Really Random Thursday, 10/28/21

The weather is finally cooling down here in the Central Valley. However, it is still not that cool.  True, the mornings are chillier, but it often get ups into the 70s by mid afternoon.

Sunday morning, we were at our favorite bagel shop. The temperature was 61 degrees. So sweatshirt weather, sure. However, we saw this person all bundled up. Puffer jacket, stocking cap, knit scarf...you'd think it was already down in the 40s!

We left shortly after noon to head to Carmel on the coast. A massive rainstorm was predicted and we were meeting our dear friends, Russ and Ingrid, from Calgary. It did rain overnight in Carmel but Monday was a beautiful day. 

We drove along the coast in Pacific Grove and the waves where huge--we don't remember seeing waves like that in a really long time.

Waves normally break further out, but these were breaking right at the shoreline. And the water was so rough.

We drove into Capitola and walked around a little bit. Saw this sign on a restaurant window. I always wonder why signs like this are necessary. I guess because there are ridiculous people...

We had dinner at the Shadowbrook, a restaurant we enjoyed so much when we celebrated our anniversary there in June.

These flowers were outside the restaurant where we had breakfast Tuesday morning. I don't know what they are, but aren't they pretty?

We haven't been able to see Russ and Ingrid in two years because of the pandemic and it was wonderful to finally spend time together again.

Can you believe Halloween is just a couple of days away?!

Christmas is just around the corner. If you are part of the Grammar Police Society, you will appreciate this.

Haha...

Raise your hand if the thought of lots of holiday gatherings make you feel like this...

Hope your weekend is a good one.

Sew Together Bags #10 and #11

 A few months ago, Rachel from @citrusandmintdesigns put out a call for "Clementine Ambassadors" to help showcase her newest fabric line, Community. I filled out the questionnaire, not really holding out much hope. I was so surprised when she included me, had me choose a project and sent me the fabric. 

I chose to make a Sew Together Bag (pattern by Sew Demented) as it is a good way to use a lot of different fabrics in one project.

I chose these four for the outside of the pockets. 

I got overly excited to look at the inside of the pockets, but I forgot that I had shortened the zippers and slid the zipper pull completely off the tape of one of the zippers. Note to self: don't do that again! Thank you, YouTube, for a good video on how to get it back on!

My first thought for the exterior was to use the same print on the front and the back, with the only difference being addition of the cute selvage that includes all the information, and because I think you should always use a selvage when the opportunity presents itself. :)

Along the way I had the idea of making a patchwork for the back using a square from each fabric in the line--I'm so glad I went with that idea!

I think it turned out really cute.

Thanks, Rachel, for including me in your fabric showcase!

As long as I was making one Sew Together Bag, it's really nearly as easy to make another one at the same time. A good friend, Patty @soxtherapist, is doing a trade with me--she knits me a pair of socks and I make her a Sew Together Bag. Win-win.

I used the Purl line of fabric by Ruby Star Society, perfect for a lover of yarn.

The cute zipper pull is by Ruby Star Society as well--and the perfect color.

Have you every made a Sew Together Bag? If you do, I highly recommend the step-by-step tutorials at thequiltbarn.blogspot.com. You will thank me. 

Really Random Thursday, 10/14/21

Gabriel had a birthday last week and is now 10! I'm not sure how he has reached double digits so quickly, but I probably felt that way about Charlotte and Levi as well.

This kid is so amazing--a deep thinker, a trivia addict, an artist...things are always interesting when he is around. 

There was no school on Monday so the kids spent a good part of the day at our house--reminiscent of last school year when they were here every Monday and Thursday, and the best part of the day was lunch together. 

Gabe was pretty sure he knew what he was getting from us (the Lego Hogwarts Express set), and he was correct.  But we wrapped it in a way that at least he had to work a little harder to get it open (white garbage bag and then triple wrapped in bubblewrap.

It's going to be interesting to see where Gabe's life takes him. 

Haha #1.

I finished the embroidery pattern, Peaceful Whimsy, designed by Rene' of  @renecreates. 

Then I added it to the back of a denim jacket purchased specifically for this project.

And then I wore it to a Doobie Brothers concert, which had been postponed from September 2020.

It was an amazing concert!--a 50th anniversary tour, which included Michael McDonald, the real reason we bought tickets in the first place. It was a requirement that everyone attending either be vaccinated or show a current negative COVID test, but yet it felt odd being around so.many.people! 

The concert was over 2 1/2 hours of nonstop music--no warm-up band, no intermission--just nine stellar musicians and familiar songs--how is it possible we have been Doobie Bros fans for 50 years??! 

There is nothing in the world like live music and this concert was a welcome highlight after 1 1/2 years of mostly staying at home.

Here's something funny. A few months ago, Charlotte and I had a conversation about repetitive lyrics. I said I wasn't a fan of one of her favorite singers (who shall remain unnamed) because I felt like her lyrics were too repetitive. Charlotte countered with the fact that lots of lyrics are repetitive. So when the encore song was Taking' It to the Streets, I had to laugh and rescind my whole argument about repetitive lyrics. Because Taking It to the Streets is one of my favorite Doobie Bros songs. If you know the song, you know these are the lyrics. "Takin it to the streets" twenty times in a row. So I guess that's the end of that conversation. 

Haha #2. Truth.

Another innovative spelling of Charlotte's name to add to the ongoing collection:

Haha #3.

Periodically I get notifications that I have "reused" a password on more than one site. Maybe this is an option:

Hope your weekend is a good one.

Really Random Thursday, 10/7/21

A question we can continue to ask ourselves throughout the month:

For the first time in nearly three weeks, I stepped into my room to trim a quilt. This one, in fact. 

Ella found I kit I had purchased in 2009. I know that because it said so on the label. Strips of the softest Minkee. When she found it, I said both "yay" and "bummer" at the same time. Yay, because I knew she would LOVE this quilt as she is very tactile. And bummer because, well, have you ever sewn with Minkee? As soft and cuddly as it is, it is not fun to sew. And little crumbs of it get everywhere! But every single time she saw me, which is quite often, her opening line was "Grandma, is my animal quilt done yet?" I finally devoted a day to making it. And it just came back from the quilter. It is lusciously soft. I just have to finish sewing the binding down and I will hand it over. I kind of feel like keeping it here for myself...

After we photograph it (and we know the perfect place...), I'll show you the cute label I added.

Haha.

For years, our church has held the Pinewood Derby race. Up until just a year or so ago, we still had the cars that Aaron entered into competition. 

This year, Ella, Gabe and Charlotte each made a car. Ella's is a dinosaur, Gabe's is the Coca Cola car, complete with pull tab, and Charlotte went all out and made her car look like the Pinewood Derby track.

Ruby and Amelia showed  a lot of creativity as well. Ruby's has many of the constellations and Amelia's is supposed to be a mermaid.

None of their cars won any of the heats but I think they all had fun anyway.

And Charlotte's car won Best of Show.

True...

Have a great weekend.