March 16, 2006

• Picture Post     I haven't been terribly inspired to post anything significant. In light of that...I haven't posted a darn thing!    I have taken a few pictures lately, and in the interest of keeping my Xanga some-what current I have decided to make a picture post. Y'all are proud o' me right? Right? Comon' gang I need some kudos here... lol *pitiful I am ...begging for compliments and cheers*.     So Sunday was my 40th birthday. Not hugely eventful which was fine me We went to Carrabba's for lunch/supper, and this was my main gift from Michael and Brenna...   ...a BEAUTIFUL teapot! I love teapots and collect them and they aren't just beautiful but useful---I want kitschy things I can use, not just display. Some months ago I took Michael into a local florist shop that has amazing teapots. They have SO many gorgeous ones...I just go all agog from one to the next. He took Brenna there and let her chose which to get for me and she chose this one. Good choice! ) This will match my kitchen wonderfully...whenever I get on the stick and start working on it that is. HA! More projects. That makes 1000...and TWO!       We had 18 inches of snow about a month ago...    This is what our house looked like after being buried in that much snow, and our driveway is long enough to easily part 6 or 7 cars end to end. It is a LOT of shoveling but while our neighbor was out plowing he took down some of it two different times with his plow. That was a HUGE blessing let me tell you!                                                                 Shia and Perry loved the snow, but were so not thrilled about having to sit still for pictures for a whole oh, 30 seconds. lol           Oh yeah...Shia loves the snow!   She was STANDING in the snow in this picture, by the way...well more standing ON it! She is only about 16 1/2 inches at her shoulder, so the snow was up over her back. This gives you a sense of how much snow fell in less than 24 hours.     The next week it was in the 50s. We have such weird weather here in Maryland!               ...Shia and Brenna in the snow.               ..Brenna snugglin' with her Perry bear. We have had him 1 year this week. This dog has been such a sweetie! Its been a longish road for housebreaking and for teaching him the joys of snuggling, skritchies, lovin' and sofa warming. He now has it all down pat and is getting more and more friendly towards new people. He has never been a dog to be afraid of, more a dog that was very cautious around new people. Now when people come into the house he greats them and demands his share of lovin'...as well he should!         A great imagination is a wonderful thing! Becca and Brenna decided to raid my plastic bags in search of the latest game.   ...um...not sure what it was but they dressed up in plastic bags and made cardboard shields and swords.   Lots of Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Narnia and assorted other fantasy books and novels to foster a crazy...er...active imagination!   Dang but won't these be GREAT pictures on a couple of girls 16th birthdays? muahahahhaa      This year I am starting seeds inside AND out. I have 192 cups of seeds outside for winter-sowing (check out www.wintersown.org for more info on this) and so far 6 flats and a bunch of cups of seeds plus 3 more flats I am getting ready to plant inside. This year is going to be a GOOD gardening year!     This may be too small to see, but do you see the flat black seeds in there in the middle? Those are sprouts of a seed dahlia. They came up TWO DAYS after I planted them! God made nature so amazing! This pot is now full of inch tall babies. WOOT! Dahlias are EXPENSIVE people! I should get 20 plants out of this easily...i think I may have spent $1.50 for this packet of seeds 2 years ago. I have been collecting seed from my favorite plants and being quite gung ho about it.  I have spring fever in the FREAKIN' worst way. The sunlight and warm days were reviving me...and BAM the temps went back into the 40s. March is nuts I tell ya.     Yep..more seedlings! A bunch of them started sprouting 2 days after being planted and even more are coming up now that it is 5 days after planting. I see blue corn cockles, seed dahlias, black beauty carnations, pansies...among other things.   I have 3 more flats to start inside and a bunch to wintersow yet. I hope this wind calms down so I can start cleaning out my flower beds!     This is Becca's sister Rachel. Shout out to Rach for her 16th birthday this week WOOOOOT!   Tuesday I gave her a sewing lesson. It was supposed to be a lesson on how to read a pattern.   It turned into a lesson on "don't buy a pattern sized for a stretch knit and then buy fabric that has NO stretch to it at all". We made a muslin for the shirt first, I added darts under the bust, a zipper on one side under the arm, re-sloped the pattern so it fit her through the shoulders down to the hips and used a lot of seam tape *boy does this type of fabric ravel like mad!* and showed her how to use a zig-zag stitch to finish the edge of ravel-y fabrics on the inside.   I think the shirt came out awesome! There is enough fabric left over to make a nice skirt to go with it. We'll have to find a cute pattern.   She was exhausted...we cut, sewed and altered alllllll afternoon.   We'll do it again...but next time with a pattern made for the fabric she purchased so SHE can do more and remember better what I showed her. Meanwhile she got one kickin' shirt out of her long afternoon!   I want one.   Darn...the pattern is sized for juniors! ;o) Guess I have to buy my own pattern instead of borrowing the one she bought! Til next time...                                                                        Kathie

  • 1:49 pm
  • 3 Comments