And so it begins...

The frantic Christmas season, that is. I had a wonderful visit with my family for Thanksgiving. Thanks so much to all of you who sent emails and comments wishing my mom well. She was released from the hospital at 10 pm the night before Thanksgiving and although she continues to be tired, she was thrilled to be home for the day. She has been diagnosed with colitis and diverticulitis and has some fun times ahead until her condition can be brought under control with diet.

Traditionally, my mom and my daughters and I head out on Black Friday. We no longer go to snag bargains but we just think it's fun to be out in the chaos! LOL. But because of the circumstances, we didn't make it. I did take a quick visit to the JoAnn's in the town where my parents live and picked up a couple things. The pink plaid is a flannel for pj pants and the argyle is a sweater knit that I plan to make a tunic length top/dress to wear over leggings.



We started a new family tradition this year that was hilarious. The Ugly Ornament Exchange. Everyone brings a wrapped ornament, as ugly as you can find. (JoAnn's had the motherlode of ugliness at a bargain 60-70% off!) Then, everyone takes a number and we do a Dirty Santa gift exchange. It was a fun exchange that even the kids could join in. Afterwards, my brother hid all the ornaments around my parents' house. A fun little surprise for my mom when she gets better and is up and around. LOL

So now the Christmas shopping begins. I haven't purchased a single gift yet. I hope to do much online and I've already warned the kids that this is the year I really mean it when I say I am cutting back! We had planned to go get our tree today but it is nasty so I think we'll hold off.

Knowing when to punt

First of all... thanks so much for the unanimous vote on my request for the jacket closure. Leather tab closure it is! I neglected to mention both trims were from M&J Trimming. Never ordered from them before. Guess I will now.

Anyhoo... one day can make a big difference. As of yesterday, almost my entire family was planning on arriving on Wednesday for Thanksgiving. Mom & Dad... two brothers... two SILs... three nieces/nephew. My three kids were thrilled with all the arriving guests and kept throwing out ideas for when they arrive. My son SET THE TABLE for Thanksgiving dinner last Saturday!! China... Crystal... the works! I started annoying my kids with "To Do" lists. Two turkeys. Lots of cheese & snacks. Liquor store run. Baked goods in the freezer. Do the laundry. Scrub the bathroom walls. Then I began annoying all the family that were coming with plans of "family photo", trips to the zoo, Christmas tree farm, game night, etc. But, bottom line is we were all very much looking forward to getting together.

Then BAM. "Bon, Mom's in the hospital. Better call Dad." Damn.

Hopefully not life threatening but days of tests ahead.

So plan to have all the east coast family come to the midwest no longer makes sense. Time for Plan B. Lucky for us that not many people are traveling this Thanksgiving. Snagged two frequent flyer flight tickets on Delta for my son and me.

Crazy thought - can I pack 26 pounds of thawed turkey in my suitcases? Yeah, probably not. But we just moved turkey day to my parents house where my mom can lay on the couch and convalesce with her family around her.

Anyway... Thanksgiving is about giving thanks. Mine have already started.

Gobble gobble.

Need some help / advice

I am making Butterick 5142, view A (cream version shown above) in a cranberry red. I can decide if I want to use a frog closure like this one:


Or if something like this tab would be nicer.

Any other suggestions or sources of closures?

America's Next Top Model

Proud mama moment about to launch.

My daughter was recently invited to be in a fashion show. She did not want to do it. AT ALL. Good mom that I am, I told her to shrug off her nervousness and told her it would be rude to decline. (Actually, the words "Suck it up" might just have come out of my mouth.) Dontcha just love me!

The rehearsal was Tuesday night during which I received quite a few texts from my daughter with the theme, "I can't believe you made me do this." Turns out, the models don't just strut down the runway in a cute outfit. No..... You are actually assigned a theme - the outfit is just one aspect of the theme but you also must dance a routine to the song that has been choreographed by the organizers. my daughter was assigned Clumsy by Fergie and was expected to trip deliberately as part of the routine.

She was fantastic and when she hit the runway, all signs of nervousness disappeared and she looked like a beautiful, confident young lady. I am so proud. BTW, the outfit was quite cute. Top and skirt are both from BCBG and found at Macy's.

Here she is awaiting her turn and wishing she was anywhere but there:


And this is her on the runway looking FIERCE!

Have any good camp memories?

My dear friend Jen is writing a book with a camp theme and is looking for some inspiration. I had fun recalling some of my camp adventures today and maybe you will, too. In her words:

I'm past the 20,000 word mark on the 50,000 word novel. Although I have more than half to go, I feel I have crossed over the top of the mountain. Still a few peaks to go, however, and I need some help.

I need some inspiration. My story is about a 10 year old girl at typical camp in New Hampshire. Mountains on one side, lake on the other. An out of control fire on the first night consumed the high ropes course so now the campers are going to have survival training and overnight camping trips in the mountains. She also likes a boy who has been hanging around with her arch enemy - a snooty rich girl who never has to wash the toilets like the other campers do.

Anyway, I want to add some realism so I'm looking for memories. If you've ever been to summer camp, please share with me your best or worst memories of it. I'm looking for specific events as well as generalities such as how you were dismissed from the campfire or how the day was structured. I'd also be interested in hearing about any odd personalities you encountered. You can leave them in the message section or email me at jennifer.news@gmail.com. In exchange, I will send you a copy of the novel when it has been edited. If it is ever published, I will also send you a signed copy.

If you think of any fun anecdotes, please do drop her a note or visit her blog to leave a comment. I can't wait to read her book when it comes out!!

Autumn fun!!

I saw the cutest idea for carved pumpkins on a blog called Eddie Ross this morning. The designs are done by drilling holes (think polka dots!) into pumpkins. Check it out!!

Also, I posted a yummy recipe on my recipe blog - Apple Cake with Vanilla Sauce.

Quiz Time

I haven't done one in awhile and thought this one would be fun:

Are you a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? (found at HelloQuizzy.com)

My results are shown below. For those of you who sort of know me (via my blog), what d'ya think? Do I match?

Your result for Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz...

You Are a Katharine!

You are a Katharine -- "I am happy and open to new things"

Katharines are energetic, lively, and optimistic. They want to contribute to the world.

How to Get Along with Me

• * Give me companionship, affection, and freedom.


• * Engage with me in stimulating conversation and laughter.


• * Appreciate my grand visions and listen to my stories.


• * Don't try to change my style. Accept me the way I am.


• * Be responsible for youself. I dislike clingy or needy people.


• * Don't tell me what to do.

What I Like About Being a Katharine

• * being optimistic and not letting life's troubles get me down


• * being spontaneous and free-spirited


• * being outspoken and outrageous. It's part of the fun.


• * being generous and trying to make the world a better place


• * having the guts to take risks and to try exciting adventures


• * having such varied interests and abilities

What's Hard About Being a Katharine

• * not having enough time to do all the things I want


• * not completing things I start


• * not being able to profit from the benefits that come from specializing; not making a commitment to a career


• * having a tendency to be ungrounded; getting lost in plans or fantasies


• * feeling confined when I'm in a one-to-one relationship

Katharines as Children Often

• * are action oriented and adventuresome


• * drum up excitement


• * prefer being with other children to being alone


• * finesse their way around adults


• * dream of the freedom they'll have when they grow up

Katharines as Parents

• * are often enthusiastic and generous


• * want their children to be exposed to many adventures in life


• * may be too busy with their own activities to be attentive

Take Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz at HelloQuizzy

Butterick 5030

First, a few responses to previous comments.
Designdreamer: No I did not make my daughter's dress. Best of all, I didn't buy it either. She borrowed it from a friend! Woo hoo. (Oh.... and good metabolism. Although clothes hide a LOT!! Hee hee)

Daisy: Thanks for the kind comments!

Maree: Yup, quirky is probably accurate. My family and I certainly do not take ourselves very seriously. LOL

Now on to the latest sewing project. Picture on the right is Butterick 5030, View E. The fabric is a FABULOUS cotton lycra woven I purchased from Hancock's last spring. I found the bolt hidden underneath a rack of fabric. I love this dress and can't wait to debut it at a client meeting on Tuesday. Just wish I had some business-like red shoes....

As a side note, I've become a big proponent of not waiting until I have a large window of opportunity to sew. I started this dress last weekend and have taken advantage of little periods of free time here and there to finish it up. (Ten minutes before work one day, 30 minutes while I waited for dinner to cook one evening, etc.)

Full review at PR.

Homecoming, Autumn cooking, etc.

Just a proud mama photo. My son is a freshman and went to his first homecoming dance on Saturday. He didn't take a date; just he and a bunch of buddies went. (Not uncommon for freshmen, so I hear.) Doesn't he look adorable?

My daughter, the senior, also went to homecoming. She actually went with a date but he's just a good friend of hers. I must say she also looks adorable. Don't you agree??? LOL. I don't know if you can see her shoes but they are zebra striped and she also had a zebra clutch purse. The ensemble looked.... well.... ADORABLE! LOL.

(I didn't dress up just for pictures. I was going out, too. But not to homecoming. LOL. Note to self: Next time move planter containing weeds out of picture.)

I did some sewing over the weekend but didn't finish anything. I'm in town all week so I hope to get a few hours in during the week. I'm working on a wrap dress and a jacket.

AUTUMN COOKING:
Autumn means cooking season to me so I spent several hours in the kitchen yesterday. I made two batches of soup - one was a sausage corn chowder and the other a potato soup. I also finally got around to trying a pasta dish that Giada De Laurentis made last week. To be honest, I think it sounds rather boring when you read the recipe but it was outstanding! I also added mushrooms. And finally tonight, I made a great chicken dish that I found at allrecipes.com (Jen, check your email) and some cheesy au gratin potatoes. I'll post the recipes for the soups and the potatoes on my recipe blog sometime this week, if anyone is interested. OH! I also made a pumpkin crunch cake (also called pumpkin dump cake) to take to work today. This is a super easy recipe that everyone seems to love. Do give it a try!

Oh and Allison.... are you sitting down? I did some knitting tonight!!!!

And I still cook, too!

Summertime usually means quick meals but when autumn arrives, I tend to cook a lot more. Made a nice comfy dinner last night: Sloppy Joes, Mac and Cheese (decadent recipe!!) and corn. I posted recipes on my cooking blog if you're interested.

I remember how to sew!

First of all.... Paul Newman... How very sad. That man had it all going on. He will be missed by so many.

On a happier note... Over the last week, I sewed three items! Woo hoo! And I've already worn all three. Double woo hoo!

The first is a simple raglan sleeve top. I like this style top for bumming around on a Saturday, running errands, cleaning the house, etc. I thought I had bought this pattern based on someone's recommendation although there are no reviews of it at PR so I don't really know who else made it! The details:


New Look 6734, View B, Size 10
Fabric - black and white stretchy knit (bought in the dinosaur era, have no idea where or fabric content)
Modifications - Lengthened it by 2-3 " and will probably add additional 2" next time. I intended to make the sleeves full length rather than 3/4 but I miscalculated and they were going to be approx. 1" too short. So I made them 3/4 anyway. I will probably make the sleeves a little wider next time. They are skin tight.
Outcome - I love this simple top. Nothing exciting but comfortable and looks good.

Next up is a knit dress. Oh so comfy!


Simplicity 3678, View C, Size 8 bodice tapering to Size 10 skirt.
Fabric - slinky knit from Gorgeous Fabrics (purchased about a year ago), "Meet Me in Marakkesh Jersey "; Dang this stuff is slippery to work with!!
Modifications - none
Outcome - LOVE this dress. It is a very flattering style. Wore it to a work reception last week and received lots of compliments. I love the shirred bodice. Very cute. I will definitely make this one again in a solid - probably as a jumper.

Finally, a basic top. When I got this one done, I was showing it to my oldest daughter to get her opinion and she said, "That looks nice. Just as good as all the other red tops you have made." And then she pointed to three red tops I had hanging to dry. LOL. Oh well... guess I like red.



Simplicity 4095, View A, Made smallest size 10 which was too big for my small busted figure.
Fabric - red poly knit from stash - kinda icky feeling to be honest.
Modifications - The bodice was too big when I basted it together. I had to pull it in by at least an inch on either side.
Outcome - Cute style but I don't LOVE love it due to the fabric. I would prefer it to be a little longer. I wore it last night with low rise jeans and I was worried about midriff reveal all night. LOL! I might try it again although I think I have other similar styles that perhaps I can make work better.

Next up is shirt dress, Butterick 5030 (view E) in the black/red/white fabric:

TGIF!

Just a random post for a Friday.

Crazy week here in Cincinnati. We were hit with a windstorm last Sunday (remnants of Ike). It last three hours and was just wind. No rain. Gusts up to 75mph. So it was like a mini-hurricane without the rain or a really long tornado. LOL! Needless to say, many sustained damage. My house wasn't damaged, just some downed trees and large branches. I was without power for a day and a half, which was bad enough for me but there are still approx. 150,000 people in the city without power.

Thanks to all of you who commented on my last post! My patootey feels sufficiently kicked and I have made some progress this week. Fabric.com had a nice sale on knits so I bought quite a few different pieces. Hopefully, the order will arrive tomorrow. I picked up three patterns at JoAnns last night (Butterick sale). And then Fabric.com started another promotion with 15% off (WINNER908 is the coupon code) so I ordered three Jalie top patterns from them. I also started cutting out four different projects last night and should hit the sewing machine tonight. Woo hoo!

Have a fantastic weekend!

I'm in a RUT!!

I have barely sewed a thing all summer and now I feel like I'm paralyzed. Ok, that's a little dramatic but seriously.... I don't understand why I am not more productive on the sewing scene. I sat down with patterns, fabrics, pattern review, etc. for TWO HOURS last night and still couldn't figure out what I want to make. Yet I open my closet door every morning and get annoyed because there is nothing in there I want to wear. What is up with that!!!!

Can somebody give me a kick in the patootey please? Seriously, I think I just need to dive in and make something to get me back in the swing.

In the meantime, it has been an eventful summer on many fronts. The animals are overtaking the human inhabitants of Casa de Bon Bon!!

Exhibit A:

This is Maggie. A long hair calico kitten my son adopted from the SPCA in mid-July. Sadly, she was not well and died five days after we brought her home.

Exhibit B:


This is Fiji. The replacement kitty we got from the SPCA. She is full of spunk and gives our dogs a run for their money.

Exhibit C:

This is Cooper. He is a chocolate lab purchased by my daughter and her boyfriend. Cooper lives with the boyfriend and his roommates but spends a lot of time at our house, too.

And more adorableness!!!!


Between the ill first kitten, Fiji developing a cold, Cooper's treatment for kennel cough, Herschel's crazy vomiting spell and "well baby care" immunizations and exams, we have spent quite a bit of money at the vet over the last two months!!

"They call me Mellow Yellow"

Technically, this dress is not done but I'm so excited about having something to show after a month with no sewing or knitting that I'm posting anyway! All I have left is the hem anyway. This is McCalls 5660. It's actually a Hilary Duff pattern, which probably means a woman in her mid-forties should not be wearing it but at least I lengthened it!! I made it from a mid-weight twill purchased from JoAnns. I didn't take any close up photos but I used a black zipper and top stitched in black for accent.

This pattern was not easy for me. I sewed the top wrong three times!! I'm not sure why I found it so difficult. It was just a little different than any other top I've ever made. The skirt is straight and form fitting and doesn't have much wiggle room (pun intended, hee hee). A woven with a little lycra in it would have been perfect for this dress. But oh well, can't have everything!

It calls for belt loops but I think I am going to leave them off because I like a wide belt. What do you think?

I just noticed the collar looks uneven. It is not. I forgot to straighten it when I tried it on.

Hey Everybody

Just wanted to post quickly to say thanks to all of you have emailed me. I am definitely fine. Life is just too busy on many fronts at the moment. I miss the sewing and the knitting and the blogging and am wishing for things to slow down soon.

I did see on G's blog that the Dish Rag Tag is starting up again. It was a very fun contest last year and the organizer did a terrific job. I won't be participating this time due to time constraints but I encourage others to "play"! It was great fun! See the link for rules and sign up process. (Limited participation so better move fast if you're interested.)

Hugs to all!!

I'm aching to sew!

We just returned from a week long vacation in Delaware. My parents own a small home on the Indian River and my brother lives right on the beach just south of Dewey. It's a fun place to go and relax and spend some time on the beach. In addition to my parents, all three of my brothers (that's us to the left) and their families were there so it was nice to spend time with everyone.

I was able to read two books while lounging on the beach - The Zookeeper's Wife (by Diane Ackerman) and Beach House (by Jane Green). I recommend both although they are certainly two very different books!

On one rainy afternoon, we saw the movie Hancock with Will Smith and Charlize Theron, which I really enjoyed but my son thought was stupid.

Remember the outfit I made for my niece. well, I think she is quite possibly the cutest one year old EVAH!

So now, I'm catching up on laundry, cleaning, work, etc. and haven't had a chance to sew even a stitch. Before I left, I cut out this cute dress (McCalls 5660) in a lightweight yellow twill. I hope to get just a few minutes to sew tonight. Fingers crossed!!


Oh and in case you have been living in a cave and hadn't heard.....

Project Runway starts in two days!!!

How lucky am I?

Is there anything more fun than receiving a gift package in the mail? YES! Receiving a SURPRISE gift package in the mail. I am the lucky recipient of not one but two fabulous packages over the last few days. On Saturday, after returning from vacation, I found a box that contained FOUR! sewing books. Sweet Jennifer (amazing knitter and mom extraordinaire) recently emailed me to ask if I would be interested in a book on fitting since she doesn't sew too much any more. I was thrilled as I really need to improve my fitting techniques and accepted her generous offer to send it to me. Imagine my surprise when I received not only the book she mentioned but three other great books. Also tucked into the package was a yummy chocolate treat which... hmmmm.... can't seem to find when I took the photo. Where ever could it be???

Fast forward to today... I arrived home from the oral surgeon after my 17 yr old's wisdom teeth removal (poor thing is not doing well!) to find a fat envelope in the mail box with Allison's return address on it. Now, Allison, in addition to being an amazing knitter and photographer, has the wonderful gift of finding sweet little presents for people but it wasn't my birthday or anything so I was curious what could be in the envelope. Well, turns out not Allison but her MOM! found this adorable apron 'kit' in a quilt store and picked it up for me. How sweet is that???!! Can you see the little ant border. TOO adorable! Allison and Mom, I can't thank you both enough for the thoughtful gift!

What a great way to boost someone's mood!

Post-Vacation "Diet"

I didn't think I ate badly on vacation but when I got on the scale this morning, it said I had gained 3 lbs. Hmmmm...... I did snack a lot so I bet that's what happened. I haven't been eating all that healthy lately anyway so I'm going to try to get back on track. I browsed some websites this morning (some great menu ideas at the Good Housekeeping Good Sense Meal Plans website) and put together a menu for this week as well as a grocery list. I only scheduled the menu through Thursday so I can see what kind of food I have left at the end of the week. Here is the menu along with some links to recipes and some lower calorie snacks that I enjoy:

Day	Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner
Sunday	Banana Berry Smoothie	Tuna salad on Pita bread	Mediterranean Fish Brown Rice Mixed greens and grape tomatoes
Monday	“Egg McMuffin”* Fruit	Veggie Vegetarian Chili	Greek Chicken Kabobs with grilled pita (grill mushrooms for tomorrow’s lunch) Cucumber Onion salad (use non-fat yogurt instead of vanilla) Brown Rice
Tuesday	Yogurt with Raisin Bran	Tomato, Mushroom, Feta Pita with Greek Tzatziki - cucumber yogurt sauce	Egg & Goat Cheese Frittata * Fruit Salad Whole Wheat Baguette
Wednesday	“Egg McMuffin” Fruit	Veggie Vegetarian Chili	Basil Shrimp Summer Salad Whole Wheat Baguette slice
Thursday	Peanut Butter on English Muffin Fruit	Leftover Frittata Sliced Tomatoes	Grilled Portabella Sandwich Roasted new potatoes
Friday
Saturday

* Egg beaters, reduced fat cheese, slice deli ham, Thomas Light Multi Grain english muffin

** slimmed down by using Egg Beaters

Snacks:

Black Bean & Corn salsa with chips (Baked Tortilla)

Veggies with hummus

Apple with Peanut Butter

Bananas / Strawberries with chocolate syrup

Almonds & dried cherries

The Me Meme

The deal is to answer the following questions with one word answers.

1. Where is your cell phone? purse
2. Your significant other? unidentified (but hopefully, he's out there somewhere!)
3. Your hair? straight
4. Your mother? complicated
5. Your father? recuperating
6. Your favorite thing? family
7. Your dream last night? secret (hee hee)
8 Your favorite drink? martini
9. Your dream/goal? happiness
10. The room you’re in? sewing
11. Your hobby? neverending
12. Your fear? dying
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? ocean/lakeside
14. What you’re not? bored
15. Muffins? pumpkin
16. One of your wish list items? cabin
17. Where you grew up? Newark
18. The last thing you did? laundry
19. What are you wearing? shorts
20. Favorite gadget? computer
21. Your pets? many
22. Your computer? sloooooowwwww
23. Your mood? happy
24. Missing someone? yes
25. Your car? convertible
26. Something you’re not wearing? makeup
27. Favorite store? fabric
28. Like someone? absolutely
29. Your favorite color? purple
30. When is the last time you laughed? Today
31. Last time you cried? unsure

Remembering my manners!

I meant to say thanks to those of you who gave me feedback on the Jalie patterns via comments and emails. Except for Lori, who is a bad influence on me! Akimbo and Elaine - thanks for the pricing at PR and Jalie.

Also thanks for the comments on the red/white Butterick dress. I wore it around the house all day yesterday and I guess I like it after all. Although dang, I forgot how bad challis wrinkles!

Nancy (nanflan), thanks for the idea to change up the sash for one closer in color. Although I wanted the contrast originally, I think having all that extra white with the knot and sash ends was throwing me. I tried a red belt with it and liked it although it's not quite the right red. Hopefully, I'll find a white belt this week that will keep the contrast but tone it down.