Thank You

It is the VETERAN,

not the preacher,

who has given us freedom of religion.

It is the VETERAN,

not the reporter,

who has given us freedom of the press.

It is the VETERAN,

not the poet,

who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the VETERAN,

not the campus organizer,

who has given us freedom to assemble.

It is the VETERAN,

not the lawyer,

who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It is the VETERAN,

not the politician,

who has give us the right to vote.

It is the VETERAN

who salutes the flag.

It is the VETERAN

who serves under the flag

I received this in an email earlier this weekend and it was too perfect not to share.

Just this past week, I learned of 2 soldiers who lost their lives very recently. One wife had to bury her husband on their anniversary. I know it was a choice and lifestyle they chose but it doesn't make it any easier - for anyone.

I am so very thankful for the men and woman willing to serve in our military and to their parents, spouses and children willing to support them.

CC Love

Coldwater Creek

Sharing the love folks.

You have the beautiful Channon to thank for the link.

and while you're out and about on the internet - check out BonBon Rose

coupon code is WHH5733 - half of everything!

and for those asking - there is a tab that says outlet on the main CC page

If Only I Could Sew

The current issue of Threads has some great articles.

There is one on vintage presser feet that makes me want to do some shopping on Ebay and start garage sale-ing.

However - it was the article on One Pant, Five Ways that really got my attention (can't link to them, sorry). However, I'm sure most of you are already thinking "but she doesn't make or wear pants." Right!

This weekend I plan on perfecting a straight (pencil) skirt pattern. Because these techniques would transfer directly to a straight skirt and so far - I don't have one that fits - but I hope to change that soon.

You Know You Do It

So how many of you have conversations with your dogs? Real conversations - where the dog talks back? Do you use a different voice for your dog? Come on you know you do - will you admit to it? Second - who would your dog be? What does his/her voice sound like? Would they be a real life person - maybe a celebrity or a character? Dudley Dog would be a character - he would be Eeyore. He just has a lot of the same characteristics - he's shy, he hangs around on the edges and he firmly believes if he can't see you then you can't see him. The rest of my dogs are a bit different. Abby would be - well I'm not really sure who she would be. She is the queen be - the ruler of the house, but she's also very elegant. She does things on her own terms in her own time. So - who would you describe her as? JB says Lucy would be Carol Burnett. With the funny way she sits and some of the funny things she says. She's also very gentle and loves to be right in the middle of whatever is going on. Beauregard is a cross between Jethro Clampett and Forest Gump - just a very happy go lucky. Will do anything you ask him - generally without asking why - but he's not the brightest. So - talk to me folks. Do you talk for your dogs? Do you use a different voice? And who would they be and why?

It's the Same Ol' Song

I have inspiration - I have desire, but I have no time or energy to sew.

For example - I love this Coldwater Creek dress, but I refuse to pay the price they want.

First - it's a basic shirtdress silhouette.

Now here's my problem - I don't have a shirtdress pattern that fits me. And I want new clothes - not days spent making muslins that don't fit. Frustrating!

This too shall pass and maybe I'll sew again.

Every Single Time

Is there a movie you will stop and watch every single time it is on? Regardless where it's at in the show? There are a couple in our house. for JB it's Turner and Hooch. I love that movie - but do you know we had been married for years before I ever saw the beginning. I had seen the middle to the end many times, but never knew how Turner ended up with Hooch. It's a good movie - sappy and sweet. for me - it's You've Got Mail. I love that movie. What brought this up you ask? Well last night JB was flipping through the channels and we caught the end of You've Got Mail. I've seen this movie a million times.

I've been known to quote it. I will put the dvd in and have it playing in the background while I sew. Love it.

So - how about you. What is the movie you will stop and watch every single time you find it - regardless of how close to over it is?

The Grand Dam

Abigail Jane, Abby, Abs, Doodle Bug, Abby Doodle, Boozle, Bug - whatever you call her she's the Grand Dam of Pack Matlock. She rules the roost. She is not the oldest dog in the pack, but she looks like she is. She was the second dog and she truly was the answer to "I want a baby." 2 weeks ago on Monday I noticed that her face was swollen. We gave her some benedryl, we iced her face, we kept her close and watched her. Being a true hound dog she never quit eating. She hasn't missed a meal since she hurt her neck. When the swollen lump on her face started oozing - it was time for a trip to the vet. Turns out she had an abscessed tooth. I had the pleasure (not) of being in the room while they opened and drained it. Nasty! In that close up you can see the scar on her face from where they drained they abscess. Yesterday she had 2 teeth pulled. Poor old girl is back home doing great. She's already had dinner and told the other dogs to leave her alone!!

Cardi Follow Up

Yesterday's fabulous cardigan pattern is from Sirdar. When I was engaging in retail therapy at Weaving Works, I saw a finished sweater on their wall.

I was immediately smitten. I had to find the book.

The book is #336 and is available here (no affiliation - just trying to help people feel the knitting love).

The cardigan is called "Design A - Cabled Yoke Cardi" and there is no designer credit.

Besides this beautiful cardigan - there were actually other knit worthy garments in this book. Let me know if you knit anything from it - k?

Cardigan Fever

I love this cardigan. Love it.

I saw it on the wall when I was shopping at Weaving Works.

I've found the perfect yarn and color to knit it in.

the yarn is Berroco Ultra Alpaca.

The color is called Steel Cut Oats.

It should be lovely.

Underthings

Last Weekend I had the opportunity to attend a bra sewing workshop with Anne St. Clair. First - let me tell you Anne is absolutely lovely. She's nice, funny and very real. Anne owns Needle Nook Fabrics. The Olympia ASG Chapter brought her in for their Spring Education event. Besides an unremarkable looking - but extremely well fitting bra I brought home three bra kits - aren't they pretty?

Retail Therapy

Not this past week, but the one before was very long and difficult.

Abby's face had swollen and we had no idea what was going on with her. It would get slightly better and then get worse again. On Friday I called our vet to see if I could get her in on Saturday.

Unfortunately, they were full and wouldn't schedule an appointment until Saturday morning. The same Saturday was my monthly ASG meeting and JB had to work.

After a run to the vet and a quick try on of a sock by Miss L. (it didn't fit her and will never fit a human). I met another friend at a LYS for a bit of retail therapy. I might have gone a wee bit over the top.

Apparently - socks are on the way out and lace is on the way in. The pale pink on the right and the multi in the front are both lace weight yarns. The dark grey is sock yarn to be used with some left over purple as accents. The other 4 balls of sock yarn are to be gifted. it was good.

Here Doggy Doggy

I finally wore it!

This morning I was slightly uncomfortable.

This skirt is straighter and shorter than most skirts I wear.

The blouse was tucked in - all day.

And I didn't have a cardi to throw over it and help cover up.

But - climbing the 310 stairs every day is helping to flatten my tummy. Here's the back view. It looks wonky after being worn all day. I could still take the side in a bit more - but I don't want to. It's okay - I'll attempt to make more of this style. I did get several compliments. It was worth all the trouble to get it done.

On Guard

On Wednesday evenings I go to knitting. The dogs are always settled in the living room and occasionally they watch for me to get home. Last night I needed JB to take some photos. I decided it might be a good time to get a photo of my favorite boy (sh- it's a secret). Isn't he sweet? He was being a good boy all curled up on his bed staying out of the way and not slobbering on my skirt. That's Dudley dog in the front of the photo. When I took the photo of Beau - the flash flickered and lite up the room. Lucy didn't like that at all. She sat up straight and was instantly on alert. She's looking out the window to make sure nothing out there was flashing in her windows and needing barking at. You can see how beat up the poor girl is. The marks on her face? She does that scratching herself.

Dotty

I've gone a bit Dotty.

Currently, I'm test knitting a new design from one of my favorite designers.

It's not ready yet - but she says it's not a secret.

Yarn is Yarn Love - Maryann Dashwood - Strawberry Shortcake colorway

Final Decisions

So the title harks back to this post from last year. Yes, last year. Remember at first I thought the border print (while very cute and fun) was entirely too childish for a woman of my age? Yea - well I did it anyway. The pattern is Butterick 5333 - which may now be OOP (out of print). I had made the muslin before Spring Retreat 2009 and had help fitting the bodice and and through the hips. Apparently - all the walking, stair climbing and calorie counting is doing some good. I'm not sure you can tell but the bodice is too big - I can pinch out a good inch under each armhole and through the waist. However - as you can see from the back - it might still need a smidgen more room to lay nicely over my rump. And yes - it did in fact take an entire year to hem it and hand stitch the lining down. I have no idea why. I think I was pretty disillusioned with it after finishing and truthfully - I stuck it in the cupboard (the fabric cupboard not even a "magic closet") and lost it for a bit. Once it was found it started screaming to be finished. Mother's day at the horse races was the perfect excuse to wear it. I would love find some green sandals to wear with it and possibly a cardigan that pulls the colors. There is a very pretty clear purpley blue in the flowers. We'll see. It's comfortable and looks better than ready-to-wear. But it's not perfect.

Momma's Day

Somehow it's become a Mother's Day tradition to go to the horse races on Mother's Day. I loaded up my new knitting bag and took a brand new project on a road trip. The Princess - send me a package from Rhinebeck. Well she'd didn't send it from Rhinebeck - she bought it all there with me in mind.

I understand that she has a matching project bag. Like the lovely lace weight she sent me for my birthday last year - this yarn doesn't have a label of any kind. But I have been told that the dyer has guaranteed that the yarn is dyed to so that your socks will match - lovely, isn't it? The bag is a square version of the project bag that I made for our cruise. It's cute and functional? I like it.

Epiphany

So, I like to sew. But I like to make what I want to make when I want to make it. Sometimes it's garments, sometimes crafty-ness, sometimes gifts. Always on my terms. Pretty selfish - right? Well - several dear friends have been nudging me to open an etsy shop. I discussed the idea with JB, set up a separate bank account for use with paypal, bought lots of fabric, decided upon fabrics and a "look." I even polled people who had received some of the bags I'd made to ask what they liked and what they would add/change. It finally occurred to me that the idea of having an etsy is squashing my desire to sew. I feel guilty looking at the bag fabrics. I will make bags, but I think I will continue to make them on my terms - when and how I want. I may gift them or I may end up opening a shop and selling them - the jury is still out on that one. Thoughts, opinions? [ps - I'll have JB take all the shop photos, because I actually want to sell stuff if I go that route!!]

Blush

that's the carpet color - blush. To me it looks very apricot - there is a fair amount of orange going on, but not too much. We had the carpet installed with the bull nosing method where the carpet follows the framework of the stairs. Can you see how the top edge of the stair that sticks out farther than the riser? I wasn't sure I was going to like this installation method and truthfully - I've been hyperventilating since we ordered the carpet that it would be too orange and look horrible, but I like it. It's a very low pile textured carpet. Both sets of stairwells - upstairs and down from the main level of the house were carpeted in the same color. Both stairwell have a fresh coat of paint. The upstairs (first photo) is painted heavy cream with the back walls on each landing painted cafe au lait. These are the same colors that are in my kitchen so it works. The downstairs have been painted the same green as my kitchen - but JB "brightened" the color by adding some of the heavy cream. As you can see we are also getting new trim throughout the house. The floor molding is substantially bigger and has a bit of detail. It's going to be nice when its finished. Now if we could just pull the trigger and order the cork flooring already.

Searching

For something blog worthy that is.

Haven't been doing much of anything - I could show you the new carpet - but the pictures are still trapped on the camera. So how 'bout I share my favorite gift from last year?

JB bought me this beautiful charm bracelet. I have always wanted one and he put the best charms on it. the stoppers have daisies (my favorite flower) on them, the beaded charms are my favorite colors. There is another daisy charm and a paw print as well as a dangly heart. I'm sure that's to remind me he loves me. Wearing it today - actually!