The Apple Pie Social has come and gone. The day was a rainy one, but that didn't stop us - or anyone else from getting out there to join the fun.
Homemade apple pies were being sold whole or by the slice in the gazebo. We came home with a delicious pie and a jug of cider, too.
While snacking on a slice of pie and a glass of cider, I'll be enjoying this new pattern from Primitive Pieces by Lynda.
I left a comment on Lynda's blog recently and became a winner of her newest pattern, Mocking Birds. Thank you, Lynda - I can't wait until I've found all my supplies so I can get to work on this.
Look what else arrived on our doorstep yesterday! A thoughtful, heartwarming care package for the whole family from The Quilter.
Take a peek at me relaxing on the sofa in my new hand-knitted socks.
I just can't get over them. They fit perfectly, are snugly warm and just a wonder to look at - the stripes, the ribs, the heel. I'm ready to face winter now for sure.
Look who else is going to be snugly warm come winter.
Here is Hubby sporting his new scarf. If only you could see how the color brings out the blue in his eyes. He got a haircut yesterday and has a freshly shorn look that I don't think he would appreciate having published on the 'net.
Guess who had her nose in the box right away. I won't even make her do tricks for these.
Look at these little gift cards. Haven't we all had these sentiments when sending one of our creations out into the world?
I hope you don't think the fun is over. That box also had a little treat for the house, too. A cotton knit dishcloth and potholders.
Oh - and one more thing. A charm that will be in my pocket for a good bit of the time.
There have been many moments in the last couple of months that I could have really used a hug. Having this little charm in my pocket will remind me there is one out there whenever I need one. Thank you, Paula - from the whole family, but most especially from me.

The end of another week and it looks like progress is being made. Our house is starting to look and feel more like home each day.
We have not yet hung anything up on the walls. But I just couldn't help trying to find a way to put up some quilts. I came across two that are similar in size and pinned them to the tops of the window treatments as a 'faux valance.' The quilt on the left was made for me by Nancy of Tom Miner Folk Art in a fall swap we participated in a couple of years back. The quilt on the right is called Family Branch from a pattern by Lynda Hall of Primitive Pieces by Lynda.
I found some things to display on top of the kitchen cabinets. You can see we are still trying to decide what color to paint in there. I hope we can make a final decision sometime soon. Then we can hide the decision making process by installing the microwave.
Do not be fooled though. There is still plenty to be done. While our bedroom is also beginning to take shape, but one of the remaining bedrooms is filled to the gills with the boxes and beds for it and it and the other two.
I'm not even ready to discuss what it looks like in the basement and garage. The watch words for the week have been 'pace yourself.' By following them, I've even found time to sew a little.
Just look at what you can do by finding a few minutes here and there to stitch. Inspiring.

I've had a lot of quiet time of late. It has been busy time, but quiet. No television or radio to invade my thoughts while working around the house. All that quiet leaves lots of time for thinking, list making and reflection.
One of the things that has come to mind more than once is paying attention to detail. No better example exists than an outlet cover or a switchplate.
My parents were separated and divorced long before my first day of kindergarten. In the long run it was for the best for us all, though it took me quite some time to fully understand why. While I missed my dad a lot in those growing up years, we had the best neighbors, the Neffs, anyone could dream of. They treated me as their very own and for all of their lives were like a second set of parents to me. In spent countless hours in their home learning things that have stayed with me all my life.
One of those lessons I learned from Mr. Neff, Neffer as we called him, is that attention to detail is important. On a day when I was following him around as he did chores, he replaced the screen on a wood screen door. The final step was to rehang the door on its hinges. He very carefully put in all the screws, then went back and turned each so the slot in the screwhead was pointing in the same direction. When I asked why he did this, he carefully explained that attention to detail is the sign of quaility workmanship and shows pride in a job well done.
I have never forgotten those words. And as a tribute to a beloved man, I always pay attention to those little details.

*whew* Last week was crazy busy beyond belief. There were appointments, deliveries, and workmen each day. At night Hubby and I were dragging ourselves up the stairs to crawl into bed. We quickly learned that our bodies are not nearly as young as our minds think.
Even though the boxes to be unpacked are still sky high and there is painting yet to be done, we can now work at our leisure, sparing ourselves the achy muscles and tight agendas of the last three weeks.
The priority for unpacking today is to find a few key kitchen items. The sort of cooking I've resorted to recently has left a lot to be desired. Hubby has taken to calling me 'Hobo Libby'
One fun thing about unpacking is that it's a little like Christmas - there's a surprise in every box. I have suddenly realized how much I treasure many of the things are a daily part of our lives. Another fun thing is the surprises that come in the mail. A package from The Princess brought a delightful housewarming gift - a Lost and Found Angel. That Princess sure knows what her mama likes. Our angel has been watching over us from the mantel while we settle in.
Another mailbox surprise was a prize package from Stephanie of Scraps. Over the summer she had a movie trivia contest on her blog. As Hubby and I love all things trivia, I could not resist joining in the fun. At the end of the contest, I was one of the prize winners - the garden package.
Not pictured is the bag of chocolate covered espresso beans that Hubby claimed for his very own. Only reasonable since he helped me with some of my answers. I'm looking forward to my first New England garden next spring. These prizes will surely come in handy. Thank you, Stephanie.
And because all work and no quilting makes Libby a very dull girl, I have joined in on Finn's New Year's Eve Challenge. Right now the challenge may just be finding a UFO. I know they are here. With Finn's inspiration I hope to find and finish at least one thing before we ring in the new year.

What a week it has been. There was more painting . . . . before we cried, 'Uncle!' The goal was to complete the bedrooms, family room and dining room before our things arrived from California. Once we made the goal we retired the rollers for a few weeks while we try to settle a little.
Here's a peek at the dining room. The color on top is the same as the family room. The darker color below is what we will use for the living room.
Monday the truck arrived with all of our stuff. Here's a look a just a bit of the chaos. There are boxes galore in the bedrooms and another jumble in the basement. Harper has picked her favorite spot. A place where she can keep track of all the going's on. And there has been plenty of going's on this week. Today will be the only day that there is not some sort of appointment happening.
We have made an attempt to create an oasis in all the mess. The family room is now the place that is designated 'clutter free.'
There are boxes and stacks and piles of things all around, but there's still one place to sit down, take a deep breath and even take a stitch or two while trying to ignore the mess.
Thank you so much for all the encouraging comments. I've had more than my fair share of moments that made me wonder why I ever thought this would be a good idea. I've not had time to say thanks individually but I appreciate every one just the same. Seeing some order come from the mess, feeling the familiarity of our stuff around and knowing that friends are out there cheering us on have made all the difference. Oh yeah - and the Apple Pie Festival next weekend. Now that's something to look forward to.

Well, bust my buttons - and Hubby's too! We just got a call from The Princess. She is now officially a licensed LPN (LVN) in the state of California! We couldn't be more proud of her. Of course this means she will likely stay out west as she works toward her RN/BSN. But planes go both ways and phone calls and email make it easy to stay in touch.Congratulations, Princess - your hard work and dedication have paid off!

No, I haven't succumbed to the paint fumes . . . . yet. But there are times when I think I am perilously close. We have been notified that our 'stuff' will be here on Monday. Then the games will begin in earnest. I'll be occupied with the task of undoing all those boxes that I filled up just a few weeks ago.
It will be at least a week before we have an internet connection, but I'll be back. Hopefully with pictures - if I can find the USB cord for the camera that is.

Wow! Thank you for all the well-wishes sent about our new home. I've never had so many comments on a post before. I only wish I had time to respond to each of them but there are a LOT of white walls that cry out for color.
It is now officially ours (in partnership with our credit union.) Once all the paperwork was signed, Harper finally got her chance to do an inspection.
I got started right away with painting. Two of the bedrooms have had primer applied as a base coat for the final color. Can I just say that applying primer may be the MOST boring thing ever.
To alleviate some of the boredom, I switched gears and started painting the family room. Harper has become the self-appointed foreman of the project. She keeps a careful eye on me so that I stay on task.
One afternoon was all it took to liven up this space. Still need to cut in around the ceiling. Hubby has volunteered for that. I'll be back in those bedrooms adding the final color.
The work should be easier with two of us now that the weekend is here. With the holiday added to the mix, I'm hoping we get a lot of it done - my back may say otherwise.