The Journey Continues ... New Life from Old

Sewing with Vintage Patterns My sister and I went thrifting today.  We both have booked winter vacations and wanted a few new-to-us items to round out our holiday wardrobes.  Since it's the middle of winter, and since we live in a cold climate, the retail stores haven't got very much summer stock out right now.  That is, the retail stores that sell brand new clothing.  There's always a good assortment of all-season wardrobe items in the thrift stores. I found so many great tops to try on but, as I expected, I only liked about a third of them once I tried them on.  Nonetheless I managed to get 7 nice tops for about $35.  Had my favourite thrift store been open today, I'm sure I would have paid less, but I'm really happy with the items I purchased so it's all good. I really should take some photos of what I bought but right now they are all in the wash.  I am pretty careful with the clothes I own, washing many items by hand, but for their int...

We are experiencing extreme cold weather this week.  The temperature this afternoon is MINUS 26 Celsius or minus 14 Fahrenheit.  Even worse, the wind chill is listed at minus 34 Celsius and that is a big improvement from this morning.  So I am staying indoors! I actually enjoy quiet days at home spent, well, puttering, for want of a better word.  I am the opposite of a minimalist.  In fact, if I don't have a bunch of projects that I could, at the drop of a hat, decide to start working on, I feel agitated and nervous.  I like to know when I wake up that I could, potentially, decide to make beet pickles, organize my fabric stash, begin (or finish) a crochet project, read a book, or whatever strikes my fancy.  I'm all about the process and not the finished project! But these chilly days inspire me to mostly just cuddle up with a book and a blanket.  Or possibly you could say I am not feeling inspired to undertake any substantive work or projects,...

Today, on millions of computers in many, many countries and homes, people are sending out New Year's Day greetings to family and friends.  And here in the world of blogs, many of us are taking a few moments out of the first day of 2017 to send greetings to their readers as well.  There is a certain comfort in having this commonality and knowing that we share so many dreams for happiness mixed with goals and new projects for the coming months. Happy New Year to you all. My resolutions this year are not written out.  At this stage in my life, I know by heart the things that I wish for and the projects I need to work on.  I know the goals and where I have fallen short before.  I know that good health, family, and friends is more important than the pursuit of monetary goals.  I know that I have a strong faith in God and that I believe He provides the nudges, reminders, and opportunities I need when I am ready for them.  Sometimes i fall short in recogn...

The end of the year is fast approaching, and I am looking for a theme for my 2017 New Year's resolutions. .... something short that I can repeat to myself when I am tempted to disregard those resolutions.  I want a new mantra or slogan that will make me feel sort of like I have rebranded myself for the new year. Advertising slogans are good examples of the sort of thing I am looking for.  "Just Do It" has been the catch phrase for Nike for years, and those three little words can inspire action whenever they are reflected upon.  Others that I like are "Think Different" from Apple and L'Oreal's "You're worth it".   Once I choose a slogan, I think I'll fit a few resolutions around it.  Not too many resolutions are neede, as I have lots of unfulfilled ones from past years to work on, but while I review those, I'm sure I can come up with a few new projects and goals for 2017. And of course I need to tie up a few loose ends before J...

The weather here is trying to be spring-like, but the odd snowflake still wants to fall.  Thankfully, they melt as quickly as they fall.  Most day though are lovely, and my winter coat has long since been put away! The promise of spring has me going through my wardrobe and wondering just what I actually wore last summer.  The cost of shopping for new clothes versus sewing a few outfits is definitely tilted in favour of sewing.   This project is going to take a few afternoons and evenings, but other than time, I'll have some new things for almost free.  I have a fine stash of fabric waiting to become something new .... and since I sell patterns on Etsy, I also have a stash of those I can choose from.  I wish I had more time to sew, but there are lots of patterns that don't take too much time. While I'm at it, I plan to make some outfits for the grandchildren too.  My sister bought some adorable cotton prints to make into dresses and we...

For the past two months, I've been dealing with a cold and possible pneumonia, and it's left me feeling exhausted.  I haven't had a lot of energy to deal with my Etsy and Ebay stores, and I guess I felt a bit sorry for myself.  Until I read about a young mother of three young boys who is battling breast cancer, and had a second surgery today.  I have three grown sons, and looking at her photos took me back in time to when mine were the same age as hers. By way of explaining the background to her story ... I belong to a Facebook group where the members help each other with listing products and shipping questions.  If you want to check it out, it's called The Thrifting Board, and the head administrator is Jason from Thrift Hunters which ran for two seasons on Spike TV. One of the administrators for the group is the young mother. Her story is what inspired this post.    https://www.youcaring.com/nadene-shearstone-546811 Photo from www.youcaring.com ...

Aren't these the cutest cups of cappucino?  Perfect to serve for Valentine's Day!  Actually, we took this photo on the other side of the world from us, in a coffee shop we visited on a family vacation in Korea.  Great memory. Funny how the meals (and coffees!) we share create such lasting memories.  That's why it's fun to try to be a little festive for special occasions; your family will remember those special days. Like Valentine's Day. While I think that Valentine's Day desserts should be special and fun,  they don't have to be difficult or take hours to make.  Today I'll share a couple of my favourites. I made the first one about 40 years ago, on our first Valentine's Day, several months after our wedding.  You can make the meringue base a couple days ahead of time, if you wish.  The rest needs to be made ahead of time and chilled for at least 12 hours before cutting. The second recipe was one I contributed to my hometown's cook ...