A few signs of Spring

What a week!  We didn't have school on Monday due to President's day.  Tuesday, Thursday and Friday we were cancelled due to bad weather and Wednesday our youngest missed due to illness.  He was actually sick all week, so maybe it's a good thing that school was closed - he didn't miss much in the way of school work.  I must have cabin fever because I'm ready for Spring. 

I had to put out a few of my Spring things and create some new ones while we were home. 

I found the greenery in the above crock last weekend and wish I would have purchased more.  I'll have to see if I can get some online. 

The cute little rabbit is from an online tutorial from my friend Cathy of Tolentreasures.  You can find the directions for this rabbit here.  Cathy's directions are superb and very easy to follow.  The whole creation time was minimal.  If you don't want to make one, Cathy has them for sale as well.

I purchased this standing blackened beeswax rabbit at an online yard sale on Face book.  Kim Nein made this and it's way too cute.  Unfortunately she doesn't have any more left - I wanted more after I received this one.

Since Kim didn't have any more, I thought I'd try my hand at creating my own.  I've used beeswax to cover pillars and tapers, but never molded it.  Because I never throw anything away, I had Easter candy molds from when I was in high school.  Never used them since way back when, so now they are dedicated to wax.  I made some 3 dimensional eggs - I had to "glue" the sides together with warm wax and a standing bunny.  He's not 3D, just a flat back. 

I'll be giving away an Easter Basket in March.  Check back with me on March 1st to see how you can win.

Have a great weekend  ~Ann

Would you like a little Graby with your Fruitcake?

I haven't done anything prim related for a couple of weeks.  I've been shoveling snow and taking care of sick kids.  I'm ready for Spring. 

I haven't posted and I don't want you all to forget about me so here's a post for you - **warning ** if you don't like cats stop reading right now!

Yes, you read my post title correctly - it will make sense soon. 

Our orange cat, Frito, has been spoiled rotten since his first day in our house - October 31, 2006.  If he wants to sleep in a backpack, our son will do his homework later (can't you hear Matthew objecting to that?!)

If he wants to sit in a basket that I'm working on, go right ahead...

 If he wants to take a nap amongst my rug hooking supplies, I'll work on something else until he moves.

Now enter my niece Emileigh, age 2 1/2, who wants to play with the doll baby bed we got out of the attic for her to play with while she was here visiting. Can you see where I'm going with this?  If you guessed Frito taking a nap on the doll bed you guessed correctly. Needless to say Miss Em and Mr. Cat had a little disagreement.  She wanted him to move and he looked at her like she was crazy.  In her frustration Miss Em got confused and said "No Fruity"  we think she combined Frito +Kitty = Fruity.  The nickname stuck and now Frito goes by Fruity, Fruito and my all time favorite Fruitcake.  

Fast forward to August 2010 with the addition of the gray kitten Shadow.  Yes, this one is strange, he likes the water.  When the kids take their showers, he gets in with them.   

 Shadow is falling into the same bad habits as Fruitcake - thinking he owns this house....

Not to be outdone by his older brother, Shadow needed a nickname.  Without Emileigh's help we've come up with Gray + Baby = Graby.  We can't wait to see what Miss Em thinks of Graby and if the nickname meets with her approval. 

Yes, I had to sit on the floor because the couch was taken.

A little Graby with my Fruitcake please.

Have a great week ~Ann



Is my Disorder Genetic?

My Great Grandmother died in 1937 - 74 years ago.  She was an avid quilter, spending her winter months in South Dakota with her brother in law and sister in law.  The women would quilt away the cold winter months finishing tops that they worked on during the other months of the year.

When my Great Grandmother Carrie died in August 1937, my Grandmother Eunice(what a horrible name!) became the owner of this unfinished quilt top.  My Grandmother died in 1966 leaving the unfinished quilt top to my Mom. 

 A few years ago my Mother broke the cycle - well, almost broke the cycle I should say!  While still very much alive, Mom  decided that I should have the quilt top - still unfinished.    Mom told me that her own mother never finished it because she felt that her  stitches were "big enough to throw the cat through"!  My Mom told me she felt the same about her hand quilting abilities. 

So now I own this beautiful antique coverlet and have my own daughter named appropriately - no NOT Eunice, but Carrie.  Can I do this - the hand quilting?  Will it be up to par with what Carrie #1 started? Can I do this and give it to Carrie #2?

  Let me share with you my genetic disorder... 

I've stitched these cross-stitched pieces within the last few months and here they sit, 2 need framed and 2 need to be made into ornies to hang on my Halloween tree.

These stitcheries have all been backed with homespun and stuffed with either sawdust or fiberfill, but need to be stitched closed and coffee stained... 

 I haven't done anything with this Christmas wall hanging that I showed you back a couple of months ago - needs to be machine quilted....

Are you getting the idea about my genetic disorder? No, let me show you a few more pictures....

 I'm working on the hand embroidery on this wall hanging.....

 This one that I showed on my last blog post is still sitting waiting for the machine quilting....

Need I go on or are you getting the idea that the women in my family have a faulty DNA strand?  Is there a cure for this? If there is, I need to find it desperately as Carrie #2 is not the crafty type and there is no hope that she will ever pick up a needle.  She takes after Eunice and would rather sit and read Shakespeare - maybe we should have named her Eunice!

Have a wonderful (and productive)weekend ~Ann

Bonus Days!

We've missed 2 days of school this week PLUS Monday was a scheduled holiday. That equates to a five day weekend - YEAH. (Our 13 year old compared it to Thanksgiving - "just no turkey!") Yesterday was a LAZY day at our house - all I did was one load of laundry and fixed supper. I feel guilty, no not really!

Today I worked on the above stitchery - I applied the borders.   I finished the applique and stitching several years ago.  I recently bought a new foot for my sewing machine to allow me to do machine quilting.  I've got to finish some projects so I can quilt them!

Don't forget to sign up for my basket giveaway on my selling blog - click the link on the right side bar to go to 1803 Ohio Farm Baskets and become a follower.  The drawing will be Sunday - so you better hurry. 

Have a good week - I'll be enjoying our short week!  ~Ann

Basket Giveaway

After browsing Etsy many times, I decided to open my own little Etsy shop.  In celebration of my new 1803 Ohio Farm Baskets Etsy shop, I've decided to have a giveaway for all my followers.  I'm going to give away this swing handled, homespun lined basket. 

How do you win this basket?  Click HERE to head over to my other blog. 

To visit my Etsy shop, click HERE

The Valentine Tree

My Valentine Tree is looking a little better this year. I decided to add faux berries left over from Christmas decorating which really perked up the look of the tree. 

The stocking/hearts is a Tennessee Ridge pattern. 

This first cross stitch piece is from The Stitcherhood - it was a freebie design last year. 

This next one is compliments of Primitive Betty - You can find the pattern HERE 

I made hearts using a cutter quilt and placed them randomly around the tree

I'm working on another cross stitch freebie from Tonya at The Sampler Girl

You can find the link to the chart HERE  she has another Valentine Chart HERE  I'll show these 2 off when I have them finished.

Have a great week ~Ann

Christmas Morning Fiasco

 I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas.  We did, other than one "little" issue!  

No, the new kitten didn't climb the tree and knock it over, whew - that actually was a concern we had!

 Our kids were surprised with their gifts - they liked everything. 

My Mom made it here from Upstate NY to spend the holiday with us.

I actually remembered everything I needed at the grocery store.

Hmm....so for the perfect Christmas day.

This innocent looking appliance was just waiting...

 waiting for me to put in my Orange - Cranberry bread for breakfast, the first of several foods that needed to baked on Christmas day: homemade cinnamon rolls were going in second, dinner rolls and the ham for Christmas dinner.

For 15 years this WONDERFUL oven has done it's job perfectly - why did it have to pick Christmas day to go on strike?  

Here's a quick recap of the morning - I had just closed the oven door after checking on the orange cranberry bread - it had maybe 5 more minutes to bake.  No sooner than I close the door, there is a very bright light (like a welder's torch)  snapping noises and sparks  flying inside the oven.  In my state of panic I open the oven door (If I had read the manual I would have known this was NOT the appropriate course of action!)  I'm now screaming for my husband and trying to remember which side of the sink my fire extinguisher is on.  Thank goodness my husband is a little calmer than I am, he walked over, closed the oven door and waited for the show to be over.  (he did admit later that he knew I needed him immediately by my scream - it wasn't my "big spider" scream!)     

Can you tell from this picture that the element is fried?  It is completely bent out of shape and detached from the plug in.  The whole fireworks took only about 6 seconds and was contained to the oven, thank goodness, but my heart was racing for another  30 minutes!  

The dinner rolls and cinnamon rolls went into the garbage.  The ham, mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes went into crock pots instead of the oven.   A new element was ordered within minutes and I'm expecting it today. 

I've told all the other appliances that New Years Eve is going to pass by unnoticed.