Mid Summer Muddlings

Hooray for August. The month of endless summer days. In my youth, it was endless because we had to work in the honey house, extracting honey all August long. Hot, sticky, misery.

This year, I am going to focus on painting during August. I have the cupboards and drawers and shelves for the garden house, and on the real house, the widows need some attention.

Here is my big-girl playhouse. Siding complete. A bit of trim to figure out but in all, ready to show off.

And on the cluttered side, which is out of your view there is a nifty plant stand to hold the pot collection. I promised Mr. Muddle that I would restrict my collecting to what fits on this shelf. Fortunately it hold a lot!


Yesterday I got to spend my day at Riddle Used Store, helping Sweet Charity sort and clean. I arrived with the coordinating coffee cup cozies I made a week or two ago and a carafe of coffee.  The pink/red one, I made with her in mind. Turns out she has purchased some of that same fabric. So I guess I got that one right.

New project idea. Silly old Suitcase got my wheels turning on this. How much fun would it be to open a suitcase full of interesting, creative, beautiful, bits and bobs that someone has put away? Perhaps years ago? Well, I am creating a time capsule of sorts. A sweet vanity case, has been scrubbed up and I am tucking all manner of nifty things into it. A lavender pillow was first. Also some desiccant packs. Do you keep all those from handbags and pill bottles too? Besides some beadwork, crochet, craft supplies, miniature figurines, fabric, buttons, etc, I am including a small coin purse filled with Canadian pennies. Canada has stopped making them this year. (boohoo) so one day they will be of extreme interest. 

When full it will be tucked away on a top shelf, out of the way and forgotten about until it becomes a treasure for some lucky person to discover.

And on the note of lucky; we've held a draw and we have a winner. Conveniently I have 9 followers. So I popped number stamps into a little box, ( don't you love the graphic of the carpenter on this box? I am going to punch it out and save for future scrapbooking.) shook it vigorously and drew out...

#8!

And counting the members back from the oldest to the newest, #8 is Ada of Vintage Sheet Addict, (Won't be hard to figure out what to put in a parcel for her.) who is off camping and will be thrilled to learn of this on her return. 

Thank you to the member/followers, the commenters (here and on facebook) and those that just lurk.Love you all.  

Off to frolic with the flutter-bys.

How do I feel? Sew, sew

Have only got about half of the lilies weeded, this week. Went ahead with pictures, inspite of this, as I wanted to catch their first blush of beauty, for you.

There is a bit of a bug, making it's rounds. Becky Boo had a difficult day when she was here on Wednesday. Three days later I woke up from a poor nights sleep, feeling less than stellar.  So today I spent mostly indoors and on light duty.

My sewing machine has been calling. I gave you a teaser of what I was going to do here, and now, made this today:

The free pattern is from a great site for fabric aficionados. sew 4 home 

I also finished another pennant banner.

 It will go great with the blue and white polk-a-dot one. When the garden shed's exterior is finished and I can hang them up to celebrate. Handsome Nephew left for the weekend to go sky diving. I pray he comes back in one piece to finish up.

We are having a lovely summer (it's about time, I say) With the unusually early spring and very summery summer, we have been seeing winged things that are not normally in this locale. The yard has been full of butterflies this week. Hard to get nice pics of them though. They like to close their wings when they are sitting. And without a zoom lens, I try to creep up on them but either I startle them or they just flutter off because they want to look at another pretty flower.

And here's one more lovely lily to gaze upon.

Enough about me. What did you do this week?

Junking

 The garden shed is getting siding this week! Yesterday held a quick trip to the city for some building supplies. Of course there is time for a nip into a charity shop.

What is it about sifting through the wares at  these places that gives one's heart such a lift? The pleasure of finding a little a little treasure that someone else has finished loving. The possibilities that arise from the unused craft and sewing supplies. Inspiration abounds at every corner. One could fix this, make that, reinvent and refurbish forever. I have to be mindful of the time I can devote to these endeavors and  focus on the projects that I will find the most rewarding.

In a sewing shop, I found variegated serger thread and this nifty thread cutter that hangs from a lanyard.

At the charity shop I found the bias tape (for future pennant bunting)  A roll of hydrangea wall paper boarder, and three tops with bling. The tops will be reinvented into shopping bags. The wall paper will just hang around and be beautiful.

.

At the building supply store, I bought green painters tape. I am going to try stamping on it to make washi tape. And I absconded with a handful of Formica colour samples. They will make neat-o tags.

A Canadian hardwood cutting board (NIP) and a glass butter dish rounded out the day's finds.

I am not going to tell you what I am going to do with this.

It will be a lovely surprise.

But not today, as good-looking nephew is coming to work on the garden shed. And the rain from Sunday has made it easy to pull weeds. The lilies are starting to bloom so I want to tidy them up and then tour you through. Have an excellent day, my friend.

Bastille Day at Wellington Garden Centre

Wine tasting at a beautiful garden center. What a perfect thing to do on a perfect evening in July.

Wouldn't it be wonderful to work in such a place?

Everywhere you look is another beautiful vignette.

Strolling the grounds, I don't believe it is possible to take a bad picture.

 A little wine turns the evening into a special affair.

 Robin can't resit a chance to fool around. ("The devil made me do it!" he would say)

So many blossoms. Here are only a few.

Ever the practical ones, we went home with a new hoe. Next time though, I think I bring home this:

I will sew cushions for it and put it in a shady spot. And then when you come over, we will relax on it and enjoy our iced tea.

Canada Day Long Weekend

Hello friend. How was your weekend? Mine was very full, very busy, very fun. Here are a few of the things we did.

Saturday was the Canada Day Parade with the Cohen and the Beckster

Followed by a picnic in a quiet park.
 

 Then some bouncy-house fun!

On Sunday, Robin made blueberry pancakes with maple syrup and hung a fresh new flag on our flag pole. Happy 145th birthday, Canada!

I was recently bit by a sewing bug,

(don't go here, if you don't want to catch it....

http://teawagontales.blogspot.co.uk/

or here either!

http://sillyoldsuitcase.blogspot.ca/ )

and had to put together a pennant banner.

As I was carrying it to the garden shed to hang, Robin inquired (rather wistfully, I think) if I was making Polk-a-dot bikinis. Later, Handsome Nephew came over to discuss the finishing of the exterior of garden shed. I am to order the supplies, this week.

After a the gaiety of frivolousness of the banner, I set down to weed in the garden . We are well on the way to making a boulevard which will border the future lawn. This is a bit of a "before" picture.

 Over seven hours of weeding in the past 24 hours and it is looking much better. Next week we will install the landscape fabric and timbers.

And today, after assembling our shiny, new charcoal barbeque,

 











Robin made hamburgers for lunch.

 Yum....

 And I get to end a lovely long weekend with a visit with you. Now tell me, what did you do on your weekend?