Kris's little blah blah blog

Happy Birthday Rod!

2011-01-19T11:50:00.001-08:00

Happy 58th birthday!

There isn't a day that doesn't go by that you aren't in my thoughts.... wow, check out that sentence full of negatives. So two negatives, make a positive, right? but there has to be a neutral in there somewhere... right? I can see you rubbing your head now and rolling your eyes.

I love you and miss you.

Sending cheers along with a Natural Light with wings to you on your birthday

What a little doll...

2010-08-17T13:51:00.000-07:00

This is one of my precious customers...

She is six months old and has quite the collection of Hartwell Designs bibs...

6 years

2010-08-16T12:14:00.000-07:00

ago today I told my Mother good-bye for the very last time.

Everything happens for a reason

2010-08-16T05:18:00.000-07:00

It's weird how one single decision can change our lives so much. How sometimes we are too caught up in the moment to think things through enough, and then we find ourselves wishing that we could go back in time and change the way we have handled things. Decisions tend to surround us in our everyday lives: should i have toast or eggs for breakfast? Should i buy the green shirt or the pink one? Most choices are so little and easy for us to make, we don't even consider them as decisions. But what happens when one of those big ones hits you in the face? And what's more, what happens when you find yourself making the wrong choice? It just goes to show you that life is just plain tough sometimes and most of the time it is hard to see the plus side of our bad choices. That overwhelming sense of regret seems to take over our emotional selves, and all seems hopeless. Eventually we do see that things turn out okay, but it just goes to show how one little decision might affect our entire lives. We all just need to be reminded from time to time that everything does happen for a reason. I find myself asking.. what is the reason this is happening? I cannot find the answer.

Where do other people find vintage chenille??

2010-08-02T20:05:00.000-07:00

I see sellers on eBay that have many vintage chenille bedspreads up for sale. I'm wondering, where do they find these bedspreads? I'm constantly checking our thrift stores and antique shops but I never run across the "good stuff". Is it because I live in South Carolina or do these sellers have "connections"???

My business or as I call it ... "bib"ness has been booming lately - but I'm running low on certain spreads that I like to keep on hand. I was lucky enough to win an auction this afternoon on eBay for a Morgan Jones pink rosebud spread.. yeah :) I'll have to sell 6 bibs until I can start turning a profit - but the rosebud chenille is so girly.. it is a wonderful seller!

Oh to find a gingham Morgan Jones chenille spread.. pink & white, or blue & white.... ahhhhhhhhh - that would be a gold mine find.. maybe one day. If you happen to have one, like the 2nd picture, with either blue or pink checks.. let me know.. I would love to purchase it from you. These spreads are perfect for boy and girl patchwork chenille quilts.

Don't you just love the floral bib? It has been a wonderful seller but unfortunately this spread is about gone.. that is the down side of working with vintage chenille. I can't just run out to the fabric store to buy more - but then again.. it makes my items more unique. I just love creating vintage chenille bibs.

Be sure to take a peek at my Etsy Shoppe... I'm always adding "new" items, created from vintage finds.

www.hartwelldesigns.etsy.com

playing in photoshop

2010-07-28T09:58:00.000-07:00

I took this picture on the way to West Virginia over Memorial Day weekend.

It was on the right, with a for sale sign.. so why not stop and take a peek? Hmmmm.... a tavern for sale... but... in the middle of.... exactly where? I think I'll pass for now but who knows what 10 years from now will bring.

We lost internet the other night so I decided to play in photoshop..
I really need to take a class.

and then there were four

2010-07-18T15:31:00.000-07:00

Here we are at Arlington Cemetery

the strange thing.. no matter how much I edit this picture, it always posts sideways...

I think Rod is telling me that wherever we go, he is with us.

Pictures from the 4th of July

2010-07-18T15:25:00.000-07:00

The invisible man at our house

2010-07-18T15:17:00.000-07:00

Eastin was suppose to be in her room cleaning, which is pretty much what she is always suppose to be doing because her room is always a mess..

she is quite creative & a mess in more ways than one :)

Hello Everyone!

2010-07-16T18:20:00.000-07:00

Yup.. I know.. I'm a slacker with a capital "S". I'll be the first to admit it. I don't seem to juggle well, time that is.

So many events to catch up on, I'll fill you in quickly with more details soon. I have a great niece/nephew on the way! My nephew and his wife have the gender tucked away in an envelope and they cannot decide if they want to know.. so until they open the envelope, I don't know what will be arriving at Thanksgiving.

In May... Jon, Billie & Jackson visited, spent the night, swam, played in the sand, took a boat ride and played with Miller. They weren't able to be here for the 4th of July so they visited early and we had the best time. It was nice having time just with them to appreciate how big the world is to a 2 year old. Every new adventure brightened his eyes. Oh the innocence of a child....

My two sisters and I flew to Washington, DC over Memorial Day weekend to visit my brother and what a big time we had! It was a great trip!

June... a time to look back and mark the anniversary of Rod's death - I treasure the memories I have of him so much.

In July, Russ & I hosted the annual 4th of July family get together here in Anderson, where it was hosted many years ago when Momma & Pappy were both living. There were around 50 people here counting the 20 (or so it seemed) little ones.. I have some awesome pictures of that fun day!

It has been so hot, the lake is like bath water - it really hasn't been too refreshing to us.

I've been busy with orders too and I cannot wait to post pictures of some of my new creations that have gone out the door.

Oh... Russ sold his Harley and his Firebird and bought a pontoon - that is where we usually spend our Saturdays.. checking out different islands on Lake Hartwell. It has been a great Summer so far - 5 more weeks until Eastin starts 5th grade... It sure is flying by.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.

HartwellDesigns has been busy!

2010-07-16T18:01:00.000-07:00

I've been creating chenille bibs, bloomers and daisy tops for over 10 years now. Chenille bibs are by far the BEST investment a new parent can make! Easy to take care of and so soft, little ones love them! So absorbant they will even keep babes with reflux dry underneath. It is so much easier to wash a bib than an entire outfit.
Infant size bibs are recommended for ages up to 12 months.

The twins below are wearing my toddler size feeding bibs.
They are generously cut and will fit up to a size 4t.

I have a extensive collection of vintage chenille spreads and also create one-of-a-kind patchwork throws. These are perfect for curling up under with a book in your favorite chair or for giving as a baby gift. These throws are the type of item that people pass down each generation.

About chenille bibs..
They are the most incredible, most addicting and most usable baby necessity! So soft to wear, so unique and most of all.. so easy to wash!
Machine wash, tumble dry! That is it!
They make the best baby gifts and come with a signature bib shaped Hartwell Designs care tag.

Copyright © 2006-2010 Hartwell Designs TM.

All rights reserved.

All product designs, images, and presentation are protected by copyright, trade mark and other intellectual property laws and may not be reproduced or appropriated in any manner without written permission.

Hey Y'all!

2010-04-27T18:22:00.000-07:00

as you have noticed, time has gotten away from me again.

I have so many pictures, stories, thoughts, etc. to share - just need a few days to myself away from home to catch up.

I know.. I'm a slacker

Facebook vs. Blog

2009-10-03T13:40:00.001-07:00

I found it is so much easier posting pictures on facebook and as you can tell I rarely give my blog any attention. I just realized I haven't put pictures from our big Emory family beach trip on and that was months ago. I know some of my blog friends don't do facebook.. so I apologize..

Here are just a few, we were there 7 days and what an amazing time we had!

Carol & Gary

that which matters the most.....

2009-08-04T16:49:00.001-07:00

should never give way to that which matters the least.

now if only I could have this mind set.

the lululemon manifesto
•Drink FRESH water and as much water as you can. Water flushes unwanted toxins from your body and keeps your brain sharp.
•A daily hit of athletic-induced endorphins gives you the power to make better decisions, helps you be at peace with yourself, and offsets stress.
•Do one thing a day that scares you.
•Listen, listen, listen, and then ask strategic questions.
•Write down your short and long-term GOALS four times a year. Two personal, two business and two health goals for the next 1, 5 and 10 years. Goal setting triggers your subconscious computer.
•Life is full of setbacks. Success is determined by how you handle setbacks.
•Your outlook on life is a direct reflection of how much you like yourself.
•That which matters the most should never give way to that which matters the least.
•Stress is related to 99% of all illness.
•Jealousy works the opposite way you want it to.
•The world is changing at such a rapid rate that waiting to implement changes will leave you 2 steps behind. DO IT NOW, DO IT NOW, DO IT NOW!
•Friends are more important than money.
•Breathe deeply and appreciate the moment. Living in the moment could be the meaning of life.
•Take various vitamins. You never know what small mineral can eliminate the bottleneck to everlasting health.
•Don’t trust that an old age pension will be sufficient.
•Visualize your eventual demise. It can have an amazing effect on how you live for the moment.
•The conscious brain can only hold one thought at a time. Choose a positive thought.
•Live near the ocean and inhale the pure salt air that flows over the water, Vancouver will do nicely.
•Observe a plant before and after watering and relate these benefits to your body and brain.
•Practice yoga so you can remain active in physical sports as you age.
•Dance, sing, floss and travel.
•Children are the orgasm of life. Just like you did not know what an orgasm was before you had one, nature does not let you know how great children are until you have them.
•Successful people replace the words “wish”, “should” and “try” with “I will”.
•Creativity is maximized when you’re living in the moment.
•Nature wants us to be mediocre because we have a greater chance to survive and reproduce. Mediocre is as close to the bottom as it is to the top, and will give you a lousy life.
•lululemon athletica creates components for people to live longer, healthier and more fun lives. If we can produce products to keep people active and stress-free, we believe the world will become a much better place.
•Do not use cleaning chemicals on your kitchen counters. Someone will inevitably make a sandwich on your counter.
•SWEAT once a day to regenerate your skin.
•Communication is COMPLICATED. We are all raised in a different family with slightly different definitions of every word. An agreement is an agreement only if each party knows the conditions for satisfaction and a time is set for satisfaction to occur.
•What we do to the earth we do to ourselves.
•The pursuit of happiness is the source of all unhappiness.

inspirational quote

2009-07-24T17:05:00.000-07:00

"Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it's not the end".
-unknown

if you know a cool inspirational quote, please share it with me :)

on that note... I'm leaving in the morning for a week, yes 7 whole days, with my siblings (Donna, my brother, 2 sisters,and their spouses, their kids and grandkids. Oh what fun!

On this trip... I'm leaving Eastin at her grandparents house (her Craft cousins will be there so she won't even miss me) and Russ & Miller will be "keeping house" while I'm away... hmmmmmmmmm.....

It is my first trip away from Russ & Eastin so I'm feeling a bit anxious, but to tell the truth.. what is causing me the most anxiety is leaving Miller behind. He is my side kick, the one that never gets mad at me, the one that is always happy to see me and since I work from home, I'm with him pretty much all day, every day. I hope he will be okay, he is epileptic.. I worry when I'm not home to hear if he is having a seizure. When he has a seizure, I hold his head to keep him from slamming it into the hardwood floors or the ceramic tile. I also immediately give him extra medicine and lay beside him until I know he has recovered. Russ works 10 hours.......... so he'll be alone for long periods.... I pray he will be okay. I believe God watches closely over kids and animals... I know there are many epileptic animals out there that have to be left alone....

now Russ... that is another story.. I've given him lectures.. do not leave the remotes out (Miller is known to eat them).. be sure to flush the potties so they are full of FRESH water, (those are Miller's water bowls).. be sure the curtains are open so he can see out, and leave the television on for him.... do you think I have spoiled my boy??

I'll be posting pictures of my beach trip when I return. I'm sure I'll have many great stories too..

please.... let me know you are stopping by my blog by leaving your favorite quote in the comments :)

Is happiness a choice??

2009-07-07T19:32:00.000-07:00

I've come to admire a rockin' photographer by the name of Jasmine Star that lives in Orange County Cali... She posted an off the wall question on facebook

"is happiness a choice"....

and I've been watching the responses since her post appeared on facebook.

So what do you think???

My answer..... Yes, I belive it is a choice, hands down!

Personally, my glass is half-full.. no matter if I'm having a "life is so damn unfair" day... I can have tears streaming down my face and blubbering that it isn't fair that I've lost all 4 of my grandparents, along with my father when I was 8, my mother 5 years ago and my brother last year.. but even during these snot-filled moments, I know I am so fortunate to have awesome memories! I make a conscious effort to look for the good in people, the good aspect of a bad situation, etc....

I've come across some people who think, act & bitch and moan that that their lives are the worst ever. That their lives have always been this way. "It is a fact of life that they have come to accept".. .uhhhhhhhhhhhh... what??? does that mean the future is destined to be sucky too??? heck no!! but heck yeah with that sucky attitude. These people have so much to be appreciative of... but they choose to focus on the bad... don't you just want to slap the stupid out of them??? LOL... (I guess that isn't a positive response on my part 'eh?)

But geeze, Louise,,,, get a grip.. this is your life - it is up to you how you live it!

.....................................

Here are some copy and paste responses on facebook tonight:

Do you even remember what the question was again???

"Is happiness a choice??"

Attitude + Gratitude = Happiness

Absolutely! A friend of mine once told me this quote "life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it"....I think it is so true and definitely supports that happiness is a choice!

"We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. They may have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way." Viktor Frankl.....Happiness is definitely a choice regardless of our circumstance!

Yes, I believe happiness is a choice. You choose to see the good in life. You choose to find value and worth in others, no matter how hard they may try to discourage you from searching. And You choose to recognize each moment as it comes, because another just it like will NEVER come again. Happiness, joy, love, faith, trust...all choices.

Oh Jasmine! I have a whole "step up on my soap box" speech on the subject. I think we are all predisposed to be UNHAPPY. We love to complain. About work. The weather. Family. That crazy driver. We can choose to be happy. Like you, in how you quit law school, I did the same thing with my job. I drove to work in tears. I had enough. I chose Happiness instead. I walked in and quit. (My husband was out of the country - I told him after I did it - and he supported me 100%). Sure, I'm not Suzy Sunshine every second of every day, but I am happy with my choices. No regrets. Live. Love. Laugh. And be Happy!

Yes! The purpose of life, after all, is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experiences & I don’t believe you can do this w/out being happy. Even on my worse day, I take a step back & realize that I’m so very blessed & have many things to be happy about & someone out there is worse off than me & I shouldn’t complain.

yes! it is a choice. so many people don't realize that you can simply have happiness if you choose it. i think this is what is wrong with the world. i think that unhappiness is a weakness. we all have the power within ourselves to control our own minds. most people just let their minds run away with itself & turn their lives into miserable messes.i highly recommend eckhart Tolle's books, "a new earth" and "the power of now". he taught me this tool.

It is a choice and more than that, I agree with Dennis Prager who states that "Happiness is a moral obligation. Happiness - or at least acting happy, or at the very least not inflicting one's unhappiness on other - is no less important in making the world better than any other human trait."

Yes it absolutley, 100%, without a question is a choice! I think circumstances can get you down but it up to you where you go from there.

happiness isn't a given....we can choose to let things get us down or rise above it. God gave us the gift of free will, so it's up to use to be happy no matter our circumstances. With all the negativity that's in the world, we need to just shout out loud everyday BRING IT! Just remember there's alot more good in this world than bad, if we focus only on the bad, we'll never see the good.

Happiness is definitely a choice...you can either choose to be miserable and negative or you can choose to have a positive attitude even in the hardest of times...I much rather be happy and positive!! :)

..............................................................

hmmmmmmmmmmmm..... so where are all of the negative people's responses??

I'm waiting for Jasmine's conclusion

I end this post with my favorite quote that my dear friend shared with me:

I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright no matter how gray the day may appear.
I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun even more.
I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive and everlasting.
I wish you enough pain so that even the smallest of joys in life may appear bigger.
I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.
I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.
I wish you enough hellos to get you through the final good-bye."
~Author unknown

to all of my friends & family....
I wish you enough
XOX - Kris

A week at Folly Beach

2009-07-07T07:04:00.000-07:00

FollyBeach is only 15 minutes from downtown Charleston South Carolina, just over the bridge from James Island... and oh my goodness... What an absolutely gorgeous beach! Full of shells and surfers and not many people.

We were there on the 1st anniversary of Rod's death. It is hard to believe it has been a year. Each day seems to be getting more emotional and "real" for Donna. Having to rebuild her life without him. It is hard to believe he is not here anymore.. he was such an awesome and unique brother!

This is a picture of Donna and Miller (yes! Miller made it to the beach)! and behind the dunes is the house we stayed in. It was just perfect for the 5 of us. I loved the screened porch and big deck. Donna plans on taking her two cats back in the Fall.

This is sunrise from our deck. Just positively breath-taking!

Such a wonderful place to "get away" from it all but yet perfect for thinking with no interruptions.

The times it hits me is when I look towards our front door just waiting to see his forehead pressed to it.. he always did that to try to see through our prismatic glass. He'd have a 6 pack in one hand and we'd head out to the deck or screened porch and chat. Other times we'd head down to the dock and Eastin would finally talk him into going swimming with her. She loved it when he took her under the dock, between the gaps in the floatations.

One fireworks picture taken from our dock on the 4th of July. Shooting fireworks definitely isn't the same.. he would "try" to keep Russ from getting hurt, both of them would end up tripping over the rocks trying to get out of the way before the firework fired.

Now I sit on the deck, looking towards the dock every evening @ sunset...

I look to the right and there is this one area that he, Gary, Linda and Donna were sitting on our last 4th of July together, 2 years ago.

It seems so unreal he will not be here in all of our future gatherings.. but he will always be here in spirit.

Family

2009-06-16T08:07:00.000-07:00

I have an awesome family! Every family has a member that is known as "the crazy one", "the ecentric one", "the loud one", the "obnoxious one", the "snobby one", the "neat" one, the "slobby" one, the "creative" one, the "military" one or two or three :) ... and so on and so on, and yes! I will, along with most every one of my other family members will, agree this is our family to the "t"...... But we still love one another, and accept who they are and we will be there for them when they need us.

With this being said... the anniversary of my brother Rod's death is coming up in a few days. It makes me think about the past year and how our family has interacted. Some families fall apart during the hard times, but ours has grown closer. I'm so fortunate to have the family I do.

Donna didn't want to be at home on "that" day (the 23rd of June) .... so we are packing up and heading to Folly Beach for a change of scenery. I know Rod's spirit will be with us.

There are times over the past month that I have pictured him laughing and shaking his head at me. I do also know he is soooooooooo proud of Donna for getting out of bed everyday, and not giving into the darkness of him not being here to help her anymore. There are so many things that were once his responsibility and now have become her job. Little things and big things and she is standing on her two feet doing them.

We all miss his laugh - as obnoxious as it was and his loud sneezes... as much as they always made us jump. We were lucky to have so many awesome memories of him and he will never be forgotten.

As strange as it might sound, I'm no longer scared of death because of Rod. I know there is life after this life and I will see him again, until that time.. I know he is watching over us and enjoying the show.

It sure feels like Summer here in South Carolina!

2009-05-31T15:54:00.000-07:00

What a wonderful day we had yesterday!

Eastin, Russ, Miller and I took out Uncle Hal's pontoon.
Eastin wanted to go tubing... Last year she tried and cried the whole time.
This year was much better!

We also went by party island... talk about bringing back memories...
ohhhhhhhhhh the good times I've had there :)
The boats start off pulling onto the shore of the island and then there is no more shoreline left and the boats end up tying up to one another and making a floating party!

It sure feels like Summer already, one more week of school... two weeks planned at the beach with family, Eastin is going to High School Musical Camp, I've been volunteering along with sewing, planting a garden, working on our lack of landscaping. It is going to be a busy but full of memory making moments!

After all.. isn't that what life is about?? Good memories that make you smile, even on the gloomiest of days??

my life has come full circle

2009-05-29T18:44:00.000-07:00

My life has come full circle and I will be posting again soon :)
I needed to take a break for a while

until my next post, I wanted to share:

T.S. Eliot, from Four Quartets,

What we call the beginning is often the end
And to make an end is to make a beginning É
We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And to know the place for the first time.

Benediction by Black Elk, Oglala Sioux
Everything the 'power of the world' does in done in circles.
The sky is round and I have heard that the earth is round like a ball,
and so are the stars.
The wind, in its greatest power whirls.
Birds make their nests in circles, for theirs is the same religion as ours.
The sun comes forth and goes down again in a circle.
Even the seasons form a great circle in their changing, and always come
back again to where they were.
Life is a circle from childhood to childhood.
And so it is in everything where power moves.

It's been a while

2009-01-14T16:09:00.000-08:00

Wow.. where does the time go? It sure has been a while since I blogged.. before Thanksgiving.

but what got me motivated about blogging this evening was the MOST incredible show I saw this afternoon! I only saw one portion but have the whole episode on DVR.. I will watch later when the whole house is quiet.

On Oprah.. Wed the 14th..

The one episode I saw was Breaking open your spirit

I can't wait to watch the rest of the show.

I'll be back soon :)
I promise

5 months + a day

2008-11-24T17:06:00.000-08:00

I didn't get the chance to post last night, or as you can see by the lack of posts, I haven't posted but only once in the past month. I've been busy in my sewing studio ~ I wanted to build my inventory back up to send to a friend that had a booth in a holiday fair.

I'm not doing well managing my time. Either I sew, or I cook, or I clean but for some reason I cannot do all three. During the time I was preparing for the holiday fair, my brother from DC stopped by and he told me what a mess my house was.... I was like .... "you think"???? It was obvious. Now it is snowing two hours away in the NC Mountains and we still haven't gotten our fall leaves off of the lawn..

And... eeeeeeks.. Thanksgiving is 3, yes threeeeeeeeeeee, days from today! It is true, the older you get ~ the faster time goes. Then again, it feels like it stands still at other times.

Yesterday was the 5th month anniversary of Rod's death. I was doing okay until I went to Donna's house to visit and I needed to borrow Rod's truck while our 2nd vehicle is in the shop. Talk about a HUGE rush of emotions driving HIS truck. The one he took HIS last breath in. The one that he drove over 100,000 miles... The one that still has HIS things in it. And.. you would know I cut on the radio and it was on a country station and the song "fit"...

Thanksgiving is going to be so hard without Rod ~ we'll get through it with lots of tears but with also a huge amount of great memories of Thanksgivings we shared in the past...

On a slightly different subject.... Donna and I went through Rod's t-shirts and I found a person on Etsy, by the name of Patty Evans ~ here is a link to her shop: http://www.patty33oh.etsy.com/ that makes "memory quilts" from t-shirts. Donna got the finished quilt this week ~ it is absolutely stunning!! Nothing like any other t-shirt quilt I've seen before.

I'm posting pictures of the quilt and also Patty's business card and email address. I would recommend her to anyone!! Her communication was fantastic and you can tell she loves making these quilts and her priority is to make it exactly like you want it. I told her I wanted blue fabric that looks like water (since Rod & Donna spent so much time at the lake)..

please click on the photos to see them larger....

Thank you for taking time to visit my blog.

I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

I'll be posting pictures from our annual Thanksgiving Oyster Roast soon....

Nov 4th, 2008 is finally here....

2008-11-04T15:37:00.001-08:00

And Eastin so patiently waited right beside me for over an hour and a half for me to vote.

She was so happy that they gave her a "I voted" sticker :)

the 23rd.. another month

2008-10-23T15:47:00.001-07:00

Cuddly new chenille listings today :)

2008-10-21T19:48:00.001-07:00

6 new listings today!

Fall is definitely here and is is quite nippy outside in the morning. The pastel stroller blanket will be just perfect for morning stroller rides or to keep warm between the house and the car. It will be listed on eBay and the bibs in my little ETSY online store.

If you have signed up for my mailing list, you'll receive notification once they are listed.

If not, here are the links to see these new additions :)

www.hartwelldesigns.etsy.com

http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZhartwelldesigns

Mailing list maintenance

2008-10-15T12:10:00.000-07:00

Instead of Spring Cleaning, I'm Fall Cleaning!

I'm trying to get all of my mailing list emails in one database ~ :)

If you are not on my mailing list, and would like to be notified of new creations I have available for sale on eBay or Etsy.. please join below:

A day on Lake Hartwell

2008-10-07T19:16:00.000-07:00

Russ, Eastin, Miller and I ventured out on the lake this past weekend. It was a gorgeous Fall day, the air was slightly crisp but still shorts and t-shirt weather! It is unbelievable how much the levels have dropped since our last time out. I heard that the lake is dropping appx 6" every week. It is scary! There are three new islands that have popped up this past week that we can see from our deck. We are on the main channel of the lake which I'm scared at this rate, will become only a slight river if this continues.

We went to one of our favorite islands.. Only.. It is no longer an island, but has become attached to the main land. You would not believe all of the deer tracks we saw and we even spotted several foxes on what used to be the island.

The white sandy beach was under water this Spring. I have no idea what lives in that deep hole, below the clay cliff Russ is standing on. We kept saying watch out for alligators.

I'm also posting some pictures of several trees, which show their roots. The lake had washed away the dirt and it was really neat seeing what a tree looks like under ground!

blah blah blah is right......

2008-10-02T19:45:00.000-07:00

I honestly don't know what else to say, that is why I haven't posted in a long time.

I can't put into words what I'm feeling.

The pain of losing Rod has been wearing on me. Everything I see, everything I read, every song I hear, I think of him. The new fall tv shows make me think of him, I'm so sad he isn't here to see them. When I see a Dollywood commercial, I think of him ~ he loved Dolly Parton. At his memorial services, the song "I'll always love you" (Dolly's version) was played along with Country Roads by John Denver.

The leaves changing colors make me think of him and our farm in West Virginia and how gorgeous it has to be there now.

Every moment of the day he is in my thoughts and just knowing that I will never hear his voice again haunts me. My heart aches.
I cannot imagine my life from here on without him ~ our Thanksgiving tradition was roasted oysters and lots of beer. I gave him his own set of oyster knives for Christmas last year for him to use this Thanksgiving :(.

I've lost all 4 of my grandparents, my dad, my mom and now a brother. I don't feel safe, I don't feel whole anymore, actually the only thing I know is what I feel and I'm sad, mad, anxious and realize nothing is forever and tomorrow my world could change again. I could wake up tomorrow and all it would take is one phone call for another change.

It is really amazing how the change of seasons, the crispness in the air, the thoughts of the holidays can bring on such strong emotions and new pain. I had thought with each day passed, that the next day would be easier, I was wrong. With each new day, there is a new emptiness discovered.

Ahhhhhhhh... a cool day, finally!!

2008-09-16T19:41:00.001-07:00

What a wonderful way to start the day :)
I take Miller outside and brrrrrrrrrrrrr..... Fall is definitely in the air, atleast today it is and i LOVE it!

I have been working on a pink and white vintage chenille stroller blanket and got it listed tonight on eBay. It is so elegant, the chenilles are just tooooooo yummy! With the chill in the air, it got me motivated to finish this one blanket and get it listed on eBay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&Item=350099252320

I have a blue and white one in the beginning stages and big plans for a vibrant floral one!

On another note... Miller woke me up at 3:45 with a seizure. Looking back at my calendar and I had told Russ last night that he might have one today and yupp... he did. We'll be going to the vet soon with our seizure calendar to see what we need to do from here. Amazingly, I had read that if you apply an ice pack on the lower part of his spine, it will cut the seizure time down ~ and YES!! it sure does! After having one seizure, it is normal for him to have several others. I watched him closely and as soon as he started showing warning signs that one was getting ready to begin, I applied the ice pack and it stopped them! He is just the best boy and it really hurts to see him suffer from this monster. Otherwise ~ he is a happy, healthy pup :)

Fresh Veggies!

2008-09-11T18:48:00.001-07:00

Our next door neighbors are out of town and asked us to keep their garden picked while they are gone.

Isn't this basket just absolutely gorgeous of straight-out-of-the-garden treasures??

Summer is coming to an end

2008-09-10T11:00:00.000-07:00

and I cannot be happier! It has been hot, humid and oh my gosh!! The mosquitoes have been horrid! I get swarmed everytime I go out the front door. There is little air movement on that side of the house.

Those little buggers have even started coming around on the lake side. Usually it is too windy for them but nope.. no wind. Like I said, it has been hot and humid, so sticky outside. ewwwwwww.... I'm ready for nice crisp Fall air.

Rod has been in my thoughts, it just cannot be true that he is gone. We had so many good times together and I have great memories.

Last Christmas he told Donna not to buy Russ's Christmas present ~ he was going to buy it himself. For Rod to shop means he knows what he is going after. He isn't going out "just looking" for something to buy. He bought Russ a pair of high powered binnoculars because everytime he visited, he said the old ones we have here of Momma's weren't powerful enough.

I snapped the picture below last Summer. It is one of my favorite pictures of all times. Just looking at it makes me think of good times together at the lake.

So Rodney... Russ has been keeping his binnoculars up, we sure do miss you.

Pictures from a wedding I attended

2008-09-09T08:14:00.000-07:00

What a wonderful, GORGEOUS evening!The sun was setting, the reception was held on the side of a river in this old Mill building.

Nooooooooooooooo.. Eastin wasn't drinking Bud Light, but she thought she was cool drinking her Sprite out of a Bud Light cup :)
hmmmmmmmm.. I don't know why this picture of the glasses is showing up rotated..

Fun with letters I found on flickr

2008-09-09T07:26:00.001-07:00

This was a fun waste of time :)

wanna give it a try???

http://metaatem.net/words/

this makes me want to go buy some Fugly Furniture :)

2008-09-08T13:59:00.000-07:00

http://www.designspongeonline.com/category/before-and-after

I wish I had the talent to see beyond what is sitting in front of me at a local thrift store.

If you have some time, you have GOT to see some amazing creations from thrift store finds.

Actually this whole website is amazing!!

Scissor happy again

2008-09-07T09:25:00.000-07:00

Yes... as one friend says................

I've been murdering perfectly good bedspreads again.

But... the way I look at it. I'd rather ten people enjoy part of a bedspread than nobody since it is folded up and stored away in a closet, never to be appreciated.

These two new additions to my ever growing collection are absolutely gorgeous!

These two beauties were listed in my etsy store this morning.
(click on the picture to see the listing on Etsy).

I have 5 new additions, two of which my sister picked up for me.

It is about time to start my soft and cuddly patchwork vintage chenille throws soon.

Outside the sky is so crisp, no haze. I can tell Fall will be here soon (even though it is 85 degrees here at the moment). Isn't it amazing how the colors are more vibrant when the Summer starts to close?

Sharing some Seagull photos from earlier this year

2008-09-07T07:38:00.000-07:00

click on the link below to see more seagull pictures I took this Spring.

http://krisecraft.smugmug.com/gallery/5906247_7dkG4/1/367393091_3nJpw#367393819_cvpBu

What a way to wake-up!

2008-09-02T13:20:00.000-07:00

We had planned to sleep late Saturday morning. Around 8-ish, Miller started barking, so he got the big "be quiet Miller" yelled at him from our bedroom. He kept barking... Then I heard a rumbling sound outside. I was still halfway asleep (or awake) whichever, and I thought that we must be having a thunderstorm. Miller started cutting loose again, not a normal bark bark, but a "there is something wrong" bark.

I sat up on the side of the bed, pulled the curtains back and holy cow!! It was a gorgeous sunny day and there was a hot air balloon just getting ready to touch the grass. NO wonder the poor dog was having a fit! He had never seen a hot air balloon, I wonder what he was thinking?? LOL

I walked out on our deck, hair unbrushed, pj's on and the pilot smiled and said "Good Morning". I went back in and woke Eastin up, who had slept through Miller's barking because her radio was blasting and she didn't hear him.

She was so excited! She couldn't wait to go back to school today to share pictures of what landed next door.

wanna see more?? http://krisecraft.smugmug.com/gallery/5906391_HS7x9/1/367403963_AAjgY#367403963_AAjgY

A Cat in the Hat quilt on eBay

2008-08-21T20:07:00.000-07:00

I haven't listed any creations lately, I just haven't felt like sewing. But one day I decided to spend some time in my studio and I created the most vibrant & fun Cat in the Hat quilt. The Seuss fabric has been saved for years, it has been out of print for many years. I just love how the quilt turned out and it would make a great floor quilt (or wall hanging) for a baby boy or a baby girl!

Dr. Seuss is just so much fun :)

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=350089453043

The drought is in stage three

2008-08-21T19:39:00.000-07:00

(click any picture to view larger)

It is so sad looking out over what used to be a gorgeous, full lake. The levels are down, dropping inches daily and the forecast looks even worse! Lake Hartwell flows down to the Savannah River which feeds the ocean. If the Savannah River gets too low, the salt water from the ocean can come upstream and throw the whole eco balance off! I heard that there is a chance the lake will be dropped an additional 10'. There is talk that all boat landings will be closed, the docks at the Marina which hold the houseboats will have to be relocated and the gas dock closed. We are rapidly approaching a huge shelf/drop-off which means our dock will be in deep water but the drawback is, it will be in the main channel of the lake. I went over a bridge the other day and the only thing under the bridge was fields of waist high grass, absolutely no water!

Here are a few pictures I snapped as we went on a "treasure hunt". with the lake levels down, we never know what we'll find! I'm hoping for a huge diamond ring :) We've found several pair of reading glasses, sunglasses, atleast five pocket knives, numerous hammers, wrenches, cell phones... My sister let me borrow her metal detector so if the heat and humidity would drop a little bit ~ I would love to spend a day walking miles of shore.

I'll keep you all posted on our treasures :)

hockey sticks and feeling free

2008-08-07T21:34:00.000-07:00

I swear.. I never know what will come out of Eastin's mouth.

We were riding around, talking about anything and everything, nothing particular and out of the blue she said.. "and why in the world did you name me after a hockey stick anyway????" ummmmmmmm....

Jon.. it was all your fault! If you had never left your hockey stick at Aunt Betty's... she would have a different name. I personally love her name and thought it was unique. Come to my astonishment, there are 2 boys at her school with the same name! Darn hockey sticks were popular, 'eh???

I also wanted to name her Ray but spelled Rhae ... like the sun's rays ~ but I love the sound and smell of rain, so I played a little with the two words and her middle name was created... Rhayne (pronounced rain)... so.. she is named after a hockey stick, the sun's rays and rain. pfttttttttttttt.... what can I say?? It was just so funny for her to, out of the blue, ask my why she had to be named after a hockey stick. baha ha ha.. I really didn't remember telling her about Jon's hockey stick.

Then we went shopping today, I made her spend HER allowance money. After she bought a pair of earrings that I would have never bought her because personally I think they are two "dang-e-ly" for her.. we get back into the car and she says.. "I love shopping, it makes me feel free"

You know what??? I love petting my pretty fabrics, it makes me feel "free".. I have never thought about it that way but I know exactly what she means. What else makes me feel free??

listening to birds chirp, watching the sun set, eating figs straight from the tree oh, the smell and taste of muscadines in the woods on a vine and this yummy new lotion I found by Naked Bee ~ ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...

if you have never smelled it, you've gotta!

what makes you feel as-a-8-year-old-puts-it "free"?

Summer heat

2008-08-06T08:59:00.000-07:00

It is sooooooooo hot, hovering near 100 degrees each day.

We are officially in drought status. The lake is getting scary ~ treetops are poking through the water. The lake is down 13 feet.

I did happen to snap a quick picture of a butterfly this morning on our fruit loop lantana bush.

I saw a wonderful job posted in this past Sunday's paper and spent over 5 hours, in one day searching for my resume. No luck :(

I know I've seen my resume since we moved in, but cannot find it anywhere. I do not rememer all of the classes I've taken since I finished school in Virginia Beach. Oh well.. I'll have to leave those off for now. I finally sat down and created a new one.

I'm ambivalent about applying for the job. What if I'm turned down?? but.. then again, what if they offer it to me? It has been 9 years since I officially got dressed and worked outside of home. I've become somewhat of a hermit. I've been selling on eBay, my website, Etsy along with typing reports for my sister for the past 8 years, which all can be done in pj's and no make-up. I'll need to buy clothes and get a "real" haircut.

The job looks great though! It is a 9 month position (off during the Summer) with awesome benefits. The drive will be appx. 20 miles. I'll keep you all posted. All applications and resumes have to be submitted by August 11th. My finger gets itchy every time I go to submit my resume... so I haven't yet.. but I will :)

Eastin has less than 2 weeks before school begins. She will then be in the 3rd grade and running to the mailbox each day after the mailman delivers, hoping to receive a letter from her teacher. She is hoping she gets a certain teacher.

Donna is living 2 doors over right now while her bathroom is totally gutted. She and Rod had already arranged for the bathroom renovation 6 months ago and I'm proud of her going through with their plans. It is terribly difficult for her being away from home. I love having her 2 doors over though and I really wish she lived closer.

One month, today

2008-07-21T09:46:00.000-07:00

It is so hard to believe it has been 28 days today since my brother Rod died suddenly. In a way it seems like it was just yesterday, in another way it seems like he really isn't dead. I keep expecting him to walk in the door or find him sitting (sleeping) on the deck when I come home. He was always stopping by.

Life is so unfair. He had just received a clean bill of health from the doctor! It will be 90 days before we get the full autopsy report, what went wrong?? Why did this not show up on the tests?? How could he die of a heart attack when he had undergone a heart cath only weeks earlier with absolutely no indication of any type of problem??

The little things set off rage of emotions. I cannot email him when I run across a cool boat on eBay that I want to share with him. We cannot share natural lights & conversations anymore while watching boats go by... it is sooooooo unfair!

Who is going to teachEastin to ski??? He taught all of the other sisters and brothers, nieces and nephews.

I know life will go on but it won't be the same because he isn't here.

Russ is keeping his binoculars up in his honor ;)

Rod.. you are always in my thoughts and I miss 'ya!

nb

Retro Rocking Cherry Bib & Burp Cloth Set

2008-07-13T14:58:00.000-07:00

This set was a custom order from one of my clients. I just love the way it turned out and I'm sure the new Mom to be will love it too. It is absolutely gorgeous in person, so vibrant!

click on the picture to see this set in more detail.

HartwellDesigns included in Treasury West's Favorites!

2008-07-09T08:25:00.001-07:00

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=15464

What a special treat it was to find my crabby bib included in Treasury West's favorites.

Take a peek at the link and you'll fall in love with all of the "crabby" handmade items on Etsy.

Pictures from my brother's last vacation

2008-07-07T18:40:00.000-07:00

The American Queen

He had wanted to take a riverboat cruise for as long as Donna could remember, so they did!

A week after they returned, he died of a heart attack :(

It gives me some peace of mind that he was able to take that trip and that it was better than he could have imagined. He said it was the best vacation ever!

For those of you that didn't know Rod personally. He was a unique individual. You cannot judge a book by it's cover.. so true with my brother! He was a genius, a bookworm but not your typical geeky guy. He lived in cut off blue jeans on his days off, kicked back and relaxed with a beer in one hand a book in the other. It was nothing for him to read more than one book a day.
He loved Homer Simpson (probably because he was a Homer!)
He worked at a nuclear power plant and in his off time, he drank beer ;)
He loved the series All Creatures Great and Small, anything sci-fi and Jaws! He had to watch it anytime it was on tv. Actually he loved almost anything!

There could never be enough knowledge and Rod's outlook on life was that his cup was halfway full ALWAYS, he looked for the good in everyone, he was very observant and wise beyond his years.

What a great couple... Donna & Rod posing with metal bowls on their heads :)

.... okay..... I admit ~ he does look a bit geeky in this photo.. but who wouldn't with a bowl on their head?

ohhhhhhhhh my sweet brother ~ I miss you!

I treasure every single moment that you were in my life and you will never be forgotten.

(((nb)))

A quiet little 4th of July

2008-07-07T08:19:00.000-07:00

We canceled our annual 4th of July get together because much of our family came in a week earlier for Rod's funeral.

Russ's Mom and Dad, brother and sister-in-law and their two kids did come to our house on the 4th along with Donna. Donna spent the night with us and watched the fireworks with our long time neighbors from across the street. It was an emotional time for all of us, being our first 4th without Rod. He was never far from our thoughts and many conversations were about him and the great times we had together.

Just a few photos.. We bought a water trampoline.. oops.. put the slide on upside down...

(click on a picture if you want to see a larger version)

Ahhhhhhhhh... look at Eastin jump.. looks just like a frog :)

Sunset over Lake Hartwell

Almost time for fireworks... Eastin cannot wait!

There were fireworks everywhere, here is Russ handing Eastin a sparkler, look closely and you'll see Miller in the middle. He loved them too :)

I hope you and your family had a safe and happy 4th.

If you have a chance, be sure to leave a comment on my blog.

I'd love to know who all is visiting :)

My world has changed

2008-06-29T09:45:00.000-07:00

Oh wow.. one minute life is going as normal, then the next, the floor is pulled out from under me. I'm from a family of 2 brothers and 2 sisters. My father died when I was 8 (back in 1976). My Mother died 4 years ago.

I received a phone call Monday night from my sister-in-law, Donna. Donna's neighbor saw a sheriff deputy's car at her house several times during the day. When Donna got home, her neighbor told her about the sheriff's cars being there. Donna tried to call my brother, Rod, at his hotel. Rod was on the road to Lynchburg, VA for work. When she called the hotel, they said that he had not checked in yet. She called me right before calling the sheriff's department so I knew something was wrong. Then she called the sheriff's department, thinking there had been a break-in. Sadly, the sheriff's department told Donna over the phone that Rod was found in his truck, 911 was called and they were not able to revive him and that she needed to call a number in NC. Why they gave her this news over the telephone ~ I'll never know.

She called me, I couldn't understand anything she was saying so, at this point, I didn't know what exactly had taken place but I knew IT WAS BAD. I reached her house in 20 minutes, during that time, my sister Linda had called me to tell me what was going on. Linda had called the phone number in NC for Donna. I heard what Linda said but I didn't process it. I just knew I had to get to Donna's house. Once I reached her house, walked inside, that is when the I came to the realization that my brother was no longer here.

He passed away on June 23rd, exactly 1 week before his & Donna's 30th anniversary. They had the best life together. They were best friends. The only couple I've ever known that have never truly argued. They never had children, they took many vacations and had just gotten back from a week long Riverboat trip 8 days earlier. It was a trip that he had always wanted to take.

I will be posting a picture of Rod & Donna on their trip soon.

I miss my brother tremendously. There will never be a day that I won't think of him. He was one-of-a kind and the mold was broken when he was born. There will be a empty spot in my life forever. He gave me so many AWESOME memories! He was always there when I needed him. He was my father figure, he was a great friend, he would show up without calling and hang out with us for an afternoon just shooting the breeze. He always picked on me like brother's do to their little sister's. He was Donna's soulmate and I just cannot imagine how lost she feels without him. She is a strong, independent person and I know she will find the strength to get through the next days, weeks, months and years. Please keep her, along with the rest of our family, in your thoughts.

Here is a link to the obituary:

http://www.legacy.com/independentmail/Obituaries.asp?Page=LifeStory&PersonID=112210448

Eastin with Uncle Rod at the Lake Keowee Marina. She was so scared of the Jolly Roger and he kept making it come on and dance. He picked on her all of the time.

A fun day cruising the lake.

Rod, Russ and Eastin at the dock watching hot air balloons going over our house.

A few pictures from this weekend

2008-06-22T20:29:00.000-07:00

We didn't go anywhere, we didn't need to :)

First of all.... I was trying to take some photos before I shipped something out and
I honestly thought I was going to throw up when my pictures were overblown... I just knew I was going to have to ship my camera off, I couldn't imagine being without it!

Every picture I took was so far overblown that I couldn't even make out what the picture was of.

ahhhhhhhhhhhhh... when all else fails ... **RTFM**

So happy to find out that at some point I had bumped the EV up (all the way up to +3.3). Next time I'll know where to check before I reach for the paper bag to breathe into.

Here is the first picture I snapped once I realized what I had done.. ahhhhhhhhhh... great exposure again!

Saturday we broke out our first slip 'n slide for the Summer! We usually go through atleast 2 a Summer. The next door neighbors let me borrow a tarp for putting under our deck to protect our patio underneath when I put water seal down. We decided to extend the slip 'n slide with the tarp.. oh what fun!! Airborne kids (and college bound kids too).... got in on the action!

Then we headed down the hill and spent the rest of the afternoon at the lake,

The maniacs were out ~ if you've never heard these boats before, you would never believe how loud they are! This one was throwing out a huge rooster tail, even though it was obnoxious ~ it was pretty cool snapping a picture of it.

And then hereeeeeeeeeeeeeee's Miller, he wears a life jacket for many reasons!

He can swim for hours, he forgets his name when he swims, he swims after waterbugs and doesn't pay attention to how far he is away from the dock..

I'm hoping the bright yellow jacket will make him more visable to boats

plus, he is my epileptic boy..

so just in case he has a seizure ~ he will be safe. Thank goodness, he is 5 months since his last seizure, but I do keep my eyes on him constantly.

He is on PB twice a day and he is my side kick. He is very closely monitored.

Well.. enough pictures of our weekend at home.

I hope everyone had a great week also and yes!

I did get the water seal down on the deck and we plan to break the slip 'n slide out again once everyone's bruises heal.

Russ & Eastin

2008-06-18T17:25:00.001-07:00

It is rare I get the two of them looking serious, they are either making silly faces OR telling me to put my camera up. I was walking through the kitchen on the way out the door to take some pictures of a birthday set that is shipping in the morning.

They had just come up from swimming and he had heated up a hotdog with chili because, as always, Eastin was STARVIN'. I think they are both due for a haircut ;)

Here's the set I'm shipping in the morning for a 1st birthday party celebration.

Thank you so much Lynn!

and... Russ has been griping about how our front entrance looks unkept.. I just love my "shabby chic english garden" style landscaping. This is where I take pictures but it is to the point I have to dodge the bee's and step on flowers just to get to our front door! My daisies have just flopped all over our sidewalk and my lavender salvia in the other bed is slowly making it's way to "the other side". My main concern is that the mailman and the UPS can deliver packages.

Ha ha!! Now you know where my priorities are ;)

I take so many pictures

2008-06-17T19:42:00.001-07:00

It is amazing how many pictures I take now that I'm using a digital camera.

Here are a few pictures I found this evening while clearing off my photocard.

what do you see???

2008-06-17T19:37:00.001-07:00

I see a dragon looking at me ;)

A few things the first week out of school

2008-06-17T19:13:00.000-07:00

Summer may not officially be here, but whewwwwwww.. the heat sure has been! The temp has been hovering close to 100 degrees and high humidity.

I caught a picture of Eastin in mid air, one of many hundred jumps off of the dock..

Eastin's 2nd cousin (only 1 month's difference) visited and they had a great day on the lake and in the sprinkler!

and... Eastin and Miller enjoying a kool-aid ice pop on the patio outside of my sewing room window.. They both ended up with blue tounges! I swear Miller thinks he is a person, not a dog. He swims with Eastin, he hunts butterflies (and catches them) with her, he loves running with her hula hoop ~ with it in his mouth and her chasing him telling him that it is her turn with the hula hoop.

Here he is in action ~ and yes!

please pay close attention to his back paws :)

so funny looking back....

2008-06-15T19:27:00.001-07:00

I was looking back through the pictures on my computer and I ran across these from January 2007. They are some of my all time favorites :)

This one makes me laugh every time I see it!! Eastin has gotten taller and Miller has gotten thicker.

HartwellDesigns' new product inspector....

2008-06-10T19:07:00.000-07:00

I sent my 4 month old nephew, Jackson, a little surprise package last week. His Mom took several pictures of him checking out his new bib.

I just added this bib to my etsy shop,

just in case you know some one that might like a bib like Jackson's ;)

http://www.hartwelldesigns.etsy.com/

I can create a matching onesie if you are looking for a gift set.

And.. I have the same sweet teddy bears print in pink if you are looking for a precious girls set

Snowcones on a bush

2008-06-03T16:04:00.000-07:00

If you ever visited our house, you would notice something.... the backside and the front side have very distinct personalities.

The backside has a tropical feel... is all about the water, sun, swimming, boats, and our summer tropical plants.

The front side is more english garden shabby perennial. I have english daisies, lantana, lavender, lambs ear and then my new

blooming favorite this year...

my hydrangia.. forgive my spelling, I didn't take latin ;) but this hydrangia is special, it blooms all summer long and yes, the blooms are suppose to be different colors. They remind me of a snowcone. They are a new varitey called "Endless Summer", I purchased several at Park Seed Co in Greenwood, South Carolina last year.

Peace in the Middle East

2008-06-02T08:08:00.001-07:00

PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST

awwwwwwwww... now how sweet is this little chunk of love?? Meet my 4-month old nephew, Jackson, wearing his peace sign tank onesie that I made for him before he was born.

He wore this Memorial Day, his parents both served in Iraq.

Summer greetings

2008-06-01T21:16:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful site!

Now... if we could do something about the humidity :)

8 1/2 years old.. WOW!

2008-06-01T21:06:00.001-07:00

One more full day of school and 2 half-days, then Summer break is here! It is hard to belive Eastin will be starting third grade in August.

I was told, the older you get, the faster time goes ~ It seems like she started first grade a few months ago.

I hope to spend lots of time this summer outside, taking pictures, walking on the shore, throwing rocks (maybe putting on a bathing suit), working in the garden and enjoying sunsets. I hope Eastin wants to spend those moments with me :) afterall.. she is "8 1/2"...

counting my blessings

2008-04-16T18:33:00.000-07:00

sorry for disappearing, I really didn't, but there have been times I may have thought about it, seriously... can't somebody invent a button to push?? you know, instead of the "in case of emergency, break glass" scenario, but in this instance.. "if you need to get the heck out of dodge, quick and nobody notice you were even gone" button. Dang.. I should have paid more attention in science class when we were building our end of the year science project. heck.. maybe I did invent that button, and I hit it and here I am ROFL..

I need to know when 8 year old girls (okay.. excuse me... 8 1/2 (that half is TERRIBLY important when you are 8) began dictating the household.

I think a spaceship has flown over my little pinpoint dot on a map location and sucked my family up and relocated us to another planet. Sucked up our house, school, same dirty car (yes the one with "wash me" still on it) from weeks ago.. wait.... you know now that I really think about it... maybe it wasn't my world they sucked up but it WAS her... YES Eastin they sucked up, my precious sweet baby girl that has always had a little spunk for being independent but THEY switched her with some master manipulator and evil Cruella soul that can cry with ever so little effort and stomp her feet like I can only imagine Shrek the Ogar does when lolligagging around the swamps after stepping upon a huge wad of chewed gum. Which.. while we are talking about swamps,... a SWAMP.. is what my precious 8.5 year Eastin's bathroom floor was because she/I butted heads about dirty laundry and both of us refused to pick it up so long that we no longer could see the ceramic tile and Miller decided he would get in the shower with Eastin (yes.. our 80 lb house dog aka.. walking shedding sweetest "gentle giant" great dane/boxer mix). Then after going in long enough to get totally soaked, he jumps out and does the "doggie shake" and then proceeds to root around her clothing to dry off his coat.

After I swear 7 loads of clothes (no wonder the child literally had NOTHING to wear) and for once she was telling the truth (oh yeah.. have I mentioned telling the truth is NOT a normal circumstance around here), the swamp exists no longer, I couldn't stand it but Cruella Shrek has yet to notice, how sad is that?? How can you NOT notice that you aren't standing on 6+ inches of dirty clothes when trying to brush your teeth?? But for all practical purposes, when I say to BRUSH your teeth, does that specifically mean to use a tooth brush or just swish some tooth paste around in the mouth and spit it back out?? As a Mother, I should know by now that if I don't go into full details, then I shouldn't get mad when a toothbrush isn't used because I didn't specify.

ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh....

oh.. I can't imagine what each new day will bring, which.. as my sister told me on several occasions when, in my mind, my world was YES actually coming to a end (one time which is SCREAMING IN MY LEFT BRAIN RIGHT NOW), I was going through post pardum and wanting to know why the fact that motherhood sucked so bad was NEVER mentioned to me) ... after 48 hours of NO sleep, a colicy baby, I was wearing cabbage leaves wrapped around me with an ace bandage and I was sitting on the back porch crying and Russ knew to leave well enough alone and let me sit outside with my cabbage smelling self and asking my sister to come over and help (okay.. that is another story but if you are from the South and you've had a baby.. you know where I'm going with the story), I cried to her telling her that I wished I could see the future. Her wise words of wisdom keep replaying in my mind "sometimes it is a blessing we cannot see the future".

At this moment, I'm counting my blessings
and if you happen to see my "old" Eastin, please tell her to jump the next spaceship back to home soon :) that we all miss her desperately.

time just flies!!

2008-03-06T15:06:00.000-08:00

I cannot believe I haven't posted in almost 2 months!!
So much has happened around here, but for now I just had to share this amazing storm that came through Tuesday afternoon.

http://s82.photobucket.com/albums/j263/hartwelldesigns_photos/lakehartwellstorm/?albumview=slideshow&direction=reverse

I promise to post more soon. It is 70 degrees today and Eastin is jumping on her trampoline and wanting an audience, I guess it isn't as much fun alone as it is with somebody watching.

Miller is also whining to go outside..

Kris :)

a must read... CHILDRENS BILL OF RIGHTS... Vs. Parents Bill of Rights

2008-01-20T18:10:00.000-08:00

I recently posted a link that my nephew and his wife passed on to me
about parent's job requirements, well this post is for parents regarding Children's Rights.

This is for the parents with teen-agers out there!

Please feel free to link to this post :)

CHILDREN'S BILL OF RIGHTS
My son came home from school one day, With a smirk upon his face.
He decided he was smart enough, to put me in my place.

"Guess what I learned in Civics Two, that's taught by Mr. Wright?
It's all about the laws today, The 'Children's Bill of Rights.'

It says I need not clean my room, Don't have to cut my hair
No one can tell me what to think, Or speak, or what to wear.

I have freedom from religion, And regardless what you say,
I don't have to bow my head, And I sure don't have to pray.

I can wear earrings if I want, And pierce my tongue nose.
I can read & watch just what I like, Get tattoos from head to toe.

And if you ever spank me, I'll charge you with a crime.
I'll back up all my charges, With the marks on my behind.

Don't you ever touch me, My body's only for my use,
Not for your hugs and kisses, that's just more child abuse.

Don't preach about your morals, Like your Mama did to you.
That's nothing more than mind control, And it's illegal too!

Mom, I have these children's rights, So you can't influence me,
Or I'll call Children's Services Division, Better known as C.S.D."

Mom's Reply and Thoughts:
Of course my first instinct was To toss him out the door.
But the chance to teach him a lesson Made me think a little more.

I mulled it over carefully, I couldn't let this go.
A smile crept upon my face; he's messing with a pro.

Next day I took him shopping At the local Goodwill Store..
I told him, "Pick out all you want, there's shirts & pants galore.

I've called and checked with C.S.D.
Who said they didn't care If I bought you K-Mart shoes Instead of those Nike Airs.

I've canceled that appointment To take your driver's test.
The C.S.D. Is unconcerned So I'll decide what's best.

I said "No time to stop and eat, Or pick up stuff to munch.
And tomorrow you can start to learn To make your own sack lunch.

Just save the raging appetite, And wait till dinner time.
We're having liver and onions, A favorite dish of mine."

He asked "Can I please rent a movie, To watch on my VCR?"
"Sorry, but I sold your TV, For new tires on my car.

I also rented out your room; You'll take the couch instead.
The C.S.D. Requires Just a roof over your head.

Your clothing won't be trendy now; I'll choose what we eat.
That allowance that you used to get will buy me something neat.

I'm selling off your jet ski, Dirt-bike & roller blades.
Check out the 'Parents Bill of Rights', It's in effect today!

Hey hot shot, are you crying, Why are you on your knees?
Are you asking God to help you out, Instead of C.S.D..?"

Send to all people that have teenagers or have already raised teenagers, Or have children who will soon be teenagers or those who will be parents someday OR ANYONE WHO'D JUST GET A LAUGH ....I love this One!! !

MOM (Mean Old Mother.)

POSITION LISTING/REQUIREMENTS for parents or parents-to-be

2008-01-17T13:28:00.000-08:00

POSITION:

Mom, Mommy, Mama, Ma, Dad, Daddy, Dada, Pa, Pop

JOB DESCRIPTION:
Long term, team players needed, for challenging, permanent work in an often chaotic environment. Candidates must possess excellent communication and organizational skills and be willing to work variable hours, which will include evenings and weekends and frequent 24 hour shifts on call. Some overnight travel required, including trips to primitive camping sites on rainy weekends and endless sports tournaments in far away cities! Travel expenses not reimbursed. Extensive courier duties also required.

RESPONSIBILITIES:
The rest of your life.Must be willing to be hated, at least temporarily, until someone needs $5. Must be willing to bite tongue repeatedly. Also, must possess the physical stamina of apack muleand be able to go from zero to 60 mph in three seconds flat in case, this time, the screams from the backyard are not someone just crying wolf. Must be willing to face stimulating technical challenges, such as small gadget repair, mysteriously sluggish toilets and stuck zippers. Must screen phone calls, maintain calendars and coordinate production of multiple homework projects. Must have ability to plan and organize social gatherings for clients of all ages and mental outlooks. Must be willing to be indispensable one minute, an embarrassment the next. Must handle assembly and product safety testing of a half million cheap, plastic toys, and battery operated devices. Must always hope for the best but be prepared for the worst. Must assume final, complete accountability for the quality of the end product. Responsibilities also include floor maintenance and janitorial work throughout the facility.

POSSIBILITY FOR ADVANCEMENT/PROMOTION:
None. Your job is to remain in the same position for years, without complaining, constantly retraining and updating your skills, so that those in your charge can ultimately surpass you

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE:
None required unfortunately. On-the-job training offered on a continually exhausting basis.

WAGES AND COMPENSATION:
Get this! You pay them! Offering frequent raises and bonuses. A balloon payment is due when they turn 18 because of the assumption that college will help them become financially independent. When you die, you give them whatever is left. The oddest thing about this reverse-salary scheme is that you actually enjoy it and wish you could only do more.

BENEFITS:
While no health or dental insurance, no pension, no tuition reimbursement, no paid holidays and no stock options are offered; this job supplies limitless opportunities for personal growth, unconditional love, and free hugs and kisses for life if you play your cards right.

Forward this on to all the PARENTS you know, in appreciation for everything they do on a daily basis, letting them know they are appreciated for the fabulous job they do...or forward with love to anyone thinking of applying for the job.

The holidays ARE over now.. and I've been sewing...

2008-01-11T16:26:00.000-08:00

If you ever cruise around the Bay (ebay), be sure to take a peek at some of my newest creations. I'm in love with these 9 patch vintage chenille patchwork pillows!

http://http://search.ebay.com/%2F_W0QQfrppZ50QQfsooZ2QQfsopZ2QQrdZ0QQsassZhartwelldesigns

Also. I have a couple of Euro style apron wrap tops listed for girls. One is made from vintage Mickey Mouse fabric.. what a find!

Have a wonderful weekend :)

Kris

The holidays are over, and school needs to begin!

2008-01-01T20:35:00.000-08:00

school really needs to begin soon, I'm counting down, how bad is that?

30 more hours. My little Eastin has a evil twin, she does! honestly, really.. my little sweet girl cannot be a devil in disquise can she?

see... I actually even photographed her today!

The holidays are so crazy, too much sugar, too many presents, too little sleep, too many activities, too little "mommy quiet time"!!

I hope your families had a wonderful holiday season and I also hope I'm not the only Mom counting down to school starting back!!

Lots of new listings on eBay! patchwork quilts & bibs and a little monkey busines...

2007-11-25T15:42:00.001-08:00

It has been so long since I've been in the creative mood. Well.. the mood has finally come back full force and I cannot stop :)

I know the days until Christmas are numbered and I don't want to get bogged down in custom orders like I have in years past so this year I will not accept custom orders after Dec. 5th.

I listed 4 patchwork vintage chenille throws this week on eBay. Each measures 36" by 48" which is plenty big for adults and babies :)

I'm hoping to get a rod and hooks up in our house this week sho I can show has these amazing works of art diplay on the wall. What a wonderful addition to a baby's nursery, then as the baby gets older, a great blanket to take everywhere.

and a little bit of monkey busines...
How could I pass these animal print onesie's up when I found them??
I added Julius the Monkey and pom pom trim.

and... look at these lovey bouquets of chenille flowers!

these infant size bibs are as vibrant as they come.

If you have a moment, visit me on eBay, eBay seller ID: hartwelldesigns

November skies in South Carolina are the BEST!

2007-11-22T05:51:00.000-08:00

I was taking pictures of several vintage chenille patchwork throws I'll be listing on eBay this weekend and was all consumed with them, trying to get decent pictures. I totally ignored this gorgeous sky that was overlooking me.

Here's a peek at one of the throws I'll be listing. I'm hoping it finds a wonderful new home.

November sunset over Lake Hartwell

2007-11-13T15:06:00.000-08:00

I was sitting at my sewing machine and looked out and saw this incredible sunset!

If you'll click on the picture you will see it full size and will be able to see one of the many new islands popping up from the low water levels in the lake.

Witchin' fun!

2007-11-01T14:21:00.001-07:00

I thought this witch costume fit Eastin's personality lately :)

I'm sure having a cast on is no fun, and she has been driving everyone batty with all of that bottled up energy.
I hope everyone had a great Halloween. Now it is time to hide all that chocolate (or atleast relocate it to my sewing room when she is at school)

look!! now we have 2 witches on our doorstep.. where's the brooms???

I need to put them to work ;)

Fall Festival @ Eastin's school

2007-10-27T07:55:00.000-07:00

Just a few pictures from Eastin's Fall Festival last night

Eastin got two holes in one on Putt Putt and was loving life.

I hope everyone has a great weekend. Fall is definitely in the air here.

Her first broken bone!

2007-10-27T07:48:00.000-07:00

Eastin was riding her razor scooter, you know the kind, with two wheels like a skateboard and handlebars (no motor), she was speeding down our driveway which has quite an incline, whips it around the front of my truck and turned too quickly and ended up in the hosepipe. She has a spiral break which will require her to be in a cast for atleast 7 weeks. She has been in a full leg cast for 2 weeks and goes this coming week and hopefully they will change it out to one that is under her knee. Our stairs in the house have been quite a challenge to say the least ~ and oh.. bathtime.. not fun, but thank goodness when they switched out her cast last week, they gave her a waterproof one. ahhhhhh....

sunday afternoon on Lake Hartwell

2007-10-10T08:20:00.001-07:00

We decided to take a quick ride to see how much the lake has gone down.
The shoreline is growing while the lake is getting lower and lower.

I love the shot of the sailboat ~ honestly it was stressful being out on the lake.

we would go from 90 feet to 6 feet in a matter of seconds in some places.

There are docks, pontoons and jet skis sitting on dirt everywhere.

What amazes me is the ocean runners blowing down the lake wide open!

The pontoon we were on had a fish finder and oh my goodness!!

Time to head out with our poles and bait.

It would be so much fun :)

New pictures of Eastin! from sweet to rock star sassy 7 year old

2007-10-07T12:22:00.001-07:00

love my 50mm!!

2007-10-05T15:04:00.000-07:00

sooooooo... we have new neighbors, we haven't gotten to know them yet but I bet they were wondering what the heck their neighbor (being me) was doing today all in the flower bed. Actually I was shooting flowers and a cool a$$ spider, which Russ says is a writing spider but let me tell you ~ he is wicked!! I'll post pictures of him (or her) soon.

So.. about my 50mm.. 1st of all.. we won't tell Russ what I paid for it, some things are better kept secret... but I love how wide open the aperature can go. This pic was taken in aperature priority mode at 1.8. It is shown above taken sotc and cropping was the only editing I did! amazing.. love love love this lens!

Girls just wanna have fun!

2007-10-04T11:41:00.000-07:00

Eastin and her cousin loved playing with halloween make-up this past weekend. Of course High School Musical 2 music was blasting and the girls had the best time just being girls! They danced and giggled

I asked Elle what she was and she said a zombie debil rockstar

(she cannot pronounce the letter "v" yet).

Fall is here....

2007-09-25T12:57:00.000-07:00

or so the calendar says. The leaves on our dogwood trees are changing from their bright vibrant green summer color but sadly I think it is from lack of rain and not because of the chill in the air.

It is still hot as heck and ohhhhhhh the humidity.. When I go outside to take pictures, I have to take my camera out a good 5 minutes before I'm ready to start snapping so it can defog.

Cat in the Hat quilt

2007-09-20T14:36:00.000-07:00

my blog well describes my mood lately....

blah blah blah, that is how I've been feeling for about 10 days now, I don't know if it is the change in weather, the fact that I turned 40, (yes four-teeeeee) last week or what, but I haven't been motivated to do anything that I should be doing, instead I've been doing only things I want to do. I'm entitled to do that occasionally right??

I was chatting with one of my friends and she told me that her brother and sister-in-law are decorating their nursery in Dr. Seuss's Cat in the Hat. Knowing I had the perfect fabrics stashed back, I thought I would make a quilt and send as a surprise gift to their baby shower this weekend.

It was fun to make, Dr. Seuss is so whimsical. A perfect theme for a baby's room!

Congrats Missy & Jeff :)

and Beth.. If you read this before you go.. no spilling the beans to your Mom!!

it's a boy!

2007-09-12T06:23:00.000-07:00

I just found out today that my nephew and his wife are expecting a baby boy!

Congrats Billie & Jon!!!

never the same again

2007-09-11T08:41:00.000-07:00

sea oats

2007-08-30T10:36:00.000-07:00

I've put it off forever and a day ~

I really want to learn PhotoShop.

But I open the program up, and get overwhelmed and close it.

I'm using Picture It and am so comfortable with it, but would love love love to be comfortable with PhotoShop. If there is anyone close by that can teach an old dog new tricks :) Please help me.

Daisy chains

2007-08-30T10:31:00.000-07:00

I remember finding daisies in the school yard and picking the petals off one by one, "he loves me", "he loves me not".... then I remember the girls getting together and making chains of daisies and we would wear them around our head, we would make bracelets and necklaces out of them too.

the tiniest frog

2007-08-29T07:57:00.001-07:00

how amazing is this itty bitty frog??

Fruit Loops or Flowers??

2007-08-28T18:43:00.001-07:00

oh yummmmmmmmm.... Fruit Loops....

how bad is it that I look at flowers and crave cereal??

boys will be boys

2007-08-26T15:32:00.000-07:00

caught in the act!
watching "boats" go by..
ummmm.... yeah...
right

the dog days of summer

2007-08-26T15:24:00.001-07:00

Miller in his usual mid morning nap position,
enjoying the summer sun through the french doors
with his stuffed squirrel right beside him keeping him company

oh... to be a dog

Hartwell Designs patchwork chenille quilts

2007-08-26T15:18:00.000-07:00

Yummy combination of colors and amazing textures.
These sold within minutes of posting pictures.

Lake Keowee Sunset

2007-08-26T15:13:00.001-07:00

ahhhhhhhhhh.. nothing more peaceful than a sunset!

Taken on Lake Keowee in Seneca SC.

the kudzu monster

2007-08-26T15:08:00.000-07:00

If you aren't from the south, then you haven't had the immense pleasure of this pesty vine called Kudzu. It grows faster than .. well.. I don't know what I could compare it to, let's just say it grows super duper fast. It takes over trees and fields in a matter of a few weeks.

I took this picture while out on Lake Hartwell. A huge island with a unique kudzu covered tree display..

do you see the lockness monster???

pretty cool huh??

1st day of 2nd grade!

2007-08-21T06:07:00.000-07:00

August 21, 2007

1st day of 2nd grade!

Eastin wore a vintage embroidered pillowcase that I turned into a peasant top,
very lightweight because the high today is going to be pushing 100 degrees.

In 1st grade she thought bows were for babies, low and behold....
she wanted to wear bows :) I just love her in bows.
(You can click on each picture to make it larger)

She was so excited about starting second grade today,
she couldn't even finish her breakfast.

I wonder if she'll want to go back tomorrow??? hmmmmmmmm.........

Our new kitchen!

2007-08-02T15:59:00.000-07:00

I bravely volunteered to host our family 4th of July get together at our house. We've been here a little over a year but had not gotten around to finishing the kitchen downstairs. I decided a couple of weeks before the 4th that it "had to be done"... I wish I would have taken before pictures, but they would have only been of boxes and toys everywhere.

As you can see... we now have cabinets, ceramic tile counter tops, sink, stove, etc. We still need to add the microhood and upper cabinets and a tile back spash.. but the kitchen is fully functionable and a great place to start and end a day at the lake.

Don't you just love our retro table and chair set??!! You should have seen it when I found it. Avadaco green seat cushions and orange fur table cloth! These chairs are so comfy.

oh... love love love this tile!! It is called "dolphin" and reminds me of the water.

We still have a long ways to go.. but we are slowly getting furnished.

July 2007 half-way gone

2007-07-15T17:19:00.000-07:00

It is so hard to believe this is the middle of July. Where did the month go?? We had a fabulous 4th of July get-together at the house. I'll post pictures soon. I was cleaning off my digital camera card and ran across these pictures taken this month.

Where did my baby girl go?? Look at her funny teeth! And alway in this life jacket because she is always at the lake.

Also is a picture of our fishing net on our dock.
We've been so busy this month that all it has caught is spider webs.

Calling all Clemson, Georgia and South Carolina fans!

2007-07-15T17:04:00.000-07:00

I justed added Clemson, UGA and USC infant size chenille bibs to my website.

These bibs are one of my best sellers. I can also custom make a "divided house" bib, one side one team and the other side another. It is funny to watch the parents keep flipping the bib over when the other one isn't looking.

www.hartwelldesigns.com

2007-07-14T16:08:00.000-07:00

Hartwell Designs

Wearable Works of Art

I have a passion for vintage chenille and cannot throw even the smallest piece away. I know it could be given a new life as part of a chenille bib. I've been selling chenille bibs on eBay for over 6 years and my website just launched at the beginning of this Summer.

http://www.hartwelldesigns.com/

So it isn't the beach...

2007-07-14T15:43:00.000-07:00

but it is as close to it as we'll get this year.

These pictures were taken about 30 minutes from our dock, a really neat "inlet". Full of clam shells and check out the pretend palm trees at the bottom!

Clam shells everywhere!

Of course I had to play with my camera when I found these unique flowers

Okay.. so they aren't palm trees..... but you've gotta admit.. they do resemble them in a kewl sort of way.

on a mission

2007-06-12T06:42:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful, much needed thunderstorm this afternoon. Little eyes spotted something floating way off in the distance so she, Russ & Miller hopped in the boat to go see what it was! Eastin is now the proud new owner of a faded basketball :) The lake is so serene after a storm ~ there are no boats, no waves, it is absolutely pure bliss.

Miller, our adopted family member

2007-06-05T19:20:00.000-07:00

We fostered Miller when he was 9 weeks old and immediately fell in love with him. We adopted him and here he is a year later. He has such a personality and has a great demeanor. He announces when the UPS or FedEx guy comesm he brings me his leash when he needs to go outside and most importantly...... HE LOVES EASTIN.
They are best friends. He lets her put make-up on him, play doctor (he lets her put an ace bandage around his leg). She spoon feeds him water and dresses him up.

These pictures were snapped one after the other, it is amazing at his facial expressions, they were changing as he watched a bird fly by.

the calm after the storm

2007-06-05T18:33:00.000-07:00

After a hot and sticky humid day, a welcome afternoon "popcorn storm" came through and left behind this gorgeous sunset.

this is what you get....

2007-06-05T18:17:00.000-07:00

When you send two 7-year olds outside to play.

A ski rope, a sled, life jackets and a big wheel, does that not sound like an accident waiting to happen??

give the girls credit for imagination!

Throwing rocks

2007-06-04T08:50:00.000-07:00

Soooooo.. do you remember throwing rocks when you were little?? I grew up throwing rocks into Lake Hartwell and here I am years later watching Eastin throw rocks just like I did. One of lifes little pleasures :) click to view it bigger

Ahhhhhhhh... after spending all day on the lake, there is nothing more relaxing than watching the sun going down below the horizon.