One of the oldest and my newest...

When I was in my late twenties...boy was that a life time ago...I started working for Creative Circle...it was a company that sold craft products through home parties...like Tupperware. Those parties were all the rage at the time, so I thought I would learn some new skills...make a little money...and buy crafting kits and frames at a discount. I didn't make much money but I did buy a lot of kits and frames...I still have a ton of stretcher bars for the kits...but it was fun too! Here is the first picture I finished for my samples...it was my first cross stitch...up until then I did mostly crewel embroidery...I keep it hanging on the side of one of my kitchen cupboards as a reminder of those days gone by....it still looks pretty good I think...I guess those were really good quality kits!!I still love cross stitch but these days I haven't done too much...some day I'll find the time...

Right now I'm concentrating on my bags...and my wool...I drew this applique to mimic some of the fabric that can't be seen on the front of this little hip bag...

It's what's on the back!! I like this size bag...they're fun and really hold a lot of stuff...you'd be surprised...I notice a lot of younger girls carrying the bags across there chests and at the hip...I like they way they sit myself...so I made a long adjustable strap...and just big enough to carry what you need....I carry this size when I walk...my ID, phone and keys...as well as a water bottle fit in here...anyway...I added this one to my Etsy shop...stop by and take a look around...

Before I forget I want to say Happy Birthday to my dear Mother-in-law, Loretta...she currently resides in heaven...and would have been 94 today! She was a wonderful woman and I think in many ways she helped turn me in to the person I am today...her faith never wavered...she suffered from Rheumatoid Arthritis and had little or no strength in her hands but still managed to have fresh Snickerdoodles waiting when we came to visit...and they were the best!! She called everyone on their birthdays and sang the Birthday song...a tradition that Don and I have tried to keep alive...So Happy Birthday, Dear Loretta!!!

Enjoy the day, my friends!!

Another finish and a new visitor too...

I just finished this little diaper bag for a client...this is a Grandma diaper bag...something much smaller than a Momma diaper bag...but it's still a very good size...this Grandma has a 2 year old Grandson that has Cerebral Palsy and wanted something to carry when she babysits her Grandson...she wanted something not so babyish...but colorful...I found this Wee Wonderland fabric by Moda and thought it would be perfect for her ...

There's pockets on the side to keep a bottle or two handy...

And of course a ton of pockets inside for all those smaller items...

I've had a little visitor in the yard the last couple days...he's quite cute...pretty small...and friendly...or shall I say not so skittish as some other birds that visit our yard each day...

Here's a better picture...he has white all under...on his belly and legs...not sure what type of bird it is...I haven't found it in the bird book yet...I thought maybe it was a cow bird...but it's much smaller...it does some funny little flying too...up off the ground about 2 feet and then dives down and grabs a bug! It's quite fun to watch...but I can't be distracted...well...maybe a little...because I have much too much sewing to get done....which reminds me...I better get off the computer and back to my sewing!

I hope everyone that was in the path of Irene is safe and sound...I keep seeing pictures of the high waters on the East coast and I can't even imagine what they are going through...you are all in my thoughts and prayers and I hope that all gets back to normal for you very soon!

Enjoy your day, my friends...do something that makes you happy today!!!

Rambling...

It's been really hot in my world lately...too hot to do too much outside...but this morning I decided I had to venture out and get back in the routine of my morning walks...I have skipped a few days because of the heat...it seems to be cooling down a few degrees...I sure hope the days of 109 temps are gone! The big problem is that it hasn't been cooling down at night either and so we have had to have the A/C running all night too! Then I wake up in the morning with such a dry mouth...yuck! But this morning Don opened a couple windows and turned on the fan at about 6 and it felt really nice...The one thing about the hot weather...it keeps me inside where I need to be because I have lots to make before our Piecemaker Craft Show...

We went to wedding this past Saturday and darn it if I forgot to take a picture of us all dressed up! I put make up on and everything...and even fancied up my hair! Oh well...it was a nice wedding although it was outside and started almost an hour late...and it was soooo hot! The groom was our next door neighbor's son...we have known him since he was about 3 years old and I didn't get any good photos...there were too many shadows outside with all the umbrellas and such...so I show you the sky above my back yard this morning....

We have another wedding this Saturday, but I promise to take lots of pictures then...it's my niece's wedding and it's on a yacht on the ocean...it should be nice....the boys and girls will be up from San Diego and we will all be in our pretty clothes!

I had better get back to my bag making...try and stay cool...and enjoy the day!!!

Busy, busy...

I've been working hard lately to fill up those boxes that Don made to hold my little zipper bags for the craft show at Piecemakers in October...I'm pretty excited about this show...as I told you before...it's my first real craft show!! It's getting hot again in my neck of the woods, so I have to garden early...and thought you might like to see some of the flowers that are doing quite well here...

Purple Cone Flower is one of my favorites...the middles are so tough...do you think I could use them as a scrub brush...

I love miniature roses...and I have them all over...here are a few that are blooming now...

I did want to say that the bug I showed you yesterday was really very tiny...maybe 1/4 inch long...a baby...I just got really close to him...he was sitting on one of the bigger rose bushes...

I don't remember what these are...I planted them in the shade years ago...this is the first year that they have flowered this much...that makes me happy!

Here's a few more bags I made...this one is for a client...she needed a bag to hold her IPad, Bible and several other things for her Bible study class...plus she only wanted one strap...the size and shape were chosen by her, but she left the rest up to me...I hope she like it!!

Here's a big tote for my Etsy shop and the craft fair...

Here's a couple more zipper bags that I had fun making...

Today I will be sewing all day...it is supposed to be over 100 today...and yesterday I got stung by yet another bee in my back yard...I was trimming my Black Eyed Susans and I think I knelt on it...it stung me on the side of my right knee...I now have a huge hard bump...and it hurts and itches all at once...so needless to say...I will stay inside most of the day!

I want to tell everyone who is in Hurricane Irene's path that you are in my thoughts and prayers...I hope you all are prepared and listen to your local police...I heard that many people are not wanting to evacuate in the Carolinas...stay safe!!

Enjoy the day, my friends!!!

It's a bugs life...

I don't know what this little bug is, but it's been hanging out on one of the rose bushes for about a week now...

He isn't eating the roses or the leaves...maybe he's eating some bugs...I don't know...I'm not really sure what he is...but as long as he doesn't cause any problems...he can stay.

This Summer has been a pretty mild one heat wise, but I hear that's going to be changing...I knew it would eventually get hot and I heard it's supposed to get to 101 tomorrow, so I got all of my gardening done this evening before dark...that leaves me time to take a nice long walk early tomorrow morning...It's hard this time of year to do both... gardening wins out most days...but I really enjoy walking too! I have been working on finishing up an order for several bags...hopefully they will be done by tomorrow or Thursday...I'll show you what I've done then...until then...goodnight, my friends!!

Suchi's Arangetram

Saturday evening we went to my sister's step daughter, Suchi's, Arangetram. This was the first time we had ever been to such a program and I must say it was very interesting...long...but interesting... We weren't allowed to take photos during the dance, so I took some of the program. Suchi has been studying this type of dance called Bharata Natyam since she was 4 years old. This is a graduation program of sorts. It was a solo dance...it is always done that way...that lasts for 3 1/2 hours. Like I said...it was long...one of the dances lasted 45 minutes!

The costumes were so pretty and I was fascinated by all the vibrant colors worn, not only by Suchi in her costumes but by the other Indian women in their traditional dresses...so many pinks, oranges, greens and blues...such a difference from when we dress up here...black is the dress up color it seems...I think I like their way of doing it better! Maybe we should all break out of the black and start wearing bright colors...and lots of bling!!

Suchi performed 8 dances in all...

Imagine how long it took her to get ready...she had to have henna painted feet and hands and all the make up and jewels put on her face...no those are not piercings...they are sort of glued on...and more henna on her face...with all the make up...she looks so much older than she is...but she is just 16!

They had a break in the middle of the dance with refreshments and then a traditional Indian dinner served after. I had a very nice time and was glad to be included in this special evening.

Now I better get back to my sewing...preparing for these craft fairs take time...I am one of those slow, but steady sewers...some say a perfectionist...I just try and do things right!

Until next time...enjoy your day!!

Look what I found...

A number of years ago on a Spring Training trip to Arizona...I discovered a love of cactus and succulents...now... I have mostly a cottage type garden...so I thought I could create a miniature cactus garden in a box next to my front porch...they seem to do pretty well out there and the succulents bloom all Spring long... I have a big one blooming now...but to my surprise I found this yesterday when I went out to check the mail...

This pretty flower is growing right out the side of one of the cacti...pretty cool...I got that cactus at the Phoenix Botanical garden about three years ago and it was really small and only had two stems...it now has five stems...if that's what you call them and it's getting a nice size...but a flower...yippee!!

Here's the flower straight on...it's actually a bit brighter orange than my picture shows...sometimes my picture taking isn't the greatest...

Here's the reason I started this little garden...the Sagura cactus...they are one of the things I love to see in Arizona...who knew...we got this one about 5 or 6 years ago and we were told it was 8 years old then...they grow very slowly and can live 150 years or more! In fact we were told that they don't even get a beginning of an arm until they are at least 75 years old...

Here's a few of the succulents I have collected over the last few years for my planter...

As much as I love cottage gardens...I must say these guys fascinate me...they are so beautiful...and so easy to care for...they seem to take anything the weather throws at them...

I am still very busy sewing for the October and December craft fairs...I am hoping that people will come and like what I bring...this is a new experience for me...

I will show you some of the things I am working on at a later time...busy, busy right now!!

Enjoy your day!!!

Been busy around here...

I have been reading My Sew Sweet Studio since I first got into blogging last year and imagine my happy surprise when I learned that Beverly would be in our area this summer...yesterday we finally managed to meet and she is just as sweet and nice as I pictured her!! My sister Debbie met us at Stars and Scraps Quilt Shop and then we had a nice lunch...it was so nice putting the face and voice to this awesome bloggy friend! Thanks Debbie and Beverly for a nice day and I can't wait to meet up again!!

On another front...have I told you recently what an awesome husband I have...I couldn't be more thankful than to be married to such a great man!! He is so supportive of my venture into trying to make a go of this bag making business...I let him know that I was going to be in a couple craft shows and here he is helping out by making displays for my bags ...

I wanted some really rustic looking boxes to display my zipper bags in...these are perfect...he made them out of some old cedar fencing we had been saving for just this type of project....

Just look at this wood after he sanded them all down....yummy!!!

This is one of my favorites...it's on the side of one of the boxes...now all I need to do is get the rest of the bags made to fill them all up!! So if you don't see me around much it's because I have chained myself to the sewing machine...I need to get my inventory done and I just got a huge...but awesome order from my best client...who is also my dentist!!

Enjoy your day...mine will be spent sewing!!!

Buzzzzzzzzz...

I think my Oriole feeder has become a bee feeder....

I just can't keep these guys out of here the last couple of weeks...

They are even willing to commit suicide to get to this sweet water...every time I have emptied it the past couple weeks it is filled with dead bees...poor things...it's not like I don't have plenty of flowers...the smarter...or less lazy bees are there...this is just crazy...you should see how the birds have to chase the bees off to get a drink!!

In other news...I stepped on a bee yesterday afternoon...and of course it stung me!! I always remind Don to wear shoes out in the back when walking over by the apple tree because of all the bees...and silly me...going out barefoot to move the sprinkler...ouch...right in the crease of where my big toe attaches to my foot...it still hurts a bit...my toe feels stiff and sore...no more barefoot for me in the back!!

It's a nice day out today...the high is supposed to be 90...that's wonderful for August here! I gardened for a couple hours in the front yard and now I am going to spend the rest of the day sewing...I have some things cut out...I just have to get to work!!

Have a great day!!!

Do you ever...

Do you ever just sit and look at something and admire it's beauty...look at every little detail and wonder how amazing life is...

These 6 white birch trees came into our lives when things looked sort of sad..and scary...

I was about to become unemployed...my company had been sold...one I'd worked at for 20 years...

Our beloved dog, Sydney had developed cancer... and two wonderful trees we planted when we moved here were dying...

We took a chance on these...we took a leap of faith...that although life as we knew was changing...God would look out for us as He always has...

So now this morning as I sit and look at these magnificent trees...I am in awe of their beauty and reminded that life is so full of wonder and goodness...that things will be OK...that we will be alright...and to slow down...step up a little closer and examine the beauty that surrounds me...

Enjoy your day, my friends and look for the good today...you will find it!!