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Friday, December 27, 2013

Sewing Vintage No. 1

I have this HUGE stack of vintage patterns. I love the styles from the forties and fifties, so much so that I have decided to sew a vintage frock every month.

For September, I used this Vogue pattern:


Vintage Vogue Pattern #2903

The fun thing about sewing this dress is I didn't have to go to the store to purchase one thing... I had everything already in my stash....everything down to the hot pink piping, thread and zipper.

Me


I used six yards of a very lightweight linen.  I upcycled a hand embroidered dresser scarf  edged
with hand crochet and incorporated it in the collar/yoke.  

Heading to the salt lake temple with my dad

I love the feel of all that fabric swishing and swirling  around my legs as I walk.

Next week I will share my October frock.

Thursday, December 26, 2013

A Very Merry Christmas From My House To Yours

HOPE YOU HAD A WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS.
SPENT THE DAY RELAXING WITH FAMILY, 
GOING TO A MOVIE (saw Saving Mr. Banks), 
LISTENING TO CHRISTMAS MUSIC, 
WATCHING CHRISTMAS SHOWS
AND OF COURSE EATING.

I made the embroidered velvet backed ornaments over 33 years ago before I was married.
The Charlie Brown ornament hung on David's tree when he was a child.


This creche was placed under David's Christmas tree each year when he was a child. 

This year I filled my tree with  vintage, homemade and my annual crystal
or sterling ornaments.  The ornaments on the right came from David's grandparents.

Raggedy Ann and Andy were two of my favorite dolls when I was a child.
I bought these two handmade dolls at Mormon Handicraft over twenty-five years
ago for my oldest daughter.  Today they sit proudly under my Christmas tree.

Two of my favorite creches.  Sophie and David picked up the one on the left in Italy last year
and Adeline picked up the one on the right in Spain several years ago.
Vintage vignette in a pine cupboard.


Scene from "It's A Wonderful Life" in my kitchen window:


My collection of nutcrackers...

Still need to find a nutcracker for Matt and my two grandkids.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND A GOOD NIGHT.

Friday, December 13, 2013

Trip to Salt Lake City



When I was a young girl, our family of nine would all pile in the Dodge Dart station wagon and head east across the very hot, very boring and very flat Nevada desert to visit cousins and family in Utah.  I hated that long drive...for one, we did not have air conditioning.  To help alleviate our suffering, my mother would hang wet cloth diapers from the windows to keep the sun out and cool us off.

After being on the road for 15-18 hours (sometimes we would stop at a rest stop to give my parents a break from driving) excitement filled our car as we exited the highway at 33rd South and headed east toward my grandma's house.  After we passed State street, we would watch for the big neon lit plumbing sign that hung from a building  across the street from her house...something similar to this:



Squeals of delight emanated from the car..."I see it! I see it! We're here!"  The back screen door creaked open and my smiling grandparents with wide opened arms would greet us.

Since we were the only family who lived outside of Utah, we would gather with all of our cousins and relatives.

Forbush Family Reunion circa 1959
A whole lot of kids...


Price Family Reunion circa 1963
At my Aunt Leone's house where she an an indoor pool.  I always thought that was so cool.

Picnic 1963
As you can see...we loved to gather for picnics
Sometimes we would head to the family cabin in Wyoming... where lasting relationships, bonds and memories were made.
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Let's fast forward fifty years....


For the first time in several decades, all of my sisters, brother,dad and I made an epic trip to Utah in September to not only visit the aforementioned relatives but to also celebrate what would have been my parent's 65th wedding anniversary.


Cramming into a car is for the birds.... This time we all hopped on a plane

Heading to slc

 and in 1 1/2 hours arrived in:



We had reunions with our cousins and aunts...
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Ruth and Judy
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So much fun
Frank Michael, Billy, Gayle and Becky
My sister with some of my cousins.
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My dad and I did a session in the Salt Lake Temple and afterward, sat in the very room he and my mother were married. I will always treasure the very tender moment we shared together.

My Parents at the Salt Lake Temple, September 1, 1948
The newly married couple outside the Salt Lake Temple

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Celebration at Beau Brummel in Salt Lake City circa 1948


My sisters, brother, dad outside the temple walls.
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My wonderful family
We even had time to do a bit of sight seeing  There is so much to see and do... Salt Lake is a hip hopping place.  If you are ever passing through (or live there for that matter) here are some fun things to see and do: 

Check out the Pioneer Museum...filled with one of the largest collections from Utah pioneer Mormon history

The Beehive State
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 Blessing Outfits From Yesteryear
 

 
 
You would not be disappointed in the Church History Museum


Fourth Ward Doorway and Stained Glass Window

My sisters had a chance to spin around the handcart.
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Temple Square is the nucleus of the city...and is always a delight.  We caught an organ recital at noon time...the acoustics in the Tabernacle are exquisite.
 
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There is a hip little business district called  9th and 9th filled with fun shops.

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Downtown Salt Lake has had some major improvements over the last dozen years or so.  Lots of music, action, eating and drinking in the dozens of breweries.   One of my all time favorite "buildings"is the ZCMI...which is now only a impeccably restored façade.
 

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There is a fabulous Downtown Farmers Market during the summer on Saturday mornings.  One of the top in the nation I hear.  Picked up one of their bags for when I go to my own Farmer's Market.
Farmer's market


One night we ate dinner at the  Red Iguana .  My friends who live in or visit Utah all rave about Café Rio...which is good.   The Red Iguana is more like the real deal.

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Second pic in front of the Red Iguana

Loved their killer mole sauces.

Mole heaven



We ended the weekend by attending the Mormon Tabernacle Choir live  broadcast in the Conference Center.  A most moving concert indeed.


The Tabernacle Choir practicing...
It was so much fun to visit the place of my roots with my dear family.

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

T-Day2013


Food...Family....and Fun...that is what Thanksgiving is all about.

We started out the day with our annual hike...this year we went to the Stanford Dish. 

"It's a big antenna" -Max
Matt and Adeline

It was wonderful to take in the fresh air on a  most beautiful sunny day. You can see things are quite dry around here still...we need rain....lots of it.

Under a big Oak
Matt and Adeline
Here is everybody sans Matt....he's our photographer. 
Love the backdrop of the California Oak behind us.

Came home and made rolls (I always use the Lion House roll recipe ... it makes the best) and Ina Garten's Ginger cupcakes .


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My sister Martha hosted our family gathering and had her home decked out in full autumnal decor. Earlier in the week I put together these arrangement for our centerpiece.
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This is my favorite:
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She even decorated to welcome the newest member of our family.


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I don't think Henry can read this chalkboard yet
Matt and Adeline

The crowning jewel of the evening of course is the food.  Everybody brought a dish to share.
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The spread

Duchess Potatoes
Potatoes made my Sophie


Here we are all ready to devour.  So grateful for this bunch.
The whole group
Matt and Adeline
We had to take a bit of a breather after such a scrumptious meal, so the Iphones came out.  So much fun to text and facetime with family who are not with us. We are in the 21st century for sure!

iPhones at thanksgiving dinner

To top off a most wonderful day, we had a scrumptious pumpkin pie made by Adeline...apple pie made by Ms. Costco and my ginger cupcakes.
Hope your day was filled with lots of food .... family.... and fun.

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

The Red Robe

It has been a long while since I've posted here on Packet of Seeds. I just didn't feel like blogging after my mother passed away.  In addition, my dad was in and out of the hospital and had major surgery so my energy was focused on helping my family.    I thought I would take a short break . Well, that short break turned into over nine months.  It is now time to jump back on the blog-wagon....

Four weeks ago I got a call from my pregnant daughter, Adeline, informing me that she had just seen her doctor for her weekly checkup.     Baby "Lamb" wasn't due for another two weeks and her labor hadn't even started.  She had a small tear and had been leaking amniotic fluid for the last few days so they were admitting her to the hospital.  No contractions.  First baby.  I thought to myself, "This is going to me a very long night/day."
  
I soon received a text and pic from Adeline telling me she's all checked in.

Glowing and beautiful and ready to get the ball rolling.  She is looking all to happy...
She will soon experience some of the most excruciating pain e.v.e.r.

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Here I am at El Camino Hospital getting checked in to deliver my sweet Adeline over 26 years ago.


I told Adeline that I was going to Marshall's after work to pick up a robe and slippers for her.  My mother-in-law gave me a nice cozy red velour robe when I was at Kaiser hospital (Santa Clara) having my first baby and I wanted to do the same for my "baby" who was about to have her first baby at Kaiser (Oakland).

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DZ by my side timing contractions with my first born baby
 I had been in labor for a couple of days already.


Me with my sisters and mother gazing through the  nursery window at  sweet Sophia.
That was when they a newborn nursery ...now all the babies stay in the room with their mother.

As I drove into Marshall's parking lot, a sweet feeling of peace overcame me.  I felt my dear mother giving her goodbyes to my soon to be born grandson.  She was telling him all about the loving family who will soon envelop him ... (great) grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins,  and his wonderful parents, who would be nurturing, protecting, teaching, and caring for him while here on earth.  With tears rolling down my cheeks, I just sat there in my car feeling this immense love. I will soon meet my grandson who had just been in the presence of my mother.   I knew all would be ok.

Around midnight I got a text from.Adeline saying she was halfway to the finish line.  I guess this isn't going to take as long as I originally thought!  So I headed to the hospital.

At first Adeline tried to deliver naturally but the pain got too intense and an epidural was ordered up. This is what I saw when I came back in the room....dimmed lights, sleeping dad, and  very quiet.  Epidurals rock.

Adeline in labor at 5:00 in the am...after receiving an epidural
It is wonderful having support and help...labor can be extremely tiring for some..

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Husbands are a wonderful support.
What a  honor it was to share this most miraculous event with my daughter and son-in-law.  What a delight to hear his first sounds.




To touch that soft pink skin.  To gaze into his eyes.

The joy of being a grandma and holding this brand new life in my arms is beyond words.
Bonding with GranZ
Matt and Adeline
I could hold him all day long

So very perfect. And beautiful. And precious.
Day Four
Matt and Adeline