The Joy of Boys

Before you read this post, I need to let you know that I'm a lucky Mom.  I have 3 healthy children and nothing to really complain about.  Working everyday with children who have multiple handicaps makes me very grateful that my own children are happy, healthy and strong.  They can all walk, run and write (even though 2 of them are rather sloppy with the pencil).  

I need to thank my 2 boys for this new light by our front door.   I really appreciate their thoughtfulness.  Their Dad installed it for me yesterday.  

It doesn't match the lights on the garage.

This is one of the lights on the garage....

This is how the lights on the garage really should look....

Did you notice that the globe was missing from the first garage light?  Somehow the globe was broken.  We found glass shards in the landscaping awhile back.  Hmmm....no one bothered to tell Mom or Dad that a light was broken.  Here's what we decided to do.  Since we had 3 matching lights, we would move the one from the front door over to the garage and just buy 1 new light(the one in the first picture is the new one).  Sure, the lights wouldn't match, but I'm thinking that it won't be long before another one is broken and we'll have to replace it anyway.  

My husband comes in yesterday laughing a little and tells me that as he's moving the one from the porch to the garage to put it up and replace the broken one,  he DROPPED it and it broke!!!!  So much for my grand plan.

This is how I think the first light was broken....

There was a little finger pointing going on when we questioned them about the broken light.  Sounded like the month before when a front window was broken.  (playing baseball in the house when Mom and Dad aren't home isn't recommended!  Even if you use a paper ball and a miniature wooden bat, the bat can turn into a projectile and sail right through glass and land in the bushes out front.)

I am so thankful to have these healthy, active boys!  

~Ann

School Spirit Quilt

My youngest child has a favorite quilt.  It's not the nice one that my mom made for him, it's one that is falling apart and has so many patches, I've started to patch the patches.  My sister made me this quilt when I graduated from high school.  I used it on my dorm room bed during college.  Neither of the other kids were interested in it at all, but Daniel decided this was HIS quilt.  When he comes downstairs in the morning he has it wrapped around himself.  It's spread out on the family room floor and used as a raft, etc, etc.  I'm saving the original to show you at the end of this post ( I don't want to scare you away)

The quilt is made from bandanas.  I found these in a craft store near Cleveland called Pat Catan's.  Purple and Yellow!  Our school colors.  How perfect - I could see a new quilt developing. 

I used 3 bandanas in each row and made 5 rows, alternating purple and yellow.  I must warn you if you try this, the bandanas were not all the same size - wonderful!  That made the sewing of the rows together interesting.  

The backing is 5 rows of flannel, I used purple and a mottled yellow, 3 purple rows and 2 yellow rows. I wish I could say they matched up perfectly at the edges to the width of the bandanas, but they didn't.  The recipient hasn't complained yet.    

I used one layer of warm and natural as the batting.  Simply laid out the backing and front, right sides together with the batting on the bottom and sewed almost all the way around, just leaving an opening so I could turn the whole thing right side out.  

I tied this quilt - on each corner, in the middle and halfway between the corners.  The last thing that I did was stitch the opening closed.  

Now, the photo of the original - it started out with gray and maroon bandanas.  You can see I had to stitch white and black ones onto the top to cover the old ones.  The top left bandana is gone and the batting is exposed as is the middle one on the bottom.  When I mentioned that I could now throw this one away  since there's a replacement, I got a very firm "NO".  

Hope you are having a good weekend.  ~Ann

Simplify

Do you subscribe to the magazine A Simple Life?  I absolutely LOVE this magazine.  Every issue speaks to me and where I want my house to go- Early Primitive.  

To move in this direction, I need to part with many, many items. 

Along with parting with some of my junk treasured items, I really need to simplify my displays.  I decided to start tonight on my kitchen cupboards.  The first 2 photos are the before.

I haven't changed this display in ages so it was really time.  Those old tins are the first things to go. If you like old tins or collect them, shoot me an email, I'll make you a super good deal on them! (I'll be happy to send you a close up of the ones I'm parting with.)

Everything came off the top of the cupboards and I decided to put some of my crock collection there.

The After....much better (still not exactly what I want, but WAY better) 

It is extremely hard to get good photos of this area, you can see the glare of the overhead light in the in the top of these photos.   

The next thing I need to clean off is my white fridge.  I think I cover it with pictures of my kids and my nephew and nieces so I can't see that it's white.  I want a black one!  

I am much happier with the simplified version.  Next will be my kitchen counters - they need an overhaul too.  I'll show you those as soon as I figure out what I want to keep!

Have a great weekend. 

~Ann

P.S.  I'm thinking I need to plant the seed with my husband that we need to repaint the kitchen cupboards in a putty color - Neutral is my new mantra.  I'm not thinking he's going to be real excited about the prospect....

Basket Giveaway!

I am giving away a Cherokee Comb basket and it's easy to sign up to win.  The Etsy group that I belong to, Primitive and Folk Artists (PAFA) is hosting a Spring Giveaway.  All you have to do for your chance to win my basket, or 32 other prizes, is comment on the post found HERE. 

The sign up is open until February 29 and your chances of winning are pretty good right now - there are only 43 comments for 33 prizes! 

Good Luck!

~Ann

A New Friend and New Goodies

Isn't it fun to meet the gals that you get to know online?  Back in December I got the chance to stop by Black Cat Primitives shop.  The owner Carolyn and I have gotten to know each other online and I was happy to meet her in person.  

(Carolyn on the left)

Her shop is full of the neatest prim items, many items are the best kind - handmade!

I picked up this cute little pillow/stump doll.

and this little pinkeep made from an old tin lunch pail.  Love them both!  

From  Willow B Primitives on Etsy a blackened beeswax bunny.  He smells SO good.

This next photo is a "new" bookcase that I brought home from my Mom's house when we were packing her up to move.  Sorry for the grainy photo - Our good camera was left at my sister's house in Wisconsin a couple weeks ago. 

I filled the shelf in a matter of 3 minutes - I think I have too much stuff! I pulled items that were in storage in different cupboards and now I can enjoy them out on display.   

 

The band boxes on the top shelf are from Marly at Samplers and Santas.  I won the one on left and purchased the one on the right.  Marly's work is wonderful - check her out!

                           

Finally, I think everyone is healthy at our house.  The strep throat went on and infected 2/3 kids.  Luckily my husband and I escaped it.  

~Ann