throw-back to Fall.

Imagine our complete and utter joy awakening to a beautiful, cool 57-degrees! We were all so invigorated, we did our happy Snoopy dance! Living in Florida can be season-challenging when you're from Buffalo. Southern holidays often feel off-kilter, leaving me yearning for the seasons of the North.

The first Christmas living in Florida was 90-degrees! Imagine yard decorations and Christmas lights on lush green yards, with revelers wearing shorts and flip-flops...it's like living in the Twilight Zone.

And here it is October, with no change in the leaves. No brilliant golds, vibrant yellows, deep burgundies. I miss the crunch of the leaves under my feet, the cool brisk air, the sweaters and sensible, season-appropriate shoes.

But this morning, it was 57-degrees! By this afternoon, it will be in the mid to upper 80's, with no humidity. That translates to perfect hair and minimal sweating. I can live with that.

If you're reading this and living north of the Mason Dixie Line, I am with you in spirit and dreaming of all the lovely Fall Festivals, fields with pumpkins on the vine and fresh, crisp apples overflowing in bushel baskets at the market. Indian corn on crisp husks, scarecrows, bales of hay and intricate mazes cut in the cornfields.

If you're reading this and live in the South, the hospitality here is awesome and please, don't kick me out yet. The Springs here are divine...

motherish trait.

A good mother always sleeps with her babies gathered 'round her.

success!

Let me tell you, we had a blast at the Riverside Arts Market. This is a photo of our humble, yet charming booth. We had no idea of what to expect from the day and no amount of preparation is adequate until you're actually set up and ready to face the day. I guess you have to stick your proverbial toe in the water to determine what your actual needs are and how to better prepare for the next event. Here is my list for our next appearance at RAM:

We have determined that we definitely need to add tiers, so that items can be properly displayed. MacGyver, get thee to work on that!

Some freestanding display racks need to be purchased, along with stocking-type holders that purses can be hung from on the front of the table. It's very naked looking up there. MacGyver, get thee to the bank!

As a last-minute thought, I decided to include a few aprons I had made last year that have been in storage. You know, filler. Who would have dreamed that those would be my best sellers? Go figure! MacGyver, thank thee for the reminder about thy storage bins.

My newest friend, Ann, joined me and we had a great time! Her felted pouches were greatly admired and her chopstick purse was to die for! So cute and innovative. Ann loves dogs and dogs are encouraged to attend the Market. Every time a dog went by, Ann would go running to talk to and make a fuss over the pooch. Ann doesn't even own a dog, she has cats and yet, she hasn't met a dog she doesn't love. I, on the other hand, own a dog. But I love the babies! So when Ann wasn't off chasing dogs, I was off tickling baby toes. MacGyver, get thee to...never mind, thy dost really want a baby of mine own.

As it turns out, many of the vendors we spoke to said that it was the worst day they've had at the Market. Really? Hmmm...could it have been the 90-something degree weather? The humidity? The fact that there wasn't a stitch of a breeze? Or was it something more sinister, like college football on TV? Or the fact that the vendor next to us suffered a mild stroke as we were setting up? (Oh, my! That was just terrible! He was taken to the hospital and admitted, but he's OK). I was not the dark cloud on the day... I refuse to believe that I have any bad karma whatsoever. We had a delightful, successful experience and we can't wait until our next Saturday at the Market. Hopefully, the weather will be cooler and all of the college football games will be a drag.

At 4 PM sharp, booths were coming down and vendors were anxious to get to a restaurant for an ice-cold mug of Miller Lite, to quench their parched throats. No wait, maybe it was I who was thinking that about the beer. I don't know what the other vendors were thinking, but they really should go home and have something ice-cold to drink. It was hot!

MacGyver, get thee to the truck and load up the stuff...an ice cold beverage awaits thee!

***We'll see you at the RAM on November 14th***

plethora of purses.

off to the Market I go!

I've been busy this week, making pouches, key fobs, wristlets, purses and aprons for the Riverside Arts Market. Whenever I do a show, it always seems as though there just isn't enough "stuff" to sell. And then I go into a frenzy trying to make more. But this weekend is different. This is the big league. The market is under the Fuller Warren Bridge, hosting all kinds of artists and food vendors, entertainment and a small farmer's market...and a very nice crowd. It's still hot here in Florida, but the weather will soon break and there's usually a nice cool breeze coming off the river, providing a lovely atmosphere in which to stroll and take a look at what the local artists are creating. It's a great opportunity to get my name and product out to local shoppers, which means I'll need to update my web site frequently and with new product. Yikes!

Wish me luck, keep your fingers crossed for me, pray to the patron saint of purses. I'm going to need all the help I can get!

*Check back Sunday for pictures of my booth and of the Market.

gator rodeo!

I've been busy, lately. But it's not been all sewing and personal stuff, I've been hunting Gators! Maybe a team of Gators? Like this bunch. Winners!

Or maybe this Gator. Hey, I'm no cougar...he could be my son. And besides, when you have handy MacGyver, who needs a Tebow? But Tim is cute, isn't he?

No, I wrastled me a real gator. Hey, he took my beer! I was out in the North Florida swamps in the early morning this weekend, bow in hand and cooler beside me when this lizard reared up and grabbed my beer. So I shot him. Twice. I had to make sure he was dead before I hauled him onto my boat...I jumped in the water and gave him a good heave-ho!

Once I was back on shore, I slapped him over my shoulder and carried him to my pickup. "You want a beer, well here's a beer!" Just trying to humiliate him.

He's a big boy! Just look at all that skin! Once I skin and tan him, he'll make some awesome purses, wallets and belts!

Hey, wait a minute...who's this guy? Alright, it wasn't I who captured the reptilian, it was Scott, my neighbor across the street. He's this millennium's answer to Crockodile Dundee, the eighties' Steve Irwin. Poor Steve, I miss that bloke. Or Jeff Corwin...no, he sold out to Food Network (great hunters don't get a cooking show, for goodness sake!). The neighborhood tries to keep Scott under wraps, we don't talk about him too much to outsiders. He captures wild critters for us and if the world finds out about him, there goes our critter cowboy. And then who will save our property from huge wild turtles? Scott caught a gargantuan tortoise in my front garden and the dang thing urinated all over the place, except that it looks like diarrhea. Who would put up with that, except Scott?

Hey, Gator! You remind me of someone. Yeah, don't poke your eye out...it hurts!

blog, check it out.

While taking a little break from my temporary "mad" sewing craziness, I visited a blog that I adore: Today's Creative Blog. It's Friday, it's fabulous, and it's a giveaway at her blog. Go and visit Kim and enter to win a $20 gift certificate to Ella e-books, a beautiful new scrapbooking site. Then come back here and tell me how much you love Today's Creative Blog and the new Ella site...I crave your positive reinforcement.

mad, mad workspace!

I'm in the process of getting ready for the Riverside Arts Market next Saturday. Yikes! There's just so much to do, so very little time! And when it comes to my cutting table, there is absolutely no time to clean it up...if you look closely, you'll see fabric that covers just about every holiday or season. And there's also an empty cereal box, which is for another project. One that I have no time for right now. This morning, I woke up and found a bee in my bonnet, starting yet another little diddy in which to stash your money and other crap that you really don't need, but if you're like me keep, just in case.

These are some of the wristlets I'll be taking with me to the Market to sell. All yummy and pretty fabric. I'll take some photos of my new project tonight. Or tomorrow. Whenever my husband lets me out of my padded cell. If there's any padding left. I might use it in a purse.

poke your eye out, Patti!

While applying the Spackle to my face this morning, I poked my eye out. It really hurts. Gosh, it's really red and painful looking. While it's out, I'll take it and run it under some ice-cold water for relief...don't ever poke your eye out while putting on your makeup. It hurts!

diabolical plan.

On the first of September, dad had his knee replaced. He was in the hospital for 5 days. There were high points, there were low points. But hey, that's how the ball bounces, the cookie crumbles, the knee bends!

As in this photo on day 2 of his stay. One day after his surgery, he's working on walking and bending that knee. A lot has happened since the day I took this photo, a lot! But I won't bore you with the countless details. You can thank me. In the course of his recuperation at home, Mom tends to Dad's every need and boy, she's tired! *Psssst, lean closer to the monitor (whispering), they're no spring chickens, anymore. But don't tell them I said that!* Which leads me to this...

I am now the official "vacuumer." And boy, this is some vacuum! It's self-propelled, like a lawn mower! Thanks, Mom. Knee replacement wasn't really necessary for you to get me to come over and vacuum. But hey, kuddos, whatever works!

Now if we could only find a self-propelled dust cloth, I would be complete!

temptation in a can.

I went grocery shopping Thursday and found more than the usual temptations.

I found these.

Blue Diamond Almonds...Wasabi & Soy Sauce.

Please. Oh my. Deliver me. From. Evil.

If your grocery store ever has these as a "Buy One, Get One Free," buy two. Then you'll have four.

Or buy four, then you'll have eight.

You know how to multiply. Just do it!

Then join me at the confessional.

we remember.

flock'n good fun!

I couldn't help myself with that title...please forgive my perverse humor.

Meet my newest purse, A Flock of Flamingos. I used the free pattern from Artsy-Craftsy Babe. It's a delicious little pattern called the "Phoebe Bag," which uses a total of one yard of fabric. A half-yard for the exterior, a half-yard for the interior. Add a magnetic snap (or Velcro, for you scaredy-cats) and volia! You're finished!

Go make her today. Then send me a photo of your creation...do it! I'm watching you!

*Ahem, Mindy...that means you!

"stupid" thought for the day.

You know, I often wonder if there are any dunces reamining in the world. There have to be some around somewhere, right?

Wrong! I know this to be a fact, because it seems that every parent considers his/her offspring to be smart, ahead of his/her peers, ready to start kindergarten prior to the age-rule, off the charts...yada, yada, yada.

With all the smart spawn, what's with all the stupidity in this world? Where is it coming from? How is this possible?

Whatever happened to being content and proud with a good child? Seldom do I hear a parent describing their child as "good." "Sweet" or "Loving."

Who cares how smart a child is? What does that have to do with anything? I think we could do with more love in this world, more compassion, and abundant faith in God.

Never once did I hear our parents describe us to others as "smart" or "gifted." I wonder...maybe it's because we were just dunces.

free-fall.

Here it is, September already! Since I had my windows replaced, life has been speeding by! I didn't really have my windows replaced, that was a joke. One that I really enjoyed. Since that post, Dad and Mom have returned home from the hospital and Dad is growing a grizzly beard. Mom will be returning to her college music class tomorrow and I shall be "babysitting." Is that a literal reference? I guess we'll find out tomorrow!

In the interim time between home and the hospital and sharing my sewing room/computer room with my other senior, I've managed to sew up some wristlets. My next set of projects will be purses, of which I'm hoping to finish at least 15 before the Arts Market at the end of the month. I have my work cut out for me, that's for certain!

It's a busy, busy month and I'll try to keep up on my blog posting, but sometimes literary inspiration eludes me. For those times, I'll find a great project from a fellow blogger and link you up.

Do you realize Christmas is right around the corner? It's my favorite time of year, but YIKES!

What are your plans this Fall?

my replacement windows.

Last year I replaced all the windows in my house with that expensive double-pane energy efficient kind and today, I got a call from the contractor who installed them.

He was complaining that the work had been completed a whole year ago and I still hadn't paid for them.

Hellloooo,...............just because I'm blonde doesn't mean that I am automatically stupid.

So, I told him just what his fast-talking sales guy had told me last year, that in ONE YEAR these windows would pay for themselves!

"Hellooooo....? It's been a year!" I told him.

There was only silence at the other end of the line, so I finally just hung up. He never called back.

I bet he felt like an idiot!

smack down!

Welcome to my world, the world of UFC. In this house, we talk about fighting! Bloody noses! Spectacular take downs! If you're the mother of a teenage boy who is a black belt, you must know all about this phenomenon. The names Brock Lesner, Lyoto Machida, or Anderson Silva, to name a few, are tossed around like old familiar friends' names. Oh, and the fighting! Stances, how a fighter took out his opponent, how he was pinned and pummelled and the holds that were used...it's all so exciting! If you're the father of a boy who's into this sport, you too, find yourself checking stats and watching the fights. And Papa, he's watching, too! And Mom? Oh, she can hear all about this awesomeness and be expected to memorize the names of champions and matches, but she's not invited to partake of going to the local sports bar and watching the title matches on satellite, eating chicken wings and drinking an ice cold beverage. That's OK though, I'll stay home and sew...I've got a fight going with some binding.

doctor, doctor, give me the news!

My Dad had his knee replacement surgery today. Dad, Mom and I arrived at the hospital at 5 AM. Oy vay, that was early! It appears that all systems are go, the surgery went well, he's in his room and physical therapy has begun. Man! He's barely out of recovery and the PT Brigade is knocking at his door, gearing up to bend that knee, touch the floor. No rest for the weary in that hospital! So Mom and I left once he had taken his pain pill and was nodding off to sleepyville. Mom went home, Jason and I will head back up this evening to check up on the old guy...all I know is, he had better be in his room and not off roaming the hospital in search of a party!