Frozen Patio

I hope, by now, that the strange cold-snap is finally over.
We lost so many of our favorite plants!
This is what's left of a very large Jade plant. It used to be about four feet across and three feet high. So lush and oriental looking. Gone for good, as you can see.
I bought a pony-pack of pansies to console me and remind me that Spring in California can't be far off.

After the third night of below freezing weather, I brought every single plant inside off the patio.
We (used to) have about 10 hanging spider plants. No more.
I was able to save most, clipping and clearing out frozen/slimy leaves.

This one didn't make it.
The dining room started to reek after two weeks.
I filled several grocery sacks with debris.


Our naked patio.
We'll start re-potting and planting soon.

Johanna's Dress in Progress

Details of the bodice;
Pearls, channel stitching, and lace.
She originally wanted to smock the bodice front-piece.
It really added bulk, took too long, and a client of mine told her of pre-decorated yardage.
Whoohoo!

We decided that the collar ruffles were a little too high.
I took them down a whole inch.



Working on the lining.


Finished completely @ 5:30pm, January 18th!!

Frosty Feathered Fantasy Bridal Shower

As you can guess...my helpers couldn't figure out what I was doing at first.
"Feather Boas?"
"Twinkle Lights?"
"Feather Dusters??"
"White color scheme?"
My vision was fairy-like.

Icy and soft.


LadyBug had picked up some 'clearance' Christmas twinkle lights.
They came with several programs;


Quick Glittery Twinkle
Psychotic Spastic Strobe
(my favorite!)
and the one we settled on;

Softly Rolling Stars.

It was SO beautiful!


Everyone stopped short at the doorway to look.
We added twice as many vases as this.
The feather dusters came out of the packaging stiff and pokey.
We had to crush and break the stems so that they would droop more.


Mrs Cupcake and I spent the evening before making itty bitty hats for dessert.
The recipe was simple; turn a shaved flat cupcake upside down on a sugar cookie.
Pour microwaved canned frosting over top.

One of the more successful attempts.
I'd seen the idea on the web.
It originally was for Easter Bonnet type hats using pastel colored frosting, jelly beans, and rolling out Starbursts candy for ribbon.

In typical family fashion, I chose to try a new, untried,(and un-proven) idea at a special event.



We got so punchy by the end of the evening...
This poor hat got it all!

And in typical kedgy fashion, I complanied that they weren't perfect.

Pretty, pretty girls

I can imagine it already...I can because I've been this road before.
Little Girls. Matching dresses.
The last batches are in their teens by now.
Glory/Lory are 17/18.
What can I imagine, you ask?
A never ending stream of adorable matching dresses for adorable little nieces.
That's what.




Mrs. Cupcake came to me, right before Conference mind you, and asked if I could help.
"Everyone's sick or getting there. I so wanted them all to match at Burbank. These are the dresses they were to wear in South Dakota."
I thought I could work them in.







As you can see, only the littlest is camera ready. I wonder why that is?

Now if we could convince Rapunzel that she needs to keep the fuzzy shrug on with the dress all the time. Seems like she prefers to be bare.
She drew me some personalized designs one day.
This MeanOldAuntie told her that I was not interested in sewing her more dresses if she was not going to wear the one I did make.
How grumpy is that?