Hot pad,coasters and Crocheted throw

Happy Tuesday!!! hope everyone is having a good start to their week so far.  Well here is the finished projects that I made for my sister, I know it's late but hey at least I'm posting them.  Now don't look too close at my sewing it's not good at all, my measurment was off when I did the quilting on the hot pad, so it turned out to be way off center.  Thats what happens when you sew on both one side thats lined up and one thats not, and I put the flower on the side thats not lined up.  oh well, life goes on..........The hot pad and the coasters where so easy to sew up.  I plan on making more of them.  First time sewing ric rack...what a challenge that was....

These coasters are good for a glass that has a round bottom.  The coaster opens up so that you can sit the bottom of the glass in the coaster.  Not sure if that makes sense.

And last but not least my crocheted throw that I made a long time ago.  I seen where Anne from Bunny Hill is crocheting a stripped throw.  Here is my version. Yellow's, Brown's, Green's, Blue's, Red's, Purple's.  My throw of many colors.......finished off with a ruffle edge.   

And something I read on Cottage Farm villa......so true..........take the time to see all the beauty that surrounds you each day..!!!! So true!!!  I'm reminded of this when I go to visit my Father in-law at the Alzheimer's home.  So many elderly folks there who where once vibrant hard working citizens.  Now they sit/lay trapped so to speak.  It really makes me think about things more.......I enjoy all the little things in life........Have a blessed day!  

Happy Friday! and a sneak peak on a secret project

Happy Friday to you all!!!! This will be a short post.  Just thought I would post about a quick secret project I stitched up yesterday.  The project is for my fabulous sister.  Last month was her birthday!  (May 12th) so I have been collecting things to gift to her.  Well I decide to make a few things also, and these projects where so fast to sew up you wouldn't believe it.  Here is a sneak peak at the fabric I used.  Can't show you the project until next week, cause I'm giving her "belated" birthday gifts to her on Sunday.  

After seeing how quickly these projects stitched up, I will diffidently be stitching up more of them in the future.  
Happy craft trails....and have a terrific weekend!!!!

Garden Talk and It's been a while!

I know it's been a while since my last post, but I'm sure you all out there haven't missed me because you have all kinds of other blogs to visit.  Anyway I have been quite busy and just haven't had time to post.  I am trying to still find a full time job.  And my father-in law is being moved to an Alzheimer facility.  So I've been rather busy.  

Today I'm just going to post about my "little" garden.  Normally in this space I put flowers.  But I decided this year I would put in some vegetables and give it a try.  Well it's really too shaded in this space but here are my pictures of my little garden.  

A few tomatoes, I already used a green one cut up into my fried squash.  If you've never had that give it a try.Here is what I did. 

My recipe for fried summer squash

 All I did was cut up summer squash, (zucchini, and yellow squash) cut up a green tomato, cut up a red potato, seasoned to taste, I used a variety of seasonings.  I then put flour, and I learned a really good trick, I had a package of hush puppy mix, the kind that has onion flavorings, I took a couple of spoon fulls and added that to my dry mixture, along with a little cornmeal.  dumped all this into the bowl and then sauté some onion and a little garlic in the pan then pan fried all the squash, green tomato, red potato until brown.  Sure was good! 

Look at the cute little cucumber!!!! I have a lot of blooms on the cucumber vines, I do hope I have some.  See all those other vines, I have so many coming up because normally I have flowers in this space. 

Green bean vines....

More green bean vines....

Herbs....also my grass needs to be cut....add it to my list...

Until next time.........

The Painted Garden

Ok I must post about this blog I found again!  The painted garden.  I love this ladies work!  I am also a painter and always admire someone's else work.  Her art work of her flowers is fabulous! 

Also a big Texas Thank you to Sew ritzy~titzy for sending me a pattern I admired on her blog.  Thanks Dawn, Love ya to stitches!!!

Make it- love it website

Today while in blog land I ran across what I think is a great little handy website.  I liked the tutorial about the cake baking tips.  Not that I'm going to be baking a cake anytime soon, but who knows, one can always use useful tips.  I also added a link to this website on my sidebar. 
Hope you all are having a great "hump" day!

Heavenly Father,

Sometimes when I think about what the future might hold, I slip into worry.  I forget that You have a plan for my life, and that You are trustworthy beyond my wildest imagination.  Thank You for both the good days and the hard days ahead, and thank You that You have a good future in store for me.

Amen!

Inspiration to help others

I hope all of you are doing great this fine Wednesday.  I'm holding my own.  I've been having lots of trials in my life.  I do have to say there is a silver lining under those dark clouds.  Last week at Between job Ministry, I helped pray for a young mans, girlfriends Grandmother, what an awesome thing to be able to do for someone whom I don't know or will probably never see again.  Then today I had a good chat with an older man who was thankful that I gave him some good ideas on how to make his dream of owning a barbeque business happen.  This all reminds me of the book that I'm reading.  It's called Living God's Way.  Here is an excert from the book.  I will probably post some things from the book from time to time. 

The Inner Circle

 

The Proverb tells us, "As iron sharpens iron, so people can improve each other"  (Proverbs 27:17) One of the best tools for sharpening our character is to seek out accountability and encouragement from other people. 

Take a minute to prayerfully consider the relationship in your life.  Is there someone whose wisdom you admire, someone you might want to ask to be you mentor?

Is there someone you'd like to take under your wings?

Do you think you have the kind of close friends who want to see you become your best?

Once you've taken stock of your relationships, think about what steps you might need to take next, and then take those steps, whether it's nurturing an existing friendship or seeking out new ones.  Remember that God goes with you, and that the friendships He brings your way have the potential to make you spiritually stronger and sharper. 

Be united with other Christians.  A wall with loose bricks is not good. The bricks must be cemented together. Corrie Ten Boom.

What a wonderful message.  I'm glad I could share this with you.  Please let me know if this has helped anyone out there, I would love to know. 

I haven't had much time to sew lately or even paint any thing.  Some times the crafts have to take a back seat.

Happy Friday! Gourds and other jibberish!

This may be a long post but here it goes!  First off I'm having a good week for the most part, If any of you know me, I've had my struggles with unemployment and my home life has been a train wreck, for the last 14 months.  I have been trying to find full time work, and can't seem to get anything but a part time position.  Let me just say that this week I have had a really good face to face panel interview with a good company.  And on Thursday of this week I had a really really good phone interview with another terrific company.  My prayer everyday is that all that is affected by unemployment, will soon recover and find new opportunities elsewhere. 

On another note!  I have quite a Gourd collection.  I grew some a few years ago and I really love to craft with Gourds.  I really love to paint on them, they make a fantastic painting surface.  Here is one I painted a few years ago. 

More details in this photo.

But now I'm so sad, I went out to my cage that I keep all my gourds in and found that something has been eating a hole in every one of my gourds.  What ever it was chewed 1 hole in each gourd.  I'm so angry! 

 I only have 11 gourds that I can paint on now, some of the came from my sister, they had a huge field of them.   It's funny how they have 1 hole in them. They may not even be fit to make a bird house out of.  I'm assuming it was a rat or mouse that did this. 

Gotta find me some more gourds, anyone out there know of anyplace I can get more gourds from please let me know. They will have to be cheap! 

Also I received my tote bag from my tote bag swap partner that lives in Australia.  Thanks Jeanette for the great bag!  The bag is actually blue not purple.  It has fantastic applique on it.  ok I must go for now.  Happy brush trails! 

Happy Monday!

Howdy! I hope all of you had a good weekend.  It went by to fast for me.  I had to work on Saturday at my part time job.  I have to take in all the extra hours I can get these days.  I'm still looking  for a full time job and that is a full time thing in itself.  I just went to a few blogs for a visit and ran across a giveaway at my friend at the Prairie Flower farm.  She is giving away a book by Beth Moore (So long Insecurity)  Love Beth Moore! 

I have been busy as a beaver trying to finish my tote bag for my tote bag swap I signed up for on Snickerdoodle dreams.  My deadlilne is fast approaching and I have to get it mailed before May 1st.  I only have a few things to do to it.  I won't post a picture of it until it has arrived to Jeannette in Australia.  Can't wait to see what I get in return.  Getting back to sewing reminds me that I have so many projects lined up to do.  I have seen so much new pretty fabic out there lately. 

Do any of you out there know anything about roses?  I purchased a rose bush quite some time ago, planted it, it only bloomed very little at first, then when it did it bloomed pink roses, now this year it has bloomed like crazy and the blooms are dark dark burgandy.  How crazy is that!  Any way let me know if any of you out there has the answer.  Here is a picture of it.

Also had this for supper the other night, was it ever yummy!

Taco Salad!

Last but not least, my Iris's are blooming. 

Hope you have a blessed week. :)

How does your garden grow.

Wow a week goes by quick.  I didn't realize I hadn't posted since last Wednesday.  I just haven't had much time to post lately.  I am enjoying Spring so much this year, even though I'm not planting many flowers,but I am going to put in a small garden.  (wish me luck on that one).  My knockout roses are really pretty this year, and so far the deer have left them alone. 

Of course miss Tia has to come out of her dog house to get in the picture taking.  She just wanted a belly rub.  (Incase your wondering Tia is blind in one eye) She is such a sweet dog. She's my buddy when ever I'm outside working in the yard or going to the pond.  She still trys to chase a ball, even though she can't see it very well. 

This Flower I purchased last year on the clearance rack at Loew's (only a 1$) I bought 2 of  them and the both are doing so well this year.  I wish now I would have gotten more of them.  But they where so close to kicking the bucket that I only wanted to take chances on 2 of them.  Picture below is what they are.

This past Saturday I went to the Bluebonnet Festival.  It was so crowded.  All the wild flowers where so gorgeous, the bluebonnets where spectacular!

I've just got to get busy on my bag swap project, I haven't even started on it yet.  I'm so excited, my swap partner lives in Australia. 

Happy trails!

(just felt like saying that)

A little Header change?

A little change to the blog Header.  Let me know how you like it.  Please comment!

Bunny collection

My bunny (or rabbit) collection.  I figured I would post about them before I put them away for next year. I have more in my bathroom of all places.  I really love my bunnies. 

(Picture below)

The big one in the middle and the two on the out side (ends) where made by Gerry.  There is one that I crocheted years ago, and one that I purchased at a craft show, he is made out of a hobnail bedspread. 

Here is the big bunny by herself.  This one is one of my favorite.  It was sewn by a very dear lady (Gerry) that is no longer here,  ( I really miss her).  Gerry was excellent at sewing. 

Easter Blessings!

May you all have a Blessed Easter!

 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that who shall ever believeth in Him should not parish, but have ever lasting life.

John 3:16

YES it finally worked!

Pardon me while I decide on a new background!

I like to change my blog background, but when you can't the get one you like to work, what is one to do.  Please bare with me while I figure it out. 

Warrenton/Round Top Antiques fair!!!!!

Whoo Hoo!! Can't wait for this weekend.  It's Warrenton/Round Top Antiques Fair/market.  What a great place to get away with family for a day of shopping till we drop at all the Antiques/Junk that us girls just love.  Can we go now.......just gotta get there and dig for stuff....:)

(Oh and I'm saying now Friday March 26 is my Birthday!  And I'm not telling my age.)

Prayer for someone I don't know and Heart to Heart with Holley

I thought I would post about this blog I discovered from Day Spring devotions!  The email read "How can we walk through life's rain with you?  Now that really caught my eye, seeing, I'm going through some rough patches in my life right now.  I had previously read an email from a (BJM person) Between Job Ministry who is having alot of trouble in her life, She wrote that there was no apparent hope left.  Well I know for a fact that we all go through trials.  Well all I know that I could do for this person was to send an email to Day Spring devotions and pray for her.  I did let her know that I did this.  I just felt I needed to post about this today.  I also added Holley's blog on my blog list.  Also needed to say Thanks to Linda Stubbs from Prairie flower farm, I get such spiritual energy from her blog!  Thanks also to Sue from Country Pleasures for your comments.
My prayer for Elizabeth Hunt (whom I don't know) is  Thank you Father, for using trails to refine us until we shine with the glory of Your Son.  The trails of life act on us like wind, waves, and sand act on beach glass.  Trails wear off our sharpness and dull our glittering pride.  Our trails and crosses point us to Christ and His cross.  Embrace us in the warmth of Your protective love, O Savior, and let us meet the challenges of each day with confidence in Your presence and protection.  Amen!

DIY Dish (WIN a Sewing or Embroidery Machine!)

http://www.thediydish.com/blog/

I'm so glad I stumbled onto this website a while back.  I hope I win one of the sewing machines, I could really use a new one.  Go to their blog and watch their first video on the (felt)cake pin cushion.  I also have their button on my sidebar.

Blog Frog

Just to let all of you know, I've joined the Blog Frog community.  Let me know if you've joined, or you are planning to.  Hope you all are have a wonderful Pre-Spring day!