The LAST LEAVES...

It is January and these are the last leaves on the Spanish Oak Tree .... my favorite tree in the yard. Christmas was really wonderful this year with the kids and grand kids here. A few people were missing, but real Christmas will be celebrated in Heaven someday with a celebration like no other!! Yes, we all gained weight .... so what?!? Tried some new recipes which were a success, especially the "skillet green beans" by Pioneer Woman .... which we will repeat for sure! Dick and I are still working towards downsizing .... and eventually moving. We are working on the new "old" house 20 miles away and trying to go thru all the years of stuff here .... to rid ourselves of "encumbrance" to be freer in many new ways and hold tight to the fondest of memories .... and looking forward to what is ahead for us with this move!!! We are truly excited. The following pictures are some of the things done with grand children ... the stuffies , which they drew, colored and then sewed and stuffed....they were a hit!!! Then some ball point pen drawing inspiration from a small class I am taking from Alisa Burke..... and a little watercolor "food" inspiration from the "stew" I made ..... and a trumpet vine at my neighbors. Winter really hasn't hit here yet! BUT the leaves.....oh those glorious red leaves.....so beautiful with the evening crisp sun shining through .... this tree I wish I could take with me .... but I am sure there will be one near the other house for me to photograph! We don't usually get those colors around here. Enjoy and I will try to update you on some progress of the move. We did tear out two walls last week , you know kind of like the DIY shows you see on TV.....we had fun doing it , but tried to save the good stuff! We'll share photos later.....hugs and big BLESSINGS!!!

EXCITING NEWS!!!

I know I haven't blogged or posted for a long time....truth is....I couldn't TOP what I wrote below about the "The Wind.... Being Still". Since that post God has ""been moving"" in big gentle giant steps! I am amazed once again how He works...... We have made the decision to downsize and MOVE to a smaller house and smaller yard and in the next town south in a real neighborhood!! We have always lived in the country and always worked really hard at taking care of all that we had. From fifty acres to 3 acres to a third of an acre!!! But we are SOOO ready for LESS to take care of. We have prayed, looked and prayed more.....and have purchased a smaller house on a corner in a neighborhood where I even know the neighbors!!! It is closer to the church, the grocery store and to the Doctors!! Forgot to mention that Dick will be closer to his playground at the airport too!! Another "project" always excites me....although I hope this one is smaller in nature. I will have a large room for my studio.....YAY!!!! ..... and for the kids when they visit.....they want some funky lockers with real locks for their stuff....I have agreed and they will have their very own spot in Mimi's new house!!! I have always heard that saying that "LESS IS MORE".....and I am loving the sound of it!!! It will free me up to just "BE" and have more time with people and with my passion of ART and SEWING. Hopefully some teaching will take place there too!! ....maybe! GREENPECKS will remain open physically here at the shop in Round Top until the house sells and then business will be from the next house....which will be announced later. It is antique weeks, now thru Oct 2, here in Round Top, with many people in the fields during the favorite buying venue of the year. So we have been pulling things from the attics in the house and garage and selling and even giving away!!! IT FEELS SOOO GOOD!!!! "The Apothecary", on the square in Round Top purchased THE ROUND TOP COLLECTION inventory and has moved it "up" town, one block away where it soo deserves to be .....! I read the post below with the "quilt" and can see that He, GOD, heard my heart's desire....again!!!! Now, back to humming praises and packing more stuff to sell or give away!!! Blessings and Thanks on this day!!! Will return soon!!!

CUPCAKES and GROOVY GIRLS...

Little pin cushion from Deb that I bought at the Antique Show in June..... I bought three and gave two to my little grand daughters..... A practice dress..... A dress with a Tutu for special occasions..... A practice mermaid out fit... each girl will make one at the girl's club on sewing nite for their Groovy Girl Doll....I bought shimmery much more sparkly material for them..... Next week!! A happy girl with her dolls..... The Dress the girls will make on the third class ..... What do you do when you can't paint or go out and have to sit with painful feet propped up!? Well, you have some cupcakes with the Groovy Girls!!! OK, I'll explain.... it all started when we bought the first "Groovy Girl" Doll for Pilar and one for my Grand-daughters, Olivia, Peyton and Elena .... and a little precious pin cushion (the little tiny one) from the Antique Show in June ....... and some little girls at church bored with hot summer life with not much to do ....... SOOOO.... after not being able to sleep one nite, I was "GIVEN" this idea to have a Girl's Club at Church once a week learning the basics of sewing. They (18 to 20 girls) have pinned and cut fabric to sew on a bag and sewn buttons on a felt bracelet for practice, using felt for simplicity..... then they will start to cut and hand stitch their first little doll dress this week..... like the pink one with dots around it. The other dresses came about just for fun at home. NOW.... where did the pin cushions come in?!.......well, I've had to prop my feet up for some days and that is how the pin cushions got made..... sitting and doing nothing.... I HAD to do something!! Well, they got bigger and wider, so I decided they would be cupcakes!!! The colors were fun and the stitching which came back to me from childhood sewing...... inspired by the little pin cushion I bought from Deb. I decided I would make as many as I can while I have to rest my foot and then sell them Antique week for purchasing more felt and goodies for the God's Girls Club. Five to seven Mom's have come to the Girls Club to help and we have had such a fun time for two hours with a snack at the end. I am thankful for such enthusiastic little girls!! They are preparing to be God's Women "....she makes coverings for herself and her clothing is fine linen and purple...."......like in Proverbs 31....where it describes the woman, buying land, sewing, "making" her home. Now the boys want to do something..... I'm tempting Dick to do the Paper Airplanes with the boys. He is hoping to start that next week for around six weeks. A good time to sit and converse and just have fun building the airplanes from Fiddlersgreen.net. In the meantime.... right about now I'm wishing one of those pincushion cupcakes was real cake and icing!! ENJOY!!

Mom Sewed My Dresses

A friend and I went shopping for Art Books and Magazines this week ...we needed to flee the country side to the city and get some inspiration! It always works! After pouring through the magazines on journaling ...I don't know exactly why, but I drew this little dress called "My Favorite Gypsie Dress"...it is not like the one I had that I loved to twirl in, but I like this one better....kind of a "taylored" flair...!? Anyway, I just wrote on it what I felt ....and that was cherished memories of my Mother who sewed all my clothes...I still have a few of the baby dresses. Drawing and painting them is even more fun, because they always turn out good and the fit doesn't matter....just the fun imagined wearing it. I lived in Leon, Spain as a child for three years.....with no other Americans there that we knew of...and little girls didn't even think of wearing slacks or pants outfits yet! I even rode a donkey with a dress on...at least when no one was watching...otherwise I would put on those corduroy peddle pushers that Mother ordered from Sears and Roebuck...they were black and white leopard with red cuffs!...and that was in 1957 ! I had two pair and my little Spanish friend Maria Luisa, would sneak them on when she stayed over at my house and we would ride the donkey in the back field. She was from a wealthy family...and we would watch the limousine go down the road disappearing with her Chauffeur and "mean" Governess in the car...her parents allowing her to come to our house for a little taste of Texan Americans. What great memories and how a piece of clothing can refresh old memories. Thanks Mom and Dad for a cherished childhood in Spain!! I miss you both...