Valentine Apron Swap

How cute is this? I received it today. A valentine apron swap from Val hosted by Aunt Pitty Pats.
Since I've been doing apron swaps I always wanted an apron package from Val. I've seen the nicest and cutest stuff in her swaps and now I am the proud owner of one.
She sent me a valentine print apron with little polka dot print on the pocket and ties with eyelet trim on the pocket. And it is lined. So very nice and cute. And she tops this great apron off with a crocheted heart hot pad and scrubbie. And there is even more. A crocheted heart book mark and heart pin. Wait I am not through. Look in the pocket of the apron. She sent me flower seeds in 3 little envelope packets. Even the flower seeds were grown and picked by her. There is also a magnetic note pad with hearts. And a cute valentine dish towel. And of course a little box of chocolates.

I have learned something from her package to me -- That handmade items are the best!



This is the apron package I sent her. A heart apron, heart magnets, heart bookmark, heart picture frame, and little box of chocolates.









gin

What is today

What is today?
friday? technically yes, but not the answer
end of the month? technically yes, but no
brrrrrr cold? technically yes, but no
pay day? technically yes, but no

give up?
it's garage sale day on the way to work!!
today I went to 2. i bought a basketball goal for $1.
it is the red round iron goal. it has a almost new net on it and the screws are in a bag taped to
it. It's a heavy duty one with the triple hooks that holds the net.

why I wanted this you ask?
we always had one at home when the kids were growing up and it's still thee. I loved playing it just by myself while the kids were at school. and me and the kids would play horse and stuff with it. And then when their friends were over they would all play. I like basketball. Since we moved a few years ago, we never put one up. I wanted one again. Now I can play by myself and when the kids come we can play a game. Now I just have to buy a basketball.



Yippee! I can't wait to play.


gin

Vintage Thingie Thursday

It's another Vintage Thingie Thursday over at Coloradolady's. Check her out for more participants with their vintage thingies.

This set of glasses and pitcher caraffe are from the 60's. They were my grandma's. And she gave them to me many years ago. She collected them out of Duz detergent. I can remember her coming home from the grocery and emptying the detergent to get her next piece to add to the set. I have 10 tea glasses and 6 juice glasses and the pitcher. I don't use them but they do claim front row seating in my china cabinet with other treasures from my grandma!

The pieces have etched leaves on the glass with silver trim around the top edge and the pitcher has the wood handle with a built in silver metal holder around the pitcher. I have come across a few glasses like this in antique stores and flea markets, but never purchased any extra ones.

gin

Tagged, I'm It

I've been tagged by Tammy for 8 random things about my self. So I am going to list them off the top of my head. I don't want to stop and think about what I should list.


1. I have a fear of the dentist. I will cancel appointments 4 or 5 times before I actually go and then when I get there I hope they tell me they have to reschedule.

2. I loved school. Some of my teachers would even let me teach the lesson in front of the class. I had to have straight A's. Once I cried all night because I got punish work in Jr. High. My first punish work ever. And it wasn't even my fault. The whole class had to copy part of the dictionary for someone's misbehavior.

3. I have to have peace and harmony in my household. I will do what ever it takes to have it.

4. I have to have Coca-Cola everyday, the real thing!

5. We have 3 kids, had 1 miscarriage. Wish we had more kids.

6. I do not like grocery shopping. You have to take groceries off the shelf, put in cart, take out of cart, put on checkout, take off checkout, put back in cart, take out of cart, put in car, take out of car, put on kitchen counter, take off counter, put in pantry, take out of pantry, cook. That is too much work involved.

7. In the last 4 years I have had 5 jobs. And was unemployed some of that time too. I have to confess I am a job hopper!

8. I like 99 degree weather all year long.


I'm suppose to tag 8 others. Here they are:
Peggy
Bobbie
Aimee'
Jill
Another Ginger
Mary Ellen
Sharon
GinnyB's

Too Much Help

I trying to get some sewing done. I use an upstairs room for my sewing and stuff.

I'm doing this project on the floor because my cutting table is taken over with pink for another project.

This is a valentine scrub top I am making for Jennifer for her to wear for valentines day at work.

Poochie just recently learned to go up and down the stairs. She now goes up and down constantly and just sits on the landing looking down thru the banister. Then she proceeded to visit me and attack my material and pattern. See the paper in her mouth.

Here she has grabbed the #6 piece of the pattern which is the pocket. She would not listen to me and give it back. She actually ate it. At least it is a piece that is easy to reproduce - just a square pocket.

And this is not the first time she has done this. I left things out one day and when I went upstairs there was newspaper that I had used to make a pattern all over the floor shredded into a lot of pieces. She got in a bag and got brand new wrapped in it's package binding unrolled all over the floor.

Poor Poochie, she tries to help too much.

gin

Another Business Deal (or should I say a Steal)

My lunch on Friday went like this: went to bank, waited in the drive thru for 23 minutes, hoping for time to make it downtown to the flea markets, antique stores. Thru with the bank, headed downtown. I had been spying this garden bird feeder statue for the last 2 weeks. But never had time to stop, and really was trying to avoid buying anything that was not absolutely necessary. But I took the chance and gave myself a $10 limit to spend. I parked, walked inside, and asked the lady, "How much is the bird feeder statute?" She replied, "Give me $2 and it's yours." Wow, caught me off guard needless to say. Stupid me said, "Oh well I will give you $5." Now in the business of garage sales, flea markets, and antique stores world this is backwards. I should have been bargaining down, not raising the price, right? Don't know what I was thinking? The lady said, "well that's a first, sold for $5." Maybe I thought I was at an auction and the statue would go to the highest bidder. Even though I was the only one in the store. I could see myself even going higher in price if there was someone else eyeing it. Why would she want only $2 for this? Is there something wrong with the statue?

Don't you like it? Wouldn't you have paid $5 for it?
She is so sweet. I gave the lady $5 and carried my new baby to my truck.
She will have a special place in my spring garden in a few months.

I may place a flowering vine in her bird feeder, instead of having birds peck on her while eating bird feed. So the owner of the shop got the business deal that day and a I think I got a steal for a few dollars more!

gin

Sit down before you read this

My job is really really boring. It's a small office with only 6 employees. I am in the front reception so I have to be there all during the day. Really really really boring. I am usually there by myself most of the time. My boss was in and out all day. I was sitting there today thinking, "I need to find another job, I don't like this." Then about 3pm my boss walked in and said,

(First I need to do a flash-back for you: my boss and his wife are the owners, her mother lives in a house across the street from the business, a very very nice house. She is 86 years old and has just recently moved into a retirement home. her family is selling her house.)

So my boss said, "Gin we are cleaning out Mona's house, there are a few odd and end things left like flower pots and such. Would you like to go over and see if you want any." So in a reserved business professional kind of way I said, " Yes, I will go over and look." But really to my self I said, "Be still my heart!" I had been hearing them talk about moving stuff out of the house and wanted so bad to go over and even buy some stuff.
I went over to the house and loaded up my truck with large pretty ceremic flower pots.
See how pretty. They all look this good.

Some have dead plants in them. .

And some contain fake flowers.I didn't resist any of them. Isn't this oval one above so pretty. It almost looks like a serving dish.

I ended up with 10 large ones and 4 small ones.
And even a few lamps were loaded in my truck.

These 2 lamps date back from years ago. I like them.
And this one is a pretty light light blue with that embossed design you see. The camera was held crooked because I had to stretch my arm out to get to it to get the picture.

I presented myself very lady like and reserved as I loaded up, Even though I had that flea market/garage sale excitement that comes along with such a good treasure find. And even better because all this was free.

I even got a set of dessert cups and a portable treadmill thingy.

All in a days work!!

gin

My To-Do-List

I'm back in the swing of things for sewing and joining a few swaps.
Two swaps are ready for the mail. I signed up for a valentine apron swap at Aunt Pitty Pats. And an Easter swap and a Winter Basics and Baubles Swap. Plus a couple of to-finish projects for myself.

These are two quilts I plan to quilt in the next few months. I made the quilt tops a while back and need to get them quilted and finished.

This is a Dresden Plate pattern. And can you tell this is an airplane?

I have a person waiting in the wings with 1 of her own quilt tops she made that I volunteered to quilt for her.

See this quilt picture sample. I am determined to get this made in a single twin size just in time for Easter. It's a pattern for a wall hanging, but I'm going to tweak it a little for my project by adding a lot more blocks just like these. Cute huh?
It calls for 8-12 different coordinating fabrics and fusible web for applique. I should be able to machine quilt it, so it should go really fast, fast, fast. Which is what I need -- something fast and easy. This should do the trick. And if goes as planned -- quick and easy -- I would like to make more than one!!! Don't worry, I'm always like this. My eyes are bigger than my stomach or my goals are bigger than reality. I'll let you know how many gets made.

All these projects will keep me busy till spring and will keep me out of trouble!!

gin

Val awarded me this friendship award. And she has become a great blogger friend to me. Thank you Val.

This blog invests and believes in Proximity- 'nearness in space, time and relationships.'
These blogs are charming and the bloggers aim to find friends and BE friends.
They are not interested in self-promotion.
The hope is that when the ribbon of these 'awards' are cut, even more friendships are made.
With that in mind, please take a moment to visit the blogs I have chosen. We are to pass this on to 8 bloggers whom we consider friends. So, here you go, read on!

Gin Gin -- We found each other's blog by both our names being Gin. You can't help but be bloggy friends having the same name.
Sharon -- Her blog is so sweet - all about family and home.
Peg --sisters are friends forever.
Bobbie--sisters are friends forever. She's been blogging quite a while and I know she has made friends thru blogging far and near.
Holly--another new blog friend.

gin

The Winner Is.....

It's time for the winner. I participated in the Whirl Into Winter giveaway with 60+ other bloggers. And today is the day to announce the winner of my giveaway. So after 172 comments plus some who posted about it on their blog I can draw a winner. First, thank you everyone who clicked on my blog to enter. Of course I saw a lot of traffic - yippee! And I am visiting all of your blogs as well to "see" you. Second, I would love to give a prize to every commentor who commented - but I haven't made that many table runners. And, last but not least, I thank my family who supported me and gives me their honest opinion --- oh, I'm not at the Golden Globes or Emmy's am I? OK! I printed off all the comments and added those who got a second entry because of posting it on their blog. Then I cut them apart, put them in a box and drew a name.

The Winner Is:

Kaye

Kaye said...
Your giveaway is sooo beautiful. I am amazed at all of You being so generous. Thank You and a Happy, Blessed New Year.

January 1, 2009 8:20 AM

She won this:

A winter white table runner made by me with satiny lining and tassel fringe ends, with Cambridge 4 piece spreader set, 6 winter fragrant candles, 6 napkin rings, and 6 linen napkins all stored in a keepsake box. Congratulations Kaye. I have contacted you via email. Please reply back with needed info. This was such fun and very enjoyable. I will plan to do another giveaway soon.

gin

Gardening time

Like I said last week, I love summer.

This catalog came in the mail yesterday.

I'm making my wish list, marking the pages, and hopefully get an order off in the next week or two.

I would love to have some of almost everything in the book. But that is not possible. Not enough money for one thing, let alone there is a 50% chance when I plant it will not survive. And not because of Burgess plant company, but because of me. I may plant it in the wrong location. It may need more sun than where I put it, or it will get too much sun. And then there is the problem when on occasion I have not watered the yard or plants when we have those drought weeks and days with no rain and 99 degree weather. I truly love beautiful plants with blooming colors and fragrance with the butterflies and bumblebees they bring. But I have no green thumb!

These are a few of the ones I have marked that I would like to order. Even though it is easier to just go to a local plant nursery or a Lowe's or Home Depot Garden Center and see what you are getting for probably even a lower price. But I will order just a couple things from the catalog to get a head start. It is only the middle of January you know. There is plenty of time to start the new gardening.

I think I will love the lavender. I have never grown any. But it looks so pretty and I like purple and the stuff you can do with the fragrance. I like roses too. I really like climbing roses for some reason. And the passion flower you see here I want to try. I also want to order clematis. I didn't get a picture of it from the book, but it is marked and I difinitely want to order some.

Aren't you excited for spring to arrive?

gin

Dear Winter

It is Saturday, January 10. It is 77 degrees, 80% humidity and 90% chance of rain. Tonight it is suppose to be down to the 50''s And it is suppose to be in the middle of winter. (Even though we had a couple inches of snow the middle of December. That only comes once every 5 years or more.) But have I told you that I love hot summery weather. I love hot summery weather all year long. That's what you get in the south! Some blogs I look at have beautiful snow pictures taken in their back yards. And it last and last and last the whole winter.
This is what my winter yard looks like today.
There are still leaves falling from the trees.
There are still flowers blooming.
There are still shorts and short sleeves being worn.
There are still cook outs on the grill.
What can I say. I love summer weather all year long.

gin

Take a look

Yesterday was my refrigerator's day in the spotlight. Today I'll go ahead and show the rest of my kitchen. This is one side of the kitchen. The refrig is on the other side. That's Poochie at the back door.
And why not look at the den while you are looking.
You've probably already seen the dining room in my Thanksgiving and Christmas post.
And downstairs bed and bath. Oh there you are Poochie! It's time to get up, naptime is over.

All these pictures (except the refrig pics) were taken last summer. So now you've had the tour of the inside living area except the upstairs.

gin

Top of the Fridge

Holly always has some good blogging going on. Today she is sharing the top of her fridge.

She says your refrig deserves the same treatment as your china hutch!! Well I love my china hutch and all that it contains. My refrig--well that's a different story, I don't treat it as well as I do my china hutch.

Go visit Holly and see for yourself and post your refrig picture "as is". And like she said, don't be too hard on yourself if your refrig is missing the royal treatment.

Here is the top of my frig!!!

You can laugh. Yes, my refrig is yellow! There are no cabinet doors above it either. But I like my magnolia picture and my Thomas Kinkade house and my brass duck and ducklings. And of course what refrig is not complete without memories magnetized all over it.If you show the top of your frig let me know so me and Holly can see.
gin

Happy Anniversary

To Brandon & Julie. Today is their 2nd wedding anniversary.
Wishing you two a great day together!!
Love, Mom Dad
Jennifer Rob
Trent