NEW YEAR'S EVE 2010

We will be staying home tonight doing our usual Watching tv and probably in bed before 12. I bet if a poll was taken more people do this then actually go out to celebrate or party. especially among the older group.

I have a few more things to show you from the last couple of flea markets. Something I do want to clarify is how I buy at the flea market. If I see an item and the price seems fair I will buy it wihout even trying to quote "bargain". If I see it is a little high I will ask in a very nice way "can you go a little lower". In 9 out of 10 cases they will.
If they say no I have to get that amount and I want it I will pay the price or walk away if too high. I feel that the majority of the people there selling are not doing it because they love it but trying to make a living. I have got to know a lot of the gals and guys at my weekend one near my house and they are like long lost friends when I come back. They even save things for me or will say I have some things you would like and bring them the next week or two. When I cleaned out cupboards last Spring before we left I brought items to the market and gave them to one of the really nice gals who I knew was having a hard time and told her to sell them and keep the money for herself. I talked to her yesterday and she said she sells clothes at some of her markets and I didn't know that. I just gave a couple of bags to one of the ones that call you. I will save them for her from now on.

I wanted to say with the red and white quilt when I asked her how much and she said 25.00 or best offer I came up with 15.00 thinking she would come back at 20.00 or more but she seemed very unconcerned and accepted the 15.00 very happily. This will probably never happen again.

I have been with people who pick up an article and then try to find every little fault and belittle the item thinking that will help bring the price down. That doesn't work, in fact it backfires because it usually gets the dealer really upset and they don't want to sell to you at any price. The above are just a few little ideas that help me and make the dealer happy to see you again. In fact I have been known to buy things I don't even want if I feel sorry for a dealer or I am the one that sees one person sitting at a craft fair not selling anything and I always go over and talk to them and tell them how nice their work is. Unless the things are really expensive I will buy something just to try and make them feel better. Next thing they are in the Goodwill bag but someone down the line will enjoy it.

I have a couple more things from the last few weeks to show you. First is a very pretty old silver dish the dealer asked 5.00 and I paid it willingly.

Next is a small old jug that is engraved and is an almost pale lilac color glass. This was 5.00 and I thought it worth it also.

Next is a pretty pair of white kid gloves in great condition and they were only 3.00.

The next pair I bought a while ago and I really liked the detail down the sides of them. They asked and I paid 5.00. I usually just display them lying over something.

I can hear either fireworks or gun shooting going on and it is only 8.20. I think I will hide under the bed not on top tonight. They are crazy down here with the gun shooting on holidays.

Happy New Year to all my dear friends and followers. May the next year treat all of us very kindly and no more illnesses for you, us, your parents and children whatever the case may be.

Hugs

FredaB

MY PRESENT

I have been seeing these dolls on Shari replogle's blogspot www.playswithpaper.blogspot.com and the dolls would be sold before she could even get them on her etsy site. I wrote Shari and asked if she would make me one. I ordered one for myself for Christmas and it came a few days ago. Normally it has a long hanging ribbon but I had no where to hang it with all the Christmas stuff up so just put it in front of one of the bowls on the bakers rack and tied it on to the rack. I took a picture but not sure how well it shows. She actually is an old fashioned candy box and mine came complete with candy.

Once I clear out Christmas next week I will find a good spot to hang her. I think they are really different. She has been featured in some of the Somerset magazines, rightly so.

CARDS & FAMILY

Christmas is slowly fading away but before we finish with it I would like to show you a couple of pics of cards received and of the family pictures that came with them.

My daughter is into scrapbooking and always makes the most beautiful cards. The first pic is Sue's green card with the decorated snowflake. I don't know if you will be able to see the embossing but the green is embossed with different snowflakes. Great job Sue.

Next is from my DIL Jeana who did not make this but always picks out gorgeous cards to send us on different occasions. This one has an actual little wooden sled on it that tickled me so. Especially this year with Chicago under snow over Christmas and the kids tobogganing and sledding.

The 3rd. card came from a friend in Naples, FL and I picked it because I just liked the idea of how they had the house hanging seperately. We did receive many beautiful cards from all our friends and family both in the US, Canada and overseas.

The next pick is of our six grandkids. The top pic with the 3 boys are Sue's children and this photo was taken on vacation this summer in Mexico. Kyle in the back is 15 and just entered high school. Sean on the left is 12 and just entered junior high. Luke is 8 and also in 2nd. grade.

The bottom photo are my son & Jeana's three. The redheaded fella is heading off to college next fall and his sister will be a junior. They will be 18 and 16 both in Feb. Little Tommy is 8 and is in 2nd. grade. This pic was taken recently when the family room was decorated.

They are a really nice bunch of kids and we are very proud of them.

I started knitting a scarf last night and got so involved that I forgot to blog. First day this month that I think I have missed. The scarf is for the Special Winter Olympics and they tell you what colors to use and give various patterns to use. I just found out about this so not sure how many I can get done by the time to mail them which is the end of Feb. in Minnesota. Ill. they had to be in in Jan. So thought I would try to make a few more and will send them further north. They started this last year I believe and every entrant received a hand knitted or crocheted scarf. If anyone else wants any info on this I can give you a site to go to for info.

ANOTHER FLEA MARKET FIND

For years I have been looking for a red and white quilt that I could use at Christmas time and Valentines, etc. They have either been too beat up for what they wanted for them or were very good ones that were too expensive for what I wanted it for.

Every thurs. morning they have a flea market in Eustis - the town next to ours - and they have a whole building as a food market. We go there mainly for the food. Harv will even go over there with me as there are a lot of men there and he enjoys looking at the fishing stuff, tools, etc. It is large and he has no trouble getting around there in his scooter. Well for one reason or another we have not had a Thurs. morning without an appt. of some kind or it has been just too cold in the morning to go. Well last Thurs. was free of anything else and in the 60's and sunny so over we went. I found a lot of small things, a couple of which I haven't taken pics of yet but right near the end I went to this one booth and saw this red and white quilt on a table. I unfolded it and had the woman help me to open it up and look at it. It is one of the very old ones with the cotton batting that has shifted a bit. It is hand quilted and the only bad parts are around the edges where the binding has become raggy in a few spots. I asked her what she wanted for it and she said 25.00 or best offer. If she hadn't said "best offer" I would have handed her 25. and taken it. I took a gulp and said how about $15.00 and she said fine. It was discolored in spots and I knew I would not use it without washing it and wasn't sure what would happen. It could have just fallen apart and goodbye money. Well when I got home I put it in the washing machine on gentle with some All and washed it. Then I threw it in the dryer on low and let it go until dry. I held my breath and took it out and it was so much brighter and no worse for the wear. I think this is a quilt that had been used by someone on their bed everyday.
I covered the back of my sofa with it so you could see the pattern. If I had been home I would have hung it but have no open wall space down here.

This has to be the best bargain I have ever found at the flea market.

Does anyone know what the name of the pattern is?

DECEMBER 26

We had a very nice Christmas. Very lazy - slept in until 9 or so then got up and had our usual juice and coffee then we opened our stockings like we have always done. Filled with small, sometimes silly things but that makes it all the more fun. After that we had breakfast of fresh pineapple and very large, delicious cinammon rolls. That is not our usual breakfast. Usually cereal with fruit in season, blueberries, strawberries, peaches, etc. cut up on it. Speaking of season I have been waiting for the Florida strawberry crop and it is just starting. Haven't seen any at the markets but today our Publix store had them advertised in the food paper so bring them on. I love strawberries.
In season we just eat them out of hand and also have waffles with them.

After breakfast we opened our gifts. Our son & daughter had gone in together and bought Harv a Squeeze Box radio that works off the WiFi. We have terrible radio reception in our area of Florida and a lot of static. This radio can pick up stations all over the country and if today was any example it played beautifully. We had no idea there was such a thing until a neighbour mentioned it to Harv at a party. He had asked for one for Christmas. They both like jazz and got talking about missing their good jazz stations and that is when this was mentioned. We have picked up our WGN from Chicago and now I can just push a button and listen to my guys up there.

We both got a lot of nice things and I got 4 sewing/collage books. That will keep me busy for awhile. I am interested in getting into the paper arts for awhile and give cq a rest. That is once I finish this last quilt.

We had 2 other couples over for dinner and it was a great time. I had our usual crackers and made them play along, hats and all. They really are a silly fun thing with the little games, toys, etc. and the jokes. We were all laughing. We had a spiral cut ham that I made. Sweet potatoes plus a potato casserole one of the other gals made. Corn pudding one made and frozen peas plus crescent rolls I had. Dessert was vanilla ice cream with home made cherry preserves I made last summer and brought down. Along with this was a plate of various cookies. All in all it was a great meal. Of course in there were a few martinis, manhattens, wine and white grape juice. No driving to worry about. Just walk across and down the street. The weather co-operated and was in the 70's. Today it turned bitter cold and was not above 40 outside with a very cold wind. We are back to worrying about freezing crops, flowers, etc. for the next couple of days. Poor growers.

Harv took a picture of the table set up and one of me. I will show an updated me. The other one is quite a few years old. Don't throw tomatoes at me please.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM FREDA & HARV

I am so thankful to all my friends and family who follow me on this little journey through life that I blog about. All the good and bad of it. One last picture to end with today is with our Christmas stockings that I needlepointed many years ago. We still do stockings for each other and in mine was a new battery charger for my camera that is still missing plus many other fun things. For my CQ friends no I was not even into CQ when I made my stocking. Just liked the look of it. Strange how our world revolves.

I wil try to keep blogging faithfully and hope you will still follow me on this journey.

Hugs

FredaB

DECEMBER 25 - MERRY CHRISTMAS

Well here we are on Christmas Day and I have opened the last of the matchboxes. Today's litle beauty was made by Michelle Cummings. It is covered in silver paper with a Santa photo on it and decorated with glitter and holly leaves. Inside the present is a bottlecap with the Santa pictre cropped to size and is covered with some permanent plastic and glitter all around the edge. On the back is a magnet so it can be used to hold a pic on my fridge. I had read about the bottlecaps but never seen one. Now I have one of my own. Very clever and thank you Michelle.

The boxes are all finally either hung on the tree or are the presents below. Beside the tree sits poor Santa all tired out from his trip around the world last night.