More About Sunday...

As I told you yesterday, my Sunday drive began hours earlier than actually necessary. As I came off our hill, my view was beautifully sunny, with autumnal fog lying across the marsh. I thought it looked magical.

I drove the by-pass around Fond du Lac and continued west toward Portage. Within mere miles of Fondy, the "beautiful, autumnal fog" developed into a pea soup-thick blanket that stretched for about fifty of the remaining sixty seven mile trip. I gripped the steering wheel so tightly that my hands actually hurt when I finally stopped (the first time) at Adrienne's.

After eating breakfast in downtown Portage at (what else?) the Portage Café, I took the scenic route through a town near and dear to my heart  I ended up at Silver Lake, located on the north side close to my last apartment before I moved back here and met Handsome.

I pulled into the beach parking lot and turned my Explorer off. I opened my windows and enjoyed the view. A solitary pontoon boat cruised around the shoreline, occupied by a guy and his dog. 

Soon after, a dad pulled in with his young son. Both of them carried fishing poles down to the water, as dad recited the rules of the day..."First fish wins", "Biggest fish wins." and "Most fish wins." I never did see them reel one in. Apparently nothing was biting, and they didn't stay long.

I enjoyed the view until about twenty minutes before everyone would be arriving at Adrienne's, so I put on my seat belt, smiled a farewell, and left Silver Lake not knowing when or if I'll ever return. Serendipity brought me there. Purpose would have to bring me back. I'm glad I took photos to remind me of my well-spent morning, though. 

Oh, and thankfully, the fog burned off completely by the time I made my return trip home. "No fog" was the best ending to a perfect day.

 

Remember, I told you the wedding reception was casual last Saturday? Well, this photo should give you a little hint at just how relaxed the bride and groom were. They're pretty darned fun, too!

Joe is Linda K's son, and I've known him since he was a little boy. (Linda and I have been friends for fifty years this year.) He and Misty are crazy about each other. They were gracious hosts, taking time to visit with every guest. There was a lot of food, and they had two flavors of cake...a little something for everyone.

The party began at 2:00, and guests were free to come and go. It was like an open house that ended at 7:00 pm. I left around 3:30, as I had a drive ahead of me. While alcohol was served, I don't usually partake, especially when I'm driving.

Misty made sure I came home with cake for Handsome and me, I said goodbye to Linda and family, signed the guest book, grabbed two coozies, and hugged the newlyweds before leaving for my trip home. 

An hour and a half later, I was enjoying a cuppa in my favorite chair. A perfect end to a fun day.

Time for another work day already. It's finally cooled off a bit, so I'm looking ahead to a comfortable day. (It's been awful since the A/C in the store doesn't keep up on hot days.) Today should be a breeze.

I'd like to think I'll accomplish a lot when I get home later, but you know me. I'll probably sit down and end up taking a nap. heehee I'll see you tomorrow!

 

February Craft Day...

l-r: Donna, Deb, Linda K., Adrienne, Kim and Marie

We had a grand time last Saturday! For this project we used pinecones cut to resemble flowers. Marie and Adrienne took care of the cutting, so all we had to do was arrange and if we wanted to, paint them. 

 

We can always count on Kim to choose these blues for her projects. I've never been to her home, but I suspect this is her main color scheme. Marie brought canvas boards, as well as wooden hearts but there were also frames, and we were encouraged to bring anything we thought we might want to use.

Adrienne chose her favorite burgundy colorway, and chose to create a sweet arrangement on her wooden heart base. 

Linda K also chose a reddish color for her wooden heart. By the time she was finished, I told her it reminded me of an old-fashioned box of chocolates! Don't you agree?

Deb also chose the aqua colorway, but want in a different direction with her arrangement. She added jute cord embellishments, with one resembling a little nest. When we talked about that, she decided to add three small buds that looked egg-shaped and went with it. I love it!

When we first moved into the farmhouse, Linda and Marie came over to visit. Marie and her husband had taken a road trip to the retail store for the two guys who are on the television show, American Pickers. She gave me this rustic galvanized piece from an old barn so I could do something with it for our decor. Until last weekend, I had no idea what to do with it.

I decided to keep my pinecones unpainted because I loved all the natural colors. I added a bit of artificial leaves and then arranged everything to accentuate the shape of the panel. I'm thinking that I'm going to add some paper clay in the shape of a rustic vase at the bottom. We were talking about whether or not I would paint it, and I said, I could almost just rub dirt on it for the rustic effect. (I think I was kidding.)

I don't have a closeup of Marie's because she wanted to wait until she finished hers. (I wasn't constrained by such thoughts. lol) Now that Tuesday is behind me, I'll probably play with this later this week. For now, I'm going to take a good look at it and enjoy what's done so far.

We got more snow yesterday. Not like they're getting out East, but it was pretty wild getting home from work yesterday. I'm always grateful for Handsome handling the driving when the weather gets crazy. On those days, he drops me off so my Explorer doesn't sit outside, and then picks me up when my shift is over. Don't tell him I said so, but I'm really glad he decided to pass on travel to Florida this year. I'm happier with him home.

I think I'm going to stitch today. We were really busy at work yesterday, so stitching would be restful for me. I'd like to finish that bridal brooch, too, so I can get the three removed from the ground fabric and turned into brooches. I'll see you tomorrow.

November Craft Day...

November Craft Day - L-R: Donna, George, Adrienne, Linda K, and Marie

Our November group was small, but all the participants are held closely in my heart. Linda is one of my dearest friends, and I've known her since I first moved to Portage in 1976. I lived there until 1981, when I came back to Fond du Lac and met my now husband. 

Linda and I have stayed close ever since, and as I've shared previously, her daughter Marie, granddaughter Adrienne, and now Adrienne's children, Belle, Bowen and George are also dear to me. Being able to see them so frequently is just like a mini family reunion, and getting together to craft is just a welcome excuse.

This month, Marie rounded up her paper and paint assortments, wooden tree forms from Hobby Lobby, and plastic peel and stick tiles from Dollar General. From there, we painted, cut, and glued our projects together to see what is photographed above. Aren't they fun?

I especially loved Marie's color theme, but every single one of theirs is unique and wonderful. Of course, I immediately focused on the music-themed papers and settled on one that had a cardinal in the corner. Once I fussy cut the design to fit my tree, the rest came right along. I may still add a star to the top of my tree, but I haven't decided what it will be yet.

George came up with the idea to cut a tree topper out of the tile, and then his mom followed suit. He was pretty darn proud of his once he finished it, and of course, we all told him how talented he was (is).

Having my tree photographed

Marie always shares our monthly projects with a craft group she belongs to on Facebook, so we always take photographs of each participant with their piece. Mine made it onto my camera this month, so here I am with my musical tree. Hmmm. Perhaps my tree topper should be a bell or a drum? I'm going to see what I have in my embellishment boxes that might be appropriate. (I know I have some grand piano buttons and a pin.) 

Linda's Owl Shawl

A few months ago, I saw this wonderful owl shawl crochet pattern and had to share it with Linda. She loves to crochet and is very good at it. She told me she bought the pattern and was working on it.

Well, after fifty or sixty hours' worth of work, she finished it and wore it Saturday. It is really magnificent! I had to share it with you. The pattern didn't call for the trim on each feather, but she used a sparkling brown yarn, and it was just the perfect finishing touch.

She told me she purchased a dragon shawl pattern at the same time, and Belle said if her great-grandma made it, she'd absolutely wear it. I told Linda Belle could wear the goldwork dragon brooch I made for her on it, too!

I hope you enjoyed seeing what we did for our monthly play date. I was on my way home by noon, so I spent the rest of the weekend with Handsome. We put up our porch lights yesterday, because the weather is forecast to get ugly later this week, and I really don't want to be doing that in frigid temps or biting winds. 

We turned the lights on last night just so we could see how they looked, so I guess I'm guilty of "decorating before Thanksgiving" now. I have a different idea for a tree this year, so I'll share that once it's accomplished. There are other things to write about first though. You'll have to come back tomorrow for that. 

Give Thanks - Web Image

September Craft Day...

September Craft Day - Adrienne, Donna, Linda K, Marie, Nancy, and Sara

  

Last Saturday, I drove over to Portage for our monthly Craft Day with my girlfriends. This month, Marie had this great idea that we use buttons to create something with the Autumn theme. You'll see by the photograph that we all took it seriously, and our interpretations were as unique as we are.

We had Dollar Tree wooden cutouts of leaves and pumpkins, blank canvases, and lots of buttons to play with. Adrienne and Sara grabbed leaves. Nancy and I chose pumpkins. Marie chose a free-hand wreath design, and Linda K. played with paints and a pumpkin print ribbon that caught her eye.

*** Remember: You can click on the image to enlarge it.

I noticed that every time Handsome and I have passed a pumpkin wagon in the area, I'm always drawn to the light green ones, so that was the colorway I chose for my piece. I do love Nancy's understated orange one, too. Adrienne and Sara's leaves turned out really cute, and I'm sure they'd be perfect for hanging on a door or cabinet. Marie had a canvas, but glued a really cool barn board print paper on top of it before gluing her buttons and leaf forms into a wreath shape. I really love how that turned out, too. Linda K. was the rebel this month. She hand painted a sunflower in the center of her canvas and glued ribbon on two corners. Then, she added buttons to compliment her painting. We giggled that she went in a completely different direction, but we all loved it.

Not too far from Adrienne's home is a really wonderful farm stand, and this time I year I always stop on my way home to see what they have. This trip I purchased 50 pounds of locally grown potatoes (the Portage area is potato country in Wisconsin) and only paid $15 for the full bag! I also bought onions and green peppers to make more zucchini relish, as we still have four large zucchinis to deal with. Then I finished my shopping by adding a small acorn squash, a small pie pumpkin, and a few fresh tomatoes for eating on sandwiches. My whole shopping spree only cost $46, and I was a happy shopper. 

Of course, that means I'll be doing more canning yet this week. That's okay, though. I'm loving how our pantry is filling up for the upcoming winter and spring, and some of these stores will likely carry us past next canning season. 

I completed stitching my commissioned bridal brooch yesterday, so I'll be doing the finishing work on it today. I'll present it to my client tomorrow, and will have a photo to share with you then, too. Lots to do now, so I'm off to the races. I'll see you later!

Marie's Mouse...

Marie shared her completed needle felted project from our Craft Day last weekend. Isn't this wee mouse adorable? It reminds me of Feivel from the movie. I think it's the cutest thing ever, and I told Marie I think she's a natural at this.

I think it may be a while before we see Adrienne's projects. It seems her cats were extremely interested in them and there may have been needle felted massacres. She said she is still unable to find parts for one of them. Yikes! 

I know Claudette was awfully intrigued with my fox. I showed it to her when I saw her staring at it, but not soon after, I placed it high on a wall-hung shelf where she can't access it.

I'll see if I can get photos of George's projects, and will wait for those from the other ladies who attended. I really loved this project, and will likely do another soon from the kits and wools I have, but you well-know that I have a few other projects to complete first.

I'm heading to an appointment this morning with an orthopedic doc to see just what I may have done to my leg when I got tangled up in the dog bed six weeks ago. It still hurts like the dickens, so I need a diagnosis and hopefully, relief.

When we get back home, I'm going in to work for my boss. She went to urgent care over the weekend and was diagnosed with sinus and lung infections. She would usually work a double shift on Mondays, but I told her I'd work the 10-4 shift and she should go home and rest. We came to an agreement, so even though I don't think she should work the first shift, at least I got her to go home for second shift. 

We'll see what I can accomplish once I get home. I'd like to have some "play time" if I'm up for it. I'll let you know tomorrow.

Next Up...

Black cork and Tim Holz fabric will be the main fabrics for my next project...a recently commissioned Bella tote. My plan is to make this on Monday after I get home from taking Handsome to the airport.

This morning I'm driving to Portage for our monthly Craft Day, and I'm taking along a wool needle felting kit to work on. We were all asked to bring a project for needle felting, so mine is a small red fox. I'm not sure how far we'll get with it, but I can always finish it once I get home.

After our morning of crafting, we'll be celebrating Annabelle's Birthday with a tea party. Belle is Adrienne's daughter (generation four of my friendship with Linda's family). I'm not sure whether or not I should bring a tea party hat, so I'm going to take one along, just in case. I'm planning to wear a dress, too, which (in light of the current weather) I may come to regret. Fingers crossed that's not the case.

I'd love to stay longer and chat, but I don't want to be late. I hope you have a lovely Saturday and Sunday, and I'll be back on Monday with all sorts of news to share.

Celebrating With My Portage Family...

Handsome wanted to take one more day to be sure he's over whatever he had going on, so part of my Sunday was spent in Portage celebrating the holidays. 

I woke up to dense fog, but the weather weenies promised it would clear off by noon. I left home around 11:30 and drove in it for an hour until I was nearly to Portage. Thankfully, the roads were lightly traveled, and everyone had their lights on for the best visibility. My trip there was uneventful.

Adrienne hosts the family Christmas party at her home every year, and most everyone shows up. I had to giggle when A's daughter, Belle said to me, "I always thought we were related!" I told her we are by choice and that I'm her honorary auntie.

Every year, four generations of these women (plus yours truly) have our photograph taken for the memory books. This year was no exception, and we don't part company until the deed is done. I love this one!

Of course, Linda and I have to have one of just the two of us, too. We've been friends since I first moved to Portage in 1976, and went into the grocery store where she was the manager. She hired me on the spot (I had three years' cashier experience in high school, plus a little more post-graduation.) We quickly became friends, and she and I have been besties every since. I love her dearly. I'm so blessed that we can spend time together again, and also that her daughter, granddaughter, and great-granddaughter are also part of our friendship. Plus, she and Handsome share the same birthdate, so I can celebrate both of them every year!

Handsome called to see when I'd be coming home because, although the fog had cleared in Portage, it was still thick as pea soup at home. He was concerned that I'd be driving back in the dark, so he urged me to leave soon and be careful.

I left Portage around 3:15, and admit I had a lead foot as I neared a section of highway where I should have known better. As I rounded a gentle curve in the road, I saw a squad clocking traffic. I knew he had me, so although I slowed down, I was still over the limit. I checked my rearview mirror and watched him come off the shoulder, turn around and follow me. Soon after, he lit up his colored lights. I immediately pulled over and waited with my license and proof of insurance in hand.

He walked up to my open window with the "afternoon, ma'am" and I replied with a "Hi. I know I was speeding." He asked if I was in a hurry for any particular reason, and I explained that I was trying to get home before dark - considering I knew it was thick fog at home, an hour from where he stopped me. He asked me to hold on as he walked back to his cruiser.

I wasn't really concerned. I'd earned a ticket if he was in the mood to hand them out, but I also knew that I haven't had any interaction with law enforcement in at over a decade, and even then, there hadn't been a ticket.

He walked back to the Explorer and handed me my documents. He said he was just going to give me a verbal warning, and I promised him I wouldn't speed the rest of my trip. (I didn't either.) He walked back to his vehicle, I properly signaled before entering the highway, and was on my way again. So, that was my only excitement on this trip. I got to chat with a really nice police officer.

The balance of my trip was fog-free until I got to our side of Fond du Lac, and I drove home in thick fog again for the last twelve miles. I pulled into the garage and was greeted by a relieved husband. We spent the rest of our anniversary together at home, with plans to have a special dinner once he's completely healthy. Neither of us really cared about going out. We were content to be together. 

I don't work again this week until Friday, so I have plans for things I'd like to accomplish. There will be baking, some canning, and definitely laundry. As for needlework, I will have needle and thread to fabric this week, but I'll share more on that later. Happy Monday!

November Craft Day...

This month's projects were a little outside the sorts of things I usually create or display. Even so, it was another great day with friends.

The first project was to take a decorative bottle and turn it into a lighted angel. While many of the ladies colored and glued embellishments and wings to their bottles, completing them by placing battery-operated fairy lights inside, I chose a different route.

I chose a lavender bottle and ribbon, specifically because I know they're my sister, Di's favorite color. I wired the ribbon to the neck of the bottle as a decoration and placed my lights inside. I'll gift it as a nightlight to her next time we're together. 

This was a quick project, and even the kiddos made one along with us. They were quite proud of their creations, too.

The second project reallllly wasn't my cuppa tea. This entailed floating different colors of nail polish on top of water (seen in the back of this photo) in aluminum pans. (First of all, we had to open a lot of windows because of the fumes.) Once the polish was on the water in a number of different patterns, each of us chose glassware (or cereal dishes, or mugs) and rolled them in the polish to pick up the colors. It was messy and wasn't drying well without using a blow dryer.

My mug is in the back right of this picture (open end up). There was no way I could bring it home with me because it was still fully wet - even after taking a blow dryer to it. The last step is to apply a dishwasher-safe ModPodge™ to the exterior so it can be used and washed.

Adrienne said she'd coat all of the pieces over the course of the next month and they'll be ready for us at our next gathering on December 7th. I'll likely let someone else have mine (so they have a set). 

Well, as I said, it's always worth the drive to me to spend time with dear friends. My girlfriend, Linda K. wasn't there because she's been having problems with her back. If she's not at the next one, I'll be planning to make a side trip to her home to visit with her before leaving town again. 

So, there you have it. Our November projects. I'm baking bread today, and apologize that this post is going up late. Handsome and I were glued to our television until nearly 3 am and understandably slothed in bed later than usual this morning. Time to get productive again. Bread, a little laundry, and perhaps a bit of needle dancing for the rest of today. See you tomorrow!

June Craft Day...

It was my turn to lead our craft group this month, and I chose a sweet, little project making teacup (or mug) bird feeders. I'm sharing Sara's first this month. 

Here's a little closeup of hers, showing you the woodsy-themed design, and some of the details.

Nancy's was a more feminine tea cup and saucer set with little flowers along the border of both pieces. She even added a bit of bling to the bottom!

Marie's is also a more delicate tea set with flowers that she complimented with her added design elements. We were giggling that we can almost predict what each of us will create based on our past preferences. I would have guessed Marie would chose this set.

I specifically hunted for something that Linda could do in her favorite patriotic theme. The closest I could come was this cute lighthouse set. She found the extra elements I brought along (an eagle pendant and starry dangles) to add to her piece. 

I also had these huge flag buttons with me. She glued one to the bottom of her cup!

Kim's favorite color is aqua, and hard as I tried, I was unable to find anything in her color. I did find some plain white sets that had extra detail imprinted in the design of the cup, and she found lots of dusty blues to use instead. I love how hers turned out!

Adrienne always creates such elegant and vintage designs. She chose beautiful silks in a deep blue, added a key dangle near the handle, and added a heart charm to her beads at the bottom of the cup.

 

In case you're interested, we didn't drill anything. I came up with the idea of cutting wine corks into 1" think wafers, to which we secured small screw eyes. From there we glued them to the bottoms of the saucers and could add whatever hanging embellishments we wanted. It worked out great.

 

Finally, my cup. I chose a plain white that had a basket weave pattern on the outside of the cup and along the edge of the saucer. I added teardrop trim to the bottom of mine, and then glued the last dangle back onto the edge of the saucer to secure it. I figured this shiny bauble loop might be a place for a little bird to perch as it waits its turn at the feeder. I finished my design with a bird button on the bottom of the cup, and lilac blossom flowers glued to the sides.

Once again everyone took their set and added their own personality and creative talent to their cups. It was a simple project and made everyone smile when we were finished...and in the end, little birds will benefit when they visit each of our feeders. (Don't tell anyone, but purple is my sister, Di's favorite color. This might end up with her next month. I can always make another.)

I'm already looking forward to next month's project, but will definitely enjoy this one each summer.

Happy Hollyhocks...

Check out these crazy hollyhocks! That blue pot, nearly engulfed by the hollyhocks is large and heavy. It stands nearly three feet tall. The hollyhocks are nearly five feet tall, and they're getting ready to bloom. Won't that be magnificent?

This is the other side of the walkway. In between these two photos of the hollyhocks are three hostas holding their own, and a huge lavender plant...with lots of grass and weeds around them. I have a young man lined up who is doing yard work this summer, but he and his dad tell me he's swamped right now. ugh 

I know I'm going to have to do something to tame the wild growth in the next few days. but I have other things on my agenda first. Craft Day waits for no woman, so I'm hoping I'll have good weeding weather on Sunday.

I'm going to make tea so I can take a go-cuppa with me, and then I'll be on my way to Portage for the morning. I'll share photos on Monday of our projects. I sure hope they like what I've come up with! Gotta scoot...

Runaround Sue...

I spent nearly all day running errands yesterday. It began with a trip to the resale shops in search of supplies for the class I'm leading tomorrow. Nothing like waiting until the last minute, right? ugh (I did manage to find everything I needed in one stop, so that's good!)

After I completed my supplies search, I made a stop to purchase a few plants to start our vegetable garden for this year. The main crops will be tomatoes, squash, beans, onions, and herbs. I'll plant what I purchased on Saturday when I get back home from Portage.

Finally, a stop at the grocery store, and I came home with everything I went out for, and a feeling of accomplishment. 

Today, I'm doing a little prep work ahead of our crafting tomorrow, and then I'm going to help Handsome by mowing the yard before I have to go to work. He's been feeling like he's "out of gas", so I'm giving him extra pampering these days. We always pick up when the other needs the lift. As we both say, "It's what we do.". Because of that, my post is a little late today.

I head to work at 4 for a few hours, so I'd better get out the mower so I can finish with enough time to hop in the shower and head to the station. I'll see you again tomorrow. Happy Friday!

Weekend Stitching...

My weekend began on Friday, stitching this pendant for a customer. I'll make another soon for my shop to replace this sold one. The new owner already has and is wearing this one.

I added the bee charm to the bottle I created on Saturday, so I took a few photos, including showing it lit up with my fairy lights. The little charm is on the neck of the bottle and has crystal wings for a bit of sparkle. 

I'm not sure why the lights cause a blue cast (in spite of my trying to edit that out), because it doesn't read that way at all "in person". It just has a soft white glow, which is much preferred to this blue cast!

At any rate, now it's completely finished and I can enjoy lighting it up for a while at night to enjoy.

After our Saturday craft session, I came home and contemplated how I wanted to make my Corgi brooch sparkle. This is where I stopped at the end of my session. I moved the nose bead down a bit, added a beautiful opal thread - couched in a brick pattern - and will do the feet next. 

After the feet are done, I'll start adding the chipping for the rest of his body. As always, I keep the first one, which is good. I'm my own worst critic, so I see where I could have done better on the white "ruff". I know I'll perfect the second one, knowing ahead of time how I'll put it together, having already done it here.

Yesterday was spent canning. I'll share photos of that tomorrow. I'm working today, so I'd better get organized so I get there with time to spare. See you tomorrow!

Felted Snowmen (and Ladies)...

Now that I have photographs of all the completed snowmen (or ladies), I can share them with you.  These were the samples Linda P. created and used as inspiration for our own projects. She was the leader for this month's craft - Needle Felting. Aren't they adorable? She was a great teacher, by the way!

Kim was the first one to complete her snowman. We all loved the face she created, and her braided scarf inspired more than one of us! Aqua is her favorite color. Can you tell?

 

Adrienne's snowman was so cute. We all loved the stocking hat she made, and here's another happy snowman. We all loved looking at the various face treatments. We all really ran with this project!

 

Like her daughter, Adrienne, Marie chose to make a stocking cap for hers. You can't see it in this picture, but the cap was as long as her snowman is tall. I love that she added a "charcoal" mouth to hers.

Linda K decided to finish dressing her snow lady at home. She was the first to leave on Saturday, so she could get back home to her sweet, old dog, Meg, who's been having a rough time. Sadly, Meg passed away peacefully yesterday, so Linda decided to name her snow lady after her much-loved pet. 

Rather than felt the hat and accessories, Linda chose to crochet the hat, scarf and bag (which holds a star). Perfect to remember her girl, don't you think?

I know you've already seen mine, but I've added my photo again so that I have all our projects from this month on the same blog post. 

I can safely speak for all of us to say that this really was an awesome group project. It was a new technique for everyone except our leader, Linda P. I can also say that every single snowman has a bit of our own DNA in them, as we learned the techniques and hazards of using felting needles. (They can be brutal if you lose your concentration!)

I worked on my "Something Blue" Heart Brooch today. I'll be sharing a completed prototype after Bella's Birthday post, so you'll see the brooch on Friday. Happy Hump Day!