Wishing everyone a very merry and blessed Christmas holiday, enjoy yourselves, do something special, be with people you love......best of luck to all in the coming new year and let's all do our best to turn the economy around!!! Be a blessing to someone....

See you next year.....thank you for visiting.......

Good morning all you little, busy elves!!!! We are rounding the corner, heading towards Christmas......my house is all decorated with three small trees, and lots of bling, oh, I should include some photos.....will do that later.....

My shopping is done, most everything is wrapped, just finishing up some sewing......love this time of year!!! We are having a wet snow event today, kinda sloppy, but pretty. Things are moving slowly on the economic front, and business has pretty much come to a standstill. Hope you are all doing well and enjoying this blessed season........

Gobble, gobble, gobble !!!! Just want to wish everyone a very happy Thanksgiving Day, whether you are with family, friends, or alone.....make it special and in all things be grateful.....I am very fortunate to be invited to my niece's home for the holiday to share the festivities with her wonderful family!!! And today, I baked three (that's 3) apple pies.......my hands are tired from peeling all those apples!!! Yummy......and the good Lord's blessings to you and yours on this special day.....hugs......

I am soooooo very excited.....yesterday I spotted a bluebird in my back yard!!!! He was eating some red berries on one of the wild bushes growing in the back.....and today he came back!!! I have only spotted one maybe three times in my lifetime...this must be a good omen!!!

WINTER

Wow.....Winter just blew in here in the Northeast!!!! We have white out conditions, and boy, is it beautiful!!!! Red and gold leaves are still clinging to my pear tree in the front yard, and now they are all frosted!!! I love this time of year....holiday time....fond memories and making new memories....

Of course, I work at home, so don't have to mess with the traffic out there, and I get to choose my own hours.....I still work long hours and mostly on the weekends too. The computer takes up a lot of my time, since I am sooooooo challanged here!!!

Its time to start sifting through all my cookie recipes to see which ones I will bake this year....when I had a family to cook for I would make about 15 different recipes, store them all in colorful tins stacked in the laundry room where it was nice and cold!!!! However, now I will only do 3 or 4 kinds......and besides, baking got very expensive......the cost of butter and all the other ingredients....and nuts are outrageous......and the heating of the oven.......some parts of life are only for the very wealthy!!!! None the less, this is still my favorite time of year....and my birthday is coming up!!!!

Good morning, this is the morning after the night before.......I think I have a chocolate hangover!!! All the kids were so cute last night....one little thing in a princess outfit told me she was so happy it was warm out and she didn't have to wear a coat over her pretty dress!!! I am just so glad all that candy is out of my house now!!!

Wow, its November 1st....the holidays are creeping up on us....I have listed many new items in my shops for holiday decorating and giving, I hope you will visit......on Ebay, I am ...flora-blue-quilt......and on Etsy.....designsbycleo.etsy.com.....

Many new items will be listed this week, come take a peek.....and have a great November!!!

This necklace is made with red picture jasper and pearls...
just love these colors for Fall and winter......

OOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHH , so very pretty in pink!!!! Plenty of raspberry and black cherry pearls......complements all skin tones....perfect for the holidays!!!

Can you tell that I love working with
pearls???? And these are some very
scrumptious colors.....copper rose, champagne.......like a paisley shawl, perfect for Fall......

Hello fellow bloggers.....I have been lazy about posting in here, but I have been busy stocking my Etsy store with lots of goodies.....sewing and crafting......love it......

Fall continues to be just beautiful here in the Northeast and I love every minute of it.......even raking leaves.....I know, I even enjoy shoveling snow.....get to visit with all the neighbors!!!

Come visit my shop.....designsbycleo.etsy.com.......and the very best to you!!!!

Oh, Happy Fall to everyone!!!! This is my very favorite time of year!!!! All the little kidlets got on the big yellow bus this morning, so excited for the first day of school.....love those little faces!!! Mine are grown and gone, but I remember with great fondness those early days, getting all new supplies for school, packing lunches, getting out the sweaters for the cooler weather......I would have cider and fry cakes ready for them when they got off the bus....and to hear all the exciting news of the new school year!!! Wonderful, wonderful days of my life!!! As a child my favorite new thing was a pencil box, made of wood with a sliding top and all new sharpened pencils, and I still love a brand new tablet of paper, so clean and cool feeling......

I am still recovering from the bronchial pneumonia, but feeling oh, so much better!!! I have quit smoking, which is quite a feat for me....have smoked all my life it seems like forever.....thank God for the strength to do this. My knees are making a very slow recovery, but hey, time will improve that......

We are having a batch of hot weather again, so disappointing after that first taste of Autumn weather, but we still have those wonderful cool nights with heavy dew that is so characteristic of Fall. I am back at my sewing machine, making the cutest pumpkins ever.....come see my offerings......http://designsbycleo.etsy.com........lots of new things, and soon will have some new jewelry pieces for Fall........love those rusty colors!!!

Hope you are looking forward to the change of seasons...always something exciting to offer.....and I wish you many blessings......

My gosh, it's been a while since I last posted!!! I guess I am not that chatty.....this has been the summer from h---, I don't mind saying!!! The heat is oppressive and the humidity unbearable, it has rained every day for weeks now. The sun is killing my eyes, the gardens are overgrown and muddy from the rain. Thank the Lord for air conditioning and that I don't have to use public transportation!!! Summer is just a season for me to get through, I really hate it......there, I have vented and feel better.....

On top of all that, just before the 4th of July, I had an accident.....tripped on my neighbor's sidewalk and landed on my knees on the cement.....wow, that was really something!!! Was laid up for more than a week with swelling, pain, and the most gruesome black and blues......am great friends with the ice packs now!!! I started feeling better, thought I should do some weeding in the front flower bed, can't kneel down so I bent over and strained my back........then I thought, gee, I'll squat down, that should be okay.......wrong again.....re-injured my left knee.....laid up again with ice packs on the knees and heating pad on back.......I am not in a good mood.....

It made me realize I am not as young as I used to be or as young as I think I am. I have to accept that it will take a while to heal from all of this. So, I am limited as to what I can do and have to baby myself, which is not easy for someone who works flat out and burns the midnight oil!!!! Then this week I caught a cold, how does one do that???? It has turned into a nasty event with a horrible cough and fever........then a long time dear friend passed away last week, and I had such a tearful convo with her daughter on the phone.....so sad......enough already!!!!

Yesterday, I had a glimmer of hope......I noticed a slight change in the slant of the sun.....and a difference in how the sun glistened through the leaves on my maple tree......Fall is not far behind....at last......between the 12th and 15th of the month more noticable changes will occur in the slant of the sun. I am a watcher of the changing of the seasons.......the weather, the heart, life itself.....

My creativity should return soon, if not, woe is me !!!! It has been an unusual year so far for me, marked with returning deep depressions and a lack of hope and some general malaise.....and I wonder when it will end.....

However, on a bright note.....I managed to take a load of donations to the Good Will shop......they have been gathering on a table in the garage I call the "loading platform"........even got rid of my old sewing machine, a ton of fabric, trims, clothing and florals. Now that felt good, and I look forward to cleaning out more. I am a warehouse for my children...where are they and why don't they come get their stuff????? I am also a hoarder......I have so many interests....got to get rid of this stuff!!!! How about you???? Are you overwhelmed with clutter???? How do you handle it all???? Give me some hints.......

Char of Someplaceinthyme has gifted me with an award.....thank you so much....what an honor!!! I need to pass this along to others.....have to get a list....I'll be back....I'm so excited!!!!

sewing/craft studio

This is my sewing and craft studio, yes, there is a lot of stuff.....but it is organized and I rarely misplace anything!!! I find it stimulating to have mostly everything in view, and readily available. The studio is arranged in "work stations".....the supplies needed for each task are located in that station.....no fumbling around for stuff!!! It is also my business center with computer, copier, files, taxes, receipts...yuk......and of course, Phone, cable TV, radio/CD player...my creative haven......I hope you enjoy this tour and that I have sparked some ideas and encouragement for you to design your own special place!!!

Summer Roses

For sale in my etsy shop......http://designsbycleo.etsy.com....come visit!!!!

Summer

Wow, this first week of June started with incredibly hot weather!!!! In one day we switched from having the furnace on to having the AC on....unreal!!!! But now that first heat wave has passed, we got some much needed rain and today is sunny and a bit cooler.....The summer heat is not for me.......

My gardens are looking perky now with lots of perennials starting to bloom. The lavender bushes are ready to open, and I look forward to that event.....I collect the buds and dry them to use in my potpourri blends. The lupines are almost done now and I will let them go to seed for next year, they are so stately. My nephew is coming to help me trim some tree branches, they are brushing up against the house and need to be taken down.

My creative side is taking a rest right now, my muse ran away looking for greener pastures!!! That's okay, time to concentrate on other things for awhile. Come visit my etsy shop, lots of pretty things to brighten up your cottage home....looking for red, white and blue???? I've got it....come see!!! Also some cool summer jewelry that looks great on bare skin......

Hope you are enjoying nice weather in your part of the world, thanks for stopping by and God bless you on this day!!!!

Padded Hangars and Berry Sachets Cottage Sweet

Cottage Pincushion

Sweet little peat pot filled with lily of the valley....for sale on etsy....

Chocolate Mint Necklace....for sale on etsy

Beautiful Beaded Butterfly Brooch/Pin, for sale on etsy.....

What happened to Spring????

Wow, we are having a cold snap in upstate New York....had to turn the furnace back on!!! Bummer!!!

I belong to a seller's group on Ebay, called the Raspberry Rose Sellers Club....just type in RRSC, and you will see beautiful items for sale!!! These ladies are some of the most talented people on Ebay, and the kindest, most beautiful spirits.....I am honored to be part of this group!!! Check them out!!!

This weekend, the 3rd and 4th of May we are launching our "Retro Theme" for May and June. We will be autioning off special items relating to that theme....come take a peek at our towels, totes, pillows, vintage items, and more......these will make you smile!!!! I am .... flora-blue-quilt .... on Ebay....hope to see you there!!!

Also to continue that theme, I will be offering similar items on my etsy site.... designsbycleo.etsy.com........come see the special items and check out my Mother's Day selection.......new jewelry pieces being added......I belong to another group of very talented ladies there......etsycottagestyle.ning.com.......come visit!!

Am in a creative high point right now.....catch me if you can!!! Bless you on this day.....

Welcome spring!!!

Wow, its been awhile since I posted here......this wonderful spring weather has drawn me out of doors for much of the time!!! I managed to rake up all those leaves that fell so late last year and then the snow came so fast and covered them all up!!! What a wet mess!!! Cleaned out the feeders and refilled them, also scrubbed the bird baths and filled those up.....my feathered friends are very happy now!!! Can I claim them as dependents on my income taxes and take a deduction??????

My sewing machine went into overload and had to go in for repairs, but she is back now and I am starting to lay things out for new creations. Its so good to see her back in her special place!!! Am also venturing into some altered art projects, a new area for me, and it is a lot of fun!!! I found some new jewelry findings to make brooches, so am messing around with that too. Check out my etsy shop for Mother's Day gifts and SALE items..... sometimes there is just not enough hours in the day......that's why I am up most nights!!!

Daffodills are blooming and the lawn is starting to green up here in upstate New York, and it is a welcome sight after such a long, cold winter. Hope you are enjoying spring time where ever you live and may God bless you on this day....thanks for visiting!!!!

EASTER BREAD

Hello and good morning and happy Spring!!! I just mixed up my first batch of this year's Easter bread and wanted to share the receipe with you!!! This is from my Italian mom, and I have been making it for 40 years now!!!

melt together in pan and then cool......1/4 cup butter, 1/4 cup Crisco, pinch salt, 1/2 cup milk.

melt one package dry yeast in 1/2 cup warm water.

in large bowl, beat 6 eggs at room temp. with 1 1/2 cups sugar, vanilla, lemon extract or anisette, zest from a lemon.

add other liquids and yeast mix. blend well.

Start adding flour until you can no longer mix by hand. Dump batter on well floured board, knead and add flour until no longer sticky and elastic. You will use close to 10 cups of flour. Put in greased bowl, cover, wrap well in towels or blanket near heat source, let rise till double.

Punch down and on floured board, shape dough a bit at a time. In bread pan fill 1/2 full, on cookie sheets shape into rounds, braids, small rabbits, or twisted rounds. Cover well again and let rise till doubled. Heat oven to 350 degrees, brush each piece with beaten egg, bake for 20 min. to 1/2 hour until browned. Sometimes I add golden raisons to the batter before kneading.

My mom used to make each of us a doll with a hard boiled egg in the center. I make small rabbits. Happy baking.....

Hello, and welcome to my cottage corner!!! Come in and visit with me for awhile....I live in upstate New York, where you've gotta love winter to survive!!! And I do love it...cold, crisp and clean!!!

I make and sell cottage items....mainly pillows, quilts, totes, sachets, holiday items and other pretties to add charming touches to your own cottage! As an interior decorator, I have embraced many decorating styles, and of course just love COLOR and DETAIL!!!

My interests are many, I try to learn as much as I can about each craft I enjoy. Right now, I am selling my items on eBay......flora-blue-quilt......and on etsy.......designsbycleo.etsy.com......please visit me there. There are currently some folk art chalkware pieces for Easter/Spring in my store.....take a peek!!!

Thanks for stopping by......and God Bless you on this day!!!