A Week in Pictures (#18)

Painted the Trim 1/19/2013

I actually painted the trim on the 18th; but, I forgot to take a picture for this day until the morning of the 19th. So, this picture is really for the 18th. Ha! And yes, I know it needs a little touch up here and there.

Trim is Up! 1/19/2013

Dan put up the trim that I painted and it looks mighty nice. The trim is slightly darker than the wall and I believe that is due to it being wood (different material from drywall). All in all, I am pleased with our efforts. Now, we just have to hang up some pictures and put the saucers back up on the wall. We have also moved onto the living room and hallway.

Yardsticks From a Flea Market 1/20/2013

I had a hankering to get out and go shopping for certain items such as a table or cabinet to use in the entry way and a new dresser for Dan. I did not want to buy anything new. I wanted to buy used and fix it up. So, we went to a couple of flea markets. However, I did not find anything that would do. Well, we stopped by an antique store that had the perfect old cabinet to use; but, they wanted too much money.

Anyway, we found these yardsticks at Bussey’s Flea Market in Schertz, Texas. This flea market is a good one to go to once in a blue moon. I have been collecting old yardsticks for eons; but, I have a two dollar limit per yardstick which makes it difficult to find any as a lot of places sell them for four dollars or more. I was thrilled when Dan spied these yardsticks and discovered they were two dollars each. Perfect!

By the way, the other place we went to was Flea Mart; but, it was horrid unless you love kitschy imports. I did not feel comfortable being there due to these times. So, we left before exploring the entire place.

Beads {Bracelets} 1/21/2013

I made quite a few bracelets over the years and these were dumped into a pile to snap some macro shots.

Tthe Kitchen Island is Freed! 1/22/2013

My sewing cabinet and cutting table was returned. The crate up in the top right is where the sewing machine lift is located. I am happy to be using the cutting table to put fabrics onto “bolts”. The kitchen island is now freed up to spread cooking supplies and whatnot.

Some recently fabrics I put onto “bolts” 1/24/2013

These are ancient fabrics I have no information on such as manufacturer and designer. They are quarter yards (nine inches wide) from a scrap bag bundle. For some odd reason, I thought these four fabrics would make wonderful four patches if cut up. What do you think?

PS I did not snap a picture for 1/23/2013 as that was a bad, bad day for me. I have decided from now on to just post pictures that I have taken and not mention any of the days that I either forgot to take a picture or was not doing well.

Wordy Wednesday (A Note)

It has been a long time since I have done a Wordy Wednesday. Life has been busy and I had a tough time adjusting to limited internet access. And, both of us dealt with sickness. I believe Dan caught the cold/flu from me and combine that with allergies, it brought him down. His immune system is fabulous and it is rare to see him so sick. In fact, he had to take a day off from work. He has not done that in years. I was shocked and worried about him; but, he recovered nicely.

Contented Lioness {Chessie} 11/1/2012

Anyway, now that the holidays are over, things have settled down and I am healthy once again, I am planning to gradually bring back my regular posts including the Macro Mondays. The macro pictures may or may not be recent. However, they will be pictures that I have not posted on my blog (or elsewhere).

You will probably see more pictures of the work being done on the house – especially in the “week of pictures” posts. We have been making steady progress with the house. Dan is doing a fabulous job on the casings and baseboards. He took a break last weekend to help me paint the kitchen. We had trouble finding the trim I picked out for the kitchen this past weekend and I was disappointed. However, Dan went looking at the Lowe’s near where he works last Monday and found them. I was absolutely thrilled! Once I get the trim painted and he puts them up, we will be done with the kitchen (with the exception of the cabinets which will be done as a last project).

I will be filling up the holes in the walls of the living room and the hallway left by previous owners in preparation for painting this weekend. We learned a valuable lesson from doing the kitchen – paint the walls first before putting up the new casings and baseboards. And yes, I have already chosen the paint color. We are making slow and steady progress with the little things. Sometime in the near future, we will get started on a major project – the garage conversion.

My sewing cabinet/cutting table is being returned to us and it is still NOT fixed. The shop could not find the materials. However, they said the manufacturer has the parts in spite of not making this particular model. The problem is that they are moving headquarters and will not be able to ship until May. We opted to have the furniture returned to us so that I can use it to bolt up my fabrics and free up the kitchen island. I may not be able to use it to sew; but, I can still use it to cut fabrics and wrap them onto “bolts”. Anyway, the movers will give us a check for the cost of the parts. Dan will order them and fix the cabinet himself when the parts come in.

I am looking forward to spring. There are a lot more life to photograph during the spring, summer, and fall. Winter has been rough so far. I am hoping that this spring will be beautiful due to receiving rain and having colder weather than usual.

In the meantime, I hope everyone is having a safe winter. I know that it snowed up North (Texas). There were reports of sleet near where we live; but, we have not seen evidence of any snow, ice, or sleet. It just has been colder than usual and I do not do well with the cold weather! But, I am surviving.

Piece,

A Week in Pictures (#1)

NOTE: This is a day late due to the fact that I could not access my photobucket account at our new house. I finally figured how to work around the problem using Firefox. I will soon figure out and fix the problem in Chrome. At least, that is my hope!

I am going to start trying to take a picture a day. I will share those pictures on Sundays. Since the first day of the week is Sundays, the pictures will go from Sunday to Saturday from the previous week. The only exception will be this post as I started over a little over a week ago on Thursday, September 20th.

Some of you have already seen these pictures on facebook. There is a group that challenges people to take a picture a day. Honestly, I have been having fun. Some pictures are just simple snapshots and others are attempts at taking “great” pictures. In all cases, it will be a learning experience for me. At least, I hope to learn from each and every picture I take. At the very least, it helps me relax.

These posts will be written and scheduled well ahead of Sunday. I will only have to add Saturday’s picture to the post some time on Saturdays. At least, that is my plan as I do not want to be taking the time to write and/or blog on the weekends. Weekends, for me, are for my family and the Lord.

Jumping Spider (9/20/2012)

Gracie, my huntress, discovered this critter in our house and yes, it is missing a leg. I believe she is responsible. After I took pictures, I gathered up my courage and rescued the scary thing by taking it to the great outdoors on a business envelope. The thing scared me a couple of times by waving its front legs in the air.

Just a Beautiful Weed (9/21/2012)

Shot at dusk. I waited too long to take pictures; but, it turned out alright. This flower is about 1/2" wide.

Frenemies (9/22/2012)

{Bigger picture here.}

Gracie has taken to lying in my sewing chair and gazing out the window. Well, a neighbor cat decided to stop by on this day. When I discovered them, Gracie was attacking the window with her lone front paw and the next door neighbor's cat would then "attack" back. After a bit, they both laid down and relaxed. I guess they decided to be frenemies.

Millipede (9/23/2012)

(Bigger picture here.}

This critter was a tiny visitor at our new house. It is the first one I ever saw in my life

“This is MY man and don’t YOU forget it” 9/24/2012

Chessie, our 15 year old Maine Coon cat.

The State of Things 9/25/2012

Boxes tossed into a bedroom waiting to be flatten and taken to “the dump” – a recycling dumpster.

Lemons at the Rental House 9/26/2012

{Bigger Picture here.}

I went into the backyard in the morning and much to my surprise, I discovered lemons growing -- first time in four years of living at this rental.

Last Gasp 9/27/12

Packing up the Pantry and Laundry Room.

Dismantled Bed Ready to Sleep One Last Time at the Rental 9/28/12

This is probably the best made bed in ages. Ha! And, oh my goodness, it is very low. The cats, especially elderly Chessie, loves it as they don't have to jump so high.

Broken{hearted} 9/29/2012

The movers broke my sewing machine and cutting table.