Real men wear aprons!!!

About a week ago my mom gave me 4 more aprons .... 2 of them were hers and 2 of them were my grandmother's (my mother's mother). I think all 4 aprons are from the 1940's and/or the 1950's.....ANYHOW, I wanted to have someone model these aprons and , unless some of my niece's or Matt's girlfriend is visiting, we have an acute shortage of girls around here .... hmmmmm what to do, what to do ......


......bribe Evan and his buddy Tyler to model them!!!! (if you click on the picture you'll get a clearer view of all the details, such as the gaping hole in the armpit of Evans' shirt, those ridiculously baggy shorts ....oh, and the aprons ....) I know it looks like they're about to have a sword fight with that huge spoon and fork, but they were pointing to the sign above the window that says "It's a Wonderful Life". So....anyhow, you may be wondering how I was able to persuade these two to put aprons on .....well, like I said, they can be bought .... not with money, but with .....

....Toaster Strudels ..... two boxes .... EACH !!!! (These kids drive a hard bargain, but I think I can meet with their demands...)

Anyhow, let me get back to the original reason for this post, THE APRONS !!!

Here we have Evan modeling his great grandmother's full length apron .... this apron has the tiniest baby ric rac trim on the pockets and above that flirty little ruffle ... (as I recall,however, my grandmother's baggy gym shorts, LONG hairy legs, and BIG feet didn't quite make as much of a statement as Evan's does, but she was pretty low key ...)

Next we have dainty Tyler sporting another one of my grandmother's everyday aprons ... this blue floral half apron has a cute heart shaped pocket ....oh, and don't make fun of Tyler in his pretty apron or he may just pound you into the ground....

......and there's that Evan again ... adding his own special twist to this pretty white apron with the floral accents ..... that is slung low so that it sits below both your baggy gym shorts with the crotch riding at about knee level AND a bonus of your plaid boxers sticking out of the top! (I don't know why my mother didn't wear it this way......) I think with this outfit Evan will make quite the splash at his next dirtbike race .... the green leaves on the floral accents of the apron pick up the green color of his Kawasaki KX250 very nicely !

And , now on to our evening wear ...... next we have Tyler modeling what all Defensive Tackles will be wearing this season......

..... a mohawk with their football jersey numbers carved into the back of their heads AND this filmy baby blue organza hostess apron with the pretty white ric rac trim ..... isn't it DREAMY !!!!












Well that concludes our little apron fashion show .... we hope you've enjoyed it. Evan and Tyler .... take a bow .... hey, where are you guys? .....

.....oh, of course .... in front of the tv..... they said to tell you all that aprons are quite comfy for laying around on the sofa playing X-box "MX vs ATV Untamed".

OK ... gotta go and get my aprons off of those guys.... looks to me like they're getting a little too attached to them!

Be back soon !
Toodles,
Mary Anne (aka Mare)

We'll take ours in fabric, thank you.....

About 2 weeks ago, hubby Dave took our 2 boys on a mountain biking vacation for 6 days to Vermont and Lake Placid ..... I was only invited if I could A) keep up with them, or B) not mind sitting by myself all day and then have dinner all set for them when they returned ....... uh, NO THANKS!! ..... however, I do believe I'll take my share of my unused vacation expenses IN FABRIC !!!! (good idea, HUH?!?!?!?!!!!).... so, after work today I called an expert in spending other people's money........... yes, Miss Kitty .... and look at her .... she's too much, really .... she thinks she's famous now that she's been on the blog a few times and she doesn't want the papparazzi to hound her for photos so she's wearing a babushka and sunglasses to disguise herself..... jeeze!! Well, anyhow .....



.....we hit the open road and headed for our favorite local hangout ....my friend Kelly's quilt shop The Quiltery in Weissport, Pa.



...Kitty picking out some choice fabrics ...


....and parking herself right in the middle of the fabric Judy was measuring and cutting ..... just to make sure it's done right! (she's lucky Judy is such a good sport .... if it were me, I think I'd knock her across the room!!!)


......and where is Kelly? well, she's at the Hershey Quilt Show today through Sunday ... so if you go to the quilt show, be sure and find Kelly and grab one of these fliers (that one that Kitty is posing next to .... click on the picture to enlarge it so you can read it better ) .... anyhow, if you then bring the flier back to her quilt shop you get 30% off !!!! How fun is that !!!!
Ok ... so here's the GREAT fabric Kitty and I picked out today .....


....OOohhh!!! I believe I'm hyperventilating!!! I could just eat this stuff up it's so yummy !!!! or.....


.....roll around on it and hide under it .......







...anyway .... how do you think Kitty and I did? Did we get enough fabric to equal the cost of a 6 day mountain biking vacation? or just enough to equal what it cost in gas to drive there and back from Pa? Hmmmmmmmm......... I'm thinking I could probably go out and buy a new sewing machine yet and THEN we'd be about even (cause did I mention hubby's new toy in the garage .... a spiffy new motorscooter .... well, it was new last summer ... but whatever ..... )

.... and, on another note, back to my first post from this morning about the cable guy (who turned out to be a cable girl).... I feel like Cinderella because our old email is done as of midnight tonight and then we have to set up a new email .... so, like I said this morning, I hope this doesn't mess me up here in Blogland .... cause then I'll be a bit cranky about that and have to either go out and buy chocolate OR more fabric .... and in the interest of keeping my butt from expanding from sea to shining sea, I think I'll take out my frustrations by buying more fabric and try and leave the chocolate alone!

....OK Blogland neighbors .... be back soon (I hope!)

Toodles.
Mary Anne (aka Mare)

A quick note

Hi Blogland neighbors ! I have to write this REALLY fast .... because the guy just pulled up in the driveway in his truck .... the "change everything guy" .... hubby dear decided he would get a better deal , one of those package deals on the phone, tv, and internet , if he changes everything to our local cable company ..... which , I think means we have to change our email and I don't know what else computer wise.... I will not be a pleasant camper if my happy place in Blogland gets goofed up!!! So, (rats, he keeps ringing that doorbell....) hopefully I'll be back sooner rather than later ... and hopefully the teenage tech support around here will help me out with a happy little smile on their faces if I need it to get back to the Blogland neighborhood!!

Be back soon !(I hope!)
Toodles,
Mary Anne (aka Mare)

Sun, Surf, Sand ..... AND a QUILT SHOP !!!

Yoohoo! Hi there Blogland neighbors! We're back from our brief vacation in Ocean City, NJ.

... so now you get to sit through all of my vacation pictures !!! LUCKY YOU!! (but the good thing is I won't be able to see you nod your head as if you're really interested, or yawn and walk away from the computer screen .... so I'll just blather on about our vacation now ....)

....we had perfect beach weather ... it was HOT and SUNNY .... as in these guys (especially Matt on the left with the PINK chest) should have applied a bit more suncreen!!!! OUCH !!! (anyhow, that's The Big Cheese in the back (aka hubby Dave) with sons Matt and Evan)
....Evan cooling off in the water ...

....(this was a game of "sandball" .... played in the water and on the beach .... made up by my kids .... it consists of throwing a blob of wet sand packed into a hard ball at your brother .... and not hitting Erin with it (Erin is Matt's girlfriend .... she was brave enough to spend 3 days at the shore with this family .... now she's probably thinking that her own family isn't so bad after all !!)

.....Evan, Dave (not paying attention to the fact that I was taking a group picture!), Erin, and Matt relaxing on the beach ....

.....Kitty was busy flirting with the lifeguards and wasn't available for the group picture .... so she had to have her picture taken later, by herself, which she prefers since that way she can be the star!
..... ANYWAY, we also did alot of walking on the beach .....

....these pictures were taken in Strathmere , which is the next little town after Ocean City .... no boardwalk ... lots of natural beach and shells, etc.

....Sheesh!! it would be nice if somebody, ANYBODY would WAIT for me once in awhile!
















....anyhow, besides walking on the beach, we also walked on the boardwalk .... you just can't go to the New Jersey shore without "walking the boards" ....all kinds of fun "beachy" shops, every yummy artery clogging kind of junk food you could ever desire, tons of rides , mini golf, and a water park ....
...again ... can you three please WAIT for me?!?!
...what a GREAT beach cruiser!
... believe it or not, all Evan got at this food place was fresh squeezed lemonade .....







Now for most people the beach and the boardwalk would make for a complete vacation ....but not me .... oh no .... the fact that 13 years ago I stumbled over this place ....
....always makes me REALLY look forward to a vacation in Ocean City, NJ!!! This is "Calico 'n Cotton" Quilt shop on Asbury Ave. (I don't think they have a website, but their address is 715 Asbury Ave, Ocean City, NJ and the phone # is (609)-399-7166). Let me take you inside and show you all the FUN STUFF !!!

.....SEE !!! another GREAT reason to go to Ocean City, NJ!!!!
...... I could almost forget about all that yummy boardwalk food and spend all my time in this place with all this eye candy!! ......and don't think for a minute that I had any sort of self control and walked out of that cute quilt shop without buying stuff!!!!(and they just happened to have a "Christmas In July" sale going on while I was there .... how convenient!!!)....anyhow, look at the fabrics, etc that I just couldn't resist!
....polka dots and stripes ...
....more polka dots and some Mary Englebreit fabric...
...LOVE that HUGE green ric rac and that little baby blue cotton ric rac .... AND those GORGEOUS fabrics!!
.....I just couldn't pass up these fun prints!
..... and even MORE polka dots and a stray plaid ! I'd say I now have enough fabric to sink a ship!!!!





Well Blogland neighbors, you've been very polite to sit through this LONG vacation post ..... hello, hello.... you're still there aren't you?..... anyhow, I must now run along and get busy with that pile of wet, sandy bathing suits and beach towels ... and THEN maybe I can play with my new fabrics (I still have 2 more days of vacation until I go back to work) .... but first maybe I should see about getting the floor of the pink sewing room reinforced ....

Be back soon!

Toodles,
Mary Anne (aka Mare)

Heading to the shore !!!!

.....I'm packing up my sunglasses, my beach towel, my flowered bathing cap, some new magazines, a good book (Fannie Flagg's ....."Standing in the Rainbow") , my beach bag, and a take along quilting/stitching project or two (hey Sharon .... note NO ZIPLOC BAG !!!...just that cute zippered pouch you made me!) .....and I'm packing all this fun stuff because we're going to the shore (the New Jersey shore) for 3 days!!! We're leaving tomorrow.
Now, unlike me, some people just do NOT know the meaning of the phrase...."Pack Light"....

...SHEESH !!! Kitty, you've got everything but the kitchen sink loaded on that car!! How can you see to drive?!?! We're only going for 3 days, NOT 3 months!!

Well, anyway, I'd better finish packing up a few last items ....

.....well, a girl wants to have a choice of shoes to wear on vacation, now doesn't she?!?!





Be back in a few days!

Toodles,
Mary Anne (aka Mare)

A list is made to be broken !!!

OK, so I try to be organized and stick to the task at hand .... so I made out my list and went to Walmart and bought this stuff (which was all on my list). Then, as my husband points out, I should then proceed to the check out and CHECK OUT !! ... however, he does not understand the "browse and shop" method of shopping ... which takes place during or after the collecting of the stuff on your list .... he does not understand that just because you have the stuff on your list it doesn't mean you're finished "shopping" .... NO! ... "shopping" means a leisurely stroll through the store/mall just to see what they've got and if you want it.... so, here's some of what Walmart had and I wanted ....(I should have quit while I was ahead because now I have some "splainin' to do" to "Ricky Ricardo" about how much $ I spent!!)

..OK, so first I spotted the "cutest buttons on the planet " buttons .... then I located those polka dot fabrics to go with them ..... and thought... "apron and chef hat" or "tote bag!" (I don't know why guys don't like shopping more, it's so much like a sport ... or like hunting , don't ya think?).

...next I found that green polka dot fabric and remembered I had white with green polka dot fabric at home that this would go with .... then I hunted down big and little buttons, of course to go with it all ..... and again I'm thinkin' "apron and chef hat" or tote bag .... or, of course, any of this stuff could at any moment go in a quilt.....

....and THEN, MORE cute buttons!!!! and that striped fabric (which I knew would go so well with that multi colored polka dot stuff I already had at home!) .... AND ric rac to match!!!! ..... and what would I like to make out of this "I like it so much I could just slobber all over it " fabric? .... what da ya think? ..... an apron and matching chef hat with a big fat bow on it ... OR a tote bag ..... OR a fun quilt!
......then I found these cool and breezy fabrics that I thought would make up nicely from these patterns I bought about a month ago.... OR, this fabric would also make some cool and comfy summer jammies!












......OR....

.....it could join these other light and airy fabrics from my stash to make a sweet summer quilt! ....in my spare time, of course .... HA!!! I don't know who I'm kidding with all of these big plans!!! I just spent all my free time SHOPPING and then PLAYING around matching all the new stuff up with stuff from my messy stash and now I don't have any time left over to actually SEW .... at least not for the next few days, anyhow..... BUT, I can keep these pretty little piles of ideas out where I can see them (and look longingly at them as I pass by doing a zillion other things I'm supposed to be doing) .... while Daisy lounges all over them .... and then, one of these days I'll reach the breaking point and I'll just say the heck with what I'm supposed to be doing, and I'll get that tape roller thing out and use it to get the cat hair off of one of those piles of fabrics, and I'll just have my way with it(the fabric, that is)!!!! (oh dear, I've worked myself up into a sweat ..... 'scuse me while I go take a cold shower ....)

Be back soon!
Toodles,
Mary Anne (aka Mare)