When does fall begin for you? When the trees lose their leaves and the general landscape turns brown. Fall has then arrived.
What is your favorite fall memory? Making apple cider with all my siblings. We awoke when it was still very early, donned out warmest clothes and headed to the back porch to start the operation. We still froze while we washed and cut apples, ran the cider press and then tasted the delicious results. Something salty was imperative for lunch as we'd tasted enough sweetness by then.
What do you like to drink in the fall? Hot chocolate, hot apple cider, or tea.
What's your favorite fall food? Turkey, and cranberry deliciousnesses.
What is fall weather like where you live? Cold. Very cold.
What color is fall? Brown, gold, and burgandy.
What does fall smell like? Crisp freshness.
Holiday shopping in fall: yes or no? Yes, if need be.
If you could go anywhere in the fall, where would you go? East coast or Europe.
What is your least favorite thing about fall? Snow.
What is your favorite fall holiday? Thanksgiving.
What's your favorite kind of pie? Caramel pecan.
Which do you prefer, the Farm or the Fair? Definitely the Fair.
Do you have a favorite fall book? Calico Captive, perhaps.
How about a favorite fall poem or quote? Here's one that I just found and like: The leaves fall, the wind blows, and the farm country slowly changes from the summer cottons into its winter wools. ~Henry Beston
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Quote
Right and wrong are black and white. Don't let your vision blur them to gray so that you cannot decipher one from the other. ~am
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Six Random Facts About Me
1. I've glued a super-glue tube to my fingers twice. It takes forever gently working it over with nail-polish remover to get them off. My comfort is that time did elapse between incidents. :-)
2. I love driving! I don't see it as just a necessity or chore, but a real pleasure.
3. I like wearing turtlenecks in the winter, but it has to be really cold before I can stand the collar around my neck.
4. I am dab smack in the middle of all my siblings. Ten years younger than the oldest, ten years older than the youngest (give/take a few months).
5. I don't post *all* of my projects on my creative blog. If I decide it doesn't look good enough, it doesn't get posted. :-)
6. Sometimes I have to determine to finish a project or it wouldn't ever get done. I grow tired of things quickly and have to move on.
No tags, but if you want to do it, go ahead. :-)
2. I love driving! I don't see it as just a necessity or chore, but a real pleasure.
3. I like wearing turtlenecks in the winter, but it has to be really cold before I can stand the collar around my neck.
4. I am dab smack in the middle of all my siblings. Ten years younger than the oldest, ten years older than the youngest (give/take a few months).
5. I don't post *all* of my projects on my creative blog. If I decide it doesn't look good enough, it doesn't get posted. :-)
6. Sometimes I have to determine to finish a project or it wouldn't ever get done. I grow tired of things quickly and have to move on.
No tags, but if you want to do it, go ahead. :-)
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Traveling first class
When it comes to dressing up while flying, we don’t do it by halves.
Back in 2007 when I flew for the first time to visit my grandmother, I made a brown and white hounds tooth suit specifically for traveling. The suit has a vintage flare, so I paired it with retro heels, my mother’s brown hat and my sister’s white gloves. Traveling with me was my dashing brother in his dark suit, bow tie and top hat! We really made quite the pair, if I do say so myself. Before we had even boarded the plane, a nice gentleman asked if we were actors and then wanted to take our pictures. He appreciated that we just wanted to dress up and set a standard for the modern traveler! We heard many other comments throughout the airports, including some from pilots and flights attendants, security personnel, etc.
My grandmother did not really appreciate how dressed up we were, but we didn’t let it dampen our spirits. She has been affected by family near her and has become quite casual. Somehow I imagine it would have been the other way around fifty years ago; the kids wanting to be causal and the parents dressing up. Oh, well! On the way home, we dressed up again and had our older sister with us as well. It really was quite humorous to be casually eating breakfast with our aunt one minute and then be completely dressed up ten minutes later when she came back to pick us up! Movie stars!? Indeed.
When my four sisters and I flew to visit friends two weeks ago, we dressed up. Not quite as fancy as the trip before mentioned, but dressed up enough. Most of us wore wool skirts in various pleated, plaid or kilt designs with nice tops or sweaters, tall leather boots or classy shoes and hats. All five of us wore hats; pageboys, berets, or vintage hats. Five girls marching through the airport creates attention, but five girls marching through the airport with hats on creates *that much more* attention!
We really enjoyed some of the comments that we received! A lot of people asked if we were related. “Yes”, we replied with glee many times. Several of them went on to ask more questions and finally got to know how many siblings there are. It’s fun to shock people! At the Starbuck’s counter, a lady specifically asked “if we were from England?” She went on to compliment us on dressing nicely, because “nobody does these days.” She herself was attired in nice business-wear, but was just visiting the U.S. My personal favorite conversation was with the shuttle driver as we were exiting the bus. He asked, “Are you a singing or dancing group?” “Nope, we’re sisters”. “Nuns?” he asked in a surprised voice. “No. Sisters as in brothers and sisters” my older sister replied. I inwardly chuckled all the way into the airport.
Back in 2007 when I flew for the first time to visit my grandmother, I made a brown and white hounds tooth suit specifically for traveling. The suit has a vintage flare, so I paired it with retro heels, my mother’s brown hat and my sister’s white gloves. Traveling with me was my dashing brother in his dark suit, bow tie and top hat! We really made quite the pair, if I do say so myself. Before we had even boarded the plane, a nice gentleman asked if we were actors and then wanted to take our pictures. He appreciated that we just wanted to dress up and set a standard for the modern traveler! We heard many other comments throughout the airports, including some from pilots and flights attendants, security personnel, etc.
My grandmother did not really appreciate how dressed up we were, but we didn’t let it dampen our spirits. She has been affected by family near her and has become quite casual. Somehow I imagine it would have been the other way around fifty years ago; the kids wanting to be causal and the parents dressing up. Oh, well! On the way home, we dressed up again and had our older sister with us as well. It really was quite humorous to be casually eating breakfast with our aunt one minute and then be completely dressed up ten minutes later when she came back to pick us up! Movie stars!? Indeed.
When my four sisters and I flew to visit friends two weeks ago, we dressed up. Not quite as fancy as the trip before mentioned, but dressed up enough. Most of us wore wool skirts in various pleated, plaid or kilt designs with nice tops or sweaters, tall leather boots or classy shoes and hats. All five of us wore hats; pageboys, berets, or vintage hats. Five girls marching through the airport creates attention, but five girls marching through the airport with hats on creates *that much more* attention!
We really enjoyed some of the comments that we received! A lot of people asked if we were related. “Yes”, we replied with glee many times. Several of them went on to ask more questions and finally got to know how many siblings there are. It’s fun to shock people! At the Starbuck’s counter, a lady specifically asked “if we were from England?” She went on to compliment us on dressing nicely, because “nobody does these days.” She herself was attired in nice business-wear, but was just visiting the U.S. My personal favorite conversation was with the shuttle driver as we were exiting the bus. He asked, “Are you a singing or dancing group?” “Nope, we’re sisters”. “Nuns?” he asked in a surprised voice. “No. Sisters as in brothers and sisters” my older sister replied. I inwardly chuckled all the way into the airport.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Overwhelmed makes a tasklist
When I feel overwhelmed by everything I need to get done or feel like I need to get done, I make a tasklist. First I break it down into tiny little steps so that I can accomplish "more" or I write down things I've already done and cross them off the list. Either way works wonders! :D
Last night I was feeling quite overwhelmed by the sewing that I need/want to complete before I leave, so I made a tasklist.
Ball gown:
-Handstitch lining
-Handstitch hem
-Gathers on sleeves
Overskirt:
-Cut netting
-Sew netting to waistband
-Complete ties
-Handstitch waistband
-Gathers at hemline
-Finish bows and attach
Wool skirt:
-Sew front and back seams
-Check fit
-Serge side seams
-Install zipper and complete side seams
-Check that I like alterations I made
-Attach waistband
-Attach waistband facing
-Handstitch facing
Corduroy skirt: (finishing)
-Serge seamlines
-Install zipper
-Sew side seams
-Attach waistband facing
-Handstitch waistband facing
-Hem skirt
And on it goes....I feel better already!
Last night I was feeling quite overwhelmed by the sewing that I need/want to complete before I leave, so I made a tasklist.
Ball gown:
-Handstitch lining
-Handstitch hem
-Gathers on sleeves
Overskirt:
-Cut netting
-Sew netting to waistband
-Complete ties
-Handstitch waistband
-Gathers at hemline
-Finish bows and attach
Wool skirt:
-Sew front and back seams
-Check fit
-Serge side seams
-Install zipper and complete side seams
-Check that I like alterations I made
-Attach waistband
-Attach waistband facing
-Handstitch facing
Corduroy skirt: (finishing)
-Serge seamlines
-Install zipper
-Sew side seams
-Attach waistband facing
-Handstitch waistband facing
-Hem skirt
And on it goes....I feel better already!
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Fall - A changing of seasons
Fall is the changing of so many things. Not just the leaves, grass, trees, etc. As I think back on the last few autumm's we've had, it was the season of the biggest changes for my family. If you had told me five years ago where I would be today, you could have knocked me down with a feather! :0
Fall 2004 - We were entrenched in politics. We lived, breathed and ate politics! My eldest sister worked for an official campaign and my dad worked for a state party in a tech position. The rest of us were volunteers. The late nights, the long hours. More often than not, we were in the depths of despair when each election came around, and while that election was no exception, it was somehow different. Our presidential candidate won, though he did not take our state and most of the good candidates statewide lost.
Fall 2005 was the culmination of a tragedy that began in January. It was with the heaviest hearts that we realized we could not do anything more about it. The healing and rebuilding came next. Yes, I could say it was a long, painful process, but it's not over. We are still suffering the devastation. But, God is merciful. He is our hope! We can look back and begin to see the blessings in the aftermath.
Fall 2006 was a joyous time for my family! My oldest brother "brought a girl home to meet the family"! In actuality, she flew to our town. :) Wanting our yard to be perfect for his girl, he supplied us with sod to lay in the backyard that he'd sprayed out a few months before. While we still jokingly resent the work we did, we had such a good time doing it! The excitement of gaining a sister-in-law grew for all of us. They were engaged and began wedding plans in earnest!
Fall 2007 brought the most dramatic change for all of us. We packed up the entire house, loaded it into two trucks and three vehicles and we were off for a new place, a new town and a new state. It was thrilling, hard work, and slightly frightening. We'd been in one place for over eleven years. One becomes attached to the same old; the familiar. I headed back "home" for a month to finish up my job and then I joined the family on Thanksgiving Day. Thus began life without my three oldest brothers within a few miles.
This Fall is an exciting time. I'm finally an aunt!!! I've longed to be an aunt for many years and now that it's finally happened, it's as grand as I'd imagined. And will be even grander when I get to meet my little nephew and the second one arrives! In just over a week, my four sisters and I are flying to West Virginia to visit my best friend and her funny sisters. We'll be attending our first ball, too! So, we are making ball gowns and learning dances.
My younger sister arrived home after six weeks living with my brother and sister-in-law and helping take care of the nephew, the house, canning, etc. That is the longest she has ever been away from her parents and we are all adjusting back into somewhat of a routine. She came with my older brother when he moved all his belongings up here in anticipation of moving here next month. I am very close to this particular brother, so I'm completely delighted that he will be nearby again! Plus, it's just strange doing some things without him!
Stay tuned for more fall memories...
Fall 2004 - We were entrenched in politics. We lived, breathed and ate politics! My eldest sister worked for an official campaign and my dad worked for a state party in a tech position. The rest of us were volunteers. The late nights, the long hours. More often than not, we were in the depths of despair when each election came around, and while that election was no exception, it was somehow different. Our presidential candidate won, though he did not take our state and most of the good candidates statewide lost.
Fall 2005 was the culmination of a tragedy that began in January. It was with the heaviest hearts that we realized we could not do anything more about it. The healing and rebuilding came next. Yes, I could say it was a long, painful process, but it's not over. We are still suffering the devastation. But, God is merciful. He is our hope! We can look back and begin to see the blessings in the aftermath.
Fall 2006 was a joyous time for my family! My oldest brother "brought a girl home to meet the family"! In actuality, she flew to our town. :) Wanting our yard to be perfect for his girl, he supplied us with sod to lay in the backyard that he'd sprayed out a few months before. While we still jokingly resent the work we did, we had such a good time doing it! The excitement of gaining a sister-in-law grew for all of us. They were engaged and began wedding plans in earnest!
Fall 2007 brought the most dramatic change for all of us. We packed up the entire house, loaded it into two trucks and three vehicles and we were off for a new place, a new town and a new state. It was thrilling, hard work, and slightly frightening. We'd been in one place for over eleven years. One becomes attached to the same old; the familiar. I headed back "home" for a month to finish up my job and then I joined the family on Thanksgiving Day. Thus began life without my three oldest brothers within a few miles.
This Fall is an exciting time. I'm finally an aunt!!! I've longed to be an aunt for many years and now that it's finally happened, it's as grand as I'd imagined. And will be even grander when I get to meet my little nephew and the second one arrives! In just over a week, my four sisters and I are flying to West Virginia to visit my best friend and her funny sisters. We'll be attending our first ball, too! So, we are making ball gowns and learning dances.
My younger sister arrived home after six weeks living with my brother and sister-in-law and helping take care of the nephew, the house, canning, etc. That is the longest she has ever been away from her parents and we are all adjusting back into somewhat of a routine. She came with my older brother when he moved all his belongings up here in anticipation of moving here next month. I am very close to this particular brother, so I'm completely delighted that he will be nearby again! Plus, it's just strange doing some things without him!
Stay tuned for more fall memories...
Friday, October 3, 2008
Plans
In the not too distant future I hope to really "start" this blog. But, I'm too busy sewing, trying to keep my creations blog updated, and tackling Fall tasks and projects. For now, it will have to be content with quick-y things until I can feed it something of more substance.
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