I am finding the need these days to increase the size of my purse... I guess that comes with the territory of being a mom. There is always so much to remember when we go places... favorite toys, drink bottles, blankets, and other "fun" things that just don't fit in the diaper bag. But, I like the fact that my large beach towel, umbrella, jacket, and other miscellaneous things that one needs to take to the gym fit perfectly too.
I decided to use the "Birdie Sling" pattern from Amy Butler and used Anna Maria Horner's fabric "Fortune" from her Good Folks collection, combined with my new favorite fabric from Erin McMorris, Hopscotch.
I guess it is a little unusual for me to call this my new favorite fabric since it is not my usual bright, bold, crazy pattern fabric, but I am finding that these sweet little criss-crosses mix and match so well with so many other fabrics as a complementary fabric.
The pattern was so easy and I loved the end result that I am now planning purse #2! Hmmm... so many fabrics, so little time!
So, do you remember this?...
I just love "before" and "after" shots, don't you?
...some things do eventually make it off my sewing table and into the finished projects pile... yeah! A really simple project that I had made a long time ago for my niece as a present and wanted to repeat it for the "little guy"... a teething blanket. I used fabric, of course, from his favorite collection... cut into a small rectangle, with terry cloth on the reverse side, a soft batting on the inside, and the ribbons doubled over in a loop on the edges... stitch, stitch, stitch, and done!
It seems at this age that everything a baby discovers goes immediately in the mouth and no matter how cute, interesting, or fantastic a toy is... little ones always seem to be much more fascinated by the tag on it than anything else.
... and who would have known how timely his present would be ... this week our little man got his first tooth!
It seems like when I get on a roll, it's hard to stop... which means I'm still talking about weddings. But hey, doesn't every girl like to talk about that "big day"?!?
On one of my previous posts Jane from Spain Daily mentioned that the Spaniards are quite tacky when it comes to weddings... well, I'm not sure how the Spaniards do it, but I would imagine that the Americans could hold their own on tacky. There are two "American wedding traditions" that I absolutely loathe and did not want under any circumstances at my own wedding:
Imagine this... the bride and groom standing at their wedding cake, decorated with creamy icing to the very last detail, when as man and wife they cut the cake for the first time, as the "happy couple" are feeding each other (sweet so far, but...) they smear the cake all over the other ones face. I've actually seen this get quite messy and a little over the top, and I inwardly brewed that if my husband ever did that to me I would...!?*#!?*# (I'll let you fill in your own blanks)But the most awful American wedding tradition of them all... decorating the car with shaving cream, toothpaste, or other inappropriate things and tying tin cans to the back of the car... if you are not American you may be shaking your head in disbelief and astonishment (or you may shake you head even if you are) Wikipedia claims that the tradition is a "good-natured hazing" of the newlyweds and other sources say the tradition grew out of the effort to ward of evil spirits... but I put it into the category again of just plain tacky.
But I do so love the way the Germans do it... beautiful elegance, style and class, flowers adorning the hood of the wedding car... something truly fit for the occasion. The perfect touch for the most special day in one's life...
What are some of your favorite wedding traditions, or which ones could you live without?
It only takes two minutes of time or less on my blog and one can clearly tell that color is "my thing". My dad is an artist, and growing up there were always splashes of color everywhere... he talked about how to use it, how to find other complementary colors for it, shades and tones, and what interest it can bring to just about anything. I can't escape it, and I don't want to. Sometimes I'm not sure if it is Germany, the big city, or just living in the North, but color really isn't the thing here. Classic black = chic. And while I agree with that for the most part, I just can't sever the fact that at the core of me that my soul cries out for color...
... which is why I was somewhat disappointed when I came home from shopping for an evening gown for the wedding with... you guessed it, a little black dress.So in a search for that perfect pop of color for my boring black dress, I stumbled onto the website for My Pretty Little Things, which was my inspiration for the rest of my accessories. Bethan was so lovely and even shipped to Germany in a sweetly and carefully wrapped package... stunning!
One good thing that I was able to put away the boy/tractor fabrics for a while and trade them in for elegant silks and taffeta's and a little sparkle. I simply could not go to the wedding without something that I made, now could I?!?...
But now that Cinderella has had her time at the ball, it's time to come back to reality... sigh!
Usually after a German wedding there is some kind of champagne or coffee and cake reception, but the evening party is when it all starts. For such parties, many people go back their home or hotel to rest for a bit and then get dressed back up for the big event that same evening. This can sometimes be a very formal event, and this was the first time that I have worn an evening gown to a wedding where I was not one of the bridesmaids. At our wedding my husband was quite entertained when my mom asked him a little perplexed... "and you mean that the people actually come back?!?"
It seems as though I was just as captivated by the evening wear as I was by the afternoon fashions... lace and beading, colorful shawls, large glittering jewelry accents, and evening clutches to drool over, paying the closest attention to each small detail...
I loved seeing men dressed up like penguins in their stark contrasting black and white tuxes, seeming to be more interested in talking business or hobbies, while the women flittered around like proud peacocks observing what everyone else was wearing.
The father of the bride and his sister trumpeted the "call to eat" song, which is more of a tradition after a hunt, before everyone piled into the tent for an absolutely fabulous spread of food. I was escorted to my table by my Tisch Herr (table gentleman), whose sole task is "taking care" of his Tisch Dame (table lady) for the evening.
Many times speeches are given and often friends and families come up with silly skits about the married couple, which can be quite entertaining. Once the music starts, it is usually with formal dancing and I love seeing couples float effortlessly over the dance floor. It is an absolute must to bring comfortable shoes to the evening party because everyone dances until they just can't dance anymore... there is just no going home at the strike of midnight!
One of my husband's cousins got married this past month and it seems as though "what to wear" dominated quite a lot of our time. Weddings in Germany are quite different than they are in the States. Sometimes the happy "I do" ceremonies are a little short, sweet, and to the point, but I must say that Germans really know how to party it up! This wedding was even a little different than some of the other weddings that we've attended here... fancier, if you will. I hate to admit it, but I had to invest in three different outfits for the affair! (Oh, listen to me... you would think that a girl would find nothing better than to go shopping, right?)
After the church ceremony the party moved to the family home where people were mingling, drinking champagne, and what else would you expect... the ever talked about "coffee and cake time". The weather was not necessarily everything that a bride could wish for, but running in and out of tents for the light and fickle rain drizzle was much better than the 35 degree (95+ F) that it had been the weekend before. I had at first decided that I just wanted to relax and enjoy the event instead of toting around baby on one arm with my camera in the other, but I found myself completely fascinated by the fashions that I saw... beautiful large hats adorned with curling feathers, jackets and silk suits in bright colors, and accent ribbons and trims. With so much eye candy, I simply could not resist!
... You certainly didn't think that the party ended there, did you? Oh, no... there's much more to come.
But as the weather turns colder, I should have more time to nestle in with my sewing machine. When is your busiest time of the year?....
But as the weather turns colder, I should have more time to nestle in with my sewing machine. When is your busiest time of the year?....
