Keep Smiling

Keep Smiling

Wednesday, September 13, 2017

A Little Of This & That


Hello Sweet Blogging Sisters.
Look at these sweet pins . . .
They were 3rd prize in 
a Give-A-Way from Kyle
at
Timeless Reflections


The top of this case held numbered pins
and the bottom held arrows 
all for planing and putting a quilt together.
Kyle is an excellent quilter,
and absolutely leaves me in the dust, LOL.


This fat quarter was included in the prize.
So sweet! 
I am wanting to do a red & white quilt 
before the winter 
is over and I can just see this fabric
 included in it's blocks.  

Check Kyle's beautiful blog out here:
http://kyleredente.blogspot.com 





I've also started a new quilt
that includes these little houses. 


And when I'm not quilting 
or working outside . . .


 I'm canning tomatoes.
21 quarts so far,
but more to do :)

Well, back to work.
I've got garden to pull up,
windows to wash,
and more tomatoes to can.

I hope that you are having 
a productive week . . .
or better yet a week filled
with fun and relaxation.

Keep Smiling!

Your blogging sister,
Connie :)

38 comments:

  1. Oh Connie I'm so envious of your tomatoes!!! Mine aren't really blossoming this year, but that's okay. Next year! Your pins are adorable and I can't wait to see the finished quilt! :)

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    1. I'm finding that there are mysteries to gardening. Last year we had spaghetti squash coming out our ears, enough to feed us until Spring and boxes full to give away. This year absolutely nothing. They looked healthy and were doing fine and then they died. Everything else did great this year . . . like I said it is a mystery to me. Here's to better tomatoes next year :)

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  2. Connie, What a fun gift. I like those little house on your new quilt. Wow girl, that is a lot of canning and it looks so very good. You will be having some great tasting foods this winter. Blessings, xoxo, Susie

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    1. I working toward having a well stocked pantry and not so many trips to the grocery. I don't like driving in winter weather :)

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  3. Those are the cutest pins I have seen, lucky you. WOW, a lot of can tomatoes. Our garden did not do well this year, but improving the soil this fall and hopefully better next year.

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    1. Do you compost? I bury all of my kitchen waste except tomatoes, onions and garlic right into my garden beds. I do this Fall, Winter and Spring and then in the summer I use the compost pile. Doing this attracts lots of earth worms and they are your friends. Also if you plant Sunflowers and Zinnia in and real your garden, they will attract lots of bees . . . also your friend. These two simple things make a much healthier garden:)

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  4. What a charming win. The tomatoes are looking delicious, the taste of summer in a jar.

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    1. I love these little pins, it was exciting to be one of her winners.

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  5. Hi Connie, Our internet is out so we are down at the clubhouse using theirs. I signed up to listen to the free Back to Basic summit so want to look over to see what I want to listen to each day. Hopefully our internet will be fixed soon. I need to post on my blog! Lucky you to win that cute mouse and pins. Those little houses on a quilt will be just darling! Congratulations on getting your 21 quarts of tomatoes canned! Glad your brother is okay. Keep enjoying life! Nancy

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    1. Hi Nancy, actually the mouse was a pin cushion that I made a few years ago . . . the pins and the fat quarter where the prizes and I love them both :) The trouble with that mouse is that I put the pattern up, but in the move to this home I haven't been able to find it. I donated so many things, it could have gotten mixed up in them.

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  6. That is the perfect prize for you and your mouse pin cushion looks so cute with them .

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    1. Hi Ann, thank you . . . I just thought that a crown of stars would look cute on his little head :)

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  7. The quarts of tomatoes look so lovely. At this rate you'll be able to make something delicious every week using these until the next year's crop of tomatoes ripens!!

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    1. I'm turning into the farm-girl that I've always wanted to be . . . I love that I have finally learned to can. It's so nice knowing what is in our food and more important what is not in it, LOL.

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  8. Those pins are wonderful! I've never seen them anywhere before. How helpful they would be in many things sewing. I just made a new dress today and surely could have used them! I used to do so much canning, especially tomatoes when our children were small and I had a big garden. Not so much anymore, but yours look delicious.
    Blessings,
    Betsy

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    1. These pins will be great for laying out blocks and keeping them in the order that I want to sew them. Besides that, they are just so cute :) I am a late bloomer to canning, but I am loving it . . . it's a lot of work, but it is nice to know what is in our food and what is not in it :)

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  9. Wow you have so many tomatoes, that's awesome! Live your little embroidery houses, they are very cute :)
    Jillxo

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    1. Thank you Jill, and yes I have tomatoes coming out my ears. I've been putting vegetables out by the road with a free sign on them, but yesterday someone came along and took all the vegetables that were there and my sign and my display boxes. I wanted to put more out today, but I don't have boxes. I do have some nice baskets, but after that I'm afraid they just might take them, too :( . . . I guess free vegetables weren't enough for some people. Isn't that sad?

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  10. Replies
    1. Life's too short and I have so much that I want to do, LOL.

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  11. Thanks, Connie for your kind words. What wonderful canned tomatoes. I use to do that when we had a bigger garden. They'll be delicious this winter.

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    1. Hi Kyle, I have them coming out my ears . . . wish you were here to take a box home with you. I just finished washing, blanching and chopping up enough to do another canner full. That's the messy part and to me the hardest. So now the kitchen is clean from that task and I am taking a break before I start the actually canning a water-bath process. it's a lot of work, but it feels so good to have the shelves filling up for winter :)

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  12. Those pins are a great prize. I have looked at them in the store but have hesitated at the price. Great to have them as a win.
    The little embroidered houses are sweet. will it be a big quilt.
    Looks like your tomato harvest was bountiful. Nothing beats home made.

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    1. I know, this is a fantastic prize and like you said, something that I would not have purchased myself, because I'm cheap, LOL, but very nice to win. Kyle's give-a-way was very generous. As for the quilt, I am going to make it into a large throw for getting cozy on the sofa. It is intended for a gift. I hope they like it :)

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  13. How nice that you won a giveaway! Those are always fun. Fresh garden tomatoes will be so good in the winter. I don't can, but I've been buying fresh tomatoes from the farm stand (we only grew some cherry tomatoes, and they're all dried up now) and roasting them, then putting them in freezer bags.

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    1. Melanie, I wish that you lived closer . . . I have so many tomatoes that I can't give them away fast enough. I would love to gift you with a box or three, LOL :)

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  14. Oh I just love your little houses, and such a pretty blue, can't wait to see what you do with them!!
    You are a busy woman with that garden but oh my you will be reaping the rewards of all your work this winter :)

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    1. When I get tired and my back hurts I have to keep telling myself, winter is coming and everything that I'm doing now is going to make winter better. The thing about harvesting and putting things up for winter is that you have to do it when the vegetables say it's time . . . when working with perishable items, they call the shots and make the schedules . . .I just follow their lead, LOL. Gardening has been fun, but I'm looking forward to fall and winter. I'm happy that I live in an area with 4 seasons, I enjoy cleaning my closet twice a year and putting the warm season clothes away and pulling out the sweatshirts and sweaters.
      I'm delighted that you like the little houses and the blues that I'm using . . . it is going to be gift, so I hope that she likes it, too.

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  15. Wow! You have been a busy girl!!! Just popping in to say Hi and give everyone a quick update. Hope you have a good, blessed weekend. xo Diana

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    1. Hello Diana, it is good to see you back in blogging land . . . you have been missed.
      Great news about your hubby . . . now your family can exhale and enjoy the fall season.

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  16. Numbered pins! I've never seen these but think they are extremely clever! And well done on the tomatoes. Sounds like an excellent harvest.

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    1. These pins will be very helpful when I start sewing blocks together. I have gotten things in the wrong order before and then had to rip them back out and try again. Ripping out is not my favorite thing to do, LOL. I canned tomatoes again on Friday, now I have 28 quarts put up. I think that I'll do a couple canners full of pints and then stop for the summer and start pulling my plants up for fall. It feels good to have the garden all bedded down for winter. Last year winter weather came before I got them all out of the ground and I had to clean some out in the spring and it was a mess! Thanks so much for stopping in to visit and for leaving a comment . . . I enjoy getting to know my blogging sister better and appreciate reading each and every comment. I wish I were able to have tea and cookies wait on the porch so that we could have a real visit :)

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  17. cute little houses and your tomatoes look wonderful. something SO beautiful about canning. Hope your having a great day.

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    1. Good Morning and thank you for stopping by, our weather has changed and we can feel fall in the air . . . it's very refreshing. I'm spending some time this week pulling out my garden and hopefully getting it ready and bedded down for winter. When all of this is done, I can begin my quilting season, Yea!

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  18. That's a lot of tomatoes canned, so awesome! How wonderful that you won such a lovely prize from Kyle, it will be fun quilting with those pins, should be really helpful! Your little home quilt will be beautiful! I've been busy pulling things out of the garden too, filling up my compost pile, lol! Have a blessed week :)

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    1. I am finally finished doing tomatoes. I put up 28 quarts and 14 pints, that should take us to next year when we have fresh garden tomatoes again :) It feels very satisfying seeing them all lined up on the shelves. I've had a little time to work on that quilt again today, but probably should be out pulling up the garden. Sewing is just more fun, LOL.

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  19. Congrats on the win...what cool pins! And, is your middle name productivity? It must be because you are one of the most productive ladies I know...:) You get so much done and make so many beautiful and tasty things. I am envious...:) Enjoy your Friday and weekend!

    Hugs, Vicky

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    1. Hi Vicky! It is good to see you back blogging and know that you weathered the storm. It must have been very frightening. As for me, I'm just being me . . . and going along my normal path, I enjoying being busy and having something to do :)

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