Off to See the Wizard

check - clothing finished, pressed and hung

check - displays packed and in car

check - my clothes are packed

don't know what I'm forgetting, but I hope it's not too important

excited to see friends and family on the way

Hooray!!!!

I'll try to blog once in a while, but I'm not making any promises.

Wilmington Flower Market in Rockford Park

May 6. 7. 8

10 - 7

Look for Annarella Girl in the handcrafted tent.

Sew On and Sew Forth

The Red Poppy Fest was wonderful. Lots of sunshine and friendly people. I love getting to know new customers. And I got to catch up with lots of old friends!

The new headbands were a hit. The girls especially liked any that used a fabric with black in it. See the pics above for my leftover inventory. I have a whole bunch more ready to be assembled for the Wilmington Flower Market.

Speaking of which this is my last week of sewing for awhile. I always wish I had more pieces of clothing, but there is never enough time to finish all that I want. When I have my break this summer and am starting my fall and winter lines, I'm going to look for someone to help me out one or two days a week. If you know of anyone who wants a small job, please send them my way. Pay is a bit above minimum with the added benefit of working with me. (lol)

For all my friends in the East, make sure to stop by and see me. I'll be in the handcrafted tent. Tell all your friends! If I do say so , I've got some great stuff!

Wilmington Flower Market

May 6,7,8 10am - 7pm

Poppy Time

Sunshine and rain mean good poppies. When in Georgetown, drive around Old Town and enjoy the stands of red poppies in so many yards. They are glorious this year. This picture comes from Gwen Green and is one of 17 posted on Flickr of the red poppies in Georgetown. Beautiful!!!

Come on Sat and Sun to enjoy the Red Poppy Fest. "Paint the Town Red" parade starts at 10 on Sat. Great music both days. Little Texas is headline act on Sat.

The Exchange will be open Sat 10 - 8 or until Little Texas start. Sun open 12 - 5. See you there!

A Little Detour

As the Red Poppy Fest and the Wilmington Flower Market fast approach, I've got my head down to just sew, sew and sew.That's my plan. As much inventory as possible. Well, plans do get interrupted.

Yesterday, late afternoon my husband calls out from the living room where he has been watching a baseball game. This is a bit odd since he knows not to interrupt me, but there is that certain tone which makes me pay attention. Nothing else except "come here." So I do, only to find him standing and gripping the back of the sofa in a stiff posture. "What's weong?" I ask. He is frozen in place and experiencing a lot of pain. Uh, oh! I mention Emergency Room, and he doesn't argue. Double uh, oh!! I alert Jeff, our oldest son, who, by the way, owes us lots of ER time back that he amassed as a toddler and child. (stitches and stomach pumps.). Then we go about the business of getting into car and to local ER.

The bad news is that he is having a muscle spasm in his back. The good news is that the pain medication seems to be working. Don't know what the orthopedic doc will say, but it seems as if I've lost my best helper for packing car and setting up. And the long drive to Wilmington, DE could be somewhat longer as we have to stop and stretch more frequently. We'll wait and see how fast he gets mobile. Keep your fingers crossed that he is ready for the road trip and off pain meds soon.

Time spent in the ER was minimal - 2 1/2 hours. Most time was trying to find a pharmacy still open. Who knew they all close early on Sat? It was 8:00 when we started looking. I've never considered that to be late, but I guess people don't need medication on Sat night. Or any medication other than alcohol. But we found one, got food and meds and returned home. Now he sleeps like a baby and enjoys enforced inactivity. Oh darn, he has to watch TV all day and night. That's a lot of baseball. And I return to my sewing room counting the hours I have left against the tasks I want to get done.

Red Poppy Fest April 24-25

Wilmington Flower Market May 6-8

Sew, sew, sew

All work makes me crazy! I'm beginning to talk to myself. Okay, it's worse than that. I'm beginning to argue with myself. "OMG I sold 2 dresses yesterday. I can't do that I won't have enough inventory for Wilmington Flower Market." " OMG what if I don't sell anything, what will I do with all those girls clothes." Craaaaazy!

Bestill my voices. Sew now I'm playing mind games with myself. I'm not giving the game away; but when you catch on to my game, join in. A bit cryptic - that's me, a mystery woman. LOL.

Have a great weekend. Maybe I'll post tomorrow, maybe not. Depends on which voice is here.

Red Poppy Fest April 24-25

Wilmington Flower Market May 6-8

Why I Do What I Do

As I toil away sewing, cutting and gluing I'm thinking about why I'm doing it. The Wilmington Flower Market, May 6-8, is one of my biggest shows for the year. It attracts a huge audience, rain or shine. And it is near and dear to my heart. Many of you ask why I go so far for this event.

After a married lifetime of moving from Alabama to Massachusetts and parts in between, my parents settled in Claymont, Delaware when I was starting 8th grade. This is where they remained until death. (4 of their 5 children moved away as they reached adulthood.) My mother and father loved Northern Delaware. When they retired they didn't want to move to warmer climes. They sunk their roots in deep and strong.

Following their working lives, they turned to volunteering believing in giving to their community. Dad's efforts went into education, The Academy of Life Long Learning and libraries. Mother supported many of the children's charities and spent many hours giving sibling care for the patients of A.I. Dupont Hospital. Doing these things made them happy and fulfilled.

The Flower Market supports many local organization which are devoted to children. Part of my proceeds will go into the pot to be divided among so many deserving charities. And I do it all in the spirit of my parents. They provided a loving, secure home for me. Unselfishly they devoted their talents and passions to many local non-profit groups. I feel they payed it forward to me. So I take my talents to the Flower Market and know that whatever money I make will be put to work to make life better for kids.

That's why I attend the Wilmington Flower Market. I hope to see some of you there!

May 6,7,8 at Rockford Park. See their website for info and directions.

More Hands, More Time

Back in January or early Februart I made a comment about frittering away time that should be spent sewing. Well....I need that time back! So much to do, and not enough time left before Red Poppy Fest, April 24 & 25. I need to sprout 2 extra hands and 8 more hours in each day! I want to make sure I do the girls, like Laura, justice.

PS. As I reread previous posts I see how sloppy my spelling and typos are. Mea Culpa.

New, New, New

Herte's a few of my latest.

Sundress size 2

sundress size 12-18 mos

top with embellished capri leggings
size 5

top with embellished capri leggings
size 8

Back to the machine. Hope you like these new fabric combinations!

Birthday

Today is the my day. After a certain age birthdays should no longer be counted just gently celebrated. So now that I am over Uncle Sam's medicare milestone, I declare my day should be marked with little joys!



But I still like some of the perks of a birthday - flowers, phone calls and cake. Today I was lucky to have my youngest granchild, Hudson, spend the morning with me and help me make cupcakes!!

As you can see he did a delicious job!! Happy Birthday me!
(Isn't family great!)

Cowgirl Cuties

Here they are the cuties that wore my dresses in a local beauty pageant. Don't they look great? Such beautiful girls.

They are with their proud mom who did the gorgeous hats with the red poppies.

Now I'm into the final push to build up my inventory for The Red Poppy Fest , April 24 and 25th I'll be at The Exchange. Then it's off to Wilmington, Delaware for The Flower Market, May 6,7,8. I'll post more info as these events get closer.

Meanwhile enjoy your Easter Sunday!

Spring Things

What I like about spring....

Flowers - Each year I eagerly await the first bluebonnet sighting. I find them in the gullies, yards and along the highway. The white tops on the brilliant blue make me smile. And that's only the beginning. For the next month Central Texans will be treated to purple, yellow, pink and white in fields and roadside. In the area visit the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center for brilliant displays of our native wildflowers.

Flowering Trees - Much like the spring flowers, I love the trees. This year the ornamental Japanese cherry trees are brilliant. Although I love living in the South, I do miss the dogwoods. One house my family lived in for a short time in Arden, Delaware, had over 30 mature dogwoods. When they bloomed each spring, the sight was spectacular. (On the other hand, I don't miss the autumn when the leaves fall!)

Spring Green - I posted about this special color just a few days ago, so you all know about my love affair with this hue.

Black Jellybeans - Sure, you can get them all year now, but I lust after them in the spring. Obviously a hankering developed from many Easter Baskets in my youth. Jelly Bellies are the best!!!

Devilled Eggs - The first ones done from the leftover Easter Egg hunt are the best. Mayonaise, yellow mustard and a hint of vinegar. Simple but tasty. (I only eat the yellows. I'm always on the outlook for someone who only wants the whites.)

No More Heavy Coats - Don't you feel like you'vr lost 5 pounds when you don't have to wear that winter coat? Bring on the short sleeves, sundresses and flip flops. Time to enjoy bright colors and flowery prints. Yeah!!!

Sitting on the Porch - Can't beat hanging out on the back porch watching birds while soaking up some sun. A great place to take a short break from sewing. It reenergizes me.

So what do you like about spring?