A little surprise fairy dust!

We woke up this morning to fairy dust falling from the sky....so beautiful and peaceful.

I've spent quite a bit more time over the long holiday weekend working on the "Going in Circles" rug.

I think some of my favorite spots are the wild plaids and checks like these.

I've kind of worked sporadically all over the rug trying to get the colors balanced and now I've started hooking more from the middle out, because the rug is getting rather heavy.

I thought maybe today I should take a color and then black and white picture to see how the values are working with each other. One block was bothering me...the really pastel-y babyish block. It's the one down towards the right end that is pink with blue and then orange in the middle. I think maybe a dark stripe around the orange would help it some....what do you think?

Go forth and be creative,

Tammy

Black Friday

Friday was anything but black for me....it was joyous!

I got to sleep in with both of the dogs snuggled up next to me, then we got up...I had a little coffee and then played on the computer for a while.

That is where I came across this website. http://www.befunky.com/ You can take your pictures and cartoon-ize them....that is how I made my banner....I could spend hours playing on there!!!!

Here are a few pictures that I played around with of Cleopatra.

Then you can take your pictures and have them put on coffee mugs, t-shirts and the like.....hmmmm....thinking that these might make good Christmas gift ideas!

Another site I came across was Rust-Tex.

I was "googling" how to do image transfers and came across her site....very interesting....something I might one to try one day....not quite NOW, but in the future. Look at the wonderful things she makes! Rust on fabric...who knew?!

I did finally find some info on transfering images here using soap flakes and turpentine....has anyone ever done it this way? I'm wanting to put some vintage images on some onesies for a friend who is having twin girls. I have the transfer paper, but thought this might give a softer look.

I also put out our Nativity scene, Kenny and I took the dogs on a long walk in the dark to look at Christmas lights (not too many up yet) and then spent the rest of the day and evening hooking, nibbling on left-overs and watching "Michael Clayton"

.....such a great day!

Go forth and be creative,

Tammy

Recipe

This is one of my "must have" things to eat at Thanksgiving. I think my Aunt Joan makes hers with strawberries.....I can't remember, but I do remember how much I love it. I make mine at Thanksgiving with cranberries.....can't wait to dig into it!

Cranberry Jell-O Salad

Ingredients:

2 pkgs.raspberry or strawberry Jell-O

2 cups boiling water

1 (16oz) can jellied cranberry sauce....I like the one with whole cranberries in it

1 (20oz) can crushed pineapple, drained

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

1. Combine the Jell-O and boiling water; stir until Jell-O is dissolved. Mix in cranberry sauce and pineapple and pecans.

2. Transfer to glass serving dishes or casserole pan. Chill until set.

Serves 12......unless Tammy is there...then it probably serves 4-5 :)

A little down time

With my "dog blanket" Lonnie.

He is absolutely the world's most snuggly dog!!

I painted most of the day yesterday, so last night we had a lot of "snuggle time" to catch up on.

I am blessed.

Watching paint dry

Only a crazy person would do this two days before Thanksgiving......but I gave myself Thanksgiving as my deadline..........I've been stripping old paint from the cabinets in our utility room over the past few weeks....what a job.

Then I primed the cabinets with this "fifties green" primer last night and night before last. You can see the primer on the door.....pretty huh? On top of the dryer is my grocery list....I have most of my Thanksgiving stuff and I hope to be able to do a lot of my prep work tonight and tomorrow.Last night I started stripping the wallpaper border from the wall and got that all done this morning and now I've started painting the cabinets......oh my.....how many coats is this going to take? Right now I'm waiting for the paint to dry so I can start on the next coat.....stay tuned to my chaotic life to see how it all turns out.

Go forth and be creative,

Tammy

Coolest Blog & Tag

Hey, I got a "Butterfly Award" from Vicki at Hogscald Holler.....how cool is that?!

AND I've been tagged by Plum Purdy Primitives!

~ For the gamethe rules are as follows:
Rule #1 ~ Link to the person that tagged you.
Rule #2 ~ Post the rules on your Blog.
Rule #3 ~ Write 6 random things about yourself.

So....here goes!

6 Random things about myself:

1. I'm a morning person. 2. I'm trying really hard to be a pescetarian/compassionate carnivore....Yes, I like to make up my own categories.....I try to eat like a vegetarian, but do eat fish and I try to only eat meat that comes from animals who are raised with compassion.....for example I will eat beef that was raised on a family farm where the cows can graze or chickens who are free range. I've done this since July and so far my only downfall has been eating cashew chicken from an Oriental restaurant down the street from me twice during that time....it's my weakness. I try not to eat "factory farmed" meats

which generally means no meats when I go "out" to eat.

3. I love to paint rooms in my house when I have time off from work...right now I'm working on my utility room....cabinets, walls and trim....this has been a big undertaking and I'm hoping to get a lot of it finished today, but the stripping of the wallpaper border is about to make me loose my mind!

4. I tend to hoard wool that I love and end up hardly ever using it...always looking for a "worthy" project for it.

5. I love having my dogs snuggled up next to me.

6. I went from having hair that hung down to the middle of my back to "really short" hair in one day and have never looked back.

Go forth and be creative,

Tammy

The busier you are.....

.....the more you can accomplish.

Yes, I believe that's true and I'll tell you why......lately I haven't been very busy and I don't feel like I've accomplished much of anything. However, when I'm REALLY busy I can get GOBS done.

Go figure.....

I've been watching movies, reading magazines (mindless stuff), hooking a little and just basically lounging about. I've had a bit of a cold for the past couple of days and I've banked LOTS of sleep. Thank goodness for Nyquil and Lonnie, my dog blanket. He has to be the cuddliest dog on earth.

I've loved it, but now I think I'm ready to get back with it and jump in on more of my projects that I want to complete.

I have been hooking a bit on the "going in circles" rug....it's coming along nicely, but never as quickly as I'd like.

Another nice note......Ethan has found a home! YAY!

So, today I've scoured http://www.dogster.com/

trying to find a new doggie to feature on the blog and I've found this guy,

Edgar.

What a cutie pie with that spotted ear and happy smile!Go forth and be creative,

Tammy

Capturing beauty

Capturing beauty.....

...that is something that Kenny is so wonderful at.

As the garden was going to sleep he clipped these fading beauties and brought them indoors to enjoy just a big longer. The tall spikey things are from the hostas that were in the front of our house back here. The peachy colored leaves are faded begonias that were also in front of our house here by this little statue that came with our house....

....it's a favorite object to photograph.

Here is a picture that he captured of our backyard.....breathtaking.

Another moment of beauty....

.....Trey....

...who was featured here has found a home.

Go forth and be creative,

Tammy

Mutt Like Me

As I get up this morning and start gathering my supplies to start making the Vintage Turkey rug "hangable" the computer calls out to me.....turn me on, turn me on.......I obey

....as I scan the top headlines I see this.

He makes me smile to poke fun at himself and let people know that they are going to try and adopt a shelter puppy.....that would SOOO make my day!!! A person with a high profile bringing shelter adoptions into the spotlight.

Go forth and be creative,

Tammy

***And before anyone gets all bent out of shape....I've read he's already called Nancy and apologized for his seance comment.

Unsettled

I got home last night from work and my husband, Kenny, said he had a million things he wanted to do and wasn't able to get many of them done.

I asked if he was feeling "unsettled" and he said, yes, exactly....Then I told him how I had written about that on my blog yesterday.

So, this morning as I was blog surfing I found an article by Jennifer about election hang-over.

As I was reading her post I came across this.......

Then in my writer’s group last night, Margaret said, “I couldn’t settle today. I kept feeling something should happen.” That made me feel less alone. Which is always good.

and this

Let’s start exhaling now.
Let’s exhale our shared hope in small and vital ways and start preparing the way for the new year. Let’s work on our courage and resilience and vision so we’re ready to be part of the change. Let’s clear out the old within ourselves, our habits, our beliefs so we can have the energy and courage to help.
Because watching history being made on Tuesday, I kept thinking, “I want to be that great, too.” Which may sound flamingly ego-mad crazy but isn’t that what great leadership and authentic hope can do, inspire us toward our own greatness?
Let’s begin to ask my favorite question from Viktor Frankl, “What purpose can I make of my life today?” Let’s ask it everyday. Not to find the answer but to allow the question to guide us. (You know I love questions!)

Next I go to Jacque's blog and low and behold she's talking about getting stuff done. Crafting stuff! And she's listed all kinds of great tips. Making lists and giving yourself completion dates.......

Here is my craft list in order of importance:

1) Sew hanger on the back of my Vintage Turkey rug so it can hang in celebration of Thanksgiving....to be completed Saturday. *completed*

2) fix 2 Halloween dolls that my sweet Lonnie has dismembered.....to be completed Saturday. *completed*

3) Finish Halloween hooking into a pillow....to be completed Saturday. *complete*

4) Put these Halloween items up in the attic in their appropriate boxes..to be completed Saturday. *complete*

5) Finish hooking "red" pillow and sew it all together....to be completed by November 22.

6) Finish hooking "going in circles" rug....to be completed by December 15.

Now here is my list for home improvements.

1) Finish stripping paint, repaint and have beadboard put on ceiling in utility room....before Thanksgiving day.

Okay, now we'll see how far I get on this list. Even if I can get it all finished by the end of the month...that would be awesome....can't wait to get started!

Go forth and be creative,

Tammy

Swirling

I find myself today at work, but really having lots of thought swirling around in my mind like leaves falling from the tree and into a gust of wind.

I have so many things that I want/need to do but I find myself procrastinating on ALL of them.

Why is that?

I can't seem to finish ANY tasks lately.....I start one and then think of something else that I want to start. I'm afraid not to start on the new project for fear that I will forget it, but the chaos that I'm creating for myself in my home and in my mind is making me a bit crazy.

I have a Halloween hooking that STILL needs to be made into a pillow. I have a rug that needs binding put on. Another rug to finish hooking and two Halloween dolls that need to be repaired before they are put away. I also have a Thanksgiving turkey who needs his foot sewn up.

See, not all of these tasks are huge....none of them are really. The only huge task I face is stripping the paint in the utility room, which, like everything else I've started and then left undone.

What do you do when you get like this?

Or DO you get like this?

Other things I'd like to start....a wool garland of leaves and acorns and a multi-media leaf pillow.

I can see these things so clearly in my mind.

Suggestions anyone?

Go forth and be creative,

Tammy