LibertyStar

Upcycling!

A jean jacket, an old pair of jeans and some embroidered badges = an "upcycled" jacket and lots of fun!  Goodwill is a new favorite outing . . . they have tons of garments with excellent upcycling potential.  First I visit Pinterest (search "upcyled") for some GREAT inspiration, then I head straight to Goodwill to see what treasures I can find to cut up.  It's much easier to cut up a jacket that cost $5.00 or less AND just in case you qualify too . . . on Tuesdays seniors get 25% off.   After all 60 IS the new 40 - that's my story and I'm sticking to it!  

xoxx, Renée 

 

to blog or not to blog

that's the question . . . if anyone reads this, let me know what you think.  I STILL LOVE to see what peeps are doing on their blogs using "FEEDLY" (since Google Reader is going away this summer) . . .  hmmmm what to do, what to do?

Instagram (come see me there) is so much fun and it's so easy to post there, then there's Facebook (are WE friends yet?) that provides interaction, Pinterest (such inspiration) - oh my gosh I could play there for hours if I'm not careful.  Where are you spending your time online these days?  Oh and then there's online shopping . . . . eeeeekkkkkk!  What did we do before computers and the internet?  xoxx, Renée

 

Happy Easter

painting

 . . . so usually I would start this blog post with an apology for being absent and assure anyone who might still be reading that I was planning to get back to blogging regularly.  However that would not be very convincing at this point, all things considered!  None the less here is what I've got!  LOL

I've been painting a lot . . . like everyday!  Oils, watercolors but mostly acrylics along with some collage and lots of art journaling too.  This is what I painted last night . .  

and the photo was taken on my iPhone with the free instagram app.  I am hooked on instagram - it has really fun filters to use with your photos and cool frames.  You can "follow" people to see their photos and it's a great way to share your photos.  If you don't have a smart phone I think you can still "follow" photo feeds with an app for your desktop or laptop computer - that's called followgram.  I would love to have you "follow" me there and see your photos too - let me warn you though it is as addictive as pinterest!

Also this year I am winding down Liberty Star . . . did I say more painting?  and art journaling and sewing for fun and time with friends & family and a little leisure traveling and ???? aaaaahhhh yes the golden years are getting close!  Yep I'm retiring . . . Bob, my cowboy husband, is retiring too - he says YEE HAW bring on the team roping!  

Thank you for stopping by for a visit with me.  I would tell you I'll be back soon but you probably know by now, that it might not be for a few weeks or maybe even months . . . but I'm going to try!

xoxx, Renée

 

 

 

The Country Loft

Make Do

 

Join me at the Country Loft the second weekend of March!

this is what I've been doing . . . . http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150530441938510.379917.178583918509&type=3 and hopefully as soon as I catch my breath I will be back to sharing here in case anyone is still listening!

OH MY!

How in the world does a whole month go by so fast?  hmmmm well maybe it's this list of things that happened since my last post!  

• My friend Taylor from Charleston came to visit and attend artunraveled the first week of August
• I traveled to CA to teach at the Country Loft four days after Taylor left, then traveled on to Malibu, CA to take a class from the delightful Pam Garrison and stopped to visit with my lovely sister-in-law and niece on the way back to AZ
• My oldest son Travis, who lives in TX now, came to visit for a long weekend.
• Bob (dh) had his second knee replacement surgery the last week of August. UGH!  I'm so unqualified at nursing!
• Stitches From the Schoolhouse was finished and sent to press.  Don't you LOVE the cover Bob my graphic designer came up with?  It should start appearing in your favorite local quilt shops really soon.  YAY!

Well no wonder August seemed as if I blinked and it was over!  Bob (dh) is still recuperating and practicing for retirement - uh oh that much togetherness might just be a little bit annoying!  Who else has a retired husband hanging around all day? Thank goodness for all the horsing around he does - he will probably be spending  M - F from 8 - 5 at the barn!  Sounds good to me!  Back soon.

xoxx, Renée

Spring Market . . . a little bit late!

Don't you think the purple aisle carpeting sets off my booth?  LOL

Another angle of my booth . . . it's 10 x 10 but it sure looks small in this photo!

my bff Cindy Oates - Taylor Made Designs right across the aisle from me!

My darling friend Kathy, The Cottage At Cardiff Farms, she was my next door neighbor.  What a sweetheart she is!

My sweet friends Sisters Quilting Trunk, Cheryl and Mary, who were right next to Cindy.

. . . and here is what goes on in my booth . . . a little bit of people stylin' for photo ops! That's the adorable, sweet Debbie Busby, Wooden Spool Designs on the left, me in the middle and Debbie's darling friend that sadly I can't seem to remember her name.  I hope she will forgive me.  This last photo was right before I got food poisoning which zapped me for 24 hours of misery!  UGH

Back again in a few days - my friend Taylor is arriving today from South Carolina for some art fun right here in VERY hot AZ and I mean VERY HOT!  

xoxx, Renée

Are you still there?

Oh MY GOSH! It has been so long I hardly know where to start.  One step at a time and maybe it won't seem as overwhelming to catch up!

Let's start with the most exciting news first!  Jake and Jordan are getting married!

This photo was taken last January when they were skiing/snowboarding near Flagstaff for Jordan's birthday.  This is one of my favorite photos of them.  Do they look like they're having fun or what?

hmmmm not sure if it is better to go back to remodeling or maybe what's happening now and then go backwards.  What to do, what to do?  

This is a photo of the finished kitchen.  I love it and I'm almost enjoying cooking . . . well maybe that should be, I really enjoy cooking when I have to cook now.  It's so nice to have solid surface countertops - who knew that would be something worth saying!

This is the living room with the cabinets painted black . . . I really like the look of them but they get really dusty and you can see the dust since they're black.   The inside of the cabinets were painted a light gray green which turned out very nice.

Next I will share Spring Quilt Market, trips to Reno, Colorado, Kansas City, Primitives of the Midwest and the new book's cover (as soon as they say it's okay).  The book title is "Stitches from the Schoolhouse" and it's almost done . . . a few changes for the graphic designer and then it will go to print.  It's supposed to start shipping the very end of August or beginning of Sept.  It's so exciting to see it come together . . . I can't wait to share it with you.

You might not believe me but I will be back soon!  Seriously I will and I hope some of you are still checking in occasionally.  : - )

xoxx, Renée

FIVE WORDS

NEW BOOK SPRING QUILT MARKET

Hoping to be back to visit with you soon!

                                                   xoxx, Renée

oops I better clarify . . . the new book will be released in Sept but the frenzy of photography and writing is upon me along with four new patterns for Spring Quilt Market.