Whales

I sewed up a quick and easy pair of pajama pants for Noodlebug this weekend using this adorable Anne Kelle Urban Zoology fabric:

I bought the same fabric in pink to do a pair for myself.

 I am toying with the idea of hiring someone to do a photography session with the two of us in our matching pj bottoms and white t-shirts. If I can get Noodlebug to cooperate, I'll take a picture later today and post it along with the pattern details.  It was pretty easy to do but I didn't trim down the hem so that I could let the pants out later.  I'm not happy with how bunchy the hem came out. I may rip it out and do a hand blind-stitch instead.

Speechless

As I struggle with my weight and low self-esteem, I decided to treat myself to a new dress.  So, I got this dress in anticipation of Spring/Summer:

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It arrived yesterday and I tried it on immediately. I showed Noodlebug (age 2.5) and asked him what he thought.  He looked at me and said, "Mommy, are you a princess?"

I told him that was the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me. 

And yes, I cried.

I'm Impatient

One of my flaws....and it's a big one....is impatience. I am just not a patient person. Especially when it comes to giving gifts. My mom and I are native Texans and still consider ourselves so even though we live in Northern California now.  My mom is an avid collector of suns.  Especially Mexican pottery sun faces.  I found the perfect birthday gift for her on Etsy. (not a big surprise---I am such an Etsy addict!)  I knew this Enid Collins bag would be perfect for her:

It is a delightful vintage piece in great condition. It evens dates to 1967 which is the year my parents got married.  I was so excited when it arrived that I knew I couldn't wait until March to give it to her. So, I gave it to her yesterday.  She hadn't even taken it out of the gift bag when she said, "You got me a Collins bag?!!!"  She knew right away what it was. Now, she has a lovely collectible Enid Collins of Texas bag from her anniversary year with one of her favorite things on the front. 

Now, what will I give her for her birthday?

(I highly recommend the Etsy vendor I bought this from.....Lefty Lou Vintage....excellent service and extremely well packaged)

StitchCraft---Another Reason to Come to Petaluma

I want you all to come to this.  So, I will be regularly posting about little gems in my town and the surrounding area in the coming months to entice you to come and play with me.

You already saw our wonderful Seed Bank. Now, check out our delightful sewing and craft studio:

I haven't had a chance to take a class here yet but I am DYING to!  Look at this adorable dress they are making in class right now:

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I'm hoping that if our financial situation turns around soon, I can take one of the smaller classes and maybe make an Amy Butler bag. Or two. Or three.

Are you tempted yet?

Seed Bank

My little town of Petaluma (population 54,000)  is full of all sorts of wonderful things.  It is known as the Gateway to Sonoma wine country and is only 40 miles from San Francisco. So, we get the feel of a little country town with the cosmopolitan life just minutes away.

My dream is to own my own little farm house someday with a wraparound porch and lots of room to garden. My husband does pretty well with the bit of land we currently rent.  We ate and "grocery shopped" out of our garden during the summer last year and it was wonderful!!!

My husband gets so excited when the seed catalogs start arriving. We are lucky enough to have one of the Baker Creek Heirloom Seed stores right here in town!  It is located in an old bank and is known as the Seed Bank.

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I love taking out of town guests here because it is such a wonderful place to browse.

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The seed catalogs have started arriving and we are thinking about the vegetables we would like to grow. I'm thinking of trying my hand at blueberries this year!!!  Of course, I am also drawn to heirloom flowers. Aren't these pansies lovely?

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And then I start thinking of snapdragons and sweet peas and zinnias and how about a gate covered in morning glory and what about all my favorite Texas wildflowers:

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You can see how I can get lost in daydreams while perusing the latest seed catalog.  Sigh.

If you'd like to view the catalog online or get your very own copy, go here.

As for me....you'll be seeing me at the Seed Bank.

Art is...You Retreat

I have to admit I almost wet my pants when I saw this. I have wanted to do an art retreat for years now. I have dreams every year of attending Silver Bella but after adding in the cost of airfare and hotel...well....I just can't swing it.  Then, I saw there was going to be an Art Is... retreat on the West coast.  I followed the link and discovered that it is occurring in MY TOWN!!! No travel required!!!

I signed up for three different workshops and I am thrilled to pieces.  Sure, it doesn't really fit in the budget right now.  But I really need something like this.  My workshops will be taught by Shelly Massey, Kerin Gale & Charley Slaughter and Julie Haymaker.

Want to join me?  Go here for details.

I'm already scheming to get the Crafty Triathlete to go with me. If you live on the East coast, there will be a retreat there in October. But I'd love to see you here on the West coast!!!

Gulp.

I spent the weekend looking for a bag of fabric I had been saving for Spring projects.  This bag was filled special fabric. Not JoAnn's fabrics but beloved, scrimped-and-saved-for Fabricworm fabric.  It appears my husband THREW THE BAG AWAY.  All my beautiful fabric!  Gone!!!

I keep hoping it will still turn up but I'm running out of ideas about where to look.

What a disappointment!!! 

Too Soon to Think of Easter?

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I just bought this pattern and I'm thinking of making some of these little guys for Noodlebug and his friends for Easter.  It doesn't take much fabric so I could possibly use the leftovers from my Christmas pillowcase project.  Hmmm....  It doesn't LOOK too hard.

Get your own pattern here.

I also have a bee in my bonnet about doing homemade Valentines this year.  I may sit down and finally figure out my Silhouette machine and use one of their patterns.  Anyone with a Silhouette out there who can tell me how to work the thing? 

Hope the new year is treating you well so far!!!

The Word for 2011

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Wonderful Jenny inspired to me to choose a word for 2011. I really struggled with this assignment.  I first chose "Hope" because I am clinging to hope as I enter the new year.  Hope that my husband will find a job. Hope that the health of the people that I love will either continue or that it will improve in other cases.  Hope that I will eventually get out of debt.  Hope that things will get better for so many people who struggled in the last year.

2010 saw the end of five marriages that I care deeply about.  (three of my bridesmaids!!!)  Two of my friends have parents struggling with cancer. My brother-in-law continues his battle with cancer. My husband along with two other friends lost their jobs and continue to be without work. A dear friend had her house ransacked and her car stolen right after Christmas.  And the clincher---a dear family friend was murdered in early December. Annus horribilis indeed.

My last post was about the word "silence" and I contemplated using that word as my word for 2011.  Such a good word and one I need to remember. I am a talker and sometimes feel I suffer from logorrhoea. It would do me a lot of good to just be silent and meditative.  I need to take time and reflect more often.

However, I finally settled on "remember."  I tend to get swept up in my own problems.  I get grumpy and start feeling sorry for myself.  And then it will be brought to my attention that there are always people worse off than I am. When I start feeling sorry for myself, I need to remember all the blessings in my life.  My family and friends. My health. A roof over my head and food on my table. Things I try not to take for granted but probably often do.  So, this year, I will try to remember all my blessings and be mindful of what I HAVE instead of what I don't have. 

It's time to "consider the lilies of the field"....

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