Busy, Busy, Busy....

I know its been a long

long time

since I've posted anything.

Not sure why

to be honest, I mean I have

been so very

busy for the past two

weeks and its

only going to get busier for

the next

couple of weeks. But a good

busy.

I've done alot, I've been

working as well,

but not sewing and I'm really

missing that.

So I need to take time out

to do some

crafting, some me time.

But I wanted

to stop in and say Hello!

I've got

alot going on this week

need to

get ready for company coming

this weekend.

Very good friends of ours

driving up

from Tennessee and we're

excited to see

them.
So, lots of cleaning,

getting the

yard mowed, I know

ALREADY!!

But it needs it.

Making some

yummy meals, I think we'll

grill,

oh that sounds nice,

grilling!!

Hope you all had a nice

weekend

and a happy Monday!

*picture from Google image from

Kate McRostie*

Gloomy Day..:(

Well, I wish I could do this

today,

but no giggling today,

no siree,

because I was looking

forward to

sitting here this summer

out of the sun having

my coffee

in the morning and

iced-tea

in the evenings

but I woke

to this site instead

yup, its come crashing

down thanks

to that horrific wind

that we

had

all night long!!

Part of it I

put underneath the table

back there

but this piece is

still hanging

on by a

screw,

one

stupid

rusty

little

screw!

I so

badly wanted to take

it

and

yank it off!

This stupid

thing kept me up all

night.

Between this and the

wind

I was quite

frustrated!

So yes folks,

lack of

sleep

darkness

and

pouring rain

has been

making

my day!!

Yet, these two

little things

hung on for dear life

after all that violent

wind

these two are still

hanging

while our porch roof

is

ruined,

go figure!

So today I clean,

my home

should be pretty

clean by

the time I'm done

with it.

Need to take the

frustration

out somewhere.

oh well.

We move on, things

could be worse,

in fact

they are

in other places

but

I just needed to

whine!

oh, by the way,

we've

lost this too

Can you see it there

laying on its

side?

Poor baby,

its flat on the ground

this is the

third

rose bush we've lost

due

to a storm.

So

I guess the

thirds time a charm, heh??!!

No more rose bushes

back here.

All done with those.

(sigh)

Why Are You Tormenting Me?

The weather is close to 70 today,

the sun shining,

the aroma in the air is the earth

waking up.

Tulips, daffodils and hyacinths are

coming alive!

There are small green things starting

to appear.

Fresh, green and soft.

My plants are coming alive, already!

They've been

hiding under the dead leaves all

winter and

they're playing peek-a-boo.

I like that game

with my flowers. Its so exciting

to see

them, peeking from under the

dead fall leaves.

I was able to do some yard cleaning

Monday.

I tried to be careful, not to do too

much.

But that sunshining on me was like

an addict getting

his fix. That's the only way I could

describe it.

If I had to run into the house, I

literally ran in

and out, because I needed more

of that warm

sun.

I planted some spring bulbs,

YES!

Spring Bulbs.

I read in a gardening magazine

that you can

do that and still get those

pretty spring flowers

I just hope I

did it at the right time, if not

then they'll

be there next year.

Now I'm anxious to get my veggie

garden going.

Anxious to do this very thing:
(click on image to enlarge)

Watching my hubby fighting with the

tiller,

getting the veggie garden ready.

Me planting

the small veggies with moms help

when she can

come down from NYC. She loves

to garden

but can't when you live in the

concrete jungle.

So she'll come down and get

dirty.

Then sitting back and watching

things grow.

I look forward to sitting on

my back porch

with coffee in the morning

when its

still cool, then tea or lemonade

in the afternoon

after working in the garden.

Do you long to

do the same thing?

Are you being tormented by

this gorgeous

weather?

Its hard not to get out there

and start

planting!

But take it from me,

don't do it!

Wait until the

right time, otherwise you'll

lose

everything.

I won't do that again!!

Cabin Fever Craft Show...

Well the weekend has come and

gone, it was

a beautiful weekend here in

the NE,

first time in a long time.

We also had

the Craft Show that I was

trying to prepare

for.

I took some pictures of

our table

When we did this show last

year,

it turned out great. But I

really think

weather had something to do

with it.

Last year, it rained on/off

it was windy,

and yet the place was packed.

This year,

sun was shining, temp's were

in the low 50's

and the crowd was so very small.

So, I wasn't

happy this year. And what is funny

is I didn't

want to do it this year, mainly

because of

just getting over my surgery

and not

having the stamina to do anything

to prepare

for it. But that's ok, I still

had a good

time and we were invited to do

a couple of shows

this summer.

But now I can take it easy.

Today is

just beautiful out and I think

I may go

outside for a little bit

and walk

around the yard. I saw some

tulips

trying to peak out, YEA!!

Hope its

beautiful today where you're

at.

Through The Years......

This morning I was thinking about the

upcoming Craft Show,

and remembering when I started doing

the handbags.

I took a sewing class to help me read

patterns better.

I had a difficult time understanding

some of them.

So a local fabric store offered a six week

course.

It was so much fun. I chose to make a

curtain.

By the fourth week my curtain was done

so the teacher told

me to pick another pattern to make,

she said,

"how about a handbag? something simple"

A handbag?

Panic set in!! I've never done that before!

But I tried it,

and I was having a blast putting that together.

Sadly, the class ended

before I could finish, then that's when the real

panic

set in, who's going to help me finish what I started!!

Thankfully, I have a friend

who's been sewing for many, many years and she

helped me in an area

where I was just stuck at. I could not figure out

what they were saying to do

with the inside lining. She had to read it a couple

of times, then figured it

out!!

I then finished my very first purse. I was so

proud, I even took it to the

lady who taught the class, I wanted to show

her, that her time

with us payed off.

Now I wanted to learn how to sew so

I can make custom

window treatments for anyone who

was looking to

find someone to help them out.

Well, I went to

a Doctor's office for an appointment

and one of the

lady's at the front desk loved my bag,

she wanted that same

one, so I went to buy the fabric and

what do you know?

They no longer carry it!!!!

Great! Now

what do I do?

Well, I cleaned out my bag, Yes, my

very first bag

that I made, and I sold it to her.

Do you know

I regret that now? I wish I had it.

It's the bag,

third row, the one on the left
(click on image to enlarge)

I really liked my new bag that I made

but she loved it too

and I was flattered, so I sold it to her,

and after that

she purchased 3 more bags from me.

So I guess it

was worth parting with. That was

the summer of 2006.

I've been at it now for about three

years.

I never thought I'd be making

handbags to sell.

The picture above shows just a

few of the bags

I've made and sold.

Its been a fun adventure. I am so

happy

I found something that I not only

like doing

but that I am good at. Thanks

to my mom,

watching her behind the sewing

machine

as I was a child, I was so

fascinated with

that big, black machine that

fell back into

the table it miraculously popped

out of.

She tells me I inherited that gift

from my

maternal grandmother. She

loved to sew

everything and anything.

I sell my handmade

products in a local shop, at craft

shows and on Etsy.