ducks

There's a little yellow duck sitting in the water...

a little yellow duck doin' what he oughter...

We enjoyed clouds and rain all weekend.

The lawns and flowers...

(and weeds)

soaked it up and looked beautiful,

(NOT the weeds).

The ducks are loving all the puddles!

While the rain came down

 I enjoyed crocheting these ducks.

They were easy and fun to do using up cotton yarn scraps

 leftover from my dishrag knitting.

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sleepy kitty

Carol King on the radio...a new skein of sock yarn called "Mrs. Featherstone"...two yards of cherry fabric...the smell of green grass and rain...a pak of kale seeds... my favorite fleece top...heat on a chilly day...hot coffee...sleeping cats...

...things I'm lovin' today!

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'The Whistler'

What tune are you whistling this Thursday?

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earth day

Am I too late for Earth Day?

Is it ever too late for Earth Day?

I sewed these two zipper bags out of recycled fabrics...

Mr. b's work jeans and old flannel shirt,

 and leftover pieces of a coffee burlap bag...

I had a bit of trouble getting the flannel shirt away from Mr. b.

I cut the arms off of it and handed it back to him.

You know...in case he wants to dress like "Larry the Cable Guy".

The zippers were saved years ago from our old variety store.

A grass seed sack...

perfect for earth day!

And don't you love that old cigar box I used as a prop?

Mother b kept her patterns in it.

And the rag rug made from old clothing.

Yup, another flannel shirt from pa's closet...

I think they were handed off to him by our son over 10 years ago.

Don't they make cute little bags for your recycled money?

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posies

When the flowers outside aren't blooming

quickly enough for you,

do what I do...

and crochet your own garden!

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cherries

I have been dreaming about cherries lately...

So - of course - I had to get to work on a cherry bag.

 I used a pair of Mr b's old denim jeans in it.

When I was about to cut around the hole

 he had worn in them...

I decided to use the piece instead...

The hole reminds me of his hard work

 and how generous he is about letting me pursue my hobbies...

Hope you're having a cherry day too!

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picnik

The Picnik is over...

even the ants are gone...

Picnik for photo editing was a bloggers best friend...

but like all things I guess,

easily replaced.

Happy Friday...b



butterflies...

dragonflies

and fireflies...

throw in a little pixie dust...

and you have a curtain pretty enough

for two princesses playroom.

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It's coffee time...

My latest burlap bag in our Etsy shop...

Aren't the lilacs pretty in the background?

I have some very nice international burlap coffee bags waiting in the wings.

But I think my next bag needs to include some cherries.

Check back here and in our Dakota Maid Etsy shop soon.

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making soap

Daughter Knit and Pearl and I made bath soap Sunday...

Looks good enough to eat doesn't it?

We made two batches...

An orange souffle

and an oatmeal bar.

I think our own farm might be in order?

Where we can raise goats for milk and have a few hives for honey

to put in our next batch of soap.

and chickens and sheep

and a large garden full of strawberries and raspberries.

I would of course call my farm...

LaLa Land.

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hairballs

Daughter knit and pearl and her husband

 were home for the weekend to attend a "Hairball" concert.

She and friends and the band members looked pretty 'rockin'

in their 1980's costumes don't you think?

The '80s were pretty much a blur to me -

 raising two kids -

 working a job -

 relocating to another state...

music and fashion were definitely NOT a priority for me.

This "Hairball" rock band only conjures up thoughts

 of cleaning them out of carpets and furniture from our long-haired cat 'Birdie'

 who we now realize should have appropriately been named Hairball.

ps - those blue framed glasses on the daughter...

well, they were worn by Knit and Pearl in the '80's.

 Wow! They were large!

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sewing studio

These are some of the new fabrics on my sewing room table...

I'm thinking a quilt for a grandson,

you know...

in case we ever have one?

But I'm prepared for more granddaughters with this stack.

It was love at first sight when I saw this Singer sewing machine.

What a beauty huh?

And Mr. b wanted to get it for me for Mother's Day!

My sensible side is winning out (so far)

and says buy a machine with more stitches than this one offers.

Maybe even one that is Internet compatible.

Now who would be willing to help me with that?

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Mr. Rabbit

Mr. Rabbit reminded me this morning

 that he hadn't had his picture

 taken in a very long while...

He was being downright indignant about the matter.

He mentioned being ignored and even forgotten

and that a new home may be in line!

I managed to cheer him somewhat.

He couldn't quite get up a smile for the camera though.

This is a reminder from him to "hug somebunny today."

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birthdays

Happy Birthday!

to my sister today.

You know the talented one...

she took the fantastic pictures at our daughters wedding last year in Florida.

And by the way,

we're all experiencing a little melancholy this year

thinking about the fun trip we were planning at

this time last year.

Anyway...

this sister was born when I was 11 years old.

By age 11 I had given up playing with dolls.

But then this real life dolly came into my life

and I was playing with a doll again.

So sis...

Happy Birthday!

I'm wishing you a great big plate of cupcakes.

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out of focus

WARNING:

DO NOT adjust your settings for the photo below...

DO NOT adjust your bifocals

or make a appointment with your optometrist

I, however, should dig out my camera manual and do a little reading.

But, I have to do a little bragging on behalf of our son and Mr. b...

who painted this extremely cute wall

in our granddaughters playroom.

I helped paint the other walls in the lavender color and from time to time

(alright it was more than just time to time)

went in to give the lines and edges the ol' eagle eye.

Mr. b has tons of patience to do a wall like this,

and put up with my criticism.

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The Hunt

Easter Egg Hunt + Squeals and Giggles

I had a ring-side seat to the best entertainment in town yesterday as

our two granddaughters, who are almost four,

hunted for candy-filled Easter eggs in their backyard.

They had a difficult time trying to decide

 whether they wanted to stop and check out the candy inside

 or keep hunting for more eggs.

I wish I would have had our video camera...

with sound.

Even the neighbors had to come out to see what all the excitement was about.

Forget the old saying...

"Like a kid in a candy store."

From now one I'm saying

"Like a kid on an Easter egg hunt!"

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projects galore

Hot pad pattern I found in book.

I love doing photo transfers.

What Nooks are wearing this season...

there's those novelty fabrics I love sewing with.

Well, that's a wrap here for this week.

Oh, just about forgot my newest bag...

 

My "Tressa" bag.

A lot smaller than the "Tara" tote.

Next I'm working on a happy medium between the two...

And of course it will be called  "Cecelia".

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sun and sea

I'm calling this trio of dishrags 'sun and sea'.

Because that is what I am longing for today...

a little sunshine by the seashore.

I knit them in my favorite color combination

of blue and yellow.

sigh...b



lilies

One of the best things about spring

is the beginning of the abundance of fresh flowers available.

Beginning with Easter lilies, tulips, hyacinths, lilacs...

I would love to live where there are fresh flower vendors

selling on sidewalk corners...

I guess you don't have to come from ancestors

 that earned a living selling flowers

to enjoy them like I do...

 I always take time to stop and smell the roses,

or lilies.

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temptations

We ran across a box of baby chicks in a farm store Saturday...

"How fast can you build me a chicken house Mr. b?"

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