Yesterday I shared with you some miniatures that I thought were sweet. (HERE) Well, I have 2 more to show you…courtesy of my hubby. We were in town and he wanted to stop at the farm store. Well, long story short… you’ll never guess what we ended up with… 2 new baby chicks! I asked him if it was a spur of the moment decision or had he been thinking about it for a while? He answered, “Yes.”
When we got home with them in the tiny little box, he placed them on the table, but needed to keep them warm so he strung up a heat lamp and clipped it to our dining room light. Then he turned around and said, “You knew I was a farm boy when you married me.” That was all, and that was enough. He loves his animals and just wanted 2 more. They are little bantams, a kind of miniature chicken. He wants to let them roam around the yard… we’ll see… :o)
If you click on any picture it will enlarge.
Right now they are in a brooder box in the corner of the living room and with only 2 this time, they are pretty quiet. Reuben is afraid of them because there is a cord holding up the heat lamp and he thinks it’s some kind of power tool I guess. For some reason he is petrified of my hubby’s power tools, the lawn mower, and anything that makes noise… so we don’t have to worry about him bothering the baby chicks.
…and here they are… we have no idea if they are hens or maybe roosters… they weren’t labeled when they came in the store…
Okay, my next random tidbit is an ironing board and iron I won in an online auction here in town. It’s a Polder ironing board with a holder for my iron and it has one of those rods that holds your cord up if you like. It also included the iron…it’s a Sunbeam Steam Master Pro… (My Shark iron bit the dust a while back…I told you I go through irons like crazy!) I wanted it because it had white legs and can raise up 2″ higher than my old ironing board. My hubby and I were talking about the ironing board I was using and we have no idea where it came from or how long I’ve had it… I’m guessing as long as we’ve been married… 35+ years. Anyway, it was pretty ugly when I think about it…metal legs, sort of rusty like… I’ll let you decide… but I’m a happy camper tonight…
OLD…
NEW…
While I was in town today, I stopped by our Thrift Store and found a few things I couldn’t live without…
~ a large bag of mostly DMC embroidery floss…it wasn’t sorted…I did that! :o)
~ 2 pair of desperately needed reading glasses… (mine broke)
~ and 2 pieces of fabric…one is a sweet little blue and rose print that is very soft. The other piece was “my whim” item today… I thought this would make some cute gold dolly shoes… :o)
Okay, last up for my tidbit sharing… I have decided Willa is going to be my next girl up for an Easter dress. I was trying to find something fun for her since she’s a little girl, but wasn’t sure what to choose.. I picked 2 totally opposite fabrics.. one is a pretty purple and green and would make a lovely Easter dress. The other piece is one I’ve had for years with sweet little mice on it. It’s almost sheer and super soft. I think it’s a KP Kids fabric that has long been discontinued… So any opinions?
I’ve already decided what my listing will be like…and these items will be in the pictures…
Well, that’s about it for me tonight …
I’ll see you tomorrow,
Blessings, Jeanne
I love the dancing mice fabric! I don’t know the age of your piece, but I made a baby blanket for my little girl, who turned out to be a boy (first ultasound was a boy, second a girl), in 1983! Needless to say, Jared did not use it and it is still lurking in my closet and will go to my first great granddaughter which is waaaay down the road!
Oh so funny, Donna! Just keep hanging onto that baby blanket!
The chicks are so cute, Jeanne! Well, I guess that’s what you get when you marry a farm boy. I, on the other hand, married a city boy, and it took quite some pushing to get ANY kind of animal!
The ironing board is really nice! I too, got rid of my old one and got a new Martha Stewart ironing board, much larger than the older one and also has a place for the iron. Funny thing though, I don’t iron anywhere as much as I used to!!
The material, oh gosh, I do love the colors of the first print with Willa’s hair. It certainly shows it off, and would look so cute with the little items you have arranged around her. But that mouse material is just adorable too! What I am thinking is to make a dress out of tiny little blue and white gingham and have a full pinafore with ruffles going along the straps, and a big bow in the back out of the mouse material. I just think the mouse material needs some kind of stronger color to set it off or something, since you also say it is almost transparent. But it is more like a “little girl” pattern than the flowered one is. You know what I mean?
Hi Jeaneane,
Go George! with the chicks. I can surely understand the “farm” in him. I hope they give you both much delight and serenity.
I’d go with the mouse fabric for Willa and highlight it with the blue in the fabric to somehow set it off and give it more “strength”…kind of what Linda was saying. Well, you’re the artist here, and it will be so great to see what you come up with.
Blessings.
Chickens! What are their names? There is a house along my path to work that has chickens pecking in their front yard. They are always so fun to see. I commute about 55 miles each way and anything fun or happy along the way is very welcome.
I can relate to your old ironing board. I have my mother in law’s old ironing board that she gave me in the early 80s after she got a new one. It kind of squawks every time I set it up. Your new one is lovely. I think the little extending place for your iron is great.
Your shopping haul is great! Aren’t thrift store finds the best!
Your choices for Willa’s new dress are both pretty. The violets just seem to make her face light up but the mice are so cute too! I’m sure whichever fabric you choose will be a good choice.
Hope you have a good day.
Take care.
The first fabric would be lovely for Easter and is beautiful with Willa’s hair. The mouse ballerina fabric is extremely cute and would look very nice on Willa as well — I like the pinafore idea or some sort of pretty old-fashioned play outfit for early summer, which is coming soon — maybe. Predictions here are 8-17″ of snow on my beautiful crab apple blossoms.
I loved the miniatures yesterday. I am sincerely thinking of a miniature garden like Susette’s. Once the snow melts, the Farmers’ Market might have some great plants, or the seasonal greenhouse that should appear in the nearby parking lot soon, or our fabulous McGuckin’s Hardware, which has everything.
Speaking of everything, I too have been considering a new ironing board. I saw one I liked on Amazon, but the customer reviews said it wouldn’t stand up to hours of steaming — or much else — and I tend to prefer to do a lot of ironing at once rather than to get out and put away the ironing board constantly. I have always disliked my ironing board, which is orange, and it finally occurred to me that I might spray paint it ivory. Has anyone else here done that? The top is covered by the pad and cover, so I don’t have to worry about that, but I’d hate to end up with a sticky mess when I needed a new pad and cover.
The new chicks are so cute. I love being able to watch them grow, so let’s have lots of pictures. It’s starting to rain. Can snow be far behind?
Marilyn, I think if I were you, I’d spray paint ONLY the legs of your ironing board, and not the top. You don’t know what would happen if a lot of heat and steam hit a newly painted top! I don’t think it would bother the legs, though. Besides, the top is covered, anyway, right?!
I also still have the dancing mice. I made it for my daughters kindergarten school pics.. and she turns 40 this year. How I’d love to have some baby chicks but I wouldn’t want them to grow up.. I’d also love to have the baby goats.. but again no growing up.. I need to find a friend that has them so I can go play with them. Hugs, Kath
Great tidbits!
Forgot to mention yesterday how I love Patsy’s new Come on Easter dress.
Fond memories of the banty hens at my grandparents. You know, anything on the miniature side was good for me. Especially their tiny eggs.
I don’t know. That old board looks pretty sturdy to me. Except for not being high enough, I’d probably paint it like Marilyn mentioned. Although that new board/iron does have great clean lines. I have a couple of really vintage boards, all wood, that I sometimes put up on the deck to hold extras if having a get together.
Great deal on the floss. Always nice to have the right color on hand. I can see a pair of sandals made from the gold fabric. Perfect for coming Summer.
The two fabrics are both wonderful. I would like to see the violets for this season though. Ours are all in bloom right now. The fabric with the mice is also sweet and a lucky little dolly will love it too.
All those items in the listing? I think I would choose just a few. Like the smaller lamb, chick, and egg. Or just that fabulous bird.
Beautiful sun here today.
The chicks are darling and a manageable amount! Funny about Reuben and the cords.
Funny, too, is that I like the fabric that you found at thrift store for a dress for Willa, the blue background with the pink flowers, but I’m sure whatever you decide will be amazing, especially with the accessory choice. Great ironing board find.
I was thinking the same thing about the fabric from the thrift store–I think it might look really nice on Willa. I might even see if the mouse print had the right pink and the right blue, to make into a pinafore or overskirt to go with the pink/blue print…..
What cute baby chicks. Perfect to have babies as spring comes. I just love baby animals.
A new ironing board is always nice and you can certainly use the embroidery floss.
Okay, Willa’s up. I really like the violets fabric, so pretty and would make a sweet Easter dress. Violets are one of my favorites. I have a number of different kinds in the yard, most are wild- purple, white,white with purple lines in the throats, and my “freckles” violet which in white speckled all over with purple freckles. The freckles one was bought. They spread all over the beds and in the grass. I love them!! Have you ever had Anis de Flavigny candy drops from France? I’m addicted to the rose and violet ones. The dancing mice are adorable, but they strike me more for a nightgown or play outfit than dress. I assume the little figurines will be winner pick a favorite. I like the little “flower” girl, baby chick and bunny best.
Loved Susette fairy houses yesterday. We have a couple of Cicely Mary Barker’s flower fairy figurines and I have a book of her pictures and poetry. The illustrations are precious. We have a small indoor flower fairy garden in the sunroom Our garden store has tons of fairy stuff, so fun to look at.
I love both fabrics, but I would love to see what you do with the tiny mouse print!!
Sweet and fluffy baby chicks + a nice high ironing board with holder + great thrift store finds = wonderful tidbits, Jeanne! I always hatched eggs in my room as a Kindergarten teacher. Had to have the janitors turn the eggs until they hatched. My inner-city students loved seeing new life. I second Marilyn’s request for lots of pictures the next few weeks! The violets would make a charming Easter dress and accent Willa’s lovely eyes, but I leave it all in the experienced hands of the artist. I know you will surprise and delight, Jeanne, and that there is “method in the madness” of all the extra items pictured! Wishing you an enjoyable pre-Easter weekend that contains enough sewing to keep you happy!
Loved seeing the baby chicks–yes, George is a “farm boy”!! LOL
What wonderful finds from the thrift store!! I’m sure you’ll put them all to good use.
Congratulations on the new ironing board–I’m sure you’ll enjoy using it, and how great is it that it came with an iron, too?!! The first thing I’d do, though, is to change the cover to a plain white duck canvas. I don’t like printed fabric for ironing board covers. True, it looks cute or pretty or matches your room or whatever, but I find myself thinking there is a stain on my clothing that I missed when I washed it–and it’s the print showing thru!! As soon as I figured that out, I got rid of my green and white print cover, and got a white cotton duck canvas one, and am much happier. I do a lot of ironing and pressing, too, so I do have to replace them every few years–however, it would be more often if I got the light-weight, inexpensive covers. IMO, it’s really worth it to get the heavyweight ones, as they last so much longer!