Presents from Uncle Bill...

Hi Everyone!  I was at my parents, checking on my dad.  He's had a rough week after surgery.  I think he's finally rounded the corner and is doing better.  And when I got home, I found a present leaning up against the shop.  Look what my Uncle Bill left for me.....

 They are dirty and chippy and still have the hardware intact.

 I have wanted a few windows with more than four panes...

 ....and now I have four of them.....

Thanks Uncle Bill for the presents!

I just can't wait for a little cooler weather so I can get back out to the shop and get started working on these and all the other projects I have going.  I need to see about getting some air conditioning out there so I can work when I can instead of when the weather allows.  Because I am a wimp when it comes to heat.  I always have been.  As a little girl I used to pass out when I got too hot or I'd get nose bleeds when I was overheated and they wouldn't stop.  So I'm extra careful in the heat.  I can't wait for next week.  I have Tuesday off and since the 4th of July is Wednesday, I have that off too.  Two day off in a row...that doesn't happen very often for me.  But it's going to be hot.  I've been making my list of projects so I know exactly what I'm going to work on.  But first I figure out the air conditioning situation.  Have a great weekend everyone!  Thanks for stopping by.

We're havin' a heat wave...

...a tropical heat wave...the temperature's rising...it isn't surprising....she certainly can...can-can.....Boy is it hot out!  Hi Everyone!  I have this song going through my head...so I had to share it with you!  I hate hot weather.  At least really hot weather.  There isn't any air movement either which makes it feel even worse. 

And do you know what hot weather is good for?......

 ....well on the farm.....

....this is what happens during hot weather...

 ....the grass was mowed Tuesday.....

 ....left to dry on Wednesday....

 ....raked this morning....

....and baled this afternoon....and now is being picked up and loaded as I write this.  And it's hot out.  And they are doing this on a tractor without a cab...no air conditioning...and no air movement....it's so hot out that it takes your breath away.  But it's done...well almost.

Have you been watching the Olympic Swim Trials that are going on in Omaha?  This is located about an hour from me.  Oh how I wish I could have attended.  Back in the day I was a swimmer.  My events were the 100 and 200 Butterfly, the 100, 200 and 500 Freestyle, and both relays.  I loved swimming and I love watching these trials and the Olympic hopefuls.  I can't wait for the Olympics.

Here's a peek at what I was working on Tuesday on my day off.  I didn't get it finished because I had to go to my parents to do my mom's hair and by the time I got back it was just too hot to work out in the shop.  This is the first thing I need to finish when I get out to the shop this weekend since it's for a client.  But I already think I'm going to change the top to something a bit wider.  I'm so glad I didn't attach it.  Be careful if you're in this heat wave.  Drink plenty of fluids and don't over stress yourself.  Thanks for stopping by.

All Star Block Party 4....

Hi Everyone!  Welcome to the All Star Block Party!  Thank you so much for making our third party a great success.  And if you haven't seen my features click here to check them out and to check out the features of my co-hosts, head over to their blogs.....

      Shasta @ In The Old Road

      Carri @ Simply Done Wright

      Heather @ New House, New Home, New Life

           Meg @ Nutmeg Place

...and say hello!  So in case you're new here, this party has five hosts which means that your link will be automatically displayed on five blogs!  That's great exposure with just one link up.  Now the business part....

We ask that you be a follower to participate. 

Link back to the blog that you linked up to.

Keep your links family friendly.

Only submit projects made by you.

No business pages, giveaways or link parties allowed.

We reserve the right to delete any link that does not follow these rules.

You are welcome to link up any of YOUR creations, old or new.  It can be crafts, remodels, woodworking, artwork, recipes, gardening, sewing projects...you get the idea.  We want to see what YOU'VE been working on.  Make sure that your link  is to your specific post and not your blog's main URL.  Be sure to visit some of your fellow blogger's link ups.  Then leave them some comment love.

 

 

So grab a button and show us what you've been up to.

It's feature time...

Hi Everyone!  I want to thank you all for linking up to the All Star Block Party!  I think it was a success.  I really loved checking out your projects and can't wait to see what you've been up to this week so I hope you will all stop by again and link up. There were so many wonderful projects linked up this that I had trouble deciding which ones to feature. 

First off,  I love this Canadian flag.  Tracy did a great job on it and I love the way she has it staged on the mantel.

Tracy @ Crows Feet Chic

Apparently I have a think for wooden flags.  I've made my own wooden American flag, but I just adore this beach flag that Kimberly made.  I love the color (have I told you I love blue?) and the rope used to spell out America and the starfish.  She also made a red,white and blue flag too.

Kimberly @ Serendipity Refined

Amy made this tent topper for her daughter's birthday party.  I just adore how it turned out.  She's got great sewing skills.  It looked like a great party...so much fun.

Amy @ While Wearing Heels

I just love this botanical pillow.  Meegan did a wonderful job on this pillow.  I love the color and the leaves.  My mother would love one of these pillows.   

Meegan @ What Meegan Makes

Julie made this wonderfully looking dessert called Cookie Dough Graham Cracker S'mores Bars.  Don't they look delicious.  Stop by her blog for the recipe and see her adorable family.

Julie @ White Lights on Wednesday

Be sure to stop by and say hi to these ladies.  It will definitely be worth it.  And if you've been featured, please grab a featured button.

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Don't forget to stop by tomorrow night and link up to the 4th All Star Block Party!    Thanks for stopping by.

An update on my dad....

Hello Everyone!  I want to begin by saying thank you so very much for your sweet comments and emails about my dad.  It means the world to me and my family that so many people that I only know through this blog are concerned for my dad!  Thank you for your prayers, good thoughts, and kind words!

So now on to the update.  My dad made it through surgery just fine.  In fact the surgery went so well that they didn't even have to take him to ICU like they thought they would.  His doctor said it was a textbook surgery.  They had absolutely no complications or surprises.  In fact it went so well that following the surgery, the doctor said he didn't see any reason that Dad couldn't go home in the morning.  WHAT?  Which is what my mother and I said back to the doctor.  Of course they won't make that determination until tomorrow but as long as there weren't any complications tonight, he should be home by tomorrow afternoon.

That sure beats the 3 to 5 day stay they initially started out saying.  And when we told my dad what the doctor said his response was, "You mean I might get to sleep in my own bed tomorrow night?...YES!"  So hopefully everything continues to go well tonight and they get to come home tomorrow.  Of course I have to work tomorrow morning so they will have to keep me notified so I know where to go tomorrow afternoon....to their house or back up to the hospital. 

I have felt all along that this surgery was going to go fine.  I kept telling my mother this morning as we waited that he was going to be fine.  I knew this.  I could feel this.  I knew that we had luck on our side.  We have been blessed through this entire process that I just knew deep in my soul that he was going to be fine.  It was a true blessing that the problem was initially found.  And then we were blessed that the blockage was found and fixed.  And I just knew that the aneurysm would be fixed without a problem.  Since he had had no symptoms and both problems were found before anything bad had happened, I knew this was going to go well.  I had faith. 

My brother and my dad at my brother's wedding.

Now I will head to bed, saying my prayers and thanking the Lord, and those wonderful doctors and nurses, that I am lucky enough to continue to have my dad in my life.  Thanks again for your kind words and good thoughts.  I am truly blessed. 

Random things....

Hi Everyone!  I hope this finds you doing well.  I don't have anything finished to share with you.  So I thought I'd give you a peek at a couple of projects I'm working on.

 This is a sketch I'm working on and have started darkening the lines before I paint it.  Can you guess what it is?

 And here's another project I'm working on....any ideas what it's going to be?

And this crazy man is my dad.  The big day is finally here.  Tomorrow my dad is having his AAA (Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm)  repair surgery.  He has to report to the hospital tomorrow morning at 5:30 AM.  His surgery is to start at 7:30AM.  So it will be a very early morning.  My parents are already there.  They went up this afternoon so they wouldn't have to get up so early and then make the drive.  I will get there in the morning before the surgery.  And I pray that everything goes well and they are able to repair the aneurysm.  And now I must get to bed as it will be time to leave before I know it.  Thanks so much for stopping by.

All Star Block Party 3...

Hi Everyone!  Welcome to the All Star Block Party!  Thank you so much for making the second party a great success.  And if you haven't seen my features click here to check them out and to check out the features of my co-hosts, head over to their blogs.....

      Shasta @ In The Old Road

      Carri @ Simply Done Wright

      Heather @ New House, New Home, New Life

           Meg @ Nutmeg Place

...and say hello!  So in case you're new here, this party has five hosts which means that your link will be automatically displayed on five blogs!  That's great exposure with just one link up.  Now the business part....

We ask that you be a follower to participate. 

Link back to the blog that you linked up to.

Keep your links family friendly.

Only submit projects made by you.

No business pages, giveaways or link parties allowed.

We reserve the right to delete any link that does not follow these rules.

You are welcome to link up any of YOUR creations, old or new.  It can be crafts, remodels, woodworking, artwork, recipes, gardening, sewing projects...you get the idea.  We want to see whatever YOU'VE been working on.  Make sure that your link  is to your specific post and not your blog's main URL.  And spread our love of sharing...visit some of your fellow blogger's link ups.  Then leave them some comment love.

 

 

So grab a button and show us what you've been up to.

It's feature time...

Hi Everyone!  I want to thank you all for linking up to the All Star Block Party!  I think it was a success, I've made some new friends and can't wait to do it all again this week.  I really loved checking out your projects and can't wait to see what you've been up to this week so I hope you will all stop by again and link up.  It was a difficult decision this week and I actually had trouble narrowing my choices down...thanks for making it tough on me!

Now on to the features.  First up.....Fionna did an amazing job on this little table with French Script.  I love the way it turned out.  Great job!

Fionna @ Just Paint It White

Next we have this great painted dresser by Suzan.  You'll have to check out the "tools" she used to create this.  I think she did a great job on it and I love the details she added.

Simply Vintageous.......by Suzan

Then we have this wonderful garden trellis that Mimi created for her garden gate.  Mimi has amazing skills and ideas.  And she did it all by herself.  My kind of gal!  Great job!

Mimi @ Blue Roof Cabin

Do you know about Barn Quilts?  These are a big deal here in Iowa so of course I had to feature this.  I have been working on one for my barn for a while now, but have just been too busy to finish it.  Sherry does an amazing job on her barn quilts.  I love this one!

Sherry @ Ties2ThePast

And last, but definitely not least is my favorite dessert in the whole world because it involves angel food cake and strawberries.  Doesn't this look yummy?  It's called Strawberry Butter Fluff Cake.  And April makes a great looking dessert.  I can just taste it!

April's Country Life Blog

Be sure to stop by and say hi to these ladies.  It will definitely be worth it.  And if you've been featured, please grab a featured button.

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Don't forget to stop by later and link up to the 3rd All Star Block Party!  Now I have to get to work because I have lots to do and just a little time to get it done today.  I have to work on a project for a client, mow my yard and possibly my parents yard, and ...well let's just say I have a really long list of things to get to today.  I won't bore you with all the details.  Thanks for stopping by.

What a pile....

....of windows that is.  Hi Everyone!  I hope your week is off to a great start.  I wanted to share with you the windows I got this morning.  Most of them do not have glass in them which is okay with me.  I have ideas for those.  And the four on the bottom of the pile have their glass.

 I had to put three of them (not in this pile) in the dumpster because they were so far beyond repair.  They all need to be cleaned up because they've been stored in an old barn for YEARS! 

These two are my favorites.  Don't you just love the size of them.  The tall one is a little more than 5 feet tall and it really was a window.  It still has the points in it that held the glass.  And there weren't any hinges or holes for hinges...I checked.  I can't wait to work on these.  I have a few ideas but I'm curious to hear what you would do with them?  Thanks for stopping by.

Happy Father's Day...

Happy Father's Day!  I hope you all are having a wonderful weekend and are getting a chance to spend time with the fathers in your life.  I will be heading over to spend some time with my dad in a little while. 

I decided to make something and buy something for my dad this year.  Last year I had made him a book of their trips to Florida.  I made it with an online book publisher.  I took the pictures that he and my mom had taken the last couple of years in Florida and compiled them but didn't put any words to them.  The only thing I wrote was for the inside covers.  And my dad love it.  Sorry I don't have any pictures of it to show you.

I made this sign for him this year.  I started out with a board and used my router to put a decorative edge on the board.  I painted it with a base coat of black and a top coat of white and then sanded it.  I hand painted this saying on in black.

 But it didn't "look" like something my dad would like so I antiqued it.  Ahhh, that's better, but not right yet.

So I took the sander to it to reveal the white underneath and that's much better.  It does look better in person.  And I think my dad will like it.  I also got him a counter top convection oven.  It's something he had talked about a while ago but I noticed the other day that they didn't have one yet, so I got it for him.  I'm going over in a little while for lunch and gifts and to spend some time.

I have wonderful childhood memories of my dad.  He always made and spent time with us.  I remember when my mom worked nights and during the summer Dad would put tents up in the yard and we'd build a fire.  We'd have a cook out with smores and everything.  When Mom would come home, we'd get up while she ate and then we'd all sleep outside.  It was a great time. 

Dad had a huge garden and I remember being too small to help but wanting to be in the garden with him.  He'd be pulling weeds or harvesting fresh veggies and I'd fall asleep in the row with my head underneath the largest cauliflower leaves keeping the sun off my face until he'd wake me up.  And we'd get to play in the water a bit while he watered the garden.

My dad is fun and funny.  He's clever and caring.  He's smart and wise.  He's patient and kind.  He's a wonderful example of a father.  And I love him very much.  Happy Father's Day Dad!

Deck the halls...?...

Hi Everyone!  I know it's the middle of June, but it's beginning to look A LOT like Christmas around the workroom.  I know it's early, but I've already started working on my Christmas line.  I'm trying really hard to get and be a head of schedule for my fall craft fairs.

It's not that I put it off, I work on getting things ready for them all year long in between projects for clients and life, but then I always run out of time.  I vowed last year, that I would make a realistic schedule and stick to it.  My word of the year is DO. So I'm doing!

I always enlist the help of my mother on the Christmas line.  She is the queen of spray paint, among other things!  And she does such a wonderful job.  I don't think I could get it all done without her help.  We divide up the work load.  I get everything ready and deliver all the wooden cut outs and anything else that I want her to work on and she tackles it like a pro.  Her "shop" is called Donna's Do-It Shop.

 I took over several large boxes of things for her to work on less than two weeks ago.  I told her how I wanted things painted and which twine to use as hangers for each and when I needed certain pieces back (July for one box, August for another and early September for the last one).  Two days later she called me and said "This is Donna's Do-It Shop, I have the first part of your order ready for pick-up."  Two days later I picked up that box.  A couple days later she was done with the second.  I haven't picked that up yet.  So now the pressure is on me to finish up all of the pieces that she has started for me.  She's trying to get a large hunk of it done before Dad's surgery and then the rest she can do while he is recuperating or once he's fully recovered.

I started working on my portions of the projects, the detailed painting and I had to put a Christmas movie in the DVD to be inspired to paint snowflakes and snowmen.  It's just hard to be thinking Christmas when it's 90 degrees out.  But at least it gives me something to work on inside when it's too hot or windy to be out in the shop.  I'm hoping for some good shop time this weekend.  And to spend some quality time with Dad on Sunday for Father's Day.  Thanks for stopping by!

Let's dance....

Hi Everyone!  I'm trying to get this written before the storm hits.  We're in line for some severe storms tonight.  It's been really windy all day and hot, so the conditions are right for storms.  I'll happily take the rain, but the severe wind or hail are definitely not needed.

I was finally able to get some pictures of the artwork I told you about last night on my lunch break today.

Here are my silhouette ballroom dancers.  What do you think?

 I painted the backgrounds of the canvases with a cream/tan color.

 I then sketched on the dancers and painted them with black paint.

Then I antiqued them.  The background looks much better in person.  

I think there was too much light.

I found these three frames in my stash of frames, they are just cheap brown frames from Wal-Mart.  I painted them with black paint and then a wash of blue paint.  I then sanded them lightly and I love the way the frames turned out.  Almost more than I like the dancers.  So what do you think?  Are you in to ballroom dancing?  I think they are sort of interesting.  Thanks for stopping by.

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