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