Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Leap Day 2012 ~ No School Today ~

http://www.keloland.com/weather/
Not only do we have an extra 24 hours this year...
...we get to spend them at home!

I have so many thing on my To Do List,
I just don't know what I want to do first!!

Have a great day, everyone.

Take care,
~Natalie

My dad passed away on February 29, 1988.
I miss you, Daddy.

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Red Carpet Attire...

My girls are dressed for the Red Carpet event today...



Well...to tell the truth,
Millie, my working girl, has been displaying formal gowns 
for about a week now...in hopes of finding a home for these prom dresses.

Here she is, in the most spectacular black and gold gown in our collection.
But, most of you know about my new old dress form...
She came home to live with us on Monday.

She is wearing a vintage skirt and top from my mom's collection...
...quite appropriate for today.

We can't wait to hear what the Fashion Police 
have to say about the Red Carpet fashions seen today!

Take care,
~Natalie

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Saturday's Studio DeStash ~ Embroidery Floss

There was a time when I was addicted to counted cross stitch...
that was 1978 to 1984 BC
(before children)

I purchased DMC floss whenever it was on sale.

And, I purchased DMC floss  whenever I started a new project...
I needed the exact color that the pattern specified.
Serious stitchers know that you can't just use any blue...
you have to look for the exact number of the blue hue!

While I still enjoy stitching...there is way more floss here that I can possible use up in my lifetime.
I am taking photos to list the extras in my Notions shop today.

I will offer some in bundles of like colors and some in bundles featuring all the colors of the rainbow.
Please contact me here, if you would like something specific.

Happy Stitching!

Take care,
~Natalie

Friday, February 24, 2012

TGIF & Friday's Fabulous Finds

On our recent excursion to visit our daughters,
we visited several antique stores in the area...

There were some wonderful displays...

I couldn't resist the urge to take a photo of this old brass bed,

There was definitely something for everyone here...






This was not exactly how the girls wanted to spend their precious time.

...to be continued...

Take care,
~Natalie

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Things in my House Thursday ~ the Little things that make me Happy

I absolutely love vintage dress forms...

Perhaps it is my fond memories of my mother sewing her own clothing...
fitting them perfectly to her dress form.
(I wish I knew what happened to her dress form.
It is no where to be found...)

On our recent trip to visit our daughters, we all stopped at several antique stores.
Most shop owners looked at us like 
"Good Luck, dress forms are impossible to find."

But, Monday morning...on our way home...
in a small town in southern Minnesota,
We found her...

This little gem, looking for a new home...

She has one here!

Take care,
~Natalie

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

What'cha Workin' on Wednesday and Weekend Get-away Review

Good evening, everyone.
Lots of you have asked about which cheesecake we ordered while at the Cheesecake Factory in Minneapolis...
I hope you aren't too disappointed to learn that we didn't have cheesecake...
at all...
Our plan was to have a light lunch, as we were going to meet our daughters later in the day to go out for dinner.

I love that the Cheesecake Factory has small plates, and lunch size salads.
Hubby had the Oriental Chicken Salad...
looks impressive with that pile of rice noodles on top, doesn't it?!

And I had this little flat bread...
with roasted pears, caramelized onions, pecans, arugula...
It was delicious.

And just as planned we caught up with the girls in the early evening hours.
We had a great evening of good food, conversation and laughter.

More about our weekend later...

Back to work...Back to school...
 We're making cookies in my Fitness for Life class.

Cookies can be a part of a balanced diet if eaten in moderation...
Cookies can be nutritious depending on the ingredients used...
...oatmeal...nuts...raisins...peanut butter...


A year ago, I became addicted to crochet...beanies for infants...


And this past weekend, we spent many hours in the vehicle...
lots of time to crochet...
Lots of new hats for my shop!

Just making some finishing touches tonight.

Take care,
~Natalie

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Spring Celebration~Grand Opening Day~and a Give Away

Today is the Grand Opening Day for our
Spring Celebration on Etsy.

Nearly 200 items are featured...

Plus...
you will want to sign up for the giveaway.
There are 33 prizes for 33 winners.

Currently, there are 59 comments and 33 names will be drawn...
those odds are pretty good!

Think Spring!!

Take care,
~Natalie

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Special Olympics Scarf Project 2012

As South Dakota's deadline nears,
our knitting club gathered to make finishing touches on our scarves.
There was some last minute knitting...
fingers were flying...

And, of course,
lots of picture taking!

Thanks to these lovely young women 
for donating their time and talent to this project.

And thanks to their moms, a retired teacher, and an school EA,
We have 14 scarves packaged up to send with Mrs. Schmitz.

The rest will go in the mail next week.

Take care,
~Natalie

p.s. The girls are already asking when the 2013 colors will be announced!

Road Trip ~Day Three ~Burger Battle ~Sweet Shopping Highlights

Our last full travel day took us through four states… Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Including some Big Bridges over some Big ...