Saturday, January 29, 2011

My Garden

My confused Iris who thinks it March and not January.


Meet Henry, my cat, and Sadie our 6 year old lab who is expecting puppies around Valentines Day.

And of course Charlie had to check out Sadie.  They actually get along real well, unless the cat decides to run and then the chase is on.

Henry  has taken up residence in my hanging basket, can't plant anything in there anymore.  I think he likes the birds eye view next to the bird feeders.  Just wanted to share a few out side pictures with you.  I t was sunny today with temps in the low 60's, now I really can't wait for Spring.

Bunnies

I love these bunnies, they are a Pineberry lane pattern.

A few very small bunnies that can be used to tuck into baskets.

Just a start on some spring things I am working on for spring open houses.

Small Doses Of Spring

Spring basket

Road trip bunny

Miss Blossom the rabbit

Two stump dolls I just received from Arnetts Country Store

I am really ready for spring

Added a new blue checkered board I just got from Black Water Primitives and the blue hearts are from Kittredge Mercantile.

I think the blues added a nice touch to my 1700's stepback cabinet.

Garden inspiration

One of my favorite old pieces, my old green grain box.

I usually wait until March to decorate for spring, but this has been a long cold winter.  So I decided to do it in small doses at a time. 

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Spring?

Well the last two days here it has been raining.  The sun has been trying to pop out since lunch time.  Yes, it is finally shining through my window.  Love it.  Well guess what I noticed in my flower bed.  About 6 inch shoots of iris all over my front flower bed.  Are they confused, we have had a very cold winter here, we had snow just a couple of weeks ago, which I thought would never leave.  My husband fell down three times that week.  And now it looks like a sign of spring, I can't wait to get back in my flower beds.  I love to play in my flower beds, visit the garden centers.  Every year I say I am not going to plant much.  LOL.  I go and pick out some new plants and the ones that always do so well.  I will plant and move around things for weeks.  And then I drive by another plant place, well I got to stop by and at least look.  I arrive home with my  van loaded.  I am a lost cause when it comes to flowers.  Yes, I am longing for spring when I can plant, sit on my benches and look at my primitive magazines, a time well spent just enjoying nature.  Vicky 

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Bunny Ears

Well I have managed to finish twelve little rabbits.  It was hard, I thought if I had to sew on one more bunny ear I was going to lose it, I like the patterns that are all in one piece.  But they turned out adorable.  I have to really make myself finish things, I get to a point and I guess it has to do with making decisions about what I want the finished item to look like.  I have 3 rabbits, 2 herb angels and a doll in their finishing stages.  I would like to finish these up this week.  LOL .  Well I can't help myself, this morning I cut out four more rabbits, well at least spring is not for another two months.  Any one else out there have this problem?  Vicky

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Tattered and torn heart collection

I found a very old and seemed to be very loved quilt a while back.  I thought it would make great hearts because of how worn it was around the edges and it had little worn thread bare places all over it.  It had to be someones very much loved quilt. 


I also made a few pinkeeps out of them.


Advertising

A few of my advertising items I love to collect.


I love this box.




My latest find at the antique mall.



A great find on one of my many trips to Charleston, S.C.


Found this box also in Charleston.


This is my favorite item, my father hand painted this sign for his antique shop when I was little.  When he sold the shop a few years ago, it was the first thing I asked for.


My Garden in the Snow





Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Homestead Picture

I have never really mentioned anything about the picture on my blog.  It is a picture of my grandmother (dads mom) and my greatgrandmother taken in front of the old family homestead.  The picture was taken in the early 1920's when my grandmother was about twelve, her name was Eva.  My greatgrandmothers name was Alice, which she died not long after this picture was taken in 1925.   My grandmother was one of four children, and she would be the only one to have any children.  She would later marry Cecil my grandfather, and would have four children, my dad being the oldest, he had two brothers and a sister.  One thing she really wanted later in life was grandchildren, but my parents boston bull dog kept having puppies and no grandchildren in sight.  She said she guess thats all she was going to have was grandpuppies.  Well then I finally came along, and my grandmother finally had what she had been waiting for all those years.  Sadly, she died at the age of 52, but she did get to see five of her ten grandchildren born.  She was the kindest person you would ever want to meet, she was always baking a cake and wanting you to come over to have some.  I was only seven when she died, so I don't remember much about her, I remember going through the house looking for her after she died, I didn't really understand what had happened.  I often think about my grandmother and how she would loved to have known her greatgrandchildren and to know she would be becoming a great great grandmother.  It has been along time since I have been up around where the old homestead use to be, my father use to love to go up and wander through those parts of the country, but since he is gone now I rarely get up there.  I am so glad though, as I was growing up my father took the time to show me where he grew up and the history of the family, and of course the picture I will always treasure of my grandmother and greatgrandmother.  Vicky

Friday, January 14, 2011

Tattered and torn collection

Well the snow is still out there laying around.   What did the old people use to say about snow laying around for more than 3 days, it was waiting for more.  I sure hope not, I am about ready for spring.  I had took some pictures of my garden in the snow, and I hope to get them up over the weekend.  Also had done a little rearrangeing lately, and will show some of my advertising collection this weekend.  I had a productive day, I managed to stuff a couple of angels and rabbits.  I decided to also do a few hearts.  I did them out of an old quilt I found and looks like it was a very loved quilt.   I decided to call them my tattered and torn heart collection.  I also out of the same quilt made a few pinkeeps.  Hope to have pictures up soon when I get finished with them.  Hope everyone has a great weekend.  Vicky

Thursday, January 13, 2011

What day is it

Well my husband and I finally made it to our jobs last night. I have a cleaning business I started 20 years ago.  I was a stay at home mom with two kids, and my husband worked for the railroad.  It got to were it was getting harder living off one income, we needed to replace my car.  So I started cleaning houses to help out and still be there when my kids came home from school.  Well let me tell you that was the longest car payment I ever made, twenty years later I am still cleaning.  In 1995 the railroad decided to close shop, it was either follow the railroad or up the cleaning business.  I had two kids in high school at the time.  So we went big with the business.  I had fifty houses and ten girls working and I was still cleaning my houses during the day and working until 3 am in the morning.  It did not take long until my migraines were going strong and I have asthma on top of that, that is why I work for myself.  It was either my health or my business.  At that time I had gathered a lot of commercial jobs.  So I closed the house cleaning business part of it.  It also got to were it was hard to keep good workers. One thing my dad taught me about business was your name was very important.  So I closed down the house cleaning part of the business.  So I kept one house I have been cleaning for almost 20 years and my husband and I clean at night.  I also have one business I clean once a week on Tuesday afternoon, which with the snow I am going to go today and clean.  Well don't know what day it will feel like tomorrow guess it will be Wednesday again. Vicky

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Day #3

Well it has been three days of being in the house with almost seven inches of snow.  I was actually looking forward to being at home.  I got about seven bunnies stuffed and ready to finished.  I have rearranged a few things around the house.  Found a place in the hall for that blue cabinet I got at Nanbrook Farm last week, and of course I found plenty of things to fill it up.  And you know how it goes moving one item leads to redoing the whole house.  The box I am taking to the antique mall is growing, of course you know what that means, I have made more room for more treasures to find. If I ever get to leave the house again, or as my daughter-in -law put this morning, it was time for the snow to melt, she missed Target.  I know how she feels, I am ready to hit the road again.  Why is it when I am gone to much away from the house, I want to be at home, and when I have been home, I want to leave the house.  Well at least the mailman made here today, may have to put on my ice skates just to get to the mailbox.  Maybe those bunny patterns have arrived.  Vicky

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Always be prepared

Well we are expecting 6-10 inches of snow on Monday.  That is a lot for around here, we don't get that much snow.  Since we usually lose our power, love my gas logs, hate being in the dark, I thought I would cut out bunnies and a few dolls and stitch them up so if the power goes out I will have something to work on.  Around here everything just shuts down when it snows.  Will let you know how it turns out, that is if I have power.  Vicky

Friday, January 7, 2011

Day trip

Thursday I went up to Ann's shop, Country Heart to take back items that did not sell over the holidays.  I picked out a few items to bring back for the booth.  Our shelves in our booth looked real empty when I took down the christmas items.  Ann is waiting on shipments to come in and I will be going back to pick up more items.  Ann's country items make the booth look so nice.  And I had to pick out some items for my house while I was there, can't come home emptied handed, Ifound a horse sign, a heart makedo, and a small primitive picture.  After that I left and went up to Lincolnton, to Amy's shop, Nanbrook Farm.  I found some interesting items out of one of her trailers, a hanging cabinet and a couple of shelves I can use at the mall.  Well I might keep the cabinet.  I loaded up on fabric for making all those bunnies ahead of me.  And I found some goodies of course for me.  I was looking for samplers, I found three good ones and some rag balls. I had left my balls last time I was up there.  I always find lots of good stuff at Amy's.  Looking forward to her Spring open house on March 19th.  Well it was such a pretty day for a drive up to N.C.  I enjoyed the shopping and always ejoy visiting with Ann and Amy.  Can't wait to the next one day trip.  Now to find the perfect place for my new goodies.   Vicky

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

New year, New beginning

I have been doing some soul searching lately.  The last season almost took me under.  I have a antique booth, and down here people do not know what a primitive is, so I was trying to make primitive things that were not so primitive.  Let me tell you that does not work, I got to where I was not enjoying making my handmades anymore, I almost quit.  During the holidays I started thinking what I wanted to do, I was at a crossroad in my life.  Well I decided I love making primitives to much to give it up.  So from now on I only make primitives, the way I love them, not what someone else might buy.  I have just  finished five dolls, I had the best time making these because I was not concerned with who might like them.  I added details I liked and I think they turned out great.  I am currently working on a mice couple, they are so adorable.  Hope to post pictures later this week.. I am going to start working on some herbs angel after that, and then will come the bunnies for spring.  Moral of the story, follow your heart, know what makes you happy so you can follow your dreams.  Blessings  Vicky