My Furry Valentine Give-Away ~

Early in February, I entered a Facebook contest called My Furry Valentine Give-Away.  I was shocked to find I won the GRAND prize.  It was an original 11" x 14" oil painting of a pet of my choice.  Carol Lew, Old World Pet Portraits, is an amazing artist.  

I sent her this picture of Ernestine.

I agonized over what dress and color I would choose for her.  It took me a few weeks to decide.  Carol was so patient and sent me many suggestions that she thought would work well.  

Isn't the final portrait simply amazing?  This is an original painting of Ernestine, not one of the photoshopped pictures.

Here is Ernestine posing with her portrait.  Notice I even found some pearls for Ernestine to wear.

I gifted this to DSO as an early birthday present.  I just couldn't wait until July.  How ironic that a pug was the chosen winner.  Carol has three rescued pugs!

Thank you, Carol, from the bottom of my heart.  I truly am blessed to have won such a treasure.  Please check out her website.  She has lots of eye candy and you may be inspired to have your furbaby immortalized in oil.

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren

Congrats to ~

 

Thanks to all who entered my little give-away.  Congrats to Olde  Dame Holly!  If you do not read her blog, please add it to your "must read" list.  She offers many fun graphics for her readers.  Holly, you have until Saturday to contact me.

Here are a couple rug finishes from the Millersburg retreat.  Vicki is on spring break this week.  She was going to paint her porch but decided the time was better spent hooking 😁  I totally agree.  Here is Susy's Chickens, now just needing to be bound.  

This is the child's drawing Lee based her rug upon.  Isn't that just too sweet?

And here is the finish, made in to a pillow.  She needle felted the kitty and added hand stitched details.

Spring has arrived on Ohio's north coast . . . at least for a few days, so I'd better get out to rake a few more leaves from the flower beds and enjoy the warm temps.  Aren't these mini daffodils just the cutest?

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren

Chocolate Bunny ~

 

Happy Monday!  It is a beautiful day here on Ohio's north coast.  Currently 72* and sunny.  I did a bit of yard work and it felt so good to play in the dirt.  It's the farmer in me 😎

I've been working on my hit and miss and Dancing Bunnies hooked rugs.  I've also cross stitched a few little bunny necklaces.

I'm having a quick little give-away so that you can receive this before Easter.  As always, please no sharing on any social media.  I will pick a winner Thursday mid day.  To enter leave a comment on this post or send me an email with give-away as the subject.  The winner must CONTACT ME by Saturday.  (Apologies to my Canadian friends.  Due to ridiculous shipping rates, this is only open to U.S. residents 😪)

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren

Progress ~

It has been a do nothing kind of week.  I have plenty I should be doing (cleaning!) but that's no fun so I have spent more time than usual hooking.  I guess that's not a bad thing 😁

My hit and miss is coming along.  I am 37.5% done.  Each square is about 6" and it takes me almost an hour if I really just hook and don't do anything else.  At this rate, I have at least another 25 hours of hooking, but I am getting REALLY bored with it.  My goal is to hook one more row and take a bit of a break from it.  I am using all worms and small bits of wool no bigger than about 3" wide.  Sadly, I haven't even started to make a dent in the worm pile(s).

I only have background left on Dancing Bunnies and I do enjoy hooking background.  This isn't a big rug so I should be done with that in a few days.

March is a big birthday month in my family.  Son turned 40 (how did that happen???), grandson is turning 16 (holy hell!!!) and both my brother and I have birthdays.

Blogger is not playing nice again . . . gggrrrrr.  On my last post 9 comments were left.  Blogger notified me of only 2.  This is the message Robin forwarded to me.  Is anyone else having this issue or receiving this notification?

Today's pithy saying from my page-a-day calendar.  Love this one.  So me . . .

"Good moms can still say bad words".  At least I hope I am a good mom 😏

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren

The Story behind the Twenty Dollar Hookers ~

 

At each Twenty Dollar Hooker retreat we are gifted a fun item.  We have gotten a coffee mug, a pencil pouch, a canvas bag and now this thermal tumbler.  Thanks, Lynn!!!

I'm not sure if I have shared the story of the Twenty Dollar Hookers.  First, the story behind the story.  I have been to Venice Beach, CA, a couple times.  Many of the vendors sell this t-shirt.

At one of the early retreats, there was a discussion about who is rooming with whom.  My roomie says, "I'm sleeping with Lauren.", to which I replied, "I'm no lesbian, but twenty bucks is twenty bucks.".  From there it took on a life of its own and from that day forward we have been known as the Twenty Dollar Hookers 😁

~ HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY ~

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren

Back to Reality ~

Another hooking retreat in Millersburg is just a fond memory.  Lots of laughs, hooking and quality time spent with like minded friends.  And did I mention cheesecake?  We always have cheesecake.  (Thanks Lynn!  And to her hubby Jim who buys it for us 😋)  Yummy cheesecake.  This time we had to choose between chocolate, strawberry, and kiwi lime.  Since there were only ten of us . . . we were able to indulge all three days.   

So many amazing rugs were being hooked!  (For once, I remembered to take pictures.)

Lynn finished her hit and miss she designed.

Got the binding done on a rug based on an old applique pattern.

Then started and got so much hooked on this pattern from Woolen Memories.

Lee finished the hooking on this sweet design based on a child's drawing.  She will needle felt the kitty and make it in to a pillow for the child.

She was also meeting her son and daughter-in-law while in Millersburg.  She hooked this rug for them from a picture of them at Halloween in 2007.  Isn't is a fun rug?

Vicki was hooking Susy's Chickens and hooked all this in 2 1/2 days.  She is a speed hooker.

Carole is working on a long runner she designed.

Tammy is off to a good start on Warm Friendship, an antique adaptation.  Her version is HUGE.

Julie is on the home stretch of Lancaster Scallops.

Tanya is hooking an antique adaptation.  In person the colors are stunning . . . rich and much darker.

Lonna is so close to finishing Coverlet Bird, started last summer in a class with Caroline Twigg.

Peter Cottontail was hooked . . . start to finish . . . at the retreat by Melissa.  Isn't he sweet?  Pattern is available from the Wool'n Gardener.

Here is my start on the hit and miss.  I was surprised to get 10 squares done.  30 more to go!  This may take a while.  I was getting a little bored and I definitely overthink the worm choice 😁

Dancing Bunnies, an antique adaptation, is off to a good start.

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren

Just a Quickie ~

 

Just thought I'd pop in for a quickie before I get serious about packing for tomorrow.  My wool and hooking supplies are ready to go (the important stuff), but I really need to pack the toothbrush and some unmentionables 😁  I've a last minute change in what I will be working on.  I decided to forego Gypsy so quickly enlarged Dancing Bunnies, an antique adaptation which wasn't even on my hooking bucket list.  Other than agonizing over bunny colors, it will be an easy hook.  I'm still taking the hit and miss to work on and am hoping to bind Peter Rabbit.  I will have more than enough to keep me busy!

I am looking forward to springing ahead this weekend.  I know some of you hate the time change (Robin) but I love it.  An extra hour of daylight is good for the soul.

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren

Peter Rabbit ~

Peter Rabbit is finally done.  He took waaaaay longer than he should have and it was those darn letters.  Even primitive ones . . . and these are very primitive . . . intimidate me.  I am happy though and I think he looks pretty dang sweet.

It has been forever since I've even hooked a medium sized rug.  Everything has been small.  I am starting a geometric hit and miss.  I have hooked several smaller versions of the basic squares, but this one measures about 30" x 48".  Now I need to sort some worms and small widths of wool.

Thursday I head to hooking heaven in Millersburg, OH.  Three and a half days spent with like minded friends.  It is pretty much the same group each time, but this time there are only 10 of us.  It will be good for the mind and soul.  

I will take Peter to bind, the hit and miss and Gypsy.  I do hope I can imitate the scrappy look of this rug.

I know I won't accomplish nearly what I want to, but that is the case every time.

Good GREAT news on the mammogram.  Everything is normal.

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren

35 Frank

DSO Frank (affectionately know as Fritz) has been hard at work for over a year on his 1935 Ford truck he is building from a kit.

A major milestone was reached this past week when he took it to be inspected to make sure it was legal to drive.  They checked lights, brakes, directionals, etc. to be sure everything worked properly.  I am happy to say (and he is even happier) he passed with flying colors.  Because of passing the inspection, he was able to get it titled and apply for his license plate.

He is now legal to drive 😁  I went for a quick test drive months ago . . . when it didn't even have a windshield.  This time the ride was much more comfortable with windows . . . and a heater that works well.  However, the car is L.O.U.D.    I guess it's a guy thing!

He even has vintage dice hanging from the rear view mirror.

There is much more work to do.  Once he is certain everything is working as it should, he will have to disassemble it in order to paint it.  The goal is to drive it to Massachusetts in June when the company that manufactures the kits is having their 25th anniversary celebration (which is actually year 26 due to last year's Covid cancellation). 

Numbers 5, 8 and 10 are especially true with Miss Molly.

A few more pithy sayings from my page-a-day calendar.

I don't bite . . . unless it's called for.  Audrey Hepburn

Started to clean my closest . . . that created a whole other mess . . . I stopped.  (Isn't that the God's truth?)

Motivation . . . devotion . . . and showering . . . all recommended daily.

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren

Challenging Challenge!!!

Happy hump day!  It was a gorgeous day here on Ohio's north coast.  Sunny, low wind and in the upper 40's.  I will take that kind of weather any time I can get it in March.  Sadly tomorrow it will be cloudy with a high of 32*.  Welcome to Ohio.

As I've said previously, I found Saundra's challenge very challenging.  I know many enjoyed using alternative fibers to hook.  I was not one of them.  Am I glad I did it?  Mostly yes.  Will I do another?  HELL NO!!!

I was this close to finishing my background using an old t-shirt when I ran out.  

I had another that was somewhat close, so I did what our foremothers would have done and used it.  Not too bad and I am kind of glad I ran out.  The background color is actually the color in the previous photo.  I thought it was black, but sometimes it looks like a very dark navy.

I used cotton, paisley, sari ribbon, two kinds of wool yarn (oh, the olive green was a bear to hook with), one little strip of velvet and a cotton t-shirt.  The finished size is 12 3/4" x 15 1/2".

Thanks to Saundra for putting this on and for all the wonderful updates on her blog.  

Some good great news.  I had my six week post op appointment on Monday.  Things are looking as they should and I can drive and wear a real shoe.  WOO HOO!  The first place I drove?  To the hooking shop Monday eve 😁

My next big driving experience was on Tuesday to get my mammogram.  Gotta take care of those tatas. I haven't yet gotten the results, but am hoping and praying all is well.

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren