Meet the Circle and Square Families

My little brother John (4) is quite the artist.  He enjoys all mediums, but it particularly fond of clay.  We have little clay duckies and octopus and monsters and dogs of his creation sitting all around our home.   Yesterday he whipped up some special gifts for my mother--a circle family and a square family.  I thought these were especially adorable and wanted to share them. :)

This is the Circle family.  Standing behind them is a very interesting (and friendly) octopus.  From L-R: Mother Circle, Father Circle, Sister Circle, Brother Circle.

This is the Square family.  From L-R: Mother Square, Father Square, Sister Square, Brother Square.  I think Brother Square is also a baby. :)1

I love John's attention to detail.  Look at the pupils and light reflections in the eyes!  And Mother Square has lips! 

Drink in the summer today!

Sincerely,

Bessie

1950's Halter Top

I have been attempting to sort through my fabrics and patterns lately, and have found many a piece of forgotten inspiration.  One such piece was two yards of a beautiful home dec weight Amy Butler fabric that I had originally bought to make summer shorts.  Another such inspiration was an Advance pattern for 5 variations of a wonderful summer top.  I decided last week to put the two together and came out with this:

Probably should have straightened things out before taking the picture!  Alas. ;)  I used a sky blue metal zipper from my stash for the back.  I need to install one more hook & eye at the top--I didn't bring the zipper up quite high enough, so it looks a little funny.  

The original design was a button-front, and much shorter.  Although I love the button-front look, I think a zipper closure in the back looks much better with my fabric choice.  Buttons in the front might have made things a little too "busy".  

This pattern was super-simple to put together.  I think it took me about two hours to finish the garment, and I didn't cut too many corners (although I am ashamed to admit that I did cut a few...).  One thing I really love about this top is that it can be dressed up and down very easily.  I wore it with cropped jeans and a cardigan early in the week and with a pencil skirt and heels to the Fox last night--and it looked fantastic both ways!  Ah, I just love versatile clothing. :)

Have a fantastic weekend!

~Bessie

A Night With the Girls

My sisters and I had a super-fun girls night tonight!  We braved the disgusting Atlanta traffic--which was particularly trying this evening--to go see one of our favorite musicals at the Fox:  The Phantom of the Opera. It was definitely worth the horrible driving experience. :)

Above is a picture of Skylar and I after the show.  The Fox is such a beautiful theater.  In my personal opinion,the Fox is one of Atlanta's few saving graces (another grace being the High Museum of Art).  Of course I quite despise the city, so I am a bit biased.  I hear that some people really love Atlanta...hrm.

I feel so blessed to have such great sisters--and so many of them!  They are all such unique, beautiful girls, too, and we have such fun together. :)

Below are a few pictures taken before the we left for the show:

(L-R) Skylar, me, and Jenny.  Skylar is wearing a little number our grandmother wore in the 1960's, plus some amazing pumps from Urban Outfitters.  Jennifer sports a lovely dress she received for her birthday a few days ago, and I am wearing a fun 1950's halter top that I whipped up last week (I'll do a post about it eventually). ;)

Skylar, Jenny and I holding Gracious the kitty.  She wanted to come to the Fox too, but did not have anything suitable to wear.

(L-R) Sarah, Susanna, Skylar, me, Jenny.

What a lovely evening!

~Bessie

Dino and Jerry

No new completed sewing projects as of late.  So...

~Bessie

Enter humbled musician

House Show - Molly Parden [part 2] from Sheldon Frazier on Vimeo.

This girl is amazing.  I went to hear her play at a local venue tonight, and I am not sure whether I came away more slightly discouraged or beautifully inspired. Hm.  I think I'm leaning more toward the latter (though I am quite jealous of her voice and songwriting skills).  Sigh!

Please check out her music.  You will not be sorry. :D


Molly Parden

Enter Music Snob

If I hear one more contemporary song with the chord progression VIm-IV-I-V I might hurl myself out the window.  The lack of musical creativity these days, especially in contemporary Christian music (which is sadly unfortunate), is really shameful.  It gives off a such a "manufactured" feel--often because said music is manufactured.  Give me raw, real, and original any day, even if it's a bit rough around the edges.  I'd love to see musicians aspire to greater heights than the norm, the standard, or what potentially makes the most money.

Sigh.

Ok, I think that's all.  Please excuse the snobbery; I temporarily reached my wit's end and simply had to vent.

~Bessie

Remeniscing

My sister Sarah brought out a huge bag of photos from the 90's this afternoon, and I have been looking through them and remembering a time in my life that I haven't thought of in a long while.  

Most of the pictures date back to '96, the year that Jennifer was born.  What a cute baby!  Some of the photos are a little earlier, like the ones I've posted up here.  Above is a photo taken by my father from his bike.  We were biking the trails at Calaway Gardens.  As you can see, little Susanna enjoyed a comfortable ride in the bike buggy!  

Here we are after the bike ride.  Check out my super-cool hiking boots and bike shorts!  I lived in bike shorts back then.  From L to R (and from youngest to oldest): Skylar, Susanna, Ben, Sarah, Me.

Oh!  This picture is dear to my heart because it is of me playing my precious little keyboard.  My dad bought me that keyboard when I was five years old, and it marked the beginning of my musical creativity and inspiration.  I used to play on that thing for hours and hours.  I remember the day when it finally died.  Thankfully by then my parents had bought me my lovely little Wurlitzer.  :)

Ah, memories.  

~Bessie

Slowing Down

I was reading through an old journal and found an entry that was particularly convicting and inspiring.  I don't know about you, but it seems to me that life has been flying by extra fast lately...and I am pretty sure it is because I am constantly busy.  The sad thing is, a lot of the "busyness" is manufactured by myself because...well, I'm not sure why.  Why do we feel the need to fill up our schedules with things to do and places to go?  Hm.

Well anyway, I thought I'd share the entry with you, along with a cute picture of my little brother Eli.  What a darling.  Please excuse any funky grammar--I am going to present the entry exactly as I jotted it down several years ago in my journal. ;)  Enjoy!

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"Come with me, together, we can take the long way home..." -Norah Jones, "Long Way Home"


I was listening to that song this morning and thinking about how much I love it.  It's like a "me" song, you know?  Given a choice, I'll always take the long way home.  It seems like this country is so fast-paced--we just want to get things done as quickly as possible and get on with our busy schedules.  I want to live a life of peace, with leisure, treasuring every moment.  It's hard to do that, but when you try it you find that it is worth every effort.  Take yesterday, for example.


I was bustling around the house getting things done, when Eli came up to me and said, "La la?" with a huge grin ("la la" means "movie").  How could I refuse the cute little guy?  So I went over and put in Fraggle Rock for him, and sat down on the floor while I waited to push play, thinking all the while of everything I had to get done as soon as he was occupied.


Well, in the midst of my thoughts, little Eli plunked himself down right on my lap and gave a contented sigh.  I though, Oh no!  Now I'll never be able to get up because if I move him he'll start crying.  The the Lord checked my bad attitude and said, Make this a treasure.  I looked down and saw Eli's tiny hands and his precious little self in my lap and my heart was filled with love, and I thought, How could I have ever neglected this before?  


I think that's what makes life last longer.  Treasuring every moment God gives you to the fullest.  


Take the long way home--you don't have to get anywhere that badly. 


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Hm.  Exactly what I needed to hear today. :)  I shall take my own advice, and work harder to treasure each moment to the fullest.

~Bess