Can You Believe?

Thanks to all who entered my heart give-away.  I had 39 entries via comments and 6 via email.  I must say I was rather surprised by the winner.  I would describe this person as the hooker we all love to hate because of how much she accomplishes and by the wonderful rugs she hooks. 

How many have guessed that the winner is Saundra?  Saundra, I have no doubt that I will hear from you soon.  You have three days . . . tick, tick, tick :)

 

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Done ~

The hearts are done though I am considering hooking a couple more.  If you are wondering how I finish them, I posted a little tutorial last year.  Click here to view.

 

 

 

I finally pulled a few loops on my rug.  I'm getting close to finishing and need to decide what to hook when I go to the Sauder Village retreat on Thursday.  I always agonize on what to take and of course wait until the last minute to decide.

 

 

Not much else going on.  I think winter has arrived in northern Ohio.  A bit of snow this morning and a chance for more all day.  Our winter has been very mild so far.  No complaints from me about that!  I'm still cleaning the basement.  I'm getting to the stuff I have no idea where to store but just can't part with it.  My curse . . . lol!

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

Two Down ~

Two to go.  The first heart is already with its new owner.  My Alabama sister (actually, my only sister) is visiting a friend in Ohio about an hour and a half from me, so we had the chance to get together the other day.  Being the nice sister that I am (grin), she got this very neutral "Betsy style" heart.

 

 

 

Here's the heart that I am giving away on Monday and here's where to enter.  It has been rather primitively given a patchwork back and "lumpy stuffed" with wool snippets and a small lavender pouch.  I do hope the winner will be pleased.  We're not talking fine stitching here :)

 

In person, you cannot see the linen backing
(showing as light spots in the picture).

 

 

While with my sister, we were able to visit Chagrin Valley Antiques in Chagrin Falls, Ohio.  I have been wanting to stop by for a long time, and was so happy we had the opportunity.  Diana, the proprietress, was a delight to chat with and offered some great deals.  This in an "antique shop" that truly carries "antiques".  Sadly, that is not often the case.  I'm sure many of you have been in antique malls with no real antiques to be found :(

 

This original surface chest of drawers, circa 1850, was something I just could not leave behind.  I'm not sure if this is where it will stay.  I had planned on putting it in my bedroom, but it's a little bigger than I thought is was. 

That's all that was coming home with me until Diana made me an offer I could not refuse on this circa 1870 treenware sewing spool holder.  She said it was possibly Shaker but could not verify.  The little sewing stand on top is Shaker, the only such piece I own.

No progress has been made on my rug.  I was hoping to have it done this weekend, but the hearts are the priority at the moment.  It's the journey, not the destination, right?

 

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

How Ironic ~

The red hooked heart was almost an afterthought.  How ironic that it seems to be the favorite.  So . . . I will be giving it away.  Most of you know the details.  Leave a comment on this post or send me an email with give-away in the subject line.  THE WINNER MUST CONTACT ME WITHIN THREE DAYS or another will be chosen.  A winner will be picked Monday sometime after noon.

 

Before and after ~

 

My first attempt at the bunny's ear.  Not enough contrast in the wools.

 

 

I added the beauty line.  It looked better in the picture than in person which isn't saying a lot.

Finally ~ this was actually the fourth attempt.  At first I used the dark grey in an 8 cut 3 rows wide.  Too fat, so I skinnied up the ear. 

I mentioned in a previous post that I liked the kitty's spot but not the legs.  Well, the comment at hooking was that I needed to add some straps since it looked like a backpack.

 

So . . . the spot is gone and the legs are the same dark grey as the bunny's ear.  Better, me thinks.  He doesn't look so "puss in boots" :)

 

 

I'm continuing to shovel out clean the basement.  This went to a local thrift shop today.  Hopefully much more will be going soon.

 

 

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Detour ~

A little hooking detour, that is.  No real progress on my rug since I decided to hook some "Heavens to Betsy style" hearts.  Hooked with hand torn strips about 1" wide, they will be backed with wool patchwork  and lightly stuffed with wool snippets and a lavender pouch.  If you need lavender, check out eBay seller lavenderandotheritems.  I got a half pound of Washington state grown lavender for only $12.50 which included shipping.  I could smell it as soon as I opened my mailbox.  Heavenly.

 

Here are the hearts I worked on.  They hook up very quickly, being about 10 1/2" high x 9 1/2" wide.  The back will take longer than the hooking, but they look so nice when done.

 

 

The wools that I used.  Both of these were cut across the stripe.

 

On the heart to the left, I cut the wool across the plaid.  The wool on the right it did not matter how it was cut.
 

 

Stay tuned.  I will be having another give-away soon and one of these hearts will be going to a new home.

 

Another beautiful day on Ohio's north coast.  Sunny most of the day.  Currently 57*.  I am lovin' it :)

 

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

 

What a Mess ~

Everyone is talking of purging.  Heaven knows I have plenty I could purge, but find it so hard to part with things . . . even if I haven't used/worn/seen it in many years.  My dear mom bordered on hoarder.  It took me decades to realize it was because she was a product of the depression and had nothing as a child.  I do okay with my main living areas, but my walk up attic and basement are another story.  In all the years I've lived here (17), my basement has never been this bad.  I am not one to say, "Today, I will clean the basement."  I'm more like, "I will work for 20-30 minutes each day cleaning the basement until I am done (or get tired of it and move on to something else)."  I already have a huge pile ready to be donated (I am parting with some things).  At least there is some progress.

 

I got this today at Walmart for only $8.98.  It's 14 1/2" D x 12 5/8" W x 25 5/8" H.  I think it will be great to tuck in the hooking room closet (once I clean it to make room for it . . . lol).  Maybe I can get my cross stitch, punch needle, and/or wool applique stuff organized ~ or is that just wishful thinking?

 

 

Well, a Medigap and Part D prescription plan have been chosen.  It is a relief to have it done and I just hope I made wise choices.  Since I retired with a government pension (city), I had to go through this brokerage place.  I had done my research so knew what I wanted before I called to enroll.  Well, the licensed benefit person tried her best to steer me to a plan that was almost $500 a year more.  The benefits were a little better, but not $500 better!

 

I've been hooking but haven't made as much progress this week on my rug as I thought I would.  It is going rather quickly since I am hooking it in an 8.5 and 9 cut ~ my favorites.  I started on the other half of the rug though I am not quite finished with the first half.

 

 

Two weeks from today hooker friend Melissa and I will be heading to Sauder Village to meet up with Bobbie for a relaxing 2 days of hooking.  It is always such a fun time.

 

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

It's Been Four Days ~

I've not heard from the winner of my give-away, so time to pick another.  My handsome assistant is not available this evening :( Congrats to Jo.  You have three days to contact me to claim the little mat.

 

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Good News x 2 ~

 

Good news #1~

I got the results of my recent mammogram and hooray ~ NORMAL!  That has not always been the case.  I've had a several biopsies in years past but thankfully they all come back okay.

 

Good news #2 ~

Late last fall I had a crusty mole removed from my boob.  Diagnosis, squamous cell carcinoma.  That is the second most common type of cancer and is usually caused by exposure to the sun's harmful UV rays.  Now I've done more than my share of tanning, but these old boobs have not seen much sun :)  An excision was done and Friday I got the news that the margins are clear.  What a relief.  Scary stuff.



I'm down to crunch time to decide on my Medicare/medigap coverage.  It's so confusing, but I think I've finally made a choice.  Only time will tell if it's the right one . . . sigh.

 

 

Progress on my rug.  I'm at about the halfway point.  I like the spot on the cat's back but not the legs.  Still need to work on the bunny's ears.  I may set it aside for a couple days to work on a few "Betsy style" hearts. 

 

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

A New Book & a Winner ~

In April, a new book is coming out by Polly Minick and Laurie Simpson.  Two sisters, one a hooker (Polly) and one a quilter (Laurie).  They've collaborated on other books and they are wonderful.  Lots of quilting and hooking inspiration.  I'm sure this one will not disappoint.

 

Email Polly to pre-order.  She just needs your name, address and email.  The $34.99 (plus shipping, I presume) will be due when the book is shipped.

 

Here's the best part ~ ~ ~ if you pre-order with Polly by April 1st, you will be entered into a drawing for a quilt from Laurie or a hooked rug from Polly.  Now that's cool :)

I  had my trusty assistant Jake pick the give-away winner.

Congrats to Farmhouse Prims.  You have three days to contact me to claim your win.

 

I hope to have another give-away soon :)

 

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Still Time ~

                                                                                                                                                            

You still have time to enter my give-away.  Leave a comment HERE (if the link is not working, it's the posting dated January 6) or send me an email with give-away in the subject line by tomorrow evening.  I forgot to mention that the winner must contact me within 3 days or I will choose another.       

 

Progress has been made on my rug.  I am using 6 or 8 different darks for the background.  The ears don't look too bad in the picture, but in person they look terrible.  Not sure what I am going to do.  Maybe the back ear needs to be hooked in a darker color and the beauty line removed???  (It already is a different wool but maybe too similar?)  Suggestions?

 

 

Oh, my goodness.  My computer has gone bonkers.  There was an automatic restart because of some updates, and now my enter key won't work.  Have you any idea how hard it is to type without an enter key? 

 

Just restarted again and now it's working.  WTH?

 

Only three weeks until the annual hooking retreat at Sauder Village.  What fun spending time with bestie hookers Melissa and Bobbie and 57 others.  It's always a nice winter break. 

 

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

I'm No Saundra ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ you know that hooker we love to hate :)  (Sorry girlfriend!)

 

BUT ~ ~ ~ I have made progress on my rug.  Even though her rug is bigger . . . and she has lots more done . . . I am plugging along.  And like Saundra, there is a bit of reverse hooking needing to be done.  The colors are pretty accurate except for the bird.  It really is brown.  On my monitor it's showing up pinky.   

 

 We've been very lucky here on Ohio's north coast.  I do not live in the "snow belt".  That is about an hour east of me.  We've only gotten maybe 2" of snow.  It's been down in the single digits for a couple nights, but thankfully the nasty winds have subsided and we're headed into a few days of warmer temperatures.  Hey, only 71 days until spring :)

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

Just for Laughs ~

My favorites are numbers 1, 5, and isn't number 9 the truth?

1. My goal for 2016 was to lose just 10 pounds … only 15 to go ...
2. Ate salad for dinner. Mostly croutons and tomatoes ... Really just one big, round crouton covered with tomato sauce ... And cheese... FINE, it was a pizza... I ate a pizza …

3. How to prepare Tofu:
      1. Throw it in the trash.
      2. Grill some Meat.
4. I just did a week's worth of cardio after walking into a spider web ...
5. I don't mean to brag but… I finished my 14-day diet food in 3 hours and 20 minutes ...
6. A recent study has found women who carry a little extra weight live longer than men who mention it ...
7. Kids today don't know how easy they have it... when I was young, I had to walk 9 feet through shag carpet to change the TV channel...
8. Senility has been a smooth transition for me...
9. Remember back when we were kids and every time it was below zero out they closed school?  Me neither.
10. I may not be that funny or athletic or good looking or smart or talented … I'm sorry, I forgot where I was going with this ...
11. I love being over 70 … I learn something new every day … and forget 5 others ...
12. A thief broke into my house last night … He started searching for money … so I woke up and searched with him...
13. My dentist told me I need a Crown … I said, “You bet, pour mine over rocks” …
14. I think I'll just put an "Out of Order" sticker on my forehead and call it a day ...

Just remember, once you're over the hill you begin to pick up speed.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

There was a bit of a misunderstanding about the rug I am working on.  It is not a memory rug, but a rug pattern by Woolen Memories.

 

Also, even though I did 51 flights of stairs the other day, I still did not make my 10,000 steps.  Bummer.  I can't remember the last time I made that goal. 

 

Everything but the big tree has been put away.  Oh, that feels so good.  Now it's back to redecorating, my goal for the next couple of days.  I figure I should do some cleaning beforehand.  In my next life, I am going to have a cleaning lady . . . lol.

 

It's been about forever and it's long overdue, but I am having a give-away.  Since I did not make anything special, I am offering this little proddy sheep mat with stick feet that I hooked a number of years ago. 

 

 

 

As always, enter by leaving a comment on this post or sending me an email with give-away in the subject line.  I will pick a winner next Thursday.  (My apologies to my Canadian/foreign readers, but due to the weight of this mat, this is for the US only.)

 

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

Progress ~

 

I've made progress putting the Christmas decorations away.  I did 51 flights of stairs today, most of them hauling boxes to the attic.  I bought some new shelving, so hopefully the "Christmas room" will be a bit more organized.  I just have a few miscellaneous items and lots of trees left to put away.  Then it's redecorating time.  I really don't change things around, but I take so much down to decorate and now it all needs to be put back.  And it's all up in the attic so I will have many more trips up and down the stairs.

 

I've made a little progress on my rug.  I was really hoping to have a little more done today, but I guess it wasn't meant to be.  So far ~

 

 

You'd think I'd have a little more done.  I went hooking Monday evening and Tuesday attended the Lorain County Hookcrafters bimonthly meeting.  (I just looked up the definition of bimonthly and it can mean twice a month or every two months.  Hookcrafters meets twice a month.)  Tomorrow is the Western Reserve Guild meeting, so hopefully I'll get more hooking done.  It's so nice to be able to go hook during the day.  I am lovin' this thing called retirement.

 

I had my mammogram today.  Have you scheduled yours? 

 

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren

 

 

New Year, New Me?

 

I did not make a conscious effort to make any changes, other than getting a Fitbit when I retired.  I knew I wasn't moving too much, but the Fitbit made me realize how little I was really doing.  It has kept me motivated for a few months.  I rarely get my 10,000 steps in, but I figure the 8,000-9,000 that I normally get in daily are a whole heck of a lot better than before.

 

I always joked that I am a dietician's worst nightmare.  When I got to the nursing I wanted diet Coke and a Boston cream donut for breakfast.  In the last couple months, I've made two major changes.  Let me just say I've never been a coffee drinker.  Decades ago when I was substitute teaching I was having a REALLY rough day so went to the teachers' lounge to have a cup of coffee.  About 6 teaspoons of sugar later I still couldn't drink it . . . lol.  BUT . . . I've been a diet pop (yes, in the Midwest we call it "pop") drinker morning, noon and night for forty years.  Back when it was Diet Rite Cola made with saccharin.  For more than a couple decades it's been diet Coke. 

 

 

I could live on the stuff.  When I packed for our trip out west, I packed what I thought would be the first of many cartons of diet Coke.  I drank at least 6-8 cans a day, every day.  For decades.  No joke.  No water, no tea, just Coke.  I don't know why but I decided to limit myself to two cans a day and drink {gulp} water.  After a few days I cut down to one can and then a can every few days.  I am still at that point.  Do I feel better?  Not really but the water has to be better for me, I'm sure.

 

Second change ~ treadmill.  I had DSO get me one for Christmas years ago.  Let me tell you it had very low mileage :)  Now I get on for a half hour almost every day.  Do I like it ~ in one word ~ heck no (oops that's two).  I just hope I can keep it up and stay motivated.  It was easier when I could watch You Tube on the iPad, but now it won't load so I'm staring at the basement wall.  Really must get that figured out!

 

 

I do hope everyone's new year is off to a great start.  New Year's eve dinner at 5 Guys was great as always and I did finally start hooking.  It feels good to have hook in hand.  I will show you progress in my next post.

 

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs :)
Lauren