A Craft Exchange and other things

Summer is finally in full swing here in Michigan.  The garden is looking great and looks like we may have lettuce and radishes within the next week. We have small tomatoes on the vines and a few small peppers showing on the plants. Melon, cukes, and squash all have blooms so will not be long and we can have fresh veggies picked and cooked for that nights dinner. I so look forward to that. And it is about time that I can fix one of my favoite cakes, Chocolate Zuchini Cake. It is so good you do not even have to use frosting on it.  I will share that as soon as I have zuchinis to do one.

I have been doing  some crafting. Not as much as I had hoped but have kept busy with crafts per say. I did join a Christmas in July Craft Exchange this summer at http://www.craftaholicsanonymous.net/ . Been years since I have done this and I have certainly had fun working on the gift for my partner. I made a clay pot garden  angel for her. I sure hope sure hope she likes it.  I think she is a cutie and would love to have some huge clay pots to do one I can actually use in my flower bed. Am hoping I stumble accross a few large clay pots at garage sales this summer. I will use  large enough ones to use a bowling ball as the head.

This is the one I did for my exchange partenter who was Alisa  from http://www.beadedtime.blogspot.com/.

And last week I recieved my Christmas In July exchange gift from Alisa. I recieved a beautiful beaded Christmas watch along with an extra beaded band in browns so it can be used the year around. I love it and will certainly wear it proudly. I will lost the watch in another post later this week. Seems like blogger does not like me and will not download the picture. So I will save that for later.

This next week will prove to be a very exciting week for me. I have a friend from Jr. High and High School whom I have all these years kept in touch with. We have not seen each other since her wedding about 45 years ago. I got a message from her last week and she retired last week and next week are heading out RVing and guess where they are coming. To Michigan to see us. How exciting is that. I am sure looking forward to digging in the closet and rattling all those old bones with her. It has been way too long.

I an franticly trying to get the house in order. Lots of craft things to take care of. The senior Center had about 15 boxes of craft items donated to them so I had brought them all home to go through them to see what all we can use. And the center is out of storage place. I get one large cabinet and 3 drawers so guess where the rest is. Yup stacked in boxes in my basement. I need to do lots of rearranging.

I also am trying to get around for the Center  Celebrate with Tea Day. They have asked me to do one of the tables for the tea. So I am searching yard sales for cups, saucers and sandwich sized plates to use on the table. They do not have to be the same patern but blend together good. I want to do the all
Victorian style.  Any suggestions would be welcome .

Well off to the basement again. I hope you are all having a great week.

Red, White and Blue and other things

Here comes summer. And with summer comes my favorite color combination for decorating. Red, White, and Blue.I use that color combination inside and outside each summer.   Summer has two patriotic holidays so why not use the color combination to show your " American Pride".

One of the easiest things to work with when making a wreath seems to be tulle wreaths or  rag wreaths. For my summer wreath this year I decided to do tulle.  This is the results of my wreath. The ladies at our Senior Center had seen my Spring Wreath and liked it so well they wanted to learn to do one so that was the May craft we did for "Krafts with Karan Day". What fun it was to do.

I bought 1 1/2 yard of each color red, white, and blue . Leaving it folded in half at the normal fold line I than cut it into 4 inch strips cutting from the fold across to the open edge. I stacked each strip neatly with all folds together.

After cutting and stacking I than cut  into six inch sections  by starting at the folds. I cut the first cut at 3 inches. After  unfolding each I had my first 6 inch strips. Then continue cuting the strips in 6 inch lengths on across. It should end up pretty true to 6 inches when cutting your last strip. Tulle is very forgiving  when cutting so you will not need to be right on exactly with your cuts. As you can see from my last strip the cut is very jagged. This creates no problem as it will not show the uneven cuts at all when tied onto you wreath.

Stack each color into piles when cutting. the end results will be 3 stacks one of each color. I used an old embroidery hoop part for my wreath but when teaching crafts  we did recycle wire hangers for our wreath form. Just shape it into a wreath shape and  you will be ready to start.

I started by tying on a red a white and blue and you will continie this right around the wreath, pushing each strip tightly together. You can tie in 6 of one color, 6 of the next and finally 6 of the 3rd color to make it a bit more striping. Just do you own thing is my motto. As you continue to tie on strips your wreath will begin taking shape.

The last inch or so is the hardest to tie on as the tulle is so full at this point  but just pack it tight as can be and it will tie on. After I had  completed   tying on eash strip  I took a couple long strips of 10-12 inches of tulle. I used white as I had a lot of extra white from another project. I ties it into a bow and left the tails dangle. I hot glues this bow to the bottom of my wreath. I then maqde a small version of the tulle bow in blue and hot glued that right to the center of the white bow. Fluff the tulle into a full bow. Then I added some shiney star shaped glitter in red, white and blue and I had some flags and God Bless America  cupcake decorations. I just pulled them off the picks and hot glued on  my wreath and added  a strip of tulle at the top to use as a hanger. If you use a wire hanger just bend the wire hanger into a circle and fluff your tulle to cover the hanger potion from sight. Hang and enjoy  your wreath throughout the summer months.

And here is my summer Christmas tree decorated to show my " American Pride"  Do you do anything to show your "American Pride?

May God Bless America.

A Mothers Day Tribute In Memory of My Mother

Mothers Day 2010. Little did I know upon walking out of my parents home that it would be the last time I would see my mother. Mom had to go into assisted living in January 2010. This was the hardest thing dad had ever had to do. Mom was suffering from Parkinsons and had to have care 24-7 . It was wearing dad totally down. With my sisters both working and myself also working we could not help dad as much as we would have liked. We suported dad all the way. Mom could not longer walk or eat without help. It was becoming very hard on dad.

For Mothers Day Dad had brought mom home for the day. My sisters and I cooked and took all the food over to spend the day with mom and dad in their home. This was the last mom would be home. Twelve days later mom was "Dancing  With Jesus"

 Oh what wonderful memories of mom I have. I would like to share my "Mom" with you.

 This is a picture  of moms younger Brother George  also known as Uncle Bud to me, Mom , and her older sister Leah. Aunt Leah is 86 and still going strong. Unlce Bud passed away 2 years before mom.

Mom and my dad met while dad was still in highschool and married in  1946. Soon I came along. The oldest of  5 born to them.

Mom and I taken when I was about 2 1/2 or so.

Before my sisters were born mom and dad suffered the loss of both of my brothers. One in 1949 and one on 1950. In 1952 my sister Rhoda was born and in 1954 my youngest sister Gail  came along. In 1956 dad was transfered with his job and we moved to Ohio where we lived until 1963 moving back to Michigan at the beginning of my senior year.

Shortly after coming back to Michigan mom went to work for our local IGA Grocery Store and was employed there till she retired 28 years later.

In  1969 mom became a first time Grandma and oh did she love that. She and my daughter were very close as she was with each of the Grandchildren. Mom and dad loved traveling with all the grandchildren and took each grandchild to Florida for a week just before they started school. What fun they had showing them all the different sites of the state.

                            This is mom  with the first born Grandaughter. My Oldest  Lisa.

                                                This was taken at moms retirement party.

On retiring mom traveled.. She went all the places that dad had no desire to see. She and my Aunt went to Aruba. Mom loved family history and would go on jaunts all over to the different libraries in search of our roots. She volunteered at the County Clerks Office looking up genealogy names dates etc. for those  that were also searching for their roots. Thanks to moms efforts I have pictures of many of my grandparents, great grandparents, and great great grandparents. I have locks of hair from my grandmothers first haircut.. My husband George and I have traveled on some of mom and dads roots searching and I have been able to walk on the land and into the house owned by my dads side for over 250 years.

In 1993 mom and dad were there when my oldest  daughter married. Oh they were so thrilled that day.

In this picture mom is fastening her Grandmothers Pearls on Lisa. What a awsome thing to wear  your
                                        Great  Great Grandmothers jewelry on your wedding day.
 
                  In 1996 we celebrated mom and dad's 50th anniversary with a big party for them.

                                                             Here is the happy couple

               And here they are with myself, my  three daughters Lisa, Cherrie, and Jill and the the Great 
                                                                        Grandchilden.

Mom and Dad celebrater 64 years of marriage. It was a marrige that never waviered. I wish all could have grown up  with a marriage as stable and loving as  mom and dads. I told my husband the last time we took a trip with them in 2001 that it is so neat to see couples at that age still walking hand in hand. I never heard mom and dad have a disagreement. The love and respect they had for each other was truly amazing.

As a final picture I want to share one of the last pictures taken of mom. Mom lived to see two Great Great Grandbabies. This is the  5 Generation picture of the Silveus side of the family.

Karan, Mom holding Cadyn, Justin, and in the back Cherrie

Mom tomorrow is Mothers Day. I  miss you greatly. It was very hard picking out a plant to take to George's mom today. I stood crying as we did it. I know how you loved your flowers. But I did find something there and thought of you. An angel and I am going back for her. She will go in a special garden of roses that I am putting in this summer in memory of you. I know you would love her. 

I found this poem and thought it was so fitting for  this post.

I love and miss you mom.

Happy Mothers Day in Heaven

IN MEMORY OF MOTHER

                                                When you view the twinkling stars

                                                within the darken skies,

                                                 you see the soft reflections there

                                                 like shown in mother's eyes.

                                                Always with a gleaming glow

                                                 that smiled upon her face;

                                                 and everyone adored her so...

                                                 with love and warm embrace.

                                                                * * * *

                                                 And mother had a zeal for life

                                                 without some selfish greed;

                                                 she eased the pain of other's plight

                                                 by serving those in need.

                                                And she would never let them down,

                                                 by faith and serving God,

                                                 For she and He were closely bound,

                                                 as "peas are in a pod!"

                                                             * * * *

                                                 So herein lies the facts I feel,

                                                 that warm me through and through,

                                                 for all the strength she came to yield

                                                 was courage, brave and true.

                                                                 * * * *

                                                 For the illness that befell her

                                                 in latter days gone by,

                                                 purely bore her faith and trust

                                                 in mighty God on high.

                                                The emptyness within me,

                                                I'm bound to understand...

                                                that everything is meant to be,

                                                 and ends in God's own hands.

                                                  And How I love and miss my mom,

                                                  now free from ill and pain,

                                                  and someday in the great beyond

                                                  I'll be with her again!

                                                                * * * *

                                                                                               By William E. Hardison

   

 

Start of Easter

I am gradually getting Easter up. Had to go to town today to get green material for the Easter Village. About 10 huge totes of material in my basement for sewing and do you think I could find the variegated green piece I had bought a few years back. And it was not in the Village box. I finished up my tulle wreath. I had a pretty blue bird on it but decided I liked it better with small glittered Easter eggs and butterflies.  Here it is.

I love the way it turned out. It was just so simple to do but boy you sure do get tired tying on the tulle. I was going to add a bow to it but thought it looked a bit odd so decided to just use some longer strips of the tulle in the light pinkish color I had used and just tie on a big puff . I liked it much better than the bow but did add a bow to the top of the hanger ribbon. I was not sure how much tulle to buy  so bought a yard of each of the 7 colors. I used a light blue, teal,peach, light pink and dark pink, white, lavender.. I cut just 1/2 yard of each so I have enough to do another project.

                                             Maybe I can do a topiary tree of the regular tulle .

                                      Here is the Easter tree I have above the fireplace mantle.

                                                        This  is the fireplace mantle.

Tomarrow I will be getting the village set up. I dragged it upstairs. Oh how I wish I had a one level home with lots of storage.I keep telling  George that if I was ever so lucky to hit a big lottery I was building a brand new home farther back on the property and bull dozing this one into the basement. Of course I am sure it will never happen .I hear that you have to play the lottery to win.

I should also mention  the topiary trees. They are made very cheaply  with all coming from the Dollar Tree. I used a bucket which I bought several of a few years ago just because I thought they were cute and I just knew I would figure out what to do with them at some point in my crafting adventures.  In the bucket I used a Styrofoam ball and pushed it tightly in. Then I stuck in a dowel rod and added a bath sponge to the top of the tree. Then I just hot glued on some small Easter eggs and placed some Easter grass on top of the Styrofoam to cover it.

I made and sold several of these one year at  our Senior Center Craft Sale in the  spring.

Hope you all are having a wonderful week.

And two Weeks Ago Spring Was In The Air

Now cold, cold, and more cold. Where did our spring weather go to. The new gazebo is sitting with just the framed sides up and all work came to a stop. Who wants to be working in 30 degree weather.

I did get all the St. Paatrick's  decorations down  this week and my Easter tree is up above the mantle. Now to dig out the other boxes and get through them. I have no idea where to put the Easter Village this year. It has, over the years outgrown the buffet that I used for many years.

I have had the days home alone this week.  I got quite a bit more done than normal. George's boss from where he retired called last Friday and asked if he would like to work a few days. It was all week and looks like he may work for another couple weeks too. Biggest problem it left me without my car . Truck is in the body shop being repared after  a woman pulled away from a stop sign and hit the back of the truck broad side. Hope the truck is finished today or Monday at the latest. Need my car on Tuesday.

I did get into JoAnn Fabrics  early this week and bought some springy type material, tulle and ribbon . I have a tulle weath just about complete. Love it and will be posting a picture as soon as I get it finished up. Supper simple to make and  with the various colors looks very spring like. I think I will like  it even more when I get  a nice bow and a few butterflies on it.

I also got a couple topiaries done up and on the mantle. Will also post them and the directions to make them. A cheap and cute craft. Everything for that I bought at the dollar tree or had been given in a huge big box of craft items that had been given to me last summer. I love crafting cheaply.

Painting, did I mention painting? We are painting. Got the living room just about done and love it. We had one  area of wall that is brick. Was red brick when we moved in and I had hated the red. So one day after we had remodeled and taken out a bedroom to gain more space in the living room, I decided to paint the brick. I did it in a white and took a sponge and dabbed on black, and different shades of light and dark gray. I have loved the way it came out all these years  but after painting last week it just looked to white for the dark color I did the walls. ( I am really  going from one extreme to another in colors in my older age)  And I must say I certainly did not want to try to paint all those brick again if at all possible. I decided to try dabbing on both the wall color and trim color which is darker than the  wall. It worked great and toned down the white and blended it in with the gold of the walls. I am loving it. We still have a fish tank to move so I can do  the area beside and behind it and the room will be done. I hope we can get the tank emptied out half way this week end to move. Will not take long to finish up with it oput of the way.

Then I can start the kitchen. I am going to pick up the paint for that today when we go to town,. It will give me something to do this week while I am home alone. I will just not want to fall off the ladder like I did last week. Did I mention you sure can loose a lot of paint when the can hits the floor? And it landed upright. Lost about 1/2 of the quart.

Been searching for a few free printables to put into picture frames for Easter and spring. So far I have not had much luck. maybe I should try to make one. OI am just not that computer litteret though. I keep trying. I still am trying to figure out all the  things I can do here on the blog.

Well off and running for now. Hope to get post and pictures done tomorrow or Monday  of Easter at the Cox Family home.  Really one Day I need to name our little corner of the world. Maybe I should hold a contest to do it. I hope you all have a great week end.

Busy Months Ahead

Well the race is on. With our Granddaughters College Graduation fast approaching we have started the countdown to get ready for the big day and her open house here in our home.

After getting all my St. Patricks decorations up husband decided to paint.  Ever try to move a  4 foot  completely decorated wall tree to another room. It now sits proudly in a rocking chair beside my computer. But I did it. Two walls down today , two more to go. And those will be the hard ones. Huge stuffed full china cabinet and large fish tank on one and two huge  curio type cupboards with a bridge over them and the TV in the center. That is going to be lots of fun to move and paint.

After we get that room painted we have the kitchen to do and hopefully we can get new flooring down also. This all needs done by the end of April.

I have mentioned in my last post  about the painting my granddaughter did for me for Christmas. She as I had mentioned  is studying to be an Art Therapist. And  yes I did have to google it to see what it was she would be doing. She plans on working with the elderly rather than children.  This past year with the death of my mother her motivation has been all centered around my mother ( her great grandmother) whom she was very close to.  On a visit to the cemetary one late afternoon she was in awe of the sunset that was takeing place. She stated she saw a cross and decided after returning to school that she wanted to do an oil of what she saw. Since then she has done several different ones.

I want to share the picture she painted for me and the one she did for her mother for Christmas.  I shed many tears on opening this painting. She had never liked oil painting until this year and now she has almost become obcessed with it. This is the picture.

Her Senior Art Show starts in  a short 3 weeks and she has been working very hard on so many items for it. I  just hope I remember my camera for the reception so I can get lots of pictures. I have a terrible habbit of forgetting the camera  when we go anyplace. I will share more of her talent after the reception when I get pictures.

Now to get all the painting finished up the next few days so I can get my St. Patrick's items back in place. Then for next week end I can get  them down and all my Easter things out. Last year I never managed to get Easter out. Just was  not feeling well and when I came home from work I would just want to sleep. It will be nice to again have  something more than aan Easter Tablecloth and centerpiece out.

I hope I find time to get a bit of crafting in too for Easter. I really need a wreath for my door. My old one is getting a bit shabby looking.  I think I want to do one with birdhouses in it so will have to get to painting.

Well I am off. Think we can get the trim put back now the paint is dry and I can move the furniture back for the night.  And then tomorrow I can get fresh washed drapes back up.

Standing on my Tippy Toes and I Think I See SPRING

Already March 6th. And last night snow . About 3 inches of that white stuff but I stood on my tippy toes and I think I see SPRING right around the corner.

And with spring comes the start of all the wonderful holidays . I even managed yesterday to make me up a new plaque to hang by the door for St. Patricks Day.  It was fun and took no time at all. It is  not hanging on the wall as of yet but here is the plaque. It is on the table with my St. Patricks Day Teapot.
It was very simple to do. I used a light colored lime green pickling stain and did two coats on the wood. Then I used a deep olive colored green on the letters and washed it over with the lime pickling gel. I like the way it turned out..  Also posted the pictures of my St. Patricks Day tree and  my fireplace mantle all decked out for St. Patricks Day. Slowly I am gathing more decorations for that day.
.


St. Pats Day Wall Plaque



After  that Easter comes along with a hop, skip, and a jump. And oh so much to do before then.I am so ready for warm weather, sunshine and flowers in my yard again.We  have a college granduation open house coming up  on April 30th and need to get yard work caught up and at least potted plants  done up early this year. With Easter being so late in April I may end up with all my Easter village and tree up along with other Easter decorations for the open house. I guess our granddaughter will not mind.

One more week and we have a time change. Later day light hours. I do love the later days but will still be dark again when I get up. It seems my internal clock is still on work time even though I have now been retired for almost 5 months. I ceertainly do not mind as it is time to sit and reflect on all the Blessings in my life.

And  two weeks from today is the first day of spring.

I have several Spring crafts to finish up and do. For one a  couple things for our Granddaughter as she granduates. We are just so proud of her and all she has accomplished in her life.She has lived with us for 7 of the last nine years. We have watched her grow into a beautiful determined young lady with Dreams that she is definately following. She is already applying for graduate School. She is studying to be an Art Therapist.  I will share my Christmas Picture she did for me for Christmas in another post. She has followed her dream and it is now within reach. We sure hate to see her going away to school next year but know that to gain her masters there are no schools close by. She has intervied at two different schools this week end in Chicago and we hope she will be accepted at one of the two. That will make her just 4 hours away.

Better  run. Got a big kettle of bean soup just about ready. Lots to eat and some to freeze for a quick lunch in the future. Need to get a pan of good old corn bread in the oven. Can not have bean soup without having a iron skillet full of corn bread.