Subject Matter Worth Rantin About!

Ok, before I go on my rant, I wanted to show you all my newest found love....APPLIQUES! and most of all, sparrow ones! I scanned an image from this book in the lower picture...I found that book at barnes and noble last summer, but hadn't used it for any crafting ideas until now! how cool is that! I might make a whole bunch of these lil birdies and sew them onto pillows!

Ok now time for a more serious subject matter at hand....my living situation is how do you say it? compromised...oh no, I'm not talking about my marriage or anything like that, my hubs and I are thinking of moving just a wee bit early in our lease to find something better...the reason is just a couple of crappy neighbors! that's right, it's because of other people that we are considering the big move to another part of town. However, I like to always over analyze everything and what really sucks about the situation is that we really do like our current house we live in, it suits our needs as of now, we have no kids, we entend to wait for children hopefully after this econmy sorts itself out better, that and we enjoy how our lives are going anyway sans the kiddos! we both work, I have my etsy shop, my crafting, he has his cooking, we both love to sleep in that sort of thing...blah blah blah! I do see moving as a fresh start, but here are some things we have to consider when moving into a new home...
1. selecting the right house for our certain needs
2. coming up with a deposit/pet fees for a new place, we have the money to cough up, but it is still a major expense and would still be taken out of our savings to do so....we try not to do that
3. finding a place that accepts our highly faithful feline companions....our cats are members of the family too, and wherever we go, they go too...most places won't even allow fish let alone cats!
4. which brings me to number 4, extra fees for our girls! (we even had to pay a handsome fee in our current house just to have them here)
5. Sorting out early lease termination with current landlord...
6. moving expenses, like renting a uhaul truck, gas, all these other tidbits...
7. the physical stress of moving, lifting boxes, sweating, cursing, negative energy.
8. compromised emotions, moving can make couples fight, I have already experienced that when moving from Kansas to Nebraska, my hubby and I fought non stop for almost 3 months straight! was not fun at all....
we would like nothing more than our neighbors to just go away and let peace be had, but they will seriously rot in their houses before leaving themselves...the earliest we can leave is july 1st, but who the hell wants to move in the middle and heat of summer???? shoot i don't know...what's your opinion on this? both of my parents advised me and my hubby to just go ahead and get the hell out of there asap, some friends are indifferent, and even some people told us to stick it out due to all of the stressful factors like I mentioned above in finding a new place...

Snowy Spring Days, Warm Thoughts And Ideas

Recently, a new idea had hit me hard. I was wearing this old plain gray t-shirt and felt so plain...you know me, I have always hated that feeling of being plain, so I decided to take this shirt off, pin a snipping of vintage floral fabric and sew it on to see if I had improved the look, heck, why not? if it turned out bad, all I have wasted was a ratty 5 year old t shirt that cost no more than probably 5 bucks...so I sewed and I sewed, and this is what the end result was.....I LIKEY! so I got to keep this shirt afterall now embellished with some cheeky flowers from old bed sheets!

What to do now? so I rummage through my closet, find as many solid tee's as I could ever find (It was like a treasure hunt) and these shirt will be worked on next, all with some sort of vintage fabric applique! So stay tuned! there are 6 shirts awaiting a "facelift", and when I am done with them all, you will see pics of them! woot! I just love new ideas!

And of course, my 4 patchy patchwork pillows sit quietly on my couch that once belonged to my Nonie and Papa...when no one is looking, I take one of those original couch cushions, turn them over, and I can still smell the scent of their former house. One of my silly little habits, my hubby caught me a time or two sniffing the backs of those cushions.

The infamous minxden green chair with a happy pillow sitting atop it.

Lately, I have been coming across old treasures of mine, these are birds on wire I found at the tulip festival in Wamego, KS in April 2009, they are made from the plastic of pop bottles, painted, and their "beaks" are half of a tooth pick! how clever! my cats are very tempted to trot off with them clutched in their mouths, but after several failed attempts by my watchful eyes, they gave up.

My day may be cold, but what made it feel warm!
1. Hubby took me out to get some sushi!
2. Working on sewing more vintage appliques on plain t-shirts!
3. Laundry is done! (nothing to wash at the moment!)
4. cleaned mizz trudy elna today! (my sewing machine)
5. Got our taxes done finally! and getting a nice refund! :)

A Daffodil Day

My sweet hubby bought me some friendly little miniature daffodils today!

I remember these as a kid, my mom would have these and other spring flowers in her home starting in late march or early april...these species of daffodils don't carry much of a fragrance, but boy do they look so cute!

Spring is here! the weather isn't though...winter is having her last show for the next several days, rain/snow mix, 30's to 40's, and enough grey clouds to go around!

Made this yesterday evening, all vintage fabrics you guessed it!

Here it is more close up in detail...LOVE IT!!!

Ci-Ci.

Brie-Brie.

Sonny and Vinny.

I feel another cold coming on, this one maybe a doozy, hopefully nothing more than a cold since I caught strep throat close to this time last year, my throat hurts, stuffy nose, and almost constant sneezing and coughing....no bueno, since I am hosting a dinner party with a couple of friends tomorrow night, we've been planning this for 3 weeks, I can't get a cold now! sheesh. oh well...

What I am looking forward to:
1. My dinner party tomorrow night!
2. embellishing a vase/jar to put my beautiful new daffodil plant into!
3. helping my hubby prepare (sample) dark chocolate mousse for tomorrow night!
4. staying indoors on this cold blustery windy day...

Coming Together

Spring definitely sprung in minxden! Our very first tornado watch of the season was issued, it reached 80 degrees, and the air is thick and hot with moisture! I even have my mini spring display out!

Here is my most recent pillow made! It's long and skinny!!!

And my awesome new lavender sachets too! they smell so good!

Whats making my day sunny and bright:
1. hubby scored an interview for a higher paying position!
2. finished my coffee table runner this morning!
3. had a lovely bike ride with my man this morning too!
4. 80 degrees! that's all i have to say!

The Comforts Of Fabrics

While hiding away from the world the last couple of days, I have consulted my fabrics for comfort, and of course extra cuddling time with my husband...These 2 pillows pictured I made from nothing but the finest of vintage fabrics, I figured they would look nice in my living room for when my hubby and I have our dinner party with friends this Thursday...

I also used some hand dyed doilies to embellish one of them...

To you all, this blanket may look pretty ragged, but this blanket has been something very special to me for going on 26 years this summer...back in 1985 on a hot summer afternoon, (I actually remember this being only 2 1/2) my mom and I were in Sears shopping, I found this soft looking blanket, well it was actually formally known as a comforter, I remember seeing it on a bed display with it's bright flowers and cabbage roses, so 1980's, grabbing my attention....(see? even then at only 2 1/2 I loved chintz!) I wanted it very badly, so my mom bought me one and I remember she fluffed it out onto my twin bed and I just fell onto it and felt it's softness from head to toe. That blanket was then named "flowers blankie", and my child like imagination whipped up something so unusual but so sweet....my blankie had a "voice" more like a high pitched squeal, my first and only voice over work for an inanimate object..."he" also has a huge head, a hand, a foot, and lastly a tail which composes of all 4 corners of the blanket...(this was due to my dad folding him in half and sewing him together since his underside was itchy and ripping apart) so then it was soft on both sides! That blanket has been with me through it all for almost 26 years, while I was sick everytime, I cried countless tears on him, held him when I was scared, felt safe with him during those dangerous Kansas thunderstorms, he traveled with me to several states, took him with me to college, crammed some all nighter study sessions while snuggling with him, brought him into my marriage, my hubby doesn't even mind that I still to this day as a 28 year old woman sleep with him clutched in my arms, he comforted me when I made that big move from Kansas to Nebraska, leaving my home, at least I had my flowers blankie with me, something reminding me of home, even though he hasn't had a "voice" and has been silent for over 15 years, but he is still there. sure he has so many holes, and I have hand stitched patches of foreign fabric to repair those holes, the fabric has faded by being washed hundreds of times, you can barely see the cabbage roses now. He is still my flowers blankie.

Right here you can barely see those roses, bits of dark pink and minty green...but it's still so soft to the touch. These fabrics got me through the weekend and today, good news, my hubby's lump turned out to be a benign cyst and is not cancerous. I thank the lord. It also taught me to hold my marriage even closer to my heart, if it weren't possible beforehand, but this taught me to hold him more, tell him I love you at least 10 more times daily, kiss him more, appreciate him even more than I do now...

What helped me smile again after a few downer days:
1. spent all day with my hubby (had today off)
2. got some chocolates at chocolatier blue
3. made 2 cool pillows last night
4. looking forward towards my dinner party I am throwing for friends Thursday!
5. Maybe getting our first round of severe thunderstorms tonight!

Working And Praying...

Here is Mizz Trudy Elna ready to work on some all new pillows going into my shop before sunset tonight...While I am working I will be praying, for my husband.....2 nights ago, he found a small hard mass, let's just say it had to do with his male anatomy (sparing great details)...he is seeing our doctor come monday morning...I am praying that whatever this is it's not cancer, but maybe a small harmless benign cyst...along with my almost constant praying, I ask for your prayers too. That is something I really don't think I can endure this time, even my cats are worried for him, they just won't leave his side...

In the meantime, I am burying myself in my work, making more pillows, new lavender sachets, patchwork pillows whilst screening most of my phone calls, blogging, time on facebook, I am hiding away from the world at least till after Monday...

Some of my newer fabrics, got a new moda charm pack, last one of it's kind too.

Yesterday, I cried at least 10 times thinking what would happen if I lost my husband, to really anything...I look over and see this adorable kitty of mine fast asleep resting her head on one of my patchwork pillows I made...it was such a sweet sight, so I grabbed my camera and shot this pic of my Ci-Ci....

And my sweet Sabrina...

St. Patty's Day 2011

Happy St. Patty's! this is a shadow box I made 4 years ago in honor of st. patty's..."In Olde Ireland, a bird flew and sat on a potato." that's what it says around the edges of this box!

My most recent bunch of vintage fat quarters I have received in the last week...they are all so beautiful!

I don't usually have that much green incorporated with anything I make, but since today we honor the green, I whipped up this quirky quiltie with some green in it, reflecting the 1/4th Irish ancestry in me!

So being 1/4th Irish, I need 3/4th's worth of alcohol to truly celebrate this holiday, that and it needs to equal out to 100% anyway, hehehe joking...I only had a couple of beers in the last 6 hours, but today is a good day to relax, drink a couple, good food, the good company of my hubby...and I AM WATCHING THE QUIET MAN WITH JOHN WAYNE AND MAUREEN O'HARA!!! no st. patty's is ever complete without that movie, and it ranks up there in my top 10 favorite movies of all time!

My little lasses celebrating st. patty's day with me!

The modern "Sean Thornton" and "Mary-Kate Danaher"...my sexy man, my life partner going on 3 years, he says I remind him of the Mary-Kate Danaher character...very stubborn, fiery, and the Irish wavy thick auburn hair...My hubby is my John Wayne, patient, VERY TALL, has his occasional cigar or pipe tobacco, calls me "WOMAN OF THE HOUSE!", and of course.......

a quiet man.

What's makin my day better than cabbages and potatoes:
1. got the rest of my fabric orders in today!!!
2. eating steak, cabbage, and potatoes!
3. THE QUIET MAN!!
4. All day within the company of my hubby, and kitties!

A Fun Fabric Filled Day!!

I know I already posted today, but I just couldn't wait for this one to be posted tomorrow! I got one of 3 vintage fabric orders in the mail this evening, but gladly, this one I was most looking forward to! My new etsy pal, Cindi not only sent me the beautiful fabrics that I paid for, but she was ever so kind to send me a cute free Fat Quarter, (another I favorited in her shop) and such cute dainty 3 inch vintage fabric squares! Of course, she enclosed the sweetest note in with everything! That and she made my fabric all pretty with ribbons!

That's me, Cindi, giving you a wave hello all the way from the high northern plains from Nebraska!

These were the fat quarters I got! the lower right corner one was a fabric I have been seriously searching for over 3 months! wooooo! the one on the far left was a gift from her!

And these are the 3 inchers....already have a project in mind as I was thumbing through them!
Thanks Cindi for everything!!

Finally finished organizing my bigger fabric scraps!

An oldie is back in minxden....Seeds in olive from Amy Butler's Belle Collection, my most favorite!

And these newbies will be in my shop very soon! stay tuned!!

Creatures And Patchwork

Remember a short while ago I said that my hubby bought me a couple of charm packs from amy butler fabrics? well, once they arrived in the mail I set right to work on sewing them harmoniously together...and I finished both of them! one has 5 inch squares, the other is composed of 4 inchers! Ci-Ci was very curious indeed, as I hung them up to photograph them, she lept up on my chaise lounge and sniffed them out...what a stinker! I love her, and my handy work! This one has the 5 inch squares...

And this one would be the 4 inch squares...now I am still unsure whether to use these to make into pillows, or just simply turn both of them into hanging wall quilties...maybe you can help me decide?

My hanging neighborhood....

My Ci-Ci scoping out my new patchwork project...

My Sabrina comfortably resting on my bedroom floor...

My silly boys....you can tell obviously they aren't too smitten with my digital camera as they hook onto the back of their cage...

What's makin my day shiny and bright:
1. 72 degrees expected for my town today!
2. Have today and tomorrow off! woot!
3. Looking forward to watching "The Quiet Man" tomorrow for St. Patty's!
4. Also looking forward to receiving 3 vintage fabric orders in the mail!
5. A bike ride is in order for today!
6. I get to break out my bohemian maxi dresses finally!! (my favorite things to wear!)

Have a great day y'all!!!!