Snow day

Well the big storm blew in yesterday, and seemed to peter out.  We were supposed to get tons of snow and only got a half a ton, not enough to close things down.  Poor Jeremy, he thought for sure he'd have no school and stayed up later than usual (he has to be up before 6 am, his bus comes at 6:30).  It's weird though, all the districts directly west and north of us are closed and there isn't as much traffic on our busy road as there is usually.  I think the other districts are preparing for the onslaught we're supposed to receive this afternoon---smart.  The winds are supposed to pick up big time and present possible blizzard like conditions.  Glad I don't have to go anywhere, although my daughter is here for her weekly overnight and she wants us to go out to dinner for my birthday.  I already had dinner planned here, I'd rather not spend tons of money on eating out.  Plus, it's getting pretty bad outside, I'd rather not travel the 15 miles to town today.  We can eat out some other time and Jessica can make dinner tonight!  :-)

So, I've been thinking about how I'd like to spend my birthday weekend.  I had said that I'd lock myself up in my studio and craft all weekend, and that'll certainly be a big part of the weekend but I think I'd like to start decorating and organizing my craft space.  I've been looking at pictures online of other craft studios and getting some awesome ideas!  There are whole Flickr sets dedicated to craft rooms and quilting studios! I'd  like to stop at my favorite antique shops and start collecting containers for storage.  Sure, I have tons of plastic---but some of the ideas I've seen using unconventional items (like a 3 tiered cookie rack to store buttons, or a lunch box to store fabric) have given me some great ideas!  I also want to get more shelves and some pegboard to hang tools and stuff.  I definitely need more storage---I have fabric and old jeans lying around that need a place to be--not to mention tons of craft items.  It doesn't help that Seamus dumps his toys all over, too!  I need a cool space for those as well.  All that will come with time, right now I have to decide on paint colors---I'm thinking a nice butter yellow and crisp white trim to start.  Here are the befores---don't mind the mess, Seamus kinda ransacked the place looking for his train!  But I can't blame him for all of the disorderliness!

Current project on the table, Carolina Christmas quilt








There's a lot of work to do and I'm getting tons and tons of ideas--I need to win the lottery, LOL!  But I'll at least get paint and some peg board for this weekend--a birthday present to myself so I can create a crafters sanctuary!  It's the least I can do for me ;-)

The snow is blowing like crazy now! Across the street, 3 cars are stuck in my neighbors drive.  I hope it is safe for the school buses, I hate waiting in weather like this, I always worry!  These country roads can be treacherous!  Keep safe, keep warm and ttfn!

Find the beauty in everyday!

We got clobbered by a storm Friday night dumping a good 18-24 inches on us.  It was beautiful!  I'll have to say though, trudging the 200 feet to the chicken coop and back in snow higher than my knees was an experience!  I need a pair of snowshoes!  When I got up today, the sun hadn't peaked over the trees in the back yet.  I was in the kitchen, getting my ingredients together to make bagels and homemade sausage when I happened to look out and the trees in the distance were all aglow!  It was so beautiful---I got some pictures but they don't do the view justice at all.

 

As usual, click on the pics for the full size.  What a way to start out a day!  beautiful!

So, we're probably not going to go to Amish country this week---I think it would be better to wait until it's a bit warmer out.  In little towns like Kidron and Berlin, there are so many places to check out that you need to be out of your car and walking around.  I'd rather not be encumbered by coats and gloves and boots and so forth.  Especially with the kids coming along---if it were just me and hubby that wouldn't be a problem.  So I decided that for my birthday I'd like to go to some of the local quilt shops and I told the guys that I'd like to be able to lock myself up in my studio so I can just sew and create all weekend long!  They didn't seem to mind that compromise so that is what I'll be doing this weekend!  YAY!

We've been slowly working on remodeling my kitchen, I'd like to do in a retro-40's-50's country style.  I've always wanted a stove from that time period, they were just so cool.  Imagine my surprise when I found one locally on Ebay!  It's just like Rachael Ray's stove on her 30 Minute meals set, except this one is white.  It needs some restoration work, but nothing major.  I am so excited!  They wanted $300 for it but I noticed that they had listed it over 6 months earlier.  I put a bid in of $50 dollars and they accepted it!

This is what it looks like now, although the burners are covered.  It is a 1941 Model B Chambers stove.   Here is what it should look like when it is restored:

Mine is actually in very good condition as you can see above.  It does need some parts but we found some sources online and it won't be a problem to find them.  One thing, I will have to get a wall oven, that oven just isn't big enough for the cooking I do so we're looking on Craig's List and CheapCycle and Ebay for a vintage double wall oven.  Maybe we'll have the same good luck and find something just a good as the stove!  I've been perusing the local antique stores for dishes and cookware from that period as well.  We got a Hoosier cabinet from a local store, it needs to be restored as well but hubby and I can both work on that together.  I had a dream that a bunch of people came over and helped us drywall the laundry room so we can tear down the wall between it and the kitchen and get my renovation started!  Maybe this summer????!!!  I have to come up with a good kitchen wall hanging!  If you know of any cute retro kitcheny patterns, feel free to leave me a link to them in the comments section, please!

My old stove will be used in my outdoor kitchen that we are going to create under the deck we put on the back of the house.  It is a Frigidaire stainless "Professional Series".  First off, it's not real stainless and when I've cleaned it the supposed stainless coating came off!  The touchpad is cracked and I can't set the clock or the oven cleaner---I'm not even certain how it cracked!  The stovetop is impossible to clean properly.  It has broken down 4 times, we've had to replace parts.  Now the oven isn't working properly.  This stove is only 5 years old!  Needless to say, I will not be purchasing any more Frigidaire products, we paid over $2000 for this stove and I have to say it was not worth the money at all, the convection oven doesn't even worked properly and it never has---I don't think it is true convection.  I've worked with convection ovens in the restaurants I've worked in and this oven is nothing like them---that's why it cost so much, because I wanted the convection oven.  Oh well, live and learn---just don't by Frigidaire products, they don't live up to their name!  Don't even get me on a rant about my Maytag stainless refrigerator!  PIECE OF JUNK!!!  From now on, I will purchase either old (they were built to last!) or commercial.

We've got another winter storm heading in tonight!  YAY!  I don't have to go anywhere so it's no skin off my nose and maybe if we are lucky, Jeremy will have a snow day and we can go sledding in the back!  Cross your fingers for us!  Although, I'd better add, I hope that either way, the roads aren't bad because hubby has to drive on them for many miles for work and I don't want him to be in dangerous conditions!  Here's more winter scenes.  TTFN!