Underacheiver ~

Welcome!  Another month is almost over.  It seems every month I comment on where the time has gone and this one is no exception.  Today is not a very pleasant day - dreary and cold.  I think those two weeks of beautiful weather totally spoiled me, but I am thankful for all the yard work I was able to get done.

Thursday night was hooking at That'll Do Farm.  Isn't this just the sweetest cupcake?  Andrea made it especially for me.  Well, that's not quite true about the making part, but it was for me :)

It was just me and Andrea and let me tell you, the two of us need to join Underachievers Anonymous!  This is all I got done on Auntie Peanut.  Pretty sad, no?  Andrea was knitting.  Well, not actually knitting but casting on ~ 450 stitches for a VERY long scarf.  I know that's a lot of stitches but I'm not sure she got them all on!  I do hope she recounted them yet again to be sure the pattern would be correct.

Last night was not a whole lot better hooking-wise.  Those are not horns or ears sticking out the side of her head.  Honest! 

I've made a little more progress today and will post another picture when there is really something to show!

Here's the little punch needle piece I was working on.  I've probably done eight or ten variations of the bunny over the years to give away.   

Thank you so much for stopping by.  May the sun be shining in your little corner of the world.
Pug hugs :)
Lauren

New Old Treasures ~

Hooker friend Jane (no blog) is moving and is having a tag sale.  She is changing her decorating style so is selling lots of good, old stuff!  I had early buying privileges ~ woo hoo.  I did pick up a few treasures and may have to go back for more.

I have a weakness for old spice cupboards.  I think this is #7 for me.  I also got a couple pieces of vintage tin Halloween.



Vintage turkey candy containers from the Fanny Farmer Candy Company which I believe was a Cleveland, Ohio company and a wooden bread board.

Old Santas.  (LOVE these!!!)



I had one old pewter plate.  Now I have an official collection!

I also got an enamel pot for dyeing wool (if I ever do . . . lol), the Mary Emmerling flag book, a Zoar crock (not old) and a few other odds and ends.

* * * * *

My early daffodils are already done blooming, but there are so many other things bursting with color.  Living close to Lake Erie, I was spared a frost but a bit more inland, people are worried about damage to the fruit trees.  Hopefully little damage was done!

Kiss the kids and furbabies!

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

So Many Birthdays ~

March is a big birthday month in my family.  Earlier this month I posted about my #2 son's birthday.  Somehow this weekend he avoided being in any picture.

My sweet Chicago niece Elise and two daughters decided to make a quick trip to Ohio to celebrate our birthdays.  And by quick I mean quick.  They arrived at 2 am Saturday morning and left at 5:15 am Sunday morning.  She is a flight attendant so when flying standby, especially with three people, you don't get on the most ideal flights.  I do appreciate her efforts and it was great to see them.

Jake absolutely LOVES his cousins. Sophia is eight and Alexis five.  Check out Jake's left arm.  On St. Patty's day, he decided to take a flying leap off a swing and ended up with a broken arm.

He was so excited about turning seven.  You'd think the poor boy never received birthday gifts before!

Much older brother Bill (all of two years and eleven days!) also was celebrating a birthday.  Here he is with Elise.

Even Annie joined in the celebration.  I'm not sure how it was determined, but her records indicate she turned two today.  She was not too fond of her party hat.

I also celebrated a birthday.  This is what greeted me when I got to work on Tuesday.  I know it's only a number, but it's a REALLY BIG number and this one bothered me, but there's not a whole heck of a lot I can do about it and it sure beats the alternative!

We were so spoiled with the warms temps the last couple of weeks.  I suppose we are now experiencing normal temperatures and it feels so cold.  I wanted to cut my grass today, but no way am I going to do it with gloves and a winter coat!

Tonight I hope to finish my little punch needle piece that needs to be done sooner rather than later.  I am anxious to get started on Auntie Peanut.

Thank you so much for stopping by.  I hope your week is off to a great start.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Auntie Peanut ~

What a busy week it's been!  Between my day job, yard work and my two evening digital camera class, there has been no time for fun stuff (ie, hooking or punching!). 

The camera class was only 4 hours and I did learn about some of the camera settings, but it didn't really cover things I was hoping it would.  No real suggestions on how to get true colors when taking pics of hooked rugs.  I also wanted to learn more about when a person should use the program auto, intelligent auto, etc.  Maybe one of these days I'll have to take a look at the manual.  It is on a dvd and I can't figure out how to print it.  Pretty sad, no?  I guess that would be the first step.  Baby steps, right?

Next up on the frame is Auntie Peanut.  I ordered the pattern from Saundra of Woodland Junction and that sweet blogging friend gifted it to me knowing that I was hooking it as a birthday gift.  Isn't it just the greatest pattern?  THANK YOU, SAUNDRA :)

Saundra's Auntie Peanut.  I hope mine comes out half that good!

For all you hooker wannabees and newbie hookers, Saundra has some really great, very reasonably priced kits that even contain the hook. For experienced hookers, she has wonderful patterns. She also has dolls, bears, and so much more on her website. You won't be disappointed!

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Welcome Spring ~

Tomorrow it's officially spring, but by our recent temperatures you'd think it's going to be summer.  Our weather in northern Ohio, along with much of the country, has been unseasonably warm and I'm lovin' it!  How funny that when I spoke with my older son last evening who is currently in the Los Angeles area, he was complaining about how chilly it was there.  I think we had him beat by close to twenty degrees.

Since our weather has been so wonderful, I couldn't resist and have been working in the flower gardens.  I don't think I've ever even started in March let alone have gotten it done.  It's a great feeling, but because of that, little crafty stuff was done over the weekend.  I did manage to pull the last few loops on my Magdalena rug and have added it to the growing pile of rugs that need binding.  I guess that's a good thing because it means I am getting things hooked!  I also worked on a little punch needle piece that I can't share with you at this time.

A few of the flowers that are blooming in the yard.

Tonight is the first night of a two session class on how to use my digital camera.  I sure hope I can learn something about all the settings and I'm hoping the instructor can share some insight on how to capture the true colors of a hooked rug.

Happy Monday to you!
Hugs :)
Lauren

Happy St. Patrick's Day ~

 Watch out for
leprechauns
& green beer.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Hookin' at the Library ~

Last night was hookin' at the library.  Arlene brought along a finished pumpkin rug.  The colors are absolutely WONDERFUL!  The colors in the close-up are more accurate . . .

. . . but I wanted to show how long it is.  It has to be at least 4'.

Melissa is doing a great job on her Magdalena rug.

Karin is always working on something wonderful!

Isn't this just the sweetest rug ever?  Sylvia is working on it for a great grandbaby.  What a special gift!

Penny is a hooker I had not met before.  She is doing a super job on her house!



I am getting very close to finishing my Magdalena rug that is not very Magdalena-like.  I know, I know.  I should have at least added some squiggles of colors.  Next time.  Honest!



I can't believe it's Friday again tomorrow.  Woo hoo!  Time's a flyin' and our weather is still unbelievably gorgeous.  I hear it rumbling as we are supposed to get some storms tonight.

Thank you for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Dried Pineapples ~

Last year I found directions on how to dry a pineapple here.  Now when you click on the link it says that it is open to invited readers only and I guess I'm not invited :(

Last week Aldi's (discount grocery chain) had pineapples for only $1.19 so I decided to give it a try.  I think they came out pretty good if I do say so myself.  I learned that it's really hard to scoop out the insides from a hole in the bottom and nothing is really salvageable to eat!  They also shrink ~ ALOT!  I think they were about the same size to begin and now only about 1/3 the size they started out.  One seems to have shrunk more than the other.  The directions also said it took about 8 hours to dry in the oven.  Mine were in for 24 (at about 200 degrees) and still not totally dry.  Maybe I didn't scoop enough out.  If you'd like more information, I'd be happy to oblige but I don't want to step on any one's toes.

The weather is still phenomenal in Ohio with temps in the upper 60's.  I've done a bit of yard work 3 days in a row.  I don't ever remember cleaning out the flower beds in March, but I'm not complaining!  Just so we don't get a hard frost!!!  The daffodils have started blooming.  I just love me some daffodils.  The jonquils come a bit later and I love them even more!
Thanks for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Sunday Stuff ~

Welcome friends!  Thank you so much for stopping in.  I have been trying to do a blog post for several days, but the mind was a total blank and I couldn't think of a thing to blog about.  Don't you just hate when that happens?

* * *

It was a gorgeous day in Ohio today!  I went down to Lake Erie in search of beach glass for the first time this year.  The air coming off the lake was quite chilly, but for March 11, I am NOT complaining.  I found numerous pieces, even a couple pieces of cobalt blue and one tiny piece of red.  When I got home I planned to go in the house and do some hooking, but seeing neighbors out doing yard work guilted me in to doing some, too. 

* * *

This was the headline in yesterday's local paper.  I'm sure glad that wasn't my picture :)

My #2 bad boy J (Jason) turned 31 today.  How can that be when I'm only 39?  He is still wearing his "winter" face, but with temps nearing 70 by mid-week, he probably will be sporting his "summer" face soon. 

I finished my punch needle piece.  The finished size is 5" x 6".  It is a pattern from the August 2008 issue of Create & Decorate magazine.  

Progress was made on my Magdalena Briner rug.  I guess this is "Magdalena my way" because it looks nothing like her style.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren