Bibs du jour

What is the origin of the baby bib?  Who can know for sure?  What is certain is that new moms will be doing a lot of laundry and one thing that can help is to have a lot of bibs.  Now you can buy bibs in plenty of places around town - easy-wipe vinyl from drug stores or big-box stores; fancy, lacy or even designer bibs from clothing stores and high-end boutiques and Etsy will offer many handmade lovelies to choose from.  It's funny - with all those options, it is still nice to make your own. Sometimes Nana’s and Momma’s just want to a DIY project to put a little extra love in there.  XOXO!  Such was the case for us last weekend.  

I fell for these two fat-quarter prints.  They just reminded me of our little Fiona who's current best friend is her real family doggie, Berkeley.   The tiny daisies on the black field is also a winner destined to hide a splatter of smashed carrots.   I bought a new clean white terry cloth bath towel for $2.99 at my local Wal-Mart to cut and use as the soft and absorbent backside of the bib.  The fabrics are laid out below after I pre-washed them.

With little Miss Fiona and her Momma (my daughter Lauren) spending some extra time with us while Daddy/Hubby was on a business trip we had grand illusions of getting a great deal of sewing/crafting done over the week.  Unfortunately the little granddaughter ended up getting the dreaded cough and cold AGAIN and so most of our efforts were toward getting her through that and getting some sleep.  :-) 

Now luckily bibs are not terribly difficult and the folks at Instructables made it very simple for us.  I got started and made the doggie bib first and then Lauren turned out the adorable tiny daisy bib.  We ended up extending the pattern to make the bib about 1/2 inch longer since Miss Fi is nearly 12 mos. old.  We used Velcro as the closure and its working very well. 

Mis Fi was starting to feel better by Saturday afternoon she was kind enough to model the finished products.  Love that face!  We think these are bright, fun and great additions to her everyday bib wardrobe.  Already we are thinking of ways to dress the next ones up with rickrack and floral adornments.  Don't be afraid to try this project if you are a beginner.  **You might use flannel as the backing fabric instead of terry cloth for an even easier sewing experience.

Here's our model now...

Respect To The Tuna Sandwich

That's it!  Really. After going wheat free since Oct. 2012 I find that what I miss most is a tuna sandwich.  It's funny when I think about it.  There are so many things to miss when you give up wheat, like cake or cookies for example.  But a tuna sandwich is a lunch comfort food item that goes way back for me.  My mother was an excellent tuna sandwich chef.  Ha ha!  She'd serve it up on white, on wheat, on a plain bagel, an onion bagel and best of all on sourdough bread.  Mom was prone to snap it up with finely diced white or red onion and a bit of celery while her mother, my grandmother, was heavy on the piccalilli (as she referred to sweet pickle relish).  Grandma always did lean toward the sweet.  :-)

Since October I have navigated the wheat free waters pretty well.  It's not been as hard as I thought it might be, and oh by-the-way; I feel marvelous off wheat. But the one thing that crops up for me each week, when the noon hour rolls around, is the desire for a gosh darn tuna sandwich.  I have discovered that if you ask nicely you can get the Farmers Market Salad at Togo's with an added scoop of tuna on top for an additional $1.  That's ...been a life-saver!  Now I know there are gluten-free products out there and I'm sure I could have found some reasonable facsimile of sliced sandwich bread before now but I also know from what I read that it's no healthy thing to give up wheat only to replace it with some high glycemic bread made with a lot of sugar and a wheat flour substitute.  So I decided to just skip it and stick to eating salads with meat for lunch as well as certain soups.  Today, however, I read about some bread from Julian Bakery which I will set out to find in my local area tomorrow.  Wish me luck! 



The reason I went wheat-free back in October had to do with my reading of the book the Wheat Belly Book by cardiologist Dr. William Davis.  If you haven't read it, I do recommend it.  I have lost 6 lbs. since dropping wheat from my diet but I don't feel like I am dieting at all.  It's pretty easy to get your head around the fact that you just can't eat wheat.  You can eat ice cream.  You can drink wine.  Enough said - I digress.  Ha! 

I find that restaurants are helpful and grocery stores are really organizing and increasing the products they carry in support of so many Gluten Free folks. I suspect true Gluten Free folks actually may have to avoid more than just wheat. I try to keep in mind - eat real food, not too much, avoid wheat. 
So here is to the weekend and my quest for a tuna sandwich!  I can tell you already mine will have celery and onion and some crispy lettuce.  Sorry Grandma, I'm not feeling the piccalilli right now.
Did this post remind you of a comfort food you've been missing?   

Watermelon + Blueberries = Heaven

On a hot day - and we get them in Livermore, CA - this is one of the most refreshing salads I've ever made for a BBQ / Picnic. I credit Pinterest for my finding the picture first which led me to the link at the Food Network site for the actual recipe.  I already knew I wanted to do something with watermelon and blueberries but I was looking for a new spin.  Ha! What is it about that combination that I love so dearly? The secret to this recipe is in the mint infused simple syrup you toss with the fruit right before serving.  It's just a small amount, and if that's too much sugar for you it could certainly be skipped, but it adds this hint of mint that pops the refreshment factor X 10!  

The nutrition educator in me is always trying to find ways to promote watermelon to anyone that will listen because folks don't often realize the healthy benefits of eating watermelon.  ... this delectable thirst-quencher may also help quench the inflammation that contributes to conditions like asthma, atherosclerosis, diabetes, colon cancer, and arthritis. It's just crazy how healthy this fruit is.  Find out more here.  The only fruit more popular than blueberries is strawberries.  Blueberries are a powerful antioxidant and recently discovered to have ties to improving memory.  WHFoods has the details.

Pinterest also led me to Jenny over at Everyday Occasions where you can discover how easy it is to cut up a watermelon.  I bought a small seedless variety for $2.99 at Safeway - can you say bargain.  Great job Jenny - this is so helpful!

And so it is that Pinterest is not just a waste of time.  I'm actually doing something with some of these things I've pinned.  Use that search bar for anything that comes to mind. 
Cheers!

The Rabbit Hole and Me

Talk about momentary passions of mine,  I've just made a lunchtime purchase of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland - a Norton Critical Edition.  Hey, it's 20% off weekend at Half-Price Books and I'm nearly finished with reading Papillon.  I was in the play Alice In Wonderland in 7th or 8th grade.  It was a grand production and I was the Lead Flower.  You mock, but it was the only flower with a speaking part.  Ha!   I think we all focused on our own parts and I don't remember any required reading of the whole play or any critical analysis of it. It was more like  - show up, audition and then rehearse and perform.  I'm especially interested in that rabbit hole as a metaphor!  Presumably there is a college course somewhere that requires the reading and critical analysis of the works of Carroll and I can't think of anything more fun to spend my spare time reading this Spring/Summer.  .Keep in mind I've little spare time with a full time job, new gym membership, an upcoming quilt making class and a nearby baby granddaughter, but I'm enthusiastic.  Yes, the passions all start with enthusiasm.

Did you read AIW and any of the follow-on books like Through The Looking Glass as a kid?    As an adult?  I'd love your comments.

Vintage Children's Print Blanket For Fiona

A premonition purchase?  A couple of years back there was to be a big sale of donated fabrics at a church in my town benefiting women's Cancers, if I remember correctly.  I didn't know what to expect stopping by on Day 2.  I must have had other things on the list for the day because in an unusual turn I had both my young adult daughter and my college age son with me.  I don't think either one was thrilled to go but I promised we wouldn't stay long.   It was first thing on Sat. morning and a little chilly in the fellowship hall where the fabric and patterns were laid out.  The son, being the only man on premise, was immediately doted on by the elderly ladies volunteering.  He had a grand time being fed donuts and hot cocoa and managed to get a kick out of some of the 70's fabrics.  The pickin's were slim, I must say.  I wasn't really sure we'd find anything we needed at this sale.  Did I say needed?  LOL - we had no list mind you - just checking it out - looking for a good deal. 

My daughter who had recently fallen in love (with her now husband) found 2 great fabrics.  One was a very masculine-friendly toile, a black print of tall ships and buildings on a linen background.  7 yards for $5!  A couple months later we made fantastic bedroom curtains for her and her man when they got a new townhouse.  The other fabric she loved was this vintage lions / candy stripe fabric you see here.  

I wondered what she had in mind making this selection.  I loved it, too, but hadn't seen her favor these colors in previous apartment decorating.  Hmmmm... I remember her smiling saying,  "Mom, we should get this.  Someday I might have a daughter and we could make a blanket out of this."   I jumped at that suggestion though it surprised me so very much.  That was the first I had ever heard her talk about the possibility of babies - who knows how far off she was dreaming.  The fact that the door was opened was all I needed to hear. 

We made the purchase.  The fabric is light-weight cotton and only 36" wide - we got about 3 yards for $3.  I really can't tell when it was made but the colors remind me of the 50's.  Was it normal to have 36" wide fabric in those days?   I stored the fabric away and before long they were engaged.  The wedding plans were on - so for 6 mos. or more all our creative efforts went to planning a very beautiful and fun wedding.  Less than 2 years later we have the blessed arrival of baby Fiona Caroline! 

When we found out the baby she was carrying was a girl my daughter immediately remembered this fabric and the promise to make a blanket for her.  Luckily I knew just where the fabric was stored - and that's no easy feat.  We moved twice since we bought the fabric! You can read about that in some earlier blog posts. 

This week I finished the blanket.  I kept it simple since the fabric itself is so cheerful and bright.  I played up the hot pink by backing it with a vivid pink flannel which I pre-washed for extra softness.  The satin blanket binding is also a great match.  I put some nice 100% cotton batting in between and stitched by machine around some of the graphics to create a bit of a raised image effect.  I must thank YouTube for the help with the blanket sating and especially the mitered corners.  I sent the blanket home with Mom & baby yesterday. 

From premonition to completion - I love it!

Introducing Fiona!

With great joy I share the news that we are grandparents again.  This time we have our first girl.  Fiona Caroline was born to our daughter in February.  I'm head-over-heals in love with this little girl!  I can't believe how fast the time is going.  She is changing so quickly.  In the first picture of the 3 girls in the family Fiona is about 1 week old.  In the next picture she is about 6 weeks old. 
So Fiona makes 3 grandchildren for us and life is all good.  I do wish I were able to retire now so I could spend more time with them.  The good news is I'm too young for that and I don't want to miss one day I have here.  The older I get the more I appreciate all the joy in my life. 

3 generations of love



Fiona's first Easter - check the shoes!



40 Days

Today is Ash Wednesday as you may already know.  I'm not Catholic, but my Presbyterian Church has always had an Ash Wednesday service which I have often attended. Lent is the 40 days before Easter, not counting Sundays. I didn't grow up Presbyterian or Catholic so some of these religious traditions were curious and new to me in adult life.  Over the years whether I attend the AW service or not I have found the practice of either denying myself something or even taking up something for that 40 day period very enriching to my life.  I get to learn how ridiculously habituated I have become to some product or practice.  It is quite empowering to realize that with a defined focus period of just 40 days I can commit myself to one new practice.  I know, I know, the curiosity is killing you.  What have I decided this year?  Am I giving up something I love or taking on something new?  Drum roll, please ..................












Ta da!  I am adding exercise, yes, real exercise back into my daily life!

I can honestly say I have not done anything to exercise since we sold the house last September and I am ashamed and actually worried about my overall health because of it.  I seem to be fine, albeit a lot softer than last year, and I can tell by my clothing that a few pounds have piled on the middle and the thighs.  I can also tell when I climb the stairs at work that I am more easily winded.  I'm 50 now and cannot afford to start down that slippery slope with a trip to England in 72 days (but who is counting?), so being in better shape will only make that a much more enjoyable trip.  A bonus.  Grin.

*One final note since it is Lent.  Yes, I will be spending some meditative time during my exercise for prayers of confession and repentance - doing some spiritual “house cleaning.”

Here is an interesting link on Lent 2012 from a source I don't usually recommend - seems they will keep this up through Lent.

Walking Across The Golden Gate Bridge

So often we forget to take advantage of the beauty that surrounds us close to home.  We travel across the country or around the world to check these bucket list must-see's off our list and forget to enjoy what's in our own backyard.  I'm guilty of this! A few weeks back I realized in a panic that I had not walked across the Golden Gate Bridge.  The nightly news was reporting New Orleans Saints fans, coming in for the NFC playoff game, were making it their first stop. That did it for me.  :-)

And so it was that in January hubby and our youngest son (22 yrs.) set out.  It was a cool and crisp Sunday morning; the sun appeared and disappeared at the will of the clouds but I smiled from ear to ear the whole way across and back.  It was a blast to the senses - the noise of the cars flying past in the lanes; the brisk chilly breeze tossing my hair and slapping my cheeks; the views, oh, you can't imagine the views!; my wobbly knees as I got anywhere near the railing to dare to look down to the water below; one particular dancing (loose) streetlight post kept things thrilling; the beautiful and familiar San Francisco skyline under a January morning sky; the rowing team slipping under the bridge - it was all exhilarating.  I took a few pictures. It's about 3.5 miles across and back and I highly recommend it. It turns out they are sprucing things up for the 75th anniversary which I believe is in March. 

When I was little I remember my grandmother telling me that people walked across the GGB when it first opened.  I want to say she walked across, too, but I may have that confused with the opening of the Bay Bridge. 

It's a holiday weekend for many. Go do something you've been meaning to do.  Enjoy!

Your Level Of Commitment Shows

Readers may benefit from what I am primarily writing here for my own self development. 

Historically I've always been someone irked by people who are late and have worked very hard to be on time or early both in business and in my personal life.  Lately though, I notice that when it comes to many things I'm no longer exhibiting this behavior.  I actually excused this trend as a positive.  A  mellowing of sorts from my legendary uptight nature now that I have landed here in mid-life.  Today I read a post from Seth Godin that really struck me as he cleverly compared the difference in meeting a train vs. making a train.  They sound so similar its easy to think they are one and the same but, BAM, they are not!  I now really believe my relaxed commitment to things is showing and impacting my work and personal life and I thank Seth for kicking me with his terrific post. 
Please feel free to share this as it would apply to church groups, service groups, corporate America and your family. 

Meeting vs. Making


As I was scurrying to meet someone coming in on the 11 am train, I realized that there's a huge difference between meeting a train and making one.

If you're rushing to make a train, you have to be there before the last moment. Five seconds too late is too late. The cost of error is absolute.

If you're hurrying to meet a train, though, there's a soft deadline. Five seconds is no big deal. Thirty seconds might be annoying, particularly for someone returning from a long journey. And five minutes is really rude.

Too often, we treat our obligations as meet, not make. We impose a sliding scale, a soft penalty, and we not only show up just a bit late, we show up a bit behind on quality or preparation.

Making is a discipline. Meeting opens the door for excuses.

February TV Favorites

So it's the middle of a dark and cold winter with endless days of gray skies, and we're all so tired of being indoors...wait, scratch that - I live in sunny Northern California where we've had nearly no winter at all.  We seem to be stuck in a near springtime weather pattern this year.  Apologies to my friends shoveling their way out of their homes each day.  Brrrr!  This list might be of keen interest to you. Still in all these shorter days lend to a good TV watching season. 
Here's what's catching my attention right now:
1)  Downton Abbey on PBS You can get started with Season 1 on Netflix or DVD.  Beautiful!
2) American Idol - yes, I've a wee Steven Tyler crush  :-)  It's Hollywood week!
3) Justified on FX  Great dialog and characters.
4) Blue Bloods - yes, I've a wee Tom Selleck crush, again! You fall in love with this family.
5) Here is where perhaps I reveal too much.  Some nights, after my husband goes to bed, I try to find The Real Housewives of Atlanta on-demand.  This is my guilty pleasure.  Ha ha!  For some reason this mix of ladies holds my attention - like a circus act on some episodes - and I feel like it would be a trip to be a part of their little diva group.  Of course I'm gonna need a spending account to keep up.

Downsize complete

Well my friends downsizing took over my life - what can I say? I only wish I was better at documenting with pictures all that we have experienced since Oct. 2011 when we moved out of our home after it sold. You may not know this (since I was not keeping you posted - 'duh!) but there was limbo time between having to be out of our house and being able to move into the new "downsized" house. Yes, we had to move twice. Luckily you were not so close as to hear my blood curdling scream when first I realized there was no avoiding the dreaded-double-move. Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! Oh well, it's past us now. Now that I'm all linked back up again you can look forward to some future posts that include some before and after pics . Here are some highlights from the past 4 months:

• House sold for full price! We only owned it 2 years but we didn't lose any money. What a blessing. As they say - location, location + the improvements we made were desirable.

• We did find a "cute little downtown house" after many frustrating "almosts" and our above the asking price offer beat out other above the asking price bids. Yes, this still happens in the San Francisco Bay Area where job opportunities still exist.
• Could not get the escrow close dates to coordinate (tears) and so we had to rent an apartment temporarily - with our recently returned from college son...roomies! :-(
• One of our 2 dogs had to be put down just as we were moving - she was 14 and I think she looked around and said to herself - I'm too old to move. Poor Mya - we'll miss her.
• Our remaining pup, a German Short-haired Pointer (always an outside dog) moves with us to a small apartment and gets to start a new life as an inside dog. Oh, that was priceless and, yes, you can teach old dogs new tricks.
The little downtown house is frozen in time- built in 1950 and most recently decorated in about 1973. Everything in perfect condition but nothing you could live with. Ha ha! The picture is our "before" of the bathroom. Jealous? :-)

• Hubby had to work full time and manage a full house electrical upgrade - the house only had 70 amp service for the whole house. It never had a clothes dryer and we were told that if we tried to run one we probably could run just one light bulb at the same time. LOL.
• Hubby managed the electrical upgrade, a whole house plumbing re-pipe, inside painting, wall paper removal, complete bathroom gut and remodel. This was the biggest deal because it is a 2 BR., 1 bath house. Yes, I said 1 bath. there is no way we could move in until the bathroom project completed or...well you get the idea. A flush is a must!
• Lot's of stress and one good therapist and we made it to move-in with our marriage in tact
• I turned 50 on 12/19! No time to party - that was a bummer. Hubby & daughter planned a great small affair for 12/30 at a wonderful steak house with friends and I felt special, plus I could breathe with the move and Christmas behind me.
• Move in date - Dec. 20. I mean we were down to the wire getting in before Christmas.
• Hosted our kids and their kids for Christmas Day celebrations.
• Whew!

Roller Coaster Realty

Roller Coaster - say what? (hat tip to Ohio Players - I'm a 70's kid, what can I say?)

They say you only get hurt on a roller coaster if you jump off. I'm just enjoying the ride since at least this adds some excitement to our empty nest lives. Smile. Here's the latest on the house. Last night after 2 days of - offer / counter offer / response to counter offer we accepted the buyers offer. We went to bed excited and nervous that we had just agreed to be out in 30 days. We have no place to go but planned to look at a place with tons of character at 10 a.m. this morning. Got to work early this morning and received an email from our realtor explaining that the buyers, who hammered us for a great deal, talked over night and got cold feet. They are canceling.

Hands up everyone? Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Make It Your Own

Sunday morning is for muffins, well at least today it is. Do you have a Trader Joe's store near you? I admit to loving TJ's. No, they don't have everything but the scale of the store and the products they carry make shopping decisions manageable. Okay - enough of a plug for TJ's - back to muffins, right?
This handy little mix Triple Berry Bran Muffin mix is a delight and I've found with this mix you have the opportunity to safely and successfully add some delicious ingredients. It already includes dried cranberries, raspberries and another berry that escapes me right now - 'doh! This week I had some organic Santa Rosa plum from a local farm. I took one plum and diced it and then folded it in just before filling the muffin tin. Talk about moist muffins - talk about delicious goodness - this is a great way to add even more good stuff into your diet. I did this a few weeks back with apricots when they were in abundance. Fabulous. Again, this couldn't be simpler and the effect is a muffin you can be proud to serve the family or bring to the office to share with your work peeps, too.
P.S. This is one of those rare mixes that actually makes a full 1 dozen muffins.
Be well.

Downsize.2!

I really hesitate to call it downsizing because we really have yet to actually downsize our homes in terms of square footage. We did attempt a downsize when we moved here in November of 2009 but we got a really good deal and really just downsized our payment but not the home or lot size. That being said we are ready for our next move where we will go smaller on both the payment and the footprint this time (we'll try anyway - good deals are everywhere!).

Hubby and I have taken a long hard look at our financial situation and although it is not too bad, it could and should be better. We are not really prepared for a worst case scenario like a job loss. Are you? We have recently been introduced to the smart guidance of Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover and both hubby and I are in alignment on having an emergency fund and eliminating our debt. Now please know Dave does not start by telling people to sell their homes. Ha! In our case we just realized that we have more house than we need and if we did reduce that we would have a whole lot more money to apply to other debt and to save for retirement. We figure that with good health we have about 15 more years to work - that's it. Also, we want to start traveling more when we have vacation time and we are a little cash strapped for any major trips.

That brings me to this: Tada! Our house is on the market. Yes, it is all cleaned up and model-home pretty, right down to the glass bowl of fresh lemons on the kitchen table. :-) It seems we are living in some level of suspended animation so that we are ready, at the ring of the phone, to make a quick exit and allow home buyers (complete strangers) to come trudging through our home with their RE Agent. God, I hate this part!

Blushing Blouse - Finis!

My dressed up and more romantic take on the same peasant blouse pattern I used for the vintage gingham - peasant top is finally finished. I blogged about this blouse back in May and never thought it would take me this long to complete. I live a full life - what can I say? Ha ha! I do love that one pattern produced two lovely tops with completely different looks. Now that's value! Adding to that value, the two fabrics I used were dirt cheap. The green and white jumbo gingham check was thrifted and the beautiful blush crepe was red-tagged at Joanne's - a steal. Will I be packing this little gem for my September Las Vegas trip - you betcha!

How are you stretching your fashion budget during this recession/ near depression?

Windsong and White Shoulders

Today's momentary passion is a memory - a memory my nose remembers best. Windsong perfume, by Prince Matchebelli and White Shoulders, by Evyan of New York city, are two signature fragrances worn by my late mother, Caroline. When a girl of 19 loses her mother she has but her memories to carry her a lifetime. It's amazing how the mind, body and senses work together to ensure we do not forget those who go before us. I had not thought about these fragrances in a long time but something in this hot summer day clicked and there I was digging around the WWW doing a little research. When I happened upon an image of the very regal "crown" bottle of Windsong there was surprise and instant recall of this bottle on a dresser top from my childhood. It might even be my grandmother's dresser top. Of course most folks my age remember that ...Windsong stays on your mind. Commercial from the early 70's drilled that into us. :-)

The fact is although I have memories of both fragrances, White Shoulders is what I think of most when I think of mom in the summertime. Never overpowering, lightly floral with a fresh bathed crispness and a bit of sexy base notes. LOL! Readers should be warned I haven't a clue how to describe fragrances - it's hard enough to try to keep up with my wine snob friends and their descriptions. Others in bloggy-land are more experienced in the history of fragrances and I will hook you up here to a fabulous post by Amelia about this truly American perfume over at The Vintage Perfume Vault.

Created in 1940 this perfume is considered to be one of the most desired and successful of all American perfumes. It was war time and Americans wanted to spend their money on things made here at home. Hmmm - something sounds familiar.

I'm simply going to have to smell some White Shoulders fragrance today - somewhere. I will search out a Sephora if I have to; it's hard to explain, but I may even need to buy some White Shoulders today. If you think about how fashions come back in style it is not a stretch to imagine that the accompanying fragrances regain popularity as well especially when they remind of of better times.

P.S. The formatting of this post has been a battle today - for no apparent reason. Ug!

Evil Eye on the 4th of July!

Happy 4th of July to all my bloggy friends! This is a big day here in the U.S.A. and one we love to celebrate outdoors with family or friends. Soon we will head over to a nearby friends yard for some BBQ ribs . I can smell them from here! Actually the day has been very low key but it's hard to party hearty on a Monday - tomorrow work beckons. Plus - it's so hot outside this weekend. Whew!

Yesterday Hubby, Lo and I ventured to the Alameda Point Antique Faire where I made a fun necklace purchase. There were rows and rows of fabulous things at this once-a-month affair; but even there by the water, with a clear view of San Francisco, the heat got us and we didn't stay long.

Almost at once my attention was caught by a stall with a great gob of jewelry - stones of every color catching the morning sun - run by an old mother in a pink straw hat and her adult son. Nothing was tagged with a price and so each thing that interested you was put before the Mama and she inspected it and offered you her price. The second necklace I put forth for "pricing" was this cute $15 glass bead fish necklace that just screamed summer to me. I was a bit hesitant when she surprised me by sliding in her little, "It's a Turkish evil eye necklace", comment. I swallowed hard. I mean who needs to invite trouble, right? Thankfully she jumped right back with, "It wards off evil from the wearer - keeps it at bay". I said, "Oh, great - of course. I'll take it for $13"! Sold.

So don't mess with me - I have Mama's Evil Eye necklace on this Independence Day. Ha!

Everything Is Coming Up Roses

Here are some pictures of my roses as they emerged from slumber this Spring. I meant to post them sooner but life got in the way. :-)

I shot them in morning light with just my handy iPhone 4 camera but apparently their beauty won't be denied. These roses came with the house a couple of years back when we moved in so I don't know their exact names. I also have a yellow rose that is very fragrant but was not performing on this particular morning.

I L O V E roses!

Mid-Century fashion love

I have been smitten by fashion since I can ever remember. My mother was a beautiful woman with fabulous taste in clothes. As a youngster there were always Glamour magazines around the house and when it came late summer my mother always bought Seventeen - the college issue as well as Glamour, Mademoiselle (is that even around any longer?) and of course the biggie - Vogue Fall issue. In fact checking I find Mademoiselle left us in 2001. Truth is all the women in my family knew how to put a terrific outfit together including my aunt and grandmother. They were not wealthy people but they had great taste and knew when to add the pearls, a rhinestone broach, a patent leather belt or a smart alligator bag. I have amazing memories of these days - particularly the 60's and early 70's.

My grandmother made a lot of square dance dresses - mostly before I was born - but they were still in use and filled the extra closet when I was little. I loved the colors and texture of the petticoats and the braids and rickrack trimming. I took sewing as part of Home Ec. in Junior High School and also took it as a summer class. Back in April I blogged about being inspired to sew again and I've been taking an informal class on Tuesday nights which I love.

Well I just discovered Recollection, by Irish designer Sandra Murphy through a fabulous interview on Collete Patterns written by Kirsten. Recollection is described in one phrase as: New Clothes With Old Soul. I love that! Sandra even creates all of her own prints so you won't see them elsewhere and she is making all of these garments in the U.S. which I do love. She is also feeds that trend committed to fewer, quality garments, over a closet full of masses of "cheap disposable clothes". I wish her great success. Take a moment to check out her web site where she is featuring her Autumn/Winter 2011 collection. You can click on Looks to see individual shots but don't miss the video showing of the same line - really creative. I think you will agree that these are lovely designs and quite wearable. It makes me want a job in the big city (San Francisco) again as I had in my late 20's and early 30's. Of course I'd like to be in my late 20's and early 30's again, too! I might look a little more like the stunning model Valareia Eva. I have to tell you - her hair is the greatest isn't it...I can do that. Ha ha!

Life happens!

Happy Monday,

I will return to create future posts, but for a short while life has been very busy. Please stay tuned - old friends visited from Oklahoma, my youngest graduated from college (handsome guy at left) and there was a big party to plan and execute in celebration of this. Of course there was a couple weeks of household and yard projects to prepare for the grand event. Whew!

Also - I am pleased to report that summer weather is finally here in Northern California - so there is that! Peace.