IN THE SPIRIT OF FRIENDS SHOW ~ ~ ~

 Last Saturday, we had a great show at Malabar Farm just outside of Mansfield!  This is my booth ~ hogde podgey ~ that's what I always think ~ but colorful!!  Just like the the person who set it up!!!  We had no rain ~ lots of shoppers ~ a great day!  I love a show in this kind of setting when the weather is good ~ and of course, when my things are 'well received'!!!

 These booths were across from us and at the entrance to the barn!  Lots of primitive folk art and antiques inside and out!

 Our friends, Vivian and Lou Schomburg, have great colonial boxes and shelves and cupboards!  Perfect for the colonial or primitive home!  We went to dinner after the show at the Malabar Inn ~ very good food and a welcome respite after all our hard work!!  Sonny and I were celebrating our 29th wedding anniversary which was on Sunday ~ 29 glorious, blissful, fun-filled, crazy years!!!  Many of them were, anyway!!

These two couples stopped by the booth and I'm sorry I wasn't more mindful of the lighting!!  Mr. & Mrs. Gary Dundore and Mr. & Mrs. Glenn Krebs dress like this for fun  and travel around to various places ~ they're not paid ~ they do it just for their own entertainment and to bring a bit of the olden days into the present!  I enjoyed our conversation immensely and wish I had more time to talk with them.  By the way, all their clothing was vintage ~ not costumes!!

Tonite, I have a houseguest ~ friend Jackie from Pittsburgh!  Tomorrow morning we leave for our class in Tipp City with Alice Strebel, Nola Heidbreder and Karen Kahle!!  We're looking forward to seeing friends from last year and working on a new project ~ which by the way, is kind of a mystery! We do know it's a geometric of some sort!  So when we return, I'll have pictures and stories to tell ~ check in and see what we created!!

Have a good weekend, everybody!

IN THE SPIRIT OF FRIENDS SHOW ~ ~ ~

TOMORROW from 10 A.M. - 4 P.M.!!!!!!  Come join us at Malabar Farm ~ we'll be in the barn ~ with lots of dyed wool, as-is wool, hooks, frames, scissors, yarns, rovings, books ~ whatever you need for your rug hooking pleasure!! 

This pumpkin lady is looking for a home, too!  She's wearing antique children's shoes, hat and capelet and has on her best fall dress!!  She's been to too many Fall shows, so she's at a bargain price of $75!!!  Email me if you want her for your own before tomorrow!




 There are two of these Turtle Creek Pottery luminaries ~ this one ($95) and a smaller one for $65.00.  Great with a candle or a mini light under it for enhancing the soft lighting in your home!

 Bundles of dyed wool ~ things that I've had too long and am bundling them in like colors ~ great for backgrounds or anyplace that you want to mix colors!

These are still on my work table waiting to be stripped into 1/8th yard pieces and yarns to be packaged!  Whew ~ I've got a lot to do before tomorrow!  As soon as I'm finished here, I'm hauling things up to the garage, hopefully, before Sonny gets home!  He's worked hard all day and then we have to pack the truck and go set up!!  As usual, we pack a lot into a day!! 

Hope to see you tomorrow ~ think SUNSHINE for all of us down in the Pleasant Valley, home of author and conservationist, Louis Bromfield!  An interesting factoid is that Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart were married in the big house at Malabar.  It's open for tours and Malabar's  Heritage Days are also going on this weekend ~ so there will be lots to do!!

See  you soon!
Alice

BIG WEEKEND ~ ~ ~

 Friday, friend Vivian and I went to the Country Living show at Ohio Village in Columbus!  This great fat tin chicken was one of our purchases ~ Vivian bought a black one!  I took down several things off this wall ~ fussy looking things ~ and replaced them with this lone mustard chicken!  I like it!!

This gives you an overall look at the little guest bath under the stairs - in my mind, I think you're interested!!  What you will be interested in is that there were THOUSANDS of people at this show ~ the grounds were covered with folks who paid $16 each to get in!  If they went for the Early Bird Sale, they paid $25 to get in!  It astounded us both in light of the fact that a crummy economy surrounds us!  We even heard of people who flew in from far away places to attend!

 Ginger Cazan created these two redware pieces ~ I love her work and don't see her much anymore ~ we did a couple of shows together but not now!   Our  kids will probably sell all this stuff in a garage sale for 50 cents when we're gone ~ but I love redware so I'm enjoying it now!

Some other acquisitions were these beautiful skeins of handspun yarn ~ aren't they gorgeous?  Even if you're not into fibers, the colors are so pretty! 

This show was well worth the trip down to Columbus!  Hundreds of artists ~ traditional and contemporary ~ some very funky and eclectic!  We were there from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and only sat for a bite of lunch!  I was so tired when we left and drove home to go out for dinner with my old friends!  We met them in Ashland at 6:30 at Surella's ~ if you live near Ashland, you should give it a try ~ very good food ~ and beverages!  We had a lot of fun ~ stayed till we almost got kicked out!  Then Sonny and I stopped at the Happy Grape because Teddy & Miki asked us to join them ~ I hate to tell anybody no ~ they may not ask again!  We got home at midnight!!

Saturday, was a Fraizer family wedding ~ at a farm ~ very simple but it did the trick!  We got home at 10 that night ~ the old people are slowing down!!  Sunday we went to Camden's fifth grade football game and then had a wiener roast here for all of our kids and grandkids!!  Great fun ~ great food ~ lots of laughs!!  Luke & Jake, the two 7th graders, stayed all night with us and I got them off to school this morning with homemade smoothies and eggs and toast!!  Don't tell my grown kids ~ they will remember that I didn't quite do that for them ~ probably some cheerios and a pop tart!!!!  Grandmas are smarter ~ and have more time!!

I have tried numerous times today to send photos from my 'smart' phone to my email but no dice!  I wanted to show you my old friends and pix from the wedding.  Oh, well ~ you'll have to imagine them!   Silly me ~ I fogot that I can just download them from the phone to a picture file ~ here's the bride with her dad ~ the tractor and haywagon brought us all back to the wedding site!  Kind of fun!! Especially watching this old girl get up on the wagon!

Today, I've been washing sheep fleece ~ now that's a stinky job!!  Have a good week everybody ~ and you know I appreciate you stopping by!!!

RECIPE ~ AND STUFF ~ ~ ~

I made this a while ago and it's really good ~ I tried to find a picture ~ it's out on the web but no photos ~ so just imagine how good it looks!! And besides that, I wanted to post a little bit tonite but alas ~ no photos!!!



                                                      Warm Bean and Bacon Salad

Start to finish: 20 minutes

8 ounces slab bacon or pancetta, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 medium yellow onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
6 garlic cloves, crushed and chopped
Two 15 1/2-ounce can navy or other small white beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon ground pepper

Place the bacon or pancetta in a medium saucepan over low heat. Saute, covered, for about 8 minutes, or until the meat has rendered much of its fat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, for about 5 seconds. Transfer the contents of the saucepan, fat and all, to large bowl.
Add the beans, salt, parsley, vinegar, oil and pepper. Mix well, then serve warm or at room temperature. Makes 6 servings.

Source: Adapted from Jacques Pepin’s “Essential Pepin.” (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2011).



I wanted to publicly thank customer Sandra for sending her check, as she promised, for the wool she got Saturday!  I trusted her and she's a woman of her word!!  I love helping out someone and she helped me to keep my faith in the good guys and gals of this world!!

At the show last Saturday, I also had the nicest surprise ~ Dara, my friend from when we were young in the little town of Homerville, where we grew up ~ came to the show to see me!  I only get to see her at class reunions and now that she has retired, she's branching out!!  It meant a lot to me that she made the effort to drive down from Cleveland (we walked to school together every day for years!) and she also surprised me by wanting to get started hooking ~ rug hooking, of course!!  I can't wait to see what she creates ~ she's going to draw her own patterns and just see where her creativity takes her!!!  I'm on the sidelines, cheering you on, friend!!!

Another couple, Roberta and Dick, who still live in Homerville, stopped by and we've made arrangements to get together for dinner this weekend ~ along with Marge Dreher and her husband.  Marge still lives in Homerville, too ~ she's the artist that is next to our booth at Quailcrest!  Dick and I grew up across the road from one another and always argue about who was the poorer of the two families ~ I know it was us! We've known each other since kids, too! It was like old home week ~ very fun for me!

Tomorrow, friend Vivian and I are going to the Country Living Show at Ohio Village in Columbus.  I've wanted to go since they started but always had a show that weekend! This year the date of Malabar got changed so we're free to go!  We're looking forward to it for sure!  I'll take pictures!!

Did I tell you that I got the new IPhone?  They call it a 'smart phone' for a reason ~ it is smarter than me!  It's been a bit of a challenge to get used to ~ I finally got email installed on it ~ and now to learn to take advantage of all the 'apps' that are available ~ some for free ~ some for money ~ I want the free ones!!  It's good to stretch our brains and try new things ~ it keeps us young and sharp!!  That's funny ~ to me!!

Have a good weekend ~ it's cool and crisp out ~ how quickly the weather changed!!  We have an outdoor wedding on Saturday ~ guess I better get my longies out!!!!!!!!!  Ta ta for now, friends!!
Alice

THIS WEEKEND'S SHOW ~ ~ ~

 Was really fun!!  It didn't rain although it looked like it could at various times!  It rained in Cleveland, Akron and even Wooster, which is 2 or 3 miles down the road from Quailcrest but it never rained there!  We were ever so grateful!  We sold lots of wool and remnants of wool ~ they liked my new colors!!


Lauren and Linda  ~ friends/bloggers/hookers ~ met up at the show and stopped by to see us!  They were having fun (they met each other at the proddy class here in the spring) and I swear Linda came by three hours later ~ still there!!  She brought me some of her newest pieces to see ~ Linda is a woman on a hooking mission!!  Stop by and visit their blogs ~ Lauren is a very frequent blogger  ~ Linda,  not often enough!

This little rug has a new home ~ someone helped themselves to it and a wool appliqued runner, this weekend!  Can you believe it?  It was before the show even started ~ while we were setting up and wandering around ~ not paying close enough attention to what was going on around us!  It really saddened me ~ I've done shows for 30 years and to my knowledge, never had anything taken before.  A hooked rug, no matter the size, takes a lot of time and effort to create ~ but even though that happened ~ I won't let it destroy my trust in the people who come to a show ~ I even let a gal take wool home and send me a check this week because she was out of cash!   The incident will make me be more watchful in the future ~ and maybe it will be a lesson to all of us who put ourselves out there to pay a little closer attention!

We stopped on the way home for a really nice dinner at The Skyway with our friends Vivian and Lou.  We were all really tired and it was great to stop at a nice quiet spot ~ like the old supper clubs ~ with very attentive waitstaff and no music blaring and low lighting ~ a real treat at the end of a long day!

Sonny, his son Brian and my son, Ted are all up at Lake Erie on a fishing trip today!  Hope they bring home supper!!!!!!  It's a nice sunshiny day here ~ hope it is up there!!  Tad and I stayed home ~ I was just too tired to pack up and go up there yesterday!  I thought I would get a lot done today but so far, not so much!! 

Have a good week, everybody!!  Enjoy this fall weather ~ I love the way the air feels and smells in the fall! 

SNEAK PEAK ~ ~ ~

 Here are a few things I'm packing for my show tomorrow at Quailcrest Herb Farm ~ I should actually be packing my crates instead of blogging but when I saw this array of color, I just had to share!!  You might see something you like!! 

These are some of the remnants from the brights that I dyed last week!  I'm loving this vibrant color!  These are little bundles of the ends I cut off to square up the quarter yards and it's a nice way to add to your color stash!

 I picked these up at the wholesale market a few weeks ago.  The little red house is a cute little 'what not' that would look good perched on top of a table or cupboard.  The splint baskets are woven of hand-split reed ~ very old but must have been out of harm's way ~ they look good!

 Some woven table toppers for HaLLOween!

Bundles of fabric remnants from a weaver ~ I've made table runners out of the plain fabric to applique on.  You could use them for lots of little projects!




I'll have lots of wool, frames, hooks, sari ribbon and green sparkly yarn ~ patterns and foundation fabric and some finished rugs as well!  Come by and see us tomorrow if you're close enough ~ they have a very nice show of folk art and antiques and beautiful herb gardens to wander in!

I picked up friend Marge today and we went to the Senior Center for fish ~ $3.50 for two BIG pieces of fish and a side dish ~ Sonny and Brian have been lunching there since they're working in town!!!  Since her husband passed away, Marge doesn't get to go as much, so  I took her on my errands to Krogers, Kohl's and her bank ~ I think she enjoyed it!  I hope when I'm old, someone will come and pick me up once in  a while!!  I'll let you know ~ when I get old!!

Back to the packing ~ we'll load the truck when Sonny gets home ~ I'd like to not be up till midnight tonite!!  I used to do that ~ work till 1 or 2 in the morning and get up at 6 to leave for a show ~ those days are gone!! Think SUN, everybody ~ there's nothing better than an outside show on a beautiful day!

NEW SHOP IN TOWN ~ ~ ~

Yesterday, as I was on my way home from errands and saw that a new little shop here in town was open!  Shoppe 27 is it's name ~ at 27 East Main St. in Lexington.  Fran and Suzie are the proprietors and they've assembled a lot of what I call 'shabby chic' furnishings and accessories ~ there are three nice little upholstered chairs that would be perfect for a little bedroom or sitting room!  So, if you live in the Lexington area ~ stop by and see them Wednesday-Saturday from 11 to 5 p.m. 

Just thought I'd give them a little plug ~ it's great to see new business come to town!  We have a new bakery called The Itsy Bitsy Cupcake Shop ~ I haven't been there but wish her great success, as well!  Also another business called Finderz Keeperz ~ I'm not sure exactly what they have but think it is recycled stuff ~ I'll stop there someday, too!

That's it for today ~ I need to start packing for my show Saturday ~ THINK SUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  It's a little gloomy here in Ohio today!!  Have a good day ~
Alice

P.S.  This is the photo I was trying to add to my blog right from the phone ~ looks like it takes a pretty good picture, though!!  Twelve year old Luke, said he'd show me how to use my phone!!!!!!!!  I'm glad someone in the family is techno-savvy!!!

BLOGGING FROM MY IPHONE ~ ~ ~

I have a new phone that is fun and crazy making at the same time! I tried to load a photo but there's apparently something I need to know! Anyway, bear with me ~ it will be fun if I can post when we're out on our adventures!

P.S. ~ it worked!!! Amazing to me ~ I'm on the computer now! Wish I could figure out how to load the photos from the phone ~ I will ~ and then there will be no stopping me!!!!!

We went to dinner at a friend's house last night ~ we only knew two people there ~ the other 7 were all strangers ~ very fun! It's great to stretch yourself and really engage with new people ~ we had a great time!!

Okay ~ I'm off to get ready for Saturday's show!! Ta ta for now!
Alice

P.S.S. ~ I never blog without photos ~ it feels like something is missing!!

NEW WOOL COLORS ~ ~ ~

In the mornings, I've been putting on a couple of dye pots each day in preparation for my upcoming show at Quailcrest Herb Farm in Wooster ~ check it out on Coming Events on the left sidebar. 

I'm trying ProChem colors here ~ lovely brights that will appeal to some more than others.  I love the depth of color that came out came out in these batches ~ kind of a jewel tone effect and very mottled!

These formulas lean more toward the primitive colors that I know so many like ~ me, too!  Deep rich color!  Dyed wool has an appeal and gives an effect in a rug that as-is wools just can't do! 

I have to tell you that I used citric acid crystals for the first time ever!  When I had the red pot on and the water was rolling, I put the crystals in ~ take it from me ~ don't do that!!  The water erupted like a freaking volcano all over my stove, counters, floor and whatever was within a couple of feet!!!!!!!  RED DYE everywhere!!!!!!!!  Of course, I was in a hurry ~ when am I not?  So, I cleaned up all the liquid with paper towels and then thew them in the garage trash can because if anyone had looked in the kitchen waste basket, they would have thought I'd slit my throat!!!  As I said, I was in a hurry ~ leaving to go  to an appointment and had to leave the stained counters and floors till I returned!  That was ~ of course ~ after Sonny got home from work!!  It's a good thing he's not given to rage because it looked pretty darned bad in there!!  But dishwasher soap saved my day ~ and my arse!!  I pour it straight onto the counters and whatever else it got on and use a green scrubbie and it takes all the color right off!!  Thank goodness!!  Sonny's been wanting to get new counters and I'm fine with what's there ~ but as I went on my errands, I thought this may be the day when new counters become an option!!! 

 These are little bunches of dyed fleece ~ great for adding another texture to your hooking!  I throw them in the top of the dye pot and I think the colors came out great!! They make great flowers or grass or even hair if you're into hooking people!

Last night we had a fiasco with a shower faucet ~ I went into it on Facebook ~ it will probably come back to haunt me ~ Sonny thinks I tell everything that goes on here!  Believe me, I don't ~ you wouldn't even believe it, if I did!!  It ended up with water shooting everywhere ~ me removing the contents of a guest room closet ~ Sonny cutting a hole in the wall to get to the guts of the plumbing ~ and then capping off the pipes until we can shop for a new faucet and call a plumber!!!  Now we're sharing Tad's shower!!  As I shared last night on Facebook ~ Sonny boy says "you don't have to drink to live here, but it sure does help"!! 

I hope you all have a great Labor Day weekend ~ we're going to ~ I'm counting on it! 

KIDS & DEER ~ ~ ~

 These are the 'kids' ~ Luci and Jordyn ~ on the first day of school!!  One is my granddaughter ~ one is Sonny's ~ they are our granddaughters and they are cousins ~ in the same grade!  Cute, aren't they?  I was the grandma/stalker in the halls waiting to get them in the same place at the same time.  I took one of Jordyn and her brother, Logan ~ he is a second grader ~ and made such a goofy face, I just couldn't put the little duffer on here!! 

 And this is Mr. Kitty having a staredown yesterday out my office window with one of our resident Bambi's!!!!  The deer stood very still ~ licking it's chops and an occasional snort ~ this went on for about 10 minutes!!  Finally, they both tired of it and went their separate ways.  Later, we saw a mama deer and her two babies coming out from behind the grape arbor ~ no grape jam this year!!

Tuesday night, I went to grandson, Jakob's first Junior High football game.  For me, a big thing, as I don't like or understand the game and it makes me sick when I see someone get hurt and know the possibilities of what could go wrong.  But ~ I persevered ~ my grandma instincts got the better of me ~ I did what I knew was the right thing to do ~ the weather was perfect at 4 in the afternoon ~ and I went!  Jake had a great game ~ he scored a touchdown, had a couple of tackles and caught a nice pass ~ and they won!  I was very proud of him ~ and I would have felt terrible if Sonny had come home and told me what I'd missed!  I'm guessing I will go to more ~ if the weather's good ~ or maybe even if it's not! 

I'm still dying wool ~ in the midst of everything else.  We had our 84 year old friend, Marge, over yesterday.  She wanted to see my rugs and find out what this hooking is all about!  She was really interested in the process and the dying ~ it was great ~ she wanted to hear about something totally new to her!! We had a good visit and fed her pizza and stromboli for supper!  It's a good thing to spend time with an older person ~ we chatted away and it was good for us both!

The sun is shining ~ it's a good day! 
Alice