Paper Dolls

The last two nights I have been playing with these!

Paper Dolls.

I haven't put their faces on just yet.

I want to use fabric paint/markers for the faces.

Izzy is only 2 and buttons might not be a good idea for eyes!

They aren't perfect,

and they take me about two hours each!

I sew all that blanket stitch really slowly so it's just right,

plus

I had an oops moment and ironed on the stabilizer to the right side of the fabric

a couple of times, sigh.

So those had to be re-cut.

I've been ready to start these for weeks and weeks, 

I think I was a bit afraid I'd bugger it up.

Instead, 

I'm finding them really fun!

 

Another week it's in the dust ( or maybe I should say MUD!)

First, there has been some stitching this week!  All these pairs of two's are now being made into 4's in a row  -not a patch.  They are for a couple of quilts called Make a Connection for Ryan and Izzy.  The solid blue for one is already cut as well-maybe I'll cut the red tonight.  Well, to do that I have to clean my cutting tables-YIKES!

It has rained everyday since I got home!  The backyard literally squishes when you walk in it and the grass is so tall it's going to seed-pour Quinn's belly gets wet!  Looking at the forecast it will be Monday for mowing and then the rain begins again!

Otherwise, I dealing with this!

When I came home last Friday I brought 98% of the "stuff" in the trailer home!  I had fought that "Stuff" all the while I was painting, so I decided to bring it home and sort through it.  This corner of my living room is full of all that "Stuff" plus other things that need to be in the trailer.  This does NOT include any clothing or food! The amount of space taken up by "trailer packing" is likely to grow over the next few days! 

Unfortunately, I ran out of the paint for the walls and since it was a custom color I needed to go to Lowes to get more and that was an hour away.  I have only the second coat in the bathroom and the storage shelves to paint, and the inevitable touch up.  I'm not looking forward to either but bathrooms are such a pain to paint and this one has only 2 feet between the toilet and the tub!  I have a bit of the base coat of ceiling paint left to do as well and then a coat of glaze.

So, I'm picking the trailer up on Tuesday (really hope that tire isn't truly FLAT-the storage place said they had to air it up to put it away) and taking it to a nearby campground to finish the painting and to CLEAN it before replacing all of THAT "Stuff" inside.

There are a couple of other things on the list of TO DO's that I'll do then as well.  Since it's nearby, I can run back and forth to the house as I need to.  Hopefully, everything will be done by this time next week as I'm going camping with Beth's bunch over the holiday weekend. A shakedown cruise!  I hope it doesn't RAIN!

 

Sunrise at "The Farm"

So glorious!

It was worth getting up early, wrapping up in a quilt and going out to enjoy it!

Just to catch up.

I spent last week working on the house a bit,

clearing out all the cardboard boxes that have accumulated since Christmas.

Attempting to fix the light fixture over the table-

thought I had it all working-

but the next time I turned it on 

NOTHING!

Guess, I'll be replacing that soon.

No Sewing!

Did get ready to bring my camper (caravan for you Down Under)

down to 

"The Farm"

So I could paint the inside and NOT have to sleep with the smell.

Yesterday, I got the first coat on the walls.

Today, I'm hoping for the second coat

BUT it's going to have to warm up for that to happen.

I'm planning to stay all week but I have do that second coat on the walls 

AND

several coats on the ceiling.

This May has been so chilly!

I did bring along stitching and family history to do so I won't be bored and 

Maybe, just maybe

I'll get something accomplished.

 

The rest of the story. . .

On the way home from Scott's farm I stopped off at Bothwell State Historic Site.

You can see three floors of the stone house from the highway 

and I'd always thought I'd stop there "Someday."

Well, someday was on Saturday!

This is the side of the house you see from the parking area.

This the the other side.

Being up so high it's a great place to get photos.

Apparently, some other folks thought so as well,

there were several groups of teens in their fancy PROM clothes taking photos as well.

The views from the balcony.

See the highway?

Everything is greening up nicely, 

Most trees aren't fully leafed out yet but it still looks green!

They didn't have the house open for tours on Saturday.  

Currently, you must book a time more than 24 hours ahead 

and can only have 4 in a group.

If you want to see photos of the inside and read about the history of the place,

Go Here!

Quinn and I walked about and admired the gardens-

not in full bloom yet but still lovely.

Then, it was off on the last leg of the trip home.

I'm still quite tired from all that busy but I feel refreshed emotionally.

Maybe I'll actually get something done this week!

 

Busy, Busy Week

On Monday, I loaded up the truck and Quinn and drove off to Columbia, Missouri and my youngest son's house to play with this little girl!

Miss Izzy!  

She will tell you quite firmly that she is not Isabel.

"I Izzy!"

(That old woman in the photo just doesn't know how to take a decent selfie while snuggling with a 2 year old!)

Both Izzy and Ryan love to read and the house is FULL of books!

I had brought a few of my books and Izzy was quite taken with these books.

They have foam backed illustrations that are puzzle pieces.

We read them SO many times and she got quite good at putting the pieces where they go.

Only an occasional "help me, Granna.

Here she is with her big brother, Ryan.

Both of them love to cook and Daddy lets them.

Ryan helped me cut strawberries and whip cream for Strawberry Napoleon.

Izzy just stole strawberries, to eat!

Izzy was to return to "School" on Friday as the quarantine was over for her class 

so I returned home on Thursday afternoon.

When I arrived home I had two packages waiting for me!

This pile of goodies arrived from Australia!

Ann Campbell at Cottonreel capers collected such lovely things.

I think we both enjoy sending boxes back and forth- we've been doing it for 12 years, I think!

I've already eaten all the chocolate cookies!

The other package was from my son and bonus daughter and is for Mother's Day, so more later.

Continuing on the busy, busy of the last week.

Quinn and I got up early Saturday and once again headed down the road to Columbia.

Scott and his wife Bri have a 5 acre "Farm" about an hour from Columbia and he need a riding lawnmower  or he'd have hay soon.

I had offered to pick up the truck ramps and return to take one up to the farm,

I was to take Scott, Ryan and Quinn with me and Bri would take Izzy and the dogs.

Here they are-both in my truck!

Izzy was quite sure that she was "gonna ride in Granna's truck!"

There were tears when the parents pulled her out!

There was a stowaway in the front seat as well

Coco!

Anyway, the load up and trip was uneventful.

Well, except for the Chipotle I spilled all down my front!

After unloading-those ramps are so useful.

Ryan had to climb into a window cause Dad forgot the key!

Once the second car arrived he gassed up the mower and went to work.

There's more from the way home but this is getting LONG so I'll save it for tomorrow!