I didn't even know I had this picture of "Boo" - found it looking through photos on my computer today. Luke must have taken it. He is a part of our home and family - yet seems to at times keep himself a little distant and private. When he wants to be - he is truly lovable. His original name was Foster - but we now call him Boo.
This is how Jake looks most of the time - eyes on his phone - always texting.
Time to store away all my pumpkins and spooks until next year. 
I had to stitch up a bag tonight for some "girl stuff" I bought for Kasey - (nail polish, brush, files and those toe things - all pink.) Her favorite color is pink - I love that! I love it when my sons have girlfriends - it gives me a reason to buy all the cute stuff I see. And I love making little gift bags.
I found this photo online of my home town -back in whatever year it was. Some of these buildings are probably still there. I will have to notice next time I am back there.
I am having a nice relaxing weekend. We went to a cigar show yesterday and then have a birthday barbecue for a friend of my sons. It was a good day. It was a hot day!!! - but a good one.
I am just now taking an interest in the Harry Potter books and movies. I've started reading the series and watching the movies as I finish each book. It is perfect reading for the last two weeks of my summer. Jacob has read them and wanted the new book when it came out - so when he came home with it and after listening to all the hype about it's release - I thought I should read the series. I read the first book then watched the movie - and am now reading the second book. They are just what I need for the end of my summer. I can be a part of the Harry Potter craze before I go back to work in a couple of weeks. I am enjoying them - and Jake will stay up and watch the movies with me. I found this picture of Hogwarts - I think my favorite part of the first movie is the castle/school. So I am off to read and finish book two so I can watch that movie. I can see myself becoming a Harry Potter fan.
There is always some small thing that makes me happy and I try to enjoy all the small stuff. Life throws all sorts of things at a person - and the big events and happenings are obvious (both good and bad). But so much of life is made up of small, everyday things that are so often taken for granted. I figure if a person can find some joy and happiness in all of the small everyday stuff - they will spend a lot of time feeling a little happier and overall more positive - which can only help you deal with some of the not so pleasant things that happen.
I made this clothes pin bag to send to Jennifer's friend in New Zealand. Jennifer saw the one that my mom had made me and mentioned that Marna would like one - because she always hung here clothes out to dry. Adding the buttons really made it cute. I am going to have to make some more of these - it was so simple and after putting the buttons on it - I want to make some in other colors.
"The ordinary arts we practice every day at home are of more importance to the soul than their simplicity might suggest." ~ Thomas More
Homegrown tomatoes from my neighbor. They are the best. One of the things I miss out on living so far away from my parents is my dad's garden. (He works miracles in his garden and any plant thrives if he takes care of.) These taste so much better than anything from the store. I may have to make BLT's tonight - not my families favorite, but I love them!
One of the photos that Luke took while we were in Monterey. Whenever he is with us - he seems to have the camera. I don't get to take as many pictures as I like - but I always love to see the ones he takes. This was taken at a cemetary he found when he went for a walk. Where was I - at the ballpark. An angel can be a symbol of spirituality and they guard the grave. I also found: Angel - Flying it would mean rebirth or resurrection; Trumpeting means resurrection; Weeping symbolizes grief and mourning. An angel is the messenger between god and man.
Luke watching - Jake playing. These are a couple more pictures from Monterey last weekend. This is how we spent most of our time. It felt great to be at a baseball game again. 
We were in Monterey last weekend to watch Jake play baseball. Luke took this picture of Cannery Row. We were only there for a couple of days - and spent a lot of that time at games - but you can't help but enjoy the atmosphere of Monterey. 
I've been wanting to crochet one of these hats for Jennifer. I thought it would be fun to give it to her when she gets home tomorrow. I have to make some more of these - they are so fast and easy and I think they are great. Since no one was home - I had to rely on the bear to model it for me.
I went to the fabric store this afternoon to buy some black cotton to line a bag that I wanted to make for my friends birthday. But I found fabric for $2 and $3 dollars a yard and thought that it would make into some cute bags. The monkey print I am going to use to make place mats to go with the cute monkey plates I bought at Target. They will be great out on the patio this summer. So much for using what I already have. So I walked out of there with this....
.... and this book that I looked at the other day. Some great ideas - and very easy to make.
.... and this chair that was on clearance for $50. I know Richard will think I am crazy for dragging it home - but I thought I had to have it for that price. Now I just have to find a place to set it.
And I did get the black fabric to line the "Pink Lady" bag for Gwen's birthday.
" We're off to see the Wizard." ~ Luke sent this picture to me - after I was looking for a version of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." When the kids were young we used to watch "The Wizard of Oz" quite regularly, but I haven't watched it in sometime. It is a cold and rainy day - so I think after I get back from the fabric store and settle in to sew - I will put it on. Things are much different than when I was young and we anticipated the one time of year when the "Wizard of Oz" aired on tv. It was a big thing - I remember being frightened by the scene where the monkeys carry Dorothy to the witches castle. I always enjoy this movie - no matter how many times I watch it - so today I am off to see the wizard.
We went to Big Hat Day last weekend and I found this wood cat. I think it is great - and it will perfect at Halloween. Being that it is sort of tall - I was surprised when the cats and Sadie reacted to it. They weren't quite sure what to make of this beast in their house. Sadie had to bark a few times to make sure it was harmless and the cats had to take the long way around it for awhile.
The finished cork board that I made - it took a couple of days for the glue to completely dry. I have to figure out where I am going to hang and get some cute push pins for it. 
I started to fix an old quilt of Richards. It is really in bad shape and the fabric is so thin. I would almost say it isn't worth fixing, but his grandmother made it for him. I may have to make it a little smaller because some of the pieces are so torn.
This used to be the batting. It has been washed so many times over the years that there was not much left. I am going to fix what I can - get some new batting and I will have to get new fabric for the back. I really like the colors in it - I think Richard will really be happily surprised if I get it back in good shape.
I have one cork from a "Vampire" wine that I bought one year for Halloween and I stuck in one black cork - the wine was called "Little Black Dress" and has a hanger on it. The wine was terrible, but it is a cute cork. So I just need to let the glue dry and find a place to hang it. I will have to look for some neat push pins to use on it.
I love buying coffee cups - and I love polka dots - so I could not walk past this one at Starbucks yesterday. My personality being what it is - the coffee cup makes a difference. If you are going to drink anything - be it coffee, soda, or a glass of wine - it may as well be in a great cup or glass. So this is my newest coffee cup. I will enjoy every cup of coffee I drink out of it. The aroma, the taste, and cup - all make for a great cup of coffee.
.jpg)
I love small black bags. My collection is small - but growing. The one in the middle here is one I found a few weeks ago in an antique store. The clasp is a round cluster of rhinestones. They have always caught my eye for some reason - for as long as I can remember. I often wonder when I find one that I like - what the history is behind it - who it may have belonged to. I think that is one of the main reasons that I like antiques or anything for that matter that belonged to someone else before me. There is a history to them - and although I do not know what what that history is - it is connected to those items. Something about a bag that I like may have been the same thing that caught the eye of another woman years before me who picked it up, turned it over in her hands, deciding whether or not she was going to purchase it. A small - but a connection to the past.
Posted a bit late for Valentine's day, but I was going through the pictures on my camera today and saw this one of the valentine that I sent my mom this year - made with an Altoid tin. I had forgotten I had taken a picture of it. That is me in 1962 - I thought my mom would enjoy the picture - which I believe she did. 
This picture of my grandma and me was taken nearly 48 years ago. I love her polka dotted dress and boy did I have some pudgy legs. She was the same age in this picture that I am now. We lived in this big red brick house until I was 14 and she lived in the apartment upstairs. She was such an important part of my life. She taught me how to embroidery, knit, and crochet. I still have the first little sampler that I embroidered with her help to earn a girl scout badge. I will have to find that and make something out of it. I can remember sitting in her living room learning how to do each stitch and making a row of each one on a piece of linen. She was always very patient and caring with us kids. I think she enjoyed children - she babysat for years even after she retired. She would get off work at midnight from the hospital and I would wait up for her. We would go up to her apartment, watch tv, have a snack - then go to bed. She may work on a crossword puzzle or we would say the rosary. I used to love to sleep under a baby bonnet quilt that she had.
And this picture of my grandma and me taken 48 years later. I usually go visit my family in Iowa during the summer, but last summer I did not get back to see them. I decided in October that I needed to go back instead of waiting until this summer - this was the last time that I saw my grandma. She passed away in January and I look at this picture and I am so glad I made the decision to go back to visit. She was 95 years old - and her mind was still so good. It was always fun for me to go visit her. I have so many great memories of her growing up and one of my only true regrets is living so far away from her and the rest of my family the past 25 years. I know she is with me still. I miss her, but I smile when I look at this picture - because we had her in our lives for so long and I do have so many great memories. She was always a very strong willed, independent woman and she did not like being in a nursing home at all. She made that very clear to everyone. She seemed sad this last time I saw her and I hated that. She could not see well enough to crochet, read, or do crossword puzzles anymore and I know she missed those things. But I think she was happy this day and when we took this picture. She was so very special to me. 