Parking Lot

With my calling in nursery, I've volunteered to be the one to take out the trash after church. This motivated us to change up our usual parking spot (from the one in front of the otter pond) to the one right next to the dumpster.

Pretty nice.

Do you need a button?

Yes, the yellow one is called a "plastic goofie."

Which is your favorite?

The paperweight? Steel points?

I don't have a fancy camera like you guys, but you get the picture.

This is about half of the button collection at the Lightner Museum.

Free to St. Johns County residents!

Texas Birds

This morning when we opened up the garage, I said to Noah, "It feels like Texas." I couldn't put my finger on why until I saw the mockingbird singing on the oak tree. The fog and cooler temperature also reminded me of waiting for my ride on a school morning. When I got to work, this guy was singing a song, and I had to find him.

I saw those red feathers and little cap and recognized him as my first school's mascot.

400 pennies

That is roughly the cost of this skirt.

Alicia and I saw the shirred floral skirt at shade and decided to create our own take on it.

Off to the Wal-mart sale section again.

Why is it that as I am imagining and making something, I love it so much...

and after it's finished I mostly hate it/have angry feelings towards it?

Any advice?

valentine

We celebrated with food and friends. This was how the day started.

What did you do?

Christmas Gifts

I made about 50% of my Christmas gifts this year. I guess if you wait until February to put them on your blog, there is absolutely NO CHANCE that your recipients will see them before they get unwrapped. I'll call that strategy and not blame it on the still-absent computer.

Michelle and I made at least a half-dozen of these. We combined the Buttercup Bag and Birdie Sling to make our own pattern for this not-to-small and not-too-big bag. I know. You want Michelle as a friend.

I made three in coordinating fabrics: this shimmery stuff, this, and the one below. The exterior is the coolest "denim" herringbone from the Wal-mart sale section. (Boo and hiss all you want; this was (said to be) made in America and just way too versatile.) I really wanted to get a glamorous group shot, but I guess I got too excited to give them all away.

My favorite part (and that says a lot!) are the tags I made at spoonflower.com.

Alicia got a freezer paper tee. I described my vision and Michelle made it better than I imagined-- are you laughing at that evil cat, too? The message couldn't be more accurate. The colors for the mystery gift were picked by Alicia, and I put them on quite deftly. I meant to put that big blob under the "E."

I won't put the picture of her puzzled face examining this on Christmas morning; I'd rather she still talk to me. But use your imaginations and then multiply the expression times two!

Snow Bird Company

Snow bird
It's hard living really far away from family. You'll take any visitors you can get. Our only "sure thing" every year is this little guy.

I call him "Bachelor Bird" because he must be a boy. Any self-respecting girl bird would build a nest, right? Noah calls him "Pillolin." We worry about him during the freezes, but he always comes back.
We have a deal that he can stay as long as he likes as long as he doesn't wet the bed-- speaking from experience. I told you we'll take anyone we can get.

*Sorry the picture is dark, but, as he is a bird, he's only around at night.*