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Summer is about gone!!!

2017-08-19T17:36:00.000-05:00

August 19, 2017

Boy it's hard to believe but summer is almost done...it goes way too fast for me!!!!
We've had a fun summer working in our garden, coving out with family and friends, fishing, working and just hanging out!!! Red recovered from his knee surgery, Grandma is doing quite well with her new hip and I love my new knees they work great!!!

We have had some absolutely beautiful sunsets, this pic does no justice but they have been so red and fun to watch. Dave cut down a bunch of trees so our view is much better.

I have been working on repurposing here a samples of the latest items, table runner from old doilies and an apron from vintage fabric, dresser scarf and some sort of crocheted deal!!! I think they are very fun behind the runner is a wool hat covered with a doilie and flower it is quite fun. will have more of these for our Fiber Fest October 14.

Here I am with my gift from my good friend Linda Howes from Middleton, she found this awesome repurposed wine bottle and glass handpainted yard decor, I just love it!!!!

And here is the planter Dave made me for Mothers Day filled in nicely we do need a few more holes , next year!!! Our garden and flowers have done great this year.. we had a long dry spell and now we've had some serious rain so things are really growing!!! This font size is puzzling.. I am not good at this!!!

As usual I can't move these around...one highlight of the summer was meeting Marilyn Ridge in Bentonville, AR. and going to the Chihuly glass show, wow was that wonderful,e did the inside during the day and went back in the evening to the outdoor show after dark with a guide. Unbelievable, he is a fabulous artist and from Tacoma WA. I was so glad to see this show. On our way to the Lake we stopped in Eureka Springs, AR. a darling old hippie town full of cute shops and last stop Branson to see the most over done Victorian style shop I have ever see. It's so out there I still just stare at all the stuff ....more lace and beads and fu fu and shake my head.

Well, that's all for this time...Happy Fall!!!

2017-05-03T07:56:00.003-05:00

May 3, 2017

Rain rain and more rain...the lake is rising more flooding on the way!!! Glad we are top of a ridge but it is so soggy and dreary. It started raining last night and came all night long now we are into thunder and lightening..

Monday we had to put down our dog Cami, she was a senior when we got her but the time had come, the day before our dog Red was chasing a ground hog and fell in a hole and tore his ACL now requiring surgery. RIP Cami

And 2 weeks ago Mom fell in the garage and broke her hip requiring a partial hip replacement she is home after 12 days and doing nicely, she's a real trooper!!!!

April has been really busy with lots going on our friends Jim, and Linda came thru for a week plus on their way from Texas to Wisconsin. We met them in Branson for a few days and had a blast hooting around Branson and the surrounding area, beautiful country. we stayed in their 5th wheel at a very nice campground right downtown on the river, walked to the Landing etc. Glad we went then as it's underwater as I write!!!!

We had a wonderful Easter dinner with smoked leg of lamb and chicken, flowers from our garden and good friends and family, beautiful day. Then Jim and Linda went fishing on Brandons docks and caught 28 blue gill and we had a fabulous fish fry, they also brought some great whiting back from Texas. Yum.

Well as usual I can;t get the pics in the right places. We also had a fun day hiking at Ha Ha Tonka Park..what a beautiful park I hadn't been able to walk this much in several years and it was great!!! What a fun time and now back to reality Prom dresses and taking care of Mom. Thankfully we have friends helping out...well hope all is well with all our friends and family back to stabbin n rags

the landing light showAdd caption

2017-02-16T09:46:00.000-06:00

February 2017

I can't believe how fast the time goes. I haven't done a blog in over 6 months and I was going to do this weekly, ha ha ha!!! Well, it's been nearly 6 years since we moved to the Lake of the Ozarks..we really like it here, weather is great, area is beautiful, we have found some great groups to join and our jobs have been good, not much to complain about!!!

I am still sewing my upcycled items from wool, sweaters and ties..ties are really fun to work with I have made alot of fun things over the years. The neck pieces are like an ascot, nice to wear easier than a scarf, no moving around etc. And the hats are really cute... I will be doing a class on these neckpieces at our MOFO retreat this March.

MOFO is the Missouri Fiber Art group for the state. I belong to our local group of Fiber Artists also and it's a fabulous group of talented women.

As you can tell I still haven't figured out how to place the pictures. Maybe if I did this more often I would figure it out!!

Well, it looks like we'll be making a Hot Springs run soon, Marilyn has found me a 1939 Singer Sewing machine with case and all attachments and instruction book plus it works for a very good deal. Can't wait to see it!!!

My Mom is doing well she will be 96 this summer.. sight, hearing and feeling in her hands are going but she gets around just fine and we manage to eat out most lunches and some dinners. Below is a pillow from Devins birthday party Melissa had made it is so cute and they both look great!!!

Devin turned 5 last year, the kids have moved to North Carolina for their full time residence and come back and forth for their business. Devin is in kindergarten and loves it!!! I missed the party this year as I had both of my knees replaced, tailors knees, funny how that works!!! Guess 50 years of up and down takes it toll. So glad I had that done finally no pain!!!

Dave is working in a grocery store again and likes it alot better than the slaughter house...it's hard to be the cutter when he sees all the things that could be done easier and faster and better but....he doesn't want that responsibility again!!!!

Brandon is still wrenching on boats and still loves it...with all this warm weather they will be on the water very soon!!! Brandon has got his basement cleaned up and looking like a prof workshop, lots easier to work in all organized etc.

And of course our dogs are hanging in there.. Roxy and Cami are elderly both have walking issues and Red will be 11, he's the only one we know is real age...and he's still very active. Red and I are walking about 2 miles each day, feels great!!!

Well,more later Happy Spring to all!

The neck piece below will be the one we will make in the class.

2016-07-07T15:29:00.000-05:00

HAPPY SUMMER 2016

I can't believe fourth of July has come and gone, that means summer is half over!!!!!

I don't think I have made an entry for six months what with the smart phone I seldom get on my regular computer and of course I can't figure out how to do this on the phone so there you have it!!

Well, here's the latest, I bought these really cool planters fool proof etc. and I have blossom end rot had it in the summer squash and now the tomatoes. Thanks for all my friends giving me advice I can see where this can happen so now to fix it!!! The planters are very nice but I'm not sure they are the worlds greatest, we'll see....

On the Fourth I went with Brandon and Aubrey to see the fireworks, we joined up with a few other boats very nice evening. Water is cooler from all the rain but it's hot and humid so it will warm up quickly. we had the pleasure of going on Brandon's friend boat he purchased at auction..1987 34 Sea Ray, big roomy boat and in not bad shape. Boy that would have been the boat to have all the years we were on the Mississippi river, wouldn't have gone as far but sure would have been comfy!!!!

I finally went kayaking with some gals and what fun. I borrowed a friends kayak nice ride.. we put in below Tunnel Dam on the Big Niangua River and went to the Whistle, which is a bridge crossing, it was only 3 miles and went fast but a great introduction to the sport. Since then Ben has loaned me his kayak so I can use his!!! This is really fun and I can see why so many are doing this. The Lake is a challenge unless you are in a no wake cove but the river is beautiful and easy to navigate. I haven't been in a canoe in 30 years so it was a blast!!!

And here is Miss Devin playing in the play dough again, she really like this stuff. We sure miss her since they live most of the time in North Carolina, they still have their roofing biz and are going back and forth,but Devin starts school in a year so she's got to be in preschool.....and here is their newest dog Sky she is really over a year but is an Italian Mastif...she is a doll and so very sweet...I guess she doesn't like all men which is fine with me!!! She's a real treat.

On June 24 we hosted the Scandinavian Club's midsummer party, we had over 30 people attend. I made a no bake pickled herring cake, which is really an appetizer...sour cream, cream cheese, pickled herring and red onion some gelatin and put in fridge had a rye bread crumb bottom and chopped chives for frosting, it was delish, big hit will make it again!!!!!

And my latest hat wool coats and ties. This turned out very nicely but will do the brim a bit larger...I love hats and think I will go in this direction for awhile, wearing out on scarves and purses.

Have a great rest of summer!!!!!

2016-01-24T15:08:00.000-06:00

January 24, 2016

Today we took a hike after a cold week, ha ha, here in Mid Missouri, up to mid 50's today. Our dog Red loves to run so he had a good run today!!!!! After all the flooding there is some water trickling down the hill.

I've been wanting to paint some shoes, I purchased these and made them into sheep for the fiber festival, they were pretty cute....now I thought I'd paint them in my Happy Patchwork design. They turned out really nice and I sealed them etc. and of course the paint cracked right away...so back to square one, peel off the paint and sand them down and start over!!!! Hopefully that will work!!!!

Still can't figure out this picture placement, what a pain!!! So, the coat of many colors...all upholstery samples...sewn together to make up this coat, I just love it and it is warm to boot!!! It is trimmed in silk underlined and lined, front pockets.

And the last photo is my latest idea of repurposed wool felted onto pelon fiber interfacing, felted with the felting machine, covered in art yarns and stitched with the sewing machine and trimmed out with a few beads and ribbon and bound with a tie. The next one is more organized with strips coming soon!!!

I hope the new year is going well for everyone, we are always busy what with clubs, groups, friends, exercise, and going out for lunch, gad all we do is eat!!!! Today Dave and Brandon are trying to get this shelving done for my sewing area, ha ha this should be good. As everyone knows I am a fabric hoarder and it's a problem, so 30 bins should help, labeling and purging, again ha ha ha!!!! We shall see, it seems Brandon hurt his back while splitting wood and he's not quite upright!!!

2015-11-28T09:58:00.000-06:00

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

Wow!! it's hard to believe a year has gone by and no blogging..Facebook Stabbinragswithjackie is my new way to share what I'm making and doing.

We had a great spring and summer..did some boating, gardening, lots of sewing and designing more upcycled stuff!!! Our three old dogs are doing well. Red the aussie shepard loves to go boating. He longs for some cattle to herd but no luck here!!!

Mom turned 94 in august so we had a few parties for her and her friends, she loves to go out!!!!

And here the 4 generations.

This year has been a whirlwind with lots of fun activities going on. we had another successful Fiber Festival for our Fiber Arts group, lots of vendors, attendees, great items to purchase and it was a wonderful day!!! I would love to show some pics but in switching phones things has disappeared..similar to last years anyway.

Also this fall we took a spin up to Minneapolis to visit friends, I dropped mom off at her friends and I stayed with mine so we had a fun time doing our own things, Dave stayed home to work and care for the dogs!!!.. another bright spot in our lives Dave quit the slaughter house and went to work for a local grocery chain, Woods markets, and he loves being back in the grocery business cutting meat and not having any big responsibility!!! So happy for him!!!

We just had a fun Thanksgiving with all the kids and some friends, great food and company!!!

Of course I can't get the rest of the photos....can't wait till Marilyn comes and can lead me thru this photo process!!!

And Patty and I have been making upcycled dog Xmas stockings and they are cute, my friend patty also makes the upcycled firehose dog toys and the knotted t-shirt toys.

We will have all these items and a ton more at the School of the Osage craft fair Sat. Dec. 5.

More later I wish everyone a very happy Holiday Season and I will say Merry Christmas!!!

Wonderful Fall Days

2014-10-29T11:25:00.000-05:00

What a lovely fall we have had here in Mid Missouri. The trees have turned and the leaves are falling and the acorns, gad bumper crop of acorns, falling like rain!!!! The dogs really love this weather to run and play, ha ha who am I kidding they lay around all day everyday!!!!! mostly in bed. what a life!!!!

This fall our Lake Area Fiber Artists had the Fiber Fest in October instead of the springtime. We worked very hard and we had a very successful event with lots of great vendors, demos, Fiber display and our consignment table. We also had a very fun workshop doing art quilting. It was a great weekend.

After using a felting machine at the art quilt workshop Linda found them on sale so by Saturday noon I was the proud owner of a felting machine. They are way too much fun!!! Made four pair of upcycled mittens, I just think this is the most fun since I don't know what.

Here is the way I do the mittens, I have used an old wool coat, washed and dried, old wool sweaters again washed and dried and new fleece for lining. My friend Corie gave me some of her art yarn and as you know I am no knitter so art yarn is what???? First I made bowls with it , Mom calls that fiber mache and they are great!!! Then I started felting the yarn onto the wool. I have purchased some roving, another new word, and will try that next. I did break a needle but there are 12 of the little devils so will wait for one more to break before doing that replacement job!!!!

So to make these fun arty bowls you mix up some flour and water, 1/2 cup flour meixed with 2 cups cold water and add 2 more cups of water bring to boil for a minute or so and add 3T. sugar let cool and the fun begins. Take a bowl and spray with Pam cover with saran or plastic and start winding your yarn around and round, make ribs, or free form Let air dry and remove carefully and you have the perfect gift!!! This is a super project for kids and the best use of left over yarn.

Here is the Upcycled Christmas Tree we raffled off at the Fiber Fest, all the ornaments were handcrafted by our members, many were made from old wool sweaters and embroidered and embellished.

Time to get back to stabbin rags, life is good here in MO. we still miss our up north friends and family. We have the Mulherns coming for Thanksgiving and Marilyn for Christmas so that makes us happy. Mom is doing well for 93 she is a trooper and ready to run at the drop of a hat!!! All three dogs are doing well. Devin turns 3 next week and is just a doll, so much fun to visit with now. Ben and Melissa are working away busy as usual and Brandon is winterizing hundreds of boats, Dave is gearing up for the deer season, busy time for all!!!

Happy Fall to All!!!!!!!

What??? Summer is half over!!!???!!!

2014-07-22T15:12:00.000-05:00

We wait so long for summer and it goes by too fast. Every year the same thing happens!!!! Guess we should be used to it but after last winter I was hopeful summer would be never ending, ha ha!!!

We have had a nice summer with a host of guests and more coming, fun events, days on the lake and river really can't beat it...as the saying goes Livin' the dream!!!!

I had nice surprise this summer, I had sent in a few of my upcycled creations to a magazine called Belle Armoire. It is a neat publication out of California with many sister magazines, I felt very fortunate to be selected with 3 of my items for 3 different articles. One was on the tie necklaces, tie purses and jean beads.

The photos are great, they do a very nice presentation of the items.

This year we got a little fishing boat, Brandon named it Lil' Skiffy since it's a Carolina Skiff, it has been so much fun running around on the Osage River. And now the challenge of placing the pics, last group did well but this one!!! so we have miss Devin and Grandpa posing on the bow, Lil' Skiffy in the driveway and Brandon taking Miss Devin for her first jet ski ride.

We are staying busy with various groups and clubs, Mom is going to be 93 next month and doing great!!! We are off to Hot Springs for a few days for a much needed visit with friends.

I hope this finds everyone enjoying their summer!!1

More upcycling projects in the works, lots of alterations and a few new scarves coming along.

Summer Has Arrived!!!!

2014-06-05T16:22:00.000-05:00

I can not believe how long it has been since I wrote on this blog....I say that every time but we have been so busy and going so much and I have a million excuses and who really cares!!!

This spring I sent some of my upcycled projects to a magazine and a few are going to be published in august or around that time frame, so that has been super exciting. So when it hits the stands I will let the whole world know all about it!!!!! The items they took were the tie purses and necklaces and the jean beads, all have been in this blog at one time or another.

Here is the crossover bag and me with all the ties, my friend Patty took the pics, she is very good!!! And has great photo ideas.

Mom and I are still hanging out and having fun, we belong to several groups that keep us busy, yoga, and other clubs, we aren't letting grass grow under our feet. We have met some wonderful folks here!!

We of course love having family close, our grandaughter Devin is such a cutie pie and of course the best child ever!!! Growing like a weed and becoming such a busy little girl and a character to boot!!! Here she is with one of my rescue dogs Roxy. Miss Roxy is a blue heeler and very old but we love her so much and so does Devin.

Our garden has been a ton of fun this year we got into recycling the pallets into raised bed gardens and upright gardens. The garden is growing well and we sure love all the good stuff.

Wish I could figure out the way to put in pictures...really frustrates me!!!! This year we planted alot of tomatoes, okra, a fav!!!, eggplant, onions, cukes, melons, a variety of peppers, artichokes we'll see how that goes???, basil, zucchini, parsley, grapes, cilantro, oregano, sage, lettuces, we got alot in a very tiny space. Plus we have lots of wildlife so we have to do alot of fencing. We got rid of the ground hog family last year but since the foxes moved on the rabbits are back.

And the next project I am working on for the Fall Fiber Fest our group is having are upcycled sweater Christmas ornaments. I have purchased from thrift stores etc. wool sweaters, washed them in hot water and dried on high to shrink them down. Cut out desired shapes, a front and back, stuff with a bit of fiberfill and embroider the 2 together with a running stitch, blanket?? embellish with buttons, beads, sequins, what have you and put a piece of yarn on for a hanger and you are ready for the holidays with package decor, ornaments, bazaar items, napkin rings, add elastic.
The list goes on ...great fun for all!

Have a wonderful summer!!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR IN FEBRUARY!!!!

2014-02-03T16:08:00.000-06:00

I really do wish I knew where the time goes, old age makes it go faster??? We had a very nice Christmas with family and friends and we did miss my Dad very much, it was a hard one for Mom but with all the activity she came through like a trooper!!!

Then right after the New Year we took off with Aubrey, Brandon and Ryan and headed to the Wisconsin Dells for one of the coldest weekends and met the Krokson side of the family. Jill, Allie, Jack and Aunt Janet came down from Northern Wisconsin and Melissa, Ben and Devin were already in the area and joined us for water park fun!! The indoor waterparks are really something and the crowds are amazing!!! What a fun place to meet and hang out and play!!! All the kids had a blast and we did too!!!

We had a fun afternoon watching the Packers with Middleton friends Linda and Butch at Marleys. What a cold day not too many brave souls out that day!!!!

It is amazing how similar the Dells area is to the Lake of the Ozarks with all the rock outcroppings and trees etc. We just have alot more water here than up there!!!! Both areas are rich in very interesting history!!!

On our way home we had to spent a few hours at our favorite surplus store Delaneys, near Sauk City. It is a place full of STUFF and more STUFF !!! Brandon had 2 carts we had one and wondered where it would all fit???? Thank goodness Brandon is creative and put a dock locker on the stern, ha ha ha, back of the truck, on one of those platforms that hook on your hitch, so in true Missouri style we traveled with all our baggage in a dock locker, why not!!!!! I'm sure some folks got a good chuckle out of it!!!! Then we cruised into Lodi, WI . for a wonderful dinner at the Mulherns with special guests and entertainment with the Raemisches, Dan the mooning was the best!!!!!

We got home to warmer weather and back to the grind. Mom had had a few days to herself and great neighbors checked in daily and all went well.

Our days stay busy, lots of lunches out, yoga three times a week, volunteering at the hospital, helping my friend with her new consignment store now called 2nd Closet move to a new location, wow the beat goes on!!!!

Just posted some ice dyed shirts on Etsy and will see what shakes with that, more orders for the Tie Necklaces, no dull moments around here!!!

One last pic of Devin,
I had a darling pic of her on the rocking horse my Dad had made Ben, but she was naked as a jay bird just like her Daddy liked to ride it so we'll settle for this pic!!!! And today the kids said good bye to their oldest dog Sami, RIP Miss Sami, she had 12 1/2 good years!!!!!

Happy Trials to all....hoping Spring is sooner than later!!! Snow coming tomorrow!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!

2013-12-17T11:41:00.000-06:00

It has been quite awhile since I have written an blog...time just flies by!!!!!

We have had a very busy couple of months what with all the work, volunteering, clubs, yoga, etc. not sure how we got that involved but we did and we are lovin' the Lake!!!

This year our granddaughter Devin turned 2 and she had a wonderful birthday party with lots of folks and presents!!!! Here she is having a ball!!!

I just can't leave the old ties alone, this year I have really had fun making the necklaces and they have really been a hit!!!

It's really fun to play with the knots and macrame, wow, it's back!!! And stacking the buttons has been an added touch. Now to incorporate some embroiders and more beads, of course the sky is the limit!!!!

This one is simply knots and several strands which gives it a collar/necklace feel, really like this one!!!

And last fall we took a road trip to Wisconsin to see Dave's family, here's the crew!!! Fun to see the family and the kids are sooo big!!!!

We are busy preparing Christmas, Marilyn is coming from Arkansas and the kids will be with us, so all is grand!!!! we are going to miss Grandpa/Dad this year for sure!!! but we all know he's in a much better place!!!!

Just read the Fashion section of the Jeff City paper, so we all know it's the cutting edge of the fashion industry!!!ha ha ha!!!! BUT...the word is Orchid is the color for spring and maybe even into fall!!!!, all the designers are using orchid in some way, shape or form!!! So for us purple family fans we are ready for spring knowing this valuable info!!!!

Merry Christmas and Happy New year to each and everyone out there!!!!

ENJOY!!!

FALL IS STILL COMING!!!

2013-10-10T16:48:00.000-05:00

Weather is superb, warm days and cool nights, garden is still producing tomatoes and okra, basil is perfect, kale is great lots of herbs!!!! Lots going on, meetings, coffee girls, volunteering, sewing, family,can hardly fit it all in a weeks time!!!!

A few weeks ago we had a visit from from special friends and their special friends from England!!! A couple of fun filled days hooting around Lake of the Ozarks, checking out the shops and bars and campgrounds and general
sightseeing!!! Here we are at the historic Wilmore Lodge and Lake of the Ozarks behind.

Last Saturday Ben brought Devin over for a few hours, and she had on the cutest outfit, had to share!!!! He found it on a trip to Florida, she is nearly 2 and very vocal and very, very busy!!!!! She is the light of our life!!! She also has on Grandma's sandals. Love the tights!!!!!

And it is tie time again, this time I am working on necklaces made out of old ties, I think the are kind of interesting and fun!!!! Also a few wristbands which are nothing new but I like the buckles, vintage!!!! Got a couple of shows coming up, one at the Dogwood Animal Shelter for Halloween and the schools PTA Craft Fair in December. Will do some scarves with dog prints!!!

Have a wonderful Fall Season!!!!!!

2013-09-17T17:43:00.000-05:00

FALL IS COMING!!!!

It is still quite warm in Mid Missouri and today we finally had some rain, much needed!!!! It is nice to have cooler nights, but still like the warm days!!

We had a nice crop of okra as shown above, we love okra, fried of course!!! Our raised garden did pretty well this year with eggplant, tomatoes, kale, lots of herbs and what have you!!! Compared to our Wisconsin garden it's pretty sparse.

Our lives have certainly changed with Dad's passing but we are all doing ok, Mom is doing really well. We miss him but we know he is in a much better place.

Today is Dad's 93 birthday, or would have been and our 30th anniversary, as Dave said this morning "who'd have thunk???" Really it does not seem like 30 years, time flies when your havin' fun!!!!

And almost forgot, here is the celery grown from the cut off root on the left, kind of interesting!!!

Sewing projects keep on coming, visitors keep on showing up and life is good at the Lake of the Ozarks!!!!

2013-07-23T13:06:00.000-05:00

Dad's Celebration of Life Gathering............July 21, 2013

My father, John Postman, passed away July 8, 2013 from melanoma cancer at the age of 92, in Osage Beach, Missouri. He and my Mother had a fabulous life and had recently celebrated 65 years of marriage. We were very blessed that he did not suffer alot of pain, as melanoma is one cancer that has little to no pain. We had a nice group of new and old friend join us for his party and we had a wonderful time.

I haven't had much time to write due to our care giving with Dad. He really only had about 3 months that were a challenge for all of us, mostly him. So on the big picture all went quite well considering!!!!

And here's Devin!!!!!with her Mommie Melissa. Dad enjoyed all her visits right up to the end, she is quite the character!!!!! She is so fun and so cute and so bright, I know only Grandma can get by with that stuff!!! And here she is again with her Daddy Ben!!!!

Brandon and Becky chatting up a storm, a big thanks to Becky for getting this party together and arranging all the food etc. A great big Success!!!!

I am still sewing and dyeing garment and scarves. Mom is recovering from everything and now we are planning a trip to Arkansas in a few weeks to have a small service for Dad there and see good friends!!!

More later!!!!!!

2013-04-08T10:04:00.001-05:00

It has been a long time since I did a blog. Seems like blogging has taken over the internet and there are so many cool blogs out there makes me think why bother!!???

It is April and I do not know where the time has gone. My Dad has melanoma cancer and is doing quite well considering, no pain is the best deal, it is growing and he is 92 so we are doing the best we can!!!! Mom is fine and dandy for 91 she is still doing very well!!! The kids are great, Brandon is back in the boating season and Ben's roofing biz is always busy and Devin is growing like a weed and cute as can be!!!

I am sewing, volunteering and taking care of the P's, Dave is cutting meat at the slaughter house. Our home is missing our Golden Abbey, we had to put her down a few weeks ago, she was 12 and suffering from bone cancer. The last of the 3 old doggies we brought from Wisconsin. We do have a shelter dog, another old, fat girl, she's a doll and we just love her so much!!!! I think she is enjoying being Queen Bee!!!

I am still on my upcycle projects and denim beads have been a fun project. They are made like the old fashioned paper beads only out of denim, old jeans and beads in between. I just love them!!!

And at a Christmas show I met a gal with a tons of her Dad's ties, they thought the purses would be a neat way for all the girls to have a bit of Grandpa/ Dad. There were alot of ties so this is only a portion of the bags I have created for this family!!!

My latest ideas have been necklaces from recycled sweaters, ties, jeans and mens shirts. More on that later!!!!

Happy Spring!!!

Fall is Here!!!!

2012-10-09T09:38:00.000-05:00

Finally a bit cooler weather, trees are turning, air is crisp!!! It's been busy as usual around here. In September we road tripped to Hot Springs for the neighbors daughters wedding and had a fabulous weekend with all the festivities. We stayed in another neighbors 1950's summer lake house and it was a hoot!!! All original, turquoise, paint by number artwork, just darling!!! Mom and I got shoes off the super sale rack for $15. a pair at Munro Shoes, one of the last shoe brands actually made here in the USA, manufactured right in Hot Springs, AR.

Then a week later I went to Aurora, IL. to see my friend Carolyn and we hooted around and found some neat shops and chatted up a storm. She and her husband have moved to a lovely over 55 subdivision with a brand new house and all the fixins'. Then I went to Middleton to visit some friends, had Chinese with Linda, dropped in on Brit, Terri and the Manors and off to the Dells to see the Hendersons and Cranberry Fest with Linda. I was so sorry to miss Jo and Bob but the Bobber was sick and no, I did not need to take that home!!!???!!! Another night in the Dells with the Henderson's and fun to be with their family, really appreciated that visit, had been a long time!!!! Cranberry Fest was the best, very nice weather and lots of good stuff!!! Linda and I have done this 15 years or more, it's always great!!! Then back on the road again for White Bear Lake, MN. to see Lynne and hoot around her neck of the woods. Made a trip to see Dennis and some other folks, much fun!!! Tuesday I fired up the HHR and headed south at 5:30 am to miss the Cities traffic, made that just hunky dory and then proceeded to get lost 3 times, beautiful day and lots of great Iowa scenery (and I really mean that, hilly, colors etc). And I made it to the Lake in 9 hours and 45 minutes despite all the wrong turns, almost 600 miles!!!

Back to the grind here!!! While I was gone a cat arrives, orange and white cutie pie, I'm not a cat fan but he/she was really cute and super friendly, lost or dropped off???? So we fed it and took it to the shelter and he bolted could not find him. The next night after a wild night of storms he was in front of the shelter and they got him. He got neutered on Monday, actually I thought he was a girl??? I know zero about cats!!!! So hopefully someone will adopt him!!!!

I have been walking and washing dogs at the shelter and took a liking to Shelly, a rather fat dog who really needs a diet!!! She is sweet as can be and so friendly. I thought I'd just foster her but you know how that goes!!??? Shelly was found at the Shell gas station in Lake Ozark 2 years ago, she has been passed over repeatedly because of her weight. So she is home with us, Abbey isn't charmed but they are getting along and I believe they will be fast friends soon!!!

The folks are getting along, they are slowing down but then at 91 and 92 they are not running marathons!!!
Happy Fall to all!!!

SUMMER IS ALMOST OVER !!!!!!!!!!

2012-08-25T11:29:00.001-05:00

It's really hard to believe that summer is nearing the end, it's dark at 8:30 and soon fall will be here!!!! With this dry weather the leaves are already turning or dying. There just might be some rain today!!!!

Today is my Mom's 91st birthday and the Shootout.

The Shootout is a very fast boat race held on the Lake, the boats top 200 miles per hour. They come from all over the states and Canada, not sure how many will race but 2 days worth and over 100,000 folks will be here for this event. This is the 25th year so it's quite the deal. On Wednesday night they closed off the strip in Lake Ozark and the boats and drivers etc were on display, here are some pics, it's just amazing what these boats look like and the horsepower, gad zuks!!!! The 5 outboards are quite amazing!!!! The trucks and the boats are really something to see!!!

For Mom's birthday we are heading out to lunch and then having some people over for dinner. Tomorrow we'll go on a road trip to see some folks and their farm and business way out in the boonies!!!!

Now my latest project, my friend Carolyn started this ice dyeing and she sent me the best knit fabric, I made a mini skirt right away and it is soooo cool!!!! So I had to try it out. I did not have the right dye but it seemed to work out, may even try some old Rit dye that's been hanging around. As you can see you need an old pan, some sort of rack, plastic would be better but this is what I had, gloves, cotton or silk, clothing/scarf/fabric, ice crushed or cubes and fabric dye.

I washed the fabric and you are suppose to use soda ash to soak your fabric, I had some powdered mordant I'd been using for the natural dyeing. So I soaked the fabric in the mordant mixed with water, then took it out, no rinsing and placed it on the rack in the pan, wadded it up, etc. covered the fabric with ice, the tank top I used crushed ice, the scarves I used cubes. Poured the liquid dye over the ice and let it set overnight. You are suppose to use proactive dyes and powdered dye, but I was using what I had here!!! Once the ice melts it is dyed ,rinse the scarf till it comes clean and press. This requires no special talent, really fun and quite cute!!!!

Life in Missouri has been great, we are settled in and enjoying!!!!

Happy Fall to all!!!!

Summer in Mid Mo!!!!!!!

2012-07-15T16:50:00.002-05:00

Well, all is going well here in Mid Mo. not as hot as it has been and according to the computer it is hotter in the North than here, rather strange!!!! And the drought is really getting me down, the whole place is crispy!!!! My garden has failed part the heat part we don't know what we are doing here!!! Something has been eating my kale and tomatoes but now all the okra tops are gone, we have been blaming the deer but now we think maybe a ground hog. So far we are entertained by a herd of deer, maybe 10 or so and new fawns, armadillos, millions of squirrels, a few rabbits, ground hogs and the foxes!!!! We are really taken with the foxes, there were 4 or 5 kits but we're only seeing 3 now and the mom. They come out and play in our front yard and drink from Abbey's water bowl. They come right near us and even Abbey doesn't bother them, she watches very carefully!!! All the wildlife is really stressed in this weather and no food so we'll see how they fair!!!

And we had a wonderful weekend with a visit from Jo Lynn and Bob, Jo and I parasailed, what a blast!!! I had never done this before so I pretty scared at first but then the view takes over and it's a real WOW!!!! Highly recommend this event for everyone!!!!! Jo had done this before so she was a pro!!! The guys that took us up are friends with my son Brandon so we got the extra stuff like dipping us till we needed snorkles, so much for the "we dip you to your knees!!!" What a hoot!!!

Then we hit a few shops and found this really cool clock made from silverware, just love it, a tad steep at $139.00, at least for me!!!! This shop has the most fabulous bathroom done in tile, it is amazing.

Life is going along quite well, I am sewing alot for Denise and she is moving right along with her consignment shop, inside Crafted Creations. It is chock full of really nice women's clothing, accessories,shoes, etc. Now to get the shoppers!!! And Patti is moving along with the Upscale Creative Collections of upcycled gifts, clothing, accessories etc in the downtown area of the Lake. And she too needs all the shoppers!!!

Business is not as usual in this economy!!!!

Well, time to fix some vittles and get in my chair for tonights wildlife show, beats the heck out of television!!!!!

WOW is it HOT!!!!!!

2012-06-24T17:53:00.003-05:00

104 on our deck, it is like an oven and this will go on for the whole week!!!!

No rain in sight, oh well, I always say I love the heat and I really do!!!!

And as much as I do not like air conditioning I have to admit is is really nice!!!!

I just can't leave the scarves alone, not sure why, too hot to wear them but.....here's another fun, quick idea!!!

Take the scarf and wet it and twist and roll it up and leave it out to dry, I just stuck it in the space on this table top, Dave thought it was a snake!!!! Hee Hee!!!!

And we all know how much he loves snakes!!!! Such a deal!!!

I'm sure you can do this with any cotton or silk scarf or skirt or whatever!!!

Here is a pile of t-shirts I saved, all totaled about $3.00 also five skirts made from the pile.

The t-shirt skirts have been around for quite awhile, at least in the Madison area.

I haven't seen any down here in Mid. Missouri. These are simple, just cut up the t-shirts to show off the best print or pattern,make an a-line cut smaller waist larger hips. Then I just serged on a piece of 1" elastic a bit smaller than the actual waist, the hem is serged or raw or cover locked, a few I used the t-shirt hem.

This project is another one with no rules, just have fun!!! The old t-shirts are really comfy and the skirts are really fun and cute, wash and wear just like you fav t-shirt only now it is a skirt!!!!!

And last but not least, my doggie

Dog days ???

Miss Abbey swimming at McCubbin's Point at Lake of the Ozarks. Since we do not have a boat we are in search of fun places to hang out with our dog!!! This is primitive camping and boat launch on the Glaize Arm of the Lake, mostly State Park and very nice, not the usual boat traffic, cleaner water and just very relaxing!!!

Fourth of July is just around the corner, be safe!!!!

Who's Dog is That?????

2012-06-07T09:43:00.002-05:00

Well, summer is in full swing here in Mid MO. and we decided to have our one dog professionally groomed. It was a bit pricey having all three done but now we can splurge!!! She looks so different and she must feel better getting rid of all that hair!!! Abbey has had some adjustments losing her buddies but she has taken over the bed and resumed her place in the spare room and with little to no shedding she's in good graces with Grandma!!!

This is Anniversary month for my folks, June 5 they celebrated 64 years. Quite an accomplishment I'd say!!!! We started with a trip to Eureka Springs, AR. , a very old town built in a very hilly area, settled around 1879, very interesting and a lovely area, beautiful!!!!! We stayed at Basin Park Hotel, which is over 100 years old and I'd say one of the worst places I'd ever been. The room pics online were fabulous but the one we got was the PITS!!!! Parking is an issue here no matter where you are but this joint was just plain awful. We ate at a wonderful Italian restaurant De Vitos, they raise their own trout and it was grand, so no complaints on the food!! And the shopping was superb, so it's a go back to place with a new place to stay!!! I thought it was weird not one of the hotels had over a 2.5 star rating??????

The next day we drove to Bentonville, AR. to tour the new Crystal Bridges Museum put together by Ruth Walton, daughter of Sam Walton, Wallie World!!!
A beautiful, first class situation. she has purchased American Art from the beginning to present and the buildings and displays are top notch. It is a free and it is wonderful. Lovely restaurant, grounds, parking, everything the best, as it should be!!!! We met our dear friends Mary Kay and Marilyn (my Dad's favorite girls). After the museum we went to a hotel Mary Kay got for us an ALOFT and was it a neat place. Just heaven after the last night!!! We had a wonderful steak dinner and fish at Mr. B's, a great evening had by all.

The next day we drove through War Eagle and back home. I must say there are so many beautiful highways to travel in these southern states. We had a very fun time!!!

Then on Tuesday we had the whole family here plus some friends for the actual anniversary. My kind neighbor from Wisconsin sent me grape leaves and we had dolmas for dinner, a real treat!!!! Devin stole the show, she sits in her pink seat and the kids have some new deal where you put food in this mesh bag and it's attached to like a nuk and she can chew up the food and get the liquid. What will they think of next!!!!!

I am still fooling around with the natural/rust dyeing process and will have afew thing to show next time.
Now I'm off to paint the mailbox lime green and yellow!!!!

Lovin this HOT weather!!!!!

2012-05-27T16:24:00.002-05:00

Boy is it hot and not only in Mid Mo.!!!! I really do enjoy the heat!!!

Well another month about gone and the next holiday will be 4th of July and then summer is half over, I just wish it lasted all year!!!

It's been busy here, we ares still trying to road trip every week and explore somewhere different. This Thursday we are headed to Eureka Springs, AR for one night and spooking around town and then the next day we'll travel on to Bentonville to see the Crystal Bridges Gallery/Museum owned by one of the Walton girls, from Wallie World. We'll meet Mary Kay and Marilyn, this will be part of the celebration for Mom and Dad's 64th anniversary!!!!

And here are some new photos of grand daughter Devin with her Great Grandparents, she is an amazing child!!! as we all have amazing grandchildren!!!!

And last but not least. I've been moving into a new natural dyeing phase, this is a take off on the India Flint eco dye idea. As usual I have to do things my way or at least try. I am still using my natural ideas but cooking in vinegar, plus I'm off on the rust dyeing. Carolyn called to tell me to use gloves as the rust and our bodies do not mesh and it can cause serious illnesses, just what we all need!!! These samples are old vintage linen napkins which I have been getting by the dozens for little or nothing, now what to make out of them, the wheels are turning!!!

I did a class in Warsaw and have not heard from the gals but we had a nice turn out and hopefully they got some great results. More on the cooking method as I get more results to view.

Our Holiday weekend has been going great!!!

We went out with Brandon on his Carver last night to Shady Gators, what a hoot!!! We are of course some of the oldest folks there, what a zoo. The best part is hangin over the railing watching all the boats dock, pretty funny in alot of cases, big fancy boats and very inexperienced captains!!! Then there are the really big boats with the real captains on board, really something to view. This is all a tad different from our Wisconsin Lakes, some of these boats are 50 to 70 feet long, with thrusters, captains and crew, 3 or more staterooms, gourmet kitchens, plasma tv's, the best of the best, costing in the millions, really something else!!!! Tomorrow we'll fire up the smoker and do turkey, chicken and shrimp!!!!

Have a good one!!!

MAY IN MISSOURI!!!!!

2012-05-15T15:26:00.003-05:00

What a wonderful May!!!

We have all been so busy doing lots of fun things The gardens are really growing, farmers market s full of stuff , Mother's Day was delightful, events to attend, life doesn't get much better than this!!!!

My folks are doing well, lots of resting but they get their motors running and we shop, lunch (food is always on our minds), library, etc. so we are not letting too much grass grow under our feet!!! In a couple of weeks we are road tripping to Eureka Springs, AR and to the Walton Art Gallery Crystal Bridges in Bentonville, AR. Home of Wal Mart, no less. will let you know what that is all about!!! This will be my folks 64 wedding anniversary and we are meeting their friends from Hot Springs, should be a lovely road trip!!!!

I have been having some more fun playing!!!

On Thursday I am heading to Warsaw, MO to do another Naturally Dyed scarf class at a neat shop called Saltbox Primitive Woolens.

They do lots of rug hooking, felting, naturally dyed woolens, applique etc. a very fun shop, should be a fun event!!!

Then on Friday I will volunteer at the thrift store, love that place, good deals and great folks to hang out with. Plus all the proceeds fund our no kill shelter.

Friday night is the opening get together for the Missouri Fiber Arts annual meeting held here at the Lake.

I will have a table with some stuff on Saturday and then Sunday we'll go to the Brunch and Fashion Show...more on those events later!!!

I have put some of my things in a new shop on the North Shore, it's a store that sells only upscale recycled creations, she has some very cool things and my stuff is working out well. So today I have put together some more items.

I have taken a mans shirt and cut it up to be a halter and sewn ties around the bottom and collar and accented the pocket. It's a flirty dress and I think it could be cute for winter , not halter of course!! The table cloth dress is just that with bodice from another cloth and accents and pocket!! All raw edges no fine tailoring here!!! All for fun,swim cover up whatever!!!

The button flowers I found in Warsaw, just floral wire run thru a couple of buttons, fill up a vase, make a corsage, whatever, fun quick project!!!!

And two more table linen bags made with linens and old jean legs!!!

And the sad news, we had to put two of our doggies down 2 weeks ago. Dakota, who had developed diabetes and Cody the oldest, both were really failing so the time had come. They are in a much better place but we are still sad and missing them. Poor Abbey is still wondering but truly enjoying being the ONLY doggie!!!

Hope this finds each and everyone one of you well and happy!!!!!

2012-05-02T13:44:00.002-05:00

Summer is upon us!!!!

Not sure when summer really starts anymore but we are having nice hot days, lovin' it!!!! And I don not know where the time goes but it does and I haven't written anything for ages!!!

All is going well here in Mid-MO. The folks are doing well, Dad has had some cancer removed from is nose and cheek but he heals fast and he's back in the saddle??? no actually back on the couch!!!!

Last weekend the Fiber Arts group I belong to held their 7th annual Fiber Fest. A very well organized event that drew hundreds of folks and vendors from the entire midwest area. A really nice show with all kinds of neat stuff!!! Since this group is really fiber oriented they had beautiful yarns and fiber for weaving, spinning, knitting, crocheting etc. I was one of the two booths that upcycle and recycle, I was very pleased at the response and sales. Next they have a Missouir Fiber Arts conference here at the Lake I will be a vendor in that too. For those who know me I tried to learn to knit from my friend Carolyn at the Sewing Retreat, the wine was much more fun!!!!

Since my arrival I was wondering what I would do with all my spare time???!!!! My folks take up alot of time but I can always make room!!! I found a wonderful gal, Denise and she owns Crafted Creations and I am helping her with her alteration business when she is overwhelmed. So, I can still sew and play!!!! This cute little guy is the logo for a new business here at the Lake, a pack/ship/print/mail type of biz. The costume is made from a box and I think he hopes someone will wear it, on a cool day only, gad it must weigh 25 pounds. But I covered the box, made the hat and painted the face, and tried to make a whirligig for the top but it just didn't work out!!! He's on his own for that!!! It was fun to make despite all the swearing, I have a much quicker and easier idea if he wants more!!!!!

Tomorrow we head out for a roadtrip to Warsaw and Cole Camp, hopefully they have coconut cream pie!!! More on that one later........

Spring Has Sprung!!!!!

2012-04-08T13:27:00.004-05:00

Oh well the seasons got turned around a bit but that's a-ok with me!!! I love Spring and love Ssummer even better. So we do have our raised garden bed made and planted, so far we have squash, cilantro, parsley, basil, sage, lettuce, spinach, peppers, tomatoes, onions, radishes, rosemary and thyme. We will try mint in the wishing well, contain it!!!! Everything is moving right along and now with a few warmer and sunny days things will really get a move on!!!

Well, we've had a few things going on. Our friends were here on their way thru from a winter in Florida and we had a great time doing the tourist thing here at the lake, few meals out few meals in and alot of hangin out!!! Very fun, sure miss them!!!

Then the gals from the Fiber Guild group I recently joined thought the naturally dyed scarves would be fun so we had a very nice day making scarves in the Lazy Days garage. A few have done theirs up and they are looking great. They will sell some at their Fiber Festival April 28, here in town at the Methodist Church.
Tutorial Link scarves

And here is Princess Devin, isn't she darling in her dress, Melissa's great uncle made for her when she was a baby!!! Beautiful with smocking and embroidery, in mint condition. She's a doll!!!

And then Mr Dakota has had some health issues, diabetes and now his back legs etc are going, so we got him his own Mobility Cart, dog wheelchair, and he's taken to it like he knows what it is all about, we've had a few roll overs but it goes great on the grass, sidewalk and gravel, it's the hills and banks that get in the way, I just roll him down hill and we're back in biz!!!! A great invention wish I gotten it sooner!!!

And here's a killer pork roast!!! When we were in Arkansas a few weeks ago to visit I picked up a couple of Petti Jean hams, they are wonderful made in Arkansas. When the butcher cut them in half for me I asked about the Boudain sausage, it's a cajun sausage made with rice, pork (guess that part can be ????, our package says pork liver), peppers, onions, seasonings etc. So he suggested stuffing a pork loin with the sausage, wrapping the roast in bacon and roasting etc. So of course Bob and Jo ran home and did it first so we knew it was a keeper and it is!!!!! The sausage is different, I used the last three scrambled with eggs and toast, very good. Ours had hot peppers in it, very good!!!! This sausage is not smoked so it has to be cooked. I have not seen it this far north but I'm still lookin'!!!!!

So that's the lastest and greatest here at the Lake!!!

Summer is here!!????

2012-03-14T09:19:00.001-05:00

The weather is certainly something else, we are enjoying 80' days and loving every minute !!!! I hear from my up north friends and they are basking in the warm weather also. One day the temps were only 2' apart from Wisconsin to Missouri and to Arkansas, don't see that very often!!!

This lovely tree blooming in our backyard is some sort of pear tree that does not have pears???? It is so pretty, we also have some tree with flowers in the front yard and some say it is a peach or pear tree??? Guess we will find out.

Well, I've been making some hats for cancer patients, there is a sewing event on Monday at a shop in town to make the turbans and hats. I made this style and will donate them as we will be in Hot Springs AR. for a visit next week. We'll return to have our best friends from Wisconsin drop in on their way home from a relaxing winter in Florida. Can't wait!!!!

And my scarf dyeing is going off in other directions, RUST!!! What you can do with rusty nails, old drill bits, copper tubing, old horse shoes, WOW. And then to stay true to form I did the green with food coloring and vinegar. The deepest green is a cheater with commercial dye and vinegar. Trying for a real teal, hard to get with food coloring!!!! And then I just gave up and just did the rust and I like that one too, nails for the border and horse shoes, wish I liked horses. I really do like horses but I am afraid of them!!!

Another great day ahead!!! Enjoy!!!