Summertime....

I don't know about where you are but here, in Missouri, it is very hot!  Not only is it hot but we have rain almost daily so it's very humid.  Lately memories from my childhood have crept in and I try to remember what it was like to live without air-conditioning.  My grandchildren cannot fathom life without air-conditioning and not just in the house but in the cars we drive, in stores....everywhere.  We had grocery stores when I was young and they weren't air-conditioned and we would all pile into our station wagon and head to church which wasn't cooled.  I remember the cardboard fans that everyone used in order to tolerate it.  Anyway, I'm so THANKFUL for my nice cool house and so grateful because I know there are many who don't.

I've been taking inside pictures of the house so you can see what I've tried to do with it.  These are mainly smaller venues but the seem to photograph better.

My kitchen is smaller and no room for an island.  I just have to be more organized when I'm cooking.

I have a small breakfast area at the end of the kitchen and this is one of my options for building a screened-in porch.  If I don't, my plan is to put two comfy chairs there so I can set and look outside since it isn't used often for eating.

 The "Liberty" runner on my table and the framed piece below are two of my wool applique projects.

Hope everyone is enjoying their summer and managing to stay cool.  It's been a good one so far for me and a busy one.  Lots of projects on the horizon and with any luck I'll at least accomplish a few.  Hopefully, my next post will include one of those!!!!

Spring.....YEA.......

Happy first day of Spring!  It's Spring Open House weekend at Leola's and it's forecast to be the perfect weekend.....70 degrees and no rain!!!!  Everything is changing.  The trees all have big buds as do my lilac and forsythia bushes.  I LOVE SPRING!!!!

The finch are slowly turning gold....a sure sign...

Leola's looks absolutely amazing.  Everytime we do an open house I say it's never looked better but this time I feel certain it's true.  We have the most creative people with us....

 

This is the wool applique pillow that I made and my fabric covered eggs....

 

 

Hope it's beautiful wherever you live.  Have a wonderful weekend.



January doldrums.....

Thank heaven the sun was shining today and I actually walked out the door without a coat.  I'm not a fan of January and my spirits start to pick up as I see the month slowly crawling by.  It certainly helps when the sun shines.

Have managed to get my house back in shape after taking down all the Christmas.  My sewing room has really overwhelmed me so now there are 2 big plastic bags in the garage waiting to be given away.  What a relief!  I have way too much wool but it's so hard for me to give it up.

 

Found these today on a Facebook page and thought they might be fun to make for Valentine's Day.  I made two (but neglected to take a picture) so we'll see if my needlework is appreciated by others.  Needlework is my favorite hobby but unfortunately, I've run out of room and others don't seem to like it as well as I do.

 

 

 

One of my favorite things to do on a drizzly, cold, wintry afternoon is to snuggle up on my chaise lounge with my heating pad, a cup of hot tea and my Kindle.  I've read two amazing books that I've added to my favorites list.  This one goes on the top.....

 

 

Sometimes an author will just amaze you with his ability to write and this is one of those times.  His writing is artistry but the story makes it difficult to put it down.....even when you have a migraine.  This is one of those books that you'll never forget reading.

 

My other favorite is this one....

 

 

There were times in this one that I thought it was dragging and then I'd find myself absorbed in it again.  It was hard to imagine a young woman being so brave as to take off alone on this journey through the wilderness.  You realize in the end that she faced far more to fear in her everyday life then she did out in that wilderness.  It really made me stop and think that in the world we live in today, that's probably true for a lot of us. 

 

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and gets a chance to do a little reading.





A quiet, rainy day.......

It's raining in my world today and I'm so grateful.  City Utilities has been replacing gas lines in our neighborhood (thank you) for the last few weeks and it's left our yards with no grass and only this fine, dry dirt that just blows around.  I've tried to water but it's been hot so it doesn't last long.  I'm certain that all those with allergies are having a terrible time.  My windows have been open so needless to say, I need to dust.

 



Judy, Jean, and I are taking off on Sunday and headed to Door County, Wisconsin, for a very relaxing few days.  We've been there several times and love it, especially in the fall.....

 

 



We're staying in Fish Creek and no, there won't be snow on the ground but we love this little grocery store which is right around the corner from our cottage.  It's fun to run in here and pick up a sandwich and a bottle of wine for dinner.  It's such a quaint, pretty little village.

 

 

It's just a beautiful area in the on Lake Michigan that makes you feel like you're on Cape Cod....

 

 

I'm pulling out the flannel shirts and sweaters since the temps are to be in the 50's.  May even take my Uggs! 

 

I love taking projects to work on.  I've never had an issue with carsickness so since Judy is driving her new Jeep, I can even sew in the car (I'm sure she'll love all the little pieces of wool and thread left behind)!!!!

 

 

Haven't decided if I'll take the laptop or not.  The camera will be with me at all times and if I pack the laptop, I'll show pictures.  If not, I'll post them when we get home.

 

Hope everyone is having a wonderful week.

 

 





Fall projects......

Sorry it's taken so long but, as usual, blogging had to be put on the back-burner.  It's such a busy time both at home and at Leola's. Sister Linda has been working on Fridays and I try to go down and be there for awhile.  It can get busy on Friday and it certainly was today.  Lots of visitors from out-of-town.  I'm going to be working for Kenda tomorrow.

We have such wonderful pieces right now besides all of the smalls.  I don't know of another shop around that has the good early furniture that Leola's has. 

I said in an earlier post that I would show a few pieces from the small town of Lieper's Fork in Tennessee.  They were having a big sale in their downtown that someone had told us about.  There were lots of rusty pieces and these pieces that had been transformed into lamps and various other items.  We also noticed that at the City Farmhouse Barnsale.

Wish I had taken pictures of some of the lamps.  They were wonderful but very expensive.  We found even at this sale that much of the merchandise was priced much higher then we could sell them for here.  It's so strange how people will go out-of-town and pay more then they will spend in their local shops.

I purchased these wool socks at the sale and decided to applique on them to use for Christmas stockings to sell at open house.

 

It's incredible how quickly the weather has turned cold.  One day we were wearing flip-flops and the next day, Uggs.  Missouri weather is always crazy....so unpredictable!  We're at least 2 wks. behind on leaves turning.  Usually by the first of November the leaves are fully turned and falling like crazy but not this year.  They're turning but there's still lots of green.

Leola's is having it's holiday open house a week later then most everyone else.  We just didn't like having the first night of open house on Halloween.  We always like to have ours start on Thursday night because we love the ambiance of the little lights and candles sparkling in the evening.  The shop never looks better and I think our customers like it, too.  This will be our 7th holiday open house.....yikes!  We're all working so hard to make it the best one ever.  Hope you can come.

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.

October, October......

It was brought to my attention today, while working at Leola's, that it had been awhile since I had posted.  It was kind of a surprise to find that I was missed......thanks, Ursula!  What could be a better time to post then the first day of October.....my favorite month.

No, this isn't today.  It was taken last year on my street when g'girl Stella was with me.  The leaves are beginning to turn and I'm noticing that it's already starting to get dark at 7:00.  My favorite thing is that I haven't had to turn the a.c. or furnace on for about 2 weeks although it gets pretty warm in the afternoons.  Traded sister, Linda, a pair of overalls for a load of kindling and have lots of wood left from last year so let those cool nights move in.....I'm ready!

Love having a needlework project going and since Holiday Open House is coming up, a pillow project was in order.  My stock of pillows is gone at the shop so need to get busy.

I've been collecting funnels for months trying to get the right sizes for trees.  Loved these when I saw them last holiday time so decided they would be perfect with all my primitives.



I'm still working on what to do for the star.  Made this one with some vines but not sure that's what I want but love the way they turned out.

This is another chair that my neighbor Dave, re-worked for me.  He loves hand-caneing and does such a wonderful job.  There are now 3 of them at Leola's sitting around the table I took in.

There are also two pressed-back chairs that are wonderful.  For some reason chairs seem to be hard to find right now.

Judy, Jean and I are getting ready to head to a big antique sale in Franklin, TN.  Can't wait!  We leave next week and plan to find some great treasures  for the holidays at Leola's.  I'll take lots of pictures and share when I get home.  Had hoped to have a new camera before this trip but haven't made a decision yet.

Hope everyone is enjoying a great fall.

Leola's Fall Open House.....

Can you believe it's that time again!!!!  Wish the weather was more fallish but the signs are all over.  There are heavy cobwebs everywhere, the locusts start making their sounds earlier in the afternoon and leaves are falling all over.  To top it all off.....TOMORROW IS SEPTEMBER 1!  How can that be?

I've been trying to complete some of my projects.  Does anyone else have that issue?  I have all these projects half finished and nothing completed.  So yesterday I finished 2 appliqued pillows and 2 lampshades.

 

These are the two lampshades I made.  Note to self "don't make lampshade with fabric containing large amount of polyester".  It was so hard to glue but thank heaven, I had lots of clothes pins and ribbon (& patience).  This was the fabric for the back of my pillows so thought it would be wonderful for a shade......and it looks great but was sooooooo difficult to make.  Actually, this shade (including labor) should sell for about $500).  But it won't!

Love the way it looks on the black lamp.....and with the pillow.

 This is the wool pumpkin pillow I made.  Do you know how hard it is to find orange wool.  Impossible!  So had to dye my own.

Guess I'd better get back to the work table.  Lots of projects to complete by next Thursday evening plus there are dozens of candles to be marked (did I tell you I don't like marking merchandise?).

Hope everyone has a wonderful holiday weekend and can stay cool.