Packing Mom.

I'm not going to lie, I was dreading this like the plague.  Seriously folks, my sister and brother gave ME the job of packing.  Like my mom said "looks like you got the raw end of this deal". (is that the way it goes or is it wrong end????) Sometimes mom misspeaks.

Anyway, It were'nt too bad.  If you like packing.  Which by the way, I would rather do anything than pack.  It took me a day and a half of packing up Hancocks her sewing room. I mean, I have never seen so many fabrics, patterns, sew beautiful magazines (that are out of print now and she is interested in selling them) so contact me if any of you would like any out of print Sew Beautiful Magazines.

 I found some treasures.....and my mom gave them to me.

We'll start with this bell pull that took hours and hours to make.  She did the most beautiful needlepoint.

Then there's my grandmother's mink stole.  Mom said "I'll never use it, you take it" SNATCH.

be still my vintage fur lovin heart!!!! I simply cannot wait to wear this!!!

Just all kinds of treasures.....like a picture of me when I was 5.  It got tucked away somewhere and I haven't seen it in oh at least 40 years.

and my 1st grade class at A.K. Sutter school in Pensacola, FL

Don't remember one thing about that teacher.  hum.

I wrote this poem to my mom when I was 12.  She needlepointed the whole thing! Must have taken her a year to do it.

She gave me this awesome dish from Mexico (I've secretly wanted it for years)

my sewing certificate from 1973.  I completed a sewing course at the Singer Sewing Center.  haha!

made a grey polyester suit.

Stan Hick and I got "best dressed" at Girard Jr. High my 9th grade year.  My posture looks like I need a back brace.  And that hair!  oh my......and what about those paints Stan was wearing?????

Well that's all the treasures I took pics of...She gave me many more and though I was dreading this daunting tasks, it really wasn't too bad!

I'm at the beach now for a couple of days recuperating.  (no tar balls in San Destin!!!) yeahhh

I'm soon going to do a special blog that has something to do with this!!!

Sorry the pics so bad, had to drag it off FB.  

Later chickies!!!

Bottles

We went to Napa last September.  The whole fam.

Well, it was Mr. W, the kids and myself.  We left Eric and Evey at home :(......we didn't want to, he just volunteered to keep her and knowing she's not old enough to indulge in some of the finer [wine] things in life, we decided to give in and let him stay home with her.

We stayed at this wonderful little place in Calistoga called

The Calistoga Ranch

Mr. W and I usually stay at the Auberge du Soleil but with 5 people, the cost was a little

a lot ridiculous

but, I'll show you a pic of it anyway......

okay.....I just downloaded this pic from their blog...I SWEAR I did not copy these umbrellas.  I knew I loved the Auberge almost more than life itself. I just can't believe I'm following their color scheme! (told you orange is IN!)  

If you get the chance (or should I say) the money, you must stay here.  Oh, be still my Frette starched sheets and huge, fluffy down comforter lovin heart.  That's what's on the bed along with a wonderful crackling fire when you walk in. The view overlooks miles of wine groves and the smell is intoxicating. They also have these HUGE beautiful chenille hot pink pillows paired with orange ones laying by the fire on the Mexican tile floor.  The bathrooms have oversized tubs and slippers and are surrounded also by mexican tile.  Little bath salts in a little clay bowl and a scoop lay conspicuously by the tub. Along with fluffy white towels and bath slippers. A robe that you could literally never take off your body. I can just smell that entire room right now. oh my.....it's very sexy.

Anyway, not sure why I'm telling you all this.

The real reason is to tell you what I remember about the room at the 

Calistoga Inn.  Which by the way was half the price and perfect for a large group.

I remember coming home at night (half wine logged (toasted) to this...

is this not the cutest thing you've ever seen?

Glass water bottles beside the bed with mint in them.

So, of course I had to have some of those to have for MY guests. I obsessively searched the bottle over and found the name on the bottom, googled the website and voila!!! found them

It's this

www.stanpacnet.com

Okay here's more of their bottles....I'm just trying to figure out what I can do with them!  I think I'm going to make my own bath salts.

aren't these just the cutest things eva??????

Enjoy a beautiful Saturday Chicks!

It's pillow time again!

Okay, time for a little updating on my patio furniture.  Gotta get ready for a slew of young adults (14 of them to be exact) to come for the fourth!

Last year I found some great orange umbrellas (just the right color of orange.....not UT orange) sorry all you Tennessee fans but I just can't stand handle that color.

Anyway, I bought two of em last year at Restoration Hardware outlet.  Price? 75.00 smackers each!  not bad!

I started getting this orange obsession last year and it has continued on to this year. I want it all over my house.

For you designer types. FYI, orange is IN.  And it looks amazing with turquoise, green, grey any color you wanna put it with. Not so much with navy.........sorry Beth (just can't do Auburn colors either!)

See how good it looks on a parrot! (well he's sportin a little gold too)

Anyway again, my patio furniture needed a little lift.  I have searched the world over for some fabric to go with the umbrellas.  There are a lot of colors of orange.  Again, not to offend you Tennessee fans. I'm just sayin........

I felt like a few neck pillows were in order.

I finally found this fabulousa outdoor fabric at Forsythes in Atlanta yesterday and just couldn't wait to get to work. oh, and it was only 10.00 a yard!!!

and....remember my pillow tutorial?  well now I'm gonna show you how to make a pillow with covered cording...and tabs to hold those pillows on the chairs.  Not as easy as pre-made cording but still pretty easy!

Sneak preview

Here we go.  First.

Here's the before pic of the chaise lounge chairs and the umbrella that I wanna update. They're lookin pretty rough and also in need of a good cleaning.

Don't mind the monstrosity of the house going up next to us, partially blocking my sunrise view.

The people building this home are about 70 years old....seriously folks

So...down to the sewing dungeon as I like to refer to my sewing room.

This tutorial is not for the faint of heart.  You really need to have a little sewing experience to experience this experience.

First, I chose a 12 x 22 lumbar pillow.  Down of course.

Cut the fabric 1" larger than the pillow.

Then cut the fabric for the cording.  I chose 1/2" cording and I always cut my fabric for the cording on the bias. For this cording I cut it 2" wide and added 2" to the length

then I cut the strips for tabs to attach to the back of the chairs.  I cut them 3" wide and 12" long.

to sew the bias strips pin right sides together at a 90 degree angle and make a diagonal seam

this is the finished look of the bias strip

Wrap the bias strip over the cording, pin and sew with a zipper foot getting as close to the cording as possible

now....pin the cording all around the edge of the front of the pillow fabric.  Be sure to clip the corners of the cording for a smooth sewing transition.  Tricky part.  when you get back to where you started, clip the cording so that it matches the point where you started.  Leave about an inch and a half of fabric on that part.  This will be turned under and overlapped on the meeting cording.  Hope this makes more sense than it sounds!

this is what it looks like completely pinned

then sew around using a zipper foot getting close to the cording

Next, the tabs.

Turn long sides in half and sew the top and the side

then turn with a spiffy turner!

press the tabs.  now don't forget you need 4 tabs per pillow.  I'm making 4 pillows so of course I needed 16 tabs.

attach the tabs 4 1/2" from the outter edge of the top of the pillow

Then sew the front of the pillow to the back being careful not to catch the tabs

Turn the pillow right side out and press

Now. Attach velcro to the back side of one tab and the front side of the other and stitch

Almost forgot!!! You need to leave an opening for the pillow to be inserted OOPS!

stuff that pillow right in there and sew the opening closed!

Finished product

I think now I'm going to cover the cushions in the same fabric.  oh,,,,,and maybe I am a Vols fan after all.....the oranges don't match. They do however compliment each other and give my furniture a nice little punch! 

another shot of my mismatched orange! oh well!

and finally!

new pillows for Callen!
dang, I feel like a pillow factory

use the same tutorial as above (of course) minus the tabs!

enjoy sewing Chickies!

Three New Paintings!

"Fowl in Flight"

36 x 36 Mixed media on gallery wrapped canvas

Price upon request

"Five Sweet Angels"

15 x 30 mixed media on gallery wrapped canvas

Price upon request

"Watching Over"

15 x 30 mixed media on gallery wrapped canvas

Price upon request

Paradise!

I've been here.

Where the water is as beautiful and clear as a sky blue popsicle

With some friends on our little water RV "Moby's Deck".

We've been tooling around Eleuthra in the Bahamas, and if you've never been, it's a must see.

We started at Atlantis....

(where the black jack table was very friendly to me this time!!!! yeahhh and I even walked away with lots of moolah (well at least more than I came with!)

and....here's some of the crew!
and Captain Pete

we worked our way down to Eleuthra with a guide. I can't remember his name so I'll call him Harry. (cause he was)

What a beautiful place to see. Pink sands and all! WOW.

This is the Coral Sands Hotel on Harbour Island, Eleuthra

There were enough pillows on that couch to make any man go nuts!

more of The Crew

notice the pink sand?

This is the beach in Harbour Town...Silky, smooth sand that felt like silk under your feet.

the magnificent Dr. Tim and Nurse Anita (he didn't even have to pull one tooth!)...even though I drank enough salt water snorkeling that I was sure I was going to get scurvy and start loosing teeth.

Deb and me!

and of course Mr. W

Todd and Deb (need I say more?) aka...Barbie and Ken (and I got to look at that body ALL week)

but....I liked looking at this more!

need I say more?????

we saw a beautiful sunrise

I'm really gonna hate leaving this!

Happy Father's Day to all you sweet daddy's! (including mine)

oh wait,,,,,I almost forgot...

Two great books to go with the vaca

"The Help"

and

"Redeeming Love"

both a MUST read!