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It was time for a facelift…..

29 Sunday Apr 2012

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Well I hope you noticed my new look.  Of course I’m talking about my blog.  The old blog looked “old” to me and believe me, I have enough “old” around me and on me so I decided to give my blog a facelift.  Wish I could give myself one as easily and I did this.

Speaking of facelifts….a few months ago, I decided our home needed a facelift.  I think it all started with the green door, then it moved to the foyer and into the family room.  After some major convincing of my sweet hubby, we decided to put down hardwoods.  What a difference!  We had it done in the bedroom and his office also.   

Next we painted the walls in the family room and had a wall unit built to house the TV and some of our collections.  Updated the sofa and chairs with new fabric and we still have a few things left to do.  Like a rug under the coffee table and painting the fireplace but this will come in time.

Check out the pictures I have included and give me a shout on what you think.

Painting of aspen trees I did for over the fireplace.

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Honey, we need a new home……

18 Wednesday Apr 2012

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Aren’t you glad I finally decided to put up a new post?  I know I am.  Anyway, I tend to get cabin fever in the cold months and want to hibernate.  At least my brain does!

Now that Spring is here, my energy level seems to be picking up.  Speaking of Spring and energy, everything seems to be busy buzzing, chirping, blooming, growing, etc. 

Yesterday I was working on my computer designing invitations to our highschool reunion (45 years) and I noticed these two little birds checking out the columns on our covered porch.  They went from one to the other and finally settled on the one in the corner.  Very well protected from the weather and any predators like cats, etc.

 

I watched them as they brought in sticks, twigs, grasses and vines.  They worked very hard all day until dark.  Then this morning at daylight, they were back again still building their new home.  They fly off together sometimes and then one will come back with material and place it just so.  Then the other will bring something and she (I assume it’s a she) will take it and weave it into the nest.  She will wiggle around and sit in it and move things around until it feels just right.

I can just imagine their conversation a few days ago…She says “Honey, it’s time we built our new home”.  He says, “Why do we need a new home?  The one we had last year is still perfectly good.  Just needs a few more twigs and it will be good as new.”  She says,  But Honey,  we are going to need more room for the little ones and beside that I’m tired of this same old look.”  He says, ” Huh?  Little ones!  Okay, we need to find the perfect place and I think I know where that is.”

As I was watching this yesterday, I thought  wouldn’t it be wonderful to get a nice new clean home every year?  Or would it?  Somehow, I don’t see human husbands being so agreeable.  The conversation would go something like this….she says, “Honey, we need a new home”.  He says, “Have you lost your mind”.

Kranks meet the Griswolds……

20 Tuesday Dec 2011

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Here it is 5 days until Christmas.  Aaaaaagh!

I had very good intentions this year and the Christmas spirit was with me.  Fa-la-la-la-la…la-la-la-la!  Love all those Christmas songs like “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer”,  “Rockin Around the Christmas Tree”….etc. 

Put up my two trees….got them decorated in record time.  This is the tree topper in family area and some of the ornaments on foyer tree.

If you have seen Christmas Vacation  you know that the Griswolds have a critter in their christmas tree which terrorizes the household.  Well we have our very own critter…namely “Lil Bit”.  She thinks I put this tree up just for her to play in.

 

Next I recreated the wreath for the front door and decorated my pots with topiaries, ornaments and lights.  Yay….moving right along.  Fa….la..la..la..la.

Then I moved on to putting the lights on the bushes.  All was great for about 3 nights and then “lights out”.   This is when the Kranks met the Griswolds.  Called an electrician and he thought he had the problem solved.  We got another 3 nights or so and then “lights out” once again.  Not only have all the lights gone out on the bushes, our porch lights and flood lights are also out.  It’s dark. 

If you know the movie Christmas with the Kranks, then you know what my street looks like at Christmas.  Every house has outside christmas lights.  It’s a sight to behold!   The closer it gets to Christmas, the more cars we see driving through the neighborhood to see the decorations.  I’m sure they think we are “Skipping Christmas” this year. 

I was finally able to get my topiaries lit by running a long extension cord to another outlet and so far so good. 

My brother-in-law thinks it’s the curse of the pot soldiers.  Many, many years ago I made some toy soldiers using large terra-cotta pots and would sit them on my front porch each year at Christmas.  Well a few years ago they blew over during a wind storm and one of the heads got broken.   I painted another one and needless to say it got broken too.  I was able to glue it back but this year when we pulled them out,  it came apart.   It was time to retire the soldiers and we decided not to put them out.  Hence they are angry and put a curse on my lights.

Next year, I hope to get the electrician out to install outlets on a separate breaker box to avoid this problem.

“City street lights even stop lights blink a bright red and green as the shoppers rush home with their treasures….la..la..la..la”

Merry Christmas!!!

I didn’t forget…..

27 Friday May 2011

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This post is to and for my Daddy who would have been 93 today, May 27. 

Happy Birthday Daddy!!

I didn’t forget to post about you today.  How could I ever forget?  I loved you so very, very much.  We just got back from Atlanta where we attended Katie’s graduation and I didn’t have my computer with me. 

I have been thinking of your birthday all day and wanted to let everyone know what an amazing husband, father, grandfather, son, son-in-law, brother, brother-in-law, neighbor and friend you were.

You left school in the ninth grade to go to work in the Godchaux sugar plant in Gramercy, Louisiana to help support your mother, father, brothers and sisters.  There were 12 children in the household and you were the 3rd oldest with a great sense of responsibility. 

When World War II started, you enlisted in the Army and became a paratrooper in the 101st.  You met Mother in Nashville while stationed at Fort Campbell for training and waiting to be sent overseas.  While over there you got two purple hearts among other medals.  Thank you for your service and fighting for our country and giving Carol and me the best values and life anyone would ever want.

(For those of you who don’t know their story, it can be read at my post Smitten.)

Once back from the war and married and living in Tennessee, you worked for an upholsterer in Nashville and learned that trade.  After moving back to Hohenwald, you began building houses and doing upholstery as a second business. 

Daddy, you were a great builder, if not the best, and people still talk about the houses you built.  They were built to last and you put your heart into each one.  You could do it all from the design, to building, plumbing and electric. 

Once you slowed down with your building and in the last few years before your stroke, you built furniture.  I have several pieces that you built and think of you every time I look at them.

You were the best of best and I am so proud to be your daughter. 

I love you and once again HAPPY BIRTHDAY! 

I will never forget!

Sunrise, Sunset…..

25 Wednesday May 2011

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I don’t know where the month of May went but wherever it went, it went fast.  I haven’t posted in a while because it seems like I have had something to occupy my every minute this month.  Mostly doctor appointments, etc., guild meetings, and trying to make and finish a tee-shirt quilt for a gift.  Which brings me to the reason I am posting this today.
 
These are words from the song Sunrise, Sunset from Fiddler on the Roof.  I have been humming this song in my head for the last week. 
 
Sunrise, sunset
Swiftly fly the years,
One season following another,
Laiden with happiness and tears.
 
Is this the little girl I carried…..
 
When did she get to be a beauty,
When did she grow to be so tall?
 
I don’t remember growing older…..
When did they?
  
The reason this has been on my mind is because three of my favorite young ladies are each entering a new phase in their lives.  One is my great-niece, my sister’s granddaughter and the other two are my nieces on my husband’s side.
 
My great-niece shown here at 2-1/2 to 3-years-old is entering junior high this next school year. Whoa…slow down please. 
  
 
I have never lived close enough to her to take in all that she is involved in but I know she is a fashionista.  She is into fashion and at the age of two told some lady, after looking her up and down, she had “cute shoes”.
 
As you can see in the picture below,  she is now a graceful ballerina but also a tough cookie on the soccer field, volleyball court and basketball court.  I got to see her last year in the Houston Ballet’s Nutcracker as one of  Clara’s clowns.  So exciting.  I hope to see her again this year if she gets selected to perform.  Her Mimi told me she was going to try out again.  
 
 
It’s a fun time but also a very confusing time for pre-teens.  Not only their physical appearance but their emotions, etc change at such a rapid pace within the next few years, you are literally afraid to blink.  She is going to make an amazing young lady but it’s happening way too fast.
 
This next young lady is graduating from High School this week and the reason for the tee-shirt quilt.  Where has time gone?  It was only a day or so ago when she moved to Georgia at 6 months old, wasn’t it?  I was there when she took her first bite of salsa and she never looked back.  Also, I remember holding her in my lap while we watched fireworks on the 4th of July when she was about 3.  She had my arms wrapped around her so, so tight.  
 
This picture was taken when she was somewhere around 3.  Notice the pose.
 
 
Who would have ever believed that she would grow up to be 5 ft. 9 in. tall and a total knockout.   She is an amazing young lady and just entering into the real world.  She’s always a fashion plate and has a terrific future ahead.  Notice the pose in this picture.  Watch out world!  Go get ’em girl!!
 
 
Last but certainly not least is her sister.  This young lady was about 4 when she moved to Atlanta.  I can’t believe she is in her last year of college and getting married in June.
 
Look at this picture!  Does she look old enough to get married?
 
 
She was a great little soccer player and artist.  We have some of her drawings that she did for us when she would visit us on the weekends.  They lived fairly close and would come over sometime during the weekend to watch movies or go fishing in the lake behind out house.  She loved to fish and could put her little fishing pole in the water and would pull out little sun perch.  So cute!  She is still very creative and is taking after her Dad when it comes to photography.
 
This picture shows you what a beautiful young woman she has become along with her future hubby and will make the most beautiful bride.  Best wishes and may your marriage be as wonderful as you are.
    
I know these young ladies will be amazing throughout their lives.  They are so very special to me and my family and I wish them the very best in this next phase of life. 
 
I love y’all.
 
……..I don’t remember growing older…..When did they?   

Shut my mouth……

10 Tuesday May 2011

Posted by dorinesplace in My Thoughts, Uncategorized

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Tags

handmade, Jean Shaw-quilter, paper piecing, quilt, quilt museum, quilts, reproduction fabrics, sewing, Tennessee

As I walked through the doors to the Maury Quilters’ Guild meeting last Wednesday,  my jaw dropped open and I don’t think it closed until time to eat lunch.

We had a guest speaker, Jean Shaw, a well-known quilter and lecturer in the Tennessee area and probably outside of Tennessee.  She is a fourth generation quilter, raised on a farm and taught by her mother and grandmother.  She reminisced about using what ever fabrics were available during that time.  Her favorite thing to do was go with her father to the feed and grain store so she could pick out the sacks they came in.  She knew these would be turned into clothes and eventually into quilts.

She has an accounting and math background and talked about how that affects her planning and construction of quilts.  Her precision and color choices are breathtaking as well as jaw dropping.   Take a look!!!

Another amazing creation…..

For those of you who don’t quilt, paper piecing uses a paper template for each element in one block of a quilt.  In this case for example, each one of the points that makes up the starburst is on a template of paper and a piece of fabric is sewn onto to it and then the next adjoining fabric and so on to create one block.  This helps create the perfect points and really works well to create curves as in the circle of fabrics surrounding the starburst.  Paper piecing is probably my favorite method of piecing a quilt top.

Here’s another…..

The next few quilts are all made from 30’s reproduction fabrics.  These along with batiks and brights are my very favorite fabrics.  The 30’s bring back memories of  my grandmother’s quilts.

These next few are called “scrappy quilts”.  Now when you think of the word scrappy you probably think this can’t be good.  Scrappy means left over and throw away.  Not for quilters.  This is a chance to use those left over fabrics in your stash from other projects and create something like this…..

Aren’t all of these just excellent?  I obviously didn’t show the entire quilt of some because you couldn’t see the patterns and fabric unless I did a close up.  There are so many more that she brought to share but I would be on this post for days if I showed them all.

Someone asked her how many quilts she actually had and she couldn’t give us a number.  She said she decided one day to count them and quit after one closet because had 114 in that closet alone.   Most of them she has made over the years but some (which she doesn’t travel with) were from her mother and grandmother. 

If you ever get a chance to attend a quilt show or go to the National Quilt Museum in Paducah, KY, take time to GO!!  You won’t be disappointed I promise.  Each and every quilt is a work of art in color and craftmanship.

For those of you who sew or even those who would like to learn,  if you haven’t attempted a quilt, you should.  It doesn’t have to be a large quilt.  It can be a miniature, crib or lap size.  Think you can’t do it, take a lesson. 

Now that I’ve shared all of this with you I will SHUT MY MOUTH….

Hail, Hail……

20 Wednesday Apr 2011

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Tags

hail, hail stones, hail storms, lady liberty, tin roof

There are so many different storms throughout our life and I’ve been through many.

I have seen wind storms blowing trees down, snow storms which were too deep to drive your car in, rain storms that caused large trees and logs to float down a river, thunder and lightning storms which blew bark off of trees but today was a HAIL OF A STORM!!

We were sitting here at the cabin with Favorite Uncle, eating pizza and watching Judge Judy (exciting night), when we hear a low roll of thunder in the distance.  Looking at the radar, we see a large thunder-storm with possible hail a couple of counties away moving our direction.  Not to worry, it’s still a distance away and could miss us.  Then we hear some strange sounds outside like something exploding.

Hubby and I both jumped up because we thought maybe a tree limb had fallen on the garage roof.  We ran outside and saw nothing.  Then it happened again and we thought pinecones were falling off a tree and hitting the propane tank.  Then Hubby yelled  “it’s hailing”  and ran back inside.  Just missed getting hit in the head.  That would’ve hurt, don’t you think? 

Then all hail broke loose!   Huge balls of ice starting falling to the ground. 

When they started falling they were the size of tennis balls.  The sound on our tin roof was amazing.  Scared Lil’ Bit and she ran to the bedroom and hid under the bed!!  Nothing scares her very much so you can imagine how loud it must have been.

Here are the pictures…..

Hubby’s favorite uncle, holding one of the hail stones.

 The size of these stones was unbelievable.

The above pictures were taken about 30 to 45 minutes after the storm.  They had already melted a little, if you can believe that!!!

Through it all Lady Liberty stood her ground and came through it unscathed.

 What a woman!

Talented, Lucky, Weird?…….

18 Monday Apr 2011

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Hubby thinks I am all the above, but mostly weird….. especially when it comes to finding four-leaf clovers.

It seems that when we are at our cabin, and the sun is shining…. and I’m outside…. and I’m looking down at the ground…and the clover is tall enough…and this…and that…and few more variables, I find four-leaf clovers!! As I mention in one of my other blogs, Go Ahead, Pinch Me….. I have this weird, lucky, talent for finding them. 

I did just call myself weird, didn’t I?

Three weeks ago when we were at the cabin, I was walking along the sidewalk toward the back door and just happen to look down.  There it was, right in front of me, one four-leaf clover saying “here I am, just what you were looking for”.

 

The season of the witch has started…..oh… I mean the season of counting my lucky clovers or something like that.  I’m really not a witch or if I am, I’m more like Glenda the Good Witch than the Wicked Witch of the West…on most days.

The very next weekend, I spotted a patch of clover while walking out toward the river bank.  Guess what?  I found four (4) more.   Weird!….don’t you think?

I have entered many contests, competitions and even played the lottery a few times.  Nope… nada… nothing was ever won.  You know how the saying goes……”if I had a nickel”……for every four-leaf clover,  I might be a rich girl some day.  Of course I would have to live thousands (1000s) of years…think I will only make it about nine hundred (900) or so.

Today, hubby had to go back home to take care of some business and I followed him outside.  You guessed it, I looked down and there it was…another four-leaf clover.  Hubby’s words were “why do you do this to me?”.  After he left, I started looking again and found five (5) more all in about 10 minutes time for a total of six (6).  I actually found eight (8) but two of them were not in good shape so I left them. 

 

I keep thinking there must be something I can do with this luck, weirdness or talent!?  Got any ideas?  Is there a Guinness World record for this?  Maybe I should try Vegas.

Think I will go out and try my luck again.  Goodbye!

Loblollying!?…….

05 Tuesday Apr 2011

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Tags

antique. farm table, Columbia, country french, favorites, lamps, mojolica, painting, pillows, setee, signs, tables, Tn, tole trays

Last Friday, before hubby, son and I made our way to Camp Liberty, my BFF and I visited my very, favorite antique shop in Columbia, TN.  This shop continues to evolve and make it a place I could linger for days and never get tired of.  Also talking to Ellen, the owner, and seeing how she puts everything together adds to the experience. The pictures below give you an idea but could never replace a real visit.

The minute you enter “Loblolly” your eyes cannot sit still and neither can your body.  Oh, look over there, no there!  

Ellen, the shop owner, has transformed each room in this old house to a place I would like to live for about 3 days so I could take it all in.   The pictures below, show what an amazing place this is, but surely doesn’t do it justice.

These few pictures are what you see to your left as you enter the house.

The next room I entered, I had to grab my heart and I swear I thought it was going to be the “big one”. 

There it was, but where would I put it and how do I get it?  Hubby doesn’t get it and said “where would you put it?”.  Of course I had an answer, it was something like…”Well, I would have to move this and then move that and….” .

 

This little jewel is covered in burlap and is absolutely adorable.  

There are actually several rooms to see, and will take some time,  but what eye candy!

There’s more.

Onward James!!!…I mean y’all.

Here’s a few more pics and I will save the rest for another post.

If you’re ever in the Columbia, Tennessee area make sure you check out Loblolly.  I promise you it will “knock your socks off”. 

By the way, Ellen is a terrific artist and has a lot of local or semi-local artists’ paintings in the shop.   Maybe I’ll post some of her work later.  It’s amazing.

Spring?….cleaning?….

30 Wednesday Mar 2011

Posted by dorinesplace in Uncategorized

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I have a question to ask of anyone who might read this blog!

Do you have to Spring clean if Spring never arrives?

That groundhog, what’s his name, Colonel something; predicted we would have an early Spring.  Well, I’ve been waiting and waiting for it to get here and I think he may have played a joke on us and it may not show up at all.  

Mother Nature is trying her best to bring in Spring with budding trees and bushes but Old Man Winter is hanging in there.  Just like a man.  If he thinks he’s right, he won’t let it go.

I keep looking for the sun to come out but the closest thing to the sun is this beautiful forsythia bush in my yard.  The color is brilliant, just like the sun.

The red bud trees are in full bloom and the dogwood trees are trying to bloom.

The yoshino cherry trees and ornamental pears have bloomed.  The daffodils have also bloomed.  Where is Spring?  The flowers think it’s here but the temperature and the cloudy skies and rain says no.

Well, I’m going to answer my own question.

The answer is NO, I’m just going to wait until Spring!!!!

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