And the house looks more like HOME everyday.

KITCHEN:

I have ordered the last of the fabric for making curtains (balloon shades) for my kitchen windows. I have a yard of a beautiful fruit print fabric in vibrant colors of reds, purples, golds and greens. When Murielle and I put the Navy that was really blue with it, it did not pop, so we decided a purplish Navy would be better. I just found two fabrics that are purplish navy one darker than the other and ordered both. But when I put the three fabrics to gether it really looked good using either of the navy fabrics. So can't wait for it to arrive.

think first one will work better

This is the way the finished shade will look. Where the white is will be navy. I'd thought of putting some appliques in the panel but not sure. I kinda like it this way.

The curtains on all the other windows were bought ready made. Later I may change them out, but think I'll just make a shade to put beneath them to help cut out more sunlight and help the house stay cooler in summer.

Found my round rug for the kitchen have it in front of the refrigerator. Now need to buy one for the stove and sink. Those 2 were not retreaved from the kitchen. Think they might have been washed and been OK. Just didn't fool with them.

LIVING ROOM:

Living room furniture will be here on the first of Sep. Here is a photo, once I get them here will take one of them in my room. It shows a chaise and I'd hoped to get that too - but it had been discontinued. Will have to find one or an overstuffed chair to go in there.

I will keep my antique end tables and now on the look out for a coffee table. I have a new oil paint kit and found my brushes. Now to get a couple of canvases and paint some new paintings to
hang in there.

Have a couple of tall lamps but need to get new shades the ones that were on them got damaged with all the smoke and the last move.


The two chairs in this photo will be recovered with the fabric on the right. I have it and it looks so good in the room.

I'll also make a cornice to cover the windows of this same fabric. Now the question is do I make two cornices and cover both windows on each wall and make it look like one large window (I think this would probably be best due to the size of the room.) Are do I make 4 and put individual cornice on each window.

The room is coming together so nicely and isn't costing me an arm and a leg in the process.

Life is Good

Today was a fabulous day. A dear friend came for lunch and we spent the entire afternoon visiting.

It was so much fun and we decided this needs to be at least a monthly event from now on. She does lots of craft (needlework) also and so we exchanged ideas, thoughts, I have this, Ok I like that, really like those colors, that would be a neat quilt to make etc., etc., and on an on.

Getting Organized

For once before I die, I hope to have everything related to one type of hobby together. AM I dreaming - hope not.

Because I'm trying to collect everything related together, I've decided to put it in large plastic containers to segregate to projects later. For example everything Crazy Quilting (CQ)embelishments in one container, CQ fabric in another, fat quarters in one, fabric yardage in another, etc. Right now have all the books in book case, but they will need to be sorted once I find them all.

I ordered and received the other day some new oil paints after I'd found some brushes. I need to get some stretched canvases so I can start painting again. It has been years since I painted and I miss working in this media. I have a lot of walls in this house to decorate and since I lost a most of the paintings I had in 1995 (some I painted and some I bought) I now need to paint replacements because I no longer have the funds to purchase them. Also, the artist that many were from I can no longer afford as his paintings have increased drastically in price. In fact one I'd purchased for $50 by one of the two came to me and offered to buy it back several years later for 6 times what I paid for it. He needed painting for a showing in Houston, and didn't have enough time to paint enough for the show. Needless to say I refused then it was in a manner of speaking stolen from me a little later along with almost everything I owned.

Back to Stitching

Have enough unpacked that I can now take breaks from the heat and do some sewing. It is hot in Texas they say we are about to break records for the longest continuous stretch of 100+ days. We are way behind in needed rain, everything looks dead. My boxes are stored in the garage and it is HOT out there, so work a little, rest in the cool more.

Now, where do I start on my quilting projects or embroidery???? I have a number of quilts to finish as you know if you've been reading my blog. I have them all sorted (those I've unpacked) in a large plastic container in my bedroom by my chair for sewing and my daylight lamp. As bulbs burn out in other lamps/lights I will replace them with daylight bulbs. The others give everything a yellow cast.

So much to do, want to get an area ready for a fall garden, greens (mustard, collards, Swiss chard), turnips, carrots, radishes, broccoli, cauliflower and beets. Hopefully our first freeze will be late so I can have a good harvest.

Also need to get some flowering plants in the yard - first need to make flower beds. I'm thinking mums, jonquils, paper white narcissus and bearded iris (tulips don't do any good here not cold enough). Then will plant more spring flowers to have something blooming almost all year. As to plants looking to plant Camella's, bougainvillea, plumeria, azalea. bridal wreath, wisteria, hydrangea, Indian hawthorn, poinsettia and poinciana - all in the red, purple, pink blue family of colors except the poinciana and it is yellow and red orange.

The poinciana has a history for me, when I was not a teenager yet, my step grandfather owned a nursery between Fulton and Rockport, Texas. He gave me one and I took it home and planted it. My Aunt and Uncle lived on property adjoining ours and they had a calf that got out and he'd come down to the house and eat my plant the second time killed it. Now some 50 odd years later I hope to plant another. Would also like to plant a few fruit trees (peach, plum), and a pomegranate. I have pecan trees.

New Home is coming together

A couple of paintings I've done are now hanging in my living room. The room is huge and my furniture looks lost. Yes, looks like I'll be shopping for more furniture in the near future - more fun.

Sharing photos of my paintings with an Internet friend developed into her sharing her desire to paint. So we decided I'd help her online. I put together a shopping list for her of paints, brushes, etc and off on a shopping trip she went.

She shared a photo she liked and through the marvel of Internet she painted and I critiqued. I'd give her instructions on what to paint and how, then after she did it, she'd take a photo and through Yahoo IM send to me and we could exchange comments while looking at her photo. She did very well, she had natural talent, and made a very nice first painting. It needs a little finish detail and is now drying so she can add that and she has already started her second - she is hooked.

Working with her has regenerated my oil painting juices and I'm anxious to get the house in shape so I can replenish my painting supplies and work on some canvases. I like to work in both acrylic and oil. I also like to embellish wood and other items in folk or tole painting. I used to do some China painting and have a number of items my daughter has done and given me, but I'd have to have a kiln to do that again - hmmm maybe in the future.

Left is 1/2 of the one wall of my living room, still need to ad a nice plant or two with the screen, have the broken chair repaired and reupholstered. The two tier table needs some repair and refinishing. All 3 are antiques I bought the table and the 2 chairs were given to me.

Maybe all the styles don't really go together but they are things I like and afterall this is my space. At my age I think a house that rings of MeMaw's house is great. I feel it should be filled with photos of family, and items I like and things I've made.

It has huge rooms basically 4 rooms with a square hall area and bath. 2 bedrooms, living room, kitchen/dining/family (all one large room) make up the 2000 sq ft. It is on a corner lot with nice shade trees, lots of area to add flowering shrubs, flowers and a nice sized garden. Now if I can keep my health to take care of it all.

Unpacking has been slow as everything is covered with suet from the apartment fire. Although the fire was contained to the small storage room at the back of the apartment the smoke filled the entire apt and left residue on everything. I have a small blond colored desk and it didn't look like there was any on it - till I cleaned it and the cloth came away black. So now everything has to be cleaned and what is washable goes in the washing machine.

My New Abode

Well after continued broken promises of a move-in date to move back into my apartment, I finally said enough and found another place. In many respects I like it better. It is a house (h0me), on a corner lot, with nice mature trees. Room for a garden, lots of space for neat flower beds. Rooms are large, and with 10' ceilings is very pleasant on the hot days so far. With ceiling fans and the AC set at 80 it is very comfortable. This far south we don't have many very cold days in winter, so heating should not be all that big of a problem either.

I've unpacked some, and seems I'm not making a lot of headway. I had a break-in during Christmas 2007 while away visiting family. At that time they broke into a shed where I had some boxes stored that needed to be unpacked. So I didn't know what was taken. Things I thought were, have been since found. This was one of the reasons I chose to move from that area to where I am now.

I've put a couple of photos of the house, there are things I want to do to it, but time, money etc intervene. But in time I will make a lot of improvements.

I want to add flower boxes with periennal in them on the street side windows (outside the porch). Line the sidewalk on either side with a ground cover of oxalis (maybe) or something similar that will bloom often, or maybe a mixture of flowers with different blooming dates for a more constant array of color through out the year.

Life in General

Time flies and it seems I'm no where nearer to move back into my apartment. I was told to check on Friday and I've called 2 or 3 times, left a message and still no answer or call back. Not sure what is going on. Although I really liked where I was living, room layout, size etc were all perfect for me, I'm about ready to look elsewhere. I need my own space and my things so I can get some projects finished.

Tuesday I'm looking at another place and will go from there. Not sure if owners of the place I was living are playing games or what. They tell me they now have a buyer since the fire and all the upgrades they did with the insurance money. He wants to live in one side with his family and rent the other. She told me he was very pleased to know that a mature individual that would be a long time rental would be in the other side. Now he may not have that.

I've been doing some surfing on blogs and find so many with really great and talented people. I've always been entranced with the possibilities that come with the computer and the internet. And every day I'm amazed at the volume of information you can find.

Of course in my surfing I always find new projects, new fabrics that are calling my name saying "buy me", and I need more projects like I need a hole in the head.

There is that old saying the Lord only gives you what he thinks you can handle, sometimes I wish he didn't have so much faith in what he thought I could handle. But with his help I'll find a place where I can stay the rest of my life.