Foggy

I can’t believe Christmas is over already! We spent four wonderful days at my parents’ house up in Fernandina Beach, and although we were happy to get back home to Tampa (we missed our kitties!), we certainly wouldn’t have minded a few more days with the family. 

The weather was beautiful and sunny for most of the time we were up there, except for one foggy afternoon that we spent on the beach hunting for sharks teeth.

One of the gifts I gave my mom was a tote bag that she “ordered” from me at least six months ago.

She mentioned many moons ago that she wanted a tote bag with her first initial and a large front pocket. I found out what dimensions would work for her and tucked all that information away until Christmas, hoping she would forget that we talked about it.

I’m really happy with how the front pocket turned out, and I’d like to repeat that feature on totes I make in the future.

I’ve mentioned before (and I’m sure some of you fellow crafters have dealt with this as well) that some people don’t use the stuff that I make for them because they’re scared it’ll get stained or ripped. Although I make it a point to ensure that my pieces are durable and machine washable, and I truly hope that people get a lot of use out of them, I’m certainly not offended when someone treats a bib or an apron as decoration instead. It’s quite a compliment.

However, with my mom, I always know she’ll use what I make her. This tote will not hang untouched on a hook somewhere in her house. Nope. This tote will get used and filled with books and pens and worn out and covered in dog hair and thrown in the back seat of the car and washed and dried and used some more. And I love that!

AHB: the aftermath

Atomic Holiday Bazaar. Was. Awesome.

I’ve never seen anything like it. There was a line stretched around the side of the building waiting for the doors to open at noon.

There was a steady flow of people through my booth all day, and I made a bunch of sales.

I had some of the most interesting conversations with people, including my neighboring vendor from Detroit who poured me a mimosa in the afternoon, a textile designer who discussed fabrics with me, an 8-year-old girl who played with my aprons like they were toys, and a woman who said my aprons would be “perfect” if only they had pockets. I know! I’m working on it!

The other vendors were fabulous! My mom manned my booth for a few minutes toward the end of the day so that Alex and I could walk around, and I was super impressed by the talent in that room. And honored to be among them.

By the end of the day, I was thirsty and hungry and exhausted and my feet hurt and I was simply thrilled to have been a part of it all. I had the best time.

I’m going to try to post one to two items to The Boutique each day that didn’t sell at the show. Today, I posted this:

and this:

Last play at Shea

New York. Was. Awesome.

We had such a great time with my family. Alex was meeting everyone for the first time, and they treated him like family the second they met him. I knew everyone would get along just fine, but it was better than I could have even imagined. My grandma just adored him. Seriously. They’re now best friends forever. I think she likes him better than she likes me!

Wednesday was Billy Joel’s “Last Play at Shea” — well, it was supposed to be his last concert at Shea Stadium before it gets torn down, but he added another show for Friday. So we saw the second to last play at Shea. Doesn’t sound quite as catchy, but it was still a fantastic show. Billy played for three straight hours, and Tony Bennett, John Mayer, Don Henley and John Mellencamp showed up as surprise guests. What an awesome experience.

One morning, we went to a little town on Long Island called Sayville, where I found an adorable fabric shop called Patchworks.

I warned my family that I would be a while, so they walked across the street to get coffee while I shopped.

Their fabrics were beautiful, and the ladies who worked there were just lovely.

They gave me a “repeat customer” punch card even though I told them I live 1200 miles away. Only seven more yards of fabric and I get a free yard!

Sayville had some great boutiques. One store had a display of green and blue lamps and paper lanterns that will serve as inspiration once we own a home and have more areas to decorate.

Our time in New York was wonderful, and I really wish we had an extra day or two to spend with my family. Miss you guys already! Thanks for everything!

Taj Mahal

I went on a wonderful no-boys-allowed camping trip over the long weekend. We went to Paynes Prairie in Gainesville, Fla., and although we didn’t know what to expect because none of us had been there before, it ended up being absolutely beautiful. We camped in a shaded woodsy area and hiked the prairie during the day.

Unfortunately, “prairie” means “no trees,” and hiking in Florida in July with no shade is pretty much torture. But we got to see wild horses grazing peacefully in the prairie, so it was worth the heat. We all had a great time hiking, roasting marshmallows, drinking beer in the hammock, playing Scrabble and just relaxing, but there was a consensus that next time we camp, it should be a little cooler. And we might even allow boys.

Here’s the tent that belonged to the folks in the site next to ours.

Yes, that’s an air conditioning unit with an extension cord. Wow, talk about roughing it. We called their tent the Taj Mahal.

I started physical therapy this week for my chronic back pain. I’ll have three sessions a week for four weeks. I already feel improvement after the first session, so I’m extremely hopeful that this will work. Sewing is one of the things that causes me the most physical pain, and I just can’t imagine giving that up, so…fingers crossed!

I hope everyone here in the USA had a lovely 4th of July!

Antique shops

One of the many things I love about Fernandina is the abundance of fabulous antique stores all packed into such a small area.

There are some great antique stores in Tampa, but they’re all spread out. In Fernandina, I can visit four or five solid antique shops in an afternoon with very little driving. Shops with so many rooms that you get lost if you’re not careful.

Even when I’m not in the market for anything, I have to look. Just being in a place filled with so many old, beautiful things with unknown histories makes me happy. It stimulates the senses.

Sometimes I’m relieved to live in such a small apartment. If I had more places to put things, I’d be tempted to drive away with my car filled to the roof. Since our space is so limited, I have to be very picky, and I usually walk out empty-handed.