The best laid plans ~

Any of you who have been reading my blog for a while, know that I have my doctorate in procrastination.  This time was going to be different.  HA!!!  The road to hell is paved with good intentions.

Maybe if I hadn't decided to dye a few pots of wool???  This is one of my favorite dye recipes and had not dyed it in years.  I dyed three pots of varying strength.  A little more drab in person.  Not sure if it will work in my camp rug, but I am loving it.

Speaking of my camp rug . . . choosing a pattern is one of the hardest parts of going to camp.  I finally decided on this antique rug.  

You may recall that Saundra also hooked this back in 2022.  Here is her finish.  I hope mine is half that wonderful.

Instead of packing for camp, I decided I need to make some paisley hook pouches for the camp consignment store.  They don't look like much, but I am just incredibly slow and they are taking forever.  I am hoping to defray as much of the rug camp costs as I can!

Yesterday the weather in Jacksonville was scheduled for a high of 81*.  While we are there, it will be 25*-35* colder.  I know that's better than Ohio weather will be, but I am still a bit bummed.

I was supposed to have a hooking play day on Tuesday which would have me gone most of the day.  A selvedge project was planned and I was providing the selvedges, so thought I couldn't cancel.  Thankfully the hooker closest to me (about 40 minutes) is going and will take them for me.  That takes some of the pressure off!!!

Ok. Time to work some more on the pouches.

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren

Life's mysteries ~

This blowmold was found in a black garbage bag by my little pile of wood next to the garage.  It is in a protected area and could NOT have blown there.  The first suspect was my sister-in-law who vehemently denies leaving it.  You see, for the last year plus, almost every time I was in her house, I hid a Santa 😁.  I checked with anyone who I remotely thought would have left it and everyone denies having anything to do with it!

It even changes color!

Then I had a few people over last week, and this tiny snow globe was found.  You guessed it.  No one will fess up to it.

Speaking of my sil, she found the perfect gift for me!  I love it.  Will be a great addition to my yard junk.

Another friend who knows I love red licorice, found this.  Have you ever seen 16 1/2" licorice before?  How funny.

My house is 99% put back together.  I have made myself near crazy in the process, but I have no one to blame but myself.  Now it is really crunch time to finish consignment items for the rug camp store, put my pattern on linen, pull wool, pack, etc., and be ready to leave next Wednesday.  Still have my oil change, hooking day away, and doctor appointment before then.  Once again, no one to blame but myself.  I am a slow learner and perhaps will never learn . . . sigh.

I have errands to run so I'd better get busy.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Pug hugs 😊

Lauren

Hook-y stuff ~

Head on over to Sue's blog to see all the fun rugs from today's Hook & Thread Society get together.  So much talent in just a few hookers.

I finally finished my Classic Santa, a pattern by Donna Hrkman color planned in her class last July.  I am happy to say I finished the hooking in 2025 ~ just barely.

I had the hardest time deciding what color to use on the top left light section.  The wool that was chosen when I took it to the hooking shop to ask for help just seemed too bright.

I wasn't sure what wool to change it to, but thought I would take the easiest route first and coffee stain it.  I made a small amount of instant coffee and painted it on.  Much better.

I needed a narrow rug to hang next to an antique cupboard in the dining room.  I had hooked this in 2018 and given it to a friend.  

It was the perfect size, I already had it on screen ready to transfer to linen, and needing a no brainer hooking project, got busy.  It is Maple Sugar Hearts by Barb Carroll found in one of her books.  The one heart near the bottom may need to be hooked with a lighter red.

Even though it's almost 9pm, back to un-decorating!

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren

Crunch Time ~

 

New Year's Day we woke up to 3-4" of snow.  'Tis the season 😛

I really don't make New Year's resolutions.  I prefer to call them goals.  My 2026 goal is to continue purging things I don't love or just can't use.

~  ~  ~  ~  ~  

Let all my self inflicted insanity begin.  I leave for rug camp in Florida on the 14th.  Before then, I need to . . . 

• un-decorate or is it de-decorate?  These boxes were hauled down from the attic yesterday.  It will take me days to pack everything up and haul it back up two flights of stairs.  There are many more boxes to haul down.

• re-decorate the house
• enlarge my rug pattern and put it on linen
• choose wools for the rug.  The more wool I take, the less I have to buy.
• making items for the camp store to help defray expenses related to camp
• In addition, I committed myself to hooking this Sunday, an hour and a half away and the following week another hooking day with friends, also an hour and a half away.
• a doctor appointment
• an oil change
• a haircut
• ??? and I'm sure there is more I haven't even thought about 😁

Am I going to make myself crazy (crazier?) in the process?  Absolutely.  Will it all get done?  I sure hope so.  I do not want to get home from camp and see Christmas decorations!!!

Wish me luck.  Too bad I have to sleep.

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs 😊

Lauren

Happy New Year

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Health, happiness 

and lots of play time 

in 2026.

xoxo

Lauren

A few trees ~

 

A few of my trees.

Everything Santa.

Kugels ~ both vintage/antique and new.  Kugel ornaments are heavy, German-made antique glass Christmas decorations from the mid-1800's to early 1900's, known for their thick glass, deep colors (red, blue, silver), internal silvering (mercury glass), and unique brass caps, often in shapes beyond simple spheres like grapes or pinecones, representing the the original heavy, ornate Christmas baubles before modern thin-walled bulbs.

My one and only antique feather tree.  Vintage cardboard houses and celluloid reindeer.

The BIG tree.

Everything patriotic.

Sweet little wall box with a Schooner plate.

A couple days ago I wanted to have a "play date" with friends.  Unfortunately no one could go play, so I played alone 😁.  I did come home with this little vintage cotton batting Santa and the vintage SC blocks.

With cash given to me by DSO, this Santa came home with me.  He was called Union Suit Santa and is a creation by Wisconsin artist Michelle.  You can find her here.

I am sad to see the Christmas season ending.  It has been my busiest but most stress free holiday ever.  Soon it will be crunch time, boxing everything up, hauling it to the attic, and putting out all the normal decor.  Then getting ready to head to rug camp in Florida with hooker buddy Sue in mid January.  When the trees are all put away and the hundreds of white lights are gone, the house seems so dreary for a few days until I get used to normal once again.

Thanks so much for following along on my blog journey for another year!!!
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren

Then & Now ~

 

Ernestine eight years ago at Christmas ~ the year DSO adopted her.  Look at that black face!

And now at age 13 1/2.  That grey face melts my heart.

Poor girl is showing her age ~ arthritis and hip dysplasia 😭.  Even for a furkid, growing old is not for sissies.

Thanks so much for stopping by.
Pug hugs 😊
Lauren