Hello friends! Hope your summer is going well. These days just seem to be going by at a gallop. In more ways than one! That's my youngest daughter (in the blue shirt) training Billy, a rescue horse. Now that he's over his insecurity and shyness he's become really sweet and eager to please.
Golly, I seem to have less and less time for blog updates. My trusty old camera (Kodak EasyShareZ885!) still captures a moment here and there. When I remember to use it. So today I've got a bunch of odds and ends, projects and random moments still saved on it. . .
Like this sweet dress I managed to sew for myself. I do like this style, boxy and loose, so carefree for summer. It has hidden side pockets AND there's no zipper! Just one little covered button at the back of the neck. Slips right over my head. How marvelous is that?
The pattern is McCall's #7948. It also comes with a two-tier skirt option that I also want to make. The envelope illustration shows a sleeveless version in blue gingham. Very sweet. Haven't washed my dress yet, you can still see where I placed the pieces on the center fold. I think it looks a bit matronly hanging here, hopefully after washing and wearing it will relax.
The fabric is a lovely linen-look cotton; B66FB-P24G c. 2017 Brother Sister Design Studio, purchased from Hobby Lobby. I love their selection of dress and shirt fabrics. I'll buy yards and yards before I even know what I'm going to do with it. Such was the case here.
Rolling on . . .
Another random photo, this time from my big screen TV. I'm watching Tour de France (bicycle racing) daily. I must confess I know nothing of the competitors, I always forget who's wearing the yellow jersey, but I enjoy the sport and the gorgeous French countryside, mountain roads and the push to the finish. These riders are amazing.
In the backyard, keeping a slower pace. Our daily summertime Badminton Tournaments have commenced keeping everyone on their toes. We are in fine form today. Watch the birdie.
Let's see, what else do I have here . . . oh yes!
I achieved homemade mayonnaise perfection.
I know that making homemade mayo isn't really a new idea, but this technique was new to me. A revelation using an immersion blender. Where have I been anyway? Who knew? The taste is beyond compare. And it's very easy.
Just add a little sea salt, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, garlic powder, apple cider vinegar (I used dill pickle vinegar), along with one whole egg and 1 cup safflower oil. (Initially I used extra-virgin olive oil and found it leaves a strong aftertaste.)
Seriously good. It's fun watching all the ingredients quickly emulsify *like magic*. I especially like that I can make and store it in the same container. Keeps up to a week in the fridge. So simple, however, there is a technique. I found YouTube tutorials like this one were helpful.
Moving along, I also found these little projects on my work table.
Flower barrels in the garden.
Gorgeous color.
The hollyhocks are very tall this year!
Another random picture I took, for Instagram. This sweet dreamer slipped into the pink dollhouse bedroom, just like Goldilocks. I'm making 12th scale dolls. Still perfecting my craft.
Back to the present, and speaking of miniature crafting, isn't this adorable? It's the new 'Sugar Plum' gingerbread house that Grace and Ginger have been working on for months. It comes in 6th scale (shown above) and also half this size in 12th scale (shown here). They added a bunch of their new Christmas items to the shop today. Be sure and visit The Dainty House for more sweet dollhouse miniature eye candy and treats if you dare!
So, that concludes today's random sampling. There's more, but I'll have to save it all for another day, another post.
Happy Summer!
