Why I haven't posted for two days

I have no shortage of things to write about, but well... We were adopted by a puppy yesterday... And here we to all over again with potty training!
At first, we were calling her HONEY, but that proved a little confusing around here (where everyone is "honey")... So now we are calling her LULA... After our first favorite neighborhood cafe in Chicago.

My hubby said, "I foresee doggie purses in our future." (and I swore I would never have a dog less than 30lbs, let alone carry one in a purse... But the idea of another chance at free hands sounds like a good idea. I did promise my sister I wouldn't carry the dog in a baby sling.)

i'm a little behind...

I really want to post the tutorial that I made for you all on how to make the tiered skirts... but I made it in a pdf form and don't know how to post those available for your download... can anyone wiser than me give me some help????

inspiration point

Today, I made some time for me.
Which is good, because no one is really going to force me to take it on my own, usually when I have a free afternoon - I get errands done... but not today.

Today, I drove to the top of Palos Verdes, to where I spent ages 11-19... and I soaked in the sun and the ocean and the breeze and views. It was amazing.

I was flooded - with so many memories and images over those hills and over those years. Since my parents moved away, we don't really get back there very often - and therefore, I forget easily how beautiful it is up there...
I wrote this while sitting on a rock on this overlook, I don't usually get this deep on my blog, but it seems fun to share this:
=============















So here I am.
an adult. comfortable.
in both my grace and my disgrace
wearing the calmer version of my skin

sitting on the hill of my adolescence
overlooking the sea of memories
the landmarks of my past
my formation
my awkward youth

wondering how getting here could have
possibly involved so much angst
so much self torture
when I had thousands of moments
in lonely (lovely) silence
with nothing on this hilltop but me and this wind

I thought I hated this mountain
but I see now I was hewn from it
I really just hated my self
(oh dark, little fool)

in reality - I was formed here
with the ever present breezes
and the natural smell of dirt and chapparal

there is the memory of burning
both in me and on this canyontop
and we are both more beautiful for it

we are sadder
but we are wiser (and deeper)
and we understand BEAUTY
and the JOY of season

the beach where I imagined myself as queen
lies silent below me on this perch
and the castle remains there
with its promises of my future
prophesies that did come true
(I had no idea)

and through all my wanderings,
my adventures and mishaps,
my snowstorms and deserts,
my encounters with death and partnerships with life...
this rock has been here, never changing,
while the world spins around it

I believe this may be the center of the world.
or maybe just my own.

Millefiori

Okay... so I cannot stop thinking about millefiori (Italian for "million flowers") pendants tonight. I'm not sure why - but I am on this mad search for the best one.

Back in my summer in Florence, I bought a handful of them in the San Marcos marketplace, I loved the glass and saved two "tree of life" pendants - one for my best friend, Amy, and one for myself. Amy keeps bemoaning the fact that in her adventurous life as a relief worker in Thailand, that she somewhere lost hers - and I guess that got me to thinking about how much I love this glass.
There is something so other-worldly about it... like you could just dive right into the glass itself.
And the way they make it is the most amazing process, with little strands of glass that are laid on top of each other - to make these designs, then they are fired and sliced.... so so so lovely.

I found this site tonight, with a great selection and great prices, but I am having the hardest time making up my mind...

Neglecting housework

So tonight, I left the house in shambles, read some blogs, and made these funny guitars from scraps I have. I saw some online at etsy that were too cute (much cuter than mine) but these were free and could be whipped up tonight in time for the kids to play with them in the
morning.
I had a quiet evening, nursing my 4 bee stings that I got today (see my other blog for that detail!) and eating frozen grapes to try and cool down while I sewed....
Now I'm up too late... Again.

Be a friend and vote for Libby Dibby

Hey folks... some sweet fan put Libby Dibby skirts on the home page at kirtsy.com today...
do us a favor and send us a shout out over there by commenting and voting for us.
Thanks!!!!
libby

New patterns

This one is a prototype... I have only a M (maybe one more...) but if
you all like it, we will get more.
It is "moonlight summer"

New patterns

This is "Sweet Sofia"

ps- Sweet Sofia skirts are the first skirts to be made pre-washed - MEANING that you can wash them and not dry-clean them.... (no drying, though... we recommend washing on cold and hanging to dry)

Hooray for new patterns!

They're not yet up on the site... But can be ordered, in all sizes
(email me)
This one is called "Classic"

Lilycake shirts

Another Saturday morning in my pajamas at my sewing machine before a
birthday party....
The Design Director and I worked on this one for her friend that she
calls, "lilycake" ... So we made a "lilycake" shirt... Cake on the
front and Lily on the back. The second shirt, the one that M is
keeping, in my opinion, is a lot cuter and deserves some repeating.
I'll attach more images later...

(my phone only lets me attach one photo per email so I am trying to
figure how to best deal with that and still not have to spend
inordinate amounts of time at my computer at home... I generally only
blog from my phone)

#3...

Figueroa Hotel #2

Date night

So J took me out tonight and we, wisely, forewent The Grove and
instead we went downtown to Hotel Figueroa for coffee (we were too
tired for real drinks) after dinner... He'd learned about it through
work and filming... They filmed lots of ALIAS here...(jill!)
What a gorgeous place... I'll send a few photos...talk about
inspiration... In the shadow of the Staples Center....its been around
forever...

Same quilt... Different heart

So if you look a few weeks back, I've already blogged about loving
this quilt, which was given to me...
But now it has more of a story... I took it to the cleaners because it
smelled pretty musty and got it back... Well.. The very antique
batting shrunk up so small that I had to cut the top open and venture
into the quilting world... Which I never have done before... I bought
batting and spent the last two nights doing little loops to anchor of
all together. In the past, I've known I don't have the patience to be
a quilter, even if I love the aesthetic, but this has confirmed I will
never be able to do it...
Don't get me wrong, its been nice, but I like short and sweet
projects...

Thought I'd give you a closer view of the fabrics, which I am
appreciating even more as I get more aquainted with them.

View 2

Try to ignore my sad tomato plant in the background.

Attempt #1, meet attempt #3

Momma skirt meets little girl skirt

Scrap skirt Project #1

Well, the skirt is actually attempt #3... (But who is counting?
Besides me.)
Attempt #1 was a mommy sized one that will make an appearance, but it
is definitely a first attempt. (it was a little too "spinny" for my
taste, but someone else thought it was just right and requested one of
her own)
Attempt #2 was for the Design Director, but I told J that she would
look at it and deem it "not spinny enough". I was right. To her
credit, she was so grateful and tried bravely to be sweet in her
disappointment, but it was apparent that she found it greatly lacking
merit.
Enter Attempt #3... Of which I am quite proud and the Design Director
has stated that she wants to "wear it everyday."
Hooray!

Don't ever plan something with me unless I have my calendar

HAPPY HOLIDAY WEEKEND!

In my jumbled, bumpy brain, I don't do well with logistics or plans... I was so excited to get together with my sister this weekend - hopefully one last girl shindig before baby #3 comes along for her, but I forgot that I was already doing a bunch of other things that were scheduled... in reading this string of emails this morning, I laughed so hard that tears came to my eyes. Here is some insight into life as me...

From: libbyGmail
Sent: Thursday, July 03, 2008 8:43 AM

To: Victory
Subject: Re: Beach anyone - Saturday, July 5 9:00AM :)
Sorry about the mixup.I'm feeling a little stupid
J said (not unkind), "what were you thinking?"
My response, (after really thinking about it)
"I guess I was picturing this week had two Saturdays, now that I think about it"
... Now you can see why I try to never plan things without my calendar...

From: Victory
Sent: Thursday, July 03, 2008
To: Libby

Don’t feel stupid… it’s not that big of a deal.
It kind of does have 2 Saturdays… except for one of them is Friday. (I’m being serious).

(My very organized sister is extending grace here)

I've never mentioned it here before - but don't ever play cards with me, either.
I can't tell the difference between Jacks and Jokers.