Home once again ~

Spring Fling in southern Ohio was once again great fun!  On our way down, we stopped at a number of antique shops and malls.  Take "antique" with a grain of salt because antiques were few and far between!

I did manage to find a treasure or two 😁

Did I need this cast iron Boston terrier door stop?  Ha!  I always say need has nothing to do with it, but for the price he needed to come live with me.  I haven't yet found the perfect spot for him, so he will temporarily reside on a stack of baskets.

I also found a couple of papier mache Easter eggs.

One is marked German Democrat Republic.

The other simply GDR.

Then today I saw my sister-in-law for the first time since her return from spending time in Florida.  She gifted me these!!!  The little one is too sweet.  I didn't have any that small.

They are simply marked Germany.

Believe it or not, I actually have pictures to share from the hook in in the next post!

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren

Packed ~

 

Anyone who has read my blog for a while, knows that I am a master procrastinator and always wait until the last minute to pack when getting out of Dodge.  Well . . . tomorrow I am heading to the southwest corner of Ohio with three hookers to the Spring Fling ~ a two day hook in.  No teacher, just hooking fun.  Here it is only 4:30 in the afternoon and I am packed except for the last minute things I will need to throw in the bags in the morning.  I think this is a record.  The new me?  I highly doubt it 😁

Head on over to Sue's blog to see the rug she will be hooking and the rug she will probably be starting soon.  She is fast hooker!

Have you ever made an allspice garland?  I made a few that I will be taking when I vend in a couple weeks.  They are crazy expensive to buy but after making them, I can understand why.  An allspice is smaller than a pea.  Even after soaking them for hours, they are pretty tough to stick a needle thru.  Let me just say my thumb is pretty darn sore from all the needle pricks.  A friend used a skinny drill bit to make the hole.  I think I need to try that next.  They do smell darn good!

Thanks so much for stopping by!  

I'll be back upon my return.  Hopefully I'll even take a few pictures.
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren

Springtime in Ohio ~

 

Spring has officially arrived which means I have begun another trip around the sun 😁  Thankfully with our freeze last week, the spring buds bounced back.

Mini daffodils are one of my favorites and this year they are blooming profusely.  Not so much with some of my other clumps of daffs.  Some have no buds at all.

The hellebores are blooming.

Hyacinth will soon be sharing their wonderful fragrance.

Every year about this time I get antsy and must get out the lawnmower.  It was a bit chilly and I'm sure anyone driving by thought I was nuts (may not be far from the truth), but I did get it mowed before a few sprinkles started.

I have finally pulled a few loops on my camp rug started in January.  A few are always better than none.  The colors for the leaves chosen by the teacher do not allow me to do that blotchy background so it will mostly be antique darks which is my go-to background.

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren

 

Yesterday was a typical St. Patrick's Day in Ohio   . . . snow, wind and cold.  My daffodil stems are frozen.  I fear that they will not rebound.

And speaking of St. Patrick, remember my yearly visits to the nun I had in grades 2 and 8?  Her previous name was Sister Mary St. Patrick, until years ago when the Notre Dame sisters were able to use their given name, so she became Sister Marian Coughlin.  She passed away on March 14 at the age of 97.  I will be out of town or I would go to her memorial mass.

How can you adequately thank someone you've never met for a gift?  I "met" Jody from Wisconsin because of the You Tube videos of my home.  You can find the videos here and here.  We are very like-minded and I am gobsmacked by her generosity.  A surprise arrived in the mail recently.  My first Arnett Santa.  She had wanted to send it to me before Christmas but the artist who has them made was too overwhelmed with orders.  A gift I will treasure forever.  It is amazing the friends I have never met because of my blog.  Thank you Jody!!!

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren

New to me old treasures ~

 

Yesterday, partner in crime Laura and I headed to a VERY upscale antique show about an hour and a half from home.  I had not attended this show in 20+ years.  It is a true antique show, full of wonderful early pieces with the prices that go along with such items.  I did not anticipate bringing anything home.  If money was no object, I would have needed to rent a U-Haul 😁  But since that is not the case, all my purchases fit in a paper handled bag.  

The items that came home with me were affordable because they are not considered "primitive" items by today's standards.  I would have loved to bring home a crock or two (or three or four) and maybe a like number of antique samplers.  Nope.  

I started collecting featheredge 40+ years ago.  It is my largest collection by far and I have not added any pieces in many years.  In all my years of collecting, I had never seen this variant.  It is marked Adams.  A small chip on the back is not noticeable from the front.

Another collection of mine is treen.  Treen refers to small, functional, handmade wooden household items.  I have collected small treen items for years but rarely purchase any because the little cupboards I use to display them are full.  With that being said, I could not resist the price of this sweet piece.  I also have a small collection of little Staffordshire dogs and once again the price was right.

Several dealers had the most wonderful antique Santas that I will never be able to afford, but did add to my Christmas collections with these little Santas.  The larger one is made of chenille and the smaller ones, just over an inch tall, were marked celluloid, but not sure that they are.

And how could I not come home with this vintage stuffed pug?  Because of his stains, he was what I considered a great bargain!  

I am not a purist so a few stains don't bother me.  Many of my antiques have major flaws, but they work for me so that is all that matters.

We had horrific winds on Friday!  I lost power for over 24 hours.  Thankfully it was restored yesterday but I believe some are still without.  The winds have once again returned.  Wind scares me but not much I can do about it.

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren

A few more finishes ~

I must admit I am mighty tired of making things to take when I vend at the antique/primitive show on April 11.  But I persevere 😁 

Another little heart pillow made with handtorn strips.

To honor our GREAT nation for its 250th birthday.  Mounted on an old hide stretcher.

Last but not least another patriotic piece mounted on the sweetest little vintage box purchased recently at an antique mall.

Great little latch.

And divided interior.

We have had several spring-like days the last week.  I am so thankful I did not have to walk the granddogs in cold weather.  Today they were walked in the rain but it beats snow!  Tomorrow we will once again have colder weather.  (Welcome to Ohio.)  Son and his girlfriend will be home tomorrow so my life will be back to normal, whatever that is . . . lol!

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs 😊

Lauren

2 Zs, 2 finishes and 3 daffs ~

Two Zs will be my houseguests for the next week while son and his girlfriend are in Florida.  Here is Zala.

And Zeke. 

One of them, and I am guessing the female Zala, (according to son's girlfriend Zeke is just too perfect to do anything wrong . . . lol!) stole this little bunny that was sitting too low to the ground.  I assume she thought there was a squeaker inside that she had to rescue!

They are Pomskies . . . designer dogs.  Pomeranian/husky mixes.  Growing up we just called them mutts 😁

Getting ready for night night.

I actually have two finishes to share . . . at long last.  I am just S.L.O.W.

This little wonky cutting board must have been someone's shop project!  It is only 9 3/4" tall and 4" wide.

This big ole heart is 24" tall and 9" wide.  I think it looks pretty good on the old piece of barn siding.

Remember the daffodils I showed you that I picked last Friday?  (For perspective, the little bottle is 3 3/4 tall.)

Here they are today.

I know not everyone likes the time change (uh Robin!), but I love it.  That extra hour of daylight is heaven.

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren