Doggy Daycare

My Dear Friend invited me to share an afternoon with her two beautiful golden dogs at Bark Till Dark. Winding country lanes past knee-high corn, Mel and Lucy could barely contain their excitement as we left smooth tar for bumpy rock. No need for leashes, membership entrance, pond up ahead, cool swimming and friends. I could picture my husband and I Adirondack sitting, energy expended only to throw a ball. We just had to bring Charlie to the dog park.

Nose pressed against the passenger window, just tall enough to see the corn, proper papers and a good brushing to impress. A test! A Doggy Daycare test! Charlie had to pass a test to become a member of the dog park. He had to show that he would not bark at parents and that he would play nice with other little dogs. Charlie failed doggy daycare. He could not become a member. Backseat moping, no need to see the corn. Depression for days. Something had to be done.
Ears perked, button tail wagging, a friend by his side. Afternoons spent barking at kids on wheels. A Doggy Daycare to call his own. A happy little dog.

Clueless Home Owner

When we came to Delaware 13 years ago to look for a home to purchase, we couldn't believe how low the prices were for a newly built tract home. The thought of being the original owners was an unthinkable dream come true. The children and I toured the model home imagining who would get which bedroom and where the couch would go. My husband was more excited about the prospect of choosing the PERFECT lot. He had us stand like trees on various plots imagining how much open grass he could plant to mow.
The back lot in a cul-de-sac seemed like a mowing man's paradise. "How awesome!" I enticed my husband, "You get a FREE fence along the back for privacy!" The salesman cleared his throat, "Well, ahhh, you see the train runs behind that fence." "A train!" we all chorused, "We love trains, and after all how much of it could you possibly see, the fence is so high!"
And so we moved in and immediately began planting flowers and trees of every kind.
Being ever so careful to keep the middle open for ball games and mowing,
and pets to play.
Our own pine forrest for obstacle mowing and a place to gather pine cones in the fall.
A secluded porch for reading and just hanging around on a humid summer's morning...
Have you met Mr. Kitty, our beautiful soft as can be, 20lb. cat?
Oh, and about that train that should have been hidden by the really tall fence? We know the engineer by name and wave to him when we are outside mowing!

Your clueless home owner thanks you for taking this tour with her. Mr. Kitty is exhausted!

PS I HAVE WRITTEN 280 POSTS TOWARDS MY GOAL OF 300 BY AUGUST 1ST, MY BLOG ANNIVERSARY AND GIVEAWAY! I CAN'T WAIT FOR WHICH EVER COMES FIRST!!!!!

It Takes a Village

It took many flickr friends to FINALLY finish my little wall hanging. A last bare wall in my tiny craftroom now filled!
My wall hanging was inspired by wonderful kitchen windows at Malabar Farms. Please take my tour if you haven't already. It's a vintage lover's dream come true!
Not at all confident with using the sewing machine, it was by chance that I received in the mail wonderful tea towel transfers of bluebirds from Lulu at Home. The thought to add in felt applique seemed perfect for me. A first block started!
About this same time... The Happy Zombie had begun a block of the month club with felt and fabric. I made the first block following her closely, but the thought of eleven more to go was too big a project for this beginner. I had only three blocks to go!
Visiting my favorite blogs, I noticed that the Pink Girls like kittens. Hmmmm, I recalled that I had transfer patterns tucked away somewhere of kittens that would be perfect! Oh my would they have loved this in pink!
Like it or not I had to add fabric somewhere to this wall hanging. The Dutch Sisters were my go to source! They quilt by hand even on their vacations by the sea shore!
Time for a Round Robin. Back to HZ for Prarie Points, DS for hand quilting, and gracious Flickr friends who helped with the unexpected puffiness! The Creative Breathing touch? Why words, of course, in cheery red! They make me think of apples hanging on trees.
Well, it's completed now! Mistakes aplenty but lots and lots learned thanks to the help of so many talented fabric artist. I hope you will be inspired to try a project outside your comfort zone as well. I am on to my first quilt.... in August!

Mall Days

It was only natural that my first job be where so much of my childhood had been spent with my mother. At the mall! In the early 1970's anything important that might happen, happened at Iverson Mall. It was the first mall in the Washington, D.C. area. It boasted of it's "complete climate control", meaning air-conditioning! What made this mall so unique was that it straddled a main highway. The concept of walking over traffic was just thrilling!

For so many years the walkway above the highway was where my mother held her art shows with the Paint and Pallet. Most of the members were women and my mother's students. This was very important at a time when women were struggling to find their place within the Women's Movement and venturing into making their own money. Husbands who were not okay with their wives's working didn't mind money made through a "hobby". Little did they know that their "hobby" would be such a profitable one!

The year was 1970, the mall was only a few years old. My mother had taken us to Montgomery Wards, which was one of the anchor stores, to purchase school clothes. Traversing the walkway she envisioned the the space filled with art. Customers had to pass through this concourse to get into the main portion of the mall. A perfect captive audience! She immediately contacted the owner of the mall, Mr. Fragamini, and convinced him that he was missing the potential of additional customers that her art shows would bring. A life long friendship would develop. A large Italian family ruled by the grandmother, Nana. She absolutely adored my cute little brother and would cook meals especially for him. Our refrigerator at home was NEVER without homemade sauce and meatballs.

My heart sings when I think about our days at Iverson Mall. Money earned from selling tissue paper Pow Flowers at the art shows. My first job, my first formal, my wedding dress all purchased here. Visits from my boyfriend, shy kisses stolen. A peak over the gleaming white railings during Christmas time to see my mother decorating all of the beautiful display trees. Jr. Hot Shoppes for lunch and Woodward and Lothrup for perfume samples. Truly the mall was a magical place when they were new and shiny and promised air-conditioning.

"St. Maybe"

A favorite book read time and time again is Anne Tyler's "St. Maybe." It is a story about faith and retribution. A moment of selfishness resulting in life changing consequences. I have my own St. Maybe story which I keep close to my heart.

By chance my little town of Delaware hosts a yearly Dressage competition. My sister-in-law comes with her magnificent horse to dance in the ring. A smile bright beneath a spattering of freckles, graciousness her every word, faith the basis behind them all. A follower of The Lamb. A passing conversation with her trainer about the Koran found it's way to my righteous, willful ego. Very outside of character for me, I began arguing with her not about her conversation but about personal attributes I found to be intolerable in her. I began attacking her very Christianity. I could see my words in the air ugly and hateful and yet I seemed unable to gather them and tuck them back away. Two intelligent woman standing their ground, a peaceful hug to end the evening. I was surprised that she did not speak to me the next day. Apparently one of us was more charitable than the other. We would not see or speak to each other for a year. She said she was unable to make the competition this past July. Indignation became my friend until I remembered words my mother had spoken to me many, many times. "When you are consumed with righteous indignation, look closely at yourself. You are hiding a truth that you can't accept."

My brother-in-law had divorced his wife of 20 years in the recent past. He had remarried before I had a chance to say goodbye to her a last time. I was happy that he had found true love in my new sister-in-law, but I missed his first wife terribly. A second wife. I was a second wife. A first family with children now have a father with a new wife. Divorce may be for the best, but children are affected forever. It was this guilt in myself that I was taking out on my new sister-in-law. Retribution was called for. I begged for her forgiveness the next time I saw her and solemnly swore to her to never dishonor myself in such a way again.

My brother and sister-in-law will be here the end of this week. Dawn will bring her magnificent horse to dance in the ring. I hope to take photos to share of her beautiful smile. Just as in "St. Maybe", forgiveness was immediate from God. Forgiveness of self can take some time.

"Your going to make it after all, MTM"

A new boyfriend, early graduation, a new car, a driver's license, enrolled in college, a need for clothes. A return to the elegant woman's apparel shop where I had mistakenly purchased a wedding dress for my first formal. Praying that I wouldn't be remembered, I nervously approached the check-out counter. A tall, flat woman wearing stretchy horizontal stripes with white shoes came from around to give me the once over. She seemed to have two sets of lips. Ones inside, and ones drawn outside with very bright red lipstick in between. My knees nearly buckled from the pressure of her handshake as she asked in a gravely voice, "Who are your people?" "My parents are Mr. and Mrs. .... from ....", I timidly answered to her flattening lips that were now only one set. "Uhhhh, my father is a ...., my mother is a ....., Uhhh, my dad used to be in the Navy." A return of two lips, a smile revealing red teeth, "Well I thought you were a Navy girl. Good manners you have. My husband is a retired Admiral .... You've got the job. You can start right now!"

Powder blue carpet and walls, French vanilla trim, J.R. Harris was the type of clothing store where you were required to hover. As soon as a customer chose a dress, you would take it from her and escort her to the dressing room. You were then required to wait close by in case another size was needed. Another size was always needed with ladies who didn't want to reveal their true size. Back and forth this dance would take place, the opinion of a young girl suddenly valuable. Make the sale, and you earned a commission on top of your salary. My manager called me into her office, cigarette ringed red between her fingers, "Your doing good Navy, keep it up!"

I loved everything about working at this store. Driving my own car on the freeway, pulling into the parking garage, greeting the mall security as I slipped through doors not opened yet to customers. I now had different outfits for every day of the week with purses and shoes and boots to match. I thought I was Mary Tyler Moore! Customers said this to me on a daily basis. "Why you sound just like that girl on MTM." I was quite full of myself with this comparison until it was pointed out to me I did not look or sound like Mary, I looked and sounded like Georgette!" I was suddenly envious of my manager with her gruff manner and gravely voice. Away with pale lip gloss, red lipstick became my signature color. I may have sounded like a five year old, but I looked older!

To this day I can not been seen without my lipstick in place. My natural voice still soft, I make an effort to gravel it up. Thank goodness for my wonderful supervisor and my days at J.R. Harris!

(For those of you too young to recall Georgette, she was Amy's mother on "Everybody Loves Raymond", the one with the voice!)

Elizabeth's Woodland Owl

A vintage owl napkin posted by Picnic by Ellie is my inspiration for creating a new pattern for you and hopefully inspiring you to create your own patterns. You don't have to be good at drawing, I promise! Working with felt makes the process very simple.
I know that two circles will be the eyes; so that is my starting point. I also am right handed; so I only try and draw the right side, fold the pattern in half, and cut the left side.
To create my pieces, I place my drawing under a new piece of paper and draw my shapes from the largest to the smallest.
Laying out my felt pieces before sewing allows me to get an idea of what the finished ornament will look like.
Here is your pattern. Left click on image and print for full size.
(I forgot to include beak in pattern, just a triangle on 2 sides folded in half.)
Button stitch or tack on eye pieces to face. Referring to PHOTO of LAID OUT PIECES, tack feathers on to bottom body. (I am so sorry I didn't look at my own photo, because my finished feathers are not quite right)The tail is button stitched together, small stitches for tail detail. Fold beak in half, tack in place.
Button stitch orange wing to one wing backing piece. Make sure they face in opposite directions! Button stitch front and back together. Stitch along orange piece to give definition.
Tack wings in place making sure they will be hidden behind face. It's a good idea to lay pieces on the back body to help determine where they should go. Also tack tail feathers in place.
Button stitch front to back body, stitching underneath feathers. Stuff with fiberfil, button stitch top closed.
Beginning on left side, button stitch face to body matching ear shapes. DO NOT STITCH CLOSED THE BOTTOM CURVE OF EACH EAR. Catch hanging cord as you go along. Complete stitching right side. DO NOT STITCH BOTTOM OF FACE. Stuff face lightly. Take a few hidden tacking stitches at top of beak. Have fun accessorizing your owl. I added feathers to the ears and a plastic flower.
My owl has found the perfect friend to hang around with. Don't be intimidated by all of these instruction photos. They are for someone very new to crafting. Lots of pieces, very quick to assemble. I hope you will make a Woodland Owl in your favorite colors to match your craftroom!