Mad Men Anyone?

I felt like I was walking onto the set of Mad Men when I went to my sweet sister-in-law's house. Katy Lee has decorated her house delightfully! I almost felt like smoking but I stopped myself.

Retro light fixture that screams 1950.

Love the chairs!

Cute endtables...is the one on the left a nesting table? Tres chic!

What a beauty is this? I actually had heels on that day and I'm so glad I did. I would have probably been turned away at the door if I hadn't been cutely dressed.

I can just picture Katy gingerly strolling in her Betty Crocker dress to the door. She would have a plate of appetizers already prepared and ask if she could make me a cocktail. She's just so sweet and clearly born in the wrong era. Hang in there Katy...Mad Men will tide you over!

Coffee Shop Breakfast

While in Santa Fe, my friends and I had breakfast at the Flying Star Cafe. It is such an awesome atmosphere that has good food and great coffee!

Industrial looking storefront at the train station!

Appetizing counter...

Mags to read while waiting for FRESH food...
There's precious Jess, reading about "mommyhood."

Ah....the fresh food is ready! This is one of the few places I've been where they serve Hot Mochas in regular glasses. Bonus for the dollar!

These are Rise and Shine Sandwiches with bagels, green chili scrambled eggs and cheese with a side of green chili turkey sausage. Our vacation dollars always go to food!


Exceptional ambiance -

I have to say that each Flying Star/Satellite Coffee is unique and worth a look see. They all have their own character and feel. So whether you are in Santa Fe or Albuquerque, any one of them would be a great stop.

Amazing scultpure!

Anytime you are in Santa Fe, please visit this wonderful cafe at the train station. It's so close to everything with cute shops and local artisans on every corner...definite must see!

take a peek... http://www.flyingstarcafe.com/

Mountain Cabin and Adobe Houses

Mountain Cabin view...New Mexico mountains. The mountains of New Mexico bring me back to a time of no cares. They make you realize the present moment and breathe it in! The pine trees whisper like a waterfall and the blue mountain backdrop makes you feel like you're in a movie.

This is the beauty of the morning!

I was lucky enough to get a ride with my dear friends to Santa Fe, where I picked up a train to Albuquerque. It was a wonderful ride and the price for the Rail Runner? $7 one way...total deal!

Here's what I saw on the ride...

This adobe structure is in town and looks like it's on the road to restoration.

View leaving Santa Fe. Big, blue sky and sandy, stone colored houses.

Authentic adobe home and horno. The adobe is clay and mud baked or dried and built into a home. Adobe homes are very good at maintaining cool temps in the summer and staying warm in the winter. What is a horno? It's a clay oven used by Pueblo Indians to bake. These are still used and admired. I can't imagine cooking without a temperature control, so I completely admire and respect the ones who can look at the steaming, hot coals and say, "it's ready."

One last view of a dwelling and horno...

There's just no place like Santa Fe. Somehow there is an energy there that surrounds you and makes you realize what enchantment really is.

Tornado Alley

Driving back into OK, I was welcomed by tornadic activity. That's what the weather forecasters really like to say "tornadic activity." I think this cloud is called an anvil cloud and, yes, it did develop into a tornado. It was very far away so I was completely safe.

This one however was a little closer to me....yikes!

I think this one is called a thunderhead that developed into tornado about 10 minutes after I took the picture.

This is my completely worried son looking on the Oklahoma map for some of the towns the news was calling out. He wanted to see how close they were to us (even though it's on the TV screen, it made him feel better).

Not a very clear picture, but he's clearly worried.

Sewing Club and Friends

Here's how sewing club starts. We all greet each other and see who was able to make it, then we unload our finds and possessions on the table for sharing. To some, it looks like fiber mayhem, but to others it's fiber bliss!

...antique buttons from Kara...
and the sewing stash...

...burp cloth making by Stephanie...

...hairbows by little Lily

(thanks for the help Kara)...

...and button bobbypins from Jessica. We love getting together and sharing with each other. Yes, there is a little bit of familial venting while sewing, but I think it's very healthy. Didn't grandma say "love in every stitch?" I think some of that love was coping!

Heather Bailey Tomato

I made this tomato pin cushion this weekend and I love it! I bought a pattern from www.heatherbailey.com and it was very easy to follow. I used Heather Bailey fabric, felt, and ric rac. She has amazing collections and, I promise, you will fall in love!

This is the extra-long needle I used to tuft the tomato. There is a button on the top and the bottom which is great because it hides the mess of bunching the fabric together.

Tomato display....

Peonies

Beautiful Peonies. I wish you could smell them through the computer screen! They are absolutely Heavenly!!! They only bloom once a year (like tulips and lillies) so when they are out, you have to, you must, stop and smell the peonies.
I picked these a couple of days ago and used a recycled drink jar for my vase. I don't think it does the peonies unjustness, but rather brings a spin of old world charm. I had to bring them to my office so I could enjoy them all week long.

Antique Porch Glider - Part II

Recap from Part I ....the zipper getting pinned to the gusset.



I know this looks like a repair job with the tape on my sewing machine but I actually put the tape down so my daughter could use it as a guide for her quilt. There are measurements on the machine right by the presser foot but I was trying to teach her how to line up the fabric at the very front of the machine and guide the fabric all the way through. It's an easy technique if you're not sure about your placement.

This is an encounter that happens when you don't have a pattern and think you can just "wing it." I was a little short on the length of this piece so I added about and 1 1/2 to the end....which you can clearly see because it's a striped pattern. Oh well, we'll put that in the back!




Now, on to the pillows.
I wanted to recycle some old pillows because I liked the firmness (and I found them in the closet). So I measured each piece and laid them on the fabric as if I was going to wrap it like a present. I also wanted to be sure I had enough fabric and best placement for 3 pillows.





These strips are for the trim on one pillow. I'm going to make them all coordinate but want them to be just a little different.



I'm pinning the strips to one piece and then I'll put the other on top
to sandwich the strip inside with rights sides facing each other (the bright, pretty side). Don't forget to leave an opening so you can turn the pillow to the pretty side out.




And here we go! Turn the pretty side out and push the corners to that crisp, sharp corner with a dull pencil. Insert your pillow form or stuff to desired firmness.



And the final product................. TAAAADAAAAA!

Antique Porch Glider - Part I

Gliders are actually a thing of the past and have come back around in recent years. The family bought this antique glider for mom (a couple of years ago) and it's gotten a lot of attention. From picking it up, sand blasting, storing, painting, picking out fabric, making cushions and pillows, and finally pictures! Word of the day? DEADLINE...Mother's Day!

Wow....here's the visual story of the cushions...

Here's the layout on the floor. I know it's not very glamorous, but when there's big cushions, this is the only space I have.

Measure, measure, measure. I layout the pieces to be sure the stripes go in the right direction.

After I cut out the pieces, I cut the last piece so I could insert a zipper. Who knows when this might get washed and I need to leave the option open. Zippers are wonderful things and are nothing to be afraid of. I treated it like one more strip of fabric and put a gusset on each side so I could sew the whole line up the entire length of the cushion. What is a gusset? It's a strip I sewed on each end of the zipper, exactly the same width as the zipper.

Then I stuffed the huge cushion inside the tiny 22 inch hole while my husband watched me from a distance wrestling the fabric.

And whaaalaaaa. Stuffed and zipped!