Mooned

No sooner did I drive in my driveway from my road trip when my favorite niece and her D.H. arrived for a visit. 
You've met Desiree in previous posts...HERE, HERE and HERE.  

She and Kevin came to town to visit Joy (my baby sister) and me, to celebrate Joy's birthday
AND because Paducah is in the total-eclipse pathway.  HERE

 

Total Eclipse BBQ party...with homemade ice cream!

It was totally cool....I wish we'd been in an area for a longer "block out" time. Paducah had only about 2.5 minutes.

A trip to downtown Paducah for lunch and shopping, with a stop at Muppin's Sewing Emporium (my home-away-from-home these days.)  And, of course, we purchased fabric for a new project.  It is an easy one*, and we have already started it ...
with a plan for finishing, via Zoom.

Introducing the Coffin Handbag by Seamingly Wicked. HERE

Here is Muppins' sample using Tula Pink fabric; Night Shade Deja Vu Coven. 
For the person in your life who likes this sort of style.  

Honestly, made from a different fabric, it would not be so "goth."

Cut all the pieces.

We made plastic cutting templates using the cutting mats found in the kitchen section at the Dollar Tree.

Organize everything.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Zippers are assembled...the zipper itself was easy...adding the pulls was a bit painful.  If I were going to make this bag again...and I might...it would be worth it to buy a zipper jig.

Watch the  zipper pull YouTube Video before you waste a bunch of time..This video was very helpful. HERE

The designer of this bag assembles it differently than I would, so I will reach out to Cheryl and see how she assembled it.  HERE is the video for assembling the bag.  HERE is a video for an alternative assembly option....Stay tuned. 

This will be a Quinceañera** gift for Gabrielle, one of the grands. 
I think this is a cute bag for a teen.  (I hope Gabbz thinks so.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*Well, not so easy, as it turns out.

*Quinceañera, the celebration of a girl's 15th birthday, marking her passage from girlhood to womanhood, although I hard think 15 is a WOMAN....she is still a baby in my book.  HERE

Home Sweet Kentucky

Paducah 👉 Conway 👉 Dallas 👉 Austin  👉 San Antonio 👉 Houston
👉 Vicksburg 👉 Paducah....Full Circle. 2,563 miles!

 

This is my very first vacation-type road-trip as an adult, and all the driving was me, by myself.  

It's been a journey, and I'm happy to be HOME, but I so did enjoy this. My favorite part was visiting all the people I had not seen in a while as well as meeting new people.  (Breakfast at the B & B was so nice.  Future trips I'll stay at B & Bs so I can meet new people.)

For Now....I'm Home.

Advertising Works

Houston 👉👉👉 Vicksburg, MS.  My last stop before heading home.  Why Vicksburg?  Because I watch these fun videos,
It's A Southern Thing, and they have advertised Vicksburg, MS.  So, here I am.

The Corners Mansion Inn B & B was lovely...just like you'd expect.  This is a great place to unpack and unwind.

My room, on the left.  There are 16 guest rooms in this B & B.  Lovely Place!

 

 

It was a nice, albeit breezy, spring day in this small, small, southern town. 
I walked the entire downtown in just over 7,000 steps.

The people were lovely, the architecture was just as you'd expect, the fauna and flora in full bloom.

Very enjoyable.  Very relaxing.

Feels a bit like New Orleans to me...

This is a Civil War era town with museums and memorabilia. 
Interesting walk.

BTW:  if you want a good laugh, HERE it is!

Rocket Man

Who could go to Houston without a visit to The Johnson Space Center?!   Not Me!!  

Some dates remain in your brain your entire life:  I remember three related to the Space Race: 1969, Landing on the moon (I was a senior in High School);
The 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger explosion;
The Columbia in 2003.  

And now they are planning a return to the moon sometime in this decade....Artemis. 

There was also some talk about Mars....
but that seems pretty far-fetched to me....but then... ?

It is a pretty amazing place. 

 

"One Small Step for Man, One Giant Leap for Mankind."

They have preserved the Apollo Mission Control Room.
It's all set up the same as the day Neil Armstrong walked on the moon...
right down to the ash trays in the seat backs in the gallery.

Karen Nyberg quilts in Space! HERE  

Beans are not for astronauts.  HERE  

I wonder if anyone has played their ukulele in Space?

 

 

 

My last evening in Houston was spent with my Baby Brother, Brad and
his wife, Janet, just hangin out.

Janet was showing me her "slow stitching."

Have you heard of "slow stitching?"

Recently a video popped up in my YouTube about slow stitching.  I did not pay much attention to it... I thought it was just someone showing how she saves and uses all her little fabric scraps (and even her thread bits.) 

But then Janet used those words...."slow stitching" and my ears perked up.  "Tell me more!" 

Slow stitching is basically hand sewing for relaxation...there are various approaches...some "just sewing"...no idea what it will be in the end, just pick up your needle and some scraps and sew....
 

Another approach is with an actual "something" in mind.  A little scene or in one YouTube example, a needle book.

They're Fabric Collages

Examples: 

 

 

 

This is from a YouTube channel Night Owl Crafts and Collectables.  She has an entire collection of these cute, little stitched scenes.  HERE

Makes me want to do one!  ... or a dozen!

 

 

 

Here is an example where the creator simply took
scrap fabric and made a pallet, from where she will build her project.

 

 

I like this channel...she has a very pleasant voice.  HERE

 

Search for "slow stitching" on YouTube.  There is an entire community out there! 
(A lot of videos on how to get started.)

Now that I know it is actually "a thing" I'll pay more attention, and maybe even try it!

Resurrection Sunday

 

and Family:

Brad and Janet and their Family.

Travel Day

 San Antonio 👉👉👉 Houston.  

Off to Houston to see the "baby" brother, Brad, and his family. (Brad really is the 'Baby' of us all.)

BUT before I left San Antonio, I did make one Quilt Shop Stop, Show Special Quilts.  

What a nice shop! They had a lot of Texas-themed quilts on display.

Here are a few:

I think they must have been having some sort of "Texas Challenge" as most of these didn't have actual patterns you could buy.

They were all quite unique and inspiring.

Then it was off to Houston.

Play Day

It was my intention to keep The Babes for an entire week...but the best laid plans of mice and men...
(and g-mas) often go awry.

We made the most of the one-full-day we had visiting Natural Bridge Caverns and Twisted Trails. 
While not FREE it was NOT outrageously expensive....It was clean, well-staffed and entertaining. 
I give this adventure park FIVE Stars!!  

 

 

While waiting for our Tour Time....Chess and Junga

 

 

 

These Caverns were beautiful!  The boys and I talked about God's creativity and how He planned all things to work together. 

It was dark and slippery in a few places...both the boys were mindful of their granny and helped me by holding my hand.
I love these moments.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And then there was the climbing/zip line structure. 

Twisted Trails!

Even grandma participated...I only got stuck once and had to be rescued...got out on a rope ledge...

 

Finished with West's lunch choice...Whataburger.

I think this is Texas answer to In-n-Out.  They were both  established about the same time (1950 & 1948.)