Summer and Lots of Pictures of Ruby

 Five Days old and out for a walk

 Eight days old

 Father's Day, and one week old

 June 20th, David's birthday

 Fourth of July,  Almost 8 weeks old

Hi everyone, I didn't mean to disappear for so long!  Starting to put pictures up of Ruby to make some kind of chronological picture story of her growth. Of course I could flood the entire blog post with just pictures of her, but I resisted and inserted a few family celebrations and fourth of July. I had to work on Father's day....oops forgot to ask for the day off, so David spent the time with the kids while I was at work for 4 hours. The night before I marinated some flank steak using my favorite recipe I found on Pinterest. Then Monday was our 35th wedding anniversary! We went to Chez Panisse for dinner and it was a really lovely ride over to Berkeley, as we went on the back roads. One day break in the celebrations, then it was David's birthday.  He decided he wanted to spend the day in Berkeley and Oakland having lunch and visiting some of his favorite shops to spend some birthday money.  We stopped by one of our favorite chocolate shops in Berkeley called Casa de Chocolates, ( click on name to check out this great shop.) and bought some Tres Leches cake to celebrate at home with Caitlin and Ruby...Cyrous is teaching summer school so could not be with us. We saved him a piece of cake though!

Ruby, Ruby.....what can I say? She is a delight and a dream come true, I'm really enjoying being a grandparent. We are fortunate to live so close to them that we can see her at least once a week. I have taken quite a bit of photos as you can imagine, so get ready for most of my posts to have pictures on this sweet angel baby. On fourth of July she wore that little knit onesie I made with my first adventure on my serger. She many not get to wear it very much, since she is growing so fast! She is already almost 12 pounds and almost 24 inches long. We think that she is going to have her daddy's long legs. It's fun to see each week how much she has changed. When I look back at the first few weeks of her life up until now, she is a whole different little baby! Her cute little personality is starting to shine through and she is now flashing real smiles at us. She also loves to stare intently at us and we have all had fun having staring contests with her.  She's a joy!

Summer so far has been quite nice, due to lovely weather. I can't even complain as usual. It makes for a nice gentle pace, and because of this I have been spending more time out on the patio enjoying the new humming bird feeder we bought. I use to have this really neat red glass feeder, but it leaked sadly, and it seemed not to be visited as much. So we bought this old school one and some really nice nectar with electrolytes and other nutrients in it. They sure are greedy little guys. The other day I took the feeder off the hook to replenish their treats, and one hovered in the empty spot and stared at me through the kitchen window quite disappointed and flitted off. Soon as I hung it back up, he was back in a matter of seconds. The feeder is near our neighbors giant apple tree, so I think they feel really protected while consuming their treat. In the mornings I love to sit on the patio and watch them zoom in and out. Lots of fighting between them as well, but for the most part they are civil.  Best money I have spent to date!

Last week I got two cape orders. It seems each year it gets earlier and earlier, and always is hard to cut hot wool on a summers day. After I got the orders, I realized those were the last two that I could make since I ran out of wool. I quickly called my supplier and thank the lord above they had a whole bolt of it. I raced over there and this time bought the whole bolt from them. Usually I buy a handful of yards as the orders come in, but I decided to be better prepared for the cape season and go for the entire bolt. I stopped by the sewing machine shop, that I bought my Bernina, to also by more special red thread for the heart embroidery that I do on them. The sales woman gave me a demo on the newest Babylock serger. Man oh man.....I was impressed and really want one now. I had told her that it took forever for me to use mine because the threading etc. She said that shouldn't be the case if you had one that worked as well as the Babylock one. She was right! So simple and endless creative ideas could unfold with it. Price tag is steep, but I think I'll start saving up for one. Plus they said they would take mine in as a trade in, so it could knock the price down a bit, not much I'm sure, as mine is a low rent Brother. Well.....it's now my new goal though to have one!
I'm still working on my new merchandise ideas...slow going, but it's getting there.

Well guys, I'm off to enjoy the day....hope summer is treating everyone well.

May Garden Musings

Ok yard, you need to stop showing off! With all the rain, the yard is on fire with life. Extra blooms on the Azalea bush this year, two times the amount of peaches and plums, which of course we are all excited about in our house, and just over all lushness. The peach tree branches are tall enough this year to dance along the kitchen windows with all it's little treasures, it sure will make picking the top ones easy. It's always such a pleasure to watch the peony show unfold. It starts with the dark pink ones, followed by the lighter pink and finally the white ones. They are so beautiful and large. I never know what to do as far as enjoy them all outside, or bring some in the house. I brought more in this year to enjoy, but for some reason, I'm always sad to cut them. Some of the photos of the peonies I took at dusk, and I think it really shows off their ethereal quality.   I just took a little walk around the house and took some pictures of all the fruit trees, just as a documentation as to when each year they are ripening etc. Hope you don't get too sick of all the flowers and fruit. It's just so magical to see them arrive each year that I cannot help myself.
After I finished my little mini collection, I have come to a bit of a stand still. I made the little baby dress and bloomers for my niece who just had a baby a few weeks ago. I really love making these little dresses, and I think I'm going to make more soon. They are the perfect little dress for little ones I think. I keep spinning my wheels as to the whole baby gift thing I mentioned before. I go back and forth with bibs, bonnets and bloomers. Should I do sets, should I just offer them per piece? I just don't know. Perhaps I'll just dive in and just make up various forms and see where it all goes! I just made a really cute bonnet, but have to get the right shade of ribbons for it so I can list it. All of my favorite fabric shops are through the tunnel as we say out here in the East Bay, so I haven't gotten a chance to source more notions.  Hopefully I will be able to tomorrow, as we will be celebrating Mother's Day on Saturday vs. Sunday this year. Why you ask? Well, both Caitlin and I forgot to ask for that day off! I will be working for 4 hours on that day....boo :( Oh well, Saturday we are going to brunch and maybe a trip into the city to the museum, and hopefully to Britex. I guess it doesn't matter so much about the actual day you celebrate right? Hahaha
Last weekend we went to Caitlin's friend's bridal shower.  Caitlin and Brooke have been friends since 1st grade! They were inseparable in grade school, and Brooke and her mom even came to visit us when we lived in France. Lots of great memories with this little lady, and now we get to see her take a big step in her life. Her wedding is on May 21st, and we can wait!

Ok...... Remember when a few months ago I told you that Nicole was commissioned to do a project for a major motion picture? I can finally tell everyone, as the movie is out this very week! She made a headpiece for a character in the new "King Arthur" movie! The character is "lady in the lake." I think it is the lady that holds the Excaliber sword. It's pretty exciting and of course I'm a proud mom.  The story on how she got the commission is pretty cool as well. She works at a high end fabric shop in London where all the costumers for movies, and theater shop. She was wearing one of her head pieces that she made on one occasion, when the costumer for King Arthur came  in and pointed to her headpiece. She asked Nicole, "Where did you get that?" Proudly she told her she made it. She pulled her aside and arranged a meeting with Nicole to commission a piece for the movie. She also told the manager of the store. "How long do you think you will be able to keep this one?!!" She has also helped choose fabrics for other movies and television shows. Recently the costumer for Star Wars came in. How funny that they would shop for fabric in London. I think I'll go check out the movie next week to see if I can spot her handiwork :)
Well guys, on that note, I'm off to try and get some work done in the studio today. Hope all the mamas out there have a beautiful and relaxing Mothers Day!

Celebrating Bella

Last Saturday we went to a surprise party for my beautiful niece Isabella. Doesn't her name suit her? She goes by Bella, and "bella" she sure is! The party was a surprise and the guest of honor truly was that indeed! Look at that pretty smile of hers! I can hardly believe that it has been 18 years that I was in the hospital room watching this little lady enter the world! We forever see her as the cute little 7 year old that loved horses and loved to lounge only in tee shirts and sweats. Now look at her! So grown up and starting a new chapter in her life.
 Last night we went to her graduation. I love going to graduations and seeing all those bright futures dressed in cap and gown with all the endless possibilities ahead of them, it just never gets old.
Going to family events like birthdays and graduations always makes me nostalgic. We always end up talking about the day each child was born, all the fun stories about when they were little, and when graduation rolls around, either in high school or in college, you just can't believe how it all just flew by! My nephew, that is in the family pic above, will be the last of the kids to graduate from high school....thank goodness that is a ways off or I would be feeling really old.
My sister and brother in law have done such a suburb job of raising these three fine children, and they should be super proud of all three! I can't wait to see where their future takes them.
Bella went to an all girls Catholic high school, so the graduation ceremony wasn't as lengthy as some high schools with a huge student body, which made it nice and more personal. I also loved how they had the girls photos flash above, when their name was called up. They also get a picture with the bishop of the diocese when he hands them their diploma. Wonderful evening!
Congratulations once again Bella!!!