I never thought......

Well I never thought there would be a day when I would get excited over $3.66 for a gallon for gas. Well today was the day - didn't take me long to decide that I needed to fill up. And then when I was leaving the gas station a young man was caring out the number 2 to change the price - dang another 10 minutes and I could have saved another 4 cents per gallon!

Today is kind of a quiet day around the house. I'm off today and I took Joker off for a day at the spa (grooming), of course he will not be happy with me but he'll appreciate the shorter do with all this heat. Sadie had surgery this morning to remove a growth on her leg and small growths on her eye lid, so when she comes home tonight she'll need special attention. And Larry and Dee-o-Gee are sleeping so its time for some quilting.

This is a quick lap size quilt I put together a couple weeks ago using 1930's fabric, the pattern is called Bricks and Blocks. I'm using a 80% cotton/20% polyester blend batting and a lighter weight white thread for the stitches. I'm doing a pantograph pattern called Plumage for the quilting design - its a real nice feather type pattern.

But for right now I think its lunch time and then time for a float in the pool since its in the 90's again and my day off.

Mary

Before and After

Thought I would do before and after pictures of the kitchen update. Not sure about the light fixture above the table, thinking I need to update that too. Pictures on the walls - need opinions - kind of thinking of black frames, not sure. Like I said I'm open to ideas.

Mary

My Banana Tree

Thought I would share a couple of pictures of my banana tree. I got it in May when it was only a foot tall and now it stands over 3 feet. Its a fast growing plant, when one leaf opens another one is starting to emerge. My father-in-law always told my that this was the 'banana belt' so its only fitting I have one growing here. Unfortunately it does get too cold here in winter to survive but we will try to keep it in the garage over winter and see if we can keep it going if it isn't too tall.

And you say I don't have a green thumb - grow that Joann!

Mary

New Countertop Installed

Well the new countertop was installed on Monday morning - what a difference it makes. I chose a solid surface countertop with an undermount sink, I really like the look of it. The top is by LG HI-MACS in the Maui Quartz color and a white under mount sink - its a real neutral color that can either go with warm or cool colors. Unfortunately my plumbing was not installed until Tuesday evening. Now that all the inconvenience is done with it is time to finish up grading the look. By Tuesday evening we finished painting the walls (pictures to come later). I want to do a tile back splash but have not decided on the tile as of yet. Kind of thinking of a matte white tile in a brick pattern with a light beige grout line - yep watching too much HGTV!
Mary

I Hate Wallpaper!!!

Have I said this before how much I dislike wallpaper in my house. I don't dislike it in other homes but I'm basically a paint type of gal, maybe a faux finish but really just painted walls. I spent my last 2 days off stripping wallpaper in my kitchen and if you have noticed in the 2nd picture no more blue countertop.

I started this project in my mind a long time ago always wanting to eventually change the look of the kitchen but since most of the time I'm the queen of procrastination it took awhile. I would look at different counter tops at work and dream, finally I got more interested this past spring, introduced my idea to Jody and a month or two later I ordered the counter top. I ordered the new top at the end of May and thought I had more than a month to get rid of the wallpaper - wrong! I ordered on the 31st of May, they called to set up the template appointment that following Thursday and install for today.

Special thanks to my husband for priming the walls over the weekend, so I am set to paint once the install is done.

Off to feed the puppies and get them to day camp (5th wheel)before the installers arrive.

Mary

My Rose Bush

Yes I know I didn't grow this - but I have kept it alive for the past 2 weeks so I deserve some credit. We were at Lowe's one night about 2 weeks ago buying azaleas for the front of our house when Jody came back to the cart with this bush. It's a grafted rose bush and is quite stunning. I asked him how much and he told him he did not know but he liked it, so on the cart it went. Then he asked me where I was going to plant it, ?????, I responded I didn't know, hadn't planned on it. So right now it is in the decorative pot it came in but will find a home up by the fence in our backyard.

Today will be just a cleaning day, don't want to but need to. Then hopefully some sewing and quilting. I have the quilt I made for our bed last winter on the frame, its been on it for more than a week. I was having all kinds of issues with my tension, self induced of course. After changing the needle, playing with the tensions, etc., I finally changed the thread in the bobbin to the same thread on top - no more issues. So I have some reversing quilting to do (ripping out stitches) on a third of what I have done so I figure about another week on the frame.

OK, break time is over back to work.

Enjoy!

Mary

Saturday's Day Trip

We left home about 10am with the final destination to be Mount Mitchell on the Blue Ridge Parkway. We headed up I85 to I26 then onto the country roads for the scenic ride to the Parkway. Along the way we came upon Rockhouse Winery - which naturally I had to stop. Unfortunately the sign said that they were open at 1pm and it was well before that. I peered into the window and woke up the dog, as I was heading back to the car the owner called me back up and opened up the tasting room. So with some tasting done and interesting conversation we left with 2 bottles of wine in tow. Back into the car and up the road we headed to a restaurant just off the Parkway for lunch. We sat on the balcony with a spectacular view and the sound of the traffic below our feet. After a great lunch we headed up the parkway to Mount Mitchell, about a 20 mile drive.

As we ascended the mountain it was very evident that spring had just come to the mountains. Trees were first starting to bud, everything was just starting to come alive again. The temperature change wasn't too bad, as we turned off the parkway it was 64 and on top it had only dropped to 53, it was windy but not at all bad. The elevation of Mount Mitchell is 6578 and it truly has some of the most gorgeous views.

Back down the mountain and and off the Parkway to meet and have supper with some old friends of my husband's family, Max Woody and his wife Pat and his son. Max is a true craftsman, Max makes wood rockers that have been sold around the world, the waiting list for one of his rockers is about 4 years. Well after some great conversation and Max telling stories of the past and another great meal we headed out for our 2 hour trip home.

What a great day it was, I have posted more pictures of the Parkway and Mount Mitchell on my Webshots - hope you enjoy the views.

Mary