We all have ROOTS...

No I don't mean roots to be colored by hair dye! lol.. though we have those too!
I mean Roots, where we came from, why we do what we do and why we are who we are...

I was cleaning up some pictures today on my computer. You know dumping duplicates, extra pics of things you have no clue what or who they are.

I came across some wonderful pictures of my family and my Mom and Dad. When I was fixing the pictures, turning them right side up etc.. it dawned on me .. this is where my Mom creates... ala the Somerset magazine "Where Woman Create". We (the whole family) went to Oregon last year in October to celebrate my parents 60th yes that's not a typo..60th Anniversary! They were married on June 12, 1948! We celebrated in October just due to everyones availabilty from work. It was great to be all together for a change. Two of the kids were missing, my son who was in the AirForce and could not get leave and my brothers oldest son who was ill.

While we were there we were able to take some great pictures. I have posted below some of the pics. My Mom and Dad are very talented people. My mom was a professional seamstress in NYC since she was in high school. My Grandfather (her Dad)and my Uncle (her brother) and my Father had all at one point in there lives owned dress shops. My mother grew up around sewing and creating. She is amazingly talented. She sewed all her bridesmaids dresses, my grandfather sewed her wedding gown and my mom sewed my wedding gown and my sisters also. As a kid I would watch my mom sew. She would work all day at home on the shoes my Dad would bring home for her to make. Dad worked for Capezio Ballet Makers. There he was the forman of the fitting room. He had people reporting to him, they sewed the top parts (uppers) of the shoes together. Dad could make a shoe, fix a machine, soothe some pmsing seamstress and still come home and work again at night as a t.v. repairman!

Well with all this talent in the family, I guess its only natural that I follow suit! I hope you enjoy my pics!

Aunt Darling...

My nephew David and his wife Casey have three AMAZING kids. They are so well behaved and beautiful! I'm crazy bout them .. and if you know me at all you know that says a LOT! I have to say I am not a kid person. ANYWAY...
David is an officer (Captian I think) in the Marines and was away on assignment (in the states) so Casey goes to her hometown when he is away, on the way back to their home in California, they pass through Arizona and stop and stay with my sister or other nephew (cutie pattootties Brian and Lisa, newlyweds!) So I was intived to Brian and Lisas for dinner when they were in town.
The cutest little girl EVER(well ok since my daughter) is Ashley she is 4. She was calling me Aunt Arlene, but it comes out... Aunt DARLING!! ..... I LOVE IT!!! I think I may make this the name of my Apron line!
I will try to find a pic of the 3 kids if not then at least one of my Ashley!! She is a hoot!

Other than that not too much going on here. I am almost finished with the studio re-do. Gosh its a lot of work. I am exhausted. I dont know if I mentioned before but I am now unemployed and looking and so I am taking this time to take care of my studio and hopefully start a internet business in earnest.

Aunt Darling!

I am Woman hear me.. meow..

Whew~ what a weekend. I was home all weekend. I moved 75% of the things that needed to be moved into my studio. This is HARD work! My body is screaming! Moving furniture alone is not easy!
I enlisted the help of my daughter Cherise and her boyfriend Larry. They helped to get the final pieces in and Larry was a sweetie and hooked up my puter again! YEA.. now I can blog!

So do you remember I mentioned that I said that I put the little disk thing that is in your camera that holds the pictures, into the wrong slot of my puter and I couldnt get it out? WELL I took my puter apart and got it! It was hiding but I found it. I also cleaned out the inside of the computer... man was that filthy!

Anyway.. I will get more pics and write more as I continue to put my studio together! Can't wait to get to create in here!!

I'm so EXCITED!!
Today at work ( I call it the cell cause I HAVE to be there not want to be!), one of my co-workers said she needed some fabric to match a top, where should she go? I suggested Joann's, she had been there and they didnt have what she needed. I suggested another place but we discovered they only had quiliting cottons. Another co-worker overheard our discussion and suggested the "by the pound" place. Hmm that sounds interesting. So we googled it..
It is about 2 miles from my house! I had never been there. I went as soon as I got out of work. My co-worker who needed the fabric gets released earlier than me and was already there and gone (she is not much into sewing). She called me and said the place was amazing and she found what she needed.
When I got released from the cell, I moved as fast as I possibly could given I am a "larger" lady! I got there at 5pm! I fell in love!!! I walked into the store, and just stopped in place! I looked around, took a deep breath and almost cried! I wanted to hug the little old lady in the cobbler apron with the tape measure and pen on a cord around her neck. If they ever sell this store, I want to buy it!
I had walked back into time, into the fabric stores of New York City! The garment district! I loved to go there with my mother as a kid. I would love to look at all the boxes and boxes of buttons, trim appliques, spools of ribbons, sequins, lace, and PILES and PILES of fabric rolled around long cardboard tubes. The sound is muffled. The smell, musty, dusty and comforting!
Back in NY there were usually men on the other side of the counter. These men were gruff and sometimes abrupt. If I were not from NY I would have been offended. But you knew this was how they conducted business. They would rip you off if you didnt know what you were looking for.. "what, this ribbon is supposed to be thin the wide then really thin... of course its good.. no no we dont sell seconds! You want seconds go across the street, he will sell you seconds" The ribbon was seconds, it was damaged goods. A wise shopper would say " Fine, you keep it. I'll get better" Then the man would sheepishly pull out the "good" stuff and cut your yardage from that! Only one time did that get done to you. I don't know how they did it but once in the store and they knew you forever. They had thousands of customers, but they remember every face! Those days are sadly gone. I wish there was a way to get them back but they live strong in my memory and in my heart. There is nothing more comforting to my Brother, Sister and I than hearing Mommy's factory sewing machine sing us a lullaby as we fall asleep. Safe and secure in the love that was sewn by my mom the dressmaker and my dad the shoemaker. I was blessed (then and now) and this store today reminded me of that.
Ps. I bought a bunch of trim at AWESOME prices and I will be back early on Saturday for more!

Shopping in the heat!

Living in Arizona in the summer is really tough. Really tougher on the shopper! Usually, in the summer here, we stay inside, kind of like the winters in northern states. But! I enjoy my weekends, I like to go to thrift stores, antique stores, yard sales... so that means.. out in the heat! When it is 110 degrees, your a/c in the car is not very cooperative on short trips. Lots of starts and stops don't help!
ANYWAY.. I picked up some fun things.. I will be making more aprons!

I will post pictures as soon as I can get the little photo memory card thing out of the wrong slot that I stuck it in on the computer!!! ugh!

Well I have tons of work to do in the apartment. I purchased some shelves and angle irons, I hope to get those painted and up this week. I am almost done with the improvements in the bathroom.. smallest room first, it's an accomplishment and once that is done, then I can do more!

Ok off to do some painting!!

Happy night!