The Wedding!

There was a wedding in our family as we closed 2009 out... our son Michael married the girl of his dreams, Miss Casey Simone. For the wedding, I set aside time to make a gift box, to hold all of their gift cards and/or money, and the ring bearer pillow. I used a brown silk dupioni for the gift box and a bright pink silk dupioni for the pillow. On the box, I embroidered the kids' initials along with the date of the wedding. On the pillow, I decided to embroider a portion of their wedding invitation along with a scripture verse out of the book of Song of Solomon. I used some left overs of the brown silk to make piping around the edge of the pillow. For those who know me, I love to glitz just about everything so it was no big surprise when everyone saw how many crystals I used on these two items.





Here are my cute little granddaughters with the dresses that I made for them for the wedding. Ashlynn and Reilly were the flower girls, so I made their dresses out of the white silk dupioni. I used the same bright pink silk, that was used for the pillow, and gathered it up for the waist band and bow for the two dresses. Using the glitz again I covered up my stitching lines, where I had gathered up the waist band, with pink crystals. I used an adorable trim that I found, around the neck of each dress. On the inside lining of each dress, I embroidered the girls' initials. For our little Miss Teagan, (affectionately known as Miss T.) I used the pink and the brown silk dupioni and quickly put together a dress for her. I decided that I would again, scrunch up a waist band and again cover the stitching lines with crystals... this time using brown ones. All three looked so cute and each had fun dancing and twirling in their new dresses.

(Pssst! I see you Keira!!)



Is this not the cutest picture?? She was very into her dance. ;-)



Miss Ashlynn had fun dancing it up with her cousin and ring bearer, Tallon. And not to be outdone by her cousins our sweet little Keira, who also fancied herself to be the hottest dancer out there, was on the floor behind them.



And of course, I had to make a quilt!! I quickly made a lap size quilt for the two of them to cuddle under while watching tv. I wanted to show you the label on the back too. Such a fun wedding!

Christmas Revisited!

As you know, this was suppose to be my 'sewing' blog. But being true to form, I seem to get easily sidetracked.. especially when it involves my children or grandchildren! So, I thought it would be nice if I actually shared with you a few things that I had the pure pleasure of sewing these past few months.

This seemed to be the year for stockings!! Some of the ones here are simply replacing older ones that I had made years ago. Now that nearly all of my children are married, I decided that I wanted ownership of those dear, old, stockings so that I can keep them hanging on my own fireplace mantle. Such sweet memories for Jim and I of times past. (Elizabeth... you're the last hold out! Get that old stocking in the mail.)

First up is Rebekah's replacement. (Don't forget.. you can click on any picture if you need a clearer view.)



I even made a new one for Christopher (my son-in-law) this year!



Next is my son Michael's. (I know, I know, these aren't the best pictures... sorry.)



My niece, Gretchen, had a new little darling this year. Here is her precious Milan's stocking that hangs at her grandma and grandpa's house. I decided to make a little pocket and sew it onto the back of the stocking..... just the right size for those little treasures she might acquire from her many new fans! ;-)



Pocket on the back.



Not to be outdone, my nephew had his third little boy this year. Since I had made the other boys' stockings, it was only right that dear little Joshua got his own as well.



Another friend had asked me to make a couple of stockings for her friends. Stockings are such a different type of gift to give.. and isn't it nice to be a little different? The first one is for her friend Karen, while the second one is for Karen's husband.






I also made aprons and dish towels this year. That was really fun! I purchased the waffle weave fabric by the bolt so it was easy to cut up, embroider and then make into towels. Once done I cut and ruffled some fabric and added it to the bottom of the towels.



The great thing about the aprons is that they are reversible!



The towels.




James and Stef were the ones who got the quilt this year. The center portion was pieced together by using a tall fat quarter pack that we had at the shop. Since I waited for such a long time before I actually pieced the quilt together, the coordinating fabric for that particular line was not easy to find. But eventually I found enough of the fabric to get this quilt made for them.



I also took the time to make and hand embroider a pillow for my bed.

Lost in Thought

For the last couple of days, I have had my two uncles up here to visit my parents before they leave for Arkansas. Listening to them talk and laugh with one another as they played cards was sheer enjoyment. They had me play their favorite music for them while they played their card games and chatted. The music ranged from the Sons of the Pioneers to the Bee Gees to the Eagles. (I couldn't help but laugh when my uncle David insisted that I put on the Bee Gees and the Eagles. He just loves them!) But what really seemed to settle my uncles' very souls was when the older music gently drifted into the room where they played. I feared that I would not be able to sit through all of those old tunes, but the realty was I rather enjoyed it. Listening to my uncle singing along while my mom quietly hummed now and then was so sweet. They talked about their mama and their daddy and heaven. They discussed their brothers and sisters and friends who have passed away and the few who are still living. I think down deep my uncle David's home will always be Drumright, Oklahoma, where they all were from. He even subscribes to the local newspaper.... just to keep up with the obituaries. Sitting there with them was rich. I learned a lot from them while sitting there... most important, the preciousness of family. How blessed I am! Prayerfully my own children will find joy and comfort while sitting with me as I grow older, but I also pray that they will find that same joy while sitting with the ones who are still here now. And to not dismiss those old tunes, that if listened to with an open heart, can still speak today. Thanks for the memories.

Family Day

Every December 24th, Jim and I, along with the kids and grandkids, spend the entire christmas eve day all together as one big happy family. I look forward to this one particular day all year long as it is the only day during the holiday season that I get my family all to myself. Selfish as that sounds, I wouldn't trade it for anything..... I love that day. I would love it even more if ALL of my kids and grandkids could be here. How I miss my children who do not live nearby!

This year we started out in Coronado at a little cafe, that turned out to be just a little bit smaller than we had thought. When we called the cafe to make our reservations, we thought we were making our reservations at the same cafe that we had eaten at a couple of years ago. Wrong! When Jim dropped me off out front, I went inside to let them know we were there.... slight problem, that cafe wasn't expecting us. Upon looking at the address of the cafe that we HAD made reservations at, we realized that that cafe was located further down the street. When we finally arrived at the right cafe, we nearly choked. It was the smallest cafe you could image and they were turning people away so that all of us could fit inside. Below is a picture of the outside and then of the inside. There truly was no room for anyone else but us!





Lindsey had a big bowl of oatmeal.



After breakfast, it was time to drive over to the Hotel Del. (One of these days I'm going to stay there!!) It was a beautiful day and the kids loved being near the ocean. Inside the Del, there was the coolest candy shop that all of the kids felt a need to go into. Keira LOVED the big glass dog that was right inside the door. She was constantly hugging him.



The kids know that Auntie Becka is one big sucker and that she will always keep them supplied with candy!



John and Christopher were worse than the kids!!



But then you had Casey.... ;-)



Michael and Casey are still our little honeymooners.



After Coronado, most of the guys decided to go and hang out on the Midway while the rest of us went over to Horton Plaza. The guys had a great time thanks to Aaron sharing his tickets.



Once the guys were done at the Midway, we all met up at Seaport Village. It was the most gorgeous day!! Here's a couple of my favorite pics. Thanks everyone!!

Roseville once again..

I'm back home in Alpine but I did want to share a couple of the houses in my son's neighborhood. I realize that it isn't the best of times to share these pictures as it is wintertime in Roseville and everything looks rather dead... but I still like the looks of these homes. The first one is my favorite. In the spring, the wisteria hangs down though the roof of the porch... it is simply stunning when in bloom. This house sits on a large, corner lot with a huge driveway to one side. On the other side of the house, which you can barely see to the right, a charming guest home is snuggled in quite nicely within the fence border. Out back there is a beautiful, large pool... that I'm sure the neighbors envy in the summertime. I especially love the balcony that sits above the porch roof. A great place to loose oneself in a good book don't you think? Click on the picture for even a better view!



This next house is much smaller but very typical of the other houses in the surrounding area. (Don't you just love that white picket fence?? Several of the houses had that same type of fence surrounding their homes. I thought it made each house quite homey looking!) Many of these houses had either a table with chairs sitting out on the front porch, or a couple of wooden chairs, or my favorite... big, old, wooden rocking chairs. I was ready to walk up and sit in one but I thought that might be incredibly rude.. especially if the home owner were to find a strange woman sitting out front. (It was very difficult to restrain myself from this temptation. ) ;-) On a side note: many of the homes in the area are for sale. I was saddened to see just how many.



The next picture shows the movie theatre in downtown Roseville. You got a small peek of downtown Roseville in my last post when I shared a picture of Main St with you. I would be remiss if I failed to share this picture as well. I thought it was a rather cool looking movie house.



And last.... but definitely not least.. I just had to share a picture of two of my granddaughters.... what kind of grandma would I be if I didn't share one of the best pictures that I had? Here is Miss Ashlynn and Miss Reilly looking lovely as always.

Roseville

I'm still here in Roseville, and I just had to share some pictures with you so that you could see the quaintness of the neighborhood that my son lives in. First stop... my son's house. I just love it! It is quite old and lovely with a full basement below where my son shoots most of his photography sessions.



The house across the street was a high school project many, many years ago. I can't even imagine the sense of accomplishment the students must have felt once the house was completed. Talk about homey!



Once you leave the neighborhood you need to cross this cute, little, crooked bridge; which runs over the train tracks...



...then turn right onto Main Street where one can continue their journey into a time long forgotten... pretty cool huh? This is the route I take each time that I take the girls to gymnastics.



At night you can hear the train as it travels lazily by on the tracks not far from the house. For reasons that I cannot explain the sound of that train is incredibly comforting to me and I love listening for it. The station is small but very sweet and is a great place to take a photograph or two.



I'll share some houses later.... Time to go to sleep.

Happy New Year!

No pictures this time around.... a good imagination will just have to do. I'm back up here in Roseville taking care of my granddaughters while my son and his wife are attending a seminar in San Diego. Since my trips up here are so rare, I soon forget the richness of the surrounding neighborhood that my son and his family live in. It's like lifting a thin veil and then stepping back into a time long forgotten. The streets are lined with trees that are now void of any foliage. The houses, some built with stone, others with brick, and many more having a combination of both wood siding with brick and/or stone, are warm and cozy looking. Most have those wonderful big, old porches with a couple of oversized chairs facing the street bidding one to stop and sit awhile. As a quilter, I can easily imagine women in years past, sitting out on those big, beautiful porches, hand quilting and chatting easily with one another about their children, their husbands' jobs, their joys, their concerns, and maybe even sharing a recipe or two.
The way I see it, we seem to have forgotten how to slow down and 'sit a spell' with the people that the Lord brings into our lives on a regular basis. I know in my last post, I reveled in the smells, colors, and sounds of christmas, but in my mind up here in Roseville, the smells, colors, and sounds that quickly overtake my mind are those of times past. Listening to my mom and aunts discussing not only different recipes, meals, and sewing, but also talking about their many plants that each had nurtured and cared for in their yards as well as in their homes. ( I will cherish those missed conversations forever.) I will also consider the screaming voices of the neighborhood children while they played and laughed with each other outside as something truly incredible.. instead of the annoyance I once thought it was.
The smell of biscuits and goulash cooking on the stove, or the aroma of cornbread and beans that my aunt used to make is also something I will never forget! Yumm! And how can one ever forget the delight in seeing pieces of leftover fabric or cut up, worn out clothing sewn into a beloved handmade quilt? I used to pour over those quilts looking for those little swatches that once were mine. Loved it... miss it.
With all of these thoughts in mind, it is my deepest wish and desire that everyone will experience, as I pray that I will too, the richness of family, the closeness of friends, and the ability and willingness to stop....... truly stop... and enjoy the many blessings that the Lord would love to bestow on each of us His children, in this bright and hopefully happy new year.