daily yarns 'n more

should a person be allowed to have this much happiness and fun?

I am though...having fun and lots of happiness.  Pinch me...No!..Don't pinch me, I don't want to wake up from all this. 

I'm happy to say with the help of this man and the sale of our house, we are debt free.  If you follow this man, you will know that there are 7 baby steps to financial peace.  Steps 1, 2 and 3 being a $1000.00 emergency fund, the debt snowball (where you pay off all your debt except the house) and 3-6 months expenses in savings.  We are now on to steps 4-7, which are, investing and retirement plans, college/wedding funding (we added the wedding part, with 3 daughters still single we thought this would be a good add), paying off your home early and building wealth and giving.  I love telling our money where to go, I feel so in control. 

I've been wanting an embroidery machine for so long and I've been patient in waiting for one.  I didn't feel any justification to get one when I had a perfectly good machine (even tho it's over 10 years old sitting in my sewing room).  The only thing is it couldn't do this (see photo below) other than that it works beautifully.  Plus the only way I could get one was to CHARGE it and that was not going to happen while doing this man's plan.

But by following the man's plan, I now have this machine sitting right along side my perfectly "old" good sewing machine, and I've been having FUN...FUN...FUN!!!!!!

I can't stop sewing and I made another apron and I'm not really sure who this one is going to.

Like I asked...Should a person be allowed to have this much happiness and fun?

I think so.  How about you?

i can check aprons off my to-do list

I've been able to check a few things off my to-do list.  On Saturday I took a drive to Janesville for lunch with two very dear friends.  I brought them each an apron I made...a little early Christmas present from me to them.

I just love aprons and I'm in an apron swap over at Country Pleasures where Sue is hosting a Christmas Apron Swap.  I jumped at the chance to join this and I've already started on the apron I plan on swapping.  I can't wait to show you it when I'm done, but I can't until the recipient receives it.

I always wear an apron when I cook/bake and believe it or not so does my husband.  You can never have too many aprons.

I hope you all have a wonderful day...I'll be enjoying my day sewing.

Blessings,

Judy

life is quite interesting now

With 3 dogs in the house...Only they don't come in the house.  They stay either outside or in the breezeway.  We built a dog house and Sadie seems to be the only one who will use it.  Jake and Jennie have 2 dogs, one is a Redbone Coonhound and the other is a German Shorthaired who have more energy than I could ever imaging Sadie having.  There will be lots of changes outside come springtime where gardens are concerned.

I started crocheting a hat last night for myself.  I'm not really a hat wearer but I think I will wear this one.  I found it from Ravelry. 

It's a whopping 16° outside this morning the perfect kind of day to sit in front of the wood stove and crochet...only...There's no fire going?!?!?!?!?! 

I'm guess I'm going to have to have a talk with Mr Wonderful.

The youngest in this house went back to school this morning after having 2 weeks off.  It was very hard for her to leave.  I think she liked being home.  I really think she liked being around the two babies that are living in our home right now.  She's getting pretty attached to them as we all are.  It'll be a sad day when they all leave.

I hope your week has been going good.  I best be off so that I can go to my "second" job, because once I'm done there I can get working on my hat.

You all have a wonderful day today and if you live in an area where the temps are below 40°...Stay warm :)

it's been a long week for me

Has it been for you?  Work has been crazy, crazy, crazy!!!  I have to get it in my head that I can't finish all the work in one day.  That maybe I'm expecting way too much of myself.  I'm not super woman and I'm only human.  I just can't stand that I leave something undone tho. 

So, after 3 days of crazy days at work I thought that I would do a bit of sewing.  I wanted to make an apron from the Lilly Apron pattern, but in my unorganized state of mind I couldn't find my pattern.  It bugs me that I can't find it either.  I looked high and low for it and it's nowhere to be found.  It couldn't be because my sewing room is in such a state of disarray that I can't find it now could it?  :)

So instead of making the apron I wanted to make, I pulled out my famous Church Ladies Apron that I've made sooooo many times and can sew up with my eyes closed.  I only pull out the pattern so that I can cut it out.  I do love this apron tho.  I call this one Chocolate Flowers.

I still have a bit more knitting to get done for Christmas.  I like that we didn't decorate too much this year.  I love my snowman collection and I do miss having them out...But...I'm not going to miss having to put them away.

Surfing the blogs this morning I found the cutest little gingerbread houses that hang on the side of your mug of hot chocolate over at not martha.  Go and check it out...they are CUTE...CUTE...CUTE!

Today "finals" start for our High schooler.  I still at times can't believe that we only have one left in school.  Life just keeps going and going. 

I'm so excited...We are having a heat spell right now it's 30° outside.  Now that I'm talking about the weather I think it's time to end this post.

I hope you all have a super day today!

pay it forward challenge

On September 20, 2008, I did a pay it forward challenge.  I had to get something handmade out to the first 3 people who commented on my blog within 365 days.  Well, only 2 wanted to do the challenge and I'm finally getting them out in the mail with some days to spare...Whew!!!!

This one is going to Jan...the Lilly Apron.  I hope you like it Jan.

This one to Angie, also a Lilly Apron.  I hope you like yours too Angie.

I hope you think of me when you are wearing them.

i'm on a roll

I can't believe that I sewed two things this week.  I've been pretty lazy about sewing lately. 

This apron is going to Lacey in Nebraska.  Remember Lacey?  Jim and I went to visit her ranch when we were in Nebraska last April.  Lacey and her husband Matt were so kind to show us around that I wanted to give her a Thank You gift and I finally got it done.  I hope she likes it.

Now that I have those 2 items off my list I have to go check what's next.

a "just 'cause" Apron Giveaway

Susan over at Not Quite June Cleaver is having a giveaway.  So head on over if you want to enter.

things are happening around the homestead

This apron went to Zaroga.  She sent me some really nice books so I gave her an apron in exchange for them....kind of like bartering.  I do have about 4 more aprons that I need to make and give away.  I just need to buckle down and make them.

I have been in summer vacation mode lately.  I think it must be the  fresh summer air.  We planted an apple tree over the weekend.  I was too pumped to find a Honeycrisp apple tree.  The first time I ever had a bite out of a Honeycrisp apple was in Minnesota at my daughter Carri's house.  Since then I have found them at the grocery store.  Now I can have my own Honeycrisp apple.

Thank you Rose for the tip on thinning the apples.  That explains why we always get small apples.

We made a compost bin over the weekend.  We have been reading up on how to make one.  We are thinking about putting in another one next to it so that when we can turn the compost into the empty bin...and just keep turning the compost back and forth.

We are already starting to fill it up.  The neighbors with the horses have manure that we can take.  So we took a couple of wheelbarrow trips to get some.  Sitting in the backyard you think we live on a farm.  I just hope our neighbors to the back of us don't get too upset by the aroma.

If anyone has any other tips on composting I would love to hear about them.

We have been wanting to get Asparagus plants and managed to find some on line.  I can't wait to get them and we also are planning to put in a few more trees and some grapes.  If not this year, then next year for sure.

I hope all is well with you.  Our weather is starting to finally warm up...I thought summer would never get here.

You all have a wonderful day today.

a treasure given to me

I received an e-mail from someone who wanted to donate some vintage aprons to me.  You can't imagine my surprise and astonishment that a stranger would want to give a treasure such as this to me.

After a few e-mails back and forth the package came in the mail yesterday.

My heart was pounding as I opened up the package.

Opening the two tissue layers took my breath away to what I saw.

As I pulled each apron out I was in total glee.

This is the letter I received on the history of these aprons.

 Click to enlarge to get a better read.

Connie's mother Elizabeth when she was in her 20's.

This is Connie's mothers family....Connie's mother Elizabeth is second from the left in the back row.

Edward and Olga Tunby family of Houghton, South Dakota.

In my first e-mail to Connie I had inquired as to how she found me.  Was it through my blog?  Yes in fact it was and I found out a little about Connie.  She had just published her first book.  Her book is a non-fiction called SAVING YOUR LIFE-ONE DAY AT A TIME...it's about coping skills for depression when medications are not working.

When I first opened Connie's e-mail I was a bit skeptic at first.  Who wouldn't be.  But, then I had a feeling after re-reading the e-mail and that feeling was a good feeling, so I acted on it, and I'm glad I did. 

Connie has entrusted me with some really special heirlooms.  When I was looking at each apron I was trying to imagine her grandmother wearing them and then I thought of my own grandmothers.  So I inquired to my mother if she had any pictures of either of my grandmothers wearing an apron.

I feel pretty honored that Connie thought of me to give her precious aprons to.  I will cherish them and had even before they came into my possession.  I'm not sure why I love aprons so much.  I hope when I'm ready to give my collection away, that I find someone who loves them as much as I do.

6th folder...6th pic challenge

I was tagged by Kar for this cute challenge.  I had to go to my 6th folder, to the 6th picture and post about it.  I don't think I have ever posted this picture before.

 

Well, here goes....I was a bit worried as to what picture I would find.  I was tickled pink when I counted over to the 6th picture and found this one, Mr Wonderful and Granddaughter Cassidy.  Grandpa was wearing her crown at birthday coffee...(which BTW family, we haven't done in a while).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I received quite a few packages in the mail yesterday and some yummy yarn was one of the packages.  I just couldn't wait to start on this until after my other two WIP's were completed.  The yummy yarn was just calling me.  Kar is making an awesome hexagon blanket and she just gave me the bug when I saw this cute bag in the Interweave Knits Holiday 2008 magazine.  It's a felted bag called Labyrinth Carpetbag.  So far I have 2 hexagons made.

I also received this awesome magazine in the mail called apron.ology.  Malphi aka Susannah has a feature on page 98.   I haven't been able to really sit down and thoroughly look through it yet.  But, I did make sure I checked out Susannah's feature.

 

The snow is starting to melt now and I'm getting the itch to get back outside to take some pictures.  I haven't been taking pictures lately and I'm missing that.  So, hopefully with the warmer weather coming pictures will once again re-appear on this blog.

You all have a wonderful day today.