Monday Meanderings!

This weekend was a bust, I was just so tired from getting ready for the trip and being on the go, then coming home and having to do a ton of laundry. I wasn't about to bring anything upstairs until I washed it all;) Today I got the final things done and started on my sewing room, sewing really does build up a lot of dust and it was time to move a few things and do a good vacuum.

One thing I wanted to mention is, Denise, The Krazy Kraft Lady is offering a free pattern as a challenge. A primitive mouse that you can make into your own softer, any way you want. Her challenges are fun and it motivates us to try something new and be creative, so be sure to visit her page to get your pattern and join in, in the fun.

Here is Denise's mouse, he is so unique and a creative use of fiber arts. She made the body and use roving over that, love the look.

I thought you might like to see more of our travels in Maine. On the way up we took the highway and got off in Freeport. Once in Freeport, you have a nice ride along route 1, going through wonderful towns, over bridges and lots of water views.

I spied this old mill as we drove over a bridge and when my husband stopped for gas, I noticed the road to it, was right around the corner, so we went for a visit and short walk. I wanted to get better photos, but I was standing on a narrow ledge of the dam and the wind started blowing and I almost fell over;)

Bean was too excited about the trip to go to the bathroom at the rest stop, so when I saw Camden Hills park, I knew it was the perfect place to stop for a potty break and to stretch our legs.

The reason I wanted to go to Blue Hill is the diversity of the towns and parks. One park we went to, started on the water, went through woods and more water views and we even found an old cemetery and apple orchard hidden in the woods. The walk ended at a bridge connecting a small island, great place to stop and enjoy the views.

The next day we went to another town, Castine and spent most of the day there. The first stop was the harbor where Bean got to play with the other vacationing pups. This is the restaurant we ate at one year, they do not allow dogs, so no sweet steamers this time.

We drove around the scenic route and stopped at a lighthouse. It is now a private home, but there is a walk to the cliffs, but the stairs were too steep for Bean.

Then we went down the road and stopped at a park and hiked around the maine trail. This area was home to the french and they had areas with plaques for the regiments that camped there. It came to a beautiful lookout point, another perfect place to enjoy views and relax. The smell of pine was heavenly when we walked back through a pine forest.

We ended the day with a walk along the public beach. There was only two families there and a lot of beach, so I enjoyed a nice walk, barefoot in the cool water.

I hope you enjoyed our visit to maine. The area is a must if you are ever in Maine, the views are breath taking, the air refreshing and there is something for everyone to enjoy.

Friday Finish!

No crafty finishes, just the finish or the end of our vacation. Yesterday everything just got too overwhelming so we packed up and came home last night, I wanted to sleep in my own bed and have a real kitchen to cook in.

I am disappointed and I wasn't expecting the perfect vacation but the good moments were ruined by the musty house and not being able to sit and relax at night, so it tired me out.

We did have some fun adventures and Bean loved the cottage and the beach, he was like a little puppy again. The minute we went outside, he would run to the beach, the tide was usually out in the morning so I let him run on the beach while I went rock hunting.

He seems to have a thing for seaweed. Here, the seaweed washes up on the shore, our seaweed was growing on the rocks. As you can see, he thought it was the perfect spot to sit and enjoy the views.

The first day was rainy and the long ride was tiring, so we checked out some local places to kayak, though we never got to go, it was fun exploring and even in the rain, the views are beautiful.

One day we went to Castine, an old seaport that was occupied by the British so there is a lot of historical homes and beautiful views from the town docks. We visited the lighthouse and then went for a walk at the park and on the beach. Bean loves to explore and the park was empty so he could go on his long lead and get some good exercise. He seems to know when I want him to sit for a photo, he hops on the bench while Bill takes horrid photos of us;)

Thursday we went to Acadia. It as then that I realized we should have stayed there, lots of places to eat and stay and they even had a restaurant that is dog friendly. We went by a back road and I spied this beautiful home with a lighthouse, in Surry.

Then we drove up Cadillac Mountain. Did you know if you are over 62, you can get a pass to go to all the national parks for life, sometimes being old is good and it is a good thing that Bill is old, lol. The views of the harbors and islands is breath taking.

I took this photo while we were driving through Surry. There was just something peaceful about the scene and it made me think of Danielle. Every friday I post on Danielle's Facebook page with a saying and a photo and this one seemed perfect for today. It does not make me sad, it brings me peace, so I leave you with the peace of the beautiful vistas and wishes that you all have a wonderful weekend.

Monday at Blue Hill!

Well, it is late and I am exhausted as usual so I am going to be short tonight and when I get home, I can show more photos and news about our trip and a real review of the home. The house is not what is looked like in the photos, it is old and it is musty, so it is hard for me to relax inside since the smell is sickening. We got scents to cut it down so that helps but not enough;) The outside is wonderful, love the views and sitting outside.

We got rain yesterday so we went out and got supplies and things and today we got out and walked and hiked around a sanctuary, and rode around the islands to see what the areas would be like for paddling. Tomorrow will be raining again, so we will do what we can and then three days of sun, so we can paddle then.

This is end of Deer Island, Stonington, a beautiful seaport.

This is the view of the bridge coming back from Little Deer Island, to the mainland. This area is a public boat launch, looks like a nice place to paddle from.

When the tide goes out, we can comb the beach areas in front of our house. Bean loves to run around on the rocks and today he went in the water, he loves it here. This is my collection today, some I will keep and some I will put back, I will decide which ones later, but I am having fun, finding heart shapes and some I just like, the top left one is a little bird.

Friday Finish!

It is friday and I have been going non stop all week, trying to get ready for our trip. For those who don't know, I have food allergies, so I have to plan around that, one thing is making 4 batches of cookies. They are oatmeal with grated apple, so they are my snack food and somewhat healthy and I do eat a lot of them;)

I saved some fruit salad for a lunch snack on the drive, dried pineapple and I froze fried rice with chicken for our first night dinner. Sunday we may go out, for our anniversary, but it all depends on how I feel. There are lots of places that have lobster and I love being able to sit out on the deck and enjoy dinner while we watch the boats in the harbor, but it also might rain, so we shall see.

No big plans, just resting and enjoying the house and the area, lots of walks and some hikes, Bean will love that. Today I got everything left to do, done. Bedding is cleaned, laundry is done, garden watered and the list goes on. I still have to vacuum, it is humid today and it is still humid, but it should cool down, soon.

This week Buttermilk Basin released her new BOM, I love doing these, easy to get ready and I can sew it up while I watch tv. And did you know, she is hosting another blog hop and a new design each day, so you don't want to miss this one. Not the best photo, my flash was acting up again, I think I need to complain. It was a less expensive one, but I would it expect to work right.

That reminds me, I need to clean my camera and charge my small one;)

And of course Bean, he has his own bag packed, filled with toys and goodies for the trip as well as a travel bag for the car ride. I was in a store and saw a life jacket on sale so I had to get it. I have no idea if he will go paddling with us, but at least I have one now and if we decide to go sailing, he can wear it on the boat. It has handles so if he does fall over, we can grab him and pull him in. He does not like wearing it;)

We are supposed to have WiFi so I will try and post each day with photos. I am nervous about going, I will either be able to relax and take my  mind off of things for the week or freak out and come running home, but I have never going to Maine where I didn't feel better once I crossed the state line.

I hope everyone has a wonderful week and hopefully the next posts will be from Maine.

Weekend Wanderings!

This weekend was beautiful and I finally got out of the house more. Saturday was another party for Nick, the last one was just a few of us and this was his big party with family and friends. It was nice to be with people and spend time with my sweet grandson.

How can you not smile with that sweet face.

Sunday was church, which always helps me to get back on track and fills me with the inner calm to get me through the next week. They also had a fair and we got to enjoy watching the choir sing a few traditional songs. They had a raffle and I donated a basket filled with quilting goodies. I have won so many things over the years and have so many things that I thought It was a good way to share and help the church out.

I bought wrap and ribbon for the basket, but had no idea how to get it on right, so I gave it to the ladies and let them wrap it up. On the bottom is lots of fabrics from my winnings and collections that I didn't use, so all new yardage.

Then we went to the lighthouse. It was a humid day so that is the perfect place to go for a walk and enjoy the cooler breezes. There were breezes but it was still humid.

Bean and I enjoying the views.

Bill enjoying the views, Bean is people watching. 

Today was raining. I called the rental cottages and they do take credit, so I paid for the cottage and sent in the form by priority mail, so I guess we are heading up to Maine on Saturday. Today I started organizing lists for what to bring and getting some things out to clean and get ready. Bill bought Bean a new friend to play with, they are both tuckered out from all the rough housing;)

Friday Finishes!

This week I got a couple of projects done, one was my noodle board, I finally finished it.
Bill made the board for me and I painted it black. I was going to do mustard over black, but decided that would be too busy in the kitchen and left it black.

The problem was, the board had been sitting for months and the paint was really set into the wood and I do not have a lot of strength, so I didn't sand it very well.  My stain was old and I had to water it down, so that didn't help and my spray varnish was way too old, it wasn't going on right and left a messy finish, but it will do.

This is how it looks on the stove. We made it to cover up the old stove, it was a mess and this would have looked nice on it, but I think it is too much for my new stove and I love my new grates and don't like covering them up.

Then I used the broiler without taking the board off, not a good idea. The varnish started melting, so never use the oven with a board on top;) I decided it would be better to use it elsewhere and now it is sitting on top of my chest. The chest is another future project, I think it needs to be painted and antiqued. I like how it looks on the chest and keeps things from being knocked over by the kitties.

The hooked rug and cat pieces were gifts from my friend Kelley, With Hook & Needle.

I also decided to try another needle felted project and I needed an eyeglass case. I used designs from online coloring book pages. If you use white wool for the backing, you can trace designs onto it with a light box. I like to have the outlines to follow, even though my version is definitely not as detailed as the original. I made the case in one piece, doing a design on each side. It has a fabric liner inside, then I added a twisted cord for the edging.

This is what I did as the front side. My seagulls are sad looking, I think I should have gone with simple black outline gulls;)

And this is the backside, I kept it simple and had fun with the fibers for a sunset look. I think it is time I dye some roving so I can do more shading and details in my pieces. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.

Vacation Plans!

I have spent most of my time going through rentals and finding great places, just to find out that they are already taken, but I finally decided on one that seems to have everything we want and close enough to other areas on the islands.

The house is in the Blue Hill area of Maine, on the coast so we have our own water frontage and beautiful views, going across to Acadia. An added bonus is a jacuzzi so I can sit and soak my old bones when I over do it, which I always do;)

This is what our view from the porch will be like. There is also a gazebo so we can sit out, even if it rains. Another thing I like is the fire pit by the beach, we can sit out at night and it will be like camping too.

And here is a photo of me, enjoying the views in the same area. I think this is just what I need, a place to relax and just enjoying being outside.

On the home front, there is Bean. Bean tends to take up a lot of my time lately, he just loves to play but he is getting better at understanding that I need my rest time too. He loves balls, this is his newest ball, I figure it is large enough that it won't roll under the couch.

And this is part of his ball collection, a border collie can never have enough balls. Some are missing, he tends to lose them and then we find them when we are cleaning and then there are the larger outside balls. Now I am wondering how I can pack the car since he usually stays in his cage in the back, it takes up all the space and we need it for clothes and gear, so he may have to sit in the back seat. The problem with that is I keep my good things like computers and craft gear, as well as food in the seats and he will drool all over them or worse, get car sick, lol. I am thinking that I need to see if I can find something to keep him in his own space on one seat, any ideas would be appreciated. I know he won't like the long ride, but he will love running around the beach and going hiking.

Friday Finishes!

This week I finished two things, a stitchery block and the newest ornament of the month.

The ornament is offered by Attic Heirlooms and you can get it for free each month. This month was a candle and I kept it simple, but I may add something to it, later on. Maybe when Christmas buttons come back, I can find something fun to add to them.

The stitchery is a free pattern set, offered by Theodora Cleave. I really love working on these, the designs are fun and they just make me happy when I work on them. There are seven garden blocks, so once I am done, then I will decide a layout for them.

This week I have been looking at vacation places. We had planned on a vacation to celebrate our 40th anniversary, now I just want to get away and relax so trying to find something on the water, allows dogs and doesn't cost a fortune. I also like a nice kitchen and bed, I am not into dirty places;) So, at this rate, I may not find anything or if I do, it will be booked for that week. I have found some but it seems they never answer my emails, not too sure how good home away is?

Weekend Finishes from Freebies!

This weekend I was able to get the new Wool blocks put together and done. I missed last month, so I did both and it was fun to do them and two more blocks towards a finished quilt. The block is offered by Stacy of Buttermilk Basin for our Facebook Wool Applique group.

Last month was the sewing block and this month was the kitty block. I think the kitty one would be fun to do as a wall hanging too.

I also did the ornament for last month, tonight there will be a new one, so can't wait to see what this one will be. I messed up on the bird placement, but I do like how I used a blue background on this one. They are going to look nice hanging on a swag line, next Christmas. This free ornament is offered each month by Trish of Attic Heirlooms.