I Made This!! Dixie Dress for Charley

Since Mike is home on Saturdays, I have a little time to sew. Last week, I did a ruffle dress for B (I get a picture up sometime). This week, I made the Dixie Dress, which is an adaptation of Leila and Ben's The Sweet Little Dress. I didn't make it exactly as the Dixie. For one, the dress isn't reversible, because I just didn't have the right fabric to use as the reverse pattern. I used the bias tape I made for the butterfly dress. I am marginally happy about how it came out. I used both the serger and my sewing machine. (Next project is going to be stretchy knit, so I can expand my serger skills.) The are holes are a little deep. Charley did not want to try it on, so I had to estimate everything.

Isn't B's dress cute? It is Calypso from Target.

Just A Few New Pictures

What has been happening on James Street you want to know? They are redoing to sewers. Dust and gravel everywhere! Big holes, big machines, oh and lots of bad weather. Why is that? Summer? I think summer has started at least by the calender. Here on James Street? 65 and rainy.

What else? Charley has started her speech therapy. Of course, she only wants to work with B and Mike. Perhaps Mommy exerts to much pressure? Speak already! Charley has also been through two weeks of Montessori. She is doing better. Now she only cries when I leave - this is opposed to last week when she started crying when I pulled in the school driveway and turned the car off. I wish I were taking pictures of her each day as she leaves, but truly, we are lucky to get out the door. One, promptness is not my strong suit and two, I have to wake Charley up every day, and some days, like this morning, she is a grump. It took 10 minutes just to get her out of bed.

Young Beatrix has turned into a swimming fool. Three weeks ago, she wouldn't put her head under the water. Now, we couldn't get her to stop if we tried. OK, and we've tried. She wants to put her head under and swim in the bath. No, our bathtub isn't big enough, especially when Charley is in the tub with B. Our outside time has been hindered by the weather (see above) so, maybe we've watched a bit too much of Danny Phantom and B's new favorite, The Wild Kratts.

Here is a neat photo I did of Charley and me using the Photobooth
program on the computer.

I love to watch Charley draw. Circles are her big thing.

Father's Day at Camp Lee.

My girls love their cousins.

All the J's (Jeana, Jess and Jordan) are so
good with B and Charley. They get B to do things she
normally wouldn't. And the food at Camp Lee
is pretty good too.

I made Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Brownies. They were OK. I think next time I will bake them a bit less.


I am still sewing a bit. I am going to start a Tumblr to keep track of project ideas. I have a decent stash of fabric, lots of old shirts of Mike's and some of mine and my Mom's (those are earmarked for Charley, there wasn't too much meat on my Mom's bones). As I am waiting for the Uverse guy AGAIN (!), I thought I would go through my fabric and think of some projects to have on deck for the quiet times (HA) in my life.

Where O Where Has the Nice Weather Gone?

Before I start, this is my 296th blog post. Yes, 300 is coming soon, I figure at the rate I am going, 300 will be in August (wait, should I time it with another milestone?).

OK, what has been going on since the last post? Both girls have started summer school, gymnastics and swim lessons. The weather has been crappy, but we are still out and about in the yard. YUCK! It has been humid and cold, all on the same day. What else? Today is niece Jeana's 16th Birthday! Happy Birthday!!!! Yesterday, we went to visit Jeana after we went to Rick Bayless's Farm Foundation Festival. We've also been working around the house. De-cluttering (have I mentioned that I am never buying anything else?), spring cleaning, LAUNDRY, WEEDING! YUCK!

Now, to what you've all been waiting for.....PICTURES!

B took the following photos:

Shadow and Layla-Belle.

Charley hating her bike. Is it because it isn't pink?
I suspect that is the reason. 'Cause she sure
wants to ride B's.

Self Portrait entitled,
"Here's My Mug."

B's wings. I finally finished them.
Good news. she likes them.
Bad news, they need to be washed.
Will they survive? I did make them you know.

Dress up time from yesterday. See, the wings are a winner.
So is the tutu Lee gave Charley for Easter.
The wings and crown were left by Santa.

Charley thinks she is all that and a bag of chips.

B is flying everywhere!

They have been playing together more and more.
YAY!!!!!

All and all, things are going OK. I want to sew more and I want to get the art room re-organized (for the 5th time this year). We all take stuff out (some may dump things on the floor) and don't put it back. The room is so small, that it only takes a couple of days and it is CHAOS! (I do love the CAPS today, don't I?) OK, Mike is de-cluttering without me, I better go toe the line. TTFN and Happy Birthday Jeana!

It's June and What's Been Happening on James Street?

Lots, but nothing to recordable. We released butterflies. We've done art (yes, big shocker). Here's another shocker, we've played outside. Rain, sun, clouds. We've been out in it. We have been swimming at Lee's (Memorial Day and last Friday). Late spring cleaning (seriously, no more clothes, shoes or anything else - where did all this stuff come from?). I have been working FOREVER trying to make this dress for Charley (and I finished today. She is sleeping right now and probably going to tinkle it it). What else? B has been riding her bike (hurray for peer pressure - let's hope that is the last time I say that). I ordered Charley a Strider bike and gave her B's old helmet. That kid is hell bent on riding. We walked up town today (by the time this gets published it will be yesterday) and she whined the whole way, wanting to get down and tackled B off her bike, then sit on it, because, you know, she can't reach the wheels. I have called a speech therapist for Charley, maybe we can find out why she isn't talking. I know, I shouldn't be so worried. I believe she will cry less if she talks more. Really, I would much rather hear the annoying chatter than the constant whining and crying. You all think I am exaggerating. I am not. The kid needs to talk. Otherwise things are fine. Should I zip it and show you what you really want? Here are the pictures!

The first photos are from the butterfly release party at Peck Farm.
We have gone every year since B was one. Mike usually meets us there.
This is Charley's first year getting her own butterfly.

The thing with butterflies is you cannot touch their wings.
This year the kids got two butterflies and some help from
a butterfly expert.

How cool are B's braids? B got her hair done that morning and Roxanne
braided B's hair instead of drying it.
I am practicing so I can braid B's hair.

B is seriously cute sometimes.
Much better than with the mop she usually sports.

I really love butterfly houses. They are very peaceful.
We don't have a lot of butterflies in our yard. No sun, so not
a lot of flowers.

OK, the little one is cute too.

B got this from somewhere. I think it is a stripeasaurus.

Serious art face.

More serious art face. Charley is painting a dog.

This was rainy day play. Bath night followed.

Memorial Day at Camp Lee. Charley is a swimming fool.

So, Mike and I were burned. B and Charley were tan.
How does that work?

That hat ended up in the pool about a minute after I too the photo.

Isabel did not help with the spring cleaning. She laid around
in this bag all day.

Nice thing about spring cleaning? I found this old dress
of B's (the the black boots) and Charley loves them.

Aren't these pjs cute?

These girls love books. (that is Shadow's new bed. Layla
has not chewed it, but a cat thought it was the new litter box.
I am washing it now.)

We walked up town to get Charley a bike helmet.
None were small enough, so B got a new helmet and
Charley got her old one.

B is a biking fool. It is all thanks to the kids
down the street. They rode by this past week.
That evening, B asked for her bike (the one we've had since 2009).

This is the dress I made for Charley.
It took me more than a week. But I made my own
bias tape. And I used the serger my cousin
Barb gave me. I am using it more and more. (I put a
rolled hem on the wings I am making B.)

It looks a little bit like a hospital gown.
But I made it!

Here is the bike drama. Charley loves B's bike.
Her Strider came yesterday. I'll have photos soon.
Mostly she stands there and whines. She wants us to push her on it.
I'll have photos soon.

We have a little fish pond in town. The girls love
to visit it. We were sweaty when we got home. Especially B.
She rode to town and back. I am so proud of her!

So, not much else her. It is now Tuesday and Charley had her first gymnastics class. Her and B have class at the same time. Charley did OK. She is youngest by at least four months. Charley just wants to do what B is doing. We may be in trouble......