Shopping with Lori

Today we shall blaze new trials, scavenge like no others before us, for today is "Girl's Day". Yes, Lori (Notforgotten Farm) and I are headed out for a fun filled day of "hunting". We shall dig, pilfer and rummage like hunters...for our own special treasures. What a fun filled day...laughing until we cry, a light lunch, and then back to the business at hand....SHOPPING!! It does not matter to either of us if we find a special "keeper" or not...we are enjoying each other's company.

I will post later in the afternoon of my treasures that I found...some to keep and others to re-do.

Until then, have a blessed day.

Robin

The Gift

As a small boy growing up my husband deeply loved his "Papa Harrison". When he passed away many years ago he remembered what his papa had said..."That ring will someday belong to you". He found the ring and it became his treasure until he was old enough to wear it. As time passed he outgrew the ring and put it up. When he and I got together I made the comment about how pretty it was and it just happened to be my birthstone. He told me how he got it and that the ring actually belonged to his Great Grandfather, who passed it to his son and then Lee's grandfather passed it to him. Well, the years went by (12..10 of them married) and I really never thought about it. Then out of the blue, 2 weeks ago he gave it to me for an anniversary gift. He was going to try and keep it a secret and give it to me on our vacation, but decided not to. He took the ring to the jewelers and had it sized down to fit me. What a precious gift he has given me. I feel very honored to have been given such a treasure, not only of his, but also his family's. I wear this ring with such pride. Gifts do not always have to be store bought "things", they can also treasures of the heart. This ring will now be passed down to someone in his family when the time comes, but for now, I will enjoy it.

What gift of your heart do you have that may be given?

Many Blessings,

Robin

Dirty Linen

Do you remember your mother telling you not to "air your your dirty laundry on the line"?

Well, I DO! These are extra large flour sack towels that I have hand dyed and hand stenciled. They are not showing up that "stained" in the picture...sorry. I cooked up 12 more of these this morning and I am getting ready to stencil 'em up. I have many different designs...from a really cool "Olde Crow Homestead" to "The Simple Country Life". I also take antique linen, dye it up and stencil on that also. These are big enough for a tablecloth on a small table or I use them as the centerpiece on a large table, usually with an old bucket filled with bittersweet. These "Dirty Table Throws" ...as I call them...are pretty neat.

It's raining here today and I am kinda glad...means that I will not be heading out and can head into the home shop instead of running the roads. Let's see...so far this morning I have cooked the table throws, cooked my Liberty pillow, cooked Elda, made grubby tags, spent time chit chattin' with Lee before I sent him off to work, done dishes and cleaned a bathroom...I don't know where I got the sudden burst of energy...I just hope it will last till bedtime!!!lol

Well my friends, I am off to paint...I actually found time last night to make 2 Noodle Boards...I love working with wood also and together Lee and I have drawn up several new pieces of furniture to make and take to the show in July!!

Stay happy...and dry.

Blessings,

Robin

Learning Can Be FUN

Tails and a mat...how cute. The post is not in the best order, but you get the jist of it!!

This is the rug braiding group...no today we were not hookers, we were braiders!

Don't let anyone tell you that learning can't be fun...we had a ball. It's so fun to gather

with a group of ladies that you know...but not that well...and then by the end of the day you feel as if you have known them forever.

This is us "tying our tails" onto chairs. The hardest part is deciding on what colors to use, it is all like eye candy. We learned how to braid with wool and strips of cotton cloth. I guess the second hardest part would be sewing that little thing together...and not having your stitches show! Sorry Lori, I really tried to hide 'em...maybe just a little more practice! But they all turned out really nice. I do not for see doing a large braided rug anytime soon, but the little mats are great...for candles, candle warmers and what not.

I hope that everyone has a nice Sunday, I am working the shop tomorrow, so I will

not talk to you again 'prolly till Monday.

Have a blessed day.

Robin

A Small Part of The Shop

Good evening to you. How was your day? I actually got a bit accomplished today. I made "Elda"...a prim doll of olde, I finished "Amie" the sheep and finished my Americana pillow...all of which are original designs. I will post them

in a few days. I guess tomorrow I will be working on my Sampler and some new needle punch designs. The picture is a small sample of the shop, the "dirty" table throws have all been hand stenciled and stained and are one of our best sellers in the shop and at shows.

Sooo, tomorrow is Friday night...you know...date night. I am not sure that I am going, to much new stuff and plus I really want to save my money for the next auction. They will have antique horse drawn buggies and sleds. I would love to get my hand on one of those!!

Well, I am going to get ready to watch Gray's and Private Practice, so have a nice evening and I will talk to you tomorrow.

Blessings,

Robin

Memories

My father came to dinner last night and brought in a bag of "stuff", or so I thought. I know to most it does not look like much, but when I opened the bag and saw this...it was a treasure. These are all part of my childhood and memories of my mother. I remember her wearing that apron we we made Christmas cookies and how it used to hang at my ankles if I wore it...she used to get sooo mad at me when I played with the handmade acorn s&p shakers, the little wood bowl would hold her rings while she was kneading dough. He called it junk in a bag, for me it was a flash back. Mom has been gone for a very long time, I was twelve when she passed away, they did not have all the cancer treatments out that they have today. My stepmom, whom I dearly love, has been clearing and cleaning and when she runs across anything she sends it my way. I am very thankful for that and for her.

O.K. enough of that...we were not able to go scavenging today do to unforeseen circumstances, however we do hope to go next week. This Saturday is the rug braiding class and I am so looking forward to that. Hubby will work the shop for me, he has a looong tail about everything in there. You are going to think I am lying but he actually cut back a bush, tied up the twigs with homespun and put a tag on there that read:"Grandma's Best Switches" and he sold them!! I swear he could sell ice to eskimos!! I think the customers come in to hear his tales and to decide if he is telling the truth or not...he can be pretty convincing.

Well my friends, I am off to the home shop to try and get something accomplished today, the past few days have been spent cleaning the olde homeplace.

Have a beautiful day

Robin

A Little POT

Greetings my friends, how are you? I was in hopes that this post would contain all of the goodies that were to await me from my travels yesterday...guess what I found? Nothing, nada, zilch. I could not believe I found nothing of use to me. Oh well, that just gives me more "play" money to use for Girl's Day Out tomorrow with my dear friend Lori(NotForgotten Farm) and Felicia. Now there is a trio if I ever saw one. We shall have such fun, I am looking forward it. Put the three of us together and you just NEVER know what can happen!!
The little pot? Oh yeah, I almost forgot...that is a fireside pot, used in starting the fires of long ago. One would start a fire, say in the kitchen, and when the coals were good and hot they would fill the HEAVY pot with hot coals and go from room to room with the hot embers to start additional fires in the fireplaces. I think it is pretty cool little pot and it just sits beside our fireplace in the eating room...of course our fireplace has gas logs, but it looks cute justa sittin' there. Our fireplaces in our olde home have either been converted, blocked up or are fake. We actually have 2 fake, 1 blocked and 2 converted to gas logs. I am thinking about turning them back on today 'cause I am freezing!! It's cold, damp and raining...where is my 80 and 90 degree weather??
Tonight my Father is coming for diner, my stepmom is at the beach(Nags Head) and of course she called to say it was sunny and warm there...I did not need to hear THAT! Sooo...I better go and start the homemade potato salad and with that were are having hot pastrami and melted swiss cheese on onion rolls and fresh fruit and yogurt parfait. But, with winter back me thinks I shoulda made just hot potato cheese soup with fresh croutons for topping!!! YUMMY.
Well, I will tell you all tomorrow evening of our travels and wares that I found while shopping with "The Girls".
Until then....Many Blessings
Robin