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Ahhhh, farm life. No neighbors. Lots of space. Quiet. Right? Unless you live in a tin-roofed house under a walnut tree.
Every time a walnut falls from the tree and hits the roof it sounds like a shotgun going off. Boom! Boom! Boom!
Look at all that ammo.
The remaining 10 questions for the Sweet Goodness holiday swap.
11. Do you have any pets, if so what kind? Ha! Do I have pets? Two dogs: Tucker and Lucy. Two cats: Taylor and Maddie. Do the horses count? They are Marge, Molly, Marshall, Zip, Casserole, Mariah, Scout, Dakota, Rudy, Jackson, Ben, Murphy, Little Hawk, and Sundance.
12. Are you a reader? If so, what type of books do you like? I love to read. Mostly magazines like Martha Stewart Living, Real Simple, etc.
13. Are you celebrating a birthday or anniversary in October, November, or December? If so, what day and what is the occasion? No.
14. Do you collect anything? If so what type of things do you collect? I collect craft supplies. LOL
15.
What type of things do you like to cook? Are you an appetizer person,
cookie maker, dessert freak or a take out type of person?? I don't like to cook much of anything. I do cook, but that doesn't mean I like it! I'm a dessert and candy kind of girl, though I'm trying to watch how much of that type of stuff I eat.
16. What is your favorite scent? Is there one that you can’t stand? Love fruity smells like pear. Hate flowery.
17. What’s your favorite song? This week it's "The Mom Song" by Go Fish. I saw these guys last weekend at the MOPS Convention in Florida and they ROCK!
18. What’s the last movie you went to see at the movie theater? It wasn't that long ago, but I can't remember what we saw!
19. What’s your favorite Candy? Gummy bears, Hot Tamales, Charleston Chews...I sense a theme here.
20. Tea or Coffee or other? Other. Dr. Pepper all the way.
Thank you to each and every one of you for making me smile with your birthday wishes! I have the sweetest bloggy buddies ever!!
Betty is getting something from me for making me laugh out loud with her comment that "At 40 you aren't antique yet.. just vintage. And likely collectible." LOL I like the idea of being collectible. :-)
Alice is getting a special something because I've owed her a package for...what...a year now?!? Alice, I found the coolest pair of vintage earrings and thought of you immediately. I promise to get them and some other goodies to you soon.
Tonya E., you need to send me your address, too. I got your email and it was so sweet and kind and all those other gushy words.
Kim, Chara, and Capello, I've not forgotten about you! I'm a baby-shoe-making factory right now, but I have you on my list!
For everyone else who left me a birthday wish: If you email your address to me at laurie(at) oldschoolacres(dot)com I will add you to my list of to-do projects and will send you a little something, too. It may take me a while, but eventually you'll get a little something either handmade or vintage.
Something else sweet is Sweet Goodness Swaps. They paired me up with Heidi at Vacumming in High Heels and Pearls for the Holiday Sister Swap. Here are the first 10 questions I'm supposed to answer for Heidi.
1. Favorite Color: Blue...midnight blue, robin's egg blue, any shade of blue except royal.
2. Chocolate Lover? Milk, Dark, White, or none of the above? Milk and white.
3. What is your favorite craft hobby? Do I have to pick just one? It used to be paper crafts, but the last year it's been handsewn wool felt softies and embroidery. I still mess with paper some.
4. What is a craft/art hobby that you would like to start? Needle felting.
5. What craft do you NOT have an interest in or just not great in ( so your partner doesn’t send something you wouldn’t use)? Knitting and crocheting. I'd love to try either, but I don't have the patience to learn.
6. Do you have any allergies? No.
7.What’s your favorite part of Halloween? Decorating, candy eating, costumes, or something else? Eating the candy!
8. Do you decorate for Thanksgiving/Fall? Not really. I like the idea, but never get it done.
9.
December Holidays--what holiday do you celebrate? What type of
decorations do you like to put up in your house for that holiday? We celebrate Christmas. Our tree is decorated with red and silver. I love vintage-style decorations. I use a lot of greenery on shelves, etc.
10. Do you have any children, if so what are their ages, boys/girls? I have 2 girls. Katie is 9 and Ellie is 4.
I'll do the other 10 questions tomorrow.
I'm 40!! I remember thinking "40 is SO old." HA! But 40 isn't so bad, because:
--Getting old is now cool. The rustic look is in.
--The tea kettle still whistles at me!
--My supply of brain cells is finally down to a manageable size.
--Senility is a good thing. I'm always meeting new friends!
--I'm now somewhere between the Young and the Restless and the Old and the Senseless.
--My secrets are safe with my friends because they can't remember them either!
--I'm aged to perfection.
--Retirement is only 25 years away!
Leave me a funny about turning 40. I'll pick my favorite and send the winner some vintage goodies, including a hankie, jewelry, lace trim, and whatever else I can come up with.
Does whatever a sweater pig does!
Labeling is the name of the game today as I prepare a package to send to an online store.
Teacher's pet is a given for my animals, don't you think?
I have to tell you about Carpet Shoes, which is what I am calling my baby shoes. Gram wore "carpet shoes" or what the majority of people call slippers. They were stretchy terry cloth with rubber bottoms. I can't find anything like them online. Anywho, Brett calls all slippers carpet shoes and it drives Katie crazy. CRAZY! So of course he does it to tease her. Anyway, using Carpet Shoes is an ode to Gram and Katie ;)
I ordered some woven labels a couple of weeks ago, but they've not yet arrived. I couldn't wait any longer. Many people have made their own labels using inkjet fabric sheets, so I thought, "How hard can it be?" Leave it to me to make this into a difficult project. I made a trip to Joann where there were several computer printer fabrics. I chose the Colorfast Sew-In Inkjet Fabric Sheets (3 sheets for $9.99) and the Sew-In Computer Printer Fabric ($10.99 for 10 sheets). Here's what I learned:
For labels use this:
See the nice neat edges after the sheet is cut? The sheets are sturdy. I actually had to peel the fabric from the backing to get it to go through my printer. It feels a little like vinyl. Follow the directions on the packaging to heat set the ink. When the directions say "Do not rub!" they really mean Do. Not. RUB! That goes for the iron, too. See those tiny black spots? Do not rub!
For labels, don't use this:
This feels like the right thing until you peel off the paper backing. Then it's like a lightweight cotton fabric that unravels taking it off the backing. It can be applied to interfacing or fusible, but alone this product would be better for a different sewing project.
It's okay if you don't, but I don't understand. How can you not love cool air but warm sunshine? Clear blue skies? The rustling of the drying corn leaves? Sleeping with the windows open while snuggled under a warm blanket? 
Lucky French Knots gets the wool acorn! Congratulations! Send me your address so that I can get the acorn off to you.
For everyone else, how about a consolation prize in the form of an acorn pattern/tutorial? This isn't the same pattern/tutorial I use for wool acorns, but it's cute in its own right.
If you want to learn how to make this:
Go HERE
A few days ago Maritza wrote about types of stuffing for softies, as well as tools she uses to stuff them. I was glad to see her unconventional tools. These are my stuffing tools. Can you guess which 2 are my favorite?
If you guessed the 2 on the right, you're correct. The 2 on the left are "official" stuffing tools, but I don't care for them. I guess I do use the one on the far left for tiny things, but not very often. The 2 I prefer aren't intended for stuffing, but their designs are perfect for it. The tool with the dark brown handle is a Dritz joint tool used for rolling down cotter pins. It fits perfectly in my palm. The little one the far left is a wire-coiling tool. The wooden handle broke off long ago, but I prefer it without the handle. The key to both tools is the notch:
The notch grabs the stuffing (I use PolyFil) and holds onto it. This makes it easier to get the stuffing right where you want it. The notch is also handy for wrapping stuffing so that it fits into arms and legs.
The other key to these tools is that they have a blunt end. Sharp tools are not good for stuffing. Don't use them. Trust me.
What are your favorite stuffing tools?
It's doing nothing for me, but hopefully it will work for you(?).
Acorns appear only on adult trees, and thus are often a symbol of patience and the fruition of long, hard labor. For example, an English proverb states that Great oaks from little acorns grow, urging the listener to wait for maturation of a project or idea. A German folktale has a farmer try to outwit Satan, to whom he has promised his soul, by asking for a reprieve until his first crop is harvested; he plants acorns and has many years to enjoy first. In Britain, one old tradition has it that if a woman carries an acorn on her person it will delay the aging process and keep her forever young. ~~From Wikipedia
A lot of reasons for us to be enamored of the little acorn. For your chance to own this leave a comment and I will draw a winner Friday.
Wool tweed and wool-blend felt stuffed with PolyFil. If you don't want the pins (vintage glass beads) I will add a ribbon so you can hang it.
Don't be surprised if you find this in your package. Lucy is in her terrible 2s!! The girls are learning the hard way that toys can't be left on the floor. I rescued this horse, though not without a fight. Lucy was determined to make her a hairless horse.
