Walk to Work Wednesday

Busy Bee

Which Way Did She Go?

Dinner Plate Bloom

Big Big Wheel

Prep Line

Hot Like Fire

Thermometer Still Life

What? Don't you keep your thermometer in an abandoned Lady Buxton jewelry box with random photos from your childhood, Wizard of Oz Dolls and antique licorice tins?

In case you didn't know, we're into the second full month of summer, and this is one of the two critical points during the year when it is miserable to live in Boston. The humidity is high, the mercury is higher and tempers are short. (The other time starts March 1st and goes straight through the Spring Equinox. The last three+ weeks of slush, sleet, ruined shoes, frozen fingers and pilly wools sweaters...ugh. But we're New Englanders. We're hardy people.)

In short, this is why I've been on crafting hiatus. It's just too hot. I can't go into the studio. It's 90 degrees in there, at night time.
 
Thankfully, I did add to my stained-glass curtain a few weeks ago to give my full-West facing kitchen window some additional protection from the direct rays of the setting sun:

Stained Glass Curtain 100% More Free!

I lined it with white felt and pinned it up--the shade and gentle colors it bestows on my kitchen space is very welcome indeed. Now it is so big I wonder if I shouldn't just back it, bind it and turn it into a quilt. Maybe in the fall when it's not too-darned-hot.

I do have another little crafty project I'm preparing, here's a hint:

China Fair Shade Sticks: $3.99 for 200

If you've been perusing the craft blogosphere you can probably guess their fate. I'm determined to work on them this weekend--but it will involve a hot glue gun, and it's supposed to hit close to 100 on Friday and Saturday, so crafting might have to wait.

Until then, stay hydrated.

XO Terez

Meditation Walk

Walking Meditation, DCR Nantasket Beach

Sometimes the light hits everything just so and you feel so lucky to be a part of it.

XO Terez

Summer Vacay in a Day: Rockport

Secret Water View

Hitchin' Post

Lawn Chair Conversation Pit

Local Legend

Dinner

Dessert

My Chariot

Well I'm on lobster number four for Summer 2011. Here's to future day trips as successful and delicious as this one was!

XO Terez

"I PR things, darling"

Setting the Swim Course, DCR Nantasket Beach

In my "real" life, I PR things. This weekend I had the privilege of returning to support the 18th annual Swim Across America events in Boston Harbor and DCR Nantasket Beach, both benefiting pediatric survivorship programs at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Here are a few snaps of what it was like to watch this amazing event behind the behind-the-scenes.  Learn more about the Swim Across America mission here.

View From Behind-Behind the Camera:
Olympic swim legends dive-in at Boston Harbor and huddle at
DCR Nantasket Beach, captured by the Boston Herald and WHDH.

Views from Boston Harbor Event:
Pace Boat viewed from the Press Boat;
"I've been up for hours and It's Only 1:20";
Commuting Old School Style;
Finishing Strong

Views from Nantasket Event:
Safety Check; Spectacular Spectating;
Bathhouse Birdie; Super High Tide

Sample of press clips here, here and here.

Anna Maria Horner Out of Print Jackpot

Out of Print Anna Maria Horner Jackpot!

Before I left for the great Cape Escape with Angela-Girl, I did something I'd been putting off:
Cataloged all of my fabric.

Making a List, Checking It Twice

After two years of collecting I now know that there are two lines that are my favorites (and why, oh why didn't I know this when they were in print and easier to come by?). Anyone who's been to my home or read this blog for a while can guess what they are: Anna Maria Horner's Garden Party and Good Folks.

Garden Party and Good Folks Rainbow Pre-Cape

I cataloged all of my fabric...not just those two lines, but also my AMH Little Folks Voile, Folksy Flannels, Sandi Henderson's Meadowsweet, Sandy Gervais, scraps, etc., etc. Gave me a hand cramp and made me realize with all the time I spend at a computer keyboard, my handwriting is really going downhill. I filled my red Moleskin with chicken scratches and notations in preparation of my much anticipated visit to Tumbleweed Quilts in West Barsnstable on Cape Cod!

Poor Angela-Girl isn't a fabric gal, so she relaxed in the air-conditioned rental car with the latest New Yorker while I oohed and ahhed inside the adorable (and huge) shop.

The staff was incredibly helpful, and when they told me they didn't have too much Anna Maria Horner, mostly older bits and some in the clearance room, I could hardly contain my glee! Filed in with the other Freespirit designers and stacked in the back clearance area, I found my own personal jack pot:

AMH Festival in Tangerine, Fortune in Chocolate,
Table Cloth in Brown, Mingling in Rose,
Dance Floor in Burgundy

The Table Cloth and Mingling were on clearance, $5 a yard, so I had to buy four of each, of course. And when I found the Festival in Tangerine, I could have cried: I have been coveting that print for months and have been unable to find it anywhere--Etsy, eBay, etc. I snagged what was left on the bolt: just over four yards. I'm thinking of trying my hand at garment sewing--I think the pattern would make a cute summer sun dress or skirt.

Another item crossed off my list: starting a stash of Kona Cotton Solids:

Kona Cottons: Grass Green, Kiwi, Jade Green, Emerald,
Eggplant, Rich Red, Bright Pink, Pomegranate, Orange,
Corn Yellow

I did jot down the colors as they were cut but I'm not entirely sure which is which so please don't count on my caption above to make any certain purchases. I had a sample of scraps from my AMH collection that I used to figure out which colors I wanted to start with. I've been looking on the web for recommendations on Kona Cottons to pick up to use as blenders for Garden Party  and Good Folks and haven't seen any lists, so here's mine for any who are interested:

~*Grass Green
~*Kiwi
~*Jade Green
~*Emerald
~*Eggplant
~*Rich Red
~*Bright Pink
~*Pomegranate
~*Orange
~*Corn Yellow

I'm learning the power of solids and neutral blenders--I have some Fat Quarters coming in next week from the Michael Miller Ta Dot line~I'll keep you posted on how that works. I'm off to the cutting table and the Lady Singer...more to come!

XO Terez

Summer Vacation 2011

TerAngela Vacation 2011