Another Lovely Week

I just finished eating supper on my back porch. It was raining gently and lots of little birds were flitting about in the trees, hiding from the raindrops. A bright scarlet cardinal landed on a branch right in plain view and I watched him shake the rain from his feathers and preen himself.

I never tire of watching nature unfold before me. So much can be learned by just observing animals going about their daily routines. This is what I like about Disney's Animal Kingdom and what I dislike about Sea World. At Disney, all the animals are free to roam about their spacious habitats and come and go as they please. They are provided the space to roam and all have a private place they can retreat to if they so desire. At Sea World the emphasis is on performance. Your interaction with the animals is mainly limited to watching them perform choreographed stunts. Yes, I know that Sea World also does animal rescue and tons of research. I'm not saying they're bad, I'm saying that I don't need the animals to perform for my entertainment. Just doing what they normally do is entertaining enough for me. Have you ever watched a family of lowland gorillas just hanging out one afternoon? Maybe you've seen a family of warthogs digging around in the dirt for some yummy grubs to eat. Of course you've seen a bunch of fruit bats munching on lunch. I'm so grateful that I have a place so close that affords me these kinds of opportunities.

I'm also grateful for the wonderful fabric store where I work. The Sewing Studio is teeming with people who nurture my creativity. Both fellow employees and customers alike. Earlier this week I waited on the mother of Alice Leverett. I met Alice several years ago at Disney's annual Teddy Bear and Doll Weekend at EPCOT. We have kept in touch ever since. She does amazing work. Please check out her website and see for yourself. Yesterday Greg Ortiz came in to buy materials to finish some dolls for an upcoming show. Greg's work is breathtaking. He is also a warm and generous human being. A couple of months ago I waited on a nice young lady named Kelledy who is an up and coming local designer. We started talking and I mentioned that I was a doll's dressmaker and she mentioned that her grandmother was the late Fawn Zeller. You can learn a little more about her here. As well as meeting these wonderful people that I can now call friends, I also work with wonderful people who have been sewing all their lives and together can answer any question you could think of about sewing, quilting, fabric and related arts. To top it all off, the owners of the store, Patty and Mark, are two of the most thoughtful, generous and hard working folks I have ever had the privilege of knowing. They too, are not only my bosses, but also my friends. They have been personally instrumental in helping me to grow as a person and have given me a stable and nurturing environment when the rest of my life seemed a shambles. I look forward to going to work every day for the first time in my life. Need one ask for anything more?

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Unfinished Business

This is the prototype for the skirts that are in my Etsy shop. It is going to be for me to keep so I only finished it as far as I needed to to work out the fit and design. That was more than a year ago. I think it's high time I finally finish it so my doll can change out of her only other outfit. I think I'm going to finish it differently than the others but I'm not quite sure how. I'll probably make it up as I go along. That's how I usually do it. Let's see what happens. *^_^*

The Mail Fairy came today...

...and this adorable fabric is what he brought me. Purchased from Etsy seller Modish Vintage. I ordered it on the 9th and it arrived in three days, how's that for great service? I fell in love the minute I laid eyes on it. It has already been washed, dried, lovingly folded and placed in my stash. I even whispered sweet nothings in it's ear! *^_^*

Inspirations

Here are a few of my favourite places on the net.

• Elsita's blog, I just recently discovered this blog and fell instantly in love. She is a renaissance woman. She paints, draws, papercuts, stitches and writes amazing stories among about a zillion other things. Check out her Etsy store and I'm sure you'll find something that speaks to your heart. I recently bought this incredibly detailed and sensitively drawn paper doll named Kiki. You can read about her here.
• Made With Love by Hannah. This girl shares my aesthetic. You can never have too many hearts, squirrels or cuckoo clocks. Throw on a little ric-rac and you've created a masterpiece. Don't forget to click on "made with love by Grandma".
• Speaking of squirrels, if you need fabric that is just too cute for words, check out ReproDepot Fabrics and head straight for the Japanese imports.
• This BJD is the reason I get out of bed every morning. I have been waiting for her to be available again for 19 months (not that I'm obsessed or anything ;o) When I can finally afford to bring her home she is gonna have the most amazing wardrobe. I have been collecting fabrics, notions and ALOT of ric-rac in preparation for her arrival. I have already chosen her name, Sophie Alice. She will have pink mohair hair like cotton candy and deep magenta eyes. STOP ME! I could talk about her 'til your ears bleed. (BTW - she has pointed ears - she's an Elf!)
• Last but not least, if you want to know everything about Blythe, go here (check out Blythe Theater) and here. Chances are you'll get hooked too and stay up until 2AM Googling a gazillion websites with pics and cool stuff to buy for this mesmerizingly cool little girl. Here's one to get you started.

That's it for now. I hope you have a Super Saturday! *^_^*

The View from Here...

My favourite place in my new apartment is my back porch. I can sit here and watch the birds and squirrels play in the trees while the neighbor's children play down below.

In the coming months I hope to share with you a little of what it's like to live here in Central Florida and a lot of what I like to create. I have been a doll collector all my life, but since finding Blythe and Asian ball jointed dolls my collecting has taken a whole new turn. The BJD's have led my fondness for antiques to become a passion for tracking down old linens and laces to transform into new finery for the dolls. I have begun quilting in order to create bedclothes for the vintage and antique doll beds I have found. I also look for tiny teacups and saucers, butter pats and sewing paraphernalia to bring their world to life. I hope you will join me in my quest to find beauty and meaning in life through artistic creation. Welcome *^_^*