I’d Rather Be in England

I am what you call a British Wanabe...a Displaced Anglophile.  All the years I took students to England, Ireland, Scotland, and Paris, I was collecting these dear woolen ornaments. When they married and left the roost, I gave my three children all of their annual ornaments we had collected through the years. Then I created my own new tree...my Memory United Kingdom Tree. I do have a Scotsman and a shamrock though you cannot see them...and there is one from the Eiffel Tower. These ornaments are my treasures! The big paper star hangs there in the corner all year round, but I was afraid to take it down...nervous I would never get it back up there. So, the tree has one BIG star on the top!!!

The Orb and the Crown are at the top in the place of honor.

 Left Side

Right Side

More Goodies

My Dining Room

These are the table runners I was making for my Christmas presents. I kept 2. 

Another Table Runner

A YoYo banner I made for the window.

Not only do I love The United Kingdom, I LOVE RED!

This post is linked with:

 Rednesday over at Brown Gingham Creations

Ruby Tuesday Too

Love Those Spinning Red Chairs

Eloise and Baga went for a girl's day out to see the Faberge Egg Exhibit at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. She adored these red squishy seats being that she could spend around and around. It is so wonderful finally having one granddaughter. We have just the best time together...and she does not seem to mind my constantly taking photos of her. 

This post is linked with:

Ruby Tuesday

and

Rednesday

We Survived Sandy ~ Happy Halloween ~ The Great Pumpkin ~ DP10-31-12

This photo was taken so long ago I have had to try to estimate the year we grew "The Great Pumpkin." Gene is 40 and the father of a 7 year old.  Here he looks to be 16-18, so my best guess would be 1990-1994. While the winds were howling and the rains coming down, I searched until I found the picture and scanned it. Here you have it. Our one and only Great Pumpkin. Boy, does Buddy look young. Guess 20 years or so living with me has really aged him :-) Trust me....most of that hair is now gone!

PS....Thanks for all of your kind thoughts about us and the hurricane. We were so lucky. My daughter in Still Pond, MD, and my niece in Arlington, VA, were hit very hard. Gene in Richmond did not have any problems, either. At least the yard and porches are cleared of everything for the winter :-)

I am linking up with Red Wednesday today because all of the trim on the porch is actually red and Wordless Wednesday.

Please do away with word verification.

Old Remington ~ 12-12-11

Old Remington

I basically followed Kim Klassen’s "Typewriter I" recipe in her Recipe Book (she calls for you to use a layer “mustard seed”), but I added a layer of her “mad love" texture at multiply 51% and frame #12 from Coffeeshop. I love Kim’s Recipe Book and being a part of her Test Kitchen. She is so kind and generous with her creativity and instructional knowledge. I have taken two of her courses which I also can recommend.

Since I cannot do a “mouseover” to save my soul... have tried and tried and tried to figure it out to no avail. I just don’t get it. Going into the HTML and making the changes is too confusing for this old worn out brain. So, pretend you are doing a Genie-style mouseover and take a gander at the “before” shot. This is better than nothing at all. Where there is a will, there is a way.

This post is linked with The Creative Exchange, Ruby Tuesday, and Rednesday.

It Is Christmas Present Making Time

I am one of those who believes in making her gifts and not buying them. These wreaths were made from scraps of fabrics I had for my quilting. They are so easy to make.  If anyone is interested, I will be happy to upload a tutorial. The first wreath in the second row is made from Mary Engelbreit fabrics, but all of the other are from Christmas colored ones. I have some blogging pals who adore Mary’s things, so I thought they could use the wreaths in their crafting rooms. Here is a list of what I used: circles cut from a roll of multi-purposed 14 gauge wire from Lowe’s, a wire cutter, florist’s tape, pinking shears, and rectangular fabric pieces folded in half and ironed. I tied the fabric around the wire circle in a 1/2 knot, pushed each really close to the one before, and this is what I got. So easy:-) The time consuming part was cutting the fabric and ironing it in half...the rest was a breeze. Not expensive even if you have to buy a 1/4 yard each of some Christmas colored fabrics...and the wire goes a long, long ways - it was $8.00 for the roll. The wreath fabrics are floppy so you can turn and squish them however you like. I have thought about brushing them with  fabric stiffener, but as yet have not had the nerve to give it a try.The countdown is on, so I am well on my way. Need to make another 6, but then I will be through. I have some other little goodies I have made, but I will save them for next week. They are easy, quick, and inexpensive, too.

(The ones in the upper left and lower right are the same wreath...oops...no one is perfect :-)

This post is linked with Mosaic Monday ,Rednesday, Ruby Tuesday, Free Pretty Things.

Daily Photo ~ 6-29-11

The Old Wolmerdorf Body Shop

Route 60 West, Rockbridge County, Virginia

This old shop is about 4 miles from our house. Like so many, it is no longer in business but rather just has old cars parked around it. Double click on the awning and you will see it is an old Chevrolet fender...pretty clever.

"The magic formula that successful businesses have discovered is to treat customers like guests and employees like people.” 

~ Tom Peters

This post is linked with Ruby Tuesday, Signs, Signs, and Rednesday.

Daily Photo ~ 6-6-11

Doggie Rest and Stretch Post


"For fast-acting relief, try slowing down."  
~Lily Tomlin


This post is linked to :

Shadow Shot Sunday


and

Rednesday

Daily Photo ~ 5-10-11

The Teaford’s Barn

Kerrs Creek ~ Rockbridge County, VA

This beautiful barn is across the road from our place and has been kept in great condition through the years. It is no longer used as a barn for a working farm, but it could be at any time. The original wood has had no siding applied.

"It will not always be summer; build barns."

~Hesiod

This post is linked to the following memes:

Daily Photo ~ 5-3-11

Teacher Appreciation Week

A Gift from the Principal

“An optimist is a person who sees a green light everywhere, while a pessimist sees only the red stoplight. The truly wise person is colorblind.”

~Albert Schweitzer

This post is linked to Ruby Tuesday over at “The Work of the Poet.”

and

Rednesday over at "It’s a Very Cherry World.”

Rooster Cogburn

Coca Cola...The Pause That Refreshes
Rooster Cogburn is the newest addition to the family 
and now stands proudly on our front porch.


"Sailin’ ‘round the world in a dirty gondolaOh, to be back in the land of Coca-Cola!”
~BOB DYLAN,  "When I Paint My Masterpiece”


This post is linked to My World Tuesday, Ruby Tuesday, and Rednesday.

The Red Chair

Just as I show my age, so does my chair.
See other contributions at:
maryt/theteach @ Work of the Poet ~ Ruby Tuesday
sue @ Its a Very Cherry World ~ Rednesday