A few weeks ago, I attended the Porter Flea Summer Market Preview Sale. Porter Flea started a few years ago as a way to showcase the millennial craftsmen (and women) moving to Nashville. I’m a crafty fox and spend a lot of my daydreaming moments trying to come up with ways to market and sell what I make, so I am always curious to see what other people are making – and asking – for their products… Continue reading “Got a pocket full of dreams…”
The first baby step will be to assemble a basic sewing kit, which will come in handy whether one ends up sewing or not. I’ve suggest visiting JoAnn or Walmart or surfing Amazon to purchase the following:
Over the summer my plan is to teach the group hand sewing stitches and techniques, sewing machine use and maintenance, fabric and pattern skills, and help the group with their first sewing projects (which include a pillow/comforter set for a doll, making a throw pillow cover with a zipper, a full skirt, and a table runner).
Are you a sewer? What sorts of things do you like to make? Do you have any tips or wisdom I can pass along to my sewing circle? I’d love to know…
It’s been awhile since I posted ephemera gathered from around the web. That’s because I am just about over the unceasing onslaught of ‘The One [fill in the blank] you MUST have’ or ‘The 10 Best [fill in the blank] You Must Try’ articles, emails, and posts I get inundated with. That said, there have a been a few things that have managed to capture my attention and led me into the time suck that is the world wide web, if you’d like to waste some time of your own…
Finally, if you are staying inside because of the crazy high temperatures, I recommend watching the newest season of The Great British Baking Show and/or GLOW! Hope you have a lovely weekend and can find some time to get lost exploring ephemera of your own!
Parents amaze me with the unending list of things they do and sacrifices they make to ensure the best for their children, mostly with no notice and little praise (except on days like Father’s Day). I’ve written before about the gifts my mother and father gave me (here and here) and I doubt my dad would mind me sharing what I think of as his ‘Wheaties Wisdom’ this Father’s Day… Continue reading “Pennies from heaven…”
I’ve been a pinball junkie since I walked into the back room of our local hoagie shop and put a quarter into the slot of Gottlieb’s Wizard. My habit quickly developed and I spent years hanging out in smoky game rooms and working arcades down the shore perfecting my playing skills. Those skills have waned over the years and I haven’t seen, much less played pinball in a long time. That’s why when I had to deliver a load of furniture to Indiana this past weekend I decided to detour to Lafayette and drop some quarters in the machines at Main Street Amusements … Continue reading “Sure plays a mean pinball….”
Last weekend I made myself a kimono dress. Next up is a dress guaranteed to remind me of 70’s summers spent attending concerts like Pink Floyd, the Rolling Stones, and the Dead. I had at least 3 different versions of this dress as a teen and loved each one.
The Alice & Olivia Spring 2017 runway look pictured above reminds me of those maxi dresses of my youth. To recreate the look I plan on using lightweight solid rayon challis for the skirt, a contrasting embroidered cotton print for the bodice and straps, and some complimentary jacquard and satin ribbons for the trim. All I need to complete the look is a pair of hoop earrings, some espadrille wedgies and a concert ticket (or two)!
Do you ever have high hopes before starting a book but after beginning realize you’re already familiar with the plot, even if the cosmetic details like name, location, and time differ? I often find this is the case, especially since I tend toward books with themes of love and family in their many iterations. I count myself fortunate to have recently read a number of books with plots that are markedly different and excellently written (including Moonglow and The Book of American Martyrs). Now I can add another unique read to that list – The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley by Hannah Tinti.
‘Twelve Lives’ central theme of family and love is told in alternating chapters voiced by Samuel (a very successful career criminal) and his teenage daughter Loo (a bit of a criminal herself). Watches, whales, and wounds all feature into the plot, along with Samuel’s brother-from-another-mother Jove and Loo’s boy/friend Marshall Hicks, and each propels the story forward until it culminates in Samuel’s 12th, and Loo’s 1st, life tale.
Have you read this book? I liked the story so much I am going to read Ms. Tinti’s The Good Thief next. If it is half as good as ‘Twelve Lives’ I will have yet another book to add to my 2017 favorites list! Keep reading….
Even though summer doesn’t officially begin until June 21st the season always starts on Memorial Day weekend for me. I can finally pull out my lightweight clothing, go to the beach, and work in the garden (and on my tan) until the skeeters drive me inside. I tend toward no-fuss easy pieces, with dresses being my ‘go to’ item to wear – or make.
With rain in the forecast this weekend I plan on recreating one of my favorite looks from the Spring 2017 runways – the kimono wrap dress. It’s such a classic style that flatters most wearers regardless of size or shape. Plus, kimonos are incredibly easy garments to make. You can find patterns at Burda and Vogue, and almost any solid or print fabric from gauzes to embroidered cottons to silks will work. After that, all you need are some sexy shoes and a minimalist piece of jewelry to be ready for dancing in the streets (or anywhere else your summer takes you).
Did you know that Coca-Cola has partnered with Dollar General to honor our service members, veterans, and their families with their Share-a-Coke Military Campaign? The 5 patriotic cans honoring veterans, service members, military spouses, military mom’s, and military dad’s also acknowledge Coke’s United Service Organizations (USO) partnership.
I’ve don’t normally shop at Dollar General but do I love Coke, so I’ll be making my summer soda purchases at Dollar General as an easy way of showing support and saying ‘thanks’ to our nation’s true heroes – our military men and women past and present and their families who sacrifice more than we can ever know.
I am also going to take a pause from eating burgers and swimming to ‘be a force behind the forces’ and send a message of thanks to our service members who don’t get Memorial Day as a holiday. It seems the least I can do on this Memorial Day. How about you?
I’ve spent the last two weeks running three back-to-back celebrations which have kept me pretty busy. My favorite event of the three was a graduation celebration for nine young artists (each an accomplished musician, film maker, actor, writer, or game designer). I created a piece of art to record their accomplishments, which was framed and given to each along with a beautiful monogrammed leather folio…
*Pomp and Circumstance, Op. 39, March No. 1 in D major – Edward Elgar
The Grey Goddess 