Book Report

Lest you think that I have gone off my rocker, reporting of Panty Grapes and Sweater Carrots, I thought I would take a bit of a detour of my usual crafting/sewing reporting and take a dive into my literacy world this month.
My rule is to always have three books going at once.
I believe this strange philosophy/practice came from the days when I was nursing.
I would have a book posted at each nursing station and proclaimed the time mama/baby time. And for the marathon sessions, I was set. The world had to come to me or wait.
Got more reading done that way.
If my book was of interest to the younger set, I would read aloud. The whole Narnia series got accomplished that way.
That said, here is what I have been reading this past month:

As you know from a previous post, Anne Tyler's hot of the press latest book caught my attention. Finished it in under a week. Good for ol' ADHD Me.
In typical Anne T. fashion, her main character is full of quirks and revelations. All her books take place in Baltimore, her city of residence.
This book follows the chronicles of a hapless bloke, devoid of much interest in anything till he gets assaulted in his brand new location after years of existing in the same apartment. From this traumatic event, a series of other situations come into his life in the most unusual way. We see how this impacts his solitary life and what he learns.
Good read. Anne Tyler's characters are always endearing to me. Hmmmmm.

And while I'm sewing, I'm listening to another AT.
The Amateur Marriage is a sad one.
Sad in the reporting of a post WWII marriage and it's mistaken start and it's forsaken ending 30 years after the fact. Sadly, I believe many WWII marriages started and ended in the same way. Hurried decisions only to be altered by the shadow of the war in all their lives. Saw it in my own parents lives.
This is the third time I've 'read' it.
Masochist?

AND then there is this Gem of the Year!!!
(I know, I know; it's only February....but it will be hard finding a more entertaining, well written book. (okay, outside of pulitzers etc....)
Kaye Gibbons never disappoints me. Her Ellen Foster, The Virtuous Woman also is a favorite.
Youngest Son had this one in his possession and when I had finished Noah's Compass, lamenting as I do whenever I finish a good book, he reminded me that he had a Kaye Gibbons waiting in the wings.
It has taken me less than a week, reading in the wee hours when peri menopausal insomnia strikes.
Absolutely delightful tome about three generations of well read, well opinionated women under the same roof during WWII (a pattern?) The grandmother is absolutely wonderfully wonderful. A self appointed, rogue Doctor to her small rural area, respected by the actual doctors in the land and silent benefactor to many.
Her daughter, abandonded by a ne'er do well of a husband (having been warned by her wizened mama) is usually on the outside of her mother's and daughter discussion. The granddaughter, quiet, obedient and very smart, abandons the idea of college, even when the best are pursuing her, because of her love of her home and it's eccentric lifestyle...Then.....Well, you just have to read it...

That's mama's Book Report for now..
(Now if I can find just the right old green swimsuit to make some aspargus.....:D)

Introducing.......!

...Carey A. Carrot!

Hi!
My name is Carey A. (for the vitamin A that I am loaded with!!)Carrot and I am pleased to be featured on this blog!

Let me tell you a bit about myself..
I came from an orange 100% wool Gap Sweater from many years ago.
My creator, mama, received this sweater from her Youngest Son and he received it from a friend that had lost weight and was disengaging himself from some larger sweaters and shirts. Youngest Son was the very appreciative recipient of a fortune in some highly swanky sweaters and shirts.
Except for the orange one.
mama washed it.
And shrunk it. Really shrunk it. And exposed a myriad of moth holes.
Most people would say, 'amen' and put the dear thing to rest.
Not so, mama.
She saw me in the midst of shrunken wool and many non spiritual 'holeys').
She took her sharp sharp scissors and set to cutting off the sleeves, cutting around the holes and fashioning the very fun, very bright, very vitamin enriched personage that is me.
I hear that I am destined for a little girl in Cinncinati. I've never been there, I don't believe.
I'm looking forward to it.
Violet G. Grape and I have become fast friends and we look forward to our new lives in the pretend kitchen of a little girl.

Here are some of my 'baby' photos, before the renovation of fabric that mama is wont to make...

Please look at your belongings carefully before tossing them aside..
Some of my relatives could be hiding in them!!

Take Care!!
yours truly,
Carey A. Carrot (former sweater)

A New/Old Idea!

Coupons.
An old idea gone contemporary.
It all started with that Couponing Workshop in Dayton that Eldest/Admin and Lavendar Becca went to months ago.
Then they had to start proving it so cool by the scores of bargains they were making to reel me in.
Then I found myself stowing a few coupies here and there in my ample mama's collection's bag pockets.
Then it got out of control and coupons were cluttering up my life.
Some I needed for the weekly trek to good shopping in Bloomington so I didn't want to go giganto on coupon organizer/holder.
While perusing some options at Target one day, I slapped my forehead with my hand and said, "you goof! Just make one! You know you won't be happy till it is just the right material and size."
So I did.

Left over fabric from RP-New Friend's new bag.
Quilted left over when the dinosaurs walked.
A piece of random plastic found in the trunk of Hubby's car. (hope it has nothing to do with operational efficiency.)
Cutting it out to fit my size purse.

With the fabric still hot from the zoom of sewing machine, I immediately stuffed the New Coupon Holder with all my necessary values for the next northward trip.

Dress up the velcro closure with a rakish little vintage button and I am set on saving!
In more ways than one!!
Don't you need a protective holder for all your coupies??

URGENT OPINIONS NEEDED!!!!!!!

HELP!
RE: mama's collection of friends retreat
July 23-25

Ladies!
I have been calling around for a location (just the right one you know!) for our fabulous, first time ever, crafting/spiritual insights/mothering (our kids and each other) special, special time together and here is my dilemma.

I have called the state parks around here. I am finding that most facilities that we would like to use are usually reserved a year in advance. And to have an assortment of good sleeping arrangements (to accommodate nursing babies) the search got harder.

Eldest/Admin suggested that I start looking at B&B's. My thoughts went quickly to one that I have stayed at three times and loved it more each time.
I called to inquire what it would take to rent the entire facility. We would have
access to a kitchen which would mean meals could be made for us (thanks Sara!). There is two large sitting areas that we could do our sewing demos and babies could nap in their rooms upstairs with the use of monitors to the main level. The house is absolutely wonderful and I am picky about my B&B's! There would be room for 10, sharing a room. Most are queens with rooms for pack and plays if you don't co sleep.
Why am I just telling you this when I can direct you to http://leavenworthinn.com. Go to the rooms and check out The Cottage. This is the one that I would love to be our first gathering. Comfortable, roomy, cozy and far away from anything. The cost per person would be 131.00 (if we have 10 ladies) for Fri night-Sun morning. Breakfast would come with the package. We could get creative with the other meals.

So I need your help.
I know this is more than some of you planned to spend. I know it could be farther and longer than you anticipated.
But we have time to save?
I'm trying to accommodate several things:
1. School starting in August for you teachers
2. Comfortable digs for Those Pregnant
3. Near by facilities for Nappies for Ze Bambinos
4. Food prep convenience to save money
5. Beautiful grounds for a restful time
6. Large group spaces for all the larnin' that will be going on.

PLEASE, PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS ON THIS!
ANY INPUT WILL BE HELPFUL!
I WILL NEED TO RESERVE ASAP IN ORDER FOR US TO HAVE THE WHOLE COTTAGE!
IF THERE IS ANY SERIOUS FINANCIAL CONCERNS, EMAIL ME.
IF THERE IS ANY SERIOUS LOCALE CONCERNS, EMAIL ME.

Seriously, this is a wonderful location. On the Ohio River and really isolated. Walking, bike paths meander around the grounds. Many rockers on the spacious porches..
But I am open to suggestions (even though I really, really like this place; can picture our group enjoying ourselves rather funly)

PLEASE LEAVE COMMENTS, PHONE CALLS, EMAIL!!!!
love you all,

mama Deb....

Back to Purse Making!

Thanks to RP-New Friend, mama's collection has created a new bag!
Eldest/Admin had me design a purse survey that has been a useful tool in my sewing room.
RP-New Friend simply filled out the survey, gave it to me at church and pointed out some flaws in her current purse, and I was on my way back to Purse Groove (having been distracted, oh so pleasantly, by the things of the holiday season and other nearly one year old 'things'....
One quick visit to Joanne's provided some swell suiting material on sale and lining that was a fine cotton that had a 40% off coupon...Yessssss.
Soon, I was home, plotting, planning and cutting....Ahhhhh, the groove...

The suiting fabric was a different sort of medium but pleasantly agreeable.
It always helps me to have music or an audio book for my sewing endeavors. This purse was my Anne Tyler's Amateur Marriage book.

Two big inside pockets, one external one. One big zippered pocket inside and an old earring repurposed into duty to a shiny zipper pull. Two big buttons on the handle sides and two vintage buttons covering the velcro closure to add to the suiting look.

To be delivered on Wednesday...
Wonder how much tweeking I can do on it till then.....?

Purposeful Purple Panties

Funny Story:
I'm with my daughter in Cincinnati, at a trendy eco/mama kinda store.
Wonderful, wonderful things but like all such, pricey as well.
Eldest/Admin sees some felted fruit/veggies for bambinos that she just loves.
There is even some grapes made out of a softer material, like a cotton knit. These grapes have the sweetest faces on them and my daughter just melts.
Meanwhile, this is what's going in my mind:
Years ago, a young friend stayed with me with her tiny infant. Lots of packing and laundry for the young mama and something was bound to get left behind. After all was said and done, the only thing that was left was a pair of post partum purple panties. By the time the young mama got home, far away, they probably were already too big for her.
But being the practical person I am, I placed these in the bottom of my drawer.
Now I forget a lot of things.
People's names, things I am to do, birthdays, anniversaries etc.
But for some reason, I remembered the knit and color of the purple panties that were stowed away in the back of my drawers.
When I saw the beloved grapes, I immediately knew that the color and type of knit of those hidden undies would be the perfect little sweet faced grapes for Miss Vivien.
The week I got back home from my Vivieland Visit, I excavated my chest of drawers to find....'TA DA'! The perfect grape material..!
And here it is in process:

And here is Violet G. Grape!
Vivien's first of many stuffed fruit/veggies I think...

Another Repurposeful Success!
Think carefully before you throw things away, especially nice fabric on any type of clothes...
Fun, fun things can be had from the strangest of items....!

Crafted Decor

Throw out the rules when you're decorating your home.
You do not need to have a balance of matching prints.
Your art does not need to match your couch. Or anything else.
Check out a garden in the summer and see how pleasant the balance of colors entertains the eye.
See how many shades of green there is in the foliage of a tree.
Art/craft that you love that is made by someone you love, leaches out into your home atmosphere and warms it up like no Thomas Kinkade can.
You want to look at your art not merely rely on it to decorate your walls.
And you want your visitors to do the same.
I love it when company spends some time perusing my art/photos/crafts on the wall. I love to tell the stories behind them. Sparks conversation and opens doors for sharing on many levels.

Here are a smattering of Art of My Peoples:

I once asked Baby Girl to photograph my garden.
I told her that when I am old(er) I want to paint the incredible flora that has passed by my garden.
She did this and now I have over a dozen framed prints of a good year in my garden. To look at this in the midst of winter, gives me the hope for the growing season and a heart for planning the next garden year.
Don't you love this spunky little ladybug taking on this huge hydrangea leaf?
Baby Girl's Crazily Arty Hubby created this stained glass years ago. He crafted the wood frame from wood on his grandfather's farm.
Until they have permanent residence in their gypsy life, I am the curator.
No prob.

I ordered this sampler kit from a magazine in 1974. Ten years later, it still was not completed. A good friend of mine offered to work on it. In her pity for my procrastinating ways, she not only completed it for me, she framed it and it has become a memory of our long ago friendship. A treasure.

Eldest/Admin talent/hobby took her to a photo class in college that included developing her own photos. I so loved this print showing the gentleness of the lacy Queen Anne's lace butted up against the hard steel of a guard rail near a highway. E/A had it framed and presented it to me for Christmas one year. It is on my staircase and I touch it every day.

On a road trip to see Oldest Sister one year, Baby Girl had just received her first camera (the one I use now!). Anxious to document everything, she took to photographing my hands as I worked on a piece in the car.
My favorite.

Baby Girl took two trips to Africa last year.
This photo taken by Baby Girl's Hubby, shows the playful time she had with the girls of a school there. They got quite tickled as they taught her the word for earring, 'Ogamogamotu'. BG started repeating the lyrical word and began to dance a bit. The girls thought that she was silly and giggled with glee. Love this photo.

I'll even frame poems!
Two poems that mean much to me is from Old Friend, creator of my beautiful stained glass bathroom window featured last year. She is an amazing writer and sent me these poems years ago. They are in my library, named The Renee Busha Not Yet Memorial Library. Named such since she came to my home one week after we moved here, to rip up old carpet and to cover paneling with anaglypta and paint over that. What a friend. The poems are about our accountability in our old age and the other about a pre 911 visit to NYC.

One Christmas, Eldest/Admin created this family montage for us.
I enlarged the center photo, painted some anaglypta for a mat and framed it, with the smaller companion photos, and placed it over our bed. LOVE IT. The photo was taken one Thanksgiving Eve of a very difficult year caretaking my father. Rough patch and I might think that this photo documented the one time when we were able to laugh together. Timely photo. Means a lot to me.

And this silly little 70's crafting present came to me for a wedding present from a co worker at the fabric store where I worked. Crafting was reaching it's hey day and for this young girl to think of soaking my wedding invite in tea and decoupaging it on a piece of wood with some primitive little flowers, well, I thought she was a genius. I was 19 years old. This sweet thing has hung in everyone of my bedrooms for 37 years.

See what I mean?
Don't you just feel the warmth?
I do.
Thank you for taking part in Art Gallery Week at mama's collection!!