Great Visit, Mary!!

When Marion and I went to Aurora for the Northern Lights Music Festival, we stayed with Mary Mulari and her husband Doug.

Yesterday, I finally took a look at some of those FABULOUS pictures -- and I was delighted to see that I got a couple of great pictures of Mary and Doug!!

This is some beautiful country.

And this is a beautiful couple...really -- I'm emailing this shot to you, Mary -- so you can have it framed!!

At a stunningly beautiful lake -- where we all had breakfast...

And THIS IS US EATING FRY BREAD...OMG...I didn't know about fry bread...!!

Saturday Tresure Hunt!!

THANK GOD IT'S SATURDAY...this is the day I kick around with my buddy Bert. We often go to auctions, or thrift stores...you know the drill.

Every week, it's a treasure hunt.

I still regret NOT being able to buy this loveseat.  Wasn't it a gem??

Most of the art in my house came from auctions and/or thrift stores.

There is always an ugly lamp contest...

THIS would have been a great new dinette set for the porch!   But at the time -- just hauling it seemed like a lot of work.

Three weeks ago, Bert and I went to an auction in Dewitt where they had tons of beautiful LINENS...

The boxes were all labeled...and piled high...

With brand new sets of embroidered pillowcases, never used...

There were three boxes FULL of sets that had the edges trimmed, but the embroidery was stamped on.

I am hoping one day, Lilly and I will work on these pillowcases together.

I did manage to buy several boxes of pillowcases.  This was some of the finest embroidery work I've ever seen...

Each set was stunning. And perfect. Simply gorgeous...

I could hardly wait to give the tulips to Carrie...

There is no telling what treasure Bert and I might find today. Our Saturdays used to be all about FINDING TREASURE....and buying stuff. Now, our Saturdays are a lot more about figuring out that we already own all the cool stuff...it's fun to see what it's worth!!

Miscellaneous...

Yesterday, Lilly and I went on our first official ROAD TRIP.  We had a wonderful time, visiting our friends Ann and Sarah, in Cedar Rapids -- about 2 hours from here.

Anne and Sarah were GREAT models at Nancy's Sewing Weekend...

It was an ACTION PACKED DAY....More about that later.

But I really can't believe it's the middle of July. When she got out of school, I thought we'd be taking a day trip once a week or so.

HA!!

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE SUMMER?? 


Before I forget (again) I wanted to show a picture of Linda's finished Frankenpurse...

She loves the purse -- it's lightweight, and has a secure outside pocket for keys and her phone...no more digging...

But the first strap I made didn't work out (too bad, it was very cute). The second strap was long enough, but too lightweight, so it keeps slipping through the hardware...

Gee...if only I could fine an ORANGE strap, made out of sturdy nylon...with all the right hardware...it would be such an easy fix.

Wait....

Linda's Frankenpurse

Here I am again, with my PURSE CRITERIA. And, as always happens -- I start to pollute the people around me. A coupla weeks ago, I was thrift store shopping with my cousin Linda (my most frequent side kick) -- and she LOVED this purse!!  It's made out of light weight fabric, which is good...

The orange graphic is what appealed to her...and it has a white interior, which is another criteria...

The PRICE was right...

But it needs a longer, cross-body strap...like the black one on the racoon purse

I paid 95 cents for the racoon purse because I NEEDED THIS LITTLE PIECE of hardware...that's what makes the magic happen...

Now, if only it had an outside pocket for her phone and keys. If only I had a little makeup bag I could sew on the front of the bag...in a matching shade of orange...with another big flower graphic...OH -- WAIT...

I cut the original handle, and used the stub to sew on the new hardware...

Then, I made a long strap....

Now, as soon as I get the latest pictures out of my camera -- you'll see Linda with her new Frankenpurse...!! P.S. Remember -- not every project turns out the way you planned...

Summer Reading

Reading is simply a wonderful hobby. Really...I cannot recommend it highly enough.

You can do it anytime...anywhere...it takes no equipment, no training, no team, no special facilities...

Recently, a young friend of mine asked for a book recommendation (actually, she didn't ask me personally -- she posted her request on her Facebook page, and 40 people recommended she read Girl on a Train...)

But it did make me think. If she HAD asked me -- what books or authors would I recommend??

Anything by Bill Bryson.  You will learn something, he will make you think, AND you will laugh out loud....a lot...He is an awesome writer...

My new guy.  Marion recommended him -- and I stayed up until 3:00 AM to finish this book.  THERE IS NO BETTER FEELING IN THE WORLD than not wanting to go to bed because of a good book...

I listened to this book in my car during a long road trip.  Excellent...about all those B Westerns being made in Hollywood during the 1930's...such an interesting time and place.

I just started this new Jack Reacher book. EVEN TOM CRUISE could not ruin Jack Reacher for me. I do soooo want to believe he is based on a real person.

I recently recommended this book, AGAIN, to a new friend. I simply consider it the best book I ever read.

This book was an amazing story about the Singer fortune...Edward Clark and his descendants...the obscene wealth...how the Singer Sewing Machine Company changed the world. Really. They did that. They changed the world...

What? More Bill Bryson...YOU BETCHA...if you ever plan to visit Australia, this book is a MUST READ. Hey -- if you are NEVER going to Australia, then you REALLY nee to read this book...

Lillian doesn't read yet. But she loves to practice writing. Jackie made this portfolio for her...and she carries it with her in the car. You NEVER know when you might be inspired!!

I love Jodi Picoult. It's good to have an author you love who is prolific...like John Grisham, Lee Child, Sue Grafton, Patricia Cornwell, Clive Cussler, or John Sanford...well, now you know what I like to read!!

For me, the biggest surprise of the last decade was Jeannette Walls. I'm reading her third book now...you will not be disappointed.

And my girl, Carol Bodensteiner!! How is your book reader working out, Linda B? If you ever get to Iowa, I'll take you to Maquoketa for lunch at the Decker Hotel...!!

I buy many books at the Goodwill store for 88 cents...and I order some as gifts to be sent directly from Amazon. But, BY FAR THE BIGGEST BARGAIN is my FREE Public Library. Right now, I have six books checked out, two TV series (Homeland and Mad Men, Season Three), and four CD books.

In my opinion our FREE library system is what sets America apart from the rest of the world.  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my library...we are sooo lucky!!

Italian Potato Salad

My mother-in-law, Helen Farro, was the best cook I ever met. And I am grateful that she came along at a time in my life when I was eager to learn. Every summer, I look forward to making her Italian Potato Salad.

It starts off with the usual suspects -- boiled eggs, potatoes and celery...
But then, Helen would add fresh tomatoes, green beans (mine are frozen), black olives and fresh basil...

As with many things Helen cooked, there wasn't so much a "recipe" as a technique. The dressing is a simple vinegar  oil. I use olive oil, red wine vinegar and fresh minced garlic. OOOps -- I almost forgot to take a picture!! We were in too big a hurry to eat, I guess.

YUMMO...!! And, as you know, with my current fixation on all-things-popover -- that's all I needed to make the PERFECT SUMMER SUPPER...

Summer Life Hacks

The fruit fly hack is the best...