Surprise ~ Long Time, No Blog!

Can you believe that I am blogging?!?  For the first time  in several months, I thought that I would take a moment and update you on what is happening in my life.  First and foremost, I want to say “Thank You” to all of you that have emailed me questions and told me that you have missed my blogging.  I personally miss blogging as well, but with me being a working Mom… it leaves me very little time to spend blogging.  I am still working for the cardiologist office and enjoy it for the most part.  Things are especially difficult right now because Cameron has been real sick.  We took him to the ER on Monday for difficulty breathing and they diagnosed him with asthma.  My poor little man must get that from his Momma.  Anyway, he is doing a little better tonight and is due to go see the allergist/pulmonary doctor on Monday.  He is also scheduled to have tubes put back into his ears on Jan 10th and also have his adenoids taken out.  So, as you can see, I have my hands full.

It has been especially hard to see him having such a hard time breathing.  I know what it is like and it is down right scary.  He is now on his 5th round of antibiotics, 2nd round of steroids and round the clock breathing treatments/inhaler treatments.  So, you can imagine how miserable he has been and how tired we all are.  If you could just keep him in your daily prayers that would be so appreciated.

On the flip side…. I thought I would share some recent pictures that I took of some primitive goodies.  As you noticed, I did change my header of my blog.  That beautiful crock bowl was left to me by Shawn’s grandparents.  They both passed away not too long ago, and his grandma made sure that she put my name on it.  Isn’t it gorgeous?!

I was also left this old clock.  I loved it when I saw it in their family room and I instantly thought to myself that it must hold a story.  Oh and did it ever hold a story.  It came from Harpers Ferry, WV.  I was told by Shawn’s grandma that it came over in an old covered wagon.  Pretty neat – huh?

Here are a few other pictures.  This is my favorite winter decoration this year.  I bought this at Sara’s Herbs and Everlasting.  This snowman caught my eye immediately.  I walked in the front door and fell in love with him.  Just look at that face!!

What do you think?  Pretty stinkin’ cute – huh?  I just loved him and his place where he stands is right on my kitchen table.  That way he will bring a smile to my face every day.

Here is a new light that I picked up at Sara’s as well.  I am thinking of either putting it in my laundry room or my half bath.  I will have to keep you posted on that.

Here are a few other random pictures that I thought I would share with you.  This first one is a picture of my front door.  I didn’t have any ribbon, so I thought I would use dried oranges.  It added a little something, but it wasn’t too much.  I thought it was a pretty good idea for not having any ribbon or homespun laying around (lol).

Here is our Christmas tree this year.

And here are some random pictures of my little man, in happier/healthier days.  Hope you enjoy them as much as I do.  Blessings to all of you as the holidays approach.  It really truly has been nice blogging again.  I have really missed this.

Love, Prayers & Many Blessings to each and every one of you!!

Hot & Humid

I didn’t realize it had been such a long time since my last post until my Mom told me.  Where does the time go?!?  It especially goes by fast anymore and I just can’t stand it.  I guess maybe it is because I feel like we never had spring.  Oh trust me…. I am not complaining about the sunshine, but the cool weather was never here.  It was COLD and then HOT.  We had tons of rain and now we have the beautiful sun, but is it ever warm. 

I haven’t done much with my home since I have been working.  I guess I never have the time nor the energy by the time I get home.  I would like to do a garage sale soon, but I am not sure when I will ever have the time to get ready for it.  So…… I guess we will see if that ever happens (lol).  I just have so much stuff to sell and so little time to get it out and get it ready.  I have however been working in my flowerbeds.  I have been staying busy with weeding and planting a few flowers here and there.  Here are a few pics for your viewing.  I purchased this window with window box a couple years back.  I thought it would look great hanging on the back of the house and this is what it looks like.

Here are some pictures of my painted daisies….. I just love these!!

Here is a picture of my clematis.  I have several, but this one was especially pretty this year.

Weren’t they pretty?  I just love how it wrapped around my birdhouse this year.  Very pretty.  As for things done inside my home….. I did FINALLY hang my tobacco basket.  I also decided to hang a few other items on the same wall.  Here is the picture of my tobacco basket on the wall.

I will leave you with this today….. a great picture of none other then my most precious gift ever!!  Yep, if you guessed a picture of Cameron then you were right.  He is now done with school and enjoying a summer with Daddy.  Talk about breaking Mommy’s heart….. I remember last summer we were playing together and now Mommy is at work and Daddy is home.  Oh bother……

Blessings to you all…….

Tobacco Baskets

Last weekend my hubby took my Mom and I to The Simple Goods Show.  It is the second time we have been there and had a great time.  I came across several items that caught my eye, but this was on item that really peaked my interest.  I actually fell in love with it when I first saw it, but wasn’t really sure where I would put it.  I though that I could take something off my wall and then hang the tobacco basket up or just find a new spot.  Well, I have three particular spots in the running for this wonderful tobacco basket, but still have yet to make up my mind.  Do you ever find yourself buying things and then trying to finding a spot for it.  Yep, it must be a “prim” thing (lol).  Anyway, I thought I would share some pictures of my tobacco basket and a little history about them.

Some baskets “might” be antiques, but believe it or not some were used all the way up to 1980.  These basket were used to display tobacco taken to market.  The leaves are normally picked by hand, starting at the bottom of the stalk.   In the old days, the leaves were then carried to the tobacco barn where they were hand-tied onto sticks about 3 feet long. The sticks were then placed in tiers in the tobacco barn. A fire was lit and the leaves were cured to a rich golden color in the barn. When the sticks were removed from the barn, the leaves were then sorted by size and original location on the stalk of tobacco. Tips are from the top of the plant; cutters, about half as long as your arm, are from the center of the stalk; lugs are from the bottom. There are 216 different grades of tobacco. After sorting and grading, the leaves were tied into "hands." A hand of tobacco weighed about 1 pound if made of tips or lugs and about 2 - 3 pounds if made from cutters. A hand of tobacco is a group of leaves tied together at the stem end. The end is wrapped in another cured leaf. The hands were then laid in the tobacco basket in a circle with the stem ends pointing to the outside. The baskets were then loaded and taken to the tobacco warehouse where they were sold at auction.  At the warehouse, the baskets would be stacked about two high to reach a pile weight of 250 pounds of flue-cured tobacco. The baskets were made from hand-rived oak, primarily in Yadkin County, NC. The oak strips are nailed together. The open spaces in the center of each side are to allow room for a hook to be attached. The hook was used to pull the baskets onto the scales and to load the baskets into trucks after the sale. The baskets were owned by the warehouse or the Board of Trade, a consortium of tobacco companies. The company name was stenciled onto the edge of the basket. Baskets are no longer used in the warehouses of the south. They have been replaced by burlap sheets. Baskets are still used in the markets in Maryland. You are now more likely to encounter a tobacco basket in an antique store or see one hung on chimney as a decorative device. Some baskets are hung on walls inside homes and used to display memorabilia or flower arrangements or other decorative items.

So, are you ready to see some close up pictures of my tobacco basket?

I absolutely LOVED the red and blue on the end of the basket.  I thought it would match my colors in my family room perfectly.  The basket isn’t perfect by any means, but that is what makes it unique.  Don’t ya think?

Wouldn’t you love to know the history behind this basket?  You wonder where it has been and who carried it?  I always think about things so in depth sometimes.  I guess my mind is always wandering and that makes it hard to shut it down (lol).

I pulled these pics off the Valley Voice website.  Aren’t they so neat all piled up?  Gotta love all the different colors!

You wonder why the different colors?  Guess that leaves more time for my mind to keep thinking (lol).  If I find out or you know then leave me a note.  I would love to hear from you.  Well, I hope you all enjoyed the pictures.  I leave you with one last picture of my tobacco leaves.

Do you have an old tobacco basket?  If you do then you should share some pictures.  I would love to see it.

As for endorsing tobacco products…. I am not a smoker, never have been a smoker and never will be a smoker.  Oh and I will never be a chewer either.  Eww, yuck!!  I guess you could just say that I enjoy the history behind it and decorating with it. 

Until Next Time ~ Blessings, Lisa

The Simple Goods Show

My Mom and I went to The Simple Goods Show yesterday and we had a great time.  We were hoping the rain would hold off and luckily it did.  I can’t even remember the last time the sun was out.  Geesh, I was beginning to think we would need to take a boat to the show.  Hmmm, maybe I would have had more room for goodies in a boat (lol).  Anyway, it was a fun time and my sweet hubby was such a sport carrying all of our purchases out to the car.  I love you honey!!

Anyway, here is the back end of my CRV.  As you can see it is packed and there wasn’t much room for anything else. 

I have alot to share with you, but I wanted to first of all let you know that I met some great gals.  I met Angie Sutter from Love The Prim Look and Lesa Cook from Brier Creek Primitives.  I have had the great opportunity to get to know these gals mostly through Facebook and they are so sweet.  Not only are they sweet, but they put on a GREAT show at Simple Goods.  Here are some pics that I had taken with them.  Here is Lesa Cook and myself…..

Here is Angie Sutter and myself……

Here are some of my show purchases.  I bought this from Lesa.  Don’t you just love it?  It is a hanging pie safe.  I absolutely love the blue!!

I also purchased these items……

So, what do you think?  I absolutely fell in love with my tobacco basket.  I will share more pictures of that in a couple days, but wanted to share all pics with you now.  It definitely was a fun time and we actually were able to get in and look freely without running into people.  The crowds were down from the fall show, but I am sure it had alot to due with it being Easter weekend.  I did see Kris Thomas from Simply Prim, her hubby and her daughter Kory.  Talk about a sweetheart.  Her daughter was just a gem of a girl.   I also saw Vickie from North Shore Primitives and her friend and co-worker Becky.  It is always nice seeing those gals too.  Aren’t we so blessed to have such wonderful prim girlfriends!?!  Gotta love each and every one of them.

Well, that is all I have to share with you today.  I hope that you all had a very blessed and Happy Easter.  I leave you today with this pic of my little man.

  

Much Love & Prayers!!        ~ Lisa