Tomatoes!!!

We are finally getting to eat these luscious beauties just in the last week or so. They are filling up our window sill, many of them working hard to achieve that ruby blush. The kids go out to collect them several times a day like candy. I'm not sure that we'll have many left over to dry. I beg them to leave them on the vine just a little longer, but who really wants to put rules all over children's harmless glee? We're just gobbling them up and enjoying the present. There are so many amazing ways to consume tomatoes! The kids eat them whole like apples as soon as they pick them. Luckily, I've gotten a few into the house. My favorite is still fresh slices of mozzarella, tomatoes, basil ( also from the garden), all layered and drizzled in balsamic vinagerette. This, to me, is summer. It just doesn't get better than tomatoes from your garden... should be a bumper sticker, if you ask me.

This Dress....

I was recently in a local fabric shop when a woman who could have been my mother's age, said when she saw this dress on my daughter, "Why that's Mary De! But it's not smocked!" I beamed with pride and explained how I had changed the pattern. She asked me if I minded her copying the idea, and I was thrilled. This is such a wonderful pattern that I have made 5 or 6 of these dresses over the years. It is from The Children's Corner and is called "Mary De." It comes in a wide size range and includes patterns for each size in the packet. For example, it comes in a size 3-4 and gives you two dress patterns so as your little one grows you are still getting your money's worth. No tracing or refiguring. My big girl calls these her twirly dresses and they can be worn with t-shirts underneath to extend your season. Rather than smocking the front, I just used the pattern for the front yoke LINING and do whatever I want to embelish. This dress front is embroidered with Jenny Hart's pattern from Sublime Stitching. I have also used combinations of ribbon and rick rack. I'll try to show those pics another time. If you're thinking about going beyond the A-line dress to a fully gathered summer frock for your little one, I think this is a great one! The site is http://www.childrenscornerfabric.com/catalog/cc7.html

Weekends My Way

It was such a great weekend for so many reasons. Do you think that when you start a blog good things just come your way? Maybe that's how it works, and if only I had clued in before now. Seriously, though, it's not always lovely around here. To me, blogging is kind of like the things you choose to focus on when you have a phone conversation with a friend. Who wants to fixate on all the mundane when you could be talking about the positives? So these were the positives of my weekend. I got to sew and ride my bike(s) lots! Plus, here's the biggy. I got a NEW used road bike from my sweet honey. This, in addition to a new used mtn. bike a couple of weeks ago. My man is toooo good to me. Really, riding and sewing are about as good as it gets for me. I am one lucky woman for quite a few reasons. Perfect weekend. How was yours?

Serendipity

We had such a wonderful time with friends today. It was unplanned, and completely not the normal summertime schedule. It was just soooo nice. We moms talked sewing and dreams. The kids ran around exploring and got along incredibly well. It was just idyllic. Oh, and did I mention that there were conversations COMPLETED by my friend and I?! Now that is a perfect day, no? Plus, it was one of those rare occasions when the kids and I had picked potatoes from the garden along with dill and had just enough potato salad left over for two adults. We ate our first ripe tomatoes from the garden and gobbled down blue and red potatoes. Really, a glass of white wine was quite possibly the only thing that could have made the entire visit more perfect.

P.S. For all you crafters, my little guy is wearing a t-shirt embellished with some embroidery from Jenny Hart's fantastic book, "Sublime Stitching: Hundreds of Hip Embroidery Patterns and How-To." Worth every penny.... good stuff.

Just Do It!

For so long now, I have contemplated writing my own blog. I have come up with a million reasons for why I shouldn't and numerous fears have given me plenty of reasons not to do it. In the end, I think that I just need to jump in no matter how anxious I feel. It is the right thing for me to do. It is time. Somehow, my decision has coincided with the five year mark for my time away from full time paid work. The decision to stay at home with my little ones has been one of the best, most important decisions I have ever made. Although it certainly has not been without it's ups and downs. Still, I can say I love my life, my husband, my kids, my friends, and my family. I am living intentionally and imperfectly. These sunflowers were purchased by my sweet honey and kids from a local farm. They were such an incredible reminder all week of what an amazing life we have. So without further ado, here I am.