~*Happy New Year*~

Hello Dear Friends! Happy New Year to you! Yes, we are already a week into the New Year... but I do still wish you the best, brightest, warmest, most fun~filled & blessed New Year that you could possibly have!  I mean that with all my heart!!!

Like over half of the country right now, we too have been on the COLD side.  Today though, it looks to be thawing out some... and the weather folks are telling us it may be near 50 by the weekend.  WOW!  What a difference a few days can make!  Yesterday we were -10 or maybe more ~ I lost track... I didn't pay too much attention to the outside.  I stayed IN!  If you are in the cold... I do hope you are staying warm & safe!

We are still settling into our new home.  We had a wonderful Christmas... and now have all the decorations down.  I'm still trying to put some of our nick knacks about the house, but we are getting back into the groove of living... and doing things that aren't as stressful as the last half of 2013 was for us!

I'm so happy to share this with you... I hooked and FINISHED a small rug/mat!  Before the hook-in at Judy Cripps this past December ~ seriously, the NIGHT BEFORE ~ I drew up this little doodle on linen, grabbed a handful of worms, and started to hook.  I worked on it a little that day at Judy's, but then it sat abandoned for several weeks.  Until this past weekend!  I finished it!  I can not begin to tell you how good it felt to have MADE SOMETHING AND TO HAVE FINISHED IT!  My feelings of joy don't necessarily come to me because it is a 'great' rug... it isn't.  I love to hook, but am not really all that good at it.  This is just a finish for me and I was able to do something with my creative side... and work with my hands!  Oh... I do hope this is a start of more to come!!!

I hooked with worms from my scrap basket... and was trying to make the rug look good & old... and primitive.  Simple and sweet?

The linen was turned under.  Then I whipped the edges with some awesome, wool yarn that I recently purchased from my dear friend, Ginger.  By the way, have you seen her new website yet?  You should!  She calls it Prairie Moon Primitives.  Anyway, after whipping, I then sewed on a piece of aged mattress ticking... and a charming, red wool heart.

When we were moving, and I was sorting through all my stuff... I ran across this rug I started YEARS ago.  I had started hooking on it... but last night reverse~hooked it... and now I have plans to restart it as my next hooking project.  The pattern for this rug is one given as a freebie by the obber~talented & gracious Lori Brechlin of Notforgotten Farm.  I will do my best to show it to you again SOON.... and ALL HOOKED UP!

Just for cuteness... this is Lucy looking out the window this morning.  She will bark & carry on like crazy when there is a squirrel or rabbit in the front yard!

We have our wood-stove working full blast... and it keeps the house so nice & toasty... perfect for hooking!

Wishing you warm smiles... 

Betty

~*Merry Christmas*~

I wish you and your families a very Merry Christmas!

 

Warm smiles from me to you...

Betty

~*Helping the Topeka Rescue Mission & Giving to Friends*~

Hello Dear Friends! I must share this with you...

Judy Cripps did it again!  She drew up a simple design on monks cloth... and offered it to the Rustic Rug Hookers for a $10 donation to go to the Topeka Rescue Mission.  The hookers then hooked up the pattern & wrapped it up for a fun exchange.

Names for each wrapped rug were put in a cup at the December hook~in... and drawn one at a time to pick from the pile of pretty wrapped packages.  Then everyone ended up with another hookers beautiful work!  And... funds were raised to help those in need at the rescue mission too!  ($120 at least... but I do believe it was more)  Judy has done this for the group for at least 4 years now!

The photo on top shows all the rugs finished... with all the beautiful interpretations of the pattern.  (a simple flag design)  Some personal artists' changes were made here & there... all the luscious wools lovely... and all the finishes unique & stunning!

The pattern was small... and hooked up quickly.  The rugs (and one pillow) are sure to be treasured for years to come!  We all said it was so nice to take home a piece of work made by another hooker.

This is the rug I received... hooked by Jan Hendrix... I LOVE IT!!!

This is the rug I hooked...

It was a fun day & it felt good to be hooking (crafting!) again! 

Wishing you all warm smiles...

Betty

~*My Sincere Apologies .... *~

With great regret and personal shame...  I apologize to all the members of Country Samplers Prim Sister Club and to the owner and shop girls of the store.  You were counting on me... and I let you down in a terrible way.  Please accept my sincere apology.

There is no one to blame but myself.  As you all know, there have been some good, but extremely stressful, changes in my personal life over the past seven months.  My family and I are still adjusting to all these new changes.  We are all healthy and happy together in our new home ~ and I do find enjoyment with my new job at ReRun Consignments in Council Grove... but we are still adjusting.

I made a commitment to the Country Sampler to provide two patterns for the Prim Sister group for this year.  I am unable to fulfill my commitment.  It is with great shame... that I did NOT contact the store owner to keep her informed with what was going on with my personal life... to see if we could make any adjustments to the group.  I didn't do that intentionally... rather, I kept telling myself that I would get it done ~ that I would fulfill my promise.  "I will do that next week... or I will do that tomorrow."  But then, I didn't do it at all.

Jeanne, the store owner, sent her weekly email newsletter yesterday to inform everyone that she has not been able to reach me and that I would not be a part of the group... that I would not be providing the final pattern promised by Primitivebettys.    I have not received any phone calls or emails from Jeanne... I'm not sure why.  With my 18 hours days... I do still check my emails and voice mails.  (my cell number has not changed) I'm not blaming Jeanne for anything though.  She is a nice lady and has an extremely nice store and business.  She must do what needs to be done for her shop.  Again... the fault is all mine. I  I did try to reach her this morning and left a message with one of the shop girls for her to please call me back.  I need to apologize to her personally.

A year ago, I never would have foreseen the changes we have made in our life.  Who does, I guess?  I feel very fortunate to say that all the changes we have made as a family have been good.  Thankfully we are all still together and we all still have our health.

Again, I do apologize for my lack of commitment.  I apologize for not keeping my promise.  I apologize for letting you down.

.... Betty

~*New Home Sweet Home*~

Hello Dear Friends!  Yes, after nearly four months... I am writing again.  I do hope to keep up with it... but we are still adjusting to all the recent changes.  Honestly, I have missed you all so very much!!!  I have missed crafting so very much!!!  I have missed junking and browsing and all the fun that goes with it too!!!

The process of buying, selling, moving, and just adjusting to all the changes has been a struggle.  Things didn't go 'badly'... they were just very stressful for me (and those around me, I'm sure!).  I'm glad most of it is done now.  We are enjoying our new home and the new town.  The small town of Eskridge, Kansas is full of charming, friendly people.  We have truly enjoyed everyone we have had the pleasure of meeting.  We are still working on unpacking... and Trinity is still working on adjusting to his new school.  He has many friends already, but is having a bit of a tough time with studies.  Hopefully we can help him get to where he needs to be very soon.

We are all moved from our old home to our new home.  We have been for several weeks now.  Oh, don't think that means everything is put away or that everything is calm... it is NOT!  We still have a long way to go.  We did host the family Thanksgiving a few weeks back... oh, by the way Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!  I hope all was warm & well with all of you... and that you enjoyed lots of great company, food, and love!  We had about 40 here to visit for the day.  During that time, there weren't any boxes cluttering the house.  We made it 'appear' as if everything was put away.  I'm not sure if anyone peeked into the garage or store room in the basement... but if they didn't, then they probably thought we had it all together!  Ha!!!

Well, this past weekend we began putting up our Christmas decorations... and at the same time, I moved some of our unpacked boxes into the house (because it is way too cold in the garage!)... and cluttered everything up again.  And, of course, now is when I decided I couldn't wait any longer to share our new home with you!  So... look past the clutter of cardboard boxes... and the fact that I didn't vacuum the carpet before the photo shoot... and know that we have a lot of decorating and 'home making' yet to do.

Enjoy...

Our nearest human neighbors are about a mile down the road either way.  Our other neighbors are buffalo and long-horn cattle... that weren't out today during the time I was with the camera.  They are beautiful to see & I promise to show you when I can.

Brownie is really enjoying it here.  Of course, with the cold he hasn't been outside much.  He, along with our outdoor kitties... spend nights in the garage near the heat lamp.

The view from our back deck... our frozen pond.

From the kitchen sink... I love to see so much beauty out the window!  There was a doe in the backyard a few weeks ago... just beautiful!

The living room... with our tree.  Trinity was our ornament hanger.  That is his 'job' each year.  See the hat on the table?  He wears it all the while the decorations are going up.  Cute!

The wood stove keeps us nice & warm inside.

Sarah is enjoying the new home too.  Some of you may know, she had some serious surgery a few months back.  She had bladder stones.  Poor thing... but she is all better know & even seems to like playing with Lucy.

Lucy is normally a ball of energy.  I caught her resting... on the back of the chair, of course.

Our bedroom... nice & bright like the whole house...

Our last home only had one bathroom.  Let me tell ya... it is so nice to now have three!  We have one of our own from our bedroom.

Trinity has told me over and over that he LOVES his new room!  It is kind of cram-packed with the drum set there... but that is how he wanted it.

The previous owners left this cabinet in the garage.  Trinity hangs out here a lot of the time... it is his 'go to spot' to loaf!  (and play video games)

Trinity's bird, Midas, likes the bright home... at least he SOUNDS like he does... with all the chirping & singing he does now!

Predator is Trinity's frog... also in his room...

The hall bath...

Our new kitchen... We spoiled ourselves with new appliances.  We didn't really 'need' them... but we splurged.  I was wanting stainless *smile* ...

See that can of paint? (on skinny Santa's left)  Well, I do HOPE to get back to crafting, stitching, re-purposing, and all VERY SOON!  I have a small side table that needs to be painted... today, maybe?  It will be RED... my favorite color & just in time for Christmas!

Our dining room...

My studio space... Tony has one part of the basement & I have the other.  This is my part...

Lots of room to work & organize me 'stuff'...

We have a third bedroom too... and a few other rooms (laundry & pantry).  I have probably over-loaded you with pictures already.  Plus, not everything is as it will be, of course.  I'll share more soon.

Hopefully though... my next post will be CRAFTY!!!!

Did I mention that the family will be here again in a few weeks for Christmas?  Oh boy... I  better get busy!!!

Until next time... warm smiles from me to ALL of you...

Betty

~*Changes*~

Hello Dear Friends!

Life is full of changes!  Very unexpectedly, and out~of~the~blue... my husband and I have decided to dive HEAD FIRST and make some serious BIG, life changes!

It all started at a garage sale!  WOW!  We stopped at one being held out in the country.  It was a sale being run by a coworker of my in~laws.  (They were with us too.)  This gentleman has been cleaning and caring for his mother~in~law's estate over the past year or so.  While we were browsing through the garage sale items, he mentions to us that he will be listing the house on the market soon.  My husband's ears perked up... and before I could catch him by the collar to stop him... he was in the house looking from room to room!

Oh wait... let me back up!  Before we even went into the garage for the sale stuff... we all drooled over the view of the pond in the backyard!  So, technically, my husband was already IN LOVE with this home!

Once inside, my husband looked around and around and was complimenting the house at ever corner.  I was still trying to catch him and get him out!  I kept asking him if he was crazy!  And telling him, "We aren't buying a house!"  Yes, the house was nice... I agreed with that, but we didn't have plans to move.

Well... to make a long story short... our home is now on the market and we have a contract drawn up with this nice man and his family to buy their mother's home... as long as ours sells. 

OUR HOUSE IS FOR SALE HERE!  With our favorite realtor, Lacie Hamlin.

TIME TO STRESS!!!

So, over the past couple of weeks, we have been working frantically around our house doing some much needed updates and some major downsizing (and lots of cleaning!).

We remodeled our bathroom.  Gone is the 1970's pink... and the hideous paneling with the gold specks that we have always referred to as "Gold Spiders"!  We had a tub in the old bath, but have always wanted (and needed!) a shower.  So, after 7 years living here and 'putting up' with this out~dated mess... we now have an up~to~date & fresh bathroom to offer a prospective buyer!

 Yippee!!!

 

Much better!  Don't you think?  Hopefully a buyer will like it!  (and SOON!)

Along with the bathroom work... we have been sorting & purging & cleaning EVERYWHERE!  There are piles of things here and there that are scheduled to be taken to a local auction house this coming Monday...

MOVING/DOWNSIZING AUCTION

Thursday, August 22, 2013  5:30pm

Flint Hills Auction at Bluestem Hall

646 Road 180, Emporia KS

 

There will be LOTS and LOTS of things up for bids that we have collected and stored for too long.  It is time to let it go.  And... if all goes well... it will be LESS for us to move!

 

*~*~*~*~*

 

With all these changes... my craft business will be making changes too.  I have not decided yet what all those changes are going to be.  For now, I have closed my shop here at home.  The booth I share with my SIL, Robin, is still active at ReRun Consignments in Council Grove... and I really do wish to keep that.  However, my crafty ventures... my cross stitch patterns and all... are still needing some thinking about.  Once things calm down, I know I will have a bright look to the future and it will all work itself out then.  I'll keep you posted!

 

In the meantime... your kind thoughts, friendship... and prayers are greatly appreciated!

 

Wishing you all warm smiles...

 

Betty