Absolute Vintage Boutique

There's a resale shop on the west side of town that inspires me and has my heart.  Not only do they have all kinds of repurposed, crafty good stuff, but they offer paint classes and outdoor markets.  I always leave inspired to make something.  This time some milk paint for a ratty antique bed stand and sparkly german glass glitter for some recent flea find antlers. 

DIY's make for a relaxing, fun weekend!

Dog Boots

YEEHAW!  Aunt Tami in Texas sent me home with some cowboy boots for the girls. 

Of course, Pretty Girl Pearl likes them.

 

Canton Flea Market

Like true flea market junkies - we just can't get enough and had to swing by Canton for First Monday trade days for a few hours.  It sure made for a long day combined with a 500 mile drive back home -- but it was worth it.  I scored a $15 deal on a wooden chair I will repurpose.  It's just perfect to use with my spinning wheel. 

Just another fun-filled 1,600 mile road trip with my momma!

Rod & Custom Show

Mom and I don't stay put for long.  It's on to Austin for the Lone Star Round Up car show full of rockabilly fun. 

I have a thing for old Chevy trucks in rust bucket colors.

2014 Texas Antiques Week

YEEHAW!! 

 It's another fabulous road trip to Texas with my momma for shopping and antiques.  The bluebonnets are in full bloom and the temperatures in the low 80's.  This year we are staying a couple nights at a motel in Giddings and drove into Round Top our first day making the newly opened Junk Gypsy Headquarters our first stop. 

It's true, Not All Who Wander are Lost.

Such an inspiring, colorful shop full of good stuff!

 We walked all over Round Top and Warrenton for two days and then Thursday night was the Junk O Rama Prom where the Warrenton oudoor nightlife comes alive with cowboy boots and prom dresses, twinkle lights, music, beer and dancing.  It's the magical kind of night that you wake up the next morning wishing you could do it over again.

 

MLM @ the March Flea

I gave the Flea another go this month and now I'm done for the summer.  Knitting projects got me through the winter and now I'm ready to put the needles down (mostly) for outdoor travel, sports and adventure.  What's left is packed up in a suitcase for sales at a later date.  Thanks for supporting Miss Lanora's Miscellany and I'll see y'all in the Fall.

Headbands

I woke early this Saturday morning with the idea in my head to sew some headbands.  I drew up a template pattern, dug out some stash fabric, elastic and got to work.  In no time, I had a pile of headbands to take to the flea market (and some to keep) tomorrow.   

Feather and Fan Baby Blanket

One baby blanket down and one more to go for a couple of my girlfriends first grandbaby.  The pattern is a great lacey feather and fan design with cables from this book.  It could easily become one of the best "go to" blanket patterns. Easy and fast!

Dog Handknits!

Pretty girl Pearl has her own knitted stocking cap and surprisingly, she likes it!

 

Fun with the Nuns

I'm always honored when the Sisters at Heartland Farm invite me to help them with events.  This time for another FiberSpace weekend retreat to help teach fiber arts such as knitting, crochet, spinning and weaving.  I tend to stick with the spinners turning alpaca fiber into yarn.  All the while close to tears from the nostalgia being at the farm with the Sisters brings back memories of times spent with my grandmother.  It feeds my soul.

 

Olympic Knits

I'm so into the 2014 Olympics in Russia.  Two weeks of lounging on the couch with the dogs watching all the winter games and knitting.  I found a great hat pattern exactly like all the USA team hats and made one for myself that also led to a pair of matching mitts.  Both a great patriotic souvenir and reminder of the Sochi games.

DIY: Boho Boots

Here's another project inspired by my travels.  I saw a pair of short repurposed belted cowboy boots like this in an upscale boutique in Dallas.  They were my size but I just couldn't justify spending several hundred dollars when I knew I could make them on my own so I tucked that idea away in my mental creative To Do list.  Then, this weekend, the inspiration kicked in.  For $47 in accessories at Forever 21 and a pair of old boots and one of my Harley belt buckles, I woke up at 3:30 a.m. and made these rock 'n roll, cowgirl, biker boots. 

Now I'm looking at my old pair of brown boots...

Cozy Winter, I Love You So!

For being such a sun worshiper, I sure like winter.  It gives us a chance to sit still, watch a movie, the Superbowl or just about anything for that matter.  And of course, there's lots of knitting and crochet.  More hats for the next flea market and more repurposed shirts that I sneak off for an hour at a time to sew on my sewing machine upstairs in my craft room.  Add several inches of snow and I'm that much more thrilled about winter.  I enjoy it completely while it's here.

A Quiet Work Environment

When I'm not out on client meetings and lunches, my remote workdays have been busy and quiet.  Who would've thought I wouldn't miss an office full of people complaining about temperature, music, cursing and the constant stress about policies and procedures, audits, etc.  There were so many distractions that I only realize now.  I am much more productive working at home with the pups snoring behind me or at coffee shops with a coworker.

A New Job

Sometimes you have to take a leap of faith and do something unexplainable.  I wasn't really looking for a new job but it found me.  My boss from a year ago started his own agency and offered me a position with much more flexibility and I will be working with clients I worked with for many years previously.  It's familiar and just happened to fit nicely with changes in my life lately.  I have a cozy home office set up going on.  It's good.

MLM at the Flea in January

It was another successful MLM collection that went up for sale at the Flea.  For this month, I focused my efforts making headband/wraps and a few hats.  Next month will be mostly hats.  I have to mix it up to keep from getting bored with myself.   I also sewed up more reconstructed western shirts and somehow was able to part with all my favorites.  I tend of want to keep them all.  My friend, Celi and her daughter set up at my table with her adorable crochet baby booties and hung out with me for awhile catching up.  Then there were a lot of my classmates that came to support MLM handknits.  It was like a high school reunion.  Thanks ya'll for the support!

 

Puppy New Year

We have another puppy in the house to ring in the new year with.  We've named her Polly and she's Pearl's half sister from the same daddy, Duke, and different mamma boxers all from Parson Pups. 

Christmas 2013

 

Merry Christmas from our home to yours!

Rest in Peace Sheba

Well, we knew this day was coming.  Two years ago the vet gave her six months so all this time we had with Sheba somewhat made this day easier to bare. Needless to say, it's been a difficult couple of months losing our fur babies.

December @ the Flea

Somehow during all my dog life drama and this busy holiday season, I managed to put together a knitwear inventory for December. 

This morning the weather turned cold and icy but that just helped to make my hats and mitts fly off the display.  The headbands w/crochet flower (shown in picture) were the most popular but just about everything shown sold and I'm already thinking about next month's collection.