Thursday Thoughts ~The Days Seem Long ~The Weeks Go Fast

Every Day is the same, but my routine feels safe.

For that I am Thankful.

Hubby has mastered the art of preparing our Weekend Brunch...

Perfect Over Easy Egg on Toast, Hash Browns, and Bacon.

And it is now Peak Season for many types of Fresh Fruit.

These Cherries are juicy and delicious.

None of us know if our communities

will host a Winter Arts Festival, so

I have been busy taking photos and listing

our creations in my Tins and Treasures Etsy Shop. 

This week we enjoyed one of our Go-To meals...

Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta.

It also involves mushrooms, red pepper, and green onions.

It fast and easy to prepare and so very tasty.

Hubby enjoys spending time in his wood shop after

a day at the office working with Unemployment.

This is just one of his hand turned bottle openers that is available

for purchase. It would be the perfect stocking stuffer

for your favorite bartender.

Remember if you are a local friend, you can contact me

to make arrangements and we can bypass the Shipping Charges on Etsy.

Stay Safe and Well.

Take care,

~Natalie

What’cha Workin’ on Wednesday ~My Mask Making Report ~Who Else Needs One?

This is a challenging time.

When going out and about, the CDC recommends

that you should wear a Fabric Face Mask.

Crafters across the country have put

their other projects aside to create masks

for their family, their friends, and their community.

The following was on my Newsfeed yesterday...

 I couldn’t agree more with these thoughts.

It’s why we all keep cutting, and stitching,

and folding, and  pressing.

I feel like I am doing something worthwhile, 

when I am helpless about everything that is going on around us.

I’ve been making the two different styles,

as some folks like elastic around their ears,

and some prefer the longer elastic around the back of their head.

Helper Cat provides good support.

Over the weekend we had requests for about two dozen masks.

So we stepped up our production...

We filled those orders and have about 30 more in our inventory.

Please let me know if you still need a mask.

I am not charging for them,

as my objective was to just create protection

for our family and friends.

I have received some very generous donations

of crafting supplies, delicious baked goods,

and cash for our elastic fund.

Thank you, everyone.

Stay safe and well.

~Natalie

What’cha Workin’ on Wednesday ~So Long, Santa ~Helllo Snowmen

It was about time for Helper Cat and I to pack up

the Christmas Decorations.

I love the glow of the lights in the evening...

and since we don’t decorate until after Thanksgiving,

it’s nice to leave them up until mid-January.

Santa and Friends gathered for storage.

And then, there’s this...

Helper Cat wasn’t sure if I could get that mess

straightened out and into the storage tub.

In fact...she decided to take a little break.

With the Christmas Decor put away, the house seems so bare.

Having a few snowmen to fill in the void helps.

Remember, these were new for Winterfest this year.

These have always been a another favorite of mine,

made with all Upcycled Vintage Materials.

Bundle up...there’s plenty of Winter left on the calendar.

With our temperatures in the deep freeze...

...Comfort Food hits the spot.

After Pot Roast Sunday,

we enjoyed Hot Beef Combo Monday.

Stay safe and warm, my friends.

Take care,

~Natalie

What’cha Workin’ on Wednesday ~On the Work Bench ~Morning Outing with My BFF

This rustic wooden heart has been

one of the best sellers in our

Tins and Treasures Shop.

The last one in our inventory sold this weekend,

so it was time to make some more.

Valentines Day is just around the corner.

Hubby cuts them and sands them till smooth.

I’m up next, I paint them and edge them.

Hubby applies the stain to make them look aged.

Once dry, I will add the wire hanger and homespun tie.

It’s teamwork at its finest!

Local Friends,

Message me if you want one.

(We can bypass the whole Etsy process)

I have a standing date every Wednesday.

Lorie and I have been going out for coffee

once a week for 40 years.

Now that we are both retired,

we can go in the morning.

We get our coffee and cup holders at Starbucks,

and then we follow our usual route around Target.

Sometimes we have a list...

Sometimes we just check out all the Clearance Endcaps.

But we always walk away from the store

with everything we need.

Take care,

~Natalie

Cyber Monday ~Tins and Treasures Etsy Sale ~Where the Weekend Went ~Our Friendsgiving Gathering

Cyber Monday...Time for my annual Coupon Sale

in my Tins and Treasures Etsy Shop.

Use Coupon Code CYBERMON to receive 20% off.

Local Friends, if you see something you’d like,

send me a message to make arrangements

to purchase and avoid shipping costs.

This sale is good..all..week..long.

And now for our weekend highlights...

We enjoyed FaceTime chats with our family...

both daughters,

a son-in-law,

and this happy little grandson!

With daughter’s input,

I made some great Black Friday purchases.

Small Business Saturday...

We were in the middle of a Winter Storm so many places were not open,

however, we found this locally owned establishment for some lunch.

Then home to watch some college football in the man cave.

Lizzie likes the man cave too, not for watching the game, 

but so she can explore.

This was the view from my Sewing Studio window...

...and the view out the patio doors.

On Sunday, Alan and Kari hosted our second annual Friendsgiving.

You can see that involves football along with fabulous food.

Our hosts made this delicious Honey Glazed Ham.

Our sides included all the necessary comfort foods...

Cheesy potatoes, Creamed peas, Cranberries,

Spinach Salad with oranges, berries, red onion,

pecans, and Parmesan cheese.

Sweet potatoes with brown sugar and marshmallows.

Best of all, is catching up with good friends.

We did a good job on that 8 lb. ham.

It was a great way to kick off a new week and a new month.

Another Thanksgiving Holiday weekend

is in the memory books.

Take care,

~Natalie

Winterfest 2019 ~Now a Memory ~Here’s My Report ~A Wonderful Weekend with Friends, Old and New #WinterfestAberdeen

Part of what we enjoy on Winterfest Weekend

is catching up with friends.

Hubby has lived in this community all his life...

I moved here right after college, four decades ago.

Yes, we do know a lot of people and

 we like to visit with all who stop by our booth.

These longtime friends in the photo were our Winterfest neighbors.

Thom Berg’s booth displays Stained Glass Pieces

from his Northern Lights Studio.

Our friend, Mike Brumbaugh creates beautiful wooden bowls.

He’s the one responsible for getting Hubby hooked on wood turning.

His booth was just to our left.

Meet my new friend, Terra Cypher, of Wild Goat Design.

She does the most beautiful hand painted pieces

with lovely calligraphy messages.

Remember my friend, Betty Clay?

She knits beautifully.

It was always a treat to visit the Yarn Loft in their home.

This couple came from Minneapolis and occupied the booth to our right.

Shawn Beckner is a former student.

He wife Alison Palmer creates a variety of gift items...

...like this handy packet for children

to take to church or for a trip in the car.

Nicole and Meredith are teachers

and we became friends at Central High School.

They use their talents to create items to decorate your home.

Their business is called Love Repurposed.

Another teacher friend is Tiffany.

Her sister, Alisha Teves, and their mother came to display Fiber Arts.

The Macrame pieces were amazing.

Another teacher friend, Ross Hettinger, and his wife, Tara,

displayed creations from their Creekside Creations business.

Jamie Milbrandt and I also became friends through school.

Her father travels here from Wyoming

to sell his amazing pieces. Robert Kern Pottery is his business.

And then there’s this...Lefsa.

Need I say more?

Winterfest is a Community Event.

A Brass Quintet from NSU provided Holiday entertainment.

Central’s Music Boosters sell tasty soup

in a bread bowl for lunch.

Here’s hubby, our master salesman and head cashier.

This photo from the Aberdeen American News post is showing

the view of Winterfest from the arena’s balcony.

This was probably taken as the event was winding down...

only a few people still browsing the handmade wares.

And when it’s over, it doesn’t take long for venders to take down.

This was our spot...it took us four hours to set up,

and only an hour and 15 minutes

to have it all loaded into our vehicles.

Then I follow Hubby in his pickup

to our storage shed to get it all unloaded.

Then it was home for some rest and relaxation.

If you missed it, you missed out!

Mark your calendar for next year...it is traditionally

the weekend before Thanksgiving.

I already have a list of things I plan to create.

Take care,

~Natalie