Sommer Designs

Tattoo is back!

This is so fun - really, one of my favorites! Just in time for fall! You can find it here!

Thrift Thursday...tiny oil paintings

File under: this I love.

I picked this up last Sunday at the Old Torrance Antique Street Faire for $5. Five dollars. I have a thing for floral oil paintings, but the tiny ones get me every time. It looks grand, but it's only 5 x 7.

It's unframed (another aspect I love) and the edges are perfectly frayed.

I can only imagine the time that V. Cabisada spent hunched over this little canvas, with a teeny, tiny brush in hand, painstakenly painting this lovely canvas...only to have it eventually end up on a table at a flea market to be sold for five dollars.

I would have paid much more for it...sweet little thing.

More Thrift Thursday here!

I cleared my worktable yesterday...

Somewhat similar to clearing an inbox, which I also have to do, except my inbox is my entire desktop. But, one table at a time, right?

I had several (many...a lot) of handbags in various stages of completion, awaiting various components in transit (including motivation), and the clutter was seriously jeapordizing my mojo. And now that my office is in my studio (aka garage), it's so much easier to procrastinate and check my email every 10 minutes.

Speaking of which, I could not access my business email for two days - so if you are still waiting for a reply from me, it's coming...I'm wading through the backlog.

The inability to check my email every 10 minutes (due to the aforementioned host/server/whatever-problem-they-had-and-I-had-to-suffer-through-debacle) actually helped me clear my worktable. Isn't that funny?! We can be so much more productive without email.

But back to my early morning babble: I love events when I come home with empty bins. But then I stack the bins and it makes me sad that there are empty bins. So imagine my joy yesterday when I was finally able to, not only, clear my worktable, but fill bins.

And stuff liners...to fill bins...

Actually done several days ago on another bag-making-procrastination-bender. I promised myself I wouldn't stuff anymore liners until those bags were done...

My day is here...

Matzo ball soup and flannel pajamas...

That's the kind of weekend it was. Did you hear? We had weather...serious weather. The heavy rain, thunder and lightning, oh-my-gosh-it's-still-September-and-I'm-freezing kind of weather. And it was wonderful. It only lasted from about Thursday afternoon through Saturday night, but in that short time span, I got to bust out my flannel pajamas and lay in bed under a down blanket and read.

Okay...I only did that Friday night. But it was nice.

Sunday morning I dragged Scott to the Old Torrance Antique Faire - which is the 4th Sunday of every month and very small. It's always very hit or miss and it's been years since I went. It was nice to just meander down the streets...there's was tons of vintage jewelry...

much of it in a jumbled mess...much of it not, but way out of my budget...

Still, so pretty to oogle and look at...

I'm still working on site updates, and getting ready for the Manhattan Beach Hometown Fair, which is October 6-7. I just got my booth assignment - 229 - it's still the same general area I've been in every year...so easy to find!

Thrift Thursday...

Vintage Jewelry...I love.

I stopped by the Antique Mall last week and ran through really, really quickly. I wasn't supposed to be there - I was supposed to be on my way back from Orange County and I was supposed to drive straight home.

My car wasn't supposed to unexpectedly veer to the right and follow the offramp...

And I, certainly, was not supposed to get out of my car once it came to a stop. And turned off. By itself. I'm sure.

Vintage necklace by Marvella with three strands of pink, ruby red & clear beads with a stunning cluster clasp ($20 - I know I overpaid. But it's stunning. And I'm wearing it today with jeans, a white blouse & black sweater. I love that.) Vintage marcasite ring (shown above in group photo - $5.) & vintage crystal cluster clip on earrings ($5).

Hit. Score. Game over.

More Thrift Thursday here!

Laying it on the table...

Since I am on crochet hiatus, I thought this might be a good opportunity to piece together my granny. It's been sitting in a basket for months. And since Scott is at a trade show (*cough* boondoggle), and gone for a couple of nights, this will work out (I won't have to hear about how I am taking over the house with my projects...whatev.).

I'm thinking I can do this without really screwing it up. It's just a matter of putting the pieces together, liking the combination (harder than I thought), and slip stitching them together (right? right?!). I think I counted 41, not that it matters. I have enough for another long row, so it will be more of a lap blanket than big afghan.

I just really want to finish something! Although, I'm sure this will actually sit on the table just. like. this. for a day. Or two.

I have to finish some totes for crying out loud!

Mosaic Monday...and, W-Remix.

Because I have really nothing of value to add to the blogosphere today, here are my recent favorites. The weekend is a blur of nothingness, fatigue and attempts to sew. I accomplished all.

And, because I was determined that this be a fresh start to a new week, I made an effort to put together something other than jeans. Well, damn if I'm still wearing 'em!

For Wardrobe Remix:

Trying to figure out if I can pull off the whole dress over jeans look...not sure. Maybe if I were taller and skinnier (if...if...if)

Dress: Gap
Cami: Banana Republic
Jeans: Levis 577, via eBay
Shoes: Nine West via Marshalls
Necklace: Vintage via eBay
Earrings: Bonnin Designs (dang, you can't see them! But they're CUTE! Edit: detail here)

Aren't those side chairs radical? That's one of two - the other one is on the other side of that sideboard. We inherited them from Scott's grandparents, who had the most amazing mid-century house in Palos Verdes Estates. It was filled with mid-century furniture, because that's when it was built, and that was the style, and they never threw anything away! I brought them home about 6 years ago after his grandfather died (at 103!), and Scott was horrified. He has since come around, and I have been planning on reupholstering them for years - I just keep changing my mind on the fabric!

The good kind of mail day.

Janet knew I was reading with envy about her escapades back east. She took off for a few days and hit some major flea markets. I anxiously awaited each of her posts, because she always has the best luck, has a great eye, and, knows my taste.

Janet did not disappoint. A vintage tole tray from T-Party Antiques, a tissue cozy from her shop, a couple of beautiful vintage rhinestone buttons,

and (squeal!) a lovely, beautiful, amazing vintage apron from her travels!

I'm in love with the apron...of course. And Gracie, that naughty girl, is hoping I'll drop the Honey Cake leftover from Rosh HaShanah dinner...(fat chance goldie).

The detail on vintage aprons is always so incredible. This one has ties that are only attached to the center panel and then free to wrap behind. The top has a big, giant scalloped high waist. I love it! Thank you Janet! XO

Thrift Thursday...

Long time, no Thrift Thursday. I've been thrifting...just not very successfully.

Last weekend we happened upon an Estate Sale. That counts, right? I try to never pass up Estate Sales...they can be a bonanza of fun. I always gravitate toward the silver...timeless and classic, that's my style. So I was so happy to find this three-piece sugar & creamer set.

Very deco, and quite heavy. I love the detail...

The tiny tongs are marked 'sterling', the bottom of the sugar and creamer are not, but this is the mark stamped on the bottom

They don't look or feel like they are plated, and if they are indeed sterling, then I think I did pretty darn good for $20. I haven't had time to look up the mark - is it familiar to anyone? If you recognize it, please let me know!

More Thrift Thursday here! Join the fun!

Remedial Crochet.

Seriously. You don't believe me? Ask my good, and very patient, friend Kelley. There are many words that are coming to mind right now that perfectly describe the kind of crocheter I am...none of them are politically correct.

Last month, on the godforsaken cruise, I tried to start a Babette. My Babette squares, or at least the beginnings of them, looked nothing like the beauty's I see on the Babette Flickr Group. Perfectly Babettized. Mine had...too much space. Something was way off. Something that I couldn't figure out. It was embarrassing. Wanna see?

Now, in retrospec, I was having difficulty reading the pattern and was crocheting into the space, instead of the stitch. Right?

Anyway, Kelley came over yesterday, and after we got all caught up and looked through skirt patterns that we wanted to try, and my only two coveted copies of Interweave Crochet, I mentioned the Babette fiasco and she so graciously offered to take a look.

Boy, I bet she was sorry. She then took it even further, and offered to walk me through a square. Hers got off to a perfect start. I had issues from the get go, and had to start over no less than 42 times. That was just one round. Once we completed the second round, it was apparent that something is very wrong with the way I crochet. OMG. I can't even call what I do crochet anymore. Because it isn't.

Mine (on the right, in case it isn't obvious) is a jumbled mess. It's completely backwards! I crochet with the back facing me. So I can't tell what I'm doing or where I'm going. I wanted to cry. This is the only way I know how to do this. I can't even remember where I learned - is it even possible that I taught myself this convoluted craft?

Kelley, in all her wisdom, decided it would be best if we started from the beginning. The beginning of crochet. As in, 'this is how we make a chain' beginning.

Do you know how hard it is to unteach yourself something, and then try to reteach it? It's awkward. It doesn't feel right. But the alternative, my old way, is clearly giving me trouble because the end product is totally incorrect. I'm so frustrated because this is something I so want to excel at. Maybe I'm just not dexterous enough for a handcraft? My hand sewing looks a lot like my crochet. Must be some kind of mental block.

I wonder if I'd have a problem with knitting? I mean, what if I took proper lessons and learned the correct way from the beginning? Kelley and I are going on a field trip next week to a yarn store - I'm going to drag her to L'Atelier in Redondo Beach, and I know they have a left handed instructor. Maybe I have to shift my focus...