Monday 31 October 2011

The Winner Is...

 

The winner is....my blogging friend Daisy at Dancing with Daisy . Daisy has been a blogging friend  from almost the beginning. I have many faithful friends now and appreciate you all!
I never imagined how much fun being a part of this blogging world would be. I have truly learned so much by visiting your homes. I've gathered decorating ideas, craft projects, yummy recipes, household  and gardening tips. Well, I could go on and on. But most of all I've gotten to view the
hearts of many kindred spirited ladies. You encourage me to be a better me. And although we very
seldom share our personal lives, I know that with just a word, you would be right there to offer a
prayer for me when needed. Thank you ladies-you are the bestest!!

Saturday 29 October 2011

Christmas Sewing

    DH and I had to go in town today so I have been wanting to pop into the fabric shop to look for
    a fabric for bed shams I want to make. Well, I didn't find fabric for the shams, but look what I
    found. This is part of a panel for a Mary Engelbreit cloth Christmas book. I think it's so sweet
    and I think I'll be hard pressed to find anyone out there that with argue with me on this. I
    bought two panels, for my two youngest grandchildren, to make up for Christmas.

  There are 12 panels altogether-all equally sweet. They also had children flannel on sale for half
  off. I sure wish I lived close enough to all my grand kids so I could make them all Christmas pj's.
  But patterns do not always run true, so I don't want to run the risk of making them and having
  them not fit!


    The lady that cut my panels for me said that there are other  M. E. fabric books she didn't have
    out yet, so I'll go back next week to check them out and see if there are any suitable for the old-
    er grand kids.
    On another note. Please don't for get my 100 follower give away on Oct.31st. Two more days to
    enter. 1) Just become a follower, if you are not already. 2) Post a comment on my blog letting
    me know you want to enter the drawing. 3) Make a reference on your blog letting other blogger
    know about my drawing-should they want to enter too!
    Also, Courtney at Sassafras and Winterberry  has two more days until her drawing.
    And now Jann at A Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson is having another drawing. You all know that
    I won an apron from her last drawing. She has three cute Christmas aprons for me to choose
    from. To enter her drawing you have to guess which one I chose. If you are correct, you will
    be entered in her drawing for one of the other Christmas aprons. So pop over and let her know
    which one you think I picked. I can't wait to see just how well you all have gotten to know me
    these last few months. Jann came up with this neat idea-I think it will be fun!
    Hope you all have a blessed Sunday.

Friday 28 October 2011

I'm a Winner!

  I honestly can not believe I won Jann's drawing for a lovely apron. I think it was 35 years ago I last own anything! I am so thrilled. Jann has given me the option to receive a Christmas apron in
place of this cute one. And I decided I will choose the Christmas one, because I have never had one before. So it will be a sweet surprise when I get it. Kind of like a Christmas present early!!
If you haven't met Jann yet, pop over to A Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson and say 'hello'. She has posted some really yummy Halloween treats she and her friends spent the day 'brewing' up. I enjoy visiting her and I know you will too.
Don't forget Trish at Notes of Sincerity is having a drawing today for the cutest owl candle holder and Courtney at  Sassafras nd Winterberry has a lovely give away with homespun yarn and other rug hooking goodies.
This photo has nothing to do with anything I'm posting. But I can't stand too much writing without a photo stuck in between. I do think this would look real nice in my entry way though!
I don't have the MIL camp photos ready yet because the special order door and the counter top only just arrived yesterday. And DH is working furiously to get them in. So now we will go down next weekend instead of this one to move my MIL up.
If you are wondering why my post looks organized today instead of all over the place, please drop by and thank Vee at  A Haven for Vee for helping me  figure out how to properly edit my post.
Thanks Vee!
I'm off to put the bands on my mittens today. I feel like I'm finally getting something accomplished.
Have a blessed weekend friends,


Tuesday 25 October 2011

I'm Back!

 
I know you are wondering why I am posting again just 2 hours after my last post. Well, because
I lost my post, then found it in draft, published it, but couldn't add on to it. And I hadn't said all I wanted to say! So I',m back! Only for a minute though.

I want to remind you of my 100 followers give away posted on Oct. 21st. Also having a give away is my blogging friend Courtney at  Sassafras & Winterberry. And Jann at Have a Dailey Cup from Mrs. Olsen, who is a new blogging friend. I may be away for a few days as we are getting very close to finishing the MIL camp and I need to help with some of the finishing touches! Hopefully
I'll have photos to share with all of you at the end of the week.
Hope you all have a blessed week-Kimberly
P.S. Please check out my last post since it was supposed to be part of this one!!

VIP Company

                    You may have noticed that I've been missing in action the last few days.
    That is because I've had some VIPs visiting! My son Clayton, my DIL Lauren, and little Reece.
    I guess you could say Reece ended up with 'egg on his face'! He feeds himself now and eats
    everything off of the table.


    Clayton, our middle son, drove up from Traverse City to help his father insulate the MIL camp.
     He has been building homes since he was 16, so he's a great sounding board for his Dad on his
      little building projects. He's not only good looking, he's a really great guy! I know, I know
      every mother says that. But I'm not the only one who thinks that-just ask his wife!

    While the guys were working , we women were playing. We had wheelbarrow rides for Reece.
    Reece's favorite game was running towards the lake and his Mama catching him before he got
    to the rocky shore.

    Reece didn't much like the new hat I'd bought for him either. I think I need to attach ties to it!

Friday 21 October 2011

100 Follower's Give Away

 
I spent the day yesterday in town searching for my 100 follower give away gift. I wanted something reflective of where I live. I was so glad to see that Zellars has come out again with their Olympic mittens. I bought these for my grandchildren last year and they are not only cute, but snugly warm. Canada's Style at Home magazine is a favorite of mine. This one is full of Christmas ideas.
I especially liked the wreath ideas and the holiday party tips. I really think you will too!

And the calender, I just had to have because it was so darn cute!
To participate in the drawing, please leave a comment on my blog
letting me know you'd like to be a part of the drawing. And please,
either announce my give away on your next post or grab my little
button. So simple! I will be drawing in only 10 days, on Oct.31st.


Can you believe this sunset two nights ago? This is absolutely untouched!  I never cease to
be amazed at God's wonders. They are truly amazing!
Have a great weekend my friends.
   Blessings,                                                                                                                                                                  

Thursday 20 October 2011

Memories

                               Last year at this time I was preparing for the revealing of the 2010
                               Cape Dorset prints. These are highly anticipated and collectible
                                Inuit prints from Cape Dorset, Nunavut. There are only 50 prints
                                made of each lithograph. So obviously you feel very fortunate to be
                                able to exhibit them in your gallery!!  I shipped these prints to
                                England, Germany, galleries in BC, Ontario, Nova Scotia, Alberta,
                                and Manitoba. It was a lot of work, but exciting too.
                               I guess I'm feeling a little melancholy, so bear with me friends.
                               For more info and a peak at the 2011 prints visit capedorsetprints.com.
                               Enjoy your day-Kimberly

Tuesday 18 October 2011

Moose Eating Geranium?

 
Do moose eat geraniums? I hope not! I really just wanted to show you how
nicely they are doing now that I've brought them inside to winter.
     I know some of you other gals have brought your geraniums in also. How are yours faring?
     It's still rainy here. 42 degrees right now. The wood stove is blazing and I'm cozying in!
What are you up to today?

Saturday 15 October 2011

Old Frame Love

 

Don't you just love old frames? My favorite frames are the ones with either the oak or the maple leaves on the corners of them. I have only one such frame, but I'm hoping to come up with some
creative way of making my own without doing any carving. But I'll save that for a later post!



The weather here is windy and rainy. Pratically all of the leaves are off the trees now. DH had to go down to the beach and drag our board walk up to higher ground, as the waves are crashing
midway up it. We lost a portion of the boardwalk last year and don't want that to happen again this year! This is a view from the waters edge looking up to our home.

Do you have a sense of humor? Oh, I hope you do! I just couldn't resist when I saw this Bad
Boy pumpkin  on my friend Joycee's Granny Mountain post this morning. She was kind enough to let me borrow the photo to share with you.I bet you've never seen a pumpkin mooner before. I  sure haven't. I laughed and laughed! I hope it gives you a little chuckle too!
On another subject, did you notice I have over 100 followers now? I want to plan a give away to
celebrate! I will announce what it will be next week. I can't wait-I've always wanted to do a drawing.Since my SIL is arriving today , I need to get busy cooking and all that good stuff. I'm making chicken pot pie, carrot salad, fried apples, and blueberry muffins. So I'd better get on it!
 I hope you all have a wonderful weekend-Kimberly

Thursday 13 October 2011

Starlet's Fall Art

  Starlet's Fall Foliage Painting

Our granddaughter is a budding artist! When we were over visiting a few weeks ago, Starlet showed
her Papa and Me how her parents had set up an easel and paints in her bedroom for her to paint whenever the mood struck her. And, believe me, that is often. She has boxes of cardboard canvases
already completed. Her Papa decided we needed new art for our home and bought four of her paintings. This way she can buy real canvas to work on. Her dad is an artist, so she has great tutoring.

This was my very first attempt 15 years ago at folk art painting. My sis and I took a class
together-so much fun! Neither of us do anything with it anymore. You know how that goes.

      I did say I would share my homemade yogurt recipe with you. This recipe is from Stephanie   O'Dea's blog spot. It is so easy and so good. My batch did not set up as thick as store bought yogurt, but I like it that way. They have some pointers with the recipe for a thicker consistency. I
first discovered this recipe at Kathy's Cottage. Who, by the way, is having a give away celebrating her 600th post. Yes, you read that right, over 4 years of posting. It is a beautiful book from Cabbage & Roses. You have until Oct. 15th to enter, so you'd better pop on over there now, if you're interested. If you've never been to visit her blog, you will definitely enjoy it, for sure. She has many lovely items she's sewn and a lot of good recipes fro her and her husband to share.

See how beautiful this book is? Well, good luck ladies! Let me know if you are the winner!

Wednesday 12 October 2011

Mama bear and cubs 002


Hello Dear Friends! I want to share my last bear video with you. By last I mean the last one recorded, not the last I'll ever record. Hopefully my friends will come by to say good night before they're bed down
for their winter nap and I can get some more shoots of them.
I made my homemade yogurt today. I'll share this recipe with you soon-it's so....good! It is more like a yogurt drink, but that suits me fine. I guess I really did a lot of dilly dallying today. Nothing worth sharing, believe me! So I hope you enjoy this short, but sweet video. Blessings-Kimberly



Monday 10 October 2011

We Gather Together

 
We gather together to ask the Lord's blessings;

He chasten and hastens His will to make known;


The wicked oppressing now cease from distressing,

Sing praises to His Name; He forgets not His own.

                                                                                                                                                                      
This has truly been a blessed day. I'm thankful for all the bounty the Lord has blessed
us with this day and every day. He is so good. Amen.

Grandmothers Garden

 
In 1980 my husband and I bought a 85 year old house from a couple that were both going into the nursing home. The house came complete with all their furnishings and much more. The lady of the house was a dollmaker and collector. In fact the china cabinet I still have from that home was used to showcase her porcelin antique dolls. She had trashbags full of old fabric for dressing her dolls, which was left behind. I decided to make a Grandmothers Garden quilt from them.

My daughter, Emily, was just a baby then also. I sewed many of her outfits, so alot of the fabrics are from the little blouses with coordinating Capri's, and dresses I had stitched for her over  nearly two years. So I feel it's more a memory quilt for her than anything else.
           This was my first attempt at quilting and the pieces where all sewn together by hand.
           I did take liberty with the pattern too. Instead of complete octagons, I attached each flower
           to a coordinating square. The above fabrics are very old. It had lettering, so I was able to
           make a flower with my husbands and my name on it.
           This is also antique fabric. As you can see, I did a buttonhole stitch around the flower
           to attach it to the solid back ground. There you have it, another treasure found while
           cleaning out my storage area. I don't think I'll have any excuse for being bored this winter,
           do you? Doesn't this have you wondering what treasures may be hiding in your closets   
           now? Get busy there ladies and see what jewels have been laying away for years, just
                                                waiting for you to re-discover them!
           Today's Thanksgiving, so I'd better get busy and lend a helping hand to DH. Fortunately,
                                  we always prepare it together-I'm so......blessed!
                                                         " Happy Fall Y'll"

Friday 7 October 2011

Mission Accomplished

 
Say 'hello' to Bernardin, Mason, Atlas, Kerr, Presto and Ball. All faithful and reliable friends for over 30 years. They are the kind of friends that always give, but never take. They only thing they ever  ask of me is that I bathe them once a year and provide them a soft place to lay their heads until I require their help again. But I'm not one to take advantage of my friends so I, in turn,  fill them with warm sustenance and buy each one a shiny new hat every year! 
On occasion, one of them cracks-like today. But I understand that not everyone can take the stress that comes with their job-the extreme pressure, the heat, the many months of darkness, being shut away wondering 'will I be the one she chooses tonight?' And then the disappointment when it's not you. Yes, it is a tough life. But they know I appreciate them and will care for however long they are in my home and until they depart my company. After all, isn't that what one expects of a true friend?

I know I've shared a similar photo with you, but I just couldn't resist taking this picture of the lake today. It was 72 and sunny-so lovely! There's certainly no maples or any other trees with fall foliage along the lakes edge, is there? It's all evergreens here.
And this was tonight's sunset! I believe we are experiencing our Indian summer now .The weatherman says sunshine for the next four days and in the mid-high 70's here. Canadian
Thanksgiving on Monday sounds like a very promising day. I'm thinking we should  maybe grill the turkey! Wouldn't you?
Happy Thanksgiving to my Canadian friends and Happy Columbus Day to my US ones!