Chalk Paint and Flea market find

 It has been nearly 2 weeks since I posted, but I have been busy. So first the chalk paint!  I have wanted to try this for quite some time now and spending the weekend with a friend gave me the opportunity.  We had intended to go to the French Nest in Ft. Collins and then on to Lyons and a quilt store there among other things.  However weather predictions and WIND gave us reason to change plans.  We stayed in Brighton on last Saturday and stopped at a shop which sold Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and had many examples of the finished applications.  So far it has not disappointed me!  Although it did take two coats which is recommended, a light first coat followed by a second coat and then a wax coat.  I need to apply a second coat of wax still I feel.

 These pieces did not match each other or anything else and I wanted to make them more alike! The light does make them seem a little different, but they are not and I need to do the chair for the coffee bar and I have ideas about some other garage sale pieces that I have.  Really, you do not need to prime, or sand or prepare the pieces except for cleaning.

 This little piggy went to market and I snatched him up!  He has been cleaned and oiled and will soon join my five other pig cutting boards atop my cupboards.  I want to display them differently and am working on that.  He was at a flea market in Lafayette CO where we frequent and can always spend all afternoon.

So back to being busy.  I have been to 3 quilt meetings, met with the 2 friends with whom I traveled to the Midwest, spent a good amount of time trying to arrange a room at our local library for a quilting and sewing place for the winter, again with 2 friends, spent the weekend in CO where I also had breakfast with my two sisters and a friend. I am blessed with friends, I know.  With winter fast approaching though, I may be staying home for a while.

More trip and treasure

 This little guy is not part of the trip, but one small part of a garage sale box that I paid $1.00 to a woman who was downsizing.  (I should probably be doing that too.) In the box was a butane curling, about 100 clothespins in a ziploc, two rolls of wallpaper border, elastic for sewing, many buttons and pins, a box with sewing machine feet, sewing machine needles (new) and countless other items, some of which I took to a thrift shop.  But this old pincushion, in pristine condition with his "tail" pins was the best treasure.  I have a soft spot for pincushions and have actually been making a few more for our retreat next summer.

 This barn was one of many on our trip which captivated us.  There are several quilt blocks on this one and the barn like so many, was in great condition.  I do not even remember where it was.

At the Yoder Farm, which we toured, I took a snap of this yellow flower which the young Mennonite woman who was our guide on the Amish farm showed us.  She said it was called a popcorn plant because when the leaves were rubbed, it would smell like buttered popcorn.  It did indeed!  I met yesterday with the two gals I was lucky enough to make this trip so much fun and we hope now to be able to quilt on a regular basis.  We are sadly losing one of our two quilt shops so that may involve some more trips together.

I have my fall flowers out, hung my skeleton on my hook, put my fall wreath on the door, but snow is predicted for the first part of the week.  What happened to fall?  Halloween is next now so....

Trick or treat, smell my feet, give me something good to eat!