result o' the rit...

so here's a bit o' part two o' my recent adventures in puttin' on the rit. now on to part three...equally as fun. i will blog up some o' the finished product shortly!

adventures in dyin'...

i have always loved the idea of bein' able to change the color of material things from one color to another. unfortunately my first forays into the doin' o' dyin' only donated more digits onto that dire list o' momade calamities.

my first dumb dye job was when i was but a teen livin' at home with a mother, who took pride in her crisp white nursin' uniforms and a father who liked his undershirt, boxers 'n socks to also be white (yet not crisp). unfortunately, of the options offered up on the back o' the box o' rit, i chose the washin' machine one to dye a pale pink poncho the most scarlet o' scarlets to wear to a party planned for plottin' the prom. once the old washer had done it's dyin', i threw the newly dyed item in the dryer...then, bein' that the laundry was on my list o' daily assignments, i dumped in the next round o' dirty duds, added a dab o' detergent 'n then danced away, anxious for the dryer to do it's tumblin'. i had been so busy dreamin' up all the creative things rit 'n i could do together, i forgot all about makin' sure the old washer would not pass on any remainin' scarlet to it's next inhabitants.

and pass it on that old washer did indeed do. my mothers caretakin' costumes 'n my dad's undergarments were as pink as my poncho had previously been. the possibilities o' punishments paradin' before me created a panic that made me pained 'n pale....the first penalty bein' that i would not be wearin' my previously pink poncho to the party as planned.

i swore to never dabble in dyin' again after that first most dangerous deed. but years later, as a lowly sorority pledge, i was designated the duty o' dyin' costumes brown for a skit to be performed durin' rush week. havin' learned a hard lesson about machine dyin, i decided i'd do 'em all up in a big ol' pot in the dorm kitchen which was situated on the same floor but on the opposite side o' the buildin'. i drug all the dresses down the long newly carpeted corriders and dutifully stirred the huge pot for the recommended time. once they were all the correct shade o' brown, i rinsed 'n wrung 'em all out in the sink and headed for the laundry room - which was right next to my room. it wasn't 'til i had those dresses in the dryer 'n departed the laundry room that i discovered the dark brown drippin' dye that marked my path from the kitchen to the laundry room.

after two dyin' calamities, i took a lifetime anti-rit oath that i planned to keep. but after a duo o' decades, the desire to dye took hold o' me once again. this time, bein' a homeownin' adult, i reasoned that i had no one to answer to for any damage i could possibly do. bein' frightened o' both the machine 'n the boilin' pot methods, i decided to create a method o' my own. i just line up the gallon mason jars in the old porcelain doo dad den tub, dump in the powdered rit 'n add hot water then do a lil stirrin'. i then deposit the items i desire dyed 'n leave 'em in til they are the dreamed about color, do the wringin' n' rinsin' there on the spot, then hang 'em from the towel rack. i keep the same jars goin' 'til they're just about empty 'n then just replenish 'em. when not in dyin' mode, the tub has always come perfectly clean 'n the only calamity has been a lil white dog gettin' a few purple spots on her head.

so far the rewards o' returnin' to the rit have been worth risk. here's a shot o' my current batch - ribbons 'n bits o' this 'n that determined to become a flurry o' flowers.

mini's chapeau panier de Pâques

i had meant to post up the easter basket i made for mini much sooner...but i have been so tired all i've wanted to do if i had a spare moment is sleep. this is quite unusual for me as i tend to avoid sleepin' as much as possible - it always seems like such a waste o' time. i wish i could be like mini's daddy - at any point he can take a nap for a mere 20 minutes and is completely refreshed and ready to get goin' again. if i ever attempt to nap i wake all discobubilated and feel creepy for the rest o' the day.

enough about the zzzzzzzzs though....here is the shot o' mini's chapeau panier de Pâques......an easter basket made out of a hat.

the hat i used once belonged to her great great - possibly one more great belongs in there - aunt francine. i was even able to dig up a photo of her wearin' the very chapeau!

i chose this exact chapeau as it was the most cloche o' my cloche collection and therefore had the most area to fill. even so, i ended up havin' to set this hat basket in the basket mini has used for the bunny to deposit his goods every year o' her life as i needed a bit more fillin' room.

if you have a pretty hat you wanna turn into an easter basket next year, it is oh so very simple....i just twisted up a length o' muslin and then twirled wire 'round it until it would hold the desired handle shape....then wrapped it with satin ribbon, leavin' a bit extra on each end. i then used my second favorite tool - the hot glue gun - to attach it to the hat and once the glue was no longer hot, used the extra ribbon on both ends to make the points where it was attached nice 'n tidy. i lined my chapeau panier de Pâques with matchin' satin but it would have been fine without it.

hmmmm.....you know....maybe it's all that sugar i ate while tryin' to have just the perfect amount to fill mini's basket - i didn't want any to go to waste - that's makin' me so sleepy. i'll ponder that while i doze off here for a bit.....thanks for stoppin' by!

wisteria hysteria

been busy in the garden 'n snapped a few shots so i could show off my wisteria. it seems to be doin' fine even though i forgot to add it's favorite snack (superbloom) at all this year. i only have two planted - one original to the house (which makes it almost 100 years old) and the other i only planted three years ago. the old one makes it's way down one side o' the property 'n the new one went in a direction completely different than i planned but i'm pleased it did....it jumped a walkway, rode the top o' a brick wall and is now makin' it's way toward the rooftop of the north side o' the house.

now...back out to see if i can get the hydrangeas to join in the bloomin' easter parade. thanks for stoppin' by!