A Contest!!

Hey Everyone!

Thanks to Anne over at ZYPHER HILL, she is hosting a contest on her blog and the winner will receive a $30 gift certificate to my shop!  If you'd like to get in on it, CLICK RIGHT HERE  and follow her instructions to be entered into the drawing. Good luck !
Until Next Time,

A Few Of My Favorite Places

Hey Everyone!
I thought I'd share a few of my favorite pages.  I have to stop by at least once per day.  The first one is a blog I recently discovered by clicking here and clicking there.  You know, one thing leads to another.... when you should be doing something else but you can't seem to step away from the laptop... haha..  what caught my eye was "Thirty Days Of Sundresses". I LOVE sundresses! Over at  MELLY SEWS, she features a sundress or two each day for young and adult.  It's so inspiring and looks SO easy!
My other favorite page is SEW CAN SHE.  Everyday is a feature project and tutorial by a talented sewist/crafter.  I just love it.  I signed up for her newsletter and each day I see something amazing! 
{ps I don't know the owners of the pages I mentioned or did they ask me to post about them. I'm simply sharing an awesome find!}
Here on the home front, Hubby was finally transferred out of the glass bubble/critical care unit and  on to the cardiac floor.  This is a good thing! The healing has been slow and go and pretty painful but it looks like the worst is behind him.
I hope where ever you are, you're enjoying wonderful weather like I am in sunny Southern Calif!

Until Next Time,

Trying To Balance

Hey Everyone!

Another gap in my blogging..  not that I haven't been thinking about it ! I never thought I'd be lost for words but it has actually happened. So much has been going on both personally and in the sewing room.  It would probably do me good if I did stop to write.  First I should say, my hubby is back in the hospital.  Not for orthopedic issues this time but vascular reasons.  He's had three surgeries in a row, two unplanned all starting this past Thursday. With all the hours I've spent sitting in Lobbies and ICU, you'd think I could write - but nope. My iphone has smoke coming out of it tho, with all the texting I've been doing!  I am thankful for the comfy bed in ICU. I get the best sleep there.  After the 2nd night at home and getting the 1:45am call that his vitals are out of whack & he's being rushed back into the O.R. for internal bleeding, it's rather unsettling.  Today is day five and vitals are finally stable but he is not a happy camper. With the foot long abdominal incision and having the breathing tube stuck down his throat three times, everything hurts. I hope my next post will be about improvement!
On a happy *Wedding* note ~ last weekend I went shopping with one of my future daughter-in-laws and we selected fabric for her veil and one other item that I will be making.  I'm SO excited about this!!!  And, even though they are not using a ring bearer, she still wanted a ring pillow so we also picked up some pretty fabric for that.  I was over the top full of energy and made the pillow the next day!! 

*Ring Bearer Pillow*

Don't you just love it?  I'll be posting more soon.  For now, off to the hospital.
Until next time,

Better - After...Trash to Trend...

Hey Everyone!

Have I got a couple great links for you tonight!  While reading blogs & newsletters earlier, I stumbled across some creative ladies.  I love re-using and re-purposing items that would other wise be heading for the trash.  The first one that caught my eye was an old entertainment center. At one point, we even had one of these units but turned it into firewood when we found out there wasn't much of a market for the 1980's white-wash gem.  It also weighed a ton!
Let me grab a couple photos for you.  It was the lovely PiNk that caught my eye and I couldn't turn back...

Here is the BEFORE

Oh Yes,  here is the AFTER !!!

Isn't this AMAZING????  So, I want to give credit to the blogs that I found this adorable project on.  Better After {Archive March 25, 2011}   There are several posts on this one page, so you'll need to scroll down a bit - to 3/25/11.  Over a year later, and there is still a buzz about it.  It's just that cool. 
Well, while scrolling through Better After, I also stumbled upon Trash To Trend  The author Kelsey, has turned a man's plain sweatshirt into the cutest, feminine cover-up ever!!
Check this out:

Neck removed, slice up the middle, v-neck, lace...

So creative!

Notice Elastic Detail Center Back!

Head on over to her blog for more detailed instructions.  Such a great idea and doesn't seem too difficult.  The variations are endless as far as embellishments go.  We have the $5 sweatshirt shops here & I see one in every color ~ Awesome job, Kelsey!
Last, and certainly NOT least - because if it weren't for the creator of the beautiful PiNk kitchen, I would not be talking about it right now....  a whole year later!!!  Denise of STITCHES AND NAILS also has a wonderful blog, full of ideas, tips and lots of pictures!!  I signed up to follow them so I can {try} to keep up with their awesomeness !!  I bet they'd like it if you did the same.  Thanks for reading and have a great week!

Until Next Time,

Happy Mother's Day!

Hey Everyone!

Happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful Mom's ~ today and everyday.  I hope you all enjoy your special day.  I know I will. 
This will be my first year that all three of my boys won't be able to be here but we'll have a Skype session with my son in New York.  I've been spoiled all these years having them so close to home, even through the college years.  We'll make up for lost time this summer when he comes home for the weddings.  He's so fortunate to be able to work from Orange County office {or should I say our family is fortunate!} while visiting home. I can't believe seven months have already passed since I was in New York!
Again, Happy Mom's Day!!

Until Next Time,

EBook Giveaway!

Hey Everyone!
Just a quick note tonight ~ A friend invited me to enter a contest for a free eBook and I thought I'd also share with you.  I love to read.  I wish I had more time. My Kindle has way more books on it than I'll ever be able to read....But it's a good to know I'll never be short on reading material.  Here is the link: goodreads.com/event/show.
Best of luck to everyone.. and... "May the odds forever be in your favor!"

More next week.. I'm actually taking a week off { presuming I'm a weekly blogger :-) }..
My very dear, old friend {not old as in age, but old as in we've been friends since we were about 9 years old. Okay, so maybe I do mean 'old as in age' Lol.  After 4 or 5 decades, I guess it's just old}..  my dear friend buried her daughter this past week. She was an A.L.L. survivor yet a year later, she rejected the bone marrow, contracted pneumonia and could not fight anymore.  Thankfully she is out of the horrible pain but now those left behind are heartbroken she is gone.   My friend will take guardianship of her two grand kids, age 8 & 4.
I cannot imagine what it must be like to lose your child. When I do think about it, I cry.  To say it's been a challenging week, would be an understatement.  Keep hugging your kids.

Until Next Time,