Peasant top

I've always been a hippie at heart and I'm happy that the hippie style is hanging around for another summer season. I saw this top in Lucky magazine (top by Splendid) and loved it, but not the $94 price tag. I had the perfect fabric for it...a Klee-inspired lightweight cotton blend I bought from awesome Etsy seller Frangolina http://fragolina.etsy.com/ and I found New Look pattern #6870 that was similar in design. The New Look pattern also has an empire waist and waist ties that I thought would give this loose top and bit more shape.

I changed the pattern thusly: Added a longer placket in front in order to use these cute little vintage buttons from my mom's button box.

I made button loops from 1/8 inch ribbon.

I machine-basted and gathered the neck edge and cuffs and made facings instead of using elastic. (elastic...ugh!)

I also made a placket on the sleeves and added a button and loop there, too. And, of course, I shortened the pattern, otherwise, it would have been a tunic on me.

I'm really happy with how it came out. I just need to find the right skirt to wear it with...nothing too full or else I'll look like I'm wearing a muumuu!

P.S. I have been messing around with the pictures for over an hour and I can't get them where I want them and still have them be clickable for a larger image! Grrrr! But now I have to go to work, so I'm leaving it like this, unorganized as it looks!)

Almost Caturday

This is Hal looking out the windows watching birds or chipmunks or snakes or something. I call this one "Hal With Stained Glass." We have a boatload of starling babies every year (they nest in the eaves of our shed) and Bob was checking them out today. I call this photo "Bob With Pineapple and Screaming Baby Starlings."

Busy Little House Wren

I was watching this little guy from my kitchen window yesterday. He was quite frenetic, flying and landing all over the place, but intent on this bird feeder for some reason. After watching him for awhile, it became clear that he wanted to build a nest in the bird feeder! It was still full of seeds, though and the rope that holds the lid in place seemed to bother him the most. He kept yanking on the frayed rope end, trying to pull it out, but after about 20 minutes, he gave up on that and started bringing twigs to the feeder and putting them inside. On his departure, he would bring a sunflower seed out of the feeder, fly to the deck railing and spit the seed out onto the ground! Cleaning house, I guess! Too funny! I hope his intended appreciates his efforts and, as for me, I am completely happy to let him have this feeder as a home this summer. I can hang another someplace else!

Deconstructing a chandelier

I am in the process of re-doing my dining room. I finally got it painted, made the curtains and hung them, and put down the new area rugs. The light fixture really needs to be replaced and what I really want is one of those cool chandeliers with the hanging strings of beads on them. However, being the cheap, erm, I mean frugal person that I am, I cannot convince myself to spend a couple hundred bucks for one.

A week or so ago, the hubs and I were at Home Depot and I saw a chandelier I just loved, but it was just too pricey for me. We found out it was the last one in the store, and we tried to get the guy to lower the price, but he wouldn't. Then, the hubs says "You know...my parents used to have a chandelier in their dining room at our old house...I think it might still be in their basement." He phones mom and she says "Yes, I still have it..in fact, I have two of them and I was going to give them to Purple Hearts!" *GASP!*

We go over to mom and dad's and the chandeliers are EXACTLY what I have been looking for (AND they still work!) and mom says "Take it! Take both of them! Take them apart, paint them, do whatever you want with them. I can't wait to see what you come up with!" Have I mentioned how awesome my mother -in-law is? Well, she is!

So, this month will be re-create the chandelier month. Today I took all the old crystals and glass arms off the basic structure and as soon as the sun comes out and it stops raining, (tomorrow? Please let it be tomorrow!) I'll take it outside and scrub it down with some steel wool and clean it up for painting. Now that I have it stripped down, the temptation to turn it into a squid is nearly overwhelming (ala Adam Wallacavage: http://www.adamwallacavage.com/octo/) However, my family does not share my enthusiasm for all things SQUID, so I am going to stick with my original design and rest easy in the knowledge that I do have another chandelier waiting in the wings. ; )

Bad Day/ Good Day

I am running out of cat food and you know we can't have that happen, so I had to make a trip to the pet store. When I get to the cat section, the shelves are bare and I find out that my pet food as been recalled!

http://www.recallowl.com/Food+Recalls/Food/Nutro+Products+Announces+Voluntary+Recall+of+Limited+Range+of+Dry+Cat+Food+Products

So now I have to switch the cats over to something else, as who knows how long before the food is back in the store?? And let's talk about all these food recalls, anyway, right? Jeez...I'm going to use my income tax refund to build a giant greenhouse and grow all my own food. Well, no, not really...well...unless I can grow cacao trees or whatever chocolate grows on...

Anyway, it certainly is disturbing and even though Anthony Bourdain eats food from street vendors that is days old and has flies on it, I prefer to have my food pass USDA standards. But, I might eat a bug or something if I could hang around with Anthony Bourdain in some exotic locale. Just sayin'.

Okay, so the GOOD part of the Bad Day/ Good Day is...I got these coolio metal buttons from Etsy seller The Forsythe Company Store

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5366352

I am re-purposing a thrift store vest and these are going to be PERFECT for it! Heather at Forsythe was kind enough to make a special listing for me and sent the buttons out with all due haste, as well! If you need buttons, go check out this shop...it's amazing!

Oh! And not only that, but the stamps on the envelope weren't cancelled, so bonus! (I know...how cheap can I be, right?!)

Part deux of the Good Day section is,

I finally decided what to wear to a

wedding I'm attending. My good friend and co-workers' daughter is getting married tomorrow and I was at odds as to what to wear. I was staring into my closet last night at 11 pm and the outfit just sort of jumped out at me. Yay! I love it when things like that happen. I'll try to get a good pic tomorrow of me wearing the outfit, but right now, here's a shot of it all, as it looks arranged on my bed.

~Dark purple top by A.N.A.

~Lilac skirt, original pattern drafted and sewn by me

~long scarf (to wear around waist) sewn by me from a remnant I found at Joann Fabrics

~teal and brown shoes from Target, fall 2008

And I'll be wearing grey hosiery

Prom Queen

The rules: ~ Upload your prom picture. If you don't have one, email your mom and have her send it to you. ~ Don’t forget to include the year it was taken. Again, don't be shy. The older the better. ~ Grab the "Prom Queen" button and add to your post. ~Copy and paste the rules to your blog. ~ Tag 5 others! This Prom Queen thing is going around and while I thought it would be fun to post MY prom picture, I'm not going to tag anyone..if you want to post your prom pic, go for it!

The year was 1979 and I was a senior. This was taken by my mom in front of our house (condo) and it's one of the few pics taken by my mom where we have heads... usually she cut people's heads off when she took photos. I think it had something to do with her bi-focals... The dress is a lime green polyester number made by me. I LOVED this pattern the minute I saw it, because it has an attached wrap waist that can be wrapped seven, count 'em, SEVEN different ways! You could bring the wrap up and tie it around your neck, or drape it over your shoulders or tie it around your neck like a halter...so versatile! LOL! And no wrist coursage, just this giant bunch of yellow flowers that actually manages to clash horribly with the dress. My date was the guy I had been dating for a year and we got married in 1983. And then we got divorced in 1991. I think it's okay for me not to blur out his face because he's my oldest son's dad and we are still on speaking terms. Plus, his giant aviator glasses are pretty hilarious!

Bob and the Chipmunk

I could hear Bob pounding on the window from the other room, so I had to come in and see what he was so upset about. This chipmunk was sitting on the woodpile, completely aware that Bob was frantically trying to get at him, but smart enough to know that there was no way Bob could get at him.

So, while Bob spazzed out, the chipmunk took a bath.