Happy Anniversary to Me

I've blogged for a whole year now.

Town Rejects Supermarket, Business Booms

The Guardian UK has an interesting series on how chain stores destroy entire economies. This article is their latest.

Business Begs State for More Regulation

Is there any surer sign that we're living in a Republican Administration? The Mississippi Health Department is getting terribly lax with restaurant inspections, and people are getting terribly sick. And the Governor is gunning for the Presidency, so you can look forward to his "special dinners" Coming Soon to a Restaurant Near You.

Americans' circle of close friends shrinking

So say the scientists. It certainly explains the widespread depression we've seen and the enormous trouble we've had getting up any form of children's club. I wonder how many people who try to pry into other people's lifestyles are really leading "lives of quiet desperation." What do you think?

Busy, busy, busy

I've been taking care of a new puppy, re-plumbing the bathroom and doing other major maintenance, and fighting depression. I'll give you the gory details when I have time and energy to post.

2006 Show Schedule

September 16 -- Indian Summer Festival Fine Arts Show, Hancock House, Okolona, Mississippi.

September 30 -- Ole Miss Homecoming Rock & Gem Show, Oxford Train Depot, Oxford, Mississippi.

November -- Trunk Show, Reed's Department Store, Downtown Tupelo, Mississippi.

December 1 - 3 -- Chimneyville Crafts Festival, Mississippi Trade Mart, Jackson, Mississippi.

This year is the first time we've set up at shows since we started building our workshop (and having babies!) We're scoping out additional shows this year, and we'll add some of them to the list next year.

Summer Goodies At Our Website

Our new pieces for this summer are up at Brigid's Forge. They include some carved castings with carnelians and the first of the belts. The belts didn't photograph as well as we hoped; we're more used to photographing silver. We had fun making our own leather stamps and playing with them. Leather stamps are over ten times easier to make than silver stamps.

Sneaky Sale at Dover

Dover Publications, publisher and reprinter of many interesting volumes, is having a stealth sale on their books. If you get the children's book catalog this summer, it'll tell you about a sale on Dover Books that lasts until July 31, 2006. The sale is on all their books, but it's not mentioned on their website or in their other catalogs. It's only mentioned in the children's catalog. That's not fair. Here's the code that you enter on the last line of any Dover order form to activate the sale. CCA6 gets you $10 off a $30 order. CCB6 gets you $20 off a $50 order, which also qualifies for free shipping.

Sunshine's new puppy has decided he needs company in the middle of the night. Guess who he insists provide it? He's too little to put out and too loud to put elsewhere.

Am I ever going to have a baby in this house who sleeps through the night?

Blogspot problems

It's my turn for Blogspot to intermittently mess up my account. I hear they get everyone from time to time, but this week is the first time it's happened to me. That's why I haven't posted anything this week. :(

15 Garments

4 pairs of shorts, 3 shirts, 2 nightgowns, and 6 dresses. That's how much I've sewn for the girls for their summer wardrobe. Not by any means the whole of it, but the way they keep growing up and not out I keep having to sew more for them every year. Looks like it will be even more in the fall.

I can see why families that sew a lot have restricted color choices too. I was tempted to restrict mine, but I'm trying to teach them to own their choices by picking out their own fabrics. Brighteyes informed me that her favorite color is no longer light pink. Light pink is for babies. Now it's hot pink. Sunshine experimented with yellow for a favorite color. It looks terrible on her, but I'd rather her find that out now with half a yard of $4.00/yd fabric that with a more expensive option later on.

I did restrict the patterns though. I used three of them. One shorts pattern for both girls, Sunshine just had less elastic. One shirt pattern for each girl. Shortened, the shirt became the bodice of a dress with a gathered skirt. Lengthened, it became a nightgown. I've got tons of patterns I could have used, but cutting it down to just three saved loads of time.

Now, I''ve got to sew a kimono for my husband. I found a grey-and-black Asian dragon print on sale, and I'll probably never find a more perfect fabric to make one out of. Then I get to sew for ME!

New Addition

We have a new addition to our family. Sunshine has a Lhasa Apso puppie named Brownie. Details to follow, I'm exhausted.