oh, rats!

Happy Labor Day!  I hope everyone is having a relaxing 3 day weekend.

Ours has been fun, hanging out at a campsite with family, boating, gardening, and babysitting for a fairy.

Sugarwings had a couple of sleepovers this weekend and all she wanted to do was PAINT.

For some reason, blue paint always get tasted, you can tell by the blue lips in every photo of her at work on her creations.

While the fairy grand baby was napping, I was able to glitter the tags I made for the Pre-Bella swap I am hosting, and get the packages I am sending out wrapped up.

Each package is wrapped up in vintage wallpaper, soft old ribbon, and a doo dad of some sort as an accent.

This pack for Carol has millinery fruit on it, nicely aged and distressed, the way she likes things. She was with me when I bought the fruited hat it was plucked from, so I thought this was appropriate for her.

And anyone who knows Jessi, knows her love of Barbie.  I added a vintage Wilton cake topper to her pack.

Sweet Jennifer loves kiddy-type cuteness, so she gets Raggedy Andy.

And do you think that Andrea gets tired of Velvet Strawberries coming her way?

All the packages are topped off with a little pretty to use in a project, I hope they are going to be something everyone can use. They were certainly fun for me to chose!

And what is in the goodie bag from me?  Flocked wallpaper, something I cannot do without!  This swap was a "get acquainted- get inspired" trade, and we were all supposed to send some of our favorite things to work with to each other.

Everyone has been so over the top, generous with their goodies!  I've enjoyed getting to know them through this and can't wait to meet up with all of them in November at Silver Bella.

I need to say thanks to all of these generous souls, not only for their goodie bags, but also for resending extra money for postage so I could send out their boxes. I had misjudged the amount needed, but really, honestly wasn't worried about it, I was happy to pay the difference myself.  But, next thing I knew, PayPal emails started filling up my box with all sorts of extra postage cash!  How kind, and thoughtful.

There was time this weekend to sneak away and make some more wallpaper journals for Somerset Life this weekend too.

Not everything about this weekend has been fun, though. Urgh- we had a RAT come up from the basement into the PANTRY!!!

He chewed his way in, and had his way with everything in the cabinet. Did I say, urhg? I opened the door to see him staring straight at me.

I emptied the cabinet, threw most of the contents away, bleached the outsides of the canned goods, then filled the holes the monster came in through with steel wool. After that, I  bleached the cabinet itself and repainted the interior. 

But not until after we caught him.  He came to live in the pantry while my husband was out of town, and I tried to set the giant trap, and almost broke my finger in the process.  I cried like a baby with pain and frustration, after an hour of trying to set that trap by myself.

But, my hero came home and killed the varmint for me,  just in time!  Look at what the pest was trying to do, he chewed in from the basement into the pantry, then tried to chew his way into the house itself through the pantry doorway!!

And this damage was done overnight. Double URGH.

Now, every single tiny crack in the pantry walls is stuffed with steel wool, and we pulled up the boards of the deck outside and stuffed steel wool all around the perimeter of the house into any crevice I thought a rodent could get into, plus we have traps all over the basement.

Life isn't always pretty in a 100 year old house!

If you are still interested in a gift from me, even though I live in a rat infested slum, my September giveaway starts today.  All comments, all month are entered.

The winner of my August Giveaway of the 1950's house wife kit is: Sheila

Congratulations, Sheila!

She is actually a neighbor, well, kind of. She lives in Kansas City, although we  have never met, we will soon at Silver Bella.

And even though  I have posted this before, I will add these links to the participants in the Pre-Bella Swap, just because they are such fun places to go an visit!

Most are addresses, not links, I guess. You need to paste them to your browser, not just click on them, sorry.

1-Heather- http://www.prettypetals.typepad.com/

2-Cheryl Dack -http://roseyposeyconfections.blogspot.com/

3-JenniferHayslip http://sweeteyecandycreations.typepad.com/

4-Jessi Nagy http://www.scrappyjessi.blogspot.com/

5-Kim Caldwell- http://www.artisticbliss.typepad.com/

6-Holly- http://www.hollydoodledesigns.com/shop/

7-Natasha- http://www.natashaburns.blogspot.com/

8-Analisa- http://www.leesiebella.typepad.com/

9-Andrea- http://velvetstrawberries.typepad.com/andreasingarella/

10-Cheryl Stoneham- http://www.insidethebubble.typepad.com/

11- Tiffany- www.shabbyscraps.typepad.com 

2- Carol Spinski - http://raisedincotton.typepad.com/ 

And one more little doo dad trim piece to show you, I glittered a ruby slipper for Natasha. She is coming to Kansas for the first time, from Australia.

Comments

[Lorilee]

Hi Karla,
Sugar Wings is so cute. I have 2 sons and hope for a granddaughter to spoil someday! OH, and you don't have to live in an old house to have a rat. We had one in our previous house. I walked in to see it on the kitchen counter! We caught it that night. I have hurt my finger just setting mouse traps in my barn! I switched to poison pellets! I know I got them because it was a bit smelly in the barn for a few days! I agree UUUGGGHHH! Nasty!
Blessings,
Lorilee

[Karin@creativechaos]

That picture is adorable!!! I love how blue gets tasted...why not? She looks so old in that picture...like all of a sudden...time is moving too quickly :)

[Tara]

Karla

She is such a cutie, you really make the most of every moment with her!

[LiLi M.]

The more I see about Silver Bella the more I feel sorry I cannot come because it is sooo far away (=expensive) but I'm sure you guys are going to have so much fun (as if that makes it better, sob). Those photo's of Sugarwings are sooo cute again! She is a darling in every picture you take! Good to hear that you got rid of that rat. I get goosebumps even thinking of it! Have a nice week!

[Andrea]

She is adorable karla! And a little artist too! Those rodents are the worst !! I am glad you got rid of him!

[Sharon at American Harvest]

Hi Karla,
Sugarwings is a great artist. Never trust a neat artist....just like... never trust a skinny cook!
Sharon

[Becca]

Oh my goodness, Sugarwings looks SO much like you in that first photo!! (And not because she's covered in paint, either -- hee hee -- though that probably adds to the effect ;)

[Pam]

Wish you would have a Bella in Wisconsin. Everything fun happens somewhere else. (Sigh) or (Whine :) Also missing the Texas fun with Cindy and gang.
Love your comments, you're so FUNNY. Beth too.
Hugs,
Pam

[Susan]

I loved the last pic of the fairy grand-baby! She looks so darling!

[Rainy]

Sugarwings stills the show again! Ok where are the Dorkies? My Mini Dachshund killed our rat for us some years ago. We still have a problem with them in our garage, due to a huge drain behind our house. Take care

[Bobbi Mouzon]

Good Evening, Dear Karla! When we moved into my new old house last summer, DH put those electronic rodent repellers into outlets all over the house and garage. they don't bother the dogs or birds but would mess with guinea pigs and such if one had them. Anyway, he did this because I am goofy on the subject of not killing anything...not that you shouldn't have killed the rat, of course you should, esp. with SugarWings in the house, but anyway, the electronic things have kept us completely rodent and even bug free, thereby freeing me of angst if invaders would arrive. Moving on, LOVE seeing SugarWings in blue paint!!!! I love little girls, esp. messy ones!!! You are so blessed to have her, and I enjoy her vicariously...as always, thank you! Your Friend, Bobbi

[Rachael]

Hi love the thought you have bought into each of your swap wrappings! Sugarwings, oh so very pretty and cute and more fairy like in each photo! The RAT!!!! eeekkkkkk, your brave, I would have moved out!! Rachaelxo

[Jessica]

Eww! Rats are nasty critters; what purpose do they serve anyway? I'm glad your husband came to the rescue. ;)

That top picture of Sugarwings looks so much like you! I think it's the hair and the angle of her head; you often tilt your head like that in pictures, too. (After I typed this I read Becca's comment and see that she agrees with me!)

[Brenda Kula]

Sugarwings looks ecstatic today! What a happy little girl she is! And talented and creative with that paint; gonna be just like grandma I bet. You make beautiful things that I just salivate over.
Brenda

[Debra]

That Sugarwings looks like she is having the time of her life. Do I see another painting for her little book in the works? You could title it "What does blue taste like?"

Beautiful Silver Bella stuff. Congrats to "Sheila" on winning the "housewife" giveaway. Are you sure your paths have not crossed sometime in Kansas? I met Jennifer Hayslip of "Sweet Eye Candy" at our LCS Hobby Lobby. I recognized her from her pic on her blog. Which I found through your Blog, Karla. I know ya'll will have soooo much fun at Silver Bella. Jennifer is a very sweet person.

[Lynne Laura]

Great Haul! Sounds like it was worth the sweating to find all that wonderful stuff.

Can't wait to see what you make from it...the afters.

Kindredly, Lynne Laura

[Miss Sandy]

I think living in your 100 year old house would always be pretty with fairy babies painted blue floating around in flocked wallpaper wings and sparkling with glitter! I bet the rat was really just and enchanted character in your fairy tale life! (OK maybe not so much but it sounds good anyway!)

[gail]

Oh, Sugarwings looks adorable in blue paint! Will it ever come out of the plastic lawn chair? Oh well, you will always think of her when you see the chair!

And OMG a rat! We had mice in our old house and I went around the foundation with steelwool, too! It's not fun. Those buggers are FAST at destroying or eating, anything in their path.

Your packages alllook so pretty and Sugarwings looks ready for the Ren. Fest!

[Jean Eakin]

Sugarwings is adorable no matter what she is doing (or wearing) The packages are great. I hate mice or rats and they are really distructive little devils , aren't they. Enjoy the rest of the day,
Jean in Virginia

[Susan M Hickam]

I think you are very brave to stay in the house when your husband was gone(I'm not afraid of mice but rats are a different matter indeed!) I'm glad he is gone and sorry he did so much damage! Little sugarwings looks so much like you! I never saw it till the pics today. She is precious.

[Kim]

Happy Labor Day! Little Miss Sugarwings looks like she was having a very good time.

I so love that nickname,it's just so cute.

[Jen R Sanctuary arts at home]

The instant I clicked on your blog and saw that picture of SW I laughed out loud and woke the dog. It's great. Jen R

[Mary Isabella]

What a sweet picture of Sugarwings I know she had so much fun...m.

[Sher]

I really enjoy seeing the pictures of your fairy grandbaby and watching her grow. My own grandchildren all live out of state so I'm envious of others who get to share so many precious moments with their little ones.

We have been setting mouse traps, too! I just read that one happy mouse couple can have one hundred (yes, that's 100!!!!!) baby mice in a year. Eeeeeoooowwww!

[Lori]

Karla, you have posted exceptionally cute pics of the sweet Miss Sugarwings on this post...she looks so happy all covered in that paint...LOL, i bet that was fun to clean up...and her "clapping for the winner" pic is totally adorable...your pre~bella swap packs look delicious, how sweet that you are personalizing everyone's package...the ruby slipper for Natasha is too adorable!!!

[Lori]

oh, and i am totally ignoring the rat business...if i were to comment it would be tempting fate...i have had all sorts of critters...but so far, no rats...

[phyllis]

That baby girl is looking a lot like her grandma! No kidding! I always want to see what you've crafted but she adds so much to it all...and the dorkies. I love the way you find vintage ephemera such as the rat poison ad...fun!

[Karla]

Oh that paint photo is just too darn precious. That will be a good one for her 40th birthday! Rats! EEK! Thank goodness the nasty bugger was caught.
Karla

[Beverly]

Oh, poor Karla. I would have been ughing right there with you. I hate rodents and "crawly" things. Thank goodness your hero came home.

The things you are creating are just beautiful. Does everyone tell you how much Sugarwings looks like you?

[tiffany]

Love the photo of sugarwings painted blue!!! TOO CUTE!!!!
xoxo, Tiffany

[Gretchen]

Blue Sugar Wings. She can't get any cuter than that!

As for the rat...ugh. There are only two things I'm afraid of: rats and mice. I'd rather wear a snake around my neck than see a rat.

Gretchen

[carlene]

the tags are the cutest...next to Fairy Baby of course! So glad you caught that nasty old rat, yuck!
Am drooling over all the goodies you got at the flea market, I swear I gotta get you to take me to your haunts someday...when it's cooler that is!

[jessi nagy]

hey there cutie,
well how cute is that barbie head.
love it. thanks
i can't wait to see these awesome packages.
oxoxo,
jessi

[Sandra at 7th St. Studio]

Rats are the worst...I have a kitty that likes to bring them home and lay them on the doormat once she has played them to death!! Glad your sweet hubby got yours before it chewed it's way in!! Those packages look lovely, lucky girls to get them!!! -Sandra

[Shawn]

Love the pictures she is so adorable!!! Oh my glad you got that rat gone! See you're just too good of a host :) He wanted to join you!

[Judy B.]

After reading Michelle's blog and then being transported here to your blog, I did some exploring here. You are located in one of my most favorite places -- Northern Virginia, right?? I saw pics of Lucketts General Store! That was my favorite place to haunt when I lived there (I'm in AZ now, but I do visit back there). Wow! Small world! You are now in my favorites and will check your blog regularly plus add you to my list of blogs to read on my blog!

[jeanie]

BIG bummer about the rat. Glad all is back to normal, but Ick! Beautiful things! As always -- your Silver Bella group is lucky indeed! And as usual, Ms. Sugarwings delights!

[Terri Steffes]

Ok, focusing on the FUN stuff: Sugar Wings is adorable. Alright, so I'll say it: Rats!

I love that you got to spend time in that totally delightful room playing with scraps. Lucky girl.

[Felicia]

Oh my gosh! She is cute as cake :)