Monday, July 30, 2018

Witchy Poo


Sticks and stones
Mixed in with bones
Dried sage and green moss.


This is the recipe
With all of its mystery
Creating an elixer sauce.


The moon is full
The sky pitch black
While the cat will sing his mew.


Alone she is
Our crafty witch.
Making her Halloween brew!



A little bit of how I made this crafty witch.
The trim at the top of her dress is rick rack.
I simply twisted the black and orange medium
rick rack and hand sewed to the top of her dress
using black floss.


A brownish gray wool for her hair.

Blue flowered dress and tiny blue and white
checked fabric for her hat.
Not a traditional black dressed witch,
but loving this color combination.


Her pouch is wool, with dried sage,
sticks and green moss.


I love this color combination so much,
that this year I have decided to do these
colors in my kitchen for Christmas.
Yes folks, I am once again thinking ahead...
and have started writing down what I want to do.

In other news.
Saturday Bob's dad came over and grilled for us.
Chicken and ribs.
I made potato salad, devilled eggs and baked beans.
Bob's cousin Jimmy and his wife came over too!
We had fun talking and eating...
with some drinks included.

 Also below is a few pics 
of our family reunion which was on Sunday.


My cousin Shelly hosted at her house along the river.
This is the same river we live by.
{lake freighter cruising by}


Another one going by.


Playing cornhole.


Four first place prizes won 
this movie candy themed prize.


The losing team won a toilet trophy.
Too cute!
Sorry my pic did not capture this very good.
We still love you cousin Pat and Margaret!!!
We decided every year we will start this new tradition,
and will engrave the names on this trophy each year.

Well it's off to work I go.
Hope everyone had an awesome weekend.
I sure did!

Witchy Poo Blessings To All!
Janice






Friday, July 27, 2018

An Autumn Corner

As the Summer winds down,
this is always the time of year for
me to start thinking of Autumn.
I know most of you think I am rushing
the Seasons...but in my defense
I have a store and a prim show
where I must have goodies ready 
for all that is Halloween.
My customers would not be happy with me
if I did not have anything.  


So while I am creating Halloween,
I am slowly creating Autumn in the house as well.


I decided for my back room this year,
that the colors of blue and golds would be
my theme.


What better way to show off these colors,
but with my ladder.


I hung my golden tansy wreath over
these blue and white quilts.
(this wreath is very old and fragile now)
When first purchased it was yellow
and has now aged to this color.


Although you would not think blue to
being an Autumn color.


The blue and gold meld together quite nicely.


As I get the urge to decorate more in
this chosen Autumn color scheme,
I will share with you as I go along.
For now only this little corner
of the room has been transformed.

The weekend is almost here.
Sunday is our annual family reunion.
Two family members will not be there,
as both my great aunt Clara (101)
and my uncle Eugene (73)
are no longer with us.
Still they will be remembered, 
while fun will be had by all!

What are your plans for the weekend?

An Autumn Corner Blessings T0 All!
Janice

Tuesday, July 24, 2018

Parking Spot



Good morning sweet friends.
Hope all is well with you all!

My mind has been wandering lately 
to the hues of black, orange and purples.
In other words

HALLOWEEN

Our show is in September,
so I do not have much time to get goodies
ready for this wonderful prim show.
Come if you can.
Holly, Michigan.
September 8th, 2018.




We had pouring rain last Saturday
which turned into an all day
 garden rain on Sunday.
Perfect for working on goodies.

If you remember I started this project
and showed you this witchy boot.



Did you guess who was parking himself
on said boot? 



If you guessed a frisky kitty,
you were correct.


This little rascal is made of yummy black wool.




With a purple background.
Using all of my fav colors of Halloween
Orange, Black and Purple.
I am just over the moon how this turned out.


Made into a pillow stuffed with rags.

My next project is a new witch.
Already drawn out.
Fabric and wool cut.
Will be sewing and stuffing.

Are you thinking about the upcoming
Autumn season like I am?

Are your thoughts turning to 
orange pumpkins
black cats
or even the sisters of the broom (witch)? 

Hope everyone everyone is enjoying their week thus far.

Parking Spot Blessings To All!
Janice 





Saturday, July 21, 2018

Can This Be Prim


H O W D Y
A L L

We did get some much needed rain yesterday.
Not a lot, but at least the grass 
got a much needed drink.
It came from the South,
so thank you Winnie for bringing it our way. :-)
Hopefully we will get more today.

So last week Bob asked me to pick up his check
at the antique store where he has a booth
 which is in the town I work at.
He keeps some guy stuff in there.
{overflow of our store} 


Now this store is a vintage one,
no primitives....
so I was quite surprised when I found this.
Now go ahead and ask me.
Can this be prim Janice?


Ladies in the 1800's used fans 
both to cool themselves, but also to conceal
their face to hide from blushing or to flirt.


{back of fan}
Woman realized it was to their advantage
to talk to a man without even saying anything.
Fans were used as social etiquette.


Holding your fan in the left hand 
signified a desired acquaintance.

Resting the fan on the right cheek meant "YES"
left cheek "NO"

Pulling the fan across the face 
was a sign the couple was being watched.

Twirling the fan in your left hand
meant she wanted to be rid of you. 

Twirling in the right hand;
I love another.


Hold your fan up against your left ear
"You have changed"

Moving the fan across your eyes
"I'm Sorry"

Putting it wide open,
"Wait for me"

Dropping your fan,
was a sign that we could be friends.
{same goes for a hanky or hat}

Fanning very fast meant I am already married.

Pulling your fan through your hand.
"I hate you"

PLacing it on your lips
"Kiss me"




Can you imagine using a fan in such a way
to express your feelings?
I found it fascinating.
By 1865 fashion dictated all woman carry a fan.

If your family or husband had money,
your fan would have been made with 
precious jewels, hand painted,
made with some gold or ivory or even feathers.
Since the one I purchased is made of just
linen and wood...mine is primitive indeed!

Now fans fell out of fashion in the 20th century.
However their mystique and alluring past
still remains.

Now of course if you just wanted to cool off,
you simply just fanned yourself...
which is what I should be doing myself when
going outside in this muggy weather. LOL

Prim Fan Blessings To All!
Janice



Wednesday, July 18, 2018

A Prelude


To my Autumn upcoming decor.

Yes my friends...
I have Autumn on my brain.

Looking around my humble home,
I have realized that blues and golds
are here and there throughout.
Therefore I have planned to feature
these hues as my Autumn tones.  


Quilts have also been a big part of my childhood.
Gramma H would take no longer 
used clothing and cut them up 
into squares and triangles.
She saved them in her sewing box,
and once she had enough for a quilt,
her trusty treadle Singer sewing machine
worked its magic.


Gramma B also made quilts from old clothing.
She also used feedsack material.
Her chicken feed came in bags of fabric,
which was called Feedsack fabric.
She chose her feed bags by the colors
 she wanted in her quilts.


Although quilts were a necessity,
There were no fabric stores at the time.
The five and dime stores or the corner
general stores carried fabric,
needles and thread, and batting.
I loved going inside these stores.
The floors were made of wood,
and they creaked with every step you made.
It was these same stores
where Gramma B always bought 
me some Mallow Cups.
These are still one of my favorite 
chocolate candies!
We now sell Mallow Cups in our own store.


I had this wool in my stash, 
so I decided to create a quilt block.
I appliqued each of the squares and triangles
into this as a memory of my gramma's quilts.


If anyone knows this pattern,
please share as I have no clue.


The backside was completed in this blue tick fabric.


For now I have placed it on this chair.

Later this finished pillow will be a segment
of my blue and gold Autumn.
So stay tuned for upcoming reveals
when I decide to start my Autumn decor.

A Prelude to Autumn Blessings To All!
Janice




Sunday, July 15, 2018

For The Love Of Wood


Happy Sunday my dear friends.
Oh the mugginess has returned once again.
We were hoping for some much needed rain
yesterday, but alas it went just South of us.
Why is it that we complain when it is cold,
and then we complain when it is hot. LOL
Guess its the human in me.

Today I wanted to show you a few of
my favorite wood pieces.
It was hard to pick, therefore
these are just random. 

Hope you enjoy!


Flax Winder


Early Wall Apothecary


Breadboards and Wood Paddle
on top of my stove.


Pie Peels and Wood Box
on my kitchen counter.


Wood Rack with Hooks
{Plus part of my wood white cabinet}

What are your favorite wood pieces?

For The Love Of Wood Blessings To All!
Janice

Thursday, July 12, 2018

Fresh Crisp Window


Good morning everyone!
Mid Week is finding the mugginess coming back.
The air will be back on once again.

Gramma H always loved her white linen.
I have been thinking more about her linens lately.
Wondering where they went after she passed.
Wishing I could have them right now.
Maybe that's why lately I have been drawn
 more to linen than ever before.


I decided to add linen for my bath curtain.
Could not find any white curtain rings,
so I purchased some silver ones.
Then I spray painted them white to match the rod.



Waited until the linen fabric on the bolt at Joann's
was at 50% then purchased this linen.
The ribbon lace was also on sale.


I did machine sew the edges of the linen
 so as not to fray,
however the lace was hand sewn.
Lace sewn just on the bottom.


A somewhat finished look.


Yes I did say somewhat as I plan 
on adding another layer to this.
I thought this was a bit too simple...
but I did not have enough time to 
finish in one day.

Day Two.
I was perusing the photos 
of my grandparents wedding poses.
Back in the early 1900's,
and lace was all the rage.
Both Gramma H and Gramma B's veils
were long and frilly lace.
They were beautiful!
So once again I went to Joann's. 


 I purchased 3/4 of a yard of this lace. 



Once again I sewed the ribbon lace onto the lace,
This overlay of lace reminded me
of my Gramma's wedding veils.



Imagine the end of a veil in this shape.



It was Gramma H's love of French linen
and both my Gramma's wedding veils
 that inspired this window treatment.


My mom loved it and the story behind it!

Speaking of mom,
she is getting stronger each day.
She starts out-patient therapy next week.
We walk 10 minutes a day.
She walks with her cane each morning...
and hopefully soon se can lose the walker.

Fresh Crisp Window Blessings To All!
Janice