A Little Imagination and a Pile of Junk

go ahead and say it.

Behold, my most recent purchases. I must be crazy to take up a new hobby when I don't have enough time to do a fraction of the things I'd like to do to keep up my current hobbies. When the to-do list overfloweth...take on something new, I like to say. I fell in love with this Japanese crochet book at the bookstore last week and couldn't leave it behind--it was the last one!!--even though I don't have a clue how to crochet. (Have you seen Vintage Crochet by Susan Cropper?? I got all geeky over it in Borders a few months ago but managed to make it out of the bookstore without spending retail on this beautiful--but useless, to me--book that I certainly didn't need. Now I wish I had splurged anyway.) I got all confused trying to figure out whether I should learn to knit or crochet first and which book to get, but since the husband was buying and I might not get this chance again for a while, I just closed my eyes, played eenie, meenie, minie, moe and walked out with these. So far so good. I'm trying the knitting first, but crochet will be hot on its heels I can tell you now. Actually, this is a perfect addition to my hobby repertoire. I hate to sit without something to do with my hands and love detailed oriented, repetitive projects that are more like puzzles to solve. Yikes, what a geek. But I'll be a knitting geek soon enough! Any tips for the newbie, please, or know any books that could help?

I did manage to finish up some pillows last week and thus justify my spending a wee bit. In a certain sense. Sort of.

These pillows are for the house but I'm working on some more for the shop which needs a good update. The bottom pillow is machine quilted inside the squares but hand quilted around the edges. Way too time consuming, but very enjoyable I have to say.

I have lots more to share, but my family needs to be fed at least once a day. I can't wait to show you more pillow love, so come back tomorrow, please!

feathering the nest

I'm trying to hit all the good thrift stores one last time before we leave town. I've been thinking January should be a good thrifting month after all the bingeing of the holidays and then new year's purging. So far, I've been right on. Sunday's thrifting uncovered these goodies. The art deco-ish bird calendar dish towel is my favorite. And the rhinestone shoe clips. But yesterday's spree was even better and I came home with a giant rocking sack of fabrics that are still going through the laundry so no pictures yet, but take a look at these.

I came across a sewing project online using Tracy Porter's fabrics from Joann's and fell in love them. Aren't they pretty? I haven't been this excited about a line of fabrics in a long while but the best part is actually the price: $5 a yard! So I bought a yard of everything. Well, not everything, but a lot. I'm going to use them in a lap quilt for the living room. A kind of welcome home gift for the family. Or, you know, for me. Whatever.

I've saved a special piece of this pretty print for an embroidered pillow. I've been freaking out over Anna Maria Horner's needlepoint pillows and wool rugs so I'm seeing something kinda like that to keep me calm until I can get one of Anna Maria's for myself. I'm trying to save the embroidery for the trip home, but we have less than a week of cable left--no cable TV at home, thank God--and I need something to do while I watch just one more episode of Law & Order SVU into the wee hours of the morning. Then I'm going to bed. For real this time.

1, 2, 3...1, 2, 3....

A good friend is priceless. One who knows you well and sends you gifts is almost too good to be true. My sweetest friend Darlene never forgets me on Christmas or my birthday and often sends me boxes of goodies throughout the year. This is what I got for Christmas: the most gorgeous dish towel I've ever seen (from Anthropologie) and some Lotta Jansdotter sticky notes. Love the birds!

My mother-in-law also blessed us with a gift basket full of the world's best pancake mix straight from our hometown favorite restaurant Kerby Lane Cafe in Austin--hallelujah! I can't tell you how ecstatic I am to share the link with you because after looking it up, I now know I can buy more pancake mix online--oh, bliss! (Thanks Tita!)

I love my dish towel so much. She is so beautiful I just might frame her. I guarantee you will never see me dry my hands on her, let alone a dish. On second thought, if I could bring myself to consider cutting, she would make a lovely dish towel apron. Hmm, I can see us now, whipping up a batch of gingerbread pancakes together, waltzing across the kitchen floor... and that's just how good they are. Seriously.

we're praying for a white xmas

Today begins my countdown to Christmas and is the first day we begin opening our gifts for the 12 Days of Xmas Exchange! For the next 12 days, all the players will open a new gift. I'm sure I'll get around to showing you at least some of them, but you can see all of the gifts from both groups on the blog as they are unveiled in all their glory. This is my very favorite swap of the year and it really lets you experience Christmas as a kid again! I mean, imagine getting a new gift every day from someone who really gets you and knows intuitively the kinds of gifts you'll treasure. This year I was #1 so everyone in my group opened their gift from me today.

Artsy clutch purses from Amy Karol's fabulous book. The pattern for the clutches is perfect: simple and versatile. I hand embroidered each one and used almost entirely vintage or recycled materials for all the purses, which I feel particularly good about (gold star for me). Each clutch is different depending on each lady's taste, but these are a few I managed to to get pics of. Since there are 13 of us in each group, we all have a lucky #13 gift from Lelainia to open on the day our gift is given. I was looking forward to showing off her wonderful gift when I realized that I can't show it yet or it will ruin the surprise for the other girls. Such a bummer, for you I mean ;-)

All the Christmas crafting, especially here and here has me crazy to make stuff. I loved Amy's (or was it Amanda's?) idea for gift books from the kids. I've been wanting to make some of these for a while so I used it as an excuse to shop for some new papers.

I'll have the kids write stories and embellish for the Grandparents--surprise!--and the rest will be for fun.

I'd also like to make something like this (although you know mine will be much more garish) for the apartment and maybe these. Plus a few of these trees to start a little collection. Our mantel is rather lovely at the moment...

...but a few more handmade decorations here and there would make things even more festive. I've planned to thoroughly enjoy every bit of this particular Christmas and savor the true Christmas-like weather for once. I'd like to do really do things up big this year, but with only 12 more days until Christmas, I'm running out of time. I guess it's the same every year. Looks like the cold weather doesn't do much to draw out the holidays a little longer for you, does it? Oh, well. This weekend's forecast: lows in the lower 20s and some rain. Snow flurries, please??

you know, for kids!

Just taking a few minutes away from flipping back and forth between watching my man Van Morrison on Austin City Limits and Raising Arizona (one of the funniest movies of all time) to give you a little update on a few works in progress. All I can share are the pretty little piles just yet, but if you're geeking out over those sweet red & white fabrics--and I know you are!--then hightail it over to Sweetflavor before December 7 for a little Christmas inspiration. Besides great Japanese fabrics, you'll find some lovely cotton prints at good prices. I'm also planning a list of some of my new favorite handmade shops to share as soon as I can  get it together--my life, not the list. Before Christmas, though. Promise.

Finally, *most* my gifts for the 12 Days of Xmas Exchange are in flight to their new homes, so I should be able to start a new project this weekend. A Winter coat pour moi.

I've been feeling so unproductive lately and having a really hard time getting used to the shorter days in Tennessee. Knowing it will be dark by 5 pm, I start feeling panicky around 4:00 thinking of all I still need & want to do with the day. No wonder I'm utterly exhausted by 8 pm.

when YOU WIN, we win

I have to say, the Memphis thrift shops have been good to me. I've been using considerable self-control with my purchases considering that we will be flying back home with the same number of bags we flew here with, which was already too many. I do have several projects in the works including my gifts for the 12 days of Christmas exchange that I need fabric for, and since I couldn't bring my whole stash along with me, I've given myself permission to do a little fabric shopping.

Lovely yellows, rich browns, happy blues. My favorites, though, are the vintage sheets.

Except for a few buttons, maybe some trim, I'm all set. At least for a little while. It wouldn't take me long at all to have this nice, neat, little apartment overflowing with crap that I'm sure I'd convince myself I couldn't live without.

the wave is coming

Ever since John returned from Bolivia, I've been secretly longing for my own adventure. Then just a few days ago we learned of an assignment, so to speak, that John was asked to take in Memphis, Tennessee doing some training and educating in a clinic before it gets shut down by Medicare. It would be for 3-4 months and the company is paying for everything plus a bonus at the end of it all. So...we're going to Memphis!!!! We leave in a week. Whooooooooooooohooooo!! Can you hear the chorus of hallelujahs from every cell of my being?? I cannot tell you how ecstatic I am. Really, I wouldn't care where the job was as long as it was far away from the valley, but Memphis--how cool is that?? I've already scouted out all of the thrift shops, fabric stores, art museums, and historic districts in the area. Plus, we'll get to take public transportation! I don't know why I'm excited about it, but I've always loved taking the bus. I miss it. I really do.

We're flying up there so I have to figure out a way to get my sewing machine and winter fabrics, jewelry supplies, and art journaling bag to arrive safely. We'll get to wear sweaters! And see the Smoky Mountains in the fall! And have a cold Christmas! Well, colder than here. I don't even care about the 50 million things I have to do in just 7 days, I'm completely blissed out.

Just think of all the adventures we will get to share in the next few months! Sadly, it will have to wait. I don't have much time to sew a new bag for the laptop, a new craft apron, carry on bag for Maisey, and pouch for my sewing supplies. All without my husband seeing a thing because he would freak out if he saw me making stuff while we have all this packing, etc. Earlier he asked me to take all of the art related stuff from our to do list and put it on my own list that he will never, ever see or hear about. It seems my last minute crafting in the face of leaving in a week can create a little extra stress.

But look! I will be carrying these vintage lovelies on the plane with me, all from sweet jessie.

I won a drawing on her blog a couple of weeks ago and I swear it was the first thing I've ever won in my life. But the prize package more than made up for all of the other losses. You should have seen the celebrating when I received the very heavy box last week.

Me (squealing and skipping into the living room): "John look at this! Can you believe it?? I actually won all of this! Look at these fabrics?? Aren't they some of the best you've ever seen? Ever??"

John: "..um....Where did that come from?"

Me: "I won it from sweet jessie, I've never won anything. Ever! Isn't it wonderful?"

John: "...um, who's sweet jessie?"

Me: "My new best friend."

John: "...okay...."

It looks like she has another giveaway going on right now at her blog. You better get over there quick. This is one generous lady (with great taste).

random friday

~ Latest journal entry for alphabetica round robin (trying to get caught up!)  Over the Rhine lyrics surrounding the photoshopped butterflies:

Dip your hands in colors

while the young night flutters in on you,

And fingerpaint me pictures of all you see….

~ Little pink suitcase I picked up thrifting in Austin with my sweet friend Stephanie. Don't you love it?! It's the perfect purse size for carrying essentials plus a magazine or two. It is probably best that we don't live in Austin anymore. I'd be so broke all the time.

~ Some vintage patterns I also picked up in Austin. I'm freaking out over the cuteness of those skirts.

~ No picture, but exciting news! One of my designs is going to be used on the cover of a book of short stories being published by Random House Canada. I've seen a mock up, but I can't wait to see the actual cover.

Have a great weekend and have fun creating!

oh yeah baby

Now, I know you already love Japanese imported fabrics--who doesn't? But did you know we should also be obsessed with fabrics from South America, too??

My sweetest husband actually picked out and brought home this treasure trove of fabrics for me. While I already knew I was married to the most loving & generous man alive, I never would have seen this coming. Although he loves the things I make, he's definitely not into the same things I'm into, and even probably thinks it is all a bit strange. But, he does have great taste and evidently knows me better than I realized. Let's just look at those one more time--just humor me:

Do you see the silver threads running through the bottom blue & white floral one? The bottom right is a nice & thick seersucker. He picked up 1-2 meters of each one and says he spent maybe $20 on all of it. He was told they were made mostly in Brazil and Argentina. Next time he/we go, we're bringing an extra suitcase. Along with colorful bus tickets, paper money and Che Guevara stickers, I also got these.

So, if being separated from your lover for two long weeks and being showered with beautiful gifts upon his return isn't enough to remind you of all the reasons you married him in the first place, then you're just not paying attention. A few more pictures, you say? Why, of course...

The hats the ladies wear? If they are placed straight up on their heads, it means they are married. If they are tilted to the side, the lady is single. I had no idea Bolivia was so beautiful.

make sure you read this before Monday

I'm glad to be starting a new week. For the past two weeks, John has been out of the country and, although it wasn't quite as hard as I thought it was going to be, I'm very glad to have my little family back together again. We haven't been apart for over maybe 5 days since I was 18. I didn't realize I was so exhausted from the excitement of having him home plus the weight of being without him for so long until I totally crashed around 8pm.  Even the dog slept better than he had the last two weeks. There is just something about having dad at home that made us all sigh with relief.

My sweetie showered us all with amazing gifts that I can't wait to show you, but until then here are some of my favorite pictures he brought home. (Unfortunately, only 558 pictures have made it home so far. The empty camera bag was left on the airplane with the other 2 memory disks on it. Ugh. Hard to even think about.) These were taken in La Paz, Potosi, and Sucre Bolivia.