Great ideas

Oh my gosh, my brother Rog came over today and fixed my computer!
I am sooo happy to be online again!

I have a new post up on my purse blog that links tutorials to crochet yarn made from t-shirts, so check that out.

Other goodness I've found includes Make a Memory Jar

Beautiful lamp made from recycled jars

Pique Assiette

Matchbook notebooks tutorial

How to make a notebook using an old record cover.

From prints to journals

Make a passport cover

Make a reusable sandwich bag

Tutorial to make fabric by fusing platic bags!

Blue Siamese Apron

My collection of vintage aprons is growing by leaps and bounds.
I just purchased this blue kitties design, in mint condition.


Some of the kitties have bead and sequin eyes!

Video Sunday

Andrew Johnston, contestant on Britain's Got Talent.

Photo Friday

For some reason I don't seem to have many pictures of my cousins or their home, but I did find this one.
(click on image to enlarge)

This sort-of goes hand-in-hand with my post earlier today about gathering and dining (though this one seems more about drinking, oops), and my post yesterday about my Aunt Mary.

This is an image of my Aunt Mary (on the right front) and my Uncle Ben (left front), and my parents in the back left and center.
I don't know the identity of the woman in the back right.
I'm not sure of the date this photo was taken, but I'll guess early 70's.

My Aunt Mary was my one of my dad's older sisters.
I have fond memories of her home, because it was a wonderland for a little kid like me--it was filled with clutter and art and music.
I remember a life-like monkey my aunt had carved in wood.
I remember in my cousin's Bob and Rick's room, an inflatable blimp hanging from the ceiling that I thought was so cool.

My aunt had ceramic glassware she designed and fired herself.
There were musical instruments everywhere.
An above-ground pool out back, and a big tree out front to climb into.
The ocean near by.
Walking to the store for bazooka bubblegum (weird the things one remembers).

My aunt sold that house recently.
It is not located in the best part of San Diego, but I think it will be revitalized eventually.
Had I known she was going to sell it, I would have cashed out my 401K.
I loved that place.

Joy

I feel very strongly that food should be about joy.

Not how many calories, or how much time do you have to scarf before your next errand or your next television program.
Not how much fat is in it, or what package it came it.
Not artificial sweeteners, preservatives, or dye colors.

Joy.

At its best, dining is an event.
It is a child's giggle over sugared toast.
It is conversation with friends and family.
It is quality time.
It is meaningful moments.
It is memories.

Yes, joy.

I think too many people have forgotten that.

A wonderful post by Orangette offers a great example.

A previous post I wrote about baking bread is another example.

Or this quote (also from a previous post) by Tessa Kiros, author of the cookbook Falling Cloudberries.
"There are some things that don't change much. I find the smell of a dish, or the way a certain spice is crushed, or just a quick look at the way something has been put on a plate, can pull me back to another place and time. I love those memories that seem so far away, yet you can hold them and carry them with you, even forget them, and then, with a single taste or hint or a smell, be chaperoned back to a beautiful moment."

The PBS cooking series Diary of a Foodie, by Gourmet Magazine, features chefs, farmers, and artisans.
Do yourself a favor and watch the episodes (online here).
Magic.

The book Joie de Vivre is more than a cookbook, but an example of living life to the fullest--and let me tell you, exuberance in living involves enjoying food.
Eating can be, should be, a joyful event.

Another quotation (from yet another previous post), by Elizabeth Gilbert, from the book Eat, Pray, Love says it well.
"But is it such a bad thing to live like this for just a little while? Just for a few months of one's life, is it so awful to travel through time with no greater ambition than to find the next lovely meal? Or to learn to speak a language for no higher purpose than it pleases your ear to hear it? Or nap in a garden, in a patch of sunlight, in the middle of the day, right next to your favorite fountain? And then do it again the next day?"

Happy Birthday Tia!

(photo from 1943)

Today, my Aunt Mary is celebrating her 93rd birthday.
I wish I was there, at her party celebrating with her.

When she was in her mid-to-late 60's, she decided to move just across the Arizona border, to Puerto Penasco, Mexico.
At that time, Rocky Point was small and quaint.
She made new friends,and her neighbors treated her like a member of the family.

That was before then-President Fox decided the port should be built up.
Before Puerto Penasco became a heavy tourist destination, or a gathering zone for rowdy college kids on Spring Break.

Though I still think she enjoys it.

Every year, her friends (who also happen to be a band of mariachis) throw her a fiesta.
She usually provides the food and the booze, and they provide the music.

Here's the invitation this year--a message in a hot sauce-shaped bottle

(click on photo to enlarge)

The contents included a scroll party invitation to the fiesta, sombrero-shaped confetti, and a miniature maraca


I love creative invitations like this.
I posted a tutorial about these previously.

Aunt Mary (Tia) is especially excited that the mariachis have written a song about her puppy, Brisa del mar.

When Aunt Mary turned 88, I surprised her and showed up at the party.
I took a bus from Tijuana to Rocky Point--a full eight hour ride.
The bus, however, was a Mercedes, complete with movies in English.
It was bizarre to be stopped along the road at random so the army could come on board just to check things out, machine guns in tow.
They were at the bus terminals also.
It's a different world down there.

But the party was fantastic.
Dancing, drinking, lots and lots of friends and neighbors present.
Lots of male attention :).

The next day I walked along the water, investigating seashells.
Every year she invites me back.
I do want to go again.

Aunt Mary was a teacher by profession, but she was also an artist.
She made amazing sculptures, all of her children were musicians, and her home was full of liveliness and fun.

Previous photo posts about Aunt Mary here and here.

Whew

Thank God Janelle wasn't eliminated tonight on
Step it Up and Dance.
Bottom two with Cody...I was starting to get pissed.
Whew, both were safe.

And Yay!--Oscar is back! What a great bonus.
And next week, I can't wait for So You Think You Can Dance.
Yeah, I know, tv geek.

There was a time, when I was late teens to early 20's, when I considered following a career path in dance.
I think I made a mistake not pursuing that.

I had better brush up on my embroidery skills

I recently purchased this embroidery kit on ebay.
This is called Circle of Freedom, and makes an afghan.
The kit is new in package, old stock from 1973.

Most of you already know I collect seagulls, plus Gina and Floresita have me thinking about improving my embroidery skills.


Click on the images to see the detail.

Finished, it will be beautiful.

Hi!

I'm able to use a client's computer all week, so hopefully I can play catch up on this blog and on blog reading.
Whew! It's exhausting!

I posted a new theme for my purse challenge today, and a killer prize too, so check it out.

For now I think I'll just show a cute vintage children's cookbook I picked up on ebay.
The illustrations are precious.
The book was published in 1952.



Here are some of the images associated with certain recipes:
Dicky Dog's Hot Cocoa Special


Pixie's Marshmallow Delight


Kitten Kitten's Snickerdoodle Cream


Ronny Rooster's Sugar Toast

Video Sunday

This cracks me up--An Engineer's Guide to Cats.

I'm dog-sitting for a week, so I have a computer to use and cable to watch (woo hoo!).
Hopefully I can play catch up a bit here.

Another link

After the link to the leather pet bed I posted yesterday, a friend of mine sent me a link to How to make a cat bed from an old wool sweater.

Still computer problems, hopefully to be fixed soon.

Ideas...a couple anyway

Aarrgghh.
I'm having computer issues.
Again.
So bear with me.
I do at least have a couple of links to share.

If you're bummed about having to find a substitution for Timtex (like I am), Craft Apple has already done some research for you.

Queenly Things inkjet prints onto fabric.
Here's the tutorial.

Make a pet bed from an old leather coat.