Folded Gingham

Snow Day and Swap...

We woke up yesterday to school being cancelled and a winter wonderland outside...

 

I love how the snow was sticking to everything and it stayed like that for most of the day.

 

 

 

 

  The kids had fun too...

 

Have you seen this Easter Basket swap???  Go sign up....

 

Have a fantastic day,

Tiff

Light Redo...

I don't know if you all remember the light fixture that I was so happy to win on Ebay a year ago, only to have it arrive broken. After months of trying to get the seller to send me the original post receipt(because I paid insurance), and then no longer answering my emails, I admit that I just gave up and let it go.  It did nag at me that I didn't pursue it as much as I should/could have, but other things were going on.  Well, today, I decided to do something with that broken lamp sitting in a box in the basement.  I super glued the broken pieces, filled the chips with clay, and then painted it. I didn't paint the whole thing, I left some of the original pottery color that matches my dishes, just to tie the whole thing together. I'm really happy with the way it turned out and it looks great over my kitchen table.  Hubby moved the light that was there into the new media room to replace the ornate chandelier that was in there(which will just have to live in a box in the basement for the time being).

 

 

I would like to apologize if I offended anyone with my post yesterday on products from China. I didn't mean for anyone to take it as an attack on the people of China or any other country for that matter. So please forgive me if it came across that way.

 

Tiff

Something new...

I know many people liked my old banner, but as a person who is constantly changing things in her house, I was ready for a change in my banner too.  I'm not sure if the new one will last long, but at least it is something different for awhile.

I probably mentioned it many months ago, but I have been trying not to buy China made items for over a year now. My goal with this is started to first protect my family(you all know of the toy scare), then it turned into a way to support my country and local business. It has now turned into almost a way of life. My 5 yr old even looks at things now and lets me know where they are made:)  It's been really liberating on my pocketbook as well as the clutter in my house, and most importantly on the impulse/want it buying.  I no longer desire the cute new things in Target or the even the prim country stuff from Country House or the Christmas Tree Shop(a northeast chain that use to be a store I loved).  I don't want a house full of items that can be found in a million other homes. I'm really trying to purge my home of all things that are not homemade or antique/vintage.  It is a slow and difficult process, but things are going if I absolutely don't love them or need them.  I've even stopped buying the new items that Pfaltzgraff is putting out for my dishes because they have moved their plant to China and the dishes are no longer the same quality.  I know I can't completely avoid buying from China, as many products that are American made contain parts from China, but I'm doing my best. Ok, I'll get off my soap box and leave with a Goodwill find from about a month ago...

 

It's a small hob nail oil lamp. It was more than I wanted to pay, $6.99, but I couldn't pass it up as I plan on actually using it. So it is not only cute, but functional too. You see, about 2 months ago, we lost power for a day(some lost it for almost a week) and we only had candles in the house. We drove all over trying to find an old fashioned oil lamp, but every store in a 20 mile radius was sold out. So, when I spotted this little one at goodwill, I couldn't pass it up and it's wick is brand new, and with a new bottle of lamp oil from the grocery store, we are all set for the next storm :)

Have a fun day,

Tiff

Dishcloths and cupboards....

My crochet hook was flying when I had the flu! As tired and miserable as I felt, I just couldn't sit on the couch and do nothing, so I crocheted dishcloths, 12 in all.

 

I can't remember if I shared pics of this or not, so sorry if it is a repeat.  Sometime this past fall(I think), I removed the doors on either side of my cupboards over the desk area in my kitchen. I was looking for more display place for my Pfaltzgraff.

 

 

 

I'm still working on switching the craftroom, I have way too much junk!

Have a sweet day,

Tiff

Happy Birthday Sweetie!!

Today is my oldest daughter's 14th birthday!! All she wants is an Ipod touch, she even wanted that over clothes!

 

And here is a small wall quilt that I made last Fall through a class from the local adult ed....

 

Well, we are off to the mall, not one of my favorite places, but oh the sacrifices we must make for our children;)

Have a terrific day,

Tiff (who is not a coward!)

Just stuff...

Did you see the pic on my sidebar for the apron swap?  Check it out, I signed up, it sounds fun, and who doesn't love getting a new apron!

I'm thinking it's time for a change, as in a new banner and new look for my blog. Anyone have any suggestions?

I'm trying to update my blogroll, getting rid of dead links and such. If you are a regular reader here and don't see your blog there and would like it there, just leave a comment about it and I will add it.

So they finally started working on my  front and back deck, replacing all the boards. I was a bit surprised that they started in the middle of winter but I guess things are slow and it is a guaranteed job. We aren't paying for it, the manufactuer is, the faux decking material started warping and cracking after only one summer so they have to replace it all.  Here is what stage they are at right now....

Back deck

 

Found a bird's nest

 

Front deck.

What the new decking will look like is a surprise to me, no one has shown it to me yet!!

I'm off to get some work done, the kids are on winter break this week and it's the perfect time to move my craftroom, many hands make for light work.

Have a productive day,

Tiff

Christmas 2008

Hello everyone. I was starting to feel better over the weekend, then last night the sharp ear pain accompanied by the severe throat pain came back. Is that normal for strep throat? I'm still on the antibiotics and I haven't missed any.

Anyway, I thought I would share some pics of the house decorated this past Christmas....(lots of pics)

 

Here is the kitchen one morning when I was having the group of ladies from church over for tea.

 

Desk area on the other side of the kitchen.

 

Kitchen table

 

Kitchen hutch

 

I hung the gingerbread girl that I kept for myself on the pantry door in the kitchen. Sorry, I gave the others away to family. I may make a couple more for next Christmas, so if you really want one, remind next Fall.

 

I put crocheted snowflakes all over the screen door that leads into the sitting/sewing room. At this point in time, it was mostly a sitting room with my sewing machine in the corner. But since Christmas, I redid it and turned into a full craft room with high work table right in the middle and all my fabric and supplies in cupboards. BUT, once again, it is about to change. It will be the kids small family/media room. We are going to put the couch that is currently in the familyroom in it and move all the gaming stuff(wii, xbox, and computer) in it. That way when the older kids have friends over, they have a place to retreat too and the little ones still have their playroom in the basement and hubby and I don't have to be kicked out of the family room.  We ordered the monsterous new couch for the family room yesterday and it should be here in 2-3 weeks, I can't wait!

 

This is by the door in the mudroom.

 

My hutch of tablecloths in the mudroom.

 

Here is a corner of the family room(the kitchen is on the left).

 

Computer desk in the family room(where I am currently sitting writing this post).

 

The Christmas tree in the familyroom. I only did one large tree this year and put all my glass ornaments on it.

 

My dad and the kids a few days before Christmas. He made the yearly "santa claus" run from Ohio and brought the kids their presents from him and my mom.

 

And the traditional coming down the stairs pic on Christmas morning in their new jammies. I couldn't find all matching ones this year, but at least they are all stripes(courtesy of Hanna Andersson).

 

I didn't do a ton of decorating this year, I just wasn't up for it. Maybe this coming year will be different and I will be more inspired.  Hope you enjoyed the tour.

Have a terrific day,

Tiff

Lesson Learned...(again)

Well, it's turns out that I have strep throat, never had it before and I can tell you that the pain is intense and increases everytime I swallow. I'm on a 10 day course of antibiotics, so hopefully they will kick in soon.

On to my post.  Every few years, I get the bug to do a craft show. Even though I know in the end I will regret it(I just never have any luck at them).  This past November was no exception. I made a ton of stuff for the one of the local Christmas fairs, this one was at my son's school.  I spent very little money on supplies(thank goodness) because I got all the wood for free from one of my neighbors and the rest I already had in the house.  I made sure I marked the items at very low prices, because I knew people wanted deals.  But in the end, I didn't make anywhere near the profit I wanted and was left with a ton of stuff(which I used as Christmas presents). So, lesson learned again, me and craft shows don't go together.  Here is some of the stuff I made....

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

   

I hope everyone is feeling better than I am, have a lovely day,

Tiff

Kitchen Hutch

I know some of you have requested a house tour, after 2 weeks of us all being sick, that isn't going to happen;P at least not anytime real soon.  We are planning a complete family redo(yeah for tax refunds) with in the next couple of weeks, which will also involve turning my craft room into a small media room and putting my crafts down in the basement with the boy's toys.  I know I am always changing the house, but I'm just trying to make it work best for us, and I'm praying this arrangement is the best and can stay for awhile.

When my parents came in August, they brought me a new hutch for my kitchen. They bought two of them at the Jcpenny wharehouse near their home in Ohio for only $92 a piece!!  It was originally cream colored and didn't have the raised center part, that was my idea, so my dad built it. If you can imagine the top of the hutch just sitting on the base, it just didn't look right and was way too short. So my dad just built a wood insert, and whalllllaaa, and new unique hutch.  I then painted it all black. This hutch works so much better in the kitchen because it is narrower in depth and gives us more room for the chairs.  My mom then did the same thing to her hutch when they got back home.

 

I'm headed to the Dr's later, I hope I don't have strep on top of the flu.

Stay well,

Tiff

Paint by number

 

While my parents were here in August, I bought this paint by number at a local hobby store. It took me a good 15 or so hours to complete, but I think it came out pretty good. There were so many itty bitty areas to paint.  I hung it over my fireplace for Christmas. The frame is a bit too small, but you can see most of the painting.