~I'm So Happy to Be Back~

Hello everyone!

Our company left this morning after a week, I'm so out of it...nothing done that I've wanted to do but finally I can do my thing.LOL I so missed you guys and my morning routine and seeing all of your blogs, I did manage to see a few when I had a few minutes to myself but that didn't happen to often:)

I wanted to post about the first swap I did from Char's blog I had posted some of her things before but this house then was such a mess that I didn't get to these two prims from Christine, didn' t she do such wonderful work on these coasters, truthfully I'm afraid to use them:) they are that pretty!
She also was so kind to make these for me, I'm on the look out for the perfect basket to put these pillows in, the one they are in is to big. Love them Christine:) Stop over at Christine's blog she has a new free cross stitch pattern posted, thanks for that too Christine.

The other day it was so hectic here but the mailman stopped with a package from Beth for the Textile swap from Char's blog and boy did she put a smile on my face amongst the craziness here:)
This is the black doll that she made me, I just love her Beth especially the quilt piece you used for the apron. I have her on my rocking chair in my bedroom:)

Beth was also generous in sending along these four napkins tied with muslin, now I have to find some prim napkin rings:)

It's amazing...not long ago I was wishing for some new table runners so I was so surprised when Beth sent me not one but two:) I have this one on the back of my chair in the livingroom.

Love the blue in this runner...the fresh flowers are from the wedding, Beth also sent along a sweet card!

This scented spice bag (smells so good )is a big favorite of mine that she sent, I have it on the side of the hoosier but when Stush gets my shelf back up above my couch I'm hanging this from one of the pegs:)

Thanks Beth I really enjoyed opening the box of such neat prims, thanks also for being so patient with me:)




Now here are more pictures of Annapolis on are 3rd day there ...look at the wrought iron shutter holders at the bottom of the shutters...so neat! Love the blue and the barn red trim!

This is the same building.

Loved how this building is shaped, it's an inn, I'd love to stay there one day:)

Loved this one with the lace curtains!

The flowers there were beautiful, this hanging basket was hanging by the Maryland Inn, the skinny looking building that is in the picture above the one above this one:)

I don't know about you but I've had one busy summer this year, seems like we haven't had time to boat or just relax.LOL Now this Sunday is my sister's birthday and it will be her 69th, my goodness I remember her as a teenager and loving Elvis:)

I 'd like to say hi to my followers (hate that) so what do I call you Joiners? Anyway, thank you for taking the time to stop by out of your busy day to read my blog I always appreciate you and your comments that you take the time to leave:)

~I'll be back~

Hi everyone!
I just wanted to let you know that my next post will be some time next week, we have Stush's niece's wedding this weekend and just got back from the rehearsal dinner! Tomorrow is the wedding and then a picnic on Sunday plus we have company here from Vermont.
I really miss you all and can't wait to get back to my routine:)

I'll leave you with this picture of a building in historical Annapolis, don't you just love the blue door? You should see some of the buildings so old and neat!

Take care,

~Been Tweaking and 2nd Day in Annapolis~

Hi everyone,
Well, it's raining here and about the third cloudy day so far that we have had, where is summer weather? I'd sure like to have some hot weather where you stay in the pool all day so far we haven't had that and it's July!!! I haven't had to water my flowers very much either not like the other summers we have had.

I've been doing some tweaking today and also started a stitchery, I have two others started and just lost interest in them and I discovered why...before I always drew them onto the fabric and stopped when you could print them, well I don't care for the perfect look of them so I think I'll just keep on drawing them... I used to stitch more when I did that, anyway I brought out my patriotic lampshade from the guest room and exchanged the lamp there with this one, it has patriotic corn kernels in it from St.Charles, Mo. that I've had for about 14 years:)


I finally bought a bowl rack from The Country Store. I have it next to my hutch and love it, this is where I used to have my dad's picture remember? It's also above my computer:)

I really am going to paint this one day, LOL, but went ahead and got some prim things on it, it needs something above it but I don't know what...any suggestions?

Now on to our 2nd day at Michael's...this picture is what we did last after we walked and walked in D.C. I was just thrilled to go and see all the monuments, I never thought I'd ever get to see it.

This is the restaurant where we ate in D.C. , great food and service:)

Here we are with the capital in the background, we had beautiful weather:)


Michael, me and Corrie

In front of the White House with two of my favorite guys. This is as close as you get, security is very tight!

Another picture of it, the flowers were beautiful.

The Vietnam memorial...how sad but I felt privileged to see it, part of my teenage years.

The Washington Monument, the only thing I could think of was Tom Hanks running thur it to meet Yenny:0

I was really in awe of the Lincoln Memorial so huge he is sitting there. Did you know he had a nightmare a few days before he was killed that he dreamed of going somewhere and someone shooting him?

I also found out that his left hand is clenched for some reason and the other relaxed for another, I'll have to ask either Michael or Stush because I forget.

Well, I a lot more pictures but I won't bore you with all of them, I had a wonderful time if you ever have the chance to go do so because it is awesome of course I love history so it was just great for me:)

Have a great rest of the day!

~Thursday's This & That~

Isabella/Bella/Bubba greeted us when we got to Michale and Corrie's home in Annapolis, Maryland. I've never been around cats but this one I'd take home in a minute, she's not afraid of you and doesn't run and hide just meow's at you. I know Michael and Corrie just love her and they got her at a shelter...so cute. I was the only one up early in the mornings and she would meow for me to put her food in a bowl then she was a happier kitty:) Here is their home they live about 5 minutes from the harbor and about 20 minutes from D.C. if you ride the Metro, just beautiful there!

This also greeted us on the chalkboard...so sweet...thanks guy's.

We went out to dinner at Mike's Restaurant (thought I posted the picture of it but I'll show it next time) Stush was to interested in his crab legs to look at the camera.LOL

I was so happy to just be there...here Stush at least looked at the camera:) BTW I had lobster and the biggest baked potato I've ever been served:0

Here is some tweaking I did...I used to have this butter churn in the keeping room but now it is next to my step back in the livingroom.

I put my dad's picture above the desk but the light switch is there so it's up higher than what I think it should be, I don't want to put it back next to my hutch so I'm trying to live with it there just to see.

And this is what I did today and will tomorrow too, Sydney is growing so fast...she has learned to stand on her head.

Samantha is learning how to jump off the steps a big deal for a four year old!

Alex will be coming here soon her mom is out of town on business so Nick will bring her while he goes for something about football. I'll be taking her down to play with her cousins and swim:)

Have a great rest of the day everyone:)

~Whatcha Working on Wednesday~

Hi everyone!
We got back from our trip Monday evening and I swear I'm still tired from it.LOL Of course getting back into the routine again is always hard ...watching the girls and doing laundry, I can't believe the dirty laundry in a week from just the two of us plus I did Chris' needless to say I don't want to see or do laundry for a while:)

I started this project before I left, if you remember it was a bronze color and the rooster's had some red on them well first I painted it with the hammered steel that I had left but I didn't like it...to new looking! So I used some flat black paint from the Dollar Store and I love how it turned out!The candle part was white so I painted them a linen color then used some burnt umber on them.

Here it is lit...it goes alot better with everything in the diningroom and livingroom:) Check out Leslie's Whatcha Workin on Wednesday to see who else has participated.

When I got home Monday Chris (who watched Buster for us) had a box sitting on the kitchen counter. What a wonderful thing to happen when you walk in the door after driving for so long:) Janeen from Primitive Lifestyle sent me this spice rack just because, isn't she sweet? I love it and I put it here, at first I thought I'd move it but after a couple days I'm beginning to like it here. I do need to get a small plate or look in my stash of prims because the second bowl wouldn't fit. The towel I bought at Target for .25 of course it was white but I primmed it up with some instant coffee, it looks alot darker then what the picture shows.

Isn't her distressing the best? Love it Janeen...thanks so much♥

Now I'm going to go look at some prim blogs, I'm so far behind...amazing what a week can do. I won't be doing it again because it puts me behind and I like to stay on top of what you are all doing blogger friends:)

I also have to post more of my Porch Swap and BTW I took alot of pictures on my trip to Annapolis and Winston Salem so I think I'll just add a few to each post that I do from here on out...okay?

Also a big HELLO to my new followers Love ya all!!!

~It's My Life~

It's My Life is hosted by Julie of Tattered Threads and Willing Hands

1. What did your home look like? Was is a house or an apartment? What color was it? Was it one story or two? We lived in what was called a foundation back in the early 50's, my dad built it, a one story. It had livingroom kitchen and 3 bedrooms and bath. When I was 12 he built a house, ranch on top by borrowing a little bit from Federal Credit, gee, try doing that today:0 It had 3 bedrooms, livingroom, kitchen and bath. The foundation was then a basement.

2. What was your neighborhood like? We had a great one, I had two best friends back then I can't even remember meeting them and we would play together in the spring, summer, fall and winter. Summer's were hot back then and winter's were cold and the snow lasted until April.LOL

3. Did you have a lawn? Did you have flower beds? Did you have a garden? Did you help care for the flowers or garden? My dad had a huge garden right beside the house...corn, tomatoes, green peppers, lettuce, potatoes and green onions...nothing tastes like my dad's garden and what I wouldn't give to have one of his tomatoes again. He did the gardening hisself I guess it was his relaxtion and hobby:) Mom had flowers all over, I remember morning glorys growing on a string to the top of the porch roof and me popping them. They both had green thumbs!

4. Did you have a front stoop or porch? We had a stoop I guess and on the house dad later built we had a porch on the front and patio off the back.

~Finally Get to Decorate and Our 4th~

Well, finally huh? It's been a long time, about 2 months since we started... more if you count putting the floors in:) I'm just glad it's over and now the FUN part has begun...Decorating!!! I'm going for a less cluttered look and what I don't want I'll sell but it's time to clear out, I know that I'm loving the homes that have that less cluttered look and I'm following Janae's advice that she gives on The Primitive Place stop by to see her beautiful home!
Here is the mantel, wish I had the time to do before and after pics but these will have to do...I painted the mantel blue then stained with dark walnut stain, it came out just how I thought it would, looks so much better than the poplar wood that was there and sure updated it. I don't think Stush was to thrilled about me painting it but I told him "trust me, it will look great". It's a long mantel but I only did the middle part of it I also used my Bennington batter bowl and put my patriotic pears in it. The clock looks great, so glad I bought it and painted the green blue! Ta Da!!! Can you imagine how thrilled I was yesterday when Stush brought the step back in? Look at my collection of yelloware, I think it looks so pretty on it, excuse the hanging light in the hallway we just haven't had time to go to Lowe's yet to by one, I want the same one that I have in the entryway.

Here's a picture of the entryway and I put the stepback to the left of the TV. I'm just loven my new look! The walls in this photo look white but there not you can tell by the ceiling which is white and the walls Country Beige from Wallmart:)

I moved the stand from the right of my sofa to the left and you can see in the trunk that I put in the keeping room...I still have alot of putzing to do what with hanging my shelf above the sofa but that has to wait for Stush to get to.

My wood bowls that I bought on ebay I put on this one narrow wall:) Love them there!

I also dug out my patriotic dishes but you can't really tell on this pic, I sure missed them...did the top of the hutch different and hung my blue Amish apron from the side. And my GW wood candle holder too.

Okay, here is a year later...Buster, Stush had to take him home because he was just shaking all over from the noise of the fire crackers, he's 2 now and is the sweetest dog so layed back and loves kids. When he does wonder off while we are working in the yard or garage we know just where to look...the playground.LOL

Stush and I as you can see my hair is longer, the wind was blowing so it moved my bangs straight down which I always have to the side. Maybe one day I'll take a good picture.:)

Michele and the girls plus Chris were with us, Sydney loved swimming in the river...

plus we watched the fireworks that the Legion put on for everyone:) I hope you had a great one too:)