On the road again....

My husband and I did a road trip to Oklahoma to see his Mom this last weekend.  We stopped at several antique stores on the way down and back.  My kind of road trip!  I took some interesting photos of some of the merchandise.  For example the elaborate ostentatious wind chime above.

When my husband and I walked up to this long wicker cart we noticed one side could fold down.  We then thought it might be a hospital gurney or a mortician cart.  WRONG.  We found out that it is a flower cart.

This little suitcase and two below were all in one cool booth of advertisement items.

I loved this little 1950's two piece cowgirl outfit.

I did walk away with a new pin cushion.  It looks like a two-headed dog but it actually is two dogs walking beside each other.

I scored this old wooden trash can too for $12.00.  I want to paint it someday and decorate it up.

I also could not pass on the vintage humpty-dumpty wooden salt and pepper shakers.

Now I am watching the Screen Actors Guild Awards.  I'm watching beautiful women in gorgeous dresses while I am in my very well worn but very comfy pj's.  I wouldn't trade places.

Have a great week!  Amy

My weekend

Last weekend I went down to Burlington, Kansas to help my Mom and Dad with their new house.  I removed wallpaper borders and painted a small bathroom. Some of the positions I got myself into while I was painting around the toilet and this little corner were so comical.  No wonder I got out of bed so slo o o o o o wly this morning. 

We took a break from working and traveled to the nearby town of Leroy, Kansas for lunch. The Population of Leroy is 561. This little town has personality. We went for pizza at The Pizza Parlor.  I had the best barbecue pizza that I have ever had.  The calzones were huge and could feed four. They did a great job renovating and decorating the place retaining the character of the old building.  A thumbs up from this quilter!

If you visit Leroy on Saturday between 10:00 - 5:00 you can visit the Barbie and More Museum Next door to the Pizza Parlor.  I wonder how many little girls have left nose prints on these windows!

Just to get to the Pizza Parlor I passed a flying manure spreader in front of Luther's - makers of beef jerky. http://www.jerkyusa.com/

Then I passed this flag pole.  Apparently it needed a weight at the bottom so it wouldn't fall over.

Then really close to downtown were these nice sheep who didn't mind getting their picture taken.

I didn't even take a photo of Arnold's Greenhouse where gardeners come from miles to get one of a kind plants.  http://www.arnoldsgreenhouse.com/

It was easier to go back to painting after such a nice excursion to Leroy!

I also wanted to show you this photo.  Alisann Poutinen sent me her color version of my pattern "Stitch a little talk a lot".  She did such a nice job.  The border is orange. I wear a lot of orange. I just love it.  Thanks for sharing Alisann!

Have a great week!  Amy

So many catalogs!

We all get so many catalogs!  I briefly thumb through them and then toss them in the recycling.  This morning while I was having my usual bowl of cereal and Diet Dr. Pepper breakfast I was flipping through this catalog. http://www.potpourrigift.com/Default.aspx  

It was a good way to wake me up this morning.  I love funny!  My Dad has a big collection of funny t-shirts.  My sister actually bought the one above for him for his last birthday.  He has fun wearing them to have coffee with his buddies.  I am always thinking about my next t-shirt design too.  Oh my goodness!  I just now spelled t-shirt without a "t".  Thank heavens for spell check!!!!!!  Now that would have been funny!

Here are some other things out of their catalog that made me smile this morning.  By the way ...... I do not have stock in this catalog.

This saying made me laugh out loud!  Our dog Gladdy can hear any food unwrapped, can opened and Tupperware popped open from miles away.  When you already feel guilty about eating another cookie, you also have your dog staring at you!  Never, never leave food on a low coffee table ..... it is fair game!

I have a few pins so I liked this one.  I might be turning into my Great Aunt and Grandma.  They loved all those rhinestone too.  I am a rhinestone cowgirl........


Have a great Wednesday!   Amy

New Sewing Stuff

Look what I found in Miami, Oklahoma.  I have never seen a pin cushion like this...or at least I was told she was a pin cushion.  If anyone knows what she was made for let me know.

This guy looks like a little soldier to me.

I got both of these boxes for $3.00 each.

Mending Day Postcard postmarked 1910

Postmarked 1919

This postcard is advertising "The Free" sewing machine with 29 up-to-date features.

The postcard above advertises "The Free" sewing machine.  A machine that is so beautiful that you would be willing to place it in your parlor?  Who has a parlor these days much less a separate dining room.  It is open concept now.  Open spaces except when it comes to messy sewing rooms!!!!!  I wouldn't want anyone to see mine right now!

I was the program for the Lee's Summit Quilt Guild in Lee's Summit, Missouri.  One quilter summed up the quilt guild in two words.....friendly .....organized.  The first time she went to this guild about ten people came up to talk to her shortly after she arrived and she has been coming ever since.  I felt the same way as soon as I got in the door too.  This is a happening group.  I wished I lived closer.  They have some excellent programs coming.

The photo above are four ladies from Raymore, MO.  Left to right: Kathy Gribble,
Jean Hedges, Geneva Spotz and Mibe Young.  They took my pattern "Everyday is a shopping day" and put it on the back of their shirts.  They wore them just for me!!!  Thank you ladies!!!!

Have a great week!   Amy

I Designed A New Quilt

Go now to http://www.sewwequilt.com and check out what Madame Samm is up too. I designed a special quilt for her wonderful blog hop.You are going to have a lot of fun personalizing my new design and you can get it free.....quick don't wait a minute more.

Big Girls Like To Play With Dolls Too

Different times in my life I would come home with a stack of library books all about doll houses. I would pour over all the photos of little miniature rooms and all their teeny tiny accessories and dream about having a doll house all to myself. My Mom would take my sister and I to Seven Seas a shop in Wichita where the back half was all miniatures. I was fascinated with all the furniture but the prices were very high for my weekly allowance. I later got to see Colleen Moore's fairy castle in the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago.  http://www.msichicago.org/whats-here/exhibits/fairycastle/  It is the mother of all doll houses!  I knew about it because it was one of the library books that I checked out when I was younger.

A few weeks ago I was in a antique store and stumbled upon a dollhouse for $50.00 that needed me.
I had some furniture already but I kind of went crazy with 40% coupons at my local Hobby Lobby store.  Each day I would go in with my handy dandy coupon and walk out with a smile on my face and my wee little furniture and a family for my wee little rooms. I was getting it ready for the big reveal for my granddaughter Rowan.  Since it was around Christmas I even got two little Christmas trees for us to decorate.  I told her I had a big surprise the next time that she came over.  She was so excited when she saw what it was.

Guess what she wants to play with as soon as she hits grandma's house now?  Being a grandma is such fun!!!!!



My friend Rosie likes all things dolls too.  She had her own little Santa's workshop going on in her garage before Christmas to surprise her granddaughter Bella and her American doll.

With a miter box, saw, a wood plaque cut in two and fancy dowels she made this by herself.

She also took a little stool and cut it down for a little doll table.

She painted the bed and made all the bedding including a quilt. She did have to take down the table a little bit more after this photo to match Bella's little doll chair.

It's amazing what grandma's will do for their special little granddaughters!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!

I have had a lot of fun this past two weeks being with family.  Above is a photo of my brother Bill, sister Julie and I eating out at a restaurant.  I have totally taken this time off and not worked.  I am feeling a little guilty and overwhelmed about all the work that is front of me today but....hey....I get to start a fresh new year today!  Here is to 2013!  May it be a great year for all of us! 

My siblings and I spent Christmas packing up Mom and Dad.  They are leaving our hometown of Medicine Lodge, Kansas.  They are moving to my brother Bill's town of Burlington.  This is only one hour away from me.  I AM SO EXCITED!  It took four hours before to road trip to see them.  We packed in the mornings and then stopped to play "Hand and Foot" (a card game).  We then packed in the afternoon following with more cards in the evening.  It didn't seem like work because we had so much fun together.  Mom and Dad said it was the best Christmas present ever for them.  They have lived in our childhood home for over forty years.  We still have more work to do but we got off to a great start.

I then went to my husband's mother Bev's 80th birthday celebration in Oklahoma.  More family, more food, more traveling....but we had a absolute wonderful time seeing everyone!  I feel so lucky to have such great in-laws.

Here she is with her five boys and her father-in-law.  I love this photo! She has raised five successful men and most important of all they love, love their mom and would do anything for her!

Above is my Mom and Dad's dog Elly.  She was laying on her own personal couch.  I think she was exhausted from all this family invading her space and routine.  Above is the collection that she inspired that I have bought for my Mom and Dad.  I promised this Christmas that I wouldn't buy anymore.  I just saw three more after I said this proclamation....Drats!

On our way back home from Oklahoma I had to take a photo of this house.  Instead of taking pen to paper he took a paint brush to his home.

I better start on that to do list.  I hope you all have a great start to 2013 and be sure and get right on to all those resolutions....for me this blog has tired me out and I think I need chocolate...... oops.....breaking resolution #27.