Feeling Like Fall

We have been very lucky with a mild and rainy (for Texas) August. The plants are liking it and I was even able to turn off my drip system this week. The mornings and nights have been tolerable, nice even. Some mornings have been down right chilly (okay maybe just one)! This is just unheard of in August here. It has me daydreaming and ready to plant a Fall veggie garden and get back out in the garden.

The back yard is blooming.
 

And the front is blooming in spots too.

Thanks August for going easy on us this year.

Karlie's Guitar

I have to share Karlie's other birthday present.

I found a little child sized guitar at my favorite thrift shop earlier this year. We sanded and spray painted the top with pink glitter paint. Frank had the genius idea to give her stickers to put on the back and sides of the guitar.

She was a little shy with it at first but seemed to like it. I hope it gives her a little spark of creativity and that she continues to love to sing.

Karlie's Birtday Pictures

I have been a bad blogger. It took me ages to get my pictures from Karlie's birthday onto my computer and then my computer seemed to have died yesterday. It did come back on, miraculously. So here I am a week later finally sharing all the fun we had.

We got into Austin the night before her party and she was ready to decorate her cake from the minute we walked in.  I baked the layers and made the frosting and gum paste flowers at home and put it all together the night before the party with her help.  


I used my favorite Vanilla Cake and Cream Cheese Frosting recipes. A double batch of the cake makes this tall 9x13 cake. There were at least thirty people at the party and we came home with lots of leftovers.

Don't worry, she didn't eat all that frosting, just enough for me to snap this.

Her daddy (my brother) found a #3 sparkler for the top of her cake and it startled her quite a bit. I can't help but love these images even though she looks scared. I think the cake turned out pretty cute, if I do say so myself.  I kept it as simple as possible since we had to travel with it. 

Her big present from us was the Snow White costume that I made. It had a million pattern pieces and I hated sewing with the satin, but it was all worth while when she put it on at the end of the party. It fits perfectly, and she just looks so cute in it. If I know her, and I think I do, I bet she is putting it on almost everyday after school! I also found Sapphire sparkle shoes at Target that match the costume perfectly.  So stinking cute!
 
I love that little girl to pieces and I'm so glad I can do and make things for her that she loves.

The pattern is Simplicity 2563, there are also a child/girl and misses sized versions.  Though it was tedious, it wasn't difficult.  The satin sewed up better than I expected, except for the hand sewn hem, which pulled the fabric and the zipper, which I sewed too close in one spot. There is a Cinderella version on this same pattern, but I think I would make her other costumes before making this pattern again.

Doing my best

I'm doing my best to enjoy the summer, despite miserable temperatures. Yesterday the high was 108, but today we got a "cold" front and it was only supposed to be up to 97.

The sunset was gorgeous last night and I was wishing we were out on the trail with a better view. I can't wait for Fall and cooler weather. A friend of mine started an outdoor exercise program a few weeks ago.  As impressed as I am with her dedication and as much as I wish I could make myself do the same, I just can't get out there in the heat.
 

Lucy and Berta in the backyard jungle.
 I'm trying my best to get all my to do's done. I sewed on the Snow White dress today and it is going to be oh so cute! I got dinner on the table for the first time this week. I have finished and shipped out all pending jewelry orders and have almost finished a new piece of jewelry that I have been working on for a good while. That one last solder join isn't cooperating.

I discovered and am currently obsessed with the HBO show Girls.  Have you seen it?  It is witty, real and funny.  I just love it!  It reminds me of college and makes me long for the days of living with and hanging with my girlfriends all the time.  I called my friend Christi, who told me about the show, but forgot to bring it up to her.  She is one of my college friends that I miss spending time with.

I hope you have a great weekend!  I will be at Central Market in the midst of Hatch Fest.  Come see me if you dare.  It will be busy there.
xoxo
Ashley