Where the Rooster Crows

Two More Sleeps!

2012-01-23T09:20:00.001-04:00

Its almost moving day! I am going crazy trying to organize and pack.....this is hard when I can only take so much and I want to take everything! I hope you all have a great day. I will keep you posted on my great adventure. I dont want to let my blog lapse again and I can't wait to get settled and back to crafting!

I survived!

2012-01-19T08:55:00.002-04:00

Just a quick note this morning to let you all know I survived the gall bladder surgery this past Monday. Actually it went well and I am amazed how easy it was. I am stiff and sore and not doing a whole lot but otherwise I feel great. I have dropped 3 pounds already and hope it keeps going.

The rest of my week will be packing and organizing for my big move. I am headed to Western Canada(in case I didnt mention it) to work. Its gonna be cold!! Oh well life goes on and I need to move on. Hope everything is well with you all and I am vowing to keep this blog up to date so here is hoping I stick to it! I cant wait to get back to crafting and decorating my own place again!

Oops....

2012-01-14T19:53:00.003-04:00

Somehow the last part of 2011 got away from me. There have been many changes in my life and more to come. I do miss blogging and maybe thats what I need to keep me sane right now.... a little blogging therapy! I wont over load you with details but I will share some good and maybe a few bad lol! This is a picture of Aidan and I taken this past Christmas. He is going to university on Price Edward Island this year and doing well. He just turned 20 and I cannot believe I no longer have a teenager! I am still struggling with my weight but I'm not giving up!

This a glimpse of my finished kitchen....I know I promised more but at least you can see the color I chose and how well it goes with the black cupboards. I am very pleased with how it turned out. Unfortunately I wont be living in the house by the end of the month because my husband and I are divorcing. Some of you will know its been a long time coming and trust me it is not a sad thing...except for leaving my house!! I am actually quite happy and relieved to be moving on.

This of course is my beloved Harley and I having a little snuggle on the bed. Again bittersweet as I will be leaving Harley and my other two fur babies here for now anyways. I think that has to be the hardest part.

So here I am back on my blog and filling you all full of info about my ongoing adventures. I am going to be moving to Northern Alberta and have left my job of the past 12 years to work in a camp on the tar sands oil project. Im excited and nervous...sad and happy all at the same time. I have never left Nova Scotia other than to visit so this is huge for me. Im sure there will be many more tears shed but ultimately the time to move on is now. I needed a new start and a good paying job to secure my future. And after all Alberta is Canada's cowboy country so hopefully the eye candy will be good! I may not be crafting quite as much in the near future....but that just means I get to buy more! So keep filling your blogs with goodies for me to see!! I hope to be a better blogger this year. And thanks to all of you who have hung around to see if I emerge....here I am! Back and hopefully stronger than ever!

Where does the time go????

2011-09-17T20:55:00.002-03:00

I am a terrible bad blogger!!! I have been MIA for over a month....nearly 2!! Ok I promise to try and get back into the swing of things. Don't ask me what Im doing here tonight. I had the longest day ever. It was yard sale day in my town and we decided to set up in our yard and try and get rid of unwanted items. My husband woke me at 5:30am....it was still dark! I got up and made my signs and he started hauling things outside. By 7:15 am I had a lady there looking and it just went crazy from there. Yet Im still wound up so I sat down for some much needed computer browsing time. Its been a busy summer and I apologise for not posting much. Lots of changes in my life and lots to come. I will catch you all up soon. Thank you so much to all my beloved followers who are still hanging in with me! I have kitchen reno to share soon...those cupboards are finally complete. Fence is back up after last years hurricane and I am planning a craft open house for the Christmas selling season. Look out world here I come...LOL! Love you all and thanks again for being patient and remaining a follower of my blog even when I wasnt here!

Just a little help for a friend!

2011-07-28T21:39:00.004-03:00

Ladies you all have to check out the items my Prim Sista Debbie has added to her etsy shop! Know anyone having a baby? Need a gift? And ohhh the gorgeous HAND quilted items! Go have a look....just awesome....keep up the great work Sis!

Goat Creek Mercantile

A great Blogger Friend and a winter swap!!

2011-07-22T09:32:00.005-03:00

Ok Winter swap first!! Its so hot lets all cool off!!! Prim Pals forum is having a winter in August swap so if you are a member go on over there and sign up! All the basic rules apply and you know we always have fun!! Cant wait to see what everyone comes up with....you have until August 1st to join. And now for my fun surprise.... hehe!

Now doesnt that sign just scream HOLLI????!! I was away working for 3 days in the miserable hot humid heat and when I came home this is what was in my mailbox! My dear sweet friend Angie from Just a lil raggedy blog sent me this and I love it. You all know I love my cowboys and this was just too cute! Its going to find a place in my office..hehe! Thanks again Angie!! Check out her blog she listed all kinds of goodies for sale!!

A little Snuggle from a friend

2011-07-11T20:28:00.003-03:00

This was me and Chance on the back porch yesterday. He is a snuggly dog and when I sat down on the step he was right there to cuddle. I love my fur babies and just thought I would share his pic with you. Not the best one of me but he is beautiful as always!

Some backyard work and a gift!

2011-07-10T10:18:00.003-03:00

Remember this backyard?? Well thats when the fence blew down in the storm but I am refering to the mess in the foreground. It is actually the remains of an old barn that has been there since we moved here. Pieces of cement....old railroad ties,etc. Well its finally gone!
This is what it looks like now! We had a wonderful man come in and dig it up and bury all the crap!
Now I just have to get a load of topsoil and seed it and I will finally have a complete back yard...well once the fence goes back up! Part of this is going to actually be a small garden that I have been wanting forever....I am a happy girl. Also this week I got a great package in the mail from my friend TJ at Prim Pals Forum.She knows I love crows and sent me this great plaque and also the sign. Thanks Sista your the best! Well Its a beautiful day here so I am off to do some work outside. I figure I better get at it before its too hot out there. Hope you all have a wonderful Sunday!

A trip and a Special Bear!

2011-07-08T07:36:00.008-03:00

I have been on the road again....I am loving the travelling this summer! This time Hubby and I went to Maine and New Hampshire. I got to meet a great blogger and Prim Pals Forum Member Jan from Primitive Outhouse! This is her and I ate her place in NH. Jan guided me to a few Prim Shops and this one is too cute so I had to share! Im sorry I dont remember the name of the town but this is Susie's Bittersweet Treasures. She took over her hubby's garage and made herself the nicest shop! This is the side of the shop on the outside. She even let me take a pic inside....look at all those prim goodies. The furniture was beautiful! And she had some great stitcheries made locally as well. And there was even an outhouse out back!! So much to look at there. You can also find Susie's on Facebook under the same name. This is a very special Bear. He was made by Traci at York Mountain Primitives and is OAK bear. This is William named after my dad. I asked Traci to make him for my moms birthday. She did such a good job and even wrote me a little story with some details I gave her about dad. Thank you again Traci he is wonderful!

I know I have been a slack blogger lately and I hope you will all forgive me. Its summer and busy around here! Well busy with me going all over the place shopping and spending money hehe! Thank you to all my followers....you are such great people and I appreciate each and every one of you.

Happy Fathers Day

2011-06-19T11:08:00.002-03:00

I know I have been such a bad blogger lately! I just wanted to share one of my most memorable pics of my dad and I. I was nearly 9 months pregnant and this is dad and I comparing bellies!
My dad has been gone 10 years this year and not a day goes by that something doesnt remind me of him. I hope all of you who still have your dads have a great day with him today. I will be back soon with pictures of my trip to Missouri and a special bear that was made for my mom by a wonderful prim artist!! Have a Happy Sunday everyone!

Long Over due!

2011-06-02T22:05:00.003-03:00

Well I have arrived home from my trip to Missouri Safe and sound. We had a blast and I will post some pics in the days to come! I wanted to share a short post with you that is long past due! Awhile back I did a swap with Jan from Primitive Outhouse. Jan is very talented and I have wanted one of her skates for a long time. Well now its finally mine! The picture does not do it justice at all and I cannot wait for winter so I can display it!! Jan also included a cute little tea light that she grubbied up and a bookmark and a great dieter's fork which she knows I need!! hehe! Jan I love anything and Im so sorry I didnt get it posted before I went away.

I am tired from all the travelling yesterday and all the cleaning today. I dont think anyone here lifted a finger while I was gone. I also came home to a sick dog and had to take him to the vet today. He had an ear infection and an eye infection. So $175 later he should be good as new soon! Off to bed I go. I will be sure to post in the next couple days about my trip.

Im Leaving.....

2011-05-24T06:52:00.003-03:00

Yes thats right I am leaving....on a plane to visit my Sista Debbie from Goat Creek!! I am so excited! We have been planning for awhile and TJ will also be joining us for the memorial day weekend to do the 100 mile yard sale! So if I am missing for awhile well now you will know why.

Travelling with me will be the Prim Pals Crow, Edgar Allen Crow. He and I will begin our journey with some pictures in my home town and then Deb and I will take him on a tour of her area. From there he will go home with TJ and then travel by mail to some of Prim Pals other forum members. If you would like to know more about the adventures of Edgar please have a look at his posts on the forum.
I hope you all have a great week and I will definately fill you in on my trip soon!!

Bad Blogger,PIF and swap!

2011-05-16T19:04:00.004-03:00

Yes I have been a bad blogger!! I have been so busy I just dont seem to find the time to sit down and type. And by the time I get here I am too tired to think! I wanted to share my swap goodies from Michelle at Granny's Pantry. Michelle was my happiness partner at Prim Pals forum for May. I got these awhile ago but my lazy butt didnt get them posted! I LOVE the pineapple penny rug Michelle made me and the candles smell sooo good!She knows Mustard is one of my favorite colors so she made me a cute little bag with a sheep on it and the table runner made like a rag quilt too! Michelle I do love everything and thank you again so much!

I also wanted to mention that awhile back there was a Pay it forward going thru the blogs. I participated in this and although I never did receive anything I have sent all of my Pay it Forward gifts to those who had signed up. Thank you to all the great bloggers who posted about the little gifts I sent. I enjoy giving someone something when they arent expecting it. After all the point is to give...not to get! I do hope everyone received theirs as there were a few I did not hear from.

Prim hugs to all of you...I hope you have a great week!

Eye candy!!

2011-05-08T19:37:00.003-03:00

I suppose ya'll were expecting some Prim eye candy....nope cowboys!! Bull Riding cowboys...my kinda Eye Candy! Last Night the PBR made a stop in our town and I had VIP tickets. What a great time. This is me with Zane Lambert he was at the top of the Canadian standings going into the event. And here he is after bucking off his bull in the championship round....not a happy cowboy. This is Rocky MacDonald who is a Mexican bullriding Champion. He was so skinny....Im sure I am double his weight! Terrible pic of me....I think I was talking.
This is Tyler Thompson better known as TNT and he was a winner last night even though he ended up with a nice ole cut on his face and lotsa blood!
And of course nothing would be complete without some cowboy butts! Gotta love em!

I hope all you moms are having a Happy Mothers Day! I sure had a quiet peaceful one and that makes me happy! I promise Prim pics next time! Kitchen is looking good but still lots of work....update on that soon.

Two weddings and a....ok just two weddings!

2011-05-01T21:04:00.002-03:00

Traci from York Mountain Mercantile had a post yesterday about her wedding in honor of the Royal wedding *fever* lots of people seem to have! I told Traci I would link up and post my wedding as well. Now as you will notice I look very different in the first pic than I do in the others! Thats cause I was married twice. This pic is one of my most treasured ones of me and my dad. And as you can see skinny little me(way back then) had the big ruffly pouffy dress and all. We had 250 people invited and it was a stressful day. Even though the marriage did not last I have the most wonderful son so I therefore wouldnt change a thing....and I do so love this pic of me and my dad! When I met hubby(still married to this one)he had never been married and had no kids. He was an only child from divorced parents. He didnt want to get married in a traditional way because he simply hates crowds and being the center of attention. So we decided to sneak away on vacation and come back married. the day we left we mailed out invitations to a *celebration of our love* at our house for the week after we returned. Of course everyone thought we were getting married then. We took our time driving and vacationing and along the way were joined by Debbie from Goat Creek and her soon to be hubby. We travelled thru the smokey mountains and into South Carolina eventually. Debbie and hubby were married the day before us in Myrtle Beach. We chose to be married on the beach...bare feet and sand and as my husband says he has bikini babes in the background of his wedding pics....what more could a man want. My dress was a light salmon color and was a crocheted lace. It was simple and suited what I wanted! The highlight of the day for my son..... we went to Hooters for dinner! Yes I had my wedding night dinner at Hooters!

He is so little in this picture!! We spent a few days there after the wedding then travelled up the coast to home. Long trip and alot of driving but I wouldnt change the way we did it at all. It was quiet and peaceful and so relaxing! And I had my best friend(sister by choice) with me! SO there thats my *royal wedding*!!! Anyone else wanna share???

Under construction...AGAIN!!

2011-04-26T08:31:00.003-03:00

I have been waiting for awhile for this project and it is FINALLY started! Hubby and I are painting my cupboards black and getting rid of the nasty pink and blue checked wallpaper in the kitchen! We first decided to do the short row of cupboards on the opposite side to see how long it was going to take so everything got wrapped in plastic and we started sanding. We quickly realised there wasnt much varnish to sand off at all so after making him wrap everything I decided lets just get all the sanding mess over with in one day.

Below you see some of the cupboard doors we had painted on the weekend and that lovely wall paper(not) again! And this is where I made him take the plastic down and do all at once. We emptied most of the food and dishes out so my livingroom and diningroom are full of boxes of food and dishes! We took all the doors off and numbered them and the cupboards. They will be sanded outside. There were 27 doors in all! I am happy to say everything got sanded yesterday that had to be done inside. We wiped everything down and cleaned the whole kitchen and now we can paint! Im very excited! It wont be finished completely for awhile yet as I need to buy the wall paper and strip off what is there but the cupboards alone will be a big improvement! What a mess it was in the mean time!!I will post pics of my finished livingroom as soon as all the kitchen dishes and such are out of there!! Hope everyone had a great weekend! We had my mom and brother come down Saturday and stay over night. My sister joined us Sunday for a nice ham dinner. Was nice to have all of us together. Have a great week everyone...I know what I will be doing!!

Prim Pals Bingo Winnings!

2011-04-22T09:12:00.002-03:00

Lookie what I won!! I sent my son to get the mail yesterday and there was this great package from Traci of York Mountain mercantile. I was so excited! Traci hosted a bingo game at Prim Pals forum and I won! She sent me all these great Easter Goodies. I love the little chickies and eggs! But I think my most favorite thing is the cowboy picture lol! All the girls know I love my cowboys so they feed my addiction....its worse than chocolate!

I hope everyone has a great holiday weekend. We are off for 4 days and I am so glad. The livingroom will get finished painting and finally put back together. Yes thats why you havent seen a finished pic yet because hubby ran out of time last weekend since we decided it needed a third coat. Plus the big entertainment unit on the end wall has to be emptied and moved... thats probably a days work right there!! We had hoped to start the kitchen cabinets this weekend too but time will tell. So much for a relaxing long weekend!

Hope the Easter Bunny finds you all! Happy Easter!

Another project in the works!

2011-04-17T08:53:00.002-03:00

I put hubby to work again this weekend painting! We moved here 5 years ago and everything had been painted but very plain colors. I have reached a point where I want to change it all!! As you can tell I kind of like green!! My hubby thought it was funny to write that on the cream colored wall with the new paint. This is the *before* pic with all the furniture out of the HUGE room. Same room looking in the opposite direction....told you it was big! One dog laying in each end! This is the first coat...I was kinda freaking out...not exactly the color I wanted!! Its called Pineapple sage and the second coat made it not so yellow-green thank God!! As you can see its going to take a few coats. I was doing the rolling and cant reach the top lol! So today I work...and he will hopefully get finished so we can get the room back together when I get home! Finished pics to follow soon! I hope you all are having a great weekend.

I won a Giveaway and more!

2011-04-10T08:45:00.003-03:00

I wanted to share with you the goodies I received in the mail this past week. I am so slow getting to everything but I will get there eventually! Awhile back I won a giveaway from Kathy at My Primitive Saltbox. She was giving away this great crow and pear....then poor Kathy landed in the hospital with so health issues. Well she felt bad for not getting me my crow so she added a few goodies.While that was not necessary I have to say Im in love with everything! I just love crows and she added the great crow and sunflower mat and those easter egs are made of muslin and stuffed and painted. They found a place on my diningroom table! Thank you so much Kathy and I sure hope you get to feeling better soon! As you all know I love my babies! This is Harley all curled up in a quilt I had taken out of the dryer. I laid it in the wicker chair to do something else and when I went back to fold it this is what I found! Now how could I disturb him??? He had made a little hole and was so cosy since it was still warm from the dryer! Yesterday my son came home from university....he only has two exams left to write so my husband helped him move some of his things home. he will go back in on tuesday and then again the next tuesday and then he is finished for the summer. I am soooo excited to have him home! I miss him when he isnt here and as you can see Chance missed him too. He got right in Aidans bed for a little snuggle! Yesterday was a good day and I got lots of cleaning and organising done. Also raked some more in the yard and hopefully hubby will finish it today. I am off to work at the gift shop for the day. Hugs to you all. I hope you have a great day!

Swaps and goodies and spring!

2011-04-09T08:33:00.002-03:00

Im such a bad blogger!!! I havent been here in over a week. Life just got in the way and I got tired and a little slack. So alot of this is being posted LATE!! This first pic is of some goodies my friend TJ from the Prim Pals Forum and Willowbend Prims sent me. The heart necklace says True Friends- True hearts and I love it and the crow candle of course is a favorite! The book you see is a glimpse of a passport for Edgar-The Prim Pals Crow. Soon you will hear all about Edgars travels! This next batch of goodies came to me all the way from the UK! I sis the spring swap at Prim Pals forum and Silvia was my partner. She made me this great prim envelope and also sent a wonderful spring scarf and a butterfly necklace. Thank you so much Silvia I love everything!! And finally I found some signs of spring in my yard! These pretty yellow crocus popped up between the old dry leaves. It supposed to be nice and warm this weekend so I hope to see a few more. My lilies are starting to come up out of the ground as well but it will be months before they actually bloom! I hope to get some more pics posted later today if we arent too busy around the house. I have to keep my husband motivated to work or nothing gets done! Have a great Saturday everyone. I hope its sunny where you are. I am off to the Post office to mail off a few things!

A little Help for My friends....

2011-03-29T19:23:00.004-03:00

I was browsing thru blogs and over at Prim Pals forum and drooling over all the great things everyone is making. I have some very talented friends and Id like to share a few of them with you today. Most of you will know them but take a minute and check out their selling blogs or etsy shops...wow such talent among us! Check out these felt bunnies! Debbie from Goat Creek Mercantile made these and I think they are adorable! Debbie also makes beautiful table runners and chocolate bunnies and room sprays. Not to mention the penny mats! Then we have Jan from Primitive outhouse . I love these flowers and crows in Jans etsy shop! Jan also paints on old skates and they are beautiful! Check out Jans shop and her blog. I just met Traci on Prim Pals forum and I am so impressed with her work. She has so many great bears and dolls on her site I didnt know which picture to *borrow* to show ya'll!! I chose the cutest bear ever!!! Traci owns York Mountain Mercantile and she also has a website. Check out all her wonderful offerings.

These are just a few of my talented friends. There are so many of you and I hope to from time to time try to focus on each of you! There are some spring sales going on out in blog land as well. Dont forget to check out Brenda's sale at the Rusty Thimble

Thank you to all my great followers!!! I love each of you!

ALMOST a completed project!

2011-03-28T09:39:00.002-03:00

Oh the joys of home renovations! Especially when you have a husband who procrastinates. This is a picture of him finally painting the hall upstairs. It is old plaster and a few posts back I showed you the work we had done. Well this weekend we finally got to the painting stage. This is the finished color! Its a hard place to get a good pic but the color is actually called Balmoral Mist. Its a taupy tan color and good for the hall. I didnt want it too dark because the lighting up there is already bad. Now we just have to get the floor boards stained which will be waiting til summer when we get the master bedroom sanded and ready to stain at the same time. I have been so swamped with work I havent blogged or crafted much at all. I hope to get back into the swing of things this week. It should be a short week with work and I hope to sneak in a day or two off. I will be sure to post pics when I get the pictures back up on the walls and the hall more complete! Next room for a paint job is my livingroom. Hope you all had a good weekend and are headed into a great week! Holli

Weight watcher Wednesday!

2011-03-23T23:09:00.003-03:00

Yup weigh in day....I lost just over 1 pound this week. Slow but sure! I have been away for 3 days working and promise to get in a better blog post in the next few days! Hope all is well with all my faithful blog friends. Thank you so much for following me. And thanks for the support during my weight loss!

Holli

Happy St. Paddy's Day everyone!

2011-03-17T09:01:00.001-03:00

May the luck of the Irish be with you!

Short post on my way to work...I lost another 2 pounds at weight watchers this week! Now if I would just exercise...uugghhh!!!

Hope you all have a great day.

Remember to Say I love You

2011-03-13T11:58:00.004-03:00

Today I want to encourage you all to remember to tell those around you how much they mean to you and how much you love them. Always remember that tomorrow isnt promised to any of us and in a moment your whole world can change.
The picture above is of a fathers hands and my post is in support of a dear friend and fellow blogger who lost her dad this weekend. TJ from Willowbend Prims and co-owner and creator of Prim Pals forum could use a few prayers from all of us. I thought of all of you and I knew as Prim Sisters and brothers we would be there for her as we always are for each other.

I lost my dad 10 years ago so I know all too well what TJ must be going thru. In her time of loss I wish her comfort and peace and love. Im going to share a poem and again remind you all Say *I love You* even when you are busy or tired or angry! You never know when you wont get to say it again.

You never said "I'm leaving"
You never said goodbye
You were gone before I knew it,
And only God knew why.

A million times I needed you,
A million times I cried
If Love alone could have saved you,
You never would have died.

In Life I loved you dearly
In death I love you still
In my heart you hold a place,
That no one could ever fill

Hugs and Prayers for TJ and family.

Pay it Forward

2011-03-12T09:16:00.002-04:00

Pay it forward....what a wonderful concept! I have done this before and Im not sure who started it this time but I have hooked up with Kat from Primitive Echos-Treasures of the past for a Blogger Pay it Forward! Here is how it works......

The first 5 people who comment on this post will receive a handmade gift from me.

In return you must FIRST write a blog post explaining Pay it Forward 2011. Then you send out a handmade gift to the first five visitors who leave a comment on your post. Take your time....you dont need to send them all out today or tomorrow.

This is a great way to connect with friends and to meet new ones...sharing something we have created with our hands and heart.

Its not the size of the gift that matters,but the spirit of paying it forward.

Lets do it friends!

Weight Watchers and giveaways!

2011-03-10T08:47:00.002-04:00

Just a quick post to let you know a few things! I am still attending Weight Watchers and to date have lost 14 pounds. I am pleased with that but I am struggling to keep on track. I have a long ways to go yet! Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

Also wanted to remind you all that Prim Pals has extended the draw date on the giveaway. It will be next Monday the 14th. Stop over to the forum and sign up. You can also see a sneak peek of some of the other items being given away. And then the very next day I believe the PAFA giveaway ends! Going to be some happy winners next week woohoo!

I hope spring is arriving in your town....although its been sunny here it is still very cool. I cant wait for it to warm up!! Have a great week everyone. Its almost friday! YAY!!

GIVEAWAY!!!

2011-03-04T07:19:00.004-04:00

Happy Friday Everyone!! Almost time for Prim Pals to draw for this one and we only have a few signed up! Someone is going to win a $25 gift card to one of our great crafters etsy or selling blog or store!! That means you get to pick your prize! Hurry over and sign up I know lots of you are members of Prim Pals!
And just to add more fun here is a little peek at one of the other items being given away!! Come on enter the giveaway! You cant win if you dont enter!!

Its friday and I hope everyone has an awesome weekend! Im home for the day and so happy about that. Its very cold here so I already have a fire roaring in the fireplace! Have a great day everyone.

Primitive and Folk Artist Giveaway

2011-03-01T19:39:00.003-04:00

All I can say is wow!! The wonderful members of this group have out done themselves with this giveaway! Go on over to their blog and check it out! PAFA Blog

Hope everyone has had a great day...it was sunny here but soooo cold! Come on Spring!!!

And the winner is.......

2011-02-28T15:42:00.002-04:00

I know I was supposed to do this last night but I was too tired! Thank you SO much to each of you for following me and especially to those of you who have been around for the two years I have been blogging. The answer I was looking for regarding the bonus entries was Canada....the Royal couple will spend some honeymoon time in Canada!

So here is what I did......I wrote everyones name down and gave you all a number. Beside your name I added up the number of times you were entered. Then I wrote all those numbers on paper.........
And cut them up and put them in a bowl...... Mixed them all around and had my Mother in law draw one out since she has no idea who any of you are! And she drew out Number 21...Amy of Cottage Prims you won my giveaway!!! Then since I had such a great response and got many new followers which put me over 200 I decided to draw another number. This time my Mother in Law drew out number 43 and that is Tina from Frontier Home! Tina I will be sending you a little gift as well! Thank you again to all of you who joined! Amy and Tina please email me your info so I can get your goodies in the mail! My email address is hmeade@eastlink.ca.

Last Day to sign up!!!!

2011-02-26T11:28:00.003-04:00

Last day to sign up to win my goodies!!!! Im so excited to draw tomorrow so get your names in there! Thank you so much to all my loyal followers and welcome to all the new ones. I am almost to 200 followers now I cant believe it! Its been a great 2 years and I am so blessed to call each of you friends. Looking forward to many more!

Only a few more days!

2011-02-23T13:56:00.002-04:00

Thats right just a few more days and I make my giveaway draw! Please sign up on the post below which is the giveaway post! You have until Sunday.

Also remember the Prim Pals giveaways one on Facebook to be drawn this week and our BIG Anniversary one to be drawn in March. Come on over to the forum and join us for chat tonight....we would love to have you! 7pm CST.

Its been 2 years! Giveaway Time!!!

2011-02-19T15:28:00.003-04:00

Time really does fly when your having fun! I cant believe it has been two years and ya'll are still following my crazy ramblings! I just want to say thank you so much. I love each and every one of you for following me and making me feel welcome in blog land. I have made such wonderful friends and hope to continue to do so. You inspire me every day with all of your many talents. So much has happened in two years....my son has graduated high school and is almost done his first year of university. I have a new fur baby(Chance). My husband finally finished school and got a job last year. We are STILL renovating our home(some things never change). I belong to a great forum and have met so many new friends and talented ladies there. Thanks for having me Prim Pals Forum! OK I know you are all thinking get to the good part!! On to the giveaway! Pictured above are the goodies you will all get a chance to win! Great smelling Farmhouse Crumbles, A pillow stitched with Old thyme primitives, a framed stitchery and a cute rabbit for spring(he is not handmade by me).

Now for a few rules:

1.Anyone can enter as long as they are a follower of my blog,it doesnt matter to me where you live! New Members are welcome.
2. If you post this on your sidebar you will get a second entry.
3. If you are a member of Prim Pals forum or become one you will get a 3rd entry.
4. If you sign up for a chance to win the Anniversary giveaway at Prim Pals forum you will get FIVE extra entries(All of their rules still apply to that giveaway).

Now thats potentially 8 entries! Just for fun I will give you two more entries for a total of 10 if you do everything, if you can tell me Where the Royal couple getting married this year are rumored to be spending some of their honeymoon!???

Now you only have a week so get to it lol! Im making the draw next Sunday Night,February 27th!

Have fun everyone and thank you again to all of my followers for a great 2 years!

Eagle Watch

2011-02-16T07:30:00.003-04:00

Every February Eagles come to our area. They nest not far from where we are and Im not sure if they are just passing thru or if they like the cold winters! Local Chicken farmers feed them birds that have died for whatever reason. The community hosts what they call Eagle Watch Weekend and there are thousands of Eagles feeding and probably as many people watching! here are some eating. Always amazes me to see so many in one place. They are a beautiful bird far away but rather ugly up close! The community also has an interpretive center and they teach people about the eagles. They host a breakfast to raise funds for the local area and it is truly a weekend that is full of activity. Coldddd but fun! The last pic is of one lone Eagle soaring in a blue sky. Couldnt resist that shot! I hope everyone is having a great week. Dont forget the giveaways and swaps over at Prim Pals! Lots of chances to win the Anniversay one since there will be at least 5 prizes! Check it out! Have a great day and keep praying for spring....it will show up soon!

Prim Pals Facebook Giveaway!!

2011-02-11T16:16:00.003-04:00

We all love giveaways so Check this one out!!! Jan from Primouthouse has generously donated this great Prim doll for a giveaway on Prim Pals facebook Page. Chances of winning are good right now because only ONE person has entered! Check out the details below and go on over to facebook and enter!Prim Pals has reached 1000+ Followers On Facebook!!!
That calls for a giveaway!!
We are offering the above picture A 1800's Style Church/Handkerchief Doll!

The rules are simple,

Be A Follower on our Facebook page.

Post On Facebook Under The Giveaway and
Tell Us Something About Yourself And That You Want To Enter!
(We would like to get to know our followers)

Simple as That!! =)

You can obtain an extra entry, if you also become an active member of our forum!

Good Luck To Everyone Who Enters!!

P.S.~ We also have a few other exciting things in the works on the forum be sure to be on the look out!!

Prim Pals Facebook

Thrift Shop Goodies

2011-02-09T16:59:00.002-04:00

Last Saturday when Hubby and I went to the market we also went to a thrift/antique shop my sister had told me about. It was a little out of the way but I wanted to check it out. She had alot of what I would call *junk* but she definately had a few jewels too! I picked up this great rolling pin and two wooden bowls. I love rolling pics and although Im not sure this is old at all I love that it was made in Canada and its a very long heavy one which I dont have one like! The bowls were unfinished and I should have bought all 5 that were there as I only paid $1.50 each. I will paint them and they are a great size for bowl fillers or rosehips. Again I dont know if you can read the stamp but they were made right here in Nova Scotia! So rare to find things like that here. We had a great day and my sister and I are already planning a trip back there when it warms up a bit. We got more snow last night and then ice and wind. So needless to say roads were terrible and I stayed home from work again today. Hope you are all having a great day.

While your blog hopping stop over to Prim Pals and check out the TWO....yes TWO swaps we have on the go! A quilt block and a spring time swap! Lots of new things going on at the forum so come join the fun! A link on my sidebar will take you there!

A New Swap Idea at Prim Pals!

2011-02-07T20:02:00.002-04:00

Ladies you have to check this one out! You dont have to even be a member of the forum to join. Go to Prim Pals Forum or Prim Pals Blog which is on my sidebar and check out the latest swap. We are going to do a quilt block swap! Everyone who signs up will do a simple signature quilt block and we will work it just like the ornie swaps. The number of blocks you have to make will depend on the number of participants.

All of the details including a tutorial on the block are on the forum. Stop by and check it out! We hope to have enough people to at least make a lap quilt. Come join in the fun!!!

A trip to the Market

2011-02-06T08:43:00.001-04:00

Yesterday was a great day here in Nova Scotia. It was sunny and above freezing so hubby and I decided to take a drive to Halifax to a weekend market. We had never been before and everyone was raving about it so off we went. This is a picture from the second level and doesnt even come close to showing you how many people were there selling and buying! This is looking in the opposite direction and sort of gives you the idea of how big the place is. There was everything there from fruits and veggies and baking to beef and fish and sausage and the best cheese I have had in a long time. All from local farmers and growers and producers. Then there were many local crafters selling their wares. I saw some beautiful carved wooden bowls and so much more eye candy! I wanted to bring it all home!

After we left there we ran a few errands and visited a little antique/thrift shop I had heard about. I did pick up a few things there that I will share with you at a later date. When we got home this is what we found in front of the fireplace. My our furbabies have such a hard life! Harley outgrew the little cat bed a long time ago but I washed it recently thinking I would add it to the yard sale box this spring. Apparently that wont be happening as he has been sleeping in it ever since! He is adorable all curled up in it ...or hanging out of it. He isnt real impressed if either dog gets near it either. I guess he doesnt like to share!

And of course Pearse and Chance love the heat of the fireplace and dont go too far from it when we have it on. Which is all the time from about October until April! Sometimes I wish I could just flop down and relax like they do. I hope you have all had a great weekend. Be watching soon for a giveaway here....oh and check out Prim Pals forum for an exciting new swap! Especially all you quilters...this one is going to be great fun!

A little tweaking and SNOW!!

2011-02-03T10:17:00.003-04:00

I have had two days in the house because of the snow so I have been walking around tweaking things and moving stuff around. I dont decorate much for Valentines but I do have these cute pillow tucks in a stack of bowls and scosps on my diningroom table. I added the heart shaped measuring spoons my swap partner Jan sent me to them and an old milk bottle which I obviously cut off in the pic! Then I moved on to this little box....I had the fabric sunflowers and crows last spring and added the great salt dough ones Debbie from Goat Creek sent me at Christmas. It really brightened up the box and I love them. Thanks again Sis! And this last pic is the reason I am inside!! This is my back yard this morning when I let the dogs out. The bench is nearly buried to the seat! It has drifted higher than that in places but it is so pretty and white right now. I do like winter and I enjoy the snow. Just dont want to have to drive in it! The dogs and I will go out for a play later Im sure. They just love it and it is sunny out and not too windy or cold today.

Hope you all have a great day! Stay in out of the cold by the warm fire or make some nice hot soup...oohhh now there is a plan I think I know what will be for lunch today. Talk to you all soon!

Holli

Happy Groundhog Day and a give away!

2011-02-02T09:43:00.003-04:00

Check out this giveaway!! What great goodies Becky at the Crows Nest is giving away! But you have to work for it if you want it! Becky is trying to build her followers so please go on over there and sign up and make sure you tell her I sent you so I get a chance to win this great giveaway!
Today is Ground Hog day and we have a ground hog just 10 minutes from me who gives his prediction every year! Shubenacadie Sam did not see his shadow today so early spring!! Yay Sam!! I hope you are all safe and warm with this storm....it is hitting us they say starting around noon today. So glad I have a wood stove for heat if we lose power! Which reminds me I think I will cook something early today just in case!

Stay safe and warm everyone and have a great day!

What I have been working on!

2011-01-31T07:21:00.002-04:00

I promised a pic of what I was working on after I gave you a sneak peek a bit a go...... well then I forgot to take a pic before I sent it all to my swap partner Jan from Primitive Outhouse! So here is the pic Jan posted on her blog and on Prim Pals forum yesterday. Jan was a great swap partner and I am glad she liked everything!
I stitched and coffee stained the tea towels for her kitchen and since it was a valentines swap I made her some heart shaped bowl fillers and a *love* letter to go with them made from muslin that I coffee stained and baked. of course I had to add other goodies to her package as well!

This week I am really trying to finish up a crow that is long over due to be done! I am finding the balance between work and home hard this year for some reason and I think I spend more time thinking about crafting than I actually do making anything! All of your blogs are full of inspiration and yet I think my *get up and go* must have *got up and left*!!

Weight watchers is still going well except for the exercise part. I cant seem to get that started and I really need to. I have all the tools to work with just cant seem to get er done!

Hope everyone has a happy Monday! Talk to you all soon!

Holli

Prim Goodies and Weight Watchers!

2011-01-27T16:12:00.003-04:00

Today is a snow day here and even though its nice to have a day off I really needed to work! So Im working at home cleaning and such. I decided to go to the post office which is real close to my house and this is what I found. I was so excited to get home and open the box from Jan @ Primitive Outhouse....she was my swap partner for the Valentines swap at Prim Pals Forum. So I tore into it and look at all the great goodies I got!! I love the doll and the candles smell soooo good! I take horrible pictures but there is a spoon there Jan painted with a heart and crow and Heart shaped measuring spoons and some grubby candles and a wooden crow(I love crows)and yummy candy! I love Reeses! I love everything Jan and thank you so much!
Since I mentioned Reeses I will tell you my success at Weight Watchers last week. I lost 6 pounds! I was very pleased. So I shared my reeses with hubby and I will calculate the points and have one for me when Im feeling like I need a treat. I will be honest I am actually surprised at myself....normally if there was chocolate in the house I would have it gone! Im determined to get this weight off so I need to be conscious of what I am eating for sure. I hope you are all having a good week. Thanks so much for stopping by.

Holli

A to-do project!

2011-01-22T10:19:00.002-04:00

Its winter and cold outside so Im trying to convince my husband to finish a project he started LAST spring! This is my upstairs hall after we tore down old plaster and sheetrock that was water damaged and hanging down in places.
You can see by the fan that it was in bad shape from a leaky roof before we bought the place. The roof has long since been repaired but the inside had just been left by the former owners.
Here it is after hubby and I got all the new sheet rock up and added a light down the far end by the bathroom. The hall only had one light at the top of the stairs which made it long and dark.
This picture is right at the top of the stairs where all the damage was. The fan has been taken down to make it easier to work around.
So thats what got done last year along with it being crack filled and the walls are still plaster so we patched and filled cracks there as well. Then it was summer and that project got left so we could go outside and build a fence! So here we are a year later....it needs to be sanded and a little more crack filling so it can be painted. I even have the paint! So today I am making a trip to the hardware store to get a little more mud to fill with and then hubby cant say he doesnt have what he needs to finish it! I am anxious to have a fresh coat of paint on here for spring...nothing has been decorated up here for a year now so its time! No more stalling!

What do you all have planned for the weekend or winter projects?

Oh I cant show you all what I was working on just yet and some of it was for a swap I was doing! I promise to show you soon as it arrives at its destination. Happy Saturday!

Blue Monday?

2011-01-18T07:50:00.001-04:00

I know its tuesday but apparently yesterday was supposed to be the bluest day of the year. Its the day when people realise how much they spent over Christmas and the credit cards come in. Personally I didnt use any credit cards this year but I did spend alot and its a big reality check to add up all those receipts! I wasnt so blue over it but I do understand this time of year getting people down. Seasonal something disorder they call it....I say its just the blahs!! All the decorations are down and all the hoopla is over and its back to the grind for most of us. So do something about it....dont be down or blue! Craft and create....join a club or group. Go to the gym to get off those unwanted pounds. Simply take a walk in the fresh air!
I decided to craft as you can see...the pic is a few of my hidden projects waiting to be finished. I have also decided to join weight watchers. I have long been over weight and it really just has to go. I hope to blog about it or maybe use my facebook to hold myself accountable. Im real good at lying to myself but if its there in black and white its harder!

I hope you all have a great tuesday...now that we have that Blue Monday thing behind us(whew). Im off to work and the Dentist!

Happy Tuesday Ya'll!!

Slowly Cleaning Up!

2011-01-14T09:54:00.003-04:00

I tried to get all the decorations from Christmas cleaned up this week....but Harley loves this box LOL! I couldnt bear to make him move...he has slept on that box of ornaments so much the top is caving in!

How about all of you? Are you all cleaned up from the holidays? I hate putting it away but I do enjoy how clean it feels after I get it done. We have everything down and Hubby just has a few more boxes to pack up and get in the attic.

This weekend I am finishing up items for my swap over at Prim Pals forum and Edgar Allen the Travelling crow will get finished so he can start his journey! Watch for details on that! I will post here but also at the forum.

We have lots of snow here but the roads are clear so its not bad out at all. Hubby and I may visit a few local antique stores tomorrow if the weather stays good. Then we are having dinner at a friends...a rare occassion for us! We dont go too far from home this time of year and my neighbours all joke if they see me cause they think I hibernate!

I hope you all have a great weekend. Im going down by the fire to craft! Gotta stay warm!

A new Selling Blog!

2011-01-10T16:13:00.003-04:00

Isnt this a beautiful candle mat??? My Prim Sister Debbie has re-opened and revamped her selling blog and this is one of her new offerings. Please hop on over and join so you are the first to see all the goodies she adds! The link is Goat Creek Mercantile.

Debbie has been crafting for many years and is a talented painter as well. Inspired by her mom at a young age she is always learning something new and makes the best Salt dough all by hand of her own designs. Many of you may remember the Christmas crow she did and I am pleased to say I donated $20 to the MS society, just as I said I would, so thank you to each of you who purchased a crow! I did add a few extra $$ but it is definately a worthy cause.

Im looking forward to see what else Deb comes up with in the next little while as well....I know she has been very busy these past few days. Check out her blog and join now so you dont miss out!

Thanks so much to all my followers for a great year. I cant believe I have 166 people who read what I ramble about! I do try to use my blog to help support others as well so if anyone wants me to do a post let me know. Hugs to you all.

Holli

Out with the Old......

2011-01-07T08:38:00.003-04:00

I gotta tell ya Im sorry to see December and 2010 go..... ok maybe only because this was the calendar picture. I love my cowboys and who would want to see this disappear??? Yummy!

But I have January 2011 to look forward to....not a cowboy but still handsom. Okay I'll take it!! In with the New!

This is just a silly post to say Happy New Year. I have been down with the flu so havent posted but I have been reading! Im excited for a year with all my Prim Sistas! Im so looking forward to this year and everything it will bring. The good and the bad...we will handle it because we stick together and support each other.

Im ready to start some more projects in my home and make my hubby finish what he already has started! My goal is to have the front porch on this summer but we will see....thats a pricey project!

Today my only child turns 19...thats legal age here and it scares me a little! Where did all those years go? He is supposed to be still little! Next month I have been blogging for 2 years! Watch for a giveaway....I will try to make it a good one!

Hope you all have a fantastic 2011 and I look forward to lots of fun for all of us.

Holli

Prim Pals

2010-12-30T19:24:00.002-04:00

Well you are ALL my Prim Pals but Im talking about the forum group. When I joined the group it was a few of us just wanting to share ideas and swap and chat. A few minutes ago I logged onto the forum and was just looking around. As I scrolled down I realised we have 426 members!! How did that happen? In less than a year!!

I just want to say congrats to TJ and Debbie who started this venture and thank you to all who have joined and supported! I am looking forward to 2011 and our first gathering in June! Oh and to all the swaps and decorating pics and ideas. Last but not least I have made some wonderful friends at Prim Pals and I so look forward to chatting with you all each week. I get excited when I see more people joining and posting. The more ideas we get the more prosperous it makes all of those who have selling blogs.

Thanks girls for being there this past year....we have had our ups and downs... and together we have managed to get thru it all. Many of us have had to deal with deaths and sickness and job loss....then there were new babies and grandbabies and even furbabies! We prayed together and crafted together and formed a bond that I think will last a long time.

Hugs to all my Prim Sistas! Especially Deb and Tj and Donna and Bailey and Karen and Jeanne and Kay and Jan and gen and Mel!!! Did I miss anyone?? hehe!You know I luvs ya'll!

P.S. Any of you reading that dont belong....what are you waiting for?? We love new Sistas and brothers too! Come on and join our fun! Maybe the next time I look we will have reached that 500 member mark!!

Christmas

2010-12-26T20:34:00.002-04:00

Merry Christmas everyone! Hope you all had a wonderful holiday with family and friends. No Christmas in our house is complete with out pics of our boys of course. Pearse and Chance waiting for treats! My husband has ornaments on our tree that were his great grandparents....a gift when they were married. This tree is full of antigue ornaments and ones we have collected over the years. This is actually 3 trees on one base....I call them my funky trees and they have alot of my prim prnaments on them. Some from our swap over at Prim Pals and many wooden ones my mom made. It sits in my front hall. Below you can see a glimpse of a Boyds Santa bear holding his list! This is a little boyds tree across the hall from the other tree. Above is a mirror my brother gave me and hanging is pics of our dogs and cat!
This isnt a great pic but it is the fireplace and Mantle and Chance getting warmed up. Im unsure how to add more pics but I am going to try and get some up at Prim pals forum so feel free to have a look there! Hugs to you all! Merry Christmas!

Swap Time!!

2010-12-23T10:36:00.002-04:00

I know Christmas isnt over but check out Prim Pals and Join this awesome swap!! There is also an ornie swap for those of you who leave your tree up and do seasonal ornies. Come on over and join....have some fun with all the wonderful ladies there!

Swap Goodies and more!

2010-12-10T09:38:00.002-04:00

I have been so busy decorating and cleaning and working I havent posted in forever! But today I had to stop and show you some wonderful things! The pics are terrible as usual but bear with me cause the story is great! All these goodies below came from my best friend and *Sister* Debbie from News from Goat Creek. We have known each other for many years and been thru so much together. I got a box this week that included my ornies from the swap at Prim Pals and Deb had added some things for me. I got one of the snowman nodders she makes on an old bed spring,some rusty bells for my tree and some crow and sunflower salt dough bowl fillers. best of all was the book you see in the pic. Debbie is a fantastic cook and she sent me a recipe book filled with all her family recipes. When I opened the book and started to read her note I was so overwhelmed with emotion I cried. Such a wonderful heartfelt gift. Thanks Deb from the bottom of my heart...again! Love ya! The very next day I get another package and it is my swap package from Lorna at Live Oak Primitive Peddler. We did the Christmas swap at Prim Pals Forum and I was so pleased to have Lorna as a partner! I LOVE the wreath and she of course knew I loved Crows. I have it hung on my french doors and will take more pics later. She also made me the cutest gingerbread man and a crow and candy cane ornie. Thanks so much Lorna I love everything! You can see what I sent Lorna over at her blog!
My son is home from University! Im so excited to have him home even though he wasnt too far away and I did get to see him. As you can see Chance(the 85 pound lap dog) is happy he is home too! We missed having Aidan here to add some life to this big ole house! Now....if I could just get him to do some work for me...hehe!
Hope you have all had a great week! I am off to do more cleaning and decorating and maybe even a little wrapping! Hugs!

Help a Sista out and support MS research!

2010-11-28T22:19:00.004-04:00

Dont I look lovely in my sons hat??? Well it was cold here today and we were outside finishing up the lights and decorations and I needed to keep warm. So here I am...looking like a million bucks...NOT!! Hey Im a country girl....what can I say??
Seriously though I am posting a pic and a link for my Prim Sista Debbie at Goat Creek. Deb makes the most wonderful salt dough goodies and well you all know how crows are one of my favs!! Well check out this guy..... isnt he awesome! Deb is selling them and some other goodies on her blog. Stop on by and help her make some money for the Christmas season! Ask about the snowman nodders she made on an old rusty spring...tooo cute!

Here is the link to Deb's blog....News from Goat Creek

And here is what Im going to do: For every crow Deb sells I am going to donate $1.00 to MS research. Deb's husband Wendell has MS and I have two other friends near and dear to me who also suffer from this disease so this is my way of giving.....after all it is Christmas! Please feel free to post this on your blog as well!

Thanks and God Bless!

Holli

New blog to check out!

2010-11-22T06:51:00.003-04:00

Good Monday morning everyone!! I hope you all had a great weekend. I am just posting a quick one today to tell you about a new blog. First of all check out these bowls!!!
Do you want to know where to find them? I think they are awesome and I am dying to get my hands on a trencher! Please check out Kentucky Hillbilly Crafters.

Kay and her husband make these wonderful bowls and have just started a blog. Go have a look to see what your missing! Kay good luck in your adventures....with ware like this you are going to do great.

Have a great day everyone!

Holli

Getting close to that time!

2010-11-17T12:19:00.003-04:00

Only a week til Gens snowman giveaway on the Prim Pals forum is over! Hop on over there and add your favorite Christmas memory to get your name in! Link is on my side bar. Also if you add it to your sidebar and let us know at the forum you will be entered in an extra giveaway for a group of handmade ornies!

Lest We Forget

2010-11-11T11:41:00.002-04:00

In Memory of all those who have served and those who continue to serve. God Bless you all for our freedom.

Rain Rain Go Away!!

2010-11-07T21:10:00.003-04:00

Doesnt the rain make you sleepy? Harley thinks it does! It has rained here since thursday and its supposed to rain tomorrow and Tuesday as well. Im tired of it! I have no motivation and I just wanna be lazy like Harley! I did manage to get a few things done around the house and I worked today at my second job. I hope to get lots done this week as thursday is a holiday and I want to take friday off and make it an extra long weekend. I have to start some prim Christmas projects since I am participating in the swap over at Prim Pals forum. I also have a few projects on the go for Christmas presents which I obviously cant show you! So what has everyone else been up to this weekend? I hope the weather has been better than here!

Holli

Who wants to Swap????

2010-11-04T19:23:00.002-03:00

Check out the Home for the holidays swap at Prim Pals Forum! If your not a member come on and join! This is gonna be a great swap in time for Christmas. I cant wait!

Giveaway!

2010-10-30T19:21:00.005-03:00

Prim Pals forum is having a giveaway! Isnt this snowman great?
Gen from Olde Pear Primitives made him and he can also be purchased from her. Gen has generously offered Prim Pals this snowman for a giveaway she is hosting on the forum. Come on over the Prim Pals and tell us your favorite Christmas memory to be entered! If your not a member please join...lots of upcoming giveaways and swaps!

Where have I been???

2010-10-23T19:45:00.002-03:00

Ohhh....just around! Working mostly and shopping and crafting a little. I am trying like crazy to get my onies finished for the Prim Pals Ornie swap! I only have a week to mail them...yikes! I will show you all what I have been up to soon.....but have to wait til everyone gets their ornies first.

My fav Prim store opened up in a temporary location...remember they had a fire earlier this year. I was so excited to visit them yesterday. Everything looks great and I bought a few goodies. I think my favorite were the farmhouse scented wax crumbles...they smell sooooo good!

I will try to catch up with you all soon.

Hugs and have a great weekend!

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving!

2010-10-11T18:15:00.002-03:00

Today was our Thanksgiving here in Canada. I have so many things to be thankful for this year. My own health and especially the health of my brother and all my family. To have a job and a roof over our head and to have my husband back to work after 3 long years. I am thankful for all my friends both here at home and in my online groups. You are all very special to me and I treasure the friendships I have made. My sister cooked today and our whole family was there. This is a pic my husband took of us all after dinner. My brother is in the middle, my sister Kelly and her two girls on the left and mom me and my son(with his new mohawk...lord help me) on the right!

Its not often we get a good picture of all of us so it was nice. I suspected my brother would say no....but he was a good sport about it.

I would also like to say I am thankful for ALL the troops both Canadian and American who are fighting a war to keep us all safe. I pray for their safety while defending our rights.

Hope you all had a good weekend.

Holli

Cowboy Breakfast

2010-10-02T17:01:00.002-03:00

Got to love hungry men! Every year we buy our wood for the winter and have it delivered along with our neighbours. Between us we have 12 cord of wood. Thats alot of cutting and splitting as it comes in *tree* lengths. Its been cut for a few weeks and today is splitting day so I told them I would make what we call Cowboy Breakfast to feed them all this morning. As you can see they were enjoying it. Thanks to my husband and great neighbours for keeping us warm this winter!
Here is a picture of the cowboy breakfast right from the oven. You cant really tell what it is so I will explain. That is my big turkey roaster almost full of layers of yummy goodness!
First you turn the over to 350 and and put about 3 tbsps of butter in the roaster to melt.

Add a package of frozen hashbrowns, stir occassionally.

While those are browning cook your bacon(I used 2 pounds this morning)

Add Bacon to hashbrowns and put it back in the oven.

Cook breakfast sausages and cut into bite size...add to roaster on top of bacon.

Scramble eggs(I did a dozen this morning) and after they are cooked add to roaster.

Top all of this with shredded cheese and let it melt.

Creates a very hardy layered breakfast that we love!

Hope you are all having a great weekend. Wood is almost cut and now I get to feed them all dinner!

Mustard Pickles

2010-09-25T21:09:00.003-03:00

Yes Mustard pickles took up my whole day today! This is Hubby chopping the onions in the food processor he insisted I needed for Christmas last year.(I have never used it>
And here is everything soaking in the salt water before we cook and add sauce! Its been a longggg day.
And in the pot with the sauce....dont they look good? And my house smells wonderful!
Its an old recipe of my grandmothers and everyone loves them but as usual no one but me ever makes them. So we did a double batch and most of the family will get a jar at Christmas.

I have also been working on a crow this weekend. He is all cut out and ready to sew(hopefully this evening) and soon he will have a name! Go on over to prim pals forum and vote in Name that crow post!

Tomorrow I work...hope you all are having an awesome weekend.

Hugs,

Holli

An Awesome giveaway!!!

2010-09-19T09:02:00.004-03:00

Melissa at Prim in the Country is having a great giveaway to celebrate the opening of her selling blog. Stop by and check it out! She has fantastic fall items for sale as well. Dont forget to tell her I sent you!!

An Ornie Swap!

2010-09-12T14:39:00.002-03:00

Do you want some new ornies for your Christmas decorating? Check out the ornie swap going on at the Prim pals forum! If your not a member just sign up and you can join in the fun. You have until the end of September to join the swap and receive lots of new ornies handmade by other members. Check out Prim Pals for details!

Happy Sunday everyone!

Name that Crow!

2010-09-08T17:07:00.002-03:00

Just a quick note....Im working long hours the next little while so my blog posts may be short!

BUT....I am running a little contest over on the Prim Pals forum called Name that Crow! So hop on over and check under the games section and enter for a chance to win! Dont forget you have to be a member....and if you arent....What are you waiting for???

Also tonight is Chat night at 7pm CST and I am doing another little contest regarding that..... check it out! Lotsa fun!

Have a great week!

Holli

My Nest is Empty :( and Earl left a Mess!!

2010-09-05T19:02:00.002-03:00

Remember my new fence? This is what it looks like after Earl Passed thru. The wind literally bent thick steel rebar until it snapped. The only good thing is the panels are intact so we just have to reset some posts. My Furry boys helping to remove fallen tree limbs! Big Maple Tree limb that came down in our back yard. Chance loves sticks and thought he could pull this one around...little too heavy for him!
And in other heartbreaking news....here is my handsom son outside his new home. We moved him to University residence today. They were running on partial power due to the storm and of the 4 elevators only one was operational. So you can imagine the line ups to get to the elevator with all their belongings when there were thousands of students to move in. No ventilation and he is on the 17th floor of the high rise complex so definately not doing the stairs! Full power was restored this afternoon although there are still parts of the city with no power due to downed trees and lines.
This is me and him....and it was very windy so I look a mess....ok I was a mess and thats why Im wearing the sunglasses to hide the tears. My baby is grown up and off on his own. Leaving me in a very quiet house with just my fur babies and husband(Oh and his mother but we wont go there!). I am proud of him and he is so excited and Im trying to be happy even though my heart is breaking.

This is the first time he has ever shared a room and his room mate seems very shy and quiet. My son is not..... he is very outgoing and friendly. He was ecstatic to realise his room overlooks the football field and the girls on the floor kept coming to introduce themselves! Im sure he will be just fine and maybe someday I will adjust. Guess I better get crafting to take up my idle time!

Hope you are all having a good long weekend! Hugs!

Holli

My Name is Earl....

2010-09-03T20:22:00.002-03:00

And I am a hurricane! Yup we are about 12-14 hours away from being hit my Huricane Earl. It is expected to make landfall in Nova Scotia early tomorrow morning. Hopefully he will be a tropical storm by then but we will still get the effects. Sooooo....hubby is out moving things and hoping the new fence holds up!

On top of all that this is the weekend I lose my son to University. Its bittersweet really....he is soooo excited so I cant help but be excited for him. On the other hand I am sad. My only child is moving out and Im truly not dealing very well with that at all. He will be about 45 minutes away but it just wont be the same.

Not exactly the long weekend I was hoping to have! I hope you all have a good weekend and those in line with Earl stay safe!!

Holli

Where does the time go???

2010-08-29T19:19:00.002-03:00

I am sorry I have been a slack blogger over the summer. We have had a busy one and not all of it good! I hope to be back to normal soon.

This week is the last week for my son being home. he moves into University residence a week from today. Its only 40 minutes away but that seems like a million miles to this momma! He is my only child and I am so proud of him but so very sad to have him moving out. Its a bittersweet time for me.

Most of you know I work in sales and that job just goes crazy come September. Some day I hope to learn how to organise my time much better than I do now! My boss also picked up a new line of cosmetics so starting the end of this week I have set ups to do in 18 stores plus everything else going on.

I did the Prim Pals Autumn swap and I will show you the fun things I made as soon as my pal receives them! I am hoping to have some time to make some for myself too.

On a not so great note my brother was admitted to hospital again Thursday evening. I spent the weekend with my mom and visiting him. Since coming home 3 weeks ago he has done so well and we are so very proud of him for abstaining from his vice. Unfortunately with his liver not functioning at 100% he has slowly been building up fluid again. His potassium was also very low and he was falling asleep constantly. They have corrected that and are working on the fluid with a stronger diuretic. All we can do is pray but I suspect the prognosis at this point is not good. My dad always used a saying * A day late and a dollar short*. I was reminded of that when my brother landed back in the hospital. Sometimes the turn around is just not soon enough to make a difference.

So I hope you all are having a good summer and I have been reading some just havent kept up like I should. I will try to gather my thoughts and get organised to post more!!

Holli

Flowers, fences and fun!

2010-08-22T12:55:00.005-03:00

Here is the almost complete pic of my fence! Still need to do a gate at the end and the tops of the poles cut off and capped but see how I dont have to look at that parking lot anymore?? I love it!
This is the front of my house with all my flowers blooming. Unfortunately it is shaded and my house is so tall its hard to get a good one with them all in it!

This is beside the front step(which will soon be a front covered porch I hope!) My geraniums and Canta Lilies in bloom. The hosta is about to bloom as well.

Looking down the driveway and side of the house....more Canta Lilies and the archway that needs trimmed big time! The corner of the window you see had plants growing out of it! We had tear it apart and have ordered one to replace it as it is rotten and has ants! NOT something we planned for...the joys of an old home!

Back porch with wave petunias that grew like crazy this year and my railing boxes. This area looks terrible because half the siding is off where we replaced the porch last year. It is all coming off eventually and we are going back to the wood shingles that would have originally been on the house. Thats a big project so we have to wait until there is more money!

This is an old wash tub under all those flowers. There are wave petunias and another pink flower I am unsure of the name. I had it sitting in the shade and it didnt do well so we moved it and it took off like crazy again. I am amazed at how well they have done this year.

We have had a good weekend here...I have finished up work on my swap over at Prim Pals and have Donnas goodies all boxed up to mail first thing tomorrow. Last night hubby and I went to a fun little rodeo and had some laughs. I also changed my header pic to a picture sent to me by a cowboy friend. he took this random pic of his boots all lined up and I loved it so much I decided to use it here for awhile!

Hope everyong has had a great weekend. Talk to you all soon.

Holli

Who is turning 40????

2010-08-15T20:32:00.003-03:00

Tammy!! And she is giving away this great doll to celebrate her birthday! Happy early birthday Tammy. The doll is beautiful and you are so very talented.
If you would like a chance to win this doll..... head on over to Tammy's blog and sign up! Click right here for a link! Good luck everyone...although I really hope I win!

Hope you all had a great weekend. Its going to be a busy work week for me and I have to finish up the BIG box of goodies I am sending my swap Partner Donna from Prim Pals Autumn swap!

Hugs to you all!

Holli

Christmas in July!

2010-08-12T15:28:00.003-03:00

I belong to Prim Pals Forum and we had a Christmas in July Swap. TJ from Willowbend Prims was my secret elf and look what she sent me! I was sooo spoiled! I just love ths Santa with his little crow on his shoulder and the tree and the star!
Here he is a little closer!
And this pic does no justice to these crows! TJ knows I love crows so she made me *Three Wise Crows*. There is also a battery candle behind them that you cant see. Tooo cute!
Then I got all these goodes as well,hang tags and soap and stocking ornies and a cute snowman plate. It really was like Christmas opening that box!
Last but not least this cute plate with chickens...another of my favorite things! Thanks TJ for everything!
If you arent already a member of Prim Pals come check it out! We are doing an Autumn swap now with Halloween to come and monthly happiness swaps as well. Lots of recipes and tutorials and patterns and just plain fun!

I had mentioned in my last post my brother was doing better. He is at home now and doing ok. Its mostly up to him now so we continue to pray he is strong enough to get thru this. If I hadnt seen it first hand I am not sure I would have believed what a terrible disease alcoholism is. Not only does it devour your body but it affects your brain and truly the hearts of those around you as they watch helplessly. I pray none of you ever have to see a loved one go thru this.

House of Henry Goodies!

2010-08-09T19:24:00.002-03:00

Remember when I said I would post the goodies I got on my trip to House of Henry?? Well I know Im much later than I thought but here they are! This is the cutest doll and well you all know how I love my crows and she is holding one! The sheep is adorable made out of chenille.
This is a pic of her sitting on the old quilt I also bought along with the star pillow made from an old quilt! I have them all in my bedroom on my rocker but I think she may move to the livingroom so everyone will get to see and enjoy her!
I love them all and I was so happy to meet Faye. Check out her blog and her shop at Primitive Lace!

Lots of work for me lately so I havent posted much. My brother is doing well and might possibly be home this week. He wont ever be 100% and alot is up to him but one day at a time and God has sure worked a miracle this time. My yard is looking great still and one of these days I will get pics of my wonderful fence posted. I am sooo enjoying the privacy! Hope you are all having a great summer and I promise not to stay away too long this time!

Holli

Wow Ten Years!

2010-08-02T22:00:00.003-03:00

Thats Dave and I ten years ago today on our wedding day. We were married on the beach in South Carolina the day after my best friend or as I call her, my sister, Debbie from Goat Creek. It seems like yesterday some times and Lord knows others it seems like forever!

We had a great day today....left this morning with no destination in mind. Had lunch at the Big Stop restaurant which is like a truck stop and has the best food! Then we headed further into New Brunswick and I decided I was going to make the long awaited visit to House of Henry. I met the Faye thru our blogs and she makes the nicest dolls. If you look at her blog Primitive Lace you can see the doll I bought sitting in her window in her header picture! She is holding a sheep and I just love her. I will take some pics of her and the other things I bought as well to show you soon!

Faye it was so great to meet you and your shop is just lovely! I will definately be coming back to do more shopping in the future!

We then travelled back towards home and stopped for some yummy seafood chowder and at a couple farm markets. I had a wonderful day just relaxing and driving and visiting!

Hope you all had a great weekend!

Holli

100 followers giveaway !

2010-07-30T09:05:00.003-03:00

Nope not me this time....check out Gen's Blog, Olde Pear Primitives ! When she gets to 100 followers she is going to have a giveaway. Gen is very talented as you can see and she says she just started sewing but look at the witch she made! WOW! Gen is also a member of Prim Pals forum with me and we just love her. Good luck on getting to 100 followers!

Crow Pie

2010-07-23T22:19:00.002-03:00

Ever have to eat crow pie? hehe! Remember the song....Four and Twenty Blackbirds baked in a pie? Well my post is themed on that today! While my brother was resting in the hospital I took a break one day and visited a prim shop in the area. I found a table cloth someone had stitched with 20 blackbirds around the edge and 4 in the center. It was all coffee stained(and not ironed as you can see) The first pic is the center of the table cloth. This is a pic of the edge stitched with the birds.....
The next pic is of a Crow Pie I bought at simply Primitive in Truro.....my fav little shop that had the fire. A bit of a freaky story with this. I had looked at it for awhile and couldnt decide to buy it cause it was a little pricey for me. The DAY of the fire...all day I was thinking I had to go get it so I did. That night the place caught fire and everything that was fabric was ruined! Weird!! Kinda scared me! But I do love the pie!
This isnt a good pic but thats it sitting on my tablecloth I bought! I just love it and I think they were meant to go together.
I hope you all have a great weekend. I know I promised finished fence and yard pics...I will get to them soon. Has taken me a couple days to get things back in order from being gone. My brother continues to improve...we can only hope and pray.

Thanks again.

Holli

And another update....

2010-07-22T13:49:00.002-03:00

The ventilator has come out! My Brother called my mom this morning from the hospital to tell her he was off the ventilator. It is a glorious day and a wonderful thing to hear when less than 2 weeks ago they told us at most he would live an hour without it. Thank you all for your prayers....now the long road to recovery depends alot on him and his choices. I pray he makes healthier ones this time!

Home...

2010-07-22T08:10:00.002-03:00

...and off to work. I have missed so much work being with my brother but no job is as important as family. He is doing better....the ventilator may come out today or tomorrow. They have been doing tests with it set to a function where he has to do the breathing on his own. He is awake and can use a paper and pencil to talk to us because he cant speak with the tube in his throat. Sadly he remembers nothing....some of you may think its cruel to wish he remembered but I figure if he did he might not drink or smoke anymore or take too much tylenol for pain! His liver is slowly repairing and will function to a certain extent. We will see how long this lasts....I dont hold out much hope but I do pray for the best. His life is in his own hands but hopefully with the help of all our prayers he will make better decisions.

Thank you all for your prayers and support! Soon I will get the pics of the finished fence project posted!

MIA

2010-07-14T20:51:00.002-03:00

Thats me....missing in action. A quick update. As many of you know I have a younger brother who hasnt lead the healthiest life. Well that life is in real danger right now. He has been in ICU with Liver failure since thursday night. He has developed pneumonia and also has ecoli(who knows how that happened). Monday we had to make the decision to put him on a ventilator. Even though we knew he did not want life support after talking to the doctor we chose to do it on a day to day basis. He told us his liver had started to repair slightly but because of the pneumonia he wouldnt live a day without the ventilator. To date his liver is still improving slightly and the pneumonia has a bit as well. We will leave it another 24-48 hours and reassess. It was by far the hardest decision my mom and sister and I have ever had to make. But given even a 20% chance like they gave him I would hope someone would fight for my life too. regardless of his bad habits and life choices he is still my baby brother and I love him. Im just not ready to let him go yet. All prayers would be greatly appreciated.

Holli

A fire sale!

2010-07-07T19:54:00.003-03:00

Less than a week ago my favorite Prim shop caught fire. Simply Primitive in Truro Nova Scotia has been closed since last friday night when the fire took place. Today I got a message on my facebook saying that as they were bringing things out to try and salvage what they could people were asking to buy items. Sooooo...they decided to have a fire sale. The pic below is them outside the building with big tubs of water scrubbing everything. It is a scorching 88 degrees here today and as the word got around on facebook loyal customers like me showed up for a bargain!
That being said I didnt just go for a bargain...these girls have become friends and I know they depend on their income just like the rest of us. I figure if I can help out by shopping...why not?? The faster they get up and running....the better for all of us!This is what I came home with....OOHHHH the Treenware!!! Three bowls and a scoop and 1/2 price too! I also got a basket and candles and a wrought iron towel holder that is going to look awesome in my bathroom! A rusty moon and some stars and well you see it all! Im loving everything!
They lost anything that was fabric(dolls,etc) and anything closer to the fire. Im just thrilled to death with the treenware alone. Good luck girls getting back up and running!

My week has been crazy busy....I am hosting a family/graduation party for my son on Saturday this week. 50-60 people and the forcast is rain!! Pray for me that it wont. I have a big house but the heat would do me in with everyone inside! I have been cleaning and cooking and crafting and preparing things. The fence is complete except for a gate...pics of that to come later. The yard is looking awesome and I am so pleased! I hope to post again soon. Hugs to you all! Have a great week.

Holli

Graduation

2010-07-01T22:41:00.002-03:00

This was my cute little cowboy when he was about 3 years old.... gotta love a cowboy!!
And here he is wearing a different hat this week at 18 years old and graduating high school. I just dont know where that 15 years has gone.... I cant believe he is all grown up!

This is one of me and Aidan before Graduation. Not a great pic of me....but at least I have one of the two of us! And my three boys! Pearse is the one smiling...Chance isnt looking impressed cause he is being held still! He is sooo hyper!

And last but not least Harley and Aidan. Aidan is the only one who can pick him up and hold him like that.

So thats my boy....all graduated and working a full time job in tourism visitor information for the summer. Then in September he is off to university. I sure hope I taught him all the life lessons he will need to make it on his own! Love you buddy and Im so proud of you!

Back to Work!

2010-06-30T06:33:00.002-03:00

Well the last week has been eventful to say the least and soooo busy!! These pics are from the weekend. We got the cement footings poured for the fence posts and hope to have the posts and panels up this week! Thats my husband working the cement mixer....good thing he doesnt read my blog cause he hates having his pic taken and would probably kill nme if he knew it was here!
And my son wouldnt be any more impressed to have this one of him on here tamping down the cement to get air pockets out. As you can see beyond him this is why we want the privacy fence. We have a huge lot....almost an acre but we back onto a grocery store parking lot. They tell us that years ago the property went all the way back and the store was not there.
Aside from working on the fence we have managed to get thru Prom, graduation, Safe grad party and now I am back to work today and tomorrow is a holiday here! So I will work a day and have a day off and then work a day and have the weekend off. Its been a busy chaotic week but I have managed to get thru it with only a few tears over graduation. I will post those pics later! I have even managed to do a little crafting but I cant show you yet because its for a secret swap and I dont want my partner to know what she is getting! I hope everyone is having a good week.

Holli

A little bragging

2010-06-24T22:30:00.003-03:00

Im sorry but I have to brag just a little! This is my handsom son and his prom date! We had a photographer come and take pics before prom. I will post more when we get them all but she sent me this sneak peek and I had to share. Arent they cute???
Now Im sitting home worrying cause they are at an all night party! Whats a momma to do? Time to get out something to work on to distract me. Hope you are all having a good week.

Holli

More Weekend Work!!

2010-06-19T08:01:00.004-03:00

Well we are onto the privacy fence across the back of the yard this weekend! These pics are from last weekend....we had to cut away some tree branches to get thru with the fence. Just to give you an idea hhow thick it is....thats my husband in there and I am about 2 feet from him taking the pic! He is also in there....can you see him?? These trees are in the back corner of our property and unfortunately dont go all the way across or we wouldnt have the privacy issue or the need for a fence! We had to cut the limbs off the back side(away from our property) of ther fir tree so the fence could go thru.
Now you can see him again....and thats after many big branches were hauled out! Amazing how thick those can be!
Today is post hole digging day. We have rented an auger and the men will be doing this job. I have been told it would be too heavy for me which suits me just fine. I think that makes me in charge of beer and food! Im off to the grocery store with a little stop at my fav prim shop! Have a great day everyone!

Holli

Prim Pals Forum

2010-06-14T23:01:00.002-03:00

Just a quick post cause Im out of town for business meetings this week...uughhh!

Just wanted to mention Prim Pals Forum....the link is on my side bar. Please click on the picture and go check out what we are all up to on there. We have the best laughs on our Wednesday night chats and there are lots of pics to see and tutorials and recipes and awesome swap opportunities....you name it we prolly got it. Worth having a look!! Hope you all will join our family!

Have a great week!

Holli

YARD SALE!!!!

2010-06-05T19:30:00.004-03:00

Noooo Im not having one but I went this morning bright and early to an annual community yard sale near my moms. It was a 2 hour drive so we got up at 5am and left at 6! There were so many yard sales. Anyone with kids would have been in heaven. Lots of awesome toys and books and clothing. I came across a lady just getting her things out. What made me stop was this wooden box. My sister has been looking for one to use as a coffee table. I bought this for $5 and the lady told me she made it from an old chicken coop. The front side where you see the window flips down. The top also comes off or there is a little hole in it they would have put a heat lamp thru to warm chicks. It needs a little work but its beautiful and Im not so sure my sister will get it! I also bought the old iron from her for $2. The big colander I got elsewhere for $1 and the rolling pin for a quarter! Also from the same lady I got this old antique ironing board. She rescued it from the trash and painted the birdhouses on it. I will remove the raffia and maybe replace with pip berries...I think I will leave it painted as is for now. I paid $4 for it!
Again...same yard sale....this old school desk!! Now I gave her $40 for this because I have wanted one forever. She says they found a date from the 1800's on it....I havent looked yet but it doesnt really matter cause I love it!! It has the hole for the ink well and is adjustable in height.
And again from the same lady I bought this shelf. Im going to paint it as it has blue on it now. I paid $2 for this. I had such a great day. My mom and sister and her two girls joined my husband and I. So it was a family day and we were all excited about all the goodies.
We also bought some puzzles to do next winter and my husband got some Norman Rockwell collectors plates. I hope you are all having a good weekend.

Holli

Progress!!

2010-06-04T07:52:00.002-03:00

This was taken a couple nights ago along the side of the property so as you can see we have made some progress with the fence. Unfortunately it has rained every day since! Thats my Pearse who is my constant companion....he rarely leaves my side,especially at times like 5am this morning when it started to storm. He hates thunder so I had all 85 pounds of him in my bed!
This weekend we will be taking a little break. There is an annual yard sale near my moms that has always been great. So we will be getting up at 5am tomorrow to make the hour and a half drive so we can bargain hunt! Its kind of a family thing. My sister and her girls are going and Dave and I. My son has to work this year....he wasnt impressed! Even at 18 he still loves to go even though Im sure if he would never tell a friend cause that wouldnt be *cool*!!

Hope everyone has a great day and that the weekend comes out sunny! Im off to check out the Prim Pals forum and log my weight loss for the week! YAY Me another 4 pounds!

Our Yard is changing!

2010-05-31T21:20:00.003-03:00

Im finally getting the privacy fence I soooo need!! As you can see our yard backs onto a grocery store parking lot. Now we live in a small town and its not that its overly busy or anything but if we are in the back yard we are visible to everyone! This pic is the big pile of stuff we removed from the other side of our yard this past weekend. Its taken facing my neighbours partially built fence.....we like him so we wont be blocking that side just across the back and....
down this side we are putting a shorter picket style fence just to keep people from walking thru! Where you see those cans is where all those old leaves and brush came from. We had to clean it out to start the fence. The wooden box was apparently at one time a sand box.....we pulled it out and it is being moved to another part of the yard as a raised garden.

This is the pile of fence panels delivered last thursday and dropped in the front yard! Im really excited!

This is looking towards the back of the property and down the side that is getting the picket fence(between the trees). And Chance of course was helping. Another look at the area we cleaned out....I see a bench and some flowers in there after the fence is in place!

I hope you all had a good Memorial Day Weekend. It wasnt a holiday here in Canada but I took advantage of the days I did have off and got lots of work done. Lots more to do yet....stay tuned!!

Swap Goodies and a dumpster find.... Sort of!!

2010-05-29T21:41:00.003-03:00

Dont you just love the smell of Lilacs? I sure do so I brought some in today off the tree in my yard. Harley was eyeing them and eventually did chew them a bit!
Last week when it was clean up week and I was out dumpster diving I was talking to a neighbour who was moving. She told me she had an old desk she wanted to sell. So I went in to look...and $200 later came home with this old Secretary! I love it! I was so pleased....but as you can see I havent found a place for it yet. We have worked so much in the yard my house is really suffering...what a mess! Here it is open and as you can see Harley has to investigate everything! he was getting ready to settle into the little cubby for a nap.
I have been participating in the Prim Pals monthly exchanges and this is a pic of all the goodies my first pal (Stella from Stellar creations) sent me! She spoiled me with a covered box she made,lots of candles and soap and scented rose hips,a little tea pot,wax tarts and of course a rooster! Thanks Stella I love everything!
If your interested in joining check out the Prim Pals Blog or Forum....lots of fun!

Well Im off to bed....long day of fence building and cleaning in the yard and gardens. Pics of all that soon! Hugs to all!

Holli

Check out this giveaway!

2010-05-25T14:05:00.003-03:00

WOWOWOWOW!! How generous is this giveaway?! I just found this new blog from one of my other followers. You should all check out her blog at Friendship Crossing . Beautiful Americana decor! Even though I am not American I can appreciate wonderful Americana things! While you are there sign up as a follower and enter the great giveaway!

Hope everyone is having a great week so far.

Holli

Yard Sale Finds!

2010-05-23T08:59:00.005-03:00

This weekend is a long weekend in Canada and the weather has been fabulous for us. Yesterday morning I got up early and hit the road to yard sale! I was out of the house at 7:30am and my first stop was my sisters since she was having a yard sale and I wanted to be early. There were already people there when I arrived but I spotted this picture as I was getting out of the car and well it had a crow....I had to have it!! Its hard to tell how bit it actually is. I would say the frame is at least 2 feet across. My husband hung it up so my lovely Harley Cat would stay out of the berries! It isnt staying here and the frame isnt staying green! The wreath needs cleaned up a bit but otherwise its great. The picture background is painted and the crow and star are stencilled on.

The next pic is a small shelf with black stars I had to have. Again the shelf wont stay that color but its an easy make over for that. The little rocking chair is from my dumpster diving last week! Any suggestions on what to do with the seat of it???

I also got two almost new pairs of Capris I can wear to work, a bath sign, and a set of curtains for my upstairs bathroom in my travels and all of that for $15! It was a great day. I stayed and helped my sister for awhile and visited with them. Then I came home and we went to work in the yard. All the Dahlia bulbs are now in and the Canta lilies will go in today. In sure that seems late to some of you but our season is so much later here.

Our big project this year is going to be a fence. We went friday night and purchased all the lumber and such to be delivered next week. Id like it to be up by the first of July so we can relax thru the summer and enjoy a little more privacy in our back yard!

Well Im off to make breakfast and head outside. Have a great day everyone!

Holli

Dumpster Diving!

2010-05-17T19:16:00.002-03:00

This week is like a Prim Sisters dream come true around here! Spring and fall our county has a clean up week. It is our area's turn this week. I wish you could see the piles of stuff by the curb in front of everyones house. On our street there are 3 houses up for sale so those people really cleaned out! And I took advantage of that..... this little doll crib is about 50 years old. And I know this cause as I was *diving* for it my neighbour came out and told me! It still has the leather strap across the bottom to hold it together. Im not sure if I will paint it or not. My mom has alot of old dolls and raggedies so I may give it to her.
A pic of it with the bottom out. Still has the little lamb stencil on the end too!

I also got the tiniest doll rocker but I forgot to take a picture. I think the funniest part was watching people....it was like a parade up and down our street. My husband joked about directing traffic! I did take another drive around today and I am going back after an old shutter I want to make a shelf out of. I will make sure to share the project!

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Holli

My Mom and Me....

2010-05-10T21:32:00.003-03:00

Thats us....yesterday on Mothers day. I love my mom. She is truly an inspiration to everyone around her. She is the strongest person I know and I admire her greatly. She has had to deal with so much and yet she still keeps smiling and plugging along. I just wanted to share her with you all :)

Have a Happy Monday!

Holli

And the Winner is......

2010-05-09T09:09:00.003-03:00

I dont know if you can even read the list or see the number drawn! Basically I went down the list of comments and numbered them in order I received them.
Then I went to random.org and the number they chose was 4! On my list that is Melissa Bowman from M's Prim N Country. Congrats Melissa!
Thank you everyone for participating and for following my blog! Have a great day...especially all the moms!

Holli

Last Chance!! Giveaway draw tomorrow!

2010-05-08T17:58:00.002-03:00

Tomorrow I will draw the winner of my giveaway....if you havent already entered please go back a few posts to my 100th and sign up! Thank you all again for being such great followers!

Happy Mothers day to all of the moms and I hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Holli

How does my Garden Grow....

2010-05-06T17:54:00.002-03:00

Im finally getting to post! I have been so busy with everything it seems like forever since I sat long enough to type. I took these pics last weekend around the yard. This is on of my peonies. I think it is the pink one. Surprisingly I looked today and after only a few days I bet it has grown another 2 inches!
This whole flower bed is lilies. There are different kinds and colors. All of these were here when we bought the house. It was like christmas in spring the first year because we hadnt a clue what was coming up in the gardens!
I have lots of Forget me nots! They are everywhere and spread more every year. I think they are a pretty little flower. We let them bloom and seed and then we just mow over them the rest of the summer! Then my favorite is these little violets. I had just a small bunch and that has spread this year too. I also discovered some under a tree this year so I may move them. I took this last weekend and there was one flower.....no there are dozens!
We were outside almost all day Saturday. And of course Chance and Pearse were with us. Pearse doesnt lay around much for a picture but Chance was chewing a stick and I got this one of him. He is soooo beautiful! Just waiting for that lovely thick coat to start shedding!

I hope everyone is having a good week! Dont forget my giveaway! You have a couple more days to sign up. Good luck everyone.

Also thank you all for the prayers for my brother. He is still in hospital for at least another week. He has a number of health problems relating to his alcoholism, but right now the issue is an unrelated blood clot. They are calling it a massive blood clot and it is in his arm,shoulder and neck. Very close to all the vital organs. They are treating it with blood thinners unsuccessfully so far. There isnt anything to do but pray as we have tried for years to help him. Regardless of his faults and habits he is still my baby brother and I do pray God finally reaches his heart and he can be saved both spiritually and physically.

Hugs to you all!

A Giveaway!

2010-05-03T21:55:00.002-03:00

I havent had alot of time to post lately but hope to get some pics on here tomorrow. Just wanted to remind you all to sign up for my giveaway a few posts back! Also Prim Pals blog is having a giveaway. Just click the link on my sidebar and join!

Sorry this is so short....my brother has been in hospital and it has been a tiring and stressful time for sure. I treasure each and every one of you as friends and thank you to so many who knew this and have showed concern and held us in your prayers. I love my blogging family...you are all the best!

Holli

Pay It Forward Day!

2010-04-29T07:37:00.002-03:00

Just a quick post before work this morning....Today is Pay it Forward Day. So think a little extra hard today on what you can do for a friend,neighbour or even a stranger! Pay for the person behind you in the coffee line....help someone carry packages...just do some little thing.

Have a great day everyone!

Holli

Where has the time gone???

2010-04-28T13:39:00.004-03:00

Its been well over a year since I started my blog! I cant believe I had so much to say and that everyone is still hanging in following my crazy life! In honor of my 100th post I am hosting a giveaway! I also recently got 100 followers! Thank you everyone for hanging in with me and my random house renovations and prim decorating. I have made such wonderful friends and contacts and I love you all! I have been so inspired by each of you in one way or another and I look forward to lots more posts and blogging in the future.

Sooooo I am giving away a great cookbook called *Out of Old Nova Scotia Kitchens*. Since I am one of so few Canadians I thought it was fitting to include a little piece of my home in my giveaway! And its close to Mothers Day so in honor of that a stencilled wood block with #1 Mom. Another wood block with washroom on it....some sunflower bowl fillers that I coffee stained and baked and a cute little prim notepad! I may add one more thing...you never know!

Rules are simple....just be a follower of my blog. I would ask that you not post it on your blog as I would like it to be for my followers. New followers are welcome :) and Im not going to limit it to any specific area. I will do a random draw on Mothers Day of everyone who posted here on my 100th post!! Thank you all again and good luck!

Holli

Look who I found in my bed!!!

2010-04-22T21:26:00.003-03:00

Now how could I make him get down??? Chance,as most of you know, is the latest addition to our family. He was rather timid when we got him and very well mannered. In our house the fur people are quite spoiled. We let them in beds and such things that most families dont. He wasnt quite so sure about this since it was not allowed with his former family. Now....the minute my hubby gets out....he waits to be told he is allowed in. And he curls up...head on the pillow just like one of us! I think he is adorable!

I want to thank all of you for your kind comments on my new hairstyle. I have tried to get a better pic of the red and blonde hilites but so far no luck!

Oh and for those of you who have asked...sorry April cowboy is mine allll mine!! I may be married...but I can still dream!

I am working a trade show for the next couple days with my boss... gonna be a lonnnngggg few days. Will check in when I can. ALMOST ready for my giveaway!!

Holli

A New Do!

2010-04-20T22:26:00.003-03:00

Yes thats me....I usually hide from pics but since I got a new hair do I decided to share a *ME* pic today! Of course you cant really tell that there are blonde and red hilights in the hair and I look soooo tired because it was at the end of a 12 hour day! Oh but look there is my April cowboy on the calendar behind me... hehe!

Then when I got home my husband told me he had something for me....ok you have to understand thats kind of scarey....cause he doesnt shop much and last time he brought me something it was his mother and she has been here a year in May!!! NOT a good gift! So he handed me this cute little raggedy....she isnt handmade but she is cute and I love that he thought about going to my favorite Prim shop to buy me something. Her dress says *Sweet Souls Surround Us.* He also bought the little iron tricycle she is sitting on. I have to find a place for her cause right now she is sitting on my desk!

Almost ready to reveal my 100th post giveaway!! I cant believe Im still doing this...I thought I wouldnt have anything to say and you all would be bored! Talk to you soon.

Holli