Sunday, September 28, 2008

Dumb Bunny Today

You really, really don't want to see a photo of this!

I had a home accident today. Not emergency room accident, but nearly. It was probably an emergency room accident, but I didn't go....

I was cleaning a jar. An old blue canning mason jar with the bale wire. I like to use them for candles. I take them & get them filled with the scents that I like. The place I take them is even better than Yankee Candles but not a whole lot cheaper.
Anyway....I heated up the jar to melt the wax out & was turning the jar to get all the wax hot to pour it out. the jar busted in my hand & fell to the floor & hit my foot and shattered into a million pieces. it hit my foot with such force that it hurt like heck! I immediately got started cleaning up the glass & wax. Yes, hot wax on my wood floor in my kitchen!! Well while I am getting the broom & dustpan from the pantry , blood starts gushing out of my shoe. I DID have shoes on, Croc type from L.L. Bean, but I guess the bottom of the jar hit hard enough to split my big toe open even through the shoe....I was afraid to take my shoe off because there was so MUCH blood.....but I knew we couldn't stop the bleeding if I didn't. Maybe you don't know this, but I can't stand the sight of MY own blood. It's okay if it's someone else's blood, just not MINE. I faint at the slightest little thing when it comes to myself...let's not even get talking about needles......(now you KNOW I'm not a strong & tough as I seem! The secret is OUT)
Sarah gave me a rag & I wrapped up my toe & I told her "Okay, I'm going to take this off, you tell me if we need to go to the E.R"...I took it off & the bleeding had stopped for the most part, but I have a HUGE gash on my left big toe right on the knuckle. About an inch long. Since it stopped bleeding I decided NOT to go to the E.R. in retrospect, I should have gone - I can not flex my toe or put pressure on my toes without it bleeding.....and it HURTS. It hurts badly!

Later, (not late enough) I got the big boys out & cleaned the kennels, all without getting my foot wet. Then I played with the dogs, I was SO careful too! But Bourbon stepped on my foot & it started bleeding all over again. I had to take the bandaging off.
Sarah is going to re-wrap it before I go to bed so that I don't accidently flex my toes & pop it open again. Tommorrow is going to be a joy!

Moral of the story? Scrape the wax out, don't heat it up to clean a jar out! You'll regret it. You really, really don't want to see why I know this tidbit of wisdom...

Sam - who limps like I lost a leg instead of cut open her big toe!

Collinsville Quilt Walk

This weekend I attended the 7th Annual Collinsville Quilt Walk. They had it in "houses" this year! Some of them were just so gorgeous. My quilts were in the last, 7th house. I should be able to pop the buttons off my t-shirts now, I got so many compliments. I even got to take the "walk" myself this year. it's probably been 5 years , or longer since I did.
Deb was the hostest with the mostest. i need to send her a thank you. It was nice to sit & talk. I forgot my camera & she lend me hers to use & even sent the memory stick home with me so that I can develop my photos & then send the memroy stick (card?) back to her in the mail.
Soon as I get the photos developed & onto a CD I will post them. I only took pictures of MY quilts.
I got to see 2 of my BFF's. KB & KG. it was so good to see both of them.
Hi to all if you're reading this!

Sam

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Photos of "The House"




We mowed the yard this weekend.
Here's the house in all her glory.
Can't wait to get the wreath up.
For what it's worth - i am not a gardener. if it doesn't grow , with a minimum of attention, it does not grow for me.


Sam

Some of My Favorite Things




These are 2 quilts are my FAVORITE. i have so many - but these 2 take my breath away when I see them. They make me happy that I made them & they make me happy that they turned out so nice.
(I really need to paint that purple room! It compliments nothing....)

Sam

These are the "Big Boys"






it is really hard to get good photos of the big dogs. Even when they are tired out from fetching the ball, they are apprehensive of the camera & hardly ever sit still.
Bourbon (the girl-lee dog) is the black & white Springer Spaniel. he got himself into a little trouble this week & we are fast tracking one of our home imporvement projects. Bourbon bit somebody walking on the street infront of thehouse. Soon as we can afford it, we are fencing the backyard....Briscoe is the black German Shepherd. Isn't he gorgeous? totally useless as a guard dog. He LOVES everyone, doesn't know a stranger & cries when he sees kids becasue he wants to PLAY....he also BARKS ... a lot.
but, they are mine, they love me, and I adore them.
Them are my boys!

Sam

"Projects" at the house



Last weekend, we instlled MORE lights in the basement.
We hung a towel bar in the master bathroom over the garden tub.
We replaced the little chadelier in the purple room with a ceiling fan.
Those projects were on our "to do" list. It was raining last weekend, so we took the weekend off and just did little projects!

Sam

Friday, September 19, 2008

Goodies for me!



In our old house in AL, you had to be ON our property before you could see the door. Either door. I never bothered with wreaths or outside decorations, just seemed a waste of time. No hospitality to display. that's not what I meant...I HAVE a lot of hospitality to display - it just wasn't seen.
ANYWAY....today I bought myslef a few "fall" decorations. I got them off ebay so i don't have them yet. I bought a wreath & a wreath hanger. I hope these images attach...once I DO get them and put them on the front door, I willpost a photo of our door. The *new* house is very visible! Seen from the street, seen from the sides byt the neighbors....i would really like to get a HUGE wreath for the side of the house above the garage doors. But I think that I will wait until i find a wreath for Christmas for that spot. i have to sonsider where i am going to store it all!

Sam

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

5th & Final post of the evening.....



This is our stariway coming UP from the basement to the main level of the house. it's on our "to-do" list to replace this light fixture. So that there is MORE light in the stairway. Well this evening the light bulb went out. So I got it in my head that I would replace it with a 100 watt bulb and that would be a lot more light than we had, until we got around to replacing it....
I got everything ready.....well guess what? No wonder there isn't much light! It's only a little bitty candleabra light bulb! thank goodness I had one! It's still going to be replaced with a LARGER / BRIGHTER / BETTER LOOKING light fixture....it's just not on the top of the list.....

So that you have some idea of the layout of things...when you are standing at the top of the stairs and you see to the bottom, my Long Arm Studio is on the LEFT - the garage portion is on the RIGHT.

Oh well

Good Night all.

Sam

Painted Wall



This wall is on one side of the basement.
It took 10 gallons of dry-loc sealing paint. that's 2 , 5 gallon buckets. They are real proud of their product. It's $96 per 5 gallons! However, the product performs very well. And even without additional lighting in the parking area, it has lightened up the basement a whole lot!
This view is standing in my studio & then standing on the landing at the bottomof the stairs looking out towards the garage doors. that's my Mommy-Wagon!
It's a very large basement.
We have 2 more 5 gallon buckets of that paint/sealer for the OTHER side of the basement.....

Sam

Totally Recovered / Grand-cat



Remember when I had the cat declawed?
She is totally recovered. Here she is in the bathroom sink. No-One can go into the bathroom without curious Fiona following....she wants to drink & play in the water. Yes, we have water in bowls for the cats, but this cat likes RUNNING water. She drinks from the sink & then puts her paws in the water. then she drinks the water off her paws. If you don't turn on the water for her, she'll lie inside the sinks.....just waiting - if you don't turn on the water she cries....
So? I turn the water on.
She IS entertaining.

Sam

Another Invention! Not mine.



Bed Risers!
I put the bed risers under the legs of the table in my studio. Now it is at hip height. A lot easier to work from. At a total cost of $7.97 plus tax. Ala-Wal-Mart.
I know that yo're supposed to use these to put under the legs of your bed, but i don't think you can buy dust ruffles with a drop long enough for that, do they? I HAVE to HAVE dust ruffles/bed skirts.....if there is no bed skirt then the boogie-man can get out.....hold out from my childhood, drat those mean older brothers....
Anyway, I am happy with them. One day I'll get around to making a skirt for the table so I can hide what ever I might store under there.

Sam

Neat Invention

I am an animal person. I like dogs, big dogs. We currently have 2 cats & 5 dogs at our humble abode. Sounds like a lot, but 2 of the dogs are DD#1's Chihuahua's. They are little. I have 2 big dogs outside & then my favorite fat dog stays inside. Well the dogs that are int he house can't seem to stay away from the Kitty Cookies. Anybody else have this problem?
Well, here's my solution. A dog proof litter box. No more snacky-snacks for the doggies. isn't that GROSS?????
It's NOT beautiful, but it works. Soon as the cats are comfortable with USING it (no problems for 2 weeks so far!) I am going to move that silly contraption to a less conspicuous area of the house.....
Neat, huh? I didnt buy a thing. I had the tub in the basement, husband used the rot-zip to cut out the circle. Presto!

Sam
Okay I don't know why this is happening - maybe i hit the worng font or something - but some of my letters are turning to Japanese or Chinese symbols in the TITLE line. I don't understand it! How come it's not happening int he body of the blog? When I type the word, it types it out just like I spelled it, but soon as I space...it changes....darn it!

Sam

Monday, September 1, 2008

Needs for the Studio

I need to get bedrisers for tha table too. I always wind all my bobbins before I start quilting & that table is too low to work at!

sam

Studio Photos






i dont' know why these wouldn't load on the last post.........

Studio Update

DH was a huge prince this weekend. On Saturday he painted the block walls in the basement (of my studio) with the UGL Dry Loc paint while both DD's & i went shopping @ Opry Mills Mall. That UGL stuff is thick! Like painting with peanut butter.
Then later Saturday night he painted the 3rd coat of the tan that we painted the other 2 walls with.
Sunday we went to Lowe's and bought another 5 gallon bucket of the UGL Dry Loc paint for the block walls , a package of 2 X 2 foot ceiling tiles, a DOOR, and commercial grade indoor outdoor carpeting. the door goes between my side of the basement & his side of the basement. (excluding where we park the cars...) We got the carpeting pretty cheap. We needed 24 feet but they didn't have one continuous piece that long. So we got 2 pices & the guy gave it all to us @ 50% off. So we got $250 worth of carpet for $125. We came home & installed the carpet. (I am not quitting my job to be a carpet installer - not happening...) Then we installed the door.
All we lack is the finishing touches. Baseboard & shelves & hanging some froo-froo stuff. We also need to hang my cabinets on the wall. 2 of those utility cabinets hang on the wall & then it creates a little counter over the 2 on the bottom.
I'm SO excited. It looks so good.

Sam