meet Astrid the aqua sewing machine! {+ what I've been up to lately}...

 

 Isn't she a beaut?

She's actually a bit darker colored in person.

(It's so hard to get a good pic indoors.)

My sweet parents made my day year by buying me this retro chic sewing machine in my favorite color.

She'll be perfect for stitching up more bedsheet dresses such as...

 

 

this one that I made this past week.

 

 

 ~*~

I've also been doing a bit of decorating.

 

 

These pink wall pocket baskets were a steal of a deal for 70 cents from a favorite antique mall that was {sadly} closing. The faux strawberry plants were dissected from a thrift store find for $3.50.
{Isn't faux such a much nicer way to say fake? *wink*}

 

 

This sweet planter from Target, reminiscent of a vintage head vase, was originally intended to have a succulent atop her head, but I think that this pink yarn bun fits my style even better! Doesn't she look like a giant egg cup though? *giggles*

 

 

This wire wastebasket was from the dollar section of Target for $3!

It makes such fun & cute storage for extra yarn leftover from previous projects.

 

 

The colors of this baby blankie I made for a friend's baby girl make me think of yummy saltwater taffy.

 

 

Though it may be in the 90s still outside in my neck of the woods,

inside our house it is decidedly Autumnal,

September 1st being our un-official first day of Fall.
Lovely 70s are forecast for next week though.
I can hardly wait for crisp air, colorful crunchy leaves, snuggly sweaters, & sturdy boots.

 

What have you been up to?

 

Much love,

Miss Michelle ^_^

the colors of my life...

When I was a little girl I sang in our local civic chorale's youth chorus for a few years. We sang a wide variety of types of songs from show tunes to Psalms to oldies. {and one weird song about an ocelot of all things, "Saucy Little Ocelot", which contained the line "Saucy little ocelot, likes to fuss & boss a lot." Which my friend who sat next to me during practice & I thought perfectly described another girl in the group. We would elbow each other & try to keep from giggling...but I digress...}

 One of the show tunes we sang was called The Colors of My Life from the musical Barnum (which I've never actually seen.)

 

Some song lyrics tend to take up residence in my brain and never leave.

Such as the lines

 

"The colors of my life are bountiful & bold." sung by the fella

 

and

 

"The colors of my life are softer than a breeze." sung by the lady.

 

Every so often I think about these words & I wonder which color schemes would I use to characterize my life?

I really like both bountiful & bold AND softer than a breeze colors.

The only colors I'm not too terribly fond of are neons.

And in moderation even they can be tolerable.

 

Picking out colors for a new knit or crochet project is one of my favorite parts of the whole creative process. I love trying different color combinations. Nothing pleases my eye so much as just the right balance of colors. In my life there is a time & place for bright & cheery as well as pastel & pretty. I like to incorporate them both into my wardrobe & décor.

 

Since it was the lady who mentioned the gentle colors we'll take a look at some of those first.

{Ladies first ya know.} ^_~

 

 

 gentle

 

 

peaceful

 

 

lovely

 

 

calming

 

 

cozy

 

 

like a relaxing day at the beach

 

 that's what I think when I see pastels.

 

~*~

 

Now as to all things bright and beautiful...

 

fresh & juicy

 

 

cheerful

 

 

playful

 

energizing

*like a cup of coffee for your eyes*

 

 

warm

 

 

 like childhood summer days

 

 

That's what I think of when I see cheery brights.

^_^

 

As you can see I've been keeping busy with granny square blankies.

They are my most recent obsession, and they lend themselves very well to experimenting with different color palettes. I've just started on one I've been calling "pastel rainbow" while also working on a vintage beachy sweater in pale coral, light blue, & white. {Seen in some of the pics at the top.}

 

~*~

 

So these are the colors of my life.

Both light & lovely AND bright & beautiful.

 

What colors do you prefer?

Is there a certain scheme of colors that characterizes your life?

 

Much Love,

Miss Michelle ^_^

{Photos by me apart from the one of Mema & me. That was taken by Aunt Liz.}





a daytrip to a favorite vintage sale & tea room...

One of my favorite things about the warmer weather months are flea markets & vintage sales.
On Saturday I went on a little day trip to Morris, Illinois

with 2 of my sisters, my 2 nieces, & my sisters' Mother-in-law, Jan.

{My sisters married brothers. Don't worry it's legal.} ;)

Morris is just the sweetest little town!

They have oodles of cool shops & boutiques, and the best little tea room.

The reason for this trip was the 3 French Hens Country Market.

Oh, what fun it was! :D

There were loads of vintage delights, crafts, fresh produce,
 & much more at this terrific outdoor market.
I didn't end up buying a thing, {apart from my lunch} but I sure did have a lovely time!



{Posing by a cute vintage bike with my niece Abbey & perusing vintage fashions.}

They had such cute vintage clothes for sale!



The market was located right next to this picturesque canal.



Beth & Abbey bought this cute little wicker umbrella basket thingy.

Kelsey {a former ballerina} can spot tulle from a mile away.

I so wanted to give this adorable dress a nice new home in my closet,

but, alas, it was out of my price range. *sniffle*

Letty Mae's is the sweet little tea shop I mentioned earlier.

I just love it there! Everything is so pretty & vintage.

It's down an alleyway that gives you the feeling of being in Paris - with no plane ticket required!

They were already full inside so we had to sit outside.

I'm so thankful we did! It was such a lovely day.  

A vintage *pink* washing machine being used as a planter. Adorbs!



They serve their beverages in these cute mason jars with paper straws!



Naturally, we all had to have our pictures taken drinking out of said straws.



No attention to detail is spared - note the hankies & doilies sewn onto the umbrellas.



 They serve such yummy {& pretty} food!

 I ordered their tasty chicken salad with strawberries in it!

This chilled strawberry soup is so delish.

 

After we'd eaten our fill we hit the shops downtown.

A good time was had by all!

 

~*~

Have you been to any flea markets or tea rooms lately?

 

{Photos by Beth, Jan, & me!}

 



in my Easter bonnet...

I hope you all enjoyed a splendid Easter!

I sure did.

It was such a beautiful day with highs in the mid 60s and gloriously bright sunshine.

(Perfect weather in my estimation.)

We attended church in the morning, of course, and heard a wonderful sermon on the latter part of the 5th chapter of John. We've been working our way through the gospel of John for a couple months. Then we returned home for a delicious Easter luncheon of ham, cheesy taters, salads, asparagus, & Hawaiian rolls. (I love those sweet things.)

Oh, and pie, but we'll talk about that later.

After dessert we had a little egg hunt for the kiddos. I had fun filling the eggs with candy the night before, making sure to sample each different kind of candy for quality control. ;)

Each wee one received a special egg that contained a couple Bible verses {1 Peter 2:24 & John 3:16} just a little reminder of the reason for our celebration.

 

~*~

 

I actually completed my Easter ensemble a few days before.
 {Which is kind of a big deal for me.} ;)

No staying up late feverishly knitting or sewing to finish the night before the big day, my normal modus operandi.

I'm so pleased with how my outfit turned out.

I thought I'd share it with you dear ones. :)

 



 

Outfit details:

 Suit: Thrifted // Sweater: Me made // Hat: Antique Store Find // Shoes: Miss L Fire via eBay // Earrings: LC Lauren Conrad at Kohls // Brooch: 1986 Hallmark from Mom :)
(I wish I would've gotten a closeup of the brooch. It's a basket full of eggs & a bunny!)
 

 

I did decide to wear my new vintage hat even though it is black.

{Which Mom said is against The Rules, but she said I probably could get away with it. Thankfully the fashion police never nabbed me. Phew!} ;)

I wore it slightly back on my head in the 1940s style to frame my Victory Rolls. Although I think it may actually be from the 50s and meant to sit right on top of your head. Oh well, I can wear it like that too.

I don't really know hats very well...

In any case, it was loads of fun to wear an "Easter bonnet." :D

 



 

This lovely lavender Pendleton wool suit my sister, Beth, thifted for me needed a slight makeover.

I just love "Before & After" pics and I assume everyone else does too, so here ya go!

 



{Kitty just had to be in the picture.}

I had to cut four inches off the bottom of the jacket to make it fit my 5 foot 1 inch frame and to make it fit the look I was going for.

With the cut off fabric I made these sweet bows!

{I kind of have a thing for bows...}

Since I cut those four inches off the pockets were only a couple inches deep, which I thought looked a little silly. The bows were a good solution to cover this up & add some cuteness! I also shortened the sleeves by an inch. I had planned to shorten the skirt by an inch or so as well, but decided against it. It was so beautifully and professionally finished I thought it a shame to take that all apart for a meager inch adjustment. A tailor I am not. I actually loathe alterations. {I prefer to make things from scratch.} I really don't like to do alterations for other people. {Terrified to do so actually.} I don't care what my linings look like, but others probably would, so...
 



 

I'm really pleased with how my Vintage Leaf Sweater turned out! I think it deserves its own blog post at some future date. :D This is the sort of sweater that you must put on before doing your hair. Since there are no buttons at the neck it can be a bit of a tight squeeze.

It's such a beautiful shade of blue, isn't it? It has the faintest tinge of aqua.

 

 

 I don't think I'll make it again though. Well, at least not for a good while. The "leaf" part of the pattern just didn't flow easily. I usually can memorize lace patterns after repeating them a few times. This one just refused to be committed to memory, therefore I had to look at the directions continually instead of just glancing at them every so often like I prefer. I still think that's just the dearest little collar though! I can always use it on something else, or just knit this sweater in plain stockinette stitch or do cables. Ooo, the wheels are turning now! The sleeves are a great length too. I'll definitely employ them in another knit as well!

 

~*~

 

One of my sweet nephews, Jack, had the cutest little outfit on.

He was just too cute not to include in this post.

I wish I would've gotten pictures of all my dear nieces & nephews. Ah well, there's always next year I guess. I meant to photograph the egg hunt too. Bah!

 

Auntie will resort to tickling to entice wee ones to smile in pictures. :} With a face like that it's pretty easy to forgive him for getting into & devouring your chocolate stash while he's supposed to be taking a nap in your room. True story. When confronted and asked whether he ate all Aunt Shell's chocolate he replies: "Uh-huh! Mmm yum yum!" {He still pretty much only speaks Caveman.}
That's his Momma, my beautiful sister Beth, in the lovely rose print dress. (She's the one who got me this suit!)

~*~

 Oh, I said something about pie, right?
Here it is!
 

 

Lattice topped peach, coconut cream, & that one smothered in whipped cream is strawberry!

Yummy!

 

~*~

 

What did you do for Easter?

 

Do you wear many hats?

{If so, any guesses what era mine is from?}

 

Want a slice of pie?

{Oops! Never mind, they're all gone, sorry!}

 

{Photos by Mom, Beth, & me!}



beach belle sweater & new shoes{!}...

Hello dearies!

How are you all doing this fine last day of March?

Can you believe it's already nearly April?

We've had some very fine weather off & on around here,

& it makes me pull out my warm weather clothes a little prematurely.

Such as the outfit I'm wearing in this post.

The bright sunshine that day deceived me into thinking it was warmer than it actually was 

& I ended up leaving the house without a jacket.

Big mistake.

Especially since a movie night was planned that evening at Kels' house.

While I was able to brave the cold in the bright sunshine,

there was just no way I'd be able to once the sun had set.

So, I ended up borrowing a snuggly blankie for the ride home.

Zebra print, no less. Quite a sight I was, I'm sure!

 

~*~

 

I made this Raglan Sweater with Bow from the Debbie Bliss booklet Beach Belles.

This is my 2nd favorite DB booklet, following closely after her Land Girl booklet,
it has such a 1950s vibe. I just adore all 6 designs it contains.
This sweater was made with Amalfi yarn, a lovely blend of cotton, rayon, linen, & silk,
which is now discontinued. I think this may be the first time I've made a sweater in the same color illustrated in the pattern photos! I usually do my own thing, but I just loved this blue - so nautical. I especially like the boatneck & bow featured on this knit.

 



Outfit details:
 Sweater: Me made // Jeans:  LC Lauren Conrad from Kohls //
Shoes: Miss L Fire ~ Sundae Heels via eBay // Cherry Clip-on Earrings: Vintage find

Kels has this sweet little playhouse & I thought it so looked like one of those vintage beach huts seen on British beaches. (And, featured in the Beach Belles booklet!)
It makes the perfect background for these pics.

 



 

I had a lot of fun using the nautical stickers on PicMonkey to adorn my photos.

Every time I see an anchor the old hymn "We Have an Anchor" pops into my head.

So, all the while I was editing these pics

 

"We have an anchor that keeps the soul
Steadfast and sure while the billows roll,
Fastened to the Rock which cannot move,
Grounded firm and deep in the Savior’s love."

 

kept rambling around in my head. :)

 

~*~

 

I bet you all are just itching to see a close-up of my shoes!

Well, here ya go! ;)

Aren't they just the cutest thing.

Seriously the cutest pair of shoes I own.

Just look at those sweet little strawberries!

I think I need some strawberry print fabric to make a dress to match, don't you?

 



 

I've been having more success with my Victory Rolls!

I tried pulling my bangs back too, and it works smashingly!

I've been using Not Your Mother's Beach Babe Salt Spray in my hair before blow drying, & putting in my hot rollers. It really helps give my hair that needed texture for more "Victorious" Victory Rolls. (As Esther said in her comment on my VR post, which I found extremely hilarious.) ;)

I haven't tried it with a wet set yet. (Hey, that rhymes!)

I'll see how it works that way in the near future.

 



Come summertime you'll find me in Kels' hammock.

(Mostly because it's really hard to hoist yourself out of it once you're in.) :P

 



 

All I need now is nice cold glass of lemonade or sweet tea.

And, I'll just stare at my new shoes.

Just kidding. I'll knit.
 {And glance at my shoes at regular intervals.}

~*~

I've been working away on my suit for Easter.
I'm really excited about the way it's coming along!
 My vintage leaf sweater is just about to cross the finish line as well.
I can't wait to see how they look together. :D
We host my Dad's side of our family on Easter & I'm always in charge of the pies.
It's kind of my thing. ;) I plan on making a couple fresh strawberry, a peach,
& this adorable pie shared by Jessica on Chronically Vintage. :)
Yummies!

~*~

Have you jumped the gun with warm weather clothes?

Are you making preparations for an Easter celebration?

Which pie would you dig into first? :D

 

{Photos snapped by Kelsey. Edited by Moi.}