happy doggie-day!

 Oh, my goodness. She was happy, she was ecstatic.

She wouldn't leave his side...she took up her old familiar place on the floor near the couch. Close enough to have her belly scratched when he felt like scratching it.

And then he got on the floor to play with her and as you can see, she couldn't take her eyes off of him.

That's love, right there.

Timeless, classic.

A boy young man and his dog.

All is right with the world.

little man.

There's a little guy on my table.

So far he has a face, hair, and legs with shoes, of course!

I'm having fun making him. Now I need to locate some old jeans and an old shirt. I think I'll raid somebody's closet...

This is a cute one, can't wait to share the finished boy with you.

And after he's stuffed, a girl will be in the works.

Have a great Monday!

I remember.

Ten years-ago today, I was crying.

I cried for weeks and our then 9 year-old little boy would say, "Mom, you're still crying." The emotions of September 11 would wash over me and I felt such a sense of loss and sadness, not because I had lost a loved one on 911, but because countless families lost loved ones in the blink of an eye. Tragically. And the victims suffered. And that's what the survivors and loved ones of those lost had to cope with.

Ten years later, the sense of loss resides deep within, as I watch families and survivors at the 911 Memorial lovingly caress their fingers over the engraved names of lost loved ones.

And I cry.

Still.

And hopefully, I will always shed tears on this date.

Because I want and need to remember the events that sought to destroy our Nation, by killing Her beloved citizens in NY, Washington and Pennsylvania.

May God bless America and the surviving families of those we lost on this date, 10 years-ago today.

And please Lord, keep us free!

accidental on porpoise.

We were cruising up the St. John's River, just talking and looking at the downtown buildings when I spotted a dolphin. Then another dolphin, then a school broke the surface together. They were beautiful, playful, graceful. One came up to the side of the boat and greeted Jason...so funny. I grabbed my camera and pointed at the spot I thought they'd next be surfacing. I have a point and shoot digital, which means that bright sunlight pretty much makes it impossible to see the subject. So I just pointed the camera and hoped that when I downloaded into the computer, I'd have a few photos of the dolphins. I managed to capture several fins, but this is the best photo.  I had no idea that dolphins could travel through the river...I thought they were strictly ocean-dwellers. Definitely a great day on the river!

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.

this one's for Georgia, in Waterport, NY!

I've often wondered if this blog is worth my time and effort. I mean, what good does it bring? Is anyone actually reading and who really cares about what I'm thinking? I know my brother and my parents stop by to see what I'm up to...but does anyone else actually visit this site?

Apparently, they do! I received a very lovely email from a lady new friend in NY, introducing herself and telling me that she has visited the little green argyle/bird skirt I made a few weeks back...about 20 times! Wow! Apparently, Georgia knows my brother and his wife up yonder in NY, which in my world, makes her almost family!  I have to tell you, her lovely note gave me the jump start I needed to continue writing on this blog. It's not uncommon for bloggers to hit a wall, feeling that the only one reading their words is maybe their spouse or mother, so naturally I was delighted with her encouraging words and stories of my darling brother.

So in light of this revelation, this post is for Georgia in NY...

I bring you...

Argyle & Chevron!

I found this luscious brown argyle when Donna was visiting at the end of July...we were in a quilt shop together and I swooned. I bought the green argyle instead, thinking that it had an extra "cute" factor. But my mind always went back to this traditional brown argyle. Which makes me think of English gentlemen and pipes (Mr. Hawkes?). About two weeks ago, I went back for the fabric that's been burning in my brain, brought it home and made yet another pleated skirt.

The chevron pattern beautifully complements the argyle pattern. I had worried, at first, that the browns weren't feminine enough... but I think that it's a perfect combination for the new Season!

This skirt is a size 3T, with elastic on the backside of the waist. Picture it with brown tights and a cute long-sleeved tee or turtleneck and it will make a darling autumn outfit.

Thanks for writing, Georgia. Your kind words reignited my pursuit of blogging excellence (or at least what I strive towards!). I hope you enjoyed yet another round of argyle and I hope that one day soon, another creation resonates within your creative soul.

little girl, British.

Cheeky little girl!

This is my mother-in-law, Ivy.

Ivy was born in Devon, England. She has an identical twin sister, Irene.

My mother-in-law makes perfect tea, loves to garden and met Winston Churchill's mother.

During WWII, as a hired farm-hand, she found a Roman coin as she was digging in the farmer's garden.

She traded it to a "Yank," as all the girls were "mad" for American soldiers. She received a quarter for the Roman coin.

Ivy still kicks herself for being so gullible!

My mother-in-law walks several times a week and though I'm not allowed to state her age, she is over 85. Shhhh, don't tell her I gave you a hint!

Little Ivy is active, independent and yes, cheeky.

We wouldn't have her any other way!

food blog and it's delicious!

Spaghetti.

Have you been wanting to make your own sauce?

This recipe looks promising. But all her recipes do. Her stories are fun, the photographs of her food are lovely.

Smitten Kitchen...go visit. You'll be smitten.

skirt and somebody, stop me!

I found this pattern for a little girl's skirt and fell in love with the pleating detail. There's only one problem.

We don't have a little girl.

 Knowing this pattern could produce a really cute skirt, I was on the hunt for cute coordinating fabric, that the little-girl-we-don't-have, would love to look at and feel pretty in.

The green argyle caught my eye and I knew it would be great for the pleat. There was a coordinating turtle fabric, but the little-girl we-don't-have didn't really gravitate towards the turtles...cute, but boring.

Instead, the birdies flew before my eyes and I knew in my heart this was the perfect combination for the skirt.

I came home and made the skirt. It's not perfect, but the first is always tricky...those to come will be much easier.

In case you're curious, this is a size 2T. The sizes run from 12-months to size 10...and there's even a matching doll skirt.

I might just have to make a few more and hopefully, sell them in my Etsy shop.

Inspiration, get thee away from me! Whatever am I going to do with these girlie dresses?!

making dresses.

I don't think it's going to fit. Once I wash it and if it shrinks, I don't know how I'd wear it!

thinking of bridges.

I've always thought of bridges as a means of taking me somewhere...the connector to a destination. I grew up on an island, the same island our Dad and his mother, our grandmother, grew up on. When Grandma was a little girl, they'd have to ride the Ferry across the river when they wanted to take a trip to the big city. I imagine that took planning and some precise time-management to take a trip. Once the bridge was built, the "islanders" were free to leave the island without having to rely on the Ferry, weather and other obstacles.

Today, I started thinking about bridges. Yes, bridges lead us. But they also take us away. Away from what was once a destination and now, to a different place.

I'm not sure what's ahead of me, but I know that a bridge is waiting to lead me to a different place; not necessarily a "better" destination, just a different one. I'm OK with that. And if I'm meant to stay "put," I'm fine with that, too. I have faith, confidence, that when my mission is finished, God will show me a bridge and I'll cross it over to my next destination.

For now, I'll sing my midnight songs.

Commentary on Florida Weather

It’s Hurricane season here in Florida. A proclamation that doesn't bother me much anymore. I’m from Buffalo, NY, afterall, which makes me an old pro at inclement weather. Besides, a hurricane is just a blizzard with rain. Personally, I prefer blizzards over hurricanes.


A hurricane is messy; scattered leaves, branches, live wires, and whole trees. A blizzard; there’s just a lot of snow. Snow is hazardous in blizzard conditions, but inhabitants of snowy-inclement weather know when to stay home and ride out the storm. And if the power should go out, well, you just put on more clothes and snuggle under the blanket with your honey. If your power goes out during a hurricane, you can take off only so many garments, without being called an obscene name, because you’re so incredibly hot and sticky and thirsty. If anyone mistakenly touches you, you just want to scream and lash out, crying “Where is the power, for the love of God?!” Even the pool in the backyard isn’t comfortable anymore, the twigs and bugs that float around in the pool…ick!

In 2004, the year of the endless hurricanes, our tree fell…twice. Early in the storm, half the tree fell across the yard and into the street. Later on, the other half of the tree decided that it was time to join the first half, this time,falling in the opposite direction…across the roof and taking the electrical lines with it. Being drilled in hurricane etiquette, Jonathan ran from his room to the center hallway of the house (the safest place), as the tree fell right over him while he played on his X-Box. Our power was out for a whole week. That was the week of my discontent, where going to K-Mart was a welcome distraction, just to get some good, fresh air-conditioning!

In conclusion, I have no clue why anyone settled in Florida those many, many years ago. It’s just one big swamp. I mean, the mosquitos alone must have been enough to drive those pioneer housewives insane, not to mention the monster “palmetto” bugs (we Yankees refer to them as “roaches”)! Sure, we get maybe two beautiful months of lovely breezes and brilliant skies, but the rest of the year is just endless heat! And those palmetto bugs/roaches are really gross!

Why am I writing about hurricanes vs. blizzards? Because I self-imposed a moratorium on my political views on Facebook an I have to ramble express myself somewhere, somehow. This happens to be my venue.

Thanks for letting me share.

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.

making movies, of the G-Rated sort.

Today was the day I graduated from Lawn Mower 101 ...

I can now cut the grass...which is a good thing, for those weeks when Jason is working extraordinarily long hours.

The heat-index is 162-degrees. OK, maybe not that high, but it sure feels like it!

Enjoy my first produced movie!

Birthday Cake Banner!

Birthday Banners...they're fun to make and the recipient will look forward to hanging it year after year!

I've never written a tutorial before, but this will give you some ideas of how to put a banner together.

There's not much sewing...I  turned under the raw edges of the cotton canvas and made a 2-inch pocket for a dowel or decorative rod to be inserted, so that the banner can be hung. I also sewed a zig-zag stitch around the cake and cake stand, before embellishing the cake.

 Heat 'n Bond is used for adhering the fabric to the canvas.

 Gathered tulle looks lovely on a little girl's banner. Add some crystals to make it sparkly!

A strand of white plastic pearls create a lovely-looking icing effect.

 Use your printer to make the lettering. Simply choose your font, enlarge and choose the outline option. Adhere your Heat 'n Bond to the wrong side of all your fabric and you're half-way to being finished! After applying the Heat 'n Bond, place your letters BACKWARDS on the paper side of your fabric. This way, once you outline your letters and cut them out, flip the letters over to the right side of your fabric and you have "Happy Birthday!"

I designed my own cake stand. You can see the white Heat 'n Bond peeking out from under the purple fabric. These are the tiers of the cake, also with Heat 'n Bond ironed on the wrong side of the fabric. After you have your lettering placed and ironed at the top of your canvas, decide where to place your cake and cake stand. Remember to leave enough room for the candles to be placed at the top and the name of the birthday boy/girl at the bottom of the canvas.

I used a strand of black plastic beads to use as the legs of the stand. I've also used fabric paint in previous banners, to use as the feet of the stand and to simulate icing on the cake. On my first banner, I painted the lettering on the canvas. It is a little more labor intensive, but still cute.

 Here is the lettering, outlined backwards on the fabric. It's really very easy.

I hand-rolled the fabric flowers, using crystals and beads for the middles. There are loads of fabric flower tutorials...check here, here, and here.

This was the first time I used Fun Foam for the candles and I have to say, they were easy to make and very cute! I make a bag of candles, so that a candle can be added each year. Just take a piece of tape and stick it to the banner for the big day!

A banner can be used for multiple siblings. You might make theme banners that can be used for both boys and girls. Your imagination is your limit...just cut-out the names of your children and instead of permanently adhering the names, just tape them on with Scotch tape.

You might decide that a cupcake is more your style. Go ahead, that would be super cute! I desperately wanted to make this banner as a cupcake, but my friend wanted a birthday cake... :(  

Pirates would make a cute banner...a Jolly-Roger flag with swords, eye patch, etc...

Dinosaurs, ballerina, tanks, mermaids, Army, gymnastics...all would be very cute themes. You could attach little toys to the banner.

If you'd like more information on the dimensions of the banner, leave a comment and I'll answer your question.

Thanks and Happy Banner!