My New Toy

THOUGHTS: Every so often you just have to spoil yourself. My friend Kathleen is so fun to shop with. She always says," Buy it, you deserve it." That advice can also get me into trouble...
This time I could not resist. I paid the cashier $7.95 and skipped out of the store with my new toy.

Take Kathleens advice.

THINGS: Pom Pom Palooza

Years ago I bought a red and green pom pom garland as a christmas decoration. When I saw the pom pom maker, I knew I had to have it! I made this spring colored garland for my kitchen, and the pink, brown and cream pom poms to dress up the headboard.

The best yarn to use, and also the cheapest is RED HEART sport, 2.5 oz. I tried cotton yarn and it did not work very well.

The pom pom maker comes in two sizes.

Make the color and size combination that you like. Tie each individual pom pom onto a long piece of yarn, then you can slide them to space each one the way you want.

Share your toys






THOUGHTS: As a mother, I tried to teach my children to share. Of course, the best way to teach is by example. I'll try harder.












THINGS: Easter Surprise! I thought I would make another easter pillow to share. Nothing would make me happier than to share it with you. Please leave me a comment if you are interested, your blog address or e-mail address. (is that o.k. to ask?) I will put everyones name in a hat, pick a name friday morning and send it to you with love...

P.S. Mimi Sues Cottage asked me to tell 10 things about myself and then pass it to someone else to do the same. Your turn Peg!

1. The astronats walked on the moon for the first time on my birthday.

2. I was knocked down in the playground at school in 1st grade, suffered a severe concussion and was out of school for about 3 months.

3. I was a spizzette in high school. (drill team member)

4. I could never do the splits

5. I met my husband on the roller coaster at Lagoon

6. I have not had a job for 20 years. (slacker)

7. I won prizes and a car on Wheel of Fortune .

8. My family was on Family Fued and we were the 4th highest winning family on the daytime show.

9. I died for 12 minutes and was brought back to life.

10. Happily married for 33 years on April 8th.

that's enough of that...

Roosters Crow but Hens Deliver

THOUGHTS:

Family, it just keeps growing and growing...

THINGS: Being a mom and grandma, I get many precious pictures. I wanted to find a way to display them without having to frame all of them. I bought a small curtain rod with the small clips and used the brackets to hang it on the wall. You can use any length or size rod that you want. This way I can see them all and change them anytime. Also great for notes, and art work by my grandchildren.

Great for the kitchen too. Displaying shopping lists, things to remember, love notes, recipes, etc... Spray paint it any color to match your room.

P.S. Children are the messages we send to a time we will never see.

THOUGHTS: A good long talk and 2 days of sewing with friends cures almost anything.

THINGS: 4 heads are better than one, right? That's what we thought. After about an hour of reading, thinking (that's the difficult part), and rereading, we finally gained our confidence and began to sew. The result was 4 happy sewers and 4 finished quilt tops!

Girls Weekend THOUHGTS: Sometimes serious girlfriend time is necessary! My friends and I are off to the cabin for talking, sewing, eating, sewing, more sewing, and maybe, some rest. Hopefully this stack of fabric will become a quilt.

THINGS: Each new holiday welcomes new friends to my home.

Don't eat the chocolate! Cute on the outside, old on the inside.

Don't eat the bunny cookie either,
He hops into his dish year after year.

basket full of colors THOUGHTS: Follow up on yesterdays blog. I do not like to paint, I am not good at it. I think patience is involved and I seem to be short of it when I paint. I was experimenting and tried spray painting and thought, now this is my kind of painting! It worked great! Sprays on smooth, (don't spray too close or it will run), no brush marks, less time, easier! After it dries, I will sometimes sand it with fine steel wool. You can also sand the edges, which gives it that older look, and it brings out the color underneath. If you don't find the color paint you want already in the spray can, you can mix the paint color the way you usually do and then the store can put it into spray cans. Sherwin Williams does this. try it!

THINGS: I wanted to show you a two pieces of furniture that we have spray painted.

We liked the shape and size of this T.V. stand , but it was dark wood. Yep, that's right, spray paint.

This ottoman was brown and had a fake leather top. We sprayed it red, sanded the edges, and reupholstered the top.

Spray Paint is My Friend

THOUGHTS: A can of spray paint to me is like a roll of duct tape to my hubby. Is is a must have. It can fix anything. When I bought this metal bunny, it was an ugly rusty color. I just got out my trusty can of paint and now it is just the way I want it.

Funny Bunny Thoughts: I have had this idea bouncing around in my head that I wanted to make a little bunny. After scribbling down a pattern, cutting, pinning, stuffing and sewing, here she is!

Carrots

THOUGHTS: People say that carrots:

make your hair curly

full of vitamin C

delicious cooked with butter & sprinkled with brown sugar

good for your eye sight

if you eat too many you'll turn orange

best dipped in ranch sauce

good source of fiber...

Carrots just give me the hiccups!

THINGS: Carrot Pineapple Bundt Cake

3 cups flour

2 cups sugar

3 beaten eggs

1 small can crushed pineapple (8 oz)

2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 1/2 cups oil

1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups raw grated carrots

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 cups nuts

Mix: flour, sugar ,cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

Add: pineapple juice ( from crushed pineapple), oil, eggs, and vanilla.

beat 3 minutes

Stir in: carrots, nuts, pineapple.

Bake 325 for 65 minutes. in greased and floured bundt pan. Cool 15 minutes then remove from pan.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 square cream cheese ( 8 oz), softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup milk
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Beat until smooth - this makes lots of frosting ,so you could 1/2 the recipe if you would like or just spread it nice and thick - YUM!

I had this carrot cake for the first time about 20 years ago, and I have made it ever since. It is a recipe of my friends mother.

Best carrot cake I have ever had!

Welcome Spring!

Thoughts: The birth of the baby lambs at our neighbors little farm is one of the wonderful and sweet signs of spring.

...and there shall be one fold and one Shepherd: and He shall feed His sheep, and in Him they shall find pasture.
l Nephi 22:25

Pickup Chicks

THINGS: Speaking of farm animals, these chicks knew where to drive, right into my kitchen. It is made of metal and then painted.

THOUGHTS: It happens every year... easter egg overdose...

One Of my favorite easter candies are the Brachs Fiesta Malted Milk Eggs. Not every store carries them, so when I find them I usually come home with, well, lets just say I buy my fair share. By the time easter rolls around, I have eaten so many that I just could not eat one more... until next year.

THINGS: This was our easter project in our pickles quilt group this month. It was so fun to do, I came home and finished mine that day. The top piece, chick, flower and egg are made out of hand dyed wool, and pieces of an old wool blanket. The back is a piece of pink fleece that I had on hand. The pillow is trimmed with pink rick-rack. If you like the pattern, I would be happy to send it to you. Leave me a comment.

THOUGHTS: The dark side of me.I love to read the obituaries. I even have an album. Morbid I know. It contains obituaries of people I know and love and even strangers. I have learned alot by reading them. Let me share a few with you...

Carol Alice Hunter loved to collect jewelry. Her most famous piece was a diamond bracelet that got a new diamond every time her husband went deer hunting or made her mad.

Hilma Orabell Beesely's potato salad was a hit at the Beesely Christmas Open House for over 40 years. It was included in her obituary.

Stinky Naccarato "The Miracle Dog" was

found wandering the street and rescued. He lived like a king and loved to cuddle. He was a mama's boy.

My Uncle Bill's nickname was SCRATCHY

One of the saddest reads... James Allen Bakoles, 57, of Bothell Washington, died December 11, 2000. If His daughter reads this please contact Purdy & Walters at Floral Hill.

(life is too short, keep in touch with your family,says Joy)

THINGS: The lighter side..

This light fixture was BEYOND greasy and dirty when I first saw it, but I knew it had potential. I thought maybe just a new coat of paint. Larry, at Retro Rose cleaned it up and we knew it was perfect just the way it was. After it hung in my kitchen for a few months, my hubby admitted that he liked it too. A BRIGHT spot in my kitchen. (made in the 40s or 50s) He is working on another one for a

bedroom.

P.S. Help! To all you expert bloggers out there... I can't seem to get spaces between my paragraphs, sentences, pictures, etc. I keep editing and it just stays the same. For some reason it won't work this time.

Top O' The Day To Ya!

No THOUGHTS and not many THINGS...

No Time for blogging thoughts today. My thoughts are directed to a talk I have to give tonight. YIKES!

Thoughts: My Breakfast Nook...

I watch the sun come up

read the daily paper, especially the obituaries

look out the window and daydream

feel the warmth of the sun

watch the neighbor kids and grandkids play

read my favorite magazine

eat

clip coupons

write my "TO DO" list, in my fancy daytimer

(3x5 index card)
marvel at the changing seasons
play games
watch the sun go down
It's one of my favorite spots to be, it's where the sun shines... THINGS: I found my Dumbo cookie jar at an antique toy store, that I love. It was in a cardboard box, wrapped in newspaper, on the floor, with just his ears showing. When I saw it my heart skipped a beat. I asked the owner if the cookie jar was for sale and to my delight he said , "YES"! Dumbo now sits on the shelf at my breakfast nook, his new home.