Made a Trip

 A family day trip today took us north to Maine where I had high hopes of finding some of the old school charm I've been reading about  Elisabeth Ogilvie's books.

 

 Considering we were visiting the tourist destination of York Beach and not an off shore island inhabited by fishing families I think I was quite lucky to spy at least this one little boat seemingly intended more for function than the fleets of recreational sailboats that preened for us in most every harbor.

 

 And I did have myself a "mug up" of coffee. Even though it wasn't brewed by a Bennett or served in a mug, I still thought the smell and taste much more exciting simply because it was Maine made.

 

 All in all it was a very good day. Lunch at The Goldenrod was a bit of a step back in time.

 

 An assortment of seaside stores were visited and cute benches were sat in.

 

 Entrance into the "Wild Kingdom" brought us up close and personal with.....

 

 .....butterflies,

 

 baby deer,

 

and roaring lions (although with a much appreciated fence between us!)

 

 And what better way to end the day but with a walk on the beach.....

 

.....where our weary feet had a chance to be free at last!

 



Made Half of a Tea Party

 Guess what today is? Today is my mother-in-law's birthday (Happy Birthday Jeanne!) 

She lives on Cape Cod but we do not, so in order to share some special time "with" her I set out tea goodies, a few favorite magazines, and an assortment of sticky notes.

 

 With pen in hand I set down the conversation I would have enjoyed sharing with her in person.

 

 She and her husband have a beautiful inn and when we're able to visit many good times are enjoyed around their table.

While I do hope she spent some time today at that very same table enjoying a sweet birthday treat and those around her....

 



.....I'm also excited to get these goodies out to her so she can take a break from her busy days and have a happy half a tea party for herself!

 

Made Preparations

 With the kiddies back to school I'll be back to work on the shop on a more regular basis. I'm figuring next Tuesday, after the holiday weekend, as my first "official" full day. I have some new ideas in mind but first need to fill a few orders and restock a bit. And since my fingers are itching to get started, I snuck up to the nook this afternoon to prepare the goodies I'll be working on first.

 

 More clothespin doll part kits.

 

 Lots of tiny pincushions.

 

 A few itty bitty patchwork pillows!

 

And.....believe it or not....some more capes for Hitty!

 

 

Made Me Do Homework

Something is very wrong with this picture. The kids had their first day back to school and yet I'm the one with the homework assignments!

 



Made Stitches of Another Kind

Mending Time!

 



Made Me More Than a Little Embarassed

 Digging through the closet in search of the kid's backpacks for school look what I discovered.....

 

.....my scarf. To be more precise it's my UNFINISHED scarf from LONG, LONG AGO. Some of you might remember it's brief appearance last January, but very few (thank goodness) will recall its first appearance way back here. Perhaps if I put as much time into knitting it as I do into stashing it away I'd have a completed scarf to wear come winter. 

 

Tonight I stuck it in a bowl on my bedside dresser hoping It will inspire me to tackle a few rows each night before I go to sleep, Think I'll go put my jammie's on, brush my teeth, and give it a trial run!



Made Me Tippy Toe

I spotted this little fellow from the kitchen window.....he was doing his very best to nibble our lawn down a bit since dear hubby and I have been quite negligent in that area recently. I must say I wasn't surprised to see him as it has truly been the summer of the bunnies in our neck of the woods. Go for a walk and you glimpse a bunny along the wayside. Visit a neighbor and cross paths with a bunny in the dooryard. Did you hear a scary rustle in the bushes late at night while taking the pup out? Have no fear, it's not a skunk or even a bear...no it's a bunny!!!

 

But.....for all those bunny sitings this was the first time I was able to grab my camera and sneak back up on it for a photo shoot. Either my wilderness "quiet as a mouse skills" are improving or this was one brave bunny!

 

 

Made Me So Tired

School shopping.

 

Both boys were completed in under 3 hours...supplies, clothing, new shoes...DONE!

Shopping with a teenage girl, however, is never ending. We already had 10+ hours under our belt when we headed to the mall this afternoon where, believe it or not, we spent another 6. And do you know what she's doing now? Making a list of all the things she still NEEDS to get...things like a ring, perfume, lotions, nail polish, and a mirror for her locker! 

 

 



Made Breakfast at Sundown

A houseful of teenage boys who don't want pizza for dinner?!!!

Surprisingly a scrounged together breakfast buffet of sausage, gravy, eggs, and whatever else the cupboards offered up at the last minute was just what they craved. And guess what else! They each had a "mug up" to go with it!!!

 

 



Made Them Ready To Go!

 After a session of threading and braiding ties the Hitty capes are finally ready to go!

 

 These two ended up being my favorites.....

 

 .....although these came in a close second.

 

All Aboard!!!!!

 



Made Some Final Stitches

Quiet moments stitching tiny cape linings in place.....can't think of a better way to spend the day!



Made Preparations

 The countdown has begun! School is right around the corner and we are so not ready for it. After years of experience I have learned there is only one solution to dire situations such as this.....

the MASTER LIST!!!

 And since the first item on any list I create is to "post the list" I wanted to do just that, here in this little nibblet of space that is oh so very much the heart of our home. All activities, appointments, invitations, and assignments  make their way through these files and across this board, leaving a tremendous paper trail in their wake. Wanting to have a fresh start for the year ahead I thought it best to have at all those bits and scraps.....

.....and make things as clear and orderly as possible in the hopes my mind will follow suit!

Made a Grab Bag

 On the way to the market this afternoon I made a quick pit stop at Joann's. It had to be quick because dear hubby was in tow.

 I went to pick up this skein of ivory Perle Cotton I needed for the ties on one of the Hitty capes.....

 .....but managed to find oh so much more! Quite an amazing feat when you consider  hubby was hovering and I was under intense pressure to grab and go. 

Don't you just love having new colors to play with!



Made for a Pleasant Afternoon

 It was the first I'd been out to pick some flowers in ages. Frankly I'd assumed they had all burned to a crisp during the reoccurring heat waves we had throughout the summer. So when I found a few delicate little pansies hiding out beneath the shade of our basil plant I was amazed! And what inspired this hankering for some floral delights in my day?

 This exciting article in the newest Country Living Magazine!

Oh how excited I was to spy the collection of books it featured for right away I recognized a kinship it shared with a book I had in my possession. Little had I known it belonged to a much larger series of books celebrating the various glories of Britain. Now that I do I'll be keeping my eyes peeled for more editions although now that they've been featured so prominently I'm sure I'll have to pay a higher fee than the mere $3 my Garden Flowers treasure cost!

For today, I certainly enjoyed revisiting these delightful pages and even made a few plans for next year's garden in the process.

Made a Day of It!

 Headed out this morning with Teen #1 in tow for a bit of college scouting. UMass Amherst had the most amazing twenty-something storied library and Amherst College was quite picturesque but, since I was forbidden to do anything as "uncool" as take a picture during the tours, you'll have to take my word for it!

I did manage, however, to finagle not only a quick pop in to the  Emily Dickinson Museum on our way out of town, but a sneaky snapshot of it as well!

Made a Variation

These are my first stitches into a tan cape! I must say it's quite a bit less colorful than what I'm used to working with but will most likely coordinate with much more in Hitty's wardrobe.



Made Matches

Bit by bit I've been working at the embroidery on the Hitty capes. So much so, in fact, that only a few remain to be stitched and by next week I'll be putting the finishing touches on the entire batch. Somewhere along the way, however, I seem to have jumbled up the matched sets of wool toppers and calico linings I had all lined up. Spent more time than you would believe trying to decide how to "re-match" them this evening. Think all is set except these two toppers both appear to belong to the green print. Hmmmm......



Made Time for a Playdate

Woe was our wee one this afternoon.

 No one was out and about in the neighborhood to play with.

A letter arrived in the mail with news of a bummer class assignment for next year.

And an impending haircut appointment hung over his head like a black cloud.

Even watching television proved disheartening as every commercial break brought with it ads for back to school shopping.

It was time for mom to step in and fill the tiny but powerful shoes of "playmate." Rockband was the game of choice. And what a mood booster it proved to be! Loud music, banging at some drums, and beating mom in the scoring certainly did the trick to turn his frown upside down!

 

Made Me So Happy

Anyone remember this little painted clothespin kit I made up last spring?

Well I just received some very happy news pertaining to her current whereabouts!

Have a look see for your self.....right over HERE!