Play Dough

Not the best of days, running low on energy. The heat and humidity is quite unbearable today, even when your indoors. Go Figure? Otherwise I heard back from Doctors office, still delay by Ins Co regarding surgery date. I Do Not Like this.

But Lil Orchid does keep her MamMaw smiling....we played with play dough this morning after her physical therapy session. What a Blessing she continues to get stronger. I am truely amazed by her self determination. She is 28 mos. of Pure Pleasure and I Thank God everyday.

Oh Yeah, almost forgot ,today Tuesday is Lasagna Day..We were way off this time..ate an incrediable Roast w/vegetables and mashed potatoes. Maybe I should read the calendar in the morning instead of the evening ;) Nope I'll just keep surprising myself and you! Oh NO, I just cheated and tomorrow is CHEESECAKE DAY ! Somebody send me a Cheesecake pleeeezzzze.

I'll Pay you Tuesday...

Yes, You guessed it today is Hamburger Day. (also Chocolate Milk Day)

And this time I matched, I had a wonderfully juicy hamburger with lettuce , onions and tomatoes (from the garden) and on the side some delicious broccoli and cheese rice. I needed to keep my strength up, putting alot into creative sewing. Still uncertain on the date of my surgery, if they wait to long I 'm gonna be bed ridden because I can't be comfortable sitting or standing and its killing me.

Here is a few new photos....cool old tree trunk in front yard, Lil Orchid w/Panda and some different pics of new denim wear for ETSY Store!

Sunday

Last night was a silly night here, Lil Orchid and her Grad School bound Uncle watched the Disney Channel Hannah Montana Concert Tour in 3-D. (check out their cool 3-D glasses)

Had a delicious Yellow squash casserole for Dinner (garden fresh!)

I added a ton of NEW ITEMS TO my ETSY Store!!! ;)

Salads

Saturday, July 26 This week (July 20-26) per calendar is Salad Week. Take a look at some salad items from the garden...yellow squash and tomatoes.
Went to a play date group with Lil Orchid and her Mom Mom this morning, nice break but a bit humid, okay alot HUMID. Watched her have lots of fun with Bubbles. I made her the little outfit she was wearing :) I love the vivid colors.

Carousels & Hot Fudge Sundae

What a great Calendar day..Hot Fudge Sundae Day, Mmmmmmm! Didn't have any :(
and Carousel Day, nope didn't ride one or see one, but Lil Orchid ate a horse from her animal crackers ;)

Did alot of finishing touches on some new clothes, sewing buttons, making bows, etc. It was really muggy but took photos outside anyway and Lil Orchid was very cooperative. I got kinda spooked when we came across a big black snake in the yard (trust me none of the snakes we see around here are small, they are at least 3-4 feet or longer!)....YUCK, I guess the thunderstorms brought him out. After I watched him slither away, I would carry her out the door and across the lawn to take her picture but she would kept calling out,"snake, snake". I'm a little JUMPY tonight.
Hopefully I'll be up to adding them on ETSY tomorrow. Here is a preview...

Tinker Bell

Getting in the groove for the Holidays..
I Love them All ! Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas.
My creative juices flowing, having lots of fun being creative. Not enough time in the day.
My daughter finished up a Special Order for Samantha (they love the pinwheel style hair bows).

And I've been finding alot of Brown & Pink, Gray & Pink, Black and Pink since that seems to be the LOOK this fall. Do you see a Pattern here.

Short Story:
Can't remember if I mentioned this before but my Lil Orchid loves music, songs, humming, whistling any way whatever the tune. She will hear a song once and be humming and saying some words the next time she hears it. May not be the right word, could be a sound alike word (she's two). Anyway No one in the house has been singing a christmas carol since last christmas season. Okay, I'm getting to the point. She's leaning against my leg as I'm posting some new clothes on ETSY and I'm talking out loud, muttering to myself. (cause I'm way more than two) I'm saying the word Tinker Bell and how everybody loves her, etc. Next thing I hear is a sweet angelic voice sing, "Tinker Bell, Tinker Bell, Tinker da da da" (If you didn't get it she was singing to Jingle Bells. SO CUTE ! I just had to sweep her up and tickle her with kisses.

Welcome Aboard Mom!

You have read that I learned alot from my Mom and feel that alot of my creative talent is due to her. Well, my daughter and I finally convinced her to do some sewing for the ETSY store. So you will see some of her sweet creations, and I say sweet because that is what I feel when Vintage patterns are used, I think they bring out the childlike innocence of yesteryear. It makes me remember those old black and white photos of my siblings and I in matching fabrics, all lined up in a stair step pose. It makes me remember how special I felt getting something new that my Mom made just for me. I think back that she continued to make my children feel that same way when Gram made those special outfits for them. And now my Lil Orchid is continuing that same tradition with special clothes made just for her from Great Gram. Mom (age 74 yrs young) has told me stories from her high school days that, of coarse, she sewed then and her fellow classmates wrote in her yearbook that she would Most Likely Be a Dress Designer with her own Famous Dress Shop. I also believe that, except that would be a Childrens Shop. And Lucky Us Here she is! Thanks Mom.

Check out a few of the beautiful outfits my Lil Orchid is wearing that was made by Great Gram...

Orchid & White Gingham Check long dress, her Scotty Dog dress, her Red Fan dress & matching flair Hat and her Christening gown. I embroidered the White Fans on the tail of the gown and contributed some lace from a childhood dress I had made her Mom Mom. What doesn't show is the hand smocking on the hat and bodice of the dress done by Great Gram. See I told you she was Talented.

Junk Food

Monday, July 21st Junk Food Day

Party Weekend

Saturday, July 19th We celebrated my son's 23rd birthday late but combined it with a Good Luck Going Away Party. He will be leaving for Grad School soon. As a Mom I have bragging rights so here goes, he attended Purdue University on Scholarships and graduated in four years with two Bachelor Degrees and minored in 3 others. And now he received three out of three acceptance letters for Graduate School, He chose the University who accepted ONLY 40 Grad Students per year in the program he will study in. (Proud Momma with Big Smile) So we cooked out and enjoyed the day with great friends and family. (Thank you weather for cooperating) Lil Orchid had alot of fun but was very impatient waiting for guests to arrive, but cheered up once she spotted the cakes. It was a beautiful Day!

Sunday, we drove to another party to celebrate with family, B turned 80, C turned 75 and together they have been married 55 years.

Great Gram is here

Great Gram and Ye Ye is here for the week, they traveled to a doctors appointment which took them over half way here (so they were only about three hours away) we encouraged them to stay for the parties instead of traveling back. It didn't take much conviencing. Lil Orchid keeps them smiling and on their toes. And they also got to visit with two more great grannddaughters and other family while in town. I can't believe how much I accomplished this week sewing. Thought I'd share some photos...

Pandemonium

Today, Monday is Pandemonium Day? Chaos? Maybe but isn't everyday like that, at least if its a busy day it is chaotic.

I feel things are a getting a little crazy around here, got my results back on my MRI and I'll be having surgery soon. So I'm trying to get as much sewing and posting done. Running out of time it seems. I have family in town this week and Lil Orchid is in Heaven with all the additional attention in the house. My daughter has been a big help with ripping seams and preparing denim for me. And as I said before Lil Orchid loves to sit on my lap while I sew, this time she had to be just as close to her Mom Mom but was a little exhausted with all the hard work supervising the grown ups. I Love this Pic.

Lotus Blossoms

July 11th thru 13th is Lotus Blossom Days in CA.
July 11th thru 13th is Pig Days in IL

Although both Lil Orchids Paternal Great Grandpa and her Maternal Great Great Grandpa raised some hogs on the farm I feel better about celebrating Lotus Blossom Days. Outside the Hotel where my daughter and I journeyed to bring home Lil Orchid was a woman who sold Lotus Blossoms on the sidewalk, they we so beautiful, still closed and covered with dew.

So I added some photos of my sweet Lil Orchid so innocent and beautiful.

Swimming Pool Day

Okay today, Friday, July 11th Swimming Pool Day or Cheer Up Day. That was easy, Watching my granddaughter in her Swimming Pool does make one Cheer Up ! Even with the high humidity and freak thunderstorms..we find a little time to cool off in the wading pool, Lil Orchid is in the water splashing me , who is sitting nearby on the swing. It's amazing that innocent children don't have to have toys and are happily amuzed by the water dripping off their elbow or the seat of their swim suit :) Cracks Me Up Everytime! So I hope this finds that everyone out there found a way to be Cheered Up or done the same for Someone Else. Keep Smiling ! To Cheer You Up - I'm sharing a few photos that make me smile

Teddy Bear Picnic

July 10th Teddy Bear Picnic Day....sorry Lil Orchids favorite stuffed animal is her Kitty. So we do everything with Kitty, I've even made him matching outfits or we put matching hair bows on her ears :) Didn't have a picnic, but for supper we had fried chicken and potatoe salad, I'd say that was pretty close. Flashback! When my daughter was young she did a little tap dance to Teddy Bear Picnic, in fact I still have the LP 33 1/3...I'd say thats Vintage*

Want a preview of some of the new redesigned denim wear I've done....It's not easy model clamping the larger sizes of clothes so they fit my granddaughter in photos..but I think they show so much cuter than laid out flat for a photo.

Ice Cream Sundae Day

July 8th - Ice Cream Sundae Day......Mmmmmmmmmmmmm! Didn't have an ice cream sundae, but did make a Root Beer Float ;) Weather is scary...Heat Thunder Storms, Floods, Heat, Humidity - - Yuck!

Check out two of the different Hair Bow Holders we make and sell. These two were bought and this is the requested FREE personalization I do.

Happy Birthday America !

This is a day to Celebrate, to remember our Freedoms...free to live, work or go where you want to. Free to speak our own mind, worship where you want and to be a Woman who can make her own choices, make a living and be her own person if that's what she chooses.
I never said it was easy freedoms, and most the time it isn't, and lately it's been near impossible. But I was raised by a strong woman, grew up with sisters and friends who took a challenge and can see in my daughter and son's eyes that they are incredible, caring, strong, survivors who have always given 110% at all they Do and Achieve. We traveled and explored our country a very modest way and learned to appreciate Our History and Our Country.

And YES, its still okay to love our country even though I don't have a job, I'm looking at high mortgage payments, I'm facing high gas prices and I'm not sure about anything -- Except that today is a day about Fun, Parades, Family, BBQ's and Fireworks!

Birthday Wishes

The days that got away.......
June 26 Beauticians Day - if you saw my hair you'd know I don't have one.
June 26 also Baseball Day - I'm sure I watched a game on TV
June 27 Sunglass Day - don't wear them I have prescription
June 30 Sky Day - I always look up and give thanks and say a little prayer
TODAY July 2nd...Mullet Day (no comment) I prefer to remember it is my son's Birthday !
I started my day early with an appointment at the Doctors office for my knee that was hurt at work, I have a few good days but mainly I am learning to tolerate the pain, yes I know that is wrong that is why I went to the doctor. When I arrived home my daughter had already began a feast for lunch in honor of her little brothers 23rd B-day. Pork chops, these really cheesy-buttery potatoes and corn on the cob. We ate early because he was going to a major league game, something we have done for years on his birthday - except this year he was going with some old friends and his girl friend (they got one of those special rooms with the all you could eat and drink). He is Happy and going to the Baseball game, that makes me happy!