Aprons for the Crawfish Boil

My Studio

Table Cloth

Table Cloth

OK, I have been having so much fun, I didn't really mean too. I told you about the tow adarondack chairs I bought and the pillow cases I made-it worked by the way. We had severe weather last night and high winds and my chairs-didn't move an inch!! YIPEE Well, I needed something for a centerpiece on the table and I found the perfect "firepit"! It is so cool and has a glass vase that will protect the fire with the wind. But it needed more-a table cloth. I had some extra fabric from the cushions & pillows I had made so I pulled them out. Originally I was just going to make a quick red cloth, because I have a long list of projects and this was not one of them, but it quickly became a major project-of course!! I cut out the pattern from some of the left over fabric from the pillows and appliqued them in leaf and flower patterns. It looks so cool!! I learned a few things-which is the idea- and I am sure there is more to know. I used thread paint and embellished the appliques. Patience!!!! It takes a long time and I could have done a whole lot more but I feel pretty good with the way it turned out. I am going to take it to B Sew Inn and find out some tricks of the trade to have made the outcome not pucker quite so much and definitely not use the web fusing that gums your needle. there has to be a better way. I have all the stabilizers and I'm thinking I should have used one of them. But it started off as just playing and I wanted to use the old stuff first. Not really a good idea. So, I spent most of the day yesterday and today but I got it done. I wanted to finish it before Chris came home so I could surprise him. I think he is going to like it.
I loved this project-it was so fun. I didn't have any clear vision of the final project and each step was a surprise. Even if I thought I had an idea, when I would start sewing the machine may have had a different plan. lol
Anyway, I have totally enjoyed this project. Chris asked me today if me or Marie had started missing work yet---NO WAY!!!
Talk to you later!!

Mother's Day

Well, last week was not my best. I did not feel well for most of the week, I had something stuck in my digestive track and it was making me miserable. It didn't really start out that way, I spent the last couple of weeks focusing on my studio, so I had to do some housecleaning-that's probably why I was cranky, lol. Anyway, Monday I washed windows, starting with the back of the house, which by the way is nothing BUT windows. I was really looking forward to that, seriously, it was that continued need to bond with my home, washing down the brick and cleaning the siding, finally being able to see out the windows, having that feeling of accomplishment. OMG, they were awful!! So much pollen this year. I got all my tools together, I looked like a professional. I had my scrubber and squeegee armed with a roll of paper towels. It was a beautiful day and I so much enjoyed being outside. Did I mention I was cleaning inside and out? Oh yeah, I'm crazy! By the end of the day I was absolutely exhausted. I didn't finish until around 7:00. Chris was laughing-a job that would take him an hour I turn into an all day affair! Well, that would have been fabulous if it really would have been done in 1 day!! The next lovely morning when the beautiful sun shines thru, you got it-STREAKS!!! Ohhh, I was so damn mad. I did everything right, exactly the way they said to. I was still so tired but had to finish what I started, lucky for me I am now bonded to my home and will leave this to the professionals next time!! :) So, on Tuesday, I tried to fix it, recleaning what I could see. Did I mention all the furniture was moved into the center of the room, so it felt like everything was a mess! I had bought the good stuff, put in all the work, it should have been perfect but it wasn't. urghh!! I dropped Chris off at the airport around 2:30 and went to WalMart. Marie told me she uses Windex outdoor cleaner and it works great. I bought the kit, came home and RE-washed the outside windows. It was way easier than Monday, although I keep telling myself it was because of all the work I did on Monday. Anyway, by Wednesday, I was able to put the finishing touches and finally say I finished the windows! And they are BEAUTIFUL I might add!! I worked the whole day on cleaning, and more cleaning. Wednesday is our day with Essa, it was also Cinco de Mayo and Jordan wanted to cook tacos for dinner. She invited Jordan, her new boy-friend :), Jacobi, Neal, Meagan & Essa. I wasn't really up to it but she did all the shopping and prep work while I was cleaning. Jacobi picked up Essa and we had ourselves a party!! We had soo much fun. Jordan fits right in, he is so fun and easy and the best part Jacobi was nice!! She is usually such a little hard ass being so protective of Jordan. She doesn't let new people into our lives without first intimidating them, lol. It's true, we all told her she had to be nice!! At the end of the evening, she was telling "new" Jordan, how he was spared her normal "Lovely" self and that she didn't feel like she needed to be mean and that she really likes him-WHAT??? It was crazy-but so nice!! The kids all got along and were having such fun. But the best part of the night was Neal holding Essa, she had been a little fussy, not really finding a comfortable position. Neal picked her up and within minutes little Essa was relaxed, leaning up against his chest-snuggling. She just stayed there watching all of us-it was so darn cute. It sayed alot about Neal to me, he has such a gentle nature about him. I love him!! If these two boys stay in our lives, I believe I would have the best boys for my girls. Hmmm, time will tell. Thanks to Meagan-little matchmaker.
The rest of the week, I continued with the housecleaning kick. I worked in the yard on Thursday, thinning my plants in the garden, adding a couple of new plants and weeding. I also added something kind of hookey-a Topsy Turvey, tomatoe and herb planter. Chris is going to die! I had mentioned it before and he thought those things were rediculous BUT..he's not here, so I got one!! It is so fun and looks so cool in my garden area. I put lots of good smellings herbs and planted yellow tomatoes and stuck in there some red. On the other side I have red tomotates planted-it is going to be so beautiful when the are mature, some growing from the ground up and the otherside top down!! I can't wait to take a picture.
Friday was such a perfect day. I went to War Eagle, a crafts fair, found a lovely rug hand woven by some menonites and the coolest set of stoneware dishes-8 piece place setting-matte white on the outside and bright glossy orange on the inside. Now, as soon as you heard orange, you knew I had to have them!! lol But really, I got the whole set for only $15.00!! I couldn't believe it, they were actually calling my name. I knew one of my girls would love them-eventually, since they both still live at home, lol. I then headed back into town and went to another crafts fair. I was doing research-and maybe a little shopping-fun, fun, fun!! I found the coolest candle for outside, I have been looking for something for my outside table but my backyard is such a wind tunnel that when I saw this I knew it was perfect. I just love it-so awesome!! Then, to make the day better, I went and got my hairdone-life doesn't get better than that!!! Needless to say, I was feeling a whole lot better. I have also had so much fun with Jordan, listening to how excited she is about her new relationship and how everything little thing is such a big deal. I remember that-it is so exciting. He invited her over for dinner Friday night-he was cooking- and she is so excited she can hardly stand it. I love her energy and innocence, her positive, upbeat attitude, it is absolutely contagous.
Saturday, the girls celebrated Mother's Day with us and took Grandmother, Francille and I out for lunch to Olive Garden and to a movie-Date Night-which is hilarious by the way. It was such a nice day. the girls are so fun and such good friends now-I love it!! Saturday night they both went out together-they are so darn cute!!
Sunday, I enjoyed the morning with Jordan, she made breakfast, then packed to head back to Conway to study for her last final on Tuesday. But first, she was making a pit stop and having coffee with Jordan before heading out of town. Yeah, that lasted all day, LOL!! I think it was 4:00 before she left town. I think its official-she is in deep like!! I enjoyed my day working in my studio. I finally got back there after being gone for a week. I loved it. I started a project that I had no intention of doing-its not on my list, lol. Anyway, I bought 2 resin adirondack chairs for the backyard but I knew they would blow away and had to figure our how to weight them down. I had a briiliant idea-sandbags. I made sandbag pillows, and they look so cute and they work. Chris can't imagine what I was doing with sand!! I then set out to make a "quick" table cloth. Yeah, that didn't work, but it is going to be so cool!! I am using fabric that matches my pillows and appliqueing onto my cloth then stitch painting!! It is sooo cool!! So, there is my week, and I am off to finish my table colth-YIPPEE.
Talk to you later.......

Bug Boil

OK, so a Bug Boil is our annual scholarship fundraiser for U of A in memory of DC Lind III and in honor of DC we had a blast! It was his tradition, the only thing he probably would of hated how big it has gotten. So, on Thursday, we head over to Curt & Sarah's annd start making the gumbo. There were 3 cases of onions, celery, and bell peppers that all need to be cut, not to mention the mountains of Italian Sausage and Chicken that was cooked. We have it down pretty good by now, the cooking is all done in the garage and we cut up all the vegetables in the kitchen using our cuisanarts. So between good company and little sips of whatever spirits you enjoy, its great fun-not work. Friday night, we all get back together and make the rue and take some things over to Damian's house where the party is, although Chris and I didn't make it over until late because we were getting a bunch of stuff done at the house to take with us. Chris was making a new purge board-they lost the one from the year before????-anyway, he was cleaning all the pots and ice chests, getting the burners loaded-lots of stuff. I was having a little crisis of my own trying to finish the aprons before we left. I have managed to screw up one of my sewing machines and so I got on my new one-not completely comfortable on that one, had to call the sewing center (again) for help! Then I broke the needle and went to replace it and the thing droppped down into the bobbin area and everytime I tried to great it, it just fell further-urgghh!! I then had a little break down.........I so wanted to take these to the Linds on Friday, I was furious with myself. So, I went into to my room and calmed down for a bit, then went back to it. I figured since the needle was laying on the floor of the bobbin case that maybe I could still sew and it wouldn't harm anything-I was right, thank goodness. So, while Chris was busy with his stuff I worked intently on mine and we both finished at the same time-9:05 pm!! Crazy, we hadn't had dinner and we were both wound pretty tight, sooo, we got us a little drink and headed to Curts. We hadn't missed much, that were just starting on the rue----??? Hello, what have you been doing???? Oh, yeah-drinking!! The party had started!! By the time we got there even Chris and I were feeling pretty happy since it didn't take much on an empty stomach. Chris was hilarious teasing Rod and Paula about the Hampton's being the mini-storage for them. They got some stuff for Christmas to use at our tailgates and it was shipped off to us via Eric-so funny, I love them!! I was able to give them the aprons, which by the way turned out so fricken awesome-if I do say so myself!!! They loved them, and were so touched! Paula wore here's all night but the boys were afraid of getting them dirty. But the best part was the next day when I should up to the main event and Eric and Rod were both wearing theirs!! They looked so cute!!! I had people coming up to me asking if I would make one for them!!! They loved them!! Later, Eric told me he had a conversation with Curt that the aprons were such a big hit and maybe we should auction them off to add more money-Curt's response was, somethings there is no amount of money that is worth selling it for. AWHHH!! I tell you, I wanted to cry!! That was what is was all about. They were made with love-just for the Linds!! I was so happy I did them-Thanks to Rod it was his idea to make aprons!! I have now started a new tradition!!
The boild wa a blast as I have said, all the kids were there and their friends, they always tease us when Jacobi responds with 20 for the Hamptons!! I love all of our kids, they are such fun!! But the most memorable part of the evening was Jordan meeting and new friend, boy, also named Jordan. OMG, all of us Mom's fell in love with him!! So did Jordan (Hampton) He is the cutest thing ever and Beth was hilarious, she was like-he gets it!! He is precious inside and out. Well, to move on Meagan became a little matchmaker and told Jordan (boy) she had the perfect girl for him and to wait with me for a minute. She then went and told Jordan H she had the perfect boy for her and brought her back over to us----the rest is history as they say. From that point forward they were inseperable. :))) They are so damn cute together. Sunday, he texted her first thing and by the end of the day they have another date planned. Cuties and Mom approved!! lol
In addition to the boil, I had a pretty busy week scheduled. I made a committment to myself that I would reach out to my friends that I have not been able to keep up with and reconnect. It is so easy and just like me to crawl into my shell and hibernate but I was not going to allow myself to do that. So, I called 2 old friends and had lunch with them, one on Thursday in Rogers and one Friday in Alma. It was wonderful seeing them again, especially Brenda-I have missed her so much and love her to pieces!! I have also been putting myself out there and making new friends-I promise, I will not cut myself off. I am going to continue to travel paths unknown to me or uncomfortable. I know its sounds crazy because I am such a social creature but I love my alone time and can get buried in it and then.......depressed. I love people but am not great at letting too many get very close to me-but that is yesterdays news!! I am reaching out and making an effort. I made a couple of new friends at the boil and I really want to get to know them better. One of the girls and I bonded over artichokes, seriously!! We had artichokes in our boils and most people would leave the best part the heart. At one point it was just her and I left at the table eating artichokes and she mentioned she makes a killer stuffed artichoke??? Who ever heard of such a thing, so I had to ask her how? She told me step by step and was intrigued that i knew what she was talking about and even more so when I told her how I made them then she said---are you Italian? I laughed so hard, why yes-why? She is too and just knew I had to be to know how to make artichokes..Pretty funny stuff, of course I had to mention the fact that my family are farmers in Calif and we had all the best vegetables ever and it was my grandmother who introduced me to my love of them and she was--Danish!! So funny!! That was it--we were bonded for the rest of the night.
So for today, I must get caught up on mundane how chores-cleaning windows today-house tomorrow. When really all I want to do is go to my studio and work!! I have I mentioned how much I love it in there......:)
Oh yeah, my nice orderly life is about to change-Jordan is moving home!!
Talk to you later...
Robin
PS, I almost forgot one of the most exciting things that happened to me last week. I GOT A JOB!! Well, kind of, Brenda called and hired me to do the decorating at Brooke's wedding--yippee!! I have some catching up to do-been out of the wedding scene for awhile. This is the most fun journey!! Stay tuned........