I guess I can spill the beans now… we’ve been gone since Monday. I wrote my posts and scheduled them to go on while I was away… and I wanted to tell you I was gone, but my hubby didn’t want to necessarily let the world know we were away. You may have noticed my comments were sort of sparse in content…we were busy, but it was a “good” busy. We stayed up late and when it was bedtime it was bedtime… but I did read everything you all said… thank you so much! I answered as many comments as I could, sometimes even in the car, but couldn’t get to them all.
We went to visit my hubby’s brother and his wife on Monday and got home last night. They have 10 acres and the prettiest yard. My camera just cannot capture how lovely it was…plus this gorgeous wrap-around porch that makes you just want to sit out on it and drink lemonade…
My hubby was helping his brother build a chicken coop and I was helping his wife with some curtains… It was beautiful where we were in Missouri except it was sort of stormy and rainy… the guys got soaked a few different times. The rain sort of stifled their progress but here’s the start of what they were working on. I was a “bad” picture taker and forgot to take one of what they ended up with before we left. They did get the slats across the top and more boards around it.
There are sewing machines everywhere just waiting for me to come visit them… This one welcomed me with open arms… except it needs to learn to slow down somewhat and not be such a “speedy gonzales!”
Here are a few pictures from the curtain project. They were beautiful sheer curtains with an embroidered floral design around the bottom but they were too long on the window sill, so the adjustments had to made up at the casing and header part. There were 16 panels that we had to fix…
Look how beautiful they are…
…and finished… (All my pictures will enlarge if you click on them, but you really should click on this one to see it full screen!)
It was so pretty to see them billowing out when a breeze blew in the window…
We ate Gloria’s famous spaghetti, had wilted lettuce salad from their garden, munched (too often) on her homemade oatmeal raisin cookies, ate Mexican food, and I’m sure I’ve probably come back weighing 5 pounds more than I did last Friday! Oh well, I’ll be good this week! :o)
We played dominoes and fed the fish in their huge pond with cat food, fed the rabbits and their new hens, and walked through their field to look at their 56 tomato plants!!!
Gloria took me down town and we hit a few junk shops… but I was very good… I only bought one little Christmas prop and a package of baby rick rack. Then she took me to a very…VERY nice fabric shop and I was pretty good in there.. They had these sweet little pre-tied pink and white bows and they were 10 for $1.00. I bought $2.00 worth. I’m sure you’ll see them on something someday.
This whole grouping of fabric was Civil War prints… do you have any idea how hard it was for me to resist?
We had a really nice time and I cried when we said our goodbyes!
We stopped at a couple of places on the way home and I saw a few interesting things…
…like this spool thread cabinet…
…and some wonderful pictures and lots of furniture…
Who knows this familiar face?
Oops… pardon me…next room please…
These poor babies were tossed in a cardboard box like they were unlovable…
I found the foot pedal part of a treadle sewing machine with a “W” in the middle…I’m guessing it stands for White Sewing machine company but I imagined for a moment it stood for Wiedlocher!
I found a big spinner rack with lots of vintage hankies on it… but I resisted…
…and another sweet little doll…
Then it was time to get on the the road and finish the rest of the trip home… :O(
Since it’s 9:00 p.m. now, I’m probably not going to get anything done on the “sister dresses” but I will as soon as I can.
Okay, now that I’m back home, it’s time to get busy again…
See you tomorrow,
Blessings, Jeanne
That was a wonderful trip. That house deserves those beautiful curtains. Of course, I think you need to find a place for similar ones in your house. The outdoor pictures are spectacular.
Next time you are in the store with the Civil War fabrics, I give you my permission to buy at least 10. Maybe I should make that an order. I can see George and Rebecca smiling at you, thinking, “Fell off the wagon again,” but you could blame me, “Marilyn made me do it.”
At the antique sale last weekend, Linda and I saw two Coats and Clark’s spool cabinets, but yours says just Clark’s, so it must be older, don’t you think.
I did think your blog entries were surprisingly short, but I didn’t realize you were gone. George was right — best not to let the entire world know that you were both elsewhere. I’m glad you are back with those beautiful pictures.
HI Marilyn,
I wish everyone could have seen the curtains in person… they were breathtaking especially when they were blowing in the wind!
Their property is very pretty and so peaceful to just roam around on… and we did…
Oh dear, Marilyn…don’t give me permission to buy any fabrics… you should have seen Rebecca’s reaction when she saw my Christmas prop! But I could blame it on you and if I ever do give in and have a relapse, you can bet I WILL blame you! :o)
That spool cabinet was very nice and very hard to resist, but I’m trying to find the perfect cabinet with drawers to use as my cutting table, so I HAD to resist it…but it was hard!
I just didn’t have time to share everything like I usually try to do… the nights were late and the mornings came early! There was much to do besides being tied to my phone… so I had to do what I could, and pass on the rest…
Thanks Marilyn,
Blessings, Jeanne
I would not have been able to pass up the dolls , ESPECIALLY the composition Patsy Ann. Oh my, she was in wonderful form and was cheap for that shape! The Crissy would not have tempted me as I fell for her long ago and her sister sits on my shelf and another in a box. The others would have been rescued if cheap enough. I would have come home piled with fabric and trims… Glad it was your trip and not mine. I am getting too old to behave now. Falling off the wagon is no longer an option but a given.
HI April,
That little Patsy Ann was in very good condition and she did make me do a double take… She was the first thing I photographed in the antique store. Crissy isn’t my style doll either, but she was so cute just standing there smiling at everyone… I had to take her picture too.
You made me laugh out loud when I read your last lines… “I am getting too hold to behave now… falling off the wagon is no longer an option but a given!” Well, I still have to at least TRY to be good for a little while at least… until I sell some fabric maybe… :o)
Thanks April,
blessings, Jeanne
And Jeanne finished and mailed two lovely sparkly star slips with three layers of tulle for me before she left on her great vacation! What an idyllic setting for a chicken coop, especially viewed through those lovely curtains.
It’s a very good idea not to let people know you are gone from home. I don’t think anyone guessed. Glad you had such a wonderful time.
HI Susette,
I’m glad you are enjoying the slips…
The chicken coop was slightly off to the side, but the view from the kitchen windows was of the pond and the garden. It’s very hilly and very pretty… they had had lots of rain so it was very green too… :o)
I did have a very nice time …I think we all did!
Thanks Susette,
Blessings, Jeanne
What a fun trip. It’s such a help to get away and get re-charged. Thanks for taking us along with you. It was fun!
Take care.
HI Becky,
I’m glad everyone seems to have enjoyed my trip as much as I did! Sometimes we do need to just get away some place new and different and get out of our daily routines…
Thanks so much Becky,
Blessings, Jeanne
So, what area of Missouri is so gorgeous? The porch, pond, new coop, all lovely. It doesn’t look like they have a fence around the lettuce? No deer problems?
Loved the hankie display. Did you spot any under table drawer/cabinets for which you’ve been looking? You were so good not picking up more fabric. Nothing can stop me. Thanks for sharing your trip. Really enjoyed it.
HI Joy,
We were sort of in southern Missouri… south of St. Louis…
There was no fence around the lettuce and they didn’t say anything about deer eating it, but they are in the country, so I’m guessing they just don’t have a deer problem…
I was searching with everything in me to find a dresser or a cabinet or a storage unit to use in my sewing room, something with drawers and came up empty handed at every place we went to. I’m starting to think I’m never going to find what I’m looking for…
Yes, I resisted the fabric, but apparently you wouldn’t have been able to? It wasn’t easy…
Blessings, Jeanne
I’m so glad you had a wonderful time. Your in-laws certainly have a beautiful view from their property. I always love going through antique stores when we are away from home as well, there’s no telling what you will find. I love to look at vintage hankies and have a collection of ones that were my mom’s and grandmother’s. My mom knows I always keep one in my purse in the summer because I like the old-fashioned feel of it. Very, very good of you to resist buying much of anything. I’m sure Rebecca was proud as well after helping you with the spring cleaning.:-)
HI Laura,
Yes, the view of their property is very pretty… VERY pretty! It was all lush and green from all the rain that’s been dousing the ground…
I’m always eager to go to Antique shops… and like you said, you NEVER know what you’ll find…
I did get a little bit of a “look” from Rebecca when I showed her my new Christmas prop… but she was pretty happy that it was so small… me too… I guess! :o/
Thanks Laura,
Blessings, Jeanne
What a nice get-away, Jeanne. And to such a lovely looking area.
Thank you for sharing all the pictures too.
I’ve seen the doll in the red dress/red hair but I can’t remember who she is. I never had that particular doll.
I totally agree with Marilyn- you should have gotten at least ten of the Civil War prints!! Lol.
Glad you’re back home safe and sound.
HI Paula,
I thought of you as I was looking at those Civil War prints… you would have gone crazy! There were some I had never seen before… and it was tough!
The doll in the red dress is Crissy and she has a hole in the middle of the top of her head where her “long” hair grows out! I never had her either, but did own a big chubby Crissy doll, the one in the baby version…
Thanks for the welcome back home, Paula,
Blessings, Jeanne
Wow! Photos turned out great and you said your camera wasn’t very good. Either it is fantastic or you are an expert photographer or maybe it’s both. Thanks for sharing and I appreciate all the comments about how nice it is. It truly is a refreshing, relaxing homestead. Hope you’ll come back soon and sit on the porch with me. Miss you.
Surpirse, Surprise, Hi Gloria!
Usually my pictures aren’t this good… I think it was just your pretty property that helped them turn out so well!
I think everyone loves your place and would come for a visit if invited! We really did have a wonderful time and chatted all the way home… then we got to looking on my phone for a set of those dominoes… that was REALLY fun and I can’t believe George wanted a set for us! He’s not into parlor games, but this really intrigues him… maybe it’s because he won those last 3 sets! :o)
Next time he says it’s time for a visit, you can bet I’ll get my suitcase packed quickly!
I already miss you too!
Love you, Jeanne
Guess what Jeanne? I was gone too at the same time you were! That’s why I didn’t write much, and besides, the connection wasn’t that great. We were in Branson, just for a little getaway, like you, but no relatives were involved.
My goodness, that property of your in-laws is just gorgeous! It looks a lot like what my parents land was like when we also lived south of St. Louis, in Jefferson County. We had 400 acres, and had a pond right down the hill from the kitchen windows. Gloria’s kitchen curtains are just beautiful! She seems to have a few things like I do, the coffeemaker and the mixer are one and the same! Also her Singer sewing machine is almost exactly like mine, but mine is a portable. They sound like lovely people, just like you and George are! Just how far south of St. Louis were you anyway??
Those antique shops looked amazing, and I can’t believe you got so little, but when you just got everything is ship shape order, why mess it up again? I will say you should get a few more Civil War prints if you want, so there! We do have to have fun every now and then!
The only doll that looked familiar to me was the last one, as I did have one something like that with a composition head. You had to be careful with them, as they cracked if handled too roughly. Also do you or anyone remember dolls that had plastic teeth? They looked somewhat like AG dolls, but the teeth were plastic. You don’t see those anymore.
HI Linda,
Well, I certainly hope you had as much fun as we did!
It’s close to Dent county, but not positive exactly where…
Maybe you and Gloria are long lost sisters… since you have so much in common…
Oh, Linda, don’t ever tempt me with Civil War fabrics… they are my absolute downfall…
I just googled vintage dolls with teeth, but I’m not sure what to look for… there was a Shirley Temple doll but I don’t know which one you meant… You’ll have to google “vintage doll with teeth” and then hit images at the top… maybe you’ll see the one you remember…
Thanks Linda,
I’m glad you’re back home safe and sound too!
Blessings, Jeanne