Goodbye to June

My favorite month is nearing the end.  June is the best for many reasons.  It’s the beginning of Summer (this beach girl’s favorite season,) birthdays, anniversaries, and it’s flanked by two three day weekends, Memorial Day and July 4th…What’s not to love??  It’s sad to see another June ending.  At least there’s still two more months left of summery weather!

 

Speaking of summery weather, for Christmas last year, I received Amy Butler’s Barcelona Skirt pattern, and while exploring some quilt shops on my birthday, I picked up this damask fabric (from the House collection by Annette Tatum for Westminster) to make one out of.  I’m very excited...I just hope I can find the time to make it this summer while I still have a chance to wear it!

True Colors

I’m in the midst of a couple of crazy weeks!  I’ve actually closed my Etsy shop, because I knew I couldn’t handle any custom orders.  (My sewing machine went to the beach?!?)  But knowing the magic words got me to squeeze in a couple custom onesies this evening. 

They’re different color combinations then I’ve done before, and I should have balked at the Mets colors…but I made it anyway.  25% off to anyone who reads this and wants a onesie in real colors, Phillies colors!  Just comment on this post!

Happy Father’s Day!

Why 2 “I heart Grumpa” onesies??

Because Grumpa has twins!  Happy Father’s day to all those dads, grandpas and grumpas out there!

That’s clutch!

Hooray!  I’m finished sewing 7 custom embroidered Bean’s Clutches!  

Not that they weren’t fun, but I can’t wait to get back to some projects for myself!

And here’s a sneak peak from yesterday’s shopping trip:

Monograms for Clutches

 

My current work in progress consists of monogramming Bean’s Clutches for a bridal party.  I’m creating six clutches, plus one for the bride, with single letter monograms.  It’s been relatively fun so far, and I really like the look of the embroidery on oil cloth.  The only problem is finding time to make them!  I’m off to band practice tonight, but maybe I can do a little more when I get home…after all, I don’t have to wake up early to go to work tomorrow.  ;)

I’m getting a little more savvy with creating blog posts, but not so much with editing video.    Hopefully this works:   I’ve added in a video of my sewing machine doing a little bit of the  embroidery….because it’s so much fun to watch!

Don’t forget to check out these clutches at my shop!

Downpour!

Today we experienced two torrential downpours, and we’re not sure we’ll make it through the night without another one.  I don’t mind the rain…except when I’m nervous about it taking the power out and my sewing/embroidering machine along with it! 

Luckily, the power did not go out, and I finished two custom embroidered onesies.  

One of the onesies I created today had a special request for a little duck on.  I think it’s turned out very sweetly!   I can’t wait to find out what she thinks of it.  I might need to add the little duck to my shop as an option.

When I finished embroidering, and it had stopped pouring, I put my L.L.Bean wellies and splashed outside in the puddles!  I bought them for using in the rain and snow (with the warmers,) and they’ve been awesome!  It’s fun to act like a kid sometimes, especially when you’re not getting wet or muddy!

The Secret Recipe for My Favorite Drink

 

It has taken many years, and many bars, restaurants, grocery stores, kitchens and refrigerators to allow my taste buds to make this most educated, highly specified and exceedingly important decision.   Officially, to be noted in blog eternity, my favorite drink is the deliciously lime, never with salt and always on the rocks  Margarita. 

My favorite, and no longer very secret version has three ingredients:  ice,

2 parts Simply Limeade and 1 part Jose Cuervo Silver Tequila.

It makes an incredibly smooth and ultimately refreshing beverage.  The hardest part is not drinking one everyday!

A Bean’s Clutch for Bean

I just finished making myself a new Bean’s Clutch.  Not because I needed one, but because someone asked me if I could custom embroider monograms on clutches for her bridesmaids.   I hate to say “no” and also don’t like saying “yes” to something I’ve never done, so…I made a trial clutch.

First, I made sure I could embroider on oilcloth.   Turns out, not only can I embroider on it, but it pops up off the fabric and looks very classy!   (Just be careful, you can’t iron oilcloth or get it wet, so I’ve heard.  Just like mogwais…)

The other tricky part was getting that monogram centered.   I felt that I was somewhat lucky with this clutch…but I’m not so sure I will be lucky if I have to do this 7 more times. 
Note the painter’s tape!  Since it was a clutch for myself, I sewed together scraps to make a big enough piece of fabric for a clutch.  The juxtaposed fabrics definitely gives my clutch some character!  This could possibly be a new look for Bean’s Clutches.

I really enjoy how my new clutch turned out, and can’t wait to replace it with the one I have in my purse!  However, monogramming adds some significant cost and time to making Bean’s Clutches; maybe I won’t agree to it next time.

F-150

The 1994 Ford Aerostar sitting in the driveway could no longer tow all that life has to offer.  So, MrBeans and I upgraded to a fully loaded Ford F-150 Crew Cab, circa 2001.  (Growing up in Virginia, it’s hard to believe this is my first truck!) We’ve heard that an F-150 will run forever, so we’re hoping it will give us  10 more years of powerful hauling, towing and multiple trips back and forth to Home Depot and Lowes. 

Instead of being creative yesterday, I spent most of it sitting around a dealership …yuck.  Now, I’m making up for it by doing the usual Saturday chores around the house, before finally sitting down to sew.   Currently too lazy to look for my rotary cutter, or do chores,  I think that MrBeans’s day is a mildly more interesting story.

I drive a Prius.  I love the car, and MrBeans and I always joke about it “sipping” gas as we pass by much  larger, less environmentally friendly, gas guzzling vehicles.  (Take note, we just bought a ginormous truck.)  So,  MrB, has spent the past two hours driving back and forth (5 times?)  in this said “new” truck  to his parent’s house to pick up  bucket loads of stone. 

I thought the point of buying a big, powerful truck, was to fill it with _____ all at once, in one trip.  But no.  Why get the sparkly clean bed dirty with a pile of stone.  Instead, take multiple trips back and forth to fill up a bunch of little buckets.
Quote from Mr. Beans, “I’ve already used a quarter of the tank!”
on one of these trips, he found his parent’s two recycle bins, which he also filled with stone.  You know, so he could make fewer trips.   Since it was too difficult to get them into the truck bed,  he put them in the cab, on top of the clean seats.  “But don’t worry honey, I put the new floor mats under them...”    Ah, truck-hood…