Ravenwood Whimzies Primitive & Country Crafts

Me, two dogs and the goat

2012-01-31T11:40:00.000-05:00

If I wasn't so computer illiterate, I'd download some pictures from my phone..but I don't know how! I had company this morning on my walk with Jack, our dog.....Yep, our friend the goat and his trusty companion came by again and walked up and down the road with us, played in the yard and then headed on down the road again. Jack didn't quite know what to make of this big goat...I think he was trying to herd it for a while there, then he just decided to walk along with it...what a fun walk we had..it's not every day one gets to have such wonderful company on their walk...hehe

Mr. Whimzie is enjoying the sun and his conference in Florida. My computer is still dead and waiting to be fixed. I am working on his computer, but it has a different operating system and none of my files are on here, so I feel at a loss....

Here is one of the new rabbits I just listed in my Etsy shop...why not head on over to take a look. Enjoy your day everyone!

Sunny SonDay & Bunny Hop Swap News

2012-01-29T11:43:00.000-05:00

Good morning ladies!

Hope you have been enjoying your weekend. Last night we attended a pop luck dinner and presentation by none other than our son, Drew Montreuil. He had been invited by a local town council to give a talk on his weather website, GrotonWeather.com. This is the third such request he has had since he graduated with his BS in Meteorology last May...the other two were for schools...but this was the first time Mr. Whimzie and I have gotten to sit in. Although I must admit I am a bit biased, I was overwhelmed at what a wonderful job he did. He did an hour long power point presentation and fielded questions from the audience...and did it all with a finesse and professionalism that I was amazed at. But, if I think back to when he was little, in Kindergarten, he did a small presentation and looked so comfortable even then..at 5 years old. I think he is a natural! One proud mama here!

Mr. Whimzie left this morning for Florida, where he has a week of training. Oh, how I wish I could have gone with him...the weather forecast for Orlando is sunny and warm. I'm going to try to get a lot of projects done this week while he is gone...finishing painting the kitchen and may even tackle redoing one of the guest rooms too. We'll see! It is always easier to handle him being gone if I keep busy.

In other news, I wanted to let everyone who joined the Bunny Hop Swap know that I sent out emails this morning with your partner information. If you did not receive an email, please let me know. We had twenty ladies join in the fun and I hope every one has a great time!

One last thing...Please check out our family food blog, The Crow's Crusty Loaf...we're featuring great party foods for your Super Bowl Party next weekend. You can use this link, or click on the link on the upper right sidebar. Enjoy!

Morning Glory Stuffing!

2012-01-26T20:46:00.001-05:00

Just found that Walmart has restocked their online store....and they have the big boxes of Morning Glory Stuffing for $11.47 and only 97 cents to ship (free to store). Hurry on over!

Just a few more days.............

2012-01-25T10:17:00.000-05:00

.....to sign up for the Bunny Hop Swap - I could use one more lady to join the swap. This is an easy swap, as it is for only one bunny....you can certainly add more goodies, but you don't need to. Come on over and join the fun...click the button on the right to find out more! I'd love to have you join!

I'm still without MY computer....Mr. Whimzies' is okay, but I feel lost without all my 'stuff'. Hoping he can get it fixed before he is off to Florida for a conference on Sunday. I can't post pictures or grab any of my crafting patterns until he gets it fixed. Luckily, I have enough to work on now, so I'll try to be patient.

Enjoy your Wednesday everyone - Blessings to each of you!

Oh No - A black screen greeted me this morning!

2012-01-22T14:49:00.001-05:00

Good afternoon friends. I'm using Mr. Whimzie's computer because mine died! Yikes...I can't tell you how much stuff I had on there....I'm hoping he can restore most of it. So...it looks like I'll be kinda scarce this week.

I wanted to remind you that there are just a few more days to sign up for the Bunny Hop Swap - you can find all the information on it by clicking the link on the right.

I also wanted to tell you about a new blog! My friend Theresa, after much prompting from several people, decide to finally try her hand at blogging. Why not head on over to say HELLO and become a follower today! You can find Theresa's blog HERE. Theresa makes some absolutely wonderful dolls and has an Etsy shop too. WELCOME THERESA!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend! :-)

A giveaway to tell you about

2012-01-18T15:02:00.001-05:00

Good afternoon! Hope today is treating you well. I wanted to tell you about a Surprise Giveaway going on now over at One Simple Country Girl. Donna is going to give away some goodies, but what...we won't know...until she reaches 400 followers! She's almost there, so why not head on over to join her blog...please tell her I sent you so I get another chance to win. Good luck!

Don't forget to join the Bunny Hop Swap - sign-ups end next Friday. Click on the button on the right sidebar to find out more. "Hop" to see you join!

The Strangest Visitors come a'calling when you live in the Country!

2012-01-17T19:18:00.000-05:00

Heard some noise on the porch this morning...and our doggie, Jack was going crazy barking and running around, so I went to check out what the noise was...and look who I found!

Mr. Goat came to tea! He was joined by his faithful traveling companion, a golden retriever who has visited us before.

Needless to say, I was pretty stunned at first and just laughed to myself, then I ran to get my camera before they left. Mr. Goat chewed on the garland around the front door, but was otherwise quite friendly and let me pet him.

They both eventually had enough of my photo shoot and meandered away down the road.

I'm beginning to learn a lot about life in the country!

Hope you all had a nice day!

Brrrr----Winter has arrived and more news

2012-01-16T14:38:00.000-05:00

Good afternoon friends. Winter decided to finally come in earnest on Friday. We got about 10 inches and a few more during the weekend. It's bitter cold and windy, but that didn't stop us from taking a little walk in the woods yesterday. It was so beautiful!

We had a fairly full weekend, with a get-together with friends to watch football playoffs, and dinner, games and more football with Drew & Maria, and Maria's friend Ryn yesterday.

Mr. Whimzie took Friday off so he could be here when the guys finished installing some new windows. We were a little hesitant to replace the historic windows, but it really needed it, and we're very glad we did. The kitchen is so much warmer now!

Hattie & Her Hen - available in my Etsy shop

Today has been spent doing laundry and finishing up a couple more items for my Etsy shop....there are still a few more things in the works now that I hope to have listed soon.

I also want to let you all know that we have added more recipes to our family cooking blog. We'd love to have you head on over to The Crow's Crusty Loaf and become a follower today. We'll be doing a special feature on Super Bowl snack foods in the next couple weeks.

In addition, don't forget to join my newest swap! You can find out all the information by clicking the button on my right sidebar - sign-ups end January 27th. I've got quite a few gals signed up already but we would love to have YOU join in the

BUNNY HOP SWAP!

Enjoy the rest of your Monday!

Update on surgery, a few things to share, and a giveaway to tell you about!

2012-01-11T22:19:00.001-05:00

I'm happy to report that Maria's surgery went well and she is back at home re-cooping! She looked very good this afternoon when I took her and Drew dinner and coffee cake. She said she has little pain and is happy this whole ordeal is over. Thank you all so much for your kind words and prayers. So many of you wrote offering prayers and well wishes, and it was very touching.....thank you for the bottom of my heart. You gals are the best!

In other news, I'll share a couple of pics with you of the few things I managed to finish this week. I tried my hand at dyeing some wool for my leprechaun beards...that was a lot of fun and I'll share the quick and easy method I used to do it in another post, coming soon.

I made three of these goofy prim rabbits

I have lots more to finish up and a few new patterns I'm anxious to try. Tomorrow we are having some new windows put in, so I probably won't get to work in my studio too much - boo hoo.

I also wanted to tell you about a giveaway going on over at Ginger Creme Hollow. It's Becky's One Year Blogaversary, and she's giving away an adorable doll..so head on over to find out how to enter.

To finish off this post, I thought I would share a couple more pictures...two of our sweet Smidgen blog kitten, enjoying more blog things...PS...I found one of the leprechaun heads on the floor this morning - hehe...she's such goof.

This is the monkey ornie I made for Mr. Whimzie - I forgot to show it to you before!

Have a good evening all and thank you again for all your thoughts and prayers for Maria!

Blessings!

Prayers Requested Please

2012-01-10T22:36:00.000-05:00

I wanted to make a longer post this evening, but we got busy taking down the Christmas tree...however, I did want to ask you all for prayers on Wednesday morning. Our daughter-in-law, Maria, is having surgery to remove the polyp that caused her to miscarry their first baby in the Fall. She'll be in surgery for about an hour and should be back home in the afternoon. The growth is not cancerous (praise God), but they want to get it removed so they can try again to start a family. Please pray for the surgery to go smoothly and for her to heal quickly. Thanks so much. I'll update you more tomorrow afternoon.

Sun is shining....been very busy!

2012-01-09T16:06:00.001-05:00

Good afternoon ladies - hope you are enjoying this Monday and had a great weekend. Saturday was glorious here, with temps near 60. We puttered around doing some things outside and taking down some outside decorations. Mr. Whimzie and I were poking around in our barn...mostly because there are a couple of beds up in the loft, and Drew & Maria wanted one for their guest room....so after we gathered all the pieces to that, I explored a bit more. The barn is full of old barn doors, barn wood and old windows, which we hope to make use of some day...but behind one of those old windows, against the side of the barn, I found this wonderful enamel pot - this is huge...big enough to have a large container of driveway sealer sitting in it. I was tickled pink.....or should I say Blue! I let out a whoop and I'm sure Mr. Whimzie thought I was nuts at first.

All weekend long I was sewing, stuffing and needle sculpting my latest projects...here's a peek at them....still have lots of finishing work to do, but I've been busy packing up some orders and putting Christmas decorations away today. Hope to have them all finished and listed in my shop by the end of the week.

I've also started getting back into the habit of exercising, and I told Mr Whimzie we were going for a LONG walk yesterday afternoon. So we bundled up, put Jack's doggie coat on him and headed out the door...for a stroll around the block. Now, as many of you know, when you live in the country, a block isn't such a small thing...and when all was said and done, we had traversed 4.7 miles in a little over 1 1/2 hrs. Luckily the wind wasn't too bad most of the way. It felt good to get outside and a certain pooch was dog tired afterwards, planting himself in front of the wood stove and barely moving the rest of the night.

Shortly after we got back from our walk, this wonderful moon was coming up in the east....A lovely end to a relaxing weekend.

Have a nice week all - and don't forget to join in my newest SWAP...

THE BUNNY HOP SWAP

- click on the link on my right sidebar to find out more!

BuNnY hOp SwAp Signups

2012-01-06T10:07:00.001-05:00

To some of you, this is a repeat post, but since the first swap post was buried at the bottom of my previous post, I thought it was worth reposting...so here goes.

I checked the calendar to see when Easter was this year, and it is April 8th. With that in mind, I am starting sign-ups for a swap...which I will call the Bunny Hop Swap! We all like to decorate for the holidays several weeks ahead of time, so I figured if I held sign-ups now, and got the partners matched up by the beginning of February, with a mail out date in the beginning of March...that would give you all time to make a great swap package and enjoy your goodies for a few weeks before Easter. So...if you are interested.....here are the rules:

Bunny Hop Swap

This swap will be for just one item, a BUNNY. You are free to add additional items in your package, but you must include a rabbit, handmade by you, and at least 12" long.

To join the swap, you must follow these rules, which are for the good of everyone:

1. You must be a follower of my blog and I must know you. I have hosted a couple of swaps in the past where some people I didn't know well signed up, but did not follow through. I had to make up for their swap, and I simply don't have the time to do that.

2. If you wish to sign up, please make a comment on this post, and then you must email me (rwprimcrafts@aol.com) with your name, mailing address, and blog name, if you have one, together with your email address. Please be certain to send me your information...a comment here isn't enough to get you signed up. ( I have already had 3 people sign up who did not send me their information -please don't forget!)

3. You must send your package to your swap partner by March 3rd and you MUST send it with a Delivery Confirmation. I know it costs a little extra, but it will eliminate any doubts that packages have been mailed out.

4. Sign ups will be taken until January 27th. I will then compile all the information, match people up and get your swap partner information to you by Feb. 3rd.

5. This is not a secret swap, and once you receive your partner's name, please contact them to say Hello!

6. Remember, this swap is for one handmade bunny, at least 12" long...additional items can be added to your package, but you must follow those guidelines for the rabbit.

I think that about covers it gals....I hope to get lots of sign-ups for the

Bunny Hop Swap

Catching Up & A Swap Idea

2012-01-04T15:20:00.000-05:00

Hello dear friends - Hope your New Year is off to a good start. It's been mighty cold here the last few days, with a low last night of 1 degree - brrrrrrrrrrr. We've been keeping the wood stove going constantly!

Before I get on with the rest of my post, I want to say a big Thank you to Janice over at Prims by the Water. I won her giveaway right before Christmas and haven't had a chance to post about it. She sent me this adorable little angel - isn't she sweet!? Thanks so much Janice and please accept my apologies for not posting about my win sooner.

I also wanted to share a friend's picture of the feather tree she made, using the instructions I posted during my Twelve Days of Christmas share-a-thon. Theresa made this wonderful white tree, and she made the little applesauce star ornies to go on it. I love the way it turned out Theresa, and the hot chocolate can was a great addition. You may recall that Theresa and I were partners in the Christmas swap a while back. I'm so glad she sent me the picture of her finished tree - if any of you gals completed any of the projects I posted about, I'd be happy to post a picture if you send one along. Thank you for sharing with us Theresa.

Mr. Whimzie and I have been shopping for a new fridge the last few days. I'm looking at a side-by-side from GE. Hubby likes a french door model with the freezer on the bottom. If any of you gals have one of these types of fridges, I'd appreciate knowing the pros/cons of the different styles. It can be mind boggling to decide!

I've been working on several new items for my Etsy shop. Today I finished this little heart pocket. I feel it needs something else, but I can't quite decide what. In the meantime, I'm finishing up some sheep, geese and a valentine snowman.

With an eye toward Spring already, I've ordered my seed catalogs and look forward to receiving them. I checked the calendar to see when Easter was this year, and it is April 8th. With that in mind, I have been thinking of starting sign-ups for a swap...which I will call the Bunny Hop Swap! We all like to decorate for the holidays several weeks ahead of time, so I figured if I held sign-ups now, and got the partners matched up by the beginning of February, with a mail out date in the beginning of March...that would give you all time to make a great swap package and enjoy your goodies for a few weeks before Easter. So...if you are interested.....here are the rules:

Bunny Hop Swap

This swap will be for just one item, a BUNNY. You are free to add additional items in your package, but you must include a rabbit, handmade by you, and at least 12" long.

To join the swap, you must follow these rules, which are for the good of everyone:

4. Sign ups will be taken until January 27th. I will then compile all the information, match people up and get your swap partner information to you by Feb. 3rd.

5. This is not a secret swap, and once you receive your partner's name, please contact them to say Hello!

6. Remember, this swap is for one handmade bunny, at least 12" long...additional items can be added to your package, but you must follow those guidelines for the rabbit.

I think that about covers it gals....I hope to get lots of sign-ups for the

Bunny Hop Swap

Pam's having a giveaway!

2012-01-01T22:33:00.000-05:00

Hurry on over to Pam 's blog at Soft in the Head to learn how you can win this adorable witch!

Wishing my Blogging Friends a very Happy New Year

2011-12-31T09:34:00.000-05:00

May the coming year be full of health, happiness and many blessings!

Happy New Year!

Sorry I've been MIA

2011-12-29T23:23:00.000-05:00

Just a quick post to let you all know I've been keeping up with your blogs. Been busy with my nephew, Jake, who's here for a visit again (and yes, we are working on a little project too)...and Mr. Whimzie has the week off as well, so we're having family time...playing games, eating up the left over cookies and candies and trying to stay warm....brrr....it's hard to make myself go outside! I'll get back to regular blogging after our little vacation! Hope you are having a good week - make sure to send some get wells to Carmen over at Prim Cats. She's been in the hospital for emergency surgery.

Merry Christmas to All - I am humbled indeed

2011-12-23T12:57:00.000-05:00

How do I begin to express my thanks for all of you. The friends I have made in my year and half of blogging have almost become a second family to me. I find it so relaxing each morning to sit with my coffee and read your blog posts. Some happy, some sad, some funny, some encouraging. You each hold a special place in my heart, and I appreciate you following my blog and commenting on my little piece of the world.

I was especially touched this morning by a comment that was made on my blog last evening. I do not know the person who visited my blog, nor can I contact them, as they are a no-reply commenter, but it seems somewhat magical that her name is Mary.

Mary wrote that she was preparing for bed, feeling lonely and sad, and wondering what the good of Christmas was...when she stumbled upon my blog...and in her words...

"... the music, pictures and comments have brought great comfort to me."

I cannot begin to say how sad, happy and humble those few words have made me feel. I am so sad that so many people live an unhappy life. I feel guilty almost for all of my blessings, when so many people are suffering so much. I feel happy that I can bring some ray of sunshine into someone's life...and I feel humble that I have been given the ability to make someone's day a little brighter.

At this time of year, we celebrate the birth of our Savior. Christmas isn't about the presents, decorations or food. It's about giving of ourselves to those who need it most. It's making others happy, if only for a short time.

On a night so many, many years ago, when Mary & Joseph were wandering....looking for a place to stay....for a little warmth and comfort...in their time of need...it wasn't in a fancy place that our Lord was born...but in a humble manger...but because of that magical & Silent Night...when God became man...we are reminded not just today, but every day, of how God truly does love us.

And as we visit each other's blogs, offering our comments on life, it is humble to know, at least for me, that I have made a difference in even one person's life, when they, too, were wandering and looking for a place of comfort & joy.

Merry Christmas to you Mary,

and to all of my wonderful blogging friends.

Wishing you a season of blessings and happiness.

Samantha's Accessories: 3 New Years Giveaways

2011-12-22T14:33:00.001-05:00

Samantha is having an awesome giveaway - hurry on over to find out how you can win some of her wonderful items!

Samantha's Accessories: 3 New Years Giveaway

I squealed with delight........

2011-12-21T20:31:00.000-05:00

.........when I opened my giveaway prize from Traci over at York Mountain Primitives. I was the lucky, lucky last winner in her 12 Days of Christmas giveaways! I think she saved the best for last, because I just love my snowman! Isn't he adorable? Thank you so much Traci!

Christmas around the House, gift made and PAFA Ornie Swap

2011-12-20T08:48:00.000-05:00

Good morning dear friends. Grab a cup of coffee and take a little break from all the holiday preparations, as I share some of my Christmas decorating with you.

The curtains I was working on last week are on the windows now!

I'm running short on time this morning, so that is all I will show of the house for now. I do have an ornie swap to share with you that I received from Brandy over at The Lil Prim Cabin. We were partners in the PAFA ornie swap. Look at the sweet snowflake spool ornie she sent, and I also got a lil bag of Kisses and a snowman tart - Thank you Brandy! Love them all! If you want to see what I sent Brandy, you can hop on over to her blog.

One final thing I wanted to share was this prim sheep that I made my sis for Christmas. I put her country store's name on it - sure hope she likes it!

Enjoy your day everyone!

Wow, this giveaway is certainly "Something to Crow About"!

2011-12-14T21:41:00.000-05:00

You certainly will want to FLY on over to Robin's blog, The Primitive Hutch, to find out how you could win these wonderful goodies! Robin is one sweet lady and even though I want to win these goodies for myself, I suppose it is only fair to give you a chance to have something to crow about too! Good luck!

A few pictures to share and some thank yous in order...

2011-12-13T11:00:00.000-05:00

Good morning! The sun is shining - wow - what a change...it is usually cold and wintery on my birthday! Yes- today is my birthday...I'm 25! HAHA switch it around...I'm don't feel that old, but time marches on.

I wanted to share a couple of pics with you of the feather trees I completed. They were made using the tutorial I posted on Day 1 of my Twelve Days of Christmas. I found that the original pattern was a bit too large for my purposes, so I reduced the size of the wire by a third, and then again by another third to do the smaller tree. If I have time, I may do a large one. As you can see...a certain kitty was having a lot of fun while I was hanging the balls.

Smidgen did manage to get a ball off the tree!

I also wanted to say a special thank you to a few lovely ladies. First off, I got a cute Christmas card from Angie and I wanted to say THANK YOU! It was such a surprise to receive a card from a blogging friend, and it made my day!

I also won this sweet ornament in a giveaway from Linda at Prairie Flower Farm. It is lovely Linda and I will treasure it!

Lastly, I participated in the World Scramble that Vicky held over at the PAFA group, and I won! Look what cute things she sent me. You are so generous Vicky and I love them. Thanks so much!

Time to get some Christmas shopping done - have a great day!

Twelve Days of Christmas Winner!

2011-12-12T21:40:00.000-05:00

Well, Blogger was certainly acting up most of the day, so I am a bit late in my post for the winner of my Elf for my Twelve Days of Christmas Share-a-thon. I had a total of 48 names go into the hat, and Mr. Whimzie picked....

ANNIE

Scrappalachia!

Congrats Annie! Please email me with your mailing information so I can get your elf out to you asap!

Thank you again to EVERYONE who took the time to comment and share in my Twelve Days of Christmas posts!

Day 12 - Twelve Days of Christmas Share-a-thon

2011-12-10T20:47:00.000-05:00

I wanted to end my Twelve Days of Christmas is a special way today....no more crafts or tutorials...no more fattening goodies, but a simple

Recipe for A Good Life

Day 12

Take a couple of whole months, clean them thoroughly of all Bitterness,
Rumors, Hate and Jealousy; in other words, make them as fresh and as clean as possible.

Now cut each month into 28, 30 or 31 different parts…

But don’t make up the whole batch at once..
Instead prepare it One Day At A Time.

Mix well each day:

One part of Faith,
One of Patience,
One of Courage,
One of Work,

Add one part each of:

Hope,
Faithfulness,
Generosity
Kindness;

Blend with:

One part Prayer,
One part Meditation
Good Deeds.

Season the whole with:

a dash of Good Spirit,
a sprinkle of Fun,
a pinch of Play
a cupful of Good Humor.

Pour all of this into a Vessel Of Love,

Cook thoroughly over Radiant Joy

Garnish with Smiles
serve with Quietness, Unselfishness and Cheerfulness

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas & a Blessed New Year!

Thank you so much for visiting my blog. I count each of you as blessings in my life....people I never would have know had it not been for my blog. People who have enriched my life ten fold. You have inspired me, comforted me, encouraged me and had fun with me...and for all of that, I am truly grateful!

On Monday, I will be drawing the winner of my little 'secret' giveaway. I have been keeping track of everyone who has commented during the Share-a-thon, and your names will all go into the hat....Mr. Whimzie will pick a winner on Monday and the winner will receive one of my elves!

Have a Wonderful Weekend!

**Christmas Blessings**

Day 11 - Twelve Days of Christmas Share-a-thon

2011-12-09T21:50:00.001-05:00

Hope you have all had a great day!

Today I'm sharing another recipe with you for some quick, easy and addicting candy...perfect for those holidays parties or gift giving.

Day 11 - Peanut Butter Buckeyes

2 cups creamy peanut butter, (not all-natural)
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine, softened
3 3/4 cups (16-oz. box) powdered sugar
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) chocolate chips
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening

Directions

Line your two cookie sheets with wax paper.

Beat the peanut butter and butter in large bowl until creamy. Beat in powdered sugar until mixture holds together and is moistened. Shape into 1-inch balls; place on prepared cookie sheets. Freeze for 1 hour. Now, melt your morsels and shortening in medium, uncovered, microwave-safe bowl on high power for 1 minute, then stir. If necessary, microwave at additional 10- to 15-second intervals, stirring just until melted.

Dip the peanut butter centers into melted chocolate using a toothpick, leaving a small portion of the center uncovered. Shake off excess chocolate and scrape bottom of candy on side of bowl. Return to cookie sheets; refrigerate until chocolate is set.

Store your tasty treats in covered container in refrigerator.

Tomorrow is Day 12 already. I hope you have enjoyed my Twelve Days of Sharing, and that you get a chance to try making some of the projects and recipes. I'll be posting pictures of a couple of feather trees I made next week.

See you tomorrow!

OLM Season's Special Meaning

2011-12-09T08:48:00.000-05:00

Marie over at Old Lady Morgan is at it again...spreading good cheer and giving away some of her ADORABLE creations. As part of the giveaway, she'd like us to post about one thing that makes this holiday season special for us. I thought a while about this, and feel that without attending the special Christmas church services, the whole reason for the season is lost, and I think that is what makes this season the most special for me. It is there that we are reminded about the true meaning of giving and we get to celebrate the greatest birth in history. Of course, I also hold dear the family get-togethers, the giving of gifts to my loved ones, the decorating and parties, but they are all preparations for CHRISTmas day.

Have a wonderful day everyone - later I will be posting Day 11 of my Twelve Days of Christmas Share-a-thon. I'm keeping fairly quiet about the giveaway that is included with this event, because I wanted to keep it for those faithful followers of mine. I'm checking my blog comments daily and making note of who has been visiting me....you will all have your name put into the hat to receive one of my creations...the drawing will be held on Sunday evening. I will be posting a picture of the giveaway item on Day 12!

Day 10 - Twelve Days of Christmas Share-a-thon

2011-12-08T22:44:00.001-05:00

Wow, Day 10 already...and I still have a lot more to share with you...but most will have to wait until another time. Today I have been busy sewing curtains for our 'parlor'...I ended up cutting the fabric wrong and now they are little short, and I have wasted fabric, but I think the addition of some trim on the bottom will solve the problem....and I tried to hard to measure, measure, measure before I cut....ho hum.

Anyway, on to

Day 10 - Primitive Snowballs

Supplies:
Foam Balls (any size you want-it's fun to use few different sizes)
Drywall compound (available at hardware or Walmart stores)
Mica Flakes, Glass Glitter or regular glitter
ModgePodge

Roll your foam balls on the counter to "compact" them. Thoroughly stir the joint compound. Use your hands and fingers to press the compound onto the foam...you're going to get your hands all gooey, but that's half the fun! The balls don't have to be even or pretty - that's what makes them PRIM! Once you are happy with the way they look, set them on some foil and allow the joint compound to harden.
Let dry overnight.
Dampen your hands a bit and rub them over the balls to smooth the rough edges a bit.

Now, using your foil as a work surface, pour some glitter into a plastic bowl. Use a sponge brush topcoat your balls with a nice layer of Modgepodge, then roll the balls in the glitter flakes. Set on your work surface to dry. You are done!

Here are just some of the uses for these prim snowballs...use smaller balls to fill up a mason jar or put in with some Christmasy potpourri or fixins. Add to a wood bowl or basket with some greenery or pip berries. Set them on a shelf with some of your snowman collectibles! They are a great addition to your winter decorating!

Time to say goodnight all - sleep well! See you tomorrow!

Come meet a new blogger

2011-12-08T09:18:00.000-05:00

Good morning - we had snow last night...just an inch or so...and it is cold...guess it was going to happen eventually!

I will make my regular Christmas post later today, but I wanted to introduce you to Brandy over at The Lil Prim Cabin. She's my partner in our ornie swap over at PAFA and she just started her blog a while ago. I'm sure she would love to have you pop on over to say HI!

Also, Smidgen wanted to scurry in to say Hi, from inside a box I was just about to pack with an order - I am truly amazed at how much fun she has with my blog related things...yesterday she was trying to steal the wire and pine cones for my garland, and she loves to play around in the sewing room when I am in there...she's so darn cute!

Meow!

Day 9 - Twelve Days of Christmas Share-a-thon

2011-12-07T19:26:00.000-05:00

Good afternoon ladies! Time is certainly flying by...I can't believe we are already up to Post #9! I hope you have been enjoying these crafts and recipes. If you happen to make any of them, I'd love to see your pictures, and I'll share them on my blog too!

Day 9 - Homemade Holiday Garland

I have made a few of these garlands over the years, and most recently included one in a swap package I sent out. You will have to decide how long you want your garland. Once you do, you will need the following items:

Sturdy rusty or black wire - no thin stuff!

a variety of acorns, pine cones or other seed pods

dried orange slices

(I always make a lot...they are great to use in crafts or as bowl fillers)

pine garland, cut into separate pieces

1/2 yard homespun fabric

Drill with small bit

Collect all of your items. You will need to do some prep work before stringing your garland. First, take your acorns and drill a hole through the bottom portion...if the tops fall off while doing this, just reattach them with some hot glue. (See collage photo below) Next, drill a hole in each of your seed pods and at the top and thickest part of each pine cone.

How many of each you will need depends on the length of the garland you are planning to make. I like to do quite a few of each and/or keep the drill handy if I need more. Next, tear your fabric into 1 inch strips, then cut these into strips that are about 8" long...you will need quite a few, but this also depends on how long your garland is. Once your prep work is all done, you can start to assemble your garland.

Take your wire and make a loop at one end, wrapping the extra bit of wire around the length of wire, to make a hanging loop. Now comes the fun part...start stringing your garland elements onto the wire...I like to create a pattern, such as one acorn, one seed pod, one acorn, two orange slices, one pine cone, two orange slices, and repeating until I have the items strung to the length I want PLUS one foot of extra wire. It will seem like you have a lot of empty wire, but once you add the garland and homespun ribbons, it will be used up. Make another loop in the wire at this end, so that your elements stay on.

Once all the hard elements are strung, you will go back and take your garland pieces, wrapping them around the wire loosely and evenly down the garland. Do the same with the strips of fabric. The more you add, the fuller the garland will be.

Enjoy your new Garland! Hang above a doorway or set atop a prim cupboard.

See you tomorrow for more fun ideas!

**Blessings**

Day 8 - Twelve Days of Christmas Share-a-thon

2011-12-06T20:02:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone! I've been busy all day with some last minute orders, so today I am sharing with you some adorable stitched ornies, which were created by Sue Allemand of Palette Primitives. Sue also has a blog called Free Stitchin' Patterns. She has provided these free instructions which I am sure you will enjoy stitchin' up while watching A Christmas Carol some evening.

All the instructions you need to make these snowman ornies can be found HERE. I hope you enjoy these as much as I did!

Tomorrow I will be back to my normal posts, with a lovely homemade garland, using some of those left-over orange slices from my Partridge in A Pear Tree wreath that I shared on Day 5 of my Twelve Days of Christmas.

Day 7 - Twelve Days of Christmas Share-a-thon

2011-12-05T12:38:00.000-05:00

Wow gals, you have overwhelmed me with all your comments about the projects and recipes I have shared so far. I want to say a personal thank you to each one of you...there have been so many comments that I just can't response to them all, so please know that I have read them and do appreciate you taking the time to visit my humble blog each day! I am truly blessed by all of you.

Day 7 - Gingerbread Men Ornies or Bowl Fillers

You will need the following for each gingerbread man:

12" x 12" piece of muslin or osnaburg

coffee staining mixture (recipe can be found in my Prim How-to tab above)

3 small black buttons

two black peppercorns for eyes

strip of torn holiday homespun for tie

blush for cheeks

Rusty bell

Cut out the pattern below and lay it on your doubled over fabric. Feel free to adjust the size to fit what you want.

Trace the pattern on to the fabric with a pencil, then sew all the way around the tracing line. Cut out gingerbread man and clip all curves. Next you will need to make a small slit in the neck of one side of your gingerbread man. Be careful not to cut through both layers. Turn right side out and stuff firmly. Whip stitch opening closed. Now, stain with a strong coffee mixture and let dry (you can also use your oven on LOW but watch that your ornie doesn't burn and turn often.

When your man is finished drying, it is time to add his peppercorn eyes with a dot of hot glue. Sew on his buttons using carpet thread, tie on his homespun scarf (making certain to cover your slit and stitching done earlier) . Sew a rusty bell onto his scarf and then add a touch of blush to his cheeks. You may chose to add a hanger at the back or just tuck him into some greens...it's up to you. A few of these happy fellows would look great in a wreath too!

See you tomorrow!

Day 6 - Twelve Days of Christmas Share-a-thon

2011-12-04T14:21:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the late post...it's been a busy weekend! Today I am sharing a recipe that I make every year...Peanut Butter Fudge! It is so creamy and delicious - I bet you can't eat just one piece!

Day 6 - Wendy's Peanut Butter Fudge

3 c sugar

3/4 c butter

2/3 c evaporated milk

7 oz marshmallow cream (Fluff)

1 pkg (12 oz) peanut butter morsels

1 t vanilla extract

3/4 c chopped plain peanuts (optional) - I never use them

In heavy saucepan, combine sugar, butter and evap. milk. Bring to a full rolling boil over medium heat. Stir constantly. Boil the mixture for 5 full minutes, then remove from heat and add the morsels, stirring until melted. Next add the marshmallow cream and vanilla. Stir until completely blended. Pour into a foil lined pan (13 x 9) and chill until firm. When chilled, remove from pan by lifting foil, place on cutting board and cut into serving size piece. Enjoy - ooohhh so good! I like this better than chocolate fudge, because it doesn't seem as rich. Hope you like it too.
Enjoy your Sunday - today we are celebrating our son, Drew's birthday. It was so special having a baby at Christmas time! God bless - see you tomorrow for my next post in my

Twelve Days of Christmas Share-a-thon.

Day 5 - Twelve Days of Christmas Share-a-thon

2011-12-02T21:18:00.000-05:00

Day 5 - Partridge in A Pear Tree Wreath

Tired of the same old wreath on your front door for the holidays? Why not play off of the Twelve Days of Christmas and make yourself a Partridge in A Pear Tree Wreath like mine!

Items you will need for this project:

Pine wreath

Spool of Gold ribbon

Small vine balls

Faux frosted pears

Dried Orange slices

Cinnamon Sticks

Small Partridge birds from craft store

Turkey, Pheasant or Grouse feathers, also available at craft store

Hot Glue

Make a large bow from your gold ribbon and place at the top of your wreath with florist wire. Next, cut a long length of the same ribbon and wrap it around your wreath, leaving the loops loose and tucking into the pine every so often. Next hot glue the dried orange slices (I dried mine in my dehydrator, but you can also use your oven on a very low temperature) onto the wreath, spacing them every few inches or so and nestling them into the pine a bit. Do the same with your vine balls, faux fruit, cinnamon sticks and finally, your little patridges. I like to place the items on my wreath, look at it, then decide if I want to move anything before I glue each one. I chose to glue my birds perched on the vine balls, so they did not get 'lost' in the greenery.

When you are all done, tuck the feathers in here and there until you are happy with the way it looks. Take a length of wire and make a loop on the back of the wreath for hanging...you are done.

If properly dried, these orange slices will last for years.

I wish the wreath picture had turned out better...it really is very pretty to look at and unique. Enjoy - see you tomorrow!

Day 4 - Twelve Days of Christmas Share-a-ton

2011-12-01T21:23:00.000-05:00

Day 4 - Bird Ornament

Good evening everyone - Tonight, as part of my Twelve Days of Christmas Share-a-thon, I will be sharing instructions for a cute little bird ornament.

This pattern is very versatile, and you can make your bird as Prim or as Fancy as you wish. For my tutorial purposes, I chose to make a fancy bird...but it would look equally good stained with coffee with a twine or cheesecloth 'ribbon' around his neck. This ornie is quick and easy...if you make one I'd love to see a picture! For this little bird, who is about 6" long, you will need the following:

one fat quarter of fabric

fiberfill

2 - 4 mm black beads for eyes

2 small buttons to coordinate with your fabric

ribbon, garland or twine for the neck tie

Fold your fabric with right sides together. On back of fabric, trace the bird and wing patterns. Do NOT cut out, but sew the entire way around the tracing line. Once all pieces are sewn, cut out pieces. You will now need to make a small slit in one side of the bird, as indicated on the pattern. Be careful not to slit both sides. Turn bird right side out, being certain to use a small pointed object to completely turn the beak and tail areas. Stuff the bird firmly and slip stitch the opening closed. Take the sewn wing pieces and make a slit in one side of each, making certain to do opposite sides, so you wings will fit correctly. Double check before you cut! Turn and press, do not stuff.

Pin the wings to either side of the bird, with slits facing toward the bird, being sure to cover the slit in the side of the bird as well. When you are happy with the placement, take a doubled length of coordinating thread and a long needle and sew the buttons onto the sides of the wings, running the thread through the entire bird body a couple of times. Knot the thread in between the bird body and one of the wings, so the threads don't show. Sew on the beads for eyes and add a hanging cord or ribbon to the top of bird. Decorate as you wish....it's that simple.

You can hang these on your tree, from a garland, sit them in some greenery or tie them to a gift....the possibilities are endless! They are so easy you can make an entire flock in no time!

As an added surprise, at the end of my Twelve Days of Christmas, I will be having a giveaway for those who read my Share-a-thon posts and comment each day. This giveaway is a special THANK YOU for those of you who are faithful followers...perhaps I will give some hints along the way...you never know! Well, Santa's little helper is off to do some more crafting. Have a lovely evening. See you tomorrow!

Revised Feather tree instructions, Ornie Swap, a project to share and Smidgen & Jack

2011-12-01T11:57:00.000-05:00

Good morning everyone - As I mentioned in my post last night, a few people were unable to read the instructions for the Feather Tree, so I have retyped and drawn them up and posted them below...hopefully you can see them much better now. Just right click and save or print from your computer. If you have any problems at all, just shoot me an email and I can send them to you.

I also wanted to share with you the pretty ornament that I received from Stacy at Stacy Kay Creations. We took part in the ornie swap hosted by Amy at Bumble Bee Lane. I am way overdo in thanking Stacy for my ornie - it's been a busy week but I do love it Stacy!

Next I wanted to share with you a project I have had in the works and just finished last week. He's from a pattern by Bittersweet Folk Art and I love how he turned out! This guy is for ME!

Finally, I thought you may be wondering what our Blog Kitty Smidgen has been up to...besides playing with every little thing she can find, she's becoming fast friends with our dog, Jack...take a look for yourself...aren't they sweet together?

Looks like Jack is really enjoying himself - hehe

I have to get busy now...hopefully I can share some Christmas decorating pictures with you very soon! Have a wonderful day!

Holiday Blessings

Granny Trace's Fun Giveaway

2011-12-01T09:16:00.000-05:00

Some of you already know Trace, from Granny Trace Scraps & Squares. She's a cheerful, kind and wonderful gal....If you haven't met her yet, now is the time, as she's having a fun giveaway during the month of December. Just click on the above link and find out how you can join in the Christmas giveaway.

Day 3 - 12 Days of Christmas Share-a-thon

2011-11-30T21:08:00.001-05:00

Day 3 - Grasshopper Pie

12 Days of Christmas Share-a-thon

Today I'm sharing a recipe that we make every year for the holidays. It's quick, easy and elegant, and oh so tasty...and contains no grasshoppers, which can be very hard to find this time of year - hehe

Grasshopper Pie

STEP 1

16 chocolate wafer cookies or 12 Oreo cookies (middles included)-use a food processor to chop finely

(You can also use the prepackaged Oreo cookie crust mix)

4 T butter or margarine, melted

Mix the above ingredients and press into a buttered pie plate, working it up the sides and pressing firmly. Refrigerate while you prepare the filling.

STEP 2

In mixing bowl, beat 1 cup of heavy cream until light and fluffy...set in refrigerator for later.

STEP 3

In medium saucepan, heat

3/4 cup milk

Once the milk is heated, but not boiling,

add 24 large FRESH OR 8 oz of FRESH mini-marshmallows

Stir constantly until the marshmallows are melted. Remove from heat and stir in

1/4 cup Creme de Menthe liqueur

2 T Creme de Cacao liqueur

2-3 drops of green food coloring

Let this mixture cool for 10-15 minutes...you don't want it hot. Once cooled, FOLD in the whipped cream carefully. Keep folding until it is fully incorporated, but do not stir.

Pour into prepared pie crust and place in the freezer. Chill in the freezer for at least 3 hours before serving. You can sprinkle the top with extra cookie crumbs, shaved chocolate, mini chocolate chips or chocolate sprinkles. Don't forget to serve with additional whipped cream on top.

**I do have an additional note about the Feather Tree tutorial I shared on Day 1 - it appears that the instructions are not easily viewed, so I am working on a new set and will have them posted here as soon as possible....sorry for the trouble many of you have had viewing them.**

Bittersweet Prims giveaway

2011-11-30T09:58:00.000-05:00

Wow - just look at what Jenn over at Bittersweet Prims is giving away-one of her delightful Santa dolls! Hurry on over to find out how to enter to win!

Day 2 of My 12 Days of Christmas Share-a-thon

2011-11-29T20:51:00.000-05:00

Day 2 - Easy but Elegant Pine Cone Ornaments

The simplicity of these easy pine cone ornaments is what makes them so appealing. Although you can leave the pine cones in their natural state, it's nice to add a little glitz for Christmas with shiny bows and a little gold paint.

Supplies:

Pine cones

Gold spray paint

Ribbon scraps of choice (I used 1 inch wide gold and 1/2 inch wide green)

Hot glue gun and glue stick

Very lightly spray your pine cone with gold paint. Allow the paint to dry. Try not to hold the spray can too close, or you won't get that 'dusted' look we are going for.

While the pine cone is drying, tie a simple bow using your widest ribbon. I used a single bow of two different colors and widths. Tie another bow with your narrow ribbon, creating a loop to use as a hanger. Glue the widest bow to the pine cone end first, as you can see in the photo and, on top of this bow, glue the second smaller width bow with the hanging loop extending out.

That is all there is to making these ornaments. Be creative or make them to go with your decor by using spray paint colors and ribbons for some truly beautiful ornaments. I chose these colors to go with my living room and other gold decorations on our tree, but I think they would look lovely in many other colors as well. Enjoy!

Tomorrow I will take a detour from the crafting to share a yummy holiday dessert recipe...hope to see you back here tomorrow evening.

My 12 Days of Christmas Share-a-thon!

2011-11-28T21:14:00.001-05:00

Today I begin a series which I call my

12 Days of Christmas Share-a-thon.

Each day for the next 12 days, I will be sharing great holiday decorating ideas and recipes - you won't want to miss them, so keep coming back each day!

Day 1 - Making a Homemade Feather Tree

I love feather trees but not the prices. Wandering around the internet, I found this great tutorial for making your own for under $10. For this craft you will need:

one spool 14GA wire
1 ball of "furry" yarn
small wire pliers with wire cutters
tall can around 5 1/2"
enough rice to fill the can
scissors
optional is one spool ribbon and glue gun
2hrs

Click on the images to enlarge the tutorial and be sure to share a picture with me of your tree once you finish - I'll be posting them so everyone can see your handiwork!

Morning Glory giveaway

2011-11-28T08:12:00.000-05:00

Dena of Morning Glory Vintage & Prims is also having a great giveaway! She's giving away some wonderful prim goodies. In addition, she generously shares some lovely graphics, so hurry on over to meet Dena, become a follower of her blog and join the fun.

Wonderful giveaway to tell you about

2011-11-28T08:04:00.000-05:00

Teri over at White Sheep Farm is having a quick holiday giveaway you won't want to miss out on! If you are one of the lucky winners, you get to pick your choice of wonderful prize packages...and...if she reaches 300 followers, she'll be giving away a third prize as well. But you have to hurry on over to her blog, because this giveaway ends Dec. 2nd! Good luck!

Counting our blessings.....

2011-11-23T11:18:00.000-05:00

Like many of you, today is being spent cleaning and baking for the big turkey day tomorrow. But I wanted to take a moment to count my blessings and one of them is YOU! I've made some lovely friends in Blogland over the last year and a half and I wish you all many blessings and a Happy Thankgiving! Enjoy your day with family and friends.

A picture from Theresa

2011-11-21T20:51:00.000-05:00

My swap partner, Theresa, was kind enough to send me a picture of all the things I sent her...I had forgotten in the rush to get them all wrapped up - so here is what I made for the swap.

Mending Monday......and a Swap Received

2011-11-21T16:45:00.000-05:00

Good afternoon blogging buddies - Hope you all had a great weekend. Friday night I developed a sore throat, which is still with me, plus a cold...been feeling quite run down. I've got so many orders to finish this week, that I've spent the majority of the day in my sewing room, and I thought you would like to see what I've been working on.

I also wanted to share with you pictures of the swap package I received last week. I had joined the Christmas in the Cabin swap hosted by Amy over at Bumble Bee Lane and received Theresa as my partner. Unfortunately, Theresa doesn't have a blog (yet...I'm trying to encourage her to do so) but she has a wonderful Etsy shop full of great goodies. Theresa and I had a lot of fun learning about each other and I so enjoyed making her package up. I gave her a Santa, homemade orange & spice garland, a bag full of fresh peanut brittle, a painted cabin sign, notepad, little prim stocking and some potpourri. Below are pictures of all the lovlies she sent me...a wonderful crow with candycanes, a beautifully worked cross stitch St. Nick pillow, some yummy smelling tarts, adorable punch needle ornies and some scrumptious cookies...yum! Thank you so much Theresa! Hugs

Have a wonderful and Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Pick your prize at Friendship Crossing

2011-11-15T17:13:00.000-05:00

What a wonderful giveaway going on now over at Friendship Crossing! The winner gets to chose from three different goodie packages. Hurry on over for your chance to win..this giveaway ends soon!

While the Cats Away the Mice Will Play!

2011-11-14T10:50:00.000-05:00

This time my post isn't about sneaky Smidgen...despite the 'cat' reference in the title. PS The turkey leg was found - he he

This past weekend Mr. Whimzie went away on his annual retreat at Notre Dame Retreat House...which would have meant I would be all alone in this big old house for two nights and three days...sooo...I conned the kids into coming on over, and picked up my nephew, Jake as well. Now some of you may recall my previous posts about Jake, and how he loves to make something creative when he comes here. This time he wanted to learn how to do a simply stitchery...so we went through my patterns and he chose one. I had him trace the design onto muslin, then showed him just a couple stitches and he was off! Lookie what he completed all my himself....and he free-handed his name below the kitty. We ran out of time, but he's planning make this into a pillow for his bed.

Once our boys were all here by Saturday morning, we took off on a day long adventure in 'pickin'. I found some wonderful goodies that I would like to share with you. What a fun day we had. After antiquing, we went to Mass, then out to dinner. We came home and played games and headed to bed around 1 am. Sunday morning I made them all my yummy Apple Cinnamon Waffles (recipe can be found on our food blog, The Crow's Crusty Loaf).

Vintage sled - it has nice graphics on it that are hard to see in this picture...and an adorable wooden Santa..not vintage but I thought he would look good on the front porch.

The treasure I am most excited about - this wonderful vintage baby carriage - it also has a nice stenciled design on the side which the picture doesn't pick up well. I put a couple items in it, but can't wait to fill it with Santas & Snowmen.

Simple Folk Art sign I got for $4

I added another rolling pin to my collection-the red one in the front.

Hope you all have a wonderful week. I have to get busy now with orders and finishing up a couple swaps I am in.
Blessings!

A Thief in the House!!!!

2011-11-10T10:00:00.000-05:00

There has been a thief spotted in our house!

Oh....I began to notice that things were missing a few weeks ago...but the odd thing was...they always seemed to be Blog related things....it could be a little pumpkin received in a swap....a small candy corn received in a giveaway....but this morning...I was missing a TURKEY FOOT....yes....a turkey foot. I had just finished up a couple of them last night and placed them on the table in the kitchen...but this morning they were not there...I found one....laying in the corner near the island...but search as I may, after 1/2 an hour, I still cannot find the other one! This is particularly frustrating for me, because I wanted to get them painted this morning before I took off for a day of errands, so they would be dry and ready to complete my latest turkey orders.

Now, it didn't take long for me to discover who this dastardly thief is......she may look innocent now, but SHE is the culprit...yup...it's none other than Our Blog Kitty - Smidgen!

I'm hoping while I am gone she will rediscover her little treasure and bring it out into the open. She definitely seems to have fully embraced her role as the Blog Kitty! Enjoy your day everyone.

PAFA Winter Wonderland Giveaway Starts TODAY!

2011-11-10T08:20:00.000-05:00

I'm pleased to announce the beginning of the next great PAFA Giveaway - Head on over to our PAFA Blog now. The theme this time is, of course, Winter Wonderland, and there are lots of great items donated by many talented artists in the PAFA team - head on over to sign up for your chance to win today!

Third post of the day - help a friend in need

2011-11-09T11:10:00.000-05:00

I just read a post from my blogging friend over at Whimsical Folk...her family is having financial difficulties and are in danger of losing their home. If you could head on over to her Etsy shop and make a purchase, it would help them to raise the needed money. She has great little tags and such in her shop, and her prices are wonderful! I bought a few items and this is one of my favorites. Wouldn't it be nice to include one of these tags on your Christmas gifts, instead of the mass produced cardboard variety?

Gearing up for the next PAFA giveaway

2011-11-09T08:57:00.000-05:00

Stay tuned for the next awesome PAFA...starting November 10th!

Words of Wisdom from Kat

2011-11-09T08:48:00.000-05:00

Lovely Kat from Primitive Echoes posted this timely piece on a New Christmas Tradition...I thought it was worthy of a repost. Thanks Kat.

Christmas 2011 -- Birth of a New Tradition

As the holidays approach, the giant Asian factories are kicking into high
gear to provide Americans with monstrous piles of cheaply produced goods -- merchandise that has been produced at the expense of American labor. This year will be different. This year Americans will give the gift of genuine concern for other Americans. There is no longer an excuse that, at gift giving time, nothing can be found that is produced by American hands. Yes there is!

It's time to think outside the box, people. Who says a gift needs to fit in
a shirt box, wrapped in Chinese produced wrapping paper?
Everyone -- yes EVERYONE gets their hair cut. How about gift certificates from your local American hair salon or barber?

Gym membership? It's appropriate for all ages who are thinking about some health improvement.

Who wouldn't appreciate getting their car detailed? Small, American owned detail shops and car washes would love to sell you a gift certificate or a book of gift certificates.

Are you one of those extravagant givers who think nothing of plonking down the Benjamins on a Chinese made flat-screen? Perhaps that grateful gift receiver would like his driveway sealed, or lawn mowed for the summer, or driveway plowed all winter, or games at the local golf course.

There are a bazillion owner-run restaurants -- all offering gift
certificates. And, if your intended isn't the fancy eatery sort, what about
a half dozen breakfasts at the local breakfast joint. Remember, folks this
isn't about big National chains -- this is about supporting your home town Americans with their financial lives on the line to keep their doors open.

How many people couldn't use an oil change for their car, truck or
motorcycle, done at a shop run by the American working guy?

Thinking about a heartfelt gift for mom? Mom would LOVE the services of a local cleaning lady for a day.

My computer could use a tune-up, and I KNOW I can find some young guy who is struggling to get his repair business up and running.

OK, you were looking for something more personal. Local crafts people spin their own wool and knit them into scarves. They make jewelry, and pottery and beautiful wooden boxes.

Plan your holiday outings at local, owner operated restaurants and leave your server a nice tip. And, how about going out to see a play or ballet at your hometown theatre.

Musicians need love too, so find a venue showcasing local bands.

Honestly, people, do you REALLY need to buy another ten thousand Chinese lights for the house? When you buy a five dollar string of light, about fifty cents stays in the community. If you have those kinds of bucks to burn, leave the mailman, paper carrier, trash guy or babysitter a nice BIG tip.

You see, Christmas is no longer about draining American pockets so that China can build another glittering city. Christmas is now about caring about US, encouraging American small businesses to keep plugging away to follow their dreams. And, when we care about other Americans, we care about our communities, and the benefits come back to us in ways we couldn't imagine. THIS is the new American Christmas tradition.

Forward this to everyone on your mailing list -- post it to discussion groups --
throw up a post on Craigslist in the Rants and Raves section in your city --
send it to the editor of your local paper & radio stations, TV news departments.
This is a revolution of caring about each other. Isn't that what Christmas is about?

Have a blessed day!

BUTTERMILK CREEK FARM: IT'S GIVEAWAY TIME AT THE FARM!!!

2011-11-06T22:32:00.000-05:00

Carol from Buttermilk Creek Farm is having a great giveaway you won't want to miss out on....follow this link to find out more!
BUTTERMILK CREEK FARM

Look what Hearthside Happenings is giving away..

2011-11-02T18:52:00.000-04:00

You won't want to miss the chance to win this lovely lighted garland from Hearthside Happenings. You can never have enough pip berry garlands so hurry on over today.

Monday Makings and Prayers Requested

2011-10-31T11:48:00.000-04:00

Good morning dear friends! Hope this cold Monday morning finds you rested from your weekend. I have been working away on Christmas items lately, so I thought I would share some pictures with you before I get to some sad news.

All these are or will be listed in my Etsy or Ebay shops. Today I'm going to work on some snow people and other goodies for the upcoming holidays.

Last night I revamped my long neglected Selling Blog and I have some items listed there as well...including a couple of extra washboards I picked up last week when I purchased a bunch of them.

Now for the sad news....I wasn't going to share this until I knew it was okay to go ahead and do so....Last Friday, October 21, my dear son, Drew and new daughter-in-law, Maria experienced a miscarriage, and lost their baby. You will recall I had just posted about the baby a few weeks back, and it is with much sadness that I tell you all this. After a trip to the ER and several doctor's appointments, Maria found out that she has a polyp or growth of some kind, which prevented the pregnancy for progressing. She will find out more this week, but I am asking for a wave of prayers for God's blessings on her...that the spot, once biopsied, is benign, and that the doctor can eradicate it and Maria will be as good as new. If you can spare the time, you can extend your well wishes to Maria over at her blog, The Frenzied Fox Artwork. She would love to have your support and prayers...while you are there, why not become a follower of her blog too...that would mean so much to her as well!

In other news, last Thursday I donned my rubber gloves and canned 13 jars of hot peppers for Mr. Whimzies - he loves them.

We also had Drew & Maria over for dinner and I whipped up this yummy apple pie...which by now is just a memory - mmm mmm good!

I pray that you will treasure today and show your family how much they mean to you. Life is so precious.

Autumn Blessings Friends

Fall Frolicking & Fun

2011-10-29T14:31:00.000-04:00

Our trip last Sunday to the Corn Maze and Pumpkin Farm. It was a beautiful day...I love the contrast in colors..bright blue sky, green green grass and orange pumpkins.

Love these goose-neck gourds - I bought one so I would have the seeds to plant next year.

mmm...lots of yummy New York State Maple Syrup. If you check out our new cooking blog (see link on top left) you will find a recipe for Apple Cinnamon Waffles...perfect way to use this great syrup.

goofy pumpkin on the food wagon shelf

looking down a small portion of the maze from one of the three corn bridges in the maze (no...it is not all straight)

Drew & Maria

Fun with Corn silk!

Adorable little tic-tac-toe game they had set up in the green house room

Ole bike along the fence

sweet ole car parked in the lot

Sunset coming home

My pumpkin

Concentrating on carving after the maze and dinner


One happy kitten sleeping on the guest room bed.

So much to share.......

2011-10-28T09:13:00.000-04:00

I have so much to share this week - lots of pictures and stories to tell...but it's going to have to wait! Grrr....since moving to the country we have limited internet access each month and we are nearly at the end for October. Mr. Whimzie says it will reset tomorrow so I can download lots of pics and list my new items in my Etsy shop...so....til then....enjoy your day dear blogging friends!

Huckleberry Lady giveaway

2011-10-26T08:36:00.000-04:00

Lois over at Huckleberry Lady is having a sweet giveaway - she's even letting you pick your prize from 4 great items. Hurry on over today to join the fun.

Look what Margie is giving away!

2011-10-25T22:47:00.000-04:00

You'll want to hurry on over to visit Margie's blog at Hungry Hook Primitives! She giving away this gorgeous original hand hooked candle mat...you know you want it...but you've got to hurry because this giveaway ends Oct. 31st! Good luck!

Who doesn't love pumpkins!

2011-10-19T19:57:00.000-04:00

Well...I certainly do - I think they are my favorite thing about Fall! Denise over at KKL Primitives is giving away one of her adorable creations...hurry on over to sign up!

Mid-week Musings - A swap received and what I've been working on

2011-10-19T10:02:00.000-04:00

Good morning! It's been a busy week here at Ravenwood Whimzies. I'm getting some inside projects done, boxes unpacked and more organizing...whew...who knew it would take so long to move and organize 20 years worth of our lives. It's worth it though...the views from up here on the hill have been gorgeous this Fall!

A while back, I joined the Prairie Harvest Swap over at Amy's blog, Bumble Bee Lane. She matched me up with Robin from the Primitive Hutch, and boy am I glad she did! Look at all the goodies Robin sent me! Thank you so much!


Love them all!

I've been working on a few orders and some new items, so I thought I would share some pictures of them with you too. Off to mail packages and run errands - Have a lovely day all!

Prim Turkeys & Pilgrim Couple - both available in my Etsy shop.


Newest Santa creation (from a Soft in the Head pattern)...he, along with several other Santas, will be headed to Etsy very soon.

Brenda's having another giveaway!

2011-10-18T22:11:00.000-04:00

Whoo-hoo - Generous Brenda is having yet another giveaway over at The Rusty Thimble! Head on over to find out how you can enter to win this adorable Gingerbread/Vintage Grater!

Adorable giveaway to tell you about

2011-10-17T22:10:00.000-04:00

Head on over to meet Grandma Kringle! She's celebrating the Grand Opening of her blog and Etsy shop...and to celebrate....she's giving away an adorable gingerbread man! Hurry on over today to say hello!

Sharing some great Autumn Snapshots

2011-10-14T08:38:00.000-04:00

I wanted to share a few pictures before I head out to run errands and mail packages today. We are headed to the corn maze this weekend, so I'll have pictures to share of that on Monday. Enjoy your weekend everyone!

Starting the afternoon long project of making nearly 20 jars of applesauce with Maria, my new daughter-in-law

Yummm....ready to can now

Jack & Smidgen keep us company while we work

Fall in my Front Yard

I love pumpkins and my sweet hubby brought me these two big ones the other day. I have yet to get my scarecrow post planted in the ground. This is one of the many garden beds I have been redoing.

Just a few of the body parts I had drying outside yesterday


Part of the old mantel that someone decided would be better off on the dirty old barn floor. It also has small pillars that go on the front. I am, of course, going to refinish it and put it back into the house where it belongs!

A SCARE in the Garden!

2011-10-10T15:10:00.000-04:00

I had to pop in today to share a little story with you......

While working in the very overgrown gardens in our new yard today, I was on my knees, intent on digging out some of the million and one poppy plants near what will soon be my garden pond....I was lifting under the plants with my trowel, attempting to get deep down so I could eradicate the root and all.......and then..........what's that.............did the soil MOVE.........no.........it must be my imagination................yikes.................there it goes again.............that little patch of dirt that I thought had just settled back down......it moved again...............and now I'm getting pretty freaked out............there on my knees........face near the ground, wondering what the heck and unable to comprehend what I'm seeing.....and the soil starts to really move this time.............UPWARD.........I jump back (as much as one can while kneeling)...............and up out of the ground pops.........A BIG, FAT TOAD!

Darn near scared me to death..........but I ended up laughing when I saw what it was! I thought..............this is a great little story to tell my blogging friends. I went inside to grab my camera to take pictures of the culprit!

The weather is lovely, so I'm headed back out now to renew my battle with the poppies!

I hope you are enjoying your day-wishing you Warm Autumn Blessings!

A reminder about the Falling for Fall Challenge

2011-10-05T10:40:00.000-04:00

Hope you are all having a nice morning....the sun is finally making an appearance after nearly a week of cold, dark, wet weather - Yippee! I'm off to do some shopping, but wanted to send out a quick reminder to those who joined the Falling for Falling Challenge. Don't forget to send a picture of your completed project to me by Oct. 14th, so I may feature them on my blog.

Dear little Smidgen wanted to drop in to say Hi and let you know that she and our doggie, Jack, are becoming friends...but that Muffin is a real grumpy cat...don't think she'll be a big sister to her. Enjoy your day!

Ginger Creme Hollow: GIVEAWAY, GIVEAWAY.WHO WANTS TO WIN GEORGE?

2011-10-04T13:10:00.000-04:00

Becky is having a cute giveaway, but it ends Oct 6th, so hurry on over to join the fun.
Ginger Creme Hollow

Front Porch Primitives: Front Porch Primitives Giveaway~ First Ever!!!

2011-10-03T20:06:00.001-04:00

Just discovered a new blog and Steph is having a great giveaway, so hurry on over to Front Porch Primitives!

So much to share today! Recipes, Kitten's name, a giveaway received and Exciting News!

2011-10-03T12:36:00.000-04:00

Good morning dear friends! I have so much to share today! We had a lovely weekend which started with dinner at the newlyweds on Friday evening, our local high school football game and then a fun-filled weekend, which ended on a Wonderful note!

First off, we have decided to call our new kitten Smidgen! I actually had a couple people submit that name so I will be sending a little something off to Lisa at The Moonlit Stitch and Mindy at Raymond Homestead. Gals, please send me an email with your home addy so I can send you a goodie. Thanks to all of you who submitted names...I had a very hard time deciding!

This morning I posted some new recipes on our recipe blog, The Crow's Crusty Loaf. Just in time for all that Fall produce from the garden, I have posted a recipe for Stuffed Green Peppers. For those of you with a sweet tooth, there is also a great recipe for Apple Cider Donuts. Why not head on over, check out our recipes, and become a follower today.

Saturday I made Apple Cider Donuts in the morning, then we went car shopping with our oldest son, Scott and his wife, Steph. We spent the better part of the afternoon test driving and wheeling and dealing....they ended up purchasing a beautiful red Dodge Journey...and will be picking it up next weekend. We went out to celebrate with dinner at our favorite pub, Parkers, in Auburn, then headed home. Drew & Maria came over to spend the night as well, so we played games and visited. After church on Sunday, we all traveled the hour to see my aunt in the nursing home. She loved seeing the kids and meeting Drew's wife, Maria, for the first time. When we returned home, I stuck a ham and some scalloped taters in the oven and my parents showed up for a visit! What fun we all had sitting around our big dining room table visiting and eating. It was a pretty quiet evening after everyone left to go home.....that is.....until the phone rang.........

and who do you think it was?

Drew & Maria

We had just said goodbye to them an hour or so before, but it seems they had plans to run home and call her parents first......with the wonderful news that, yes, they are expecting! They are so excited and when they told us, Mr. Whimzie was practically dancing around the room (not a pretty site - lol). We are all so happy for them and can't wait to welcome our first grandchild! (The picture I posted above was taken by their good friend, Danica Clark, for Indiana. She is an excellent photographer and I would highly recommend her if you live in northern Indiana.) She took these photos of them when they visited her on their way home from their honeymoon in early July.)

Lastly, as I'm sure you are tired of reading my post by now...I wanted to share a picture of the great giveaway goodies I received Friday afternoon from Angie at Just A Lil Raggedy. I had won her giveaway a little while back and I just love all that she sent me! Thanks so much Angie!

Angie sent me some great fabric, prim pumpkins and witch's hat, prim candy corn and a Frankie tuck..he's adorable. She included them all and this great candle tin too! Thanks Angie

Enjoy your day everyone! I'm off to finish wallpapering my kitchen.

*Warm Harvest Blessings*

Another great giveaway to tell you about

2011-10-01T19:24:00.000-04:00

Willa over at The Old Cupboard Door is giving away two of her adorable pumpkin pokes! Hurry on over to sign up for the giveaway! Aren't they cute??

What I've been working on....

2011-09-29T13:14:00.000-04:00

Good afternoon! Hope you are enjoying your day. I wanted to share a picture of the witchie-poo I just finished up. I'm pretty happy with the way she turned out - she'll be listed on my Etsy site within the hour. I'd also working on some swap items...but I can't share them with you because that will ruin the surprise.

It's not too late to submit a name for our new kitty - I'll be giving away a little something to the person who comes up with the winning name. You can comment below with your suggestions.

Our new kitten and a little giveaway!

2011-09-26T09:10:00.000-04:00

Mr. Whimzie gave me the green light to get another kitty, and I'd like you to meet her today.

When I went to pick her up yesterday, I was amazed at how much she looked like our son's (Scott) cat ! Her picture is below....

Since their kitty's name is Smudge, I thought it would be fun to pick a name for our new kitty that went along with that....so....I'm asking for a little help in naming our new sweet kitten.

If you think you have the purrrrrfect name for our new kitten, just place a comment here....I will be sending a little something to the one who comes up with the name we finally choose! Let's have one name per person, so it doesn't get too confusing. I was planning to have a giveaway soon, but this is a little something extra just for fun!

Have a lovely day!

Primcats: Happy Fall Giveaway!

2011-09-24T19:34:00.000-04:00

Hey all you PrimCats-Head on over to Carmen's blog for her latest giveaway - You won't want to miss it!

Primcats: Happy Fall Giveaway!:

Granny Trace Scraps & Squares: HAPPY FALL!! IT'S GIVEAWAY DAY!!

2011-09-24T19:19:00.000-04:00

Hurry on over to visit my friend Trace...she's having a wonderful giveaway!
Granny Trace Scraps & Squares: HAPPY FALL!! IT'S GIVEAWAY DAY!!:

I hate to brag but............

2011-09-23T16:33:00.000-04:00

I have more wonderful give-away wins to tell you about! I've had a real lucky streak lately and I wanted to share some pictures of the goodies I have received in the last couple of days.

Firstly, I won the sweet giveaway from my dear friend Isabella at Seeking Center in an Old House & Life. Isabella is such a kind and gentle soul - please check out her blog - I know she would love to meet you! She sent me those goodies. Thank you so much Isabella! Hugs

All my goodies - the seed packet fabric is so cute.

Love this beautiful vintage photo book!

So glad I could get a close up of this little charm she sent - isn't it sweet?

Next is the giveaway I won from Sandi at the Primitive Skate. She sent me so many adorable goodies just in time for my Fall decorating! I love them all Sandi and thank you for being so generous! Here's what Sandi sent me....Don't ya love them all? Thanks Sandi!


Really love all the goodies...the pumpkin sign and scarecrow are so cute, and the Fall box, pumpkin and little bucket with tea light are adorable as well. Thanks Sandi!

Finally, I received the lovely cupboard tuck I chose as my giveaway win from Patti at Winding Vine Wanderings. She let me chose any item from her Etsy shop, and I fell in love with this (I'm a sucker from crows). The workmanship on this little pillow tuck is so beautiful! Make sure you check out her blog and head on over to her Etsy shop soon. Thank you again Patti!

Didn't she package it up so nicely?


As the tuck says - How Great the Blessings I receive from my Blogging Friends!

Thank you again everyone and I hope you all have a lovely weekend!

Warm blessings!

Lookie what I won!

2011-09-22T10:27:00.000-04:00

Oooh....A big package was waiting on my porch yesterday....and I was giddy with excitement to open it and see what was inside from Jean over at Prim Crafts! I was one of two lucky winners and I must say that Jean was so very generous to me. She included so many wonderful things. Take a look!

I love all the goodies you included Jean. I never dreamed you would be so generous and I am truly thankful to have won your awesome giveaway!

What a wonderfully big pumpkin and a Crow - whoo hoo - love them

I absolutely LOVE this Pumpkin head!

Look at all the other goodies she included...a note pad, three prim pumpkins and three candy corn bowl fillers, a prim little tea light and some yummy tarts made by Amy of Bumble Bee Lane.


I'm so blessed to receive this giveaway!

Weekend, surprise party and winnings!

2011-09-19T08:31:00.001-04:00

Good morning all - It's a lovely and sunny morning here in Central New York...a bit on the cool side, but if Summer lasted forever, then we wouldn't be able to have Fall with all it's beautiful colors, smells and sights.

Mr. Whimzie and I had quite a full weekend. We got to sleep in a bit on Saturday, then we were off to the 'old' house to help son, Drew, close up the pool. I took this picture on the way. With that mostly done, we then headed home and I fixed a quick dinner (you can find the recipe posted on our new food blog, The Crow's Crusty Loaf.)

We then started working in the yard. It takes a good 3 hours for me to mow here at the new house. Hubby trimmed branches so we could see the view from our windows/porch better. We talked about all the ideas we had for the outside of this place. I think it has been one of the first times we have been able to enjoy working in the yard...as up til now it seems that everything is so rushed.

Yesterday after church, we finished up in the yard, then headed on over to the old house again, to grab a few things. I dug up three of my roses to replant later today. The big event yesterday was a surprise party for my dear friend, Jeanne, who turns the big 50 this week. The surprise worked like a charm and she had a lovely time at her party.

Over the weekend, Mr. Whimzie and I talked at length about a few things, and we came to the conclusion that I will be giving up my part-time job at our old church. Instead of 5 minutes away, the drive now takes me nearly 25 minutes, and with the added time and the price of gas these days, it just isn't feasible to do it any longer. The decision is okay with me though, as it means more time I will have to devote to my online sales, which I haven't had much time for at all the last few months.

When we arrived home last night, I discovered that I had won another giveaway...this time from Patti over at Winding Vine Wanderings. Patti generously allowed me to pick ANY item from her Etsy shop....it took me quite a while to narrow down my choices, but in the end I kept being drawn to this adorable cupboard tuck pillow (loved the crows on it). Isn't it lovely! Thank you Patti!

Off to shower and start my day! Hope you have a blessed week all.

Disbelief..............

2011-09-16T08:57:00.000-04:00

Good morning dear blogging friends. I don't usually like to complain on my blog, but something made me upset this morning and I wanted to share it with you. I was sitting with my coffee and picked up the paper to glance at it before starting my day. I turned the first page, and a letter to the editor grabbed my attention...and I read in disbelief as the writer of that letter bitterly complained about the paper's coverage of the Anniversary of 9-11. Now to back up a bit, our paper had featured a few stories each day for the last two weeks. These stories included interviews from those who had lost loved ones and the like, and each of them were quite moving to read....they were well done.

Then, along comes this guy who derided the newspaper for too much coverage, saying it was shoved down our throats and that the events of 9-11 are 'history, so let's keep it that way' and "move on". Although I was not personally effected by the horrible events that occurred that day, I for one, will never forget, and I feel we must learn from the 'history' of our country....but for many, the events of that day will forever be with them, for they lost sons, daughters, husbands, wives, babies and grandparents. We should NEVER forget those events or the people who perished, any more than we can forget the events of WWI, WWII, the Korean, Vietnam or Gulf or the current War...because each of those lives lost has meaning and purpose.

Although I am not eloquent in trying to put down my feelings on 'paper', I can say that it breaks my heart to think that there are some in our beautiful country who cannot see the importance of remembering....may God bless America, and have mercy on those who could care less.

Our New Recipe Blog

2011-09-15T17:09:00.000-04:00

Our new blog,

The Crow's Crusty Loaf

debuted last week. Why not stop on over to see what we're cookin' up. We'll be adding new recipes at least a couple times a week, so be sure to become a follower!

I WON!

2011-09-13T12:08:00.000-04:00

Lookie at all the awesome things I just won from Sandi over at The Primitive Skate! Thank you so much Sandi - I love them all and can't wait to receive my goodies - just in time for Fall decorating!

Lovely giveaway to tell you about

2011-09-12T11:12:00.000-04:00

Dear Roberta of Taking the Scenic Route (formerly Cottonwood Lane Primitives) is giving away one of her lovely candle mats! If you aren't yet acquainted with Roberta, she does exquisite wool work! I know you will want to hurry on over for a chance to win this Autumn Candle Mat.

Join the fun - my Fall Challenge is here!

2011-09-12T10:38:00.001-04:00

My first post about my new Fall Challenge was embedded at the bottom of a long post last week, so I thought I would repeat the information today, for any who would like to sign up. I hope you decide to join in the fun!

Falling for Fall Challenge

This challenge will work much the same as the Bunny Challenge I hosted back in the Spring, but this time I am providing a fairly generic pattern, and it is up to you to make it into a doll that reflects Fall.
Some interesting ideas might be:

a prim Fall Annie doll,

a scarecrow,

perhaps a witch,

a skeleton or

some other Halloween ghoul.

You are free to enlarge, decrease and alter the pattern to make it fit your ideas and I am hoping to see lots of creative additions. Since this is not a pattern for any specific creation, it will be a TON of fun to see what you all come up with. As with the last challenge, I will highlight your creations on a PictureTrail album, which I will place on my blog when the pictures start coming in. There are just a few simple rules to follow to join in the fun:

1. Make a comment on this post telling me you would like to join;

2. Make your creation and get a picture to me on or before October 14th, so that I can feature them on the Picture Trail album I will create;

3. Agree not to sell my pattern for profit. You may sell items you make from my pattern, but you must give me credit as the creator of the pattern.

Remember - this is a challenge just for the fun of it and although I would like to see the finished product, if you cannot complete your creation in time, I won't think any less of you. I will be happy to post a picture whenever you complete your project.

I call this a challenge because each of you have a different style and so many great ideas, and it is fun to see what we can create on our own.

Good luck on the Fall Challenge - I hope you will join in the fun!

Click on the Link below to get the PDF pattern for the Falling for Fall Challenge

Falling for Fall Challenge Pattern

Another great blog to introduce you to!

2011-09-09T11:35:00.000-04:00

Good morning all!

I've been hinting at some kind of announcement the last week or so, and today is the day to unveil what we've been cookin' up!

It seems that blogging is catching on like wildfire in our family, and we've decided to start a blog to share all of our tried and true recipes. We have three families contributing to the blog, so hopefully we'll never run out of yummy recipes to share with you....so....without further delay, may I introduce you to

The Crow's Crusty Loaf

We've only got a few recipes up so far, but be sure to Meet the Chefs and become acquainted with our unique styles. I hope you enjoy our new blog and become a follower. We welcome your comments.

Lots of Water - Before & After Pics

2011-09-08T17:43:00.000-04:00

Like so many in Pennsylvania & NY, we got a ton of rain the last couple of days...over 4 inches around us...but much more to our south and east just a bit. At the request of our meteorologist son, Drew, I took some before pictures of our stream/waterfalls, and then, when he and his wife came for lunch today, we took some after pictures. Thought you would enjoy seeing the difference. We were lucky and had nothing more than some seepage in the basement, and the sump pump did run a lot during the night. From what we saw at the creek, the water was about 2 feet higher than when we went down to take pictures.

I'll be back tomorrow with a special announcement! Gotta go fix dinner for my starving Mr. Whimzie.

Prim Cats giveaway

2011-09-07T15:55:00.000-04:00

You wouldn't believe what wonderful things Carmen is giving away! Why not head on over to Primcats right now...the sign-ups won't last for long!

I'm holding a Facebook Giveaway!

2011-09-06T17:30:00.000-04:00

This adorable little pair could be yours, if you hurry on over and "Like" my Facebook page. I will be holding the giveaway once I reach 175 fans.

I won again!

2011-09-06T16:31:00.001-04:00

Must be my lucky week because I just won the giveaway over at Just a Lil Raggedy. Dear Angie, bless her heart, as been giving away lots of goodies in the past week, despite some pretty serious health issues with her Father in Law. She's such a giving and kind person and I'm so happy to have won some of her great items. Take a look at my winnings below! Can't wait to get them! Thank you again Angie.

My $10 cabinet, the State Fair and the New Falling for Fall Challenge!

2011-09-05T17:40:00.002-04:00

I have so much to share with you lovely ladies today! It's been a while since I made a real post...things continue to be very busy at our new home. We're still moving things over from the old house and also redoing some things along the way. I promised a picture of my $10 china cabinet...it's not prim, but more Victorian, and I will most likely sell it soon (after touching up a few places on it)...but for $10 I figured it was worth trying to sell on Craig's list...to make some money for the kind of cabinet I would like once I redo the dining room.

Saturday Mr. Whimzie drove the whole clan (me, our sons and their wives) to the great New York State Fair. We had a grand time, even if it was 90 degrees and very humid! We ate sausages, cheese-steaks, huge plates of curly cut french fries, warm, cinnamon/sugar fried doughs, drank wine slushies and saw lots of interesting sites. Below are just a few of the many pictures I took!

The Sand Sculpture - a Memorial to the victims of 9-11

I LOVE this hooked rug!

Pig Roast at one of the vendors


Anvil cloud at the end of the day - there's Drew, our meteorologist, taking a picture

Tomorrow I will be posting about a new Family Food Blog we are creating, so stay tuned for a link to that. It will feature tried and true recipes with pictures, of foods either I or our sons and their wives have made....lots of yummy stuff will be posted...but I'll tell you more about that blog when we are up and running tomorrow.

I have been hinting for quite a while about a NEW CHALLENGE. Well, today is the day I will be unveiling the pattern and I will be calling this the

Falling for Fall Challenge

a prim Fall Annie doll,

a scarecrow,

perhaps a witch,

a skeleton or

some other Halloween ghoul.

1. Make a comment on this post telling me you would like to join;

2. Make your creation and get a picture to me on or before October 14th, so that I can feature them on the Picture Trail album I will create;

3. Agree not to sell my pattern for profit. You may sell items you make from my pattern, but you must give me credit as the creator of the pattern.

Remember - this is a challenge just for the fun of it and although I would like to see the finished product, if you cannot complete your creation in time, I won't think any less of you.
I call this a challenge because each of you have a different style and so many great ideas, and it is fun to see what we can create on our own.

Good luck on the Challenge - I hope you will join in the fun!

Click on the Link below to get the PDF pattern for the Falling for Fall Challenge

http://www.scribd.com/doc/64013906/Falling-for-Fall-Challenge-NEW

The Barn Hollow: Fall Giveaway

2011-09-05T10:16:00.000-04:00

Here's another great giveaway I'd like to tell you about!
The Barn Hollow: Fall Giveaway: Just think, FALL is just around the corner. Don't know about all of you, but Fall is my favorite season. Leaves of gold, yellow, red and or...

I'm so Blessed - a giveaway win

2011-09-04T13:24:00.000-04:00

I would like to introduce you all to a new blogger, Isabella, of Seeking Center in an Old House and Life. I just recently 'met' her, but already I feel that I have made a good friend. She's so kind hearted and such an eloquent writer, (I do so enjoy her posts), and I wanted to let you know about her blog, so you can head on over to make her acquaintance.

She was kind enough to hold a giveaway recently and I won! I am looking forward to receiving my package and will post pictures of my goodies soon!

Have a blessed day all and a very Happy Labor Day!

New giveaways!

2011-09-01T22:09:00.000-04:00

I've added some great new giveaways lately to my sidebar and in my posts...be sure to check them out...some will be ending soon! Good luck and God bless!

York Mountain Primitives giveaway

2011-09-01T16:13:00.000-04:00

Traci is giving away some York Mountain bucks to the winner of her latest giveaway. Hurry on over to join in the fun at York Mountain Primitives.

The Barn Hollow: First Barn Hollow Giveaway

2011-09-01T15:55:00.000-04:00

The Barn Hollow: First Barn Hollow Giveaway: Hello Everyone, This is the just the beginning. For our first giveaway we are starting with something small and simple. We will be givin...

A new blogger to tell you about!

2011-08-31T08:39:00.000-04:00

The fun of blogging seems to be catching on in my family, because now my sister, Liz, has started a blog of her own. She lives in Vermont and owns a cute country store in Danby. She bought the store about a year or so ago and has put a lot of love and elbow grease into bringing it back to it's glory. She would like to share in the happenings at her store....so why not stop over at the Danby 4-Corners Store and say Hello. I know she would love to meet all you wonderful gals. And, if you are ever in the area, be sure to stop in for a treat!

She has some awesome pictures of the terrible flooding in the area. Luckily her store was untouched, but there has been a lot of damage there and I pray that they can return to normal soon....and get those roads fixed, because I'm coming for a visit this Fall!

Today I'm off to pick up an antique china cabinet I nabbed for just $10. My new daughter-in-law, Maria is tagging along to keep me company and we'll make a stop at the Amish Market before heading back home. Oh, speaking of Maria, be sure to stop on over to her blog as well to sign up for her giveaway. She needs a few more followers still.

Have a wonderful day all! *Blessings*

A wonderful giveaway to tell you about

2011-08-31T08:04:00.000-04:00

Blessings in the Country is having a wonderful Fall giveaway, full of great prizes...so hurry on over to sign up today!

Take a Stroll Through the Pumpkin Patch with PAFA

2011-08-28T15:00:00.001-04:00

You don't want to miss the great giveaway going on now at the PAFA blog! Head on over there to sign up today!

What I Saw From My Yard Yesterday

2011-08-26T10:36:00.000-04:00

I had to share these pictures of the view from my yard yesterday as we watched a small storm come down along Owasco Lake. I love this view - one of the many reasons why we chose to move to this house!

Learn how to Hook!

2011-08-26T10:09:00.000-04:00

Have you ever wanted to learn the art of rug hooking? Well, Margie over at Hungry Hook Primitives is now offering a free tutorial! She's packed her post full of her expert advice and hints...I'm sure you will love learning from her! As if this wasn't enough, she is also offering a giveaway with all the goodies necessary to start your first hooking project. Don't miss this great tutorial - oh yeah....if you head on over to sign up, please let Margie know I sent you, so that I can receive an extra entry into her giveaway. Enjoy!

Dear followers.....

2011-08-24T09:50:00.000-04:00

It is always sad to lose a follower, and I have noticed that I have lost a couple in the last few weeks. I thank those of you who have stuck with me the last two months as we have been busy with our son's wedding and our big move. I appreciate all of you so much and want to say a big

THANK YOU

for visiting my humble blog. I am always looking to improve and would certainly welcome any suggestions/comments of how I can do better.

Look what Sweet Meadow Farms is giving away!

2011-08-23T19:43:00.000-04:00

Maureen always has the best bear patterns, and now you can win all you need to make her latest creation! Just hop on over to her blog at Sweet Meadow Farms to enter to win.