Easter swaps

Much has been written about swap flakers and swap etiquette, but what about a hostess that disappears?!!! What can you do other than move on another project. Does her name get posted so that others can avoid her swaps? Things come up that prevent you from following through with your plans, but courtesy requires contacting those in your swap. No lengthy explanation, no details necessary, just a simple email or notice on your blog.

Heidi of Foxgloves, Fabric and Folly has paired up her participants for another wonderful "vintage" swap. This is the Very Vintage Easter Basket themed swap. My partner is Alissa and she sounds like a great match. I love looking at blogs to see what others send and receive. That should, and does, make me feel very guilty for not posting pictures. I just don't know how to do it.

We have a local television program called "Check, Please" that has ordinary people review their favorite restaurant. Last night I went to one that was reviewed by Illinois' favorite son, Barack Obama, prior to his election. It was Dixie Kitchen and the food was excellent. The waiters wore teeshirts that had a Barack quote about the restaurant. Very fun. It is Southern cooking and the portions are gigantic. So big that I had to pass on dessert. Today I am craving a piece of pecan pie. Next visit I will know enough to eat only half of what is on my plate.

birthday decorations

Next Sunday my youngest turns 18. Anyone reading this who has older children will agree when I ask, where did the time go? There is a book, "Five Minutes Peace", about a mother elephant trying to get just 5 minutes alone to relax. Of course, she is unsuccessful. I vividly remember those days. We have a boy and a girl and I tell each of them something special about how they transformed my life. I tell Claire that she made my life complete, the ideal family, a boy and a girl. Truth be told, if I was guaranteed another girl, I would have had a third child. I wish Claire had a sister. I just remembered, today is my sister's birthday.

So... all that said, my original thought for this post was the birthday banner I made.
I am pleased with the results and had a very fun time making it. As soon as I finish I will hang it to enjoy all week and take a picture to post. Finished!!! I took a full shot and a close up to highlight some of the details.

The past week was full of projects. I started the vintage apron and found all sorts of vintage linens that I forgot I had. Realizing that I did not know I had them made it even more fun to put them to good use. Apron is very cute. Also started on my Easter baskets for the 2 swaps, having a lot of fun finding things to fill them. Continuing to make felted wool mittens. Our recent snowfall and below freezing temperatures make mittens a must. And cute ones are more fun.

One fun Friday

Today was a very successful day of rummaging through stacks of books, shelf upon shelf of glassware and multiple racks of sweaters in search of the perfect item for any one of my many projects. One of the most interesting being a box of latin flash cards from 1961. They are yellowed, but very clean. Perfect for altered cards and collages. Maybe to share in a swap. A very old juice glass painted with a bunch of blue grapes and green leaves, a small etched vase,
and an argyle sweater that I have already felted and will make into mittens. The felting process is so easy and the immediate results thrill me. And wool mittens sound very cozy with the dropping temperatures that arrived today. The wind is bone chilling.

Swaps are on my mind. I have signed up for 3 - am I crazy?!!! Two are Easter basket swaps, one with Foxgloves, Fabric and Folly and the other with Petticoat Junction. The third is an
apron swap. Lots of fun collecting items that I think are desirable basket fillers and pretty little gifts for my partners.

As a result of all the fun I had today, there is laundry yet to be folded and more to be washed
before I go up to bed. Sounds like I will need a cup of coffee to help me get everything done.

Old friends

I am fortunate to be able to say I have 2 very good friends from high school that I still see. That means we have known each other for over 40 years. Thru proms and college and weddings and kids and so on and so on. You know, good times and bad. We know we others inner secrets and keep them as secrets. We attended a very small, all girls Catholic high school. Eileen Fisher was a year ahead of us! Today two of us are getting together for lunch. With all that is going on in our lives, we do not get to see each other very often. It will be a lot of laughing, talking about what the kids are up to and sharing good food. Both of us have a sweet tooth and love to indulge. It is the kind of afternoon that makes me very thankful for these 2 friends.

blogging block

Do you ever feel like you have nothing worthwhile to write? After reading other interesting - no, fascinating - blogs I get bloggers block. My projects are not original, I haven't gone on any exotic vacations, no tutorials to share, no swaps to organize. Just an ordinary life that doesn't provide for a good story line. I have always wanted to be published in Newsweek on the "My Turn" page. Just could not come up with a topic that inspired me to write my opinion and share it with the world. I'm right back in that position. Perhaps admitting this is a break thru...
I'll keep you posted.

Yummy cookies

While looking for an Easter Swap I came upon a recipe that sounds oh so yummy. Being the sweet freak that I am, I immediately mixed up a batch and they were soooooo good!!!

Spritz Cookies
2 1/2 cups flour
1/4 teasp salt
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 sticks butter
2 egg yolks
1/2 teasp almond extract
1 teasp vanilla extract

Sift flour and salt. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs and flavorings. Mix in flour until well blended and dough sticks together. Roll 1/4" thick and cut into desired shapes or use cookie press. Bake at 350 degrees for 9-10 minutes.


Received a package from my partner in the Mini Valentine Swap. Jennifer made the cutest box with a vintage valentine on the top. Just love it. Included a heart wreath very similar to the wreath I sent to my partner in Heidi's Very Vintage Valentine Swap so you know I love it.
Then I received a package from Lorraine, my partner from the Prim and Whimsy swap. Lorraine makes the most fantastic painted dolls and decorations. I feel special being the proud owner of one of her pieces of art. Her website is Pieface Primitives. Visit for a fun tour of her amazing work.

Anyone know of a great sounding Easter Swap that is still open?

I need help...

This blogging fascination is interfering with my life. Between reading all the interesting blogs available, trying the projects found online and joining irresistible swaps, the rest of my life is suffering. My house is a total dust bunny, the laundry is piled high. Some of it is washed and folded, not put away. Some is dirty and some is in a clean,wrinkled pile. How do you get everything accomplished and still find time to write weekly? Daily entries are beyond my capacity right now.

My new schedule is to devote the morning to housework. At noon I will move on to a different project be it shopping (I enjoy grocery shopping), a craft project or blogging.
Today is the first day of this schedule...let's see if I can make it work.

Any suggestions?