Busted and Birds

OMG!  I have been a bad blogger.  You know you've been a bad blogger when your son calls you and says, "So, you've given up on your blog huh."  Crap.  Busted.  And he isn't the only one dinging me about it.  Apparently, some actually miss reading it!     So here I am having spent my entire day off at the computer working on the information packet for retreat, my butt has already taken on the form of the hard oak chair I've been sitting on  all day so another hour or two isn't going to matter!  LOL!

Since Nashville was weeks ago already, I won't comment on it too much except to say we had a good time in spite of the passing of Mary Ann's mother the day before we left.  We drove straight through on that Thursday which allowed us to play on Friday a bit.  The best thing about the whole trip was this billboard we have passed by every time we have gone to market.  Now maybe I have a warped sense of humor but it makes me laugh every time I see it.   I have wanted to take a picture of it but I kept forgetting which town it was in and by the time I would spot it, it was always too late.  Not this time though!  We were on the lookout for it about a hundred miles before we actually saw it. Mary Ann spotted it before I did and pulled over to the side of the interstate so I could get a good picture of it.   May I present:  

 Just too funny! 

I know in my last post I promised to show you what Dan was working on.  Part of the reason I didn't post as soon as I got home from Nashville was the vendor I needed to buy from didn't show.  I have since learned they were ill and I ordered what I needed but I didn't get it until this past Monday.  I need to give you some background on this project before I show it.  My good friend Connie is an Etsy addict and she always finds the cutest little things there.  A few weeks ago she came to work with this little wooden folk art bird that holds a pair of scissors.  

The end of the scissors pops through and makes the beak of the bird.  I thought it was the cutest thing so I took it home to Dan  and said can you make me one?  He said sure, piece of cake!  However, Dan has a wee little problem.  We don't talk about it much but it still exists.  He has this insatiable desire to make things better than the original (sometimes he succeeds and sometimes he doesn't) Plus, he likes to give Connie a hard time.  So he took the above bird and he made it into what he has named:

The Eastern Nebraska Segmented Hardwood Scissor Beak Bird.

It started out looking like this.

I kept pointing out to Dan that Connie's didn't look that way.  He kept saying...I can make it better, stronger, fly higher and faster than the original.  And in the end, when he was done, it looked like this... 

But still the man was not happy.  No, he needed a wooden thimble.  And wood handled scissors.  I thought the man was losing it.  A wooden thimble sure, but Wood Handled Scissors?  Not gonna happen dude.   You're dreaming.  Pull that head down outta the clouds!  Except that fate stepped in and Sajou announced their new beautiful wood handled scissors that were to be available at Nashville.   And Dan was happy, estatic even.  So we waited.  And when I got home from Nashville, I had to give him the sad news that the scissors were there.  He made me promise to call and order them, which I did.  But no one answered the phone.  I left a message.   I waited a couple days and then I left another message.  Waited some more  and called again.   I got a man on the phone.  He told me they had all been sick but someone would call me back.  So we waited again.  No call.  I placed another call and SCORE!!  The nice lady said the scissors were in stock and she would send them out that day.    So we waited.  Monday the UPS truck pulled up at the shop and the nice UPS man got out carrying this little box.  I just knew it was Dan's scissors.  And I was right!  Now, eight different types of wood later, here he is in all his wooden glory...TA DA!!!

See the wooden thimble?  Connie donated it to him.  Even though Dan had to go and one up her cute vintage bird.  She's nice like that.  Plus I think she was worried about his sanity!  LOL!!

BUT!  The bird saga is not yet over.  I had an idea of my own.  I'd like to say I one upped Dan but I can't compare my efforts with his.  His bird is art.  My birds are craft.  But I think they're cute and others must think so too since I have had several requests from friends for one.  So here is what I call The Shabby Chic Scissor Beak Bird!

Shabby Pink:

and Shabby Red:

And now I am going to call it a night, go sit in my comfy stitching chair and work on the model of the chart Paulette designed for retreat.  It's gonna be here before I know it!

Have a wonderful evening, thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment.  I love comments and would very much like to here what you all think of the birds!

Take care till next time!!

Julie