BACK AGAIN

Hello out there-first off, I must apologize for the long interim since my last post. We have had a lot going on around here and I kept thinking I would leave a quick word about being off the blog for a while. Then something would happen and I would forget. Thanks for the emails to check on me. I'm doing well.
If you are one of the poor folks getting foot after foot of snow or ice, I hope the weather breaks for you soon. We have had some really cold this year, though not much in the way of snow. Everyone around here would love a good 4" of snow, but I guess it's not to be. Today the temperature was 62! Felt like spring. Below is a photo of a neighbor's tree. We call it the condo tree because of all the nests in it. Lots of birds and squirrels call it home. Pretty neat, huh?
I've been a little crafty lately. Trying to recycle in some creative ways. What do you do with candles when they've burned down to bottom, but there's still wax? I hate to throw it away, so I tried an experiment and it worked! Here's the candle just waiting to be reborn:

I place the glass container in some hot (not boiling water) until the wax loosens from the jar. Then I put the soft wax in an old coffee can which I have placed in a pan of simmering water. It doesn't take long to liquefy--maybe 10-15 minutes depending on the amount.

Meanwhile I cleaned out the jars by filling them with hot water and wiping the leftover wax out. I had already purchased wicks at Michael's. I dipped the bottom in the melted wax so it would adhere to the bottom of the jar and twisted the top of the wick around a pencil (shown below). I poured the melted wax into the container and -voila- I had a new candle. I mixed similiar fragrances together so the smell would still be pleasant. I ended up with three new candles!

Another family birthday: Granddaughter Mekenzie turned 11 yrs. last week! My baby is growing up fast. She didn't want a cake, she wanted a chocolate fountain which you see below. Her requested birthday dinner included homemade chicken tenders and macaroni and cheese . A meal every kid would love, right?

Here's Mekenzie (left) with her best friend, Sellars, in their matching birthday outfits. Cute.

Last, but certainly not least is a picture of my precious pups. All cuddled up for a long winter's nap. They sure know how to relax! Take care. Nerm

I JUST FELT LIKE IT!

Happy Friday everybody! Hope your week has as good as our fall weather here in middle Tennessee. But I will admit yesterday I was feeling a little sorry for myself and my continuing slo-o-ow progress with this blasted pneumonia. I feel pretty good, but everytime I try to do anything energetic, I get breathless. And not with excitement. har-de-har-har
So, I told myself to get up and do something productive. Here's what I chose : to make a felted purse for myself.
Several months ago, I bought several sweathers at Goodwill and felted them. They were just sitting there waiting for some inspiration. This one I chose was a dark brown. I cut it straight
across the chest from underarm to underarm. It was already seamed on each side and the perfect size.
Next I found a cheerful, coordinating fabric for the lining. See, all that fabric in my quilt stash comes in handy! Also picked out green sweater for leaves and rust for the flower.

Here's the finished product. Pretty cute, if I do say so. I love the way the rose looks. I got

this pattern from Nicky Epstein's book of Crochet Flowers. The leaves I just cute out freestyle.

I added a few light green beads to the leaves for a little extra pizazz. Voila, a new and practically free purse.

This picture isn't very good, but I wanted to show the inside pocket.

Anyway, after I finished this, (it took only a couple of hours) I felt so much better. Of course, now my daughters all want one for Christmas, but that's an easy fix.

Have a great and restful weekend. Nerm

A LITTLE FANCY FOOTWORK

Hi everyone-sorry I'm been out of touch the last few days. Life happens ya know. Seems I'm busy a lot, but I'm not sure doing what! ha.

Here's one thing which happened over the weekend. Kitty's honey, Tom, had a birthday party. I think Kitty has said he's from an Italian family, so she ordered a cannoli cake. It was so, so good. Very light and filled with creme. Yum. Doesn't it make your mouth water? My contribution to the crafty scene has been decorating a pair of flip-flops. I found this flip-flop glue which says it will adhere anything. I layered yo-yo's fabric flowers, and buttons. Not terribly original, but fun and cute.

Here they are...

Our weather has been so hot-over 90 degrees for over a week now. And it's only the first of June. Yikes. Other places have floods and storms. Strange stuff.

Well, friends, be good and please stay cool. Luv, Nerm

HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL

TGIF to you all. I am so excited! Which isn't necessarily anything new! My beloved middle daughter recently called me a chihuahua because I was jumping all over the place. Please picture this arthritic grandmother jumping anywhere!

Anyway, I picked up a magazine today (so what else is new, they ask). It is a Special issue of that great idea mag called, "Cloth, Paper, Scissors". Now you have seen pictures of my craft/sewing room (at least two walls of it) and have heard me moan and groan about my struggle to organize it. Well, this magazine has page after page of crafter/artist's studios. Lots of great ideas to help poor little me. I tried to download a picture, but haven't quite figured that out yet, so just click on this link and see it for yourself. Cloth Paper Scissors Studio Issue,

I hope you have a wonderful weekend and we'll be back in touch with our organized results.
Hopefully yours, Nerm

MY SPACE

I can't believe I'm doing this--letting you into my "secret" place; aka my sewing/craft room! I'm counting on your charitable responses. No comments about conspicuous consumption or overkill or "what is ALL that stuff"? Let me explain:

No. 1: You have to understand that I love all kinds of crafts, not just sewing, knitting, quilting. I also am a big scrapbooker. I do decoupage, paint, polymer clay, most paper crafts, etc, etc. I have a hard time staying on task because there is always something else fun to do. Below is cabinet holding lots of things from books, paint, fabric and lots of other things.

Now here is where it gets interesting...my desk. This is really a large table-7 feet long-filled with all kinds of goodies to use scrapbooking, creating almost anything. I have tried to organize it, but as my darling hubby says, you can't put a gallon in a quart jar. LOL. Can you even see it all?

Click on photo to see it up close...if you DARE!

Now on top of the cabinet is this--part (yes, part) of my yarn stash. Pretty, huh? I enjoy looking at the colors.

Now the important part: I have mentioned that my mother lives with us. She has moderate dementia. When she came here, she brought all our old family pictures. While she can still remember people and events, I have made it my job to scrapbook and save as many memories as I can. The pictures start back in the 1890's and come thru the 1990's. So far I'm up to the 1940's when my Dad & Mother got married. Here is his Army picture. Isn't he cute? He was a great daddy- my sister and I were both Daddy's girls. He was in WWII & was part of the Normandy invasion and was awarded silver & bronze stars. I miss him so much and doing these albums make me feel close to him and other relatives who have passed away.

Okay, enough serious talk for now. I'll let you see the other half of the room some other time. I don't want any emails about emergency room visits due to hyperventilation! Luv, Nerm