Seasons of Change.

So I just realized how long it's been since I posted!  I started writing this post shortly after Easter ( see little Addison hugging the Easter bunny).  Well my friends,  so much has happened and I got a little off track.

Our  2 yr. old grand-daughter Calista modeling the dress I made her for Easter.

Boy time has flown.

And little Addison modeling the dress I made her for Easter.  I am still sewing as much as I have time for.

But as you can see by this picture things were still pretty bare back in April.

Tulips and daffodils have bloomed and are long gone.

And the lilacs as well.

After a long cold winter, and a cool spring it's so nice to have warm sunny days!

June is bursting out all over.

And there have been changes...oh so many changes.

My Mom's cat has 5 new baby kittens.

And one little girl is very in love.

My husband Dan is retiring from teaching after 33.5 years.

His last day with kids was this past Friday.

He is not retiring from working though.  He started a new job in March and has been working there part time until he finished up the school year.

To say it's been stressful is an understatement.

And I've been sewing.....

And sewing 

And sewing some more!  My goal is to have an Etsy shop up and running by this fall.

Any suggestions for names would be welcome too.

I will be selling handcrafted little girls clothing and maybe a few boy outfits as well.

So keep me in mind please, I will update here.

On a sad note, my dear father-in law passed away this past April.

It's been a sad time for my husband and his family, especially his dear Mom.

Like I said, so many changes in such a short time.

Take care friends and cheers to June!

Cindy

Sewing the party dress times 3.

Hi friends,

I am kind of excited to share with you what I've been up to the  

past two weeks.  In order for me to get through these past few weeks of winter, I needed to

find a project that would remind me of spring.

And along comes the party dress, a free pattern by the Cottage Mama and I was sold.

I was pretty sure it would make the perfect Easter Dress.

I needed to put my thinking cap on though.  The bodice is lined

and the skirt is quite full.  But after struggling a bit with the first

dress I made, the next two went together much more quickly.

This is the first one I made.  The fabric line is tutti frutti, and I think the name is fitting don't you?

 One of these dresses is heading to my little Arizona grand--daughter.

A bit of the messy hair, it was getting towards bedtime and she had been playing hard.

However in between some bed jumping, she was a sweet little model.

 A back view.  The skirt is quite full and it has a lovely sash perfect for bow

making.  I found the flower buttons at Jo-Anne's and thought they went

perfectly with the dress!

And this last number I made for a good friends new little grand-daughter.

The size is six months and it was so tiny compared to the size 3 and 4 I made

for my own grand-daughters.

I made it so she could wear it with or without a sash, giving her the option for

two different looks.

And I added covered buttons, a first for me.

I sure hope she likes it!

 Finally.. we have had some beautiful spring days.

Most of the snow is gone, just a little bit in the shady areas near the woods.

And soon I hope to be doing another kind of sowing.

Take care and think spring my friends!

Cindy

Joining:

Met. Monday  Between Naps on the Porch

Spring Mantle and other spring projects.

We are still in search of spring around here.  We have had a few nicer days, but this weekend has been ridiculously cold.  So I guess I will have to create my own spring... inside for now. 

My first project was our mantle.  I became sick of looking at wintry items but there wasn't much in the budget for decorating.  So I made the banner out of some scrap fabric I had on hand.

I also made a new burlap wreath and found the metal Home sign at Hobby Lobby for just $10. Everything else I had on hand.  All in all a pretty cheap and refreshed mantle for spring.

And I've been sewing too!  I made this little skirt for my grand-daughter Callie. She can wear it as soon as I get it in the mail because it's 80 at her house.

And I made this one for little Addison who has grown like a weed this winter.  Instead of lace I added teeny pom-poms around the bottom edge of her skirt.

I am also working on a dress for her and I am almost done.  I figure when or if it ever does get nice outside I will just put my sewing machine away for awhile.

We did see our first robin yesterday.  But the poor thing looked cold.   I just hope he doesn't turn around and head south again.

Although I couldn't blame him.

But hope springs eternal and that my friends keeps me hopeful for spring.

Have a wonderful week,

Cindy

A brutal winter but I'm still here.

     I have taken a blogging break that I really hadn't planned on.   However this has been one brutal winter and I feel like the past month all I have done is try to keep warm.  I mean literally that is what we have done.

     

     On one sub zero Sunday afternoon my husband Dan offered to give me a taste of summer.  Here he is taking some steaks off of the grill.  What a guy huh?

When we woke on Monday of this week it was 30 below zero and school was running late again do to wind chill warnings.  I can't even begin to remember how many times this has happened this winter.

We have tried to get out of the house whenever possible.  We took little Addison to a local children's museum one day.  She loved it and it was fun for us as well. We've gone to several movies and spent a weekend in Minneapolis.  All of this helps but still....

Whenever it would warm up just a wee bit it would snow some more.  Here is my car buried at the end of our driveway.  I have spent more time helping to dig out my car this winter than ever before.  I have fallen on the ice more than once this year as well.  And I have literally been chilled to the bone.

Finally today we were in the 30's which is still below normal but with the sun shining it almost felt warmish.  That is just how bad it's been.  And I know I am not alone, much of the country has been through the same thing.  

 And even though we have several feet of snow outside.   And it will probably take until May to melt all that white stuff.  I am going to try to think spring,  when the outside of my house will look like this. 

And summertime when I can pick wildflowers and make a simple arrangement.

Because even though I have begun to believe we now live in a state of perpetual winter, I still know deep down, that spring will come.

 Cindy

Now off to visit all of you, I hope you haven't forgotten me yet!

Valentine Party at Laurie's

I am joining Laurie for her Valentine party!  And of course I am late, but I have a good excuse.
My Mom and I arrived back from Phoenix around midnight on Saturday.  When we left Phoenix it was 68 degrees.  When we arrived in Minneapolis it was minus 1.  My Mom has Parkinson's and getting her through the airport wasn't an easy task.  She tires easily and walking long distances is very hard for her.  

After getting someone to help us through the airport and up to the parking garage to find our car it was probably about 1:00 a.m.  Oh and I forgot to mention I left my winter coat in son's car back in Phoenix.  So I borrowed my Mom's coat and headed out to start the car and brush off any snow  Well the car battery was as dead as a door nail.  It seems in my haste to get my Mom and I off to our flight I had left the GPS plugged in.  I called airport security and told them my dilemma. They said I would have to call a towing company.

Long story short.  After getting my car battery jumped and my Mom loaded in we drove to our motel.  By then we could have just drove home because we were both so wide awake.  I got my Mom and her luggage settled in our room and then I collapsed in bed.  I woke up the next morning to find my poor Mom was stuck in the bathtub. After all that had happened, helping my Mom out of the bathtub was no big deal.

We finally made it home and I have babysat my little grand-daughter the past 4 days.  So my energy level has hit an all time low.  So I hope you don't mind Laurie, but I am sharing some previous valentine photos.

Because it is taking me a few days to get caught up on my energy.

Other than my trip home, my trip to Phoenix was wonderful!  I got to spend some quality time with my little grand-daughter Calista and my son and his wife.  I also got to have lunch with some of my wonderful blogger buddies/ friends.
More on that later..I need to visit some you!
Have a lovely weekend,
Cindy

Guest hosting today.

Hi friends,
Today I am guest hosting at my friend Laura's blog, Decor to Adore.
Laura is pictured here, 4th from the left, in the blue check shirt and white pants.
All of these gals are Arizona Bloggers and my friends.
I am the Northern gal in red, however I feel like Arizona has become my second home.
I am sure you recognize many of them.  From the left to right.  Marty @ A stroll thru life, 
Jamie @ Mimi's Corner, Ceekay @ Thinking of Home, Laura, myself and Linda @ Reminisce This and That. 
Linda is a transplant who grew up in Wisconsin and we knew each other in h.s. through 4-H and our county fair.  We reconnected through blogging and that is a story in itself.
Next week I am heading southwest to Phoenix to visit my son, dil, and grand-daughter.
And I will also get to have lunch with these wonderful gals!
Laura is a very talented interior decorator and writer and if you haven't visited her blog before your in for a treat.
Let her know that Cindy sent you!
Happy Weekend,
Cindy

The January blues..

Cali and Frosty

January is a very long month for me.  And this year has been even worse.  We have been inundated with very cold temps and when it warms up a bit, a lot of snow.  My little grand-daughter Cali is a little desert dweller.  However she was able to see snow for the first time this year when she visited her great uncle and aunt who live in Flagstaff.  My son reports that she was so excited by it all.

These deer have found some bird seed and make for a rather unique picture.  I do enjoy having wildlife to observe even if they sometimes make me a bit crazy.

This is how it looked last Tuesday after we got 9 more inches of snow.  We spent a lot of the next day getting dug out.

I have been doing a little sewing.  I enjoy it the most during the long, cold winter months.

I made this little skirt and headband for Addison out of some scrap fabrics and it didn't cost me a dime.  Sorry for the clutter.  On the days I babysit it tends to get a little wild around here.
Next week I am heading to Arizona to visit my son, dil and little grand-daughter.  My husband will keep the home fires burning.  I so wish he could have made this trip but someone has to make a living around here.  Thanks honey.  I am so looking forward to some warmer temps, even if it is just for a short time.
So what do you do to make the winter go faster?  
Cindy

Top posts of 2013 and our wild and crazy New Years Eve..

Oh baby it's cold outside!  A windchill of minus 45 is truly downright scary. Who knew about the polar vortex and now that I do, I wish it would stay in the North Pole where it belongs.

I thought I would share a few of my most popular posts of 2013.

Hands down, the cabinet re-do won by a landslide.

I think I have had close to 10,000 views which is an amazing amount for my little blog.

You can see more of that here.

Patio decorating on a budget came in 2nd.  It is so hard to believe it can ever look like this again.  I look out at the piles of snow and the wind that is wickedly blowing, and I have a hard time picturing it.

See more of it here.

Another popular post was all about Alma, Wisconsin and our neck of the woods.

I was a little surprised about the amount of folks reading this one.  Maybe I should do more of this kind in 2014.

See it here.

A recent one, my Christmas Mantle.

I have it all taken down now, but it's sitting there looking all naked and blank while I try to find some inspiration for 2014.

See more here.

Flower arranging for beginners was also popular.  Another surprise.

You can see more of that here.

I had a bumper crop of lilacs this past year. I actually really enjoyed this post too.

Cold winters seem to have one benefit.

See more here.

My husband Dan and I had a great New Years Eve and day!

We partied with the likes of Dora, Bob and a very special little girl.

 The Mall of America is just a hop, skip and jump from us!

It seems we have come to the age of being the designated babysitters on New Years eve.

And that suits us just fine!

Because I have never seen a little girl more excited than this one about meeting up with some of her favorite characters.

OH my goodness, she just squealed with delight!

And grandma and grandpa enjoyed it just as much as she did.

We went on a lot of fun rides with her.

I feel a little big for the Blues Clues ride but she loved having me along!

And there were so many to try out.

There was also a New Years eve party for families.

A trip to Lego-land.

 More fun rides, this was her favorite.

Just look at her smile!

Dinner at the Rain Forest Cafe and then we went back to our room and crashed.

The next morning we got up ,went back and spent a few more hours there before heading home.

With one very happy 3 year old and two very tired grand-parents in tow.

Thanks for stopping by to visit me.

I love hearing from you.

Cindy