Ed is 7

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, EDGRRR!!!!

I can't believe he is 7 already! He was 10 months when we moved down to FL, just a young punk. He still hasn't grown up much, still a rowdy clown but always lovey, happy and smiling.

Many more, big guy! Many more.........................

What a Difference a Day Makes

When I woke up yesterday it was 75 degrees, with humidity it felt like 80. Today when I woke up and it is 50 degrees and with the wind it feels like 45. I love the cooler weather!

This has been the warmest October since we moved here. It has been hot and humid and hopefully it is over!

I have been sick and also started a new part time job so there has been little of anything going on here.

Birthday Dinner

A friend of ours celebrated his 58th birthday on Friday so we had him and his lovely wife over for a nice dinner. The Husband out did himself and served a 5 course meal along with an amuse-bouche. I was in charge of the bar.

We started with a cocktail - Caribbean Romance


Then came the Amuse-bouche - Tuna Poke salad with Ginger-infused chilled Vodka (which we infused ourselves). The fish gravel on the plate was my idea, it's so pretty!


First Appetizer - Pan-seared fresh Gulf Shrimp on a Grit cake topped with bacon and tomato in a shrimp stock and cream reduction. Served with Red Diamond 2005 Chardonnay.



Second Appetizer - Fresh Gulf Flounder en papillote with a tomato parmesan cream sauce with garlic bread. Served with Red Diamond 2005 Chardonnay.



Salad course - roquette, pear and goat cheese with lemon-pomegrante dressing drizzled with a pomegrante reduction.


Main Course - Rack of Lamb with a port wine reduction, mashed potatoes and asparagus. Served with Red Diamond 2005 Merlot.


Dessert Course - Sticky Date and Almond Bread Pudding with Amaretto Zabaglione. Served with Whiskers Blake Classic Tawny Port

Okay, sorry, no picture of the dessert. It was late, I was full and tipsy by this time. I forgot!

Here is the Birthday Boy with his Lovely Wife:


What I Wore to the Birthday Dinner


Nothing I made, all bought a Beall's Outlet.

It was a great dinner, good food, good drinks and best of all good company!

What I Wore........

My post on What I Wore When I Cut the Grass was so much fun I thought I'd do another one. So here we have:

What I Wore When I Worked Out.......


Here are the particulars:

Leggings - ancient (I'm surprised they fit)
Racer-back Top - 4 yrs old

That's it!

Workout Partner


I try and workout 5 days a week alternating between weights/boxing and what I call Crazy Dancing/Boxing. No one, and I mean no one see's me doing my Crazy Dancing except this little guy:



Every morning he is on the retaining wall outside my sewing room window where this activity takes place. Sometimes he even gets into with me, bobbing his head up and down or weaving back and forth. He stays there the whole time. I put on quite a show for him!

Fido Friday

ED



Oy, too much wine last night!

One Done .......Many to Go!

New Look blouse 6598 is done and in the bag, or should I saw wash (need to get those buttonhole marks off). I won't bore you with a picture of the buttonholes, they came pretty good, equal size and straight! All in all, I like it and will probably make more.

Next up was to be S5306. The short brown wrap version.


I say was because after doing a quickie muslin I didn't like the construction method. It is really meant for fleece or shearling. I have hi-lo corduroy and I want to line it with hot pink flannel backed satin. I just don't think I am experienced enough to make it work. So I searched the pattern sites and found a pattern I like a whole lot more and it is lined.

So now S5197 will be my new winter coat.



I actually like it better, not quite as bulky. And hey, I may need a pair of wide legged bell-bottoms someday, I hear they're making a comeback!

While I wait for this pattern (and a few others I couldn't resist) arrive I will work on another new blouse pattern B4659.


I am going to make the purple version, you can't see them well in this picture but they have 3/4 length belled sleeves. The style is similar to one I just made but with a little more flair.

I will be using this fabric:



Which is an older Robert Kaufman cotton from my stash. Sorry the picture isn't great but this fabric looks great with jeans.

That's it, off I go Top Chef is on tonight!

Almost Done

New Look 6598

I am almost finished with this blouse. I made a muslin of it several months ago and it fit nicely so I thought I would try it with the short sleeves in a little nicer cotton fabric. I made it just a tich longer (5/8") but other than that nothing out of the ordinary. The sleeves are snug but I still have full range of motion. It may work better with a cotton with a little stretch to it. I have the buttonholes and back hem to finish and possibly top-stitching all around the facing to keep it in place. I plan to finish it on Monday but had my camera out so thought I'd put up a preview.


I don't think the fabric photographs well because of the tiny print on it, it is red with a tiny black/white print. Doesn't look like much on the hanger but it is a nice classically simple blouse.
Fast and easy.

Chrome Toes



I am sure most of you don't really want to see my feet, but I just thought this polish was so cool. The Husband said my toes looked like something from an alien cyborg...sigh...he is so romantic!

Late Summer Harvest


These are banana peppers. They are normally yellow when ripe, but when I brought them in the house and left them for a few days on the counter they turned these gorgeous shades of orange. They are quite tastey.