A Very Special Giveaway From "A Primitive Place" Magazine!!!

"A Primitive Place" is my favorite magazine....

Truly - I go through withdrawals waiting for the next issue to come out...

And to make a good thing even better, they are having a very special giveaway....

You could win this sweet sampler handstitched by Jen Gass at Taylors*Farmhouse*Attic....

To enter, go to  http://aprimitiveplacemagazine.blogspot.com/



Good luck! (But I really hope I win it!!) :o))

Hurry - you must enter by April 29th!

A Day at Red Barn Rugs.....

Today I went to my friend Cathy's (Red Barn Rugs) to help her get some patterns, kits, etc. together for a rug hooking show in Milwaukee on Thursday....

I'm fortunate to have such a wonderful resource (and wool-source) (not to mention friend) just 5 minutes down the road, given that we kinda live in the boonies....

Stopped to say "hey" to the sheep at Farmer Brian's on the way:

(Yes, that's still snow on the ground....)

(Not nice to turn the other way when I'm talking to you!  Probably thought I just wanted his wool for felting or something!!)

When I was supposed to be doing patterns, I took some pictures of just a few of Cathy's wonderful rugs to share with you (most were already packed for the show)....These are so much better in person...(For some reason, my camera seems to "over-expose" everything when the flash is on and the photos are too dark without the flash (photography tips welcome, as it is supposedly a very good camera....) so, I apologize for the photographic quality...but you get the gist of her beautiful designs....)

 Tulip House

 Log Cabin



 Eliza

Trusty 

 Kaleidoscope

 Pennies

Floral Scroll

Said good-bye to Mamma & Baby on the way back:



(If you promise not to tell Cathy I was goofing off while I was supposed to be working, I promise to get more pictures of her rugs next time I'm there....) 

Resurrection Rolls....An Easter Tradition.....

Each Easter....for a long, long, time now....

On Easter Eve, my sister invites her nephews and nieces (but, her only 2 nieces are both married with families of their own...so mostly it's the nephews)....and any of the nephews' friends or grandchildren who care to join in....

to come to her house to make Resurrection Rolls....

My sister is a baker extraordinaire...let me tell you....

and these rolls are no exception....

But what makes them extra special is the symbol of Easter they represent:

A marshmallow is placed in each roll before they are baked.

And when they are done....

Voila!  There is an empty "tomb" where the marshmallow was.

Cool, huh??

(Sorry there's only half to show...I ate the other half...and then both halves....They are YUMMY!!)

The boys (this year, aged 6 - 22+) love it.

And I can't think of a better way to celebrate the season!

Thanks Sis!!!



P.S......

Could that possibly be spring on the horizon???

Easter Blessings and Joy to You....

Robin

YIPPEE!!! I'm a Lucky Girl! (Thanks Brenda!!)

I am not, by nature nor design, a "lucky" person....

Unh uh....Not by any stretch of the imagination....

(Come on - can anyone who has had their car almost totaled by being broadsided by a kamakazi duck, or had to seek medical treatment after being run into by a warring humming bird (in the cheek no less) be considered "lucky"??? I think not....And that's just a SMALL, SMALL, taste of my experiences....)  

However, recently, my fortune has had a bit sunnier disposition.

And for that, I am SOOO grateful!

I am also very grateful to Brenda from The Rusty Thimble!

I won her most recent (yes, Brenda is very generous and has many) giveaway!!

Yippee!!!  Yesterday, a box full of wonderful goodies arrived at my doorstep....

Looky:

Cool little bobbin/spindles tied with homespun and Sweet Annie....

A set of Brenda's prim-perfect Americana stars: 

A sweet little wooden bowl with the "fixin's"......



And I thought I was only getting the Americana stars....like, if that wouldn't have been sweet enough!

Thank you so much Brenda! You're a for sure and for certain sweetheart!

You can visit Brenda at the following places:

http://therustythimble.blogspot.com/
http://www.etsy.com/shop/rustythimble
http://rustythimblesalesblog.blogspot.com/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Rusty-Thimble/150163381680858

(PS - Brenda has another wonderful giveaway in progress...Click on the great little prim goose on my sidebar for details!)

Stuck in Colder Weather......But A Touch Of Spring From Amy ~ THANK YOU!!

INSTALLING SPRING...
███████████████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ 44% DONE.
Install delayed....please wait.
Installation failed. Please try again.

404 error: Season not found.

Season "Spring" cannot be located. The season you are looking for might have been removed, had its name changed, or is temporarily unavailable. Please try again....

Stuck in Colder Weather....
Very, Very, Early This Morning....

When I let the SnowDog out.....
Thought I was having a nightmare and letting him out in my sleep.....

Stuck in Colder Weather....
Later This Morning....

Yup....It was a nightmare....but not the sleeping kind....

It has been a cruel, cruel, longggggg, winter here in Nod....

BUT....A week or so ago, Amy ("Cottage Prims), from Bumble Bee Lane Cottage (http://bumblebeelanecottage.blogspot.com/), hosted a secret, surprise, giveaway for her blog followers.  Don't know 'bout you, but "secret" and "surprise" are two of my most favorite words...

And, I WON, I WON, I WON!!!!

Here's what I got in the mail a few days ago from Sweet Amy:

 

 

Isn't this little bunny the cutest??? Amy made it out of beeswax, and it smells wonderful! And, of course, bunnies are also WAY high up on my favorites list.

As most of you know, I'm relatively new here in Blogland.  I've already met many wonderful friends and hope to meet many more, but Amy will always hold a special place in my heart, as she was one of the first to give me a wonderfully warm welcome.  I thank her for that, and for keeping the hope of spring alive while I continue to be "Stuck In Colder Weather..."

Thank you Amy!!

Country Freckles: Primitives, Antiques & Hooking...What's Not to Love??!

Oh my HECK!! I had some kind of fun yesterday!!

My friend, Cathy, from Red Barn Rugs was teaching a rug hooking "finishing" class yesterday at Country Freckles in Wisconsin Rapids.  Joni from Country Freckles carries some of Cathy's patterns and wools, and Cathy teaches various classes there from time to time.  Yesterday was one of those days, and I seldom pass up a chance to tag along....

Now...I ask - what's not to love about a store that has primitives (furnishings AND decor), antiques, and rug hooking??! Yikes!  Country Freckles is one of my favorite places to go....It's a little hike for us (about an hour and a half away), but WELL worth it.  Soothes my primitive soul just walking in the door.....

Joni graciously let me take some pictures to share with you:

These are a couple of smalls I brought home with me:   :o)

A bunny poke:

Another bunny (a girl can never have too many bunnies...or bears...or birdies....or sheep....or....):

And a little Family Heirloom Weavers tablecover:

And some eggs....ones on the right (the ones on the left are from Wanda at Gatherings...):



If you are ever in our parts, stop in at Country Freckles...Trust me, you're gonna love it! And it's HUGE....What I've shown you is just a smattering of what's in this place.  Holy cow!

Tell Joni "TheCrankyCrow" says "hi"!

The store is located at 1010 8th Street in Wisconsin Rapids (Wisconsin, of course).

Joni also has a blog:

http://countryfreckles.blogspot.com/

You can see more of her store there!

Kindness & Generosity Does Exist...Thank You Madalynne...

Several days ago, Madalynne from Pineapple Primitives had an "instant giveaway..."

It was an "early bird" giveaway.  Now, even though my given name is "Robin," I have never, nohow, noway, been considered - by ANYONE - to be an "early bird."  However, Madalynne's work is so incredible, that I made "special arrangements," to arise early enough that day to see what Madalynne was up to....

And I was fortunate enough to win one of her special creations:

Isn't this little guy just incredible???

I LOVE him!! 

Thank you so much, Madalynne!!!

You are so wonderfully gifted!!

Check out Madalynne's blog for more of her awesome creations...and links to her Ebay listings:

http://pineappleprimitives.blogspot.com/

Thank you, again, Madalynne ~ you're a sweetheart! (Wish my pictures were better!)

(PS ~ Sorry for the silence on my blog and delay in visiting your blogs, but our little area of the world was trashed by the tornadoes this past Sunday (and, I have had a very finicky internet connection these days!).  Fortunately, our house did not suffer any property damage (although we were without electricity for 18+ hours), but many of our family, friends, and neighbors were not as fortunate...Please keep them in your thoughts as they try to rebuild and carry on....)

You Don't Have To Be Smart To Be A Lawyer....

.....Or so says my DH.  In fact, that's one of his FAVORITE sayings*....

Well, this time, I think he was right....

(No worries ~ he is not computer-saavy, so will never know I said that...)

Anyhow....a little backgroud:  My house is small and has many windows, further cutting down on wall space....

I find it a true challenge to be able to display all the treasures I love....

I'm a hooker....I have rugs I've hooked with no place to display them....

One prime display space is a wall area outside our loft bedroom.

But, hanging hooked rugs is not an easy feat....

I'm not real fond of the carpet tack or the velcro method...and given the limited display space, I like to be able to change out my rugs from time to time, and season to season; and, of course, not all rugs are the same size....

So, I finally broke down and started sewing wool sleeves on the backs of my rugs...and bought a Longaberger quilt hanger to put in this wonderful area of open space.

Alas....I did not realize that the rod projects out from the wall to accommodate the width of a folded quilt.

So....look closer:

And closer....

Yeah, DUH....the rugs curl because they are not flush against the wall.

Yup, those are tacks I shoved in to give a semblance of flatness. (And trust me, that was at risk of life and limb since what is below that rug is empty space going down a circular stairway to our basement....)

Worst part is, I waited years to have something hung up there....and it's permanently installed....The brackets are bolted into the walls.  Ain't gonna be changed anytime soon without major gaping holes in the wall.

C**p.

(PS - That rug is a Margaret Shaw design...hooked it several years ago, and called it "The Angry Rabbit Rug" because the "fuzzy" wool I used for the rabbit was a real pain to hook with.  You don't want to know what I call it now.)

*Note:  This saying directly contradicts one of my DH's other famous sayings which resulted in me going to law school in the first place.  Fodder for another post, another time....

HOW TO REMOVE INSECTS FROM THE EAR....

My friend, Jen, and I went "junkin'" (our collective DHs' term) on Friday.  We had to stop at one of our favorite antique shops (don't have too many to choose from in these parts....) They are only open from April to December, and only on weekends, so their "spring" opening is something we look forward to.

One of the treasures I found was a book (don't get me started looking at the old books - 'cause I can spend HOURS standing (or squatting) in the same spot just losing myself in history....)  Anyway....this one I brought home with me....

Look a little closer at the title:



It was written in 1887 (copyright 1888) by Prudence B. Saur, M.D.

Now, I'm impressed....not every lady in 1887 could be a doctor....

and certainly not every doctor in 1887 was a lady!

(Note: She is "Mrs." P.B. Saur, M.D.)

Anywhohow....this book is a HOOT! I am having so much fun reading!
So, I thought I would share a little with you all....

From Chapter XIV:



Dr. Pru's advice is as follows:

If a child has put either a pea, bean, bead, cherry stone, or any other smooth substance, into his ear, turn his head on one side, in order to let the ear with the pea or bead in it to be undermost, then give with the flat of your hand two or three sharp, sudden slaps or boxes on the other, or uppermost ear, and most likely the offending substance will drop out.  Poking at the ear will, in the majority of cases only send the substance further in, and make it more difficult to remove.

If an earwig, or any other living thing should get into the ear of a child, lay the child on his side, the affected ear being uppermost, and fill the ear, from a teaspoon, with either water or sweet oil.  The water or oil will carry the insect out of the ear, and the child is at once relieved.  Dr. B. F. Kinsley, U.S.A, relates a number of cases where soldiers sleeping on the plains have come to him to have bugs removed from their ears.  Accidentally he discovered that by holding a lighted candle near the ear, the insects would at once leave the cavity and come forth.  The patient should be in the dark when this is done.

Now, good friends...I trust you will be able to have a safe and wonderful week ahead...knowing that you know how to remove insects from your ears and from the ears of your loved ones....

:o)