The Crazy Spider

Fall Color in Virginia

2011-12-03T21:38:00.001-05:00

OK, trying again to see if posting the photos works. Apparently it did work before but I can't see anything when I'm using Firefox which seems a bit silly.

So again with the photos from Monument Ave plus a couple I took down at the rivah.

WOOOOOHOOOO! It works now!

Miss Pixie

2011-12-03T08:01:00.002-05:00

Originally uploaded by Crazy Spider

Just playing around with my new droid.

Fall in the City of the Monuments

2011-11-08T12:11:00.001-05:00

Well... I was going to update my blog with all sorts of swell pics I took this past weekend but Blogger is not being very cooperative. The pics are all over at Flickr and I think for the foreseeable future, that's just where everything is going.

Yorktown Onions

2011-07-15T12:28:00.000-05:00

Finally managed to get down to Yorktown when the onions were in bloom. Legend has it the onion seeds spilled off the wagon as they were transported from ships docked in Yorktown to the market in Williamsburg. This particular onion is a old European variety and this is the only place it now grows. I think the color combo with the grass, the sky and the York river is heavenly.

The Travel Room

2010-12-10T12:23:00.001-05:00

The Travel Room by Balwearie on Polyvore.com

French Kitchen

2010-12-09T18:35:00.002-05:00

Just playing around with Polyvore -- it's so nice to have just the right images at your fingertips.

Pom pom pom

2010-11-24T13:04:00.000-05:00

This past year I received two wonderful things from my parents -- a Nikon and a membership to the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden. I'm sure I've been driving my friends crazy every time I stop to take a photo but there is just so much to see there. One thing I've sort of been keeping an eye on is the pomegranate bush. These beauties looked good all through the buggeritall steaming hot weather we had this summer and there is still fruit on the branches. Well, at least one fruit. Can't wait to see what's out there in the dead of winter.

Wishful thinking

2010-10-16T17:36:00.000-05:00

Oh how we all wish we were sitting on the deck watching the waves.....

We had a great time at the beach this year. October is a fantastic time to go if you don't like crowds. The weather was a bit iffy the first couple of days and there wasn't much beach to walk on but it was beautiful all the same. I took a ton of pictures which I'll have up on Flickr by tomorrow, got some really nice yarn at Knitting Addiction, some lovely fabrics at Outer Banks Quilts and Antiques in Manteo and I have to say, the best meal was the crab cake sandwich at The Full Moon Cafe which is around the corner from the quilt shop. And of course, no trip to the Outer Banks would be complete without a stop at Stetson's Shipwreck. I'd give you a link but they're not on the web. You won't even find them on Google Maps. You really do have to drive down there to find them. Forget all the other souvenir shops -- this is definitely the place to go!

What I did on my summer vacation....

2010-09-07T19:12:00.000-05:00

Now that it's finally cooled off here a bit I've gotten a few things done!

I finished this little quilt:

I played around some more with my camera and one of my dad's filters:

And this past weekend, I went to the rivah:

And I swear to you I did not touch up anything in that last photo! This trip set the tone for what I hope is a glorious fall here in Virginia. Hope everyone else had a great weekend as well!

It's always tea time somewhere in the world....

2010-07-20T18:04:00.002-05:00

Just a little something from my childhood. This didn't actually match the style of my doll house but now it makes me want to build a new one and decorate mid-century modern.

Just testing the waters...

2010-06-30T10:55:00.000-05:00

Finally switched over to the new blog editor and I must say there is a great improvement -- at this end anyway. Also I'm so happy it's cooler here now. I might actually get a few things done. I may even hit the road and take more pics with my new camera.

Cool blues and little flowers

2010-06-28T18:37:00.004-05:00

Still too hot to do much of anything beyond playing with my camera. Here's a little something I picked up at the thrift store around the corner:

And then a very tiny something which belonged to my aunt as a child -- this is a perfume bottle which stands approximately 1.5" tall. I'd taken some pictures of it earlier and was then mortified to see that my camera was so very very good that the thing was covered with a thick layer of dust. Here it is after it's bath all clean and shiny:

Too too too hot

2010-06-22T18:39:00.003-05:00

It's too hot to do anything -- one of the downfalls of living in an attic space.... I have gotten a few more photos from Lewis Ginter processed and I have given some serious thought to a few things I might do when the weather cools down a bit. Like this fixer-upper for a start... major cracking in the paint job and she needs a new wig. I'll probably change her costume as well. I know to some she might look like she's in horrible condition but actually, she's not and I'm still quite proud of the fact I only paid $22 for her. I'll be quite satisfied if I can make her look brand new!

There he is!

2010-05-27T15:29:00.001-05:00

There he is!
Originally uploaded by Crazy Spider

Is this not just one of the most darling little guys you've ever seen? At least... I'm assuming this is a male. There's a smaller, less colourful frog which lives in the pond as well - maybe a female? If this is the male, then his name is "Louis". The other one's name is Antoinette and she's very shy. I've only seen her once and not long enough to get my camera ready. I'd have to lurk very quietly for a great deal of time and hey... it's just to daggone hot here right now for that.

Little itty bitty quilts

2010-05-11T12:49:00.004-05:00

I finally got around to putting the binding on a quilt I started over a year ago -- my goal is to cover the wall in my stairwell with miniature quilts that I and my mother have made over the years as well as other things family members have done.

My mother made this little star quilt for my doll house way back when.

Nicole's I-Spy Quilt

2010-04-04T11:24:00.002-05:00

I made two of these quilts for my cousins' little babies. Yes, two cousins had babies at the same time. They're about 18 mo now -- just starting to really learn about the world around them. Each quilt has 100 different squares, a number of which have special meaning to both the recipients and the quilt maker. This is Nicole's quilt which she just received yesterday:

Mad Tea Party

2010-04-04T11:12:00.004-05:00

My mother, whose birthday is in March, has always loved "Alice in Wonderland" -- especially the Hatter. So this year when they brought out fabric with the original Tenniel illustrations, I knew I had to make her a table runner for her birthday. I gave it to her a bit early so she could use it at her bridge party. Gotta love those Mean Mothers!

I promise I'll take some "more better pictures" once I learn more about my new camera. With out further ado, here it is!

"Jam yesterday, jam tomorrow but never jam today!" Featured in this close-up...."yesterday's jam".

Pink

2010-03-29T10:34:00.001-05:00

Pink
Originally uploaded by Crazy Spider

Absolutely gorgeous day in Richmond on Saturday. I took my new camera out for a spin and found loads of trees in bloom including one mini-Cherry Blossom Festival over near Byrd Park. Nothing quite says spring as well as a boat-load of blossoms against a blue sky.

Well, maybe nothing except a rainy day. I can barely see across the street now!

Anywho, got some really nice close-up shots which will come in handy when designing floral motifs for crazy quilting.

Comfort Flowers

2010-03-24T12:25:00.001-05:00

Comfort Flowers
Originally uploaded by Crazy Spider

Sunshine and lots of yellow flowers! I can't wait to catch the rest of the rainbow with my new camera.

Attacked

2010-03-09T09:37:00.001-05:00

My Blogger account has been attacked by foreign invaders so I now have to moderate comments. Ack. Why can't these little peons get a life!!! If they had normal hobbies like the rest of us the world would be a much better place.

A New Dawn

2010-03-01T18:35:00.004-05:00

OK, so I was really only going to the Doll Show to look. Maybe... just maybe if I saw someone who had clothing for Dawn (that doll made by Topper in the early '70's) I would see if I could get a pair of shoes.

Sigh.

I should have known better. I came home with this:

I also got a new camera this past week and I'm still getting used to it otherwise I'd also be showing you the clothing in the case and the 3 pairs of shoes besides the blue ones which go with the original outfit. I love working in miniature and this is about as small as a fashion doll needs to be. She presents a little bit of a challenge but I've found a great set of patterns on line by Alix North. I had gotten a set of these dolls last year and have made a couple of outfits already.

I'm looking very forward to filling that trunk to the brim and perhaps making a couple of quilts as well. Something '70's inspired for sure.

When Joyce says quilt....

2010-01-31T14:15:00.006-05:00

Well when Joyce says stay inside and quilt, people listen! I made this yesterday afternoon after deciding it really was too cold and wet to be outside with my camera:

I think I did get some pretty decent shots for the small amount of time I did stay outside.

Which all in all really makes me just want to hurry up and finish this so I can curl up under it with a cup of tea and a good book:

All I want for Christmas...

2009-12-21T19:34:00.002-05:00

.....fortunately I am still in possession of my two front teeth so I reckon next on the list would be an Internet connection at home. I'm tired of not being able to post photographs!!

What I did on my summer vacation...

2009-10-26T18:06:00.003-05:00

I moved... that's what I did. I still don't have an internet connection at home and lately I've not had much time to post to my blog.

I have had time to read "The Painter of Battles" by Arturo Pérez-Reverte. I'm not sure I would recommend this to everyone, but I would recommend it to any one with a creative mind because it really demands thinking outside the box, off the page, beyond the cubicle and definitely across the street if not the ocean. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the creative process the antagonist goes through to craft his painting and was glad the plot wasn't hampered by the inclusion of a huge cast of characters and the all-too-common desire so many authors have to write as if they're trying to sell something to Hollywood. It definitely brings an insight into the world of war photography as well as the painting of battles.

I've also, as usual, read far too many mysteries to list. I've knit another pair of socks, started on a scarf, made a pillow or two, sewn most of a quilt and given some serious thought towards what need to make for Christmas gifts. Is it really only 2 months away?

AAAAAACK!

Expanded Horizons

2009-06-30T07:14:00.003-05:00

I can't believe how quickly this month has flown by. It's like a wave, swirling around my feet and flowing away to other shores. I'm in the process of packing to move into a new place. I'm moving in with my best friend from high school and her wee one. Some folks think I'm a bit crazy but I think it's going to be a non-stop tea party. Anywho, I get a lovely attic "flat" to decorate however I want. In the meantime, I've been to Sandbridge to celebrate my nephew's graduation from high school and managed to get a few new pics of sunrises and sunsets. I've also managed to read quite a few books. Absolute stacks of mysteries. The latest Susan Wittig Albert -"Wormwood", a couple of Alexander McCall-Smith's "Precious Ramotswe" series, Margaret Maron's "Hard Row", Raymond Khoury's "The Last Templar", about 3 Lillian Braun "The Cat Who's" and a couple of Carola Dunn's "Daisy Dalrymple" series. I just finished reading Agatha Christie's "Sleeping Murder" and started "Murder At The Vicarage". I'm sure I'll have to make a run to the used book store before the long weekend.

Here's a look at what I did on my summer vacation:

I saw the sunrise over the Atlantic

And the sun set over Back Bay....

Lobsta

2009-06-02T08:06:00.006-05:00

I just spent the weekend in New England with my mother's family. We were all gathered for a memorial service for her cousin Hank who will be very greatly missed. He was the one who was always at a family gathering no matter how far, how long or how short a time it was. I think he would be delighted to know that we all had a wonderful time this past weekend, seeing folks we hadn't seen in a long time and getting to know the ones we'd never met. We did get to spend a little bit of time travelling around the area. I have fallen in love with Newburyport, MA. Wouldn't it be wonderful to wake up to a view like this every day?

The other alternative might be a nice little cottage along the shore at Seabrook Beach, NH.

We also drove around Haverhill a bit and had a look at the house my grandfather grew up in. That neck of the woods has very sadly gone down hill -- I'm sure between the city and what ever absentee landlord owns the building now they obviously couldn't care less. How's this for a before and after!

It's nice, though, to see that the house is still a sort of greyish-lavender. Grandma Alice would be very happy in that regard.

And speaking of happy, I can't tell you how happy Malcolm and Charlie are that I'm home. You know I came back expressly to cater to their needs 24/7!

MEEEEEEEERRRRROW!

Where's my pith helmet?

2009-04-26T14:44:00.001-05:00

Where's my pith helmet?
Originally uploaded by Crazy Spider

Today we've been on a safari in the back yard showing off Esmerelda's new dress. Mostly we were attacked by "oak worms". I just love this time of year!

Just a little crazy....

2009-04-22T07:31:00.003-05:00

....about working in miniature. Some of the fabric I've used is hand-painted and some is hand-dyed using Colour Vie pigments.

Smocking

2009-04-14T07:32:00.002-05:00

I don't normally link to other people's blogs -- primarily because there are so many wonderful things out there I just don't have time to pick and choose. But this smocking tutorial on Marie Grace Designs is just too fantastic to miss!

The first part is here:

http://www.mariegracedesigns.com/marie_grace/2009/03/handpleating-fabric-tutorial.html

And the second part is here:

http://www.mariegracedesigns.com/marie_grace/2009/04/smocking-by-hand.html

Now I know what I'll be doing on my next day off!

Happy Easter

2009-04-12T16:27:00.002-05:00

Happy Easter!

Little Knits

2009-04-09T07:18:00.004-05:00

I completely forget when I put things up on Ravelry that I should probably post them here as well. I made this little sweater not too long ago (infant size pattern from LionBrand sized down with smaller needles and a finer gauge yarn) to see if I could make something similar to one my grandmother made my aunt back in the '30's.

I'm currently working on a human-sized version in blue which I'm going to put a little brass button on but I'd like to make more miniature versions. Perhaps even smaller -- I like the idea of making it as small as possible.

Space Bug... Oh Space Bug

2009-03-15T09:30:00.002-05:00

I'm sure there are some out there who think Blythe is from another planet... Could this be proof?

Today's post brought to you by the letter "M".

2009-02-08T09:32:00.009-05:00

A fun little game going around the web now -- and I somehow managed to draw the letter "M"! I got this from Karen's blog. You are supposed to list 10 things you like/love beginning with whichever letter is chosen for you. If you'd like to play, leave a comment.

My Mum

My moggies, Charlie and Malcolm

Mysteries

Miss Mollie

Music

Marguerites

Magazines

Mist-covered Mountains

The Moon

Maymont

Maymont again....

2009-02-05T19:05:00.003-05:00

I sent this picture into Victoria Magazine per a request for winter garden pictures from readers. They chose my picture for their series and this time I get credit. Woooohooooo!

Barack O

2009-01-20T18:45:00.002-05:00

Finished - 11:00am, EST. PHEW! Oh... you're wondering what I finished? The sox. They're made from a lovely wool blend called "Berroco Sox". Great stuff, that.

I am not a number!

2009-01-14T18:19:00.003-05:00

A true independent is gone from our world. I hope his legacy continues to influence people through the ages to make more original and creative TV shows.

I have to admit, it was rather spooky when my MP3 player chose this as the last song to play on the ride home this evening.

Requiescat in pace, Mr. McGoohan.

My Elf on the Shelf

2008-12-26T18:52:00.003-05:00

Nothing like getting a new toy for Christmas! Her name is Esmerelda. She's already raided Skipper's closet but hopefully she'll be getting her own wardrobe soon. My mother knit the sweater she's wearing way back when. I made the green dress a couple of years ago but it never really looked quite right on either Skipper or Francie. It looks perfect on Blythe.

The most fun I've had this Christmas, besides the family and food, etc, etc has been putting together a couple of cd's of old family photos. Here is one of my favourite from my mother's side which was taken at Seabrook Beach, NH in 1904.

Keep thinking warm, summery thoughts!

An "Ugly Betty" Moment

2008-12-13T17:55:00.002-05:00

So, I'm sure most of you are familiar with Ugly Betty and her struggles as an assistant to the editor-in-chief of "Mode Magazine". Things never seem to go right for Betty -- there's always a mix-up of some sort. Well, a couple of days ago, I received the Jan/Feb edition of "Victoria". I've been a fan of this magazine since waaaaaaaay back when it was first published. When I moved back from Toronto in '03, it broke my heart to have to leave all my back issues behind -- esp since I'm sure they got recycled. I did manage to save a couple of issues including my fave winter issue with the recipe for fidget pie. Anywho, back to the story at hand, I had a true "Ugly Betty" moment as I was reading the magazine and I stumbled on an article about Maymont. If you have read this blog with any regularity at all, you'll know that's one of my favourite things to photograph. So... here I am, looking at this lovely article and all of a sudden it hits me --- the photo on page 36 --- it's MINE!!! Yeppers. Indeedio. Click on the archives to the right here. The one for 2007. It's about the only thing I blogged about that year. The day it snowed in Richmond in April and I was lucky enough to take all those lovely pictures. My friend Virginia thought they were so wonderful she took them to her cousin who works at Maymont. He in turn showed them to the folks in the PR dept. They in turn sent them along to the folks at "Victoria". Unfortunately, my photo was miscredited -- a total computer snafu for which everyone has been most apologetic. In fact, I was very impressed with the speed and sincerity with which both Maymont and "Victoria" responded. In my book, they're both still the top! Just like "Ugly Betty", everything came out OK in the end and who knows, it might all lead to something new and exciting down the road!

If you don't have a subscription to "Victoria" (and you should, you know), this particular issue will hit the stands on 23Dec.

And stay tuned for next weeks exciting adventures.... well.... not really. Just work mostly and finishing up Christmas presents.

The Queen of the South

2008-09-02T06:30:00.003-05:00

Just finished "The Queen of the South" by Arturo Pérez-Reverte. Very, very intriguing novel. I think one of the reviews I read was a bit skewed when it complained about the point of view. Some of the novel is written from the point of view of a journalist who is writing the protagonist's life story -- most of it is third person narrative. I thought it was very easy to tell which was which and quite enjoyed the contrast. Not too long ago, Michael Dirda was talking about something similar in his weekly discussion on the Washington Post website. He mentioned that he didn't like biographers who seemed to get into the mind of the person they were writing about -- he didn't like them coming up with pages of dialogue nobody could have remembered. I think Pérez-Reverte was well aware of that when he wrote this book. The bits with the journalist interviewing people are completely imbued with the interviewee's personality and their, for the most part, very selfish viewpoint. It can't be easy to get a very clear idea about a subject from so many disparate tales without wanting to embellish on your own. Anywho, liked it but I would not recommend it to anyone squeamish who prefers extremely cozy little tales about shopping and cake-baking.

Up next on the agenda, Kathy Reichs' latest, "Devil Bones". I'm already about 100 pages in and loving it!

Capital Idea

2008-08-22T06:27:00.008-05:00

Had a few extra days of vacation so I took a long weekend and headed here:

I took the train -- more so I could have some uninterupted reading time than anything else. The book I read on this trip is "The Daughter of Time" by Josephine Tey. Highly, highly recommended and not just for mystery fans or British history fans. It's a very well-crafted story which points out the many follies of hearsay.

I stayed at the Grand Hyatt which easily met all my expectations.

On Thursday night, my cousin and I ate dinner at The Bombay Club. I had the Manglorean Chicken -- most supurb and the staff were all very nice. My cousin had one of the lamb dishes, I'm not entirely sure which one but it was also very good.

My first day out, I went to the US Botanical Garden. I got there early and had a good wander around the outdoor gardens. Saw loads of butterflies.

After I left the Botanical Garden, I strolled over to the The National Gallery of Art where I saw this exhibit of artworks from Afghanistan. I was very intrigued by the decorations used on the clothing found in a tomb -- loads of little gold hearts and teardrops and some wonderful little geometric designs. The next day, I hiked up the hill from Dupont Circle to The Textile Museum where I saw this exhibit called Blue. It's inspired me to want to get back to some hand-dying of cloth. I have an idea for some banners -- this exhibit showed me some interesting ways to put them together. Then I went to the NMWA where I saw this exhibit of quilts by Rosie Lee Tompkins. That woman had the most wonderful sense of color and balance. And the fabrics she worked with -- everything from double-knit polyester to velvet -- went together like clock-work.

On Sunday I had a fab breakfast at the hotel (definitely worth the wait if you get a chance) and a very good visit with an old friend I hadn't seen in a while and a new one I hope to see again. I topped the day off with a visit to the Holocaust Museum with yet another friend I don't see enough of, where I saw this exhibit about the 1936 Olympics. It was originally put together in 1996 and brought out again in a timely manner to coincide with the games in Beijing. It was heartbreaking to hear the stories of the athletes who were forbidden to compete, who boycotted the games or worse, who were sidelined at the games -- most of all because a large number of them never got a chance to compete again as there were no Olympics in 1940.

All in all, a very inspiring weekend and now that I've dutifully updated my blog, I shall get on with being a busy little "Crazy Spider".

Someone, Some Bear...in Summertime

2008-07-26T11:24:00.003-05:00

I went to Maymont this morning and got some great pictures of flowers but this is probably the most appropriate picture for a day like today...

What I did on my summer vacation, part deux

2008-06-22T18:58:00.007-05:00

Just in case you think I spent all that time foolishly reading books, I didn't. I spent it in Canaan Valley, WV. It just happened to rain a couple of the days I was there....

Despite the rain -- and a rather nasty hail storm -- we had a lovely visit to the town of Thomas where we went to the Mountain Made Artisans' Gallery and had a very good lunch at The Purple Fiddle. It may be worth it to note here that the actual town seems to be clinging for life with all it's might to the mountain side and while you may well pass through town without giving it a second glance, the people we met were all very welcoming, the food was good and I didn't really see any of the usual tacky souvenirs found in so many parts of the world.

The first it didn't rain, we visited Blackwater Falls:

The next day, my brother and I took our father up to Fairmont, where he had lived for most of his childhood. Our first stop was the former Fairmont Municipal Pool (aka the 12th St. Pool) which now belongs to the county and has been lovingly restored. My grandfather was the engineer on this project so it was nice to see that aside from some materials which needed replacing (i.e. rusty iron plumbing) it was still in very good shape.

If my dad can find it, I'll post a picture of what it looked like when it first opened in 1937.

Other places have not fared so well. The elementary school my dad went to, Butcher School, was closed many years ago and because of the usual zoning restrictions was never used for much more than storage. The brick walls are still fairly sturdy but the insides have rotted through and through and the parking lot is littered with broken beer bottles.

The high school, on the other hand, is looking very well:

The last day of our trip, we headed out of West Virginia early and had a great drive down Rt. 33 to Harrisonburg, VA where we stopped at The Virginia Quilt Museum. Now, I know Virginia should be called the "History State" and we are wont to go on about the good ol' days and you can't walk 10 paces without stumbling into a battlefield, but gosh darn it, I really enjoyed the quilt museum. Obviously I would have been in 7th heaven had they been featuring crazy quilts instead of Quaker quilts but I still enjoyed seeing what they did have. They do have Eliza Crim's crazy quilt on permanent display -- in fact, most of the quilts in the Civil War room are fascinating to look at. The most striking difference between quilts then and quilts now aside from the mechanization of their making, is the size of the blanket stitch used on appliqué. That's just something you have to see in person.

Back to work tomorrow... Not looking forward to it.

What I did on my summer vacation

2008-06-22T18:38:00.002-05:00

OK.... so I read a few things that weren't on my "list". Big deal. I was on vacation. Plenty of time for the more serious stuff later.

Starting with Alice Kimberly's 'The Ghost and the Dead Deb' I quickly followed that with 'The Ghost and the Dead Man's Library' . Also in the line-up were Jasper Fforde's 'Well of Lost Plots' and 'Something Rotten'. Apparently not a moment too soon as the 5th book in this series is due out in July. Lastly, I read Boris Akunin's 'Special Assignments'.

All of these books were very satisfying and pretty much ran the gamut of detective fiction. Alice Kimberly's books feature film noire-like flashbacks to the 40's, Jasper Fforde sucessfully combines the genres of classic literature, science, comic and detective fiction and even manages to throw in a touch of romance. I enjoy Boris Akunin's writing as much for the setting (late 19th century Moscow) as I do for Fandorin's character - a bit like Holmes but definitely more worldly.

I wish I had a pencil thin moustache....

2008-06-08T16:57:00.003-05:00

Finished 'The Laying on of Hands' by Alan Bennett and 'The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie' by Muriel Sparks. It's only 6pm on Sunday evening and I've no Netflix for tonight. Do I start another book on my list or go for one of the mysteries I bought this afternoon from Creatures and Crooks? I've gotten hooked on Alice Kimberly's Haunted Bookshop series recently -- how can you go wrong with a small town bookshop and a ghostly gumshoe?

I'm thinking mystery. I'm in that sort of mood.

As for the books I finished reading, I quite enjoyed the story "Miss Fozzard Finds Her Feet". In some ways it was like my fave Alan Bennett story 'The Clothes They Stood Up In'. I notice that was not on the Big List of Books but it's definitely one of the best bits of storytelling I've read in a long time. I also liked the title story "The Laying on of Hands". It's rare these days that an author can so successfully satirize a religious person without satirizing their religion.

I'm glad I've now read 'The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie'. While I couldn't really bring myself to like any of the characters, I did like the way Muriel Spark developed their characters, revealing just a touch more in each subsequent chapter.

Stay cool -- stay inside and read.

10% Solution

2008-06-04T07:05:00.002-05:00

So there's this challenge going on called the "1% Challenge" which looks quite intriguing. I usually read at a pace greater than 10 books in 10 months but then that's generally a steady diet of whodunnits and humourous prose (yes sir, I did spell that correctly...). Anywho, I've read the list and come up with a selection from the master list of 1001 books as well as a couple of my own. I realize the master list is strictly limited to novels but I like to break up the monotony with a couple of short story collections. Here goes:

1) 'The Laying on of Hands' - Alan Bennett
2) 'The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie' - Muriel Spark
3) 'Absalom, Absalom!' - William Faulkner
4) 'Queen of the South' - Arturo Pérez-Reverte
5) 'The Poisonwood Bible' - Barbara Kingsolver
6) 'A Town Like Alice' - Nevil Shute
7) 'One Hundred Years of Solitude' - Gabiel Garcia Márquez
8) 'The Golden Lads' - Daphne du Maurier
9) 'Crime and Punishment' - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
10) 'The Tale of Genji' - Murasaki Shikibu

However, I understand there is a new Paddington book coming out so I might have to squeeze that in over something on my list.

Keep your sandwiches safe and your cocoa hot... it's going to be a good summer for reading.

In a Jane Austen sort of mood....

2008-03-01T05:32:00.002-05:00

Take the Quiz here!

Walk Out to Winter

2007-04-08T14:25:00.000-05:00

Walk out to winter, swear I'll be there.

Chill will wake you, high and dry, you'll wonder why.

Walk out to winter, swear I'll be there.

Chance is buried just below the blinding snow.

- Roddy Frame (Aztec Camera)

Happy Easter from snowy Richmond! Whodda thunk it? Every flowering plant in town is in bloom, the trees are unfurling their leaves and the air is heavy with pollen.

I hightailed it over to Maymont yesterday morning before the crowds and had the place to myself. The Japanese Garden, having the most lush growth of trees, was like a tropical rain forest only what was coming out of the trees was snow. Here are just a few pictures of how the wonderland appeared before 10am.

What I'm thinking about

2006-12-13T07:01:00.000-05:00

Sugar plums.... etc etc.....

All I can do right now is give you a hint of what I'm working on.

I'm thinking... I'm thinking....

2006-12-13T06:59:00.000-05:00

Your Dominant Thinking Style: Exploring

You thrive on the unknown and unpredictable. Novelty is your middle name.You are a challenger. You tend to challenge common assumptions and beliefs.
An expert inventor and problem solver, you approach everything from new angles.You show people how to question their models of the world.

What's" Your Thinking Style?

Old list

2006-10-28T10:54:00.000-05:00

A little something I found while going through my hard drive:

25 Things I Appreciate Just As They Are:

1) Cold beer
2) Flannel sheets
3) A kiss
4) The sound of the tea kettle whistling
5) Casmir
6) T-shirts
7) The Outer Banks of North Carolina
8) French toast
9) Penny loafers
10) A kitten
11) Tall ships
12) homemade tomato soup
13) Crayola crayons
14) Sunsets/starry nights/full moons
15) A bubble bath
16) Violent, paralizing snowstorms....midweek
17) Potato chips and onion dip
18) A new hardcover book
19) A fire in the fireplace
20) Thunderstorms
21) Popcorn at the movies
22) Red lipstick
23) An old Bordeaux wine
24) oatmeal cookies
25) A ripe, ready-to-burst peach

What I did on my fall vacation

2006-10-04T20:52:00.000-05:00

I just got back from visiting my cousin and her family in Superior, CO which is a tidy little community just outside of Boulder. I can't even begin to tell you how nice it is to have relatives in high places....

On Sunday we went hiking in the Rocky Mountain National Park. The hike we took was to Alberta Falls. It was a relatively easy hike but very enjoyable and of course the scenery was gorgeous.

On Monday my cousin and I went into Boulder and did a spot of shopping at the Pearl St. Mall, an open air shopping district in the heart of Boulder.

This is the window of a shop called "Paper Doll"
.

We then met my cousin's husband for lunch at the Boulder Dushanbe Tea House. It was one of the most amazing buildings I've ever been in and I would highly recommend it.

Oh and before I forget, this was the view from my window. Delish!

The latest book meme

2006-09-20T06:15:00.000-05:00

1. One book that changed your life: On the Beach by Nevil Shute

2. One book that you've read more than once:Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

3. One book you'd want on a desert island: The Riverside Shakespeare

4. One book that made you laugh: The Death of David Debrizzi by Paul Micou

5. One book that made you cry: On the Beach by Nevil Shute

6. One book that you wish had been written: Daddy Fix It Please?

7. One book you wish had never been written: There are several on this list - mostly religious in nature.

8. One book you're currently reading: Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson

9. One book you've been meaning to read: The Queen of the South by Arturo Pérez-Reverte

You say tomayto... I say tomahto....

2006-09-12T19:52:00.000-05:00

Last week my friend Ben brought me a tomato from his garden (shameless plug - that's Ben from "Hilltop Herbs" in Alexandria - catch him at the Clarendon Farmer's Market on Wednesday afternoon or the Old Town Farmer's Market on Saturday morning).

I had already picked some rosemary from my garden...

And then this past Saturday I stopped in at Ellwood Thompson's and picked up this lovely eggplant , known to some as the "sacred vegetable".

Now, a number of years ago, I picked up a cookbook in London with an excellent stuffed eggplant recipe but I didn't have all the ingredients this evening. On the other hand, I tend to be a culinary pirate. I see recipes more as sort of...guidlines... So without further ado, I sliced the eggplant in half and hollowed the halves out. I sautéed some onions in olive oil and added the eggplant flesh along with some mushrooms and some chopped cashews. I let that cook for about 10 minutes and then added breadcrumbs mixed with oregano and rosemary as well as a cup of quinoa. I stuffed the eggplants, topped them with the loveliest of slices from the wonderful tomato which Ben brought me, covered it all with a nice little bit of cheese (Chimay fromage) and baked it at 350ºF for about 45 min. C'est magnifique!!!

Book list

2006-08-27T19:32:00.000-05:00

A while back I put up a booklist I got from Lolly Knitting Around which has garnered a few interesting comments. Today I watched the movie version of one of my favourite books - "On the Beach" by Nevil Shute. If you've never read the book or seen the movie, I highly recommend both. The story is incredibly heart wrenching and the performances in the movie very compelling -- especially Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner and Anthony Perkins. Anywho, I think this book ought to be on the required reading list for all high school students around the world.

Well, I guess that about covers it....

2006-08-24T08:14:00.000-05:00

A belated birthday present from my mother - the fabric to cover a chair I've come to call my throne. It's a late Victorian mock-Jacobean reproduction that I like to think might have been saved from the fire at Manderly. The fabric is a nice plain plum-coloured velvet which I'm hoping beyond all hope that Charlie thinks is too pretty to scratch. With the fabric I take off the chair, I'm going to make a nice, excessively textured wallhanging with some lovely felinesque shredwork.

Pictured here on top of the fabric is a scarf I knit using yarn from Three Waters Farm
and following the instructions for learning how to knit lace in the summer issue of Interweave Knits.

Baby did a good, good thing.....

2006-08-21T08:26:00.000-05:00

The Chris Isaak concert at Wolf Trap was WONDERFUL last night despite the seemingly 300% humidty. If I have 1/2 the energy he has when I hit 50 I'll be on top of the world. Not only that, the man can sing like there's no tomorrow. I'm sure if they'd given him another couple of hours he'd have gone right on. As it was, he closed with a beautiful rendition of my fave - "Blue Spanish Sky" -- a song I had wanted to play for my dear grandmother but unfortunately never got the chance. It always makes me think of her and brings a tear to my eye when I hear it.
On another, much lighter note, we met a couple of very nice gentleman last night at dinner who made sure we got to the concert in one piece and got back on the highway headed in the right direction after the show. For that I am eternally grateful. As it happens, they were also great company. Thanks Ben and Blair! (to be continued.....)

Crazy jeans

2006-08-20T10:57:00.000-05:00

Tonight I'm going to see Chris Isaak at Wolf Trap with friends. I was going to wear these jeans which I've been working on but decided that since it's so hot and humid, I'll wear something cool and linen instead.

In the meantime, here's the newest of spider webs. All it lacks is a crazy little spider!
So, instead of wearing these jeans and goodness only knows what else, I decided to wear some black linen pants, a glittery red top and this (Simplicity 4132).

I'm not at all thrilled with the way the neck turned out mostly because the fabric I used - a sort of satin-backed brushed twill - is a bit too thick. Perhaps when I have a bit more time I'll take it off and replace it. Otherwise, it fits very nicely and was very easy to put together so I'd definitely make it again.

Oh, and before I forget, since we're going to be in the area this afternoon, we're going to G Street!

Tired of being green....

2006-08-14T06:04:00.000-05:00

You are Ocean Blue

You're both warm and practical. You're very driven, but you're also very well rounded.
You tend to see both sides to every issue, and people consider you a natural diplomat.

What Color Blue Are You?

Now that's more like it!

The Ultimate Crazy Spider

2006-08-09T21:19:00.000-05:00

I don't think I've ever quite explained the reason I call this blog "The Crazy Spider". I'm sure most of you who enjoy crazy quilting know that the spider is considered a symbol of good luck and many times takes the center stage on an elegantly stitched patch. It also happens that I went to the University of Richmond which lays claim to the only arachnid mascot in North America. So it was only a matter of time before I stitched up a little patch in the school colours - red and blue - with a lovely little crazy spider in the middle. I have plans to make a large wall hanging which would encompass all the things I did while I was at school. My BA is in history, so this should be a fun project to work on. So without further ado, here is the UR patch:

Crazy Little Spider

2006-08-09T21:07:00.000-05:00

Phew.... what a day... what a day.....

I finally got everything loaded into the computer, cropped and sorted so here we have a smattering of what I've been up to for the past few months.

I completed the patch for my mother just in time for Mother's Day. I was right pleased that she was impressed as her handiwork is quite fine. I have also decided since then that the size I made her patch -- roughly 8x10 -- is a very good size to work with. I finished it before Sharon started her "100 Details for 100 Days" or I'm sure I would have gotten a lot fancier stitch-wise. As it is, this piece has really served as a springboard.

Here it 'tis:

Where am I?

2006-08-03T19:49:00.000-05:00

It's been a long, hot summer and it looks like we're going to get a break in the heat tomorrow! YEEEEEEEEEHAW! Perhaps this weekend I'll feel a bit more enthusiastic about updating this blog. If you scroll down a few posts, you'll see that back in March I hit my arm and suffered some damage. Unfortunately, it was the straw that busted up the camel's elbow(didn't know they had elbows, did ya...). I've got nerve damage in my left arm that has rendered it somewhat painful to spend any length of time typing. Since I have to do that all day at work, I've been taking a break from doing it here.

I have managed to finish a few things in the past month and hope to have some pictures up at some point over the weekend.

See ya soon!

Book meme

2006-03-31T07:22:00.000-05:00

This one is from LollyKnitting Around --

Meme instructions: Look at the list of books below. Bold the ones you've read, italicize the ones you might read, cross out the ones you won't, underline (I had to make mine red since I can't underline) the ones on your book shelf, and place parentheses around the ones you've never even heard of.

The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
The Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger
The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy - Douglas Adams
The Great Gatsby - F.Scott Fitzgerald
To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - J. K. Rowling
Life of Pi - Yann Martel
Animal Farm: A Fairy Story - George Orwell
Catch-22 - Joseph Heller
The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
Lord of the Flies - William Golding
Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
1984 - George Orwell
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - J. K. Rowling
One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
(The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold)
Slaughterhouse 5 - Kurt Vonnegut
The Secret History - Donna Tartt
Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe - C. S. Lewis
Middlesex - Jeffrey Eugenides
(Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell)
Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
Atonement - Ian McEwan
The Shadow Of The Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
The Old Man and the Sea - Ernest Hemingway
The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
Dune - Frank Herbert

If you think you'd like to have a go, consider yourself tagged.

And now for my 2 cents worth. I think Georges Simenon's The Window Over The Way is far, far better than George Orwell's "1984". It was also published prior to "1984".

Spotted

2006-03-28T07:41:00.000-05:00

Turns out I'm spotted. I won't gross you out with photographs, but the weekend before last, I bashed up my elbow pretty doggone hard. I think I did it when I was cleaning the tub. I hate cleaning tubs so I was probably scrubbing harder than I needed to. Anyway, the next morning I woke up and my elbow was green and purple with big spots of bruise. I don't think I broke anything but my arm has been uncomfortable ever since. I think perhaps I will have to go to the doctor after all.

Anywho, typing has not been that much fun but I hope to be able to post a few new things later this week.

But am I striped or spotted?

2006-03-13T07:37:00.000-05:00

You Are Teal Green

You are a one of a kind, original person. There's no one even close to being like you.
Expressive and creative, you have a knack for making the impossible possible.
While you are a bit offbeat, you don't scare people away with your quirks.
Your warm personality nicely counteracts and strange habits you may have.

What Color Green Are You?

The official project of the month or what I did with that pile of fabric....

2006-03-07T20:36:00.000-05:00

The front.....

The inside....

Very much needed, indeed! Now young Master Charlie has no earthly idea how to get at my knitting needles... Have you ever seen a cat pout? It really is one of the saddest sights on the planet. On the other hand, I'm sure the needles are very happy. Unfortunately, you can't really see it in the picture of the front, but the quilting was all done as a spider web. Crazy, ain't it?!

Crazy mini..... mini crazy?

2006-03-07T20:33:00.000-05:00

I actually made this before Project Spectrum started, but I just finished it, so it almost counts. I made a stack of these last summer with the idea that I was going to finish them while I was on vacation. Maybe if I'd brought my sewing machine along with me....

I wish I had a pencil thin moustache...

2006-02-06T18:42:00.000-05:00

I ran across this website the week before last on Something to Say and got a big kick out of this hat! For those of you who are fans of "The Thin Man" series, can't you just see Nora wearing this hat... with icecubes concealed underneath?

Red and Pink

2006-02-06T18:18:00.000-05:00

As you can see by the cute little button on the side of the screen, I have signed up for "Project Spectrum". I've got plenty of inpiration for the month of March -- in fact, I've got a crazy amount! And now I have a deadline, so I'd better get back to it.

What flower am I?

2006-01-27T08:04:00.000-05:00

You are an Iris:

You are logical, analytical, dignified, and wise.

You are studious by nature and may prefer

books to people. You tend to be a serious

person but are capable of making others laugh

with your dry sense of humor. Friends always

benefit from your advice.

Symbolism: Over the centuries the iris has come to

symbolize faith, wisdom, hope, and promise in

love.

Which Flower are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

Tea for Kaffe

2006-01-16T20:04:00.000-05:00

And now I can post the 50% done Christmas/birthday/housewarming/welcomebacktoVirginia wall hanging I'm working on for my friend Angie. She's a very giving person who has made countless numbers of quilts for her friends. She's also a GREAT cook who hopes someday to have her own tea shop so when I saw this pattern in the Sep/Oct issue of Quiltmaker, I had to make it for her. Please excuse the angle at which I took this picture -- it's been a long day:
And of course it's no where near finished until Charlie sits in the middle of my masterpiece and cleans his knee. You simply can't get very far in life if you don't keep your knees clean...

WoooooooHOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

2006-01-16T18:49:00.000-05:00

I got a new camera for Christmas.... Most of what I seem to have taken pictures of are the cats.Not to mention a couple of videos of Charlie playing in his water dish with a piece of broccoli. I've promised him I won't post those on the 'net.

I've also taken a few pics of all the nice fabrics I got for Christmas. Some in my stocking and some by virtue of a gift certificate.

Thanks Mom and Angie! And thanks to Joyce for having such a lovely selection in her shop....

Lest ye think I'd forgotten...

2005-12-11T10:47:00.000-05:00

Before I left town and started getting very involved with Christmas makings, I did have the chance to work on this little bit of craziness:

Manitoba

2005-12-11T10:41:00.000-05:00

And speaking of Manitoba, my friend Linda took me to Ram Wools. I wasn't really going to buy anything, but all this turquoise yarn just started leaping off the shelves at me. Haven't decided exactly what I should do with it, but I'm kinda thinking I want to crochet something.

In the grand scheme of unfinished stuff

2005-12-11T10:30:00.000-05:00

Here's the scarf I would have finished on the plane but for loosing one of the balls of yarn. It turned up at my friend's house later but as it was Paton's it was easily replaced:

Here's a close up of my crazy colour choices:

I started this yesterday and am not sure if I want to finish it in time for Christmas or not. I can tell you that at the very least it's going to have a big fat spider web on it, perhaps copied one in the "Virginia Quilt Museum" by Carter Houck.

Just a hint

2005-12-11T10:18:00.000-05:00

I've been working on something for another member of my family but since she may be reading this, the best I can do is hint.

All play and no work

2005-12-11T10:03:00.000-05:00

I just got back from an extra long weekend in Manitoba. My boss (bless him) gave me the rest of the week off so I've been working on my Christmas making. So far, I've finished putting together a necklace for my sister-in-law using mostly beads which I inherited from my grandmother. Only the onyx disk medallion is new. I'm not sure that she has any other jewelry from my father's side of the family so I decided this was the best way to pass some on.

My little baby kitty

2005-12-11T09:59:00.000-05:00

My littlest baby is getting so big!

And he's getting to be quite a lot of help around the house....

I was beginning to wonder....

2005-12-09T07:45:00.000-05:00

.....why it was that I have attracted so many Tom Waits fans over the years. This explains it:

Tom Waits... charismatic story-teller with a
penchant for freaky people and unusual
settings. You thrive on the concept of the
underdog coming out on top.

Which fucked-up genius composer are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

My camera

2005-10-30T15:13:00.000-05:00

FYI, I again apologize for the poor quality of the pictures. I'm using a rather archaic Sony Mavica, so what you see is what you get. If you want a more detailed look at anything I've published, let me know and I'll see what I can do based on the camera's temperment. I think I'm going to get a new camera with my next bonus....

Crazy for bags

2005-10-30T14:57:00.000-05:00

It's Sunday and I've been hit hard this weekend with the sinus issues -- I should be used to it by now. Yesterday when I was still thinking I might possibly think about sewing a Halloween costume, I started sorting through one of my tubs looking for velvet and pulled out a bunch of velvets, brocades and silks. This morning when it became apparent I wasn't going to have much of anything to do with operating heavy machinery, I pulled these fabrics together for making a "crazy bag".

The brocade in the top left is something my grandmother had while the floral fabric on the right originally covered a Jacobean reproduction armchair. The other bits and pieces are fairly recent purchases of my own.

As I was checking out the usual blogs earlier today, I saw that Allison Aller has just scored big with a very nice purchase of lace. Coincidentally, she's got it displayed on a nice piece of green dupioni. As promised, here is what I was thinking of adding to this little number lace-wise:

Besides the lace, I think I'll use a bit of metallic thread and perhaps a very light touch with the beading.

SOMETHING TO SAY: Wicked Little Pumpkin

2005-10-18T07:03:00.000-05:00

SOMETHING TO SAY: Wicked Little Pumpkin

Its this not just the best?!?

And so this morning I dragged out the iron

2005-10-16T10:43:00.000-05:00

And did all the fiddly bits on my little garden wall hanging:

I want to embellish it with embroidery like that in one of Bella Dia's latest finds....

The Italian Job

2005-10-16T10:37:00.000-05:00

A bit further on, I came to the Italian Garden which was in a riot of late summer/early fall colour. One of the pics I took was of some tall spiky flowers. Not sure what variety they are as they were so profuse they covered up the marker. They reminded me of one of the bits of fabric I paint-dyed the other evening. Now I'm really getting ideas....

The bit where I got a sunburn on my nose

2005-10-15T23:02:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I went to Maymont. I don't ever remember a time when I didn't thoroughly enjoy going there and when all is said and done, it's one of my favourite places in the world. I'm very glad it's here in Richmond. Anywho, I took my trusty little digital camera and got a few shots just for ideas.

Just above the hill where the black bears live, I found a ginko which was starting to turn. I played around with the leaves like so:

What I did otherwise....

2005-10-09T16:31:00.000-05:00

I've got a head cold so I skipped Joyce's hand dying class but since I had a nice little chunk of me time in my day, I hauled out some old fabric paint - the 99cent variety which Sonji says are the bee's knees - and did a bit of experimenting. So far, so good. They're not 100% dry yet, but I can envision creating a moon out of this one:

And perhaps a lovely little spring garden out of this one:

As a side note, I'd like to let everyone know that Charlie the kitten is so pleased as Punch with all of this that he has fallen asleep with his little chin on my right hand. I guess I'm not going anywhere for a while....

Almost there

2005-10-09T16:27:00.000-05:00

Remember this one from way back when? One big square and a pile of bits and pieces? I'm almost finished.... really. All that remains is for me to figure out how to set my sewing machine properly to do free-motion stiching and I'll have it quilted before you can say Malibu sunset. I'd practice doing it today, but I think I've had enough of the sewing room for now.

40 shades of green....

2005-09-27T06:13:00.000-05:00

And this is "my" colour? Ye gads....... I would have thought something more along the lines of a nice leaf green.

Your Power Color Is Lime Green

At Your Highest:
You are adventurous, witty, and a visionary.
At Your Lowest:
You feel misunderstood, like you don't fit in.
In Love:
You have a tough exterior, but can be very dedicated.
How You're Attractive:
Your self-awareness and confidence lights up a room.
Your Eternal Question:
"What else do I need in my life?"

What's" Your Power Color?

A wrinkle in the cyberspace continuum

2005-09-25T10:08:00.000-05:00

As you may have noticed, I've changed my template and I apologize if things seem a bit wrinkled. That is, some do and some don't and if I change to another template, things start floating all over tarnation... Grrrrr.... I'll deal with the "ironing" another day.

Another good reason the housework is not done...

2005-09-25T09:41:00.000-05:00

I've been working on this little wall hanging for the past week:

I'm sorry you can't see the colours better as that's what this whole exercise is about. I've used a design in Gai Perry's book 'Color From The Heart'. I finished sewing all the nine-patches and later today I'll start putting it together.

I also started making a pillow for my living room by couching some of my novelty yarns to a piece of striped fabric:

ARRRRRRRGH!!!! I so need a new digital camera! One that can capture the colour of life and not leave it looking like something molding in a corner under the bookcase.

Speaking of books, I'm off to read Elizabeth Aston's 'The Exploits & Adventures of Miss Alethea Darcy' and later I'm hopefully going over to UR to see "Art's Around the Lake".

Tootles!

2005-09-25T09:38:00.000-05:00

I hung this on my living room wall last week. My mom made this back in the 70's and it hung in our den for the longest time. My favourite has always been the thistle. :)

Like brothers...

2005-09-25T09:29:00.000-05:00

So here they are being just as sweet as can be....

When they decide to see who's taller.....

And wouldn't you know.... a fight breaks out!

Woof Nanny

2005-09-19T19:25:00.000-05:00

From Woof Nanny

Check out Woof Nanny's new book! I gotta make me a pair o' them knickers!

What it is.....

2005-09-19T06:45:00.000-05:00

Well folks, a number of you responded to the post I made last spring about my wall-hanging and here it is.... my inspiration:

In case you're unfamiliar with it (and I suspect most folks in the US aren't), this is the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's "gem". To me, it just looks like the most splended quilt pattern. This just goes to show how you can get inspiration from the most mundane, everyday things. I've got a larger quilt charted out which I may make someday. Unfortunately, one of the problems of being surrounded by everyday things that inspire is that I've got way too much inspiration and not enough hours in the day to quilt!

2005-09-19T06:41:00.000-05:00

You are Lauren Bacall. You started off as very shy
but with a little help, your roots come out.
You're an honest person and your values,
beliefs and convictions are very clear. You
love a good time, and you want security at
heart but you're ready for anything that comes
your way. You may also have an air of grace
about you, and more beauty than you'll ever
realize. But others will see it.

Which vintage movie star are you most like?(For girls)
brought to you by Quizilla

Quite the handful

2005-09-14T06:50:00.000-05:00

The main reason I haven't updated my blog much for the past couple of weeks despite finding my digital camera amongst the packing AND the floppy disks that go with it.......

American Red Cross - Preparing for and Responding to Hurricane Katrina

2005-09-01T06:54:00.000-05:00

Need I say more?

The bit about artists I promised...

2005-08-26T19:24:00.000-05:00

I've got a friend whose grandfather was, in his heyday, a famous muralist. As an aside, I've never met him but I did work with his wife for a semester when I was at school. My friend is a very accomplished sculptor who has also studied painting and printmaking but I think he still somewhat lives in the shadow of his grandfather. At any rate, he's never quite completed a degree although he probably has more than enough coursework under his belt. He told me he really only took the classes he wanted to take -- the classes he thought he'd get something out of. However, he did share this piece of advice with me which his grandfather told him some time ago. If you're going to make a masterpiece, plan it out. Have a good idea of what you want it to look like and then make it look like your idea -- no happy accidents along the way. Once you've made one, make another to prove that wasn't just a one off. After you've made a second, make a third to prove you can do it any time you darn well please. Then you can do pretty much whatever you darn well please.

Needless to say, he was rather amused at me one day when he was over at my house and I was rather busy making happy accidents. Can't help it.... they're so much fun!!!

Patience

2005-07-19T14:21:00.000-05:00

Just to let you know, I've got a ton of stuff in the works but I'll be moving in the next couple of weeks so I'll be off-line for a while. On the plus side, I'll have my own sewing room when I move. YEEEEEEEHAW! On the down side, I hate moving. Oh well... I'm really looking forward to having my own space so that alone ought to see me through.

I won't grow up....

2005-06-22T20:43:00.000-05:00

In the interest of some of the comments I've posted on a few other blogs, I thought I'd put up a couple of pics of some of the doll clothes I've sewn in the past few years. These were originally on my website (horribly out of date). I haven't finished anything recently although I did start a dress for my Sydney Chase doll. Anywho and without further ado.... I present to you....

Kitty -



Littlest Angel -



Tyler -



And Skipper -



I thought I had one of Crissy's friend Kerry, but obviously not on line.  I'll have to dig for that one.

Another fun quiz....

2005-06-06T07:06:00.000-05:00

I think this one nailed me a bit better than the last one....

You Belong in London

A little old fashioned, and a little modern.

A little traditional, and a little bit punk rock.

A unique woman like you needs a city that offers everything.

No wonder you and London will get along so well.

What City Do You Belong in? Take This Quiz :-)

Find the Love of Your Life
(and More Love Quizzes) at Your New Romance.