making her!

Here's my progress on Be Kind & Be True. I was going great guns and then kind of hit a wall - did a bit of beading and a few other things but will get back to it soon (maybe tonight)! I've got to re-do their eyes - they're kind of lopsided (like mine) one is bigger than the other (like mine) and they're just plain wonky (like mine). Heck, maybe I'll just leave 'em be.


Here are a few of the goodies I've found at estate sales and antique markets of late. Love the little suitcases and the red one with the label inside is my favorite.

This one is black, faux croc with a great lucite handle.


This is the red one - the red in the 2nd picture is a more true reflection of the color.



Love these glass shakers full of bells, beads and pearls:


I found this pretty sewing basket at an estate sale with my friend, Sheila. Isn't it pretty? I always feel kind of bad going into an estate sale and plowing thru peoples things. The things at the sale are those items nobody wanted. I always feel good when I find something like this that is obvious the owner loved and took care of. I will give it a good home!



This is what I'm totally jonesing for right now - the Desert Rose dishes by Franciscan. These were at the same estate sale as the basket - I love that woman's taste but these were a bit cost prohibitive. These were the really pretty, older ones that were made in the USA. Anyone have these that they don't want? I'd love to give them a good home!
These are the dishes that Jackie Kennedy chose for Air Force 1 which is what helped make them so popular in the 60's. I am so crazy about these that I'll start collecting one at a time if I have to. One of these days, I'll have a full set. I don't want the newer ones though. I want the vintage ones. You gotta start somewhere, right? So far, I have the salt and pepper shakers. Not much of a start but a start.

I found this sewing box at the Salvation Army for next to nothing. I couldn't pass it up and it makes a perfect side table and keeps all my sewing needs close at hand. I am going to have to do some room rearranging but I couldn't let this go.


Still has the made in Norway label.

These goodies were all bargains (wish the dishes had been) but oh well.... I just love finding a bargain!!! One persons junk is most definitely someone else's treasure. I am not a hoarder. I am not a hoarder. Do you hear me, Julie? I am not a hoarder.

Finally, I'd like to leave you with a picture of Sophie and Gracie enjoying our fabulous Michigan weather:
Here's Gracie sprawled out on the patio. No hip problems here!


And here's Miss Sophie surveying her kingdom (such as it is):


I hope you're all having a lovely summer - we're enjoying PERFECT Michigan weather right now - high 70's, breezy and fabulous. Speaking of which, it's getting time for our evening walk so I'm going to have to wrap this up. Sophie is very demanding!

Thanks for stopping by and for your sweet notes, too! I hope you have a great rest of the week and a wonderful 4th of July weekend if you're in the US!

Peace,
Terri

Lo, a Lone, Red, Rose!

Dear friends,

I love to putter in the garden. I'm not an expert by any stretch of the imagination; I just kind of stick things in the ground and they grow or they don't. I've planted a couple of rose bushes but I've never had one do this.... it's a yellow rose bush with one red rose coming from the main trunk. Have you ever seen this? This is on the side of my house and it is the only rose bush in sight. I do have a red rose bush in the front of the house but they are quite a distance from each other. This is the third year I've had this and it's the first time it has ever given me a red rose. Nope, the neighbors don't have ANY rose bushes! Anyway, here's a pic:


I got a wonderful package from FAYE!!! last week. I was lucky enough to win one of the pincushions she made! Isn't it wonderful? It is so pretty and has such a good weight to it and the colors are fabulous. Look:

How pretty is that? And look, the back is just as pretty!

The little pins she sent with it, were all tucked neatly in the hand made card and all wrapped up so pretty. I couldn't wait though and put them right in their new home. Aren't they just the prettiest, little things?! Thank you so much, Faye! I am absolutely thrilled to have this to add to my craft studio! If by chance, you haven't visited Faye's blog, please go have a look - she does the most beautiful work and has a post of her patriotic tree up right now that is so awesome - I'm green with envy!

I had my son draw a name from all those who commented on my last post and, once I confirmed that they had also commented on ANDREA's BLOG! I could announce the winner. The name Tyler picked is VINNIEY! Hey Vinniey, if you're reading this, please shoot me an email with your mailing address so I can mail you the chart. Thanks to all of you for playing along and a special thanks to Andrea for making it all possible. If you you've never visited Vinniey's blog - please go have a look. It's another wonderfully inspiring blog!

Do you recall when MELISSA & JANE stitched Be Kind & Be True as a stitchalong? Well, I fell in love with the sampler and just knew I had to do it one day! Well, that day has come because sweet Melissa sent me her chart. I started it this weekend and so far so good. Well, except for the part where I stitched the 0 too high and had to frog it. I'll fix that tonight and then move on. Thank you so much Melissa for sending me the chart - I am really going to enjoy this one. I, unlike my normal self, am stitching this exactly as charted with the called for DMC floss. It is on a piece of 32 count linen from SB but I have no idea the color name. I gotta tell you though - it looks huge to me after working on my Texie sampler on 35 count linen. Who would have thought that 3 threads per inch would make that much difference? Of course, the good part is, it's a lot easier on my old and tired eyes! I started this on Friday night and this is where I ended up earlier today:


Well, that's all the news that is news. Thank you for all the comments on my last post - I really appreciate them! The truth is, I look forward to checking to see if I got a new one (comment, that is). Do you do that, too? That thrill of blogging has not gotten old.

Have a great week dear friends - and go make some fun where you can!!

Peace,
Terri