Oh That Annie...

Annie is our Australian Shepherd/Shetland Sheepdog mix dog.  We rescued her from a Humane Shelter nine months ago where we have adopted our last three pets...two dogs and our cat, Norma.

Annie is a gentle girl with big, brown, gentle eyes with a demeanor to match unless you enter our house/yard or you're a bunny or the neighbor's dogs.

She is a alpha female except a night when its dark and she is outside and the dogs bark across the neighborhood.  Then she acts timid and returns to the house...without completing the task she was outside to do.

She's perfect for us - acting as a watch dog and adoring companion.  Running through the deep snow is her passion...she can't get enough of the white stuff and rolls and rolls and runs and runs through the drifts.

At home in the snow...

Her coat protects her...

 

 

Queen of her mountain

Loves her ball...

Makes us laugh when she sleeps upside down...

We love our dog...and can't stop talking about her.  Amen.

Bonnie
  

Will I Ever Be Organized???

Last weekend, we started to get organized.  I had help from my grand kids, John and Addy.  Oh to have their energy.  They came in the door asking to help me and we got started.

Now who doesn't need a colander hat?  with ears?

Looking a little like Caesar with his crown of roses!

We did have fun but we did work!  All the upholstery sample books are now down from upstairs and out to the barn for our next sale.

Then we started on the little bedroom where all kinds of boxes are stored with all kinds of treasures waiting to be painted, assembled, and/or marked for sale.  I had to sort so now the kitchen is a mess and the little bedroom looks better.  The ironing board is almost empty so I can actually iron on it again.

We always take time to make something so they made journals with leather pieces and Scrabble pieces.  Cool!

They also got to make a snow track to slide down on the mound system...using cardboard because of course all of our sleds are for decoration and are hanging on the pole barn wall.  They had fun and it was fun to see them out in the snow!

Back to organizing my taxes and then more organizing!

Take care and hug a kid!!!  I did!

Bonnie

My First PSA or My Crazy Dream...

This is my first PSA (Public Service Announcement).  I have to write about this so it gets out of my head!!!  It will help me and I hope it might help you!  Remember this was only a dream but it occurred weeks ago, it still bothers me and I still remember it so well.

Well - I know you won't believe this part but I was shopping (dream)...at an old fashioned but upscale department store.  Yes - a department store - I bet you haven't heard that term in a while, at least I haven't.

As in real, conscious life, I was browsing and listening to conversations around me.  There happened to be an older woman - ahem - with a small dog - in a carrier.  She was well coiffed and talking loud to this dog in baby talk until she wasn't.  Then she was kinda yelling - grown up talk - because the little white fluffy specialese doggy had jumped down and was running away!  Doggy owner was running too!

So there was confusion and other store patrons were wondering what to do and scattering to pursue this ball of fluff.  It seemed somewhat odd to me all of a sudden.  All this noise and confusion.  Out of habit, I looked down at my purse - which I have a (real) habit of not zipping closed.  I felt the ice in my veins when fear rushes in.  I searched for my billfold...and (real) I sometimes can't find it but then I do - but it wasn't anywhere to be found (dream).

So one or more crooks (possibly a team) were creating a diversion and then took advantage of the staged confusion to take what wasn't theirs.

Now - feeling stupid and vulnerable (real) - I decided it was time to wake up.  I do this regularly when my dreams get too much to handle/fix.  I know how much work it is to replace all those important things we carry around with us and I didn't want to go through all that work in my dream.  I haven't had the experience of calling credit card companies and banks and replacing a drivers license but I have friends who have had to.  

So the first thing I did after I got up was go zip up my purse.  A rude awakening (real) but at least I was dreaming through this event!!!  

So there you go - my first PSA.  Now its off my mind and on yours!!!  So zip it!

Take care and sweet dreams!

Bonnie

I Won, I Won! Online Auctions and Me!!!

I'm in love with online auctions.  Actually I love auctions, but I prefer not to spend a whole day waiting for the items I want to bid on so I've taken to online bidding.

And the other reason I bid online is - its safer for me - I think.  When the end of the auction nears, I still get kind of hyper and watch the clock and watch the incoming bids and then try to stay at the maximum I've set for myself for each item.  Sometimes I'm successful and sometimes the excitement has me going over the line - a bit.  

I never get to the inspections that they schedule before bidding begins so when I win, its even more exciting.  Usually I can tell by the pictures online what the item is like.  At one auction house, they will go measure and give their opinion on age, quality, etc.  That auction accepts my absentee bids and bids for me up to my maximum-its a real, live auction but I'm not there.  Usually I know if I've won something a few hours after the auction begins.

The ones I am involved in more recently don't offer that service.  In these auctions, I actually bid online and can increase my bid as the end draws near...where all the excitement begins!

So today I will show you some of the things I won this week...

This item turned out to be lots bigger than I
 anticipated  and is so gorgeous!!!
 Its semi porcelain and 11 1/2" tall
 and about 10" at its widest part.

A nice yellow Sears metal scale.

A wonderful advertising piece - 1912 Cream of Wheat ad.

Pretty sure this is a reproduction and advertised as
 a cast iron string holder...probably made for a candle.
I still like it!

After about an hour of investigation where I couldn't find anything
like it - I think this is still an authentic Weller Ware 5 1/2" vase.
Some crazing but no chips or cracks..

These pieces were just a fraction of what I won - some of the other things were a crockery jug, cracker jar, maple spindle bed frame and about 45 45 records!  So you can see how eclectic my tasts are!

I will keep some things, sell some things at the shop or at our occasional sale in June.  It's a win/win!  And I get to shop around the clock!  Yay!

Well - time to get to work!  Have a great day and take care!

Bonnie

Ok - That's Enough Snow Now and a Giveaway!!!

The day after the snow storm...so beautiful out!

After another 9 inches of snow, we're giving up - yup - here in MN we try to just grin and bear it.  Its pretty and all that but we're ready to bring on the mud and spring and gardening!!!

Well, the forecast says - more.  More is coming so buck up!  Okay then - it beats packing up all my craft and sewing stuff and going south for a couple months.  I really like staying in and looking out the window when its snowglobe time out there but its difficult for Hubby to keep the driveway open so for him I'm wishing this next round might be the last of it.

Anyway, Three French Hens Vintage Lifestyle Shop & Paint Studio  has a great giveaway of four samples of La Craie furniture paint.  So click on over to their page and go for it!!!

Our snow dog, Annie, up to her tummy in the snow!

and she's not coming in!!!

Have a great day and craft on!!!

Bonnie

More Detail on Coffee Filter Flowers...

I suspected if I gave no details on how to make the flowers...someone would ask.  I did post pretty good pictures but at the time didn't want to take more time to explain.  I learned how to make these by watching a number of YouTube videos, written directions, and my own experience of making flowers for a long, long time.  So go to YouTube and search coffee filter flowers and you will find a bizillion videos to watch.  Its fun to see tips from each one you view...and come up with your own version.

So - here goes my first version...

After dying many filters, hold three filters together
and fold them in half and then in half again.

Scallop the edges...

Open the filters flat, poke your finger to the middle of the filters from the top
 while holding the bottom - pinch the bottom.

Pinched bottom of the filters...

Staple that little pinched area which will hold all layers together.

Lift the inside filter and squeeze together at base.

Squeeze the next filter up around the first and then the third
around the top two.  Do not squeeze more than half way up the
 filter, otherwise the center of your flower won't be pretty.

View from the bottom of the flower now...
continue to squeeze until you have this base.
If you want the flower fuller, add another filter
around the base and squeeze up around the base of
the other three filters.

Now look at the top and see how pretty it is!!!  You can wrap wire or a pipe cleaner
around base, wrap the wire with floral tape
and add leaves made out of dyed filters or music sheets or book pages.

These roses were made with directions from Craftberry Bush.

Truthfully, I made some minor changes along the way because I have made so many flowers through the years....you will too as you make them.  What a fun, cheap material to use to make such pretty flowers....even if I do say so myself.  Ok - now I need a massage to work out the kinks for patting myself on the back!!!  

Have a great crafting day!!!  We're getting some snow again...the deck in now covered and I don't have to go anywhere for days if I don't want to or because I can't  get out of the driveway.

Take care,
Bonnie

Coffee Filter Flower Process...

I saw a garland for spring and it was made out of dyed coffee filters and strips of fabric.  So I have now tea/Koolaid-dyed hundreds of filters.  Once again - it could be concluded that I may be compulsive/obsessive.

And still I dye more filters and make some roses...

I remember making many different kinds of flowers out of tissue and crepe paper in the late 1960's when I worked for the Dept. of Agriculture REA (Rural Electrification Administration) in Washington D.C.(on my lunch hour of course!)...in my retirement I have finally graduated to coffee filters!  

Take care,

Bonnie