Tuesday Twaddle ~

twad·dle

/ˈtwäd(ə)l/

INFORMAL

noun

1. trivial or foolish speech or writing; nonsense.

   "he dismissed the novel as self-indulgent twaddle"

That about sums things up!  Sometimes I feel that's all I write about, but today, I do want to share a finish.  Of course, not hooking (no hooking has happened here in a couple weeks), but a cross stitch finish.  I believe this is a Pineberry Lane pattern that I stitched a few years ago.  As with most of my cross stitch finishes, it ended up in a shoebox.  My dear friend from college, Wink, was stopping by to visit yesterday and I wanted to gift it to her.  I once again put on my big girl panties and got out the sewing machine.  I must say, I get an atta girl for the finish!!!  Stitched into a little pillow, I edged it with vintage tinsel.  

In front of my vintage Santas.

Haven't been hooking, but doing a little applique.  Easier when I am heading to DSO's than to haul my hooking stuff (though I still do that often).  I guess I just needed something mindless to occupy my hands.

So hard to believe I mowed the lawn just two days ago and today we woke up to snow.  Welcome to Ohio 😂

I am the crazy Christmas decorating fool.  Knee deep in boxes.  Considering it is still November, I am feeling pretty darn good, though I have MUCH left to do.  I am maybe half done.  Decorating would go so much more quickly if I didn't have to pack up most of my house to put the decorations out.  Oh well.  I am my own worst enemy who does not subscribe to the "less is more" style.

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren

I'd Rather Mow than Blow ~

Thanksgiving is over already.  Anymore, it seems like the forgotten holiday.  Last evening my son departed for Las Vegas.  Even though he is 44 (how did that happen?) saying good-bye is always hard.  He was home for a week.  I can't remember the last time he was home for that long.  Thankfully both his flights were on schedule!  Now the madness begins, but as always, it is self inflicted.  

I have a big, crazy maple tree in my yard.  The leaves just kind of turn brown (no pretty fall color in all the years I have lived here) but many hang on until the middle of December  😖.  I find it easier and quicker to mow rather than use the leaf blower or to rake them.  Yesterday it was 39* and by the time I went out the sun had already retreated behind the clouds, so with a heavy winter coat, gloves and scarf, I mowed.  For the most part, I enjoy mowing ~ but not at the end of November!

The sun makes the leaves look yellow,
but they are just brown!

I finally got the simple curtain made for the remodeled half bath/laundry room.  Years ago I sewed - some clothes, kids' Halloween costumes, simple curtains.  You'd think I never sewed with how I procrastinated making this curtain.  I had a hard time finding fabric to my liking.  This is okay, not really what I had in mind, but it will do.  It's a little busier than I envisioned.

One HUGE lesson I learned is that cotton does not tear like wool does.  I bought a yard of fabric and needed slightly less.  I thought I would just tear off the excess which I did.  Then when making the rod pocket casing one side of the curtain was longer than the other.  It took me a while to realize this is how it tore.

ARGH!!!  I had to skimp a little on the top to make the curtain long enough.  

Yesterday I went to a kind of artsy farsty holiday craft show.  A couple things that cracked me up.  

Need a dog treat?

And these I didn't quite "get", but each to her own.  This booth had hundreds of burlap looking bags in two sizes with lights inside, stamped with just about anything imaginable.

Time to empty a few boxes . . . actually more than a few.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs 😊

Lauren

Count Your Blessings ~

Happy Thanksgiving, dear blog friends!  I have much to be thankful for and I count my blessings daily.  Is my life perfect?  Far from it, but the good outweighs the bad one hundred fold and I try not to dwell on negativity.

Here are my turkey rugs ~ the same as Saundra's ~ minus one rug (though I do have the pattern for it).

My flock ~

A gift from a friend a few years ago (thanks Kaye!).

Treasured pieces from my mom.  She did beautiful ceramics.

And my all time favorite!!!

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Gobble 'til you wobble.

Pug hugs 😊
Lauren

I Can't Pass Up a Bargain ~

I purchased this shoo fly (vintage/antique child's rocking horse) many moons ago and he sits atop a wool cupboard in the hooking room.

Then a few years ago I got this guy - minus his rockers - that I use during the holidays.

On Saturday, at the Christmas open house at Seville Antiques, I found this guy.  Like I need another shoo fly, but he only had a $20 price tag on him - and the dealer was offering 20% off everything in her booth.  How could I not buy him?  I think he will sit by the Christmas tree loaded with presents.  

I do believe he has his original horse hair tails.

I bought a few other things but none as good a bargain as this 😁

I am thankful my son arrived home on schedule.  He took the red eye Saturday night.  Had he waited to fly out on Sunday, he may not have made it.  Due to high winds, 500 flights were delayed by 1:00 that afternoon.  I am a happy momma.

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren

Purging ~ Yet Still Purchasing

After cleaning out the kitchen and bathroom for my renovations, I purged LOTS of stuff.  To friends, a neighbor and several trips to the thrift store.  Today I took three bags of clothes to a local church that has a monthly "almost free" clothing sale.  I am not a fashionista and generally wear the same clothes all the time.  Give me a pair of jeans and a turtleneck and I am a happy camper.  I had so many clothes I hated to get rid of, but I hadn't worn them in years so probably wouldn't start now.  

My downfall, however, is an antique store.  There is an antique mall a half hour from me going out of business and most items are 50% off.  Yesterday I made my second trip there and came home with these goodies.  I am a sucker for holiday decorations!

When I met Sue of Vernon Junction at the junk journaling class on Saturday, she gave me an early Christmas gift.  What a fun blow mold Santa, stamped Empire 1968.  Thank you, Sue.  You know me well 💕

Speaking of holiday decorations, here is a fun, simple thing to make.  Seriously, it takes just a minute.  Whenever I see an old oil can for a few bucks, I pick it up.  This is the first time I have done anything with one . . . and have no idea where all the others are 😁  Thread a wire in to the hole in the spout, loop the end and voila . . . a primitive ornament hanger.  Since this can is a little bigger, it could use an ornament that is bigger, but I was not about to rummage through Christmas boxes.

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren

Not a Good Monday ~

The Samsung tech guy came this morning to replace my dishwasher door.  After a 68 day wait.  He proceeded to open the box and removed a white door.  But guess what?  Mine is a  stainless steel dishwasher.  That's not going to work now, is it?  How long before they come up with the correct door?  Hopefully not another 68 days.  But my "inconvenience" is nothing compared to my brother's.

I appreciate all the kind words and prayers regarding my brother's surgery that was scheduled for tomorrow.  Mid afternoon today he received a call that the surgery had been postponed due to an emergency surgery.  They rescheduled for December 4.  Holy hell!!!  Poor guy has to wait another three weeks when he had mentally prepared himself for tomorrow.  I feel so bad for him and his wife.  Three more weeks of stress.

Enough whining for today.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs 😊

Lauren

Junk Journaling ~

I'd heard of junk journaling but really hadn't much of a clue about it.  Holy moly!  There are You Tube videos, websites, magazines, etc.  Our local hooking store (thank you, Connie!) hosted a free class where I met up with Sue of Vernon Junction.  Some of you may know Primdollie from Facebook or Primitive Handmade Mercantile.  She is uber talented.  I don't thing there is anything she doesn't excel at.  She showed us many examples, offered us fun stuff to use in a journal and got us started.  She had a couple old damaged crazy quilts that she brought for us to cut up and use.  Here is the start to my junk journal.  Not sure if I will figure out how to work on the signature pages (the pages inside the book) before the next class in December.

Of course I failed to take any pictures, but check out Sue's blog post.  She shared lots of fun pictures.

Weather-wise, living close to Lake Erie is advantageous in the fall.  Since lake water temperatures go down slowly, the winds coming across the lake cause us to be a bit warmer.  Here it is, almost mid November, and we have not yet had a hard freeze.  This morning there was a frost, but I still have a few things blooming in the yard 😁.  You will get no complaints from me.  (Obviously I cannot photograph red flowers!)

Friend Melissa gifted me this begonia in remembrance of Miss Molly back in April.  It is close to the house and still blooming strong.

Happy Sunday.
Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren

The Best Laid Plans of Mice and Men ~

 

A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL VETERANS.  FREEDOM ISN'T FREE AND WE ARE MOST GRATEFUL FOR YOUR SERVICE.

Sometimes nothing goes as planned.  After waiting 2+ months for a replacement door for the dishwasher that arrived dented, the part had finally arrived and was to be installed today.  BUT . . .  the technician called off.  ARGH 😡  So they could reschedule for Monday.  Of course they can't give you a time and I had a dentist appointment scheduled.  Hopefully I got it worked out to have DSO here in case they come while I am gone.  I just want the new door.  I am tired of the run around from Samsung.

Progress has been made on my 1890 Rooster rug (thank you Saundra!).

Creative time will most likely come to a screeching halt soon, though I am still hoping to make a few gifts.  It is all self inflicted so I have no one to blame but myself.  

My brother is having open heart surgery on Tuesday.  Please keep him in your prayers.  I have very little family and he is the only sibling I am close to.

My Las Vegas son is coming home for Thanksgiving and will be home for a week.  It has been years since he has been home for that long.  I think he is as excited as I am since last year his flight at Christmas was cancelled.  His girlfriend will also be flying out and joining us for a few days.

As Thanksgiving approaches I have much to be thankful for.  I know I am a day early for Veterans' Day, but I am especially thankful for our veterans.  May God bless them.

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren

Hooking Faces ~

I do not do good hooking even the most primitive of faces.  Well, that goes for rooster faces, too.  I am reverse hooking rooster #1's face and have not yet started on face #2.  

Overall, progress is moving along.  Hooking in the blotchy, primitive looking way is not easy for me, but I am trying!!!  Saundra always makes it look so easy.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Tomorrow is voting day in Ohio.  Please exercise your right to vote.  One vote can make a difference.

Pug hugs 😊
Lauren

A Little More on the Fall Gathering ~

 

I love that Thanksgiving is so early this year.  I value the extra days between then and Christmas.  Argh!  I said the "C" word 😁

As usual, I only took a few pictures of the projects being worked on.  My travel partner Val was hooking this fun pumpkin guy.

Tablemate Deb finished her Santa.

Another attendee was working on the HUGE Michelle Palmert punch needle piece.  Isn't it wonderful?

My ambitious goal was to hook two roosters, but I knew that wasn't going to happen.  One is better than none!

Jo Wick (of Jo's Folk Art Fibers) hooked this fun rug she designed.  You can order the paper pattern from her for punch needle or to enlarge for hooking.  Great colors!

Jenny Smallridge (of the Wooly Horse) hooks enormous rugs.  I think her motto is go big or go home.  I believe I have shared this rug before.  I am guessing it is 4' x 4'.

Her current project is this wonderful log cabin rug being hooked with handtorn strips.  It measures 57" x 47".  I love her border.

Former blogger Melinda Cole of Merry Wind Farm is a long time friend who lives in Tipp.  It was great to see her once again.  It had been too many years.  She now has an etsy shop where she sells cross stitch patterns that she has charted from antique samplers.  (She has even reproduced several of my antique samplers 😉 )  She is so giving and gifted me a piece of antique paisley and this beautiful project bag.  Perfectly stitched and sewn and her fabric choices complement the piece so well.  I feel blessed to own such a treasure.  Now I must get a small cross stitch or punch needle project together so I can use it.  Thank you, Melinda.  I will treasure it always.

I must share with you the cutest trick-or-treater ever.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs 😊

Lauren