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!

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!

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!

blue skies, smiling at me!

Our day in photos.

Blue skies, smiling at me. Nothing but blue skies, do I see.

And our great son, who is now grown...but forever our "Bud."

God is good.

happily ever-after.

You may or may not have noticed that things were pretty quiet on my blog for about a month.

There was good reason.

I was sitting in a room with my parents, watching this:



And these...

And him. My Dad. Can you believe that he could order his meals from a menu, at almost any time of the day? Room service in the hospital. Really? And the food actually looked good. Go figure!

 And we watched a lot of T.V. Fox News, Golf, golf, golf, golf...

Dad is feeling better now. He gave us quite a scare.

Thank you to our friends and family who embraced us in their prayers.

God is infinitely good.

backyard adventures.

Jason and I took off this past Wednesday on a trip to Orlando. We had purchased a three-day getaway and the opportunity to use the trip was about to expire.

It's the first time I have left my six-foot-two "baby" alone for more than one night.

He didn't have a problem being left alone. He was excited at the prospect.

I'm the one who experienced separation anxiety...it's what happens when you have only one child. It's a series of "firsts" and "lasts."

We were driving right past Red Robin on the way down, so we stopped and combined lunch and dinner...yum! It's a fun place. Very colorful. Friendly. Clean. We enjoyed it.

Next stop...IKEA. What a fabulous adventure!

So much to look at.

Bargains galore!

We bought a much sought-after over sized bathmat for $10. Bargain!

Dishtowels, six in a pack for $2. Priceless!

The colors in this store are unbelievable. So bright, so innovative. Storage solutions...I don't think there are enough of these boxes in IKEA to satisfy my need for storage!

What I really enjoyed were the size-challenged living spaces set up throughout the second floor. Their concept of space-saving solutions for small living spaces were genius. It almost made me wish we had a small house. Not really. I just think that because then I would have more ideas on how to creatively utilize space. And if I had a tiny house, I could use their ideas. But then my guys wouldn't fit in my little abode and life for all of us would be miserable. So I will live in my "big" house. And solve my own storage problems.

We left IKEA with $30 less in Jason's wallet, but it really could have been much worse. I think he got off pretty light...

IKEA is only about 2 hours from Jacksonville...dangerous!

I guess this means I can go shopping and spend more money?

Jason....just kidding, honey! I wouldn't do that.

Or would I?

he came home with flowers.

Totally unexpected, wonderfully beautiful.
Happy Anniversary, Jason!

You are a blessing.

Thank you, God.

day for a crown.

I did it! I finally went to the dentist to have my excruciatingly painful tooth checked out. Why is this a red letter event in my life? Because I am uncomfortable, uneasy, frightened, freaked-out, scared, unsettled, nervous, apprehensive...visiting the dentist. I just don't like the profession. BUT...the dentist I saw today was very kind and understanding. And he didn't hurt me. It turns out that I had fractured a tooth and it's been hurting for about a month. For the past two weeks the pain has been intensely uncomfortable. But because I'm so special, the dentist gave me a temporary crown. Not to wear on my head, but to wear in my mouth. And here's to hoping that this is the beginning to the end of the war that rages between my tooth and its nerve and my jaw. Oh and by the way, saying a decade of the rosary on the way to the dentist certainly helped. Oh yeah, and all the prayers I said directly to God himself while waiting for the gallon of novacaine to take effect were answered. Today, I found my COURAGE.

bad hair day.

YIKES! I seem to be having a bad hair-day. It's the humidity in the air, wreaking havoc with my hair. But I must say, the cleavage is looking pretty good!

We've survived the tropical storm...my hair didn't, but we did. Thanks for your thoughts and prayers.