White Pumpkin & Cupboard Redo

Last night I made this white pumpkin up very quickly from a tutorial I found at My Desert Cottage. It was super easy and I'm working on an orange one right now. They do take quite a bit of fabric and stuffing. Last week I was looking up at the space above my kitchen cupboards and realized how BAD it looked. I'd been "stealing" items to add somewhere else in the house without ever replacing them. Here's an embarrassing before:

Middle cupboard that angles and contains my spices. My favorite piece here is the Roseville Pottery pitcher and bowl, a gift from my college roommate several years ago.

Found the rusty scale at a garage sale for $1.50, thought that was a good buy - it doesn't work but that's okay with me. The Box on the right is my grandmother's crayon box. I love the fact that she wrote her name on the box.

I used to beg my mom and dad for this coffee grinder. I can remember my mom using it occasionally. There's a note in the draw that it belongs to me in my mom's handwriting. The candle mold is from my paternal grandmother. I really treasure this as I don't have very many things from my dad's side of the family.

A collection of tins I've had for years. I'm thinking of packing them away again, it's really too busy of a vignette for my taste.

In all these pictures you can see the ceiling paint break. These cupboards used to have a soffett above them. When we redid the kitchen they came out. We also added a wall in this area and moved the placement of the refrigerator resulting in additional counter top space - YEAH! There isn't much of that in my kitchen. I'm off topic - back to the paint. We need to get back to the paint! Sometimes we have a problem procrastinating and don't finish a project all the way. Neither one of us likes to paint ceilings so there it sits. It really isn't as noticeable in real life as it is in this picture. The flash really caught the break in paints.

I hope you are all having a good week. ~Ann

I need Prim advice!

This treasure is one that my Dad gave me years ago. It's a yoke (I think) made for a person to place on their shoulders and hang a bucket on each end. It's neat and looks hand carved, especially when you look at the underside. The problem I have with it is the color. It's red red. The writing on it says CALIFORNIA "L.A." CHARLIE. All I can think was it was a joke given to someone who was going to move? I don't know where Dad got it, I'm sure it was picked up at an auction. It hung in my parents garage for as long as I can remember. I'd like to strip it down to the natural wood. I'm just so hesitant to do this and I don't know why.

I'm looking for advice from all of you...what do you think, strip it down or not? Should I rough it up and stain it with walnut strain? I don't' display it because the color is just not my prim muted color. I'm trying to figure out if the writing is quaint or not? I am not an indecisive person so this is driving me crazy. HELP!! Thanks for your input. ~Ann

A few Halloween Decorations

I haven't shared any of my fall decorating with you yet. Here in NW Ohio it is the perfect day to stay inside and craft (and I have the day off school, but all my kids have school - YEAH!). It's rainy and dreary and cold. YUCK!


The wooden box and stitchery were garage sale finds. The stitchery is a little to "clean" for my liking, but I'll coffee stain it with the next batch of staining that I do. I thought it was perfect for 50 cents. I just can't get enough of my little candle lights. My only requirement is that they all have the dipped silicone bulbs in them. Shelf in the living room with all Halloween items on it. Love the Black! A couple of years ago I bought the pumpkin head with the feather tree sticking out of his head on a shopping trip with my friend Melissa of Farm Field Primitives. I just love him and look forward to getting him out of the box every year.

The last picture needs some contrast, sorry it's on a wall that is creamy colored and it just washes out. Found this pumpkin head guy last year at The Maggie Blair House in Liberty Center Ohio. His pocket is filled with sweet annie. Yes, he's sitting on a Christmas greenery ring but nothing else looked as good! The sifter was a lucky find at an antique store. I'd seen them for $$$ and wasn't willing to go there. At this one shop I found it for $18.00 and was jumping up and down with joy. What's the saying "Good things come to people who wait" does that apply in this situation?

I had to fix macaroni and cheese for 50 people yesterday. It is our turn to fix one of the 2 main dishes for our DD's Cross Country Team dinner tonight. I have my fingers crossed that it turns out well. Have a wonderful and creative weekend. ~Ann

Rug Hooking & a New Basket

Linda from The Wool Cupboard and I worked out a trade. She wanted a basket and I had been admiring her rug hooking kits. Isn't Barter great?! It took me a while to finish this up, but here it is done and in the frame I decided upon. I had originally thought I'd do a pillow with this design, but I just love this frame and the piece fit perfectly. A new basket that I will list on my 1803 Ohio Farm Baskets blog. It is a very functional basket, holds your salt and pepper shakers and napkins. I really need to find my Folk Art salt and pepper shakers to put in this basket!

Our DD(2nd in on front left) and her girlfriends before the homecoming dance. She was terrified that she would spill on her dress at dinner so she ordered a plain quesadilla! They all had fun and our DD was a grouch on Sunday from a lack of sleep. They all had a sleep over (are they too old to call it that now?) and I'm sure stayed up half the night talking. We of course got to pay the price!

One final note today, our youngest DS is 9 today. Happy Birthday Daniel. Too bad they had Ohio proficiency testing today. He is a ball of nerves and made himself sick over the test. His school called mine at 11:30 so I could come pick him up! His fist words when we were out of the building? "I kinda liked the test, there were cool stories that I had to read" ARGH! We love you Daniel! Have a great week. ~Ann

Filling the Frames

One of my very first posts was about my addiction to picture frames. I just can't pass them up at garage sales or TS. Once home I remove the picture and glass and coat them lightly with a flat black spray paint. Then I switch to a brush and flat black latex paint, coating just once. Rough up the paint a little with sandpaper and rub on my favorite gel stain. These are some recent stitcheries that I did up for fall. The bittersweet vine is bittersweet pip berries that I attached to the stained stitchery.

Trick or Treat and boo I just free handed on my design and stitched up with embroidery floss.

Found the Harvest Crow as a freebie online - sorry I can't remember where, but it's on one of your blogs! Thanks for sharing it with us. The pumpkin is wool felt with antique buttons for eyes.

This last picture I had to share is one that my DH took. He recently went on a "boss lift" with the Ft. Wayne Indiana National Guard. One of the guys that works for DH is a National Guard member and nominated DH for this honor. He got to go up in a cargo plane for a midair refueling mission. He took the pictures of the F-16's after they were refueled. It was a once in a life time experience for DH - in 20 years of being a "boss" he's only received this honor just this once. He had a blast and was thrilled to be selected for this.

We've been very busy helping DD's class with their homecoming activities. I made an Indian costume for the mannequin on their class float. Hopefully we can "Smoke out the Indians." I love making Halloween costumes and this Indian costume was kinda like that. DD has a weekend off of Cross Country, but our 6th grade DS runs tomorrow morning in an elementary fun run. Have a great weekend. ~Ann