stay focused

I finally finished those 3 purses that have been on my sewing table forever.  I have not been able to focus and get them done for about three weeks and I am blaming my kids for it.  Summer vacation is to blame for mommies everywhere not getting their work done!





But not today. Today I am going through my vintage fabric stash and my organic fabric stash and making it all come together in just a perfect fresh and yummy way.  I am so lucky to have the day to sew.



Now, I must be off for my house is silent at the moment.  No one but me and Scout, and my sewing machine!  Before I go here is just one last peek just for you :)

about a boy

This is a story about my 8 year old boy... He is cuckoo!

"When can I get a phone?" him

"When you're 20! You don't need a phone!" me

"What if I get lost and stuck in a tree?"  him

"Don't wander off by yourself." me

"Or if I get lost in the jungle and had to live with a homeless person?" him

When he said that I had to write it all down, while driving in the car.  Just to share it with you!  I love my boy and his fantastic imagination.  His powers of persuasion though, needs a little work.

about a dog

This is Scout our Jack Russell Terrier.  Isn't he cute! All short-legged, you should see him jump!  We have had him for a week today.  It's our 1 week anniversary with him.   And yes I am in love!



He is 5 years old. And very well-trained.  He hardly ever barks (and when he does bark, it is not annoying at all!) sleeps in his crate, and is generally very low key for his breed.  He is our dream dog come true! 



Welcome to your new home Scout!

goodness

More doily inspiration today. My goodness this would be so cute having these elements all together for the girl's party!

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These little cupcake wraps are a must for me to make! Visit Keren's post for a DIY. She has a beautiful blog.  And once you see it, you'll know why I love it so!

inspiration day

We have 3 birthdays in my house to celebrate in August.  And the one that I have the most fun planning is the one for my girl.   Today I went to Michael's and I bought a stack of white paper doilies.

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I hope to make a few of these for decorations!

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And maybe one of these hanky banners.  I do have quite the stash of hankies!

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a cup of tea

My recent trip was filled with so much fun! Family time, tourist time, shopping time, and tea time!



My sister Mary took us to a sweet spot called the Williamsburg Antique Mall.  It is a huge place, 400 dealers!  I just had to remember that I only had a suitcase with me, not my car. It is so hard to shop with this is mind!



Inside the mall is a little jewel of a place to have a sweet lunch, La Petite Tea Room.  You can tell how neat it is from our table setting.

And the food was equally as special.  Just like the owner, Jean Reitmeyer.  She made us feel at home and like a part of her family right away that I wanted to call her Aunt Jean.  She even studied at Le Cordon Bleu.  I found her so interesting that I had a feeling of wanting to actually interview her!



We each had a different open face grilled sandwich.  Each was just yummy!  And then we were even offered a sample plate of three desserts of our choice.   Aren't you glad that I love to take pic's of my food!  Jean really made the meal special.  And it has become a special memory for me.  Thanks sis!   I hope if you're ever in Williamsburg you can stop by and say hello for me!

frolic

My sister Mary has a great sewing room in her house in Virginia.  And she was my teaching mama while I was visitng her.  We made 3 different quilts together!

This is us, sewing late at night before I flew on home early the next day.

Here's a peek at one of the bigger quilt's we made together.  This was so great for me to sew up as I have always thought of myself as a non-quilter.

It is made just using fabrics from a charm pack.  This one is called Frolic, from Moda.  And I'll tell you, these little 5" squares of fabric are so much cuter when used in a quilt.

It is all still at Mary's house.  Just waiting to be quilted.  She is great at that!  Then it will come to me and I will have a few buttons to sew onto the top.  Then once that is all completed, you will get to see it again! Oooh, the anticipation :)

sew nice

Mary Ann standing by an array of her beautiful fabrics

One of the fun things that I got to do on my trip was visit the sweet historic town of Occoquan, Virginia.  There are lots of cute shops, antiques, and eateries.  But the best part was getting to step inside a little shop which was right out of my very own dreams.

dresses for girls and quilted toys for baby

Sew Social is that shop. Full of the best and newest fabrics, patterns, and gifts.  I met shop owner Mary Ann Campbell and her cute red-headed daughter and we talked about our shared love of sewing.   It was just like we were long time friends.

sweet dolls, books, and other girly accessories

After I looked around down stairs and picked out some sweet fabrics for myself, Mary Ann told me about the upstairs portion of her shop.  It is a large open space where she holds all sorts of sewing classes.  She teaches both adults and children how to sew believing that sewing teaches patience and problem solving skills.  She even holds birthday parties there!  Wouldn't that be fun!

more sweet dolls and tooth fairy pillows

Mary Ann even invited me to teach a sewing class!  But I don't think I am going to the east coast again for another year or so.  Unless the stars magically align.  Such a great reason to go again soon though!  That and to see my sisters again of course. :)

trip pic's

Hi! Did you miss me?  I sure missed you!  I have been gone for 2 weeks visiting my sisters and some extended family on the east coast. 



My oldest son Q came with me and he turned out to be the perfect travel companion.  At almost 12 year's old he was a real trooper.  We flew from CA to NH and then travelled down to VA by the end of our 2 weeks.



The reason for going to Massachusetts was to celebrate my nieces quincearea.  She was beautiful in her light pink gown and we had such a wonderful night seeing all of the kids, friends and cousins dancing and having a fun night.



Just look at these cute centerpieces!  We made over 100 of these paper flowers.  It turned into a special memory making these traditional flowers.  Just us girls sitting around telling stories, laughing, and folding up tissue paper!

We had such a great visit going to historic sites, amusement parks, eating out, home cooking, and seeing the family that I love.  Thank you to all who took such good care of us! I won't show you all the rest of my pic's here, but over the next few days I will be posting the rest of my photo's on my Flickr account.  So check it out if you wish!