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Saturday, October 31, 2009
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Magic...
"Practical Magic" that is!
This has got to be one of my all time favorite movies! Yes, it's a chick flick. Yes, it's silly. Yes, it's inane. So what! I love it! It makes me smile! Also it has Aiden Quinn in it...I had a big crush on him back in the back in the 80's when he played Johnny Rourke in Reckless. Love me them bad boys...
Anyways, I digress. Here is one of my favorite scenes in Practical Magic, Amas Veritas:
Being a sucker for romance, in this case witchie style, this is a montage set to music:
Apparently, I am waxing romantic today...
Have a magic filled day!
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Living History...
We are blessed, here in Michigan, to have quite a few "living history" parks. We have Greenfield Village, which is famous and Mackinac Island to name two. About 20 miles from where I live there is another, smaller and lesser well known park called Crossroads Village. They have homes, stores and a school that date to about 100 years (or more) ago. The school pictured above, Stanley School, was originally built in 1883 and moved to the park in 1975. All the buildings on the park were originally built here in Michigan. Why the sudden history/geography lesson you ask? Well, let me tell you! In my school district, every year, all the 3rd graders get to go to Stanley School for a day of lessons. They try to make it as authentic as possible for the children. They are to dress the part, bring their lunches the way children used to...even drink from tin "cups." (we used a mushroom can, sanded and washed for this) Baby Girl is in 3rd grade this year! I was over the moon! After going through 3 boys who could care less and just wore short pants and a shirt, I finally got to have some fun!
Of course, I had to bite off almost more than I could chew, I wouldn't be me if I didn't! I started searching for just the right pattern...found it! Thanks to the resurgence of popularity among the civil war reproduction materials, I was able to take Baby Girl shopping to pick out her very own authentic reproduction material for the dress! She made a perfect choice! A lovely blue flowered shirting dating from 1875. Unbleached muslin for the pinafore and we were ready to go!
I'm not much of a seamstress...I'm a sewer, but seamstresses are in a league of their own. It took me longer than most, I'm sure, but I ended up with something I am quite proud of. I only cheated in one small area, instead of actually doing button holes, which I have never done and am intimidated by, I used velcro for the fastenings with buttons sewn over top.
So, without further ado...
The front with a basket for her lunch. The basket has a bow to match her dress wrapped around the handle. I also wrapped the bottom of her braids with the same dress material.
Back view of the pinafore. 
A very happy Baby Girl!Needless to say, Baby Girl will be going as Laura Ingalls for Halloween this year! On a side note, I thought it was pretty interesting that the material dates from 1875, when Laura Ingalls was 8 and Baby Girl is also 8!
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
In the spirit of Halloween I thought over the next 5 days I would share a few of my favorite "spooky" things!
This one is a song from Tim Burton's Corpse Bride. We love this movie! We watch it all the time, not just at Halloween! It was composed by Danny Elfman. If you've never heard any of his music, you really should check it out. He writes some of the prettiest, not just silly, music I've heard. Stuff you can listen to with your little ones! If you want to hear what the song sounds like just click the play button at the end of the lyrics!
Hit it boys
Hey, Give me a listen
You corpses of cheer
At least those of you
Who still got an ear
I'll tell you a story
Make a skeleton cry
Of our own jubiliciously
Lovely Corpse Bride
Die, Die, We all pass away
But don't wear a frown
Because it's really okay
You might try to hide
And you might try to pray
But we all end up the remains of the day
(ya,ya,ya,yaya,ya,ya,ya)
Well, our girl was a beauty
Known For miles around
When a mysterious stranger
Came into town
He was plenty good-looking
But down on his cash
And our poor little baby
She fell hard and fast
When he daddy said no
She just couldn't cope
So our lovers came up with
a plan to elope
Die,Die, We all pass away
But don't wear a frown
Because it's really okay
You might try to hide
And you might try to pray
But we all end up the remains of the day
(ya,ya,ya,yaya,ya,ya,yaya ect.)
So they conjured up a plan
To meet late at night
They told not a soul
Kept the whole thing tight
Now, her mother's wedding dress
Fit like a glove
You don't need much
when your really in love
Except for a few things
Or so I'm told
Like the family jewels
And a satchel of gold
Then next to the graveyard
By the old oak tree
On a dark foggy night
At a quarter to 3
She was ready to go
But where was he?
(And then?)
She waited
(And then?)
There in the shadows,was it her man?
(And then?)
Her little heart beat so loud
(And then?)
And then, baby, everything went black
Now, when she opened her eyes
She was dead as dust
Her jewels were missing
And her heart was bust
So she made a vow
Lying under that tree
That she'd wait for her true love
To come set her free
Always waiting for someone
To ask for her hand
Then out of the blue
Comes this groovy young man
Who vows forever
To be by her side
And that's the story
Of our Corpse Bride
Die,Die, We all pass away
But don't wear a frown
Because it's really okay
You might try to hide
And you might try to pray
But we all end up
The remains of the day
This one is a song from Tim Burton's Corpse Bride. We love this movie! We watch it all the time, not just at Halloween! It was composed by Danny Elfman. If you've never heard any of his music, you really should check it out. He writes some of the prettiest, not just silly, music I've heard. Stuff you can listen to with your little ones! If you want to hear what the song sounds like just click the play button at the end of the lyrics!
Hit it boys
Hey, Give me a listen
You corpses of cheer
At least those of you
Who still got an ear
I'll tell you a story
Make a skeleton cry
Of our own jubiliciously
Lovely Corpse Bride
Die, Die, We all pass away
But don't wear a frown
Because it's really okay
You might try to hide
And you might try to pray
But we all end up the remains of the day
(ya,ya,ya,yaya,ya,ya,ya)
Well, our girl was a beauty
Known For miles around
When a mysterious stranger
Came into town
He was plenty good-looking
But down on his cash
And our poor little baby
She fell hard and fast
When he daddy said no
She just couldn't cope
So our lovers came up with
a plan to elope
Die,Die, We all pass away
But don't wear a frown
Because it's really okay
You might try to hide
And you might try to pray
But we all end up the remains of the day
(ya,ya,ya,yaya,ya,ya,yaya ect.)
So they conjured up a plan
To meet late at night
They told not a soul
Kept the whole thing tight
Now, her mother's wedding dress
Fit like a glove
You don't need much
when your really in love
Except for a few things
Or so I'm told
Like the family jewels
And a satchel of gold
Then next to the graveyard
By the old oak tree
On a dark foggy night
At a quarter to 3
She was ready to go
But where was he?
(And then?)
She waited
(And then?)
There in the shadows,was it her man?
(And then?)
Her little heart beat so loud
(And then?)
And then, baby, everything went black
Now, when she opened her eyes
She was dead as dust
Her jewels were missing
And her heart was bust
So she made a vow
Lying under that tree
That she'd wait for her true love
To come set her free
Always waiting for someone
To ask for her hand
Then out of the blue
Comes this groovy young man
Who vows forever
To be by her side
And that's the story
Of our Corpse Bride
Die,Die, We all pass away
But don't wear a frown
Because it's really okay
You might try to hide
And you might try to pray
But we all end up
The remains of the day
Monday, October 26, 2009
A Gift, A Bug and More...
I know I have been neglecting my blog alot lately. I've just been busy, and therefore, not had much of anything to share. I've been running around so much lately that it feels as if I am pracitically living in my car!
I do have one little finish to show you. I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that a dear friend of mine got married. Well, a week after the wedding it was her birthday! I had brought home some of the flowers that were the centerpieces on the tables with her birthday in mind. I dried them in the oven then used them to fill this sachet that I embroidered and beaded for her. I think it turned out lovely! I know that my friend was pleased with it.
I thought this was interesting. One morning last week, when I was taking Baby Girl down to the bus I spied this cool bug. It's a walking stick! I have only seen one once or twice, other than this one, in my life! They are impossible to find if you are looking for them, but this one just presented itself to us on one of the plastic chairs on our front porch...how cool is that!!! If you are interested in learning more about this bug you can go here and read about them!
Last, but certainly not least Sharon over at Daffycat is having a giveaway for her 2 year blogoversary. She is giving away, to two winners, a Simon's Cat book. If, like me, you have apparently been living under a rock, check out the following YouTube video I have embeded. I am in love with this darling cat now! If you have a cat, these videos are a must see!!
I do have one little finish to show you. I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that a dear friend of mine got married. Well, a week after the wedding it was her birthday! I had brought home some of the flowers that were the centerpieces on the tables with her birthday in mind. I dried them in the oven then used them to fill this sachet that I embroidered and beaded for her. I think it turned out lovely! I know that my friend was pleased with it.
I thought this was interesting. One morning last week, when I was taking Baby Girl down to the bus I spied this cool bug. It's a walking stick! I have only seen one once or twice, other than this one, in my life! They are impossible to find if you are looking for them, but this one just presented itself to us on one of the plastic chairs on our front porch...how cool is that!!! If you are interested in learning more about this bug you can go here and read about them!
Last, but certainly not least Sharon over at Daffycat is having a giveaway for her 2 year blogoversary. She is giving away, to two winners, a Simon's Cat book. If, like me, you have apparently been living under a rock, check out the following YouTube video I have embeded. I am in love with this darling cat now! If you have a cat, these videos are a must see!!That's all for now, though I will have my Daughter's costume finished in the next day or so and I will post pictures of that...she's going to be Laura Ingalls for Halloween and I am (trying to) make her a somewhat authentic costume. 'Till then...
Monday, October 19, 2009
A Few Giveaways for you...
...to check out.
Brenda over at Pumpkin Patch Primitive Quilt Shoppe is having a fabulous fabric giveaway. The more people who enter, the more goodies she will add!
Barb at Bella Vista is giving away a cookbook and the sweetest snowman!
Linda from the Quilting Cat is giving away a pattern and jelly roll for all the quilters out there. Stop by and wish her a Happy Birthday!
Molly from Molly's Place is giving away a years subscription to McCall's Quilting Magazine!
Vicki at Simply Memorable is giving away a darling red and aqua purse...go check it out!
Brenda over at Pumpkin Patch Primitive Quilt Shoppe is having a fabulous fabric giveaway. The more people who enter, the more goodies she will add!
Barb at Bella Vista is giving away a cookbook and the sweetest snowman!
Linda from the Quilting Cat is giving away a pattern and jelly roll for all the quilters out there. Stop by and wish her a Happy Birthday!
Molly from Molly's Place is giving away a years subscription to McCall's Quilting Magazine!
Vicki at Simply Memorable is giving away a darling red and aqua purse...go check it out!
Friday, October 16, 2009
A Giveaway Win and a Swap...
I'm a little behind making this post.
At the end of September I won a wonderful giveaway from Pam over at Tall House Quilts. The giveaway was for some wonderful fall decorations and a Halloween decorating book. It's hard to see in the picture, but all the gourds are covered in beads. I have decorated my "sideboard" (which is actually an old dresser with an even older mirror propped on it) in my dining room. I absolutely love the way it looks! Thank you so much Pam! If you get a minute you should really pop on over to her blog, she does some beautiful sewing and quilting!
My other goody I want to share is a swap I participated in. Viki from Tozz's Corner and Jenny from Elefantz hosted a mug hug swap. We made a mug mat and a mug cozy for a partner and they made one for us! It was great fun to do! Nanine from the Netherlands (no blog that I'm aware of) was my partner and what she sent me is darling! I love the way she quilted the hearts into the mug cozy! And it's pink! What more could a girl ask for!!! Thank you Nanine for making this a great swap for me!
And here is what I sent her:
It's hard to see, but the flowers are actually embroidered with silver thread, it's a pain to work with, but it looks so nice when it's finished!
At the end of September I won a wonderful giveaway from Pam over at Tall House Quilts. The giveaway was for some wonderful fall decorations and a Halloween decorating book. It's hard to see in the picture, but all the gourds are covered in beads. I have decorated my "sideboard" (which is actually an old dresser with an even older mirror propped on it) in my dining room. I absolutely love the way it looks! Thank you so much Pam! If you get a minute you should really pop on over to her blog, she does some beautiful sewing and quilting!
My other goody I want to share is a swap I participated in. Viki from Tozz's Corner and Jenny from Elefantz hosted a mug hug swap. We made a mug mat and a mug cozy for a partner and they made one for us! It was great fun to do! Nanine from the Netherlands (no blog that I'm aware of) was my partner and what she sent me is darling! I love the way she quilted the hearts into the mug cozy! And it's pink! What more could a girl ask for!!! Thank you Nanine for making this a great swap for me!
And here is what I sent her:
It's hard to see, but the flowers are actually embroidered with silver thread, it's a pain to work with, but it looks so nice when it's finished!
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
The Halloween Sailboat...
There once was a woman who wanted to make a mini quilt. She got a free pattern from a nice lady online one day and thought to herself "this is just what I had in mind!"
The woman started going through her sizable stash of fabrics. Picking out all her Halloween themed fabric, she realized that she just didn't have enough of a variety. So, off to the fabric store she went. As you can imagine, she was HORRIBLY disappointed that she had to purchase yet more material.
After returning home, she started to REALLY read the directions on the pattern. Although she has been reading patterns and sewing for years, the poor woman could not figure out the pattern that the nice lady had shared with her. She was flummoxed!
"Well," she thought to herself "I shall just have to come up with my own pattern then! The woman, relying heavily on the picture from the incomprehensible pattern, drew out what the main image should look like. She cut and she planned, she planned and she cut. She sewed and she ironed, she ironed and sewed. At last the main part of the pattern was done. She then appliqued (sewed down by hand) the main portion to the base of her quiltie. She sewed it, then quilted it, then bound all the edges. Using a bit of an orange boa, she finished it off. She was pleased with the work she had done.
The woman took her new creation, feeling very proud of herself and went to look for her Husband. Finding him, she held up her quiltie and said "What do you think?" He looked and he pondered. "Well, what is it?"
"What does it look like?" said the Wife to the Husband.
"It looks like a sailboat." Said the Husband in all earnestness.
"A sailboat?" said the woman. "A SAILBOAT!!! Seriously!?!"
So, the woman who just knew that her Husband had lost his marbles sought out the opinion of her oldest Son who was home from college for the weekend. His response was also not of her liking. "A weird looking face," he said with a smile "on a sailboat."
Sure that her Son and her Husband were in cahoots, she next sought out the friend of her Son who had come to spend the weekend. "I'm sure that I can get a reasonable response from him, especially as he is not related to either my lunatic Husband or my crazy Son."
The woman thrust out her hands, with the quiltie dangling from her fingertips, at the young man in question. In a slightly defiant tone of voice she demanded of him "What does this look like to you?" In his unusually deep voice, the young man, crushing the woman's enthusiasm forever, responded "It looks like a sailboat."
So, without further ado, may I present to you my Halloween Sailboat:
The woman started going through her sizable stash of fabrics. Picking out all her Halloween themed fabric, she realized that she just didn't have enough of a variety. So, off to the fabric store she went. As you can imagine, she was HORRIBLY disappointed that she had to purchase yet more material.
After returning home, she started to REALLY read the directions on the pattern. Although she has been reading patterns and sewing for years, the poor woman could not figure out the pattern that the nice lady had shared with her. She was flummoxed!
"Well," she thought to herself "I shall just have to come up with my own pattern then! The woman, relying heavily on the picture from the incomprehensible pattern, drew out what the main image should look like. She cut and she planned, she planned and she cut. She sewed and she ironed, she ironed and sewed. At last the main part of the pattern was done. She then appliqued (sewed down by hand) the main portion to the base of her quiltie. She sewed it, then quilted it, then bound all the edges. Using a bit of an orange boa, she finished it off. She was pleased with the work she had done.
The woman took her new creation, feeling very proud of herself and went to look for her Husband. Finding him, she held up her quiltie and said "What do you think?" He looked and he pondered. "Well, what is it?"
"What does it look like?" said the Wife to the Husband.
"It looks like a sailboat." Said the Husband in all earnestness.
"A sailboat?" said the woman. "A SAILBOAT!!! Seriously!?!"
So, the woman who just knew that her Husband had lost his marbles sought out the opinion of her oldest Son who was home from college for the weekend. His response was also not of her liking. "A weird looking face," he said with a smile "on a sailboat."
Sure that her Son and her Husband were in cahoots, she next sought out the friend of her Son who had come to spend the weekend. "I'm sure that I can get a reasonable response from him, especially as he is not related to either my lunatic Husband or my crazy Son."
The woman thrust out her hands, with the quiltie dangling from her fingertips, at the young man in question. In a slightly defiant tone of voice she demanded of him "What does this look like to you?" In his unusually deep voice, the young man, crushing the woman's enthusiasm forever, responded "It looks like a sailboat."
So, without further ado, may I present to you my Halloween Sailboat:
I must say that I am slightly pleased to know that at least Boy Genius thinks it looks like a witch's hat and not a sailboat. At least I have him and Baby Girl on my side!
What do you see?
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
A Wedding...
On Saturday, my dearest friend got married. Baby Girl and I handed out the programs before the ceremony. When I get the pictures of Baby Girl from my parents, I will post them, she was absolutely darling and so pleased to be able help out at the church. It was a lovely ceremony. The happy couple were married in a Catholic church and it was the most unconventional Catholic wedding I have ever been to. The Bride and Groom actually sat in chairs while the Minister spoke and all the other things were done. 
After the wedding ceremony, we dropped Baby Girl off at my Parents house to spend the night. We had made reservations to stay at a hotel more local to the reception. The reception was held at a nature preserve. It was beautiful. They had a tunnel under the building that went out under the pond and you could see all the fish swimming around and above you. 
The reception was an absolute blast! Hands down the most fun I have ever had at a wedding reception! The Groom's band, Given Six, played a tamer, acoustical set and they were fantastic. After the reception a few of us went back to the hotel and gathered in the Bride & Groom's room until they had to leave at 3:30am to catch a plane to Cancun.
After the wedding ceremony, we dropped Baby Girl off at my Parents house to spend the night. We had made reservations to stay at a hotel more local to the reception. The reception was held at a nature preserve. It was beautiful. They had a tunnel under the building that went out under the pond and you could see all the fish swimming around and above you. The Happy Couple
The Brides Attendants
The Bride & Groom playing drums
Spartan & Me
Given Six (the Grooms band)
The reception was an absolute blast! Hands down the most fun I have ever had at a wedding reception! The Groom's band, Given Six, played a tamer, acoustical set and they were fantastic. After the reception a few of us went back to the hotel and gathered in the Bride & Groom's room until they had to leave at 3:30am to catch a plane to Cancun. Congratulations Betsy & Eric!
We wish you much happiness!
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