In search of bluebonnets...

I don't really need a scientist, doctor, transcendentalist or psychotherapist to tell me of the virtues of being on the water.  An evening boating on a lake, one of America's great pastimes, is proof enough of the healing, recuperative powers of water.

With Spring in full force and summer around the corner, we were once again drawn to the lake.  There is something magical about floating across the waves, drifting slowly by the green hillsides, still Spring fresh, and taking in the fragrance of the lake air, ripe with California Lupin.

It's Dave's boat, so I guess I have to say that we went out on the gorgeous Sunday afternoon for Pu-Pus and wine, and to see the "bluebonnets". I had seen them earlier this month all along the roadside on the way up to Mom's.  They are luscious and plentiful this year, so I had an inkling that the shores of the lake would be equally decked in the fragrant blue blooms.

We were not disappointed. I tell you, there is nothing better than being on the water with good friends, a nice chardonnay, some BBQ ribs, fresh orzo salad and a host of other treats....floating past the banks, adorned with Dave's Texas bluebonnets.  You had to be there...it's music for your soul.

Laurel. He says bluebonnets, I say Lupin...but who cares?

No Dove on my face, BUT...

Beauty: Noun \ˈbyü-tē\

1) the quality or aggregate of qualities in a person or thing that gives pleasure to the senses or pleasurably exalts the mind or spirit : "loveliness"

I am forever intrigued by the minds of the people in advertising, both the genius and the somewhat warped. Knowing that we are but pawns in the minds of a group of brainiac nerds ramped up on Red Bull who dream up ways to move our feet to  the stores and our pocketbooks to give up their cash.

Despite the momentary intrigue of "how did they ever come up with that", most ads leave us flat. They are fodder for the fast forward button. We are not moved. However, there are moments in the world of marketing ploys and sales gimmicks that grab us by the heartstrings.  It doesn't happen very often because we are so jaded by the general sense of falseness and mistrust that we have come to expect after years of spending money on cleaning products that don't clean, knives that don't cut and lotions that don't magically erase wrinkles.

Like millions of women, I was struck by the latest online video from Dove, that soap with "one quarter moisturizing cream in it". Dove launched a "real beauty" campaign back in 2005 as they found that so few of us women consider ourselves to be "beautiful". The video shows a forensic artist who draws some women without ever seeing them based solely on their own descriptions of themselves.  He then asks another person to describe that same women and he creates a second drawing.


The resulting drawings when compared side by side show how distorted our visions of ourselves have become. Clearly, we don't see ourselves objectively, and certainly not like others see us. One subject even credited her mother's view of her "big" jaw, another spoke of her big forehead, another of her protruding chin. All negative. And why is that, I would ask?

The naysayers of the video believe that we spend far too much time defining ourselves by how we look and bemoan our efforts to constantly "fix" ourselves.  There is a thread of truth in that view - the giant cosmetics industry is proof .  But more to the point, we don't see ourselves realistically, beautiful or not. I admit that the video caused a little twitching in my soul and a tear to my eye, as I realized that like so many women, my vision of myself has been largely impacted by my gawky growing up years. Because I never "felt" pretty on the outside, it took years to undo the negative self talk that had become my habit over the years.

Though the Dove ad may outwardly focus on being "more beautiful than you think", its undercurrent message hits at the heart of the issue.  It's about how we have learned to drill down into our flaws and make them who we are. Like it our not, there are precious few of us women who can see past the crow's feet and age spots to the beautiful women we are. Plain and simply put, our outward beauty comes from within. And ultimately, if more of us saw ourselves as God sees us, we wouldn't worry so much about it anyway.

Laurel. A beautiful mess.

Jewelry for a good cause..

Every once in a while I am asked to donate a piece of my jewelry to support a worthwhile non-profit organization, usually for an event or gala. Though I haven't been making much jewelry lately as I have focused on dressing Colette and knitting, I am happy to do it.

A friend asked that I donate one of my one of a kind necklaces and I just happen to have several worthy contenders.  The event is a fundraiser for the Performing Arts of Roseville to be held on April 24 at Sammie Hagar's restaurant at 238 Vernon St., Roseville, CA 95678. Live music, great food and some silent auction items.  That where I come in. (In fact, if you're in the Sacramento area, you may just want to grab a bite at Sammy's that evening - a portion of your check goes to benefit the performing arts.)

One of these lucky necklaces will be there and hopefully find a new home with an enthusiastic "patron" of the arts!!

1). Fused Glass (yes I made it) with free-form bead work...

2.) Hammered silver wire with turquoise

3.) Stunning bejeweled fob with tiny leaves...

4.) Turquoise and red jasper with one of my twisted wire pendants..

5.) Long necklace with wire wrapped glass, turquoise and jasper...

6.) Turquoise, copper chains and bobbles.

7.) And if they want the big guns ($$$), there's my pearl and shell extravaganza...

So, which one should Lori choose for her event??

Laurel. Support the performing arts!

"Spring has sprung, the grass has riz..."

"...I wonder where the flowers is..."

It's not my favorite time of the year - you all know I'm a "Fall"- but Spring is a close second.  True to the craziness of the weather around the globe, the Valley isn't getting much rain.  While other areas in the East have been digging out of snow piles, we are drying up here like a raisin.

Though they promised rain on Easter Sunday, it was sunny and warm.  Mother Nature dumped a couple of inches of water on us the night before, amid huge claps of thunder and quite a lightening show - just enough rain to wet down the yard and allow for some great mud tracks on the carpet (that's what vacuum cleaners are for:)

Spring is a sign of renewal.  Spring is the color green. It's fresh...and what looked dead actually comes to life again...

Our first rose...

The frost has killed this banana tree every year, but it forges on...

I love to add some Spring touches around the house...

I'm not traditionally a big "Spring Cleaner", but I tried that cream of tarter paste thingie that I saw on Pinterest on my grimy toaster...like all Pinterest hints, some work, some not so much.  I'll give this hint an 8 out of 10.

And of course, with the warmer weather, Colette needed some new fashion...

I love Stone Mountain and Daughters fabrics in Berkeley, CA. I'm headed down there again next week with an old friend to pick up some more knits for summer.

And finally, a poem for you...for Spring.  I wanted to write it myself, but I am fresh out of wit this morning. This classic below, although considered rather "melancholy", actually gave me a little snicker...

Spring

By Edna St. Vincent Millay 1892–1950

To what purpose, April, do you return again?

Beauty is not enough.

You can no longer quiet me with the redness

Of little leaves opening stickily.

I know what I know.

The sun is hot on my neck as I observe

The spikes of the crocus.

The smell of the earth is good.

It is apparent that there is no death.

But what does that signify?

Not only under ground are the brains of men

Eaten by maggots.

Life in itself

Is nothing,

An empty cup, a flight of uncarpeted stairs.

It is not enough that yearly, down this hill,

April comes like an idiot, babbling and strewing flowers. 

Laurel. Bring ye the flowers, O yard...

"Oh, just shopping for pin cushions.."

I was talking to an old friend last evening on the phone and we hadn't touched base in several months. Our conversation was interrupted several times by the small voice of her sweet little grandson who evidently wanted her undivided attention.  She did the thing that all of us grandmas do..."Say hi to Laurel, honey".  And he does the same thing all kids do when presented with a mandatory courtesy..."Hi Woral!" You try to start a conversation but their attention is fleeting, and they are only on the line long enough to melt your heart. (Cute as a bug, this kid!)

When we resumed our conversation, she asked me what we'd "been up to lately", and I found that I struggled to find something interesting to tell her.  We haven't been on an exciting vacation...we haven't bought a new car...no body's getting married...no new grand kids. It occurred to me that as I ran the litany of recent events over in my mind, I didn't have anything more exciting to relate than working in yard, knitting and sewing, etc. I elected not to mention the three hours I spent sorting beads or my recent TV fixation on Project Runway, Chopped and The Good Wife.

To say that I am beginning to settle into senior living might be an overstatement, but I have to say that to most people, my life is not very exciting. The irony of it is that I have spent most of my adult years pushing through a myriad of activities and work going 100 mph, so I am often surprised how much I love this more relaxed time in my life. I still have to work at slowing down and enjoying the moment - a lifetime of Type A behavior is not easily changed.

Just this past week, I set out early one morning with a list of boring errands in hand, determined to check them off my list - there's that hurry up Type A creeping in. After several hours of buzzing around town, I drove by a little shop on Sutter Street in old Folsom that I have been eyeing for years, but never visited. Kudos to me as I was able to "recalculate", turn the car into a parking area and stroll across the street to this adorable little vintage shop fully loaded to the hilt. The visual feast of pretty lace things, china and home accessories was overwhelming, but strangely calming.

Amid some delicate tea cups on a shelf, I spotted a little pin cushion adorned with several corsage pins. It got me thinking that during my recent flurry of sewing activity I have been totally frustrated with my pin holder (when you get older, your brain starts working in this disjointed way!).  Anyway, my pin holder is magnetic and I've dropped it twice this week, splattering the pins across the carpet - I guess the magnet is tired.

The little cushion in the shop was very cute and very soft, however it was tiny. I have tried other pin holders and cushions and they all have that aspect in common -  they are too small or they are too hard.

For instance, I love this Mary Englebrite cushion, but it's too small.

And forget these old fashion tomato cushions...Just goes to show ya, they just don't make 'em like they use to.  These newer cushions are hard as a rock - you need a hammer to push a pin into them and they slide all over your table as you try to manhandle the pins into them.

As I wandered around the shop, suddenly focused on pin cushions (again, that senior brain is easily distracted) I spotted this small pink pillow in the baby area. I looked at the tag and it was originally from Nordstrom, so I rather doubt that it was technically vintage.  But it was "weighty", meaning it I would not have to hold it in place every time I stuck a pin it it.  It was soft, yet firm enough to hold my pins.  And, I reasoned, it would look so cute beside my sewing machine!

So the next time I chat on the phone with an old friend, I'm wondering how impressed she'd be if I told her I found the most adorable pin cushion? Probably not too much. But It made my day!!

Laurel.  It's all about the little things in life.

Colette earns her keep...

Purchasing a dress form may seem like an extravagance if you don't sew like a professional dress designer.  To get a good quality form you will be emptying your wallet to say the least. Hence, some might say that you need to sew "a lot" to make it worth the price tag.

Even though I consider myself to be a pretty dedicated seamstress, I have to admit that Colette languishes in the corner way too much.  I keep her outfitted at all times...she is after all, my mini-me and I don't even like to see myself in the buff, much less look at her lumps and bulges.  When she's not working, she does make a great giant Barbie that I can dress with sweaters, shawls and scarves.

But when Colette is needed, I can not deny how important she is to creating a great fit, whether I'm sewing a garment or knitting a sweater.  Just this morning, I pinned a knitted lace tunic front to her form, just to make sure it was going to fit me.

This is what owning a good dress form is all about. I was at the armhole stage of the top and needed to ensure that the top was going to fit over Colette's chest and still fit properly at the shoulders.

By fitting it on Colette, I could see that how many more stitches I would have to decrease around the armholes. And I was able to see how many more rows I could knit before I started creating the neckline. 

I probably will be deviating from the pattern to ensure that the "scoop" neckline comes to the most flattering place on my chest. 

I say about 16 more rows before I start the neck.

Colette's completed tunic will need a pretty cami underneath - 

I love the way this lace pattern has turned out, but I sure don't want to see my underbelly through it.

This Louisa Harding Merletto yarn is a royal pain to knit - it splits.  But I have to admit, the finished product might be worth the effort. And because it has linen fiber in it, it should drape (hang) well.

One more panel, two short sleeves and it will be ready for the Red Carpet...

okay, maybe the Mall.

Laurel. I love you, Colette.

Sharing today with 

Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice....

When you sew for a child, especially a young girl, you have to expect that the pretty little outfit that you painstakingly put together is probably going to get dirty. That's what Tide is for, right? I remember when I made cute little pinafores and ruffled dressed for my daughter, especially at Easter time, half the fun was picking out the pastel fabric, trims, buttons and lace. As I sewed the seams, I wasn't thinking about climbing trees, turning somersaults on the lawn, or crawling under a bush to retrieve the last chocolate egg.

When I sewed a pretty dress, I never thought of torn pockets, ripped seams or grass stains.  I designed it and put it together as if she were a princess who perched regally on her tiny pink throne with her pet cat and sipped imaginary tea from a tiny china cup. Reality? Not so much.

Despite knowing the reality of childish exuberance, it doesn't seem to hamper the creativeness of the women who come to sew every month for the little girls of impoverished countries via Dress a Girl Around the World.  Saturday was our regular sew fest at Bayside Church, and even though our crowd was light due to the Easter Break, we had a great time creating our signature "pillowcase" dresses - girlish "fru-fru" was alive and well!!

The hum of machines...

Thanks to donations, we were able to get and abundance of colorful bias tapes!

And pretty new panties - one pair for each new dress - folded and put into the pockets of the dress.

A lot of attention is spent on the pockets of each dress.

My watermelon dress...

We love to see "newbies" at our sew fests. 

Completing your first dress is quite an accomplishment!

Choosing fabrics and trims are the ways we seamstresses express ourselves.  

Who doesn't like polka-dots?

  Even if you don't sew, there's plenty to do at a sew fest - ironing casings, cutting bias tape and elastic, matching pockets, etc.

As an aside, my granddaughter finished her second sewing project last week. This adorable little knit top required bias tape facings...tricky, but she powered right through them! I think she is definitely ready for spending a morning with Grandma at the next Dress a Girl sew fest!!!

Visit Dress a Girl Around the World at

Dress a Girl Around the World

Laurel.  Make a difference in the life of one little girl!

It's raining...let's watch movies!!

It's the first day of Spring and it rained. I slept in a little later than normal, the hubby went off to play golf and I was still sporting my pajamas when he came back home, rained out from his game.

I am not accustomed to lounging around all day, but when he suggested we just lay around and watch movies, I decided he might have a good idea.  After all, it's rainy and wet outside.  We watched a total of three movies - two rather violent ones (Most Wanted and Dirty Harry), but we enjoyed our first movie the best: Under the Tuscan Sun.

Every time I watch this movie I want to go to Italy again.  The notion of buying a villa in Tuscany on a whim is the stuff of my dreams. And because I can't go right this minute, why not peruse some of my vacation photos and relive the dream.

Won't you join me?

Laurel. Bellisima!