It's Time to Re-Evaluate.

This blog has truly been my second best friend (my husband is my first!) and for the longest time, I was able to find things to write about, to share. It seems that as my world expanded through work, my creative time and mind just vanished. The words stopped flowing, my imagination dried up. My creativity is severely limited now, with all the other things that take up my time. I don't sew anymore (or rarely do), I take no photos, even the dog is largely ignored. There was a time when I couldn't wait to sit at the computer and write silliness on my blog...I really miss those days!

That all being said, I am considering shifting this blog to more contemplative thoughts...less photos, fewer creations, but more words. Perhaps my observations on everyday happenings in my life, the people who cross my daily path. I do meet a lot of interesting people throughout my day, people I would never come in contact with if I were sitting at home.

I am hoping my regular readers will stick with me. I'll still post photos of my projects, but those will be few and far-between. It is my hope that you'll still seek me out and read about my unbelievable days. Believe me, my job is very colorful!

Thanks for reading... I am hoping this change will take the pressure off and I will begin to write again. I do love writing...and if I can make you laugh along the way, that's a plus!

AND, this blog is due for a little housekeeping. Dust off some cobwebs, rearrange the sidebar and perhaps group my favorites in a more meaningful manner.

In the meantime, have a great week and check back soon.

Hugs and love,

Patti

My Weekend In Photos

I can do that!

I can do that, too!

The sky is so beautiful!

This is the high school our son attended...it's quite beautiful!

 

 

Popcorn! I love popcorn! I really want a popcorn machine like this one, only a little smaller...hello, Santa?

Rain, rain....every. Single. Day!

 

 

 

But when the sky is clear, there's no prettier shade of blue in the world!

I miss the vibrant colors of Autumn, the woods of my hometown. The crisp, cool air and the crunching of leaves under my feet. One day, I'll head back North and burrow under handmade quilts in front of the fireplace.

 

For now, I'll find contentment in the blue skies of Florida, along with the blanket of humidity!



Why I've Been MIA and the Mess I Call My Sewing Room

My life has changed quite a bit since June.

My part-time job turned into a full-time plus job. It was totally unexpected and unplanned. My boss had decided to retire and I was asked to step in as her replacement...it was a very busy time, with new responsibilities. As Director of a Crisis Pregnancy Center, there is a lot of emotional "stuff" that comes with the job.

 Working six days a week for two and-a-half months became pretty grueling and I'd come home at the end of each work day and flop on the couch. I was dog-tired.

"Dog-tired" means never having to do anything other than what is absolutely required to maintain existence.

Which brings me to the whole point of this post...the parts of my life that took a hit were (a) my sewing and (b) the cleaning of any room that company wasn't privy to: my bedroom and SEWING ROOM.

This is a disturbing scene, so look away if you have a weak constitution:

Sewing Table

 That is my junk pile sewing table. "Hi, Bob Marley, how you doin', Mohn?" That's my Jamaiccan accent.

There's lots of stuff on this table. What you're looking at is the right-side of the table. The left-side is too horrific to look at.




Counter/Desk Work Area

And here is my desk. You'll never believe this, but this is after a tidy-up. I didn't finish, is it obvious?

 Look, the walls are pink. PINK! What in the world was I thinking? I'll tell you what I was thinking...I was thinking I'd turn my sewing room into a cool-looking studio like the one I saw on HGTV 10 years ago. I didn't get results anywhere near that beautiful studio. Now I'm stuck with Pepto Bismol walls!

See the arrow? It's pointing to the little felt doll Ive been working on. I didn't do anything more with little dolly...she really needs some hair! There's a Winnie the Pooh wallet, some bells, a pattern made from freezer paper, all kinds of miscellany.

I was thinking that I should just craft my way out of the mess. Rather than buy anything new, just make goodies out of the supplies I already have. Perhaps I could start a "Purge Along" for crafty bloggers...hmmmm....

If I clean up, I could do some great sewing while cleaning AND make this:

Darn it, this  pattern is out of stock. Which sent me into a tailspin, because I think this is one of the cutest aprons I've seen in a long, long time! So I did what any self-respecting Pinterest aficionado would do...I hunted for a tutorial and Pinned every last tutorial I came across that might help me recreate this little number. I then scoured the closet of my husband and son for a nice collared shirt...I didn't find a thing, not a one! Maddening! So tomorrow, I'll be hitting the thrift stores for a few cheap mens' shirts. Men. Why can't they hang onto old clothing like women do?

Anyhow, who needs a stinking pattern? I'm going to give this apron a try and you'll be the first to know if I'm successful at recreating this. But first, I'll finish organizing my sewing room.

Which means I'll have a finished product to show you 3.5 years.

This is my story and I'm sticking to it!

she has a face!

I make dolls. There are no little girls in my life and yet, I make dolls. Once I see an adorable pattern, I can't stop thinking about the cuteness of the doll and how much fun it would be to make. When I was a little girl, my dolls were so important to me, I loved them so much! Perhaps this doll-making frenzy is a little trip back in time. Whatever the reason, this is a lot of fun!

Cutting out those tiny little eyes and then sewing them on her head was quite a challenge, not to mention the fact that I put her cheeks on the wrong spot and had to cut them out and reattach them. Poor girl. She looks so weird, but I do believe that once her hair is on, she'll be super cute. Her little dresses are cut out, all that's left to do is cut out the batting, sandwich the layers and sew her up.

There also happens to be a pattern for dollhouse carrier, which is adorable. I'm hoping that once the faces are complete, the rest of the dolls will sew up fast and I can spend a few days trying to decide if I want to buy the pattern for the house. Can one really have the dolls and outfits, but no house?

I don't think so!

Little Dolly

Yup, it's another doll.

This is a "paper" doll, made from felt!

I know, it makes no sense and yet, it's a brilliant idea.

I wish I could have just ONE brilliant idea...

After a long run of absolutely no creative mojo, I ventured into my sewing room, opened the closet door and rummaged through some beautiful fabric...

...which made me realize how much I've missed making things.

I have three dolls cut out and tonight, added their mouths and cheeks...TWICE! I didn't like the placement of the rosy little cheeks, so I cut the threads and moved the cheeks, resewing them in the proper spot.

I don't quite understand why these projects take me so long, but I'm going to embrace this fact and cut myself some slack. I ALWAYS angst over the amount of time a project takes.

Once round #2 of the same project comes around, I pretty much cut the time by half. And then I really, really enjoy the sewing process.

You do realize Suzy's birthday is coming up and Christmas is just around the corner?

Suzy's gift is just about finished...

And before you and I know it, we'll be sewing up a storm for the incredibly fun holidays that are just a few short months away.

BRING IT!!!!

Have scissors, will travel!

I can't wait!

I Got Nuthin'!

Look at me...what a blog slacker!

No photo, no story.

Didn't change the blog banner.

Didn't update content.

So what have I been doing since the beginning of August, when I said I was going to get back to blogging...yeah, I actually meant it...at the time!

But today...

Today the wool felt I ordered arrived in the mail and I have a "paper" doll pattern ready to make with it. I know. They're adorable!

I will work on those and hopefully, have a photo ready for you by the weekend.

No promises, just good intentions.

Perhaps a little sewing is the incentive I need to get this blog ready for Fall.

We can only hope!

she's watching me!

This is the first doll I made. She's been with me through thick and thin. She's been in existence for all of six months. A lot has happened in these past six months! Dolly is a veteran...she sits and watches me from the sewing table, my dresser and now, she's perched in the old family rocking chair. In fact, Dolly is watching me write this post. She wants me to tell you she doesn't particularly care for the barrette I put in her hair. She thinks it's bland and lacks pizazz. I agree with Dolly. I don't know what I was thinking, but it's there for good and maybe someday I'll add a rhinestone to it. Sit up, Dolly! You're leaning to the left and we're all right leaners around here!

In other news, I found some awesome stuff on Pinterest. I'm heading over there now, to lust over a piece of word art that I really want for my office. If I didn't know better, Pinterest could be on the list of the 7 Deadliest Sins...boy, am I in trouble!

feeling groovy!

Life has been busy, lately. I started this little ol' blog of mine as a creative outlet. It wasn't enough to just make things, I also had a need to say things. To write. Writing and drawing have always been my first loves, sewing my third. Over the years, as our son grew, I found I had a little extra time to create...and that included my beloved blog. Now I'm working full time-plus and it seems that over the last several months, my creative spark sputtered. This weekend I felt the faintest of creative juices churning and I found myself working on a modest manageable project. Lucky for me, my car decided to drive me to Cinnamon's Quilt Shop (naughty vehicle!) after work last week and I bought a little stash of fabric. A layer cake, to be exact. I had found a tutorial for a table runner on Sew4Home, which looked easy enough. So off to cutting and piecing and sewing I went. And it felt really good to be creating!  I whipped up a table runner for my girlfriend's birthday. The project isn't finished...I need to make a sandwich, quilt and bind it. But still. It's a start and I'm two months ahead of schedule. I'm feeling pretty good about it. The fabric in the photo is Vintage Modern, by Camille. It's quite lovely, especially the floral pattern.

I guess you could say that it feels good to be back. I need to change the blog header and update my page, but I reckon that will come in time. I'm looking forward to the cooler weather and the holidays. What about you?

Hip, Hip, Cheerio!

ZzzzzZzzz......

My, I've had a lazy weekend. So many things to do, to clean, to throw away. 

Knowing all this, I chose to spend my Sunday afternoon on the couch, in my pj's and taking a short nap.

I should have been working in my sewing room, straightening it up, dusting, sorting through the miscellaneous supplies that are sitting out on the counter.

I didn't do it.

Christmas is almost here and I haven't started a gosh-darn thing! There are tons of projects posted on my Pinterest boards, but it's impossible to sew when there are piles of LAUNDRY on the cutting table, waiting to be ironed!

I'd like to thank my mother for my need to iron every piece of clothing that is seen on the outside of one's body! Thanks, Mom!

I say all this to tell you...

One day soon, you will see more sewing stuff on this here blog. The way it was supposed to be. Creativity was the inspiration for my blog and I've done NO-THING creatively in the past 6 months.

That is going to change, my friends.

Soon...there will be photos of pretty fabrics on this page.

And hopefully, one or two projects in progress.

Christmas is, after all,  almost here!

view from my office!

This is the view from my office window.

At first, it was a typical construction site.

Nothing special...

I was impressed that every morning at 8 AM sharp, workers were on site and constructing!

 Which is what they're supposed to do.

I think it is very nice of them to get to work on time and start doing their thing.

Time is of the essence!

It is very important that this project gets completed in a timely fashion.

Rumor had it that my favorite fast-food restaurant was going in on this site...NO!

It was almost too good to be true...

Confirmation was needed!

This morning, I received it. The sign is there!

Zaxby's!

 It's official...

Salads! Zalads! Grilled chicken sandwich! Chicken!

Right smack-dab across the street and I have a bird's-eye chicken's-eye view from my office window...

Zaxby's, thy name is temptation!

Pity

Because I love this statue.

Michaelangelo's Pieta.

This is a replica, sitting outside the bell tower of our church.

I find it a beautiful depiction of motherly love and acceptance. Sorrow.

It brings me peace.

Gazing at it gives me joy.

To kneel in front of it at ground-level brings me closer to the Love. The sorrow.

The Divine Sacrifice.

The Pieta.

I think I'll think about it....

The title of this post probably doesn't make a whole lotta sense, but I'm sticking with it for now. Perhaps I'll come back and change it later...I'll have to think about it for a while...

That blog banner up there needs changing, too. It's just that I don't feel like booting up the desktop that hosts my Photoshop....too much work, not to mention that I'd have to wade through the spools of thread and scissors littering the desk...

Which reminds me, I need to clean that black hole I call my sewing room...once I get a day off of work. Sundays don't count because that's the Lord's Day and I'm pretty certain He doesn't want me wasting His day cleaning a mess. He'd rather have me out at the pool, soaking up the sun, splashing in the water and capping it off with a nice cold beverage-of-my-choice. Not that I presume to know what God is thinking, but that's how almost all my Sundays go and so far, it's working for me...

I promised to do a little computer "stuff" for a friend, who needs some information entered before tomorrow. I'll do that once I finish this. If I remember....

And that has me wondering why all the photos I now post on my blog are too big to fit the space and I end up going with a smaller photo. Which is irritating me and I know I need to figure out the problem, but don't want to spend the time investigating. Because America's Got Talent is on and it needs my full attention! The photo-problem will just have to wait....

Oh! I ordered this book and it came in the mail last week. I took the butter out of the fridge to bring to room temp (about 4 different times!), but never got around to making the dough....maybe I'll go set some butter on the countertop again and once it's half-melted, put it back in the refrigerator and try to find the time to make it another day...

There are two quilt-tops sitting in my closet, waiting to be quilted. My plan is to take them to be quilted, rather than doing it myself. So far, they haven't gotten up and walked out of the closet and into my car. I wonder what they're waiting for.......?!

I do believe the towels that are currently spinning in the dryer might be ready to come out. Like the quilt tops, they're just laying there, waiting for me to do something with them.....

Procrastination....

I'll think about thinking about it another day...

There Was A Little House

Tunkhannock. Tunkhannock. Tunkhannock.

Say it over and over and over...

I can't pronounce it, either!

What is a "Tunkhannock?" It's a petite little town in Pennsylvainia, so very charming and we are in love with it!

Here's a sweet little house in the heart of town...

We'll take this one, please!

Turrets in Tunkhannock...I want one.

I'd even take two turrets in Tunkhannock!

A garden under the turrets in Tunkhannock is a lovely sight!

We will settle for one turret, if we must!

A beautiful old sidewalk through the garden in Tunkhannock would be lovely.

And a pretty little yard under the sidewalk, along the garden in Tunkhannock could be a charming place.

We certainly could live in this charming little home in the heart of Tunkhannock.

I love Tunkhannock!

Somebody! Please let me outa here!

Just because we left you at the swanky kennel for 6 days while we vacationed in Pennsylvania, doesn't mean I'm going to leave you at the Vet's, BB! Chill out!

Besides, you'll never make it over that door...

And we missed you. Glad we're all back together!

Antiquity. Age.

It's beautiful, it's breathtaking.

On a ride down an old country road...how many have come this way?

Who might have stood in the exact spot as I, gazing at this beautiful barn?

I never tire of these scenes.

Cat House

BB-the-Dog, of whom there are numerous photos plastered all over this blog (because she's the only mammal in this house who semi-lets me take her picture), had a little visit to the doctor's today. She's OK, it was her yearly visit and something to do with a "package" I purchased last year that covers her vaccines and yet, I ended up paying extra for antibiotics that will clear up a little rash she's developed.

 *Surprise!

These are what greeted BB as we walked through the doors to the Vet...CATS! Baby cats. And the only good cat in BB's world is a cat that's racing for its life up and over a fence!

But darn it, these kitties were just too cute!

That white kitty was a hoot. Mischievous. Aggressive. Cheeky.


He wasn't having any lazing-around!

"I'm King of the World! And the doggie can't get me when I'm way up here!"

Look out! Whitey is right behind you and by the looks of it, you're about to be pushed of your perch!

 Or squeezed off.

Instagram. I love that app!

Just look at that pretty pink nose!

Good bye, little kitties. I really hope someone adopts all of you.

And don't let those dogs get you down.

And for goodness' sake, please don't tell any of your friends about how BB cried the entire time we were in the lobby, whining while she couldn't take her eyes off of you. She's never seen a cat-in-a-house.

You're enigmas.

And cute. Thanks for the fun.

20 Mule Team Throwback!

I'm here to tell you this stuff is phenomenal. You can do so much with it, and it makes your laundry smell so fresh!

As I was opening the box, I squeezed it a little and some of the granules popped out into the sink...I went ahead and figured I'd see how it worked as a surface cleanser and wow! Clean!

I then put some in the toilet, that suffers from hard water stains (among others...ahem) and voila! Clean, clean, clean!

A few other uses:

~diapers/baby clothes
~delicates
~fine china
~dishwasher
~garbage cans
~cookware
~spills/carpet stains
~tub/shower
~flower preservation

AND MORE!

After washing my white sheets in Borax, going to sleep in fresh and soft linens was soooo refreshing! What a sweet night's sleep!

I'm not kidding, try some Borax. I don't care to clean, but yesterday on my day off and armed with my box of Borax, I had a cleaning frenzy field day!

Borax isn't paying me...this is my own PSA for my friends.

Because if I have to clean, I'm going to share the love.

Owl Be Seeing You...

My friend asked if I would make her soon-to-be-mommy/daughter a diaper bag. The only stipulation was that it had to be owls. Owls. Owls. Owls....hmmmm. OK.  After a very thorough and exhaustive search on the Internet for owl material, I found a pattern that I thought would be cute as a baby motif. As with all modern textile lines, the design comes in different color segways, so for guidance, I once again turned to the excited grandma-to-be for color advice. She didn't care. As long as it had owls. For a girl. This narrowed it down a little for me. Decisions, decisions, decisions...

Here is what I decided upon:

 Pretty bright, don't you agree? But what fun! That Grandma knew what she wanted...and she was right! The owls are adorable!

 Each side panel has a sweet elastic pocket, to carry a bottle, or some other handy-dandy doo-dad they make for babies and their mothers these days.

And the necessary changing pad...'cause you just can never tell when or where you're going to need a quick change...

Did I mention it's reversible? It's reversible...

And a quick peek at the inside of the bag...lots of pockets and a center divider.

In the old days, I would have fixed these pics up a little bit, in either Flickr or Picnik. They did away with Picnik and I'm just not on- board to the other photo-editing sites.

So you're getting RAW!

Did I mention that this bag was supposed to be finished in time for Grandma to take to Texas for the birth of her first grandchild? And that I missed that deadline, then the deadline of Grandpa leaving for Texas? And then the week following the birth of the baby? And a few days after that?

I didn't mention it?

OK, we'll keep it our little secret. I had many reasons for the delay, none of which really matter...

You know what "they" say....

Excuses, excuses, EXCUSES!

Nobody wants to hear them....

But the bag is enormous and bright and happy, and I threw in a few little extra coordinating goodies for the new mommy.

That is my story and I'm stickin' with it!

Happy Mother's Day!

Have you visited your favorite fabric shop recently?

There are some beautiful, beautiful designs...this Maasai line is particularly lovely. The palette is so soothing...

A few months ago, I de-stashed all the cheap fabrics I had bought years ago...there wasn't the overwhelming choice of beautiful patterns and quality of fabric that we have today. It felt good to purge that extensive load of unremarkableness.

A few of my current favorite fabric shops are...

• Hawthorne Threads...A huge selection of fabrics, a great web site, with a great blog, too!
• Fabric Shoppe...it's on Etsy and her selection of fabric is fabulous!
• Cinnamon's Quilt Shoppe...a traditional bricks and mortar quilt shop, loads of fun, the girls there are so helpful!
• Paula's Fine Fabrics...another local shop with beautiful contemporary designs and a large selection of sewing machines.
• Fresh Squeezed Fabrics...online, fast delivery, fantastic customer service. You won't be disappointed.

it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

This is a Christmas-quilt kit.

I've had for about a month...

and it hasn't changed! It still looks just like this.

When I get around to putting this together, it's going to be one sweet, happy quilt!

There's only one thing...I have a problem cutting into pretty fresh fabrics.

I like to sit and look at it, admire it, appreciate it.

I'm thinking this quilt is never going to happen.

Time will tell.

Do me a favor...remind me about this kit in a few months, K?

Thanks bunches!

good-grooming DOES make a good impression!

Does it make me a "bad" mother for loving her even more, now that her fur is cut?

That's what I thought...

I can't help it, she's just so darn cute now!

Down On The Boardwalk



Being Saturday and the day before Easter,

Jason and I opted to go grab a bite to eat.

But we didn't want to go just anywhere....

we wanted to have a dining experience!



The restaurant itself isn't elegant, the food is good and satisfying, but not particularly incredible. But the view...the view is spectacular! Look at the gentleman to the right, he was eating lobster...I love how I have a shot of him in mid-bite, so enjoying his food!

Just outside the restaurant is a small boardwalk, overlooking the ocean. We left just as dusk was settling in and the ocean was at high-tide. Thank goodness for iPhones, as I didn't bring my camera (as usual) and the phone has a decent-enough camera. I saw our shadows and thought it would make for an interesting photo.

The beauty of the ocean is breathtaking! Especially on the eve of Easter...

God's perfect beauty...

An unsuspecting cactus hidden in the dunes...

Houses on the beach...can you imagine?

The restaurant.

Palm trees...so elegant and perfect on the coast.

We sat and watched the breaking of the waves. The skies are blue, the wind whipping about...

A random beach-estate on the ride home.

But are they happy??!!

Ha, ha...I'll bet they are!

But do they have a cozy little home with a sweet little dog to greet them when they walk through the door?

I wouldn't trade a thing in my life...God's plan is perfectly perfect for me!