A Truly Beautiful Day

Woke up to a truly beautiful day today - no humidity - warm but not to warm - breezy but not too breezy!

Got a late start this morning as I slept in.  Last night around 11:30 I decided to do some prep work since I wanted to do some baking in the morning. Well i ended up doing my baking last nite - If you like lemon - this recipe is wonderful - it's from the Barefoot Contessa,  I generally double batch it so i get 4 loaves and then sometimes freeze some even though most of the time i give most of it away!

Lemon Cake Recipe.

It was after 3:00 a.m. when I finally got to bed.   As my husband always calls them,  I had my "posse" with me - Riley and Jonesy stayed up and played while I was baking - they were rolling around in rugs and tearing about the living room and dining room and kitchen so at least I had some company besides just the radio.

Since it was so nice out today I decided it would be a perfect day to get out and about visiting and doing errands.  After running some errands and dropping a cake off at my parents (my Mom's favorite) I decided to go visit Judy at the Cinnamon Stick.  It's always fun to read her blog and see what is new and then see them in person. 

I can always find something I want there!  Unfortunately I can not always give into my wants and just have to look.  Today I did buy a few small things and Judy being Judy always makes a nice presentation of her bags! Love that!

Had to laugh - she tied streamers and put some red white and blue paper confetti's in the bag which driving home were blowing in the wind since I had the sunroof and all windows wide open! Too fun!

Then she wraps each items so nicely  Even though I purchased it - it feels like a present when i get home and unwrap each item!

I can show you everything since some of it will be a gift for my secret pal in an Anniversary Swap on the group I belong to AAPG!

If you follow Judy's blog then you have seen the necklaces she makes. Well i broke down and bought one today and she was nice enough to let me change a few things and pick the items I wanted on my necklace.  I added this old pendant of a tiger striped cat (says Meow) on the back that I had bought at Renningers the other week when I went out to meet up with Sharon.)  Love it!

Then I also found what Judy calls a "make-do" - not sure what the heck it is but I liked it - I can see a nice small quilt hanging from it - can't you?  Or perhaps a small rug?  Who knows!!!!  I love finding unusual things to hang my rugs from - In my hallway when you come in the front door I have a rug hanging from a rake head.  Just a bit different and usual - my kind of thing.

The rest of my "loot" is a secret for my secret pal.

All in all it was a good day to get out and about.  Now I'm just waiting for the enchilada's i made for dinner to be done cooking and then who knows what trouble I will get into!

"I See"

Long time no post again! Well where to start!

I went to pick up my tickets at the radio station - They are very good seats!  The show isn't until August so something to look forward to!  I then continued on to New Jersey to spend a few days down the shore.  Read about 3 books - walked alot, swam, and just hung out. 

When I came home I was unpacking my duffel bag - and I do believe someone is telling me no more going away without him!

Been hooking the chair pads and they are almost done.   I ran out of my wool yarn to whip with so waiting on that order - I have 5 1/2 whipped and 9 hooked - only one left to hook which is on my frame now. Here is a peak - will post them all when they are all hooked, whipped and steamed - rough in these pics -

That would be Miles above - You can see how skinny he is - poor guy.  Oh and that is Jonesy below - the reason the chair pads aren't all done yet.

What is it with the frame and a kitty?  Thank goodness the woman that ordered these has cats and loves them  - otherwise if she was allergic she may end up hospitalized!   I usually try to keep them away from things I sell because of this reason.  She was so excited to see her chair pads I emailed her these photos and the one of Jonesy helping and she totally loved it (Thank Goodness!)

Last week was my Mom's 80th birthday - My Dad took us (immediate family) out for dinner - We had the room in a trolley car - it was a nice dinner - i had pictures but they all came out too dark and I couldn't lighten them up enough to post.  

Thursday I went out to Grant Street to the hook-in.  It was another fun day - I whipped the chair pads most of the day until I ran out of wool and then it was after 11:00 anyway so it was time to hit the road back home.  Again - had some pictures but they didn't come out so well.  It was nice seeing everyone again - feels like forever since I've gone out - almost two months!  Hoping to get out there soon again!

It's been hot and humid the past few weeks around here.  Everyone has been lazing around

Miles is here too but he spends most of his laying around under the bed.  We still do not know what to do - he's still "puking" everyday - several times a day now - i have switched food to a natural organic without anything in it and it seems to have intensified so that's not it.  In previous posts I have mentioned that he has been turned inside and out being tested.  Just do not know what to do at this point.  His 17th birthday is on Thursday so I know some of it is age.   Honestly I'm thinking it's some sort psychological thing since it's nothing physical.  Maybe he never got over missing Nicky.  Maybe he really HATES Riley and Jonesy.  He's not nearly as stressed as he was when it was only Riley since Riley and Jonesy are like Frick and Frack and are always getting into trouble together. Who knows.  We both try to reassure him with hugs and pets and rubdowns all the time but he still does this.  Thank goodness for Costco and the BIG packages of paper towels!

So what do you think is in this box?

Can you guess?

Does  "My Name is Victoria Winters" mean anything to you?

or how about "The Collinsport Inn", "The Blue Whale", "Collinswood",  "David", "Burke Devlin", "Elizabeth Stoddard", "Roger", and so on?

Why it's my newest obsession that is going to keep my busy throughout the summer!

This would be approx. 139 DVD's of the show Dark Shadows that started in 1966!  My husband got a hold of every episode from the very beginning throughout the series, and included is the couple Dark Shadows movies, and also the series from the 1990's.   So campy but I'm totally into it  - been hooking and watching these.  I'm on like Disc 20 or somewhere thereabouts and "Barnabas Collins" still hasn't entered the picture.   This is also the reason for my post title "I See" - it seems every character - even the minor ones will say "I See" - just makes me laugh every time - it's so serious - someone is repeating a story or telling someone and the other character will say "I See" - hahahahaha. Okay I'm weird - just an observation. 

Years ago in the late 80's my husband and I went to New York to a Dark Shadows Convention (it was held at the World Trade Center) and met a lot of these stars from the show - I remember meeting Joan Bennett - who died a few months afterward - She was such a trouper - there was a line for her autograph about 3 hours long and she was shaking and in a wheelchair but sat there and signed and signed - her companion kept trying to get her to stop but she said not until everyone that was in line got to talk with her and get her autograph - Wow - a true movie star!   We met Jonathon Frid who played Barnabas, and one my highlights was meeting "Louis Edmonds"  who played mean Roger - but at the time he was on All My Children and played Langley Wallingford - My husband and I were out in the lobby and he was walking thru and he took the time to sit and talk with me about AMC and DS - we took pictures of course.   We also met a bunch of others . They had events all weekend and we had a great time.  Of course there were some "over the top" people there dressing as their favorite characters and stuff but it was great people watching too!

Anyway - yesterday I was really bad - did absolutely nothing all day but sit here and watch this show!   My husband is laughing at me saying I've become "possessed" like the characters!

Last week I also made some flags.  I'm not too much of an "Americana" decorator/collector but I did see these in a Country Store and like them so figured I could make them, and the good thing is my tree got a good trimming when I was "collecting" branches for the them!  

Wishing everyone a wonderful summer!

I WON I WON I WON I WON I WON

Tom Petty Tickets that is!   Woohoo - I 'm so excited - I was the first caller a little bit ago and won a pair of tickets to his show!

One of our Philadelphia area radio stations is having a Tom Petty weekend.  I can't believe I won - usually when you try to win a radio contest all you get is a busy signal!  I will admit however I had my cell phone and my land line dialing at the same time!  I won't even go into how much of a dork I think I sounded like over the weekend (they tape your call and then it plays a few minutes after the song is done!)

I've been a long time fan - since high school - which was many moons ago for sure.   I have been nearly all his tours in the area in the past 30 years - 15 plus! (wow again - has it really been that long since my high school days?) and he never disappoints!  This was going to be the first year we were not going to go since tickets are getting so expensive (isn't everything lately?)! 

I am so thankful to have won them and now will have to wait until August  to go!

Wishing everyone a wonderful rocking weekend! LOL!

I'm Really Trying To Hook....Honestly

Saturday Morning Finds

I got up this morning and looked out my window and saw the neighbor had a lot of stuff on her front yard.  I had completely forgotten this was the weekend the area was having a neighborhood wide yard sale!  We live in a townhouse back in the woods and there are actually two big developments back here.   And here I wasn't planning on going out "treasure hunting" today!

I got dressed and put on my walking shoes and off I went.  I didn't find anything until I got to the development in front of ours.  I saw an old wooden and tin milk crate from a dairy in Philadelphia and an old soda bottle crate.  Asked the price and they were $2 a piece - so I decided to get them.    Okay - I'm on foot here so she said she would hold them for me until I come pack to pick them up.  I ended up calling my husband (sometimes cell phones do come in handy).   He drove down and picked up my stuff - Of course when I called I said I have "two items" - I had four by the time he got there (all of 3 minutes later)! LOL - the woman had a washboard and an old stool and said I could have them for $1 a piece! Sure why not! Of course my husband knows me and just loaded up the car and just laughed at me.  He even offered to walk back and leave me the car!

I really do not know what I'm doing with all this stuff but I will find a place and a use I'm sure - Just a sucker for old wooden items especially at a good price.  Shame I'm not a wine drinker - I think the milk crate would be a good wine bottle rack!  

I continued to walk around and had to call my husband again - he answers the phone "okay where are you and what did you buy" - Haha! I actually found some DVD's for him and wanted to see if he wanted them.  He was really happy - he's into music (he has more music than I have wool!) and these were DVD's of a show from the 70's which had some great groups on.  He said go back and buy them - he actually had been looking at them on the web and ebay and they were selling $20 a piece.  I got them for $20 for 18 of them!   So i walked back and got them and started out again - next thing you know he's driving up - gotta love him - now I didn't have to lug 18 DVD's around - plus he brought me an ice cold water - which I really needed at that point as it was really hot!

Well that's all I found for today!

Making a Mess - Dye Day

Today I spent the entire day dyeing wool - my "stash" is getting low in certain colors but I wanted to concentrate on the colors I wanted for some chair pads I will be hooking.  I took a few pics but be assured that the kitchen was in complete disarray - I've come to the conclusion that no matter what I do i just can't be neat about it!  I try but I'm not and  you know what - it's okay!  I do however envy those that can just pull out a pot and dye up one color and move on - nope not me - I figured the stuff is out I have to keep on going!

Started pulling wools out of the cabinet to over dye...

Then I got the wool to soaking by placing towels on the dining room floor and filling up the tubs

Miles decided to guard his water fountain in case I got an idea to soak some wool in there...

Covering the counter with saran wrap and getting out my "tools"...

Playing Mad Scientist and Mixing up some formulas...

(Oh and I didn't get a picture but by the end of the day - this saran wrap was a multitude of colors! Like I said - I'm not neat - I spill and splash - All I can say is thank goodness for my Clorox Bleach pen - no matter what I cover I still stain something!)

The first of many more pots of wool on the stove... (oh and the stove was a complete wreck - took some elbow grease to get it clean again! LOL)

After I got started and after the initial examination (for safety purposes of course) of all the tubs of wool soaking ) the quality control department took a break...

Well I have to say - normally when I dye I do not get the colors I'm looking for since our water is way wonky.   Today I was really really pleased with some of the colors - of course the following picture doesn't do it justice - the ones on the left are way more prim and darker than the appear, same with the golds - more "old gold", greens more "green", and then the ones that look blue are actually an antique black - in person you do not see any blue,same with the "browns", much darker in person and deeper, and the reds - more red but not bright - make sense?  LOL Anyway - I dyed a lot of wool so will have plenty for my project and my stash for now!  Still need to replenish some of the hand dyed stash but hey there are only so many hours on a hot and muggy day one can stand over the stove!

Now to get started on my project...