A Romantic Country Home

............................A nice surprise...

2012-01-26T13:36:00.002-05:00

This is an "Apple Blossom" Amaryllis...

This was a surprise blossom because I was very afraid that I had killed my bulbs.
I left the pot that they were in outside very late into the fall this year. We had several frosts while the pot was out there, bad me...

When I did bring it in, it sat there for a while and all of a sudden it started sending up new leaves. All the previous ones had died off.

So then, I left it go and the leaves got pretty long.

All of a sudden a flower bud starts coming up....

I am delighted!

And so relieved that they are all still alive,
after all!

~~ See my post below about the free photo editing sites and a link to the information on that.~~
'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

Playin'...

2012-01-22T12:49:00.003-05:00

I have heard of Picnik (picnik.com) being mentioned
many times here
on lots of blogs.
I decided to try it today...
This is the result.
I have to say it's easy to use and I can take the pictures from here on my computer and not have to send them to a photo storage site. I like that...
Unfortunately, Picnik will end on April 19 and will go to Google +.
I will deal with that later, for now I'll enjoy this! Lol
Give it a try...

'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

Added to this post: Gloria from the little red house with the white porch found this info for me...She found that Susan from Between naps on the porch did some research and found lots of alternatives. You can find those here. Thank you both for the info and I hope this will be useful to others.

Love Shack...

2012-01-21T17:07:00.001-05:00

I made these gingerbread houses a few years ago,
for Valentine's Day.

They were really cute!

There's still time to do this!

If you want to...

'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

Love is in the air...

2012-01-19T10:45:00.001-05:00

Just getting started on my St. Valentine's Day decorating...

'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

Sweet words to live by...

2012-01-16T10:36:00.001-05:00

Thought for the day...

'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

Oh, Baby.....

2012-01-12T09:22:00.001-05:00

Some of you may remember when I made the baby quilts for the Brigham & Womens Hospital in Boston. They are for the NICU and are given to the little preemie babies that are there.

The sewing store that I go to sponsors this program and provides the materials. They make the kits up and all I have to do is sew them together.

I believe this is a worthy cause and worth my time to help out. Last year I made 54 little quilts for the program. It makes me happy to be able to contribute my time and effort.

~~On another note: I have been remiss in welcoming my new followers...
Welcome to all, I hope you enjoy my blog and will come back often. I love meeting new fellow bloggers and making new buddies! ~~

'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

Fairytale Cottage......

2012-01-09T11:32:00.001-05:00

I made this cottage from a kit. I changed the design some, to make it my own. I gave this to my daughter for Christmas and she loves it. She has it displayed in her living room for all to see.

It took about 2 months to make this, but it was a labor of love. I got a lot of my inspiration from Caroline over at Shop Cinderella Moments. I love her style of cottages and she is a master at what she makes. Go on over and visit her and you'll see what I mean. She is truly a fine crafter.

I love crafting these dollhouses and I made a gingerbread house for my other daughter, also for Christmas. I will show that one next time.

'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

Happy New Year!...........

2011-12-29T14:15:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year

to all my blogging buddies!

'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

Merry Christmas to All...

2011-12-23T19:51:00.002-05:00

Merry Christmas to all!

'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

Little Fellas....

2011-12-16T15:24:00.001-05:00

I love these little guys!!

A little history: They are Roy Des of Fla (c) 1970 banks. These were given out as premiums at banks, as an incentive to open a new account. These two belonged to my younger brother, and spent a long, long time in my Mom's attic. I was up there quite a few years ago and found them. I got the OK to bring them to my home and have had them for about 10 years now. I keep them out all year long because I like them so much. They just make me smile!

They are residing in my DR corner cabinet for the holidays and they feel right at home there...

Really, they do! I asked them! haha

'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

Kitchen Vignette...

2011-12-14T14:09:00.001-05:00

A little arrangement in my kitchen...
'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

Jar of lightbulbs.....

2011-12-13T09:57:00.001-05:00

Here's what I did with the lightbulbs from a string of lights that I was about to throw away.

I didn't want to keep the set any longer, but decided to keep the bulbs.

I think they look cute in my big jar. What do you think?

'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

Mini Present....

2011-12-11T12:57:00.001-05:00

I've been making miniature presents.....
And trying to perfect the tiny little bows that go on top.
I finally have a procedure in place to make them.
They take a good 6 hours for the glue to dry.
I can make 1 or 2 a day!
Patience is a virtue!
haha
'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

Our Christmas Tree.....

2011-12-10T13:14:00.002-05:00

When we took our old tree out of the box and started to put it together, most of the lights didn't work! So, a new tree was needed. We had the old one for about 15 years, so it didn't owe us a thing!

So we found this beauty at Lowe's. It is a 6 1/2 ft. Colorado Blue Spruce. It has a bluish tone and has a white spray at the ends of the branches. It has lights that twinkle and pinecones on the branches. We decorated it with glass balls only. I love the whole thing. Here's to another 15 years! haha

And now all we need are the presents!

'Til next time. Love ya, Jean

Correction!!!.......

2011-12-09T10:42:00.001-05:00

I made a monumental mistake here,

so I am making a correction !

I forgot to add the flour!!!

Now it looks better!

And I feel much better!!! hahaha

'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

New Furniture.....

2011-12-07T10:49:00.001-05:00

I made some new furniture...
Miniature, that is...

The first piece is a buffet...

Baking some gingerbread cookies...

These pieces are for a project
that I've been working on.
It is finished and I can relax
and get some other things done now!
I will show it all after Christmas!
'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

Light up the night!!!..........

2011-12-03T20:00:00.001-05:00

I absolutely love the new LED string lights for outdoors.....

Now I don't need to rewire the house to have lots of Christmas lights out there...

These lights use very little electricity and the bulbs last forever!

As you can see, I've used quite a few around my yard.

I found it difficult to get some really good pictures, but I think you can get the idea.

This is my favorite tree--a Dwarf Alberta Spruce.

This Teddy Bear is 6 Ft. tall...Love him!!

The front of the house~~
all ready for Santa!

P.S. I am asking for more lights and extension cords for Christmas!! lol

'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

Happy Thanksgiving .......

2011-11-22T19:28:00.001-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

I hope your Thanksgiving is a very happy one. I hope you will be with the ones you love, and if you can't, that love will fill your hearts.

'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

Minis.....

2011-11-10T17:41:00.002-05:00

Just showing you some little things I made.

I will use these in some future projects.

Pops and cinnamon rolls are made with clay.

The pitcher is made of paper and it's the first one I've made.

( I hope to improve as I make more of them.)

I'll be going to the Handcrafters of Miniatures Show on Sunday, Nov 13, at the Holiday Inn in Dedham, MA. I will be showing my latest creation there. I am quite excited about this! I can't show it on here yet because it is a Christmas gift and the recipient may see it! I will have pictures for you after I give it to her.

My BFF, Lady Jane (For the Love of Minis) encouraged me to get back into minis after about a 30 year hiatus! I have become so addicted to this hobby and enjoy it so much! Thanks, LJ, you are the best!

'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

SWEET.....

2011-11-02T10:05:00.001-04:00

Is this the life or what?

'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

Fabulous Giveaway!!!!........

2011-10-28T15:28:00.003-04:00

There is a fabulous giveaway about to happen!!! Shop Cinderella Moments is hosting this one. Hop on over there to find out all the details.

'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

I'm Ready for Halloween!.....

2011-10-20T14:41:00.002-04:00

Are you?

Hello, my Sweet!

Beside my front step...

The emerging head...

The cemetery.....

I love how it looks and it is lit up at night.....

Now we're just waiting for the big night.....

'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

Cookies!!!!.............

2011-10-14T15:34:00.001-04:00

Second rainy day in a row!

Good time to make some cookies!

Oatmeal Raisin is our favorite!

I made this recipe into some bars, extra good!

And of course, some traditional...

The dough...

The ingredients...

Here is the recipe>>>>

Oatmeal Cookies (from the Quaker Oats container)

1 cup margarine or butter, softened

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1- 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 cups Quaker Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked) I use the old fashioned.

1 cup raisins

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Beat together margarine and sugars until creamy.

3. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well.

4. Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well.

5. Stir in oats and raisins; mix well.

6. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto ungreased cookie sheet.

7. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.

8. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet; remove to wire rack. Makes about 4 dozen.

Bar Cookies: Bake 30 to 35 minutes in ungreased 13 x 9 inch metal baking pan.

ENJOY!!!

'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

Autumn Joy..............

2011-10-11T20:02:00.001-04:00

I'm so glad Fall is here! Cooler temperatures, some rain off and on, not too many bugs out there ~~

and

just look at the Autumn Joy Sedum now!!!

Gorgeous!!!

So much bang for your buck!!!

This is a great plant. It takes no care, is drought tolerant, is easy to propagate, and it comes back every year. Who could ask for more?

'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

Welcome...............

2011-10-04T09:41:00.001-04:00

to all my new followers. I hope you enjoy your visits here and I hope you will come back often to see what is happening in my little world.

'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

Look what I won!..

2011-09-25T20:07:00.001-04:00

This little guy came from Robin over at Coombe Crafts. She is a very talented artist. She handcrafts these little people in tiny 1/24th scale, 1/12th, and even 1/48th scale. She is celebrating her 100th follower and is way past that now. She also handcrafted the little chair that you see with the boy. So, pop over and see what she has to offer. You'll be amazed!

Thank you so much, Robin. I will create a place for him to live.

I had computer problems, and had to put it in for service on Monday. I got it back on Friday night and I'm slowly getting everything put back. I'm happy to get it back and it's working so well now.

I hope every one of you had a fabulous weekend. We had the family over for dinner last night and that is always so much fun, not to mention the great food that my DBF makes. We had pork tenderloin, mashed potatoes, peas, and a good crusty bread. I made a pineapple cherry cobbler that was so delicious. I served it with some vanilla ice cream. YUM..... I didn't take a picture, but here is the recipe:

Pineapple Cherry Cobbler

1 medium size can of pineapple slices, cut into small pieces
8 ounce jar of maraschino cherries, with about a tablespoon of the juice
1 stick of margarine or butter
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 cup flour
1 cup whole milk, I used skim and it was fine.

Combine pineapple, cherries and 3/4 cup sugar. Let stand 20 minutes. Melt margarine in 1 1/2 quart baking dish in oven. Sift together flour, 1 cup sugar, and baking powder. Add milk and stir briskly-lumps will remain. Pour into baking dish of melted butter; top with pineapple mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 min. I have made this with frozen peaches, canned peaches, blueberries and apples as the fruits, and it is always delicious! Enjoy!

'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

Mini Birdhouse...........

2011-09-16T18:21:00.004-04:00

I would like to have one of these bird houses in real full size.....

(And the policeman is pretty cute, too!)

The bottom part.....

The top part.....

I made this for a miniature garden scene

that I will be making pretty soon.

What do you think, LJ?

'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

Bees, Bees and more Bees.....

2011-09-13T20:41:00.001-04:00

There are bees everywhere in my garden. They especially love the "Autumn Joy" sedum. It must taste very sweet to them. The flowers are still rather pale in color. They will eventually turn a brilliant red. I will show more of them in a few weeks, when that happens.

I wanted to show the upright habit of the plants.....

I have lots of these plants..... they are very easy to root in the spring. The clumps get bigger every year! This is one of my favorite plants.
'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

Fire hydrants in my Etsy...

2011-09-02T20:35:00.004-04:00

I made some of these fire hydrants to sell in my Etsy shop. This one is unpainted, so that it can be painted in the recipients choice of colors.

I showed one like this previously along with a picture of the real one over on the corner near my house.....

And I have since seen some red ones in other towns..... I listed these in my Etsy shop this evening. You can find the link over on the right side of the page. Just click on "sweetgirlythings" and my shop will come up. So, go take a look! Thanks!

'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

The vacation was great!!!!...

2011-08-31T10:22:00.022-04:00

(Click on the picture to enlarge)

Isn't this great??? It was in the garden of the log cabin we stayed in during our visit to Wells, Maine.....

This is the log cabin where we stayed.....

It is two blocks from the ocean and beach. Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures of the ocean. We went there three times in two days. The best time was at night, when the stars are so huge and bright....

Built in 1929.....

The siding is really cool.....The inside is warm and cozy, plenty of room, it sleeps lots of people.

We passed this cottage on the way to the beach, which was about 2 blocks from our cottage.
I liked it because when I was a kid, my brother taunted me with "Jean, Jean, the jelly bean". It brought back some good memories.

That sign was on the front of this cottage.....

(look at those hanging petunias planters)

We were right near the salt marsh, two blocks down and two blocks over. We walked over there. It was so pretty...

After we walked by the salt marsh we took a nice, wooded walk on the boardwalk to the estuary, which is part of the salt marsh.

Some of the beauty that we passed through on the way.....

The marsh grasses are beautiful...

The view from the platform at the end of the boardwalk.....

This house is famous and was on a TV show....I can't remember which one .....haha

Some other gorgeous home that we saw along the way.....

I can't imagine owning and living in a home like this one.....

These are Rugosa Roses, beach roses. The are prolific in the area and most homes have them as hedges along the fronts and sides of the homes. We saw a man trimming them with large gas hedge trimmers. They have the beautiful flowers and then they get big, beautiful red rose hips about the size of small crab apples.

An interesting tree, some type of pine...

Another beauty.....

We ate here twice... This place has an award from Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives of Food Network fame. No wonder, the food is excellent and more than any one person could ever eat! I highly recommend it, if you are in the area!

The diner has a very friendly atmosphere and a nice gift shop next door.

This is a sunflower.........One of many varities that they grow in a garden behind the restaurant. They had many other vegetables out there that they use at the restaurant. Talk about fresh.....

a more familiar one.....

They had lots of bluebird boxes in the garden, too.....

I love this picture!!!!!

So, that's it for today. It has taken me over 3 1/2 hours to do this post. I don't know if it is Blogger or me, but it is rediculous to spend so much time on this.

Anyway, we had a wonderful time in Maine and I can't wait to do it again. My friends are wonderful people and very generous to share their vacation time with us. Thanks LJ and Hubby, it sure was fun!!!!

You can read more about the vacation HERE.

'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

Mini Vacation.....

2011-08-21T19:53:00.004-04:00

My "Endless Summer" Hydrangea.... LOVE IT!!!

I am going away to the beach for two days with my BFF & her hubby, and my DBF. It should be lots of fun! Can't wait! I hope to get some good pictures, enjoy my friends and soak up some sunshine...

'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

Miracle Makeover Fund Drive

2011-08-16T16:29:00.003-04:00

Today I want to tell you about a worthy cause that some of my friends here in Blogland are promoting. If you go over to Marydon's blog or Sherry's blog there are lots of links that you can follow to participate. All you need to do is leave a comment. What could be easier! Make as many as you can, because each one will give $1.00 to the fund.

Here is Sherry's comment that she left on my blog:

This is the Miracle Weekend makeover. I am one of the hosting sites. For every comment left, Guideposts magazine will pay a dollar, to the next cancer makeover patient. Please stop by and read the story about 9 year old Charlie, and bless me with a comment. Our goal between the 4 or 5 blogs is 5,000. I know we can do it. I would appreciate it, if you pass the word around to as many friends as possible.

This event continues through August 18, so you have lots of time left to help us reach the goal of 5,000 comments.

God bless you all and I hope that you will help. Thanks in advance for your help.

'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

Welcome........................

2011-08-03T12:20:00.004-04:00

A warm welcome to Jeannette of Garden of Miniatures. I hope you enjoy my blog as much as I enjoy yours. Thanks for taking the time to come by, we will have a virtual cuppa tea together many times in the future. To all my many friends here in blogland stop over to Jeannette's blog and check it out. It is sure to please you.
'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

Mini Time.....

2011-07-31T14:28:00.004-04:00

I got creative yesterday and I made these fire hydrants.....
They are miniatures and for a street scene that I will be doing in the future.....

This was my model.....
I thought all fire hydrants were red--not! haha This one is over on the corner from my house.

'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

Some More Favorites.....

2011-07-30T11:12:00.004-04:00

Rudbeckia (yellow) and Liatris.....

These flowers last for a long time..... (several weeks)

These come in many different varieties.....

Purple coneflowers..... (they're really pink, love 'em)

That's it for today. I just wanted to check in and show what's in bloom now. I am working every minute in the garden that I can. I know this time is very short and before we know it, it'll be winter again! (Dread it) I am getting the weeds out and moving plants around and getting ready for next year. It's all a cycle and I am enjoying it tremendously.

I'm sorry that I haven't had much time to visit with all my blogger friends and I hope you understand.

'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

More loveliness......

2011-07-24T15:31:00.006-04:00

(Click on the pictures to enlarge.)

This is a coleus...I bought a plant 4 years ago and I have been able to root new pieces every year. I love this one. It can take a lot more sun than the other varieties. This is called "Electric Lime".

This is a little vignette under the cherry tree over on the corner of my lot. Notice the hosta in the pot on the left. I have overwintered lots of hostas in pots simply by placing them all together and covering them with leaves. They come back every Spring. I am in Zone 5.

These are "Red Hot Pokers"--Tritoma...

And here is the "Hot Papaya" Coneflower as it has matured. I love it. The color is a brilliant orange. The picture doesn't do it justice. These are just a few of my favorites.....there are more to come--stay tuned and come back soon.

'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

Some changes.........

2011-07-18T16:24:00.006-04:00

Pond View.....Our new little sitting area down by the pond...
We limbed up this Boulevard Cypress and found some space underneath for a bench.....

Lucifer Red Swordflower (Crocosmia x 'Lucifer') Closeup,

The plant.....(still in the pot)

I had two yards of bark mulch delivered on Saturday....Still working on spreading it, about half done.

It's hot and humid out, but I still like working out there. This is the weather I dream of in the middle of winter. haha

I have lots of pictures to show you, but blogger is not working very well today, so I'll try posting them again soon.

I haven't been doing much with minis or quilts, I'm mainly working in my garden. I'm enjoying the nice weather and hope that you are all having fun, too.

'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

Flowering Beauties!......

2011-06-29T17:46:00.005-04:00

(Click on the pictures to enlarge and get a closer look)

This rosebush is a gift from my daughter for Mother's Day last year. It is low in height, has beautiful orange buds that open to a peach color with a pale yellow center. Gorgeous!

This is a new variety of Cone Flower. It is called...Cone-fections (TM) Hot Papaya Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea 'Hot Papaya' PPAF... Believe it or not, I found this beauty at Lowe's for $12.98! This is an immature flower, it will be much fuller when it opens up in a few days.

I found this beauty in my garden today. It is a rudbeckia--a double or triple one! It sure is pretty and I will save seeds from this one.

My garden is changing from lavender, pink and yellow to lavender, orange and yellow. It looks quite different from a few weeks ago.

This is a hydrangea that is just starting to color up. I planted this in 1990 and it has been beautiful every year, loaded with large blooms that are bright blue!

Another flower, close up! I hope you enjoyed seeing some of the beauties that live in my garden!

'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

I love butterflies................

2011-06-24T13:18:00.004-04:00

Especially when they are in my garden...............

~This is a Black Swallowtail Butterfly~

I found this larvae on my parsley plant the other day.....

Isn't it beautiful?????

This one has eaten quite a bit already,

but it's OK, I don't mind.....

I am going to watch it for as long as it is here.....

I am thinking ahead to what it will transform into.....

'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

Garden Tour......

2011-06-20T17:36:00.010-04:00

Let's take a little walk around my garden....
This spring was cold and rainy......We thought it would never warm up.....
So, the weather played a large part in the size and number of flowers.....
I thought I would try to show the beds and borders.....
Poke the pictures for a closer look.....

The front of the house.....I have a corner lot, the perfect place for a flower garden.....

My little pond.....

Under the old cherry tree.....

The other side.....

Along the street side.....

Another border.....

The middle bed.....

The end of the house.....

Another border.....

I have more pictures, but blogger wouldn't let me upload them, so I will continue on my next post.

'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

A little something....

2011-06-16T10:04:00.003-04:00

Shower anyone?
This is a miniature beach shower that I made.....

Seashell soap dish with clay soap.....

Faucet handles are made with little beads.....

The shower head is a wooden button and a grommet.....

I wanted the platform to look weathered and used.....

This is how I attached the "pipe" (plastic lollypop stick) to the wood..... I love making these little things. I am creating a miniature beach scene, so this is where the little shower will go. I will show it all when I finish it! Have a great day and I am heading first, to the treadmill for some cardio and then to the garden. I took some pictures of my garden yesterday and I will show them on my next post.

'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

Come see my bloomers.....

2011-06-07T20:03:00.005-04:00

Here are a few pictures of my garden. It was a very cold, wet Spring.....
Now all of a sudden, it is HOT!
87 degrees here today and it will be higher in the next few days.
So my flowers have started to bloom....

Below are Columbine (blue) and Silene (pink).....Red Peonies.....

Pink Peonies.....

It makes me so happy to see all the pretty flowers in bloom......

I wish you could come to my garden and take a tour in person!

'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

My newest creation.....

2011-05-31T08:01:00.004-04:00

This is my latest creation...a roombox of a garden shed...
My BFF gave me the kit for my birthday, but I changed it. It was supposed to be from the outside of the shed. I had so many little accessories that I decided to do it this way instead.

I made a lot of the things that you see in here... the sink, the potting bench, the shelves and the little wooden boxes. So much fun....

'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

New Followers.....

2011-05-25T11:44:00.004-04:00

I have some new followers that I'd like to introduce to you. They are:

Marlie of Marlies Minis

Tink of Minitink

Joanna of Bird on Her Head

Go on over and check out their blogs. They are all equally interesting and fun. Welcome ladies, I hope you enjoy my blog and hangin' with me.

'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

Project is Finished.....

2011-05-18T20:24:00.003-04:00

This is what I ended up with.....

Some little creatures in the attic.....

The final shelf and corner in front of the tack room...

Paraphernalia on the tack room wall... (see my picture there?)

Close up of tack room.....

Little table with stuff.....

Horse in stall.....

I named it.....

Light in stall....

Side showing electric cord.....And that's all there is..... She loves it and has it in her entry hall, so that everyone can see it when they come in. I really enjoyed creating it for her and I'm very happy that I am able to document the whole process for you.

'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

Continuing on.....

2011-05-17T10:49:00.006-04:00

The gate for the stall.....

This is the reason all this started.....

I found him at a consignment shop. I bought it for Lisa's birthday. She collects these Breyer horses. Then I thought he needed a home!

Straw bales..... I had these for about 30 years and I could finally use them!

Closeup of tack room.....

This is a shot of the roof. I love how the stain came out and all the shades of weathered grey.....

The cupola with the rocking horse weather vane.....

Some of the boxes of stuff and the straw bales in the loft.....

Bare light bulb.....

More accessories..... That's all for today.....Thanks for coming by.....

'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

More progress.....

2011-05-15T19:34:00.005-04:00

Here I added the sides to the stall.....
And I had to add an enclosure in the left back corner for some electric wiring.....

Here is the tack room in place.....

Roof of the tack room, used for storage.....

The front door.....

Some stuff outside the tack room.....

A shelf I made to hang on the wall, not quite finished yet..... That's all for today, more to come!!!

'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

The build continues...

2011-05-13T16:11:00.006-04:00

Continuing on with the build---Walls of tack room are painted...
And the outside door is assembled...

Close-up...

The beams for the stall...

This is where I put the structure on for the roof...

I drew lines on with a pencil for the floorboards...

Here I am putting the walls together for the tack room...
There are so many steps to show, but we're getting there. Remember, this took 3 months of working on it everyday to complete it, so bear with me. More to come in the next week or two.

'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

Siding.....

2011-05-11T09:56:00.004-04:00

I didn't know what I would use for the siding on the stable. I was rummaging around in the garage and lo and behold, I found this old maple veneer that my DBF bought many years ago for use on a guitar. He said I could have it to use. The price sticker was still on it--$3.45 for a very large piece!!!! It was very dried out and brittle, but with lots and lots of glue, I managed to make it all stick to the outside of the stable.

Here you can see what I used as weights to hold the strips down while the glue dried.

I could tear the veneer into strips very easily, so this is how I used it. It gave it the "old barn" look I was aiming for.

This is the front of the barn with the siding painted. Barn red, of course!

I will show more on my next post.....I don't want to bore you to death with all the pictures I took. lol

'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

Build continues.....

2011-05-09T16:34:00.004-04:00

I wanted to show the progress and how I made the stable. This is how it started out.

I filled all the slots with strips of wood and cut a hole for the window.

This is showing how it looked.

Then I had to make a piece for the upper part of the stable.

One for the front and one for the back.....I will continue to show more of the construction in my next post. My garden is calling me...lol

'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

Birthday Present Project

2011-05-06T09:10:00.006-04:00

The Birthday Present project is complete... And she loves it!

My daughter has always loved horses and riding them. She had riding lessons for many years, worked in a stable for many more years and was even on the Equestrian team in college. It has been her dream to own her own horse.
She collected many of the Breyer Collectible horses over the years and has them displayed in her home. So last fall I was in a consignment shop and I spotted a model Breyer horse, purchased it and I thought, "I will give this to her for Christmas". Then, the more I thought about it, I decided it needed a home. So then I decided to build a stable and make it for her birthday instead, which was on April 24. (Easter, this year.) I started working on the project in the middle of January. I couldn't show this from the beginning, obviously, she may read the blog and see it, so I will show the progress over the next few posts. And this is the reason for not blogging much over the last few months.

So, here is what I started with...

I took the drawers out and turned it sideways...

This became the first floor of the stable and I built it up from there...

Here is the finished project....

Just to give you an idea of what I was aiming for...

I was very happy with the results and she was so surprised!!!!

I will show more of the construction on my next post.

'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

Twins!

2011-05-03T20:38:00.004-04:00

Just look at those little faces...... So sweet........ I bought one of these bunnies, brought it home......

And then I realized that I already had one, exactly the same....

I really liked these bunnies. I just repainted them. I've had them for several years and the color had faded to the color of the resin, so I had to redo them. I made one a little darker than the other. They look fresh and new again. LOVE these bunnies.

'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

Happy Easter.....

2011-04-20T11:15:00.003-04:00

I wish you all a very Happy Easter!'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

Promises....

2011-04-08T15:50:00.005-04:00

Spring has been late in coming this year, but the spring bulbs are finally showing up. Some Squill.... I planted some of these last week. I had to bundle up, it was so cold out, but it was good to be out there diggin' in the dirt!

A touch of sunshine.....

The other side of the spectrum..... I will have many, many more of these before Spring is over!

~~The special all-consuming project that I've been working on is coming along nicely and should be finished within a week or so. Then I can get back to my normal life, whatever that is! Lol

~~I want to say WELCOME to some new followers:

Ira At Irena Ustka

Culea Daniel--not sure if there is a blog. Let me know if you have one and I will publish the address.

Sue at As If By Magic Wish List

Ginny at Let Your Light Shine

~~The tooth work is complete and feels good as new, thank Heavens! Thanks for all your sympathy and good wishes. I hope that none of you ever have to go through that!

Now, I am going out to finish filling up that wheelbarrow!

'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

Sweetness of Spring.......

2011-03-24T20:55:00.004-04:00

Look who's peeking from underneath the beautiful tulip.....

I made this beautiful basket of Spring flowers a few years ago and it always does my heart good to bring it down from the attic every Spring. It is so refreshing to look at the beautiful flowers and to know that they will be blooming outside pretty soon. We are having a really cold week but next week looks better. I was able to work outside yesterday. I was all bundled up and was moving around a lot so I wasn't too cold.

~~I have my second appointment at the endodontist tomorrow and I can truthfully say, "I am not looking forward to this". This appointment is to fill the hole that he made last week. He had put some medicine in there to sterilize the inside of the tooth and now he will remove that and plug up the channel. Then, I go back to my dentist and he will put a filling in the tooth part. Needless to say, I will be very happy when this work is finished.

~~I went today and bought a new washing machine. My old one is 34 yrs old and the timer finally gave out. I never had one problem with it in all those years!

I hope everyone has a really wonderful week.

'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

Feeling much better.....

2011-03-16T18:10:00.005-04:00

This is just a "little" something that I made last night. It's for the project that I'm working on.~~ My tooth is much, much better. Now tomorrow, I have to go for the first treatment for my root canal. Needless to say, I am not looking forward to this. I've had so much pain over the last 10 days that I don't want any more. Hopefully it won't be too bad.

~~In my last welcome post, I said hello to Lindsay. She does have a blog and you can read about her adventures at Tails to Tell Studio. Go on over and check it out, you'll love it!

'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

Welcome to.............

2011-03-10T18:34:00.005-05:00

Welcome to some new followers. I am pleased that you would like to follow my blog and I am very happy to get to know you, too.

Doreen of Doreen's Miniatures
Elena and Marius of In Luxembourg
Pamela Kuhn of Our Sheltering Tree
Lindsay (If you have a blog, please let me know and I will publish you blog address.)

Welcome to all, I hope you enjoy what you read and hangin' together.

~~I want to give you an update on my condition. I am happy to say that the swelling is getting smaller and that the antibiotics are doing their job! It still hurts and I can't chew on it yet, but it is somewhat better. I think a few more days and I will be good as new. (Almost!) I will still have to have the root canal job done on it. I've had a crown on that tooth for about 6 years now with no problem or indication of anything wrong, so this really surprised me. I'm very happy that I won't lose the tooth! I need all that I have left! lol Thanks to all for your sweet comments and concern. ~~

'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

Back to the real world.....

2011-03-09T11:24:00.004-05:00

Well, I'm back from a fabulous vacation....I got home Friday morn at 1 am. Saturday morning I woke up with a toothache. I thought it was on the bottom jaw, but the top tooth hurt, too. By Sunday, I'm calling my dentist, and he called in a pain killer for me. Went into his office at 8:00 am Monday morning and he said I had an infection and I should go to the endodontist. It was the top tooth. Went there and he said I would have to wait 'til the infection cleared to do a root canal. Gave me antibiotics and made two appts for me. He said if it starts to swell, to call him right away. Within 2 hours of leaving there, it started to swell! I go back in and he tries to numb it with 4 or 5 shots of Novocaine and it just wouldn't get numb. He was going to drill a hole in it and try to drain it and put some medication in there. It hurt so much that he couldn't do it. And I was not going to let him even touch it, especially with a drill! So, he gave me another prescription for stronger antibiotics and fortunately, the pain killer is doing it's job. I am still very swollen and just waiting for this to go away. Not fun! So, I'm heading back to the couch and I will waste another day. I am not doing anything because I don't feel like it. I'm just waiting.....
'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

On Vacation.....

2011-02-24T20:25:00.003-05:00

I will be on vacation until March 4! I'm going to see Mickey and Minnie in the Magic Kingdom! I will miss all of you and I wish you could go with me! The time will fly by and in a week I will wonder where it went! I'm leaving on a jet plane.....(singing) See you all when I return!

'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

A New Project.....

2011-02-17T20:13:00.005-05:00

This was a Christmas gift from my Honey (DBF)...
This is a Proxxon Miter saw. It is used for crafting dollhouse miniatures. I am so proud of him because I never even hinted that I wanted one. He figured it out on his own! I was so surprised and happy when I saw it, that I just cried. I love it and I love him for tuning into my needs and wants so well. It is the best tool for getting accurate cuts and it goes from 45 degrees to 45 degrees the other way, and everything in between. It is easy to use and is great for cutting very tiny pieces. Now I can make all kinds of miniatures and have them be straight. It is so much easier using this saw.

Here is an example of some cuts that I made with the saw....

Can you guess what this is?

It's part of the new project that I've been working on.

I won't elaborate because it's a gift to someone very special to me.

I will show my progress after it's finished and presented to the recipient.

Now you know what has been keeping me away from my blog. lol
'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

A Warm Welcome......

2011-02-10T13:40:00.003-05:00

Enough of the snow, already!!!!

I don't want to talk about it anymore! You're probably glad, too! lol

Instead--I would like to welcome some new followers to my blog.....

The names that are underlined are linked to their blogs. If there's no link and you have a blog, please let me know and I will publish it.

Sunflower Suzee

Rossana

Linda Young

Welcome to all, and I hope you like my blog. I enjoy getting to know you and making new friends! Come back often, I love your comments.

'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

More Winter Wonderland.....

2011-02-08T19:32:00.005-05:00

This is what we woke up to, AGAIN, this morning.....

More snow.....

Clinging to everything.....

It sure was beautiful.....

This is the snowbank at the back of the house..... We had to have our roof shoveled last Friday. So far, 150 buildings have collapsed in Massachusetts from heavy snow loads.

The picnic table is under that pile back there.....
Will it ever end? Eventually, it will.....
'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

Cabin Fever........

2011-02-04T16:32:00.004-05:00

is setting in...........
So, we've been looking for ways to entertain ourselves.........
I like to bake cakes, so I found this recipe for a Guinness (R) molasses cake and thought I'd give it a try. It turned out delicious. It is from a cake magazine that I have a subscription to. I am not sure if I can publish the recipe though. The cake is richly dense, made with Guinness Extra Stout Beer, molasses, cocoa and is "Strangely Good" as they say in the heading of the recipe. The icing is very good, too, and just melts in your mouth. Probably because it has a whole pound of butter in it!

OH SO GOOD!!!!

'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

Another dream.....

2011-02-01T16:33:00.003-05:00

THE MAGIC KINGDOM!! I will be dreaming of this until I go here on Feb 25!

CAN'T WAIT!
'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

A contrast.......

2011-01-29T17:43:00.007-05:00

"And when I dream, I dream of you...."

This is a beautiful song by Crystal Gayle.

So, this is what I'm dreaming of.....If you poke the pictures, they become even more beautiful!

Just another 5 or 6 months away!

'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

Winter wonderland.....

2011-01-27T19:46:00.003-05:00

Just another day in Paradise.....

Another 12" or so of snow!

'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

A Warm Welcome......

2011-01-24T11:29:00.005-05:00

I want to extend a warm welcome to some new followers.....

They are: Brie at Enjoying Life and Losing It

Gemma at Blog-dolls-dollhouses

Maria Blanca at Lascosasde Maria Yamontino

Welcome to all and I hope you enjoy reading my blog. I always like meeting and getting to know new (to me) fellow bloggers.

'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

Snowballs!

2011-01-19T10:56:00.004-05:00

I guess all this snow that we've had has put me in the mood to MAKE some snowballs! These will go nicely with my snowman and snowflakes displays.....

This is how they start out.....Styrofoam balls covered with Ready-mixed Joint Compound .....After that is dry, sand all over really well.

I buy this at Wal-Mart for $3.00 for a container.....

I bought these at the craft store.....

I glued the balls to the clothespins, after they were painted.....Then I added some glitter, it really makes them sparkle.

These smaller ones (2") are Christmas tree ornaments.....

I like these because they sit up on top of the tree branches, good for filling in places on the tree. I used the similar technique on my mushrooms that I made, they worked out very well on the tree.....

These are a little larger (2 1/2") and good for displays. I have them in a basket lined with a scarf.....

I put the baseball in for size contrast.....

So, this is what we are looking at, still.....

This is the backyard, Dusty's little walkway.....The snow is about 2 ft here.....It's a lot deeper in places where it drifted from the high winds that we had.....
Today is cloudy and the temperature is about 38 degrees. The snow is melting some, but we are expecting more snow on Friday! We must remember, after all, it is winter!

'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

Giveaway winner!!

2011-01-16T12:33:00.004-05:00

I have a winner........ She is.....

JOANNE KENNEDY of "My Little Cottage in the Making"! Congratulations, Joanne! Please send me your address, so that I can send you the "Love is in the Air" prizes.

Thank you to everyone who participated and welcome to the new followers who have joined me in Blogland. I hope you enjoy my blog and it will be nice to get to know you. Please come by often.

'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

Giveaway....

2011-01-14T11:06:00.005-05:00

Just a reminder that my giveaway, "Love is in the Air", will end Saturday night at midnight..... There's still time to enter.....just go HERE to do that.
Good luck to all,
'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

January Nor'easter

2011-01-13T12:55:00.007-05:00

This was my world yesterday.....
These pictures were taken about halfway through the storm, so just double the amount of snow that you see.....
We ended up with somewhere around 20" of snow.....

24 degrees.....

It was a good day to just stay inside and work on craft projects, watch movies, cook, and do all the things that are fun!
Did you enter my giveaway yet? Only 2 days left!!!! You can do that HERE.

'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

A Warm Welcome.......

2011-01-12T14:47:00.006-05:00

I have some new followers that I would like to welcome.....
Say "Hello" to:
1. Nuria at Casita Mini cm
2. Pat at Gypsy Heart & Soul
3. Joanne K. at My Little Cottage in the Making
4. Sheila at Sheila's Dot and Daisies
5. Shala Darkstone
6. Spencer at Bellamere Cottage
7. Ascension at Mis Miniaturas

I hope you will come by often and that you like my blog. Thank you to all, your friendship means so much to me.

Did you enter my giveaway yet? You can do that, HERE:
'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

Salute to winter............

2011-01-10T12:04:00.003-05:00

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.....
I'm trying to make the best of winter..... by decorating for it!
See the shelf in my dining room.....

A very large snowflake.....

Lots of snowflakes "falling" from the sky.....

More snowflakes.....

My living room mantle..... (notice: little bobble head Dusty, so cute!)

And, my little "Snow people".....
These things make me smile and that makes me happy.....

Actually, I don't mind winter so much now. I am retired and I don't have to go out if I don't want to. Lol

How do you deal with winter?

Have you entered my giveaway yet? You can do that by going HERE.

'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

Cars and Quilts............

2011-01-09T15:17:00.006-05:00

Phew! I've had a busy time the last few days!
First, my grandson's birthday was 2 days after Christmas and we hadn't celebrated it yet! Poor kid, his birthday is always put off 'til later! Let me say that they celebrate within their immediate family, but not with all of us. So, we did the birthday party last night and it was really fun! He just got his driver's license about a month ago. So, naturally, he is saving money to buy his first car. So, I made him a "Cars" cake, got him the movie "Cars", a model kit of a '68 Mustang and some money for his bank account. He liked it all, in spite of being 17!

Then, I got a message from the sewing store that we needed 8 quilts to meet our quota of 500 quilts for this year! We just started this project in June, so it really was only 6 months. I had 2 kits to sew and I made one little baby quilt from my own materials.
I called the store to let them know I would bring 3 baby quilts to the store on Saturday. So, I was sewing up quilts like crazy! I still didn't know if 3 would be enough. Then, when I got there on Saturday, I found out that we indeed, did have 501 quilts!
Yay, us! We did it! This made me very happy! Here are the three that I made.....

Now it's time to reset the counter for this year!

Have you entered my 200th post giveaway yet? You can do that HERE.

'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

Doggy Cookies................

2011-01-05T12:04:00.005-05:00

I made some cookies for my little Dusty for Christmas.....
He likes them a lot.....

I'm giving you the recipe, if you want to make them for your little sweetheart.....

These are all chemical free.....

Peanut Butter Dog Biscuits

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup rolled oats

1/3 cup creamy peanut butter (preferably all natural)

1 1/4 cups water

1 egg (for egg wash)

*can also add 1/2 t. bacon fat

Mix all together to form a dough. Roll out on floured surface to 1/8" thick and cut with small cutters. These can also be rolled into little balls and flattened (crosshatch) with a fork. Brush with an egg wash (an egg beaten with a little water added). Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly browned.

I made them thin and small, so Dusty can bite them. You may want to make larger, thicker ones, if you have a large pet. I gave some to my two daughters and my granddaughter for their dogs and their dogs all like them, too. Give them a try, it's a fun thing to do!

Have you signed up for my giveaway yet? If not, you can go HERE and do that!

'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

GIVEAWAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!.....

2011-01-03T20:03:00.008-05:00

Here we are.....
Almost all my Christmas stuff is put away, my attic arranged and organized, and now I am ready for this nice, BIG, Giveaway. It is to commemorate my 200th post here on blogspot. I never thought I would get to this point. But, just as time flies by, so does the blogging. lol
So, here are the things that could be yours....... (sorry, I forgot to turn the picture :( ) oops...

And Romance is in the Air.....because Valentine's Day will be coming soon, I thought it would be nice to have the prizes reflect LOVE.....

Just for entering my giveaway, all this could be yours......

The Spring 2011 issue of Romantic Country magazine, because Romance is in the Air, and the magazine is my namesake for my blog. I love this magazine and pour through all my back issues often!

A beautiful red silk rose....

A little cement angel.....(suitable for indoors or out)

My favorite.....Conversation hearts.....

A "Love Always" rubber stamp and a red ink stamp pad.....

Four different chunky red glitters.....

A valentine for a male in your life.....

The inside of the card.....
So, now what do you have to do?

1. Become a follower, if you are not already. AND

2. Leave a comment on this post.

Doing this gets you ONE entry.

3. If you want another entry, announce my giveaway on your blog. Then come back and tell me that you did this, and you will be entered twice!

I would like all entries on this post, and I will post a link on future posts to bring the entrants here.

The deadline will be Saturday, January 15, Midnight EST, 2011. The drawing will be held on Sunday January 16, 2011 and I will contact the winner on that day. Please make sure you leave an email address so that I may contact you, if you don't have a blog.

GOOD LUCK to all!
'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

Happy New Year!.................

2010-12-30T23:08:00.005-05:00

I've decided to wait until after the New Year to announce the giveaway....

Please be patient! Thanks.

Happy New Year!

'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

................................Happy New Year!

2010-12-29T17:29:00.007-05:00

.....I am wishing a happy, healthy

New Year to all.....
Post # 200.....

I am planning a Giveaway for this post!
I will announce the details tomorrow!
'Til next time Love ya, Jean

..............................Christmas Eve............

2010-12-24T18:49:00.003-05:00

Have a Joyful Christmas.......
'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

............................2 more days........

2010-12-23T15:38:00.005-05:00

Jesus is the reason for the season.....

These are my figures that I bought at Woolworth's about 40 years ago. I remember buying them over several years because I didn't have the money to buy all at once. I made the stable from scraps of wood that were laying around at the time. I found a few more figures at the thrift store a few years ago. I will continue to buy more if I find them. I just love them and to me they are perfect.

This is a Roy Des Mouse Bank.....1970.....He is a bank and was given out as gifts or incentives to open an account at the banks at that time. This one actually belonged to my little brother, he had two different ones. My Mom gave them to me because he didn't want them. I have them here in my workroom on the shelf. I think they are so cute!

2 more days.....I can't believe it!

I want to say "thank you and welcome" to all my new followers:

V-King-of-Cod-V,

Kim G., at Camp Whimsy, whom I've actually known for a long time,

Mary, at Visits with Mary,

pepi_mali at mi nia turas Cisnero

Rachel at Miniature Maid,

Debi Magiera, Susi At Mini Eden,

Cathy at Treasured Heirlooms & Elegance and Whimsy,

Natalia at Scarlet Sails Miniatures and 365 Cross Stitch Patterns 2011.

I hope you enjoy my blog and I am happy to get to know each of you. Come back often!

'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

............................Here we are.....

2010-12-22T18:53:00.002-05:00

Not a great picture, but you get the idea! Now, we're just waiting for the big day!
'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

2010-12-22T18:22:00.004-05:00

I have more Christmas decorations to show you.....

I found this Santa, blowing across the parking lot where I worked about 15 years ago. Of course, I had to go rescue him! The weird part of this is that it had my DBF's name printed on his mitten. Now is that weird or what! I guess he was meant to be mine!

I have added a lot more to this table since I took this picture.....

My coffee table centerpiece.....

My tree.....

And now it is full of presents, lots more ornaments, and of course, my new mushrooms. I'm going to take a new picture of it. Hold on.....'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

.............................Ta-Daaaa...............

2010-12-21T14:31:00.003-05:00

The mushrooms are finished!

I LOVE how they came out!
I used some Martha Stewart Glitter and some Twinklets Diamond Dust. I love how they sparkle and shine!

I put some moss, a little pinecone and a few rocks around the bottom of the stem of the mushroom. I think it helps "ground" it to the base.

I love all the different shapes and colors.....

I also love how they sit on top of the branches, instead of hanging down. This helps to fill in any holes! I made 11 altogether, some are duplicates. I am READY for Christmas! I'm going to watch the movie, "A Christmas Story", now. This is one of my favorite movies and I enjoy it every time I see it! I hope you have a wonderful afternoon!
'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

............................A wonderful gift.......

2010-12-20T17:02:00.003-05:00

I received a package in the mail the other day and inside were the most beautiful gifts from my BFF, Lady Jane! She has a blog, Our Cozy Abode and another, For the Love of Minis. Go over and check them out, her blogs are very interesting and I'm sure she would like to meet you.

She had sent me one of her Christmas stars, shown below. She did a post on her blog and gave a link on how to make them. This picture does not do it justice at all. The lighting on the tree makes it difficult to take a really good picture of the ornament. It is very sparkly and so pretty. And she also made this tapestry stand and little stool. These are miniatures for my dollhouse. I love them both and will cherish them forever.

A closeup pic of the tapestry......

So beautiful.....

She also sent some of her delicious Christmas cookies. They didn't make it to Christmas, they are all gone now. They were so good! I have her recipes to make more!

Thank you, Lady Jane, your gifts are most appreciated, and hold a special place in my heart. Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year!

'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

.............................More decor...................

2010-12-18T12:10:00.002-05:00

I added some battery lights to the mantle and I really like the way they look............

I love my vintage pieces that are up there. I just got the noel angels. My neighbor of 40 years passed away about 3 weeks ago and there was a sale to dispose of her belongings. I was fortunate to purchase the little angels. Now I have a memento of her and will always be reminded of this sweet lady who shared our neighborhood and our lives. I miss her, but know that she is in a better place with the real angels in Heaven. May she rest in peace.

My fireplace and mantle. So cute..... No, the mushrooms are not done yet. But I have all my wrapping done, cookie dough in the fridge, and all the decorating is done. I feel that I have accomplished so much! A few more small gifts to get and now I'm just waiting for the big day! Relaxing and watching Hallmark Christmas movies. And crafting mushrooms! So much fun!

'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

..............................Still working on the Mushrooms........

2010-12-15T20:34:00.003-05:00

So, here are some of the mushrooms.....they are taking longer than I thought they would.....

Martha used antique clips to put hers on. I'm using clothes pins.....

I glued this wooden disk onto the clothes pins.....

Glue is drying.....

Then I had to paint the backs of the disks and the rest of the clothes pins.....

Most of the time is spent waiting for glue and paint to dry, but I'm getting there.

Please be patient! I hope the next pictures are of the finished product. So much fun!

'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

...........................Corner Cabinet.........

2010-12-14T13:23:00.003-05:00

in my dining room.....

I'm still working on the mushrooms, but getting close to showing the finished product.

'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

................................Jolly Old St. Nick.........

2010-12-13T15:11:00.002-05:00

I bought this door panel for my kids some 40 years ago......I hang it every year and I think I like him as much as they did (and still do)!
'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

.............................Mushroom Craft...........

2010-12-11T18:42:00.003-05:00

I am crafting some mushrooms......

These will be Christmas tree ornaments, if they come out right..... I saw this craft on the Martha Stewart Show and I really liked them! I really wanted to try to make them.

So far, so good!

I'll show you more as they progress.

'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

.............................Snow people............

2010-12-10T11:46:00.005-05:00

I call these my "Snow people". I painted many, many of these about 15 years ago and sold some of them in a consignment store at the local mall. I had some left over, so I use them to decorate with. I just love their cheerful little faces..........
'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

............................Sweet Memories..........

2010-12-07T20:00:00.005-05:00

My corner table in the living room...... Clockwise starting at the bottom left corner.....

A little elf candle climber, one of my girls gave this to me for Christmas one year....
A Christmas star box given to me by my daughter about 20 years ago.....
On top of the box, a picture of Dusty, held by a vintage flower frog.....
A porcelain doll dressed for winter with her little wool coat and holding a little tree and wreath....
A very old photo (1947) of my sister and older brother and me.....
A white ceramic candle holder with candle and ribbon bow.....
A vintage centerpiece given to me by my MIL about 40 years ago.
Some filler pines and poinsettias in the background.....

This is a collection of some of my favorite things that I have had for many years. They bring back warm and wonderful memories of Christmas's past. I'm sure many of you have your favorite decorations that you love and I look forward to seeing some of yours.

'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

.................................Decorating..................

2010-12-06T13:15:00.003-05:00

I have started decorating for Christmas......

This is my dining room window. I decided to do a red & white & peppermint candy theme this year.....

YUMMY! My favorite ribbon candy, peppermint nougats, and Hershey's peppermint kisses.....

And it wouldn't be Christmas without CANDY CANES.....I'm decorating a little at a time, shopping a little at a time, and wrapping the gifts a little at a time this year. I don't know why, it's just working out this way. Lol Come back to see some more tomorrrow.

'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

...........................A gift for me..............

2010-12-03T17:04:00.003-05:00

This is the gift that I received from the swap at my dollhouse club meeting last night. It is fabulous and I love it!

Just look at these desserts!

And more on the bottom shelf!

And even a sparkly little Christmas towel! So perfect!

This will look so wonderful in my dollhouse!

I am so happy with my gift and I will cherish it for a long time to come.

'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

............................A mini gift............

2010-11-30T18:54:00.003-05:00

I recently joined a dollhouse club.....

We are having a holiday party and gift grab this week.....

This is what I made for the gift.....
I made the table and most of the things on it.....
I bought the wine bottle, glass, the bread, and I had the little wooden button
that the fruit is laying on.....

This is so much fun! I can't wait to see who gets it!

'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

............................A Contrast..............

2010-11-28T16:54:00.002-05:00

Before.....

After.....Our Thanksgiving was wonderful!

'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

............................Welcome...........

2010-11-27T11:09:00.002-05:00

A warm welcome to some new followers..... Daisy of Daisy's Miniaturas 1/12
Penny Sue of Penny For Your Thoughts
and linwots of Man and Health

I hope you enjoy my blog and it will be my pleasure to get to know each of you. Thank you for following my blog.
'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

.............................Giveaway...............

2010-11-26T16:17:00.002-05:00

Rebecca is having a wonderful Giveaway.......... This beautiful handmade lavender sachet......

To enter, go over to her blog. http://rebecca-gatheryeroses.blogspot.com/2010/11/vintage-christmas-girl-sachetanother.html

The drawing will be on November 30. And you can have multiple chances to win......

'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

...............................More Quilts........

2010-11-24T13:18:00.004-05:00

These are the latest baby quilts that I sewed......
I folded up the corners to show the backing of the quilts..... These little quilts go to Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

The materials are provided by Wayside Sewing, Marlboro, MA. They make up the kits for the quilts and many of the women who go to that store, sew them together.

We are at 350 quilts so far, and our goal is to make and donate 500 by the end of the year.

They are 24-32" square......

I have used many of my own materials from my stash to make about half of the ones that I have sewed. My personal count is 54, since June.

I love to sew and I feel this is a very good cause, and I'm happy to be able to do my part.

I love all the bright colors and the designs.

I hope these little quilts will brighten the lives of the parents of these tiny, little babies.

'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

....................................Lace..........................

2010-11-22T14:24:00.004-05:00

It's a known fact........... I love lace!

It is so beautiful! So feminine, there are a million beautiful designs and it makes such wonderful light patterns! It adds a nice romantic touch to any decor!

Do you have lace around your home?
'Til next time, Love ya, Jean

...........................Welcome to:...................

2010-11-19T09:15:00.002-05:00

Hi Everyone, It's time to welcome some new followers again........ A warm welcome to BJ at Sweet Nothings, Sylvia at miniaturasnatasylvia, Lynn at Country Heart and Roses, Cidisu and Brenda. I hope you enjoy visiting and reading my blog. I will certainly enjoy your company. To everyone else: Go check out their blogs, I'm sure you will enjoy them.

~~I have to run for now, I'm expecting a dear friend from NJ today.~~

'Til next time, Love ya, Jean