Weekend Wanderings!

This weekend we had a day of rain, so I prepped some Christmas pieces, something new and something to finish, so I will have a couple of things to show this Friday. Since we got out for a nice ride on Sunday, I thought I would show you a bit of foliage and the Connecticut sights.

We stopped at the Yantic River to see the falls. I had a feeling that they would be running higher with the rains and we were not disappointed.

Up river, another falls goes past the old mill.

We headed down route 82, and stopped at the  primitive store that I had seen online. It was a wonderful shop, filled with antiques and unique items, as well as prims. I will definitely stop by, more often, when we are in the area. The name is Primitive Crow, and they also hold primitive painting classes, wish I lived closer.

And when you go down the back roads, you find fun things. Love how they used the truck for a yard display, even painting their name on the side.

We made our way to Devil's Hopyard. Connecticut is famous for weird names, they believed that the big indents in the rocks were made by the devil's hoofs. But the name doesn't fit the beauty of the area. The falls were overflowing from the rains and you could just sit there and watch them cascade down the steps.

We walked along the paths and of course had to stop by the covered bridge. Watching all the people come down and head up the path, tempted me to try a hike up to the over look. Tempted but not attempted too well, lol. Getting up the first wet and slippery incline was bad enough, but when we got the a small crossing, the waters were higher and I was in no mood to try and jump over the water or slip on the rocks, so we turned around. I decided to head towards the lower path and avoid slipping down the incline, which was easier and a nicer walk along the river.

Our last destination was Gillette Castle. I really wanted to walk there, but we were running late from the first hike, so we just walked around the main area. The views were spectacular, pops of color dotted the landscape.

All along our drive and the areas, were beautiful displays of foliage, but most of the wooded areas are full of trees that only turn yellow. And of course, any time I saw a beautiful tree, it was in a place I couldn't stop at or go into. It was a beautiful day though and something you just have to do, to enjoy. Connecticut is full of country roads and scenic routes, well worth a visit.

Of course Bean loved going too, he got to go on lots of walks and meet hundreds of people, another reason we didn't have as much time. One guy actually came over and started hugging Bean, lol. He had a Border once and Bean is just so lovable, everyone wants to pet and hug him.

Weekend shopping!

This weekend was cold and windy, so no walking on the beach or hiking on hills, and we need to get ready for Thanksgiving, so we went shopping.

The problem is, I never found anything that I was looking for but I did find a few new things for Christmas, lol. On Saturday we went to the shop to drop off our tapes, which was housed in an old mill. If you are ever in the Mystic, Stonington area, it is worth a visit.

It is called the Velvet Mill and hours various businesses, including crafts and antiques, as well as, a brewery that has kegs for tables. On Saturdays in the winter, they have an indoor flea market with various food vendors and crafts. A great place to spend a few hours on those cold days.

I didn't find anything interesting, but I knew there was a thrift store in the area, so of course we stopped there and I found a few things to decorate with. The nice thing about thrifts is I can buy things for a couple of dollars and not feel bad when I get sick of looking at them.

Here are the items I found, 2.00 dollars for each item. The ornament has a little girl in a bed with a kitty, I couldn't resist that. The small creche is perfect to add to my collection and I can add some items to it. The tree is a two piece wooden tree, not sure if I should leave as is or prim it up. I do like the fun look and maybe decorate around it, to have something the kids would like.

On the way home we stopped at the antique store, I needed some more lavender. They have a section with new items and lots of booths, so of course we had to walk around to see what was new. I didn't see anything else that I wanted or needed, but I thought these mini cast iron stoves were nice, I know someone who collects them, but too pricey for me.

On Sunday we went to the Bees Buzz, another antique barn with booths that has new and old items. I was thrilled to see a new vendor who had roving, and wonderful curly locks that I can use for sheep or beards. They look yellowed in the photo.

Another vendor sells handmade pottery and I love the coloring, but there is never anything I can use. This time I spotted a toothbrush holder and it is something I need and beautiful blue/brown hues to match my bathroom colors.

Next weekend is a large craft fair at Sturbridge Village and I thinking about going, but they charge to get in. I do not understand that, I am going to buy things, so why do I have to pay to shop? I can go to a prim store or the vendors and buy from them without an extra fee, money I would use to buy something, so I am not sure if it is worth it? One of the vendors will be Sassafras Hill Primitives, her booth looks wonderful.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving. We are hosting the family and friends and I am sitting here wondering how I am going to get this house clean and cook food in three days, ugh. I work well under pressure and good at hiding dirt if I have to, lol. May you all be blessed with friends and family or a nice quiet day enjoying some stitching.

New Hampshire Beauty and Fun!

We packed a lot in a week and I took lots of photos, but I will show you some of the highlights. At one place a woman asked to take a photo of us and she must have hit the wrong buttons and I took a few photos before I realized they were messed up. Of course the photo she took was chopped off and looked horrible, so I won't show that one, lol.

One of the things I wanted to do was to drive along route 302 and see the tall waterfall that cascades down the mountain. Maybe my memory was bad, but it wasn't even worth a photo, just a small stream coming down but we enjoyed the ride and saw some other nice places along the way.

We found this roadside park and stopped to enjoy the views and a walk with Bean. It is a small pond and only kids are allowed to fish in it, a nice place to go with small children.

They also have a bridge and waterfall that goes to a nice picnic area and hiking trails.

We came around to route 3, where you can see the basin which is free and the flume which has a fee, but well worth it, if you have never been. We went to the basin for a walk around the main path, which follows the falls and river to the basin.

The next day we went for a paddle on Lake Chocorua. It is just right for an easy paddle, with wonderful views of the mountains.

Bean is loving going paddling. He realizes it means he can also play in the water when we find a quiet little island at the end.

We did a morning paddle and had all afternoon, so it was the perfect day to go to Diana's Baths. We just hiked along the trail along the falls and I did dip my feet in, but too cold for me to swim in. Lots of people were swimming, so not too many private spots, that day.

The next day we had a storm coming in, so we relaxed a little at the camp and then headed towards Center Harbor for some shopping and the sun was coming out by the time we got there. I planned it so we went through the storm and came out on the sunny side;)

We came back on the Kancamagus and had time to stop at Sabbaday falls. It is a short walk to the falls and a little climb up the stairways, but a magnificent view of the falls as you head up and at the top.

The last thing on my to do list, was to hike the Lincoln Trail to Franconia Falls. This is the path we took the kids on when they were little but we just walked a bit along the river and I wanted to make it to the falls this time.

The  hike goes along the river, love hearing the sound of the river as we walked along. The bad thing is, Bean hears water and he is constantly pulling me towards it.

The path is an old railroad, logging road and the woods are filled with beautiful white birch.

We got to the top of the falls and not only were the falls a wonderful series of cascades, there is a giant pool at the end where you can swim and beautiful views of the mountains.

We didn't do too much shopping, I wanted to enjoy being outside, but I did get a few things. At Center Harbor I stopped in Keepsake Quilting, they have a large sale room in the back so I treated myself to a few yards of shirting. Next door is a yarn shop that carries roving, so I got some blue and green shades to use in 2D pictures. On the way home we stopped at Elf Made, it is a wonderful prim shop that also carries local souvenirs and I love their scents. I got some of my favorites and some candles, as well as a few bags of balsam for my Christmas pillows. All of the stores pack your purchases in fun bags and fabric ribbons, a little something I can use in a special project.

I hope you enjoyed my visit to NH, I know I could spend the whole summer there, if I could.

Monday Finishes!

This weekend, my flu held on so no fun outings in the countryside. We did have Nick so I used what energy I had, playing with him or more like, keeping up with him, he is a bundle of energy. I decided to make a couple of simple Christmas pillows and used a design by Kelly Belfast of With Hook and Needle.

I was going to do them in stitchery, but decide on using wool appliqué and stitchery. I used a fabric with Christmas trees for the back. I use a piece of batting on each side and sew it as I sew the pillow pieces together. That way it makes it easier to fill them with balsam, so now they have a nice pine scent.

Nick loves playing outside and he is best friends with Bean now. The good thing is I can take them both out and wear them both out. The fall activity is raking up leaves and then throwing them in the air, their favorite activity.

On Sunday I decide I had enough energy to get to the furniture store. They were having a sale and I wanted to get a bed for the spare room so Nick will have a lower bed to sleep in and I will have a bed for company. She mentioned a lift bed which I had no use for, but I tried it and I liked it and then we tried it on a super soft bed which was like sitting on a cloud. It made me think of my sister who told me she has to have that type of bed, since she had bypass surgery and then a full mastectomy, so that is the only way she can be comfortable. So, no kid bed, but it is good for Nick, a nice space for me to sit back and relax and a nice guest bed, so I think I made a good choice. I saved money by getting a frame and buying an inexpensive head board. Now I need to think of some ideas to decorate the room and make a quilt for the bed.

The nice thing about this store is that they are kid friendly. Nick got to ride around while we browsed.
I hope everyone had a nice weekend and a fun halloween.

Must be Monday!

It seems I do so much to get ready for a vacation that it takes all week to relax and then it is time to come home and clean up after the vacation, now I need another one;)

One thing that is fun on a vacation is shopping and buying some goodies to bring home. I spent more time outside and enjoying nature but we did hit a few stores along the way.

In Jackson, we found Flossie's General Store. They had a lot of different gifts and local items. I got some Christmas items, a miniature handmade creche and angel chimes that move with a candle flame. I also found more balsam, so I will be making lots of pillows this year. In Center Harbor I stopped at Keepsake Quilting and bought a little wool pillow kit and next door they had yarn and roving, white to dye myself and the beautiful dyed roving will go into some art projects.

On the way home we stopped at Calefs in Barrington NH, which has food related items and Bill got a sandwich and some goodies for my son. Next door is Elfmade and Company, primitive heaven, candles and scents and I was in heaven. I had to smell all the different scents, they have them in bowl fillers and the matching sprays are available so you can use that when the scent dissipates. I got lemon merringue and it smells so good, as well as coconut crunch, I love candy smells. A few small items for gifts and some scented items for my son, he loves their candles. I also got a large primitive pump bottle for the kitchen, now I have something nice to keep my dish soap in.

Across the street was a store that was like an over stock store. Lots of Carhartt clothing and miscellaneous items. I found primitive picks at a fraction of the cost and some fun potholders, great place to find some bargains. This is a great place to stop if you are in the area, a lot of fun gifts in one place.

I will use the blue picks in the basket, in the beach room.

I decided I wanted to put some of the scented filler in the beach room, but I didn't have something to hold it in. After church we went down to a gift store that sells a lot of beach items and I almost gave up, when I spotted this shell shaped pottery dish, hidden behind some other items. It is the perfect blue green shade for the room.

And a few more photos from our trip. This was a stop along the Kancamagus, a historical homestead with a walk through the woods to a pond and you can visit the home and grounds, as well. This was such a peaceful place, I would love to live here.

And for those of you who have never gone over a covered bridge, this is what they look like in the inside. If  you ever travel along the Kancamagus, you must stop at the ranger station and pick up a map. It is only two dollars and it shows all of the scenic points and trails along the way.

Weekend Wanderings!

Since Bill has the week off, we have been getting out and doing some shopping and exploring new areas. We went to the antique consignment first, hoping for some after Christmas sales but the things I had my eyes on, were gone and the rest was over priced, so no buys there.

Then I wanted to try a back road and go around the area in a circle to see what was there. It was a long back road that came out to some beautiful lakes, great places to revisit in the kayaks this summer. I didn't realize the circle came back to another town, called Chepatchet. Chepatchet is home to several antique stores and a primitive country store, so of course we stopped in town and walked around.

Love the old buildings and the colors on the different shops. These two shops are well worth a visit.
The gold building is home to The Town Trader. It is a huge antique store, filled from top to bottom with antiques and newer items mixed in. There were a lot of things I loved, especially a huge trencher, but I refrained from buying anything, trying to be more practical this year.

The second building is Brown and Hopkins Country Store. It is a two story building filled with country and primitive wares, as well as an old fashioned candy counter. They still had all of their Christmas items on display and everything was half off, I know I will regret not buying some things;)

The bridge out of town was a nice place to walk and give Bean some time out. Old mills and homes line the streets going out of town, as well.

And, I am working on a project, though a bit slowly. This design is a free design from Broderie D'Antan. They have a lot of different types of designs that you can use and always adding new ones, each week.

The floss that I used is Finca, I like how it looks in the piece, though it doesn't show as well in a photo. This has more to come and will be a candle mat.

Weekend Wanderings!

We had a beautiful weekend and perfect weather for walking. It is the perfect time of year for walks along the cliffs, the sun is shining and the cool ocean breezes are so refreshing.

This area is especially nice since you can walk along a trail or explore around the rocks and the tidal pools. A container ship was heading for the open waters.

The gulls were gliding with the winds.

Another path follows the cliffs and veers off into the woods. Fall is grape season and even though I can't eat them, the smell was heavenly.

Beautiful flowers line the path on both sides.

And some strange plants, as well. 

It was still early when we got home, so what better way to end the day, then apple picking. We went home first and grabbed Danielle, she picked a smaller bag for her brother and his wife and I got a bag that I am wondering, how I will eat them all, lol.

Yesterday was another great day for a ride and a walk. We walked along the salt marshes but the bugs were so bad, we walked really fast and I didn't take photos. On the way home I saw a sign that we go by, every time we are there. It says, The Fantastic Umbrella Factory. I thought it was a shop and decided we should go check it out. 

Well, it was much more than a shop. It was a group of buildings that are interconnected by paths and trellised arches. It was well worth the visit and we got some more walking in. Most of the items were made by local artisans, but not my cup of tea. 

This was a fun part of the walk, a bamboo forest. I am not sure if it had an out, we couldn't find it, so came back the way we started.

It also had a garden center, ducks and other fowl walking around and even some goats and ostriches.

It is amazing what you find in your own backyard, so it is well worth exploring places in your own neighborhood. I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. 

Lots of Wonderful sights to see on the walk around the grounds, but I never did see any umbrellas;)

Saturday Thrifting!

It got up to 40 degrees today, a warm spell, lol. A good day for a ride and browsing the local stores by the beach areas.

We have a thrift store called The Johnny Cake Center. It is a small store but packed with goodies and today I lucked out. They had bins filled with a lot of home fabrics, but I dug through and found wool on the bottom. The tan is a thick blanket wool, great to back wool quilts with, the darker brown is a felted wool on one side and thick wool on the other, great for felted projects or maybe even a teddy bear. The last piece I found is a nice check, a bit thinner but it should full a little more when I dye it and that will work nicely as penny backs or for pillows. There is about 10 yards total and I got it for 9 dollars, but we gave a little extra to help out. The money goes to help the families in the area.

Then I dug through the back area, they had a sale table and look what I found underneath. Three wool yard sticks, perfect for a yard stick project. I have seen a lot of fun projects and things  you can make with yard sticks, so I grab them when I can find them for a good price. A total of .50 for all three, of course I thought they were worth a little more and it is a good cause.

I needed a new table for my bedside and the black one I had was the perfect size for Bill, next to the couch, so today I found one I liked. It is new and more prim, than it looks in the flash glare. This one is taller and I can put my library books underneath and have room for my extras in the drawers. I always like to keep pencil and paper nearby in case I get an idea.

So, a good shopping day, I found some things I can use and something I needed at a good price. Then we got to enjoy a ride around the coastal road and enjoy the views from different points.