Sunday, May 31, 2009

And The Winner Is....

Yesterday I used the random number generator and it chose #33 So the winner is ta da......
Congratulations Lautrie. Thank you all so much for helping me celebrate my 300th post. I appreciate all your wonderful comments and I wish that everyone could be the winner
Hope you'll come back tomorrow for the porch party!
Rhondi xo

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

A Giveaway

Good morning dear friends.

I have a few things I want to give away in honor of my 300th post, to say thank you to all of you. When I began this blog a year and a half ago, I had no idea the impact you would make on my life. You have cheered me and encouraged me with your many kind words. You have inspired me by your courage. You have stimulated me with all your creative ideas. But most of all you have blessed me with your friendship and for that I am very grateful.

I love it when we can sit down over a cup of tea, so I want to give you a few tea related things: a mug with teapots and teacups on it.

Four teapot napkin rings
Some blueberry tea.
And a book to enjoy while you sip your tea.
Leave a comment on THIS POST and I will announce the winner on June 1 at my porch party. If you'd like to join the party just click on the photo on my sidebar for more information.
Thank you for being so sweet and supportive and caring. Thank you for inviting me into your homes and for spending time with me at my home. You are the best!!
Hugs, Rhondi

Monday, May 25, 2009

Mosaic Monday

Mary at Little Red House is hosting Mosaic Monday and I decided to join in today. Here are some snapshots from my garden recently. Be sure to visit Mary to see all the other beautiful mosaics.
Yesterday at church I talked to a man who is 84 years old. He was wearing a baseball cap that said "Veteran of World War II and so I thanked him for serving his country. It was such a small thing but meant a big deal to him! We spoke about freedom and how it's not free. So on this Memorial Day let's all remember those who gave their lives in service for our country and thank those who have served in the past or who are still in active duty. They deserve our thanks.
Please come back tomorrow when I'll be having a giveaway.
Rhondi xo

Saturday, May 23, 2009

Spray Paint

You've got to love spray paint. It comes in so many colors and it can instantly change an object. It all started with this beautiful aqua color. I planned to paint a wicker chair for our guest room. But then I changed my mind and put the chair in our bedroom, which has pale blue walls. So I used the aqua to paint this metal planter which was white with lots of rust. Watch out! If you're sitting still you might get sprayed!
This little basket was next to be transformed. I hope that it says "welcome" at our front door. I like this color. It makes me think of robin's eggs. I covered up the black on the planter that I got last week at the yard sale. You'll see the rest of it when I get something to go in it. Over the years, this wicker chair has been white, dark green, adobe red and now yellow!
My original idea was to paint the wicker with the aqua, but then I decided I'd put it in our bedroom and paint it yellow. For now now it's going to sit in the kitchen. We don't have any table or chairs in our kitchen, but now if you come by you can sit here while I make us a cup of tea. But you better hurry because I might move it somewhere else very soon!
Anyone else like to spray paint? Have you spray painted anything lately?
Rhondi xo






Friday, May 22, 2009

Thank You!

Thank you for all your wonderful words of encouragement. All of you were so kind, making me feel really cared for. I wouldn't have thought a tree falling would be such a difficult experience. But as you all kept reminding me, no one was hurt which of course is the most important thing.

So here are a couple photos of our azaleas earlier this spring.

This is what's left of them :( They will bush out again but it will take a couple of years.


I got our son to stand beside the roots of the tree. He is just under 6 feet tall so you can see what a massive tree it was.

I have been serenaded by the sound of chain saws for the last 2 days while guys in tattoos, earrings and various stages of undress worked on the trees. Not a pretty sight!
There is too much damage on both cars so the insurance company will pay us the current value. Unfortunately both cars are old and so aren't worth much. I am not a sentimental person at all but when the body shop called with the bad news about my dear little Miata that belonged to my mom, I burst into tears. It was like I was saying goodbye to my mom all over again.
But all is not lost because our friend Rob,who is a mechanic thinks it can be repaired. Fortunately my husband's car was at work so we have one car in working order!

So life goes on, all the tree has been removed and it's all paid for by our insurance and I have a rental car for a few days.

Meanwhile this is my 300th post and an occasion for a giveaway but I just haven't been able to think about it, so it will have to wait for a few days until I think of what to give away.

Having said that I'm not sentimental, I recently went up to the attic and brought down the high chair that all our kids used as babies. I remember the day I found it, all covered with paint. I patiently stripped it down the bare oak (it was the 70's everyone stripped the paint off then!)

It had a tiny little tray, very impractical but I loved it and still do. I put it in the kitchen and piled a few books on it. It has a lovely pressed design and I recall that it was very difficult to clean all the food out of the nooks and crannies. My baby turned 27 last week. Today our grand daughter turns 5.
Where did the years go?

Rhondi xo.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Look What The Wind Blew In

This morning I was sitting in my studio sewing when a huge wind began to blow and all of a sudden a tree was falling on the house! I ran into the kitchen right away in case it crashed through the window.

Look what the wind blew in! That is my Jeep and to the right of it is where my little Miata is :( buried under the limbs of a huge oak tree.

It came very close to the back of our house, the room which is my studio.
It covered the deck. Tore off some gutter.Look at how close it came to smashing the window!

This is the view from my studio. It samashed up another oak tree and destroyed the railing of the deck and the BBQ.





More damage to the deck.You can see part of the trunk on the ground. It was huge!It smashed this other large tree to smithereens (love that word!) as it came crashing down. It was a HUGE tree!I'm safe and the insurance adjuster will be out later to write up a report. What a day!!
I just noticed that this is my 299th post, so that means it's time for a giveaway with my next one. Let me see...I wonder what I should give away.....
Rhondi xo







Monday, May 18, 2009

Yard Sales

My idea of fun on Saturday morning is to go to yard sales. I don't go very often anymore but this Saturday there were several neighborhood sales, so I decided to check them out and much to my surprise my husband John offered to come along !
It was mostly clothes, kids and baby things, but in amongst all the stuff I found a few goodies. I got all this for $10! Isn't the carving on this bench pretty!
I couldn't resist these sequin shoes! I covered the ratty looking lampshade with some fabric from my stash and scrubbed all the grime off the rooster. He found a the perfect place to roost on the buffet in our kitchen. Then the rooster that sits atop the china cabinet in our dining room heard there was a new kid in town so he came along to welcome him . He liked the kitchen much better than the dining room so he decided to stay.
And they lived happily ever after in the kitchen......until I get the next urge to putter around!
Rhondi xo

Saturday, May 16, 2009

Pink Saturday

Happy Pink Saturday. Today I want to show you a couple of handmade things: flowers handmade by God and a quilt handmade by me.

Peonies from my garden

A rose from my garden.







A quilt I made.
I am having a porch party again this year on June 1 and I'd love to have you join me. Click here to find out all about it.
To all my Canadian friends, I hope you enjoy this long weekend.

Rhondi xo



Friday, May 15, 2009

Amaryllis

There are lots of new plants in my garden that began blooming while I was away. Two years ago, Ellen Guerrant, a very talented quilting friend gave me a few amaryllis bulbs and they have really multiplied this year. I love the bright red and just had to bring a stem inside.

And make a grouping of things to keep it company!
The plate with the lovely blue flowers was only $1 at a thrift shop. This huge blue platter was a great find at Goodwill for $3 with a tiny chip in it.
The amaryllis looks right at home on the table in my studio.
I'll see you tomorrow for Pink Saturday with Beverly.
Rhondi xo