Doggie Dresses!

Yesterday was a great day in the sewing room.  A friend of mine had asked if I would mind making some dresses for her dogs.  Who knew such a thing could be so much fun?  I happily stitched through an entire afternoon and when I was done I had these four pretty dresses to show for it.  Just two more left to finish up.  Sure seems like a great start for my September NewFO's hu?

I always knew Lumpy was really a Girl

Tiger was by far my best model as he was
likely horrified by the experienced.  

Piglet could only hide his face in shame.

Lumpy wanted to try something in green as well.

DD held in the background in the above pictures
and since I knew she wanted to be in them...
Sunny was to tired to comment

Which dress is your favorite?  I'm partial to the blue and the yellow ones myself.  Though the pink...

Foto Finish: Feet

I nearly forgot about Cat Patches Foto Finish, yesterday's theme was feet.  So after going back to my old pictures, I found this one that I'm certain I've never shared. These were my daughter's shoes before before the days that she could walk.  My momma always told me that if children can't walk there is no sense trying to keep shoes on their feet so don't even bother buying them.  She always felt it was better to invest in quality baby socks that stayed on instead of being worried over loosing shoes and I saw the logic in that. So I didn't buy any of these shoes. Instead they came to me as hand me downs from friends and family.  As you can see most of them have never been worn and many still had stickers on them.  When DD outgrew the possibility of wearing them I happily donated them all to Hospice and sent them all paired together off for frugal Grandma's to pick through and gush over.

Welcome To My Sewing Room

Welcome to my Sewing Room

Oh Please Come in!  I've waited so long to have you for a visit that I'd gotten a little shy of your arrival!  I'm so glad your here.  Please it's a small room, so you go first.  Yes, there right in front you see the cornerstone any sewing space - the cabinet I keep my fabric in.  Yes old friends are there, along with any WIPs that are awaiting a shopping trip.  It's early so I'm still on my first and only cup of coffee.  Par-chance do you see the mug rug on the table?  Sue made that for me for Christmas.  And there in the cabinet that beautiful pile of blue fabrics, middle shelf next to the Snake Quilt?  That was a special sewing room gift warming from my friend Vicki.  The top shelf is a jumble because I put all of my non quilting fabrics up there when I reorganized everything.

As you can see DH insisted I take the computer when I moved out of the kitchen.  He claimed my new kitchen table is much to small for a computer too.  So I took another table, this time from the living room.  It was made long ago perhaps before I was born as a shop table for my Grandfather's workshop, how fitting it is in my sewing room now!

Everything has a place, sort of...

Beyond the bright streaming sunlight, it seems like I have everything organized.  Books, finished quilts, and notions.  The only new addition is the wooden chest my DH made, yes it's a tool/tackle box, but isn't it nicer to say it's a chest in a sewing room?  Perhaps I should call it my sewing box.  Remember those tiny little boxes women were expected to keep ALL of their sewing notions in?  Tell me who came up with the silly idea that sewing notions could ever be put away?  They still make those little boxes by the way.  Some are quite pretty.  I've long since given up looking at them.  After all I don't have anything small enough to put in them!

Please take a seat at my Sewing Machine

Now for my prize, my delight and joy.  The old kitchen table.  DH wanted to finish the top before he'd let me have it for myself, but I stood firm.  We have never finished the top of this table, because Sunny is clumsy and digs in with his claws to catch himself when he falls, so every indention, ripple and grove has meaning.  When I'm not sure where to go with a project I just rub my hands over the growth rings and the answer is there, under my fingertips.  It might sound like a line but it's really more like magic.

Tiny loves the Sewing Room

Patisserie is in the machine right now.  Fighting me every step of the way of course.  Perhaps you'd like to sit down and have a go at it?  I'm certain I recall free motion quilting being easier last time, but no worries I'll quilt it.  I'm guessing I'm beyond 1/3 but not halfway done.  Are you missing Tiny?  Well she loves this room.  She was just hiding from the vacuum, I ran in honor of your visit, see?  She's right here.  For whatever reason it seems to be about 10 degrees cooler in here than the rest of the house, not to mention it's nice and quiet.  Of course my issue with her welcome presence is that sometimes I avoid sewing to let her sleep.  Shhh, don't tell or the quilt police will be after me!  Doesn't she look so peaceful?  Okay you're right she looks a little mad, but that's because I kept waiting for her to close settle before I took the picture.  I know a dog person would say "scat" but then you wouldn't have any more furry help and only yourself to blame.

My Meerkats in the Window

Thanks for stopping by and I hope to see you again soon!  The Meerkats will watch you leave and we hope you'll visit again soon.

Santa Claus is Coming!

Have you hung your stockings with care?  Just this morning my five year old started screaming "11 more days until Christmas" when she spotted the construction paper ring garland she made in class at the beginning of the month.  Of course by this time on the 25th I'll be enjoying the hearty brunch that my sister has planned for us.  For dinner our numbers will swell and I'll have 8 so I'm planning on a nice smoked ham along with a couple of other things I can shove in the oven and forget about.

Our Tree

Our tree is decorated and most of the presents are wrapped.  The elves will round those up and place them under the tree on Christmas Eve so no need to worry about anyone snooping under the tree.

New Stocking

I even made a stocking to hang up with the others.  Nothing fancy just some beautiful fabrics from my friend Vicki, sewn double layered with french seams and then hand stitching the name.

Hung with Care

Do you have any family specific traditions?  We are a one present at a time house.  That means the presents all stay under the tree and are removed one gift at a time and given to the recipient to open.  Are some of you thinking how long your Christmas would take to do something like this?  Well DH and I love it as it allows us each to enjoy each moment.  Besides my favorite part is seeing the joy of someone receiving my gift (even if it is a fake smile the size of the Gulf of Mexico that looks like it was taped on with packing tape) and I'd miss that if we all ripped everything open madly.

I love the tranquility of the Christmas season.  It's hard to find in and among the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, but you can smell the crisp clean love if you stop in the snow for just a moment (yes you have to forget about being cold for a moment), you can hear the peace as you pause in front of your Christmas Tree.  Don't believe me?  Close your eyes and breathe.  Ah now there it is.  Or was that the cat box you forgot to scoop?  Either way from my home to yours I wish you all the love and joy this holiday season has to offer.

Old Style Christmas Cards

Merry Christmas!  I love this time of year.  Here in Florida we don't often have snow or even cold weather for that matter but this most recent cold front has me thinking of Christmases gone by.  Year after year my mother would dig out boxes of Christmas cards.  Different themes for different people and then she would sit down with them all in this lid+box system and hand write each and everyone on her list.  Before I could write cursive myself I recall letters arriving to the house filled with cursive.  Each letter from one of her dear friends or relative.   A good part of the time the cards were so filled with writing it went well onto the back of the card.  

I knew that when I grew up I wanted garlands filled with notes from friends and sure enough when I set out off on my own they came.  A trickle at first but then more and I discovered even more came when I sent my own cards out as well.  So I bought boxes of Christmas cards jimmy rigged a lid and box writing system and wrote my Christmas cards. Each card I wrote something different that I thought the person I was sending it to might like to hear about. Years have gone by and the response cards have gotten shorter and shorter I have understood each time and even sent found wishes and prayers to that busy person.  Sometimes the notes changed into those dreaded newsletters.  You know the ones, they're fine and all but in world where everything in the mailbox is mass printed junk and bills there is just something a little lack luster about it all.  But still I cherish each card.  I happily hang them on my garland and even as my own hand aches with tendonitis from writing I still try to send cards out each year.  This year I'm half done and have come up against the harsh reality of having not purchased enough cards last year.  Now would you believe I ran out of return address labels on my very last card?

Enter Shutterfly.  They had the best deal going on some custom mugs I made that I can't show you yet.  Now I know what you're thinking something custom will never get here in time much less to write all that I do and get them sent back out but I think you'd be wrong.  My mugs were ordered Black Friday and where shipped out the very following Monday.  I'm still amazed that my custom order arrived before the prints that I also ordered.

So now I can order my holiday cards and my labels and have everything sent out in time to keep my in-laws happy.  Who knows I might even do something kookie and make them match!

Dres-Vers-A-Ree

As today is my anniversary I made this post for you last night. Let's see, I have quilty things for share. I have a mockup of the Dresden Plate Layout, which I printed noted on and scanned back into the computer for you to see. It was very difficult to work in the 22" recommended borders and still maintain a top that I liked. The wide borders will be entirely on the drop from the bed top and thereby have a nice scallop to them.

Just for fun and to check my idea of using diamonds for the centers of the Dresden Plates DH laid out a rough of what one of my blocks will look like. Nice hu?

Lucky me I finished up the Friendship + Card trick Wall hanging flimsy. I once again had a hard time with the Card trick block but somehow by sheer force of will I worked it out. I had to snip just a bit to much from the backing to fully compete the border around (I allowed enough extra of the border by 6" but as everyone knows you also have to allow 2.5" x 5 on those border corners, which I didn't have. The tiny missing patch from my backing fabric will of course be where my quilt label will go.

I think that's all the quilt stuff I have for now. It's my 7th wedding anniversary and I've been teasing my DH about having a seven year itch for a couple of months now, in fact I even put that movie on our streaming Netflix list to watch. No telling if we will or not. Take care and hug your loved ones.

What Labor Day Means to me, Today on my Birthday

I learned from living with my daughter that anytime is a good time to dress up. I also learned that if you want to wear a fancy dress on your birthday you should. So I did. Let's see I'm certain there are other delightful things I can impart. Being a Labor day Baby is a curse to all children. Yes you can torment your mother by saying "My mom was in Labor on Labor Day" but that gets old before you reach your 30's. No one can come to your birthday parties because all parents use the weekend before the weekend after and Labor Day weekend for a last huzzah to summer. That's why I cursed my own daughter with being a summer baby instead.

When you get a bit older it's not so bad. You can tell people that as long as they remember your birthday is Labor Day weekend they will always have a 50% chance of being right and as a bonus they will remember your birthday. This year they'd be wrong and the following year too, but come 2012 they'd be right for the next three years. Neat hu?

In all seriousness Labor Day Weekend is a Holiday for Everyone I know. It's to recognize the efforts of all workers. It was first celebrated in 1882 (I was a bit early for being born on the 100 year anniversary, and if you know me you know by how much). Labor Day is ALWAYS celebrated on the first Monday of September. This date was selected because it's halfway between July 4th and Thanksgiving. So take a moment this upcoming Monday to thank each other as well as Peter J. McGuire (a carpenter in New York all those years ago) for a splendid day off. You deserve it for all your hard work and efforts.

My sister has plans for my birthday for this afternoon. I don't really know what she is planning other than I'd like to indulge in some bubble tea while we're at it.

What is bubble tea? It's this amazing concoction that was originally made by to sell in the tea carts to children after school. Now that means it must be good. The bubbles are really tapioca pearls that you sip up through a large straw along with your ice cold beverage. They are fully customizable to your likes, so the squeamish can forgo the pearls the cups are vacuum sealed so you can take it on the go with you. Still interested you can always visit wiki.

The Nitty Gritty

Yesterday was sweltering. It was so nasty sticky hot. That being said, allow me to continue. That means it's not a good day to try and glitter something. But I'm one of those people that when I put my mind to doing something... Not to mention it's Florida and when it it ever going to "not be hot"? I think I would like to add a second layer of the white to make the snow on the rooftops pop a bit more. This stuff is amazingly flexible. You look at it and think wow that must be crusted on, right? Nope I keep poking it because it blows my mind too. When I'm certain I'm done there is a heat set process in the oven and I will type up my final review then.

That glittered Winter Wonderland land theme is for Lori's quilt top, which I have for the Row Robin this month. I also made the scarf you see below. When I looked all that beautiful quilt I thought, everything is here, the snow cap, the mittens, the ice skates, but no scarf. I googled Applique Quilt Block Scarf and all other combinations, but didn't find what I was looking for, so I did a sketch which turned out fine, so I free form-drew right onto the fabric. Two layers of flannel later... The dark purple creases are hand stitched - when I couldn't make the sewing machine behave I just did what Serena would do. The tassels are a technique called couching, which Shelly told me she thought I'd like doing the last time I did detail work. Couching is where you take a thick (thicker than your thread) thread, embroidery floss, yarn, or cording, and you zigzag stitch with the machine right over the cord. In my case I used embroidery floss at full hank thickness. Honestly I think it looks nearly as cool on the underside of the piece as the top and will be keeping it in mind for future projects. I have sent out all but one of the invitations for the Mum's the Word Party and the end of the month. I'm holding back on the last one just so my co-hostess can see what they looked like before I mailed them all away.

It should be a great time, we're planning on having Tacos and Sangria's complete with Corn Chips and a variation on my friend Heather's Cheese Dip Sauce. Mom and I can't eat peppers (I know how awful is that?!?!) so I do things a little differently. For those of you who started reading in the middle of this party planning we're also going to be painting Ceramics, the proprietor is wonderful to work with, and I'll be giving her a huge shout out after the party.

Today is the day a huge 24" X 24" X 24", yes 8 cubic feet of baby stuff is supposed to arrive to Mary, a friend I had send two boxes of Jessica's baby things prior. I didn't mail it sooner because there has been so much sadness around my house over the past couple of months I didn't feel up to hauling what turned out to be 55 pounds of baby things off to mail. I told her it was on the way a couple of days ago and so far haven't heard anything, I hope no news is fine news.

Sometimes computer loves to share photos with you, and sometimes it's selfish, after all it had friends who knew dinosaurs, and how many pc's can say that? The past couple of days that was the rut mine was in. So I hope you enjoyed all the photos today. I'll leave you with a photo of second side of the purple quilt (yes I'm quilting them together in one quilt). The lighting did stupid things, and the fabric calculator lied so I ended up changing things which lost the ribbon look a bit, okay completely. As always anything you'd like to see closer up go ahead and click on it to see the nitty gritty details.
Jessica woke up shortly before I was finished with the wonderland village, so she did a bit of glittering on her own.

E is for Energy

Of which I have none.

After pushing myself all day, the top is done. I'll be posting photos of it later, so be on the lookout for those. I'm planning on quilting it tomorrow, so hopefully a good night's rest will have me ready to dig back in. Thanks to everyone for your kind and supportive comments, I hope to have time to check in at your blogs this weekend.

Take care.

Surprise!

Yesterday I made a veil for my daughter. Of course she's only three but she thinks anything that wears a veil must be a princess. I had extra material, because someone once told me you use crinoline on top of a towel when you embroider it. So I bought the first kind I found in the bargain bin. Of course it was the "sparkle kind" so that's not the "proper kind". Oh well. I was going to give it to Jessica for Christmas, but she's been pretty bummed that the birthday crown they gave me at 1900 Park Fare broke. It's completely "dress up" play style but it turned out okay. She tells me it's to big, in spite that I measured her head first so I put a tiny knot in the elastic.

My kitting is coming along just fine, with my "twists" yarn as long as the green. I wrap the entire thing around my needles every night before bed after I'm done working on them, but I promise my progress isn't worth photographing.

I also made a towel from a bargain bin purchase a while back. I made it from the terry cloth, would you have guess if you hem it, terry will stretch? It gives it sort of a rippled edge. Nice enough to give as a Christmas Gift. No photos till after Christmas.
I got a just because pressie! Yep, I swapped charmed squares with Linda a while back, and you know how much I just love cutting fabric. LOL! Well she sent me a nice present today, complete with a rice pack (sans the rice) inside. It was such a nice surprise. It's been a tough couple of weeks so it was nice to receive a little surprise.

We Might be Headed to Disney World

Thank goodness that doesn't say We might be beheaded! LOL, perhaps dreaming of Disney isn't the best dream with no outside income, oh well all the same, I found an amazing rate for the Double Tree Castle Hotel that my sister and I liked so much last time we went. For Labor Day Weekend of all things. And of course that works out to be my birthday weekend. Hey I'm not going to hide under the covers about my birthday! Seriously it's something to be proud of. I didn't make it to a month before my 28th birthday by skating through life. It's worth every hard moment, and each moment deserves to be recognized. So my sister might take me. She told me not to start planning out priority seating's yet, but I was thinking maybe just the two I'd like for September first might not be so bad... I can always cancel, or not. I'm sure getting right in somewhere on Labor Day would be a great gift to an unknown someone.

So I was thinking late Breakfast at 1900 Park Fare, and Dinner at my all time favorite restaurant in all of Walt Disney World House of Blues. Seriously I thought about it, and that's my favorite. I have wanted to visit 1900 Park Fare for years now, but have never made it. Sounds nice hu?

In order to keep costs down my sister and I are thinking we'll be doing lots of window shopping Downtown Disney. Key word here being SHOPPING, that does not equal buying no matter what everyone else things. I'm great at remembering what I like for a long period of time, and hey if I forgot I liked it, I guess I didn't like it very much in the first place. No trips into the parks this trip, just castle and shopping. :D Serve me up on a platter of happiness.

As a bit of a side, I'm hoping to do some autograph collecting for my autograph quilt. I have the following Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Pluto, Goofy, Belle, Jasmine, Aurora, Cinderella, and Alice. The one I feel I'm missing is Daisy Duck. Any other's come out at you? Eleven isn't the best number to make quilt blocks with, but whatever I have I'll use. I'd personally love to have Mary Poppins, and Dick Van Dyke, yes, yes I know dreams... But at least Mary Poppins and her Chimney Sweep friend could be had at 1900 Park Fare. I thought I was missing bunches and bunches, but really I don't have to have everyone that Disney ever created, and I can always make another quilt if I get more.

So tomorrow is my anniversary, I know, who knew with all that goings on about Disney. Five years it's been. I can't help but shake my head at little sometimes I feel like I just walked down the isle. Or that I was JUST pregnant. Right, sure. So the traditional anniversary for five years (HALF A DECADE!) is wood, what can you do with that? I'm hoping DH will build me an entertainment center for the bedroom our of wood. That sure wood be nice wouldn't it. I'm sure I'll get a more typical husband wood gift. uh, hu, you guessed it. No that's mean, he's currently in the bedroom working very hard on whatever it is.

My gift to him I've spent the past week working on. It's an applique wall hanging with a giant tree in the center on one side is hand embroidered "Like a Tree" and on the other "Our Love Grows each and everyday", and then I signed it. I even put some ribbon embroidery butterflies on it. Don't worry tomorrow's post should have the photos. I echo quilted the heck out of it, so the tree sort of expands outward. I think it looks very nice. Rather like ripples of life, and growing. A photo tom morrow I promise. My husband made a comment while I was working that it didn't have wood in it, so I went outside earlier this evening (in the dark all the same mind you) and ripped branches off my Maple tree until I had two that were long enough, those I ran through the wall hanging one at the top and one at the bottom to hang it from, someday I might redo the binding but for now I made my deadline (and it even has wood on it). Clearly since I'm here blogging to you.

The Blue Christmas Quilt (I showed you the fabrics) is coming along AMAZINGLY. I don't know why but I am constantly amazed by the art I've been making. Yes I see my flaws, but most of the time it really comes together. It's going together so fast I feel like I'm cheating, as if I could do that from a pattern DH and I DESIGNED ourselves, and fabric I hand picked. ;) It is currently more than half done, and I am glad to have finished the wall hanging so I can get back to it.

So I have a pain in my ear. No joke, let's see, SEVEN years ago this September (the anniversary of the beginning of my relationship with DH) I had a second hole put in my left ear. He bought a diamond for it, and I've worn it pretty much ever since. I don't really remember what event exactly it was that I felt I shouldn't wear it, but I took it out a while ago and the stupid thing has started to close on me. UGH! I'm the woman who has never had trouble with a piercing ever. My ears were done when I was 6 WEEKS OLD, and never a speck of trouble. Now here I am after seven years and I'm enduring the sting of having an earring back in it, yuck.

And on that note I'm off to see what the rest of the blogging world has done today, nice night everyone.

Quiet Post Birthday Celebration

Hello everyone, I've been on a bit of an Internet sabbatical while getting ready for Jessica's birthday. That of course was yesterday, and we all had a wonderful time. Of course there were hiccups, but that comes with it being a three year old's birthday and anyone who claimed perfection in that wasn't telling the whole truth, at least not at a "home" party. ;)

Jessica loves these photos of her "cake", she was so excited about blowing out her candles I had to hold her back while we all sang Happy Birthday.

I have wanted to buy the "Happy Birthday" wooden cake set for Jessica's play kitchen for over a year now, and never had the money to buy one. Well let me tell you want things happen for a reason. About a month ago now I was thinking about what's in that set. She has everything in that set already (from different sets that have been bought since I was a little girl) with the sole exception of the cake. So I told her father, hoping he would make one for her. I know you can't see it very well but he hand painted it with her name and some roses, he even painted it to be Tutty Fruity Cake! Sometimes it pays not to have money I guess! LOL

I remade the Green and Purple Log Cabin Block it's now the size she wanted and has the red center she wanted. Hey you know me I don't want anyone to be unhappy with the things I make.

Harvest?

Conversations around me seem to be of harvest and bringing in produce. Sure enough even dh and I shared our first home grown tomato last night. In this case it was only a cherry tomato and my half was the size of a dime but we'll take it.

My grandfather had a garden futher back than I can remember. He was always growing the best veggies, and one of the very special things about grandma and papa's house was the FREEZER PICKLES. So since I'm in a sharing mood today I will share with you the how-to's of freezer pickles.

Freezer Pickles
2 quarts unpealed cucumbers sliced (4-6 large cucumbers make a quart)
2 tablespoons salt
2 Medium onions sliced (I think she used vadalia's when she could get them)
Mix and let stand 2 hours
Make syrup of 1 1/2 cups sugar and 1/2 vinegar
Boil only until sugar is melted.
Remove from heat, with coll set aside in refrigerator.

Drain cumbers and onions and squeeze out all the water. Pack into plastic containers. Pour the syrup over the pickles, cover with a lid and freeze. When I was older she used ziploc bags to take up less space in the freezer and served them up in her tupperware "pickle server".

1/2 teaspoon celery salt can be added to each container if desired.

It might sound odd but I PROMISE it's wonderful.

Yesterday's post did indeed motivate me to work on the perinatal quilts. I now have another top done and ready to quilt, this one will be either a Medium or Large Preemie, I know what an oxymoron. I have two Small preemies quilted but I'm out of the blue satin bias binding I wanted to use, so they will have to wait a little while.

I have completed the embroidery on the label for Jessica's quilt. You really have to look at it to see all the work I did. I even put french knots in the swirl centers, but the colors don't really show off my work.

I think I need my head examined because now I'm thinking of beginning the quilting for this quilt MYSELF. Yes, I'm very near committed. I'm planning on machine stitching the blocks with hand quilting for the hearts that would run up and down the boarders. I can't even begin to explain how careful I will have to be to budget my time and not over work my hand. I'm tempted to tell dh that if I start it and don't have it finished in two years he has to contact a hand quilter to finish it. A nice safety net I thought of.

Everyone Gather Round!

I've got photographs!

This is Card Trick, as I mentioned it's Red, white and blue, I'm sure it will make a beautiful quilt.

This one is the Autograph Star that I get to sign, it was mostly just like the stars I put in Jessica's quilt, so I'd say, this one will turn out to be one of the easiest I do for the block challenge. It is covered in "patches" and sewing notions, including a sign I slaved to get in the proper place that says "Sewing Classes Beginner's Welcome".

This one is called Goosecreek, and will go to the wonderful lady who I swapped green fabrics for blue ones. Not my smartest move, but I do hope she likes her block.

Okay these are of a more personal nature. The one with the hearts is the quilt case for keeping Jessica's quilt in when it's finished. As you can see I've appliqued on it, so we will always know her quilt is in there safe from the wood, ect. I'm thinking perhaps it can be put on a pillow when her quilt is on the bed. Who knows, that way I wont have to keep track of it anyway.

Also here you can see the green and brown pinwheel, The center there is the leftover fabric that the directions the Housewife pattern told me to cut, but I didn't need which I post that block you will be able to see my pinwheel spins one way and the one I'm making for the lady spins the other. I put the green on it because it has a tiny bit of Brown swirl in the Batik fabric, so maybe I can tie it together and have it look nice as a pillow (as if I don't have plenty of those) or a throw, maybe in the future when I'm less crazy I'll used it in a Round Robin Challenge instead of a block challenge! And last but not least is Loretta's quilt label. Isn't it nice? DH tried to take a second photo in hopes that you could read it, but I don't think that worked... It says:

Gift from the Heart Quilt
Made Spring 2008
By Elizabeth
For Jessica Celeste
With Special Thanks to
Meghan
Heather
Stephanie
It is completed with two rose buds on each side. That is the label I will be putting on the back of the quilt for my bed, which I fully intend to have as the "up side" from time to time. Jessica's label says exactly the same thing, but I'm doing some hand embroidery, that I'm not telling you about till it's done! :D The label looks small, but really it's not. If I spread my fingers wide apart it's that big.

Yes, I did include the first and last names of everyone who gave me a part of themselves and their children's childhoods in the form of all of those wonderful hand-me-down clothes. I will be forever honored and grateful for your gifts.

Oh and you can see my dirty floor and my husband's toe too. I did not marry the man for his feet, and that's all I'm saying about that! :D