Saturday, June 30, 2007

The Wreath



My mother in law made this wreath for my huge rock fireplace that was in our home in the mountains. When we left that home, the wreath was simply too big for my current fireplace. (the fireplace I can't seem to decorate to suit me) She shrunk it down for me, using the same flowers, and now it hangs in my dining area. I love the colors. She is so talented with flowers and decorating that we have asked her to make two wedding wreaths to hang on the church doors for April's wedding. I know they will be beautiful!

Friday, June 29, 2007

B is for basket!




For lack of having anything to post today, I thought I would show you some of my baskets. About 10 years ago, I had a good friend who was an expert basket maker, who invited me to take a few classes with her. I made the basket on the right, as well as a few others I may post later. It is definitely a little crooked on its edges, but I've always liked the basket. Betty, my basket making friend, made the tiny Noah's Ark basket as a gift for me. I never did get the animals that went with it. I have my collection of state quarters inside the basket. The basket on the other end was made by a basket maker in Western NC. Her business was called Bloomin' Baskets, which I though was a cute name. The candle sits in a piece of NC Seagrove pottery, which is a big collectable for some. The little figurine in the middle is a gift I bought myself because it reminded me so much of my two children when they were younger. The caption reads "Someday We'll Laugh About This" as they have just spilled the milk. It makes me smile everytime I look at it. I'm not too happy with the wreath, but I think I will like it better in my bedroom when I finally redecorate it. I've never been too successful decorating my mantle; nothing looks too good against those bricks to me. Any ideas are welcome!

Monday, June 25, 2007

I've been tagged

I've been tagged by Beemoosie to make a list of Southern things, so here goes:

1. Growing up with ponies! (yes, that is me)

2. Clotheslines

3. Banana Pudding

4. Homecoming at church

5. Tent Revivals

6. Tobacco barns

7. Pinto beans and greens

8. Chicken and Dumplin's (or pastry)

9. Fish stew (or is that a coastal thing?)

10. Saying "Y'all" instead of you all

11. Tobacco fields, corn fields, and cotton fields

12. Catching fireflies (lightning bugs) at night

Now, I'm tagging Ancient One, Sandy's Space, and Debbie J. from Homemaking Dreams. Let's read your list of Southern things.

Clothesline!


I know this isn't as exciting to some as it is to me, but I finally got my new clothesline installed! I haven't owned one in ten years and have truly missed having one. My husband had someone make the posts and he put it up for me last week! I won't use it all the time, but I LOVE the smell of fresh sheets that have dried on the clothesline!

Sunbonnet Sue


I promised that I would show you some of my own work instead of always posting others' quilts from quilt shows. This is one of my first quilts made when my daughter, April, was four years old. She is now twenty and will be getting married in March, 2008. I have kept this quilt in a plastic cover for years because I didn't trust my stitching to last until she grew up to appreciate it. I hope she will enjoy having this quilt as much as I enjoyed making it. I truly enjoyed the hand quilting that was done on a frame I used to own.

Close up block


Here is a close up of one block, and you can see that I embroidered a Bible verse reference along each skirt. I have always hoped that April would take the initiative to look up each verse one day.
She will soon get to have this quilt as her own and I'm afraid it won't last very long once I take it out of its plastic cover. You see, when I made this quilt, I did not know how to applique' and more or less taught myself to blanket stitch. I didn't do a very good job and there are plenty of loose stitches. I'm afraid those little dolls will pull right off very easily.
I've been thinking of resewing their edges with a blind stitch to make them more secure. Any advice on this project is welcome.

It's label


This is the handwritten label I stitched on the back so that she would always know about the quilt. My Grandma Butler was a quilter and I always admired her work, even though her quilts were more functional than beautiful. When she died, my Granddaddy let me have her scraps, and this is one project I made with them.

Southern Zodiac Signs

I actually borrowed this from another's blog. If you care to comment, tell me what your sign is and the sign of your spouse. (I am a collard, married to an armadillo!)

Enjoy!

Some of us Southerners are pretty skeptical of horoscopes and the people who read them. If we are to ever fully understand all the star signs and the people they represent, we need symbols that all true Southerners understand: See the list below...

OKRA (Dec 22 - Jan 20) Are tough on the outside but tender on the inside. Okras have tremendous influence. An older Okra can look back over his life and see the seeds of his influence everywhere. You can do something goodeach day if you try. You go well with most anyone.

CHITLIN (Jan 21 - Feb 19) Chitlins come from humble backgrounds. A Chitlin, however, will make something of himself if he is motivated and has lots ofseasoning. In dealing with Chitlins, be careful they may surprise you. They can erupt like Vesuvius. Chitlins are best with a Moon Pie but Catfish or Okra are O.K. too.

BOLL WEEVIL (Feb 20 - March 20) You have an overwhelming curiosity. You're unsatisfied with the surface of things, and you feel the need to bore deep into the interior of everything. Needless to say, you are very intense and driven as if you had some inner hunger. You love to stay busy and tend to work too much. Nobody in their right mind is going to marry you, so don't worry about it.

MOON PIE (March 21 - April 20) You're the type that spends a lot of time on the front porch. A cinch to recognize the physical appearance of Moon Pies. Big and round are the key words here. You should marry anybody who you can get remotely interested in the idea. A Chiltin would be a good mate but it's not going to be easy. You always have a big smile and are happy. This might be the year to think about aerobics. Maybe not.

POSSUM (April 21 - May 21) When confronted with life's difficulties, possums have a marked tendency to withdraw and develop a don't-bother-me-about-it attitude. Sometimes you become so withdrawn, people actually think you're dead. This strategy is probably not psychologically healthy but seems towork for you. You are a rare breed. Most folks love to watch you work and play. You are a night person and mind your own business. You should definitely marry an Armadillo.

CRAWFISH (May 22 - June 21) Crawfish is a water sign. If you work in an office, you're hanging around the water cooler. Crawfish prefer the beach to the mountains, the pool to the golf course, and the bathtub to the livingroom. You tend not to be particularly attractive physically but have a good heart.

COLLARDS (June 22 - July 23) Collards have a genius for communication. Theylove to get in the melting pot of life and share their essence with the essence of those around them. Collards make good social workers, psychologists, and baseball managers. As far as your personal life goes, if you are Collards, stay away from Crawfish. It just won't work. Save yourself a lot of heartache.

CATFISH (July 24 - Aug 23) Catfish are traditionalists in matters of the heart, although one's whiskers may cause problems for loved ones. You Catfish are never easy people to understand. You run fast. You work and play hard. Even though you prefer the muddy bottoms to the clear surface of life, you are liked by most. Above all else, Catfish should stay away from Moon Pies.

GRITS (Aug 24 - Sept 23) Your highest aim is to be with others like yourself. You like to huddle together with a big crowd of other Grits. You love to travel though, so maybe you should think about joining a club. Where do you like to go? Anywhere they have cheese, gravy, bacon, butter, or eggs and a good time. If you can go somewhere where they have all these things, that serves you well. You are pure in heart.

BOILED PEANUTS (Sept 24 - Oct 23) You have a passionate desire to help your fellow man. Unfortunately, those who know you best, your friends and loved ones, may find that your personality is much too salty, and their criticism will affect you deeply because you are really much softer than you appear. You should go right ahead and marry anybody you want to because in a certain way, yours is a charmed life. On the road of life, you can be sure that people will always pull over and stop for you.

BUTTER BEAN (Oct 24 - Nov 22) Always invite a Butter Bean to a party because Butter Beans get along well with everybody. You, as a Butter Bean, should be proud. You've grown on the vine of life, and you feel at home no matter what the setting. You can sit next to anybody. However, you, too, shouldn't have anything to do with Moon Pies.

ARMADILLO (Nov 23 - Dec 21) You have a tendency to develop a tough exterior, but you are actually quite gentle and kind inside. A good evening for you? Old friends, a fire, some roots, fruit, worms, and insects. You are a throwback. You're not concerned with today's fashions and trends. You're not concerned with anything about today. You're almost prehistoric in your interests and behavior patterns. You probably want to marry another Armadillo, but a Possum is another somewhat kinky mating possibility.

Friday, June 22, 2007

View from my bedroom window


Someone on another blog suggested we post the view from our bedroom window. This was taken a few months ago, but this is what I see when I look outside my bedroom window. We love our covered porch!
blog site: (for posting your view)(http://smilnsigh.blogspot.com/2007/06/view-from-my-bedroom-window.html)

From People Duty to Doggie Duty



I came home from work to find a dirty dog heading for the bathtub. Butterbean had had a big day outside and was very dirty and very hot. He loves getting his baths when he is hot! So, I come in from work to get puppy loves from a wet dog! How sweet!

Friday, June 15, 2007

Welcome!

I spent most of my morning putting out fresh straw. I think it does a lot to freshen up the place, but man, when I look at this picture I can see the shutters need painting, the sidewalk and steps need bleaching, the little tree needs trimming.... There is always something more to do! My husband has promised the shutters will be painted in the fall. I hope I can remember to start bugging him about it in late summer. :o)

Sprucing up flower beds


Today Little Penpen spent most of her morning buying and spreading out pinestraw for the flower beds in the front. Most people have done this long before now, but we were slow this year for some reason. It's amazing how fresh straw can makes things look so much better.

Friday, June 8, 2007

New Stuff!


I took this picture this morning to show off my new cabinet I bought a few months ago. I'm still trying to decide what to display on top. I have a black rug at the bottom with a rooster on it, so I like the rooster on top too. The plant and vase I bought yesterday at Hobby Lobby. If you click on the picture, you'll see a better view of my new "china" I bought from JCPenney on a clearance sale recently!