Makeover Monday: 5/7

A favorite sosorosey customer has come back with a special request- this time for a cotton rug in shades of brown and beige.  I found this yarn for her yesterday, and since it is a double strand rug, we're trying to decide what to do for the other color. 

~*~

~*~

I spent some time making swatches last night using this yarn with 3 other brown variations.  This mosaic is the fruits of my labor. 

~*~

~*~

The rag rug shown on the bottom right is what I was given for color inspiration.  The variegated brown yarn shown is the 2nd color that I think my customer would like.  The closeup on the top left is the swatch with the variegated brown and the first chosen yarn. 

~*~

The top right of the mosaic shows my three swatches.  The center one is the two yarns I shared with my customer yesterday.  There is some gray in that one that I think most closely matches the inspiration rug.  We'll see which one she picks, and I'll have some rug to share on WIP Wednesday :)

~*~

I don't know about you, but I have a crazy busy week going on here.  Most of it is related to school functions surrounding Teacher Appreciation Week, but I also have a dreaded dental appointment on Thursday, a PTA meeting Thursday night, and out of town visitors on Friday.  I'm very much looking forward to the visit, but I sure wish a cleaning fairy would make an appearance between now and then!  If you see her, send her my way, OK?

Boy's Toys

~*~

I've been gathering up "guy gear" in preparation for Father's Day at sosovintage.  Vintage school supplies and industrial metal goodies tend to have a more masculine appeal.  I also have a couple of cameras and bow ties to add to the mix.  If your man *needs* any of these items before I get them listed, shoot me a message :)

Cows-N-Corn

Whether or not I make a good chaperone for field trips depends highly upon your perspective.  I'm pretty sure teachers love me and kids kinda don't.  I still have way too much teacher left in me to let arms hang out the school bus windows.  I also have a good sized control freak streak, so my little group of 5 had to stay together *or else*.  Despite this, I think fun was still had by most at Cows-N-Corn yesterday.

~*~

~*~ 

We started the day with a hayride around the farm- learning all about the Holstein cows and the different things the farmers have to do to keep them fed, watered and healthy.  Don't these ladies look thrilled?

~*~

When the hayride was over, a storm was on the horizon, so we had to get back on the school bus and wait it out.  After many LOUD minutes of waiting (imagine 50+ children singing "Rain, rain go away" at the tops of their lungs), it was decided that we should go ahead and eat lunch on the bus.  The brown bags were distributed and everyone did their best to eat their lunches on their laps. Finally, the storm passed, and we went to our next stop: sheep class.  There we learned all about sheep shearing and yarn making.  I was still recovering from the bus thing, so I didn't take photos during this one.

~*~

 ~*~

Chicken class was next, where this giant cow puppet learned all about chickens with us.  Goldy the buff colored hen was there, and we learned all about how she talks and what she does when she lays her eggs.

~*~

 ~*~

Everyone got to pet Goldy after the lesson.

~*~

 ~*~

Next stop was making "dirt babies".  Each child got a nylon that they filled with grass seed and dirt.  Once the stocking was tied off, they got to decorate their babies with stickers.  Apparently, if we keep the dirt baby watered and give it sunlight, it will sprout hair out of the top of its head.  A homegrown chia pet.

~*~

 ~*~

We each got a miniscule little cup of homemade ice cream (vanilla or chocolate) to enjoy in the shade, then the kids were turned loose to go nuts in the play area.  They climbed all over straw bales and slid down tubes, crawled through tunnels and "rode" the wooden train.

~*~

~*~

The bus ride home was much quieter.  Two of the three left in my group fell asleep.  Sophie and I shared a very sweaty seat and rehashed the best parts of the day.  We both slept VERY well last night!

Friday's Favorite Fabric Finds

I have more "citrus flavored" fabric this week!

~*~

~*~

Though you can't tell it, that last one is on a white background.  I am having a DEVIL of a time with my photos lately.  All of the trees in our yard have their leaves now, and it makes a yellowish green filter to the light.  To combat this, I have been trying my luck at different times of the day, as well as using some photo editing software to whiten my whites.  It's super hard to do it without changing the other colors as well.  Harrumph.

~*~

I'm on a field trip today with Sophie's class- as an *official* chaperone for the first time.  We are HERE at Cows-N-Corn, experiencing life on a working dairy farm.  I hope to get some good photos to share over the weekend!

Thursday's Treasure

 Sometimes when the to-do list keeps on growing, it's a simple treasure just to be able to check one thing off.

~*~

When other projects are lengthy and daunting, finishing a smaller one can still give one a sense of accomplishment.

~*~

My ring bearer pillow is completed, photographed, and ready to be listed!   Though I did this first one in traditional white, this cotton comes in some beautiful colors and can be customized at no extra charge!

~*~

I hope that you've found a nugget of gold in your day today.  Do share!

WIP Wednesday

I have no earthly idea why it took me so many years to start a weekly "work in progress" post- there is always something new going on around here! So Gemini, lol.

~*~

~*~

This little something is what I've been working on when my back needs a break from cutting hay bale covers.  (I have 30 cut... 15 more to go, so it's looking really good for having them finished before the May15th promise date.)  This project *looks* like the pot holder/trivet from sosorosey, but it is actually going to be something different.  Any ideas?

~*~

 My other work in progress is turning this mound of candy bars...

~*~

 ... these bags and ribbon...

~*~

... and tags into 75 goody bags to be given out from the PTA for teacher appreciation week.  I just need to rev up into assembly line mode (when I am not hungry in the least) and crank these out!  US people, don't forget to especially appreciate your teachers May 7th-11th :)

~*~

What work do you have in progress this week?  What have you finished lately?

Spill It Session #9

~*~

Yeah baby.  There they are- The Stray Cats.  My first concert.  Early 80s.  I was 14, and I remember how Tina Carpenter and I labored over our outfits before the show.  I wore a flashdance cut pink sweatshirt covered with rock star pins.  And gray parachute pants. 

~*~

Over the next couple of decades I went on to see The Police, The Cars, The Ramones, Sting, REM, Culture Club, U2, Bob Dylan, Pearl Jam, The Grateful Dead, The Cranberries, Sex Pistols, The Indigo Girls, Melissa Etheridge, The Goo Goo Dolls, Vertical Horizon, Shawn Colvin, Nanci Griffith, Emmylou Harris, Peter Gabriel, and Dave Matthews.  A couple of Lollapaloozas.  A couple of American Idols.  Many more I've either forgotten or repressed.

~*~

Sophie's first concert was an outdoor Reggae Fest when she was about 2.  She loved it!  She has seen other live shows, but nobody "big".  We think this may be her summer for another concert or two.  Mike and I both love live music, and we live pretty close to two awesome outdoor venues. 

~*~

So, spill it- what was your first concert?  What other artists have you seen? 

~*~

To view previous spill it sessions and learn about your fellow bloggers, click HERE and HERE!