Today...

Zippered Pouch

In preparation for some sewing I'm doing for a customer, I tried making one of these little zippered pouches.  They were so fun to do, and much easier than I anticipated thanks to this tutorial I found on line.

The floral fabric is a left over remnant from the dust ruffle I made for my bedroom a few years ago; I love the vintage feel of that fabric.

The lining is from some fabric I purchased for a quilt back that is waiting to be used.



I really like her method of covering the zipper ends; it gives it a nice finished look.

I'll post the pictures of the work I did for my customer later!

T-shirt Pillows

One of my friends found out that I have made a number of T-shirt quilts, so she asked me to come up with something out of her son's t-shirts for her to give to him for Christmas.  She didn't have enough shirts for a quilt, so we decided on pillows.  We were both pleased, and I was glad I could add another idea to my portfolio.

Today's Yummies

Jalapeno Poppers

New Look for Outdated Chandelier

I had been wanting to replace the outdated brass chandelier that hangs over my kitchen table for quite a while now, but hadn't been able to find anything that felt right.  I finally ordered a new fixture through a local lighting store (not cheap!), paid a contractor to have it hung, only to decide I didn't like it.  Ugh, UGH, UGH!!  It was the wrong style, and it just didn't distribute enough light over the table area.  I was sick.... What to do now?!  I couldn't justify the expense of another fixture, and besides that, I couldn't find any other styles I liked.  So, I ended up doing what I should have done in the FIRST place (why, oh why is the learning curve SO expensive??!!) - I bought some paint...

... and spray painted it.  I wasn't quite sure how to go about it, so I read this gal's blog for some tips first.

$8.00 plus some change later...

... I have a totally new chandelier.

I'm pleased, and it was a good lesson for me to remember that sometimes it's better to make do with what you have vs. shelling out money for something new.  I just hope someone out there is thrilled with the expensive light fixture they stumbled across for a deal at the Habitat for Humanity Restore (where I donated my all-wrong fixture)!

Worth Contemplating

"It's not the power of the curse; it's the power you give the curse."
- From the movie Penelope

Today's Sightings

Love this Amy Butler pillow! 

Today's Yard Sale Haul

These vintage Pyrex bowls were a steal!!

Garden Glimpses

Aerating 2011

It's that time of year again!  My neighbors were kind enough to coordinate the "aerating party" again; this is our third year.  The abundance of rain this fall resulted in perfect conditions for aerating!

Fort Hunter Day

I was grateful to be invited back to display my quilt collection at Fort Hunter Day in Harrisburg again this year.  The weather was perfect, and thankfully the flooding from last week didn't hamper the festivities.  I was pleased that my dad, sister, nephew, and aunts & uncles on my mom's side were able to , especially since a number of the quilts are family heirlooms.

"Fred's Broken Star Quilt"

This quilt, designed by my cousin Fred and stitched by me, got the most feedback by far; the gallery lighting and Fred's color combinations made it look like it was lit up from behind.  Even several little boys commented on it.  :)

Photo Credit:  Alison Hoke-Fitts

Photo Credit: Alison Hoke-Fitts

Worth Contemplating

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles....  The credit belongs to the man in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who at his worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.  ....  Our place shall never be with those cold and timid souls...." 

- proclaimed by Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt in his famous speech in 1910 at the Sorbonne in Paris, as quoted by Gary Friedman, Chairman and Co-CEO of Restoration Hardware in their fall catalog.

Today

There's nothing like home-canned grape juice!!

Strange Sightings

What are these strange fungi??  They've been popping up everywhere in my flower bed for the past few weeks!

Update, 9/10/11 - A friend just informed me that they are called "Witches Fingers"!

Update, 9/17/11 - Another friend just told me that they are called "Elegant Stinkhorn", so I guess it's your pick!

Sustainable Living Feast

Not only am I fortunate to have wonderful neighbors, but also neighbors who are into food, sustainable living and gardening.  So, this year we decided to celebrate the bounty of the season by having dinner together, using as much produce as possible from our backyard vegetable gardens or local markets.  Fortunately, the predicted bad weather held off and we were able to dine outdoors in the vicinity of the very food that has nourished our bodies and souls all summer.

The adults weren't the only ones who contributed; even the youngest gardener (9 years old!) brought her mini pumpkins (blue ribbon still attached!) for our table decorations.  She had won a blue ribbon at the fair last month with her beautiful little pumpkin. :)

The food was delish:  Spring Greens with Roasted Beets and Goat Cheese, Indian Summer Gratin, Zucchini Boats, Marinated Tomato Salad, Tomato Cobbler, and my favorite:

...Cory & Heather's homemade pizza with tomato sauce, basil and fresh mozzarella.  It even rivaled the pizza served at the John Wright Restaurant (sorry Jim & Lisa!)!!  My mouth is still thinking about it....

Jen may not be a convert yet, but she has been a great sport about living next door to these sustainable living groupies.  She proved it by providing the perfect dessert:  Dirt Pie,

...complete with Oreo cookie soil and gummy worms.  :)

Here's to next year!