It's so much fun to meet my blogging buddies - 

I'm on the left, that's Angie from Lil Raggedy Angie in the middle and Linda from Parker's Paradise on the right.

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This is Alice from Folk Art Primitives her husband Sonny was along too - Sonny sorry, I should have gotten you in the picture too!

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On the far right in this photo is Earlene from Primitive Passion Decorating.  On the left is Earlene's sister.  They must get the award for the farthest drive - they came from Michigan - at least a 4 hour drive. 

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Look at this skinny girl on the right - It's Carmen From Primcats

(Linda I lifted this photo from your blog - Thank you!)

I'll be back later in the week  to show you what I came home with.

~Ann 

Gathered Treasures Show

I am in Mansfield Ohio for the Gathered Treasures Show which will be held tomorrow April 14 at the Richland County Fairgrounds. 

My booth is set up and ready to go - 

 Thank goodness I have a creative daughter who suggested bringing the area rugs - Thanks Carrie! The rugs really add a "homey" touch to the booth.

 This show is WOW!  If you happen to attend the show - stop by and say Hi to the 2 of  us. 

I've already met 3 gals that I blog with - their pictures will be taken tomorrow and I'll share on Sunday!

                            

~Ann

My Newest Treasures

 Recently, Lecia from Farmhouse Prims and I did a swap, I'm calling it the Baskets for Bonnets swap.  Lecia's bonnets are great.  I'm a frustrated bonnet maker - I purchased a pattern for a prim one and can not figure it out!  I threw the bonnet and pattern away now that I have 2 bonnets from a Professional bonnet maker.  I told Lecia what colors I wanted and she chose the absolute best pieces of material to use.  At the moment they are hanging in our living room.   This will not be their forever home - I'm waiting on my husband to make me another peg rack similar to this one.  It will hang by our back door and the bonnets will move to that rack when it's done.  

Have you visited the new selling group: Primitives Handmade Selling Group? Several of our blogging friends are listing their wonderful handmade items there.  Joanne is My Primitive Hook (Joanne is also Snippets and Scraps of my Mind Blog).  She hooked this cute brown bunny.  I had to put it on a shelf out of the way of Mr. Shadow who is confused about why I won't let him eat the bunny's tail.  

Ginger, from Prairie Moon Primitives on Etsy made these great mats.  Ginger is also Primitives by the light of the Moon Blog.  

Susan from Olde Threads on Etsy made this adorable little pinkeep.  I purchased a pumpkin pinkeep from her back in the fall and jumped at the chance to have a spring pinkeep from her too.  I have to keep the spare carrot and grass inside the box - can you guess why?  You got it, Mr. Shadow again.  He is so BAD!  

Susan can also be found on the Primitives Handmades Mercantile

I just love all my new goodies and I love purchasing from my fellow American artisans.  Thank you ladies.

~Ann

Museum of Appalachia

Have you been to the Museum of Appalachia?  We never had until last week - oh, my - it is wonderful!  Being a little over 400 miles south of us, the trees were in bloom, the grass was green and it felt like spring!

Our older son just finished studying Mark Twain - and the museum has the Twain family cabin on the premises.  

I just loved every cabin: the handhewn logs, the extremely primitive furniture and the make-do accessories the people of Appalachia created. 

 Maybe you can tell it was drizzling slightly while we were there, but it dampen our enjoyment of the Museum.

 How surprised I was upon entering one cabin - a guitar player.  Do you know who this is?  Once she started to talk to us I knew I'd heard her before.  Do you get the magazine A Simple Life?  Eliza Jane Alexander was featured on a disc that was sent out with the Christmas 2011 issue.  

Before long, Eliza Jane was joined by Curly Cottrell (also featured on the disc) and their friend Mandolin playing Randall. 

They played several songs for us and we enjoyed all of them immensely.  

Curly learned to play the fiddle by ear and doesn't read "a lick of music".  Two of our children play the violin and one the bass so this was pretty cool to them.  Curly asked the kids if they knew the difference between his fiddle and their violins.  He said his fiddle has "strangs" and their violins have "strings"!  

If you are ever in Knoxville, Tennessee stop by and see if Eliza Jane and Curly are there - they'll play a song for you.

~Ann

Tuesday Display Chain

This is Misi's first Display Chain for this year.  I'm excited to see everyone's take on the theme this week which is Lion and Lamb (which she tells us is Sheep and Cats)

I would love to show you a picture of my little flock of black faced sheep.  The sheep that live in a little pasture out behind our house.  I'm dreaming - - I don't have any sheep!  I do have wool though.... 

 I have my current rug hooking project & extra wool stored in a wool drying basket that I made.  This is a loose interpretation of a wool drying basket - while it is larger in size and has 2 end handles, the base is woven in the same twill pattern as the sides - over 2 under 2.  Historically a wool drying basket had an open bottom - holes that allowed the water to drain off freshly washed wool.

 Close up of the legs that hold the basket off the floor and the twill weave pattern....

 My current hooking project - started on it in late August and hasn't made much progress!  During the school year, I don't get much hooking done.  (46 more days of school 'til summer break)

 A treasured rug that my grandmother made.....I love it, hole and all!  

How could my post be complete without these 2? Shadow looks like he could use a good shearing doesn't he?  Frito just looks well fed.

Be sure to click on Misi's name above and visit all the other entries for Lion and Lamb. 

~Ann

New Cupboard

Last weekend, my daughter and I headed out for a shopping day.  She was looking for a prom dress and I was looking for antiques.  While she didn't find a dress, I found a new cupboard for our downstairs 1/2 bath.  

This cupboard is made from an old crate and barn board siding added to the front for a door.  I love it, it's dark brown and grungy/dirty looking.  

 Looking around for items to fill it with didn't take me long.  I bought the old bottle at Karen's of My Colonial Home when she had Christmas Open houses.  Tammy from A Primitive Place gave me the old clothespins tied with a scrap of blue coverlet in a swap.  

 In the same swap, Tammy made the square fabric covered boxes.  I love looking at my treasures knowing that my online friends have helped me decorate my home.

  I picked up the little brown chick last weekend at the same shop I found the cupboard at.  

Sitting under the cupboard is another fabric covered box - again from Karen's show with a beeswax bunny I bought on Etsy from Willow B Primitives 

I replaced this maroon hanging shelf and I'm really loving how the new cupboard looks.

Did you have a fun St. Patrick's day?  We didnt' do anything special - just stayed home and watched basketball.  We're cheering for our Buckeyes.

~Ann

Kitchen Simplify

In the effort that I started a couple of weeks ago to simplify my decor, I've rearranged my kitchen counters.  I had too much stuff sitting on the counters before.  These are all after pictures, I forgot to take the before.

Full view of the north side/sink side:

 Ah, less does really look and feel better....

 Do you see my under the cupboard radio?  I've had this for years and just can't give up having the radio on in the mornings while we are getting ready for school.  I don't need to listen for delays or cancellations as our school system uses an instant alert system that we receive on our phones.  I just need a little music to get me going for the day.

 If I knew that my family could deal with it, I'd add a fabric curtain or feedsack over my dishwasher.  I can hear the complaints now about access to the dishwasher....

 Hiding in the drawers are microwave popcorn and Carnation Instant Breakfast packets.

 A little spring wreath to add some color...

Speaking of spring - it sure felt like spring today in NW Ohio.  

~Ann