ODDS AND ENDS OF CATCH UP....

Just have  a couple of more things to mention and I'll be completely caught up...First we had our annual end of the summer (labor day week-end) beach day, and honestly it was just the best day.  We did it on the Saturday before Labor day in the middle of a  100 degree heat wave so I think you can imagine the So. California beaches.  I don't know if "packed" really described them.   We all left our various houses EARLY and headed down and believe it or not we all made it into the parking lot before they shut the gates, and found a really good spot too.  It is VERY VERY hard for me to walk on loose sand with these knees, but I actually was able to do that too with just a tiny bit of assistance.  It was such a nice day in every way.  The weather honestly couldn't have been nicer.  We popped up our "pop-up" and had lots of shade for those who wanted it, shared our various packed lunches, and they all swam and played and built sand castles and played football and talked and talked and talked. It was just the best!  We were there pretty much all day, and left in the late afternoon and met at a local Mexican restaurant and had dinner to help celebrate my middle son's birthday.  Here are some pics from that day...

VINNY AND I AFTER HIS NAP

13 YEAR OLD JEFFIE WILL STILL POSE SOO NICE FOR GRANDMA

8 YEAR OLDS TELLA AND CODY SURE ENJOYED THEIR TIME TOGETHER

OLDEST SON EVAN AND HIS GIRLFRIEND

EVERYONE SURE GAVE MY MIDDLE SON JOHN SOME TEASING ON THE SIZE OF HIS DRINK CUP, LOL

4 YEAR OLD VINNY ACTUALLY TOOK A TWO HOUR NAP!

JOE AND HIS DAD SHARE A LOVE OF THESE POPSICLE'S..... AN ICE CREAM CART WHEELED RIGHT UP TO OUR SPOT ON THE BEACH...KIND OF NICE!

OLDEST SON'S FAMILY, MINUS LINDSEY (who was at her boyfriends soccer game!) AND OF COURSE HIS OLDEST MARRIED DAUGHTER ANNABEL

ALL THE CLASS MEN AT THE BEACH 2017

And then I wanted to catch you up on my sewing.  My daughter Melody and her family will be in town in late September as Mike's younger brother is getting married and they all are to be in the wedding.  They asked me if I might make Claire's flower girl dress and I quickly agreed.  I was able to chose the pattern and style of the dress and the fabric.  My only restrictions were that the dress was to be white!  I deliberated for quite a while but finally came up with my choices.  Melody approved of it all and purchased everything I needed and I begun.  It is almost 100 percent completed, but I am waiting on a flower that will get pinned on the front and I need to put on a hook and eye at the neckline, so it is very very close.  Let me show you that...

SIMPLE STYLE....IT IS SUPER FULL AND TIES IN A BIG BOW IN THE BACK.  I AM WAITING ON A SILK ROSE IN A LIGHT SHADE OF DUSTY ROSE THAT WILL GET PINNED ON THE WAIST LINE OFF TO THE SIDE.  IT IS THE FIRST FULLY LINED DRESS I HAVE EVER MADE.  I HAVE DONE LOTS OF LINED BODICES, BUT NEVER THE WHOLE THING.  KIND OF FIDDLY.  LOL.  IT MADE ME NERVOUS SEWING WITH THIS FABRIC AND HONESTLY I DON'T THINK I WILL DO MUCH MORE OF THIS KIND OF SEWING.  I LIKE QUICK AND EASY, LOL, AND THIS WAS SOMEWHAT OF A JOB.  BUT I REALLY DO LIKE THE WAY IT TURNED OUT!

JUST A CLOSE UP OF THE LACY TYPE SPARKLY OVER SKIRT!  THIS FABRIC IS SOOO PRETTY!

THE SHOES YOU WILL WEAR!

SHE WILL WEAR HER HAIR LIKE THIS....ADORABLE!  CAN'T WAIT TO SEE HER IN IT ALL!

LOOK AT THAT LITTLE FACE...SHE LOOKS SOO MUCH LIKE HER MAMA

I LOVE THESE KITS FROM SHABBY FABRICS...I PURCHASED THE LITTLE SCROLL HANGER TO HANG IT FROM THIS TIME...I HAVE DECEMBER WAITING TO PUT TOGETHER AS WELL BUT I DON'T NEED THAT UNTIL AFTER DECEMBER

And then I just made up a couple of Fall outfits with fabric that Melody ordered and had sent to me, I made the quilted fall wall hanging, and I have a few pairs of Halloween pj's and I will be done with all the Fall sewing I am going to do this year, and then I can get started on my Christmas sewing.  I am REALLY far behind but I am not going to stress over it...promise, lol.

THIS IS A STRETCHY COTTON LYCRA FABRIC FROM MY FAVORITE SHOP VINTAGE LACE!  THEIR STUFF IS NOT ONLY UNIQUE, IT IS SOFT, AND HONESTLY JUST ADORABLE.  SEWS UP SOOO EASY!

I MADE THIS TOP TO GO WITH THE SAME PAIR OF LEGGINGS THIS MORNING.  SO!OO CUTE.  HONESTLY THE FABRIC IS JUST PRECIOUS.  I WISH YOU COULD FEEL IT

JUST A CLOSE UP OF THE FABRIC SO YOU COULD READ IT

And I just had to show you the little video I got of sweet 4 year old Luke practicing his bible verse for school.  He started pre-K this year....

Guess that's it for now...It was sure nice to have a week-end that didn't require any painting.  The first we've had all summer.  We are both enjoying it all.  Yesterday afternoon we made a trip down to my oldest son Joe's karate studio where he is training his MMA fighter for a fight come Oct. 7th.  My hubby is going to help him work their corner, and is helping to train this fighter for wrestling.  He was Nebraska's heavy weight wrestler all the way through his college years, and to say he enjoys the sport is putting it mildly.  I try to make him remember he is pushing 66 now and the old body just isn't what it used to be, but he is hard to control lol once he gets near the sport.  He did go 1 round with a young guy (25) who is a black belt in Jujitsu (wrestling) who was supposed to be there to help "work out" the fighter.  My hubby pinned him in 20 seconds, lol.  Now he does have several pounds on this kid, but I told him we'd swap the pounds with my hubby's age, lol.  He was good after that.  LOL

THERE THEY ARE AT THE RING IN MY SON'S STUDIO.  THE FIGHTER IS THE GUY THERE IN THE CENTER WITH THE RIPPED ABDOMEN, LOL  SURE HOPE HE DOES WELL