piece'o cake.

The preceding post was a painting of a very famous woman whom Randi identified correctly: the very infamous Marie Antoinette. I believe it was she who quipped, "Let them eat cake!" (Imagine my French accent). It was my idea of a quick and clever lead-in to this post, but as usual, it's the minor details that I get hung up on. That being said, I adore this pincushion. It was quick and so much fun to make...except for that impossible rose embellishment. It took me three days of research and wrapping, not to mention the selection of the perfect color (yes, that's white...you'd think I would have figured it out sooner) to get something that minutely resembled a rose bud. I'm not totally happy with it, but it'll do. Perhaps with some more practice, I'll perfect the quintessential flower...but until then, I'll just keep creating cake!

likeness of the dress I wore to church today.

I love this lady.

She has the right attitude.

I've been saying it for years.

And a dress like that will hide

a multitude of sins.

Can you name this creature?

turn away, PETA!

Mom sang this song to me when I was a little girl. She'd sing it to me now, if I ask her. Mom had a whole repertoire of charming children's songs, songs that would ignite our imaginations. Not the sappy songs of today that we sing to our kids like, "I Love You, You Love Me" (which we sang with our son when he was a baby...I think that today I'll sing it to him), sung by a purple dinosaur named Barney. Captain Kangaroo never sang love songs to us, nor did Bozo the Clown. It was our Mom who sang to us, teaching us the dangers of random organic eating...what might happen if you swallowed a fly. Four little children, our own Southern Lady, all singing the perils of insect-consumption...

MOCA mojo!

A purse...

a rendering of a man...

and a museum.

What do these three things have in common? They're existing together, at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) !!!

I received a call from a woman last week, asking if I would be interested in possibly selling my bags and whatnots at the store in the museum. Of course I would! Yesterday, I trekked downtown to meet with the manager of the museum's store, to discuss the business of providing wholesale purses to be featured in the shop. Parking several blocks away from the Museum, I lugged a briefcase and two big purses stuffed with other purses, key fobs and wristlets down the streets of Jacksonville, looking and feeling like an unfortunate tourist giving off the vibe, "Mug me!" (think movie, The Out of Towners). Anyhow, I arrived at my destination all harried and sweaty (100-degrees here, kiddos!) looking soggy and all crazy. Stepping into the ultra-chic contemporary store, I was greeted by a hip and cool-looking young woman, wearing awesome earrings and a darling dress. Young, cool woman/middle-aged, sweaty woman...it's a wonder she didn't turn her nose up at me in that instant and run into the back room! Smiling warmly, she immediately put me at ease. Slapping my Multi-tasker bag on the counter (it's huge!), along with my flamingo tote, I proceeded to unload my wares. She "ooohed" and "aaahhed" over it all, telling me how much she loved each and every item (I'm adopting her!). She rejected only a few items and the rest she kept, at which point we discussed the pricing. I signed some papers, shook hands with my new daughter and left the building, doing that jumping and clicking the heels in mid-air thing. You don't believe me?

And that is what I have been up to, making stuff for my meeting. My sewing room is in shambles and I must now sew and sew and sew...

Thank you, Wanda, for continuing to carry that bright orange and blue (GO GATORS!) bag. And for passing along my number to any and all who comment on it.

And Wanda,

HAPPY 50TH BIRTHDAY!!!

Ebelskiver!

Have you ever laid your eyes on this pan? I've been eyeing it for over a year now, I think it's rather nifty. What a great idea for breakfast, or better yet, Lent. For those pesky meatless Fridays. Just make your huge, always-hungry-never-full teenage son some of these yummies, and you've got the whole meat-free meal licked, so to speak! Just a thought...

I've been very busy, these past few days. Once tomorrow is over, I'll be back. If all goes well, I'll share the details. If it's a bust, I may still share the details but embellish the story, just to make it interesting. Not that I've ever done that before...

Father's Day.

Happy Father's Day!

~to my husband: my knight in shining armour. My protector, mate and friend.

A great & loving father to our son.

A devoted son to your parents. A helpful son to mine.

Not only do I love being with you,

I love you!

~to my dad: thank you for providing for us, for teaching us how to love life.

You have always been there for us, so much fun to be with.

Thank you for the secure childhood you gave us.

Thank you for loving me.

~to my brothers: you will never know how much each of you means to me.

As a child, each of you were like a mini-father to me.

I always knew that I could count on you.

How blessed am I to have 3 beautiful brothers!

~to my father-in-law: you raised a fantastic son.

Who fathered his own fantastic son.

Thank you!

~to God my heavenly Father: you answered the prayers of my heart,

without my ever having to utter a word.

Your love for me is certainly beyond measure,

for you blessed my life with good men.

May you continue to bless

each of them in their daily walk,

loving them, guiding them, blessing them.

And Heavenly Father,

thank you for the gift of your blessed Son.

bold and homely.

I made this huge pincushion last week. It's different...the pattern itself is cute, but I do believe my choice of fabrics is skewered. No matter, I love it! And I can find my pins in the blink of an eye. I liken this pincushion to the ugly child, whose parents see only the beauty in their baby. This is my baby...and I l-o-v-e her!

grey and gloomy day.

It's cloudy here today. And hot. And humid. I did finish the purse, which is huge. I really like it. You could fit 2.5 kidletts in it, if you needed to carry them around. I'd show it to you, but with the lack of that beautiful afternoon sunlight that is so conducive to a nice photo, I must wait until a pretty day comes along to take the picture of the purse-suitcase-tote-carryall.

I'm ironing...what are you doing, this fine summer's day? I certainly hope it's prettier where you live.

cranium hiccup.

Yes, I do believe the reason all clothes shrink is due to chocolate! Wow, I've been busy this week! I can't believe it's been almost a week since the last time we chatted. I'm working on a new purse, hoping I can finish it tonight and have a picture of it right smack dab at the top of this page by tomorrow. I don't know, though...yesterday I got stuck on its construction for TWO HOURS! I should have popped a piece of chocolate in my mouth... that probably would have helped clear my addled brain. Or not. I even went so far as to email the lovely Anna Maria Horner, the designer of the pattern, for help. After dinner, I finally figured out the elusive step. Upon which I shot Anna another email apologizing for my daftness (yes, I did use that term), informing her that I had ultimately figured it out and to never mind the first email. She graciously replied this morning and said that she was sorry it took her until this morning to answer me. Talk about sweet, she's sweeter than chocolate!

I'm off to finish the bag, assuming I don't get stuck again......calling all chocolate...!

winner,winner!

And the winner is "J" from Tales From the Cookie Jar. "J" said this:
"I definitely like a drinkie-poo every night...I mean every now and again. :0"

Me too, J!

celebration day!

Seventeen years ago today, after 2-days of rigorous labor, we gave birth to a 10.3 lb baby boy.
What a happy day! Every day since has been a gift to us with this child, who now, is a man. He went from diving a plastic van to a '92 Chevy Blazer...crazy! He's funny, sweet, kind...exactly the type of child that God intended him to be. Thank you, Lord, for the gift of Jonathan. Please keep him close, faithful and loving in his service to you.

Happy Birthday, Kiddo!

Yakitty, Yak...

To women everywhere, no matter which corner of the earth you live, I present to you our next fearless leader...

No training necessary...

obsession, you're my obsession...

Today's theme is "fish." I am totally over-the-moon with these fish! How cute are they? (I added those bubbles, I couldn't help myself). Dotty made these mad little creatures, these puffers that have ensnared me with their hypnotic eyes! Dotty is a creative genius, who can do it all! She quilts, makes the cutest stuffed creatures and vegetables, etc., AND made a tiled mosaic...what can't she do?!!! If you're in the mood for a feast, visit Dotty!

And this, this is my other current obsession. I just realized it's missing the little flower at the neckline...I was too anxious! It's for a new baby that I must meet...who lives in Florida. Whom I thought would look adorable covered in orange gold fish and other sea creatures. Egads, the matching shoes, I forgot the matching shoes!!!

aint it just so?

We are about to enter the BBQ season. Therefore it is important to refresh your memory on the etiquette of this sublime outdoorcooking activity.When a man volunteers to do the BBQ the following chain of events are put into motion:

Routine...

(1) The woman buys the food.
(2) The woman makes the salad, prepares the vegetables, and makes dessert.
(3) The woman prepares the meat for cooking, places it on a tray along with the necessary cooking utensils and sauces, and takes it to the man who is lounging beside the grill - beer in hand.
(4) The woman remains outside the compulsory three meter exclusion zone where the exuberance of testosterone and other manly bonding activities can take place without the interference of the woman.Here comes the important part:

(5) THE MAN PLACES THE MEAT ON THE GRILL.More routine...

(6) The woman goes inside to organize the plates and cutlery.
(7) The woman comes out to tell the man that the meat is looking great. He thanks her and asks if she will bring another beer while he flips the meat
Important again:

(8) THE MAN TAKES THE MEAT OFF THE GRILL AND HANDS IT TO THE WOMAN.More routine...

(9) The woman prepares the plates, salad, bread, utensils, napkins, sauces, and brings them to the table..
(10) After eating, the woman clears the table and does the dishes.And most important of all:

(11) Everyone PRAISES the MAN and THANKS HIM for his cooking efforts..
(12)The man asks the woman how she enjoyed 'her night off',and, upon seeing her annoyed reaction, concludes that there's just no pleasing some women.

Thanks, Julie, for the great reminder. Speaking of reminders, don't forget to enter the Wristlet Giveaway...just click here to enter.

label me!

Sandra is a relatively new friend of mine, we found each other through the blogging world. It's a phenomena that I don't quite understand, but it's as if kindred spirits somehow find each other. Sandra is the author of Pepperberry & Co., a crafty, creative blog. Kind of what mine was meant to be, but took on a life of its own and am not always sure what it's all about. I digress. Sandra composed an excellent tutorial on how to print your own cloth labels and I must say, it is the best on the internet. Her tutorial is featured on One Pretty Thing, now another site that I shall have to peruse. Sandra is so interesting and her writing, oh, her writing is wonderful! She's an Aussie, which delights me when I read her posts and her spellings include "colour," and "favourite." The way those words were meant to be spelled! She holds giveaways and has one of her cats choose the winner...what clever kitties! I'm not sure if our sweet dog could do that...

Please visit Sandra and explore her delightful blog. Check out her other tutorials, too. What a clever, clever girl!

dressing baby.

I started out with a onesie and some lucious fabrics. Sorry I didn't iron the fabric prior to taking the photograph. I hate it when I do that! Just ignore the wrinkles and admire that rich, cotton goodness!

I wish I had taken a better photograph and that I had snapped the bottom of the onesie...see it peeking out at the hemline? Oh well, lesson learned for the next photo I take...why did I not see that?!

Mom had commissioned a little dress, for a newborn baby girl. Baby's daddy is the Rattlesnake Slayer, saving my parents from the nightmare of a rattlesnake family homesteading under their cute little shed in their charming backyard. Baby's daddy is my parents' landscaper, so a special dress was in order for the brave Rattlesnake Slayer's Baby Girl.

Don't you just love those owls? I just had to make matching Mary Jane's for Rattlesnake Slayer's Baby Girl...shoes do complete the outfit, after all!

**Click here to enter the Free-ky Friday giveaway...

"FREE-ky" Friday Giveaway.

I'm gettin' my "free-k" on today. Feelin' free-ky! I feel that way pretty much everyday, so it's really no big deal. Maybe a little drinkie-poo might help calm the free-ky girl inside me.

How are you feeling today? What with the end of school, getting teacher gifts together, planning summer excursions with your sweet little dumplings...

To win this beverage-themed wristlet (sorry to those of you who don't partake, but might know someone who does and could re-gift this themed cutie), just leave me a comment as to the state of your being these days. And could you use a drink? Or some other vice that helps you get through the days.

One entry per person, please. I'll use Mr. Random to choose the winner. If you'd like to share this giveaway on your blog or Tweet, I'll throw in an extra chance for you. Just let me know how you've shared this giveaway. Mr. Randy and I will choose the winner next week. Please be sure to leave your email address, so that I may contact you if you're the winner. Good luck!