Pool time

 I do NOT want to talk about the drama that was two days of digging in the blazing hot, record setting 100 degree heat because someone thought we should level the area where the pool sits this year. I also do not want to talk about how after two days of death work we are now apparently leaking somewhere. Nope, not gonna.  Instead I am going to look at the kids enjoying the pool.

 Yeaup, that's the ticket.

100 mile yard sale

On Friday, Dave and I set off for our annual trip south to the 100 mile yard sale. We never do all 100 miles anymore - 1) it takes too long, 2) it doesn't seem worth it on the southern end.  This year the sale was very, very sparse. We went a looooong time without stopping at all and the usual stops that are more like little flea markets were virtually empty.  In the end it worked out because I bought a lot more than usual (someone said the crowds were light too.)  I tried to get back to a chenille blanket I had regrets about, but before we could get back to the spot it started pouring, pouring rain. By the time I got there they were long gone.  The rest of the morning was hotter than blazes.  (I know better than to leave something, but I didn't like the price. I should've bargained it harder.)

So, the purchases this year:

 These naughty yes/no pillow game pillow cases are so fun. I got a pair of them at a free sale! (She was hot and tired and said please, take it all.)

 Usually quilts are hard to come by at this thing. This year I bought three (and it's time for an Instagram quilt sale STAT.) I love how this is so pale now with just flashes of the black.

 Antique indigos on this one.

 I squealed over to the side of the road to buy this beauty on the way back to the chenille. She still purrs like a kitten! I need a spool pin for the bobbin winding and a few minutes to browse the closest instruction manual I could find on line.

 I am REALLY feeling yellow again lately. I had totally fallen out of love with it for awhile. The yellow and pink together just sing.

 Pretty stack.

 Pottery even though mine is packed away.

 I need to embroider this kitty's face and turn her into a pillow. Maybe here in a few I will do that. I am in between quilts at the moment.

 More things from the free sale. That's a tablecloth underneath the trim. I've started hoarding embroidery again for a someday project.

 Old masks.

 I bought two of these towels. They were in a Ziploc and I thought they would be feedsacks. Instead I think they are flannel.

 Cutter chenille.

 Sideways Alaska cloth. I need a Missouri cloth!

And a yellow nelson McCoy pot.

Not a bad haul!

Until next year yard sale.

First day, last day

The last day of school was last week. Let's play first day, last day.

First days:

 Last days:

 (This kid has grown an incredible amount. Look at the locks! He is fully into man clothes now and off to high school in August.)

Let the, ermmm, summer fun begin?

Come and knock on the door

 Sammi hadn't even realized she made a butterfly shape with those leaves and that rock until I took this pic!

I REALLY loved the June issue of country living. There was a little spread of front door hangings and one was a wall basket. I bought a basket at ikea, painted it and shoved it full of flea market flowers. It's a bit too deep and I really liked the texture of the basket in the country living spread, but it'll do for now pig.

First Grade Art Parade

I love that the art teacher just sends ALL the art work home on one day in a big portfolio. I can just snap a pic of all it and put the portfolio in their closets. 

This year's art, first grade:

 I love this one the most maybe.

 This Monet is pretty awesome too though...

This one is glittery!

Who am I kidding? I love them all.

Mother's Day at the flea

 There was a picker's market within driving distance on mother's day that I had been tossing around the idea of attending. I keep looking at the pictures though and wondering if there really is anything there for me. It looks pretty rusty, industrial, farm, etc. I wake up SO STINKING EARLY right now - like 5 am - so I pondered and decided I was up early enough to just hit my old steady instead. And it paid off. Happy Mother's day to me!

A box of ornaments (and a bag of japan ornaments like birds).

 This is not even close to all of the horse ribbons I bought stuffed into a bag. There are more than 50. I guess I better get on that wreath making.

 A GORGEOUS tablecloth. It was really stained up. I bought some retro clean awhile ago (I hate it, I do not find it useful at all really), so I soaked it for two days in that. It was still so stained. I washed it with one of the green persil packs, laid it on the grass in the sun for two hours and boom! Clean. It's on the table this week.

And a real fur vintage easter bunny. Plus a ton of fake flowers I used on my front door project coming soon.

Dave's present? He took the kids grocery shopping. He would like me to know that he was worried because he didn't have a present (I didn't need anything really) and that as it turns out taking the kids to the grocery store is MORE THAN ENOUGH OF A PRESENT. LOLOLOLOL

Oh IKEA

 I used to think it would be SO awesome to have IKEA close. We used to drive HOURS to go! Now that we have one in town we go like twice a year. LOL I needed some more pots for my orchids (and a trundle mattress and another recycling bin, of course we left without both), so we went down to take a little IKEA cruise.

What I Did NOT need was this beautiful orange storage cube, but of course, it's what I bought. I wasn't even sure where to put it, just put it in the cart please.

I used it to replace this dresser at the end of my sewing desk. One drawer of the tiny dresser fits in one cube of the storage cubes (there are four), so I doubled my storage by using it there.

We are having one teeny little hiccup though - my flip up ironing board is not working anymore because the orange thing is particle board. That's a serious quilting problem!

A birthday

So I had a birthday this week.  I tend to be overly grumpy about birthdays lately. Not because of age, I don't actually care at all about the numbers, but, my family situation at this age just REALLY sort of chaps my behind. (It has probably been more than 5 years since my father has even called on my birthday.)

ANYWAY. I took myself to the goodwill because this is the last few days before the kids are out of school. Within three mins of being in the door this lovely lady was in my cart. I think based on her clothes maybe 1850ish? She is HUGE and gorgeously done in oils on canvas. 

People keep commenting on her stern look, but that's pretty typical of portraits! Come on.

So, happy birthday to me courtesy of an antique oil painting, a delicious cake homemade by Dave, a teen who was not assy that day and a quick jaunt around Ikea. :)

Teacher gifts

 This year it seems I have defaulted to the madras tote for teachers. Sammi's teacher LOVES the cardinals, so I made her a cards version and will tie on an amazon gift card so she can buy something for herself or her classroom.

(Her teacher this year was AWESOME. I can only hope we get lucky again next year for both the little kids!)