I Need A Hero!

Super-heroes.

What the world just doesn't have enough of.

 That's about to change...

Because I am on a mission to bring some caped-crusaders to the world!

What's this? There must be trouble...

 My super-hero is racing to the TV...

Oh, now he's scaling the dog kennel. One of BB's "babies" must be in trouble!

 No, they're fine. It seems that my super-hero just wanted to introduce himself to them and let them know that if there's ever any trouble, he's right here!

 Oh, now his identity is revealed! He's relaxing, hanging out after a busy Saturday morning.

You'll be seeing more of this dude hanging around on this blog. You can find the pattern here.

Wendi Gratz is the designer of the pattern and her blog is Shiny Happy World. She has set up "schools" on her blog, to help guide you in sewing methods and embroidery stitching.

The patterns are fairly easy to make and very super-cute! If you have some basic sewing skills, you could totally make this little guy. Especially with all the help Wendi has available.

Next...some girl dolls!

Stay tuned!

new Spa in town...

GREEN DOG Spa.

It's green and it's pretty. And it doesn't smell "doggie" inside. It smells clean and fresh!

It's a charming place, not your typical dog grooming place.

(They also groom cats, but shhhhhh...BB doesn't know this).

 Where have you ever seen a cutting station with a distressed dresser and lovely wall mirror?

There are all kinds of goodies for your special pooch.

 And cookies. A bucket full of them!

Here's my sweetie...she looks so clean and trimmed, and her hair fur, so soft!

She even managed to get a blueberry facial.

A facial. I've never had a facial!

I wonder if they groom humans...???

If you live in Jacksonville and need a great groomer who uses all organic products, give these gals a try:

Green Dog Spa
11048 Baymeadows @ 9A
904.683.5301

There's a coupon for $10 off any service salon.

Tell them BB sent you.

Ribbon Retreat Giveaway.

Are you in the mood for a delicious bowl of fabric?

I am! Who wouldn't love 6 fat quarters and some lovely jumbo ric-rac?!

Click on over to The Ribbon Retreat + Fabric for a chance to win some very cute fabric and trim...it's a great blog and I do believe you'll love it! They have the best ribbon and fabric and their customer service is stellar. While you're there, visit the ribbon web site, The Ribbon Retreat. Beautiful ribbons, fantastic projects.

Please don't win...I want to win.

Real bad...that ric-rac is awfully cute!

she lay down her sweet head.

I had planned on today's post being a cheeky review of last night's get-together with my lovely and diverse batch of church-ladies.  The fun, the food, the wine...

My camera was waiting on a nearby table, ready to capture the fun moments of the evening.  Then I saw her peacefully sleeping and my heart couldn't resist. 

This is sweet Ava, the youngest member of our group.  She knows our voices, our secrets, our joys, our trials.  As we met each week, Ava was nestled safe & sound in her mommy's womb the entire 9 months of her early life.  We could hardly wait to meet this baby and kiss her fingers and toes, knowing she would be just as special to us as her mommy: sweet, honest, kind.

Then, there was this moment:  Precious.  Tender.  Comforting.  I'm not sure who's enjoying the rocking more. This lovely gem is Juanita.  Juanita is the eldest member of our group and we all adore her.  She's loving, generous, kind, spiritual.  Juanita has a great laugh, is wise and loves each one of us.

The church-ladies didn't talk much about anything in particular...it was just a fun gab-fest.  But the above moment is what I'll remember most about the evening.  Just to be in the same moment with these two lovelies was a gift. 

And isn't that what each of us is called to do in this life?   To hold, protect, nurture and love God's perfect, sweetest creations? 

Job well done, Juanita!

"soaper" day!

A funny thing happened this past weekend, at RAM.

It was windy...again. The tent felt like it was going to fly away. That's not what was funny.

We sold out of almost everything. Now I have to make scads of new stuff. That's not funny.

Jason's phone didn't stop ringing. Work problems. Definitely not funny.


We were neighbors with this delightful company, The Ponte Vedra Soap Shoppe, Inc. What a precious, precious display of aromatic soaps, gels, sachets, balms. Oh my! The smell wafting in the air, surrounding our booth with luscious scents was really too much to handle. I wanted to run over and snatch some soap to place inside my purses, making them smell irresistible. I really should have done that...but that's not the funny part.

This is my new best friend, Mary. She is the owner-extraordinaire of PVSoaps. What a lovely lady. I asked her way too many questions, but she enthusiastically answered every one of them. What a talent! She holds soap-making classes in her home. Groovy! She also has soap-making recipes on her web site. Smashing! As well as all kinds of supplies, should you attempt this art in your own kitchen. Yikes!

This hip chick is Leslie. She is very funny. As we were taking apart our booths at the end of the show, I shared with her a kind of personal issue I was having at the time. Now most people would have thought I was weird, "off," or just plain creepy. Not Leslie. She discussed my dilemma with me and we had a nice little laugh over it. I like Leslie. That conversation was funny...

Look at that soap. Oh, my. It makes me want to march right on over to Mary's and buy more. You choose what fragrance appeals to your senses, then Mary or Leslie will take the whole wheel of soap over to the scale, cut off a slice and weigh it.

Then they wrap your yummy soap in tissue paper, complete with a sticker of the name of the scent you just purchased. It's almost like shopping in a deli...just too, too cute!

The "funny thing" I was alluding to at the beginning?

I didn't find out until I emailed Mary on Monday from the comfort of my chair...

Mary and I both are originally from Buffalo, NY.

We just might have attended the same concert all those years ago.

Or sat near each other in a restaurant.

Or, as I mentioned to Mary, maybe we dated the same guy.

Now that would be funny!

fabric envy.

I wish this were my sewing room...but it's not.

It's Randi's fabric shop, over at i have to say.

Everything in Randi's shop is 20% off AND you could win a $50 gift certificate redeemable in her shop.

Visit her for all the details...

She has beautiful fabric!

creative blogger, i have to say!

When I began my blogging adventure, I was alone and adrift in the blogging world. Instinctively, I did what bloggers do...find other blogs to help spark my own creativity. On one such journey, I stumbled across a blog with a similar title as mine: i have to say... Curious, I clicked the link. And here is what I found:
A delightful blog, beautifully written with photographs of family, fabric, food, homeschooling and lots of fun; the author is a power-house in the creative blogging world. More importantly, she is a woman with a sincere and gentle love of God. I was delighted with her sentiments, her humor and her outlook on life. I had to learn more...

Randi is an excellent photographer. This photo of her extremely creative daughter/assistant is one of my all-time favorites. What is so unique about the photograph is that mother & daughter sew together, work together, learn and play together...the sewing machine is the frame that captures their relationship and ties it all together. Randi's creatity is inspiring.

Randi also sells fabric from her shop, Fresh-Squeezed Fabrics. She carries gorgeous fabrics, keeping a keen eye for contemporary designers and the freshest fabric palettes. Her high quality fabric is priced lower than local quilt shops; more importantly, Randi takes the time to help you with your selections and offers honest suggestions to color and pattern pairings. I know, I've bugged her plenty of times and she's always been amazingly helpful. And prompt. Once an order is placed, Randi attaches wings to the fabric and it then flies to destination's doorstep!

I was thinking of keeping this part a secret (just kidding), but I simply can't...Randi has several wonderful tutorials posted on her blog. Like this charming drawstring bag. It's famous! I see it all over the web, with links galore! This is a great little tutorial, especially if you're new to sewing and need an easy project to get you going. It's also great for seasoned sewers, who crave a pretty & functional drawstring bag!

Randi writes of seasons, not only of nature, but also of life. She speaks of the importance in her role as a wife, mother, friend. Her writing is honest and instantly, a connection is made and she's the friend you've known and trusted forever.

Randi is hosting a quilt-along, which is a great opportunity for you if you've always wanted to learn how, but didn't want to have to take a class. It's really not too late to join in on the fun! Randi has excellent tips on pairing fabrics for your quilt, or any other project you may have in mind. Click here to learn what supplies you'll need and how to plan your quilt. Above all, you are going to have a great time creating a family heirloom!

i have to say...

"Thank you, Randi, for being a light in the world and inspiring so many. And thank you for being my friend."

day at the Market.

I met this little sweetie at the Riverside Arts Market this past Saturday. I love her. She's sweet! Her name is Penny and she's a puppy.

I met this lovely lady at the Market, too! I love her...she's pretty and she's retro!

Just feast your eyes on this jewelery. It is absolutely beautiful! I don't normally fall for jewelery, but these pieces spoke to me. Crystals of Love was our neighbor and I just couldn't help but to periodically run over and feast my eyes on the vibrant colors and richness of their booth. The quality of their pieces is outstanding, brilliant designs and excellent craftsmanship.

This is Del-mari, the creator of those divine necklaces. And the owner of that redhead up there. Del-mari's husband was with her and he crafts jewelery, too. His site is House of Hardwearz. He's shy...but very creative. His booth was the envy of MacGyver, who was tickled to be neighbors with another inventive/handy soul.

Oh, this was a very cute booth. Bands by Hand...they craft headbands (so cute!) and darling picture frames. The whole family was there...well, not the whole family, but about half! Dad was sitting in a chair, barking orders at the girls...what a taskmaster! Not really, he was laid back and friendly. It just sounded good...but the girls, how creative! The frames are to die for, so colorful and cute! Go visit their website, they have darling personalized frames...go!

Now these two were characters! I felt like I was on the dock of a fishing town, listening to tales of the old sea captain and his first mate. They were charming, gracious and knew how to greet a lady. I didn't see a lady while I was visiting, but I just instinctively know a gentleman. The first mate tipped his hat to a lady there, but I didn't see who it was. What's that you say? It was me?! Why, I'll be! The sea captain caught that school of fish in a recycling bin and painted them. That's a lot of work! He doesn't have a web site...he doesn't require such foolishness!

And Honey here, his name is Mick. He's a scream! So nice and friendly and funny! I love funny! I asked him if I could take his picture and blog him. Mick started to chuckle and can you guess what he said? He said that was the best offer he had all day! Did I mention that I love funny people? 'Cause he's priceless. There's a lot of honey and jammin jellys on that table...

Here's my new friend again. She wanted to kiss me. Next to our dear doggie BB, she's the sweetest thing since Mick's honey and jammin jelly. Have I mentioned I fell in love with her?

The Market was a blast and thank you for visiting my new friends. If you would like more information on any of the vendors above, email me and I'll pass along their phone numbers and email addresses...the Captain and Mick don't have a web site. C'mon, Mick! Get a web site! Jacksonville needs your jammin jellys!

jellyroll of a giveaway!

This beautiful woman is giving away a load of goodies over at her beautiful blog. She designs amazing fabric and patterns that I'm just dying to get my paws on...head on over to Lila Tueller Designs and enter to win! Take a look around, take a look at her patterns and listen to her great Playlist!

Saturday morning delivery.

This morning, I had a lovely discussion with my identical twin sister Mindy, how once the clutter gets out of control, I feel panicky and just so paralyzed. Where to begin, where am I going to put all this stuff? Do you ever get to feeling that way? And my creativity gets buried under it all and then I feel smothered. Crazy, I know. And my twin sister Mindy says that she feels the same. Isn't it odd how her parents have never been to Florida and mine have never been to Texas and yet, we're sisters? How exactly can that be?

And then, the long-awaited, much anticipated package arrived at my door. Feast your eyes on our senior:


This is just a tease...I want my parents to see the photos up close and personal. Jason and I need to select which poses we want and then pay for it all. I don't know how we're supposed to select only a few, 'cause I want them all! See the color of my baby's hair, in the lower left corner? It's beautiful hair, especially when he lets it grow out...all curly and strawberry-blonde. I had a dream just the other night and in it, he had those curls. I miss those curls...it's a joy and yet, so difficult watching our son grow up.

warning...turn away, don't read this!

My friend Randi is cleaning her shop to make room for new Fall fabrics. Yummy. She's giving away all her leftovers...not the food type, the fabric type. In my world, leftovers are lifesavers! The scraps vary anywhere from 6 to 22 inches in length, 44-inches wide, which is a very generous scrap! All you have to do to enter is visit her beautiful blog (one of my very first blog-addictions) and answer the burning question: "What was your favorite TV show as a kid?" That's not the only way to enter. If you Tweet and/or blog about it, you can enter again. Just go over to I have to say... to verify the rules and regulations of this fabulous giveaway.

I don't know why I'm telling you about this giveaway...I'm totally ruining my odds of winning this treasure. I'm hoping the lipstick doesn't come off the fabric. Who would want to win lipstick-laden fabric?

beginning to an end.

This morning, I asked if I could take his picture.

He said I couldn't, because I'd put it up on my blog.

(It's the first day of the last year of school~he's a senior).

I told him that I wouldn't post it, I just wanted a photo of him in his uniform.

He said that I was lying, I'd say something like, "My baby's first day of school."

I told him that I wouldn't do that!

I didn't get the photo. But I did find this one.

It's my baby-pirate. He loved being a pirate. Long before pirates were cool.

Before Johnny Depp was a pirate.

So my question is this: was he right, did I lie? Or is this just a mother's prerogative?

If it is a lie, I'm not too worried about it.

I'll gladly head to confession.

lovely bird print.

I won this amazing print and I just love it! The contest was several months ago and I forgot to tell you that I had won. Wow. Regina, painter extraordinaire and the author of Creative Kismet, graciously painted and sent this love to me. The colors are vibrant, happy and I adore how she incorporated sheet music within the tear-drop shapes. It makes me cheerful just looking at it. Regina was a guest on Martha Stewart, giving a demonstration on how to make some ultra-cool t-shirts. Love them! Please visit and take a look around her blog and website...she's truly amazing.

And then there's this. What would you call this critter? Squird? Birsque? Maybe...a hummingsquirrel, squirrel-jay or squinch? How about...nuisance?

late breaking News!

In a bold move, the President continues his "teachable" moment. Summoned to the White House, Terri finds herself at what's been coined as the "Beer Summit." The President decided to invite Terri, as he discovered she's prone to calling certain friends of hers "dumb blonde." In a savvy move, the invitation extended "Senora Malo" to participate in the race discussions enabled the President to cover all ethnic and social bases. In one fell swoop, the Senora represents not only senior citizens, but also undocumented aliens, the downtrodden, the hopeless, the tired and just plain down-on-their-luck people throughout the Fruited Plain. Originally scheduled for the Oval Office, the President decided to move the meeting outside to the picnic table, as the President didn't want "that tart in my office!"

And really, who can blame him? Just look at Senora Malo and behind her, the macho-muchacho, "I slipped a roofie in her drink and I think it's starting to take effect." I just hope Terri's learned her lesson about being nice and not "malo." Her last remaining friends? Pam, Carol and Patti...and all blonde.

***Terri is the best friend a friend could want. We just like to mess with each other. If I didn't love Terri, her name would be stricken from my list. Come home, Terri!

oldies, but goodies!

Red Skelton. I remember watching his variety show when I was a little girl, waiting for the segment where he'd dress as a clown, his trademark.

Phyllis Diller. Oh, she was funny! And so crazy looking. But I loved her laugh. Those were the days when a performer could smoke on TV. She had one of those long cigarrette holders, just like Cruella de Vil's, and Phyllis'd puff away on that thing. Cool!

And my all-time favorite, Jimmy Durante. I absolutely adored him. What I remember most about his show is, at the end he'd be playing the piano and he'd say, "a-cha-cha!" And kind of tip the brim of his hat. What was it that I loved most about him? He resembled my beloved, one-of-a-kind grandpa, Frank Moran. It was the nose. What a nose!

XXOOXXOOXXOO, Grandpa!

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?