Sunday Picnic

fWho would like to have at Sunday picnic with me at this place?

From BBB

Hello lovely readers!

My days and nights have been quite occupied! So many crazy things have been going on! Pretty please let me tell you about it!

Three of my really wonderful friends (Camille, Garrett, and Miranda) have or very soon will be moving to the East Coast (along with other friends who are already living there!). And Let's just say that I desperately want to go with them! Last fall Husb and I went to visit My sister-in-law Jen who was temporarily working in NYC. She got to fly us out and we got to stay at the W on Lex. It was a fantastic party to say the least. Jen is going to work in NY again, so I bet you can guess what I've been day-dreaming about!

BUT
That's silly because we've already planned our vacation for this year!
We're going on a 4 night Mexican cruise!
And I am so excited for that to come in October!

I've been working on a top-secret first anniversary surprise for the Husb.
FIRST ANNIVERSARY! woah where did that come from??
But don't worry in a week it wont be top secret anymore and I can show you!

Also, since project runway is back on I am more inspired to sew again. Did you guys see that Trinidadian girl who sewed the pants? She must've had one heck of a teacher. I've been sewing for 14 years and I could never make something like that! (I've also never tried to make pants. Have you?)

Pictures by Someone Else II

What I love about this dining room:
-The huge paining over the fireplace. It's very subtle. I always love huge paintings!
-The blue table! I would totally paint my table if it wasn't borrowed from my parents! ha!
-Stacks of unique dishes and books on either side of the fireplace.

What I love about this space:
-The pink table!
-Church pew type seating against the partition.
-Piles of small white candles resting on the partition! how cozy!

Both from Here

If you were going to paint your kitchen table, what color would you make it?
I would go for a dark blue-violet!

I'm GF R U 2?

Gluten Free week 1:

What I've been eating

Eggs

Chex cereal

Corn tortilla chips

Cheese

Juice

"Cream of rice" (like cream of wheat)

Ice cream

Corn tortillas

Rice

Curry

Black beans

Pinto beans

Garbanzo beans (hummus)

Re-fried beans

Baked beans

Week 2 of 2  starts tomorrow.

I am seriously tired of beans. 

Skirt from Dress!

I've had this dress for several years now, and it was getting dingy from so much wear, tear, and love. It has a metallic print that started to rub off. It just made it look dirty. Not to mention that it was borderline short back before marriage, but now it is definitely too short! 

It sat in my D.I. bag for a long time, but I decided to pull it out and see what I could do with it!

Step 1.Cut off the top. This dress had smocking in the middle, so I cut above the smocking.

Step 2. Hem the top raw edge.

Step 3. Bleach test. I wanted a change of color, especially considering dingy metallic print. So I used the waistband ties that I had cut off to test how the color would turn out. After I let them dry I could see what the final color would look like. (Bleached items turned out surprisingly lighter that anticipated once they dried)

Step 4. Bleach the item. I let the skirt sit in 1:1 parts bleach and hot water for about 1 hour.

Step 5: Wash and rinse item. I hand washed the skirt several times before a through rinse and dry. 

THE RESULT

It took me so long to put out this tutorial, because I so wish I had amazing pictures like all the amazing bloggers out there, but I've decided it's better to post than not, so here it is! comments are always loved!

Pictures by Someone Else

I have a few before and after projects that I am dying to share, but I cannot find my camera cord anywhere! Boo. So the pictures are sitting, wanting to be posted. You will see them soon my friends, soon.

So for now, please enjoy a few pictures from other people of spaces that I love!

Pink Wallpaper

Plush Palate

Ada and Darcy

Grandpa

This evening I sat in my Grandpa's burgundy wingback office chair with rolling wheels. He sat across the large oak desk from me in his stable, semi-circle chair. A very official looking double pen stand, a gigantic calendar and a myriad of books and church magazines lay on the desk.
He asked me what my life goals were, I replied "sheesh- Life goals? I have some summer goals, but I'm not sure about life ones."
G-pa: "Summer goals are good too. But have you written them down?"
I adverted my gaze sheephishly.
He opened a tray from his printer and handed me a sheet of paper.
"Well, here you go. Get started."
So in the presence of my grandpa I wrote these summer goals:

1. Finish sewing 3 bean bags.
2. Open Etsy shop.
3. Go Camping
4. Read at least three more books. (Suggestions welcomed!)
5. Go dancing x2
6. Do a hike
7. Run 10 miles a week again
8. Finish eight watercolors.
9. Talk with Grandpa.

It took a while to explain to Grandpa what an "eat-see" shop was, but I think he understood after a while. Or pretended to, at least.
He told me his summer goals were to

1. Start reading the Miracle of Freedom
2. Pay a guy to do the yardwork that he is too worn out to do him self.
3. Stay alive.

Yep. I think he'll do just fine at accomplishing those.

There are eight weeks left of summer. In four weeks I have an appointment with Grandpa to review and evaluate how much I am accomplishing from my list of summer goals. Yeah, he was a mission president a few times. You can tell, can't you?

What are your summer goals?
xo
much love