A Look Ahead

It seems summer may actually be over.  There is a definite chill in the air this morning and football season officially kicks off this afternoon!  That means making a pot of chili, curling up together on the couch and watching the Chiefs lose play.  I love summer, but, if I'm honest, this summer has been brutally hot and dry.  Sleeping with the windows open and getting to snuggle up under the bed covers is a real relief.  It's also a great relief on our air conditioner...and the a/c bill!

Don't get me wrong, this summer has been great.  My family and I have taken a few great trips and gotten to spend quality time together. We've biked, golfed, gone fishing and done a lot of swimming!

Summer being over also means "back to normal."  Back to school, homework, 8:30 bedtime, and routine.  Another definite need in my family.  Personally, I'm feeling more normal, too.  It has been nearly one year since my total knee replacement surgery.  Time flies, huh?  They said it would take a year (or so) to feel like the surgery was worth it.  They were right.  My knee is feeling great!  I've got a lot of the flexibility back and the joint is feeling less mechanical and more like a normal knee!

I'm looking forward to cooler weather now and getting back in my sewing room.  I've completed a few projects in between summer activities, including sewing two dresses for my oldest daughter and a skirt for my youngest.  The lessons I learned from this dressmaking will be the subject of my next post!  Here is a sneak peak at a few of my latest projects.

      

I am super excited about my quilting projects I am planning.  I have the fabrics for two of them and am in the planning stages for what I want to do with them.   I can't wait to show you!

Have a fabulous fallish Sunday!  I've got to start on the chili!   Tootles for now!

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A Gulf Coast Vacation

I start this post with a warning:  LOTS of PICTURES!  I am back from Spring Break vacation and I have a ton of pictures to share.  My family and I traveled to the Gulf Coast with a stop over in Natchez, Mississippi along the way.  I've wanted to visit Natchez ever since I began reading Greg Iles books.  Many of his stories are set in this quaint old river town, including Turning Angel (there really is a Turning Angel) and The Devil's Punch Bowl.

Casino Boat

Turning Angel

Our stay in Natchez was brief, but memorable.  We ate the best BBQ ever at The Pig Out BBQ!  We plan on revisiting this historic town again soon! 

We continued driving south and finally made it Orange Beach, Alabama.  We had a terrific time here and in nearby Navarre, Florida.  The beaches were gorgeous!

Boogie board!

Doug and Charlotte's award winning sandcastle!

Snorkeling for shells

The sand dollar Charlotte found!

The saying about never forgetting how to ride a bike is true!  It had been several years since I rode, but riding through the State Park was one of the most enjoyable parts of our trip!  We were surrounded by nature...some kind of scary.  We saw alligators and snakes!

There isn't a fence here!

I nearly ran over this snake on my bike!

The Karate Kid bird?

Besides seeing alligators in their habitat on the bike trail, we got to go to Alligator Alley where we all held a few "ankle biters!"

I also got the opportunity to do another activity I haven't been able to do for several years (due to my knee)..golf!  We even got Charlotte on the course for her very first lesson!

Swing!

Note the sunburn!

And of course there was a lot of eating on this trip!  Great shrimp, crab and even nachos!

Super Nachos at Tacky Jack's

Shrimp at Bubba's

I had such a wonderful time on our Spring Break trip.  It was hard leaving the sun and the sand and gorgeous water.  Now, back to reality and back to work!  The brightside to being back home?  I get to work on my batik Blueberry Hill quilt!  Stay tuned!

Tootles!

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Fabric Inspiration

Have I mentioned how hot it has been in my neck of the woods?  Yes, I know I have.  It is so hot and humid here in the Mid West that I'm having flash backs to a few summers ago when my family and I flew to Puerto Vallarta.  I am not over-dramatizing here... I actually thought I would die on that vacation.  I dreamed of diving into snow banks instead of the pool, which was more like warm bath water than anything remotely refreshing!  It was beyond hot there!  Here is the lesson I learned:  DO NOT book a vacation to P.V. in July!  Better yet, never book a vacation to Puerto Vallarta!  Okay, that may be a little harsh.  Maybe P.V. is nice in December??

Rant over.  I want to show you a few fabrics I picked up during my recent vacation to Branson, Missouri.  I shopped two fabulous fabric stores to find these yummy goodies:

"Kids at Play" by Chanteclaire Fabrics & "Space Cadets" by Michael Miller

"ERA-C" by Timeless Treasures Fabrics

I don't know the names of the fabrics pictured in the last two photos.  They both look "vintage-y" and I love them!  If you are ever in Branson, Missouri, be sure to shop at Quilts and Quilts and The Fabric and Decor Shop!

Besides the gorgeous fabric, I also bought a Get Hooked: Rugs From Scraps "kit."  The kit includes pattern instructions and a large crochet hook.  I haven't started a rug yet because I'm a bit concerned as I didn't really think the included crochet hook was actually going to be used for crocheting!  I thought it was probably going to be used as a kind of latch hook type tool.  Yet, after skimming the first pattern direction, it is clear there is actual crochet involved here.  The label reads, "No Experience Necessary-Very Easy."  Hmmm.  We'll see.  I can't crochet.  I've tried.  I even took an online crochet course a few months ago.  I managed to crochet (loosely said) a few amoeba-shaped flower-like "things," but that's it.  That all said, I'm going to give it a go because I thought it would be a fabulous way to use up fabric scraps.  I'm a hoarder; I can't bear to throw out my scraps.  I was also inspired to try this because of my visit to the College of the Ozarks, specifically, Edwards Mill and Weaving Studio, located on the Branson, Missouri campus.  There, I saw students weaving placemats and blankets on large looms.  Their work was so intricate.  I didn't take any pictures as they were working in the studio, but I found a few photos on other sites showing the looms.

Photo from Life at Rora Blog

Photo from the Golden Gang Blog

 Besides the Mill and Weaving Studio, there is also a fruitcake and jelly kitchen, an orchid greenhouse, and a museum on the campus.  As a matter of fact, inside the  Ralph Foster Museum, you can see the Beverly Hillbillies car as well as numerous dolls, including those made by Rose O'Neill, the creator of the Kewpie Doll!  Fun fact:  O'Neill's Missouri home, Bonniebrook, is located about 10 minutes outside Branson.  

I sound like a tourism ad for Branson, huh?  I actually learned a lot about that area of the country during my trip.  For example, I had no idea so many great artists called that part of Missouri home!  Some of these artists include Jesse Barnes, Thomas Hart Benton, Thomas P. Bennett, among others!

Stay cool everybody!  Tootles!

A Giant Rooster? Oh Yeah!

Last year's first vacation post photo was of an Elvis impersonator.  This year...it's a giant rooster!  Welcome to Branson, Missouri!

We went horsebacking riding yesterday.  It was awesome.  Charlotte's horse was named, Abby.  Mine was called, Rebel and my husband had, "Arnold."  The ride was terrific.  The trail was rugged, but the horses knew what and where they were going.  We walked along a stream..and crossed it.  Rebel even trotted a bit.  Perfect.

After the ride, my husband dropped me off at a huge quilt/fabric shop.  I was in heaven.  I bought a book about embroidery and one on painting on fabric.  I also bought some really cool fabric.  What made it even cooler, was that it was on sale!

  After the quilt shop, a giant flea market!  I didn't buy anything here, but did find a few interesting pieces.

Bird Vase

Tea Brewer (that's what the tag said)

Sewing Basket

Just because.

The pool is calling, too!  Tootles for now!

I'm Back!

I'm back from the Buffalo National River, the only national river in America!  Arkansas is one of the most beautiful States and this river is gorgeous.  Imagine canoeing in a crystal clear aquarium.  That's the Buffalo!  Camping here was nice, too.  It was also a lot of work!  It was worth it, though.  I am pretty sure I lost at least10 pounds in sweat!  I also and got a bit of a suntan, which has proven my theory that tan fat looks a lot better than super white fat!    

If you ever get to the Buffalo, be prepared for going off grid during your entire trip.  Zero cell phone service, zero internet access!  The first day was pretty rough, trust me..especially for a city gal like myself!  Thanks for hanging with me while I was away.  I have so many emails to respond to and so many blogs to catch up on, which is what I'm going to do after I hit the shower!  Did I mention the campsite had no showers?  YUK!

While I'm getting five days of grime off me, please have a look at the first dress posted for June's Dress Up!  I know the Asian theme is going to be great!

Tootles!