Weekend Get-away!!! YEA!!!!

What a pleasant and relaxing weekend we had, and how much I wish the weekend had not ended!!! We were given, as a part of Christmas, a night at a wonderful B&B by son Bryan. We chose to add a second night, and make it a nice long weekend to celebrate our anniversary!! We had a grand time, and the accommodations were fantastic!! As well as spending lots of time just hanging out in our wonderful suite, we did some shopping in Manitou Springs and Woodland Park. We also took a nice drive through the mining country, stopping in the towns of Cripple Creek and Victor. I, of course, took tons of pictures, and had a great time!! I highly recommend Victoria's Keep to anyone that is looking for a wonderful Victorian get-away!! The inn keepers, Karen and Jay, were a delight, and the bottomless cookie jar that they provide, along with endless amounts of tea and hot chocolate, made our stay even more wonderful!!

RICK RACK RESOURCE!!! YEA!!!!!!

I LOVE rick rack....especially vintage cotton rick rack!! However, since finding that at a good price is not always a simple task, I ventured out to try what I found offered by Amy of The Main Collection!!! WHOOOO!!! WHOOO!!!!! Great stuff!! And....look how cute she packages it!!! YEA!! It's a holiday!!! Whooooo!! Whooooooo!!!

SIMPLE PLEASURES!! SPECIAL JOYS!!

What a special pleasure to spend time with young children!! I have been kept busy over the last several days with the daughter and granddaughter coming from Austin for a visit, and the local granddaughter joining us for a couple days of fun with her cousin!! The girls had a grand time together, and it was a joy to watch them play and have fun. I'll share a couple pictures of these very special little princesses!!

DOORS CLOSE.......NEW ONES OPEN......

I am saddened that Crow Soup has come to an end. The doors have closed. Crow Soup is gone.......forever. I must find a new home to sell my wares. I enjoyed my time as a Crow Soup artist, and had many good customers during my time there. I'm sad. But.....I must move on. Glitter and Grunge is thriving, however!! Hopefully my Crow Soup customers will follow me, and find my listing on G&G!! YES!!

Nature Walk Winter Landscape...I Love Winter!!!

YUMMY YARN!!!

Just look at this very yummy, wonderful, fabulous yarn that I have found....the perfect stuff for dollie hair!! I love working with the handspun, thick and thin stuff!! I found this wonderful seller on Ebay, Caroline, Ebay ID: carolinesdesigns and wanted to share this source with all of you!! She also has a website featuring her wonderful yarns for knitting, crocheting, weaving...and in my case....dollie hair!! I have purchased several large hunks of yarn from Caroline, and they are all just the best!! So far I have a great raspberry for the pink, Spring dollies; a bright Christmas red for some raggedies; and a nice warm brown, and some black, for both raggedies and primitive dolls!! If you are lucky, I might sell some in small quantities in my Ebay store, My Annabelle's Attic, where I sell mostly supplies for doll making, etc. I list lots of raw, washed wool there, too!!

MAJESTIC MOUNTAINS!!

I'm in love with the mountains!! I truly love these majestic Rocky Mountains, and the views from my studio are THE BEST!!! I spend a great amount of time just gazing at these huge rock structures, examining the various angles, shapes, sizes, textures, etc. The way the light at different times of the day plays off the mountains is intriguing, too. We are fortunate to have mountain views from every room in our house, and I take full advantage of that!! I might get more accomplished if I lived in a cave, instead of in a house with plenty of windows and gorgeous views!! Today I have shared a couple of shots from my studio windows, taken early this morning, with the snow clouds hiding the taller peaks, and the rising sun playing on the mountain sides. Enjoy!!

FAT QUARTER FUN!!!!

What fun to pull out a BUNCH of my fat quarter stash, and dream of how these wonderful pieces could become cool little raggedy dresses!!! YES!!! I know that winter has hardly begun, but I am definitely thinking "Spring"!! I am envious of the major production mode that Nicole over at Raggedy Old Annies has been in, with her HUGE pile of raggedies all finished, dressed, and probably now all sold, too!! So....this morning has found me creating a new little annie design, just an itsy-bitsy-teeny-weeny gal..well maybe not THAT small.....and playing in the fabric to get ready to build a little annie wardrobe for MY pile of naked annies!! If I am successful at breaking my usual habit of "starting something new before finishing what I have begun", you will be able to view these cool little Spring girls right here on my blog before long!! Won't that be fun??!?!?!!!!! Hugs, and have a super day!!

JUST HANGIN' OUT................

Precious the Cat has her own idea of how to start the new year!! Rest and relaxation are her first priorities!! As a cat that is 18 1/2 years old, she does her fair share of resting!! We can often detect which of her several beds she has chosen for her nap by where the snoring sounds are coming from!!

I Love a GREAT Stash!!

One can never have TOO MUCH of a fabric stash!! I love having a vast array of fabrics to choose from when creating!! Although I keep changing my mind on how I want to store my stash....by color.....by style......by size of fabric piece...I do know that I LOVE having the possibility of pulling out a bunch of different colors, prints, etc., and putting together the combinations that I will use on my next primitive creation. For years now I have purchased wonderful 100% cotton, quilt shop quality, gorgeous fabrics from my friend Kerrie of Simple Pleasures from Maine. You can find her wonderful selections in her Ebay store, by clicking on the link I have provided for you!! She also offers patterns and finished goods, as well!! Thank you, Kerrie, for being a great internet source for all of us that are fabric addicts!!

The Work of Nature.......

Sometimes all things in nature are not pleasant. That's just the way it is. As I witnessed a bird of prey munching on one of my precious little birdies, I was both watching in awe and in sadness. Mr. BOP (bird of prey) has to eat, but......did it have to be at my restaurant for the little birds???!!!!! This is my first sighting of one of these predators this close to the house. I have seen them in the area, usually up in the tops of large trees. But this afternoon, here he was, right in my front yard tree, where lots of birds spend much of the day eating. I am not certain of his proper identification, but believe that he is perhaps a kestrel, a member of the family of falcons. Added note: (Hmmmmm........my daughter thinks Mr. BOP is eating a MOUSE!!)

WELCOME 2008!!!!

It is a beautiful, cold, crisp day here in the foothills as we welcome the new year!! The view from my studio is ALWAYS spectacular, but this morning it is MOST spectacular!! The air is super clear, and the mountains are shining in all their glory, as their fresh coats of snow glisten and sparkle as though the faeries have visited!! It's a great day to stay in, watch the parade and the many football games (FIGHT ON!! GO TROJANS!!!!!), and think about all those resolutions that we all think about every year......eat less, exercise more, spend less, make more, waste less, save more, and on and on. I think this year I will be different!! I will not make any of those senseless resolutions, but instead will make more meaningful ones!! Let me see.......show more appreciation for the good things in life........enjoy every day to the fullest.........make time for the things that REALLY matter........YES!!! I like this!! Here's to the best year for all, with an abundance of great happiness, good health, and wealth in the things that REALLY matter!! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! Hugs, Trudy