Yes, I Finished Something!

Good morning and happy Saturday!

First things first...I lived through my finishing weekend...kind of.  LOL

I was so excited to get on the road.  Out the door on time, radio on the 70's, and I was off like a herd of turtles.  Two rest stops and one bag of my favorite snacks, Jelly Bellys later, I make it to Modesto!
I stop at Hobby Lobby to check for some wooden boxes, nope, but I did find two canvas bags at 50% off. Since we are plastic bag free in our county, I try to pick up bags when I can.

Hop in the car, get lost.  Had my GPS upside down.  Sometimes I'm a little shaky on the difference between north and south.  A couple of u-turns later, I pull into the LNS parking lot.  Check my purse, pull out my stash money that I've been saving for three months and head towards the door.

And trip over a speed bump.  Sigh.  Really?  Really-really?  I managed to twist to the side, so at least I didn't fall directly on my face this time. However, that meant that my ribs took the brunt of the fall. I scraped my hand, but was able to get a Micky Mouse bandaid from the LNS to get that covered.  I didn't want to get any blood on my new stash.  LOL

As I am laying on the ground, thinking that I would never be a ballerina, an older woman from a hair salon ran out and asked if I was okay.  Well....maybe...probably...sure. I do this all the time.  I managed to get to my feet with the maximum amount of embarrassment and waddled into the LNS.

I spent the next four days being very, very careful.  I didn't need another fall and I definitely had some bruised ribs.  After a week, it is still hard to stand, to sit, to cough, to sneeze, to bend over, to lift, Oh.  And the hiccups are horrible!!  But once again, I lived.  LOL

Now for the good stuff...

Finished my birdy box.  Box was painted and waxed.  I did the dry-brush thing so it looks a bit like wood grain.  Found the perfect fabric for inside.  Add some hand dyed pom poms...wonderful!!

Worked on my Cherry Hollow Farm sampler.  I've moved around the corner and started a few cherries. Just to mix up the colors a bit.   I got really tired of stitching with Caper.  LOL

Started a new punch needle.  I finished and mounted it after I got home.  The "frame" is a metal chalkboard hanger.  I just mounted the project right on top of the chalkboard.  Again, love those pom poms!

And anything else?  Nope.  LOL  But I visited, and ate, and visited, and ate some more.  Overall, just to sleep in and not have to worry about ANYTHING was the best part of the weekend.  To sleep eight hours a day was heaven.  Well, and the pom poms.  I love pom poms.  LOL

Home on Sunday and found all these beautiful blooms waiting for me...

Of course, the winds started the next day, so they are already looking a little worse for wear.  LOL

I managed to get through the week with minimum whining.  I took a trip to the doctor on Wednesday, just to check that I hadn't dislocated any bones.  Nope, nothing permanent except for the bruise to my ego. Sigh.  Double sigh.

So today is catch-up day.  Hubby was a trooper, took care of Dad and the animals.  Housework? Nope, but that's okay, not a bad trade for my four days off.  Enjoy your weekend.  Be kind to one another.

What Makes You Happy?

Happy Saturday evening from the rancho!

Super busy all week.  The budget review finally cleared at work, so I finished ordering food for our fourth quarter feeding.  Wow...I was pretty sure I would run out of food before someone made a decision!  LOL Every year costs go up...and every year budgets are SURE that we can make do with less.  Sigh.  I love my job, but really?

Hubby stopped by to visit my favorite heifer.  She is on a "date" in a friend's pasture.  We like to keep some genetic diversity in the herd, so she's been spending time with her new boyfriend.  Isn't she sweet? Love her black nose and feet.

My rose bud opened up this week.  HUGE!  And I wish you could smell it...delicious...just like a real rose should smell.

I got the finishing bug, so worked on painting and waxing a box for my small cross stitch finish.  The golden chenille is hand dyed.  It wasn't quite thick enough, so I gave it a quick twist.  I'm not sure what I will do with the top where it ends.  Maybe just a knot?  I added the three buttons to balance out the bird. It doesn't look quite so crooked in real life.  LOL

One of the Taco Bells in our town just remodeled their dining room.  I ran into a giant taco sauce packet out on the sidewalk. It (not sure if it was female or male, didn't talk, LOL) had a great attitude and was happy to pose for a picture.  Check out those sneakers!

Sooooo...last January when my son visited, I mentioned that I was getting a tattoo.  I gave it a lot of thought.  I wanted something that meant something special to ME.  My son and I decided that the overwhelming guide to our life is kindness.  Originally I wanted a watercolor flower, then realized that the perfect answer was right in front of me...a picture that my son painted for me about three years ago.

I had just the yellow bird put on...and was not as happy as I thought I should be.  I realized that my skin has a distinct yellow tinge to it and my little bird did not "pop" the way I wanted.  So, headed back to the tattoo shop and asked for some more shading.  Since I was there, I added another bird. Love, love, love it!  I know that tattoos are not for everyone, and I'm sorry if I offend anyone, but I look at mine and it makes me smile.  It reminds of my son.  He is my heart...

Here is a picture of my son's tattoo. He really didn't want birds, LOL, but he did want the same sentiment.

Honestly, even the watercolor parts of mine were a bit uncomfortable.  I cannot imagine the full color that he had done.  I appreciate that the tattoo artist gave me the tattoo that I wanted, and not one word about whether she thought it was silly or weird.  When I asked if it might be better to put a line around the birds to make them pop, she said that she didn't want to lose the integrity of the original picture and could do it with shading. I knew then that I had chosen the correct artist.  I'm not planning on joining the circus and becoming the tattooed lady, but this is a decision that I made for me and I am happy.

I wish each of you a special Sunday and enjoy it in the way that makes YOU happy.  Be kind to one another.

Rounding the Corner...and More Flowers

Good morning from the rancho....

Here it is Sunday. Sigh.  Where does the time go?  It was a tough week at work.  I was incredibly busy and it seemed like every day was a Monday. It changed my whole attitude and I feel like I am on a never ending trek. Wake up, go to work, take care of Dad, do chores, go to bed.  Wake up, etc, etc, etc.  I know that there is an end, and am terrified, but I am just so tired right now...and it's not a physical tired.  Sigh.  Enough whining.  I have a break coming on the 20th, so I need to just pull up my big-girl panties and deal with it.

I have lots of blooming going on.  The roses bushes next to the house are loaded.  Here are two blooms just waiting to open.



This flower came out of the same pack as the bright yellow one from last week.  I still don't know what they're called.

My irises are in bloom.

On the stitching and crafting front, I worked on my Cherry Hollow a bit this week.  I'm rounding the second corner...

I finished-finished my box.  I double waxed the outside, added a padded bottom, and filled in the edge with black chenille.  I'm happy with how it turned out.

Wishing each of you a wonderful Sunday and week.  Be kind to one another.

Stitching, and Punching, and Waxing...

Good morning and happy Sunday!  I know, I know, two posts in a week...enjoy it now, it will probably be another year before I do it again!

It is a beautiful weekend with lots of sunshine.  I spent yesterday doing a bit of watering outside the house and bit of finishing of projects inside the house.  Hubby took care of Dad for the day, so I could putter in my craft area.  It means a lot to have a few hours to myself.  Hubby wanted me to leave, but it was so nice to just do some handwork without worry about feeding and changes.

I finished-finished a little punch needle heart that I started, oh, about six months ago.  It took longer to get out my supplies that it did to finish the punching.  I had already painted the heart, but had to give it a quick wax.

In its new home...

I sealed this box, thinking that I would do a chalk paint and then wax.  I may just leave it like this and do simple wax.  Usually, the wooden boxes you get from Michael's look cheap and are much better painted. This one has an interesting wood grain.  What do you think?  Paint or no paint?

I worked a little on my Cherry Hollow stitching.  If I could just stay focused I might actually get it finished. LOL  

I leave you with a beautiful flower from my garden.  I planted these a month ago and for the life of me, cannot remember what they are called.  Old age is not for sissies.  Sigh.

Be kind to one another...