Holy cowpies!

Geez.  I was a few minutes late posting the For SALE page, and I couldn't keep up with marking things as sold!  Thank you so much.  Makes me feel really good that after all this time, you still like the boxes.  Thank you again!

 

Does anyone want to guess how the stitching is going?  Anyone?  .....  I heard someone shout "frustrating", give that gal a skein of floss!  In my constant attitude of knowing it all, I did not pay attention to the chart.  Usually the space between eyelet letters is two stitches, but these are only one.  Thaaaaaaaat's right.  One.  Not four threads, two threads.  Since I am not sure I will have enough of that color, I had to carefully remove the threads from those big ass letters, instead of my usual snip and pick.  Do you have any idea how that irked me?  Not only did I make the error because of cockiness, I had to be gentle!! 

 

After viewing several Flosstube videos, I was reminded that just because I don't want any more little pillows or wall pieces, doesn't mean I can't stitch them.  So many stitchers have a hoard of finishes resting in drawers, rolled in cloths, stashed in stitching bags.  So if I see something that I think would be nice to stitch, it doesn't mean I have to honor it for life with a display.  That's a freeing thought.  And it doesn't have to be samplers and santas!!

 

Enjoy your weekend!  I plan to sit outside and sweat.

 

*****************

Easier to choose colors

when there are only four.  The top flowers will be 3777, her name is done in 3787, and the alpha will be GAST Soot.  My skein is more blue than gray, used, and I'm hoping there is enough for completion.  The green stem stitch and leaves will be chosen after more is stitched.  Maybe a very light green would look better than what I'm planning, so I'll wait to see. 

 

 I have several smalls done on very dark linen (my usual favorite), and the designs are not too noticeable because of minimal contrast.  I didn't want that to happen here, and I debated between a lighter tan and this 32 count unbleached Belfast.  After the first row is stitched I will step back and see how this looks before proceeding.

 

My favorite dark linen pieces had plenty of color for contrast and stand out easily.

 

 

 

Dorothy Allen by R&R and  Barrick Sampler's 1848 (abbreviated). 

 

Household tips - put your Bar Keeper's Friend (the best thing on earth for stainless steel sinks and pots) in a Parmesan cheese container.  So much easier to use than the canister.

 

 

For wood filler and spackling that always dries out, lay plastic wrap (heavier the better) over and press down on to the material to seal. Cleaning the excess from the sides and sealing the material allows it to stay pliable for much longer.

 

Have a good weekend!

 

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Saturday sale

These boxes will be for sale starting Saturday at 7pm.  No prior sales.  Will have better photos and prices then. Tall one is 5", round Bugle is 5", 1776 is 4".

 

 

The sliding lid wood hearts have white wool in the red ones, and red velvet in the white ones.

 

This is an older 4" box, with the rough paint finish in black, and a printed fabric REALLY primitive label.

 

Details Saturday.  Mainly because right now, I can't think clearly.   

Have a good day.

 

*********************

A fix that works

Greetings everyone.  Hope your week is going well, I know it's going fast!  Just wanted to mention that I tried the other comment fix found on Jo's blog (here) and it works perfectly.  Thank you Jo!  My first attempt failed because I did not Save after deleting my email but when I went back and did it correctly, it not only works but brings the Yahoo and AOL comments through which I didn't get before. 

 

Thanks for the suggestions and links and help with my curtain search.  Vermont Country Store does indeed offer some of the most popular curtains from Country Curtains.  Jane's Plain and Simple are not muslin, but an easy care blend of the style I have now and come with tiebacks.  Decisions decisions. 

 

Why stitch a reproduction if I am going to change it?  Because I can.  And for most of them, I do not care.  She had her shot and made it the way she preferred, now it's my turn.  The larger samplers like Lucy Redd and Sally Fiske have only minor color changes but a small piece like Ann Greanawalt, quite a few.  On a higher count linen, Ann would do nicely on a hornbook style mount, but I may move the top flowers directly above her name and abandon the top alphabet.  Perfect for a door or knob hanger size.  We'll see.  The other change?  I picture it stitched in faded blue (like GAST Uniform Blue) with rusty red flowers.  Again, too many colors is distracting to me.  The more I envision it my way, the more enticing it is to pick up that needle.

 

I hope to have the velvet inserts done today in the little heart boxes and will offer them this weekend with the last three sampler boxes.  Yesterday was such a fudged up day I wanted to scream.  But Mark said it would not be much higher of a pitch than my usual speech. 

 

Have a good day!!

 

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Purge

Seems to be the current trend.  I visited Sharon's blog (Moosecraft) and then checked her sale (EBAY) and was impressed with how much she's letting go.  Then I clicked completed listings and saw even more that already sold.  She's not the only one from what I'm reading on many blogs.  It's hard.  But sometimes freeing.  And necessary. 

 

At this current time, I don't even want my samplers on the walls.  Never felt like this before but maybe it's the aftermath of a wicked menopause.  The hot flashes are less frequent, the moods have leveled to a more consistent bitchiness, and I now need a panty liner everyday.   My tastes have changed, but from something I've enjoyed most of my life?  Why the hell are all these little pillows everywhere?  Everywhere!  If I gather them to fill a bowl I only see the ones in the front so they're spread around almost outnumbering the empty foils from Dove.  I know the alphabet, do I really need to see it over and over?  Good golly Miss Meno what has happened to you!!  How could you take a perfectly unpleasant hyperactive skinny female and turn her into a big hipped nasty sloth that needs a pad?  She used to wear nice clothes and lots of bracelets, now she wears stretchy pants and oversized t shirts.   Wake up girl!

 

My surroundings needing to be serene and clean and sparse has been coming for a long time.  Baskets and drieds from beams, loads of dusty looking wood pieces, quilts and throws and pillows, walls filled with shelves and dookies, have slowly been removed.  I've admired a shaker look and sparse decorating for some time now and maybe that has nothing to do with the menobeast.  I feel like a change is needed and everyone goes through that.  The beast years probably held me back with the moods and lack of focus.  The plan is for everything to come down and go into bins.  When the painting is done and furniture is replaced, only then will I know what will come out. 

 

There are a few items I know I no longer want and selling off will come soon.  Ebay?  Or here?  A few books and a few stitcheries.  But I know more will be coming.  Charts I will never do for sure.  Just have to decide if it would be best to do it all at one time.  Probably. 

 

Better buy another bin.

 

Have a good day folks.

 

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The final box

One of my favorites from all the freebies I've charted and offered.  And I gave it away, so I plan to stitch it again.   I may keep this box for myself, but after a friend chooses her gift from these four, I will offer the rest.  Probably the same time as the wooden heart boxes.  I though it would look good with a grayish blue box and if another one shows up in one of my piles, I'll try it.  But I think I've exhausted the inventory.

 

 

The last week of June.  AUGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

********************

Button button

who wants a button?

If anyone is interested, this group of 20 Christmas buttons is $12 including USA shipping.

These two cards are from 1988 and I'm assuming the design is named at the top.  December Snow Lady and April Snowman.  I can't find either chart and they are way OOP.  If you have them, here's your buttons!  If not, they can be used on other designs.

These two cards are $8 including USA shipping.

The Leisure Arts hard cover Christmas books are going to the library.  I asked about Media shipping and was told I could not because I am not a business.  I'll try a different post office.  Remember the mail carrier I had that refused to mail my items and delivered to the wrong houses?  I am happy to say she is no longer my carrier.  She got a promotion.  Go figure.

Anyway, before the library gets them I am offering them for the Priority medium box rate of $13.50 ($14 with Paypal) USA, you can have all four.  One book has the Postman Santa. 
SORRY - GONE

 

 One book has the Postman Santa.  They are in excellent shape.  Each has the date and note of the gift written on the first page, all to Pat from Ron (brother and SIL).  Email if interested please.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

I will offer 5 of the little heart boxes soon, three red and two white.

 

Enjoy your day!

 

*******************

Just muslin please

County Curtains is no longer.  So I started searching online for rod pocket top natural muslin curtains.  Etsy featured a lot, in dark prints.  Doesn't look like natural muslin to me.  I have a full bolt of Osnaburg which is a great fabric for curtains, but darker and flecked.  I want unbleached muslin.  So far, no luck in my search and since they would be very easy to sew by machine, I will probably make them.  I found a few styles other than my usual plain & simple with angled hems and higher ties.  Rather than spend the time and money to make a sample, I just used the Paint program to crudely envision the look.

 

My standard has always been the far left and will probably continue to be but the center style is something to think about.  The prairie style on the right looks a little too country for my taste, but after transferring that section to all windows in a full photo, they look pretty good.  So another decision needs to be made but not for a while.  My old sun-worn curtains will go back up for now.  The only problem with the prairie style is the need for lining.  Hemming an angle such as this would not go quickly and I'm sure I would have problems.  But making them myself would allow me to customize this style.  Plenty of time to think about it which is never a good thing.

 

Spending a quiet and very cool day on the laptop gathering photos to show Sam.  Much easier than trying to explain what I would like.

 

And a bit of good news.  I mentioned a while ago that Carole's friend's son was an addict and not able to find help without insurance.  I did a little digging (no idea why people can't do this on their own) and found a source for him to investigate.  He has been in treatment since June 4 and doing well, four more weeks before release. His drug use did not start with opioids, it started with weed and cocaine, as did his friends and most others we know of.  Wanting help is crucial for recovery, but his wife and kids are not interested in supporting him.  This has been going on for years, and most recently several Narcan saves.  He has stolen and lied and manipulated far past their tolerance level and there is no going back.  His own father gave up and could not take the continual stress of wondering if his son will die this day, hurt someone, go to jail, or be killed.  I hope he has the strength to accept this and continue recovery for himself.   

 

Have a great start to your weekend.  Give out more hugs!

 

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Winner

Hello folks!  Thank you for all the birthday wishes and greetings.  There were 82 entries in all, just as many emails as comments.  After my arthritic fingers typed in all those names, scrambled and numbered, Diane Dotsko was the name matched to the number chosen.  She entered by email so I can notify her directly.  Thanks everyone!  I was surprised at the number of entries, maybe I should make a few more boxes!

 

I plan to take it easy tomorrow.  The staining is completed, now to put the deck back in order and replant a few flowers that were slightly damaged.   Window interiors need painted but I plan to take a few days to myself.  No more running back and forth for paint samples and painting test boards.  We did have to make several more trips to Sherwin Williams, though.  The original estimate we were told of 13 gallons ended up being 23!!

Thanks again for participating in the offer.  Hope everyone has a great weekend.

 

**********************

On a roll

Decision!!!  Urban Putty (Sherwin Williams) for the largest room which will have higher wainscot.  Just a little darker than the walls, very neutral, I want the wood to stand out without taking over the room.

The old dining room (very small) will be Bleeker Beige (a Benjamin  Moore color mixed by Sherwin Williams), the color on the top left.

And a little darker Windsor Greige (Sherwin Williams color on the top right) for the parlor trim.  All walls will be the same Sherwin Williams Neutral Ground #7568 but in Behr Marquee.

 

Neutral, light, still colonial, but could be farmhouse or anything else.

 

Except for the wall color, all were mixed by Sherwin Williams in satin finish.  I prefer Marquee from Behr but their interpretation of these colors was too yellowish and darker.

 

Happy dance.

To prove how nuts I am about moulding and color, when Rose was running through the ship screaming for Jack, most people were focused on the rushing water and perilous situation.  I was admiring the moulding and paint on the walls. 

I couldn't wait for another scene in the first class passengers' hallway.

 

Sam would be able to recreate this look with perfection as would his brother.   Without caulking!

 

Have a good one.

 

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Blast from the past

So what could I offer for my birthday giveaway?  I wasn't pleased with the large berry.  Something about it screamed big ass to me.

I didn't like the way the journals refuse to lie flat.  You can't trust paper mache.


 So it will be one of my boxes.

You have your choice of the Mary Antrim 4" tall round,

 

 

 

or the 5" round Bugle Boy.

I think this is my favorite label of the dozens I've done.

 

Your choice of one box and inside will be the little wood heart box.  The lid pivots on a wooden dowel in the base.  Red velvet bottom.  This is the interior of the 5".  I have no idea why I lined it with script.  The 4" is not.

 

Both are aged and primitive, waxed and buffed.

 

Here's the problem.  I am getting comments emailed except for those with AOL or Yahoo email addresses, and anyone Google+.  I wanted to congratulate Karen on her Weight Watcher goal but can't even view her profile because I am not Google+.  So I will need to check this actual page for entries but you can also email me direct to participate.

samplersandsantas@gmail.com

 

I will draw a name on Thursday evening at 10 pm.  Please include your initials (especially for anonymous), specify Mary or Bugle in your entry, and check Friday for the winner.  I cannot email 99% of you.
Sorry, USA only.

 

That's all folks!

 

**************************

 

Happenings

Unexpected tiny flowers on an unknown plant.

A toad looking for relief in the unbearable heat.  I gently hosed him off with cool water.

With thunderstorms looming, the staining is happening.  Depending on weather they will finish tomorrow.

Disassembling and cleaning the pain in the ass outdoor onion lights.  Soon to be on Craig's List as I locate a new style.  Great on a lighter house, not too noticeable on ours.

And Mark used the old windows' cedar trim to make a really nice bench, enough left for another one or small table.  The palm sander did a fine job removing the old finish and smoothing the wood.  Sam was impressed that we had very little waste for removal.


What's happening at your place?

*****************

The berry

Greetings people!  A hot one on tap today.  Mark came down with something last night, not sure what, so I may have someone pick up the birthday cake and stay away from my sister.  Just in case.  The little ones bring in colds and coughs but that's not what this is.  Only question right now .... how big of a chunk should I leave here?  Someone needs to smack me silly to stop this weight gain from continuing.  I did it before, why can't I do it again?  Maybe the house project decisions are keeping me unsettled.  Decades ago, cigarettes were grabbed by a skinny woman during such times.  Then the switch came!

 

 This photo is from Pinterest (of course) and I did some research to find the designer and release date.  Back in 2010, this was the Strawberry Hill chart released from By The Bay Needleart.  It's not a Santa or a sampler, but that berry caught my eye.  Isn't it adorable?  They also show this scissor fob on their blog, this page. 

 

While the house is quiet, I plan to step away from figuring wainscot and paint (second guessing already) and pull out a small piece.  Maybe a freebie or maybe a sampler.  I still have several very large charts on my mind but now is not the time.  Will it ever be for me again?

 

Have a berry nice day!

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Happy Father's Day weekend

to those long gone and still missed every day.  To those here with us to celebrate today. 

 

Starting today the temps are rising so I will take off the sweatshirt and just sweat.  Making pistachio cake with pistachio icing for Carole's great grandkids' birthday tomorrow. 

 

Nit is enjoying the warm day.  He has been allowing me to brush him.  Until he decides otherwise and wants blood.  It's a delicate balance.  I really enjoy sitting on the swing when it's hot.  Maybe because the hot flashes aren't as noticeable.  But the chocolate melts so darn fast.

 

I thought my squawking baby wrens had flown the coop, but yesterday saw a few feathers in the entrance.  One had been pulled half way out, blocking their hole, and mom couldn't feed, they couldn't get out.  Five dead babies inside.  So sad.

 

I finished one of the boxes with a red velvet pad at the bottom, still haven't decided on the giveaway.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FB reminded me that I gave away the Fox stitch two years ago for my birthday offer.  I didn't even remember that and I think both of them were let go.  Explains why I can't find them.  Maybe this should be my stitch right now, and I'll keep it for myself.

Sherwin Williams 40% off this weekend forced me to stop the samples (those addictive little jars) and make a decision.  So I did.  Urban Putty won over Bleeker Beige.  That dark taupe on the right is the current color of the trim, this will be a huge change.  Walls will be a little lighter.

 

 Close enough to the putty I was looking for, different on every wall, green when the sun shines through the LowE windows.  Also made a decision on the wainscot and decided to use wide board, plain, simple edge.  The room is so small and certainly not formal, so the panels and frames I had considered would be out of place.  I decided to also change the doors on the built in cupboards to simple planks, and use black iron strap hinges and bar style latches.   The best news, the house building couple can't decide on a few details which gives Sam some free time ..... for ME!!!  YAY!!  He doesn't get the style at all but will do whatever we want.  I'm hoping that woman is as indecisive as I am and he can stay here for a while.  He's single and throwing in a few meals (he hinted) would be an incentive!

Have a wonderful weekend!

 

Thanks for visiting.

 

*********************

Mistaken identity

My laptop battery came in and I am very happy with it.  It was recognized by the device, came half charged, no special instructions required.  It is giving me 5 hours and from my research, the company stands behind its products.  Ordered from Amazon, SOLICE laptop battery for my Dell model.

 

Still sanding.  It only gets worse.  We're using 80 grit but should have tried 60 and just taken the wood down.  It's a real mess.  When Mark was working I had eight hours to do what I knew he would not agree with.  Now retirement is really screwing with me.  I have to wait until he's golfing and I only have a few hours.  He said we were finished with the sanding, I wasn't.  Today was finally warm, really warm, and I decided to throw on long pants to catch the dust, and fully zip a hoodie to cover my hair and upper.  Safety goggles, a face mask, completely covered in dark clothing with a hood.  Sweating like a maniac.  How the heck do you go inside to pee when you are covered in black powdery dust?  So I strip off the stuck-to-me clothes in the garage and make it in time.  I went back out and put the outfit on, donned my mask and glasses, covered my head with the hood and walked out of the garage.  I hear someone yelling "I'm calling the police!  I'm calling the police!"  My sister was in her car at the end of the driveway and thought I was a thief robbing the house.  Who else would be covered head to toe with a hood and face mask in 90 degrees?  But I assume she is having a heart related event and calling for help!  I run toward the car, she starts screaming.  Good grief.  Good thing I just went or I would have wet myself from laughing.

 

 

My brother found more of Pat's stitching accessories and we have a group of those ceramic buttons to get rid of along with all those brass findings for some cross stitch projects.  

 

 

 

 

 

 In the box were also bird buttons, shank style.  Mom would have loved these across her sweatshirt. 

 

Pat stitched a lot of Homespun Elegance that called for the charms, but why the heck did she have so many?  If anyone is missing a particular item, let me know, it may be in this bunch.

 

 

Enjoy the week!

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It works

If you have a blogger blog and are not getting your comments emailed, try this until Google corrects it.

Go to your dashboard

click Settings
click Posts and comments
change comment location to Full Page
When you publish a post, view it on your blog and leave a comment, even one word, on your new post.
Directly under your identity, click on Email follow-ups and you will get an email for every comment posted after yours. 
Must do this for each new post.

*******************

It ain't over

But it won't be too bad.  The stupid ass clips that hold the grilles/bars in the windows are falling out and moving around.  Andersen came out today and decided the interior wood warped, they are replacing the sashes in about 6 weeks.  The thing that upsets me most is the fact that these quality glass sashes that could somehow be used or salvaged, are not.  He said they will go into the dump.  Multiply that by thousands of defective or replaced windows across the country.  Makes me nauseous.  But the hours involved with trying to correct the problem and then refitting them into frames would not fit in with their assembly line production. 

We're still sanding, it's been power washed, probably coming to stain next week.  Narrowed the light interior paint down to two.  One is SW's Urban Putty, another is a little lighter and custom.  Bleeker Beige (HC-80) from Ben Moore is also really nice but I want as light as I can without matching the wall paint.  I'll do the windows and trim but may see if the painter can roll the walls for us.  I threw all the sample jars together and mixed them with two gallons of another beige I don't want, there should be enough for Carole's living and dining room!

 

A laundry room nicer than my bathroom.

 

My birthday is coming up and I don't know if the giveaway will be something stitched, a box, journals, or if all else fails, GC.  We'll see how this week goes but time is running out!

 

Have a fabulous week folks.  Mid-June already? 

Summer will be over in the blink of an eye!

 

********************************

Let there be light

I always melt when I view Phoebe's home on Pinterest (before she changed it to all white) which I've mentioned before.  It took years to get a contractor and I'm weary of thinking about the changes for that length of time.  Finally an end to at least part of it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Needlework will show itself off without distraction of dark colors on windows and moulding.

So light it will be.  A perfect backdrop for painted pieces and dark wood, calm and serene.  She did have some areas of color which were fabulous but I am using one color throughout.

 

Her new look is pure white.  Decorating austere or sparse is very difficult and I think all white is even harder.  If the pieces aren't correct, it just looks like white paint and the theme is lost.  Phoebe's talent for decorating is unique and there is no way I could pull it off, not all white.  If you like that look, farmhouse, sparse, check out her Pinterest albums.  https://www.pinterest.com/phoebetroyer/

 I may be mistaken but it appears many photos I remember of the house before white are no longer shown.  If you have a favorite pinner that showcases this style, dare I say, show me!!  Like I need more photos to contribute to my confusion.

 

Have a great weekend.

 

***********************

All done

Sam came back today after two weeks to finish the trim and he did a beautiful job.  What a joy to not have to follow someone and check their work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I could not wait to see what the stain color will look like so I did one coat on the window trim.  Haven't painted the window sashes yet, just the frames, and I may leave it alone.  This color is dark but soft, like a charcoal brown.  Looking at the old stain around it, the clapboards turned a bluish gray.  I think I will be happy with this.  I WILL be HAPPY with this.

 

Just wanted to mention a few things if you are considering the Andersen A series windows.  The interior is wonderful, the grilles are not.  My other Andersen had a spring ball on the ends of each bar that slipped into a little hole in the sash.  Perfect.  Someone came up with the idiotic idea to install metal clips that CANNOT be removed and have the grilles snap into them.  Are you kidding me?  I have already sliced two fingers trying to wash a window with these thin metal clips all around the glass. 

 You cannot paint them to match the bars since you can't remove them so from the outside, they look ridiculous.  The glass is also tinted green for LowE efficiency and naturally, my curtains look pukey green from the outside. 

In order for the bars to not look green, since red removes green I custom mixed a little paint for them.  Take a look at the actual color and that same color behind the glass.  What would you do with white windows and bars?  Sam couldn't believe that they need to be light purple to show as brown through that glass. And why do you not see the clip in this photo?  Because I painted card stock with the purple paint, cut pieces to cover the clips and slid it behind them. 

 

It's appropriate to show you my swollen painful fingers over a bear claw design isn't it?  Oh boy.  My feet are smooth from the Baby Foot treatment but my hands sure don't match them!

 

Now comes the dreaded interior color fiasco.  I love the colonial colors but have decided to go very light.  So far, too yellow, too green, too pink, too gray.  The usual.  I want wainscot and paneling, Sam will come back. 

 Even if I knew the colors used in these rooms, the paint would never look the same because of the computer.  But I like the look. 

Will I tire of it quickly and be sorry I didn't chose a colonial color?

 

I already am and I didn't even pick a color yet!  Why do I have this problem?  The rooms are so small I don't think doing each a different color would be a good idea, and I don't like an ivory room next to a dark one.

 

 I need help!  But honestly, what good would it do?  Whatever I choose, I will want the opposite, and choosing the opposite in the beginning never works. 

 

My laptop battery is dead and it took me many hours of research to decide which to order.  I didn't trust the "new" branded ones on Ebay and Amazon because I read they have new cells installed in old housing, not good quality to hold a charge for hours.  Didn't want to pay $100 either.  It took me four days to make a decision and it's only a battery!!  I need counseling.

 

So there you have it.  Another boring post.  I haven't stitched in a while and hope to start something soon.  Will I be able to hold the needle with these fingers?  We shall see.

Hope the week is going well for you.

Thanks for visiting.

 

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