Can Someone Slow the World Down?

My goodness. It's been a long time since I've had a moment to blog. I've been busy working and sleeping.

My "day job" has been very busy with conferences and extra hours. And it seems that all I manage to do when I come home from a full day's work is sleep.

However, I did take time last night (during my few waking hours!) to watch a video that I purchased about a month ago.  It's called The Hustle for Worthiness by Brene Brown. Brene talks about love, belonging and being good enough. It was fantastic and I need/want to watch to it again and again.

Brene was a speaker at a series of conferences that I work with and I'm so grateful that I was able to meet her and get to know her. She is a truly gifted person who has an incredible impact on most everyone she meets. She had a huge impact on me - she's the person who encouraged....well, insisted....that I start selling my wool items on Etsy and the first to feature my work on her blog (which, a couple months later, resulted in me starting this blog).

Thanks Brene!

Spring Keeps Popping Up

It is so refreshing and renewing to see all the signs of spring popping up all over. Of course, I gage how far spring has come by what keeps coming up in the garden. When you think about it, life is alot like a garden - but we can talk more about that later.

I just thought I'd pass on a few fun signs of spring coming from my little corner of the world.

Glass Mosaic Gazing Ball.

Pink Phlox.

Grape Hyacinth.

Garage Sale Chicken. What? Where did SHE come from?

Oh, that's ok. Most everyone/thing is welcome at my house.

Summer Radios

I'm kind of mad today.

I have new neighbors on both sides of my nice quiet home.

Both seem to think that whatever radio station they are listening to, I should also listen to.  Even when I'm inside my house with my porch doors open to the fresh air.

What ever happened to common courtesy?

Ding Dang Cutest Thing

Is this not the most precious picture you've ever seen?

I just ran across it today from a subscription email/newsletter that I get and I thought I'd melt. It comes from a blog called Getting Stitched on the Farm. Check it out - it's full of fun things that involve yarn, wool, sheep and lots of other fun stuff that will keep me browsing-busy for quite some time.

Wow - the playfulness and creativity that some people have just blows me away. It's a happy thing!

The Painted Desk

As promised, here's a couple photos of the desk that I just finished painting.  Sorry - no "before" photos - only "after".

Two coats of primer and two coats of popcorn white (which seems to be my favorite white these days) and it's a new piece. I also used some fabric scraps (previously used to recover a footstool for a friend) on the back panels of the shelving. It's actually press-board behind it so I can use both areas to tack up great photos or inspiring magazine clippings.  I also plan on adding some fun drawer-pulls whenever I happen upon some that fit the desk right.

Hope you like...

White Day

I'm in a white mood today.

I'm not quite sure what that means - it's just a feeling.

Maybe it's coming from my virgin-white thoughts (Ok. Not.) or maybe it has more to do with me painting more furniture white.

In the middle of my not-overly-huge living room is another furniture paint job in progress. I'm painting more coats of popcorn white on a desk that I purchased a couple weeks ago for $15. It will go in my son's room (that I'm now using as my computer and wool room). I'll show you a photo of the desk when I've finished with it and have it in place.

For now, maybe you'd like to see a picture of a white metal flower that sits happily outside my house on this spring-warm-60-something-degree day.

Featured Pillow

I am honored to have a fellow blogger feature one of my flower pillows on her blog yesterday. Check it out here!

Wonder if I should change the name to SPRING Flower Pillow......

Trash to Treasure

I love picking up old, worn, used items and transforming them into fresh, new, useful items.  For anyone who knows me - they know I have many projects awaiting their turn in the renewal process!

I finally put my mind to a multi-drawer cabinet that I picked up about two years ago. I thought it would be a great piece to store many of my little-sewing/crafting items. I had great visions for it - but it had a long way to go. It was adorned with many stickers, newspaper clippings and hand-writing from many years back.

After first removing all the handles, I primed and spray-painted them along with all the screws. Unfortunately, there were only two screws used for each four-screw handle. Oh well, I decided not to let that bother me. After all, it's an imperfect world.

The drawers were numbered before I removed them so they could fit properly back into their designated spots (lesson learned from kitchen cupboard project - I still have two that don't hang correctly!).

Approximately a quarter of a container of light-weight "filler" was used to fill in the multitude of random holes all of the cabinet and drawers. I wonder the purpose for all of the holes...there were an awful lot of them...guess I'll never know. Truth be known, I love using filler to fill holes, scratches and notches in wood. I could sit and "fill" for hours. Really. It's probably weird, but it's true.

A couple hours were spent with a razor blade in my hand scraping off yellowed pictures and newspaper clippings that were very securely glued on multiple drawers and sides of the cabinet. (There was a part of me that felt bad ruining these old, precious, glued-on pieces - so I took photos of them to make me feel better about it. The "Happiness Doesn't Come in Pills" clipping was so cool. Of course, I don't know, but I really think that these were put on in perhaps the 50's or 60's!)

A nice sanding of all of the surfaces prepared them for the next step - the primer. Have I mentioned that I love power tools? :-)

I applied two coats of primer to the drawer fronts and the cabinet. Two coats of "popcorn" white were then applied to finish the pieces.

Handles back on - drawers back in - POOF - job done! I have to say I'm happy with the finished piece. I have yet to fill the drawers, but believe me - it won't be a problem!

I'm on Resweater!

Tomorrow morning my recent tutorial for beaded coasters is being featured on Resweater's blog! How fun!

Check it out here!

And if you want to purchase any...check that out here!

Crown of Thorns

While driving from the airport to our hotel during my recent trip to Naples, FL,  I saw clumps of pinkish flowers growing all over - especially in the median on the highways.

Once we arrived at our hotel, lo-and-behold, the same plants were there as well. After bending down to see what this plant was that had captured my attention, it only took one moment to realize with much delight that it was Crown of Thorns.

It has been many years since I've seen a Crown of Thorns. When I was in my late teens, my grandma gave me a clipping of her plant. I had it for several years before it decided to quit flourishing for me. But I've alway loved the plant (even though much of it is poisonous if ingested).

My first thought when seeing it again was that I should take a clipping to take back home with me. But would that be stealing? (It's always been a question for me if taking seeds from flowers that don't belong to me...like in a planter in a downtown area...is stealing. I say no. :-) Would the plant survive if I took a tiny stem? How do you get clippings from this plant - I couldn't remember the proper way? If I was caught taking some, would I get thrown in the Naples slammer? I decided that I wouldn't take the chance.

But it sure was a treat to see if growing and blooming so beautifully all over the landscape. Hmmm...I may just have to do a quick google search and see if I should get another plant for myself after all these years...the totally-legal way.

Yup. Spring Has Sprung!

Ahhhh. The beautiful sign of spring has popped it's cute little green head out of the still cold ground. I love it.

Springtime means cleaning up yards, fresh air, open windows, clothes hanging on clotheslines, little green heads popping out of the ground, renewed energy, happy faces, lowering (or turning off) thermostats, daily slathering lotion on feet - because it's quickly becoming sandal-time, walks, gardening and wool.  (Thought I'd just throw the last one in to see if you're really listening. :-)

Happy Spring.  It's officially here. I don't always go by when the calendar says it's the first day of spring - I judge spring's arrival by chives. When they've worked their way through the soil for me to grab a stem and smell the fresh smell of chive - that's when spring has arrived!

PS. I'm now on a new Mac laptop (thanks to a good friend!) - and I'm even having a fresh new springtime start with a virus-free computer!

Sick Again. Darn!

I've been absent from the blog scene for a bit now. I was out of town for work for six days and just returned. Sunny Florida! It was great - but cooler than it normally is right now. But the sunshine still felt very good.

Also, upon my return, I've found that I still have a virus on my computer. I thought it was cleared up - but obviously it wasn't. So, I'm on a new clean-up mission. Please be patient with me while I work my way through it - and wish me luck!

Wool Coaster Tutorial

As promised, here's a short tutorial for some fun and easy coasters.

WOOL COASTER TUTORIAL

Trace and cut 8 circles from felted sweaters. The ones I made are about 4 inches across. I use a variety of things for templates - I believe this circle template might have originally been the cover to a yummy cream cheese container (after it's washed first, of course!).

Line up and pin two circles to each other.

Using a thin yarn, stitch a blanket stitch around the outside of the circle sewing the two pieces together. Before inserting your needle to begin a new blanket stitch, slip a bead onto the needle and slide it down to snuggle up to the last stitch next to the wool. 

TIP 1: Try to estimate how much yarn will be needed for the entire coaster before cutting. It helps prevent having to knot, end off and start a new piece of yarn.

TIP 2: You can make a small knot when beginning your stitching and hide it in between the two layers of wool by catching just a snippet of wool with your needle further into the circle's center and then your next [beginning] stitch can start along the outside edge.

Finish all four coasters in the same manner and you now have a great set of sassy coasters. Set them immediately on your coffee table or use a piece of ribbon or twine to tie them together in a neat little pile. It's a great way to present them as a gift! 

Sleeping Beauty

No silly....it's not me!

Now I don't want to say she's spoiled, but this looks like a pretty easy life...and yes, she's on the couch cuddling with a quilt I made years ago. Guess it's still  good for snuggling!

I'm just finishing a new tutorial for the coasters I just posted on Etsy. I hope to post it within the next couple days. Stay tuned!

Drip, Drop, Slop

Yesterday morning at 4:20 am, I awoke to a dripping noise. After taking a few seconds to figure out what that strange noise would be, I quickly bolted out of bed. My toilet was overflowing. I don't know for how long. But by the looks of things, let's assume a long time. 

Now, it was not only dripping but it was actually a solid stream of water coming onto the floor of the room below it (through the ceiling light fixture).
 

What a thing. I spent the first hour bailing water - crying - calling plumbers - cussing - and bailing more water (up and down the stairs and out the back door - I certainly got my share of exercise in for the day!). Well, to say the least - it was a mess.

So instead of going to work as I normally would on a Friday, I spent the day with a father and son plumbing team.  As nice and helpful as they were....hmmm....I think I would have much rather enjoyed a stressful day at work instead.