What's On Your Needles - Shoe Holders

Do you have enough closet space? 

Does anyone? 

We used to. 

Really we did. 

Then we moved here to Raleigh.

It's a much smaller, nifty (town)house.

We "lost" a big walk-in closet.

A closet so big that my grown son, Jordan, jokingly asked 

if he could move in to that "room."

No big problem though. 

We gained an attic for storage of the non-essential, day to day things that 

used to live in our walk-in.

We also lost wall space where our shoe racks had hung.

For a year+ now, our shoes have been scattered,

smothered and covered around our bedroom.

(Are ya hungry now?)

So I decided to utilize the space on the closet's louver doors!!!

Genius, yes?

I made a pattern. 

Well, really I just wrote the dimensions up. 

These shoe hangers have to fit in 12" wide spaces.

I then commenced to tearing fabric. 

I tear fabric for straight lines. 

Easier and much more accurate than cutting 'em.

Using all black and white fabric.

 

I made up how to construct these as I went along. 

Hopefully I can make the other 3 the same way. 

Yikes!

There's a slat of wood in a pocket at the top to help hold it flat. 

Drapery hooks are in the back to aid in hanging them 

over the old, broken over the door hangers. 

 

How do you like this fabric? 

My friend Tara mentioned that JoAnn Craft and Fabrics had Star Trek fabrics. 

I was having a fit to find an "excuse" to buy some.

Adding a bit of embroidery to jazz it up a bit. 

Using the 3 "official" uniform colors.

Did you know that the highest ranking Star Fleet Officers' uniforms were actually a green-yellow color?

The camera made them look golden!

Live long and Prosper. 

I gotta get back to assembling these shoe hangers before 

 forget how I did the first one!

Giveaways, Lights and Freedom!

Have you been outside today?

After a month of record high temperatures and me hiding inside with the AC cranking out lovely cool air it was so nice to take Our Petey the Boston Terrier out for his morning meander and enjoy some cool - dare I say crisp? - air.  Birds singing, sun shining, and a wee bit of a breeze. I know it's mere a lull in the heat storm that is Summer in the Mid-South.  But oh so nice to open the windows and let the house breathe the cool free of air conditioned stuffiness!

What have y'all been up to so far this summer?  Nothing seriously exciting nor new around here.  Bill is still on the job hunt. But his temporary unemployment has allowed him a chance to go out and about with his camera. Check out his pics of what we lovingly refer to as "Southern Decay" and the other things that catch his artistic eye.  

Leave him some comment love too. He thinks his pictures are "okay."  

I say they are amazing.

My daughter Katharine and her Beau, Brian, just moved into the cutest little house in a cute little town nearby.  They are now 25 minutes versus 15 minutes away but it's a fun ride through the counties' back roads. They had too much stuff and offered us a floor lamp.  Great timing as one of our lamps had just decided to rebel. Only one minor problem - the gift lamp is a little wobbly.  

No problem. 

Ha!

We put it to work in our workroom. Lovely. I sat down in the chair beside it and Whomp! There it is! On my head. Fighting a tear or two I declared war on said lamp. 

You lamp you!  I'll fix you! Ha!

 Yeppers!  I fixed that lamp!  You are now looking at the new ceiling fixture in our Guest bathroom!

(Oops! Tilt yer head to the left. Sorry.)

I love hanging light fixtures. I love recycling! This application used the base and top of the lamp.

Free is good isn't it?

Come back and visit with me next Tuesday for a review of a product from CSN Stores and a $40 Gift Certificate Giveaway!!! 

I hope each and every one of you has a wonderful weekend celebrating the freedom we have as Americans!

Be safe!

Boston Terrier Love and a Giveaway!!

 

Most of you know, we are owned by Petey the Boston Terrier.

He has owned me for nearly 13 years.  As you can imagine I have collected many a Boston Terrier knick knack valuable junque item.

Recently, CSN Stores contacted me.  This outfit has 200+ stores!!!!  They sell barstools and all sorts of Furniture, Home Decor, Housewares, Outdoor Stuff (grills to games to furniture,) Baby and Kid stuff,  Shoes, Bags and Luggage, Health and Fitness things, Pet supplies and goodies and Office and School supplies!  Seriously, I still haven't looked at every store.  There is soooooo much stuff!

The nice folks at CSN like my blog. They gave me a couple of exciting and fun options. I could have an item to review or I could have a giveaway.  Welllll, I had never shopped with CSN before. I knew little about them.  I proposed a compromise so that I could honestly evaluate their services and give you, my sweet readers, a prize too.  Could I would review a product and have a Give Away? 

Why yes, you may!

Let me tell ya, I spent hours looking at the fabulous products they carry in their stores.  All of it was great looking and reasonably priced too.  I decided to treat myself to this little guy!

He's a Boston Terrier puppy and he's Purple!!  

How could I pass him up?

I placed my order and swift as a European Swallow (or was it an African Swallow? Laden or unladen? But I digress.)  This sweet pillow was delivered fast!  Safely packed and on my doorstep in a matter of days.

I took him around to meet my other precious stuffed animals and dollies.

 

Here he is with Jordan's Bear. Bear was Jordan's constant companion for many a year since 25 years ago.  Bear is hoping to be passed to a Grand son but for now he is chillin with the precious Build-a-Bear that Kat gave me.  They both think this "Petey" pillow is cute and that his color is a perfect blend for the bedroom.

Petey The Pillow (as I have named him) decided that sitting with the ladies is where he wants to be.  There are many more adorable, petite pillows in this collection.  You could create a whole menagerie!

And if all my ramblings aren't enough fun this gets funner!  

(Yeah, I said "funner.")

I have a $40 "Shopping Spree" to award to one of you, my wonderful readers.  You can use it in any of CSN's 200+ stores online.  (They also accept all the major credit cards and PayPal plus a couple of "Bill Me later options" if you want to spend a little more.)

How may you win you ask?

Leave a comment on this blog.

Easy huh?

Extra entries - Please leave a separate comment for each extra entry. Thank you.

• #1 Go to CSN Stores for a look around. 

Come back here and tell me what you would use your $40 to purchase.

• #2 Follow my Blog or remind me that you already follow me.

• #3 Tell a friend about this giveaway.  Ask them to comment that you sent them here.  You'll get an extra entry.  And if they become a follower of my blog - you get another entry.

• #4 Grab my button for your blog.

You have until my Blogiversary, Saturday, March 13th, Midnight Eastern Standard Time to enter.  I will draw a name on Sunday, March 14th and announce the winner!

Stay tuned because I have all kinds of Give Aways planned for my One Year Blogiversay!

Now I think I'll join Petey the Boston Terrier in his favorite activity.

Vintage Thingy Thursday - Violets

Howdy from my very purple world!! 

(Can you tell it's my fav color?)

Last week  racheld said... " What a lovely room---like sleeping inside a giant violet."

So amazing.  My  favorite flower is the violet!

This cup was Great Grandmother Eudra's (yes, the one with the big house.)

I used to wish for this little demitasse cup and saucer with its gorgeous plastic violets.  During one visit to the old house my Great Aunt Mildred gave them to me.

    Here's the bottom.  Anyone know those marks?  Homer Laughlin maybe?

                                                                                      
Later I found this set at  the Liberty, NC Antique Festival.  It's a great festival and HUGE !

These marks are different yet very similar.

Also from Great - Grandparents house is this whiskey keg lid adorned with painted violets and little wooden painted flower cut-outs.   No one can remember where it came from.  We assume my artsy-craftsy Great Aunt Pearl painted it.

                                  

You can see our beautifully painted walls a  bit better here too.  

(New rechargable batteries in my camera make a world of difference, yes?!!)

The Whiskey label is  still on the backside.

                                                                                                

Bill and I have a running joke that every time he was out of town on business and asked what I was doing I always replied "Re-arranging the furniture."  Sometimes I was, others times I was painting as in the bathroom here.  I painted the walls the lightest shade of violet and added this semi-art deco monogram.   (Bill loves Art Deco!)

 Bill never knows what will be next.  ;)

Now, If you haven't already - go to sweet Suzanne's blog Colorado Lady for more VTT!

(PS Thanks for all the nice wishes.  Bill is out and about with his resume' and a list of contacts!)