Irish Eyes Are Smiling

Top O' The Morning to you!!  It is coming down in buckets here where we live.  Something we don't get to enjoy too often.  So when it happens, we love it!  At least Greg and I do!!

Geeps started a loaf of homemade bread this morning.  But this type takes 12 to 18 hours to rise before you bake it.

Since we can't work in the yards today with this rain, we are doing things in the house.   Greg is going through all of our files, and consoladating them into the one UGLY new file cabinet.  It is going to take him forEVER!!!  Just sayin'  We work differently, he and I.  I am sitting in the comfy chair in the fitness room with my basket of crochet at the ready.  As soon as I finish this blog post, I am going to be stitching away.
Remember I said I had started a new blanket?   I am using my UK yarn that I ordered a while back.  It is such a basket of  yummy colors, that I almost hated to dig into it.
I am using a pattern that I found on Annette's blog. 

"Petunia Pill"

Which she found on Priscilla's blog. 

Priscillas

You can find that pattern by using the following link:  http://www.mooglyblog.com/2011/11/12/free-pattern-blackberry-salad-striped-afghan/
The yarn she used was a heavier weight, and looks somewhat different because there are no open spaces.  The yarn I am using is a DK weight, which is one under worsted.  I have not used this type of yarn before, and it is quite different.  But I am loving the way it is crocheting up.  A perfect summer weight blanket, in such light and dreamy colors.  Here is how it is shaping up so far.

The only thing I can't figure out is that on mine, the bobbles are lined up symmetrically with the exception of the very first row in red.  It looks like hers are asymetrically lined up, which I like much better.  But I cannot see where I have made an error.  So I will keep stitching. 
We (as in I) have been working on the fitness room, and guest bedroom.  Yesterday after dropping Noah to school, I went to my favorite Thrift.  They do a 50% off every 1st and 3rd Friday.  I got the perfect sized night table for the guest bedroom.  I wish that they had had two, even though it was not my plan to use two in there.  The one will do nicely.

It is a solid oak.  In perfect condition.  It has one little splash of gray paint on the lower right hand side of the drawer, but I think I can get that off.

I love the lines, and the little scooped out front for storing something in.  I will need to find a little reading lamp to set on it.  It cost me......are you ready........TEN dollars!!   I was thinking at first that I would paint it, but you know, sometimes I just think you should leave nice wood alone.  Sitting on the top of it is a Bible that belonged to my husband when he was a boy.

Next to the books is a fern with an abandoned hummingbird nest from our grove.  You can see the little tiny bits of cracked egg shell there in the bottom, and on the outer sides of the nest, you can see where there are flecks of gray that are bits of  wood pieces from the old paint color of our house.

I moved furniture around a bit in this room, and also the things on the walls.  At the thrift, I also found this vanity mirror.  It was obviously at one time part of a vanity table.  But the table was not there.  I bought the mirror for 5 dollars, know I could use it somewhere.   I also thought my daughter might want to use it for a prop for photographing her girls.  I leaned it up against the dresser in the guest room for now.  It isn't the right scale for this piece, but I like it.

I need to find a small  upholstered chair for the corner of this room.  I moved the big chaise lounge from there to the fitness room, and now we have no comfy spot to sit.

I moved my lake fish to the wall underneath my Dad's old oar.

And the little table and antique wooden chairs to the wall just below.

 This is a very large room, and serves our purposes just right.  This is where the grandkids sleep when they are here, and the closet is chock full of their toys.  But it can also now function as a guest room too.  I am still looking for a new comforter and dust ruffle, and when I find that, I will get fabric to recover the antique hope chest that belonged to my Dad's older sister.  

 I am loving this room.  It is comfortable, and holds many treasures.

I have removed any sports related things we had in this room, and put them into our fitness room.
The Ernie Els picture that my friend Rob the photographer took at Pebble Beach for us is now in the fitness/sports room.  Beneath that is a signed photograph of Michael Jordan and two of his cards that Greg's cousin Cory got for us.

    I changed out the things on the shelf above the Kobe Bryant jersey too.  I have a favorite photo of our son Drew and his best buddy Brian from their high school basketball days.  And a photo of my best friend Jae and I after a day of golf.  Greg and I in a golf themed frame.  Some golf books, and the photo and poem of the Twin Towers that Drew wrote when he was in 5th grade, just after 911.

    Across the room, a signed baseball jacket that our friend donated for an auction that my Dad was involved in organizing.  My Dad wound up bidding on, and ultimately buying the jacket, and then gave it to us.

   Greg has collected golf balls from all of the golf courses he has played on.  We need to get a display to hold those so we can put that in here.  All in all, both rooms are shaping up nicely.  Now, if we keep using the fitness room, maybe Geeps and I will shape up nicely too!!!!
A couple other things I found thrifting on Friday.  This Cath Kidston book that I LOVE!!!  For those who may not know, Cath Kidston is an English designer.  She has many wonderful books and shops with her products.  Her things are just dreamy!!!  This book was ONE dollar.  It has a paper jacket, but the jacket was slightly torn, so I removed it.  I prefer the pretty blue of the book this way.  Also another book that piqued my interest.  I have not heard of this author before.  Although she is not English herself, she adores visiting England, and has been on many occasions.  She has written several books, and a couple of others that are about England as well.  I have only just begun this, but I can tell already that I am going to LOVE it!!!  Some of my very favorite books of all time were written by English authors, about a place I so hope to one day visit!!

        The Cath Kidston book is just loaded with beautiful photographs and charming ideas.

        Even this one rather provocative picture of a sketching of a naked lady having a bubble bath.   She says it hangs in her bath in her country home.   Even though I am sometimes called a "prude" or my personal favorite by my kids, "an English school Marm"  I adore this photo.  I would love to have a copy to hang in my bathroom!!!

      Isn't that great!!!  I love it!

At any rate, both books, for one dollar.   Oh and one more find.  I got these two darling heavy ironstone mugs.  

 I love this color combination.  In fact, I am in the process of adding a touch of blue to the brown and sand colored bathroom now.  

I am sipping my hot tea from one of these mugs this very minute.

 Lastly today, I want to share with you something that my friend Denise made for me.  Last week when the "Knitty Biddies" were gathered here at my house, I sent everyone home with oranges and avocados, and half a dozen fresh eggs from my hens.  When the "Knitty Bitties" met on Thursday this week, Denise said she had something for all of us.  She said she couldn't bare to just toss those beautiful egg shells, so when she used them, she cracked them ever so gently so she could make this darling craft.  She carefully cracked the shells about two thirds of the way from bottom, and then washed and dried the shells.  Using some paper excelsior, or Easter basket grass, she put a tiny dab of glue in bottom of shell, then added grass, and these cute little fuzzy chicks.  Topping the heads with the small top piece of egg shell.  They were just darling!  Some even had two chicks inside one shell.   

We all thought that they were adorable!  So I have been cracking eggs ever so carefully, so that I can gather enough to do this little craft with my grandchildren one day next week.  I think they will really get a kick out of making these.

  Fun huh?

I had Geeps bring my pretty little primrose inside so that the rain doesn't pelt them to death.  They are so happy, and just say SPRING to me!

   If you made all the way to end with me......Happy Saturday!  Happy St. Patrick's Day!  Enjoy the weekend...whatever you may be doing!!!

XO  Kris