Free Finds…The traveling boarders

Have found a home. 

One of Mr.Fix-It’s sisters had these brick boarders along her flower beds.  When she changed her garden plans, they no longer worked for her and she passed them on to her neighbor. 

As it turns out, the neighbor decided not to use them and unless she found a home for them, they were on their way to the curb free for the taking.  My SIL called & offered them to us. When the weather clears a bit we will use a few here around the tree to retain the rock but other than that…they are perfect for the new little house we bought!

Score!  She said there were 25 or so & I thought great…they will at least go across the front of the house……um, there were over 75! Thank goodness we took the truck (and gloves) to pick them up! 

The house needs some serious help in the landscaping department. Can you say blah!? Other than the huge out of control bushes, there is nothing planted nor has there been in the last 20 years.. 

The budget for landscaping is basically “0” so, we’ve been brainstorming what can be separated and thinned out from my flowerbeds to perk it up.  I’ve hosta, mums, lily, iris, stonecrop…It’s in sore need of color and personality but we will need to do it on the cheap using what we have or can find free from friends..  We’ve no  idea what the soil is like but, I’m sure it will needing to be amended, along with painted shutters, installing gutters…the list is getting longer but we’ll take it one step at a time.

R I g h t…who am I kidding, Erika & I will dive in full steam LOL! 

First things first, we need to get them moved and settled in

15 days to closing…we’re not excited at all can you tell? LOL!

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Bit of Quilting

The Splish Splash baby quilt has been done for a few weeks.  I’ve been waiting for sunshine and a quilt holder handy at the same time to photo. 

For this quilt I used a Jelly roll. 

A jelly roll is fun and easy to use as the roll is 2.5 inch strips of all the prints in a fabric collection.

The pattern “Half Hexie” came from the Missouri Star Quilt Company which has some fun on line U tube videos for all levels of quilting.  Lots of older traditional patterns but also a collection of newer updated styles…a bit of something for every taste.  It’s been a few years since I’ve seriously quilted so the videos have been a good reminder and I’ve picked up a few tricks to speed things up.

 

We are into the second day of spring break & its snowing!  Last year at this time we were having a heat wave of over 80 degrees and rooting through quickly digging out summer clothes.  Today we are pulling on mittens…Go figure!

Katie

Technorati Tags: Katidids,quilting,Missouri Star Quilt Company

29 Years

 

Yesterday was our 29th Anniversary….

So young and foolish ……we though we had the world by the tail.  . 

We’ve had a roller coaster of a ride but, we did it together.

Someone recently asked how we made it when so many didn’t. Easy answer…. We started with the same thought “marriage was not a disposable union”.  The comment “divorce never…murder maybe” was our answer.  Since neither of us would do well in jail, there was lots of prayer, respect for each other, compromise and learning to forgive each other for not being perfect. 

He’s been my guideon and rudder…my partner, my best friend. The person I respect more than any other. I’m so thankful when needed he’s stood behind & pushed….  in front and pulled me along.  But most of all…. beside me all these years.

Katie

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Bits of this and that

Not much going on around here major, just bits of this and that. 

Like everyone else in  blog land I’m feeling the nudge to get all those last lingering winter projects completed.  We unpacked a box that has been on the floor in the very back corner of the pantry for years.  It was Mr. Fix-It’s grandparents family china gifted to us when we got married 29 years ago todayBy family I mean everyday family china.  The box was damaged in part from a mouse war (which we won) the rest was 20+ years age.  Anyway, its been sitting unpacked on the bar in my kitchen for quite a while.  I don’t have a lot of cabinet space upstairs for storage & didn’t want to just box it back up….we want to use it.  So today I finally figured out a way to store it in the buffet.  I cleared out a few decorations we’ve not used in a year and it fits perfectly.  Easy to access and store back when done.  

This past week rearranged a bit more in the basement.  This time in the food storage area.  Another set of shelving was added and now I need to rearrange the cases of jars, full and empty. I want to come up with an established arrangement.  Kind of a spacing system for empties, fruits, meats and vegies to go as they are preserved.   We had so few shelves before things were stacked in boxes on the floor and shifted to shelves as they were emptied.  Now we have nearly tripped the shelving & I want to start with everything organized…..I can dream can’t I LOL!

Katie

Technorati Tags: Katidids,food storage,organizationally challanged,random stuff,mouse wars

Feelin Like A Yo-Yo

This weather is just nuts! 

One day snowing and freezing cold, the next in the mid 60’s.  It’s been this way the last 10 days.  Mother nature is teasing us and laughing like crazy I’m sure.  Today was the second in a row of low 60’s.

Taking advantage of the nice weather we were able to prep the raised beds and sewed all kinds of lettuce, spinach, 2 kinds of carrots & radishes.  Broccoli starts fill another bed & I’m hoping early planting will beat out those bugs.  Most of the main garden is still to wet to work but, I may be able to start peas and kale along the edge tomorrow…..fingers crossed.

I started this post last night while it was still 58 at midnight…this morning it’s snowing! At this rate kale and peas will have to wait till after Easter.

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On to better news….my shoulder is slowly recovering.  I feel very fortunate as I’ve been told most with frozen shoulders take years to recover.  My PT is deep tissue manipulation…not always fun but it hurts sooooo good!  What amazes me is how all other chest and back muscles need to be retaught their *proper placement and job*  so many have become “out of whack” trying to protect my shoulder.  Raising my arm straight out shoulder level is my mastery this week… above my head is still a challenge but it will come with work and time.

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Remember back in January I mentioned our neighbor accepted our purchase offer on the house next door?  Well, 2 days later she reneged. We’ve been so upset and frustrated trying to get this done.  Every time we would talk…. the price would go up.  We found another property very close and let her know enough was enough…it has been 5 months ..if we couldn’t come to an agreement we would purchase the other property.  Wouldn’t you know the  next day we had a signed purchase agreement!

We close in 26 days!!

Anyone want to join us for a cleaning/paining/moving party?

Katie

Technorati Tags: Katidids,gardening,garden,healing,property

Hibernating…

from the cold but burning up the sewing machine.

  I started diving into the fabric stash.  I needed a pick-me-up and some instant gratification.  I started out making a table runner for Easter (now that we have a dining room table)…quick and easy way to decorate.  I got just a little carried away cutting the squares out. When I realized I had double what I needed,  I decided to make one for my Mother in law.  Her table seats 10 or 12 but when we get together once a month for family dinners, we also use 2 round  tables which each seat 8.  My husband is the eldest of 6 children.  We are a very prolific family so family gatherings resemble a clan gathering….3 generations totaling 20-30 people at a minimum.  

Anyway, back to table runners.  My MIL has 2 table runners.  One for Christmas which comes out in October or so, and is on her table long enough I don’t remember what the other looks like…but I’ve heard rumors it exists.  

So, here is her Easter/Spring Table Runner

The 2 smaller candle mats are for the round tables.

Sorry for these cell phone photos, it was a quick '”do you thing she’ll like it” pic for my SIL

Ours is also completed, I just realized I forgot to take a photo.

I decided since the dining room was covered in fabric I might as well keep going and cut out a baby quilt.  It’s made of half Hexi

This was my '’cheat sheet” photo on my phone. It sure came in handy when I was sewing those rows together.  It’s done except (you guessed it) waiting for borders and backing….

I finished cutting up those shirts and harvesting all the fabric for a log cabin quilt or split rail….I’d not decided which but thought the shirting called for an old pattern.  

Then I saw this one

Old Glory

She’s not done, needs her borders and backing which I’ll pick up today.

Since the shirting was still out ….

.

covering my dining room table I figured I’d see what else I could do with it and

Welcome to the Neighborhood

oops, I need to fix that ripple in the bottom row

is nearly done. I put it together today, the houses are 10 inch squares so it was pretty quick to piece. But that leaves me with another waiting for borders and backing.

  I need to total yardage I need for all those borders and backs & at 1 AM…my brain is not firing on all cylinders.

I’m crawling off to bed

PT in the morning and then the fabric store. 

I may even treat myself to lunch.

Technorati Tags: Katidids,sewing,quilting