Going Back Again

We had this house built for us about 8 years ago. When we moved to Arizona my daughter rented it from us. They were recently able to purchase a very nice new nest for their family and I am excited for them.

We were up in Utah a couple weeks ago taking home a visiting granddaughter and helping with the move. We are making a quick trip back soon to make sure it is ready for the next family whoever that might be.

The house is now getting all painted inside and getting spruced up and ready for a new family. Since we will be here in Arizona a few more years we need someone new to love and live in this place.

It has 5 bedrooms, 3 baths and the basement is finished. The backyard is fenced. For cooks the kitchen has a gas cooktop and double ovens.

This house is in Stansbury Park, Utah. It is close to the freeway for getting into Salt Lake easily. Do you need a place to live and love in Tooele County? Do you have any questions? Let me know.

Me and My Twilight Character

I read this series after it was loaned to me by my daughter. Then I found a link to a quiz to see which character I was like on the Jeweled Elegance blog.

I am a Bella and they say that

You are observant, diplomatic and often aim to please. You are unaware of your
attractiveness and despite being uncomfortable with any form of attention, people enjoy your company. You can be impatient, stubborn and headstrong, but you are true to your word and mature for your age, often taking care of your family and enjoying a good book over chatting with girlfriends on the phone.

Take the Quiz and Share Your Results!
Take the quiz and let me know who you are.

So Handy!

My first crocheting lessons were from my mother making rag rugs. It is something I still enjoy doing and I have been saving up fabrics, old worn clothes, sheets and tablecloths to make some new ones. Some of them may show up in my shops someday and some of them will be just for me.

What I never really thought of doing was using the strips to make other things. The variety is endless. On Etsy I have seen rugs of course as well as bowls and bags. The simple little project I wish I had thought of is potholders. Some of the nicest ones I have seen are in the shop Sally Rags.She has some great colors and a hanging loop to keep it handy. Her crocheting is thick enough that these could do double duty as a pad for hot dishes too.

Donna Says

On her blog Donna says

I make stuff. All kinds of stuff, but always something fun. I take pictures, I sew soft toys, I make buttons...you never know just what I'm gonna come up with next....

This month the EtsyBlogger team is featuring the work and blog of Donna Pool. From hand stitched plush to digital photography this shop has an amazing range of things for you to enjoy.

My favorite photo?


For this girl with Kansas roots it is her windmill photos that remind me of Grandma's farm outside of Dodge City. Take a look at her shop and find your own favorite.

Puzzling Fun

Think of my shop as a place where you can find something traditional...with a twist! All my soft toys and Christmas ornaments are very child-safe and every stitch is made by hand (I don't use a sewing machine).

As a knitter, crocheter and hand quilter I enjoy the peacefulness of stitches coming from my hands one after another. I admire and feel connected to others who create fabric or fiber arts the same way. This kind of work, done without machines is what you find in the puzzle balls that come from the shop of Donna Pool.

As you can see here the process starts with the hand sewing of the triangular pieces. Part of the fun must be designing the color scheme for each ball.

The three sections above make up the ball.

At the end you have a colorful, washable piece of fun crafted completely by hand. By going to Donna's shop you can see more of these puzzle balls. As I write this there are a couple of these done as Christmas ornaments you may want to snap up for next year. Larger ones can be made as toys for children. The littlest ones I am sure would just love chewing on them and the older ones can be proud of themselves for mastering the puzzle.

Feeling Good!

I think I have found a housekeeping method that will keep me sane. You would think at 53 that I would know all about how to keep a house but things have gotten out of control trying to have a craft business at home too. Let me just say that I shined my sink. If you google the phrase shine your sink you will find out what it is all about.

My hope is that using this method I can give myself permission to go to work without feeling guilty about my house. By breaking chores into small chunks and daily routines I can manage once the days tasks are done I can go to work. It is already paying off. I smile walking into my kitchen and have begun the task of decluttering and it feels good!


I used my time this afternoon to take pictures of a shawl that I have listed in my Art Fire shop. I had a helper with my photos today. This bird sat on top of his bush in the yard chirping at me while I was taking the shots. He seemed to be protesting me being in his yard and showed no fear as I moved around arranging the camera and mannequin so I took his picture too. He is the fella that you see in all my shop and blog headers.

PS- Happy Birthday Kevon! No picture for you because all of you guys seem to complain when I do that!

New on ArtFire!

Here is the hand knotted fringe on the Warm Cream Shawl I put up for sale today in my ArtFire shop. It joins the Warm Fog Shawl that is already in the shop. Do you notice a trend in names here? It may not be very imaginative but I have decided to name all my heavier shawls starting with the word warm.

If you live in a part of the country where winter is hanging on or in a place where you just need to keep the chill off your shoulders you may want to take a look at these. I have a couple more in different colors that will be joining them soon!

EditI am so excited! I just discovered that you can make purchases on Art Fire without needing an account there. This makes shopping so much easier. Of course if you are a regular handmade buyer you may want an account so that your shipping information is saved to make future purchases easier. For all the information you need about this new feature you can click here.

Just Wondering

This is a question for folks who sell online and have giveaways. I know that everyone likes the idea of winning something. Let's face it though, the idea of doing a giveaway is to get more traffic and sales. What I would like to know is does it work? Just wondering.......

A Day at the Phoenix Zoo

Here is Posie all packed and ready to go to the zoo. We have drinks of her favorite juice, chocolate milk and fruit snacks. We brought the stroller but of course she walked most of the time but it did carry the backpack and jackets we brought in case it rained very well.

The first requirement was to make sure she saw the elephants. She talked about seeing them all the way to the zoo in the car!

We moved on and she was still excited to see every thing.

Posie liked watching the slow moving tortoises come up to see her. The low fence around them meant she could see them easily without having to be picked up.

After looking at so many animals and walking so far it was time for a break.

The break was provided by Grandpa with not 1, not 2 but 3 rides on the carousel on a different animal each time!

The rain waited until we got home with a tired girl who fell asleep in the car.

Bubbles Before Breakfast

She didn't want breakfast yet. Don't bother with the bed head until later. Just get her outside to blow bubbles.

Isn't that what grandmas are for?

What a game!

Photo and item from pasaii design studio.
Thanks to the Cardinals for getting themselves to the big game!
Thanks to both teams for making it a game worth watching to the very end!