Creative Space Thursday

I've had this fabric sitting in my stash since May. I love the weight and bold print but wasn't sure if I wanted a dress or a skirt.


I decided on the skirt. I followed the directions and messed it up! The pleats are wrong but I like the way the turned out. I love those flat flower pins. I discovered those at a quilting workshop last fall. They are longer than normal pins and they lay flat which is great when you're trying to mark the fabric.

I watched a youtube video on invisible zipper installation and managed to put it in backwards. So there was ripping involved.

Eventually I got it all together. I love how it fits and how it feels. I wish I had made it earlier this year!

The pillows I made my daughter-in-law are now on her couch. You can see them here
As always please check out Kootoyoo for more fun creative spaces this week.

Summer arrived

In a blast! I think this is our 7th day of a major heatwave. We don't usually get these until August so everyone is complaining about how hot it is. Upper 90's if you're wondering with a nice dose of 90% humidity!

So what is the perfect summer temperature for you?

I like it just warm enough to hang out by the pool, if we still had one. Around 80 is good, and zero humidity would be nice. So this week is a good week to stay inside and read.

So what are you reading now?

I'm reading another Charles Martin book. I like his work. As a writer I like to read books that teach me how to write better fiction. His work is filled with excellent examples.




This week Margaret Daley has an interview with me on her blog and there is a chance to win a book if you leave a comment oh her blog so check it out!

Creative Space Thursday

I'm thrilled! I actually completed a sewing project. These are the pillows--now covered that Sara requested. Last week I had a photo of the fabric up for Creative Space, not sure if I would find the time to make them.

I forget that there are projects that can be made quickly this is one of them. Now I'm thinking about recovering a few of my own pillows...thinking because I have so much stuff in my sewing room that needs to be done. Anyone else like that? If I don't get the t-shirts and skirts made I won't get to wear them this year.

As always please check out Kootoyoo for more fun creative spaces this week.

Front Porch Living

I'm joining the garden party, except it's a party for one! Me. All it took was some scooting of furniture to a better arrangement, some soap and water a few things found inside and a vase of flowers from target. Now I can say--
Summer is here!
A friend of mine mentioned she saw a firefly making it officially summer for her.

For me it's getting the porch clean and ready to relax with a glass of tea that's so cold it drips with sweat. A good book to read and I'm ready to enjoy my summer.

Last night was my official start of summer. We went to the Cardinals baseball game. If we are lucky we get to go in June. The day had been rain-filled and I thought for sure we wouldn't get to go. By game time it cleared and the game was on. It was a little humid and hot, still the cotton candy tasted amazing. Is there anything that says summer like cotton candy and the crack of a bat against a ball?

A little boy of about 3 sat behind us. He asked his mom if they could go home. He said, "I don't get this."

Someday he will.

Want to see other garden party places?

Review: Sunset Beach

Sunset Beach by Trish Perry
Harvest House Publishers
ISBN:978-0-7369-2675-1

Sunset Beach has a cabin that Sonny Miller can’t wait to rent. Her mom has promised her a week anywhere she chooses for her graduation gift. Sonny has plans for more than relaxing though. What Sonny’s mother doesn’t know is Sonny is determined to use her new psychology degree to get answers she’s wanted for years, like who is Sonny’s father?

Sonny has few plans to throw her mom off balance. She’s invited her mom’s sister, Melanie to spend the week too. A sister Sonny didn’t know her mom had until she hired a private investigator. Melanie has a few secrets of her own about Sonny’s mom and the identity of her father.

Sonny’s mom is on to her though, she knows Sonny is going to want something from her this week and she’s not going to give her the chance to uncover secrets. She’s brought along a surprised guest of her own, the charming Irina, her protégé. She’ll have to spend most of her time working with Irina which should protect her from Sonny’s prying into her past.

And if that’s not enough there is a hunk of gorgeous, that shows up from Sonny’s past.

Perry brings this delightfully light yet, serious book full circle by the end. I’d recommend it for a beach read or airplane ride. It has enough of a relaxing setting that you can feel the sand in your toes and yet has plenty of intrigue to make you turn the page.

Book Signing Day

Saturday was my first ever bookstore book signing. You can tell by my necklace I was a bit freaked out. I was moving a lot!

The day started off great with my family taking me for lunch and getting me set up at Words of Wisdom.






There were a lot of people coming through the doors and I signed a lot of books.










What made the day so much fun was having friends stop by to get a copy of Hearts on the Road. This is Les, my husband's childhood friend. He wanted to stand and have a photo shoot with a someday famous author. He's so funny!








Ed, my husband and Les wanted to look scholarly so thought the foreground should have the books in the photo.

There were many people that day to make it special. I can't name them all, I wish I could but I'd leave someone out I'm sure.

I have to say thanks to Rhonda Langefeld for suggesting me to the store for the signing. Someday I'll be waiting in line to get her book. I can't wait!

And a thank you hug goes out to Sara, my daughter-in-law for helping me with all the sales!

Friday's Sadness

Things are not always what they seem. I know that, everyone knows it. So why do we continually allow ourselves to be surprised or in my case shocked?

This sweet innocent cat, Wendell who loves to sit on my lap while I'm writing, smash into my back when I'm sleeping and purrs so with the power of a chain saw, shocked me today.
Wendell went out for his morning look around. He came to the door. I opened it and he ran past me, nothing unusual about that, he likes to eat the food bowl is where he runs when he comes inside. A few minutes later I heard thumping.

I ignored it thinking he wanted more food.

Then he came around the corner with a bird in his mouth, not a tiny one either. It was huge. I felt so bad for that bird.
He didn't make it.
I buried the bird and grounded Wendell.
He no longer is on my lap while I'm writing. He's upstairs in his basket.

All is not as it seems.

Creative Space Thursday

Last week I was busy painting and making the bathroom from under the sea to ME. Here's a before and after photo, what do you think? I framed the daylilliy shots and love that I'm using my own art.


I love this fresh version and I get to use my small collection of carnival glass, not something I would have dreamed of with three boys in the house. I think painting the counter made the biggest difference.











Still excited about shooting photos of living things I tried a to capture the bee in the magnolia blossom. Hubs planted this tree two days ago and it's blooming! I used the flower setting on my camera.









Next weeks project is to make pillow covers for my daughter-in-law. The fabric she found is a nice heavy weight home dec material.


As always I'm still trying to fit my fun stuff in with my writing. Writing usually wins. This week I had my first ever radio interview. I can't figure out how to get the mp3 on blogger, sorry. I think it sounded okay, I was really scared, afraid I'd do a lot of thinking and not talking.

As always please check out Kootoyoo for more fun creative spaces this week.

Tornado!

photos from local photographers

Last night I was busy preparing dinner, something I don't do much of any more and Ed came in and said, "It doesn't look good out there. I'm thinking we should get in the closet."

"Now? But I'm making dinner, I have to get the asparagus in the microwave in case the power goes off."

"I think it can wait. We should get the cat and get in the closet." Ed looks for the cat and I continue cutting the asparagus into tiny angles.

Hail starts pounding the side of the house. The lights flicker. I really should get in the closet. I cut faster.

"Found the cat, he's already in the closet." Ed paces from window to window. "It's sheets of rain. We should get in the closet."

I pop the bag of asparagus into the microwave and turn it on. "I'm ready." I look out the kitchen window. "It looks really bad out there we should get in the closet!"

"So I've said." Hubby waits for me and we climb in the tiny spot under the stairs, next to the water heater and cat litter box.

The microwave dings just as the storm quiets. "Well, not sure if we needed to get in that closet, Ed."

The phone rings, it's my mom, then his mom, then our son. Everyone is okay. Then we watched the news. I think we should build a safer, bigger closet. Next time, dinner can wait.

Creative Space Thursday June 4

This week has been about creating a new space!
We have a bathroom that our boys used for years. It had a rose colored counter from the 70's! And the rest of the bathroom was a blue mess that I tried to faux paint to look like denim. I painted the counter white! It worked. I was doubtful that it would but it came out quite nicely. The room is now a silver white. I don't have it all together yet so no photos of the bathroom.
The fun part was trying to create from what I already have. I didn't have anything to put on the walls so I thought I'd try making my own art. The daylillies are blooming and I got creative with my photoshop elements. I made several some with just the flower in color, then the sky, then the leaves, I decided to go with the black and white with an overlay to sharpen it. Still need to get them in the frames and on the wall. I'm liking the way the room is looking. CLEAN!

As always please check out Kootoyoo for more fun creative spaces this week. Everyone is hunting for hearts, can you find mine?