show me Wedneday

Hazelruthe's is hosting Show Me Wednesday and this week it's "show me your dress form". Give me any excuse to show off my girl!

Go check out the other dress forms over at Hazelruthe's here

Let me introduce you to Mrs. McGillicutty! She came to live with us April of 2007. You can read the story of how she came to be here. She's a joy to have around. She has an uncanny flair for fashion. But then if I looked as good as she does in everything she wears, I would too! She has the tiniest waist!

Emolyn's 3 months!

Emolyn's Pop-pop & Grammy spent some time with this little doll baby yesterday! Isn't she so pretty! She has the biggest, bluest eyes you ever saw! Oh and it happened to be her 3 month birthday too... weighing 6 lbs. 6 oz. and so very healthy!
We had lots to celebrate yesterday because it was also the first measurable rainfall we've had since the day Emolyn was born on Feb. 22nd! Seriously! No rain for 90 days and then we go from 110 degrees at the beginning of the week to a temperature drop of 50 degrees by Thursday! The rain was heavenly and I was one happy gal! Yes, I get crazy happy when it's overcast and rainy. And we're talking snow at the Grand Canyon! IN MAY!! I heard on the news that they have not had such strange weather patterns in 100 years! Interesting times.

Betsy McCall & Charming Chatty

One of the things I love about the blogging community is that someone will post an image that will literally stop me in my tracks and takes me down roads that I had somehow forgotten. Like when I was a little girl and the McCall's magazine would arrive in the mailbox and I would immediately flip to the last page. And there she was... Betsy McCall! I loved Betsy McCall paper dolls. I couldn't wait to see what she was wearing and to read about her latest adventure. How cool to have found this page on eBay, from the actual June, 1966 issue. Oh the hours I would spend pretending to be Betsy.
And speaking of magazines, I want to take a moment and thank my Mom for subscribing to so many wonderful, memorable magazines while growing up. We lived out in the country on a dairy farm so those weekly and monthly periodicals connected us to places far beyond our little borders. It helped expand our already vivid imaginations and give us a broader perspective of the world around us. So I called my sister Ginny to see how many magazines we could recall... of course LIFE and LOOK magazines, GOOD HOUSEKEEPING, McCALLS and several farm magazines. It's no wonder I love all kinds of magazines!

A few of you have mentioned that you had a Chatty Cathy doll growing up. Well, I had a Charming Chatty doll (1962) and she was my favorite doll. She came with several little records that you would insert and when you pulled her string, she would say these cute little phrases. I adored her. You see, I was a rather chatty little girl myself (ok, still am), so it only made sense that I would have a doll to get chatty with. Well, it wasn't too long after that Christmas that one of my brothers broke the string. I was crushed. But we quickly sent her off on a long journey to get her repaired. Well, months later, after many trips to the mailbox, she was finally home... but a brand new Charming Chatty! I knew it cuz she had that brand new smell again. I can still recall that smell!
Anyway, thanks to eBay, this is exactly how I remember her. Oh the memories that girl evokes... *sigh*

Mrs. Mc & gingham aprons

Mrs. McGillicutty was so thrilled that my daughter Miranda let her wear her Princess gown after the Ultimate Princess Party. You remember the Princess Party post here, don't you?
Well, it fit her to perfection. And she may never take it off! Sorry Miranda.


You've heard the story... how I found each of these vintage gingham aprons at my little thrift store, one at a time. (for a buck each) Seriously, I would go one day and find the pink one... a few days later, the aqua blue one... and on and on. This went on for several weeks and then it tapered off. At one point I actually thought I was being set up... like I was being 'punked' or something... like it was all a joke to film me getting all excited and then they would steal my joy by telling me it was all a gag. So needless to say I started paying a little more attention to my appearance... you know, in case I show up on one of those new reality shows where they feature crazed women overreacting to their favorite finds. You gotta admit, it has potential. Hey, I'd watch it!



Anyway, I am still finding an occasional gingham apron now and again... these two being my latest. Oh and here's the other deal ... I have never found more than one of any color! Ok, a few are the same color, but totally different shades of that color. Seriously, look at all the variety of colors! I continue to wonder how this can be... I mean, all these vintage gingham aprons from the same thrift store? That's crazy! As I've said before, it does make me wonder if the same gal made em all. But we will never know.


Be sure to enlarge the pics to see the exquisite "hen scratch" stitching and matching ric rac! No two apron designs are the same either!

Mother's Day

We had such a lovely luncheon at Shawn & Nicole's after little Emolyn was dedicated yesterday. Miranda made her ever famous Asian chicken salad and delicious Bruschetta. Nicole made the best bean dip served warm and the best dessert I have ever had... a snickers pie dessert!!
We made sure to take pictures of the four generations... the two Emolyn's with father and son. (Mamaw Emolyn, Pop-pop Randy, Daddy Shawn and baby Emolyn) We sure missed Papaw.

Randy's Mom gave Emolyn the little pink New Testament Bible that they gave their daughter Patty in 1962. Patty died in 1974 when she was 18... so how special for Emolyn to have the Bible that Patty spent time underlining her favorite scripture and recording precious thoughts in the margins. What a treasured heirloom.


I was once again humbled by the outpouring of love shown to me on this special day. Just being with my family would have been more than enough. But I sure loved opening these heartfelt gifts of love!
A Grandmother's Bible! I love it! Thanks to my dear sister-in-law Etna!
An aqua hand bag! Love it Miranda! And the new hand pump soap scents are simply divine!
Take a look at the "Cupcake gift set"! An aqua silicone muffin pan... a pink silicone spatula and a cupcake recipe book! Thank you so much Shawn & Nicole! I may never use it... it just looks too cute in my aqua craft room! They also made me a picture booklet of sweet Emolyn pics!
And thank you Tyler for the "P.S. I Love You" DVD! You knew I would cry buckets watching it!
I am blessed with the dearest, sweetest children a mother could ever have. Thank you for enriching my life, for filling my life with so much love and laughter.

a penny saved is a penny...

that's not green




Mmm, not much going on this week. Visited little Miss Emolyn yesterday... all 5 lbs. & 13 oz. of pure sweetness. She is such a doll baby! Cute as a bug! Shawn & Nicole are having her dedicated this Sunday on Mother's Day. Her very first public outing. Can't wait!




Ok, so I had planned to do an Earth Day post but never got around to it. Cuz I am one gal who is all over preserving and conserving our environment. But I did want to squeeze in this little tidbit. I read the other day that one of the ways we can help conserve energy is to cash in our pennies. And why's that, you ask? Well, read on-

Most people don't give much thought to pennies other than when making change, but there are environmental costs to minting pennies from copper mining and refining involving huge amounts of power, water and carbon-dioxide emissions, Business Weekly reports. Coinstar, whose coin-counting machines turn pennies into greenbacks, estimates there is $10 billion, or $90 per household, in coins sitting in jars and elsewhere in our homes going unused. Cashing in these coins would not only provide cash to spend, but it would also help the environment.

Well, sure enough, I dug around my home and found several containers of pennies. Dumped them all in this rather large bucket along with other coins. You see, I remember reading a few years ago that pennies are getting too expensive to mint so they could one day become a thing of the past. And with Arizona being the Copper state, I thought I'd better preserve some of our state history for our future Grandchildren. But now I'm thinking that the reason pennies are getting too expensive to mint is that too many pennies are just laying around collecting dust in our homes. We need to cash them in and get them out there circulating once again so they don't have to mint more. Get it!
So we're cashing in ours this weekend. How about you?
Hey, they might help fund a road trip or your favorite charity or a dinner out. That works for me!

stunning Redwork

Take a look at this piece of art! I found this yesterday at Goodwill for 99 cents. I couldn't believe it! Why would someone let this end up at a thrift store? Someone spent hours sewing, binding and stitching these stunning Redwork creations!
Read about the history of Redwork here.


So, to you, whose fingers lovingly stitched beauty on fabric,
Thank you.
Your work has not gone unnoticed. It took my breath away. I sat in the car for several minutes just looking at it, examining every square inch. I will cherish it as though someone had made it just for me. Cuz without you knowing it, you were making it for me all along. And I am humbled that I am the recipient of this treasured gift.

I can't help but imagine you wandering through your favorite quilt shop, touching every piece of fabric. You knew when you saw the right combination. It just felt right, in your heart and to the touch.
And then you found the perfect buttons for that finishing touch. Not to take away from the Redwork, but to enhance the designs in the Redwork.
I wonder what you were doing while stitching, what you were thinking...
Did you know that someone would someday notice your perfect stitches? That they would marvel at your technique, your artistry? That they would have wanted to know you?
Well, I would have... but I am content in knowing I have found your quilt a home. One where it will be displayed for all to see... to be admired and to inspire. One never knows where ones art will end up. I am just really blessed to have found yours.
Sincerely grateful,
linda t


Be sure to clic the pics to enlarge.
Oh and btw, it's a wall-hanging size quilt.