Mother-Daughter Infinity Scarves

Recently, I wanted to make something with two/three yarns included in one type of stitch.  My urge started when I saw this pin on Pinterest.

Source: chucksforchancho.com via Crystal on Pinterest

I had some really cute sock yarn that was pink/purple multi-colored, along with a pretty purple and an off-white.  I decided to make a couple infinity scarves for one of my best friends and her daughter.  They're two peas in a pod and I knew my friend's daughter would greatly appreciate something that was almost exactly like her momma's.

I rather think they turned out well, what do you think?

P.S. I ordered this dress form last week and it came in yesterday.  I absolutely love it and can't wait to picture some of the aprons I'm going to make with it, not to mention more scarves!

In Cold Blood

I've been really bad about keeping up with my reading rotation lately (Read: I've only been reading fiction).  But, In Cold Blood got me back in line considering it's both a classic and non-fiction.

Let me just start by saying oh my gosh, I don't know how I haven't read this before.  I grew up in Kansas and love to read non-fiction...so how have I missed this?  In Cold Blood is the meticulously researched book by Truman Capote documenting the 1959 senseless, brutal murder of an entire household in the small town of Holcomb, Kansas. 

This book is riveting, horrifying, intriguing, sad and fascinating all at the same time.  There is no slow part in the book, it kept me wanting to read more throughout.  I highly, highly, highly recommend this one.  A new favorite for my classic/non-fiction pile for sure!

P.S. I loved Truman Capote's writing style, so I will more than likely be picking up the classic Breakfast at Tiffany's sometime soon!

Up From the Blue

This book, Up From the Blue, was one of those books that was kind of pushed onto me at book club one month.  I listened to the two previous readers of it review the book by saying they couldn't "like" it, but they did recommend it saying that you just needed to read it for yourself.  I think this is an accurate recommendation from me as well...let me start with a synopsis...

Tilly Harris has just moved back to D.C., heavily pregnant and alone (her husband is away on business).  She is attempting to unpack her house, which has no phone yet connected, when she starts to feel the first pangs of an early labor.  Knowing she simply needs to get to the nearest hospital, she goes next door to request use of their phone.  Tilly doesn't know a soul in town, has no idea where the nearest hospital is and has no idea where she is because she has yet to memorize their new address (leaving calling a cab out of the question).  So...Tilly calls her estranged father who still lives in D.C., but with whom she hasn't spoke with in over two years.

Tilly's father arranges a cab and meets her at the hospital.  This unleashes a torrent of memories from Tilly's childhood, specifically her 3rd grade year.  The most traumatic year of her childhood.

In that year, Tilly remembers the move from Albuquerque to D.C. for her father's job.  She remembers being packed up and deposited at her father's secretary's house, who watched her for almost a month.  In the meantime, Tilly's brother and two parents made the cross-country move to D.C.  Tilly remembers her mother being...well, crazy.  Certifiable, really.  However, Tilly loved her very much and was shocked when she arrived in D.C. to discover that her mother was...gone.  Not a trace.  Tilly's father goes along as though nothing has happened and just expects the two kids to pick up the slack.

I'm not going to say anything more because I don't want to give this book away.  But, I want you to think The Glass Castle and Saving CeeCee Honeycutt.  If you've read either of these books, you know how engaging and...well...messed up things are in their plots.  There was, literally, a moment halfway through the book where I couldn't figure out if Tilly was just as crazy as her mother or if the craziness was really and truly happening.

I would definitely recommend this book, but at the same time say that it's pretty messed up.  Dysfunction at it's finest.  Let me know if you decide to pick it up!

My Fun and Flirty Apron

A couple weeks ago my mom let me have take a table for which I'd practically been begging for about a year.  Or more.  Seriously.  My craft room only had one table and it's really hard to keep a sewing machine (two actually), crochet and scrapbooking implements and a cross-stitch project stored.  All on the "little" table that David made for me a while ago, click here for that post.

Fast forward to last week, I actually had room to move both sewing machines onto this new, big table.  Because, let's be honest, a sewing machine needs quite a bit of space.  The space the actual machine takes up, plus extra blank space to work with fabric.  I was able to finally assemble a project that I'd purchased waaaaaay before we even moved to San Antonio.  ::wince::  Yes, I moved this project twice...and lived here for over a year before getting to work on it.  And it's not even that I was procrastinating...I had NO space (read: table) to set up my sewing machine in San Antonio, nor here in Tulsa.  Sure, I could have bought a big, project table, but those things are expensive!  And I've been shopping estate sales and whatnot for the past year to no avail.  This table saved the day.  Finally.

So, the back story to this project is that one day I was fabric shopping with my mother. (Obviously, this was before we had our current online quilt shop.) I saw a super cute apron displayed in this store and decided I HAD TO HAVE ONE.  So, I bought the pattern book and the required fabric. 

And it languished.

For over two years.

But, alas...I finally got around to it last week. 

And I LOVE it.  All the colors are sooo ME.

And I had so much fun making it that I've decided to make quite a few more aprons from my pattern book (including more of this design).  Having our quilt shop at my fingertips was a dream with picking out fabric for future projects.  In fact, I'd only intended to cut fabric for three or four projects...but, there were so many pretty options that we ended up cutting fabric for eight aprons. 

My plan is to see how these turn out and probably sell them on Etsy.  David's already telling me that I'm spending too much time up in the sewing room...oops!  Heeheehee!

P.S. I don't like to promote our quilt shop on my blog here because this is my personal blog, not business.  But, if you're interested in viewing the fabrics, patterns and other incidentals that our online quilt shop has to offer, just check out our website: www.quarterseamquiltshop.com.

Friday Funday

This was kinda a slow week for me on Pinterest.  There just wasn't that much I felt the need to PIN. 

So, I thought this week might be a good time to share some more of my "likes" on Pinterest. 

Most of these, literally, made me laugh out loud.

Enjoy!

Source: damnfunnytexts.com via Maegan on Pinterest

Source: instagr.am via Twila on Pinterest

Source: make-me-laugh.net via Brooke on Pinterest

Source: bloggingsimple725.blogspot.com via Brooke on Pinterest

Source: themetapicture.com via Brooke on Pinterest

Source: imgfave.com via Kelsie on Pinterest

And, finally, I'll close out this week with one of my favorite quotes from my favorite book of all time. 
I totally get goosebumps when I either read or watch these lines...
Love me some Rhett!

Source: oldhollywoodquotes.tumblr.com via Dacia on Pinterest

Kelsie's Infinity Scarf

I thought I'd share my latest completed and gifted crochet project with you guys today. 

I started on this infinity scarf using some super cute multi-color sock yarn and a half-double crochet stitch. 

And I love how it turned out!

The top pic is the lucky recipient and one of my favorite people, Kelsie!

The second pic is the self-portrait I sent her when it was complete (it gives you a slightly better impression of the scarf and what it looks like). 

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand

Are you looking for a sweet, short novel that has a little bit of dry British humor that won't make you think too hard, but will still entertain you while reading?  Major Pettigrew's Last Stand is the ticket.

This book was recommend to me by my MIL, who if you've read this blog for any length of time will know is another big reader who shares her recommendations with me from time to time.  My MIL tends to really enjoy anything British.  She loves almost anything BBC puts out, loves the James Herriot novels, etc., etc.  So, considering this book takes place in...you guessed it...merry old England was no big shock for me.

The premise of this novel surrounds Major Pettigrew, who loses his younger brother at the very beginning of the book.  There is a pair of very prestigious guns that are supposed to be reunited when one of the brothers passes...and Pettigrew has a small fiasco trying to make sure this happens.  As a widower, he also develops a cute, uncertain romantic relationship with the local quick shop owner who also happens to be a Pakistani widow. 

This book explores the social ramifications of an inter-racial relationship at an age that is rarely discussed, for most post-retirement.  It also shows what it's like to grow older and have the younger generation in your family try to tell you how things truly are, where you should go from here and, of course, how to live...old traditions can die hard.

I thought this book was a perfect example of what we like to call in my book club a "palate cleanser."  There was nothing overly dramatic and my heart rate never got pumping, yet I still thoroughly enjoyed this book.  It's very cute and Major Pettigrew's dry humor snagged a few quiet chuckles from me.  Overall, I'd say this book was good and would recommend it.