Bits & Pieces

I remember a book on my mother's shelves entitled "How Lost Was my Weekend," which is much how I feel this Sunday evening. I can't believe how quickly my weekends pass by, and how un-ready I am to return to the office on Monday morning. I just have too much fun staying home!

Tonight I have a special sympathy for our deck rat, pictured above. If I had a tail to wrap in, I'd do it. I know that we in NE Ohio aren't the only ones suffering from a wintery blast, but it doesn't make my pain any less! I'd forgotten how painful my hands and feet become (Reynaud's Syndrome), and have complained endlessly to my poor Oldtimer.

Two weeks ago, when I was working with dye for that round robin silk jacket, I used the bucket of dye to over-dye this inexpensive denim jacket, too. I like the way it looks (though it needs a good ironing). Isn't it intriguing - the thread used for the decorative stitching must not be natural, as it didn't take one bit of color.


Yesterday, before the REALLY bitter cold set in, we made a trip to the antique store we found in Middlefield. We brought home a primitive grain bin, which now sits in the front entry under a framed print of grapes and vines, with a beautiful ornamental candle atop the bin. While there, I purchased these antique buttons:
The buttons above were labeled "Bakelite," but I think it's more likely that they are some sort of Lucite. They just thrill me - very similar to the one decorative button my mother had in her collection, that remains my favorite to this day.

One of my online friends wrote a note to me, asking about my "treehouse" workspace. I'm sure I disappointed her, but I had to confess that I don't really do my sewing and creating in a treehouse, it's just a name that was given to my previous space, and it followed along when we moved here. I've included a photo of the back of our house (below) which shows where the treehouse window is located. As you can see, from the rear perspective, the window appears to be on the third floor, so it is a bit among the treetops. You can also see the loft window, where I peer at the passing dear while seated at my computer.

That view of the rear of the house is taken across the neighbor's yard. I normally love my view out the window from the treehouse, but the weather right now has everything looking BLEAK. Case in point:
And....
It looks so bleak and monochromatic. Maybe if I hang goodies back in the window, like this:
But part of the problem is that the windows are radiating cold, so I've been going around the house, pulling and closing shades, and attempting to reduce drafts. I hate not being able to look out, and I'm not very fond of the house's appearance from the exterior, either - it looks like blank eyes staring back.

I lower the blinds:
But that's not much better. Guess I better close the blinds:And focus on what I can see beyond the edges:

and...

I DID manage to get all the fragrances and butters uploaded to the new Oldtimer & Lily site. It won't be long before I'm processing orders from that address - http://www.oldtimerlily.com/

And now I'm off to get some rest!