Sewing At Home Today

Watched "The Help" the other night and truly loved it.

I might have to pick up the movie so I can really scrutinize all the vintage details...especially the clothes and the set design. Loved those cars. Particularly loved the dress Aibileen wore in the last scene.  Check it out (eventually will try and recreate it).

Anyway, I decided to sew a Vintage Vogue dress...in honor of the movie.

Picked up the pattern long ago (have a huge collection of Vintage Vogue patterns)...and got five yards of dark brown lightweight wool fabric for $7.50 ...that is TOTAL..for the whole 5 yards.  What a bargain!  If I mess up, I won't feel too bad.  Has bound buttonholes...something I've wanted to learn how to do for a long time.

Pinned the pattern last night...and started cutting it out this morning.

Will sew it today while the fam is away.

A Day With the Fam

Had a most delightful day with the fam yesterday.

Started the day with breakfast at the Shoe's. MMMmmm good.

After breakfast, lil' Shoe attempting to walk...almost there.

Then hopped in the car and headed north across the Golden Gate Bridge to hike along the Tennessee Valley Trail to the beach.

We need rain...see those hills in the background?  They should be emerald green by now.

Auntie Adeline and lil Shoe gazing at the ocean

Playing in the pebbles

Reminds me of a little sea turtle heading to the ocean...

The Shoes

My guy

Look how limber that little guy is...has no problem doing the splits

Still newlyweds

Loves my little girl

We capped it all off with a deelish dinner at The Spinnaker in Sausalito and had this view of the city.

2011 Family Christmas Party at the Z's

It took me a while but I pulled the decorations out of their boxes, hung the lights and carefully placed each creche, tree, Santa, angel, ornament in its designated spot.
New and old alike...






Got the idea from this blog


Even though I love to decorate to make my home feel  warm and cozy for the season....
The most important part of Christmas for me is about sharing and being with my family.
I admit it... I am biased.. I  have the most wonderful family....
We gather at my house each year to celebrate and this year....

We decorated gingerbread men (and women)

McLean

McLean

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(Some of us couldn't wait and  we ate ours...here)

We made snow-globes

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We swaddled baby Jesus and made a manger (using leftovers from the church party)

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We ate a delicious brunch

We wore tissue paper crowns (a British/Scottish) tradition



And we reenacted the story of Jesus (watch it here)

Our very distinguished wise man:

Angelic Natalie:


Most precious of all was sharing this beloved season with my most favorite little grandson
(I can say that because he is my only one...so far).



I'd say that this was the best Christmas of all (at least one of them).
I am very blessed indeed.

I've Been A Grandma For One Year

One year ago, I became  a grandma to this  little cute-tea-pie:

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For his first birthday, his mother threw a "Mr. Potato Head" themed party,

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There were Potato Heads all over the place...including Potato Head cakes

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I decided to  surprise the party goers with a visit  as a gee-normus "Mr. Potato Head"

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Here is his mother showing little Shoe how to open his presents...

Being a grandma is all that my friends said it would be...A.B.S.O.L.U.T.E.L.Y. W.O.N.D.E.R.F.U.L.

Two Thousand Eleven Christmas Party

For the past month my kitchen table has been covered in scraps of fabric, thread, tissue paper, glitter, and handmade paper.



I have been busy sewing, gluing, spraying and creating decorations for the Christmas party at my church.

The event happened this past Saturday...decorating began Friday afternoon and continued throughout Saturday.  We transformed the church into a "Winter Wonderland"...

We hung  glittery and sparkling snowflakes in front of the stage curtain...


They really glistened in the lights.


Check out the entryway..



I made twenty white felt trees, 15 aqua blue trees, and glittered hundreds of snowflakes to decorate the tables. (there are glass bottles hiding under the trees for support).





We even decorated the top of the piano with a garland made from coffee filters, tissue and handmade papers.



Lots of tables and chairs.. (seated almost 190)


Here is the serving table/room..my sister brought the manzanita branches down from her property in the Sierras...and then I sprayed them with white paint.



We had a live nativity...with rabbits, goats, chickens, a donkey ,and guinea pigs ...



Check out the stable and manger..kids could dress up as sheperds, wise men, sheep, Mary, or Joseph  and we had a photographer take their picture



At the end, a youth choir provided us with beautiful melodic music...



Oh such a lovely evening indeed....I can now start decorating my own home.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

It all started with reading about this  Friday night ("MADE" is one of my favorite bloggers, check her out)

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES was all I could think about when I got up early Saturday am

So...I pulled out the supplies from my baking drawer....

I love having all my baking supplies at my fingertips

I have a gazillion pounds of Guittard chocolate...straight from the factory. Like "MADE", it is my favorite chocolate.

Popped up the Bosch mixer  from its cozy little garage cupboard

Mixed it all up... following the directions e.x.a.c.t.l.y

And whalah...I pulled from the oven the absolutely best chocolate chip cookies...e.v.e.r....oh so sinfully deelish...

The recipe does make a lot...I  have several rolls sitting in my freezer..ready to be baked at a moments notice.

Try it out......(or just hop on over to my house for a sample)

And let me know what you think