creative executions

Lucky Cooper Ring Bearer

2012-02-09T13:33:00.000-06:00

I know I already told you about Cindy and Lon's beautiful wedding, but I just got this adorable picture of Lucky Cooper.

Vacation Adventures January 2012

2012-02-01T16:32:00.001-06:00

We got out of Dodge just as the first snowstorm of the season was arriving. Had a little trouble deciding just when to leave but settled on Wednesday morning, with a leisurely drive to Florida planned. In conversation with Kathy on Tuesday, Bob discovered that Stefan needed a ride back to SIU. He was hoping to go back on ...Wednesday! So, Wednesday morning we loaded up the Prius with our stuff, then picked up Stefan and HIS STUFF and took off for Champaign. It was a nice ride and fun to have Stefan with us. How often do you have your grand son captive for so many hours? I was very surprised when we pulled up in front of Stefan's Frat house - it is quite impressive on the outside! (Bob's been in Frat houses before, so he wasn't fooled.) Bob and Stef carried in all his stuff, then Stefan invited me in to see the house and his room. That was very brave of him. The guys in the house seem to have a tradition of leaving things for the next resident, and they move every six month. I don't think this is an efficient plan, but no one has asked me... I advised Stef to get some big garbage bags and a shovel. The problem is that the previous kid asked him to "put all his stuff in one corner" and it filled the whole room. Bob was concerned because the big, thick mattress was basically 'V' shaped and he wondered how Stef would sleep. After cleaning the room he was probably so tired he could have slept anywhere. We left him to his work and headed South.

Stefan Salzano in from of Frat House in Champaign, Illinois 1-2012

We often find our way to the Marietta Diner when driving to Florida and it's one of my favorite stops!

Friday was a beautiful day and we found Barbara and Charles, in The Villages, of Florida right on time. It is always fun to visit with them! We had a nice dinner, ice-cream and lots of conversation. Bob loves the non-dairy ice-cream in The Villages in all its delicious fruit flavors.

Late Saturday afternoon we arrived at Lake Bryan, Diamond resort. It is a beautiful place to stay. We had a cute two room suite with large, flat screen TV's in both rooms and HBO. All the appliances were top of the line. We loved the hammocks on the beach and it is just off 'World Drive' and all the Disney property. A great place to be.

I still love the Magic Kingdom. I probably won't ever out grow it, but I do have trouble remembering not to call it DisneyWorld as that is confusing to others...(when I first went there, it was DisneyWorld, and that was all there was. Don't they know it confuses old people when they rename things? We enjoyed visiting Epcot another day and decided to save "Universal" the next trip.

The sign said 'Don't feed the wild life' but Bob didn't see it!

Driving back, we stopped at a gas station/fruit stand for a unique shopping experience. First off - we went from pump to pump, looking for one that was working - the all had plastic bags over the spouts. Finally realized that they don't sell gas any more. We had to wait to purchase our Peach Cider while Bubba chased down Sissy to help us, so he could talk to his parole officer.

Smoky Mountains - Tennessee

The weather got colder and darker as we drove North, and we met up with the snow in Champaign. Visibility was terrible, but driving wasn't too bad, just slow. We decided against asking Stefan for a place to stay, and s.l.ooo.w.l.y proceed home.

Caterina 'Rina' Salzano, budding artist and York HS senior

2012-01-31T15:50:00.001-06:00

I'm a bit behind in my blog posts again. So, what else is new?

Rina and Julianna Christmas 2011

Anyway, in mid December we attended an art show at York High School to view works by Bob's two talented grand daughters, Rina and Julianna (a Freshman).
The show mainly focused on Seniors work, and they each made a 2 wall display to show their work. Other pieces were scattered around. Rina received several ribbons. She is considering art school, as well as other options..

Rina with one of her prize winners.
It is a street scene in Italy.

The friendly pink gorilla is her's too.

Street in Italy

Grand-dad Bob taking lots of pictures

When I entered the atrium I recognized Julianna's self portrait instantly. I was just glancing around and did not know what to look for.

It is a pencil skecch and I think it's quite good. What do you think?

Julianna's self portrait 2011

Major Excitement!!! John Williams WGN radio host talked about ME!!!

2012-01-10T14:25:00.000-06:00

So, have I ever told you I love John Williams? I've been listening to him on WGN for years. He's this nice, down to earth, did I say nice? really nice talk show host who shares his opinions but doesn't insult or put-down others with differing opinions. Anyway, he's always getting his listeners involved in 'good work'. Most recently, he had a 3 day 'Peanut butter and Jolly' campaign because he became aware of a need for peanut butter in Chicago area food banks. He rounded up 4,500 jars from his fans and $1,000 in other donations.

So, I wanted to help promote his show and do something nice for him. I made a sign and hung copies around our building and in my studio window, took pictures and sent them to him with a little note saying I would like to make a john Williams doll. He replied immediately, and was very excited about it. So, that was Friday and we are leaving for vacation on Wed. morning.

On Monday, first thing on his show he talked about me, my doll business and that I could make portrait dolls for others. He clearly gave all my contact info!!!!

I had to sew fast, which I did. Doll is ready to send. I wish I had time to bring the doll downtown when he's on the air... oh well.

Here he is sans cape, with crown adjusted, holding roses for his wife Brenda.

Hidden Messages

2011-10-10T14:39:00.000-05:00

Hi to everyone who has been patiently waiting for me to reply to their comments. I just found them all! I thought nobody was following my blog anymore - not that I'd blame them. I haven't been blogging much lately.
anyway - I'm not sure what happened, but something changed in my blog settings and all my comments were put into a folder and considered spam by blogspot. I'm so glad I found them and I think I fixed the setting. I hope someone will comment so I can see that it is working again. I'm so sorry... I hope you haven't given up on me.

I found another picture from Cindy and Lon's wedding that I thought you might like to see. It looks pretty good in small image.

And, here's one of Bob that I took last Saturday. We were out to breakfast, talking about the great time we had at 'Tracy Fest' the night before. We celebrated Scott Tracy's (10-5) and Bob's (10-6) birthdays with family - lots of family.- about 30. Bob's brother and sister-in-laws family were almost all present (13 little kids under 5 included) as were Bob's, less 3. We had a great time at Pal Joeys in West Chicago and our waitress was amazing! Wish I knew her name.

If you notice a halo over Bob's head - I didn't put it there. You can draw you own conclusions. LOL

Cindy and Lon were married last Saturday, September 17, 2011

2011-09-21T17:01:00.001-05:00

Cindy is Bob's younger daughter. She and Lon planned an outdoor wedding and the weather was perfect! It was held at Lilacia Park in Lombard at 4 p.m.
There was a pond with a fountain behind them and a beautiful green lawn filled with white chairs in front of them.

Above is some of the group at the rehearsal Thursday evening. It was chilly and damp, but everyone was smiling.

They cleaned up well, didn't they?

Cindy and Lon with their three sons and Jean, after the sand ceremony.

Juliana and Jacob (in foreground) at the reception.

Ryan with Lucky Cooper, the ring bearer, wearing the collar and tie I made for him. (See earlier post.)

Arcadia, Michigan August 2011

2011-08-31T15:02:00.001-05:00

I'd been there before, but not in a long time. And then, we drove right through and out to my SIL's farmette on Joyfield Road. We'd visited Frankfort, and - I think - Beulah, but not Arcadia. Since my niece and nephew and families live in Arcadia, it was time. Arcadia is a lovely, friendly, very compact, small town. I'm not sure but I'm guessing it's about 9 square blocks. They had told me that things were 'close' but I had no idea... For example, I have been sending packages by UPS, and the Post office is right across the street!! Closer that my car in our parking lot! The two families' homes are 2 blocks apart.

Anyway, my Mom and I were there to see everyone, and to celebrate Lauren's 5th birthday. Lauren is the little cutie shown earlier in this blog, named 'little miss independent'.
The picture shows (l to r) my grand nephew Oliver his Dad, my nephew Alex, grand niece Janey, GiGi (my Mom), my niece Hilary and grand niece Lauren.

Dog ring bearer collar and tie

2011-07-25T15:37:00.000-05:00

Two of my favorite people are getting married. Bob's daughter Cindy and her fiance' Lon. Lon's Boarder Collie 'Lucky' is going to be the ring bearer. Cindy asked if I could make 'something' for him to help him carry the rings. This is what I came up with. The bridal party will be wearing navy blue, too. The ceremony will be in a beautiful park setting.

Spring is (finally) Here! Next week, it will be Summer (sigh)

2011-05-10T11:10:00.000-05:00

This morning when I opened our garage door, this was my view. Beautiful, isn't it? I love the flowering trees and tulips. Soooo pretty!

My DIL 'Martha Stewart'

2011-05-10T11:04:00.001-05:00

Kim, my favorite daughter-in-law, is amazing! She is an R.N.; she manages the employee health department at CDH; she and Tom grow crops on a farm-ette; raise bees; have a huge garden, two great dogs and two great, grown up boys! There's more - Kim is a Master Gardner, and Card Maker extrordinaire. She's also a wonderful cook and hostess. I could go on and on, but I won't.

Here are a few pictures. Eggs from the farm, that are almost to beautiful to eat, and my Kim-made Mother's Day card.

One of my favorite pictures of Kim and Tom. I call it their 'yearbook' picture - don't ask me why.

Wonderful Mother's Day

2011-05-10T10:12:00.001-05:00

My beautiful Amy hosted our family celebration and every one had a great time. My favorite daughter-in-law Kim, made a delicious strawberry salad with home grown spinach, feta and her own dressing. I call her 'Martha'. Tommy had to work - his shift has worked every holiday lately! I hope that changes soon. My Mom will be 91 in a few weeks! She's still driving and has a cute condo in Wood Dale where she enjoys the pool and visiting with her neighbors.
I 'borrowed' these pictures from Amy's blog because we haven't downloaded ours yet. There may be more coming.

Amy's house is all fixed thanks to her friend Mike. The previous 'tenant' really damaged the kitchen and other areas, so it's wonderful to see it back to it's 'best' and then some. Thanks, Mike! You do good work!!

Final Frog Purse

2011-04-11T12:12:00.000-05:00

Finally finished! Frog Purse - just in time for Spring. I've had a customer waiting for this so I'm glad to be finished. Designing takes time. Pattern is ready. Phew!

Florida Carriage Museum

2011-04-01T13:46:00.000-05:00

http://www.fcmr.org/wordpress/

While visiting our friends in The Villages we had a special outing - a surprise visit to the Carriage Museum in neighboring Weirsdale. The grounds are absolutely beautiful - a former horse farm with acres of green grass and beautiful rolling lawns. The link to their web-site is above.

I'm including a few pictures of my favorite carriages, plus one modern interpretation for Joey. The carriages are amazing and go back to Roman Chariots and even earlier. This is a visit I'd recommend to anyone in the area, or traveling to central Florida.
The front yard of the Carriage Museum.

View from the front porch of the Carriage Museum

Carriage of Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria circa 1850. It has been completely restored, including real gold appointments.

Opera Carriage. They have a carriage for everything, but I can't imagine people changed Carriages for their various activities.

Wedding Carriage

A horseless carriage? Wouldn't you love to go on a picnic in this?

And for Joey, a brand new Hummer, modified to be pulled by horses. Some artists statement...

The reason I've been MIA

2011-03-24T15:23:00.002-05:00

Well yes, for those who didn't notice - I've been away. Did the Envisions show, then spent an intense few days including Sunday working to get the new web site finished and usable so Joey could up-load it. YES!! There are still a few little 'defugelties', but it works. Only took 2 years for the web guy and another few months for me to 'populate it' and learn how. phew!

Departure from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida

Took off Wed. morning very early (6 ish) and I tried not to wake up 'til we reached mid-Indiana. We drove to Atlanta, then drove to Ocalla on Thursday. Friday morning we drove to Ft. Lauderdale and boarded the Carnival Miracle. It's the perfect size cruise ship (not too big) and we had a great cabin. It was unusual because it was a 'handicap accessible cabin' which meant that it was BIGGER. It had a very nice balcony, too. Oh, and it had alarms all over the place! We found all but one. Casey, our cabin stuard was very patient with us. Thank God, we didn't pull the one in the bathroom! Actually, one was positioned right over the headboard on the bead, so it was hard to miss, if you raised your arms. We learned not to raise our arms. Another one, positioned right outside the door (like a door bell) made noise like a smoke alarm and flashed a bright light. We didn't set that one off - someone passing by pushed the button, which we later realized is a door bell.

Bob, enjoying our little balcony. He liked sitting out there.

Street scenes in Curacao (pronounced cure-a-sow). We stopped in the little restaurant on the left, for beverages and free wi-fi. Needless to say, the wi-fi didn't work, but the drink was good. Pina colada.

We opted to be dropped off in town after our tour. No sooner had we left the bus, than it started to rain. It began with a deceptive mist but grew into a real storm and didn't let up. We had wanted to cross over the water on the pontoon bridge, but took the fairy instead. Some people got caught on the bridge and had to ride it out, in the rain. I love the colorful store fronts and houses in Curacao - it's a very interesting city. Lots of unique stores, and tons of banks.

The Dominican Republic was a study in contrasts. Some group (the cruise line, I think) has tried valiantly to carve out a desirable city and tourist attraction here. I took a picture from the ship as we were arriving, because I noticed the sudden change in scenery. Haiti is at the top, but I'm not sure it's visible - the bare ground may just be un-developed land.

So, they took us to this cute little area where famous people own homes. (Clinton flies in to golf frequently. He has a villa there. So does Bush Sr. among others.)

Then to a lapidary museum which was conveniently located inside a jewelry store, where we had lots of time to look around. (Actually, I think we could have stayed as long as we liked within the limits of the tour.) Outside the store were dancers and musicians in native garb for picture taking. They tried hard to work up some excitement, but it was very, very hot and we weren't used to the heat.

This picture reminds me of an old ATM commercial. Do you remember it? The tourists hand the kid with the donkey, their camera so he can take their picture with the donkey. They take the leash and he walks off thinking he traded the donkey for the camera. LOL

We cruised the Southern Caribbean - first 2 days were 'fun days at sea' then stops in Curacao, Aruba, the Dominican Republic and Grand Turk - the last day was another 'fun day at sea' and we arrived back in Ft. Lauderdale 8 days later. Very fun trip.

BTW - I read two book I probably would have missed, from the ships library. I recommend both highly. Marlo Thomas's memoir Growing Up Funny, and John Grisham's The Confession, about the death penalty. Very interesting.

A special visit with Barb and Charles Sullivan in the Villages on the way home, made this a perfect trip.

Envision - Women in Art, Design & Wellness, March 4 -5, 2011

2011-03-24T13:24:00.000-05:00

One of my friends, Roz Long, has this great ability to envision new ways to produce 'fairs', and they just keep getting better. Roz is the founder of Art in the Park, which has been an annual event in Wilder Park for many years. This is the first event for the newly restored Wilder Mansion. It was a beautiful venue, and Roz treats her vendors very well.

I'm going to post some pictures of Vendor Friends, along with some pictures of my booth. I do hope this becomes an annual event, too. Thanks, Roz!

This is my display. I tried to keep it small and easy to move. Also, did not want to confuse people with 'too much'. I like the way it turned out.

Erika Mock, a very imaginative and talanted fibre artist, and all around sweet person. She was fun to be neighbors with. Her studio is in Superior, Wisconsin - she travelled a long way for this show. I purchased two things from her. Couldn't resist. One is a great pink scarf, the other - 'pulse warmers' (she named them) which are like long gloves without fingers. It's always so cold in my studio they are very comfortible. These are difficult to describe so I'll try to post pictures later.

This is Alouette Artisan Jewelry by Jamie Anne McClellen. She and her friend made the show fun by being next to me.

The Cookie Fresco Italian Bakery is new to Elmhurst, and conveniently located only two blocks from us at home. (580 N Michigan, on back side of Mimo's on York.) Yummm. They generously gave out samples all show long - delicious!

Tim Gurrie, Pampered Chef and good guy - he didn't seem to mind at all being the only male vendor. Love the apron!

Tiffany Baker - one of the sweetest, most talanted artist you can meet. She continuously creates new and unique items that are irresistible, and soooo girlie. I love them!

I think this is Donna Costellanos, I'm missing some cards. I loved this art work, too.

Harris Bank was a sponsor of Envisions, and their rep's were delightful.

Some business cards that I collected have 'gone missing' so I hope someone will help me fill in the blanks and correct any errors.

FROG, part II

2011-02-28T13:28:00.001-06:00

Still working on frogs. I've made 3 cell phone holders, which are OK, I think.

The large frog purse however, still needs work. I have a finished green frog that is probably a step in the right direction. (You be the judge.)

. . . and a snaky, mutant type croc-frog.

Maybe I should just make a baby crocodile???

On the green frog, I'm going to give the head more definition and make the legs a little finer, and the front feet smaller and more defined. I was trying to avoid stuffing it, as I don't know how it would stay in place without stitches on the outside. It does have a purse shaped lining. Stay tuned . . .

FROG Fully Rely On God

2011-02-28T12:48:00.000-06:00

I'm making frogs. Little frogs, big frogs, frog purses and frog cell phone holders. I've been having fun working on them. Designing is my favrite thing. I don't like making the same thing over and over. This is my prototype for the purse. It's about 1/3 size.

The cell phone holders are one dimensional. I'm trying to avoid the appearance of 'road kill'. I don't know if 'flat frog' is desireable - we'll see.

February follies

2011-02-21T11:25:00.000-06:00

I always enjoy February because Valentine's Day is in February!! I wasn't disappointed - Bob gave me a beautiful orchid plant and an even more beautiful, and meaningful card. He's a keeper. I made a Valentine Card for him and baked a pumpkin pie - he loves pumpkin pie, but can't eat most of them because they are made with dairy. I can make them without dairy!!

Joey came up with another clever gift for Chelli, along with a concert and dinner date. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.

In case you can't see them, there are little pictures of Joey, each with a different hat on, in the center of each daisy!

One of those things you couldn't make up

2011-02-15T15:26:00.000-06:00

Bob and I went to a funeral today for a dear friend who we will miss very much. There was a lovely luncheon following the service at Angelo's, one of our favorite restaraunts. At the luncheon as Pastor Rick was saying Grace, an elderly man said loudly

'Boy, am I in the wrong place!'

(I guess I was thinking that he wasn't a Christian, or didn't believe in prayer, or something.) After the 'amen' the man spoke out again.

'No, really, I'm in the wrong place - I don't know an Emilie.'

He put down his napkin and left. It was pretty funny. Emilie would have loved it...

SNOW - 2-1 2011 and 2-2-2011 Elmhurst, IL

2011-02-04T11:30:00.015-06:00

Tuesday night. Car parked near bushes in upper center portion of picture.

Wednesday morning. Car is burried in snow.
Thursday morning 2-3-2011

The snow was piled in the center of York Road, like the Great Wall of China. No openings for side streets, so - no turns ... made if difficult to get where you were going (or to get back LOL)

This time 'they' were right! They saw it coming, they told us, and they were exactly right, even to the time it would hit. 3: p.m. was the targeted time - so I left work at 2. The wind was blowing so hard I had to struggle to get to my car. Sleet hurt, hitting my face. So glad I had half a tank of gas and a short commute (5 min. in normal conditions.) I beat the rush, and got home without incident. I was really glad to be warm and inside - my studio had no heat Tues and Wed, or little heat, at 55*. The snow came right on schedule, with gale force winds blowing to the West. It was amazing to see the huge trees in our yard blowing sideways. I decided to try to take some pictures out our front door every hour, to watch the snow 'grow'. Our neighbor parks his 2nd car on the curb near the road so you can see it disappear into the snow. It looks like the moon is in every picture, but that is actually a light on the highway North of us. It snowed almost all day Wed. and I was happy to stay put. The plow didn't show up until 9: at night. By that time our neighbor to the West was completely snowed in. He's in a little alcove and the wind blew the snow in and filled it to the window sills, and straight across, covering his front and garage doors. Our house is higher so that wasn't a problem for us. I ventured out on Thursday. Streets were plowed for one way traffic. Unfortunately, I have to go South, and the traffic was going North. I did find my way to work, but the temp was still 55*, so my stay was short. Today, things are sort of back to normal. Store are open again, but parking lot is still full of snow. All in all, this snow was huge, but we had enough warning to stay out of it, so it wasn't too bad. Something to talk about - that's all.

The Big Snow of 2011

2011-02-02T18:12:00.006-06:00

My building is on the right at the far end of street. You can't really see it in this picture. Beth said nothing was open - not even Starbucks.

I'm still snowed in, but a brave friend who lives near by took a walk into town and posted these pictures which I 'borrowed'. She , Beth, was on vacation with my dear DIL Kim but came home early. Kim and the other girls had to stay longer because they were snowed out. let's here a collective awww. (all together now - awwwwww). Just kidding. I know Kim is anxious to get home to play in the snow.

World's greatest brother

2011-01-27T15:55:00.004-06:00

This is my 'little' brother, Chip. He just celebrated a birthday. Happy Birthday Bro!!
And, he retired!! I can't believe it. Why am I still working?? Maybe because I like it.

This is Chip's one year picture. Cute huh?

And, I have to share these pictures of ...

2011-01-27T15:27:00.008-06:00

Joey's new hat. As I have mentioned once or twice before, Joey is, and always has been, a hat person. He got this cool knit hat a few weeks ago.

Joey was about 2 years old when these pictures were taken, or maybe 3. He 'borrowed' this knit hat from Amy so many times that she gave it to him. The first time we found him wearing it, he was sitting on the front porch stairs in his snugly footed pajamas, wearing it.

BTW, Amy still refers to Joey as "my little brother".

... and, don't you just love the green pants! What a fashion statement.

Oh Noooo, the feathers are too low...

2011-01-27T15:05:00.006-06:00

Feathers just right.

Feathers toooooo low... grrrr. I have to take it apart.

Purse without feathers. The picture seemed low enough. It's really difficult to tell until it's all together. I'm going to have to pin it together somehow, before sewing, so I can look at where the feathers fall.

This is the first feathered bag. Dog is Snickers, a friends pet.

I'm not sure how my client found this purse - I don't remember ever advertising it. We had it on display in St. Charles as a sample. Someone fell in love with it and 'made an offer we couldn't refuse,' so we sold the sample. Anyway, she had an adorable picture of her Pug, Dottie in a pink plaid, pink fur trimmed jacket and sunglasses that she wanted on a similar purse, but with - you guessed it - pink feathers!

It turned out really cute, after I moved the pictures down on both sides. I'm going to have to figure out how to determine where to put the picture first, before I make any more of these purses. People kept coming into my studio to see what I was working on with all the pink feathers!

Couch Sled, Another great idea . . .

2011-01-24T16:56:00.007-06:00

It's Saturday afternoon...what should we do?? Well, when great minds meet it goes something like this..
"Look - I found some water skis in the trash!!" "Wow, I saw an old couch down the street. If it's still there we could grab it, put it on the skis, and ride it down the sledding hill behind the house." Cool!! Lets do it!!

Of course, you have to be a 12 year old boy (Glenny) or a 40 year old man with a spirit of fun (Joey and Mike)... and it doesn't hurt to be a little bit 'nuts'. Who would get on a couch on skis without breaks, and slide down a hill??? The answer is in the pictures below. Oh, and you have to recruit other slightly nuts people to help push it up the hill...
Quote from Joey. "Couch Sledding January 22, 2011 Parts Needed: 1 Couch, 1 Set Water Skis, 2 2x4’s.. Tools Needed 1 Roll Duct Tape, 1 Vodka Martini, 1 blow Torch… push up hill and your sledding in comfort and style.."

It was a great ride! Let's do it agian!!

OK, so it's January . . .

2011-01-08T12:03:00.005-06:00

I remembered to purchase my parking permit for 2011, and was so pleased with myself for getting it before the end of the year, just before. We, my memory being what it is, I remembered to buy it, but did not remember to display it!!
Now, I know it's my mistake, but . . . when I apply for the employee reserved permit, I give them my company name, and address. They have the information available on line, including that the permit is paid for. The parking lot is right outside the door to my building. It was the first working day of the new year. DO YOU THINK THEY WOULD GIVE A WARNING TICKET RATHER THAN AN ACTUAL FINE??? NOOOOO WAAAY! Or, maybe I'm crazy but, they could have come in to the building and reminded me that the permit was still in my purse. So, $400. to park, plus another $25 bonus to the city. It seems like a contest somehow, and I lost.
I know this isn't Mayberry - but, where does the spirit of cooperation and niceness come in? Is the City so poor, or the parking officers so pressured to give out tickets, that they can't take a few minutes to 'be nice'? Life is easier if you're nice. It wouldn't do any good to tell them that . . . sigh.
BTW, I did go to the police station as soon as I realized what happened, and they said to go to City Hall for an adjustment. I did that and was told there are no adjustments, no exceptions, no excuses. YOU HAVE TO DISPLAY THE PERMIT. There is not even a one day 'grace period'.
Rant over - except that I might send this to the 'letters to the Editor' section of the Elmhurst newspapers. Any suggestions of comments??

I'm adding a picture of my studio window - I love the pink tree. I used it to display jewelry and it's so cute, I hate to take it down. May wait a while and enjoy it.

2011 is here and not much has changed.

2011-01-04T13:06:00.004-06:00

Well, that's not entirely true... all the snow went away. We had RAIN and 55* temp. last Sat. then it went to 21* that night. Weird.

Bob and I went out to dinner NYE, then watched a movie. It was a nice evening - and totally stress-less.

I'm excited. I just looked at FB and saw this picture of Lauren and George, good friends that I like to keep up with on FB. Lauren is wearing a portrait necklace I just sent her as a gift. So Cool!! I posted a picture of it under our Family Tree, last year. The picture in necklace is one I 'borrowed' from George's FB page. It is of the two of them dancing and it's sooo romantic - I love it.

My wonderful 'family'

2010-12-18T13:04:00.010-06:00

Mom
Amy and Mike
Joey, Tom and Amy - "now you see 'em"
Joey, Tom and Amy - "and, now you don't"

Joey and Chelli
Bob and I

Last week I had a birthday ( a BIG one) and my wonderful family wanted to celebrate it. We all went to dinner at Francesca's Amicci, then Chelli and Joey hosted us for birthday cake and other goodies. Chelli baked a German chocolate cake and Joey frosted it. Kim and Tom contributed champagne, and we all had a wonderful time, specially ME. yeah!
Kim had to work late, at the last minute, and wasn't able to be with us. She was missed a lot.
Thank you so much everyone!

Family Christmas Tree 2010

2010-12-16T14:59:00.006-06:00

You might have guessed by now that I don't have any 'work' pending, so - I'm playing. . . and having fun. I've made some pillows for gifts, and some jewelry, too.

Amy's birthday, part two

2010-12-16T13:05:00.007-06:00

Some pictures of revelers, that I particularly like. I just got them off Bob's camera, and wanted to post them even though it was a month ago.

We all chipped in to get Amy some really warm waterproof boots she wanted, for dog walking of course.
This is Chelli, Joey, Glennie and Lindsey.
Tom and Kim are hat people.
So is Joey.

Christmas Trees, 2010

2010-12-09T17:02:00.004-06:00

I decided to decorate for Christmas early this year. Last year Bob and I were on a cruise that returned just before Christmas and I never did put up a tree.

I put up some little trees this year, and my flying snow-guy, one of my favorite things. It's fun to see him, and the decorations. Helps to feel like Christmas. The snow-guy is bringing stars for the tops of the trees. He used to hang on the front porch, but I like having him inside.

This little tree is in the family room, where I can enjoy looking at it when I'm home. It is decorated with toys (replica toys, small size) and has Santa's from every decade of the 20th Century. Each Santa has a little card telling about events of the time, and his bag is filled with the popular toys of the decade.

November 2010

2010-11-29T10:52:00.013-06:00

It's the end of November and I haven't posted once this month!!

Have to fix that. I apologize to my loyal followers. Part of the problem is that my camera is taking fuzzy pictures. I don't know why... It used to work fine - it's a point and shoot, with adjustments that I don't fool with. Somehow it has gotten out of adjustment. I've tried several times to get it fixed. Finally took it to the camera store on Spring road. A very nice young lady working there, re-set it for me. Voila!

So what happened in November?? My beautiful baby girl had a birthday. We won't mention which one, but we had a fun family party. I decided to have a little fun with the candles. I had a whole new box - why save them? It was impressive, tho difficult to get them all lit before others melted to the icing.

I have been working very diligently on our new web site, we had 2 Thanksgivings, I tried contact lenses (again) and perhaps for the last time, (I wore them for years and years and couldn't remember why I gave them up - it's all coming back to me now) and I learned to play Spider Solitaire on my computer (my mother made me do it!) I have always tried to stay away from games on my computer, because I find certain kinds of games and puzzles irresistible. Anyway, I'm hooked.

Pictures of pillows and key-chain are part of 'Lucy' order. Eyelet pillow was made for winner of silent auction. I donated a gift card to United Way Silent Auction.

So, that's November in a nut shell. My goal is to have the new web site up asap, and to finish my orders so I can take more. I'd like to go to the the One-of-a-kind Gift shoe next weekend at the Mart, and the Kristkringlemart and Daley Center Plaza, so I might take Friday off.

October events

2010-10-14T10:58:00.003-05:00

Bob had another birthday! We thought it would be nice to have a cake at church. Judy Roch, a dear friend, has a cake ministry that is very popular! The parlor is always full when she brings a cake to church.

Last Saturday we went to breakfast at Rainbow and met Cindy and Lon who happened to be having breakfast too. We joined them for a very pleasant visit. Just as we were finishing our dear friends Barb and Don Miller from Austin, Texas walked in. Cindy and Lon had to leave, so we visited with Barb and Don for another hour - what a nice surprise!

Another DDP

2010-10-14T10:54:00.002-05:00

Isn't this a beautiful dog? Pillow ordered for a good friend who lost her beloved dog.

The Flu, week 5 and counting . . .

2010-10-14T10:32:00.004-05:00

I didn't fall off the face of the earth - it just felt like it! I was getting over a medium case of the flu, went to my Doc for my regular check-up, got flu and pnumonia shots, and got really sick! I'm told that the flu shot cant make you sick, but I'm wondering...
Anyway, my energy level is still low, I'm coughing some - but back to work. Just thought I'd let you know why I haven't been blogging or postting much.

Meanwhile, Joey has been holding the fort and doing other things. Here's the evidence. LOL

Heeeer's Oliver

2010-09-15T14:28:00.001-05:00

My Grand Nephew Oliver got his first haircut, in time for 1st Grade. He had beautiful ringlets. Here's the before and after, with my SIL Ani, his grandma. Is it just me, or are grandmother's getting younger?

His mom Janell is great about sending pictures, so I had lots to choose from in making a charm bracelet. Pictures start at left when he was just born, to 1st day of Kindergarten, last year.

World's Greatest (and coolest) Popcorn Salesman!

2010-09-13T14:31:00.004-05:00

Sean, Elmhurst College Freshman and Bob's Grandson, is an active member of our congregation and willingly took on the popcorn machine for the afternoon. He sold a lot of popcorn!

Elmhurst Flea and Craft in the rain

2010-09-13T14:01:00.006-05:00

I am sooo glad I bought a tent last year!! And it is waterproof! After a year of careful planning and excellent organization by our committee, it poured all morning... The Flea and Craft was supposed to run from 9 to 3, but the rain didn't let up until almost noon. It eased up and teased us a few times, but we weren't sure it was over 'til about noon. About 15 vendors wimped out, but the rest smiled through the rain. The good thing was that I had a place for my car right next to my space, so loading and unloading was easy. As usual, I brought more stuff than I have room to display. My plan is to pack those things that I want for Craft Fairs, and store them in the garage with the tent, tables and chairs. That will make it a lot easier. I can grab the little stuff, and new stuff when I need it. Sounds good - just need to DO IT.

Joey was having fun with Julia, wearing her purse as a hat. He's always been a hat person.

I spent a lot of time watching a young family 'shopping' across from me. Their adorable little girl, about 2 years old, zeroed in on a doll house and played with it for quite a long time. I was so worried that her parents wouldn't buy it - but they did! yea!!

Our neighbor in the building and at the event was Dr. Christy Matusiak. She was having one of her first outings with new baby Evan, only 3 weeks old. When Christy planned this, she didn't know that Evan would be 2 weeks late. She's a trooper, and Grandma Eileen came to help and cuddle Evan. He was a booth magnet for sure!

I'm not catholic but I enjoyed this a lot!

2010-09-10T15:16:00.001-05:00

An old nun who was living in a convent next to a construction site noticed the coarse language of the workers and decided to spend some time with them to correct their ways.
She decided she would take her lunch; sit with the workers; and talk with them. She put her sandwich in a brown bag and walked over to the spot where the men were eating.
Sporting a big smile, she walked up to the group and asked: "And do you men know Jesus Christ?"
They shook their heads and looked at each other... very confused. One of the workers looked up into the steelworks and yelled out, "Anybody up there know Jesus Christ?"
One of the steelworkers yelled down, "Why?"
The worker yelled back, "'Cause his wife's here with his lunch."

My Sweetie

2010-09-02T09:56:00.004-05:00

This is Bob, (my Bob). The picture was taken on our cruise last year. We aren't taking a vacation until after the Nov. elections*, so it's a long time between.

One of the ways cruise lines make lots of $$ is by taking pictures of you almost every moment aboard (and boarding, and disembarking) ship. They have photographers who follow you around constantly. Then they post the pictures on wall displays on a lower deck that you have to pass through to go to dinner. Of course they are for sale, and it seems to me that the prices have gone up quite a bit since our first cruise 10 years ago. All that is to explain why there isn't a picture of me here. It wasn't very good - so not worth buying. I love this one of Bob, so we bought it, and I scanned it so his kids could have a copy, too. (That might be why the cruise lines charge so much - you don't have to purchase copies to share. Most people have scanners, or family members who do.)

Anyway - Bob's philosophy of life is "Life is easier if you're nice." and he means it. He's one of the nicest people I've ever known and I'm happy to be with him.

*Regarding the Nov. elections, Bob's daughter Kathy Tracy Salzano is running for DuPage County Board. I do hope she wins - she would represent the needs of the 'little people' and not the big corporations that are taking over our country. Bob is her campaign manager. We hosted a 'meet and greet' last night. I'm exhausted, but it went well. Bob wanted to take a cruise this month, but we decided against it because of campaign demands. I think it was the right decision, but I would really enjoy a 'break', like a short car trip to Door County. Oh well ...

Oooops!

2010-09-01T14:29:00.003-05:00

Got a purse order. It came out great. It was the wrong size... so now there are 2. I must have needed a new sample.

Words to live by

2010-08-26T09:13:00.000-05:00

BALANCE (thoughts + words = actions) HARMONY (in all forms) COURAGE (do what brings the above) GENEROSITY (give to others and yourself 50/50) HAPPINESS (no spending unnecessarily) BEAUTY (inner strength, confidence) WISDOM (make good choices) CLEANLINESS (no clutter)

I'm having fun

2010-08-25T14:41:00.003-05:00

This is a new product I'm adding to my jewelry line. My biggest challenge in making jewelry is working with the split rings and small jump rings that hold everything together. Many of them 'fly into oblivion' when I'm trying to attach them. They are all over my studio.
The little kids on the bracelet are my grand nieces Janey and Lauren, and my grand nephew Oliver. They are all adorable, sweet little kids and I love to use their pictures on my samples. Their mothers and grandmother keep me supplied, thank you very much Hilary, Janell and Ani.

Did'ja ever...

2010-08-18T15:20:00.005-05:00

Did'ja ever have a day that started out so good, but somehow just couldn't keep the momentum? This is that day. I was looking for something to wear, and found a pair of chinos that didn't used to fit, and - guess what? They fit! (That yoga must be working.) But, wait... I'm scheduled to attend a C of C luncheon. Oh well, it's just a brown bag lunch - I'm OK. There isn't a dress code. Tried to work on 'something', 'anything' - just to be productive. Wound up moving stuff around. No progress. Tried to order group tickets for our Church Fellowship group, but can't because one couple hasn't responded. grrr. All of a sudden it's time for the luncheon. Closed up and rushed over to the Community Bank on Butterfield. The notice said the luncheon was in the Community Bank Board Room (The last was held there, too.) Got to the bank a few minutes late, to find 'no meeting' in board room. Went to inquire downstairs. Was told "It's at the new chamber office" they have named their board room - you got it - 'the Community Bank board room' grrrrr. I could have rushed back, parked and ran over there, but I would have missed half the program. I gave up and decided to go to JoAnn's to pick up some stuff I need for my jewelry that is on sale. Since I was way South at this point, I decided to go out to Geneva, see Amy, bring her an egg salad sandwich and chocolate doughnuts, and shop at the JoAnn's on Randall Road. Half way there, I changed my mind and turned North to go to the JoAnn's in Bloomingdale instead. (I guess I didn't feel like driving to Geneva.) By this time, I'm starving. Did my shopping, with my lunch bag in the cart so it wouldn't cook in the car, came back to my studio and ate at 2:. Ordered coffee for the church 'Flea and Craft' (I sell Fair Traded coffee as a small mission.)but my favorite Toffee flavored coffee was sold out. I have three purses to make, and I think all of the above was to put off starting on them. I'm not is a sewing mood. There is a Zoomba class later that I am, was, am, planning to take. We'll seeeeee

Another picture of my mom

2010-08-03T16:26:00.004-05:00

Isn't this adorable. My Aunt Grace is on the left. When we celebrated mom's 75th with a big surprise party, I outlined mom's picture and made a lot of Little Vi's that we hung from the strings of helium balloons. It was really cute.

When we celebrated Bill's birthday I did something similar. There weren't any baby pictures of him, so I put his adult head on a baby picture I found and made a baby picture of him. It was pretty funny.

Flooding in Elmhurst July 24, 2010

2010-08-03T09:07:00.004-05:00

Picture from the Elmhurst Independent Newspaper

This is the railroad tracks underpass in down town Elmhurst the day after we had 7" of continuous rain. Many homes were flooded as well. We've had so much rain this year, and broke a record for hottest summer ever - and still counting! Last year we didn't have 'summer' at all, but we did have a very warm February. How can people not believe in global warming??
BTW the little white square in the upper right portion of the picture is the speed limit sign, so you get an idea of just how deep the water is!

Two Great Pictures

2010-07-26T16:29:00.004-05:00

I love these pictures. They look so happy!

Mystery Man

2010-07-26T16:06:00.003-05:00

I found another picture I want to share. I'm not going to tell you who this is. You will be able to figure it out, but I think there is a strong resemblance to someone else. What do you think?

Mother's Day continued

2010-07-26T15:55:00.005-05:00

Sean Allen, Bob's grandson, with Pastor Rick, after Sean joined our church. Sean is off to Elmhurst College this fall, so he'll be able to continue participating in church activities. We love having him with us.

Some of my family, on Chelli's front porch.

Some of Chelli's family in this picture. Look who's peeking.

I finally took the time to go through all of Bob's recent pictures, at least that was my goal. I was looking for specific pictures, which I just realized I never found. I got involved in all the great pictures I found. This one is from Mother's Day, as promised back in May. We had such a nice celebration at Chelli's.

Necklaces

2010-07-23T16:12:00.005-05:00

These are two of my new samples. I've been working on some new necklace designs - Antique silver with photos, of course. I like the way they are turning out. They are similar to my wedding tree ornaments, but smaller and more wearable.

Elhmurst Garden Walk Art Faire July 11, 2010

2010-07-13T08:54:00.004-05:00

Sunday was the perfect day for an Art Faire in the Park. Low 80's, sunny, light breeze - add to that a new tent and a great spot under the trees and it was wonderful, almost ... I forgot to bring a chair. Actually, I forgot to read the letter I had received regarding the Faire. Oh, I glanced at it and knew when to be there. The rest (shrug). I was pretty much dead on my feet by 2: when a nice neighbor let me use her husbands chair. (he left)

Amy came to help and brought egg salad sandwiches.yummmm We saw lots of friends and many people were interested in 'Portrait Pillows, Bags and more.' All in all, it was a good way to spend the day and, I think, successful in terms of promoting the business.

I'm so glad I bought a tent. After last years Faire, standing in the sun for hours, I definitely wanted one, but when it came to dragging it to the park and setting it up, I wasn't so sure. Now I love it! And it's cute, with a high point at the top - it looks like a castle. I'm going to have a hard time not decorating it with lots of tulle.

Email for Seniors, update

2010-07-13T08:42:00.005-05:00

This is my Mom, who turned 90 recently. We gave her a Netbook, because she felt she was missing stuff, not being able to get on the Internet or receive e-mail. So, now she's emailing her children and grandchildren; getting pictures of great grandchildren with more confidence every day. The little Netbook is so cute!

She's thinking about Face Book, but not ready yet, to take the leap. It makes me laugh when I think about how we 'old folks' have taken to Face Book. I'm sure the kids are thrilled. I've resisted the urge to 'friend' Bob's grandchildren, or even my own, but I do like to keep up by looking at their albums.

Part II (somehow I published the first part of this on my cusiness blog and just discovered it, so when I posted this update it didn't make senxe. I've copied the text just to clarify.)
Mom is still learning to email, and get recipes from Rachel Ray, but some day she'll be on Face Book, too. Do you think she'll be the oldest person on Face Book?

Well, we are still plugging along. The Netbook is so cute, I'm having fun teaching Mom how to use it, most of the time... Lessons usually involve wine, which is a good thing.

Mom is very patient and determined so I'm sure she will get there. She has successfully emailed her DIL and grand kids and has been able to access Rachel Ray's Recipes - which was a goal, so life is good!

The next step is Face Book, but we are taking this slowly, veeerrryy slllooooowwllyy so it will be a while. I have to laugh to myself when I think about how we 'old folks' have taken over Face Book. I'll bet the kids are thrilled! I haven't friended Bob's or my grand kids, as that seems weird, but I am having fun finding old friends. I wonder how old the oldest person on Face Book is. We'll see.

Enough Already!! Enough Rain...for now

2010-06-08T13:37:00.003-05:00

I'm not a farmer or a gardener, so I know there are a lot of folks out there that are thankful for the rain. Not me! I've had enough. I notice so much standing water and mud everywhere. It's no fun to go out... Thank goodness for my great new umbrella, that Amy gave me for my birthday. It pops up when you push the button, and it also pops down!! How cool is that! It's great when your hands are full, and mine usually are. I love it! I just don't want to wear it out using it so much! Enough!!

Year Book Photo

2010-05-28T10:48:00.003-05:00

Tom and Kim's year book photo, that I stole off Beth's face book page. It's too cute. Now I just have to find out how it's done!

Another revelation

2010-05-28T09:41:00.003-05:00

My sweet DIL, Kim, turned 50 yesterday. It just dawned on me that she was born the day before we were married. I never thought of that before!!

This picture if from the Elgin FD Memorial Observance a few years ago but she hasn't changed a bit. The one with the mustache is my son, Tom.

It's Friday again...

2010-05-28T09:05:00.003-05:00

Another week - gone in a flash. I read somewhere that the older you get, the faster time seems to go, because, for example, a week is such a small percentage of your life, as opposed to a much larger percentage when you were young. Does that make any sense??? I'm probably not explaining it very well. Anyway - it seems like just last week I was 50, and trim. Oh well (sigh).

I just realized that today is May 28th. It would have been my 50th wedding anniversary, had Joe lived. I'm not feeling morose or anything - don't worry. It's just an observation. I'm sorry he didn't live to enjoy his old age and great kids.

New Pillow - one of our ddp's

2010-05-24T17:02:00.004-05:00

One of our most popular subjects is pets. Probably the most popular, next to grandchildren, with Anniversary Pillows a close second. Unfortunately, most of the dogs have 'passed on'. It is a nice way to keep them near you. Sometimes we can make the pillow a life sized cut-out of the dog... and, can even leave an opening in the bottom that has a Velcro closing, to accommodate a small packet (cremains, tags, etc).

... and then the next day - Graduation!

2010-05-24T16:50:00.006-05:00

It's not every day that you graduate from high school, and we had 2 in the same class. Cousins Stefan and Sean both got their diplomas yesterday and we had - another party!! and more fun.

We also celebrated Rina, Julianna and Sean's birthdays. (We were a little behind.)

Rina - Sweet Sixteen. She was sweet before being sixteen.

Lookin' Nifty at 40 plus 50!

2010-05-24T16:31:00.006-05:00

My Mom turned 90 this weekend. Do you believe it? She passed her driving exam and is doing great, except for her allergies - which drive her crazy. (No, I'm not saying my mother is crazy) An 'aged to perfection' balloon followed Mom around all evening.

My brother Chip and SIL Scarlet visited from Colorado and we had a blast! I sure miss them and wish we saw them more often. We're not gettin' any younger either.
All my kids were there (Tom, Kim, Amy, Joey, Chelli) plus Bob, of course, grandson Dan, and Chip's good friend Bill. My sweet DIL Kim is having a significant birthday next weekend. I won't tell you which one, but it rhymes with nifty! and Chelli's was last week, so we had lots to celebrate.

New Baby Pillow

2010-05-14T15:31:00.003-05:00

This is a gift for a new mom, coming back after maternity leave. The words at the bottom say "she is everything that is perfect wrapped in a tiny bundle"

Mother's Day and more

2010-05-10T09:01:00.003-05:00

We had a full and fun weekend. Saturday afternoon, Joey and I worked on our new SewSweet Dolls site and it will be launched in a short time, after a long wait. We still have a lot of work to do on it, but the end is in sight, now. Woohoo!!

Then Saturday night bob and I had a fundraiser party for Kathy who is running for DuPage County Board. Kathy is Bob's daughter and will work for the good of the people, if elected. She is passionate about 'fairness' and fair treatment of everyone - no exceptions!

On Sunday Sean Allen, Bob's grandson, joined our church. His Mom Cindy, Gram Jean, and good friend Lon came to church with us. It was so nice to have them all there.

THEN - Chelli and Joey had a wonderful Mothers'Day Party with delicious home made Italian food (which I've missed). My sweet DIL Kim brought her fresh baked bread and a great salad. I won't tease you with the desserts - just say that they were worth every calorie! Thank you so much everyone!

Bob took pictures - I'll add them when I can.

Thought for the day

2010-05-07T14:12:00.002-05:00

Women and cats will do as they please. Men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea. Robert Hileman

Portrait Pillows

2010-05-07T13:44:00.003-05:00

A client ordered 3 pillows for Mother's Day, with the most wonderful pictures! It was so much fun to work on them.

Antonio Luppino, Compabello, Sicily

2010-05-07T13:29:00.004-05:00

This is a picture of a play, performed in Compabello, Sicily. The guy in the tank top is Antonio Luppino, Johnny, Joe, and Ed's 2nd cousin. Our new found cousin seems to be an actor. He found my SIL Phyllis, on FB and friended her. She's a cute blond. Phyl was afraid to answer him because he writes in Italian and she didn't know what he was saying. (I guess I'd be concerned, too, if a strange man friended me, even one with the same name). Anyway, it turns out that our Uncle Joe was his God Father, and Joeys son, our cousin Johnny, knows about him and can read his posts. There are a bunch of pictures from a play, on his fb and I just grabbed one. He friended Amy too, but hasn't friended me, possibly because I'm not a genuine Luppino, Neither is Phyllis, but she doesn't use her maiden name so he wouldn't know that.

Joey's New Car!

2010-05-07T13:17:00.004-05:00

I'm so happy Joey found a car! He's been looking for several years. Meanwhile, the Exploder he has been driving was getting worse and worse. Nothing in it worked any more. It started with the 4-wheel drive failing, then the power windows wouldn't go up and down, the doors wouldn't lock, one door hinge had to be replaced but door still wouldn't close, and so on ...
So, now he has this great car, with all the bells and whistles! Radio, CD player, Sun roof, cute running boards (my description) and more. It's all about persistence, and being in the right place and the right time!
I took the pictures behind our office building, in the infamous parking lot.

Don't it Make Your Brown Eyes Blue?

2010-04-27T17:11:00.008-05:00

I used to love to listen to country music while I worked on my doll designs. When "Don't it Make Your Brown Eyes Blue" came on, by Crystal Gayle, I always had to sing along (only when alone of course, I wouldn't want to damage any one's ears.)I love that song!

I was born a brown eyed, brunette - both dark brown, same as my Dad. My Mom, however, is a blue eyed blond. Over the years, my hair has dulled some, and gray hairs have sprouted, but that's to be expected. What's not to be expected is that my eyes are turning blue! It took me a while to realize it - then I did notice the transition. They are getting blue from the outside edges toward the pupil, with the area closest to the pupil a light brown shade. My eye doctor said to change the color on my drivers license to hazel... Don't it Make Your Brown Eyes Hazel?? hmmm ... It doesn't have quite the same ring to it.

Meet Stefan

2010-04-27T17:03:00.007-05:00

Stefan is Bob's oldest grandson, one of 6, that I am fortunate to have in my family. He's a really special person - very thoughtful and conscientious, and hard working. He doesn't take anything for granted and is appreciative of all that is done for him.
He just turned 18 and attended Senior Prom. One of the things I admire most about Stefan is that he treats everyone with kindness and respect. He looks you in the eye when you talk with him and really listens to what you are saying. Stefan will be attending U of I downstate, in the Fall.

I'm sure there is no problem identifying him on the prom picture. In the birthday pic, he is sitting next to his cake, surrounded by his sisters and father.

Digital Fusion class at IQF

2010-04-27T16:39:00.004-05:00

This class was a lot o fun. We tried lots of new techniques. Val Vivrik put together a great sample package for each of us that more than covered the class fee.

Amy's Necklace

2010-04-26T09:15:00.006-05:00

Amy just made this necklace for her friend Wendy. Wendy saw my necklace and wanted to give her mother one for Mother's Day. The pictures are of Wendy's grandmother, Mother, herself, and her daughter. They are all beautiful, aren't they?

The picture is fuzzy, not the necklace!

2 new pillows - everyone seems to like tassels.

2010-04-23T17:09:00.002-05:00

and to think that I saw it on Addison Street

2010-04-23T17:02:00.005-05:00

Look who I saw on my way to my car!
If I don't get to work by 8:00 a.m. I can't park behind my building. There is a lot of competition for the parking slots. I've had to park in an alternate lot on Addison Street twice this week. Good thing the weather has been nice. I hate walking in the rain, with all the stuff I have to carry. Anyway, it's been fun to see the new or relocated shops that have popped up. There is also one called LaLa Land, which seems to sell children's clothing - I don't understand the name, but the shop looks cute. The bridal shop fills a space recently vacated by The English Garden. I'm sorry to see that one go. It was a cool gift shop.

The Cat Traps are working!

2010-04-22T09:40:00.001-05:00

Look Who Came to Visit

2010-04-20T09:49:00.003-05:00

I think I'm going to have to stop saying "I'm not a dog person", because I am!
I was visited by this adorable fluff-ball yesterday afternoon and, of course, I had to brag about my 'grand dogs'. I even showed pictures. (You gotta work with what you got!)

International Quilt Festival April 2010 in Chicago

2010-04-19T09:34:00.008-05:00

Wow! This was the best quilt class yet! This year I only took two classes, but one was 2 days long and I loved every minute of it. It was taught by David Taylor - called Picture Applique. (Check out his web site davidtaylorquilts.com) I choose an ambitious project and it will take a long time to complete, but I'm sure I will. The large picture is the size the quilt will be. It is of Amy's dogs Lucky and Rufus. Such a sweet picture. It will be fun to see it come to life.

After starting to piece the quilt together, I quickly realized that I had too many tiny pieces, so I revised some of the design and will do the rest as I go along. I also didn't have enough usible fabric, which was disappointing. I guess I'll have to shop, (It's hard to say that without smiling,) tho I had bought dozens of pieces of fabric. This is the first actual quilting class I have taken. Some of the more experienced students showed up with suitcases full of fat quarters! 100's of pieces!!

The Goat Quilt is Tinker, from David's barnyard collection. You can view them all on his web site. The detail and uniform stitches, all by hand, are incredible. The whole thing is created with small pieces of fabric, carefully chosen, and appliqued in place. Additional machine stitching and hand embroidery add detail, then the piece is quilted in tiny, even stitches. INCREDIBLE!

Facade or 'what to do with a blank wall'

2010-04-13T18:20:00.007-05:00

This charming street scape is a facade. The building owner spent tons of $$ to create a charming walkway, where an alley used to be. He even recreated some old Elmhurst stores - Honey Girl's and Hesse's.

I didn't make it clear, this was a blank wall of brick before the amazing make-over.

My son Joey and the guitar he just made

2010-04-09T12:21:00.004-05:00

We just celebrated Joey's 39th birthday! I remember a comedian (George Burns?) kidding about being 39. He never admitted to being any older, and - that seemed old to me! Go figure...
anyway, I gave Joey a card that said - My three favorite words are - 'That's my son!' So true.

Joey has been working on this guitar for a long time. It's beautiful, isn't it?

Mixed messages, or is that massages

2010-04-08T16:08:00.002-05:00

My new neighbor across the hall.

The big signs says "Open, Come In"

The little door knob hanger says "Please do not disturb, I'm with a client"

I guess you get to decide.

Good Deed part II - the gentleman returns

2010-04-08T14:52:00.009-05:00

I spent hours sorting and researching all the dolls in the tubs. It seems like there are hundreds, but I know there really aren't that many.

Today the gentleman came back. He said 'Do you still have the dolls I gave you last week?' I said that yes, I did. He said that someone wanted the one in the long white dress. I was very nervous about that.

The tubs were tucked into a corner, piled on top of each other for space reasons. I opened the top one - and there it was! The one he had come to retrieve. It was a 'Mint'* baby he was looking for. (*Bradbury, Danbury, Franklin Heirloom, whatever - that cranked out contrived collectibles in the '80's) I was so glad it wasn't one I had become attached to.

To me, this is the most special doll in the bunch. She needs some TLC - cleaning and reattaching her wig, but she is very sweet. The top of her dress is yellowed from nicotine and I have to find out how to get it off. She's going home with me - soon. I just have to decide where I'm going to put her once she gets there. The little chair is cute, but a bit small. It's part of my collection of props I'd like to sell. We used to take elaborate pictures of the cloth SewSweet Dolls in settings with all sorts of props. Now, I'd like to sell the props, but haven't had much luck.

Dolls are kind of an affliction for me. I have tons. It isn't my intention to keep these recent donations - well, maybe just a few . . .

Antique Bible

2010-04-05T13:13:00.005-05:00

This is a picture of a very, very old Bible with a leather cover. The cover has metal clasps on one side. Sadly, it has water damage, but it is still a treasured possession.
We are wondering if anyone call tell us what language it is in?? Please help if you can, and show it to others who might be able to help. Thanks!

No Good Deed Goes Unpunished, maybe . .

2010-04-05T12:19:00.010-05:00

You know how no good deed goes unpunished? Well - last Friday (Good Friday) an old man (by that I mean lots older than us) called and asked if I would be willing to take some dolls his wife had collected. He said he had been trying with no success, to give them to someone who would appreciate them. He sounded so sad . . I said 'sure'. He showed up a short while later with 4 huge tubs full of porcelain dolls, plus bags of plastic dolls, clothes, shoes, wigs, etc! You know how much room I have here, so I think you can picture this. He was so sweet, and appreciative; talked about his wife a little. I thanked him profusely, and gave him my sympathy in the loss of his wife, and he left.

And, there I was, barely able to get in my office, with 4 huge tubs taking up most of my floor space. My original plan was to just pass it all on to some group that could clean them up and give them to kids, but these aren't toys, they are 'collectibles'. Joey was very encouraging, even offering to sell some on Ebay. His other idea was to offer them on our web site, which would bring in more (and new) customers. A really good idea!

The dolls turned out to be mostly 'contrived collectibles' and porcelain reproductions, but . . . (naturally) there a few I actually like. One, a repro, might even make it home! So what did I say about no good deed? hmmm

So, now to Ebay to look up values. Some have numbers on them, like 4579n, which I think means that they made 10,000 for each letter of the alphabet. That's a lot of dolls. They are probably about 25 years old, which I think is new, but Joey assures me that, to a lot of people that's OLD. Who'd a thought. I think I have to keep the little Fireman. He looks very much like my Tommy, when he was little. Tom always wanted to be a fireman, and he is!

The little 'Cub' is about 4". The doll in white is a lovely, repro about 16" tall.

St. Patrick's Parade 3-13-10 - Drip Dry Dragon

2010-03-16T14:58:00.005-05:00

Another march down Spring Road behind the Elmhurst Armpit Orchestra. I'm not sure if there is a reason why we are placed behind them, but they are fun, and entertaining and make the wait seem shorter. We typically walk at the end of the parade, because we collect recyclables. I'm not sure what they did to deserve being at the end...

It rained on our parade this year. Rain was predicted, so we came prepared with umbrellas, ponchos, etc. That kind of cancelled out all the green we were wearin'.

This is an acitvity or our church's (First Congregational UCC) Green Team. The ClutterBug is a Chinese Dragon type critter, that I made last year, to give the Green Team something interesting for the parade. It is a work in progress, growing and changing every parade. Lots of church members joined in, and we had fun. The heavy rain waited until the parade was over, but not until we got into our cars which were parked a long way from the end of the parade route. Oh well . . .

The ClutterBug marched too, with Bob, Karen and I, inside. It was snug and dry in there, but it gives an odd perspective on the parade. Basically, you can see some feet along the sides and the person in front of you - Bob in this case. His view was through the ClutterBug's nose. When I listed what I wanted to be when I grew up, a ClutterBug wasn't even a glimmer of an idea. Who'd a thought..

The ClutterBug is reclining over the tops of several folding chairs, to dry out. Some ironing will be needed, too, I think.

Dog house

2010-03-16T14:50:00.004-05:00

This is the 3rd dog house I've built and I don't have a dog! The dog house on the house BOM quilt was bothering me. I am 'triangle challenged' as a quilter, and the little ones in the dog house did me in. I showed a close-up of the 2nd one, a while back so you could see that someone was at home, in it. So - this is the latest re-make. I've also started doing some detail stitching on the quilt top. Hope I don't ruin it.

Random Thoughts

2010-03-11T09:54:00.002-06:00

I just noticed, on the hand dryer in our building, the following notice;

Caution
Hot surface
Avoid contact

and I thought . . . what a perfect choice of words! Concise and to the point. Think about how much time might have gone into planning those few perfect words. Think about how you would have said it . . .

Parking - my need to get a parking spot behind our building keeps me on schedule every day. There is, maybe, a 10 minute window after 8: a.m. before the lot is full. I always plan appointments for the afternoon, so that I don't have to worry about re-parking in employee lot. There is a 3 hour limit everywhere else. Recently, in one of these situations, where I re-parked, I was returning to my car, pressed the button, and - no beep! Then, just as I was about to press it again - the car beeped. I looked at the 'key', looked at the car and reached for the handle. "That's my car!" said a voice directly behind me. Ooops, she was right, of course. That's where my car was, earlier. Mine was a few slots over.

Yesterday I met an old friend

2010-03-01T10:10:00.005-06:00

After church yesterday, we were invited to a dear friend's home for lunch, and to talk over the annual meeting, and to listen to "Irish Thunder" - a series of PBS TV shows with Irish male singers. In the series of 3 programs, we watched one young lad, Damien I think, grow up. It was delightful and I'm quite sure he is a super star. It reminded me of watching Donny Osmond grow up, but this kid did it in one afternoon.

When we arrived, and went to put our coats in Judy's guest room, I saw this adorable doll sitting on a chair. Of course, I commented on it - "Oh, what a cute doll" or something like that. Judy looked at me as said "Well it should be, YOU MADE IT!" The weird thing is that I don't have any memory of making it, but I do recognize it when I see it, and know that I did.
Sometimes I worry about my memory, or lack of it - but I think it just a case of needing more RAM - my brains are full.

Words to live by

2010-02-16T14:29:00.002-06:00

Don't marry the person you think you can live with . . . marry only the one you think you can't live without!

Valentine's Day, what a sweet tradition

2010-02-16T13:54:00.003-06:00

My sweetie gave me a bouquet of beautiful pink roses for Valentine's Day! They are wonderful and so is he!

I have always loved Valentine's Day! I have planned several dinner parties, and dinner dance-fund raisers for our church around a Valentine's Day theme, called "Gifts From the Heart".

I like heart shaped jewelry, and all things pink and red. Pink is my company color for SewSweet Dolls. When I was able to decorate my own home, there was a lot of pink in it. My favorite jacket is red. I covet red sandals. Though almost no one sees them at this time of year, my toe nails are red.

2010-02-16T13:34:00.005-06:00

It's been a busy few weeks, also very cold and snowy. Hard to get up in the morning, but if I don't - then I can't park when I get here. grrrg

All of a sudden I have lots of orders and other work. People often ask me to repair dolls, and I usually turn them down, but . . . this sweet lady came in with her daughter's doll that she wanted fixed up to use as a decoration in her great-granddaughter's bedroom, and I had time, so . . .
The problem I had with it is - I knew the doll was originally dressed in an evening gown, with ear rings, high healed sandals, etc and I didn't like the idea of dressing her prairie style as the customer wanted. All of the original clothes are long gone, and the customer obviously doesn't remember, or care. She turned out pretty well, I think. The customer is always right, the customer is always right, the customer is . . .

My dear friend of more than 40 years (but we're not counting) came to visit for a few days, from Texas. She was just in time for a major snow storm and cold snap, which was a reminder of why she moved to Texas in the first place! It was wonderful to have her here and we had a good time talking, talking, and talking with a little shopping mixed in. And she helped me with some projects in my studio. What a bonus! We tried a take a picture before she left, but I don't have it. I just have one of Barb and Bob, trying to make her camera work.

My Little Hunter's First Pheasant

2010-02-09T14:58:00.006-06:00

My little hunter bagged her first pheasant today! She was so excited.

Amy was hunting with a friend and Lucky and Rufus. They flushed out 5 birds, and shot them all! Lucky retrieved them and it looks like there's a pheasant dinner in the future.

Dog with feathers, at right.

It's a Bright, Brisk, Moon Lit Night

2010-02-05T14:44:00.009-06:00

Yippee!! It's finished, the top - that is. Finally - Only a month late. I'm probably the last one to post their "Come Over to My House" BOM 2009 quilt. This was a free project from Forevergreen Quilts and I really enjoyed making it. I had to stop working on it to do some orders and took time out for a cruise. then there were my mistakes and do-overs . . . but, it's done!

It was a challenge finding a way to hang it temporarily, but I wanted to see what it looked like and I couldn't hold it up and look at it. I taped it to a yard stick, so it is hanging with a little drape in it which causes a bit of distortion. It's actually pretty square. I'm amazed, and pleased. Now I just have to sew the back on it and do quilting stitches or something. I'll have to consult my quilter friends. I've never made a quilt before. BTW, the triangles are really difficult!

Here is a close-up of the dog house. Someone is at home, and I think it's the first time tonight. See the paw prints all over the black boarder?

The more I look at the dog house, the more it bothers me. I'm going to have to fix it, somehow.

HV Designer I

2010-02-04T09:24:00.051-06:00

I got my sewing machine back yesterday. One of the ones I dropped off before thanksgiving. I'm trying to decide if I want to keep it at home, for sewing there. Do I want to sew in my free time??? Not sure yet.

The good news is, it was a flat fee to repair it. I misunderstood and thought it was a fee just to look at it and repair charges were additional, so I was much relieved to pay only $80. However, it is one fee in a long list of $75's (flat fee went up) that I have been paying since I bought this machine close to 10 years ago. At an additional $75 per year, that was some expensive machine!!
I thought it was just a lemon, but I've come to know that all the HV machines are poorly rated - that's probably why the repair department is so far behind. duh! Again, It's my fault for not doing my homework. In my nest life, and the rest of this one, I'm not going to be so impulsive. (I think I'm doing better).

Joey's thought of the day

2010-01-25T14:41:00.005-06:00

"When you pay peanuts you get monkeys."

Joey constantly comes up with one-liners that crack me up!

At right is Joey modeling a wig, at Patty's 'Incite Studio'.

New toy

2010-01-22T17:01:00.003-06:00

I found this cute little cutting board recently and couldn't resist as it was on sale for half price. I noticed it because a lady was demonstrating how easy it is to use, and you know how much I hate to cut little pieces for quilting - especially triangles. This little cutting board rotates, so you don't have to keep repositioning the fabric - and it is very firm, not wobbly as you might expect. I really like using it. It's made by Fiskars.

My Little Hunter

2010-01-20T08:38:00.003-06:00

Who'd a thunk it . . .

Words to live by ...

2010-01-17T16:41:00.001-06:00

Always clean your glasses (eye or other) before using hand cream.

Let this be a lesson to me - red trees, green trees

2010-01-12T12:38:00.007-06:00

I'm still working on my quilt. Couldn't do anything about it during December. Two machines - both broken. Both Husqvarna Viking Designer series. You would think I'd have learned after getting one 'lemon', but nooo, I had to buy a new, very expensive one before I got the message. I got the newer machine back from repair shop just before we left for our cruise. I'm still waiting for the other - 2 months now.

Oh yea - I was talking about my quilt. Well, my original plan was to make it all in black, white and red, because I had some cool black and white star pattern fabric that I thought would make a great night sky! I 'chickened out, when it came to the trees, and made them green. It didn't work. I don't like them. I'm doing them over - and I hate making the trees because of so many triangles! I did come up with a plan for the finishing, though - and it's going to be very cute.

What's the lesson? Stay with Plan A, and do your homework! If I had read Consumer Reports before buying a sewing machine, I'd have bought a Bernina.

The 'Saga'
I purchased my first 'Designer' at the Int. Quilt Show, about 8 years ago. It never ran right and I thought I had a lemon. I did love working on it, and all the wonderful things it did, when it worked, but . . . I spent a fortune on maintenance because it kept 'not working'. I had bought it from a dealer, not a factory store.

Some time later, I got acquainted with a lovely woman who manages a Viking Gallery Store. She sent my machine to the factory and it was fixed, 'til now when it has a computer problem and won't sew at all. They tell me the cost to fix it is more than the trade-in value.

Back to my Saga, having an un-reliable machine when I needed to fill orders wasn't good, so - what did I do? I bought another HV Designer machine, this time an SE. and Guess What? It had problems, too. Sooo, in less than a year I upgraded to the new Diamond, for full trade in value. This brings me to the present, more or less.

When my machine broke a few weeks back, and I had just a few days to finish my orders before our trip, my 'company' just said "bring it in and we'll fix it when we can". No loaner, no offer, no nuttin'. The only option I had was to show up at the store with my sewing projects and hope they let me sew, which they did - but I had to drive back and forth to Bloomingdale 4 or 5 times, burning up the profits in gas. That's not to say that I'm not grateful that they let me sew. I had to get my orders out. I would like to say that the manager and staff at the sewing center are wonderful! They are not the problem.

Snow - January 2010

2010-01-08T09:46:00.003-06:00

Isn't the snow beautiful? This is our little deck, off the kitchen. This is a true measure of how much snow we have had in the last two days, and it's still snowing. The fence about 10' behind the deck is on the lot line. The yards behind us are HUGE (for Elmhurst). I'm guessing they are over 300' deep. I like having all the grass and trees without having to tend to them. We do actually have a tree in our yard. Ants scale it to get in to the upstairs bathroom!

My New Years Hope

2009-12-31T17:43:00.003-06:00

I'm not making a resolution, because I don't want to fail. I do hope to do better in 2010... be a better person, and a better friend to those I care about. I also hope to be better to me - to stop making excuses and get going on the things I need to do. I won't list my shortcomings - if you know me, you know them, and if you don't I don't want to disillusion you. I hope you have a wonderful, successful and blessed New Year filled with love, friendship, good health and happiness.

Penguins make Christmas perfect

2009-12-27T17:02:00.017-06:00

What I said about Penguins! Kim can't believe her eyes - she opened her gift and it was a penguin! A singing, flapping penguin! How good can it get? It was sooo funny! and we have several penguin lovers in our ranks - so it was sought after, as well.

Lots of happy faces, and cool gifts. I got, you're not going to believe this - a Vampire chocolate Santa Clause and vampire Christmas carols book. Too funny!

Alpaca Hats - hand made by Luppinos

2009-12-27T17:00:00.004-06:00

As a special birthday gift, Tom and Kim gave Amy a hand made hat. The fun part was that she got to make it herself. All three of them spent the day at an Alpaca farm. They met the animals, had a great home made lunch and then they each made an Alpaca hat in the color of their choice. I love all of them and think it's so interesting that they are all so different.

They had so much fun, it made me want to do it, too. I wish I looked good in hats!

Amy's Birthday - Nov. 7

2009-12-27T16:52:00.007-06:00

We had a birthday party for Amy on the appropriate date, but I just got the pictures off Bob's camera. It was a nice party and I wanted to post them anyway. Things are going to out of sequence, so - you'll just have to adjust!

Can you tell that Amy likes penguins?

One of us (who shall remain nameless) bought some of those trick candles, that keep coming back 'on' after you think you outed them.

Firefighter Tom to the rescue! He put them in water.

creative executions

Lucky Cooper Ring Bearer

Vacation Adventures January 2012

Caterina 'Rina' Salzano, budding artist and York HS senior

Major Excitement!!! John Williams WGN radio host talked about ME!!!

Hidden Messages

Cindy and Lon were married last Saturday, September 17, 2011

Arcadia, Michigan August 2011

Dog ring bearer collar and tie

Spring is (finally) Here! Next week, it will be Summer (sigh)

My DIL 'Martha Stewart'

Wonderful Mother's Day

Final Frog Purse

Florida Carriage Museum

The reason I've been MIA

Envision - Women in Art, Design & Wellness, March 4 -5, 2011

F*R*O*G*, part II

F*R*O*G* Fully Rely On God

February follies

One of those things you couldn't make up

SNOW - 2-1 2011 and 2-2-2011 Elmhurst, IL

The Big Snow of 2011

World's greatest brother

And, I have to share these pictures of ...

Oh Noooo, the feathers are too low...

Couch Sled, Another great idea . . .

OK, so it's January . . .

2011 is here and not much has changed.

My wonderful 'family'

Family Christmas Tree 2010

Amy's birthday, part two

Christmas Trees, 2010

November 2010

October events

Another DDP

The Flu, week 5 and counting . . .

Heeeer's Oliver

World's Greatest (and coolest) Popcorn Salesman!

Elmhurst Flea and Craft in the rain

I'm not catholic but I enjoyed this a lot!

My Sweetie

Oooops!

Words to live by

I'm having fun

Did'ja ever...

Another picture of my mom

Flooding in Elmhurst July 24, 2010

Two Great Pictures

Mystery Man

Mother's Day continued

Necklaces

Elhmurst Garden Walk Art Faire July 11, 2010

Email for Seniors, update

Enough Already!! Enough Rain...for now

Year Book Photo

Another revelation

It's Friday again...

New Pillow - one of our ddp's

... and then the next day - Graduation!

Lookin' Nifty at 40 plus 50!

New Baby Pillow

Mother's Day and more

Thought for the day

Portrait Pillows

Antonio Luppino, Compabello, Sicily

Joey's New Car!

Don't it Make Your Brown Eyes Blue?

Meet Stefan

Digital Fusion class at IQF

Amy's Necklace

2 new pillows - everyone seems to like tassels.

and to think that I saw it on Addison Street

The Cat Traps are working!

Look Who Came to Visit

International Quilt Festival April 2010 in Chicago

Facade or 'what to do with a blank wall'

My son Joey and the guitar he just made

Mixed messages, or is that massages

Good Deed part II - the gentleman returns

Antique Bible

FROG, part II

FROG Fully Rely On God