Quiet Time and Brenda's Giveaway

Thank you, Carolyn, of Antique Images

Good Morning,
I've spent the last two months reading everything I can get my hands on. I love reading in the winter, getting all snuggled under a quilt in my recliner with a book.
I recently ordered two books from Amazon, they are a wonderful source.
One is titled American Samplers by
Ethel Stanwood Bolton and Eva Johnston Coe. It's an older book; it contains 17th, 18th and 19th century samplers. It lists the schools and schoolmistresses that taught young ladies to stitch samplers, a section on sampler verses (great source),
a list of early schools and a section on materials, designs and stitches. It's a wonderful book.
My second book is modern-day, it's titled Sampler Workbook Motifs and Patterns by Caroline Vincent. She's given the meaning of a variety of motifs, like squirrels, trees, houses and other animals. Shapes and patterns are also explained. She has charted some fantastic graphs of them and quite a few alphabets and texts.
I'm looking forward to charting my own samplers.

This is Brenda's current giveaway. Visit her blog HERE to enter.

All of our snow melted the other day when we had 60 degree weather. I don't like the barren woods without snow!

Believe it or not, I'm still working on the Polly Daggett sampler. I keep picking up new work and my little sampler keeps getting put down. I made quite a few gifts at Christmastime and I've had 4 series of injections for my back since November, so I'm going even slower than I normally 

go, and that's pretty slow!
I'd like to post the pictures of the dolls and bear I made for Sis and Mom. Maybe the next post...
Susan

NEW GIVEAWAYS PAGE AND WHERE I'VE BEEN

Hi, Primmies ~ 


Here's another wonderful prim doll giveaway going on at
A Primitive Place. Tammy has a new handmade primitive doll 

carrying her own church baby with her. To enter for the giveaway click HERE to visit Tammy at her blog.


You may have noticed that the Giveaways no longer appear on my sidebar. I've created a page for them on my blog instead.
At the top of the page you can see Categories, "Home", 
"Giveaways" and "Items for Sale". These are new pages I've started. To see all of the giveaways I know about click
HERE to go to the Giveaways Page. I am adding as I learn about current giveaways so check the page periodically          after you read a post during your visits with me.


I hope you will all understand that for the past few days,
I have been reading blogs, just haven't been commenting as I usually do. I had another spinal injection a few days ago and I always hurt afterwards for a while. It went better this time,
I had the shot at the new pain center I'm a patient at and they put me to sleep this time. It was such a relief not to go through those needles being injected. I'm still sleepy from the anesthesia
and I have some pain medication now that they've prescribed.
I'm up for little bits of online time and doing plenty of resting so that the medicine in the spine can work. 
So I'll be catching up with all of you when I get back on a regular schedule which will be soon I hope. The medicine seems to have worked, the doctor injected it in the nerves to both of my legs, instead of the nerves in the back. My left leg hasn't been
hurting me with the terrible gnawing pains so I'm hoping that this will be where to inject the pain medicine from now on.
Oh, I'm so grateful for this relief. I must say it's about time that I found some relief!


I have worked in little spurts on the sampler and have been going through my patterns for more dollies and such to sew up for more giveaways. It felt so good to have a giveaway for all of you and I would like to do one as often as I can.


It was actually 82 degrees here on Thursday! I had the windows open Wednesday and Thursday and we've been leaving one open at night. I've slept so much better with the fresh air.
We're watching movies on Netflix and having pizza. Hubba just finished some yard work, now he's going to be suffering tonight. Poor man, I hope gets some relief soon.


Ashley and Tim have been finding all kinds of awesome primitives and some antiques from their jobs. They work for a property management company and also work on houses that are empty due to illness or the owner being deceased, when they have no families to empty the contents people like my daughter and SIL have to do it. I have some beautiful vintage photos to scan and put up on a page for you to use in your crafting. And I was presented with the most awesome prim chair with it's original green paint still clinging to it in large areas. I need to clean it and I'll post a picture of it soon.
Hubba is working on getting my craft room passable so that I can get to my supplies. I'm working in the dining room which is good because I can see and talk to him and watch the telly. 


Have a wonderful weekend everyone.
Hugs,
Susan

THE MAIL LADY CAUGHT ME AGAIN AND ANOTHER GIVEAWAY

Hi, Primmies ~
Well, she caught me in my jammers again. I had
won the PAFA Spring Giveaway from Patsy at
Lollipop Express. It's a bunny lounging on a
watermelon slice. It's painted wood and it's painted in the folk art style that I absolutely love.

Patsy, thank you so much. I love it. It's my first painted piece that I have and I treasure it.

We're granddog sitting again. This time it's for Friday, Saturday and Sunday. WooHoo! Ashley is getting an early birthday present from Tim, they are going to the White Mountains.
Timmy moved the huge kennel to the back sun room door so that I don't have to worry about leashes and them running on me. I can just open the door and let them out. Toki is huge and I can't handle him on a leash. They are good but they are starting to run too close to the road. They have a huge front yard but I'd feel better with them on leashes. Mr. Glen Oaks does the potty runs but he has to be here Saturday  to meet someone for our dryer that they bought.
And he has to go home more often this time to feed our kitties. So thanks, Tim. I feel a lot better now about letting the dogs out.


I don't know if I'll be bringing my laptop. We're making more Woofins this visit, they love them so much. I think it will be the Cheese Woofins this time, they seemed to love them. Peanut Butter and Honey Woofins next time.


It was very mild yesterday, in the seventies! The news said sixties but it was warmer than that. It's nice, I don't know what happened to winter, it seems strange...


I want to thank everyone that participated in the giveaway. It was my very first and there was a big response. Lots and lots of sweet comments and compliments. Don't forget, the sampler is STILL going to be a giveaway, I didn't think I'd do Miss Peabody that quickly. So I'll be giving you all a heads up when the sampler is coming up for giveaway. I don't have much stitching left.
I got new glasses and I can really see quite well now.


Well, I have to make dinner. We're eating late, we had a huge lunch. Take care and stay prim.
Hugs,


Susan


(Vintage image from Antique Images blog)

LET'S HAVE A GIVEAWAY

Hello, Primmies,

It's finally time for me to have a giveaway. I've been so blessed with the giveaways I've won, and I have received so much support and friendship from my followers that I want to give some of that back. I am still stitching the Polly Daggett sampler and it will be a giveaway here soon.  It's just that I loved making the rabbit "Miss Peabody" by Kim Grasso from the March/April 2012 issue of Create and Decorate magazine so much that I couldn't put it down. So, here she is!

She's super grungy and made with a few differences from the pattern instructions. I made her out of cream flannel instead of osnaburg fabric, her dress is a red and cream plaid homespun with little hearts instead of strawberries, and her seams are right side out on her body and her clothing. She's so grubby because she's been out in the yard digging for carrots. She's mad because we don't have a garden and says she hopes that in her adopted home there is a garden for her. Geeesh, pushy isn't she?

She's wearing bloomers from antique linen that was soft cream and now coffee stained. She has button eyes, a rusty cut nail for a nose and a twig mouth. I decided not to give her an apron. She has a rusty tin tag that I've signed for you. It has a repro vintage Coats & Clark ad image on it. She's signed and dated on her bum.

You do not have to put this on your sidebar or Facebook page. I'm not trying to recruit new followers. Just let me know that you'd like to adopt her, that's all. I'll choose a home for her on Thursday, March 8, 2012. She's anxious to leave because she

doesn't like cats and she's hiding in the armoire until she travels. 

Thank you all for being such wonderful friends and followers.

Hugs,

Susan

Vintagerio.com

MORE SWEET GIFTS FROM BLOGGER FRIENDS

Good Morning, Primmies ~

A few days ago Sheila of Seasons Of Thy Heart blog 
had an impromptu giveaway. She gave away three
Gooseberry Patch books to the first three bloggers 
who left comments on her post. I was number two.
I won "Gooseberry Patch Christmas" copyright
from 1999 (great year). It's a beautiful Leisure Arts
Publication hardcover book.  It's chock full of Winter and Christmas crafts, ideas, decorating tips, handmade cards and ideas for gift wrapping. There's a section for handmade gifts, gifts from the kitchen and gift baskets.
There is a large section devoted to Festive Foods &
Glorious Feasts.  There are recipes for candies and
sweets, cakes and pies. Grand feasts for Christmas
morning, a Holiday Open House, Pork Crown Roast, and much more. I'd like to share some photos:

  Puffy making his debut on Glen Oaks Primitives

 

There is so much more, beautiful photos abound.

Thank you, Sheila. It was very generous of you to

think of your blogger friends and to mail these

three hardcover books out to us.  

I'll be back later today with some stitching progress on the Polly Daggett sampler and also a sampler I finished for Ashley, the Safrona Ager sampler.

Hugs,

Susan

My Giveaway Win and A Yummy Pecan Sandie Recipe

Hi, Primmies ~

Today's post is about a favorite cookey in our house and about my giveaway win from Cynthia of The Flowering Angel blog.
The Recipe from Lynda's Recipe Box blog.

Pecan Sandies
from Martha Stewart
Recipe made about 1 1/2 dozen for me.

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened- I used salted
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt- I omitted this because I used salted butter
1 cup all purpose flour, spooned into cup and leveled
1 cup pecans, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place rack on center of oven. In a bowl, cream the brown sugar and butter together with a mixer. Add in the vanilla. Add the flour and mix on low speed until flour is incorporated. Stir in chopped pecans by hand. Dough will be very sandy and crumbly.
Gather dough and form onto about 1 1/2 inch balls and place about 2 inches apart on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350 degrees. for 15-17 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Enjoy!

TODAY'S THE DAY!

Hi, Primmies ~

Today is the day to sign up for the huge giveaway over at the

PAFA Primitive and Folk Artists Team's Blog. You can enter

HERE,

There are to date 33 prizes going to 33 different winners. How

awesome is that.

Please visit the PAFA Blog page to see the photos of all of

the donations submited for giveaway. And while you're at it,

visit the individual artists' blogs to see even more beautiful

work from these talented people.

Hugs,

Susan

New Giveaways

Good Morning~


There are lots of new giveaways going on in
Blogville, check my sidebar. They are in order
by deadline to enter the giveaway.
Here are a couple  of new giveaways that I just found:

Isn't he adorable? He is made by Kim of
The Barn Hollow . Click her on her blog title to visit Kim's blog and sign up for the giveaway. It will
end March 17, 2012 or sooner if she reaches 200
followers.


Here's another giveaway from Brandy of the
The Lil' Prim Cabin  is giving away these cuties:

These two primitive cupboard tucks were handmade by Brandy. The winner will be announced Feb.29th.
Just click her blog name link above to visit Brandy and to sign up for her giveaway.




Hugs,
Susan

Update To I've Got Worms! My Win From Rugs and Pugs Giveaway

Hi, Primmies -


This is an update on this post. I forgot
to put up the photo of the huge box of
wool that I won in the giveaway.
I'm blaming it on menopause fog...

          My huge stash of wooly worms
We just got home from my doctor's appoint-
ment. I am seeing a new doctor who is right
in my hometown rather than travelling to
Worcester. It was just too much, 2-3 hours
in her office and one hour each way in the
car. Ugghhh... I like this doctor very much,
he's on point and he's very kind and listens.
Unfortunately, I'm still in a huge amount of
pain. I'm going to be set up with a visit to
the Boston Pain Center and it's a total
approach to your pain and your entire body
as it is affected. Psychological, physical  and
physiological symptoms. So everything is
addressed. I'm encouraged and very excited
about going to this clinic. 


So, about the worms; I won Lauren's giveaway for the wooly worms. Now I can be a hooker! Lauren is the author of  Rugs and Pugs. She rescues Pugs and she hooks beautiful rugs and ruglets.
I came home from the doctor and there was
a box on my porch. Lauren included the most
awesome surprise, a beautiful vintage 
flatware keyring. The flatware has "W O O L"
stamped into it.  This was a total surprise.
 It's a beautiful keepsake. Here's a photo:

 Lauren attached the sterling key fob to this sweet note she wrote me: " Susan, thank you for being such a loyal reader/commenter!
Hugs, Lauren".

Isn't it beautiful? I'm so touched by this gift,
Lauren. Thank you so much!!
Here's my huge stash of wooly worms that
I won:

There is the most gorgeous range of
colors here. I am so happy. I just need the
proper hook and backing, a pattern and I'm good to go. There are some wonderful bloggers like Lauren that have done tutorials on rug hooking from start to finish. I should
be able to do a small ruglet or mug mat.
Right now Polly Daggett's sampler has me consumed, it's for my first giveaway you know, in case you gals forgot.
So, I got hardly any response on the framing
question. Should I frame under glass or not?
Let me know, primmies. It's going to be YOUR sampler, one of my followers! ~~~~~
I'm intending to get some stitching done on
the sampler tonight, depending on how I feel
I hope to get at least a few rows done.
Whatever you are doing tonight, enjoy your
evening and be warm and safe.

Hugs,

Susan

Samantha's Accessories Is Having A New Year's Giveaway

Hello, Primmies!
How is everyone doing this afternoon? Hey, I'm posting during the Bold & The Beautiful. She how much I love you all?
Samantha of Samantha's Accessories blog is having a giveaway
for New Year's. You have until December 31st at midnight to
enter. Please go to her blog HERE to sign up and see how many extra chances you can get. Here's what she's giving away to 3 winners (and maybe a 4th winner!):

The first prize is the 1st photo and 2nd photos, a basket of lollipop tart melts and room spray.

Next is one of her fabulous aprons in Country Pear. Adult apron that is one-size-fits-all.

3. A bunch of 2 oz. tart melts. All bakery type scents. And I can tell you that her tarts are yummalicious and fill the entire room with awesome scent. I have some!
So head over when you have time to sit and stay today in
your very busy day. Oh, I didn't mean to do a rhyme, just wanted you to take some 'me' time and do you favorite thing, BLOG of course!
Merry, Merry Christmas All,
Susan

Some Pictures Of My Giveaway Wins

Merry Almost Christmas, Primmies:
I have some catching up to do in the posting of giveaway pictures. I had to use the artists' photos to do the posts
of when I won (shame on me) but my camera stinks any-
way so it didn't really matter that it's gone to Kodak heaven.


I'm going back in order so here's my win from Margie at
Hungry Hook Primitives:

My win from Steph at Front Porch Primitives:

She sent me an extra two gifts:

This candle says Santa's Cider and smells wonderful. The tag reads Joy and has little acorns. Thanks so much, Steph!
She also sent me Peppermint Patties in a bag with a beautiful vintage image of Santa on the cover of Chatterbox,
a children's book from the 1800's.
Now,  for those of you that don't believe how awful of a picture taker I am even with a GOOD camera, here's Steph's picture of the giveaway:

My poor Ashley has inherited her mother's  picture taking
abilities. We don't know how to "set up" a good shoot. Oh well, something to learn next year ...
Here's Virginia, from Danice at Homespun Hannah's blog:

Her apron says Gingerbreadblessings.
Thank you to all of my wonderful blog friends for hostessing these giveaways. I love all of my things.
Just spending the rest of the day running to Hannaford's to get a roast of beef and a spiral ham before they are all gone.
Mr. Glen Oaks' son wants ham and my SIL Timmy doesn't like pork, thus the two. I'm glad, though, I haven't made a roast at Christmas since years and years ago. 
Mr. Glen Oaks is outside freezing his cute butt off installing
shocks on the Explorer. The poor guy can't seem to get away from working on our vehicles. He just came in for a kiss and
a chicken salad sandwich. I'm pretty sure the sandwich was
first on his priority list!
Merry Christmas,
Susan

FREE MULTIPLE BLOG EXPOSURES FOR YOUR GIVEAWAYS AND MY SUNDAY ADVENTURE

Hi, Primmies, I'm sorry I'm just letting you know at this short notice date but I didn't know about this. You can post with a linky link on Sew Mama Sew's blog your giveaways and leave them open until December 16th.
If this is really too soon for you we can still enjoy the open giveaways until then. The only problem we have is too many giveaways, too little time!! (to enter them all).
On Sunday last we decided to take a drive. We had a rental car (again, I won't go into it) and it was a beauty so off we went. We had no particular destination in mind, I thought we'd head in the general direction of east and we ended up stopping unexpectedly in Oakham where we saw a big boulder carved with 'The Village of Cold Spring'. We went down the lane and it's the ruins basically of a place that was founded in 1748 and held 35 houses and about 100 people. They were self-contained with a railroad, water power, etc. The village lasted until the early 1900's when it was turned into a resort area. The Ware River Act of 1926 caused the Metropolitan Commission to "take it" in 1930 and I don't know what happened after that. It looks like The Army Corp of Engineers has it now, there's a dam in there at the opposite end of the site. It's huge, we drove and drove for 40 minutes and crossed about 15 miles. The roads are dirt for the most part. There's fishing, hunting, trapping, skimobiling, horseback riding, hiking trails, dog walking, etc. We stumbled upon the
Parker Cemetery. In the front the headstones that are still standing, albeit broken, are of the Parker Family and their descendants. The one that I couldn't stop looking at was of Maria L (nee Parker). She died at the age of 32 in 1841. She is buried with her babies Maria age 2, Andrew age 2, and I think Philip age 15 months. One of the children also died in 1841. Her parents and siblings are to her left and two of the sibling died in 1841, and one of the parents (I think).
We are wondering if something happened in 1841 to the people in the village or if it was just coincidence.
I have to Google it, I've been meaning to.
Then we went off to Rte. 62 towards Sterling and Princeton. We were looking for the 1761 Old Mill restaurant and we discovered a sign for a Christmas tree farm beforehand. Off we went. Drove down and through the woods, the tree farm was awesome. All red bows and ribbons on green laurel garlands and wreaths on the property. Ah, the smell of fresh trees... 
Next was to find our way out and back on the route. Well, this primmie found an antique shop first. It's the most quaint and adorable little house, and I mean little. The head clearance was about 3 inches. The floors, walls and ceilings were original wood boards, and the windows were very old glass with the little bubbles. I'd say about early 1700's it was built. The owner called down from her little red antique cape that she'd be right there, that it was too cold to stay in there all day so they wait for customers to stop.
She arrived and she was absolutely charming. Her name is Prudence (yes, Prudence just like you!) and she's close to 90. She loved having us, it was a learning experience for us, too. Her grandfather was in The Civil War and they settled in Connecticut. She
mentioned Willimantic. There were vintage milk bottles and crates and advertising bottles from Willi-
mantic and some things from the farm that her father had. I'm tellin' ya, we were there for at least an hour and a half. And was it cold. We just got some tissue from the car and wiped our noses and tucked our hands in our pockets and kept walking the shop. And Prudence happily chattered with Mr. Glen Oaks. When she found out that he was a woodworker and cabinet maker, watch out. She ran back and forth to her house and barn about 4 times lugging back boxes and different things that she wanted lids built for or this and that done. They are working something out I think trade for trade. So this fast worker had started a pile around the corner of what I needed Prudence to hold for me until we could get back there with the Explorer and take it home. Should I tell you what I bought? Nah, I'm gonna make you think about it. I didn't have a camera and still don't have one that works so I'm gonna make you wait until I can take the photos. Pictures are so much better than just words. This is also dependent on Mr. Glen Oaks buy-
ing me a camera for Christmas. So keep your fingers crossed... I will tell you that Prudence made me take home the little red sled that I bought. And a really neat copper pot oil lamp. It's like a fancy Betty Lamp.
Except no whale oil, and it's not wrought iron, and it's got a lid and a wooden handle, ok it's not like a Betty Lamp but I don't no what else to compare it to. It's like nothing we've ever seen before. It's really unusual. See, pictures necessary. The little red sled was her great aunt's so how old does that make it if grandpa was a Civil War vet? Wow. It's going on the door with some greens from our property.
By now Mr. Glen Oaks has had so much coffee that he needs a rest stop. We needed to go to Walmart anyway so off to Gardner to Wally's. Then I just had to go to Dollar Tree and look for those little socks that Tammy of A Primitive Place did a tut on. Well I forgot to look for the darn socks as soon as I walked in the door. The Christmas stuff hit me and gosh girls everything is $1.00 after all. I picked up some cool red and silver sparkly ornie balls for a wreath I want to do that I saw in a picture. And some big jingle bells that already look rusty but aren't really. It's out-side and away from the street so it doesn't matter. They will hold up well with all the snow and rain. Then they had these little knock-off Limoges boxes and I got a little Nativity scene box. And a couple of rubber stamps and big boxes of matches to make a little mouse in his bed pattern from Sandy of The Olde Country Cupboard. We get to the checkout line and oh here I go again, I'm welling up over it still. The Mastercard wouldn't go through, the store doesn't take them. Mr. Glen Oaks tried his bank debit card but since he's never used it that wouldn't go through either. He fished in his pocket for cash (we had a lot when we started out) but realized he'd dropped most of it back at Prudence's. So what happens next? He asked the clerk to leave our pack-
ages there and said he'd be right back and that he was going to the Stop n Shop ATM. This lady comes from the line across and says "no, I'll get it". I told her I couldn't let her do that, but this woman was serious! She had that card in the slot and was swiping it while I'm gently tugging on her arm now.
That damn clerk put the sale through and I was so moved I said "I've never had anyone do anything like this before, I'm going to cry" and she said "Oh, no, don't do that" and I did. Her son was smiling like a grinning fool and the lady was too. I had just kept saying "thank you, thank you" and I hugged her. The rest of the people in the store were just staring like awestruck. Some people were asking what happened and it was just incredible. Now, there's an example of the Spirit of Christmas if I ever saw/heard of one.
This has been quite an end-of-the year for us. We've had some incredible things happen and have never been more aware of the presence of the Lord in our lives. We were blessed during that awful storm and through the whole roof/car thing and meeting people like Prudence and then this lady at the store. I'll never go in or drive by another Dollar Tree that it won't cause me to remember the kindness of one
special lady.
Merry Christmas everyone,

Susan