BLOSSOMS, BLOOMS AND GIVE AWAY

I just love this time of year when things are green and the blossoms on our old apple tree are out and the lilacs are blooming. Our old apple tree is special because the last three years of my old horses life when she didn't have any teeth left, all she could eat was apples from our old tree and alfalfa pellets. She lived to be 40. We have two old apple trees and a few old lilac trees on our 1800's homestead. I thought I'd share some pictures with you.

I am just finishing up some hand made things for a give away that I will be announcing next week. You must be a follower of my blog to be eligible. I will be announcing it in my next post.

Hope you are all having a great weekend.

~Janet

NEW BOOK

I got this new book today. Can't wait to make some of the projects. I love all of the patterns.

PEEK-A-BOO

I snapped this picture this morning of "Kit", my Jack Russell. She was relaxing after her morning walk to the bush. She loves to cuddle under quilts. So cute.

Kit

SPRING....FINALLY!!!!

I think spring is finally here. Thank goodness. My magnolia tree is out in full bloom. I got home late last night from judging a horse show in Findlay, Ohio this weekend. When I left on Friday, the buds were still closed, but when I went outside this morning they were opened right up. I love my magnolia this time of year. 

I had a great trip down to Ohio. I left early Friday morning and did a little shopping at a Meijers in Toledo where I got some  awesome Ball canning jars. These jars are to celebrate Ball's 100th anniversary. They are in the color blue just like the vintage ones you find in antique stores, but brand new. Being an avid canner, I had to buy some. So I will be canning in style this year. I have heard they won't be available in Canada, so I thought I had better get some while I could. They are only manufacturing so many and then that will be it, you won't be able to get them. I stopped at a couple of antique malls on the way down and also had a fabulous fish dinner at the Cracker Barrel in Monroe, Michigan for lunch. Dinner was at the Texas Roadhouse in Findlay. I just love that place! Great service and the best food around. It is nice to go on a trip, but it is nice to get home too. I have had a few emails from people telling me that I had better post something, it has been too long. Not much going on lately. Trying to catch up on my gardening, housework, etc. Planning the vegetable garden for this year. I have finally waded through the 163 emails that were in my inbox when I got home last night. Now off to pull some weeds in my flower beds :(

Magnolia in bloom

My Ball jars

STEP BACK CUPBOARD

This morning my new step back cupboard arrived. I started working on it right away. It was just raw pine when it came, so I stained it inside and out then painted it with buttermilk barn red paint, then distressed and antiqued it. I just moved it inside and took the picture. It looks much better than the picture shows. It was a bit dark when we brought it in. I wanted it to dry so I left it outside until it was almost dark. It was freezing cold outside today and it even snowed a little while I was working brrrrrrrr. I was frozen by the time I got finished at 3 pm. I love it. I won't mention that my back is killing me and that I am stiff as heck :( but it was worth it!

Hope you all have a great weekend. 

~Janet

Step Back cupboard. Happy Birthday from Me to Me :)

EASTER LUNCH WITH FRIENDS

Today I was invited to my friend Marg's home to have lunch with some quilting friends. I had a great time getting together with Marg, Heather, and Carolyn. Marg made a wonderful casserole, Carolyn made a delicious spinach salad with strawberries,  mandarin oranges, blueberries, and feta cheese, and Heather made some of her delicious home made fudge brownies. We also enjoyed some of Marg's home made date squares. It is always fun getting together with quilting friends. Here are some pictures of our get together.

I hope everyone is having a great weekend.

~Janet

Marg's delicious casserole

Carolyn tossing the salad

Spinach salad with blueberries, mandarin oranges, strawberries and feta cheese

Slices of Kiwi and Pears

Heather's delicious fudge brownies and Marg's date squares

Marg had chocolate  Easter bunnies at our place settings

Myself, Marg and Heather

Carolyn, Marg and Heather

HAPPY EASTER

Wishing everyone a very Happy Easter.
Blessings~Janet

JUST OUT OF THE OVEN

I just took these goodies out of the oven. Home made apple pie and mint chocolate chip cookies. DH is back in our bush cutting wood, so I thought I would surprise him when he comes in. I thought the apple pie would go great for desert after the pork roast I am making for dinner tonight with all the fixins.
Have a great Sunday everyone.
~Janet

Home made apple pie and mint chocolate chip cookies

CURTAINS AND QUILT RACK

Happy Friday everyone. Just thought I would show you all my new curtains that I just picked up this morning from the Post Office. I just finished hanging them. I got a set for each of my three windows in the living room. The color is perfect for the room. I was a little apprehensive seeing it was an online order, but I am pleased. I am still plugging away. It has been a busy week and today I have to get some sewing done for a quilting class that I am teaching tomorrow. I still have a lot more to do in my living room, like make pillows, hang my samplers and I am having a stepback cupboard made that will be delivered in April. DH put up the quilt rack he made for me as a Christmas gift and it looks great over my sofa. I painted it black and aged it the same as my bowl rack. I have my Antique Spider Web quilt hanging on it at the moment, but I still need to put a few more things on the top shelf......need to give that some thought.

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.

~Janet

New prairie curtains

My quilt rack that DH made for me

NEW BOWL RACK

I have my new bowl rack up with my old wooden bowls. I had it made by the "Hollow Cupboard" They do awesome work there. I am waiting for my prairie curtains to arrive any day now. Just cleaning up and re-arranging. The walls are painted in a butterscotch color and the trim is Windsor green which is a black/green. My stepback cupboard will be here in April and there is a few things that I still have to move out. I just thought I would give you a little peak....I cleaned all of my windows this morning too. I am off to work for noon. I have recovered from our Anniversary sale.......what a fabric cutting marathon!

~Janet

PUTTING THINGS BACK TOGETHER

I am spending today putting my living room back together. Finally finished everything. DH made me a quilt rack for Christmas to hang over my sofa, so last weekend I painted and aged it. I love it. I have to get some new curtains up. DH also hung my new bowl rack up that was hand made by the "Hollow Cupboard" and I have my old bowls in it. I made a huge pot of home made chicken soup this morning and it is simmering away on the stove, just in time for lunch. I just got my samplers in the mail this morning that I ordered from one of my Facebook friends. She did an awesome job and will make a nice addition to my living room. It's a blustery, snowy day here in Southern Ontario.........brrrrrrrrrrr!

~Janet

My new samplers........I love them!

HAPPY ST.PATRICK'S DAY

Hoping everyone has a wonderful weekend.
~Janet

IF YOU ARE WONDERING

If you are wondering what happened to the picture of my mystery quilt, I am doing some "reverse" stitching on it. I never noticed that I sewed one of the borders on wrong until I was looking at it on my Blog. I guess I was just sewing away and not paying attention. Shame on me ...............LOL

Hope you are all having a great night.

~Janet

MYSTERY QUILT PART II

I have been running a little behind because of re-doing my living room, but I did manage to finish part II of my mystery quilt. I hope to finish the painting today on my living room except for the trim. It is ordered, but hasn't arrived yet. It is coming from Pennsylvania. Yesterday was spent sewing with friends and I finished part II. I thought I had better get it done as part III will be coming out soon :) 

I had to take a break from all of that painting on Sunday. 

On another note, I can't believe how many scammers are out there. I have a couple of things for sale on Craigslist and someone was trying to scam me. I can't believe there are so many of these losers out there.

~Janet

PROGRESS

I am making progress on my living room. The walls are all patched and prepped and the ceiling and walls will be painted tomorrow. I still don't have my paint for the trim, so there will be no pictures until it arrives and is put on. I was hoping it would be here by now, but unfortunately not. I have had some emails asking how it was coming along.

I am selling two china cabinets and a Folkart clock. Don't have room for them any more.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend.

~Janet

SOMEONE'S BEEN SLACKING

This afternoon I went out to gather eggs and was surprised to see this tiny egg. It is the size of a Robin's egg, so tiny. So I had a talk with the girls and told them whoever it was had better smarten up.

WHAT'S GOING ON TODAY

Last night I finished up the newsletter for our Quilters' Guild and got that sent out, so today I am sanding walls, patching imperfections to get ready for painting this weekend. I had to order the paint for the trim, as they didn't have the Windsor Green in stock. It is a "vintage" color that has to be special ordered from "Old Village Paint". I spent yesterday cleaning up the bits of paper etc. from the massive wallpaper removal. So this coming weekend will be spent painting.......lots of fun. Actually I don't mind  painting. It is far easier than removing wallpaper for sure.

Hoping everyone has a great week.

~Janet

WALLPAPER IS REMOVED

Well I worked my butt off all day yesterday and I finished stripping all of that paper. It was 9 o'clock last night when I got finished. I didn't stop for supper because if I had eaten, I would have been too tired to finish the task. I thought I would get something to eat when I finished, but I was too darned tired. The room is big 16 x 30 so it was lots of work. I am glad I have good upper body strength or I wouldn't have been able to keep my left arm up with the steamer while scraping the paper off with my right. I guess all of that weight lifting and farm work over the years has paid off. So now I have to wash all the walls down, patch imperfections, do a little sanding and then start painting. I'll probably start that on Sunday.

Hope you all have a great weekend.

~Janet

JUST POPPING IN

I am just popping in to let you all know what a great time I am having today :0) (NOT) At 7:30 this morning I picked up a steamer from the rental centre, came home and started stripping border and wallpaper. I have some soup warming on the stove and coffee brewing. I need to take a break, I am almost half finished the room. My motivation to keep going is picturing what the finished room will look like. I tried to use that stuff in the jug for removing paper, but not a chance. I sized the walls when I put it on, but it is not strippable paper, it is traditional. I will have this all off tonight by the time my DH gets home. He is helping out a friend of his today. Here is a picture of what I am doing.

Looks like fun huh. 

STARTING A PROJECT

Well I think I have mustered up enough energy to start the process of painting my living room. I am doing the same colors, but just another coat. It needs freshened up. I have a border above the chair rail that needs to go so I will just have paint on the walls. I found a store not far from here that carries Old Village paint which is what my trim is painted in and I want to use that again. It just so happens that I am judging a horse show in that town in the next couple of weeks so I can pick some up. Last time I had one heck of a time finding the stuff in Canada and had to UPS it here. Today, I'll start packing things up and moving the furniture into the centre of the room. I have been planning this for awhile now, but just finding the energy to start :( The February blues don't help either :(

My birthday is coming up in April and I just ordered a couple of samplers for the living room wall so that is my incentive. Nothing like an incentive to get you off of your butt and get moving :)

Hopefully I'll have some pictures when it is done.

Hope you all have a great day.

Janet