Wine Waterfall and Deb's Dangles

 I don't like to clean the house, I don't like to do yard work.  What was I thinking when I decided to have a Garden Party?  When it was time for the party...I was exhausted!

On the plus side, I am completely enjoying my clean house and yard.  Maybe I should have a party every couple of weeks!  

The occasion for this party was to showcase my friend Deb and her jewelry business.  She makes all her own jewelry.  Some of those jewelry parties out there can get expensive!!  Deb's earrings are ALL $12.  What a deal!!

We set her up in the tent. 

She had a very nice display.  It was already getting dark, so I brought out a lamp and some flashlights.

This was a Wine, Waterfall and Earring party.  So, of course, we had plenty of wine! 

 

And the Waterfall!  Thank goodness for the great weather! 

Lot's of yummy food.  Thanks to my wonderful Mother in Law for the Banana Bread with 2 different spreads and plenty of deviled eggs!

For my crafty friends....I had a TON of this green fabric.  I used some of it to make  some outdoor chair covers (see next pic) I made a zillion years ago.  So, I got it out and cut it to fit all the tables.  I didn't hem it or anything.  It was a last minute thought and I love how it turned out.  

Ah.  So nice. 

My dear daughter the "Cork Mistress and Wine Expert"!

Here is Deb, the Jewelry Designer (right).

Too much to choose from!!

Deb was surprised when my mother in law wanted the "skull" earrings!! Ha Ha!  She will wear them for Halloween.

It was a lovely night!  Thanks to everyone who came.

Feeling Groovy

I was getting ready for a party last weekend that our band was playing for (check out my band blog), the party was Hippie themed.

I decided that my hair do would be to part my hair down the middle and straighten it.  After I was finished, I had deja vu.  This is the exact hair do I wore in high school.  I was class of 77.  We didn't have curling irons or flat irons.  The "Blow Dryer" had just come out! 

I don't have naturally straight hair.  In high school, to have straight hair, I used to lay my head on the ironing board and iron my hair with the iron.  

I burned my head a couple of times because if you didn't get real close to the scalp, you would have a bump.  Yuck.  No bumps please.  I finally came up with a little technique of holding a comb next to my scalp and that worked.  It took FOREVER to accomplish this. 

Now....What a treat to be able to straighten my hair with a flat iron.  So fast....so easy!!  And, no injuries!!

When we first started doing the Hippie Themed shows, I had to get an outfit to wear.  I did some research and came up with either wearing "authentic" hippie clothes, which are kind of a free for all, no shoes and not all that "showy" or a "costume" which might be more entertaining.   I chose "costume".  

I have a costume that I got from Ebay last summer.  It was much too revealing for me, so I did some adjusting.  I added a waistband...these pants were waaaaay too low for this Grandma!  And, the top didn't cover up much at all.   I added some "fringe" to the top and some beads here and there.  I've been tinkering with it over the last year.

I had added some beads to the sleeves, but many of them fell off.  So, I sat down to  replace them with something better.  

First I decided to bring my supplies out to the deck and enjoy the nice weather.

I looked at my choices and picked some beads that I thought would be perfect.

And, some wonderful refreshment...a shake...not just any shake...read all about it here.

Taa daa!   Just right!  

If we keep doing the Hippie Theme, I'm going to need a new costume, because I'm getting tired of this one!!

My Purse, her purse...OUR purse!

 Last Sunday I went shopping.  It's that time of year.  You know what I'm talking about?  If you don't buy your fall or winter clothes right now, they will all be gone.  Then, when it's REALLY winter and it's REALLY cold and you wish you could buy a warm sweater or a coat...well, all that you will find in the stores is swimsuits and sundresses!!  This is  how it seems to me!!  

So, I bought a few things to add to my closet for the fall weather AND I found the PERFECT purse. I have been on a search for the PERFECT purse for a really long time now.  Years.  And, here it was.  I just knew the minute I saw it.  Of course, it was waaaaay out of my budget.  Except....I had found a gift card for Macy's that I forgot I even had.  "Found Money".  That' what that was.  So, with the gift card, I thought I could afford it and I bought it.  

When I got to the parking lot, I switched to my new PERFECT purse and was feeling blissful.  A beautiful DESIGNER purse.  All mine.  Ah.  

And, then....I realized that my neck and shoulder were starting to hurt.  I even started to get a headache.  I realized that my PERFECT purse was too heavy. 

Maybe it was all the fabulous buckles, one of my favorite features. 

When I got home, I showed the purse to my daughter.  

She decided that SHE had to have it.  But, I DID tell you it was expensive, right?  So, she decided to put it on her Macy's card. 

We went shopping today.  

When I told the clerk at Macy's that I wanted to return the purse.  No problem.  Then my daughter said..."I would like to now buy that purse", the clerk was surprised, of course.  She even gave her 20% discount for using her Macy's card.  Woo Hoo!  

It's such a great purse that another customer wanted to buy it right then and there.  But, it was too late, dear daughter already had it.  

She wasted no time getting her stuff switched over!

I can't be jealous (well maybe a little), it looks great on her.  And, I can visit it anytime!!!

So, I am still on the hunt for the PERFECT purse.  Here is my latest idea.  

I think I will make one.  Remember this one?

I'm going to make one in BLACK.   So, it will go with everything.  And, I will make the new one bigger, because this pink one was too small.  

I bought some fabric today and I'm going to start knitting right away!  My hopes are high!! 

Fashion, Magazines & Fall??

Is it fall? Is summer over? It feels like summer never really happened at all. We had a really late spring and it just hasn't been all that hot for all that long. And, now Labor Day has passed. The Official Day to switch out my wardrobe. Well, I never really get it done that soon, but it's the day I start thinking about it. Do you pack away your out of season clothes? I love to switch. It's extra work, but I think it's worth it.

I love fashion. Have I told you that? I'm sure I have, many times. I get so excited whenever it's Thursday and I get to watch Project Runway! I would love fashion even more if I was taller, thinner and richer!!

Do you give much thought to your own personal style? Or does it just happen? I think about it a lot, because again, I just like clothes and such. But, for me, it DOES just happen a lot of the time. I'm REALLY in to comfort. I like soft fabrics and I don't like tight clothing. (I even wish I never had to wear a bra ) I just read a quote from Tim Dunn, Project Runway (LOVE HIM!) on this very subject from Marie Claire: "I get very impatient with the whole "comfort issue" with clothing. Yes, you don't feel as comfortable in clothes as you do in your pajamas. That's a good thing. Your navigating a world where you need to have your wits about you. If you're in a lackadaisical comfort haze, you can't be engaged in the world the way you need to be." Hmmm. As I read that, I was in my daily uniform of comfy sweats. Can't looking great be comfortable? There must be a way.

I love to read magazines and get ideas. But, wow, that can get expensive, right? When you leave behind your magazines on the airplane, the flight attendants, like my daughter, pick them up and keep them. She brought me this entire selection. LOVE HER!!


Yes, I do LOVE magazines. But, I don't love having piles of them sitting around the house. So, I have a system for reading magazines and I'm going to share it with you. I read the magazine, page by page (rather quickly), stopping when I like something. If I like a picture, I tear it out. If I think I might want to read an article again (instructions or such), I tear it out. After I'm done, that magazine can get filed in the garbage.


These are my tear outs from today.

I have folders for my main catagories like: fashion, crafts, decorating etc. Then when I want to make something, I pull out the folder for ideas. I love looking through these folders. All my favorite ideas...all in one place!

I have had these folders for many years!!

In Remembrance

Red Blouse Refashion

Here is a Red Blouse refashion tutorial.

We wear all black and red and it gets hard to be creative. I wear more black and I could use some red. So, here we go....a blouse "refashion". This blouse is nice. It's red with little black pin stripes. But, I have only worn it once. It's too big and I just don't like the way it fits.

Dang. Why didn't I take a picture before I started cutting it all up? I think you can get an idea of the "before"....right?


I knew that I wanted it to be a little jacket. First thing I had to decide was how short to cut it. After that, I attached some black ribbon all along the bottom.

Then I decided to put some black ribbon all along the collar too.

I cut the sleeves and decided how short I wanted them to be.

 

Really short looked better. More "current".

How about changing the buttons? That would be nice.

I like these fabric covered ones. They would be perfect, IF they are the right size and the right amount. Note: I always remove buttons from clothes I get rid of. You can never have enough buttons.

I'm going to search through my stash of vintage buttons that I have collected at garage sales.

More choices.

Dang. Some of these are navy. That won't do. Only 3 black ones. I need 7!

Unless, I just space out the 3. What do you think?

I tried it on and it's still too big. So, I am going to make all four darts just a little bit bigger.

It fits perfect! I LOVE it! I also added a bow on each sleeve. I love bows. I'm super happy with my new jacket!!

 

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