Summer Sundays

A sister's roadtrip......

2012-01-25T07:56:00.000-06:00

Our January weather has been incredible. I worked at Leola's yesterday and had the door open all day. Today my sisters & I decided to take a little roadtrip. I should have stayed home and worked but couldn't pass up a trip to Lebanon. It's so hard to find great merchandise this time of the year, but we love going to Tattered Treasures in Lebanon and always count on finding something. Besides, it's always fun visiting with Terry or Nancy. Terry was working today.

Love all the cameras.

Sister Jean has on her dark glasses because she just had cataracts removed on Monday morning. She's doing great and can definitely see a vision improvement. Her vision is so impaired. One eye is totally blind. She loves to read and wants to continue driving her big ole' suv so this will, hopefully, allow for all those things. She received a Nook for Christmas and is loving it. She can read everything in large print and can order books without leaving home. It's great!

It's going to rain today so it will be a good day to stay in and maybe sew. It will be cool for a couple days and then back in the 50's. I'm worried that everything is going to bud and then we'll have ice and kill everything. That doesn't make for a pretty spring. Oh, well, it's sure making winter easier to live with.

My projects.......

2012-01-18T15:29:00.000-06:00

It may be cold outside but it's bright in my kitchen where I tend to work on furniture this time of the year. Don't ask me why but I can't stand to go to the basement to work. I want to see outside. Plus it's always nice to be close to the peanut butter jar in case you get hungry.

This is my latest project.

I bought this box at my 99 yr. old aunt's auction several months ago and wanted to fix it for Sage. He's a cub scout and takes it very serious. He and his dad just finished a car for the soap box derby they do every year. The box has the greatest folk art all over it. I'd love to know whose it was and who did the painting on it.

It's been cleaned and some of the old hardware removed. The handles were the old electrical cords that used to be on appliances so I'll have to come up with something for handles. New hardware will include a hinge that keeps it from falling down on their hands. I'll take more pictures when it's finished.

Also pulled some fabric today to make something for Valentines day. Not certain what that will be. This red fabric was what I used to make the girls Christmas skirts. They turned out so cute that I wish I'd bought more of the fabric.

Guess I'd better get busy if these projects are to be accomplished. Hope everyone is having a great Wednesday.

A cold, snowy day......

2012-01-12T13:38:00.000-06:00

It's a cold, snowy, wintry day in Missouri, and I'm so grateful that I can stay in & stay warm. All night long I heard the wind howling around my house and it's still doing it today. They say the wind chill is 4 degrees. We needed cold because too many things were thinking it was spring & popping out of the ground. I cut forsythia yesterday to force. It had buds on it so it should bloom.

Went to an auction with sister, Judy, on Tuesday and found a few things. Seems it's been so long since we've gone to an auction where we could afford to buy. When we first went in, I spied this little chest & told Judy that if I had to cash in an IRA, I was getting that chest. Seldom do I find something that I really love but I love this. Good news, my IRA is still intact & got to bring the chest home with me.

Also, found pieces for the shop. It's so hard at this time of the year to find good pieces so we were happy campers. Judy bought the coolest chopping block we had ever found. It's an amazing piece and is going to Leola's. Sorry, didn't get a picture.

She also bought this little buggy. I loved it but when we go to auctions, we sometimes have to take turns choosing. But most times, we want completely different things. Linda & I seem to like the same things but she couldn't make the sale (so sad because I would have never gotten the little chest).

They had many really nice prints and oil paintings. I spotted this one because it had g'daughter, Stella's, name on it and she loves horses. It will stay with me until she's older and, hopefully, will want it. I can sometimes find "Allinson" cutting boards that I collect for my Allison and sometimes you see "sage" things but haven't found anything with "Phoebe" on it. For son-in-law, John, I've collected old corkscrews. He has quite a collection. Poor Phoebe.....I'll figure out something.

We did have to set through at least 500 Precious Moments figurines that they sold one-at-a-time. Oh, please! When you're not a "Precious Moments" person that's really difficult. While we waited, I took pictures of the crowd and we made up stories (not mean stories, just stories) . There were so many "characters". I think it would be such great fun to write a book about people at an auction. Not to make fun of them but because it's just so darn interesting. Wonder if I have to get an "ok" from people I've taken pictures of? I love the study of people.

Well, if I'm to be at all productive today, I'd better get busy.

Happy Friday......

2012-01-06T10:26:00.000-06:00

Love it when I can hang my sheets on the line in January. There's nothing better then laying down on line-dried sheets. The smell is amazing! Can you see the green in my lawn? We're to have another day of this and then some cold is to come back. I'd rather get it over in January and have a great March but Mother Nature didn't ask me.

It was a good week to get out and search for new merchandise so sisters & I took off for a day of antiquing. We had so much fun. First stop was in Sarcoxie at a place that has a little bit of everything. They were just so rude! Why do people feel the need to treat others the way they do???? It ruined the whole experience. We ended up spending quite a bit of money with them but didn't seem to change their attitude. Anyway, it ended up giving us lots of laughs going down the road when we started repeating our conversations with them.

After enjoying a coney at Sonic (we know how to live) we headed to Anderson and a much better experience. They were very nice and we had so much fun checking them out. Then we had to unload everything and repack. It was a tight fit but we got it all in.

That's Jean using the architectural piece as a wind block. It had to go through the center of the car. Luckily, Judy is a good driver and didn't have to slam on her brakes. We made it home fine with nothing broken.

I'm still working on my Christmas but figure it will all get put away at some point. It's the dust on the furniture that concerns me most. Thank the Lord that I don't have allergies.

Have a great weekend!

It's a new year so time to get to work......

2012-01-03T11:25:00.000-06:00

I've been a little lazy with my blog lately but I'm really going to try to do better. These words keep running through my mind "how do you expect things to change when you keep on doing the same things" (or something to that effect). Just need that "inspiration" to hit me. One thing I need is new merchandise. Does anyone out there know of someone or someplace where I could find some really good primitives? The primitive supply around these parts is seriously dwindling. If you know of a shop that has primitives or a person who needs to get rid of a few things, PLEASE let me know.

Also, I'm wanting to get back into sewing but since my realtor suggested I make my work room into a bedroom, I've been having to set my machine up wherever. I'm looking for a big table to use in my sewing room (yes, I sold mine in a garage sale). I've done very well with my heating pads since fall but I'm completely out at Leola's. My goal is to get a dozen made before the weekend. Needless to say, I have to go buy new "innards" since Stella found my container and decided to soak her feet in it.

My chai tea latte mix was also a hit and it's always a great gift for my friends. My plan is to also have a dozen of these made by Monday when I work at Leola's next. I have a cup almost every evening and my supply is dwindling. It's my comfort drink.

Today my goal is to get my Christmas down. I took the leap the other day and got a trash bag out and did I ever clean out my decorations. Why is it so hard to throw things away? I didn't use them anymore, Allison didn't want my junk and it was too late to donate. Besides that, they get so much of that stuff that they end up throwing tons of it in the trash. It's gone and I won't miss it.

Guess I've lounged too long this morning so better get started. The sun is shinning so brightly through my dirty windows and showing the dust on my furniture and wood floor. Man, do I have some work to do!

Have a great Tuesday......& 2012.

Let there be peace on earth.......

2011-12-24T10:59:00.000-06:00

Wishing you all a wonderful and peaceful Christmas!

And it continues........

2011-12-21T23:17:00.000-06:00

Today was a day filled with children's voices singing songs of the season and really putting me in the Christmas spirit. It started this morning with the grandkids' elementary school presenting a wonderful musical program. They had such a packed house that they actually did it twice. It's so great to see so many generations of families coming to appreciate the hard work that both the students and teachers have put into their programs. We are truly blessed to live in a city that has citizens so supportive of their school system & it shows in so many ways. It makes me proud & I'm so grateful for my grandchildren.

After a busy afternoon trying to tie up some of those loose ends and get some errands run, I met the kids at church for dinner and their music program there. Sage was in the choir and also was a shepherd. All 3 are in the older kid's choir now and it was beautiful. There's nothing I love more at Christmas then children's voices singing.

Pastor John's message tonight was about taking a few minutes to set quietly and think about the true meaning of Christmas. We run around and wear ourselves out and wake up the day after Christmas realizing we've done it again and then vowing to do it differently next year. I don't know about you but it never changes for me. I run like a crazy person until sometime, late afternoon, Christmas eve when I finally give myself permission to stop. It's crazy!

Oh, well, it is what it is. Tomorrow I'm taking it easy. I hope to wrap packages, make some more of my chai tea mix and do a little cleaning. Maybe I'll even take a nap.

Jane's Christmas party......

2011-12-17T14:52:00.000-06:00

I love going to Christmas parties. Especially when someone entertains in their home. Jane not only has a beautiful home but she's an amazing cook and a gracious hostess. Her home was decked out for the holidays in all its finery and so welcoming. Makes you wish you had brought your jammies and a good book and spent the weekend. It didn't hurt that she had invited my sisters and some of my very best friends.

Welcome to Jane's house......

The entry......

The great room......

The beautiful dining room.......

There are lots more pictures but I'll have to do another post. Too much on the agenda for today so must go. Hope you're having a great weekend. It's bright and sunny with temps in the 50's in the Ozarks. Can't beat that!

Christmas trip to Silver Dollar City.....

2011-12-11T11:22:00.000-06:00

Went with my kids yesterday to Silver Dollar City and I still have lights flashing in my eyes. It is a beautiful place and a great place to get that sugar high. The little ones love it but it was sooooo cold. Luckily, they have hot chocolate stands on every corner.

They made me ride one ride with them but that was about my limit. Luckily, Mom & Dad will ride almost anything. These two girls have no fear. They'll get on any ride, just the two of them. I looked at the two of them holding on to each other in a ride and think how lucky they are to always have a sister/friend with them.

But Sage is lucky to have his Dad to ride with him. John will ride anything.

Some nice people offered to take a picture of all of us. What a night!

Tomorrow is my boy Sage's 10th birthday. What an amazing 10 years I've had with him. He had his birthday party on Friday since they had no school. Today he will be singing with his class at Barnes & Noble. It's another business that donates a portion of the tickets that day to Field Elementary. You have to tell them. So if you're at Barnes & Noble and buy something, please specify you want it to go to Field. It really helps out with the extras. Their budgets have been cut so drastically.

I'm going to fix sloppy joes and brownies for Sage's birthday so they can come for dinner. I'll also throw in some vegies and fruit after yesterday. Hope you have a good day.

My house at Christmas......

2011-12-06T13:27:00.001-06:00

We had our first snow this morning. It's not much to brag about but it doesn't take much for me to feel a little more in the Christmas spirit. Thanks to the baby shower I had on Saturday, the house is decorated. I've even done a little baking-- unfortunately, I've also done a little eating. There are very few edibles that I have no control over. One is my mom's wedding cake cookies and the other is white chocolate covered star pretzels. Would you believe I have both in the house......but, I'm afraid, not for long. I had white chocolate covered pretzels for breakfast.

Here's what it looked like in front of my house this morning.

It's so nice to have a day when I have nothing on the calendar so thought it would be a good day to post some pictures.

This is my tree I do in the front window with all vintage ornaments. The Santa is made by Debbie Bridges who made Santa's for us at our previous store in Galloway Village called Eli McGee Mercantile. I have several of her Santa's and ornaments that I treasure.

Hope you've enjoyed the tour. Perhaps now that it's decorated I can concentrate on making some gifts. There are lots of ideas floating around in my head so we'll see if I get anything accomplished. Stay tuned!

It's beginning to look a little like Christmas.....

2011-11-30T07:40:00.000-06:00

But mostly it looks like a mess! Too many things going on at one time. Today, I'm going to try and spend the day getting the plastic storage boxes cleared from the living room. With possibly 30 people coming to my house on Saturday for a baby shower, it would be nice to at least see the floor.

Last night Sage and several other students from Field Elementary caroled at ChickFila and they donated a portion of their sales to Field. What a great idea & I had an excuse to eat ChickFila (not sure about spelling) for dinner. Check out Sage in his hat.

Today, my goal is to finish the last curtain panel for my living room. We'll see how I do.

Have a great Wednesday.

Where's that tree.....

2011-11-26T05:53:00.000-06:00

I love Christmas. I especially love it AFTER the decorating is all done. Do you remember the front of my house?

Well, everything I decorate with has to come up those steps. Not only that but when I put the house on the market last spring, I moved all my Christmas to a storage building. The last couple of weeks have been spent slowly moving all that back to the house. Just doesn't seem right to pay for a storage space when I have all this room. Maybe 3 more loads and I'll be done. I was so bummed to find that a couple of bags had mildewed and one had an old quilt in it. Note to self -- always store things in plastic containers!!!!

Today I plan to get lots accomplished so we'll see. The forecast warns of a cold, damp day. Perfect for staying in and working. Yesterday I cut tons of greenery so I have no excuse -- unless Leola's gets really busy and Kenda needs me (which I hope happens).

Have a good Saturday!

Another busy weekend.......

2011-11-19T21:37:00.000-06:00

Had my 3 grands last night then Phoebe is staying tonight (it's her turn). My kitchen is a wreck, dishwasher is full & the popcorn pan is still on the stove from last night. They all wanted something different for breakfast. Sage wanted rice with a pumpkin muffin, Stella wanted french toast with oranges & phoebe wanted toast with my peach jam & yogurt. They came to get Sage to help at church packing the Thanksgiving food baskets. The girls stayed with me awhile and then I took them home & ran to Leola's. It was a busy Saturday but Kenda and Olivia pretty much had it under control.

Couldn't help myself....had to take some pictures. I've really been concentrating on primitives lately and it seems to be working. Sometimes when you do what you love, instead of trying to cover all the bases, it just works better. Here are a few shots.

This is going to be a busy week. Luckily, Kenda is working for me this Monday. Hoping to get some more chai tea made for the shop & for home before the weekend. Also, I'm needing some heating pads. My intention is to start with the decorations for the house too. So much to do.....so little time.

A beautiful day in the Ozarks.........

2011-11-12T08:42:00.000-06:00

It's going to be a beautiful day in the Ozarks today......except for those 50 mph winds. There will be few leaves left on the trees. This will be a work day for me. I'm heading to Leola's to spend the day.

Judy, Jean, & I headed to Billings last night to stand in line with about 200 other people at Pheona's monthly sale. Found a few treasures and saw almost everyone I knew. I think everyone else was at the Ozark Mountain Daredevils concert. It was a great night to be out and about with that full moon shinning down. It was gorgeous.

This tree was so cute. It's made with white gloves & muslin strips.

I have more pictures but blogger is sooooooo slow this morning and I have to go to work. Hope you have a wonderful Saturday. If time allows today (& I hope it doesn't) I'll take some Leola's pictures today. Haven't done that for awhile.

The sign is coming down.....

2011-11-09T19:55:00.001-06:00

I've made a big decision. I'm taking my house off the market. There isn't anyone really interested and I worry all the time about someone wanting to see it and it being a wreck. This just does not appear to be the right time. It's very strange that I can't get the sign to stay in the ground. Every time I go out, it's fallen down. It kind of seems like a it's trying to tell me something. So my realtor is coming tomorrow to remove it.

I'm hanging some of my pictures, putting the table back in the middle of the kitchen & getting my Christmas decorations out of storage. The g'kids can come over and make a mess without me worrying about it. Maybe sometime soon the economy will improve and I'll try selling it again. Next time, I think I'll try selling it on my own. I don't see that my realtor did anything but list it. He never showed it, never followed up with anyone who viewed it. Never even talked to the other realtors. I can do better then that.

I'm planning a shower for my friend Cathy's daughter-in-law for Dec. 3. Jenny and Drey are expecting in January. My plan is to have the house decorated for Christmas by then. It will be so nice to have it all done early and maybe be able to enjoy it a little. Sister Judy is helping me and we have the menu planned and invitations ordered. Are we good or what?

Tomorrow is going to be spent putting new merchandise in Leola's. Had a friend call and wanted to sell a bunch of stuff. It may be after open house but there's lots of time for people to shop. Sometimes we spend so much time and effort on open house that we lose sight of all that time left before Christmas. This is such an important time for most retailers and especially small businesses.

Guess I'd better get busy marking merchandise.

Sunday with grandkids........

2011-11-06T18:35:00.000-06:00

Sorry for my ranting last night. I'm feeling much better today. Things just seem to overwhelm me sometimes, and my blog is the only place I have to go. It's up to me to change things -- only me. I love what I do and I love Leola's -- I just don't like having to work so hard at it. I'll figure it out!

The grands came to visit today. They always lift my spirits. We decided it had been way too long since we'd spent much time together. We raked leaves until Sage went to an MSU soccer game with his friend then it was just me and the girls. They both were wearing old sweatshirts of their mom's. Stella had on one from Richfield, Minn. & Phoebe was wearing one from Kickapoo in Springfield.

Playing possum!

Sometimes I look at Sage and I'm so amazed at how fast he's growing up. He brought his friend over after the soccer game and they immediately started climbing trees. Being the mother to one girl did not prepare me for a boy. Sage understands that and always assures me that they will be VERY careful. Yeah, sure!!!!

The boys asked for a snack and chose to have a container of vanilla ice cream. We had never noticed this before but we all thought this was amazing and surely a sign of good luck.

This is my last flower in the garden. I was cleaning up and raking and there it was. What a ray of sunshine.

It, too, will probably be gone this week because we have colder weather coming and lots of rain and wind. I pulled more wood up on the back porch and the kindling box is well stocked. Kenda is working for me tomorrow so think I'll put a fire in the fireplace and maybe get some kind of needlework started. Haven't had much time for that lately.

Have a good week!

Holiday Open House week.......

2011-11-05T21:14:00.000-05:00

!'m getting too old for this! I'm so exhausted. I've worked so many long days in a row. Just don't want to do it anymore. First of all, there's no one at home to help me, so I schlep all this stuff home & have to do all the work on it. Then I schlep it to the shop and have to move everything around. Then after you've worked all the long days getting ready for it, some of us have to work every day we're open. It's just way too hard.

There are several changes I'm thinking about making. For one, my blog. I've done this for several years now & I seem to have very little following. My plan is to start treating it as a daily diary.. I'm thinning out my blogs I follow & removing most of them. It's disappointing to leave messages & try to encourage bloggers you like and they never recognize you. That's their choice but it's my disappointment so I'm not doing it anymore. From now on, my loyalty will be with those who are loyal to me. When I originally started this, my intention was to write about my life so think I'm just going back to that.

Hope I'm not sounding bitter because I'm not. It's just that sometimes you have to just look out for yourself because there's no one else to do the job. We'll see how long I can keep this attitude. Life's too short!

Busy Saturday......

2011-10-29T07:56:00.000-05:00

Well, everyone in this part of the country is celebrating the Cardinals winning the World Series. It's been great fun watching such exciting games. I must admit I can't just watch a tense game. I have to switch stations sometimes to give me a break. Fireworks were going off somewhere around my house last night after the game ended. Thanks, Cardinals, for giving us a little break from all the craziness in the world.

My idea for my area at Leola's holiday open house is to reflect simplicity and peacefulness. My main tree will have these hangers and short candles all over it along with a few surprises. Love these battery candles and especially the gentle glow without the traditional lights.

This is one of the little snowmen I made. They were so much fun -- except for the sparkle that's still all over the kitchen.

This is one of my little sweet annie trees. I'm still working on it but love the primitive look of it plus everytime it's touched, it smells so good.

This is the first lampshade I've made since taking my class in Vermont. I made it from an old runner. Would love to get a few made but not sure I have the time. We start decorating the shop on Sunday and then will be closed on Mon., Tues., Weds. & until Thurs. evening at 5:00. It's hard work but so fulfilling when we open that door Thurs. night.

Guess I'd better get the day started. Think I'll go to our farmer's mkt. this morning. I'm thinking this might be the last day. We're lucky because we now have stores that will continue to carry our local produce and everything they can find that's made locally. Love it that we have so many people in our area that are working to help support our local farmers & craftspeople.

Have a great weekend!

Getting back in the groove......

2011-10-17T07:59:00.000-05:00

Why is it so hard to get back in the groove after a vacation???? There are so many things to be done but can't seem to finish anything. Today is my workday at Leola's so I'm going to try to take new merchandise in and spruce up my area. There are several people who still want my sweet annie so did get some bundles put together. Would love to do some sweet annie trees for the holiday open house. I need an assistant.

The g'kids were with me Fri. night and Stella stayed Sat. night so my weekend was full. It was so good seeing them after almost 2 wks. What a threesome!

Brought Sage a hat back from Vermont & I loved this picture. He's such a sweetie. I brought the girls both a stuffed animal because Stella had told me that she would really like a raccoon from Vermont. Little did I know that I would actually find one. Found a moose for Phoebe. Sage wanted to know why he didn't get a stuffed animal. I told him that I thought maybe he was outgrowing them & he told me he still loved stuffed animals. OK -- so now I have to live with that guilt!

Guess I'd better get my day started. Have a wonderful week!

Leaving Vermont.....

2011-10-11T19:47:00.000-05:00

Today was our last day in Vermont and what a beautiful day in was. We had our delicious breakfast in the dining room at Barrows House and a long conversation with the proprietress, Linda. We felt like we had made a really good friend plus she taught us so much about the history of her area.

This is the cemetery that's next door to the Inn. The markers go back to the 1700's. It is so pretty and such a history lesson.

We decided to take the road that went back behind the inn and see where it led. Every road we took seemed to be more breathtaking then the next. This was no exception.

I think I've said "look at that" to Judy so many times that she's sick of hearing it but there's just so much to see. We don't have this kind of history in our part of Missouri and I find that most people that I know aren't too knowledgeable when it comes to our history. That's one promise I've made to myself -- I'm finding out more about our history. One should just know about their part of the world.

Well, tomorrow we catch our flight home. We both are anxious to see our families and sleep in our own beds. What's really crazy is that Judy's son, Shane, & granddaughter, Jordyn, are in Boston tonight. Jordyn went to visit Dartmouth College today & will visit a small college in Maine tomorrow. She's a senior this year and, we're hoping she'll pick a college in the east so we'll have a really good excuse to come back soon.

A Vermont farmer's market......

2011-10-09T20:59:00.000-05:00

Another wonderful Vermont day. We started off, as usual, with a big breakfast in the Inn. We got to set out on the glassed in porch with lots of other people who are here enjoying a long holiday weekend in Vermont. Check this breakfast out.

We've had absolutely the best food and everything is local. They have signs all along the roads we travel that says "buy local". The menus tell you where everything comes from. Check out the farmer's market they had at the Country Store in Dorset today.

This was just a small sampling of the tons of things they offered. Their produce was so pretty and lots of cheeses and, of course, maple syrup. So much fun! I bought my kids home-made crayons & sketch book.

We then headed up the mountain. This was a house that they were just finishing. You hardly see a new house but this one was incredible.

These are some of the very old houses that you see everywhere here. And almost everyone is decorated for fall.

This was my favorite picture. It was taken at the sight of an old mill in Weston.

OK, so it's my 2 favorite pictures. We still have 2 more days in Vermont but only one more day at Barrows Inn. They've been so nice here that it will be like leaving good friends. What a wonderful trip this has been.

Have a great week!

Another day in Vermont......

2011-10-08T18:35:00.000-05:00

This was the most perfect day in Vermont. Started out cool but ended being very warm & bright. It was my last day in lampshade making class with Judy Lake & a group of the most interesting women from Ohio, Maine, Massachusetts, & Connecticut. I can't begin to tell you how much fun it was and how much I've learned. Judy is so talented & the best teacher and she was determined that we would all go home able to start a business if we so desired. It was so worth the money, time & effort in so many ways. What an adventure!

I'm so glad I took this class.

Judy ran around today and found some more treasures. We bought 2 suitcases at a resale shop so we can bring things home with us. We've been trying to stay small but it's hard. It's an antiquers dream.

The little towns we were in today were packed with leaf-peepers. It's definitely a yuppie world. The homes are amazing. You very rarely see a new one. They all look like Martha Stewart might live in them. So many of the houses for sale are listed by Sotheby's -- that tells you a lot. Check these out!

I'll take lots of house pictures tomorrow. Supposedly, there are lots of authors, artists & other famous people who live in this area & I can certainly see why.

Barrow's House Inn, Dorset, VT.....

2011-10-05T16:17:00.000-05:00

Is this gorgeous, or what...... It's beautiful and sunny in Vermont but very cool. Check out out digs.

Table......

2011-10-01T11:01:00.000-05:00

This post is for Andrea. She wanted to see the end result & know how tall. It's 22 1/2" tall. I'll be taking it to Leola's in the morning.

Have a great weekend!

New projects......

2011-09-29T13:38:00.000-05:00

All of a sudden I realized that time is moving fast. Judy and I are getting ready for our trip to Vermont and we no sooner get home then it's time to get ready for Leola's Holiday Open House -- YIKES!!!!! Didn't we just do that? Anyway, I've been trying to finish a few things so I can leave town without worrying about everything that needs to be done at home.

I'm stripping the top on this dropleaf table but will paint the bottom. It's such a pretty table but the finish was in bad condition. The top will be fairly dark but the bottom I'm using the Anne Sloan chalk pain in the old white. Stripping paint is not my favorite thing to do but it had to be done.

This wood box was a yellow color when it came home with me so decided to try the blue chalk paint on it. A little of the yellow shows up and some of the wood. I waxed it with clear first then the walnut wax and it turned out great. It would make a great toy chest.

This was a little dark, occasional table that I purchased at my aunt's auction. Again, it needed some work done on the finish so decided to just make it white. I still have to wax & sand it but then it will go to Leola's. Check out it's legs -- aren't they great?

This chair and early table were found at a garage sale last week. For once, I didn't have to do a thing with either. I'm having a hard time giving up the table so it may get switched out with another table and stays with me.

It's a beautiful day in the Ozarks so guess I'd better get to my painting. Times awastein'!

Changes......

2011-09-27T21:31:00.000-05:00

The summer before my 8th grade year was when my dad announced to us that he had purchased a general store in LaRussell and we would be moving there. It was a town of 100 people that had a 2-room school with an outhouse and a pump to get a drink. Our teacher, Mr. Henry, was elderly, chewed tobacco & had very few teeth. There were only 2 kids in the 8th grade that year -- me & Freddie Whitehead.

It wasn't as difficult a transition as I had thought because the town was full of really good, decent people who made us feel at home. It was just so different from Springfield.

This is how our store looks now. It's empty and dilapidated like most of LaRussell. This is not the original store. It burned while we owned it and was rebuilt. It was a wonderful old building that had our store, a feed store, dentist's office and the post office.

This is the pump that sits in the middle of the street. Once on Halloween some of the boys in the area put an outhouse over it. Now there is an effort to save the pump. The county wants it removed but the people who live there have stood up and said "no". Last year on Thanksgiving night they had a pump-lighting and strung Christmas lights all over it. They've created a FB page and have printed t-shirts. One of the elders in the community wrote an amazing story about coming home from WWII and seeing the pump in the middle of the rode and what it symbolized for him.

While we were in LaRussell at the reunion, we went to visit Mr. Graff. He's lived in the same house on the same farm for all of his 92 years. He led the music at our little church and has always been held in the highest regard. We had such a good visit. When we left his house, the moon was up and full over his barn.

This is the LaRussell Baptist Church. This is where Mike and I were married by Rev. Chester Waggoner. It is so good to see that it's still well tended and services are still held here.

It's so strange how you take for granted little changes in your life. That move totally changed the direction of my life. I can look back at it now and realize how lucky I was that we moved there. I'm certain that the most important effect it had on me are the people from there who are still such a big part of my life.

It was good to go back and see people I hadn't seen for ages. It was also good to have them tell me that they remembered me and my family and that we were valued in that community. What more could you want.

Fall decorating -- naturally......

2011-09-20T16:08:00.000-05:00

Thought I would post the rest of my pictures from our Saturday trip. The lady who owns the cabins is so good at grabbing things out of the woods and decorating with it. My sister, Judy, does that. She lives out on a creek with lots of acreage and she can go out and gather natural "stuff" and make wonderful decorations especially for fall and Christmas.

The following pictures are her bathroom. Not sure how I'd like the bathtub but it sure was cute.

A little more of the decorating.

It was so great because they were such purists. Of course they had tv's and microwaves (although I didn't see a computer) but everything fit in to something old. Something in side of me loves this kind of decorating. I think I must have lived a previous life in the 1800's in the country. I must have been happy because it makes me feel warm and fuzzy.

A perfect fall Saturday.....

2011-09-17T21:40:00.000-05:00

It was a beautiful fall Satuday (I would complain about the rain but we needed it so badly). Judy, Linda, & I took off early this morning and headed for Linda's and my favorite kind of sale -- primitives. We are the 2 in Leola's that seem to lean more toward primitive, American antiques and this place was incredible. It was 3 log cabins setting along the river bluffs with views that would make one never want to leave.

They had a fire going in an area that had been fixed up for cooking. It smelled so good.

They had pumpkins, mums, cornstalks, bittersweet and everything fall that grows all over the yard, on all the doors, and hanging everywhere.

Sorry about the quality of some of the pictures but it was dark in the cabins and didn't get my camera adjusted quite right.

I still have several pictures but will show them in a future post. There were so many photo ops. that it was hard to stop.

Well, it's still raining outside so maybe next week the lawn will actually need to be mowed. It will also help my poor garden.

Have a great Sunday!

What a great weekend......

2011-09-13T14:05:00.000-05:00

Donna Nelson is the winner of my blog give-away at Leola's fall open house this weekend. Donna, your gift is at Leola's and thanks so much for checking in with my blog every once in a while. I appreciate all of you who took the time to enter (& for following my blog).

Things have been so crazy the last few weeks. Not only did I have so much to do for open house but my good friend, Barbara, has been here visiting from California and the little towns where we lived & went to high school were having reunions. We had such a good time and re-connected with so many old friends. Needless to say, we're all pooped.

The first picture is Barbara, our friend, Kay Corum Smith, & myself. The second is my sisters, Mary & Judy & another old friend, Bill McNeece.

We grew up around Springfield but the summer before my 8th grade year, our dad surprised us by announceing that we would be moving to LaRussell. He had purchased a general store there and a house & off we went. I went my 8th grade to a 2-room school in LaRussell. Mary was in 5th grade & Judy was already in high school. This is when we met Barbara who had moved there from California and was in the 7th grade. Our friend, Brenda, who is at Leola's with us, was in high school with Judy. They went to Sarcoxie. Eventually, I graduated from Sarcoxie. When we moved to LaRussell, we sent the population count over 100 but that's where we all lived and we've managed to stay in touch for all these years.

This was our grocery store. Then it was called LaRussell General Store. It wasn't the original store. The original burned while we lived there & our parents, along with help from lots of people, rebuilt it. It's now closed and looks so sad.

This is the pump that sets in the middle of the street. They've been trying to remove it but the current residents (& many who no longer live there) have fought to save the pump. We sometimes used the pump when the water would freeze in the winter. It's amazing to me how many of the people we knew still live here & have raised families here & have done quite well. They seem very happy and contented with their lives. I loved that.

Our favorite thing we did the whole weekend was to go visit Mr. Graff on his farm where he was born 92 yrs. ago and continues to live. I remember him most as the music director at our little church. He had a beautiful voice and was, & is, respected by everyone who knows him. His eyes still sparkle when he talks. This picture is of the moon coming up over his barn as we left. He told us he had 3 living things with him on the farm.....they were his dog, his horse & his Lord & none of them talk to him unless he speaks first. And then he laughed & laughed. What a delight!

It was a wonderful weekend. It would have been so easy to find an excuse not to go but oh, what we would have missed.

Remembering.....

2011-09-11T21:27:00.000-05:00

On September 11, ten years ago, Mike & I were in Philadelphia. Of course, everything came to a standstill. Mike was doing a tradeshow & so many of the vendors were from the NYC area. Everyone was on their cell phones trying to find out if their loved ones were okay. It was probably one of the most bazaar times I can ever remember. No one knew quite what to do.

We managed to get one of the last rental cars from the Philadelphia airport. We took the one we had back & returned it and the airport was silent. That huge airport -- & it was silent. We got in the car and drove across country passing the area where the plane went down in the field and drove & drove all day & into the morning hours with so many other people. We so needed to get home to our Allison, who was pregnant with our Sage. What a scary time!

What a weekend......

2011-09-11T10:07:00.000-05:00

This has just been an amazing weekend. We had such a good opening night for Leola's on Thursday evening. We had all worked so hard the previous days that we were a little pooped but with so much going on, we kind of forgot. I managed to get a few pictures between writing tickets and wrapping merchandise. This is a pic of some of our favorite customers from Lebanon.

Debra came to take pictures of the shop and brought her sister. Do they not look great in Pam's orange jackets?

Mandy and her nice husband are always there to support us. We have so many good, loyal customers. Wish I could have taken more pictures of them.

The store never looked better. Check out some of the creativity.

This seems to be a slow downloading day for blogger so think I'll try posting more photos tomorrow.

Hope everyone has a wonderful Sunday. It's a beautiful day in the Ozarks and we're headed to LaRussell, where we lived for about 5 years during my high school years. Our friend, Barbara, who's visiting us right now, also lived there & they have an annual get-together. We've never gone back for it before but with Barbara here, we thought we'd go back and see some our old friends.

Leola's Fall Open House.....

2011-09-08T14:30:00.000-05:00

What a crazy week this has been! I have company -- our friend from waaaaay back came from California for a week. She's been a delight and a trooper. She knew we were getting ready for open house but no one really understands how much work it is until they see it. So she's been spending time with us at Leola's, cutting grapevine, gathering bittersweet and doing some heavy lifting. She has a pretty cushy life in San Pedro so we've given her quite a workout but we've had so many laughs in the process.

This is Judy's car loaded down with vines & limbs from their land. We always wonder what people are thinking who pull up beside us at a stoplight.

We all spend a great deal of time up on a ladder. Kristi is so funny because she rigs her own lighting up and can do most anything.

Judy brought in these amazing vintage Ralph Lauren handmade shoes and the fit Kristi perfectly. She said they felt so good on her feet so guess who now owns them.

Tomorrow I'll have pictures from the shop. I was just too tired last night. Wish us luck! Should be a great open house and the weather couldn't be more perfect. Hopefully, I'll see some of you there. If I don't know you, please introduce yourself.

My lamps.....

2011-09-03T09:05:00.000-05:00

Does Labor Day Weekend mean you're suppose to labor all weekend. I have so many tasks on my agenda including finishing my big cabinet that I've had to put off because of the heat. It is painted but parts need a second coat & then to the waxing.

The doors have been removed. Someone had added these & they just didn't look right. I've painted it with Annie Sloane's chalk paint (old white) & now I'll wax and make it look old. It's going to be gorgeous (if I do say so myself).

These are the pumpkins I've been working on. I dyed some fabric orange and love the final product.

Along with these, I've finished a bunch of heating pads. My idea for doing a blog follower's give-away is to put in a heating pad, some of my chai tea, & a couple of my battery candles. You must be a follower of my blog to win but I always get tons of names but I pick names until I'm certain you're a follower. If you've never used one of my heating pads, they are the greatest. Oh, the give-away will be held at Leola's Fall Open House that will be on Sept. 8 (evening), 9, 10 & 11. I'll post later the exact prize.

These are two of my lamps. I did the wiring myself and have checked them out and they work perfectly. Don't know what I'd do without my neighbor who put the hole through them and my True Value Hardware guys who answer any dumb questions I throw at them. Also, the plaid shade I made (sorry that the seam shows) & I'm thinkin' I might get a larger shade for the stained lamp. Doesn't it look a little small?

Anyway, back to work for me. Phoebe is coming to spend the day & night. Today is to be in the 70's (yea) so I can finish the cabinet. Hope you all have a wonderful holiday weekend.

Getting ready for Leola's Fall Open House......

2011-08-25T21:48:00.000-05:00

It's been a busy week. Leola's Fall Open House starts on the evening of Sept. 8th & goes through the weekend. We'll be closed Tues., Weds, & Thurs. then open 5:00 on Thurs. evening. We love being open on Thurs. evening because everything looks so pretty in the evening light and we always have lots of candles and lamps on.

Speaking of lamps, I have 5 of these turned posts that I'm going to try to make into lamps. I found that one of my neighbors can drill the holes that I need so he's already done one & I'm working on it. It's the dark one I showed in an earlier post. Haven't decided yet what to use for the shade.

I've been making these pumpkins and I dyed some fabric kind of a brown-orange tonight so thought they would be good together.

The weather was so nice today -- a little too warm in the afternoon but beautiful in the morning & this evening. There's definitely a feeling of fall in the air. Got lots of painting and waxing done on the back porch. Don't know what I'd do if someone called to see the house but it's been a couple of weeks since anyone has looked so don't think that's a problem.

My grandkids started back to school today. Can't believe their days at the pool are over. Thankfully, they don't seem to mind. They were all so happy with their new teachers and anxious to see their friends. Hope they never get over being excited about school.

Tomorrow is another busy day and maybe I'll have more pictures tomorrow night -- don't hold your breath.

Summer's end....

2011-08-19T16:36:00.000-05:00

You can just feel it in the air that the season is changing even if it's hot again. The early mornings are beautiful with a nice breeze to make it a pleasure to water and take care of the garden. Veggies that quit producing or slow-downed during the 100 degree days, have started producing again and look like they have a new lease on life.

I ended up with only small varieties of tomatoes this year (I think some were mismarked) but they have so much flavor. The kind of dark ones are a heirloom variety that Allison started from seed and they are just starting to ripen. The round white vegetable is a lemon cucumber and are so good. They taste nothing like lemon -- it's just the color & shape. Also, my arugula has come back. I cut them down & now they're big enough to eat again. It's my favorite salad green.

This is one of the little pie pumpkins I planted. I'm going to cook a couple and see how they do in pumpkin bread. I picked a little of my bittersweet but it isn't ready yet -- it hasn't popped open. I have so much grapevine growing around that I think I'll make some wreaths. The only thing I have to watch out for is sometimes poison ivy sneaks in the grapevine.

I also made peach and strawberry jelly. I used a new product for my 2nd batch of peach and it turned out a little darker then normal. It was an all-natural product so maybe it didn't have what ever it is that's in Surejel that keeps peaches from turning. Just hope the taste is good. Also, made some homemade bread that is so yummy with strawberry jelly.

I've got lots of projects I need to get done before Leola's fall open house so it will be a busy couple of weeks.

Have a great weekend.

A little break......

2011-08-12T21:38:00.000-05:00

In case anyone has noticed, I've been a little slow with my blogging. Just couldn't come up with anything to write about. Normally, a picture will inspire me but the camera hasn't even tempted me lately. My mother always called it "dog days" and that's how I'm feeling. The ideas are floating around in my head but don't seem to have the energy or initiative to get started. And it's not depression....it just seems to be the need to lay down on the couch every time I walk by it.

The heat has finally lessened a little and the grass is turning green again from the rain. There's kind of a hint of fall in the air. It's been so dry here that our leaves are even falling prematurely. It's just been a difficult summer, weatherwise, & we're hoping for a long, slow autumn.

My latest project is trying to make lamps. If I'm going to make shades then I need lamps to go with them. Personally, I have a difficult time finding lamps that I really like. This is a wonderful old architectural piece I found. I'm thinkin' it would be a really cool lamp. What do you think? And if I do, would it bother you if the cord comes out the top or should I have a hole drilled through the center to run the cord?

I've also tried to find a bunch of candlesticks to use with my candles I sell at Leola's. All of a sudden mine have sold & with a new shipment of candles just in, I needed replacements. Trying to decide rather to paint these or leave them "as is". I'm thinkin' they would be great all black.

Love this German bread board. I found it on my last trip to Iowa in the Amana Colonies. Bread boards are one of the things I collect and it's difficult to find one at a really good price. This one was a real bargain.....I think the woman knew it was going to a good home.

Hope everyone has a great weekend. It's supposed to be cooler here so maybe I'll get something accomplished.

Planning a Fall trip.......

2011-07-30T15:10:00.000-05:00

I'm so excited! I signed up to take a lampshade-making class with Judy Lake at her shop in Pawlet, Vermont, in October http://lampshadelady.typepad.com/. It's 2 days and it's lots of work but you learn everything about making really professional looking lampshades and how to run a business doing it. I've made a lot of shades but they never quite turn out perfect and there never seems to be the right ready- made shade. So many have looked at me like I'm a crazy woman for wanting to go to Vermont to learn to make shades but it's just something I've always wanted to do -- make lampshades.

These are Judy's pictures from her blog. Her shop is in a tiny town in Vermont so we'll be staying somewhere close. Sister Judy is going with me so we have big plans to see the countryside and do a little antiquing. It will be the first weekend in October and supposedly, at the height of their fall leaf viewing. There are several beautiful, old inns in the area and some set on the lakes so that's on the agenda for next week -- making reservations at an inn.

I'm so excited. Think I'll check L.L. Bean and see if I need some new sweaters.

Have a great weekend. We're getting a little rain.

Summer pictures.....

2011-07-26T21:26:00.000-05:00

Do these look like summer or what??? Allison used a special effect on the photos and I think they turned out amazing. These 3 are all fish and spend almost every day at the pool. Sage was on the swim team this year and did really well. I love swimming because it's a sport that will stay with them. One of my great regrets is that I never really learned to swim.

There's something so pure about this picture of beautiful Phoebe.

Isn't this gorgeous of Stella? She loves swimming on her back.

Sage was playing around with one of the little one's tubes but Allison loved the colors.

This has been a summer full of sunny days. Don't think there was one day they couldn't go swimming. Maybe they didn't stay as long because it was so hot but we've had very little rain. Can't believe that it's almost August. How come summer goes so fast?

Saturday road trip.....

2011-07-24T14:48:00.000-05:00

Sister Jean had a funeral she needed to go to in Green Forest, Ark., so Judy and I decided we would take her and have a great excuse to hit some of our favorite antique spots in that area. The day started off very hot but we ran into a few raindrops on the way to Branson which gave us this gorgeous rainbow. You could actually see it across some of the trees up on the hills. So many people think of Branson for it's shows and shopping but it also has amazing natural beauty. It was a beautiful drive on this Saturday morning.

I was so happy that we had time to run into Harrison and pick up my favorite bread in the whole wide world at Neighbor's Mill Bakery & Cafe. O-K I admit it, I bought muffins too. It wasn't lunchtime yet so we didn't have lunch but we promised to come back soon.

Then on to Green Forest where we left Jean while Judy & I hit some shops. It was very disappointing -- nothing. Is it just us or are pickings kind of slim right now? There aren't shops anymore it seems -- just flea mkts. We did finally make it to Eureka Springs (sorry Linda) where we always find great shops. We always love Simply White. It's such a feast for the eyes.

We had a hard time making it through the town because the bikers were in town and it was crazy. They were hanging out of every bar and restaurant and the streets were packed. We finally found a place for a quick lunch and headed out of town and home. We were all pooped from the heat.

We found a few little things but nothing really great. For some reason, I've fallen in love with these oval baskets. I don't know why but just keep collecting them.

I also love this table that I purchased at my friend Katy's garage sale. I painted the bottom with chalk paint and waxed it and then just waxed the top. It is so cute and trying to decide rather to take it to Leola's or keep it. That's always difficult.

Thought I would show the painting I bought at Clive's sale. It's perfect for my fireplace. It had needed something larger and this with it's peely frame is exactly what was called for.

Hope everyone has a great week. Please remember to include the people of Norway in your prayers and if you have a blogger on your favorites list from Norway, it would be a good time to visit and tell them that we feel their pain.

More from the rabbit hole & my chair........

2011-07-19T13:32:00.000-05:00

Finally finished my chair I've been working on. Took it to Leola's yesterday so we'll see if anyone else likes it. I loved it.

Thought I would share some more of my pictures from Clive's. It was hard to get a bad one. Also, I made my reservation to go to Vermont in Oct. to take a class with The Lamp Shade Lady. It's a 2-day class in the little town of Pawlet, VT. Can't wait.

Linda, Judy, Clive & another vendor at the entry gate.

A visit to Clive's.....

2011-07-16T17:00:00.000-05:00

Judy, Linda & I took off this morning (along with lots of other people) and headed to Fordland to check out Clive's sale. We fell in love with his house several years ago when he invited us down for a tour. You talk about falling down the rabbit hole -- that's the exact feeling you get. It was also about 20 degrees cooler there. Check out some of the sites.

Guess who I ran into -- Kenda & Debra. I told you everyone was there.

He has about 10 porches for enjoying so Linda decided to check out the Adirondack.

So much of the yard he just lets grow naturally & not with weeds but wildflowers and herbs and all kinds of shrubs and bushes.

Clive and his friends intend to have a monthly sale. Next time he's having one, I'll post it. It's sooooo worth the trip.

Have a great weekend!

A hot summer Sunday......

2011-07-10T17:20:00.000-05:00

Well, according to my thermometer, it's 100 degrees. It has just been miserable the last week or so & it just saps me of my energy (or that's the excuse I'm useing this week). I had 3 g'kids on Fri. night and then just Stella last night. It was a full weekend and I'm pooped. To top it all off, a real estate agent called right after I got home from taking Stella home & asked if she could show the house. Can you just imagine how it looked after my weekend. So I rushed around cleaning everything, baking some cupcakes (so the house would smell good) and making all the beds. Then, just as I started to leave, she called back and said they wouldn't be able to come -- they'd have to reschedule. By that time I was sweating like crazy and starving. I'm sure there was a good reason but they must not understand what most people go through when there house is shown.

The first contract was brought to me on Friday night and it was rediculous. I know houses have really decreased in value but I took that into consideration when I priced the house. For one thing, I don't have to sell it and I won't if I can't get enough that I can buy another one. It just seems to have turned into a big game and it's not much fun.

The garden is looking great (thanks to a couple of showers & my continual watering) but I'm having a problem with my green beans. At first the rabbits were eating their leaves but now that's stopped and a bug is having a hayday eating the leaves. Anyone know what it is and will Seven powder be ok to use when the plants are blooming. I would love to be an organic gardener but there are just too many bugs in Missouri.

We're having a little issue with Japanese Beetles but I've checked and that's not the culprit. It looks to be a small bug that is similar to a ladybug but orange/gold coloring. Seems there's always something in the garden.

My gladiolas are beautiful. They're just starting to bloom as is my crepe myrtle. The crepe myrtles are beautiful all over Springfield but for some reason, mine are slow to bloom. Maybe I trimmed them to much. Boy, do the Japanese Beetles love crepe myrtle.

Should be working on my chair but think I'll spend the rest of the afternoon with my current book. I'm reading Janet Evanovich's Smokin' Seventeen. If you've never read any of her books, you're really missing out. But you should really start out with the first of the series.

Have a good week and stay cool!

Leola's 2nd annual Farm Sale....

2011-07-07T16:00:00.000-05:00

You would never believe the merchandise the women from Leola's have pulled from their homes, garages, barns, storage bldgs. & the shop and brought to the sale. It's going to be amazing & really great prices. It's at sister Linda's farm -- 1010 N. FR 185. It's only being held on Friday, July 8th from 8:00 to ?. Thought you might like a little preview.

2011-07-05T20:00:00.000-05:00

Sage in his goggles.

We had a great 4th of July. We went to Allison's cousin Kelli's pool so the kiddos could swim and then to my sister's, Kelli's mom, & Allison's aunt Linda's house for dinner. Many years ago, we did the same thing. All our grown children had the greatest memories of going to Aunt Linda's for every holiday. For many years our mom lived with Linda & her family so that's where we all headed. To look at these faces is like looking back when their parents were kids. So many memories.

Stella in her goggles. She looked like she had cucumbers on her eyes. They are all such excellent swimmers.

Miss Phoebe without her goggles. She always wants to look her very best. She plans on trying her swimming at their next swim meet. Sage doesn't seem to have any qualms about trying something new but the girls are a little slower to dive in. She's a beautiful swimmer and I think she'll surprise herself.

Sister Judy's grandson, Eli, and Sage. Sometimes they're a force to reckon with. Seems like yesterday that they were toddlers. They remind me so much of the older guys in the family.

Two more of Judy's granddaughters, Jordyn & Bella, & my girls, Phoebe & Stella. My girls have so much fun with the older ones.

Still haven't heard anything on the house. Maybe tomorrow. More people have looked so that's a good thing. I've had so much work done to it lately that sometimes I think I'm stupid to sell and buy something that I don't know. Oh, well, guess we just will see what happens.

It's a heat wave......

2011-06-30T15:05:00.000-05:00

It is HOT in Missouri and dry, dry, dry. It's very important these days to jump out of bed early to get that watering done or it's sweat-city. The garden is looking great but I planted several things in containers in case I moved so they dry out really fast. I've never found a sprinkler that works the way I want it to and you're not supposed to get water on the tomato plants. Thus far, it takes about 30 min. to get it all watered.

My basil is going crazy and some of the garlic is ready to harvest -- two of my favorite things. So Saturday night I'm having some friends in for dinner & we're having pesto on pasta, bruschetta & a big ole green salad. I've been making the bread that you store the dough in the frig & I love it. It's an artisian bread so it's nice & crunchy on the outside but very soft on the inside. Perfect toasted with a little Parmesan for bruschetta.
I feel like if I'm having to keep the house all shined & polished, I might enjoy it a little too. By the way, the potential buyers are coming back on Sat. for a 3rd viewing -- that surely must mean they're serious. We'll see!!!!

I bought this chair at a garage sale last weekend & thought that it would be a breeze to re-do. It looked to be in perfect shape except for the ugly upholstery.

I even thought it was kind of cool when I took the old fabric off and there was old burlap until I touched it.

And this was what I found.

The cushion had totally disintegrated. It was just like sand. So I had to completely strip it down. I don't like to use old stuffing anyway unless it's in great condition. The chair is a really good, tight chair so now it will be like new. Not sure yet what I'll cover it in or rather to paint it. Any suggestions?????

Another busy week......

2011-06-25T08:45:00.000-05:00

It's been another crazy, busy week in my world. The house has shown several times and one potential buyer is coming back on Weds. for a second look. It's really a challenge trying to keep the house "show worthy" with grandgirls visiting but we did it.

The girls were with me on Thursday night after we went to their ballgame. What a hoot it is watching a team of 6 & 7 yr. old girls playing baseball. Sage is on a swim team so Mom had to take him to a meet so Dad & I took the girls.

We had a good time together as usual. They both have great senses of humor & keep me laughing (a great thing).

This is my latest painting project. I purchased this table at an auction this week and decided it needed a little brightening. My sisters & I headed out on Wednesday and were lucky enough to come home with a carload of "stuff". The best buy was Judy's drafting table. It is so cool with it's attached light -- looks very "Restoration Hardware".

I'm loving the way it turned out and it will go to Leola's on Monday. So if you're needing a cute lamp table, this may be what you're looking for. By the way, Judy's drafting table is also at Leola's.

Hope everyone has a great weekend. It's to be hot & sticky in the Ozarks so guess I'd better set up the sprinkler.

Another busy week......

2011-06-17T11:32:00.000-05:00

It's been a busy week as usual. The house has shown now 5 times but haven't heard back from anyone. My new plan is to just go on with my life and quit being so fixated on the sale of the house. The garden is looking terrific. As a matter of fact, I harvested lavender this week. Love the smell of lavender.

I've also painted this table. It's one I inherited from my in-laws and have loved it but it never quite fit in anyplace. Well, look at what a little chalk paint can do. It now brightens up a corner in my bedroom.

The whole time I was painting this table, I could hear my father-in-law saying "you're painting that wood". What is it with men that they think there's some kind of a law against painting wood. What's really funny is that he stripped every piece of furniture he ever bought which took a lot of the value from them anyway and it's not like we have any really valuable pieces -- just to us.

Better get busy finishing up some things for Leola's. Hope you have a wonderful weekend.

A gorgeous summer weekend......

2011-06-12T21:44:00.000-05:00

It was a beautiful summer weekend in the Ozarks. It cooled down a little on Saturday so it was a great day to work outside. Worked in the garden then had a call that someone wanted to see the house so sister Judy came by and we went to Leola's. It was a very busy day and we got there just in time to help Kristi out. Love it when it's like that.

Also, my kids came home from a week at the beach. I had missed them but Allison kept me in touch with them with constant pictures. They look so darn cute with that beachy bronze glow & their little brown feet in their flip flops.

I also managed to stop at one garage sale on Saturday and found a spinning wheel. It was all in pieces but easily went back together. I love the old wood that looks oiled & the old metal parts. Does anyone know anything about these. Do I dare glue it together or was it supposed to come apart. Not sure what to do with it but I love it.

And my friend brought this wonderful bird cage over for me to babysit for awhile. She runs out of room for her things sometimes so she brings some that she loves over for me to store. I think this birdcage may stay on my back porch for the summer. I'm thinkin' I'll put some of my battery candles in it.

Tomorrow is my work day at Leola's so that's where I'll be heading. Something tells me that the shop will be in a mess after the busy weekend.

Have a wonderful week.

There's a sign in my yard........

2011-06-09T16:27:00.000-05:00

My realtor came this morning and put the sign in my yard.

I feel like I've been preparing for this for months. It's now ready to go. My sisters came yesterday & ran through this house like crazy women but they really decluttered my house. Sometimes it takes someone else coming in to tell you what you need to get rid of or hide under the bed. There's no more room in my storage bldg. so it 's got to find a place here.

Don't know what I'd do without this motley crew of crazy women. They always show up when I need them.

Here are some pictures of my house when we finished. What do you think? If you have any suggestions, I'd be more then happy to hear them.

This is my entry hall. Jeff recently put an electrical outlet on the wall so I could have a lamp. I'm astounded at the difference it made. So welcoming.

Above is my great room where I do most of my living.

Above is my living room/dining room. Lots of hours spent around this table. It was built by my mother's grandfather & I was lucky enough to end up with it. I've often wondered what my great-grandfather would have thought if he'd had the slightest inkling that his great-granddaughter would put a finish on his old farm table.

Maybe soon I can post the bedrooms. If anyone has any suggestions, let me know.

House for sale.......

2011-06-07T08:25:00.000-05:00

Well, today I'm gettin' this show on the road & putting my house on the market. It's time! I just am so ready to make some changes and get on with my life. Seems in my life that most decisions were made for me so it isn't the easiest thing to do to make such a big one all by myself. Also, there's always been others to consider. But in this one, it's just me. So after way, way, way too much second- guessing myself, I'm off to the races. I'm getting on with my life with lots more exciting choices in my future. Wish me luck!!!!

Visiting my favorite greenhouse......

2011-06-04T12:57:00.000-05:00

My favorite greenhouse to visit is Steinert's. It is amazing! I love the lady who owns it because she reminds me of me. She has owned this greenhouse for many years and runs it by herself with a small staff of mostly women that I recognize year after year. It's so comforting to me to have something stay the same -- in a world that changes way too fast.

I had my second realtor come today and thinking I'll go with him. He's very positive but doesn't pull any punches. The market is down but he says houses are selling. You may not get what you want but when you look for one to buy, maybe you can get a better buy on it. It is what it is and no amount of fixing-up will make this more then a 3-bedroom house with 2 baths & lots of steps (not to mention the HUD house sitting empty next door). If there's to be a change in my life, I'm the one to make it so this will be my first step. Wish me luck & you might mention me in a prayer or 2 although I'm thinkin' God must be pretty busy these days taking care of more important issues.

Hope you have a great weekend. It's so hot here that I'm having to water everyday. It's crazy!

Garage is empty......

2011-05-28T09:38:00.000-05:00

It's the dawn of a new day and my garage is clean. What a relief that is. I sold everything except one table & a few little things but Allison will take those to her house for her garage sale. Now I'm finding myself thinking about going antiquing -- somebody stop me!!!!!

Stella is coming to spend the weekend so better get going. My garden is looking great. Think I'll go pick my dinner. Thank heavens for a sunny day.

Have a great weekend!

Garage Sale - Thurs. & Fri. 8:00 a.m.

2011-05-25T19:11:00.000-05:00

I might add that if it's raining at 8:00, we'll have to open at 10:00 because everything is crammed in my garage and needs to be pulled out. Every time I do this, I vow never to do it again -- it's the hardest work but I'll be so happy to get my garage cleaned out.

I took a few pictures & it's kind of hard to see because everything is crammed in but there's some great stuff. The first thing I have is an architectural piece and I have to have $200 for it but it's well worth it. I didn't count but it comes in several pieces (I think 8).

OK!!! Wish me luck. My dream is that by tomorrow night my garage is cleaned out so I'm ready to bargain. See you tomorrow.

Garage sale......

2011-05-25T10:36:00.000-05:00

Yes, I'm doing what I said I'd never do again. I'm having a garage sale. My real estate agent recommended that I clear out the garage so that's what I'm doing -- & it's full. If it's raining in the morning, we'll wait until 10:00 to open the doors. Hopefully, all this crazy weather will have left us. If I have the time, I'll post pictures later in the day. My address is 2546 W. Allen in Springfield & phone # is 417 887-0353. Be there or be square!!!!

Our hearts go out to our Joplin neighbors.....

2011-05-24T18:41:00.000-05:00

We, in this part of the world, are so sad for our neighbors in Joplin. The devastation is beyond belief and they're still uncovering bodies in all that debris. As of tonight there are 123 dead but many still missing. In our area everyone is connected to Joplin so everyone has a story. I've tried to imagine where everyone is sleeping, going to the bathroom, brushing their teeth. Their high school & several other schools were destroyed so school is dismissed for the summer. Their largest hospital was destroyed and thanks to people who rushed their and loaded the patients in cars & pick-up trucks & took them to the other hospitals. From there the patients were transported all over the area to other facilities.

The tornado went for 6 miles at 1/2 mile wide & registered as an E5(?) (the very worst storm possible). For miles & miles all you can see is flat land. The houses & trees are all flattened and it's been almost impossible to dig through all the debris. It will be days, maybe weeks, before the task is accomplished.

Say your prayers for all of these people as the storms move in again tonight and for all those helping in this massive undertaking.

A great weekend at Leola's......

2011-05-21T22:27:00.000-05:00

It was a great and busy weekend at Leola's. Thought I'd show some pictures that I took after everyone had finished re-decorating their area so some of the merchandise is no longer at the shop, including the old green cement mixer. It was a wonderful piece.

There's a new one of these chairs in the Country Living magazine I got today but it was
$329. I think this one is $125. It reminds me of Ralph Lauren.

Speaking of chairs, isn't this one adorable? And Pam has a whole bunch of the coolest pillows. This woman is amazing -- she can do anything. Of course, most of the women at Leola's can.

These are a few more of Pam's creations.

Wouldn't Brenda's swing be great on the front porch?

Sister Mary brought 2 of these bamboo chairs in. I really wanted them but since I'm going to have a garage sale to get rid of a bunch of stuff, seemed a little silly to buy more chairs.

Loved this white dresser. It will be interesting to see how much is gone when I go in on Monday morning.

We're finally having sunshine and I think I could actually see my grass growing. Hope you're having a good weekend.

House for sale.....

2011-05-19T12:14:00.000-05:00

Yep -- I'm going to do it. I'm selling my house. I've lived here 28 years and change is what I'm needing. It will officially go on the market right after Memorial weekend so if you know anyone who's interested, it's still not listed. It was so pretty in the backyard this morning and I wanted to cut flowers for Leola's so here are some pictures.

This is my huge sage plant. I put it in the year my Sage was born. Maybe I can take a start of of it.

Can you believe I found 4 - 4-leaf clovers in my backyard this morning. Think this is going to be a really good day for me. Thought I'd take one to sister Judy for her birthday (it's today).

We're getting ready for our "celebrate outdoor spaces" at Leola's this weekend so have to go paint some more. If you're near Ozark this weekend, you should stop in. It's going to be amazing. We've even redone our porch.

Have a great weekend!

My Aunt Lillian's auction......

2011-05-09T08:37:00.000-05:00

On Saturday morning sister Jean & I made the trek to Kansas City for my Aunt Lillian's auction. She was the last of my mother's siblings and she died just short of her 100th birthday. When I was very young, she lived on a farm in Buffalo, Mo., and lots of the things in this sale came from that farm. It was sad but yet wonderful to see so many of her things went to family members who will treasure them. My cousin, Liz, bought her sewing machine which was her career for many years. She was truly an artist at that machine.

Here are some of my treasures.

These were her old galvanized wash tubs that were used on the farm. These were my favorite things. I'm taking one to Allison then I think I might either put geraniums or tomatoes in mine. Aren't they wonderful?

She was an excellent homemaker and always had a huge garden and canned everything. This was one of her jars and some of her huge collection of pearls. I've always said it was possible to wear pearls even with a little dirt under your fingernails. She was a perfect example of that. And she always wore a perfectly ironed apron -- that she had made.

This handmade box must have been her son's. It has the most wonderful hand painting on it and was apparently, what held his Boy Scout "stuff". It's amazing folk art.

Loved the old suitcases. The white shelf is an old handmade bucket bench that you can tell had been well used. They always had lots of chickens so I imagine that she kept her buckets on here for feeding the chicks.

It was a beautiful day and came home with a good feeling about the sale. There were so many of our family there and everyone went home with remembrances of Aunt Lillian & Uncle Elz.

Hope everyone has a wonderful week. I'm off to work at Leola's.

Happy Mother's Day.....

2011-05-08T14:13:00.000-05:00

Happy Mother's Day to all you moms out there. This is a picture of my mom & my daughter, Allison ... 2 of the best moms ever. Sometimes it makes me so sad that Mom didn't get to see Allison as a mom & that she didn't get to know her 3 great-grandchildren (& they didn't get to know her). Oh, how they would have loved each other.

Here's Allison with her threesome getting them ready to go to an end-of-the-year sock hop at school. They never miss a thing because Mom (& Dad) make sure they don't. Today they were all ushers at church & walked down with Mom to take the offering plates. I remember a time in church when moms didn't get to do that. I was so proud of them. Happy Mother's Day dear Allison.

Rain, rain, go away......

2011-04-26T22:58:00.000-05:00

We have had so much rain that we're all about to float away. I woke this morning to water in my basement and garage. So guess what I did all day. Luckily, I can open my basement door into the garage and let it run out. It mainly just soaked into the carpet.
My intention has been, for quite some time, to get a storage spot and move most of the things out of my basement in preparation for putting the house on the market. This just rushed the decision. So while I was loading my car and running back and forth to the storage place, there was a police helicopter circling my neighborhood. Turns out, they were chasing a man they thought was connected to a double murder that occurred early Monday morning in a neighborhood close by. How scary is that?

This is a ditch across from my house that they built for run-off. It actually had little white caps on it.

I'm just grateful that we've not had the tornadoes or the terrible flooding so many have had. There seem to be so many people suffering right now. I pray that we all get a break very soon.

Spring fever.....

2011-04-21T21:16:00.000-05:00

What do you do when your house is a wreck and you've invited people for Easter dinner? Guess I'll figure it out. Seems my house hasn't really been "in order" since Christmas. I've developed a method of moving stacks, baskets and furniture from one room to another which gives me temporary relief but then I end up dragging it all back out again. I just really need a workshop.

I've been trying to figure out what to do with this bench. Way too many hours have been spent on it already so I need to just get it done and quit worrying about it.

Had to drag it back in on the porch when it started raining. Would just like to have one completed project. I spend a few hours a day in the garden trying to get it in shape -- kind of a daunting task but it's looking better and there are a few things planted. My plan is still to put the house on the market but just can't get to that point.

Maybe tomorrow will be a better day.

Birthday girls.....

2011-04-16T22:58:00.000-05:00

How on earth can my girls be 7 years old! They now have an American Girl store in K.C. so Mom & Dad took them to the city for the day. Their catalogue they received in the mail was almost worn out from the hours spent trying to make their decisions. When I left their house last night, Mom was still threatening not to let their dolls get their ears pierced if they didn't finish their chores. I wasn't aware that dolls got their ears pierced.

Hope they had a wonderful birthday celebration (tomorrow is the actual b'day). May your 7th year be full of love, joy and the best life experiences, and may God wrap his loving arms around you and keep you safe.

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood....

2011-04-08T13:51:00.000-05:00

Wish I could clone this day and make a year's worth of them. It is gorgeous and everything is blooming. It's impossible to describe the beautiful fragrance outside. The lilacs are just beginning to bloom and there's nothing better then a big ole bouquet. This one is sitting on the table I've been working on. It isn't vintage but I loved the legs.

Hope to get some work done at Leola's this weekend. It's so hard to get the yard done, the house cleaned, and the shop taken care of. This is when I know I really need a smaller place but then I sit down on my back porch & think -- maybe tomorrow.

Have a great weekend.

We've got lemons......

2011-04-02T21:17:00.000-05:00

I won REAL LEMONS from Jenny in Arizona. They actually grow in her yard. I have never in all my years seen a lemon growing on a tree. Don't get me wrong, I knew they grew on a tree, I have just never been in the right place at the right time. She decided to give away 2 boxes of her lemons to blog readers & I was one of the winners. They came today and Stella was with me so the first thing we did was make lemonade and the second thing was to make guacamole (my favorite food).

Thanks so much, Jenni, for this wonderful gift. Thanks, too, for all the entertainment I get from reading your blog.

Someone apparently moved from our neighborhood and failed to take their cat. Stella told me that it's back has very sharp edges. It loves Stella. It followed her all over the yard meowing & every time she set somewhere it was right there trying to sit on her. How can people be so heartless?

And yes Mom, I made her go in and take a bath.

The blooms are coming.....

2011-03-31T16:52:00.000-05:00

The early bloomers are beginning to show us signs that spring is coming. It's been cold here all week but tomorrow the warming trend is beginning. As I wondered around the yard looking at all the weeds that need to be pulled, couldn't resist taking a few pictures.

Also finished the pillows this week. The customer is redoing their porch and needed the 2 natural colored pillows to go with some RL pillows she already had. I love when a project is completed.

The plan is to get my porch cleaned off this weekend and maybe next week some new cushions. Also want to plant some lettuce, spinach and peas. Can't wait! There's a bench that's been waiting for some paint so hopefully, that will get some white paint on it.

Where's the sun.......

2011-03-29T19:02:00.001-05:00

Inside work is finally getting done at my house. There are so many projects that I've put off finishing and the knowledge that warm weather is coming, makes me know that if I'm going to work outside, there are just a lot of projects that need to be completed inside. So today I'm making pillows.

On Sunday I went out to the backyard and dug some vegetation to make a terrarium. OK, Judy said I could purchase one of hers but this big jar was just waiting to be used for this. It's amazing what has already happened in the jar and I find myself checking on it way too frequently.

This is one of my large cloche that sits perfectly on my old German bread board. This Easter decoration is perfect for it.

Yesterday was my work day at Leola's and the women had brought in some amazing pieces. They work so hard to make this a success and to actually do this for a living. We have so many people who appreciate our creativity but don't realize that if you just tell us how inspiring we are without sometimes purchasing an item, it's hard to pay the rent. Just remember that when you buy from small businesses like Leola's, it goes right back into the community. Everyone of these women take their check out into their neighborhoods and buy their groceries, eat at restaurants, shop with other dealers, buy their children's clothes (& their own), pay for lessons, shop at their local True Value, get haircuts, buy insurance and a million other things. Pay attention to who your customer is and try to shop with them and do a little payback. My hairdresser has never been in my shop and I'm giving that some serious thought. I've been going to her for almost 20 yrs. Loyalty means a great deal to me.

Anyway, enjoy these pictures of the wonderful, talented women of Leola's.

I love these single swings. I'm thinkin' I'll put one in my big tree in the backyard. Aren't they wonderful?

A beautiful day in the neighborhood....

2011-03-23T19:16:00.000-05:00

It's been such a beautiful few days in the Ozarks and I've been able to get so much accomplished. I love being able to work on the back porch. The bad part about working in the back yard is that I keep seeing weeds that need to be pulled and a garden that needs to be tilled. Oh, well, next week my good friend/lawn guy, Trenton, will be back from his mission trip he took for spring break & again, he'll save me. Thanks God for Trenton!

This is the chest/buffet that I've owned for years & have always wanted to paint. I've never been a big oak fan.

I am so happy with the outcome. The handles kind of bothered me because they were so large but I ended up liking them once it was painted. The locks were painted over but when I hit them with the sander, the brass showed just a little. Here's the finished product. What do you think?

I love these days when I can just stay home and work. A customer had me meet her this morning at F.M. Store (one of Springfield's great treasures) to pick out fabric for her porch furniture. So after we got our fabric and had lunch with Brenda, I headed back home to get some more work done. It's just been such a difficult winter. Normally, we have breaks in our winter where you can open the windows and work outside but we've had none of that this year. There just seems to be a lot of catch-up work.

Hoping you're having beautiful weather too.

Signs of Spring......

2011-03-18T06:41:00.000-05:00

We have had the most beautiful spring weather the last few days. Everything is beginning to bloom and the birds are singing and making their nests. I've been able to work in the garden and yard a bit and do some painting. My friend, Katie, gave me a new book, "Astrid & Veronika", and I set on my backporch in the sun yesterday afternoon and read. That's one of my favorite things to do but I don't often allow myself that luxury.

Last evening, as I drove through Springfield, I was amazed at how quickly everything had "burst forth".

I pray today for the people of Japan. What an overwhelming task lays ahead for them.

Peace!

Make me smile.....

2011-03-13T12:46:00.000-05:00

In the process of making cookies for open house, this little guy looked up at me and just said "don't worry -- be happy".

What a day.......

2011-03-10T20:44:00.000-06:00

It was such a great day. We all worked so hard but laughed and encouraged each other and offered assistance and made Leola's one incredible shop. It's so great to see everyone able to actually make merchandise to sell -- that's truly American-made.

It's going to be a beautiful weekend so we're really hoping for a great turnout. It will be worth the trip to Ozark. Hope to see you!

Spring Open House at Leola's.....

2011-03-09T22:18:00.000-06:00

We worked at Leola's this evening to at least start decorating. The store is closed tomorrow so we only have one day where, normally, we close several days. Just seems we've had so many snow days that we just couldn't afford to close this week. We're so glad we didn't because we sold several pieces of furniture the last few days.

Judy & Kristi have brought in some wonderful plants. They found great ivy. It makes such a difference when you have fresh flowers & plants to decorate with. After I placed 4 ivy in my room, it looked totally different.

Hope you can come to our open house. Everyone has worked so hard and we promise it will be really special.

Projects, projects, projects.....

2011-03-06T15:57:00.000-06:00

Can't stand watching basketball but can't stand to miss it. Our Mo. State University Bears are playing for the conference title and are losing by just a couple of points. I had to turn it off or have a nervous breakdown.

Thought I'd show some of my projects I've been working on. I was bummed because the door on my little chimney cupboard didn't turn out the way I wanted it too . I've resanded but will have to wait to paint until it warms up a little. Such a waste of time.

Did get Linda's chair done. The chair ended up being more of a re-upholstery job then a slipcover. Too many things to go around so just got out the old staple gun & went to town.

These are two of my lampshades. The first is a chenille and I had several of these little while milkglass lamps. They're perfect together. The second is a work-in-progress. Thought the red ticking would go with lots of things. I'm thinking I'll make one for myself to go on the backporch. I love a lamp on the porch.

I purchased this painted canvas with wonderful tags on it. It's really a work of art with wonderful little treasures attached.

Better get back to work. Spring Open House is this coming weekend and I still have a million things to do.

Have a great week!

Works in progress.....

2011-02-28T21:36:00.000-06:00

It seems all my projects are 1/2 done. Tomorrow I'm going to complete at least one. It's supposed to be nice enough to work on the porch so finishing this cabinet is top on my agenda.

It is going to be so cute. I've started with a barely off-white paint but now the fun begins. Hopefully, I can show you tomorrow night.

This is the chair I'm redoing for sister Linda. I've painted and waxed the wood but now I'm trying to decide on fabric. I'm thinking I'll use the natural, drop-cloth fabric like I used on my red chair then use a co-ordinating fabric for a pillow. What do you all think?

So much work -- so little time!

Spring is popping up at Leola's......

2011-02-23T10:28:00.000-06:00

Leola's is brimming over with new merchandise and looking great. I worked on Monday and we were so busy. It was a holiday so lots of people were out and about. Luckily, we've had some great weather so the ladies in the shop have been able to get some outside painting time.

Several have asked about Spring Open House and we decided on March 11, 12 & 13. By then, it should be nice enough to have some flowers outside. It's been such a long, hard winter for many of us that it will be such fun to celebrate Spring.

My day includes getting a new furnace. It is the original furnace in this house & is almost 30 yrs. old. I feel we were lucky to get 30 good yrs. out of it so it's time. Hopefully, it will help sell my house when the time comes. If you know of anyone who wants a 30-yr.-old house with everything new in it, tell them to call me.

So I'm off to get a haircut then back to finish some things up at the sewing machine. I've been working on pillows this week then I'm going to start working on a chair I'm slipcovering for sister Linda. She says she trusts me to do it so we'll see. Have a great day.

Accomplishments are many......

2011-02-17T20:40:00.001-06:00

The last couple of days have been beautiful and I've managed to get lots accomplished. Jeff, sister Linda's significant other (I call him my brother-in-law) has been painting, patching holes and various other things trying to help me get the house ready to put on the market. He's one of those that can do anything so I now can light a lamp in my hallway.

I was so excited this morning. Had to run to my neighborhood True Value (one of my favorite places) to pick up "stuff" for Jeff to work with. They were having a sale (20% off everything you could put in one of their re-usable bags) plus I had received a $10 coupon in the mail. When I went to check out, they owed me $.17. Felt like doing the "happy dance" on the sidewalk. Love that place!

Also, the men came to do the work on my front yard. They took old railroad timbers out and brought all this rock, dirt and mulch and this is how it turned out. And they did it in one day. If you live in my area and need landscaping done, I'd really recommend this crew. They had trimmed all my trees in the fall and I was so pleased with the job they did.

Hopefully, all my plants made it. I have a gorgeous, huge hosta in this bed that I brought from my Aunt Lillian's house in Grandview, Mo. She just died at the age of 99. You can only say "be careful" so many times before you start annoying people. Anyway, I love the way it turned out.

Hopefully, we'll get everything finished tomorrow. By the way, I forgot to tell you that Jeff fixed the screen on my porch where the squirrels had eaten through. Hope they've figured out that there's no food on my porch and they'll quit trying to get in. They're so destructive.

I've really struggled with my header. My pictures won't fit like I want them to. If anyone can suggest a tutorial that might help me, I would appreciate it. Ideally, what I'd like to do is put 3 pictures across the top but just don't know how to do it. I'd appreciate any help.

Slowly the warmth returns......

2011-02-12T22:14:00.000-06:00

It was a beautiful, sunny day in the Ozarks but not quite as warm as I would like it. Phoebe was with me last night and today so didn't get much accomplished. We did go see the Justin Bieber movie in 3D and she & I both enjoyed it. It was a great movie for the young & I swear the 3D makes you feel like you're there.

I managed to get a lot accomplished last week while it was cold & snowy. It was a real pleasure to just stay home and do what I wanted. Making lampshades has turned into great fun for me. There are so many beige or old-looking lampshades in this house and slowly, they are getting redone. It's amazing what a lampshade can do.

I've also finished my chair and added a pillow. Think I'll take it into the shop for Spring Open House.

This was a box that I had purchased. It was originally a shiny yellow but the inside was wonderful. I purchased it and decided it needed a refinish. I love the way it turned out. It's all refinished, wax and ready for Leola's. The coat rack was the same way but I refinished it and it looks great -- if I do say so myself.

I did finish one panel of my drapes and also found the fabric at a fabric store but it was $24.99 a yard so decided to use what I had. Loved the way it turned out & hopefully, will finish the second panel this week. Can't believe how much it warms the room.

Tomorrow is a workday at Leola's and I'm ready. I'm taking in some new pieces and trying to do a little pre-spring open house decorating and cleaning. We lost a lot of days this month so we have a lot of making up to do.

Hope everyone has a great Sunday.

Is that snow I see???????

2011-02-09T08:24:00.000-06:00

Would you believe it's snowing again in the Ozarks!!!!! I've about had it. The schools are closed again & it's so cold. South of here in Ark. they've had even more. The forecast is for warmer temps by the weekend and all next week so we'll keep our fingers crossed.

I think the squirrels must be getting hungry because yesterday one tore a hole in the screen on my porch to get into a bag of birdseed. I'm talkin' a big ole whole and made the biggest mess on my back porch. Lesson learned -- always keep birdseed in plastic container with lid.

These beautiful forsythia branches were cut last week from my backyard bushes. I love forcing these at this time of year. By the time Easter comes they have little green leaves on them and they can be used for Easter trees.

This will definitely be a stay-at-home day -- & hopefully, a productive one. I've given myself an assignment to clean something out every day. Yesterday was my cooking utensils drawer. Couldn't believe how much was in there that I never used. Not sure what it will be today but I've made the commitment.

Have a great day.

And the winner is........

2011-02-07T11:27:00.000-06:00

Carrie from Minden Place is our winner. I so appreciate everyone who left me a comment and wish I had enough lamps for everyone. So you know that everything was fair & on the up-and-up, I took the names next door to "The Lemon Drop" & had Kara do the drawing....

So, Carrie, let me know if you want to pick it up at Leola's or should I mail it.

It's a cold, wintry day in Ozark today & the sky, again, looks like it's full of snow. Luckily, they have said our next snow should be a light one and then a WARM UP. Boy, couldn't we all use a little of that.

So far this has been a pretty slow month at Leola's and a lot of other small businesses so if you're seriously doing the "shopping in your local small business" thing take a trip out & buy something. Think I'll go to Samurai Sam's & get a brown rice bowl with chicken tonight. If you haven't had it, it's yummy. And tell them Jan sent you. Maybe they'll give me a free egg roll.

Have a good week!

Snowy weekend & give-away.....

2011-02-06T10:23:00.000-06:00

There's still time to join the give-away. You have until midnight tonight & I'll draw tomorrow morning.

It snowed AGAIN on Friday night so lots of fresh snow . The g'kids were with me from Friday afternoon to Sat. afternoon so on Sat. we pulled on the boots and all the "stuff" one has to put on in this weather. We shoveled, fed the birds, made forts, slid down the hill and various other winter activities that almost did g'ma in. This was the only outside picture we got -- too difficult taking pictures and entertaining kids.

We made cinnamon crescents out of a can but Phoebe didn't have enough. We decided to mix up some biscuits and try making our own. She didn't like them as just biscuit shaped so she decided to roll them like crescents. Not quite the same but she liked them.

Today I'm going to try to finish my curtains for the front room. Just need 2 more panels but they seem to be stuck on my table. Can't seem to get through the pinning stage. They're lined so I'm hoping they'll keep the room warmer. Anyway, for sure it will look better. I've had this Waverly fabric for so long that I don't think it's still available. I still love it and I have a companion piece as a slipcover on my couch.

It's a cold, wintry Sunday but the sun is shinning. After a couple of really cold days this week & another light snow, we're supposed to start warming up. Think I'll get on Baker's Seeds website and order some arugula seeds so I can stick them in the ground the first sign of spring. Can't wait!

Watch tomorrow for the winner and you'll have to let me know where to send the lamp & shade.

Have a good week!

Let the give-away begin......

2011-02-03T19:33:00.000-06:00

Finally, I have 101 followers. I know that's not a big deal to most but it is to me. When I started this blog, I told myself I was doing it as a creative outlet for me....not a popularity contest. There have been times that I've been really down about it but I just try to remember why I'm doing it. The hardest part for me has been leaving comments for people that you genuinely enjoy their blog and like them but they never reciprocate. I've tried to narrow down my comments so the rejection is not so great. My sincere hope is that I've never made someone feel that their comment wasn't important because believe me, I'm sooooo appreciative of everyone who stops in & especially those who leave a comment.
So onward and upward & let the give-away begin. This is the lamp that will be given away.

If you will leave me a comment, I'll put your name in the drawing & also you must be a follower. I'll close the drawing on Sun. evening, Feb. 6 and choose the winner on Mon. morning. Thanks, in advance, for entering (if you choose to).

My giveaway.......almost.....

2011-02-03T13:04:00.000-06:00

Can you believe I'm stuck on 99 followers!!!! When I hit 100 then I'll explain the rules of the giveaway or if I get to 400 posts first, we'll celebrate that. I've been into making lampshades so decided on this for my prize.

The lamp and shade go together.

I've been at home for 3 days now and it's been kind of nice. Today is so cold that I can feel it when I stand at my windows. Nothing is melting and the ice is staying on the streets. It's the third day for Leola's to be closed. Our public schools and colleges are all still closed. It's supposed to warm a little over the weekend then more snow and frigid temps. So much for the groundhog seeing it's shadow. Oh, well, it is what it is and I figure God must have felt like we all needed to slow down and appreciate what we have. I'm so grateful to have a nice warm house and plenty of food when there are so many suffering & doing without right now. Also, I think it was so good for the public schools to be closed for a few days and maybe get rid of some of the germs. Seems like everyone had sick kids at home.

Hope everyone stays warm and pass this on so we can get on with the giveaway. Thanks!

Outside my window.....

2011-02-01T10:57:00.001-06:00

We seem to be part of that large segment of America dealing with a winter storm. It's snowing like crazy and a very cold wind is blowing. For the first time I can ever remember, we have a blizzard warning. Here is what it looks like out my front door:

I'm trying to take advantage of the days spent inside and getting some projects accomplished. Kelli worked for me yesterday so I decided to work on a lampshade. The lamp is white & it had a linen-look lampshade. It was just too blah. The fabric I used is also linen color but has just a little red viney design in it. It turned out better then I had expected. What do you think?

It's had to believe how long I have been blogging but it's been long enough that I have almost 400 posts but I only have 96 followers. I have a plan. Whichever comes first -- 400 posts or 100 followers, I will have a giveaway. The next post I'll show what I'm giving away. It made me laugh when I saw Miss Mustard Seed trying to get to 4000 followers (& she did). I'm just wanting 100. We'll see what happens.

Guess I'd better get to work while the snow flies. Hope everyone has a safe and warm day.

A spring-like weekend......

2011-01-29T19:27:00.000-06:00

It was a gorgeous weekend in the Ozarks and I got so much accomplished. The yard was looking a little out-of-control so with the help of my great lawn guy & friend, Trenton, we managed to rake & fill 2 dozen trash bags. What a difference it made.

Also managed to do some painting on some pieces for spring. I'm painting mostly with whites and grays and I'm lovin' it.

This is my chair that is finally finished. I'm also making a pillow for it but it might be a few days. I love the way it turned out. Left the hem unfinished (thanks to the expert advice from my friend Cathy). Think I'll do the same on the pillow. The fabric is a drop cloth washed about 4 times.

I felt good about my first experience with a slip cover. It may not be perfect but it looks pretty darn cute. At least I won't be afraid if I come across another chair. It's almost impossible to resale a chair if you've had to pay to have it upholstered or slipcovered. Think I'll wait and take this in for Spring Open House. Maybe by then I'll have the pillow done. I may get a lot done this week since they're telling us we have a big snow storm coming. That's the way it is in southern Mo. -- 70 degrees on Sat. & a winter storm on Monday. At least we get a break.

Leola's work day......

2011-01-25T08:20:00.000-06:00

It's so nice to get the greenery cleaned up and vacuuming the salt that gets tracked in. Leola's is looking so good. Lots of new merchandise and hardly a sign of Christmas to be seen. With Spring Open House the first weekend in March, we're all thinking Spring.

I took in new merchandise yesterday and fixed up the table with a wonderful wicker trunk filled with ironstone and right before closing, someone wanted it so had to stay late and re-do. I love it when that happens. Didn't take long and got home in time to see Antiques Roadshow.

Here are some more shots of Leola's.

Judy made red paper flowers. Love the way they turned out. Wouldn't they make a great valentine?

Brenda makes the most adorable tags. She's going to be carrying more "smalls". Come in and check out her glass knobs, black iron hooks and soaps.

Kristi's pillows.

Some of Pam's new merchandise.

It was a good day at Leola's and we accomplished quite a bit. Today my plan is to start working on my chair again and hopefully get it finished before I have too much time in it. Have a good day!

Busy weekend....

2011-01-23T18:08:00.000-06:00

It was a busy weekend at my house. I've been working on this chair a little at a time but still have a long way to go. At least I got all the old fabric off and did all to the finish I intend to. Now for the real work.

Instead of painting the chair like originally planned, I decided to go with the red and sand it a little with a darker glaze on top. I'm thinking I'll put linen on it. I also have a red and natural color linen that I like too. We'll just see what looks best when I'm to that point.

It was Sage's turn with grandma so I picked him up after school. He had basketball practice Friday night and a game on Sat. morning. That's what happens when they're 9 yrs. old. We still had time for us and he made me get out in the snow and help him build a snowman. He tried sledding but just not enough snow left.

If you look real close, you can see our snowman on the left.

Then Stella and Phoebe came to spend Sat. night so Mom & Dad could have a night out. They were rightfully impressed with our work.

We had such a good time and actually made it to church this morning for 9:30 service. I admit it wasn't easy but we did it and they all helped.

Tomorrow is work day at Leola's. I'm really considering giving up my work day to someone else. Seems the slightest little thing bothers me anymore and makes me question myself. I'm going to a bible study with Allison starting this week that's called "Me Myself & Lies and it's all about your inner self and the way we talk to ourselves and would God be happy with the way we treat ourselves. One of my new year's resolutions was to be better to myself. It may not be the way others think I should do it or the way others think I should be affected but to be honest with me and do what's best for me. Just trying to figure things out.

Have a wonderful weak and stay warm.

It's a snow day.....

2011-01-20T09:10:00.000-06:00

Even at my age, there's something exciting about hearing those words on the morning news -- "school is cancelled". It doesn't take much snow in our part of the world to cancel school but for several reasons. Mainly because we don't have the equipment to clean the roads like they do in parts of the country that has more of the white stuff then here in southern Missouri. Also, we're kind of a hilly area with lots of country roads that can get very treacherous. We have a new superintendent that hails from Colorado so you know the weather is bad if he cancels.

Haven't accomplished much this week. I did have Kristi's birthday party with all the women from Leola's on Sunday night. Then on Monday I had to start the ordeal before having a colonoscopy -- Tuesday was the procedure. Sure glad I don't have to do that for 10 more years. I was supposed to work today but we figured there wouldn't be much reason to open plus it will give our landlord a chance to clear the parking lot. My plan is to work on some old pillowtops I bought at Tattered Treasures in Lebanon. They were badly stained but I've soaked and washed them repeatedly and they are now beautiful and white. Can't wait to see how they turn out.

Hope all of you have a wonderful day and if you're in the large area of the country that is having snow, enjoy your snow day.

It's been a busy week.....

2011-01-14T15:28:00.000-06:00

I've been able to accomplish so much this week. It's been too cold to want to get out so I've stuck pretty close to home. Except for yesterday when Judy and I ran to the shop and picked up my new chest for the hallway. I love it. What do you think?

Putting this piece in and taking out the hutch that had ironstone in it took some of the busy-ness (is that a word) out of the hallway. This is how the hutch looked. By the way, I'm going to be selling this piece at Leola's.

I moved things around in the living room, too. Once I get started moving things, there's no stopping me. I've had this cabinet on the wall for years and I'm thinkin' this will go to Leola's too. It will have to come down because it wasn't removed before we painted it the last time so before the house goes on the market, I'll have to get it down.

My paperwhites are still blooming so cut these few to put in an ironstone pitcher.

Here's the new bedroom hallway color. It really warmed it up and looks so good with the wood floors. I love reading Miss Mustard Seed and in her blog a few days ago she talked about her True Value store and how she loves it and their paint. Well, I feel the same about mine. They're so nice and helpful and it's right up the street. I've lately used Behr paint but decided to try True Value's paint and I loved it. They keep everything on file so if I forget what I've used before, they can find it for me. I love my True Value Store.

Hope everyone has a great weekend. It's warmed up considerable today so the snow is melting. Stay warm!!!

A snowy day.....

2011-01-10T21:05:00.001-06:00

Another work day at Leola's. It snowed almost all day but not much accumulation. Didn't think much would be going on but it was busier then I thought. New furniture had come in so I had no control -- had to buy this for my entry hall.

It will be perfect in my hall and I can sell the cabinet that's there now.

Isn't this a wonderful sideboard? It even has a silverware drawer.

Phoebe came to visit me this weekend and she's always game for whatever. Through the years I have purchased Sage & Phoebe both little chairs and Stella never let me forget that I still owed her one. I spotted this one at Leola's before Christmas but I had a little work to do on the legs. Phoebe helped me and it is adorable. Here they are sitting in each other's chairs in their wonderful bedroom.

Wish I had taken a picture of the back of the chair. It has a big bow and covered buttons down the back. They have a little vanity that it will work at perfectly.

Looks like tomorrow will be an inside day so I stopped by my local True Value Store and picked up a gallon of paint. I've taken everything off my hallway walls, filled the holes and it's getting some new paint. Hopefully, I'll be able to show it tomorrow night.