A Snowy Friday!

I hope everyone has enjoyed the week and  you are looking forward to the weekend.  It is a snowy day here.  Beautiful!  Sorry if you have to drive in it.  I can now post pictures so I thought I would put the "after" picture of my dining room since the floor was installed.  The installers did a beautiful job!  I finished decorating for Easter this morning.  I have boxes of prims and antiques for our spring garage sale.  Without a family room now we have to down size more.  I hope everyone enjoys their weekend and if they are traveling in the snow be careful!  Tobias, my sweet son in SC, be careful on the roads.  They are expecting freezing rain today!

MOVED!

Another beautiful morning!  Looks like the two weeks we were moving WAS winter.  With a blizzard the roads were closed and we were trying to get to the old house to be there for the movers at 8 am in the morning on December 27th.  We made it and they were great movers.  Richard's Moving Company in Winona moved our furniture with about 15 inches of snow on the ground.  Our neighbor Ed was always the best neighbor and he plowed out our drive so the movers could arrive.  When we arrived at this house a just as kind neighbor had plowed out this drive.  We are so thankful for wonderful people!  Movers put most of our furniture in the garage and after our 24 loads with cars and a truck we brought mostly my "junk" to this house.  Poor Fred.  It snowed every day and we were so weary from hauling 4 or 5 loads every day.  I did have 2 yard sales to get rid of my things, didn't I?  January 2, after cleaning the old house from top to bottom we brought our two last loads in the sunshine from there.  We kissed that great house with a lot of memories "Goodbye" and headed to our new house.  I started cleaning this house on December 20, and haven't stopped yet!  I won't make any comments but...???  I have cleaned and scrubbed every room from ceiling to floor with Clorox and Comet. Some rooms I scrubbed the ceilings 4 times.  Just think what smoking does to a person's lungs when we can see what it does to our surroundings?  Carpet scrubbed twice in every room thanks to my sweet son Blake who came every day to help scrub and paint while he was on vacation.  What a wonderful help he was!  Thank you Blake!  This is a work in progress and we have progressed.  Decided to tear out the carpet after cleaning didn't help.  Our new flooring will be installed in the dining room, kitchen, hall and our bedroom.  Painting those areas were first on the list and they are ready.  I still have more painting to do inside and outside.  At least it is starting to feel like our house and Fred and I always say to each other, "As long as we are together it is home."   More to come when the floor is installed and I can move the remainder of the furniture in.  As my wonderful husband reminds me, "One bite at a time."  I am a little late but HAPPY NEW YEAR!  (For some reason I cannot load a picture now."

Merry Christmas!!

Looks like snow for Christmas! I know my grandson will love it when he visits. I finished my doll but have not found a name for her yet. I used an antique doll head and antiqued it further. Her body is made from cloth and her legs are wooden dowels inside the cloth and attached to the wooden base I made for her. The clay I bought this time did not work as well so instead of my own creation for her face I used the antique head. Her pinafore and hat are antiques. She was not pleased with the dress I made for her so I made another one. Dolls can be tempermental it seems. I am working every day on the new house to prepare it for our move. There is a lot of work to do there and Blake has been helping me since he is on vacation. How did I get so lucky to have such a sweet loving son? He never stops until the job is done! I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!  I hope this time of year is a reminder of all our blessings we each have.  This is a giving time of year and we should extend our loving giving hearts to every day of the year.  God blesses us with many gifts and Jesus the greatest gift, is the reason we celebrate this Christmas season.  With all the sadness in the world around us it is sometimes difficult to find happiness.  Our hearts break for the 26 people who were killed this past week.  What a sad and difficult time for the families of those little children and educators who died.  I pray for the families.  Sometimes our difficulties seem endless in our own lives but there are always others who suffer more.  Have a great week and celebrate Christ's birth every day. 

December birthdays!

This month is always a busy month!  Throw in 4 birthdays, selling our house, buying a new one and call it just crazy!  Yesterday was my middle child's birthday, Tobias.  I always remember hearing about the middle child in the family and he was a true wonderment.  He is the best son and so highly respected.  He is my greatest joy!  Love him beyond measure!  I remember holding him for the first time and seeing his perfect little face.  He was the smallest but now the tallest at 6 ft. 2 in.  Next week I will be trying not to remember it is my birthday and the day after is my youngest son's birthday.  He will be 32!  How does that seem possible?  I remember thinking that night of my birthday in the hospital he would share my birthday but even back then had a mind of his own.  After 8 hours he finally came into the world an hour and a half AFTER my birthday.  He is so sweet and kind.  He is the best son and so highly respected.  He is my greatest joy!  Love him beyond measure!  Now either December 24th or December 26th is my daughter-in-law Andrea's birthday.  Her mother says one day and the records state another.  We just celebrate a wonderful woman!  She has been a joy in our lives and we love her beyond measure!  This Christmas is different.  By now I usually have had the house decorated for a month, cards all sent out, cookies and fruit cake baked, all my shopping done and wrapped.  Yesterday Fred and I signed the final paperwork buying our new house.  After today the woman who owned it has two weeks to move.  Our house sale was final Monday this week.  Thanks to Bobbi for all her excellent work and advice!  She is the best realtor!  Works so hard at everything she does.  Last night Mr. P. and I after signing the final paperwork looked at new flooring, kitchens, bathrooms, lights and doors.  That is a start.  I somehow remember 6 months ago that we wanted to move so we had LESS work to do so we could enjoy our lives.  What happened?  What would we do without work to do?  That reminds me.  I better get the house cleaned, work on a doll and bear I am making and pack!  Happy Holidays and Happy Birthday to Jesus!  He is the reason for the season!!!!

Time flies!

In a few days it will be December.  This year definitely passed quickly.  I put little Bell on eBay last night and she will be headed for her new home today.  Back to cleaning and packing today.  We will be moving before the first of the year.  I was hoping we would be moved before the holidays.  I am hoping we will spend Christmas Eve in our new house.  Christ's birth is the reason we celebrate and it is a magical time.  It seems people are a little kinder this time of year.  I recall the sweet times when the boys were young we would go to church and then drive around to look at the Christmas lights on Christmas Eve.  One Christmas Eve while on our way home we saw a Santa near our house looking into someones window.  It was perfect timing!!  The boys all squealed and said to hurry home.  Santa was just up the road and they better get to bed before he reached our house.  It was so funny.  Tobias and I were remembering that night just the other day.  Simple times but so sweet and innocent.  The boys were always the best part of my life and my special blessings.  Remembering their sweet faces on Christmas morning is still amazing!  I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas season and enjoy the little blessings in life.  Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

It is looking a lot like Christmas!  I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends.  We are enjoying some snow in Ohio this morning.  It is beautiful!  I have been letting the packing go for a week or so and getting back to sewing.  I finished Rosemary last week.  She was fun to make and I found the pink dress and her beautiful bib at an antique shop.  Her dress is hand made with tiny tucks, embroidery and lace.  The bib is hand made cotton and so beautiful with the pink trim.  I am finishing an elephant today and maybe I will pack a few boxes.  We are waiting to hear when we can move into our new house.  I am sure the young couple buying this home are just as anxious to move into it as we are anxious to move into our new home.  We didn't think we would be moving in the middle of winter back in June when we decided to sell our house but all things work out for the best.  Patience has never been easy for me.  Have a good holiday season!!!

Is everyone getting ready for the holidays?  Thanksgiving is next week!  That doesn't seem possible!  I better get busy making noodles for 17 people TODAY!  Next week I will be making pies.  My sweet son Blake has decided he is going to cook Thanksgiving dinner for 17 people.  It will be fun and he enjoys cooking.  I miss the days when he would tell me he would mix up cookie dough for me after school.  I would come home from work to 3 big bowls of cookie dough in the refrigerator.  What a help that was! All those years of teaching the boys to cook and bake paid off!  They are good cooks and show me up!  Mindy's family will all be there for Thanksgiving and it will fun to spend time with them.  Last year we traveled to South Carolina for Thanksgiving.  I had cooked Thanksgiving dinner for 35 years so it was nice.  I made pies and noodles and helped in the kitchen but change is always good and we enjoyed the trip.  I cannot wait for Christmas this year too.  Tobias, Andrea and Chase will be home for a few days.   Not too sure when we will be moving but it is always good as my boss at Summitville Tiles use to tell me, "Stay light on your feet and have your checkbook ready."  I hope you all have a great week and enjoy the holiday season!  I finished and listed Noelle the Christmas Panda Bear on eBay yesterday.  Noelle the Christmas Panda on eBay

MARRY THE MOHAIR CHRISTMAS BEAR

Looks like fall has set in.  Sending prayers for the east coast and the people who lived in the path of Hurricane Sandy this past week. How terrible for each and every person who lost loved ones and others who lost every earthly blessing they had.  We were lucky in this part of Ohio with high winds and rain.  I have been busy packing and keeping busy as usual.  I will be taking my latest creation Marry to The Boston Road Collection this weekend.  She was fun to make.  We are hoping we will be moved into our new house by Christmas but things move slowly it seems.   Packing all my Christmas decorations might not have been a wise thing to do but we will enjoy the holidays with friends and family even if we have very few decorations.  Enjoy your weekend!

Thank you Bobbi Seguin!

Whew!  What a long 4 months it has been.  Thanks to our sweet dedicated realtor Bobbi Seguin for selling our house and finding another one for us!  Thank you Bobbi!  She is certainly one of a kind and we could NEVER have done it without her!  She keeps her nose to the grind even when we are ready to give up.  Just at the moment when we were ready to buy a lot and she showed us a few, we contacted a few builders and were determined the only way was to build a house but then she found a perfect house for us.  I could not even imagine it has a beautiful chandelier in the dining area.  Just the icing on the cake!  This room in the picture will look so different after I take off the wall paper and paint it.  Add the table we made and our decorations.  Can't wait to start!!!  There were a lot of other people looking at this same house and wanting it.  Bobbi who I think never sleeps and never eats but puts in 8 days a week was determined that was our house.  Sunday afternoon we nervously signed the papers and were sweating thinking someone else would get in their bid before us.  An hour and a half later I got the call from Bobbi saying they accepted our bid.  Bobbi deserves far more than the roses I sent to her for putting up with us and our roller coaster ride.  I will forever love the house we have lived in since we were married but I am excited thinking about our move now.  There are a lot of things to do there like paint, remodel two bathrooms, new cupboards, carpet, and did I mention paint?  But what would we do without another house to work on the next 22 years?  I know God has plans for us and it will all work out if you let Him be your guide.  We have looked at endless condos and more houses than I care to remember.  There were mostly houses I never want to think about again!  No description would be fitting!!!  Thank you Bobbi! 

Happy Monday...Happy Fall!

What a beautiful fall with breath taking colors!  With the wind and rain we had yesterday they won't be on the trees long.  We had another very busy weekend working in the yard,  looking at houses, lots and possibly a house to build.  Then off to the wedding of two great people who deserve a lot of happiness.  We needed that night dancing our cares away and talking to friends we have not seen in a while.  We have one more house to look at this week and after about 50 if this one is not "the one" we will build.  I was in crazy mode last week with my mother having tests, inspections, daily appointments and just mind boggling work!  No time to snooze!  When I looked up at my husband sitting in church yesterday and saw his endless adoring smile looking at me I melted into his sweet love.  He lifts me up and heals me.  How can this man love so much?  How can this man God blessed me with to heal my soul 22 years ago touch me and take all my worries away still?  He is one of my greatest blessings.  Happy Monday!  Have a great week!

Fall is in the air!!!

What a beautiful fall!  The weather has turned cold!  Brrrrr!  We have had frost every morning this week.  The trees are turning and I hope the rain does not bring them down before I can snap some pictures.  We are busy as usual and are in the process of getting this house ready for the new owners.  The inspection was completed Monday.  We have found a few places we like but none that we love yet.  Some of the conditions of the houses we look at are just unexplainable!  We have learned to appreciate all the hard work we have done to this house the last 22 years and the houses we look at cost a lot more and of course are in need of a lot of tender loving care.  Why did we decide to move?  We ask that question a lot.  We really wanted to move into a condo and not have to worry about mowing and yard work.  We decided we could not live with all the rules and regulations associated with condos.  You cannot imagine the board can make so many demands.  The list is long and so happy we did not sign papers before we read the association books.  I have never been so busy and so tired mentally and physically.  Our real estate agent is one of a kind and keeps us looking at houses.  She does remind us with her little laugh, "You are homeless."  She is a great person and when we do find that "perfect house" she tells us we will find, I will miss her after spending months with her through this process.  I did manage to finish Christine in the midst of all the chaos.  She is my first Christmas bear of this year.  Have a good remainder of the week and stay warm!

Adopted

Beautiful Fall Morning

It has quickly turned cold at night but it is September and fall is in the air.  Beautiful sunny days and chilly nights.  Looks like I will need to add a winter blanket soon.  Cleaned the house this morning and will be off to last minute preparations soon.  Mr. P. and and I are having a garage sale this weekend.  Oh I do not like them but we have been clearing out our house and hope to sell it soon so we must get rid of what we don't need.  No more antiques and prims everywhere.  There are a few left but I decided to de-clutter the house.  Worked in every room except my sewing room so far and there are bins of things I kept that I will have to decide later what to keep and what to disgard.  I hope to tackle my sewing room in the next week.  It will be a long week of tearing off wall paper and painting, cleaning out my craft and sewing closet, maybe...just maybe re-upholstering the love seat, clearing off and cleaning out.  This has to be done anyway so now is the time!  I finished Louise the Mohair Halloween Bear and she will be on her way to California.  When Mr. P. returns from work today I hope he can man the garage sale so I can cut out a new bear.  I hope everyone is enjoying their week!  Bear hugs to you!

Adopted

Good Monday Morning

Seems there was a spider who planned to sit down beside her...wherever "she" or I might be in my garden.  Oh what a beauty he was there sunning near my flowers.  So happy he didn't think I was his morning meal and bite me.  I do seem to forget there are those little creatures lurking in my garden  and do not put gloves on before I pull weeds.  I could just see me running through the field with a spider attached to my hand or crawling up my sleeve.  Whatever would I do?  Scream and do a little dance?  Fred thought it was funny after I took each picture of the beauty I would shiver and squeel.  Do I have Arachnophobia?  This guy was big!  Afterward I kept thinking I had something crawling on me.  Creepy!  Do you see the faces on his back?  He is beautiful but yet creepy!  Better to stay away from him!

Fall Is In The Air~

What a beautiful wonderful week!  I have a heavy heart this morning thinking about the people who merely exist and have no joy.  Sad that people become stagnant and without joy for anything.  They are satisfied to be deaf and blind to humanity, bored with life.  Maybe they have always been that way it seems.  "If you have used a PERFECT day in a perfectly useless manner, YOU have learned NOTHING."  That is sad.  We should use every day God gives us to his glory.  The weather is so nice and it is starting to look and smell like fall.  There is nothing like the crisp smell in the air this time of year.  We canned more tomatoes this week and I think that is the end of canning from our garden this year.  I will continue to share what remains.  I always amazes me the beauty of everything around us.  If you truly look at even a tiny moth there is always beauty to behold.  So perfectly amazing!  Even the old dried out shrub that I removed the other day was beautiful in it's own way.  I hope you have a wonderful sweet day full of beautiful surprises.  This is the elephant I finished yesterday and listed on eBay.  Her name is Evette.       Evette eBay link:  Adopted

 

Edna and Mae

Another busy week!  Mae the Dalmatian and Edna the Spaniel were finished and delivered Saturday.  I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday weekend and their family. 
Both Adopted

Zandar The Mohair Zebra

Zandar is off to the Netherlands today!
Adopted
 

Fall is just around the corner!  What a beautiful hot summer we had here in Ohio.  My flower garden and vegetable garden did great and we have enjoyed the beautiful flowers all summer.  We have been canning everything we were blessed with to prepare for winter.  It is always nice to have a stock of pickles, beets and tomatoes on the shelves.  I took a week off from sewing and turned my blue country decorated spare bedroom into a Victorian bedroom.  I painted cupboards, shelves, tables and cedar chest, cleaned, sorted, made new curtains, pillows and the new bedspread arrived and looks perfect.  I recently bought some beautiful antique clothes and they look perfect added to the room.  All the work because of a beautiful antique pitcher I bought at The Boston Road Collection.  That inspired me to make a beautiful place to put it.  It was a busy fun week and I enjoyed taking a week off from sewing.  Now back to getting my orders finished and on to new adventures.  Have a great Labor Day holiday!

It is a gloomy Saturday but still a beautiful day.  We had a nice day traveling to Hartville to The Boston Road Collection to deliver Daniela the elephant and Foster the Giraffe to Brenda.  Her shop is filled with the most delightful things!  I had to buy an antique Victorian pitcher.  It is large and so beautiful!  Can't wait to fill it with roses or an arrangement of flowers.  I am working on the extra bedroom changing it into shabby Victorian.  I hope the bedspread arrives Monday.  I still have a couple things to paint white and antique them.  I also visited Helaine's in the Hartville Marketplace.  Helaine is the sweetest lady and we have a connection since we both sew seven days a week. It is always a treat to talk to her and I LOVE her curtains and beautiful Victorian furnishings.  We enjoyed the day out.  I hope everyone had a great weekend!

HAPPY FRIDAY

I finished Daniela and Delilah Sue for orders.  Today I have 4 more creations to cut out for orders!  I have been painting the barn, doors in the house and finished them yesterday!  Great to have those things crossed off my list.  Canned tomatoes with Fred's help.  This was another crazy busy week!  This weekend we are going to an antique show and I am ready to have some fun!