Yes I Did Finish the Arrested Development Embroidery

Just a few minor changes from Janalyn's original pattern.  

Love it--both the show and the embroidery.  This has been hanging in my son's room for a couple of months now where I have periodically tried getting decent pics of it.  The valuable lesson learned was to take photos of things framed with reflective glass without the glass in place.  Then you can seal up the whole things with that perfectly cut paper backing.  You are gonna have to take my word for it that it looks great in a black frame with black matting.  This photo gives you an idea--just try to ignore the glare.

I got the design  from Janalyn's Etsy shop here for a mere $5.  I'm not a huge fan of most cross stitch,  but the lettering is quick and easy.

No I've Not Been On An Extended Vacation...

I've been away--from my blog.  Sometimes life gets busy with things that make boring blog posts.  However, I finally made it back into my sewing room yesterday.  My embroidery machine proved to be the clear winner in the productivity department. It managed to create these from some Huck towels I made last year.

The towel is crooked in that last one, not the design.  Designs are from the Embroidery Library (emblibrary.com)

In the same amount of time that my machine got all that finished, I got this far with the hungry bunny pouch I've been meaning to make.

Honestly, I had two towels finished before I was able to decide which fabrics to use for the damned bunny. No, I am not using the red polka dot zippers for it.  I just dumped all my zippers trying to choose a zipper. Another towel was nearing completion before I was able to decide on the zipper and interfacing.

Don't look for the finished bunny anytime soon.  This morning, as I tried to put the pieces on the zipper, I realized the bunny is not symmetrical.  I should have read the directions more carefully.  Okay, I should have READ the directions. It appears that I've not cut things right, and  I've used up all that polka dot lining fabric.  Good thing I have a few more towels ready to embroider while I try to decide on another fabric.

Sometimes It's a Blessing When We Lose Someone

My mother, who my kids called Ama passed away the day before Christmas as I was reading one of her favorite books to her, The Wind in the Willows.  How fitting that the granddaughter who was named after Ama's mother, Cecilia Keegan, was in the room with me at the time.

Keegan   and Ama

This passing was not unexpected in that Ama was 96 years old after all. She had also developed some pressure wounds at the  nursing home that got terribly out of control causing her to be in pain much of the time even with medication.   So, while we will all miss her, it was a blessing to see her freed from her suffering.

Rest in Peace

Anne Cecilia LeBlanc Young Bressette

Born in Long Lake, New York

December 13, 1917

Died in Saratoga Springs, New York

 December 24, 2013

I'm sure this beard had nothing to do with his gf dumping him....

This is what Kiefer normally looks like,

but for Novembeard, he got a little carried away IMHO. This is just too much facial hair unless you're making a fool of yourself on some reality show.

 He started looking strange,

kind of evil,

and just plain scary.

He threatened to keep it until the new year.  I don't think he quite understood the November part of this thing.  He started in October.  BUT he has come to his senses (again, that may just be my opinion).  It's not quite a clean-shaven look, but I'll take it over that beard any day.

The gf is still gone, but I'm sure everything will work out for the best.  Remember when your mom told you that?  

What Is It With Bra Fitting Lately?

Apparently boobs have come out of the closet.  I saw an entire infomercial claiming one can finally get the right fit if they would only order some special kit.  Then, I saw a blog post about how the Reddit bra fitting forum changed someone's life.  Okay, maybe it just made it possible for her to finally figure out how to get a bra that fit well, but she was really raving about it.  Who knew a bra fitting forum even existed? 

I wandered over to Reddit and, sure enough, there is a huge community of women who are not gonna take that fits-good-enough bra anymore. Be warned that visiting may result in hours and hours of learning about the hows and whys of bra fitting along with some extensive giggle-inducing measuring.  As it turned out, I am a size that no regular store is ever going to carry which, in turn, landed me at a lovely little shop with this sign:

 

Madame Pirie's Famise Corset and Lingerie Shop.  I can't even think about how much money I spent that day. I'd say it was just the excitement of finally finding bras that fit so well, but I'm pretty sure the sign had something to do with it, too. 

Now I'm kicking myself for not buying a couple of these contraptions when I was in the Container Store.

They are zippered bra cases to prevent squashing in the suitcase.  I took the photo cuz I thought, "Who buys this stuff?"  Now I know that they are for people who spend way too much money in the lingerie shop.  On the bright side, the new stuff is so pretty Brian didn't complain;-)

I Just Wanted a Bit of a Chalkboard

You know how you see all those chalkboards in kitchens around blogland with greetings and menus and such?  I wanted something like those, and I had this bland door in the kitchen.  Sooooo....from this

 

to this

Brian was not thrilled about this idea at all.  I could see some seriously clenched jaws while I attempted to get him to agree.  I promised that it would have greetings and menu kinds of things, but art happens.

There was a Tim Burton fan in the house.  This is so much better than a menu, isn't it?

Beach Themed Repurposed Window Frame

Absolutely beautiful, isn't it?   It's hanging in the lobby of the Atlantis Hotel on Cape Ann in Massachusetts.  The artist, Maryellen Gigliotti,  captures the essence of Cape Ann's coast in this piece. Maryellen has a business, Beachscapes by Me, in Gloucester.  Here are a few more of her pieces.

Lucky you if you live in the Gloucester, Massachusetts area.  Maryellen will be selling her art at local fairs this fall.  The rest of us will have to wait just a little while for the upcoming opening of her Etsy shop  or contact her through her gmail account, maryellengiggliotti at gmail dot com.  Have your own special beach mementos?  Maryellen will use them to make a special piece just for you.  

Can't leave without giving you a few pics of Cape Ann's inspiring coastline taken on our September trip.  We often visit ocean locales for our vacations, but this is the first time I've ever seen this brilliantly rich deep blue water.