Happy New Year!!

Good Morning to All!

Have you ever looked back on the past year and wondered how you got through it?  There are those wonderful experiences that you shared with your loved ones and friends.... those horrifying tragedies with illness, deaths, sorrows, unhappiness.... then there are those belly laughs that you remember... times with your children, grand children... new babies being born... it's just a whirlwind in your brain isn't it?

Then... I have those memories of others years gone by...how quickly... your babies are now wonderful grown adults with babies of their own.... and I'm thankful that I've lived through it all... the good times and those horribly bad times that I didn't think I could live through.  It is true... God doesn't give us anymore than what he knows we can handle (even though I truly doubted it many times).

I didn't mean for this to be gloom and doom...but it's turning out that way ... so sorry!  I'm trying to express my love, gratitude, thankfulness, encouragement... my entire life... and say thank you to all of my family, friends, customers.... EVERYONE... thank you for a wonderful 2013!  

Next year will be so exciting..... Vicky, Heather and I are off to Atlanta Merchandise Market in January to meet with a wonderful company that we may be able to design for.  Our hearts are full... our brains are on overload... and we are so blessed to have this opportunity.  We've just sent in another line of fabric design (keep your fingers crossed they like it), we're designing here at home... and life is full and wonderful.

May 2014 be wonderful for all of you too!  May you be blessed with good health, love, and happiness!

Happy New Year from all of us!

Gloria, Vicky and Heather
Olde Green Cupboard Designs

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas 

to all...

May you enjoy family today... filled with good food, lots of love and plenty of laughter.

and... our gift from God... Baby Jesus!

Hugs to all...

Gloria, Vicky and Heather

eeeekkkk.... the "Mice" have taken over the house....!

Ha!  

Did I fool you?  They aren't 'real' mice ... they are my new creations that I simply CANNOT STOP MAKING!!!  OMG!!  They are so much fun.  I wake up in the morning...stretch in bed and new ideas pop into my brain!  I've told my friends this story... I don't know what it is... but when I first wake up in the morning... I get the most clear ideas in my head!!  What's up with that?  Then I ask myself...why in the heck can't I think like this all day?  We need to bottle up those clear brain cells and inject them into our food so we are creative and brilliant ALL DAY LONG!  Would you happen to know of anyone that could do that for me?  (((let me know)))

Here's my last two "new" mice... The first one is "Thimblelina" - 

I found an old sewing box at a thrift store and it was full of fun notions... here is the thimble I found !!! It's the kind with the open end (on top) and it just had to to on her head for a hat!!

Then.... here is my other one...This is "Mistletoe"... she's wearing mistletoe on her head as a hat! (kind of hard to see in this picture).  She's also holding a jingle bell and has a sweet button stitched to her tail.

Hey... I have to tell you something... the other day I went into my favorite "thrift store" and there on the shelf was this jar!  You could tell someone had been cleaning and purging from their kitchen...because it was full of those little corn handles... you know  -  the kind you stick in the end of "corn-on-the-cob"?  All shapes and sizes... yellow and green ones... Well, I'm not sure why but I just had to have them ($1.99 WHAT A DEAL).  I had no clue what in the heck I was going to do with them... but they just called my name and had to come home with me.  

Well... here's where the early morning "wake up clear brain thinking thing" kicked into gear!  MICE LOVE TO EAT CORN...   When we lived on the farm... we always found the mice trying to eat the corn that we fed to the animals!  eeekkk!!!  They used to scare the you know what out of us when we would see them scurrying in the barn.  I'm not afraid of mice... in fact (you may think this a bit strange) but I actually adore them!  Yes I do.. now you know... I like mice!  I think their little faces are so cute...right up there with baby kittens!  Now my friend (Karen) would totally disagree with me... she FREAKS out when she sees them!  Ha!  

So... back to my idea... of the corn handles and mice!  Well... I can't tell you yet... it's going to be a surprise... I'm working on it today!  Then I'll show you... how's that sound?  I'm actually making this "corn" creation for a friend of mine... but I can't tell you who that is... I think she reads my blog and it will spoil the surprise!!

So.. I'm heading to the kitchen for another cup of coffee...then into my studio to get busy!  Of course... once again... someone came into that room and totally made it a mess.  When I find out who that is...they are DEAD MEAT!!  ((ha..ha))  I wish I could snap my fingers and it would be back to it's pretty, organized self again!  ((sigh)) oh well...that's not going to happen ((second sigh))!  

Ta da... I'm going to play with my mice now...

Gloria 

Merry Christmas to All!!!

The last ornament has been hung on the tree.... YIPEE!!!  

Wow.. what a decorating marathon... and after all this... my honey says to me... you know what?  I think we should go away next Christmas...let's go somewhere!  I was a bit shocked!  After a split second... I said... GREAT IDEA!  However, we haven't figured out where that will be... but I'm sure we will.  Heck... I wouldn't even mind making reservations for Disneyworld...staying in one of the beautiful hotels.. where they have done all the decorating!  Hahahahaha!  I've never been at Disney at Christmas and I would love to see the beauty of it all....  aaahhh... I'm thinking that sounds pretty wonderful at this moment!

Vicky, Heather and I want to wish each of you a blessed Merry Christmas!  All of you are very special to us... and we want you to enjoy your family and thank the Lord for this season... and the reason for the season.  

Merry Christmas to each of you... love and enjoy this holiday season!

Gloria, Vicky & Heather

Please click on the link below and enjoy our Christmas slide show for all of you..

Merry Christmas to All

And... the decorating continues....

Good Morning....

Yes... the decorating continues...

X     Front Door

X     Front Door Entry Area

X     Foyer

X     Dining Room

X     Kitchen

X     Living Room

X     Porch

X     Christmas Quilts on Wall

        Kitchen Tree 

        Big Tree

        Sewing Studio

n/a   Bathrooms (3)  (Yes...they have been eliminated from the list -  enough is enough!!)  

As you can see... I'm almost there!  Vicky told me she's finished and with all that she has done in her house... she's leaving it up until February so she can enjoy it.  The wonderful thing about decorating... it's so tough sorting... putting it up... because you see... I like to change it around from year to year... never does the same thing go back to where it was last year!  Of course... I don't know why...it's not like anyone else would remember where it was but me... HA!  Then... here comes the good part... it all COMES DOWN faster than it goes up!  I'm sounding a little "hum-bug" here aren't I?  Sorry... don't mean too.. I'm just getting a little past the tired phase .. how in the heck did we do all of this at the OGC?  Oh yah... I know... there were TONS OF US DOING THIS... together!

The tree is all ready for me... Jack took great time and skill and put the lights on the tree PERFECT!  He knows I love lots of lights and he is so meticulous at not seeing the cords.  Thanks honey...you're the best.

Then... it will be time to put order back into the garage.  Lexie came over the other day - walked into the garage...came running back into me and said: "GG what has happened in the garage?  It's a mess!"  aaahhh... out of the mouths of babes!  Ha!

Here are some photos for you...

Foyer Area...

Lexie popped up and got into the picture...silly worm....

 Front Door... Child's toy snow shovel!!

Old Red Sled I've had for years... My new sign from Tucker's Farmhouse... free greenery from Christmas Tree lot... skates (Goodwill - $6.99), red beads (Goodwill - $1.00 for a HUGE bag of them), Walmart - poinsettias - ONLY $3.00!), Deer (already had)... This is at the front door...

Dining Room  - This lamp as an antique paper writing box... got it years ago at an auction and Jack made it into a lamp for me.  I still need to find a different shade..it's a challenge to find JUST the RIGHT one!

Kitchen - antique graters that you put battery operated flicker candles under.  Soooooo pretty at night.  My favorite - vintage Campfire marshmallow tin for my poinsettia pot!  Those plaid lunchboxes I've been collecting this year too!  Thanks to all of my friends that have found them for me (((( hugs ))))

One of my favorite Santas!!!  

Sitting in an old child's wagon with my new purchase from Tucker's Farmhouse... my tree tub!

Saw this idea on Pinterest... collect old felt stockings and hang them like a curtain... These were anywhere from $.69 to $.99 each... I wanted to be a little more clever with the hanging idea...but this is all you get this year.  I'll try something different next Christmas!
 

Dining Room table... I simply adore this deer.  We sold them in the store... they are rusty metal.  I see my bottle brush tree is a bit wonky...sorry about that...

Same thing... different angle!

Love to decorate under the tables too!!!  Mercury glass... one of my absolute favorites!  Lisa... see how pretty my ball looks?(she gave it to me one year for Christmas...LOVE IT!)

Another NEW MOUSE!!!  

These were the most fun to make... I even went out and bought more ingredients to make more!!  I'm giving a bunch of these away for Christmas gifts... my new ones are going to all be Gingerbread men that I'll be using with a new line of  mice I'm making...

Lexie and I made up our "snack mix" for my sewing buddies!  (((( shhhhhhhh... don't tell them. ooopps.. they may be reading this!  Oh well... they are NOT finished yet...so there is still a surprise for them...

These are the lids... I printed labels from my Silhouette Cameo and adhered them to the to of the jar lid.  Then you spread a little (non-toxic) glue around the rim and dip them in cookie sprinkles!  It looks like it snowed on the lid!  Lexie and I had fun doing this together...she's a good little helper!

Here's another new mouse... this is just the beginning stages of her... don't you love her sweet little baby in her pocket?

I think she's about to eat that cookie.... HA!!

Well..that's it for the day... my honey is home from the gym and cooking breakfast... that bacon and coffee sure smells yummmmmmyyyyy!!!!  It's off to eat... and then on to the laundry and tree decorating...
Then I'm packing up and heading to Cinnamon's to do a little sewing this evening with my buddies!!  R & R is in order (rest & relaxation) for me!

See you on the flip side!

Gloria

OMG!!! I'm pooped!!

Have you ever asked yourself... why does it make such a mess to decorate for the holidays... ?

I'm here to tell you... at this moment... my house looks like a bomb went off in it.. (((ouch)))!!  It reminds me when we changed out the displays in the store... wow...could we make a mess!  Then magically it all came together (some days I had my doubts)!  That's where I am at this day and time.  My back is killing me so I decided to sit and take a rest and catch up with all of you.

This morning I made a wonderful recipe called Ranch Pretzels (in the oven) that I am going to put into jars and give to my friends for Christmas!  It is so yummy.. only I'm changing it up a bit.. I'm adding oyster crackers, peanuts, white cheddar popcorn and CHOCOLATE!  Hey...that couldn't be bad... right?  

Here is the recipe!  You must try it..they are delicious!

Ranch Pretzels
Prep Time:  10 minutes (not even that long)
Cook Time:  1 hour

Ingredients
1 cup POPCORN oil
1 tsp dill weed
1 tsp garlic POWDER
1 pkg(dry powder (Ranch Dressing)
2 bags of pretzel sticks

Instructions:
1.  Put pretzels in a large bowl or plastic bag.
2.  Whisk the rest of the ingredients together
3.  Pour over the pretzels and mix and/or shake well until all is coated
4.  Bake at 250 degrees for ONE HOUR on TWO jelly roll pans.  Stir them every 15 minutes while baking.
5.  Once cooled - add the other goodies you would like (peanuts, candy corn (Halloween), M & M's, chocolate)
6.  Bag or store in airtight container.

YUM...YUM...YUM... Enjoy!

Next week... it's carmel corn!!  OMG... Denise (my friend) has such a wonderful recipe.. I can't wait to make it.. (actually I'm waiting so I won't eat it before giving it away).

Here are some pics for you....

Jack and I made these this morning... you use Christmas cups... or all white cups and drill a hole in the bottom.  Warning.. make sure you get the right drill bit - use it in a drill press and spritz water on the bit while it's working to keep it cool.  PLUS... we taped the underside (inside) of the cup to keep the porcelain from splintering. I researched how to do this on the Internet..!  

Then you add the silver bell - connected to the pipe cleaner.  I also added some greenery!  I can't wait to tie them to my tree!!

These ... are simply adorable... and I'm going go make some.  They are pine cone needle tassels!  How sweet they are... and how I would love them to tie to packages...

I've changed up my "Sewing Mouse" a bit... I decided to add some spools of thread to her garland and she's sporting a pair of scissors around her neck.  Her tuffet is attached to the vintage whisk broom.

Now...this sweet thing... I've almost finished.  She's going to be sitting with a Christmas tree...wait until you see... it's so cute.  She loves her tomato and I love her tape measure scarf.. plus she has a tomato leaf on her head!!

Now... this is a different mouse... I've only given you a small hint of her....she's not finished.  Don't you love that sweet little baby riding in her pocket... if you look close you can see it's little wire tail!

This I finished last night... it's in my kitchen.  These are antique graters... you put them over the top of votive candles.  I've discovered the flicker battery ones... it prevents the metal grater from getting so HOT!  It's so pretty at night!    I've used my Campfire Marshmallows tin and my plaid lunch boxes... you can't see them very well but I have cookie cutters inside the lunch box.

This picture is NOT GOOD... but you get the idea.  My paper whites are huge.  I have them tied together to prevent them from falling over.  Plus... I have added alcohol (rubbing alcohol or booze) to the water to stop their growth and make them bloom.  I waited a bit long for the alcohol... I'll know better next year.

I'll have more pictures for you of the Christmas decorations as they progress!  Why oh why do we put ourselves through all of this?  I'm shruggin' my shoulders here... I have no clue!!

Okay... I'm out of excuses... it's back to decorating... I'm working on the dining room!  

Ta Ta... chat later!

Gloria

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!!

Wait until you see what my sweet honey is doing for me!!!  LOOK!!!  Yes... he's stringing cranberries and popcorn for our tree!  I can't decide if it goes on my "kitchen tree" or the one in the living room.  I think I'll go with the smaller kitchen tree so he won't have to do tons more... I can tell it's not his favorite thing...even though he's being quite the sport about it... and a great job.  He lost a needle already...he thinks it went in the trash.... had to come ask for another one.  Silly goose!

Here is my Kitchen Christmas Tree.... See the plaid container?  Well... I've been collecting them this past year (thanks to all my friends helping me) and the big one (I have two...) now holds this awesome 4' pre-lit tree that I bought from Michael's.  Now...this was the deal of the year... retails for $59.99 and they had them on sale for $20.00!!  Thanks to Vicky for letting me know... I went and got her two of them and me one.  Darn it... I wish I would have bought a second one.  I could have put it in the "girls" (granddaughters) room for the holiday.  Hmmm... I may just have to go back and see if they still have some!

I'm going to put Christmas cookie cutters, my berry popcorn garland... and other stuff on this tree.  I'll show you another picture when it's finished.

LOOK!!!  I simply adore ice skates...(these are children's size...so cute) I think because it reminds me of staying at our grandparents for the Christmas school break... They bought us our first pair of skates!!  Got them extra big - we stuffed socks in the toes...so we could wear them for many seasons.  Gosh...did we skate a lot....   and...fell down oh so many times!!!  We made "fox and goose" trails in the snow on the lake... what wonderful memories... We LOVED staying with our grandparents..  Then we would come inside to hot chocolate and homemade chocolate pie piled high with meringue. ... sit by the big fireplace and get warm.  ((sniffle.. I sure do miss them...)))  Grandpa always smelled like Juicy Fruit gum and Old Spice aftershave... Grandma smelled like Lucky Strike cigarettes (everyone smoked back then) and cooking grease (from fried potatoes - she fixed them a lot!)  . Wow...was she ever a great cook.....

It's so wonderful to have memories....

Look how my paper whites are doing!!!  They are ready to bloom!  I have to add some "alcohol" to the water!!  That's what my friend Paula told me to do (she's growing them too)!  I even checked on the Internet and they tell you the mixture ratio...  I'm thinking I should have done it a little earlier... oh well...we'll see what happens.  I'm ready for some BLOOMS!!!

We have two NEW wonderful PRIMITIVE Christmas decorations that will post to the website today or tomorrow!!!

Our first fellow... RUDOLPH!!  He's so adorable... with his wool heart and scarf and his grungy pipe cleaner antlers!  I'm going to tuck mine in the center of a greenery arrangement... he will look perfect!

Then... we have the most adorable snowman ever!  I love his little expression...and that nose... attached with a safety pin!  The stick arms are so adorable...and he sits up!!  He... is going on the inside of a wreath!  Love...love..love him!!!

MORE MICE!!!

I'm working on several different mice...as a collection... then I'm going to have an auction (more on that at a later date).  

Here is my first one... remember ?

He's just a tiny thing... he LOVES his Christmas tree

And..here is my newest one...

 I still have some final details to finish up...

This little gal is holding a HUGE stuffed strawberry!  She's sitting in a decorative tin cup (with moss) and sporting that big

 curly brown tail!

Then I added a homespun red scarf... and a strawberry cap on her head!!

I'm having the most fun making these little critters... Wait until you see the next two I'm designing... 

So "stinkin' " CUTE!

Ok... gotta go.. it's time to put a casserole together to take to my sewing group today!  

Chat with you later... more mice to come...

Gloria

Merry Christmas Decorating...to you!!!

Hi everyone!!

Well... I've officially begun my decorating (just a little)!   Look what fun new things I've gotten for this year!!!

I went to Tucker's Farmhouse - Green Cove Springs... what a great family!!  They are so talented and this is the ONLY thing I could grab (the entire inventory sold out in 45 minutes)!  I know I've shared with you before my passion and admiration for families that do things like this together... I had a hard time controlling the tears when I say the Mom and Dad come out on the porch (before the sale) and wish us all a Merry Christmas.  What a joy to see a family to talented all working together.  A true gift to all of us!

This sweet bird... I love him!!!

This is my favorite... this great card they made from old tin buckets... it's hard to see but they are on wheels...all rusty and wonderful.  I can't wait to truly decorate with it.  I have a tree that is calling me to put in it!  Then the Jingle sign... made from a rust shingle...  A truly wonderful box of vintage bulbs.  I'm trying to collect enough to have an entire tree of vintage!  Wow...it's taking me forever to find cool ones!

I also picked up this tin Merry Christmas sign... I'm going to put it on the front door with a wreath.

 Then... look at these Santa cups... I'm going to clean them up and make beautiful trees to sit on the inside of them.  I just love these little fellows..the more vintage they are the better.  Heck...I don't even care if they have paint missing.  Gives them MORE character!

I simply cannot live without buying these old suitcases... I have a huge stack of them!  This one was even more of a bonus...it has the original sea sticker on it... from the Queen Elizabeth!  OMG!!  I snatched that this up so fast...if anyone would have been near me I would have knocked them over.  Guess how much this was?  ONLY $15.00 !!!  I didn't buy this bad boy... I stole it!  Ha!

Oh my... be still my heart... I love, love, love children's metal play toys.  These sweet things... well.. I have plans for them!  I'm going to take after my sweet daughter and start making some "critters" and these sweet toys will play a part with them.  You'll see these again later.... trust me!

This wonderful quilt was a heart throb of mine too... it's so much prettier than this picture... I have so many ideas for it... I simply can't decide.

Let's just say.... My "heart" was full of good tidings...spending the day with my sisters and daughter!  We all love the same things so shopping together is simply the besstessst of the best!!!  It had been SO LONG since we had all been together for the entire day... it was awesome!

Oh.. .before I forget... Jack and I decided to fill stockings for each of us this year.  Last year we didn't do anything and it was NO FUN!  So.. I told him I would make a list of some things that I like (he has no clue what to get me... what's up with that?  I love everything...)  So... while I was in Hobby Lobby.. I got this wild idea to take pictures of things I like!  Look what I have so far...

Large circle tags

Tiny little bottles

Distress ink pads

Baby rulers

Distress Markers

Number fondant cutters

Star fondant cutters

So.... what do you think?  Isn't this a great idea.  Then I'm going to let him know what isle they are in.  I'm not done yet... .my phone was dying so I didn't get to take all the pictures of my "love to have list"!  So... I'll be doing that again soon!.

Okay...gotta go...breakfast is ready...yyyyyuummmmm!!!  (I'm so spoiled)

Chat with ya'll later!

Don't forget to make your "stocking" list!  It's great fun.

Gloria