Friday, February 28, 2014

Yippee!! It's finally raining!!

 We finally got a good storm passing through...its been raining really hard...and steady too...
 Getting quite a bit of water in the yard...I love it!! Everything will be so clean and pretty now...and some much needed water...don't know how much this will help the drought...but at least its watering everything!
 Since I couldn't garden outside...I worked on some succulent containers for the flea market at the college on Sunday....

 This is part of a tea set Don and I found at the Salvation Army...there were a few tiny chips...so it makes a fun container for succulents...I added some fun little guys in there too...
 Here's the tea pot...that's where the chips were...on the lid...I just fell in love with it when I spotted it though...I wasn't sure I wanted to  re-sell it...but I can't keep everything!
 I love adding little friends in my containers....
 I found this guy, too, when I was out thrifting...he's an Otagiri Sugar Bowl...
 Isn't he adorable! I think he will stay here...he may too cute to sell...
 I got all of these too...

Eight pieces for just under $25! These are definitely staying...or perhaps my boys will want a piece or two...there's a 7 and 10 inch skillet too...which I won't use as skillets...but they're shallow enough for corn bread or brownies...and much prettier than plain old glass Pyrex...I love the simple Cornflower design...I have a few of these pieces already...and a percolator too in this design...my parents had this design when I was young...my Dad was the main cook in the house and I remember him using the skillets on the range...he had a clip on handle for them...I wonder if they still make those handles...I'll have to research...
I have been making a few mats for the flea market too...some Spring items...here's a wool mat I am in the process of finishing...
It may rain all weekend long...which is good...it will put a damper on sales at the flea market...even though a lot of vendors are inside in the parking structure...that's where we will be...but I have to think of my area and how badly we need the water...but I'll be there...rain or shine...
Until next time...enjoy your day!!!

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Some gardening before the rain comes...

 Today it was a lot colder...rain is supposed to arrive tonight...Yippee!! It has been a while...and we need it so badly...after class this morning...I gardened...I had to...I mean...that's what I do...
 Some people rearrange their furniture...I rearrange my yard...this time of year there are plants popping up all over the place...I don't always remember where I plant the bulbs...
 Heck...I don't always remember where I parked my Car! So I move things around...clean up and trim...just about everyday...if I can...oh and I can!
 Lots happening the in yard right now...this is where I gardened today...the back flower bed...
 These guys are popping up everywhere...I added a huge bagful in October...narcissus...yes...daffodils are narcissus...there are lots of different ones...
 Lots of freesia in bloom too...I need to plant more of these bulbs this Fall...they smell heavenly!
 Of course I love Stock Flowers...actually...I don't think I've met  a flower I don't like!
 The Primrose is doing well...
 And just look at these...I knew you were going to ask...I can't remember...I bought the plant last Summer at Armstrong Nursery...it a succulent..it died back over the Winter and all of a sudden..its back with a pretty bloom...tons of buds on it too!
 My Birch trees are greening up very early...
 I "rescued" a bunch of plants from Lowes for 50 cents each...here's one...Iceland Poppy...love them too! A couple days at my house and it's happy as can be!
 I have lots of company when I garden too...
 This one looks a little mad at me...hey...I can't help it if your friends ate all the food...OK...I'll fill it up again...
 I met this gal up at my brother-in-law's house...she was just wandering around the yard...
 It's hard to tell from my pictures...but she was a BIG girl...about 8-12 inches tall...
Isn't she a cutie! We gave her a bit of seed..she hung around all afternoon...not afraid at all...she's a Northern Bobwhite...a member of the quail family....and quite content to hang out with us all day.

Rain is supposed to be heading our way tonight...I hope so! We might even get a few days of rain...that would be wonderful...cooler too...it's been in the 70's...now back to the low 60's...that's chilly for us! But I love that kind of weather!!

Until next time...enjoy your day!!!

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

I have news!!!





 I have great news to share with you all...this is my handsome son, Joseph and his sweet wife, Selin....
 And this is our new Grand-baby!!! Our baby is due August 10th...and we are counting the days!! Don and I weren't sure if we'd ever be Grand parents...but this tiny miracle will soon be here...and we are more than excited! Our baby will be the first Grand child on both sides...so very much anticipated indeed!!
Doing a head stand here...just like Mommy! Selin is a yoga instructor...she will not be able to do an hand stands for a while though. Don and I have been busy looking at everything baby lately...I have marked all my favorite sites...and I bought fabric and pattern to make my first ever baby quilt. Joseph and Selin have decided not to find out the sex of the baby...going old school as they say...I understand their decision...although it would make it a lot easier for me to shop if I knew for sure...until then...I am planning a big party here...a shower of sorts. There is much to do in just a few months...and I am looking forward to every moment of it!
Until next time...enjoy your day!!!

Thursday, February 13, 2014

Been keeping busy...

 Happy St. Valentine's Day! I have found my self making all sorts of red and white pretties this year...
 I had a bunch of scraps left and decided to make some log cabin blocks...
 Of course I couldn't stop with just the blocks...I added a small piece of fabric to the end of the block...then added a wool cupid! I love wool...but you know that already! For extra fun...I added a few wool hearts too...
 The blocks were made ever so easy with this handy tool I got at the quilt show...what a great investment! My blocks are not so wonky now...and I was pleased with my results! For me...anything that makes my blocks line up is a wonderful!
 Now I know so many of you are snowed in...having a very long winter...and I feel badly about that...we have had the opposite...perhaps the warmest Winter on record...yesterday it was 84...you heard me! Today it is supposed to be 86 here...the nights are cold though...mornings too...well...if you consider 40's cold...brrr...I do! Anyway...I have been outside a lot too...things are blooming very early here...look at daffodils already! These ones are miniature daffodils...oh so tiny! The rest of the daffodils are coming up in various stages...depending on how much sun they get... 
 All my Primrose are in full bloom too! They usually are just popping back up at this time of year...but they are all back up and very cheerful...
 I love all the different colors of Primrose...
 This picture didn't come out good...color wise...these are sort of a butter yellow...
 The freesias are up and some are ready to bloom too! I love their scent!! So sweet!
First Sunday in March it's back to the Pasadena City College flea market for us...I have been filling boxes with succulents that Don made out of reclaimed cedar...this is the side view...sorry...I have lots of baby succulents that I have been rooting...and many are starting to bloom too...I hope there's lots of blooms in a couple weeks for the show. These are our best seller at flea markets...everyone loves succulents...and Don makes a great box...in so many colors!

School is coming along...my keyboarding is getting faster...and I got certified in Publisher and now to photo shop...many of you are great in photo shop...I never got into that...but I need to be good at that before I start the web design class next semester. I have a lot to learn...but then I believe that we can all learn something! I sure can...there's not enough time for all I want to learn to do!

Until next time...enjoy your day...and have a wonderful Valentine's Day tomorrow!!!

Thursday, February 6, 2014

A few more finishes...

It's starting to feel more like Winter around here...still not much moisture...but very chilly...I consider 55 downright cold...but I know many of you think that's not bad....anyway...I've been sewing a lot...I made this little picture with my sisters and a friend...we all made one at our sewing day. This was simple but cute. They all look the same but different. I framed mine. I add a few Valentine things around...mostly outside on the front porch...but over the last few years I have added more. I am working on a couple more mats now to add to my Valentine collection... 
 I finished this cross body bag. ..I laid it out on my bed to try and get the whole bag in so you could see it...I really like making these. Of course I fell in love with this fabric.....although I decided to add it to my Etsy shop...my shop needs more inventory and I have quite enough bags for me! Maybe I'll make another one for myself...it sure shouts Spring!
I had a little fabric left over, so I made a make up bag. I wanted to do something with the front...so added the strip down the front. I was lucky enough to have the exact color rick rack and zipper...see...it is a good thing to have a giant stash!!I added mis-matched buttons...I like that look better...I gave the bag a 2 inch bottom so it can fit more in it...this went in my Etsy shop too.

So that's my finishes the last day...I had school, ran errands and cleaned all day yesterday...laundry too! This morning I had school...and we had to take my car in for service...fun times...I am back at the cutting table. I hope to finish a couple more things today. Gosh I lead an exciting life!!

Until next time...enjoy the day!!!

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Just a little sewing going on...

Haven't been doing too much here lately...just school and some sewing..this is a Valentine table runner I started...and finished, but I realized that I forgot to take after pictures...next post I will show it to you. 
 I made this cross body bag too...hard to tell here...but the strap goes across your chest...I like the way it feels on...I'm not the best model...I think I need to find a young skinny model! It's also a little long on me because I'm short!
 As you can see...its flat. I curved up the sides a bit, but I really like the style. It will make a great bag to carry to school...or work. Its quite roomy inside...
 The inside mirrors the outside...a magnetic snap closes it...if there is no snap then it can be reversible....
 I had a bit of fabric left, so I made a zipper bag with a wool bird...I love putting wool on everything!
 I added a little wool flower on the back by the zipper too...
I'm working on the same cross body style as the other one with this fabric...I love it! It spoke to me...its orange and I love poppies! I like the gray with the orange too...love this lining fabric as well. I'm hoping I can sell a few of these bags at the next flea market in March...and I am listing some in my Etsy shop...I like the size and its nice to have a bag not just resting on my shoulder...frees up the hands. I am going to bags like this for school from now on...much easier!

Not much in the way of gardening going on here this past week...we did get a little rain...and I do mean a LITTLE...sad to say. Governor Brown declared a state of emergency because of the drought...many parts of Northern California are almost out of drinking water and there is a chance the may have to get bottled water trucked in...the snow pack in the Sierras is at 12% of normal for this time of year...so sad. We live in a dry sate anyway...but the paper this morning said it is the driest in like 500 years! Three years of little rain can do that to an area. In my area there is under ground water and they built some new water storage lakes over the last 10 or so years...so we are not as bad off. We still need to watch our usage though...

School is going well...I like it, but I am having a bit if trouble with key boarding..my speed is slow when I do it the right way...I have very small hands...and sometime to stretch them is really hard...my fingers get all tangled up sometimes...but I practice at home. I try not to look at the keys when at home...but its hard sometimes...oh how I yearn for long fingers! Oh well...I make due with what God gave me!!

Not much else happening so...
Until next time...enjoy your day!!!