My Baby Had a Baby

Summer of P: Past

From 2017: Hi there, little one!

One of the favorite moments of my life.

When Auntie Jeanne and Auntie Jodie met baby Melody for the first time ... right before Jodie's wedding. Such a happy, happy month!

I keep very few photos on my phone. This is one of them.

Dressed for the Big Day

This weekend I spent several hours filing and finessing my digital photo library (a never-ending pursuit). In the process, I ran across the folder from Julie and Jeff's wedding just over two years ago. I took a few of the photos before the wedding, but the majority of the pictures were taken by Julie's friend and photographer Diana Fein.

 This photo of their cat, Fawkes, is so beautiful that I just had to share.

By the way, I made his bow tie.

The Newest Family at the Wedding

Here's another of my mother-in-law's photos from Jodie and Ken's wedding. Little Melody was only 2 weeks old and made the long trip across the state to be at her aunt's wedding. As you can see, she even has her own corsage ... that we smilingly referred to as a "Buttonniere."

Dale and Joany

Father-of-the-bride with his mom at Jodie and Ken's wedding.

Photo courtesy of Joany Steffan

The Hungry Couple

A few more photos from my daughter Jodie's wedding in early June are starting to surface. My mother-in-law took this one of Ken and Jodie during dinner.

It was an outdoor wedding, and the weather held during the ceremony. Then the clouds opened up and it started pouring. As I show the photos, you'll notice that many of us were wet. We all scurried into the little barn for the reception. It made for a very cozy celebration.

I like that you can see a bit of the lace and beading detail on Jodie's dress in this photo. That's Jodie's bouquet front and center.

Tiptoeing Back into Blogging

I took a week off from blogging out of utter exhaustion.

A week ago, my youngest daughter, Jodie, married the love of her life, Kenny. It was a lot of busy-ness in preparation. The bouquets. The corsages. The boutonnieres. Her gown. My accessories. A lot of travel. A lot of days away from home. Then the big event.

Our little Melody and her parents were able to make the long trip, too. That's quite a spate for someone only 2 weeks old.

In this last week I've been curled up in my sweats in the comfy armchair in the living room, watching TV and stitching, mostly. It's my best way to recharge. Plus, this is such a good look, don't you think?

So, I think I'm back, but slowly.

Air B&B

I had my very first experience with AirBnB this week. Jodie and Kenny's house filled up with out-of-town guests and members of the wedding party, so I stayed a couple nights at a bungalow in the historic part of Springfield, OR.

Every amenity was available, from soaps and towels to a fully stocked kitchen complete with food for breakfast. Books galore. Candles. Comfy beds. Plus the conveniences of WiFi and laundry facilities. It's absolutely charming and homey with little surprises in every room. For example, these roses were waiting for me, freshly picked from the yard!

I could live in a place like this.

I admit that I was very trepidatious when Jodie made the suggestion. But these accommodations far exceeded my expectations. I do believe I may try this again. It's been a home away from home, and a piece of peace away from wedding prep madness.

Bouquet Day

I spent today making the bouquets for the bridal party. A few last touches and they'll be done.

Tomorrow I take a crack at the bridal bouquet.

The Greeter

I arrived at Jodie's home this evening as we count down the days to her wedding and complete last minute preparations.

When I walked into the guest room, this little penguin pal popped up to greet me.

Jodie has definitely leveled up on hospitality skills - cruise ship style!

Finishing Touches

My part is complete.

All can be revealed after next weekend and trip to Oregon for a very special occasion.

Studio Morning

I spent most of this weekend in my Studio, working on my sewing project. The garment construction is going well. The fitting was better than expected. However, my tailoring skills are still growing. It's astonishing how much brain energy it takes to combine the creative process with engineering the angles and curves.

When I approached the Studio door this morning, my old Singer was waiting for me, eager to begin again.

[click for larger image]

 
My hat is off to all those contestants on Project Runway. It's not easy for me to create a garment in a week. How much more difficult to design and create a garment in a single day - only to do it day after day after day in a competition!

Sewing Progress

The basic shape of the dress is put together. I even managed to install an invisible zipper (for only the 2nd time in my life). The fabric is much more dreamy to work with than I was anticipating. The pattern drafting seems to be working so far.

Now all I need is a model to come for a fitting.

On the Cutting Table

I'm back in my Studio, working on a new sewing project. I finished drafting the pattern today.

Daisy Does It

It was Wedding Prep Central today at Jokes House. Handmade envelopes. Daisies. Wildflower seeds. Daisies. Centerpiece. Daisies. Ribbon. Daisies. Boutonnieres. Daisies. Corsages. Daisies. And a bouquet ... of daisies.

We made a lot of progress and the bride is feeling a little more at ease. The Mother of the Bride wishes she lived closer and could do even more to help in the wedding preparations.

Now daily life is calling. We'll be together again as soon as we can.


Photos by Jodie Davaz

A Day in the Life of this Traveler

Jodie and I spent the day tidying, cleaning, sorting, sharing stories, and laughing.

We started with a scrumptious waffle breakfast, followed by a quick trip to Fred Meyer for some car cleaning supplies. Then we gave her vehicle a good twice over - removing unneeded items, organizing needed items, vacuuming, Armour-All-ing the inside, and washing the outside.

As a reward for a job well done? Soup, salad and breadsticks at Olive Garden for our Easter supper. Then another stop at Fred Meyer to see if they had some car organization items for me (they didn't, so I placed an order on Amazon).

Back home, we poured through Pinterest and YouTube, getting a more firm grasp on how to make the bouquets, corsages, and boutonnieres for her wedding. Then we did an adhesives test on the party favors. We'll have the results tomorrow. Pro hint: never use E-6000 indoors without superior ventilation.

Next? Back to Fred Meyer for some wedding supplies (Thankfully, the store is only a couple blocks from her home). Since they don't carry all the supplies we need, and the store we need to purchase said items from was closed on Easter, we found more sorting and organizing fun in Jodie's craft room until bedtime.

The tulips? (Jodie took the photo). They are a gift from Kenny to Jodie. Jo placed this bouquet in my room to welcome me with beauty and color. She's a wonderful hostess, a thoughtful young woman, and an extremely fun companion. I'm so happy to have the love and friendship of this amiable daughter. Dale and I raised her, but she's blooming on her own.

Springfield Bound

Look who I get to spend the weekend with!

My bride, Jodie!

One Step Closer

Jodie and Ken plan to have a picnic wedding next June. They've reserved a special park that is significant to them. The wedding will be informal. Guests will sit at picnic tables.

So the saga of the wedding centerpieces continues.

Today we finished making all the polymer clay birds and baked them. Jodie is pretty sure she wants to use mason jars and baker's twine. She likes daisies and is considering fresh flowers or silk. If silk, she might attach the flowers to pens so the guests can use them to write a special message to the happy couple.

Here's a mock-up of our first idea. Jodie's maid of honor has some great suggestions to make this better.

Fresh Attempt

Jodie and I tried out a new-to-us craft today. We're making polymer clay birds.

If they turn out as we hope, these will be used in her table settings at her wedding next summer.

There is nothing quite like having crafting time in my Studio with my daughters.

Wedding Planning - Part 3

Guest blogger Jodie here. I really am the luckiest gal, you know?

First, my partner of nine years decides that it's a good time to Make It Official, so we get engaged. Then, my mom of 23 years (heh) decides that it's a good time to help me Make It Official, so she drives allllll the way to Portland to get me to stop wringing my hands, buckle down and make some solid plans.

That planning was yesterday's picture. Today's picture: the plans coming to fruition, possibilities blooming, excitement brimming. We went to Fabric Depot in Portland (at my Maid of Honor's suggestion — thanks, Marissa!) and ogled and petted the laces far more, I assume, than was appropriate. But, oh! Such pretty things. In the end, I think we'll go a different route: white-on-white cotton, perhaps, or eyelet cotton, since it'll be a pretty casual picnic-in-the-park wedding.

Now that Mom has successfully un-wrung my hands and gotten me genuinely excited about this whole wedding business, visiting a fabric store has sure started my wheels turning. Makes me think of the big measuring mat and rotary cutter waiting for me at home... and all the projects just waiting to come to life.

The Wedding Planners - Part 2

What a day we had today!

The morning was spent making lists, talking over ideas, and creating Pinterest boards. There are so many options available, and we wanted to narrow them down to those that fit this bride and groom.

Then we went shopping. Where, you ask? At a Goodwill Outlet! This is the place where items that don't sell in regular Goodwill thrift stores go to die ... or, more accurately, go to get sold by the pound!

We found a bolt of wide "white" fabric that will be just the ticket to make a muslin ... a dress before the dress ... to see how the pattern fits and if Mom has the chops to sew a suitable wedding gown. The fabric is "white" because, well, it WAS white at one point in it's life. There are large portions that are stained and dirty. But the fabric can be washed and used for the purpose at hand. We also found a few pieces of lace that will also be utilized on the mock-up dress.

We had about 11 pounds of "finds" ... and it all cost less than $20. We left the building "Junk Drunk." That's when you've waded through so many piles of stuff, and come out with usable finds, that you feel a little tipsy once you hit the fresh air outside the warehouse. What fun!

We celebrated with some soup, salad, and breadsticks at Olive Garden.

Life is good.