a market bag

I recently read that the reusable bags I bought at the commissary contain lead. What do I do with them?  Should I throw them out?  The stores will take them back but they will most likely throw them out as well. 

Feeling optimistic I took out my vintage sheets and told myself I would cut out five bags.    Thankfully I only cut out one as I think I made more mistakes making this bag that anything else I have ever made.  It was almost funny.  

Anyhow it turned out okay, but I’m going to come up with a plan B as I think I would cry if I had to make four more.

There is something nice about sewing with vintage sheets.  Check out this tutorial page on this blog, there’s some really cute ideas. I hope your week is off to a good start!

Sunday Night Reflections

Each day brings us new thoughts, new happiness, new woes.  This past week taught me something, it was an epiphany that hit me right between the eyes.  At first I thought maybe it was just a moment of inspiration that would dissipate as quickly as it arrived.  But it didn’t, it’s still here in my brain.  It’s kind of a long epiphany that started with the passage in a book and I’m not sure how I can summarize it without sounding like I’m the drunk guy at the end of the bar who is in love with everything. 

I’m definitely not drunk, by the way.

Early in the week I read a passage in a book from the perspective of a naive girl describing a woman she admired…

“…an initial acceptance of herself as she was and so of other people with their foibles. And so she did as little scolding or criticizing of others for their foolish behavior or their sins as anyone I had ever known.  It was not that she was willing to compromise with wrongdoing or poverty or ignorance, just that she was a long step ahead of wasting emotional energy on fretting.  And she never put pressure on the rest of us to accept her opinions.  The secret of her calm seemed to be that she was not trying to prove anything.  She was- that was all. And her stance toward life seemed to say: God is-and that is enough.”

Maybe the exact moment in time in which I read this crossed perfectly with the exact moment in time in which my chaotic life was ticking along.

I have an extreme life. 

This is no surprise within our family, my husband has a demanding job- he travels extensively both in and out of the country.  I will never say I am used to this nor that I don’t mind because from the bottom of my heart I mind.  At the same time this is what it is.  And what it is… is life.

And we have a great life.  The intensity only adds to this and this is where the epiphany comes in. 

Only it’s hard to put it into words.

Most of my life I have suffered with anxiety.  And I deliberately use the word suffer as it is a physical pain to carry around anxiety.  When you carry around anxiety usually you carry around other stuff, too. 

It’s like I am growing up and can finally comprehend that endless worrying is wasteful of me. 

It’s not up to me to worry, to judge, to be opinionated.

Just as I don’t have to think about anyone in a negative way.  People will judge me but it really has nothing to do with me at all.

It’s just fine to live this extreme life and let Henry eat cereal for dinner in his underwear. 

 

All these years I’ve spent being shy and anxious when ironically I really love people.

I am who I am, I don’t need to carry the past within the present. 

I will never be tall.

I will never be a ballerina.

But I will always be a mother to my children,

and a wife to Ken.

The happiness that gives me is all I need to carry within my heart.

 

thou art woman

I hath no time to write really, but as a woman I am able to magically find time to fit in a post. 

I am feeling womanly today.  Do you ever have days when you are glad you are a girl?  I realize by asking that my brother is going to leave some kind of sarcastic comment, but it’s okay b/c I don’t mind when brothers are sarcastic.

If there was ample time today I would make a wrap-a-round skirt out of this fabric:

It’s my favorite fabric of the week. 

I would make it reversible with a dark chambray cotton and use this pattern minus the pockets:

What’s on your to-do wish list?

 

 

An Announcement

I am pleased to announce I now collect glass mayonnaise jars.

Am I suffering from dumb humor? Yes.  Though if you are reading this you might be the one suffering from it!

Today and yesterday have been fantabulistic days.  For no real reason even.

They were just innocent, regular days that got bumped up to Good.

Here is my advice to you:

Hug your loved ones and tell them they make you happy.

Look at the sky.

Stretch for five minutes.

Pet your cat.

Read a poem.

Smell a flower, even if it’s in the grocery store.

 

And then, you will have a fantabulistic day, too.

helpful hints for wardrobe planning

Summer clothes.  Doesn’t that sound wonderful?

I love planning out my wardrobe for the sunny days of summer.  But then usually by the first of July I am wearing the same jean shorts and T-shirt that I will wear until September.  At first I appreciated the help I recently read in an old Essential Sewing Guide by Drucella Lowrie.  I wish this woman could walk into my home in her gabardine suit and gloves and tell me exactly what to wear. 

She has no trouble illustrating her advice:

That square neckline with the eyelet trim is a little much for my lifestyle of spray painting thrift store stuff and yelling at my children.

Secretly I kind of like the housewife-at-home sample dress.  I like the big pockets, they would be handy during my daily chores that involve clothespins and a flask of hard liquor.   

Self made trimmings sound like a good way to personalize something to your own taste.  But then I remembered that huge L  Laverne would wear on Laverne and Shirley and I’m kind of thinking maybe it’s not such a good idea.  I can’t imagine sewing a big K on all my clothes.

Truly I wish I could dress my teenagers in the three bottom row outfits.   If they loved me they would let me dress them like this.

There is a whole chapter dedicated to the “chubby woman”.   It made me depressed as all the measurements given as examples were smaller than mine.  Who is chubby and has a 30 inch chest?    Darn you, Drucella!  I am definitely not buying your book  Restyle Your Hats that I saw on Amazon for $250.

 

 

you won’t know unless you try

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

They are very easy to make and have on hand as a healthy snack. 

Peel the outer leaves and cut the ends off a couple pounds of brussel sprouts.

You can feed the leaves to your hens, it will make them happy.

Set the oven to 400 and line a heavy duty cookie sheet with foil, spray with nonstick cooking spray.

Cut the sprouts in half and put on the pan all crowded but single layer.

Drizzle them with olive oil, sea salt and a little lemon juice.

The amount depends on your taste, I put enough oil on them so they look shiny but not enough that they are swimming in it.  Same with the salt.  I use about a tablespoon of the lemon juice.

When we lived in Turkey I learned that anything from cucumbers to eggplant to chick peas taste great with olive oil, salt and a little lemon juice.

Roast them for about 30-35 minutes. Give them a stir every 10 minutes or so.  They kind of smell bad while roasting, unlike the way the taste which is very delicious. 

 

ma petite chérie Molly

This is another Citronille dress called Albertine.  I was feeling confident one night after the kids went to bed and I cut into a two yard piece of knit fabric that I’ve had in my stash forever.  It holds a steady place in my top three favorite fabrics.   This waste not want not mode I am in feels a little dangerous.  But if I don’t use the fabric now while Molly is young when will I use it? 

I had a little panic about making the dress too small so I went up a size and now, well, who am I kidding the dress is huge.  

But at least it’s not too small,eh? 

She has been a busy girl of seven, learning all kinds of new things and gaining some Tasks of Responsibility.

We bought her a brand new shiny bike for no reason at all other than she would be the happiest girl on the planet.  We never do anything  like this.  We set it on the porch and told her to look out the window and still it never crossed her mind that the bike was hers. 

Have you ever spoiled your kids for no reason?  We are always bent on not spoiling them and having them earn things by working for it.  But  I think it’s okay once in a while.  

I’m pretty sure she thinks it’s okay, too!

 

I’m hoping my brother Mike is reading this and feels inspired to make this for Henry.

I’m certain this would equate to favorite Uncle status, just sayin!