Blue Skies Smiling at Me

 

Blue skies smiling at me,

Nothing but blue skies do I see....

It's truly a gorgeous day here on Lake Superior!

A brisk wind is blowing, it's -2C, but the lake is just as blue as blue can be!

I didn't do much today. But  for some unknown reason I can't explain I felt inspired to clean the copper I have hanging on the pot rack.

 When it turned out so well  this then lead to cleaning my silver!

I know it's no longer in vogue to polish your silver , which was alright with me since it's not my favorite of chores to do.

In truth I wanted to be sure that my silver wasn't beyond cleaning. After all this time I wondered if there was a point of no return for tarnished silver.

I'm very happy to report that mine had not reached that point. Yeah!

 

 

Now that my MIL is back from Southern Michigan, she and I have been making our regular weekly  trips in to Value village. Most times I come home empty handed,  but last week I found three treasures I couldn't resist.

 

I don't know if I've told you how much I love old flannel blankets. I have a couple that have been passed down to me, they both have a blue stripe at the top. So I was thrilled to find one with sweet flowers, something I had never seen before.

And I nearly jumped out of  skin when I spotted this tiny blue Pyrex container.

 

It matches perfectly with my blue Pyrex cup and saucer set.

And honestly, there was no rhyme or reason to buy this ceramic foolishness.. But with those begging eyes, tell me, could you have left the sweet fellow behind?

 

Well that, my friends, is the long and short of my exciting week. Surely you did something more news worthy than polish your silver.

Please tell me, how was your week?













A New Adventure....

 

  In reality this isn't really my motto for living life, but somehow it seems to be the path that I often find myself treading!

I wanted to let you know that beginning the first of April, Tim and I will be taking over management of a lodge 4-5 hours north of here.

 

It isn't a lodge that is located in the wilderness this time, but sits at the edge of a small northern community of Ontario.

This means I will have easy access to the grocery store, variety store, the library, Dr's and hospital (heaven forbid I need them) and other amenities I currently have had to drive 45 minutes to reach now.

 

Because it is situated so far north, the woods, the lakes, waterfalls, and wildlife are just outside my back door! So I don't feel I'm having to give up any of the comforts that are so dear to me here.

 

We will have complete carte blanche in running it, so I'm pretty excited about doing some tweaking with the decorating. It has good bones, but just needs a woman touch added to it, I think!

I will continue blogging, of course. You know I'll be taking you along with me, just as I always have no matter where I roam.

You can help me out by giving me advice about what you're looking for when you travel and need a place to rest your head.

Until then I will be back with my usual blather of  my everyday nonsense!

Talk to you soon-Kimberly

Patchwork Curtain Reveal

  Vintage Curtains

I'm not sure if you will remember the sheet project I was going to surprise you with-it was so long a go.

Many of you guessed it was going to be a quilt.

But no!

 I had planned all along to make vintage sheet curtains for my g'daughter Starlet.

I have to say that although this was a 'fly by the seat of my pants project' with no pattern, it was quite easy.

 I will warn you that it was very time consuming with so much sewing, but still very easy.

 And I honestly can't remember when I've enjoyed working with fabric as much as I did with my collection of sheets.

Several of my vintage sheets were collected while we were in the Yukon, on the way home through Saskatchewan, and then as far South as Iowa.

 

The patterns in the old sheets are just gorgeous, I think. And I remember many of them from my own mothers household. I just bet you may recognise a few yourselves!

 





I can not take credit for this as an original idea.

I first saw the curtains above on Maggie & Sparrow's flickr, which set me out collecting my sheets in the first place.

 

After making four panels I still have enough fabric to make more curtains or another project.

 So, who knows, you may be right about that quilt after all!

*********************************************************

Where I'm Partying Today!

Make The Scene Monday

Masterpiece Monday

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday

Budget Decorating Party



Dressing the Dresser

 

Today I gathered a few mementos that were my Mothers to decorate my dresser top. None of the items are expensive or fancy-my Mother was neither.  But I think they all look pretty together and most of all they remind me of her.

This lovely lady belonged to my Aunt Vi. When she passed my Mom displayed the vase on a shelf in her spare bedroom.

 I've always wanted to start a collection, I've seen so many pretty variations, but they are a wee bit pricey to me!

 This gold watch was the one Mom wore when she was dressing to go out.

And she wore this silver watch  for every day.

Mom gave me her wedding ring set several years ago and I wear them underneath my own wedding rings every day. She had only a plain gold band for many years.

On their 25th wedding anniversary my Dad bought this set for her. It's hard to see the diamond in the set, it's so tiny.

 With seven children to feed, my Dad did commercial fishing on the Mississippi River after working a regular day job to bring in extra money. I expect that's the only way he was able to have the extra money to buy this ring set for my Mom. She was a stay at home mother at that time.

So now you can see how my little dresser vignette

is going to bring me a lot of happy memories of days gone by every time I pass it!

***********************************************************

I am joining these parties:

Make the Scene Monday

Budget Decorating Party

The Scoop

Masterpiece Monday

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 





 



I Love This-It Is So True!

 

So True!



Gifts, Gifts, Gifts.

 

I went to the mailbox yesterday and what did I find?

A lovely package all the way from Australia!

I won a drawing for a lace collage wall hanging from Suzi

at Suziqus Threadworks blog.

I know I showed this beauty to you back when I won it, but look at how pretty Nature's Bride looks draped and hanging over one of my antique mirrors. Suzi is always coming up with unique collages.

Thanks again, Suzi Q!

 

Have you heard of Christmas in July? Well I had Christmas in February. My SIL brought my MIL back to her cabin this past week from Michigan, and they came bearing Christmas gifts!

This handsome (I always say that when I'm referring to a manly plaid) blanket is 100 percent wool from Cannon River Mills in the USA. My SIL must know I have a thing about plaids:-)

I have already wore my pretty scarf to town yesterday.  It has so many colors in it that are favorites of mine too. One of the things I love about scarves is that you can have just a few basic tops, change you're scarf and voila you have a whole new outfit just like that!

I'd never seen scarf jewelry before, but as I've said a few times, I don't get out much... But I do love it. Now I just need to figure out how to wear it! Any ideas?

And lastly, we received two new DVDs from another SIL. I have heard a lot about The King's Speech, but we've never seen it yet. Have you?

Now Duck Dynasty I have viewed. It is just so stupid, it is funny. It just makes me laugh at the ridiculousness of it. It was hard for me at first to get past the shagginess of the men-folk, just not my style. But after seeing it once I found it's not so bad.

I'm not a regular viewer, but I do know it has a lot of people hooked.

 

I know this has been a long and wordy post, but I just had to show you the yard today. See the design all over the snow? That is Mr. Bobcats paw prints. This is not just one visit, but several! The little sneak comes at night so we can't ever see him. I'm realizing now how lucky I was to get his photo at all last winter.

Well, I've bored you enough with what's happening in my little world. What are you up to today?

Whatever it is, I hope your having a good one!Kimberly

 



 



I Got You Babe!

 

This last week and a half has been a bit of a blur....

We were on the road way more than I like to be!

We did finally get down to Traverse City where

our middle son lives with his family-yeah! We met our ninth grandchild and played with his big brother, Reece. Oh, what fun that was.

Now this is a photo of Samuel Brigam.

And this is a photo of his big brother, Reece.

Do you see the resemblance between the two brothers that I do?

The funny thing is that Reece resembles his

Daddy, Clayton!

I'm thinking this is going to be interesting to see who this little fellow ends up looking like.

Of course I had to do a little baking before we left.

I wouldn't dream of arriving there without any home-baked goodies!

I made Chicken Pot Pies, Apple Crisp, Blueberry Cheesecake Dessert, and Trail Mix Cookies.

**********************************************************

I do have to admit that I'm always a little deflated once we arrive home after visiting any of the grandchildren. The cabin is too quiet. I find myself

wanting to watch movies like Toy Story or Aladdin.

I spend way too much time scrolling through Pinterest looking for a new project, never quite finding one that revs my creative juices enough to actually begin work on any.

Then I get an e-mail from Jib Jab reminding me that I am a member. So now my attention is diverted from Pinterest to Jib Jab. Not good.

Anyway ladies, to make a long story short this is what a bored broad came up with to entertain her equally bored husband!

Click To View-If You Dare!

Don't be scared to view-I promise it's family friendly!

Have a great day-Kimberly

 

 



 



 

 





Note Card Party Time

 

It is that time of the month when Vee holds her Note Card Party. I don't mind telling you that the cards that I've chosen really 'rock'! Ha!

 

 

 

 

 

Please drop over to A Haven for Vee and check out the other 'rocking' notecards that the ladies have posted there.

Have a Great Day!

Kimberly

Ric-Rac and Chicken Scratch

While hunting through my sewing tote I came upon a treasure trove of

ric-racs that I had bought last summer while we were stuck in Haines

Alaska due to a landslide on the mountain side between there and where we were working. Wow, that was a mouthful!

 



What I really wanted you to take note of was the price on these trims. Can you believe it?

When was the last time you saw ric-rac for .15 cents? Were we even born then?

I'm not sure...

I had also found a chicken scratch tablecloth while up North.

It looks so complicated.

Here is a close-up view of my piece. I remember my Grandma showing me how to do this. It is really so, so simple. Yet it can dress up gingham and make it look truly unique.

amybarickman.com

Here is a piece that is really gussied up with ric-rac and twisted yarn. I am looking forward to trying this one! I just haven't decided what to make with it yet though.

Any ideas?

 It is saved on my Pinterest board under 'Sew Sweet' if you'd like to re-pin it. I try to keep adding to my boards whenever I see something interesting, which is whenever I happen to visit someone elses Pinterest site!

primrosedesign.blogspot.ca/2009/09



This piece appears to be a bit more complicated. If you want to see several pattern ideas just search'chicken scratch' images. There are so many photos of several lovely pieces and patterns to try.

I hope I've inspired you to do a little scratching of your own now!

Blessings-Kimberly







Goodbye Matthew

 

Oh, why do they do this to us? They get us hooked on a character, then at the

pinnacle of all happiness, they pull the rug right out from under our feet!

Matthew's dead.

From the very beginning of Downtown Abbey the main story line for me has been the relationship between Matthew and Mary. We watched them go through a very rocky start. We watched as Mary realized she was in love with Matthew, but he was committed to another.

 

We finally saw them happily married , worrying then about whether they would pull together as a couple to see it through the financial problems facing Downtown Abbey.

They did and everything was going beautifully, especially with the birth of their sweet son and heir. Then death, Matthew's death, and it's all over.

I have to admit I was all set to blame Julian Fellows, the writer and creator of this series, but upon research I discovered that it was Dan Stevens (Matthew),

the actor himself who wanted to leave Downtown Abbey. Well, I'm crushed, as I know many of you are. Oh,  I realize life must go on.

However, I am not committing to watching Downtown Abbey next season. I just can't imagine it being the same without our beloved Matthew........

Can you?

 



Happy Valentines Day

 

I hope you're having a special day today with someone you love! I am!

I'm remembering the days over 40 years ago when my husband and I were dating. For fun I made a love letter out of those heart shaped candies.

We did keep the original letter for years, but it got placed in a box in an old shed where some lucky mice enjoyed a sweet Valentine treat one day, along with two of my favorite dollies eyelashes! But I digress, that is a story for another day.....

 

So last year I made a new version for my husband.

Notice how the lingo has changed? Believe me, I wouldn't have been calling a boy I was dating 'sweet lips' or 'honey pie'! But it was a lot of fun to put together and Tim really got a kick out of it the second time around too.

Here's a preview of my latest project. Anyone want to guess what it is that I working on now? I sincerely hope to be able to show you the finished product by Monday!

 

I know some of you are cozying in with your books or your movies.  I have a tradition that as soon as the snow starts to pile I read Laura Ingalls, 'The Long Winter'. It just seems so appropriate when I'm shut-in (by choice, of course) and it always gives me such an appreciation for all the many blessings I have today!

 

I thought this was going to be a short post and here I've been such a windbag. Sorry.....

Please enjoy your Day-Kimberly



 



Just a Thought

 

 

Are You a Re-Gifter?

  Re-Gifter?

Now I want you to be honest ladies. Tell me the truth! Have you ever received a gift that you knew you would never use and turned around and re-gifted it to someone else?

Well, I have. It's not that I'm cheap, I swear. It's just that if I don't have any need for a gift and I think someone else would love it why not give it to the person who would appreciate it more.

However, I would never give away a gift that was given to me by family or a friend whose feelings might be hurt by my re-gifting!

Don't ask me why I'm asking all these intrusive questions. I can only guess it's because I just get to wondering if I'm the only person on earth who does things the way I do.

Which leads me to my next question....

Have you ever gifted a person from a item you have purchased at a re-sale or second hand shop?

I stand guilty again. And why not I ask you? I have honestly found some of the most unique gifts in these shops!

Or, like the mixing bowl above, I've found new or like new items, that would make nice gifts for a shower or a friend who just happens to love red.

Okay, please tell me I'm not a freak or the chintziest

person in the world. Or worse, a person that operates in very poor taste.

If you have time, give an example of  your re-gifting. We'll all have a laugh together.

If you've ever done it, that is!

**********************************************************

I am joining the following Parties today:

Masterpiece Monday at Boogieboard Cottage

Make the Scene Monday at Alderberry Hill

Cowgirl Up @ the Ivy Cottage





Winter on the Gitche Gumee

 

Excerpt from Longfellow's 'The Song of Hiawatha'

 

By the shores of Gitche Gumee,

By the shining big sea water,

 Stood the wigwam of Nokomis,

Dark behind it rose the forest,

Rose the black and gloomy pine trees,

Rose the firs with cones upon them;

Bright before it beat the water,

Beat the clear and sunny water,

Beat the shining big sea water.

Oh, it is so good to be home to my Gitche Gumee.

As many of you know I've just returned home from laying my Mother to rest. She passed in less than two months of my Father. Hard, yes.  I will miss her. It is such a blessing though to know she is happy now with Dad and that she went peaceably in her sleep.

After traveling for the last 25 years, two and three times a year to visit my folks, I informed my brothers and sisters it was now their turn to come and see me. I believe they understood completely.

I feel with Mom and Dad gone a chapter in my book of life has now ended. I don't really know any other way to describe it. I'm sure if you've lost both of your parents you'll understand what I'm trying to express.

My feelings are like the ice out in front of our house here on the lake-all jumbled and fighting against each other.

One minute I'm praising the Lord that they are now spending their time in eternity and that they went home without suffering. Then the next minute I'm crying because I'll never hear my Dad call me "Kimmie girl" again or be enveloped in one of Mom's welcoming hugs ever again. At least not until we are all reunited in heaven.

I know that as the sun melts the icicles, in time my pain will too melt away and then I will be left with just the many good memories. Until then I'll accept my tears as cleansing and healing....

Thank you to all of you who sent your kind sympathies and words of comfort. They were much appreciated and heartfelt.

Blessings to all-Kimberly











I'm a Winner

  First I want to say 'Thank You' for all of your kind words of sympathy. Your words truly touched my heart. And it does bring comfort to know others are thinking of you. I know so many of you have traveled this road yourselves or are near to this journey with your own parents.

This week, of course, will be filled with much time on the road and time spent with family so I will be absent for a while, My friends. But I will be back to visit as soon as I can. You know I just hate it when something happens and I miss it!

 

I can't leave without saying "Thank You" to Suzi

for this beautiful vintage lace collage she's designed. I won it in her drawing! Yes, you heard me right. I won something!

 If you click on her name it will link to her site where she has many more lace collages and  lovely quilts she has designed for sale.

I already have a special place chosen for Suzi's gift when it arrives all the way from Austrailia.

Thanks again, Suzi!

 

Together Again

 

Friday my Mother went home to be with the Lord and to join her beloved husband.

 As many of you know my Father passed away on Dec. 10th and Mom wanted only to follow him quickly.

She woke my SIL at 4AM and they sat together holding hands. She said Mom looked over at my Dad's empty bed and cryed, "Oh, Ed-Oh, Ed". She would say this when she longed for Dad. As you can imagine, it just broke my heart to hear her cry out for him like this.

My Sil checked on her hourly as she slept, then at noon when she checked, she'd found she had passed.

I'm rejoicing that she is with the Lord and my Dad again, and that she went  peaceably.  I can't thank the Lord enough for giving me such wonderful parents-I was truly blessed.

But my heart hurts to think of life without them.......