I am currently taking a community art class. Here are two of the paintings I've done so far. Really they are just oil sketches. We only have 2 hours to paint on each model usually. The girl was about 8 years old, and quite wiggly, but I like the painting. I gave it to her grandfather last night (he is one of the painters in the class).

This older gentleman sat for us last night, and may be back again next week. He has a very interesting face. In fact I had a little trouble understanding the proportions at first.

Well, it has been a while....I am not going to try to catch up though, that would be too overwhelming. I will just go from here.

Tonight I am all alone - so strange. Kids are away at friend's houses and Tom is working.

I think I will read for a while. I am reading one of the Red Wall series by Brian Jacques - The Tagarung. I am also reading the Book of Mormon and trying to finish by the end of August. I do 10 pages a day and it is wonderful. I should just keep it up. Life is so happy when you are reading the scriptures every day. Relationships are sweeter, problems seem smaller. It is amazing.

Here is a little nest that some birds built in the clemantis vine on the lamppost out front. It is so little and sweet. It fell out of the vine so I brought it inside.

Summer pants

I spent the weekend sewing 3 pairs of summer pants (badly needed!!!!) because I am bigger than I was last summer :-(. They are based on the jeans I copied see here a few months back. One is denim, and one is made of a lovely soft, slightly stretchy Egyptian cotton I got before Walmart sold out all of it's fabric recently. I added a tummy control panel in both of them. They are my best pants yet! The third pair are pull on casual plaid pants with a ribknit elasticised waistband and front pockets. Next time I will slightly lower the front waistband on this pattern and the pattern will be perfect.


This morning I worked on drafting a t-shirt pattern to fit me. None of the t-shirts I have been trying to make have been turning out well, so I figured it was time to solve the fitting issues I am having and make a basic pattern to use as a reference. So far I have made 3 muslins. I am getting closer, but I am not quite perfectly happy yet.

I also made a shirt. I thought it would be cute with the yellow pants, but I am not sure. I need opinions. I will post pictures so you can tell me (honestly) what you think. The shirt has a peplum, and it may be too poufy for the fabric I have chosen.

Paperwork day

The buttons are on Ginny's practice coat. It is looking pretty good! I wish it were not made out of cheapo fabric! Ya gots to be very careful when you iron it, cause it melts! I am making the sash, and finishing the hems, and then it is ready to send out to Ginny to try it on........

I was at PA Fabric Outlet yesterday to get some interfacing and such and darn it! They had some adorable fabric on the $1.99 table that I couldn't pass up! WHY????????

My current favorite quote...

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. Three is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone – and as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

Nelson Mandela – 1994 Inaugural Speech

Lazy day

So, I am getting a slow start today, I did fertilize the garden and do the dishes though. And I looked through possible scholarships to apply to.

We are officially going to Seattle this summer for our vacation!!!! Hooray! It should be lots of fun.