Busy...Busy...Where did March go?

March is usually the month that, for me, drags on and on....This year, that is not the case!  It's been such a busy month that it has flown by! I can't believe I let a week and a half go by without making some sort of post...even if just a short one!

We are just shy of two weeks before the big day...Ely and Liz are getting married April 10th. A small church wedding with a dance reception to follow.  Last weekend there were two bridal showers for Liz. Many thanks to those who hosted the showers and those who could attend!

Liz with (step)Mom, Carla.

Denise, Denni, Liz, Susan and Sheila.

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Last Thursday was my sister, Denni's, birthday so that called for a girls day out!  Our oldest sister, Marsha couldn't go so we took adopted sister, my sister-in-law, Sheila!!

Sheila didn't have sisters and always wanted one...so, since I have FOUR, I'm sharing!

She fits right in!! LOL 

The day started with a little shopping, an early lunch, then facials!

An hour of relaxation!  I've had makeovers before, but have not ever experienced a true facial.

It was awesome! 

We went to the school in Columbia...CCI. 

After that, we went back to the mall and I finally found my dress for the wedding!

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Saturday, John's folks returned from Texas.  Mom loved her new kitchen! 

In just the past couple of weeks, new hardwood flooring was put in so everything including cabinets had to come out.  So before putting it all back together, a new fresh color of paint, thorough cleaning and a few minor repairs!  I'm actually looking forward to getting back in there and carrying the new paint color thru to the living room!  But not til after April 10th!

Saturday night, we celebrated John's birthday (which was Sunday) with dinner at Lulas! Mmm...Mmm! I think I've blogged about that place before!  The BEST ribeye!

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So, besides work at one place or another, that's been my past couple weeks.

It looks to be a beautiful day...the sun is shining!  I think it's to be around 60 today but in the 70's for Tuesday and Wednesday! I'll take it!!

Have a GREAT day!

It's THAT time of year....

I've been putting it off....and finally, two days ago decided that I can't put it off any longer and started digging, sorting, piling and filing all those papers we stash in a drawer, folder or wherever. Yep....TAXES!

Every year I tell myself I'm going to be more organized the next year....then by the time I get everything together and taken to the accountant, I'm wore out and put it off organizing the few months I have stashed in the drawer til the next week then  next week becomes next year at prep time!   Maybe this will be the year I actually do it!  Anywhoo...I have until 3:00 pm next Wednesday to get this all together! 

Remember back in the day before computers when once you finally got things in to your accountant, it was several days to maybe weeks to get your papers back to sign and snail mail in then weeks to actually get your refund?

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It's a foggy morning here at the farm...hope it lifts soon!  Much to do today....a few errands in town and if it's as nice as they say it's going to be today (64 and sunshine), I really need to start cleaning out my flower beds....I've got green poking up thru the ground out there...yea!  I know I have some lillies and yarrow poking up...and another box of what I think are tulips?  I think that's what I put out there last year! 

Going to prep kitchen walls at MIL's for painting....she's getting new hardwood flooring so everything came out...appliances, cupboards....so nows the time for a fresh coat of paint.

And, it's time I get off of this ol' thing and get myself busy....hope you all have a GREAT day!! 

Another RoadTrip...

...but this time, it was in the truck with John! He was coming thru the house on his way to West Chicago to unload Friday afternoon...then up to Milwaukee to reload coming back to our area for Sunday night so I hopped in the truck with him.  And what a trip!  When I'm out with him, very seldom do we ever get to go off route because you just can't take that big ol' truck anywhere not to mention having the time.  Well, this weekend, our friend, Ed, who lives in Milwaukee was home, so he picked us up from the truck stop and we puttered around for the day with him.  Our first stop was Holy Hill...The Basilica of the National Shrine of Mary.  Absolutely beautiful!  This photo doesn't do it justice as it was a cloudy and drizzly day.  http://www.holyhill.com/ No, I'm not Catholic but I still enjoyed seeing this church...this place... just the same.  I would really like to visit again, on a much warmer day, to take the pilgrim walk.
Our next stop was a store called Penzeys....Penzeys Spices http://www.penzeys.com/ Every spice you can imagine....salts, peppers, spices, herbs, vanilla....you can visit their site for all kinds of information...stories, recipes, nutritional information......I've not visited the site yet since I brought home a catalog, but surely you could sign up for their catalog and email list.
Then, on to a little Italian market....Glorioso's.  Oh my goodness...pasta, sausage, salami, wine, cheese and so much more.....Mmmm.....Yeah, I came home and cooked Italian for dinner!  My husband and his sense of humor, the girls at the register (owners daughters? I believe) wanted to take him home!  Ha! That's a first!
We found a quaint little Chinese restraunt for a late lunch... Jings ...she had delicious crab rangoon!  Of course it was all good!  Then, what's better after a good meal but a good cup of coffee so we stopped in at the Alterra Baking Co. http://www.alterracoffee.com/  and I might say that their desserts are pretty good, too!
And that wrapped up our day...back to the truck to head for home.

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As usual, besides the book and magazines, I took along my Lancaster County sampler to work on and got a bit accomplished...I finished the alphabet and a bit more of the border.  I am anxious to get it finished and add it to my sampler wall.

Today it was back to work...it wasn't a long day.  It just felt like it. I usually "catch up" on sleep when in the truck but that didn't happen this trip...on top of losing an hour Saturday night....I'm feeling the effects!

I hope you had a terrific weekend...and have a great week! 

A Beautiful Day!

 It is such a beautiful day here today!  The thermometer on the backporch says it's 70 degrees out there and according to google, it's 65 outside.  It's partly cloudy with a slight wind, but not so much I couldn't go outside and do a little spray painting!  The windows are open on the porch and thru the house and I'm lovin' it!   It's getting closer and closer to garden time.  I made my first "plant" purchase while at the Homesteaders show last Friday.  Paddy Wagon's had bundles of pussywillow branches and when I see them, I remember the pussywillow that my grandparents had in their backyard.  I heard a gentleman say that the bunches have been the most popular item of their booth!   I have these branches in water to let them root so that I can plant them somewhere in my yard...hmm...maybe by the time they root, I'll know where that spot will be! 

Another popular item was the new primitive magazine 'A Simple Life' ... and of course I had to pick up the latest issue of Mercantile Gatherings since I let my subscription run out!

Of course that's not all I bought....I picked up several other little treasures and I'll be offering them as remakes in time.

 Other than a little bit of cross-stitch, I hadn't been getting anything done...I was needing a creative reboot and this trip did just that! So stay tuned.....

I hope you're having an awesome day!

RoadTrip Ramblin'.....

Hello All!  I hope you had a great weekend! It was absolutely beautiful here over the weekend!  The temps have been in the 50's!  I love it!!

Well as I mentioned in my last post, I took a little road trip over the weekend!  I cleared out my photo card, charged the battery to the camera...good to go.  Yes, I did remember to pack it, but I just didn't take pictures! I'm getting so bad at that!  I snapped  a few going into the show Friday night and that was it!  Anyways....We left out about 9:00 Friday morning and meandered our way to Arthur by way of Hannibal, where we took in a few shops.... Puddin' Heads, an antique/home dec shop, The Hickory Stick, which is a quilt shop filled with more fabrics than a girl knows what to do with! And St. Petersburg Mercantile, which is an antique shop.  After a light lunch at the Abbie Rose Tea Room, we took off for Pittsfield, IL where we found only one shop open....Country Fixins Primitives Craft & Antique Mall  http://www.countryfixinsprimitives.com/

We tried to find an antique shop in Jacksonville we'd heard about, with no luck, so we headed on out to Arthur for the Homesteaders on the Prairie Antique Show....and early pickin's on Friday night 5 - 8 and it was about 6 before we got there after our stops along the way. 

The show was awesome!  Booth after booth filled with primitives galore...from early American antiques to handmades...candles, stitchery, crocks and dough bowls...Their fall show is already on their community calendar... November 12 & 13.  Mark your calender!

We also met an online friend, Kim and visited as we walked thru part of the show....so nice to meet you Kim!  She let us know about a shop over in Arcola that was staying open late so we headed over there.  If you are ever in the area...you must stop by and visit with Elizabeth at The Primitive Goose  http://www.theprimitivegoose.com/!   What a doll she is....it was with her help that we were able to find a room for the night!  Seems there was quite a bit going on in that area over the weekend and hotels were booked up!  Thanks for your help Elizabeth! The hotel would hold our room until 9 so we had to be on our way.  So off we went to Tuscola. 

Before heading back to Arthur for the Gathering on the Prairie show, we stopped at a few places in Tuscola,.  Paddy Wagon Antiques, with 2 locations in Tuscola and Route 36 Antiques and Winterberrys http://www.winterberrystore.com/

All must-see's if you are ever in the area.

Back to Arcola...we visit The Olde Brick Wall http://www.oldebrickwall.com/  and The Emporium Antique Mall.

On our way back to Arthur, we stopped at Beachy's, an Amish bulk foods store.  It was starting to get late and the Gatherings show was open only until 3:00 and by the time we got there, it was like 2:00 so we pretty much breezed thru there.  A couple more stops in downtown Arthur, Yoder's Lamps & Antiques, a quilt shop that I cannot recall the name...and another little shop that had an assortment of things.  We had a late lunch at Yoder's Kitchen. Not usually a fan of buffets but this had to be one of the best I've had. Amish/Mennonite Homestyle Cooking.  http://www.yoderskitchen.com/

By then, we were both ready to just hit the road for home.  Another McD's stop for coffee (mocha frappe for Dawn) and a quick stop at Wabash Depot Antique Centre in Decatur, IL...we got maybe 20 minutes or so to browse before lights out!

That was it...headed for home.  Late enough in the day now that places were closing up.

I hope I didn't bore you with all my ramblin'....I hope I've given you some good ideas for a roadtrip of your own! I know that I plan to return and I'd love to go in the fall! 

Have a GREAT day!

A productive day...

As I mentioned in previous posts, I've been in an early spring cleaning mood! A few days ago, I cleaned out the laundry room, pitching things that had been stashed in there for lack of anyplace else to put them. How long they'd been there, I don't know, but it's gone now!  So in doing that, I realize just how bad that small room needed painting.  Hmm....what to do....I started to clear it out a few days ago but when I went to get out my supplies, I found that I didn't have any supplies here!  I'd left them at my son's house!  Well, bless their hearts, while out and about they brought them back Tuesday night so Wednesday morning, I got started early.....it was painting day!  But there was still the matter of paint!
There's always leftover paint from a room....keep it for touch ups but in the end instead of touch ups, it turns into repainting the whole room a whole different color!  I had a little bit of living room color, sewing room color and my bil gave me a quart of something that was too dark for him so....I'm looking at it all....hmm....each wall different color? darker on lower and lighter on upper?  mix the colors? hmm...there's an idea!!  I did a little test run....I mixed the darker color quart and the lighter tan sewing room leftover and decided that it was a color I was happy with.....so here it is.....

This is above the dryer....that little white basket holds extra light bulbs...I have a habit of knocking them off the shelf so this will keep them in working order!

Above the washer.....with all those cleaning supplies you'd think my house would be spotless all the time! HaHa!

I even hung up a few pretties!  I am pleased with the color....and it feels SO good to have this done!

Now, if I could only get to that bathroom!  But it's has wallpaper to be stripped and what a messy chore that can be!  That's another day....another week! 

Bright and early in the morning, my friend Dawn and I will be headed out to Arthur, IL...there are a couple antique shows over there along with alot of really neat places to stop between here and there!  We will be going to the Homesteaders on the Prairie and Gathering on the Prairie Antique Shows Friday and Saturday in Arthur as well as all the other places we have on our list....I'm not sure we will have time for everything that's on it since it seems to keep growing, but we will do what we can to hit as many places as we can!!!  Cleaning out my camera later, charging my battery so I can take lots of pictures! 

Now....I'd best get myself moving....have a cleaning job today, seamstress job plus errands! Lots to do!!!

I hope you have an AWESOME weekend!!

Happy March!....and a few more things...

Good morning all!  I hope you are off to having a fantastic week! 

I'm SO happy to see the month of March....I really don't want to rush time, it goes fast enough, but I'm so ready for spring!  I don't recall the winter weather bothering me so much as it has this year. 

I've still got lots up for sale in my on-line tag sale.....you can find the  picture trail link in the last posting or over on the sidebar.

I knew in all that I had listed, I'd fail to include something....and here they are!!  They are new and all made by me....leftover from last year and the year before...offering them for at least half off ....plus shipping!

Santa Head Door Greeter.....$15.00

Snowman Head Door Greeter.....$15.00

Light the Way Angel.....$12.50

If you are interested in any of these or anything  in the PT sale, just leave a comment or drop me an email at

jehess4@sbcglobal.net

I do accept paypal!!

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Off to run errands......Have a GREAT day!!