creative little daisy

Gratitude Friday, the end of a tough week

I am grateful for all the heartfelt comments and well wishes for Madden. It has been a tough week having a sick little creature in my care. Alyssa said, "Mom, you're not going to post another picture of Madden today are you? They are going to think you are obsessed or insane." So I'm in the interest of keeping up the illusion that I am a sane person, I won't post another pup picture, but because some of you seem genuinely concerned I will update. We went back to the vet today. For those of you counting that's six visits since last Friday. Dr. Henry decided to keep him to try to aggressively get to the bottom of what's going on since it is clear it isn't a passing bug. He did an x-ray to rule out the possibility of foreign body ingestion. Nothing foreign showed up but there was a great deal of gas in his intestines. He was going to get an enema this afternoon and when I called to check on things he had not thrown up any. (sorry if this is TMI) I appreciate the comments from so many of you who can understand what it is like to have a sick pet. It in no way compares to having a sick child in the grand scheme of things but the concern and worry I feel is very real. The ache that my heart feels knowing that this helpless little creature is hurting is real. Some may feel that it is irrational to make so much of a sick dog, but for me he is a member of our family and my mothering instinct has taken over. It has meant a lot to me to read your words of understanding. Thank You!!

At this point I am just about to collapse in a heap of emotional and physical exhaustion. After I post my gratitude list I'm going to get a glass of wine and my spa washcloths and spend some time here.

First I want to say a great big thank you to Lindsey. Last week she emailed me to say she was a regular blog reader and had recently found something in an antique store she thought I would like. This was my first interaction with Lindsey. A perfect stranger wanted to send me something she thought I would like. Wow. This blog world is full of such kindness.

She saw these lonely saucers hanging out in the antique store and remembered my bottomless cups from Angela the thrifting queen. The sweet Miss Lindsey sent me 5 saucers and this bread and butter plate and the little butterfly sitting on the plate. (The covered bowl was an ebay find also delivered today.) I am so glad Lindsey decided to delurk not only because of her unbelievable kindness but because otherwise I may not have found her online shop of handmade jewelry Yankee Girl Designs. I wanted one of everything but my absolute favorite, could not resist, must have item was the Home Sweet Home necklace. Pictures do not do this necklace justice. I must have taken 20 pictures to try to capture the delicate detail. Lindsey, I'm sorry the picture isn't that great. I. Love. This. Necklace!!!!

It's a silver bird's nest with three blue eggs. Lovely, yes? Thank you Lindsey!!!

Have you noticed a running theme to this week's posts? A sad pup story and a happy gift story. Today was no different. How lucky am I to have so many kind people out there who have found their way to my blog and weren't too appalled by my butchering of the English language, my atrocious spelling that even spell check can't help sometimes, my occasional whining and my babbling on about my love of sewing? I don't know what makes you all continue to come back but I am so glad you do. At the top of my gratitude list this week is:

• My ever increasing circle of friends this blog has made possible.
• Dr. Henry, a patient, gentle, caring vet.
• Hope for a better week ahead.
• Paper towels. I've used lots this week.
• A break in the heat and humidity
• The anticipation of all that the changing of seasons brings.

Off to soak in a hot tub until I look like a raisin. Have a great weekend.

Oh, wait... one last picture. Ugly? Potential? What do you think?

$60.00 thrift store Jetsons/grandma/funeral parlor sofa. Was it a steal or did I get ripped off?

Dito for yesterday's title

The handmade goodies today are from the talented hands of LLA. She is a fellow southern girl who I'm so glad to have gotten to know through our blogs and email. We arranged a swap and she was extremely prompt in getting her half of the swap completed and delivered. Me, not so much. The package was a welcome bit of happiness this morning, even if I did get busted by the mail lady, still wearing my night gown at 10:30. I can't tell you how luxurious these hand-knit spa washcloths and dishcloths are (six of each!!!) It seems a crime to wash dirty dishes with something so pretty. It feels like I am spoiling myself and I like it. They are super soft and I'm sure I will never be going back to using my old worn out terry cloth rags. LLA you need to get that etsy shop going because I think you've got a customer for life. Folks, you need to go now and urge Miss Cookie to get that shop going so you can get your orders in for Christmas gifts. Good stuff! Oh, I almost forgot, see that cute little box with the flower? It's full of beads since I recently discovered how much fun beading is. Thank you LLA!!

The blue, green, and white crocheted piece in the photograph under my fabulous swap items is a sweater I picked up at the thrift store. That and a couch. Pictures of the Gold Jetsons couch ( name courtesy of Mitch) soon. Alyssa says it's probably been in some old lady's formal living room, either that or a funeral home. Nice, Alyssa.

Puppy update. I wish I could say he's all better and running around good as new. Nope.

I'm officially going steady with Dr. Henry, the vet. Today's visit makes 5. The poor pup is skin and bones. He's too weak to do anything but sleep. He drinks little sips, sleeps for a couple of hours then throws up. He doesn't have a fever so the vet has ruled out several possible causes. No parasites either. It is just a very mean, very slow to leave bug. Today he got a shot of Reglan to try to settle his stomach, an antibiotic injection, some IV fluid and some Karo syrup. The plan: continue the antibiotics and pepto, small sips of fluid and Karo syrup. Back tomorrow for more of the same as today if he's not much better. I'm grateful he's letting me care for him at home. I hate the thought of leaving the poor scared little guy alone at the vet. He offered to keep him if it would make me feel better but assured me that I could  probably give him the care he needs at home. He didn't charge today and I think he's more worried about me than the puppy. He has twice told me "You seem stressed. Don't worry. We're going to get him through this." Which of course made me cry. Great. Thanks again for the well puppy vibes you've been sending. Keep 'em coming. I'll keep you updated.

Handmade lovliness to share and a not so perky puppy

Made by the hands of Lori for the World Wristlet Swap. Being from Kansas, the blue in the wristlet represents the wide open sky, yellow for the wheat they grow to feed the world and their state flower the sunflower. The brown is for the rich Kansas soil. The ribbon drawstring is antique seam binding from her grandmother's sewing box. Lori also made me this collaged hook board to hang my wristlet from. It looks perfect in my kitchen and provides a needed place to hang my apron.  It was all so nicely packaged along with some yummy dark chocolate, a note pad and pen and beaded bracelets. Thank you Lori. This was a fun swap and I'm so glad I participated. Thanks Kelli for organizing it.  Check out the other creative wristlets here. 

Maddy is still sick. He can't keep any liquid in him and it's breaking my heart. He's in my lap as I type this, where he's been spending most of his time.

We were back at the vet early this morning because of the loss of liquids from both ends. Diagnosis: stomach bug. He doesn't feel it's related to the fall and prescribed antibiotics, pepto bismol, tiny sips of pedialyte and rest. I pray he starts to feel better soon. Things around here are at a standstill for me as long as he's feeling so poorly. I know he's a puppy and not a baby, but my heart aches for him just the same. How did this unexpected and uninvited little fur ball so quickly make himself right at home in my heart? In the midst of all this, Mitch and Casey shampooed the carpet so half of my living room is in the kitchen, my closet contents are scattered in several rooms and the top of my bed is covered with, I don't even know what's in that pile of stuff. LLA, my sewing machine remains idle, I just can't concentrate and I know any work I do will likely not be good. Soon. Thank you so much for all your kind comments and well wishes for Madden. I haven't responded to all of you yet, but I will. Maybe tomorrow we'll both be back on track and I can share a picture of a perky pup. Say a little prayer.

I'll give you something to complain about

I'd like to think I'm an optimist, a glass half full kind of girl. I make it a point to count my blessings and try to find the good in most situations. Yesterday I slipped up. It was intended to be a harmless humorous little post about the trials of puppy training. Well, the universe didn't seem to see it that way.  Nope, nothing funny about complaining about a little bit of puppy poo. Not 20 minutes after posting yesterday, I was once again outside with Maddy. The gate to the fence was open so he ventured out. Not a big deal our yard is big and a long way from the road. Casey was just outside the fence carrying some clothes into the house. He bent down to pick up Madden with his free hand. Maddy, the squirmer wiggled around and fell from Casey's hand onto the ground. I never again want to hear the blood curdling cry that came from that little puppy. I scooped him up to try to assess what may be hurt. It was apparent his right front leg was hurt. We rushed to the vet only to be told it didn't feel broken and that a break would not likely show on x-ray anyway due to the fact his bones had not fully calcified. Madden got a shot of pain meds and we were sent home and told to return today if he wasn't better, but the vet suspected he would be walking on it by morning. After a very restless night that involved lots of puking he still could not bear any weight. Back to the vet, this time for x-rays that revealed two broken toes. My pup has a broken foot Capello.

Go ahead and say it...awwwww....poor puppy! He's getting lots of extra lovin'.

Did I mention this was the third visit to the vet in 3 days for this little guy? Oh yes, he was stung by a wasp Friday morning on his other foot. Like having a toddler I tell ya', but isn't that the sweetest little face?

Yes, they wash well

Linda, a very crafty apple, posted the coolest kitchen mat and apron she made using Martha Stewart dishtowels. Such pretty colors and I love her method of piecing. She does amazing work with quilts as well. Linda, you said you hope they wash well. I had to laugh and grab my camera after reading that because mine were once again drying on the clothesline. Yes, they wash well. I won't elaborate, just suffice it to say, it's a good thing they wash well. Oh, the joys of a new puppy. New puppies are sweet and cuddly and fun to play with, but they also require nearly as much attention as a toddler. Look at that sweet little guy lounging in the grass. We've been spending lots of time these days sitting outside. Sitting and waiting. Sitting and pleading. He seems to be understanding half of what he's supposed to be doing outside, it's the S word he doesn't seem to quite grasp. I call it the S word because while I'm sitting and waiting I'm also repeating over and over, "go stinky Madden, Madden, be a good boy, go stinky." Hoping that establishing understanding of the command by repeating the key word over and over and praising him quite excitedly when he actually does what I'm asking, eventually he will know what it is I expect him to do when we go out and I say... well I'm not typing it again, I'm already saying it in my sleep. But, back to the S word. Some transformation occurs and what I was calling stinky out in the yard is something different when sweet little Maddening, I mean Madden, comes inside and promptly does it on the floor. "Madden! You sh*t on the floor again! Sorry, but it's enough to make a nun curse. There you have it. I've been spending much of my day sitting outside and waiting. Sitting and pulling weeds while I wait. And wait. That's a positive huh? Less weeds in the walkway is always good. Being able to get some sewing done inside is good too. Did I mention he's Alyssa's dog?

Big Fat Friday Post

This post is going to have lots of pictures. Sorry dial-up folks.

We have a new baby at our house. A little boy with brown hair and brown eyes. He even has a brown nose.

He's Alyssa's baby. Does that make me a grandma? He's sweet and cuddly and has puppy breath. Don't you love puppy breath?

Do we need another animal here at the zoo? No, we do not. When Alyssa told us her boyfriend was going to buy her a puppy we assumed he would live with him. Well here he is, making himself at home. The other pups don't care for him. No one has ever accused my girls of being sociable when it comes to other dogs. At least he's a little guy.

Monica asked for a full shot of the kitchen. OK, Monica, I aim to please. But my kitchen is oddly shaped so it takes a few pictures to see it all. The kitchen is pretty much the center of the house and everything branches from there so it has 6 doors.

This is the view I see every morning coming into the kitchen from my bedroom.

You can see the sewing room (formerly the dining room) beyond the kitchen.

This is a view coming into the kitchen from the garage. The french doors go into the living room.

Standing in the sewing room doorway, you can see my room straight ahead, the garage door near left, the pantry door, the laundry room door beside my room and to the right of my room is the door going to the back yard. (Lots of doors huh?)

In the picture above you can see I made another mat, more of a runner this time. It is 50 inches long by 2 feet wide. I used some terry cloth in this one since it is below the sink. I used and old towel and dyed it.

You can see it turned out much lighter once it was rinsed and dried.

If I haven't put you to sleep yet just a couple more views and I think you will have seen the entirety. You didn't know you'd be having so much fun did 'ya?

There, you've had the grand tour. It's the biggest room in the house and I don't like to cook.

For a wrap up of the week, with these three pieces of fabric,

I made 5 valances, 1 apron, 2 oven mitts (ok, 1 1/2 oven mitts), 2 floor mats, 1 dog bowl placemat, covered 6 lamp shades and 4 seat cushions. My family has kept moving for fear I would try to cover them.

Sorry this is so long, if you need to take a bathroom break or go get a snack, I'll be here when you get back. I just have to do Gratitude Friday then I'll leave you alone.

I have had a wonderful week just sewing whatever I wanted to. No plan in mind, no deadline to meet, just sewing for the joy of it. For that I am grateful. I am also grateful for:

• AIR CONDITIONING!!! Good grief it's hot in North Carolina in July.
• Tomato sandwiches
• Mayonnaise for those tomato sandwiches
• Ebay
• I'm grateful for the fact that I don't have to commute to a job every day with gas prices going through the roof.
• I'm so grateful that I live in the United States. My heart goes out to those in the Middle East and I so wish that they could reach a peaceful end to the fighting.

The instructions are just their opinion of how it should be done...

I have wanted to make this apron from the Denyse Schmidt Quilts book for quite a while. Today I had to make valances for the two doors in my kitchen and when I finished I made this,

Pretty cute, huh?  I didn't really follow the instructions for the pocket so mine turned out a little bigger and my pom-pom trim is smaller. I'll call it a success. This on the other hand....

Ha! Other hand! I crack myself up!! Not as successful. It is very small, barely fitting my hand and I have small hands. The little thumb is more of a nub. Once again I didn't go straight from the book. I decided I didn't need to go to the trouble of enlarging the pattern, I'd just follow the shape of my hand and wing it. Sometimes that works, and as evidenced above, sometimes it doesn't. I do like the way the binding and the tab turned out. The one in the book has pom-pom trim along the bottom and no tab. Tomorrow I may try one of these.

A couple of unrelated things. This is what it looks like if I ever sit on the couch.

It's nice to be loved but these guys have no concept of personal space.

And just because I thought this was too cute not to share.

Hey, if you've got a few extra dollars burning a hole in your pocket and would love to do something worth while with it check this out.

Gratitude Friday on Saturday

I didn't forget about Gratitude Friday. I just couldn't get a moment yesterday to sit down and post. I was frantically, feverishly, frenzied trying to finish seven purses so that I could ship them this morning. Mission accomplished. Seven purses in 2 days. They are packaged and on their way to become bridesmaid gifts. Leanne gave me complete creative freedom. The only request was that they have bamboo handles. If I had more time I am sure I would have maybe done quilted bags or added some more detail but I am happy with the way they turned out. Except for some buttons to cover and a little ribbon all the materials came from what I had. I think I could make 70 purses and not have to buy fabric.

What else have I been up to this week you ask, or maybe you don't ask but it's my blog so I'm going to tell you. More purse sewing and a little flower planting, not much cooking and even less cleaning. I like to place planters filled with annuals on my porch and deck to add color but pots can be pretty pricey. One solution I've found is to buy cheap plastic pots and paint them. Here is one example of a really ugly white pot I bought for $5.00 at a discount store two summers ago. It wasn't great looking new and after a couple of years outside it looks awful. I gave it a good cleaning, a coat of gloss black spray paint then sponged some bronze craft paint over the black. To give it a little sheen I covered it with some antiquing varnish (purchased in the craft paint section). I think it turned out pretty good and will do until I win the lottery and can afford something besides plastic.

Now for some gratitude. I am grateful for...

• The much needed soaking rain we got yesterday
• 19 wonderful years of marriage
• Casey's excitement over playing guitar
• All the wonderful gifts I received this week from new friends. Not just the gifts but the kindness of the givers.
• The small town I live in. I joke about being a small town girl but I wouldn't have it any other way.
• My in laws. Though we live less than 5 miles from them we don't see them that often. We just don't take the time to visit like we should. But I owe them such a debt of gratitude for the job they did raising their son.
• Lost... so much I could discuss about Lost this week.
• Our church hiring a youth minister.  I am already seeing some good changes in Casey's attitude. It really does take a village as they say.

Now one more picture. Doesn't Angel look like she's smiling?

Have a great weekend!

Progress report

A made a tiny bit of progress on my skirt today.

It started out fine. I had to sew the front and back together. No problem. Two straight seams. Next, pin the waistband to the top of the skirt. Houston we have a problem. The skirt is about 2 inches bigger around than the waistband. What the?? Should it be that way? I read and reread the instructions. Pinned and re-pinned that darn waistband. Then I put it down and did some other fun stuff like my father in law's taxes and finishing some pillows for my niece. Taxes done, my nieces pillows done. Now its time to cook dinner. Almost as much fun as taxes or a root canal. (I don't like to cook by the way). After cooking I sat down with my skirt again. I discovered tonight I was making the same skirt Laurie made last year, "the-skirt-that-hates-me".  Since the waistband is too short I made the skirt smaller to fit the waist band and then proceeded to successfully sew on the waistband and insert a hidden zipper. I didn't say I did it successfully the first try. Lets just say my seam ripper has been my friend today even if this skirt hasn't.

The next step is to attach the band facing to the waistband. The instructions indicate that the facing will extend from the waistband 5/8" on one side and 1/2" on the other. Here's mine.

Notice the facing is NOT extending 5/8" or 1/2". It is shorter. I think with all the pinning and re-pinning of the waistband it stretched. So once again I have walked away from the not so nice skirt. Like Scarlet O'Hara said. I don't want to think about that today, I'll think about it tomorrow. Tomorrow is another day.

I have two work chairs in my sewing room. One at my sewing machine and the other at the computer. Many times as soon as I get out of a chair there is someone, or should I say some pet waiting to jump in. Today was no exception. I get up to iron something go back to sit down and this is what I see.

Hey! Who's chair is that anyway?

This is supposed to be my chair in my room! This is what I find every time I come in here to sit in my chair. Do you like the pillow I made last night? Maggie seems to!