My Summer Quilt Project....

Happy Monday everyone, at least I hope it is a happy one for you.  I finished my summer quilt project and wanted to share it with you.  Last summer I made a 50th  Anniversary Redwork quilt for my parents, which you can see Here.  This year the quilt project was for a larger group, our new elementary school.  I made it for the office.  I had discussed making one last year with the principal(she liked the idea), but I never got around to it, so I thought I better get my rear in gear this summer and do it.  I'm taking it up there this afternoon as a surprise, I really hope they like it.

They say the phrase "kindness counts" in the school so I thought it would be nice for the quilt.

It's all machine sewed, except for the words and the binding.  I wasn't sure what kind of quilting to do on it, in the end, I chose just to outline the flowers as you can see on the back.

I made a label for it and thought this fabric was perfect for a school :)

I don't consider myself a quilter and I know this is far from perfect, but I think it came out pretty cute.  Some day I will take a quilt class and learn the proper way to do things instead of my learn as I go technique.


Ok, I'm off to the school, cross your fingers that they like it!


Tiff

Done...

I think I'm done puddling around with the blog for awhile. It's lighter and brighter and I'm happy with it.  It loads well for me and fits my screen.  Are any of you having problems with it and does anything look out of sorts?  Is it easy to read and easy on the eyes?  Would love any feedback you have.

Update on the camper... our insurance will fix it, but I can't find anywhere to take it in before Labor Day.  So we are dehumidifying it, cleaning that area up(luckily it doesn't smell and isn't in a part that the kids can touch) and just going to use it for the holiday weekend and then get it in for a full repair after.   I started bringing out the curtains and new cushions and it is really starting to look cute.  When I get it done I promise to show you all.

I'm off to work on my quilt, almost done, just adding the batting and back. Then need to make the holder on the back and add a label.  Hoping to show you all the final result on Monday.

Have a lovely day,


Tiff

Ps, The picture has nothing to do with anything! I just found it on my computer while looking for something else and thought it was funny. It's my hubby and his little brother and sister. I have no idea where it was taken, but I'm guessing somewhere in Florida.

Making some changes

My blog will be a construction zone for  a bit, I'm trying to change things up.  Sorry for the mess.  It should be done by the end of the weekend(hopefully if I can figure things out!).

Tiff

Planting Succulents...

Today I finally decided to plant the succulents that I have had hardening on my front porch for a few weeks now.  They only needed to be out there for a few days to a week, but time just seemed to slip by and I kept putting them off.  

I made 7 pots worth....

 This was a fairly inexpensive project... Special potting soil $4.99 a bag(only used one), clay pots from yard sales $4 total(still have 3 more that I didn't use), 4 bags of rocks from the dollar store $4, and plants Free because I took them from my plants already established in my garden. Grand total $12.99 for 7 pots of plants, not too bad.

I put rocks in the bottom of the pot before I added the soil because succulents like well drained soil. I then added some to the top because I thought it finished off the look nicely.

 I think a few of these may go as "Welcome Back" gifts to the kids' teachers in two weeks because I am running out of room for plants in the house!

Have a fabulous weekend,


Tiff

Homemade Goodness and Why, and a yuck!....

I've been trying to make more of the things I pin, some are a success and some are not.  Today I wanted to share two of those successes and maybe it will inspire you to give them a try.

The first one is homemade lotion bars, found here....http://beingfrugalbychoice.blogspot.com/.  I followed her directions and even used a silicon baking mold that I had(heart shaped). The only thing I did different was add a teaspoon of pure vitamin E oil(found by the vitamins in the grocery store). And I also added about 10 drops of pure peppermint oil.  These were super easy to make and hardened in about an hour.  And let me tell you, they are awesome!! I tend to have very bad heels and dry patches on my feet.  Two days of using these and I'm looking at my feet right now and they are nice and pink and oh so soft.  We made 5 bars and are keeping them in two separate containers, one for feet and one for hands.

 The next pin we made was homemade deodorant. Stop, don't turn away, I know what you are thinking...but I kid you not, this stuff actually works.  I used this recipe as my base.  I changed the arrowroot to cornstarch(because that is what I had on hand, but maybe arrowroot would be even better). I then decided that I just didn't want a paste because my family probably would reject it, it had to somewhat resemble the store bought stuff. So I melted a third cup beeswax(had leftover from the lotion bars) and then melted the whole concoction together. At first I thought I ruined the whole thing because the beeswax clumped up, but after a few minutes in the double boiler, it all melted together.  The essential oils I added were Tea Tree oil(about 15 drops) and peppermint oil(about 10 drops). Next time I will get lavender oil or maybe lemongrass oil.  I then poured it into cleaned out deodorant containers(luckily I had a few on hand).  My hubby was a bit reluctant at first, but he said he would use it as long as he didn't stink. So far so good!  I've been using it too, along with 3 of my kids. When you first put it on, it feels a bit sticky, but that last all of about a minute and then it feels like normal.  Now I'm sure this won't work as well as store bought stuff if you are running a marathon or something, but for every day use, it seems to do just fine.

 I'm sure you are probably wondering WHY? Right? Well, I'm trying to cut down on the chemicals we put in and on our bodies. I'm sure you all have read or heard how aluminium has been linked to Alzheimer's disease and guess what is the main ingredient in deodorant/antiperspirant, aluminium. And who knows what all those other ingredients in lotions and personal care products are doing to us.  Just yesterday I read this Article about a chemical in soaps(and other things) that can cause muscle and heart problems.  Luckily we stopped using antibacterial soaps a few years ago, but the chemical is still out there and very prolific.  Here is a  List of items that contain it.    So there you have it, you may think I'm silly or you may want to give these things a try, the choice is yours, I just wanted to share it with you all.  Oh, and hubby, YES, I may be making soap next :)



On to the "Yuck" of my post.  Here is a view of my backyard from my bedroom window. Do you see what is happening down there across the street?

 Here's a closeup.  They are clearing the lot, for a house.  My nice view is about to change, is changing, and I don't like it.  They are building a spec home.  But why there, right in front of the spot where there are no trees in my yard! A bit over on either side and I wouldn't see it.  I sure hope the actually house won't be positioned so that they look directly into the back of my house. YUCK!!

I'll post pics as it progresses.  This makes our plans for next year sound even more enticing. More of that to come later, much later :)


Happy Wednesday,


Tiff

Mr. Rogers and a Peek...

 I found this vintage chalkboard at a yardsale a couple months ago for $1. The other side is green with Raggedy Ann at the top. I gave the backside(which was already black chalkboard) a refresher coat of chalkboard paint. I wasn't sure what I was going to do with it, but knew at the very least, the kids would like to play with.  Well, after seeing a Mr. Roger's remake video on pinterest(it's pinned on my "songs" board if you want to check it out, which I highly recommend), I fell in love with this saying..."you can grow ideas in the garden of your mind".  I put it on the chalkboard and propped it up in a corner of my kitchen.  Of course after pinning some chalk lettering tutorials, I plan on redoing it with awesome lettering, but for now, it works :)

 And here is a peek at my summer quilt project....

 I'm working on the lettering today, hopefully I will get that part done by this evening.(UPDATE.. it's 3:30 and I'm done with the lettering, YAY!!, went much quicker than I thought it would)

Have a lovely Tuesday,

Tiff

Outside my Kitchen windows(and other stuff)...

Documenting the changes that occur weekly outside my kitchen windows. Ok, so I know that this is just meant to be a one or two picture thing, but you know me, I can't help myself... I like pictures!

One of my many Christmas cacti resides in the window over my sink, not the best place for the poor thing because compared to his fellow housemates, he has barely grown in the past 6 years.  Those trees you see in the background never cease to amaze me. How much they have grown since we moved in 6 years ago. They barely seemed to reach the top of the deck back then and now look at them! And you have to realize that my deck is actually a full floor up because we have a walk out basement.

 Goldenrod is in bloom everywhere that there is open space. No wonder my eyes are itchy ;)

 And if you look between the railings you will see freshly mowed grass.  It was long over do because for the past week and a half my household has been under attack from hand,foot, and mouth disease!! So my son, who is the resident mower(he loves it and babies "his" mower) was unable to tend it and didn't want anyone else to do it.  And in case you are wondering, my 18 year old brought the virus home from the gym he works at and gave it to the other 6 kids!! It was miserable for them, the fever and the sores. Hubby and I managed to escape it, I guess we already had the immunity.  But thankfully, everyone was on the mend by last Thursday and that nasty thing is behind us. Too bad the kids had to miss horse camp though :(

 Last pic... I thought it would be neat to see if there is a difference in the clouds with the changing seasons. So here are some mid August summer clouds.

I hope everyone has a lovely week. I'm currently working on a quilting project which I need to finish before the start of school(August 29th), so I had better stop typing and get back to work.

Tiff

Today...

I took the kids to the park right up the road and tried to get some family pictures.  It's very hard to get one picture where they are all looking at the camera and smiling.  I had tons of shots with some of them looking cute but others in the picture were looking down or making odd faces.  My goal was to get one decent shot that I could use to make an engineer print(a pinterest project) and hang it on the wall in the family room.   Here are a few of the better pictures(and I played around with them on Befunky.com to get different effects).

Not sure which one will make it to the wall.  What do you think?

Tiff

Outside My Kitchen Windows...

Joining in with Tonya of Plain and Joyful Living to share what's outside my kitchen windows(one over the sink and the other is a set of sliding glass doors). 

 Put perfectly by Tonya..."Each Monday I thought I would share two photos - one from each of our kitchen windows - of a scene I captured while going about my daily work of baking, cooking, and cleaning in the kitchen.

I thought it would be fun to pay attention, to observe the changes of the seasons, and to appreciate the small bits of beauty that surround us."

The deck with some plants that need tending, mainly the dill that is going to seed!

 Morning haze that will burn off as the day goes on.

Feel free to join in.

Have a great Monday,

Tiff

Little Pictures

So as with most things around here, there are always little set backs. Unfortunately, I ran into a rather big one yesterday with the camper. Water damage. From the evidence, I suspect it is a leak in the roof. In the back rear corner where the bunks are located and we hadn't planned on doing anything with that area other than new mattresses and quilts.  I'm waiting for a call back from the insurance to see when they can get out here to check it out and see if it is covered. Always something!

Here is a little decor project I finished this week for the camper.  I have a growing collection of oval frames(I love them), and I took the 6 lightest weight ones and spray painted them blue.  I then took a vintage book, "Little Campers" and framed pages from it.  I didn't use the glass of the frames because I didn't want the weight or the breakability  in the camper.  I think they came out pretty cute.

 This is the book cover, the white by the words is just glare from the camera.

 This circle frame was really just a wood plaque with something painted on it, so I just mod podged the book page on top after I painted it.

 I love this page, it's the last page of the book. The clothes line is just too cute and I love how Billy says "Goll-lee!".

 More pages. Had to include the one with squirrels!

 This is the beginning of the book, car all packed and ready to go camping. See the cows in the background? another favorite animal of mine:)

I also completed all the curtains for the camper, but can't show you those properly until they are installed, which who knows when that will happen with the present issues going on!

Have a fun day,

Tiff

Look what I found!!!...

If you have been reading my blog for any length of time you know that sometimes "Goodwill calls me".  No, I'm not crazy and I can go many months without stepping a foot into that store, but then there are times when I just get this overwhelming feeling that I NEED to go there! Yes, this morning was one of those times.  However, I couldn't go because my oldest daughter was sleeping over at a friend's house and she had my debit card!!!  I had to wait until 1pm to get myself up there.  

But look what was waiting for me.....

 I snatched it up so fast that there were smoke lines on the carpet :)

 Have you ever seen a high chair like this?

 I have always had a thing for vintage and old high chairs and at one time I collected them(ok, I still have 3 or 4 but Mason actually uses them).

 You never see stuff like this at Goodwill because technically they aren't allowed to sell baby products, that is why they had a large bright pink sign on it that said "for Decorative use only".

 But seriously, this thing is super solid and super heavy.

 I couldn't find any markings on it and I can't tell if it is homemade or manufactured.   What are your thoughts? And how old do you think it is?  You are probably wondering what I paid for it, right? Well, it was over my normal GW limit, but I had to have it and it was $22.50 with my discount.

 Then I also have this thing for little kids chairs and I scooped this one up right away. $2.70, Score!

 And was happy to see this on the bottom. I love finding things from this local company.

 And last I found these two dolls in a bag.  A bit creepy but I liked their age. The one on the left seems to have all clothes including her nappy under her bloomers!

 I think they are Tiny Tear dolls from the mid 50's.  What do you think?  They were $9 for the pair. Good price or not?  How do you clean old dolls?

Oh and my day was even better when I found the one and only bolt of camping print flannel fabric at Joann's this afternoon.  I saw the print on someone's blog but Joanns.com didn't sell it and I couldn't find it anywhere else online. The woman said she got it on Saturday at Joanns so I was pretty sure mine would still have it, but you just never know.  I'm going to make a kid's quilt for the camper out of it.


Have a fantastic weekend,

Tiff

Camper Valances...

More camper progress....

We took down all the hard window valances in the camper when we gutted it.  I wasn't sure if they would make their way back in or not, but  I thought I should save them just in case and didn't put them in the dump pile.  So last night I brought them in and decided that I would use them because they would cover up the tops of the windows when the curtains are open(still need to make the curtains because I ditched all the ugly metal blinds!). Plus they will give some extra color to the walls and a bit of warmth.

Here they are before.... not totally hideous, but not the look I am going for.  The floral print was also on the sleeper sofa and the wall paper border.

 And here they are after....   I covered them in an old log cabin feed sack quilt.  It was really hard to make that first cut into it, but now I am happy I did.  The quilt had many problems and was not usable. It just sat folded up in a basket collecting dust.  So I'm looking at it as though I breathed new life into it and we can all enjoy it when we go camping.  I still have some of it left, but it is mostly the parts with the most damage.  Maybe I can make some cute buntings out of it and hang them in the camper.

My color scheme is slowly changing as this process goes on. I was just planning on white and blue, but now it looks like I will throw it a few more vintage colors. I'm definitely thinking that the curtains need to be white and pretty simple since the valances are so busy. I don't want sensory overload when we go into this tiny space.


I can't wait for it to be done, and don't worry, I'll share it with you :)



Have a productive day,

Tiff

For the Camper...

Thank you all for the comments and emails about the mantle. I will be taking the sign down and like you suggested, maybe hanging it below. If that doesn't work out, it will just have to go on a wall somewhere.

For the past two days I have been working on stuff for the camper.  My fingers are sore from handsewing the covers on the new cushions for the sofa bench we built, but they are coming out better than I expected.

I have also been working on some fun stuff.  The gorgeous crocheted pillow cover on the left was found at a small local antique shop.  It was made to have a pillow stuffed in it with both sides being the same and buttons on the top for closure.  It was only $5 and I can't imagine how long it took someone to make!  I brought it home, washed it and stuffed my own pillow in it. I LOVE it!  The pillow on the right is just a quicky I whipped up from some fabric I had.  The dog embroidery on the front was in my stash and  I thought is worked well with the colors.  On the back I used part of an old white tablecloth that had seen better days but worked perfectly for this project.

 I'm also in the process of stitching this vintage piece I picked up from my friend's shop.  It will be turned into a pillow too.  

I'm going for a light and airy vintage theme for the camper with blue and white as the main color scheme and birds all around.


It's beautiful outside today, low humidity, light wind, and the sun is shining.  I went out with the boys for a little while so they could ride their bikes and I swear for a split second I felt Fall.  I know that sounds crazy and it's way too early, but that Fall feeling air whipped around the front porch and it just felt so lovely.  I really can't wait for Fall to actually arrive as it is my favorite season.


Blessings to all,

Tiff

Summer Mantle...

If there is one thing I struggle with, it's my fireplace mantle.  I never seem to get it "just right".  

As you can see, I repainted the woodwork back to white after having it be Olde Village Pearwood for 5 years.  I also added an extra plank of wood to the top so that it gave me an extra inch of width to work with.

After trying several different things, I settled on this look for summer. It's a mix of things from around the room with a splash of color with the candle bird and eggs in the next.  I'm still not crazy about the sign above the mirror as it just looks awkward because it is the same width as the mirror, but I'm too lazy at the moment to figure something else out;)

I do have an idea to layer the mirror but I just haven't gotten around to it yet. Maybe later in the week I'll get to it and share :)


Have a nice afternoon,

Tiff