The Red Shoes and Boots and A Little Day of the Dead

Hello dear ones, well what have I been doing besides watching the snow fall?  Well I do wish we would have gotten more of the fluffy white stuff.  This last week got 2-3 inches but you know I guess we should be thankful for the moisture and not press our luck on wanting more snow.   What is the saying be careful what you wish for  ?   I have to say this softly just incase Mother Nature listens and say ok young lady I am fixin to give you more snow.  Wonder if she talks with a West Texas accent?   Hummmmmm something to wonder about.

Now my friend Betty from Australia sent me the cutest pics of her granddaughter Ava and her new red shoes and how she didn't want to take them off. So typical of sweet little girls and reminded me of a some red shoe and boot stories. 

One of our daughters had some red, plastic, leather looking boots when she was maybe 4ish.   Would not take them off and in the summer smelt to high heaven but she loved the boots.  Must be something about the RED?   She would push her doll's baby buggy around and all over the block, up and down the sidewalk with the red boots on.   Then we got beautiful granddaughter, we bought her some red sparkling Mary Jane shoes.   She stepped in a fish pond at a restaurant with them on, no problem just soggy shoes and then she out grew them and still wanted to were them.  So we got her a pair of red shoes #2.  There we go RED again.

   Now when I was doing  professional photography a grandmother came to her appointment with granddaughter.  The granddaughter was in tears. What a way to start a photography session.  I knelt down and said what is the matter little sweetie?  What could be wrong with you to bring tears.  You are at Miss Annette's, you get a sucker and a floating balloon and you have the magical RED shoes on?  She sniffled and thru sobs said her grandmother wanted her to take off the RED shoes that they didn't go with her white and pink dress.   Well I said they are magical shoes lets go in the studio and see what happens. The grandmother was not happy and I said it will be ok.     Lo and behold when the pictures came back the RED shoes were gone.  Now this was before Digital photography, you know the old fashioned film days when you really had to be creative.  Yes it could be done with film.  Shocking isn't it?

I  wish I could find the pics but it was an all white background, lots of lace curtains, a white little wicker rocking chair and pretty white and girlie pretties all around.  Well Miss Annette used white tulle to make the floor soft and fluffy and we just adjusted the tulle to look like white clouds and hid the RED shoes.  Yep made everyone happy especially the litte RED shoe sweetie and no tears or anything.

I know what a combination---Red shoes and Day of the Dead.  Does anything really have to be a perfect combination these days?   Nope don't think so.

I have been I guess on a kick of the Day of the Dead, party Heaven I guess. Sorry about the pun.    I joined a group   Crazy Quilt International and our little group of 5 is doing a 12 inch, yikes that is big, block of Day of the Dead.  Four of the ladies will work on the block and I will work on theirs and we all will have a finished block.  

 

 

Here is my block, I think I have enough color in it and I can see it all now this naked block transformed in to a block with lots of beads and flowers and creativity.   To me the naked blocks do not sing but will keep you posted on the transforming of this block.

 

 

I did do another block of the D o D for  the Crazy Quilt Journal Project 2015 .  I thought I am going to do all 12 of the blocks with this theme.  So here is February's block .

 

 

 

TAAA DAAAA February's block.  Did you notice I like color?   You can hear the parting and all the love here.  

 

 

Thanks for stopping by and seeing what is going on in my world today.   Or as Grandson says down my bunny trails all over the place.

 

 

 

                                                          XOOXOX

                                                       ANNETTE



A New Crop and a New CQ

Hello  and I know you are thinking--- A Crop?  What is Annette growing?    It is cold and most of the time freezing and the ground is hard.  Well for years we grew cotton, peanuts, milo and even Cabbage.  Yes Cabbage one day will share pics of that adventure.  It was an adventure for sure.   The peanuts were so pretty to grow the pretty lush leaves, their blooms then turn then upside down and there were the peanuts.  Funny story, one time when our daughter was teaching she wanted me to send a peanut plant so she could show the students how they grew.  Well I pulled up a plant and it was loaded with peanuts and shipped it with dirt around them and all.  Of course in the shipping the leaves wilted to ugly but when she opened the box the janitor said who would ship a package like that to you?   My Mother she answered.   Peanuts in the natural state.  I hope the kids got to see and just check them out, I know some probably thought peanuts grew on a tree. 

Now in the meanderings of Face Book I saw where someone had gotten the bottom part of Romaine Lettuce, the bottom ugly part of it that you cut off and trash.  Well they showed where they put it in water and lo and behold  more grew.  So I thought I am going to try that.   I did and it grew almost instantly.  No kidding,  you can almost see it growing. 

 

 

You can see the ugly bottom part, the trash I guess if you will and it has a tiny bit of water in it.   I just guessed at that part, the amount of water to put in it.   Almost the next day there was a tiny little bud popping out, pale yellow in color but I thought wow that stuff is fast.  It was looking pretty pale on the little table, yes Candice THE  little table.   So Miz brainstorm here thought it needs sun .   Well lookie there ------ green appeared.  

 

I just had to share from the top of it how pretty it looks.   

 

One more quick look at how healthy it looks, will have to keep you posted on this one little experiment.  Who knows I may sell these at a farmers market,  home grown lettuce from my coffee cups.   Or not.  

 

 

Now my CQing is coming along, I have finished my January block for Kathy Shaw's CQJP 2015.   Where we do a block of our choice and just kind of an self imposed if you will project.   Usually I am willy nilly about my subjects just whatever pops in my head,   Those knowing me probably thinks oh no this could be scary.    This year I am organized with the project.   I sewed up 12 blocks 8 inches  in size and used some fabric of the Day of the Dead or Dia De Los Muertos.  Yep 12 of these pretties.   A friend Janet had sent some fabric with the scenes on them and I had some fabric and thought ok a theme.  I am not a theme person by the way.   Then another angel Mary said I have some things you can use.  So this is a collaboration of Janet, Mary and Annette.

 

a Mexican holiday observed throughout Mexico and around the world in other cultures. The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died

 

 



Here you go, can't you just hear the music being played and the dances laughing and having a good time of their wonderful celebration.   Yes this block is different and is it real CQ?  don't have a clue but it will be mine.   I have another one for February nearly finished.   I just thought the colors were fun and cheerful.   Of course I had to put lots of beads on it, it is a party you know.   

There you go my " Bunny Trails" for the day.  Thanks for stopping by and seeing what is going on in my world today.

XOXOXO

Annette 

Fresh Bunny Trails for 2015

Wow my blog muse has taken a vacation---it looks like it anyway.   She is back now strong and no telling what this year will bring to us all.    I do hope all had a wonderful Merry Christmas and lots of new and good changes for 2015.

Now I know this not probably the most exciting news in the world but we did get some snow, not near as much as they called for and lots of ice.   Here in the Lone Star State we are not blizzard proof and we do get ready for the pretty white stuff and we personally enjoy it.  Well, as long as we are snug in our home with the fireplace going and nice and cozy that is.   Fair weather snow peeps I guess.   

Here is it the 3rd of January and the tree is still up.  That doesn't bother us one bit but where we keep the tubs for all Christmas decorating is in the back garage and it is icy to get back there and no reason to hurry the tub hauling exercise up.   Better just to enjoy the decorating and no broken bones.  Hubby and I are not champion ice skaters,  well we are not ice skaters at all.  We watch when the fur babies go out and the slip and slide for us all.   Now I do have to admit we bundle up and take turns playing outside with our newest fur baby Charlie.   Mr. Energy.  He does love to chase his toys and when he is finished he usually goes and hides the toys.   We still have not figured out the magic command for him to come inside the doggie door but we have a little program that suits us all.  Now Libby? She is now the matriarch and is older and wiser and just doesn't mess with all the hoop la of anything.  She just lays there and watches and thinks----oh me I just can't teach this young dog anything.

I can remember in years and I mean years past I loved to go out in the snow when we lived in Takoma Washington.   We would bundle up like little snowmen and have a blast and then come in and take all of the pile of clothes  and be like little frozen icicles.  Tingly feet and fingers and cold noses that go with snow play.    At least that is where I think we were living at this time in my life. 

We do not make resolutions, nope none at all.  Why? We will just break them  and then think well that was a waste of time.  So the best way to save time in our relaxed retired lifestyle, where time is a plenty, is to not make resolutions.   Done and done.

I have been doing some crazy quilting, well really not quilting but that is what we call it and so it is.   Pat Winter did a call out for a hand, our hand, to be drawn and CQed .  That was fun and in pastel colors.  Now any of you that know me know that pastel is really really not in my vocabulary but I did it.  She is making a wall hanging with 12 hands of friends on it.  It should be beautiful.   Soooooooooo here is my hand I did. 

 

 

You see the ugly background but the hand was fun to do.   I did draw off the right hand being as I am left handed.  Of course I had to put a bracelet on, the more bling you know.   We were suppose to leave about 1/4 inch around and then Pat will applique it on the hanging.   Pretty awesome idea I do believe. 

 

 

I actually braved the elements to take pics instead of standing in our kitchen or sun room and take them. 

 

Now I said bunny trails and here is one set that was in the  front, well they were actually all over the front but I didn't want to fall with my good camera.  Oh the foot prints on the right were of human nature. 

 

 

Just a few views of some of our little people and doings in the front and back.   A couple of  ice covered little people.  One for each grandchild, I know they don't look like them but they stand for them, our little soldiers guarding the front door.    

 

Canadian geese that fly over a couple of times a day and all their honking.  It is always so fascinating to watch them fly in formation and the like one of them yells I am tired take my place and then the dance of switching places takes place.   .  

 

 

 

The girl tree of the patio side of the yard with the back garage holding court.  Now I call this the girl tree -she is shorter and the tree on the other side of the patio is the boy tree.  He is taller, a lot taller and both planted at the same time.  Hence boy and girl tree.  

 

Mr. Nome,  he is our moving Nome.  We have used him to help us move and Grandson has used him also.   Now if you look to the right you will see more Bunny trails coming and bouncing in the back.  This is why Charlie has such a conniption in the dark of the night.  Bunny invasion.  

 

Even our Faerie village got snow and ice.  We were disappointed no more snow than we got but moisture is moisture. 

 

More Bunny trails in the back yard.  Oh the whole back yard was full of them, I like to think of them as little bunnies  and not some giant multi legged critter with rabbit feet.  Did get carried away with that thought didn't  I?  Sorry, sometimes my fingers get carried away, certainly not my imagination  

 

I would like to thank each and every one of you for your visits to my world.   Kind words and just popping in.   I hope all have a great 2015 and we will see what takes place in the creative world  of us all.  

 

 

 

XOOXOX

Annette