Words of Wisdom From Writers

There are two kinds of people in this world;

those who think there are two kinds of people

and those who are smart enough to

know better.

~ Tom Robbins, "Still Life with Woodpecker" ~

Coastal Currency

A stroll on the beach yesterday yielded some delightful rareities:



It's so difficult to find intact sand dollars on the beach! But these four were just sitting there, washed up by the surf and patiently awaiting discovery. The smallest is about the size of a quarter:



But even aquatic dollars have a cost -- in my case, what my sister would call a "Vitamin D overdose." Lobster, anyone?

A Giveaway!

I was recently contacted by Kristin Friesen, a fellow Blogger and Etsian (is that a word?), about her "Undiscovered Artist Feature." She very kindly offered to feature me on her blog, and is also hosting a giveaway for one of my aprons! You really should check out her lovely blog (Sweeter Than Me) and Etsy shop (KristinFriesen).



Here's a link to the feature and the giveaway!

Sewing Tip -- On File

Organization -- it's my bane and my liberator! Once I have things organized, it's delightful to have them at my fingertips. But the hard part is finding a convenient and practical storage solution that actually works. And then there's the issue of aesthetics -- those rolling drawer towers are handy, but they're not exactly easy on the eyes!

My burgeoning collection of self-drafted patterns (mostly aprons for Etsy) needed a permanent home; this is what Tuesday Morning had to offer:



With hanging file folders, pattern pieces are easy to retrieve and easy to put away as soon as they've been cut out. I've also designated a folder for my "current project," so that I have a place to stash the pattern pieces from whatever garment I happen to be working on. I still have to figure out a use for that handy little "pocket" on the front.



I think my patterns will enjoy residing in their new nifty and stylish home, rather than on the floor, under a pile of fabric, stuffed into a drawer... Well, you get the idea!

South of the Mason-Dixon

Every Spring I look forward to watching our arbor blossom into life. The Confederate Jasmine that we planted a few years ago (our tribute to our location in the "deep South") has flourished, completely overtaking the arbor and requiring frequent trims.



One by one, the buds unfurl, until the arbor looks more like a snowdrift than a plant.

Oh, how I love Spring!

I've Got You Covered

Cooking? Cleaning? Gardening? I can handle it! I'll stick close to you so the dirt can't. I'll make even the commonest household chore a little more glamorous. I'm versatile enough to match your mood (or your outfit), and I'm in the shop today.




Don't worry, I've got you covered.

All the Details!

Apparently yesterday's announcement took many people by surprise, judging by the response from the Sensibility forums and my blog! Since I haven't given away any clues, that's perfectly natural -- but since I've been "in" on the whole thing, "surprising" is not a word I've been using to describe it! So I suppose I should introduce you to Pablo, my wonderful fiance!

Right after our engagement on April 24th

We first met at church about eight years ago, but we didn't really know each other at that point. Every year the church hosted a conference, which concluded with an old-fashioned Southern Ball. Pablo was always very gentlemanly, dancing every dance and rescuing awkward teenage girls from the ignominy of being wallflowers! I danced with him occasionally, but other than that didn't have much contact with him.

Thanksgiving 2008

Apparently Pablo first "noticed" me when we were both 15. I was extremely clueless, and remained so for the next four years. We transferred our membership to another church when I was about 16 or 17, so Pablo kept an old church directory so that he would still have our contact information. We continued to attend the Southern balls, and Pablo continued to ask me for dances while biding his time as he finished college. In November of 2007, he asked my dad if he could correspond with me, with the intention of moving toward a courtship and eventual marriage if all went well.

A hydrangea in the beautiful gardens where Pablo proposed

My dad spent some time corresponding with Pablo and made several visits, making sure that the major theological and practical issues were all in order. We started corresponding on January 1st, and began the process of getting to know one another. It quickly became apparent that we agreed on just about everything! We have so much in common, it's almost scary -- but at the same time, his strengths lie in the sciences (though he's a wonderful pianist and an avid reader) and mine lie in the arts, so we complement each other well.

During the following months, we began to visit -- we would visit his family, then they would visit with us, and so on. Pablo started visiting on his own, and his visits became more frequent. We've actually had numerous people (even people in my current church) who have asked if we're siblings! Which is very interesting, considering that we have entirely different ethnic backgrounds...

We started officially courting in October of 2008.

Imagine my astonishment when I found this word verification while leaving a comment on a blog:

A sign, perhaps? *smile*

Pablo proposed at a beautiful state park in our area -- my parents and I went out there supposedly because my mom's birthday was in a few days! It was such a wonderful, memorable day -- although neither of us can remember much about the actual proposal! By the time he proposed, all of our letters (which he has been saving in a Word document) amounted to 1,500 pages. We like to write. A lot.

The hands, heart, and crown of the Irish Claddagh ring

symbolize friendship, love, and loyalty

As for my ring -- well, originally I did not want an engagement ring at all! Jewelry is not my thing, and I had heard that the facets/prongs of diamond rings could cut or scratch babies' heads. But it was something that was important to Pablo. Since I have always loved Claddagh rings, I looked for -- and found -- a ring that was absolutely perfect. By the next morning, it had sold out, and there was nothing else like it to be found among the millions of Claddagh rings on the internet! Lo and behold, when Pablo proposed, he had a ring identical to the one I had found -- using a picture of the ring, he had gone to a jeweler and had one custom designed! So I went from not wanting an engagement ring to not being able to imagine anything different!

A lovely striped rose in the gardens

We don't have a date yet, though we're looking at January of 2010. I am enjoying the early stages of wedding preparations! And yes, I will be making my dress -- though not out of my old standby, the infamous Simplicity 4499, as Keri suggested! *smile* I'll probably be posting some details as the preparations progress.

I am so blessed, and so happy! I can see the Lord's hand throughout our relationship, and I look forward to what He has in store for the two of us. And I can't even begin to express my gratitude to my dear parents, who have been so wonderful -- they have protected me throughout my life, and been supportive and encouraging (not to mention highly involved!) during the correspondence and courtship. I am so grateful for their care and the Lord's guidance!

Forecast

Mostly sunny with a chance of tulle.

A possibility of silk and roses in the afternoon,

but a shocking lack of satin is expected.

Chance of happily-ever-after is 100%.

Declaring War

After a major sewing room reorganization a few weeks ago, I have come to the conclusion that it is time to declare war! Uprooting every corner of our sewing room revealed to me just how much fabric I have -- not that it's nearly as much as some seamstresses claim to possess (although I tend to think some of their claims resemble those stories that feature ever-expanding fish), but it's definitely more than I need on hand!

The problem is, most of my fabric was a bargain (or even free). I don't generally buy yardage at a fabric store unless I have a specific purpose, so my fabric mountain has been growing without showing up on the radar (otherwise known as my wallet!).

And what happens when I do use some fabric? I end up with scraps. Lots and lots of scraps. And it's hard to just throw perfectly good fabric away, even if there are only a few square inches or feet left. *sigh* Not to mention those pesky UFOs (UnFinished Objects, to those not initiated in seamstress jargon)...

However, I'm determined to take stashbusting to the next level (i.e., full-out war). I've engaged in mild stashbusting in the past, but this time I'm determined to keep going until my fabric stash is the size I want it to be. Thank goodness for Etsy! I'm going to need some kind of outlet for all of this craftiness!

On a good note, the sewing room is much better (though not perfect yet). Here's a view of my newly re-done crafty corner:



Does anyone else want to join the stashbusting campaign? Here's to the decimation of my fabric stash, the annihilation of my scrap collection, and the utter destruction (sort of) of my UFOs!

And though it pains my inner grammarian to say this, "Them's Fightin' Words!"