More Things Your Mother Should Have Told You....

Mother's never told us anything did they....well here are a few more things your mother should have told you..... 

Ants, ants, ants everywhere … Well, they are said to never cross a chalk line. So get your chalk out and draw a line on the floor or wherever ants tend to march. See for yourself.

Use air-freshener to clean mirrors. It does a good job and better still leaves a lovely smell to the shine.

When you get a splinter, reach for the scotch tape before resorting to tweezers or a needle. Simply put the scotch tape over the splinter, then pull it off. Scotch tape removes most splinters painlessly and easily. I will have to try this one because hubby gets splinters all the time. I will let you know if it works. :)

Now look what you can do with Alka Seltzer. Clean a toilet. Drop in two Alka-Seltzer tablets, wait twenty minutes, brush and flush. The citric acid and effervescent action clean vitreous china. Clean a vase. To remove a stain from the bottom of a glass vase or cruet, fill with water and drop in two Alka-Seltzer tablets. Polish jewelry. Drop two Alka-Seltzer tablets into a glass of water and immerse the jewelry for two minutes. Clean a thermos bottle. Fill the bottle with water, drop in four Alka-Seltzer tablets, and let soak for an hour (or longer, if necessary). Unclog a drain. Clear the sink drain by dropping three Alka-Seltzer tablets down the drain followed by a cup of Heinz White Vinegar. Wait a few minutes, then run the hot water. WOW!! Who would have thought of all the uses for Alka Seltzer!! Guess it isn't just for an upset stomach is it. 

Just a few more little tidbits to know. Thanks for stopping by and have a great day! :)

Working On New Product

I have been sewing my little fingers off! Trying to get some new products in my Etsy shop and getting ready for the summer markets around here. 

Awhile back I blogged that I had purchased the EQ7 quilting software  because I wanted to design my own quilts . Well I did manage to get a few mug rug/candle mats designed and made....a few you say......how about 24 of them! I was a sewing fool. LOL! :)  Here are a few of them that I made. 

I also have been cranking out the fabric bowls. I just keep buying fabrics and making bowls! I love all the fabrics that I can turn into bowls. They are time consuming to make, but when they are done I think they turn out really good. Making lots of them for the shop and the summer shows too. 

You can see everything I made right  here. Still have lots of fabric to use up so guess I will be adding to my pot holders soon. :)  So what have you been working on? :)

Have a great rest of the week everyone!

Let's Get Those Kids To Embroider

I know a lot of you out there are sewers, crafters, quilters and embroidery people. Now for those of you that embroider do you have children that you would like to get started with embroidery? How about having them start with this Burlap Embroidery for Kids from AllFreeSewing that I found the other day. They will use colorful shoelaces to make these designs and it looks like a great way to get them started. Wish I still had my grandkids around to do this project. :)

Happy embroidering and have a great day!!

Redecorating For Spring

For some of you it has been a long winter and I am sure you are glad Spring is here. Now that Spring is here let's get those windows open and let all the fresh air in. Now if you are me.....can't open the windows yet as it is still a little bit chilly up here. :)

It is also time to change things around in the house and get ready for Spring. So let's get started......

1.   Change your dark fabric pillows and replace them with pretty spring colored pillows.

2.   Freshen up bed linens with linen spray. If you have springs sheets and pillowcases available then use them for bedding. 

3.   Spring is time to change the wreaths and ornaments hanging by the outside front door. Use a wreath of flowers for this.

4.   Place flower scented candles or wax melters around the house. This will give your home a springy smell. I actually have my melter going all the time. I do turn it off in the summer since I have the windows and door open most of the time. Oh my.....look at that messy kitchen! LOL! :)

5.   Sweep all the dirt and debris from your front porch and back decks and bring out the patio furniture. Yep....this is a mess....needs sweeping. 

6.   Bring out those birdhouses that you packed away and put them on your mantel or shelves. If you are like me I don't have any spare birdhouses and I feed my little feathered friends all year long outside. :)

7.   Get those spring bath hand towels from the back of the linen closet and use them in the bathroom now. This is what I do and it always makes the bathroom very springy. 

8.   And the one I like the best is.....have a vase or bowl of spring flowers. If you are lucky enough to have tulips and daffodils bring them indoors! Oh how I wish I had these in my yard.  :)

So let's get busy and bring springtime into the house! 

Happy decorating and have a wonderful day!

HAPPY EASTER!!

Just wanted to take this time to wish all of my faithful followers a Happy and Blessed Easter. Enjoy this day with your family and friends. :)

Top Ten Collections of 2015

It is time for the 2015 Top 10 Collections ! I love the primitive and Colonial decor and there are so many different items you can use in decorating in this style. Some are old staple items and some are new. Every year it changes so let's see what people are decorating with this year. 


1.  Crocks-this is always at the top of the list. They seem to be very popular and you usually can find them in most antique stores. The designs on them are so neat and you can use them inside or outside. 

2.  Vintage textiles-these are fabrics, linens and quilts(yeah! my favorites!) You can hang them on walls, put them in cabinets and use them for table runners. 

3.  Woodenware-or better known as boxes and bowls. I love the old boxes! Wish I had more room for them. The bowls can be used to put things in and sit on the shelf and boxes look good stacked in the corner or as I do, put them on the top of your kitchen cabinets to add to the prim look. 

4.  Baskets-baskets are good because they come in so many different shapes and sizes. They can be used alone or to store other collections like those vintage textiles you have. 

5.  Pewter-this is a staple item in the Colonial look. You can usually find some in an antique store or of course online. 

6.  Yellowware-it was made from the 1830's to the 1940 so it should be easy to find some. These add a bit of color to your decorating scheme. Many people that collect these have cabinets that display them well. 

7.   Redware-many people like these because it adds to their prim kitchens. They can display them all over the kitchen. I like the looks of the redware, but I don't have the room for them. :(

8.   Lanterns-these come in all kinds of shapes and sizes. If you have the primitive/Colonial decor you certainly will need these as all Colonial houses had them. 

9.   Books-books are always popular in the primitive/Colonial houses. When we had our antique business books were always great sellers. They just give that distinct Colonial look to the room. 

10.  Candle molds-sometimes these may be hard to find in antique stores, but I am sure you can find them online. They look great sitting on the shelf or if you have a mantel put them on there. Wish I had more room...I would have some of these. :)

Ok.....that rounds out our top 10 collections for this year. Hope this list gives you some ideas on what people are using in there primitive and Colonial homes this year. 

Enjoy decorating and have a great day!