And the Winner Is...........

I decided to draw the name for the giveaway of the little cupcake painting early this afternoon because it can get a bit screwy around here in the evening with me getting hubs off to any meetings he might have. Tonight is his model RR train club meeting preparatory to actually running the trains on saturday! Sooooo the winner of the painting is..........

Cindy of Cottage Remnant

Cindy, I've sent you an email so please get in contact with me asap so I can mail it to you, sweetpea....... Congratulations......... :-)

My Thoughts on Feminism

This is also another post I posted over a year ago but thought I'd repost it since it is important in today's world. And I thought I'd throw in a bit of eye candy for ya little chickees!
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I've been busy today doing housewifey things like vacuuming, swiffering, dishes and mopping. I know some people look at them as chores, but I truly love taking care of my home. And my hubby. I appreciate him. I apprciate all men. I'm not a fan of feminism. I believe men and women were put on this earth for a purpose. Man takes care of his woman and woman takes care of her man. Plain and simple. It took me a very long time to come to this realization, but it in fact works quite well. Of course, there are "special circumstances", but by and large it works well - especially when everyone doesn't see themselves as the "exception!" I've heard it all from "but no one understands my situation" to "oh, they weren't talking about me." Not true. We sometimes have to rationalize our choices. Working outside homes tears families apart. Period. Stay-at-home moms are to be revered because so many don't do it any more because society looks down on them. Well, I'm here to tell you that this woman doesn't! Motherhood is denigrated to the point that society makes them uncomfortable saying that they are housewives or stay-at-home moms. NOT ME! I've been on both sides and I can absolutely unequivocally can tell you staying at home is so much better. I love it.

Several months ago I was at the beauty shop waiting for my turn to get my hair cut. The hair dresser asked me if I was in a hurry since I was scheduled for a 12 noon appointment. I said no. (It just turned out that noon was the best time for me.) She said that since it was a lunch time appointment that she had thought that maybe I was doing it on my lunch hour. I looked at her and though to myself, "Does she really think I'd go to work looking like this?!" Hah. After I said no, I said I'm a stay-at-home wife, mother and grandmother. A man sitting there waiting for his turn laughed. I'm not sure if he was "FOR" me or "laughing AT me"! Whatever......I didn't take offense at all. I find humor in the strangest places - and almost daily!!

Keep up the good work, moms who stay at home!! :-) Oh, and I had a woman many years ago ask me if I dyed my hair. I looked at her and said, "If I was going to color my hair, do you honestly think I'd dye it THIS color?!" We both laughed. I guess that was a compliment to the natural color of my hair? No, it ain't nothing special, kiddo!!

Cotton Sheets

I wrote this post when I was new to blogging so most people, if you're like me, never go back and read the older ones so I thought I'd post it again. It's still applicable and I thought certainly worthy of being repeated.
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Something I thought of today while toweling off from my shower is freshly scented towels. My granddaughter asked me a couple of years ago what kind of laundry detergent and fabric softener I used. I asked her why and she said, "Because your sheets and towels always smell so good." What a compliment!! She noticed!! And I did tell her. But I have always been sensitive to smells - in the good way, not the allergic way. I love lovely scents. I have so many perfumes I'd never have to purchase another bottle in my lifetime. But today my towel smelled of a new fragrance I bought recently. A perfume. I must have placed the towel to my neck when I had just sprayed it on. It smelled wonderful. So what I'm going to do is just very lightly spray a tiny fine mist from a favorite perfume onto my towels from time to time. It'll keep the linen closet smelling fragrant and being ever so lightly sprayed I'll smell that scent when I'm toweling off. My "scents" from perfumes are in my clothes so why not have them on my towels. Just light fragrances, nothing "overpowering" is good.
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That's the end of that post but I thought of something else. The same can be said for sheets also. Spray lightly.

I mostly buy 100% cotton sheets with a decent thread count - not 600 but maybe 300 for everyday unless I get a good deal on them somewhere.

I had a friend several years ago that started buying cotton sheets because I had told her how sensual they are to the body. She bought some and then washed them and called me to ask how I got the wrinkles out. I said I ironed the top sheet but the bottom one stretched out when put on the mattress. I thought she was going to faint! She said she didn't intend to iron sheets. So she threw them out! I about died because I would have taken them in a heart beat. Anyway, as I age I don't iron them anymore. I simply have come to love the wrinkles! See these that I just took out of the dryer and am folding. I think they're beautiful. But then I find beauty and joy in very simple things. ;-) I truly do!!!

Faux Cupcake Giveaway & New Cottage Picture

Okay, sweet chicks, we've reached the 25,000 visitor mark. Now, I know that isn't much by some standards but I think it's pretty significant. I mean that you even consider my blog worthy to visit is an amazement to me!! I want to thank all of you from the bottom of my heart for tuning in and listening to my ramblings. I know they can be boring sometimes. I hope to continue but I have to admit that posting each and every day takes a lot out of this ol' lady - and OLD lady!! I may not be posting every day from now on. I have a hubby and house to take care of ya know!!

So now I'm officially offering this "painting" of cupcakes and roses for a giveaway. Just leave a comment on THIS post and your name will be entered. Let's give it until wednesday night for the drawing. That will give anyone who wants a chance to enter. If you want to win you must leave me an email address to contact you. Otherwise, how will I let you know?!!

Isn't this gorgeous??!! I saw it as a banner on another blog and tried finding it on the internet. I love this artist and found this for a fantastic price from someone's website and ordered it. It just got here today and I have to say it is even lovelier in person. She is absolutely my most favorite artist. So I thought I'd share it with you all. Click to enlarge to see it's beauty. :-) Nuuuuuuuuuu, this is NOT part of the giveaway!!

New Fabric for Camper and a Table

With the help of Susan from Urgangardens I was finally able to find the fabric for the new camper and it arrived today. It really is pretty. It was $20.00 a yard for the top one with the big pink roses. The bottom fabric was $8.00 a yard and has coordinating tiny roses. The underside of the bottom cushions and the back side of the back cushions will have just plain white sheeting or something similar. Since it isn't on display no sense in covering it in expensive fabric. (Love Bunny's thoughts, not necessarily mine!) But that's fine. This will probably be a fall or winter project. I've other things to do now and some I want to do before I tackle making the cushion covers.

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By now most of you are familiar with our television situation. We didn't have or want one but our kids came up for Christmas 3 years ago and bought us one just after they got off the plane! We had to make a stop at Best Buy for it because they wanted to watch videos they brought up with them. Then the television went right back into the box. Hubs made a plywood top to fit it and I threw a temporary cloth over it until I could make something for it. The time has come, chicks and today was the day.

I had that popular quilt with the roses on it on both sides that was very popular 2 years ago on ebay for pillows. I think I sold one computer bag I made out of it and that was it. So I have a couple of these quilts left. So it is for the top of the "table." Then I didn't have enough of any one fabric that would go with it for the bottom. Jumped into car, drive to Joannes and came home with a suitable fabric and sewed it up this afternoon. Below is close up and a far view of it. The green really does match the top and it nice looking. I love skirts on tables, but especially on top of things that aren't what they appear to be and we want to disguise them. This was the case here. Prior to today it had a green matelassè cover thrown over it and it was just too big for it. This new one fits nicely and looks pretty.The green fabric was very good quilting fabric and I got 7 yards for $21.00! It was the better kind and I had a coupon so it was a really great fabric for 40% off. A good day all around, little cherubs!!