One Bike…Two Birds….but not two dogs

Earlier this month (wow does time fly) Paul and I headed out to the Kane County Flea Market. 

It is one of our favorites.  Always brimming with vendors. 

Lots of “junk” to peruse.

 

 

And of course one of our favorite local artist usually has a stall.  She is Terri Miles and she makes sculptures from old metal items.  Several of her work already lives at Chez Depre.  

 

 

 

 

But when Paul saw her “Bike and Birds” piece well it was sold before the price was even discussed.

 

 

So now we can tell people you can find our house by the red bike in the front with two birds.  

They have yet to be named.   But I am considering “Faith & Molly”.  

In honor of the friendship between two dogs that just did not happen.

 

 

Yes, we almost adopted a second senior doxie.  Molly seemed very open to the idea at first, but then when Faith spent too much time getting to know me and it was all over.  Molly would not share her “mom”.

 

Midwest Dachshund Rescue offered to work with us for several months to try to socialize Molly and quell her anxieties but that would mean Faith would not have a furever home for a few months and at age 9 we didn’t feel that was fair to her.  Especially with two other families also expressing interest in her. 

So Molly will remain an only dog. 

And that’s ok. 

Enjoy the day,

Take me home.

This seemed like the appropriate title for this blog.

This is Country Lane in the Forest Preserves of Cook County (or Crook County as we Chicagoans and Suburbanites call it). 

The song in my head always when we start out is Take Me Home Country Roads by John Denver. 

My day started out with a 5.5 mile hike.  Not a walk.  A hike.

This pic is my proof.

It was a tough hike…you can barely see the first of many hills in the distance in this pic. 

My allergies were in full force.

It will be a double Allegra day.

But it felt good.

We have been walking about 15 miles a week now.  It would be more honestly but still tied to my desk finishing up my manuscript.

There will be much more walking/hiking/biking from mid August on.

Yesterday was a fun day at Chez Depre.

As has been the usual Monday event in July,  Cathy B. came over to sew. 

Got a message earlier in the month that my good friend Mary Kerr and Shannon Shirley would be passing thru my neck of the woods (note that great tie in to the earlier segment) while on their journey north to Oconomowoc WI and the The Upper Midwest Quilt Show.

Mary Kerr and I have been friends for many many years and it was so good to see her.   I think we could sit for hours and chat if possible.   She and Shannon stopped in for coffee and got to meet Cathy.  New friendship were formed. 

Both Mary and Shannon have books also on the horizon and I will share more about them when they are released.  So much fun, so much inspiration, we all love the same thing but have our own niches….quilting rocks!

Cathy shared with all of us her latest quilt.  Well quilt top.  It will be off to the longarmer shortly I am sure.

Cathy has made all 100 blocks in Tula Pink’s latest book 100 Modern Quilt Blocks.

Isn’t it fantastic! My flash toned down the blue..it really is much more brilliant! 

So my final giveaway for my Christmas in July Blog Event is a copy of Tula’s Book.

Leave a comment telling me your favorite John Denver song (and if you don’t like John Denver I suggest you fake it for now…lol) and I will pull a winner on Thursday morning at 6am!

Gonna hit the studio now…I think I will queue up “Sunshine on my Shoulders” on the iPod.

Enjoy the day,

Library Love

When we were looking for the home we live in now one of the things that sold me on this house was it was within walking distance to the library.

I am a library geek.

I can still remember the trips to the library with my mom when that town’s library was literally a store front.  The kids section was just one 12 foot wall with books stacked higher then any kiddo could reach.   I like to say I read the bottom three shelves twice.

Paul and Emily got their library cards at age 4 and our weekly trips began.

It is not uncommon for us to be at the library 2-3-4 times a week picking up a book that has “come in”.  I ask for alot of books.  ALOT of books!  All genres…but yes very heavy in the quilting and knitting dept. 

A few weeks ago a book popped up on the email newsletter that the library sends out that caught my attention.   I knew I must see it with my own two eyes.

I got the email yesterday.  It was in.

 

 

 

I was laughing out loud before I even hit the door to leave.

Sometimes you just need a funny book to literally turn to when you need a giggle.

 

 

 

 

 

And of course I am gonna show the doxie pic!

 

I double dog dare ya to check this book out and not giggle.

 

 

 

 

 

And to segway into today’s giveaway, I see the return of creative relaxing hand work to my life.  I love to spend hours English Paper Piecing and hand appliqueing with a good movie on the tv or a book on cd playing.  I can listen to books on cd while doing hand work but I get lost if I try when machine piecing.  

I have always wanted on of these little caddies for the arm of my side of the couch.

This pattern called Sit & Stitch Pincushion is by Cindy Taylor Oates.  

I vow that by Sept 30th I will have one and I hope one of you will have one too.

So the prize is the pattern and three fat quarters of fabric to get you started.

 

Post a comment below telling me your dog’s name or any dog you know and I will draw a winner of the Sit & Stitch Pincushion pattern and fabric on Sunday morn!

(pssst….you will definitely want to keep an eye on the blog….I do believe there is an extra book on my desk that needs to leave next).

Enjoy the day!

P.S. still need the street addy of Vickievanphd so I can send out your prize!

I’m a tea drinker!

 

 

No I haven’t given up my coffee habit.  The Keurig still churns out a few cups a day here.

But over the last few years I have begun to drink more and more tea.

I blame Paul.

 

 

And this awesome and quaint loose tea shop in Glen Falls, NY. 

It is called SensibiliTeas.   And if you click on the name you will go right to the website.  My friend Donna runs the shop (and she quilts!  she is awesome too).

They just moved into a new location and Donna has posted these pics on the Tea Shop’s facebook page.  If you ask me it screams sit down let me poor you a cup and let’s chat.  Someday I promise myself I well see it in person.

Now this piece of info might shake Donna to the core…but well…we make a lot of the loose tea as cold iced tea throughout the year.   Some of the teas she actually gives instructions to do so but we are brave and run rampant in our exploration and play with her wonderful blends.

shhhhh…..We have even been known to really go crazy and toss a little bit of blackberry tea into the remaining raspberry tea for our own blend.

Anyway if you are tea drinker and even if your not in the Glen Falls, NY area check out the website.  It is so full of special blends you won’t know where to start. I have so help for you about that in a bit.

I have also found the “Other Cool Uses for Teas” page (click on the About Tea tab) really interesting.

Oh and Paul and I recommend the following:

Caribbean Cooler (excellent iced!)

Mango Green

White Pear

Birthday Wishes (I love this hot when I need some cheer)

and the Chez Depre all time favorite : APRICOT ALLURE  (both hot and cold…all year round…all the time!)

Tea and Quilting….a match made in heaven!

 

Enjoy your day!

Happy Mom’s Day to me!

My gift came one day early this year.

I am now the Mom to two college graduates.

Hendrix College Class of 2013

Emily Ashton Josephine Depre

– Cum Laude

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Paul Alexander Depre Jr.

– Cum Laude with Distinction

 

 

 

 

 

 

Both are back home for a few weeks before they are scattered to different cities to begin life as adults with jobs.  (bonus gift!)

Happy Mother’s Day to all,

       

Ugg….the learning curve is on the horizon.

 

   It’s that dreaded time again.

 

 

A few weeks ago I dropped my phone.  Now I have dropped it before.  But it always landed face up on the carpet.   And since it is incased in a lovely “crash guard” it has always been all good.

This time …err….not so much.

I dropped it and it bounced off the top corner and landed face down on the hardwood floor.  My heartbeat was racing when I reached for it and turned it over.

Whew….the screen was not cracked.   A swipe of the finger and it came to life and all was up and running properly…or at least I thought.

A few hours later I snapped a pic.  Looks ok on my little screen.  errr….not so much when I upload to Facebook.  Fuzzy would be an understatement.

And so I began to tweek and tweek some more. 

And in total frustration reset the camera app back to factory default.

Nope something is wrong.  And it goes in and out.  strange.  and even more frustrating.

It’s time for a new phone.

Well at least we are a bit in front of the curve on this situation.  In early March, Paul and I stumbled into the AT&T store to take a gander at the newest smartphone offerings.  After all it is time with 2 years hard use under the belts of both phones.  We each needed more space, who knew how addictive apps would be.  Not to mention the picture taking.

And yes I do realize I jinxed my phone by making this pilgrimage visit.

We decided we liked the HTC One X+.

See we have a strategy.  We get the same phone.  Makes the learning curve easier when you are stumbling around with a buddy.  That’s our story.  

Our initial new phone dialog usually goes…”hey look what I figured out to do”  or “let me show you how to set that up”.

So wondering does anyone out there have this phone?  If so, what do you think of it?

 

Enjoy your day,

Finally Anna in fabric.

Finally I have found the time to take the pic and post the blog.  I cannot apologize enough.  

Here is Pieced Hexie Star Anna in fabric.

 

Thank you for sticking it out and waiting.  It’s been a tough couple of weeks here at Chez Depre.  And I have made the decision to share with you one of the stress factors.

Unfortunately a close family member is dealing with another round of cancer. While I cannot share whom and exactly what form out of respect for their privacy I can tell you it is not Paul Sr, either of the kids or myself.  But it is close enough to part of our daily lives too.

We will get thru this.  We have done so in the past.  And we will be stronger and more united on the other side.  That is what love brings to the table in the fight against this awful disease.

So if I am a few days late on some promises…please bear with me.  It’s pretty hectic here.

But I have a lot of good quilty things in the works too and will be able to begin to share this week.

And another one of the hectic items is a good kid thing (actually a few are and I will keep sharing as they become clearer).   Today’s good thing is in just a few hours dear son, Paul Jr., will be flying overhead to a job interview in the Wisconsin.  

He is still on the path of completing his Federal Service Officer’s testing but this opportunity has arose and if all goes well (hey the company is paying all his expenses to bring him in for a face to face interview…that’s positive!) I may have him within a two and a half hour car ride from my front door for a few years.

And that makes this mom smile.  

…….even though he will be residing “behind the cheddar curtain” as we say here in Chicagoland.

Cheese curds anyone?

 

Enjoy the day!

Limoncello with a Doxie!

 

Paul and I love to buy each other gifts. 

They do not need to be extravagant items.  And in most cases cost just a few dollars.  We look for things that are unusual and quirky. 

We tend to bypass formal Birthday gifts as we both agree just planning an event spent together, i.e. dinner and movie, or a day antiquing, or an evening at a local brewery cheering on our Blackhawks with friends, is what makes that day special.

But always we are on the lookout for the quirky.

So image my smile when a recent search of the word “Dachshund” on eBay brought this treasure into view.  (sidebar…I love my ebay app.  just saying)

 

 

For those friends on Facebook you you already know that last summer Paul started to make his own Limoncello.  And it is good.  Very good.   In fact it doesn’t last long when a batch is made.

So imagine it being served to dear friends in this decanter.

Let the laughter begin.

Cheers!

A Suitcase Bed for Molly

Catchy title huh?  Well I figured you waited around long enough for another blog I might as well get straight to the point.

In the span of the last few weeks besides all the other normal chaos of life at Chez Depre, we, as in Paul and I, decided and moved our bedroom into the “big room” in the house.

We have lived at this abode for 23 years (in April) and have never slept in what is normally considered to the master bedroom.  But this circumstance is a story for another blog.

Obviously with the “big room” we reaped extra space and thus decided to step up Molly’s sleeping arrangement too.

We made her a suitcase bed.

Basic Supplies:

Funky Suitcase (had that already!)

Foam (had that too!)

Fiberfill (yep you know it)

a Yard of fleece (went shopping)

wooden feet for suitcase (more about those    later)

various tools shown (Paul had those)

 

 

As you can see Molly was anxious to get started.

 

First up.  I had this thinner foam from a long ago UFO project that I decided to give up and “frankenstein” the materials back into the stash.  If this wasn’t in my studio already I most likely would buy a 3” thick piece of foam to fit the suitcase bottom.   But I just stacked up 4 pieces to create the base cushion.  

 

 

We opted to use wooded shower pole hangers as the feet for Molly’s bed due to her short stature.  The holders could be painted (a deep chocolate brown) and were relatively inexpensive. Three dollars for all four.

Paul predrilled holes in the suitcase corners, the attached the holder/feet. We put a sticky furniture pad on the bottom of each to protect our floors from the screw head.

 

 

 

 

A metal plate was attached to make sure the suitcase lid never  closes.

 

 

Before I could get a pic to describe the step of making a simple pillow out of scrap fabric and lightly filling with stuffing, place pillow on top of foam and tuck in your fleece on all sides (makes for easy washing) someone jumped up on her new bed.

 

We do believe she smiled.

 

 

 

…and then she asked for her blankie and went to sleep.

 

We think she likes it.