Colors and Coloring

Nature

Since it’s officially Spring here in the Midwest, it’s about time to have some Spring colors popping up.

  

In between the late March snow, the daylilies are doing their best.  

No worries – the snow didn’t last long and the lilies should be just fine. 

Fashion

I didn’t color any Easter eggs this year, since the dozen in the fridge are brown eggs.  But I did buy some new riding clothes, in Spring colors, for the Easter Adult Fun Show this coming weekend.

I think they go well with my spring show saddle pad that I made last year.

Me

In the last of my recent coloring adventures. I went from this last spring:

To this at the end of summer:

And then this, last week - BLAH!:

Yes, my hair is slowing growing back.  But it’s the drab brunette my parents blessed me with and the extra grey hairs I’ve earned over the years.  I felt and looked wash out & worn down.   Not anymore.

The RED head is back!

I ‘fell’ into a little box of hair color the other night.  It;s brighter in real life.  No one can miss me now!  It feels good to look more like me.

I wonder what I’ll get into next.

Happy Easter

This is our Easter lamb cake, made by my dad - pound cake with vanilla frosting.

I was out to Michigan on Friday, opening the house with Mom and she brought it with so I could bring it home.  I did. By Saturday morning, I fulfilled the Family tradition - Lamb cake ears are always cut off first, enjoyed with my morning tea. My brother, sister & I used to fight over the ears.

Shortly after that:

This lamb cake is not going to last long around here.

Note to Dad:  Easter cellophane 'grass' does NOT mix well with frosting.  Just saying!  The cake is yummy, though.

Easter was a bit different this year. I had a plan - it was a good plan.   I have a lovely corned beef brisket in the fridge that I was going to cook up with some fixings.  I started the day making yummy blueberry pancakes for Easter breakfast.

Then came the planned activity for the day. 

Taxes.

Ugh!  I had to wade through the pile of medical bills,  statements, explanation of benefits - organizing and totaling them up (Yikes!).  Lots to do before I could even start on the taxes.  Before I knew it, the clock was striking 3 in the afternoon.  The brisket was still in the fridge. Well, crud! So much for that plan.

We had left over Chinese food for dinner.  Love that the DH is a tolerant man!  At least we had a couple of yummy cheesecake slices for desert.

Happy Spring Equinox

I am so happy to greet the Spring this year!!  Well, pretty much every year.  Sunday found me out & about hitting 2 more horse tack sales. Won't bore you with all the details but it was successful.  

Along the way, I saw some deer out nibbling some tiny green shoots in a field.

I got some new rain boots to deal with the Spring mud season. 

And a new Spring bonnet!

Can't wait to see some tulips coming up around here.

International Quilting Weekend - March 19th & 20th

Happy Belated National Quilting weekend!!!

Hope you all were able to spend some time quilting or stitching.  My Saturday was spent driving - a lot of driving. I am house/dog sitting for friend's P & T.  I attended a tack sale at a local therapeutic riding organization. And I needed to also travel back home to tend to the evening pet feed & cat box cleaning. All told, I racked up 143 miles, basically going nowhere, in a big circle.

While I didn't quilt anything, I did see some quilts along my way. Barn quilts - aren't these beautiful?

I love the color contrast in this one.

The evening was spent with some coloring but not enough to share yet.  The storm at sea quilt is giving me fits but I'm not going down without a fight!

I've Been...

Taming the Paperwork Dragon

The office had become a giant dumping ground for all kinds of things.  The closet in her is my main clothes closet and it was getting a little difficult to get around.  Tools, books, hardware, painting supplies and Paperwork, lots & lots of Paperwork. 

All of it needs to be sorted and then filed or shredded.  A lot of it.  My previous job involved too much Paperwork so the very last thing I wanted to touch at home was more Paperwork.  Happy to have this beast almost tamed down to a mere house cat!

Cleaning horse tack

I've been hitting multiple tack sales, picking up deals for others at the barn and a few horse rescue groups.  

Everything made of leather needs to cleaned and conditioned.  Amazing how a little time, attention & elbow grease transforms the leather.

Notice it's taking place on the sewing table?  So you can guess what I haven't been doing.  I'm still working on coloring the Storm at Sea. 

Riding

I squeezed in a few rides on Stormy.  Here he is looking a little rough around the edges.  

I particularly like the hay stuck in his mane - right after I had just brushed him out.  The weather has been cooperating and riding is great exercise!

Miscellaneous

I did have a run in with the Spring head cold.  It's been going around the office. And around. And around. 

I'm dog/house sitting this weekend and the sewing machine is coming along for the ride - with any luck  a new quilt project will get under the needle.  

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Love this face!  

Had a little health issue with my Drake over the past few days but all is well now.  Starting to catch up on some life maintenance so sewing can't be far behind.