Available - Handsome Guy with a Great Sense of Humor

Meet Jake.  We're fostering him for Forever Yours Rescue in Oklahoma City.  He's been here about three months now and we're becoming too attached, but he is a very active boy and deserves a family that will give him more exercise than two late middle agers and two Basset Hounds can offer.  He's allegedly part Basset Hound, but he seems to be much more of a Retriever.

Jake is very entertaining.  The first week he was here he climbed to the top of a six-foot shrub - I could kick myself for not having a camera handy.  He has an Elvis grin that is adorable, loves to chase birds (the ones in our yard don't seem to mind), and LOVES to run.  If you're a walker or runner, he'd be only too happy to accompany you on a daily basis.

Jake is about two years old, about 55-60 lbs., housebroken, neutered, heartworm negative, and doesn't shed much.  He's loving, gets along very well with other dogs (don't know about cats), and is sweet and comical.  He can jump and climb, so a six-foot privacy fence is essential, and he must be an indoor-outdoor dog as he loves to spend time with people as well as romp outside.

If you need a cute and friendly dog that will make you laugh, check out his Petfinder listing here.  But hurry. If he stays much longer, we're going to be too attached to let him go!

Estate Sale and Antique Mall Finds

The DH and I traveled to Stillwater Saturday for an estate sale and a visit to one of our favorite antique malls.  There were several good finds at the estate sale, including this little chartreuse box.  I looked at my ticket later and realized they didn't even charge me for it!

I've been wanting one of these for quite some time but the ones I've seen were more than I wanted to pay or were damaged. I don't mind a crack or chip here and there, but the ones I've found in the past that I could afford were beyond what's acceptable even for me. 

I also found this petite kimono-style jacket or robe that will be going on Etsy as soon as it's pressed and measurements taken.  I love the closures. 

I bought several "boxes of crap" as I affectionately call them - my favorite things - and at the bottom of one box I was thrilled to find this little gem.

It's a vintage Arrow stapler, and it works perfectly!  I can't tell you how many cheap plastic staplers I've bought, and I always get upset when they quit working or just fall apart after a few months.  This beauty has apparently been working for years and I hope will continue to do so.

I'll have more to show soon.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Hope you're having a wonderful Valentine's Day!  My Valentine brought me a bouquet last night so I thought I would share it with you.

He told me he picked the bouquet with the bright orange Shasta daisies because they caught his eye, just like I did over 26 years ago!  Isn't he sweet?

Hearts aren't just for Valentine's Day, but it's a great time to feature a couple.  I added a few more embellishments to the heart I made at French General with Pam Garrison and Charlotte Lyons.  I did a basic running stitch around the edge using metallic thread from FG and added a hanging ribbon and a couple of green velvet flowers.  Don't you love the edge?  Someone at the class had scalloped fabric shears, like pinking shears only scalloped.  Now I desperately want some but have learned that Fiskars stopped making them a year or so ago. 

I love my FG heart!  This one will be staying with me, as will all the things made on that trip, but I couldn't resist making another heart.  I just listed this one on Etsy and will be making more for the Pistol Annie's show in April.

Tag IS It!

Before leaving for French General, I decided Chris, Wanda and I needed a tag to comemmorate our trip. I used some French General fabric purchased at Silver Bella in 2010 and borrowed some graphics from the FG website. The tags for Chris and Wanda were tucked into little goodie bags.

Last week I made tags as a consolation prize for those who entered but didn't win my recent blog giveaway.  Tags are quick and easy once I come up with a design, and enjoyable to make.  The first of these went to Laurie, the middle one to Wendy, and the cute pup to Lisa.  I still owe a tag to one entrant, but need her mailing address.

I'll be doing Pistol Annie's antiques and craft show on April 13 and 14 in Perkins, Oklahoma, near Stillwater.  If you're local, please come by.  They have about 40 vendors so far, and you can see updates on their Facebook page here.

The Charm of French General, and Meeting Terry

Honestly, I can't say enough about the lovliness and charm of French General. Kaari Meng, along with her sister Molly, her mom and dad, Dawn and others made us feel spoiled the entire weekend of their third annual Art of Craft Event January 27-29.

I have four of Kaari's books and have long been entranced by the style and just the idea of French General. Both Kaari and the shop more than met my expectations. There was something fabulous everywhere your eye could rest.

There were cabinets and shelves brimming with fabric, lace, beads, ribbon, and vintage papers - everything you'd imagine and more.  We were provided with all the supplies necessary for our projects, and were offered a selection of items from French General's stock to accent each project.  We also got to work with some of French General's new paper and other products that will be coming out in May from Jolee's Boutique.  You're going to love them! You can see the products and project ideas on their website.

Our classes were button bracelets with Kaari, an embellished heart with Pam Garrison and Charlotte Lyons, a truffle box with Michelle Jorgensen, a pocket journal with Molly Meng, and a beeswax journal with Anna Corba.  I enjoyed every class and love each piece.

If you've never been to French General and you have the opportunity, please go!  You won't regret it.

Of course, another huge highlight of my trip was meeting my permanent swap partner, Terry Frias!  If you've been reading my blog all along, you'll know that we "met" when we were paired for Kari Ramstrom's Sweet and Sinister Halloween swap in 2010.  We each loved what we received so much we decided to do our own one-on-one swap for most holidays. When I decided to sign up for the Art of Craft Weekend, Terry immediately shuffled her schedule and signed up for most of the classes. 

She's sweet and funny, and it was so much fun to spend time together.  Here she is with her beeswax journal and with Michelle from Paper Tales in San Diego (would love to make it there sometime!)

Here are Chris and I with Kaari.  Something apparently was going on just to the side of us as Wanda snapped the photo.

Chris Mack and I traveled together and met Wanda Clark in the Las Vegas airport.  We all stayed at the Glendale Hilton which was only about six miles from French General and about ten miles from the Burbank airport.  Here's Wanda with her beeswax journal project.  She gave Chris and me each an amazing packet of buttons and lace. We used some of the buttons on our bracelets Friday evening.

We didn't have a lot of free time, but did manage to explore a bit in Glendale.  We saw this whimsical fountain the first evening and an adorable little girl was having the best time there.

We initally thought the Americana in downtown Glendale was a hotel, but it's condominiums or apartments.

We were looking for a bookstore on Sunday and discovered this upscale shopping area behind the Americana.  It was lovely, and there was a Barnes and Noble.  Perfect!

With the exception of choking on a potato chip fragment on Sunday (literally choking - I can't thank Chris enough for saving me with the Heimlich maneuver), it was a wonderful trip!