2010 coming to an end

Well it is hard to believe 2010 is almost history.  A lot has happened this past year, both good and bad,  so I am hopeful for a great year in 2011.  Yesterday was a working day for me as I had an open studio day for students who needed anything before I leave for Texas to drop by.  I worked on finishing the cupboard frames, Chelsea drew lots of Cupboard patterns for me, and I continued to recover from my dental woes...mouth is still sore but the pain is not horrible so life goes on.  I will be glad when it is all over---about 5 months for the final implant.

 I have been doing a little hooking but need to start planning what to take with me to Texas...I am considering taking Emma Lou's Antique Floral runner---I have had it for over 5 years but put it aside because I had been color planning so many of them for students that I felt like I was "over it" but now I think I am ready to tackle it with a new set of eyes and wools.  I am so used to having all my wools around me when I am hooking and to have to make choices to take with me---it will help me know how a student feels when they have a limited amount of choice...this might be good for me and educational as well.

The 40th anniversary party is approaching---the kids will be doing the cooking and serving at the party for 10.  I don't know what all they have up their sleeves but I am sure it will be wonderful.  They are both good cooks.  Today is some girl time as Chelsea and I are getting our hair cut.  New Year's eve promises to be a quiet one at home...probably celebrating quietly with some music, games and watching the celebrations around the world on TV.  I think the kids plan to do some of the cooking for the next day as well---prep work!

The studio has now been taken over with all the stuff the kids have bought for their etsy store...they have found some great things---now to figure out the best way to get it back to CA...what goes in carry on, what get in checked baggage  and what get shipped home.

I hope everyone has a happy and safe New Year!  Cheers!

Sorry no pictures today...soon!

Christmas Day

Merry Christmas everyone!  I hope everyone is having a joyous Christmas season.  I am happy to have both of my girls home this Christmas.  We had a wonderful Christmas Eve dinner last night and opened presents so it has been a quiet morning.  I am about ready to go wake the girls up to get ready for church.

Santa was good to everyone---everyone liked all their stuff.  I even got a paisley shawl from Chelsea and Noah that they found at an estate sale in Oakland CA.  Sarah got me the meat tenderizer that I have been wanting---it is great.  I can't wait to flatten out some chicken breasts!

I am not looking forward to Monday morning and my trip to the dentist's office.  I probably won't feel up to eating for a couple of days---so the extra food I ate last night and that I will eat today won't be as hard to get rid of.

Okay, it is now 1:30 and I am back from church...everyone has filled their tummies again...the Christmas music is playing in the background.  It is cold with snow flurries today.   Brrrr!  I think it might be a good time to get my hooking out.

Here are a few pictures of Thrift store Tuesday.

We sure had a good time.  They are in the process of cleaning it up and hope to do some posting on their etsy store.  Check their store out.
www.etsy.com/shop/ourhousevintage


Have a great day!

Tuesday---Thrift Store Marathon

Well today is going to be a marathon of thrift store shopping.  I have promised to take Chelsea and Noah on a thrift store marathon---they are looking for stuff for their ETSY store---and want to see what they can find here in KC.  They have their list made and we plan to hit the road at 9AM.  Their flight was delayed several hours yesterday so they didn't get in until 8 last night---we got to bed past my bedtime.

Yesterday was a mix of good and bad.  The bad is some dental issues that I am dealing with---no fun!  I have to have some major work next Monday.  I am hoping that it will go well and that I'll still be able to have the "Open Studio" day that I have planned for my students.

The good is that I received my copy of Early American Life's February Issue that has the rug hooking article in it with two of my rugs in it.  Good that Chelsea and Noah made it here safely.  Good that I finished my Christmas shopping and that my husband actually went with me and didn't complain too much and helped wrap the packages.

Well I hope that everyone has a great week.  Those of you who will be traveling this year---be safe1

Enjoy your family and friends and the blessing of the season!

This is Wanda's Santa---it is a pattern by Rhonda Manley---Blasksheepwool designs.

Sunday, Christmas Week

I meant to get more pictures posted but on Thursday I started feeling crummy and have been laying low since Thursday night.  I'm not very good at diagnosing, but I haven't had a temperature, so I decided to just do ibuprofin and nasal washes with lots of laying around.  I am ready for this to be over---missing two parties---last night and today but don't want to push because I am so looking forward to my daughter coming home from California so I plan to take it easy again today.  I did get some reorganizing done in my kitchen---the kids are going to prepare a dinner for us for our 40th wedding anniversary (January 2nd).  It is hard to believe that I am going to be married for 40 years---twice as many as I was single---yeah I know the math---that makes me 60.

With the really cold weather that we have had and being sick I haven't been able to run for a week now---makes me grumpy!

Well, i'll post a couple of pictures and then I am going to go lay down and watch the Chiefs.

This is Amy's Santa rug---love the spirals in the sky.

This is Carol's oriental--she changed the center of the original pattern.


Have a great week!

Holiday Party

 Well today was the Holiday Party for my students.  I didn't get pictures of the rugs in Progress ( Show and Tell) but I did take pictures of finished rugs that the students brought in...can't post all of them but I'll pick out a few to post.  A big thank you to Mimi, our host.  She does a great job of providing us with a lovely place for out luncheon.  Everyone brings a dish to share and is supposed to bring their recipe for a book we put together.  I provide the wine so a good time was had by all.  Here is a picture of everyone:

Don't forget you can click on the pictures to make them larger!  It is hard to see those heads way in the back.

This is a great group of very talented rug hookers and good friends.  I am very blessed to have such a great group of women to come to my classes.

Here are some of their rugs.

This is the kit I designed and put together for all of the students.  Mine was made into a pillow.

This is Karen's bunny rug---it has alot of special meaning to her---a bunny for each of her 6 grandkids---their first initial hooked into their bunny and wool from her husband's sportscoats.

A fun cat rug hooked by Marie!

Anne's Halloween rug---she has a brighter color pallette than many of my students and I always love seeing how her rugs turn out.

This one long rug but it took me two pictures to get it all.  It was hooked by Bonnie.  She has a great primitive, old color pallette.  A great rug!

Peggy hooked this froggy rug for her granddaughter---what fun!

Cheryl started this rug with me in September at Green Lake rug Camp---it really turned out great.

This was her start at camp.

Kate started this one in June at Caraway ---it is called Jane's Favorite.  Love the reddish border!

Well there are more to post but have no more time now.  I have another party tonight---our neighborhood bunco party is tonight and I have to make a salad and get a present!  Nothing like running late.

Yesterday I did a major cleanup in the studio---it looks much better now---I may even be able to find things.  I did uncover my Primary Fusion Dye Book which had gotten back behind the drawers in my dye area---been missing for over a year!

I also taught my husband how to serge and he helped me draw the outline on a whole bunch of my Cupboard Series rugs---which are now ready to draw the patterns into...I am saving those for my daughter to help me with when she comes next Monday.

A bit thanks to all my students and especially Mimi for hosting the party to day.  You are great!!!!

Friday---dye day!

I spent the day in the dye pots today with Kate---did lots of long and lovelies---they are in the washer and dryer.

I just had an interesting thing happen this afternoon.  We have had a group of three boys who have been cutting through our yard on their way home from school and lately have been knocking on our front window which sets my dog Fred to barking up a storm---they must think it was fun---not anymore.  I was waiting for them today, with my hand on the door knob and they knocked and the door flew open and I was after them---they didn't know I could run so fast.  I did lose them when they divided but one of them ran in his house and mom wanted to know why---he had fallen and lost his Ipod.  She and her daughter were out looking for the ipod.  They asked me if I had been chasing the three boys---so I explained the whole thing,  One of them was her son and two of his friends.  I showed her where we had run through yards and we found the ipod. She came back to my house with the three boys to apologize and made them promise to not cut through our yard anymore.  I think they were quite surprised that I could run.  She said one of them was about ready to "puke" from running so fast.  Yeah---I didn't know I could run that fast either----my lungs were hurting too!

Tomorrow is out State Line Rug Hookers Meeting.  Everyone is supposed to bring Holiday rugs to share and something to eat.  I haven't been able to go to many meeting lately so I am looking forward to going.


Open studio day on Monday and then the Holiday Party on Wednesday---I am really excited about it.

Happy Hooking!

Yeah---my rugs came home today from Early American Life magazine.  I am glad they are back home and am looking forward to seeing the February issue.

There's no place like home!

  Just a quick post to say that I am back in Kansas.  While it was fun to be on vacation, it is so good to be back home.  I felt like Dorothy---click my heels together and say there's no place  like home and sleep in my own bed.

Even though the weather is much colder here and it is a rather gray day I am happy to be back home...doing all the mundane things that need to be done...mail sorting, laundry, grocery shopping...I have given myself one day to get this all done because tomorrow I plan to do some work...dyeing, patterns, etc. and am really looking forward to it.

I'll post a couple more pictures from the trip and then it is behind me.  I've got things to do to get ready for the Holiday Party next Wednesday....can't wait!  I am also looking forward to Chelsea and Noah's trip here for Christmas...the will be here a week from Monday.  Yeah!!!

This was an interesting glass decorated tree---beautiful in the sun!

  

This is a picture of some of the local textile arts---very colorful display!

A beautiful view at sunset...love the colors in the sly and the reflection on the water.

Okay...now back to work!

Friday---sunshine in Belize

Yeah---finally the sun is shining.  It is a beautiful day.  I got out for an early morning run and treated myself  to Fry Jacks at Estel's on the beach---like sopapillas with honey and a cup of coffee.  We were supposed to go cave tubing and zip lining today but it was cancelled due to flooding on the mainland so hopefully we will get to go Monday.  I still hope to get in a snorkelling trip one afternoon.

I'll post some more pictures soon.  Chelsea composed a treasury on her website that she wanted me to share so here is the link.


http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4cf9146463aa8eef7bf3bcdf/for-the-birds-a-gift-guide


I'm thinking a walk on the beach and some lunch sounds like a good way to start the afternoon...a maybe a little afternoon siesta couldn't hurt.  Back to my book right now.

View from the balcony with sunshine!!!  

The high school is about a block from where we are staying and they are having quite a good time today---singing all playing all day---their voices are beautiful.  they are having quite a celebration of some kind.  Their voice are echoing ---very beautiful.

Greetings from Belize

Well we arrived here yesterday to rain and cool weather---it is still showering today but not as heavy as yesterday.  Doug went out for his first day of diving this morning and I had a nice long run on the beach---parts of it are hard to run on.  I also explored the streets of San Pedro and hit a grocery store.  Some things are quite pricey here---I beginning to learn the ropes and my way around.  Waiting for Doug to get back so we can go have a nice lunch.  Last night I had shrimp and conch ceviche and a interesting ahi tuna salad.

Here are a few pictures I took this morning before my camera batteries ran out.

  

I tried to take a picture of a fish in the water---unsuccessfully.

  

A view along the beach.

 

A view from our balcony.

I just checked outside and it is raining again!!  Rain rain go away, Anita wants to play!!!

I guess I'll read some more of my book till he gets back.

Cyber Monday and Post Thanksgiving

Well early this morning I wrote a wonderful post and something happened and it disappeared into cyber-space...so I will try to recreate it.  It went something like this:

Today I plan to work on the kits for my student's gifts for out annual Christmas Gathering.  I had it narrowed down to two ideas and chose one for this year and will save the other for next year.  I did get them done by the way,so I will post a picture after the party.  Here are a couple of pictures of previous years.

These projects are all hooked into wool---fun and easy to make.

I am getting ready to leave on a trip with my husband---his annual scuba diving trip.  He got certified last year and is very excited.  I don't dive but I like to snorkel, run on the beach, drink a margarita and love to read beach books---something I really look forward to doing on vacation.  I got three new books---Sugar Queen, Julia's Chocolates and Angry Housewives Eating Bonbons---hmmmm, there seems to be a reoccurring theme here---I must have had sweets on the mind when I picked them out.  Anybody read any of these books?

Fred our dog is staying home with Doug's sister who is house and Fred sitting.  He barks so much at the kennel that he comes home hoarse, so he will be a happy dog.  Thanks Kathe!

We had a nice quiet Thanksgiving dinner---enjoyed having Sarah our youngest daughter home from Manhattan, Ks.  We are looking forward to Christmas and our 40th Anniversary when both daughters will be here.

Chelsea has been busy posting on her Etsy site---her contribution to Cyber Monday was to post all day for a 24 hour period---lots of new listings so check it out---nothing like plugging your daughter's efforts.


http://www.etsy.com/shop/ourhousevintage

Hope you had a great thanksgiving.

Anita

Thanksgiving week

I started my week off early this morning by running The Gobbler Grind---ran the 5K in 29:29---placed first in my division.  I was pleased considering that my legs were very sore yesterday from an hour run that I did on Friday---note to self---don't run for an hour on Friday when you have only been running three miles recently.

Here I am before the race---smiling!

and Here I am at the end of the race---not smiling!

Tomorrow is my last home class of 2010.  We will be having our end of the year Holiday party on the December 15th---it is always the highlight of the year---great food and a great rug show of my students work for the past year.  I am very lucky to have such a great group of women to share my love of rug hooking with.

This is a beautiful Frost Oriental hooked by Floss Stillman---an amazing rug hooker.  She also brought the piece to Teacher's workshop that I taught last year.  Here is her rendition of Early Frost Adaptation.

That's it for tonight.  I have to make some Pumpkin dip for class tomorrow...yummy---with animal crackers.

Here's another plug for my daughter's etsy store.  They have added some fun items.  Check it out!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/ourhousevintage

Have a great week!

Home again!

Had a great week---busy but fun.  This was the first trip in the fifth wheel pulling it on the road.  We have had it parked at the lake at Pomme de Terre for three years and now we are taking it to the road.

This photograph was taken near the marina at sunset at Highport Marina where we were camping.

What a lovely Texas sunset!

This photograph was taken at the 5K race in Denison Tx.  This was an uphill finish---I like downhill much better!  My first senior women's win---not many seniors there but still a win!

Tis is a photo of the water's edge at Lake Texoma in front of the McGown Teacher's workshop at Prothro---it is a beautiful location. Here is another view.

Here is a Fruit piece hooked by Roz---it was taught to the trainees---a beautiful piece!!!!

After the workshop[ was over my good friends Lily and John came to visit.  This photo of Lily and I  was taken on a walk one cool afternoon---we look like we are from outer space!

Well, that's it for now---unpacking to do!!!

Post run saturday

I ran in a 5 k race this morning in Denison TX an won the Senior women's award with a time of 29:27 and won $50. yeah! The course was near Waterloo Lake---lots of rolling hills. It wasn't a big race but I am happy with my time. I will be at McGown Teacher's workshop this week in Pottsboro tx. I am looking forward to a great week.

Random thoughts

My ash tree has almost lost all of its leaves, but the pin oak is hanging on to them.  Fall is definitely in the air---love fall!

When my daughter Chelsea moved to Boston the Red Sox won the World Series.  She moved to New York and the Yankees won.  In August she moved she moved to San Francisco and last night the Giants won the World Series...The Royals  are hoping that her next move will be to Kansas City.

I am getting ready to go to McGown Teacher's workshop.  Last year was my last year as Assistant Director so I am going to go and just be one of the gang...I am not teaching a piece this year...just taking part in the Thursday program on Color planning and dyeing.  I prepared a couple of dye projects that I will do a "dry demo" of.  The workshop is held at Lake Texoma near Pottsboro.  It looks like we are going to have wonderful weather.

 Watch for the February issue of Early American Life magazine.  There is going to be an article on Rug Hooking.  Edyth O'Neill is working on this article and I am happy to say that I am being included in the article---shipped a couple of my rugs to them for photographing.  I love features that promote our wonderful art of Rug Hooking!  Watch for it.

I went for my longest run yesterday since my half marathon.  I ran for about an hour in the afternoon.  I am definitely a better morning runner...I don't like afternoon runs.  I am going to run in a 5K race in Dennison Texas on Saturday---it is near where the workshop is being held so I thought it might be fun.  I am also going to run in the Gobbler Grind the Sunday before Thanksgiving...another 5K.  They also have a half marathon but I don't think I'm quite up to doing another one right now.

Today is Election day---don't forget to vote!

Oh where oh where has all the time gone

Well, my sister has been here since October 8th and today is the 28th---I can't believe three weeks have gone by.  She brought a rug with her that she had started about 4 years ago in hopes that she would get inspired again and finish this rug.  She was about as far on the now finished side as she is now on the unfinished side---so I think she had met her goal.  Hopefully now she will go back to California and finish it by Christmas---I will have her send me a finished picture to post.

So here it is.  It is Sailcloth Primitive hooked in a #9 cut---check out all the great paisley hooked into the rug.

Yesterday at my home classes Jane brought a rug that she has been working on.  She started it in a workshop with Sharon Townsend.  Two weeks ago I suggested she use on of my long spot dyed pieces and hook the strips in order like stained glass to put inside the windows so that the ladies were looking out at the great outdoors and wow---look how it turned out!  Great job, Jane!

Here is a close up of the window on the left.

Okay that's it for tonite---time to cook and have a  glass of wine.  Cheers!

The end of a busy weekend

Lots to do this time of year...the deck is almost finished---grass to mow, leaves to rake, and the list goes on and on.

Here is a picture of the deck.

I guess it is time for a party.  Maybe have hooking class on the deck.

Last night we went to some friends house and made sushi---it was lots of fun and yummy!

I have finished Cape Ann---here it is.

Here is is again---the link to my daughter's Etsy store.  Playing the role of a good mother---check it out.  They have some fun stuff!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/ourhousevintage

I have a few more pictures to post from the quilted Apple workshop, so here goes:  

This is Carol's House runner---it is going to be a great rug.

This is Kathy's Jumbo Star---a Lib Callaway pattern---one of my all time favorites.

Here is Dawna's Turkey---he is a handsome guy!

Yeah---the KC chiefs won today!

Have a great week!

R & R at the lake

I just came home today from some much needed R&R at the lake.  I was very sore on Sunday and Monday but each day I have gotten better---much different than last year when I could hardly walk for 4 or 5 days.  I am back to normal and feeling GREAT!  I had fun hitting some flea markets, cooking outside, going for walks in the leaves, finishing Cape Ann---my current rug---just a bit more to get done, sitting by the campfire,  a short boat ride, walking on the rocks---the water level was so low that debris from the tornado 4 years ago was visible in the rocks---crazy!!!  I had the company of my sister from California to share this with so we had a great time.

Yeah---I did it!!!!

I am home from the run---I completed 13.1 miles in 2 hours and 28 minutes!!!

The biggest problem I had was cramping in my toes...I am glad that it is over!

Here I am approaching the finish line waving at my husband and sister.