One activity for a lot of people during the frigid winter months (me)...is watch the icicles grow.  And ours are growing....but you could also get out and go to Not So Shabby and check out the Winter Dip Sale.  They are not just for dipping anymore...recipes are included and also available in the store.  Try Almond Poppy Seed, Artichoke & Spinach, BLT (favorite of many), Confetti Cheese Ball, Fiesta Nacho Cheese, Ranch Salsa (makes a great turkey wrap), Spinach, and many more.  ALL On SALE!

2013... 2nd Project done.....on the "dime"

Recovering my old recliner was my first project for the year...almost on pennies...(one little problem with the chair...I have discovered that I have at least two quilting pins stitched and covered in the chair...have to cure that problem soon).
 Now it is on to the 2nd project.  Redo the bath.  Too bad I did not remember to take a pick of the before.

Most have never seen my bathroom before this...I had hand painted large sunflowers, assorted flowers and you pee-ed in the trees.  I guess that reaching 60 makes you want a more mature, simple and cheap bathroom.  And I managed this on $47.00.  $32.00 of that was towels and a rug!   I always shop Lowe's discount area's.  Paint..mistint..1 gallon $5 and I only needed half (even with covering trees).  My handles on the cupboards I bought a few years back..checked out with a couple and found that they were priced at $.09 a piece.  I turned right around and bought everything they had.  My drawer knobs were $.35 a piece...discontinued items. My glass tiles were packs that had been opened and pieces missing for only $2.00 a sheet.  Repainted my old mirror.  I kept it very simple...not many dust collectors. And all my baskets and accessories are thrift store finds.

Br-r-r-r-r-r- it's too cold to work in the barn......

The chair was faded, torn in places ...

2013...is here.  Winter is really here.  8 degrees and a blizzard qualify it.
And I decided that I had at least two projects that I wanted to get done before spring got here.  Redo our bath and do something with my $3.00 Flex Steel chair.  I paid $10 for it at a thrift store and  while vacuuming the dust bunnies out I found $7.00 in the chair.  What a deal.  Wanted it to go to the cottage, but we decided it was too big for the cottage.  We've been using it for a year now and it is one of the most comfortable chairs.   I could not see burning it in the "bonfire". (where all old couches and chairs go).  So after spending two weeks with a dreaded cold, in my comfy chair, I decided to save it from destruction.  But I had to do it using something that I already had.  I made a New Years resolution to clean up all my stuff.  Purge.  And not buy more stuff.  (The kids said that when we die, they were just going to roll in the dumpsters and load them up.)  Only God knows how much time I have to use up all of my Stuff!
 Years ago I had bought a basket at a auction just for kid's toys and it was also loaded with all upholstery ends and pieces...which of course I saved all these years.  So there was my material.  I am not a good seamstress and not a perfectionist by any means.  Between a hook needle, staple gun and hot glue I recovered my chair.  Not as good as my inspiration, but good enough for me.  One project down and on to the  next, which is almost done also.  Getting rid of my hand-painted trees in bath......

my inspiration off Pinterest.....

...I hand quilted patchwork pieces to my chair.

I will have to shear my chair now and then. Unraveling.  I just cut the pieces out and quilted them one on top of each other, without finishing the edges.  I wanted a rough look to it and I got it.
And after all this, it hardly put a dent in tub of material.  After looking at it for 2 days, I added one more piece of material to get rid of the very large piece of yellow on the back of the chair.

...looking forward to 2013

Winter has finally arrived in backwoods Borculo...summer is packed away.

Pottery is put on hold for awhile...switching gears from holidays to winter survival.  Time for hot soups, baked bread, finish little indoor projects, maybe paint a bathroom...(we'll see), just have to keep the clay from freezing in the barn.

....we still need to do our share of splitting wood too.

 Everything is mostly black, white and frozen....so quiet only the crunching of the snow under your boots.. Now the "woodchucks" will find out if they have "chucked" enough wood to keep us warm all winter.

Some day....crockpot turkey....

 Storage shed full of wood...the woodchucks have been working hard.

Before the snow fall last night we had a nice smooth layer of ice...maybe this will be a good year for the skates to come out of the attic.  

If the turkeys get any closer to the kitchen...still 14 of them and they are really getting to be nice size birds....Well..whatever the  New Year brings...Happy 2013!!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!!  Thank you to all my faithful customers, I so enjoy meeting all of you at the shows and seeing all your handiwork that you have made with the leaves and letter tiles.  And thanks for all the suggestions of things to make in the future...I will never get to all of them. :-)  Looking forward to 2013 and what it has in store for me and my hobby....it will be a slower year with less shows.  My husband and I are looking forward to a trip to Texas in Feb/March (Lord willing) so I will not be attending the Sunshine Spring Arts & Crafts Show.  But I hope to be back in October.  We will see what God has in the appointment book for us in 2013..................

Dips, Dips, Dips and more Dips!!

The shelf at Not So Shabby has been restocked.  Dips make a excellent choice for a small gift, a stocking stuffer, or just a yummy dip for a party.  Try a chicken salad made with Pineapple Pecan Cheesespread Mix and you will have a hit!

Several new dips are on the shelf Almond Poppy Seed Dip mix, Fiesta Nacho Cheese Dip, Salsa Dip Mix, .....

and Confetti Cheeseball Mix.  More recipes are found inside each packet of mix.  All made in Michigan by Country Home Creations.  I can not take dip mixes to my last show of the year, so all the dips are at Not So Shabby.

Parkside Holiday Fine Arts & Crafts Fair

This coming Saturday November 17, 9 am to 3 pm at the Parkside Bible Church located at 14461 James St in Holland MI

Windsong will be having a ornament sale.......plus a lot of "clean out the trailer" sale items....it's my end of the year sale.