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.