Scattered Showers

After weeks of no rain, we've gotten over 10" to 15" in just a couple days.  Great!  Except when you are planning a huge yard sale... *sad trombone* 

flooding within hours - just outside the shop

The show must go on -- and right now I'm debating (procrastinating) on how I'll turn our nice boutique into a down and dirty thrifty yard sale inside as the forecast is still a high 60% tomorrow.  Yard sales are a ton of work but I find it totally exhilarating to get paid to get rid of what I consider junk and have no use for anymore!  So, it will be a total disappointment and loss of many, many hours pricing and packing items for this one shot.  Pretty please Mother Nature!

I'd rather be sewing!  I started this flag quilt Memorial Day with the goal of completion on the Fourth of July.  I originally shared this pattern back in 2011 from Diary of a Quilter.  I'm finally doing this!  If you look back at the original post - someone mentioned her's was backwards - it was!  So, I've corrected that and was going along at a good clip; a row a night and then all hell broke loose - my tension got out of whack.  I had to just walk away.  After some time, internet advice, and a new needle - I started up again last night!  And then the bobbin wonked out. 

And a little work is getting done despite the obligations and distractions.  Thanks to my cleaning and clearing out I found these super cute brightly colored checked towels in my stash.  I wasn't sure how they would hold up to silkscreening as the lines are a little thicker than I like...they did beautifully!  And I got to try out this pretty turquoise that I never get to use enough!  I only had three and they are already price reduced as a special offering here at Etsy.

And slowly, I am getting some of the new fabric we scored during our Houston trip.  This one is a fabulous batik with a bright plaid underneath.  I have a nice lot of FIVE yards...yes everything is bigger in Texas - including their fabric offerings.  Sold by the yard here.

This week has brought some new birds to the yard as well.  I had seen the lady Summer Tanager, the mustard colored bird to the right, a few weeks back.  She's back and has a boyfriend!  This pretty solid strawberry guy!  Sorry the pic quality is bad - he totally surprised me!  If it ever stops raining here, I plan to head back out and try an get a better look for them. 

 --Lisa LeBlanc

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Don't Mess With Texas

Last week was Scan Time at MD Anderson (it always seems to arrive in the midst of a million other things I'd rather be doing).  News was all good again and we've now moved my visits to once a year *slow clap*.

On the way, we stopped at the State Line Rest Area on I-10 between Louisiana and Texas - C had never seen the star up close - so, voila!  I remembered the rest area being quite nice with a small nature trail to explore.

Great Tailed Grackle

Marsh Flowers

Red Winged Blackbird

Golden Colored Dragonflies

Turtle Laying Eggs

It was nice to take a breather for 20 minutes as the 2 day trip would turn out to be a whirlwind of parking garages, elevators between floors, running to scans, doctor appointments. 

My favorite bird moment though, was at our brief lunch on the Terrace of the Mays Building on the MD Anderson Campus.  I know some people do not like House Sparrows - they are not native and they can be down right murderous to indigenous species.  But they seem perfect at a cancer hospital.  They are survivors in a world they did not pick.  Good and bad, they make their home where they find it and learn to thrive.  I also, thought this one was quite cute hording his prized chicken bone.   

 --Lisa LeBlanc

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Featured Friday Fabric - Red, White and Blue

It's been quite awhile since I've dedicated a post to fabric alone!  Thanks to my massive destash and Spring Cleaning event of 2014 (I am now 3.5 rooms complete in a 10 room home), I am unearthing quite a bit from my personal stash - you know, the things that you are just waiting to use for the perfect project?  That project never came along so I'm parting ways with these lovelies...

A sweet strawberry stripe no longer in print from the Pineywoods Collection designed by Diane George 

A very vintage remnant - super cute apples and patchwork!

A vibrant cotton chintz designed by Jack Prince

I was particularly intrigued by the last fabric - it just screamed late 80's - early 90's to me...a piece of my childhood.  I actually think it's a bit older after I read about the designer, Jack Prince.  This totally endearing article paints a great picture of an artist and mentor...one who ultimately ended up penniless.  You never know what stories you'll find in your stash!   

 --Lisa LeBlanc

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Push Pull

Do you feel it...that crazy push pull of there is just. not. enough. time.  I sure do.  Currently, I've decided that each weekend I take one room - tear it apart, empty it, paint it including trim, and then thoroughly clean it and any contents that return to that room.  It's kind of genius, other than the fact that it's killing me.  I am 2-1/2 rooms complete in a 10 room home.  I'm finding all kinds of weird sh*t each week during the destash - please note the comical Mad Menesque Pull Pull signage. 

I did finally select one of the pretty new Cavallini papers for the kitchen/dining area.  Birds, of course.  It's in an ancient Ikea frame that fit perfectly - unfortunately, I missed cleaning it thoroughly and once up, I realized a dead spider is sandwiched in with all the pretty birds...oh, well...I'll remove him someday.

I've been super behind on my soap making (and it's the one thing I make that people seem to really go gaga over).  I had one batch of Fresh Bamboo ready for placement in the shop this week and I started a fresh batch of my Milk and Honey soap.

And of course, whilst painting, I had the perfect view of these guys!  A male rose breasted grosbeak and a female red bellied woodpecker.  They seemed to not give one feather about me climbing up and down the ladder right inside their view - it's all about the seed and they all seem quite content to stay awhile.  

 --Lisa LeBlanc

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