Frittering my Time Away ~

I need to better manage my time.  I have 7-8 hours from the time I get home from work until it's time to fall in to bed.  It really should be 7 hours, but it's usually closer to 8-8 1/2.  I'll never learn.  By the time I go through the mail, read the newspaper, read emails, blogs, a little Facebook, dine with my sweetie, deal with Ellie . . . yada yada yada . . . the evening is almost gone.  I don't have a working television so I'm not spending time there.  I think I should have so much more time to hook, etc.  This darn day job sure cuts in to my free time.  How do you manage your time?  Do you fritter it away like I do?

 

I'm struggling to get the backs on my hooked hearts.  I really shouldn't hook them if I don't want to finish them, right?  But . . . I just love hooking them.  It's a vicious circle, isn't it?

 

My amaryllis is finally starting to bloom and it is gorgeous.  I usually try to buy blubs that have two buds emerging, but since I bought rather late, this one only had one.  It will have four flowers on this one stalk.

 

 



The stem is just under two feet tall. 

 

I hope everyone to the east weathered the snow storm unscathed.  I cannot imagine getting 2'-3' of snow nor do I want to find out :)

 

Thank you so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Two Down ~ Four to Go ~

 

Even though these mats are small, to have them already bound is quite an accomplishment.  Of course, labels have not been made :(

 

 

Blog friends are the best.  I have been remiss in showing what sweet Melinda sent me for Christmas.  She is SO talented.  She is an amazing quilter, stitcher, and hooker to name a few.  This stocking was pieced together using many different stitches.  It was perfect hanging on an antique cupboard door.

 

 

I can't wait to hook with this antique paisley.  It gives a hooked piece such a wonderful, old look.

 

Her house is amazing, too, and is included in Judy Condon's newest book "Simply Country Homes and Gardens".  Way to go, Melinda.  Thank you so much!  I am blessed to call her friend. 

 

Have you seen this movie?  I took Grandson Jake to see it.  It is absolutely delightful.  I may have enjoyed it more than he did.

 

 

Another weekend is almost over, but the good thing about Sunday ~ date night with my sweetie.  We are a wild and crazy pair.  "Date night" is our weekly trek to Five Guys . . . lol.  We never tire of that place.

 



Thank you so much for stopping by. 

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Hooking Hiatus ~

 

I really must put my hook down for a few days and concentrate on finishing some things.  I know it's no fun, but a necessary evil.

 

I need to bind these two little mats . . .

 

  

. . . and put a backing on these hearts.

 

 

These rugs still need binding.  Two have been finished for many months and will remain that way for a while longer.  These are some of the largest rugs I've hooked.  You'd think I'd want to get them done . . . sigh.

 

I also need to get busy on some wool applique.  I am taking a Rebekah Smith workshop and need to do the applique before the class.  Some of us are getting together to work on it Sunday, but it will take longer than an afternoon to complete.

 

Speaking of Rebekah Smith, she is coming out with a book.  If you are not familiar with her work, she does incredible wool applique.  You can pre-order her book on Amazon.  (Sorry for the poor quality pic but I snagged it off Amazon.)

 

 

 Remember my Chicken Challenge rug?

There is an article in the February/March 2015 issue of the ATHA (Association of Traditional Hooking Artists) magazine and my rug is in it :)  A first for me.

Need a good laugh?  This is what your legs look like the day you have sclerotherapy.  Thankfully the cotton balls and tape can be removed after 24 hours and only the compression stockings need to be worn.

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs :)
Lauren



Progress ~

Oh, I've been such a bum this weekend spending much more time with hook in hand than I normally do, but it sure does feel good :)  I've made great progress on my heart mat.  I did change the date from 1820 to 1803 ~ the year Ohio became a state.  The wool for the heart is all from my worm basket or very narrow scraps.  I did cut wool for the background.  I cut it both horizontally and vertically to give it more variation.  I'm hooking it in an 8.5 and 9 cut and the finished size will be 9 3/4" x 15 3/4".

 

 

Tomorrow is a holiday for me.  I just love these three days weekends but there aren't enough of them.  Less than three weeks until the two day hooking retreat at Sauder Village.  That is always G-R-E-A-T fun.

 

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

 

Another Detour ~ or Two

 

Since Valentine's Day is only a month away (wasn't it just Christmas?), I thought I would start sharing vintage postcards.  I wish I could say they were from my collection, but they are not.  Ten years ago or so, I bought a DVD on eBay that has hundreds of holiday postcards.  Now you know my little "secret" (though I think I've shared it before).

 

It's been a week since I showed the progress on my Maggie rug, so here it is.  Not much has been hooked but I did hook that little bluebird mat I showed in the previous post.  I failed to mention that all the bird mats hooked by guild members will be door prizes at the hook in. 

 

 

I did get my heart rug on linen, so my Maggie rug will once again be put aside.  If you somehow missed it, it is a pattern by the very talented Cathy over at Orange Sink.  This should hook up quickly and I'm hoping to use mostly worms.

 

I also need to get busy finishing these hearts.  It takes me longer to finish them than it does to hook them.

 

Saturday and Sunday it is supposed to be above freezing.  It will feel like a heat wave.  There will probably be some crazies out there with shorts on.  (This coming from the girl who uses her electric blanket until at least May.)

 

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Detour ~

 

Just like Saundra blogged about here, I took a little hooking detour this weekend.  In May, the Western Reserve Guild is having their annual hook in and this year's theme is "the early bird gets the worm".  Members were asked to hook a small bird themed mat.  I've hooked this fat little bluebird in the past (I think it is a doodle by Tonya Robey), and decided to hook it again with a beaded edge.  It's a little bigger than it was supposed to be . . . is bigger better . . . ?  Hopefully I'll get back to my Maggie rug, but I did just order that sweet new heart pattern from Cathy over at Orange Sink.  Too many patterns . . . too little time.

 

Have you gotten the new wool samples from Betsy and Rebecca?  Oh, such wonderful wools.  I'm trying to be strong . . . sigh . . . but what fun is that?

 

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Hump Day ~

 

One week of the new year is already behind us.  Time sure is a flyin'.

 

The house is getting back to "normal" but not as quickly as I would like.  Most everything but the trees have been hauled to the attic.  I still have to fill my cupboard with the featheredge that has been stored away for the holidays.  (If you are not familiar with featheredge, you can read about it here.)

Here's the progress on my Maggie rug.  I'm still undecided about the leaves.  One minute I love them and the next I am not too sure.  I will leave them for now and see how I feel after I've hooked some background. 

 

 

I hope everyone is staying warm.  We are currently at 5 degrees heading to 1.  I don't think I was meant to live in Ohio :)

 

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Say CHEESE ~

My cheesy plastic light-up Santas are getting ready to settle down for a long winter's nap.  Today the temperatures are spring-like, but that is going to change dramatically in the next 24 hours.  Winter is going to arrive ~ like it or not (and I don't like it).

Friday I met friend Sheila In Norwalk, OH, to do a little antiquing.  I usually don't have much luck there, but did find a few things.  They did have a wonderful old feather tree with some antique ornaments and garland, but even the sale price was much more than I would spend.

 

I had forgotten I had the "egg crate" Santa on the left (do I have too many Santas?) so I bought the guy on the right.  His one foot has some serious damage (actually it is totally missing) but the damage will be easy to hide and for the price, I figured I could live with it.

I bought this book not just for the Santa graphic but because the date of 1920 was the year of my mom's birth.

 

This little pin cushion/thread minder also came home with me along with a few other "unmemorable" items. 

This is the view I've had of Maya the granddog for the last four days.  Other than to eat or do her "business", she is in bed under a blanket.  Sometimes the blanket will be barking and moving around . . . lol.

 

 

I have been undecorating for a couple days and hopefully will be done soon, and then another couple days to get the house back to normal.  Christmas comes and goes much too quickly.

 

Four days off . . . four days of sleeping in . . . tomorrow morning is going to be really tough.

 

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

New Year ~ New Start

Happy New Year! 
 

I have managed to accomplish nothing today.  Don't you hate days like that?  I am determined to start a new rug today.  I want to say that I started the year off hooking.  I put this pattern on linen and pulled most of the wool months ago.  Actually I bought most of the browns a couple years ago for this project.  It's a pattern by Maggie Bonanomi.  It's about 19" x 38" which for me is a big rug. 

Most of the rugs I hook have a black/dark background, but I have wool soaking in the sink.  I will dye it Emma Lou's old putty that I like so much and may use that.  It will be a while before I get to the background, so I have lots of time to decide and/or change my mind :)

 

May you have a creative 2015.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren