Annabelle

My Annabelle hydrangeas never got to bloom after deer ravaged them the last few years.  This year we have blooms!   The soil is pitiful yet the Limelight hydrangea next to it grows stronger every year.  For some reason the deer always passed it over in favor of Annabelle.  Limelight flowers are massive on very strong stems and the plant is loaded with buds, anxious to see them mature.

 

Still loving my galvanized bucket covers. 

 

Mark made another bench, larger with three legs, from the old window trim, and has enough for a small three footer left.  The bottom side of these boards are terrible but won't be seen and does not affect the sturdiness.

 

The SilverBerry Vista petunia is doing very well and I hope to locate this color next year as a change for the barrels from the Bubblegum pink.  The Amish nursery we visit every year did not have very nice plants but I prefer one color in a pot (not easy to find here) so purchased them anyway.  I cut them back, took off the entire top, and within weeks they were full of buds. 

 

Mark is tearing off the cedar deck in the front and there is nothing that can be made from those boards.  Horribly decayed and rotted.  Between the deck, the furniture, and the siding, I can't understand why cedar is considered a good wood.  Even with preservative, the log furniture rotted away within 4 years.  My job is to burn the wood as it is removed.

 

When I got up this morning, Nitzy was sitting in a chair, off the sofa where he had been resting.  He ate a half jar of baby food and cried terribly to go outside.  Improvement!!!  We let him go out and he is sleeping in the shade.  I will make sure he is back inside for tomorrow's appointment. 

 

Have a great day!

 

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

A big part

of the recent stress has been Nitzy.  He has been going downhill for a week, not wanting to eat, drinking very little, not using the litter box.  He is lethargic enough for me to grab him which I did yesterday and he has been sleeping on the sofa ever since. 

He will allow me to pet him and he'll stretch and purr, no areas are tender at all but he seems to be uncomfortable in certain positions and walking.  He is very thin and stayed around the deck for a few days, I grabbed him several days ago but I didn't know he was sleeping in the litter box right by the door, and he escaped when I came in.  Now that we have him again I got my brother's carrier and called all the local vets.  Friday we will take him in, nothing sooner.  I bought chicken and turkey baby food, he ate half a jar.  He has had conjunctivitis for a few weeks.  Mobile vet has openings next mid-week.  Might be able to squeeze him in tomorrow to a vet very close (less carrier trauma) but she wants $45 for the workup and $150 for an exam, then rabies and other shots before treatment.  They said all told, close to $400 before diagnosis depending on blood work.  Mark thinks there is some improvement this morning.

 

The other stress is the stupid fricking paint.  I chose the color and bought the paint, started doing a wall and it's pinky peach.  The sample jar was not.  I think especially in lights, the increments of tint are so minuscule that breaking them down for a half pint may not be possible, so they are left out.  Then I compared the large sample chip to the smaller one in the Whites leaflet and there it was.  This color was very peachy in the booklet, but a different shade on the larger.  Back to White Dove, very very light, but neutral.

 

Here's Farrow and Ball's Shadow White wall and Drop Cloth trim.  Ohhhhhhhh baby.

 

Sam informed us that he can't come back for some time so we bought what I call a poom poom.  Air compressor nailer.  It will help a great deal when we are screaming at each other as the wainscot goes up.  They are quite loud and will hopefully come on at the same time the obscenities are hurled. 

 

I noticed my sister is having difficulty breathing again (bonehead will not go to the doc) and my cousin with dementia in MN had Hospice called in.  My cousin in CA that is left side paralyzed from a massive stroke developed a large clot in the groin and was successfully treated, still in rehab for a few more weeks.  Even on "blood thinners" it happened and the dose she is on now is very dangerous.

 

Hope the week is going well for you!

The tiny berry

Hi stitching buds.  Things around here have been .... well .... kind of stressed for a number of reasons.  But I did manage to stitch the little berry from Pineberry Lane's Petite Stitches free designs. 

I used 32 count instead of the recommended 36 so it wouldn't be as small but holy bull balls it's still tiny!  In keeping with my bad habit I changed the chart slightly. Do I take a chance that my fat crooked painful fingers will be nimble enough to construct this 1-1/2" design into the tiny whatever you call it?  Sweet little berry on a ribbon? 

 

Ms Peppercorn was kind enough to leave the Pinterest link for these free designs.

https://i.pinimg.com/736x/3f/c2/9c/3fc29c5ac78176d8877a1150f5742538.jpg   Thank you very much!

 

Budman was keeping his cool.  He and I are both having weight issues.

 

Hope your week goes swell.

 

Thanks for visiting.

 

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

The new windows

Didn't we just do this?  Yep.  But the replacement sashes have been shipped and they will be replaced next week.  Decision time for the paint.  The longer I wait, the lighter I go.  Can't believe it.  I moved up several shades on walls and trim.  Krissy sending me this photo did not help because .... well .... it's cabinets and good golly I just may do it.  This is the softest white I have seen and of course the same paint would not look like this in my dark north facing kitchen. 

I even saw that Pat Gaddy (http://www.picturetrail.com/oldebittersweetfarm) redid a bedroom and it is Valspar's Clean White and Cloud.  Seems the light movement is upon us.  But the colonial colors are still much loved making the decision difficult.

 

  Another change is from the paneled walls and vertical board wainscot to painted shiplap.  Yep.  Joanna would be proud.  Horizontal is easier to install and right now, I am all for whatever gets it done.  Sam can't come for a while since he ran into problems with the large restaurant he is remodeling.  We can handle some things until he gets here.  Besides, I am no where near formal so beautifully paneled walls and mouldings would not work as well, especially in small rooms. 

 

As for stitching, I hate it.  Some days I do not want to pick up that needle.  I still can't figure this out but should not be surprised.  Just because moods have settled somewhat, does not mean my attitudes have.  I saw the little berry from Pineberry Lane in the Petite Stitches freebie and will do that this evening instead of the sampler.  I tried to find it on the website but things have changed.  When I went to PatternMart which has it, my anti-virus blocked the site with a warning. 

 

Heat is gone and beautiful days ahead. 

Hope all is well with everyone.

 

Thanks for visiting.

 

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

The absolute final big ass box

Greetings folks.  Hope you all had an enjoyable Fourth of July. 

 

I almost burned this biggie but decided to offer it after finding a box to fit.  Eliza Pomeroy is 7" tall and 7" wide.  The box with her is a 4" to show size (not included).  Price will be $15 including US shipping.  SOLD

 

The last set of corner squares, your choice for the 3", sampler or queen stitch.  High gloss finish on acrylic.  $11 includes US shipping which costs as much as the squares. Sorry for the poor photos, I just can't get a clear image or reduce the glare.  SOLD

 

 

 

Please email if you would like to purchase.

samplersandsantas@gmail.com

 

A few samplers are next.

 

Have a good day.

 

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

Leftovers

Hello people!  Hot hot hot today.  Please tell your idiot neighbors to get their dogs in shade with lots of water.  And if you see a dog in a hot car, some states allow you to break the windows without penalty, many more have the bill pending.  Finally!

 

A quick note on the comments.  The fix from Jo does indeed work, but I was wrong.  AOL and Yahoo customers will not come through.  The fix is for all comments left, but Google is still snarky about those two carriers.  I saw a comment on the dashboard from Kelley who is AOL and it was not forwarded to email.

Now about those leftovers.  I threw them out, and shortly after retrieved them.  They are from the corner squares I made a while ago.  I do have one last set that I made yesterday to offer but the time involved with cutting and sanding and printing and gluing and spraying isn't worth it.  Also have two 3" singles and after running a cord through the hole, I hung them from a little magnetic hook on my sewing board.  Hmmm.  What if I turned these into magnets?  If it would work, I could attach them to sheet magnets, but most fridges are no longer magnetic.  So before I go through all that, what are your thoughts? 

 

In another file this morning I found a huge Eliza Pomeroy for a 7"tall and 7"wide box.  The biggest I sold was 6".  Don't even have a shipping box for her.  I don't remember if I made an error or planned to do a set.  Regardless, I hate to see her destroyed.  I may paint this box and offer her.  Hobby Lobby breaks up their sets so I could possibly replace it.  My plan was to cover the large stacking 10" to 5" set with paper, but have not found paper large enough.   The corner square 4", 3", 2" set in the center will be offered also, last one.  The two labels for 6" boxes in the front are in the burn pile, and that will take care of the rest. 

 

So please let me know your thoughts about making magnets from the last of the squares. 

Should I just throw them on the burn pile?  Maybe only use the sampler bits and not the bargello and queens.  Uh oh.  This usually happens after I write it out.  Decision made.  I will choose only my favorites, and keep them if they don't sell.  

 

Thanks!  That helped!

 

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