Friday, November 30, 2007

Tannenbaum

I am in New York City this week!!! I have been here since Tuesday and am having a great time. I've done lots of shopping, sightseeing, and even a little relaxing.
Tonight we went to Rockefeller Center and saw the Christmas tree! It is so HUGE! And very beautiful. Crowds of people were fighting to get their own pictures of the decorations - not only on the tree, but in the windows of the large department stores in the city. Such amazing displays- some coming to life to tell a Christmas story while other feature the most exquisite clothing and gifts of the season.
I must say - I am really getting into the Christmas spirit this year!

Monday, November 26, 2007

Let the Christmas Season begin!

My latest finished project: the felt "joy" wreath. Time for some holiday cheer!

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

myrtle beach II

Here's one more for the road - because I really like it.
Happy sunrise to all as we head down to Florida for Thanksgiving.


myrtle beach

I spent last week at Myrtle Beach with a group from church and what a relaxing time I had! Since we went in the fall instead of during the summer, everything was much less crowded than it normally would be - which I found very enjoyable. Kind of strange, seeing those tacky beach giftshops looking like they are part of a ghost-town, but I didn't mind! And being able to slip into a hot tub or the lazy river without being run over by a million kids - I got used to that pretty quickly.

I have so many beautiful pictures that I can hardly decide which ones to put up here. Our hotel was wonderful and our room had a fabulous view of the ocean. As much as I love to sleep in, I couldn't stay in bed and miss one of those beautiful sunrises. What an amazing thing to watch as the colors in the sky transform before my eyes up to the moment when dawn cracks and the sun peaks over the horizon (or through the fog, as it did one morning).

The first day began with this sun welcoming us to a new day in South Carolina:
Afterwards we enjoyed a day of shopping and finished off the evening with a delicious seafood buffet, where I stuffed myself with all sorts of good food - including quite a few crab legs. Then we ventured over to a show, The Grand Cirque - where we were fascinated by people who can do UNBELIEVABLE things with their bodies. I had a hard time believing those contortionists were real people - I still wonder if they had surgery to remove the tendons and joints so they could move like that. Wow.
Day 2 had another great sunrise - this one a little hazier than the previous, but still nice. Again, followed up by a good breakfast, great shopping (outlet mall day- my favorite!), and another show! This time we went to the Dixie Stampede Christmas show. What seemed like about 10,000 calories were put down in front of me, with no utensils to assist with this feast. Roll up the sleeves and dig in!

Thursday also began with, you guessed it, a nice sunrise followed by breakfast, shopping, more food, and another show! We are creatures of habit, aren't we? Our third and final show was the Carolina Opry's Christmas Show. It was the perfect way to end the trip and get us all in the holiday spirit!

All in all, I must say we had an excellent trip. Good food, good shopping, good company, good weather, good shows... what more could we ask for???


Saturday, November 10, 2007

projects

I haven't been sewing a whole lot lately. I have been working on my felt Christmas wreath and it is almost finished. Finally! I haven't actually been working on it that long, but I bought the kit several years ago. Once I get going on something I am in good shape, but it's hard to get started sometimes! I'll get some pictures on here of that later.

I have a pattern for a dress I want to make. I want to make the "B" version. I am excited to get started on it, but I also see Christmas lurking around the corner and I have several sewing/craft ideas that I want to do for Christmas presents. I should probably get those done sooner than later. Otherwise you will see me "burning the midnight oil" the week before Christmas trying to get things finished. Oh well, it wouldn't be the first time and surely won't be the last. Last year I had to give a WIP slip for a Christmas gift. Ooops! Sometimes things take a little longer than expected. I'm new at all this - cut me a break!
Well, back on topic of my dress! I already have the material and everything! The print is for the main part and the navy solid is for the trims and midsection. Sorry the picture is a little dark, but the print has a shine to it that just doesn't work with a flash. I think the dress will go well into spring since it is lightweight, but I need to get it finished before it goes out of style! Oh, fashion!

Tuesday, November 6, 2007

Monday, November 5, 2007

MIA?



I am still here - I just haven't blogged much lately. Fall is passing by and I try to get the most out of every day. A few weeks ago I found my way over to the New River Gorge Bridge and it's Bridge Day festivities. The weather was beautiful and the sights were amazing. The leaves were not as fully colored as I had hoped, but they were still something to see...especially for someone who has a "fall deficiency" as I had!
Here is a picture of the hills taken from the bridge. We actually walked all the way across (and back, of course). People were jumping off from a station set up in the middle of the bridge. I enjoyed watching the jumpers, but I know that is something I could never do. Each time someone jumped I would hold my breath and watch, amazed, until the parachutes would come out and the person would be safely floating to the ground. I wanted to "interview" someone just before they jumped. What does a person think about those minutes before he jumps off a bridge 876 ft. in the air? What kind of heart rate are we talking about here? Do you look before you jump or just take a run for it? I suppose it takes all kinds - the jumpers did seem to have different approaches. Some looked calm, almost prayer-like (can you blame them??? I'd be praying more than ever!), while others were getting pumped up and ready to go! Several people had interesting accessories, such as Santa hats or stuffed animals. Or how about this guy, the Barbie guy?
I guess if you are going to put something on your helmet, it might as well be a Barbie doll! Barbie has been everywhere else - now she's been over the bridge on Bridge Day!
I also thought it was interesting that several jumpers had video cameras on their hats. I would be afraid I was recording my own death, but I guess those guys have a little more confidence than me. My favorite was watching a pair jump: the first would jump backwards, with a camera on his head and the next person would jump forwards over him - that would be a neat video to watch. Here is a photo of that: this guy is just hangin' out on air before he decides to take the plunge.
I had a great time and I'm glad I saw this West Virginia tradition - but don't ever expect to see me doing anything like jumping off that bridge!