What's black & white & red all over?

Our pup, my new fabric and this wall.

I found this great fabric pack at JoAnns today. Thirteen fat quarters, one half yard, and 3+ yards of the swirly stuff. I have been wanting black and white geometric shapes type fabric for some time now. I also got to use a 50% coupon with it. Yay!

For the record, we don't beat our dog. Doesn't he look pathetic?

I guess making him stay, draping fabric on him then expecting him to pose sweetly for the camera isn't his thing. Maybe the glowing eyes is what happens right before he springs for the jugular.

I do have an awesome dog. (I do realize I'm bragging) We have had great dogs over the years but he by far is the smartest, quickest to learn and just what our family needs in a dog.

We got him from an actual sheep farm, both his parents are working dogs.

Trying get chickens who don't want to go into their coop when you want them to can be the most frustrating thing. Not when you have a dog like T-Bone ( his face looks like a t-bone steak ) He sweeps behind them, and herds them in. He doesn't get impatient and start flailing his arms like a crazy woman. He just keeps at it one by one till the jobs done.

He is also a great guard dog. He's not big, around 50lbs, our last dog was 140. But one day while my daughter and i were out at the bus stop, this dirt bag looking character was walking buy, and T went over to check him out right at the edge of our property. This idiot lunges at our dog, I guess to try to intimidate him, jerk, T-Bone lunges at him, teeth barring, every hair on his back straight up (my daughter says "T looks like a dinosaur!) and scares the bajeebus out of the guy. So I tell the guy "that's not a smart thing to do" and told our pup what a good boy he was.

He loves to dive into the pond and swim. He'll pleasure swim for at least a half hour before getting out. He gives us "T-Bone taxi rides" if you grab his tail while he swims past and you float along behind.

He's a very well mannered pup while inside.

He does roll in the occasional stinky stuff, nobody's perfect, but since he's white you can usually see it before you smell it.

I can't brag enough about our pup. If you need a great working farm dog, that's family friendly, I'd recommend a border collie every time.

gloomies

Another crappy gloomy day. I'm tired and I have to clean. Hubbie invited people I've never met over for cards tonight and I feel the need to have a clean and somewhat organized home. I wanted to sew today so it's making me extra grouchy.
So while I'm grouchy I thought I'd share things that have been bothering me.

First of all that Hiker in Georgia. Now why cant a woman go out on a hike with her dog and not be safe. They say that Man has no predators, well us women sure do. She was 24 and had a martial arts background. It's just so sad.


It also bothers me when celebrities ask for people to donate to a cause they believe in. Not that I don't feel their causes aren't worthy, it's just when someone has several homes scattered over the globe, drive cars worth more than the average home, eat at restaurants that I couldn't even afford the basket of bread, it makes me so mad. I know I am blessed with good health and have a nice life, but I want to help my kids with college and want to eventually own my home free and clear. I donate items we no longer need, help with $ when I can and I donate an art piece every year to the "Circle of Art" to raise money for the local food gatherers to feed people in need. I just don't want someone with more money than they will ever need asking for donations from the average Joe. Ask your rich friends!

Also when I go to thrift shops and see dozens of homemade baby blankets just hanging there I get so bummed on how much time and love went into that blanket and someone just got rid of it like it was nothing. I know I'm sentimental that way. Some people put more value into something some poor sweatshop worker from a third world country made because it has a pottery barn label than what their own grandma knitted with her own two hands, made specifically for their baby.

One more thing that bothers me is those Coke commercials they play over the holidays that have the penguins and polar bears partying and sharing cokes. Polar Bears are in the north, Penguins in the south, it's just wrong. Have the polar bears share a coke with a baby seal or some thing more realistic.

Ok. that last one cracked me up and I'm feeling somewhat better. Thanks for listening and have a great weekend.

Sun glorious Sun

In Michigan you don't take sunny days for granted. We have had a stretch of gloomies. Warm but gloomy. Today a bit colder, 40's ( for us it's actually warmer than normal) but there is SUN!

Todays project. In the background you can see our filled to the brim with rain and melted snow pond. Also the blue sunny sky.

I figured between now and my March show, I may not have an opportunity to paint my new tissue pack rack so I figured today was the day. I have no stock or receive any financial gain for my endorsement, but Krylon metal spray paint is the best I have ever used. It claims to dry in 12 minutes or less and its true. I have used other metal paint and even after sitting overnight it was still sticky. I went to 3 different hardware stores in 3 different towns just to get it. IT IS THAT GOOD! I am an impatient project girl (ADD perhaps?) and cant wait for hours between primer and painting.

And I'm not sure if I am boring you yet with my "new" den. I just can't stop spending time in here. The room even makes our old metal giant desk look good . I'm waiting for more furniture in here before I hang artwork. I need a large bookcase. I have books scattered all over the house and want one spot for them as well as a place for my kids art pieces. I looked at Ikea on line and none of the shelving units appealed to me. I don't want particle board and the real wood one was too pricey and not quite right. I talked to my dad today and I may be running to the lumberyard soon with a DIY project in mind. He is an incredible builder and it gives me an excuse just to hang with him. I love my dad.

Well it's almost time to get the kids from the bus and believe it or not I am in jeans and wearing a bra! I actually had to change from PJ's (don't want to ruin my best outfit) to my grungy old painting jeans so I'm all set.

Thrifty Tuesday

What do you do on a gray rainy Tuesday when you're not feeling creative and cleaning is out of the question?

Go Thrifting!

I went to the PTO Thrift Shop, Goodwill and Value World. I found such treasures.

Knitting Nancys.

This cute smock. I can't tell if its homemade or not due to the perfect sewing and lack of tag.

Yarn. These looked dreamy and it looks like someone hand spun them. There was even more there in other colors but they were $5 a bag and my funds were meager. I am a new knitter with limited skills so I'm not sure what to do with them.

For my shows, I display my items on white painted metal screens and stands. I'll need to paint it white but for $5.99, it had to come home with me.

Its almost 5 feet tall and with 6 shelves I'll be able to fill it with gobs of tissue packs freeing up my table for other items.

More sheets and pillowcases. The red is destined to be ripped up and put in my rug and the others will make great totes!

More cute napkins destined to be small purses. They'll make great bags for weddings.

I had to stop at JoAnn Fabrics and this fun fabric was on sale.

Its called "Bow Wow Chow Mein". I got the last 2 1/2 yards on the bolt.

There wasn't a companion fabric to go with it so I found the animal print that looks pretty good for the bag lining, pockets and handles.

My girl is insisting at least one bag will go to her.

Close up view. I love those dogs.

I also found the boy a rumble robot and the girl a pom pon maker and finger puppet.

Not a bad day off. Tomorrow back to work!

New Year

I don't have any lofty new goals for the new year, lose the extra pudge, get organized, learn more about the computer (most of the time it's luck not knowledge that gets photos loaded) just the regular stuff. My main goal is to make my artsy/crafty business more successful. Try more shows, promote etsy more, add more variety to the things I sell.

I have one show for sure in March, it is an unusual show, its a Middle School Teacher Convention. They usually only have big store vendors at these things, book stores and the like, but they wanted to try a few local artists, and I was one of them. It's a 2 day show at our Middle School, I don't know since it isn't a art/craft show how I'll do, but the price to get in was too good to be true and I was flattered to be one of six asked, and who knows, it may turn out great!

So I am making more lunch bags (I hope teachers will be interested) as well as totes.

I just mailed out a craft show application for another show in March, if I make it into that one I had really better get sewing. I have 2 more applications to fill out for November and December. I also have 2 for sure shows for August and September. These are all good shows I have done in the past and have been successful. So I have 3 guaranteed shows, and 3 pretty good chance of getting into shows (I hope). I try to avoid shows during soccer season so I need to find a couple of more for the summer. The kids can help then, I pay them, and my shy daughter becomes not so shy when she is manning the tent for me. It is amazing how confident and outgoing she becomes. The kids even help other vendors set their tents up and have gotten paid in ice cream.

Snow on the clothesline.

We had a white Christmas and even had below 0 temps last week and now it is balmy, in the 60's and our snow is melting away. I like winter so I'm not sure how I feel about this. Mosquito's are out! My daughter and I split and hauled more wood yesterday, without coats and I was sweaty. I had been wanting to have my very own log splitter for years, I had to borrow my dad's because I didn't want to spend the $1,000 for a new one. So my hubbie and I scored on a great shape used one for $100! Now I can get my "gym" workout whenever the mood strikes.

Ready for the next cold snap.

I love bluebirds. This male has been hanging out and beating up his reflection in our window all week.

Photo with snow.

Photo today with much less snow.

Working on a "new" rug using old ugly sheets for the den.

I am giddy as a school girl over the new paint colors.

Teaser

Our den has been the everything room since we built out house 10 years ago. It first started off as the kids bedroom. They were 3 & 1 when we moved in and its not far from our room. At 5 and 3 they each got their own rooms upstairs (and their own bathroom Yay!). Then the computer and my sewing stuff took over, moved from the kitchen table and small closet. It's a small room around 11 x 11 and I had that baby packed. Ive outgrown the space and am taking over the basement. Now I want an official den/guest room, a pretty space I can be proud of.

Old dull green walls and grey carpet.

Not very exciting.

We put in hardwood in the rest of the house a couple years ago and it never quite made it into this room. UNTIL NOW!

My hubbie had all but 3 days off for the last 2 weeks and has been working so hard to get it done. As of today the floor is finished, walls painted bright and fun, just needs to finish the trim.

I cant wait to move stuff in, maybe re-upholster furniture and hang artwork.

Then show you.

Happy Birthday Genny!

I am a lucky gal. My stepmother has been in my life since I was 10. Not only has she been a wonderful mom and friend to me and grandmother to my kids, she has also been the major driving force that got my dad through some major health crises. This family became a better family because of her. I love you dearly Genny. Happy Birthday!