Originally uploaded by blubird.

Hot and humid still here in NC - what little "relief" we had a week or two ago now didn't stay with us long. Although I can see the hint of fall as leaves are falling and lawns are dry, parched, and crispy we don't FEEL it - I instead have slithered and slumped in defeat, just waiting it out! The mountains are beckoning, it is a bit more like "real life" (at least to me, ha) in the hills. Planning to spend a couple days enjoying that beauty this weekend.

In my defense I was told the other day by my doctor that the medication I've had to go on for high blood pressure (does my blood literally boil here?!) in simple terms dialates my blood vessels so as to open them for a more normal flow thus regulating pressure - so I in fact really DO feel hotter than ever.

I vow to stop complaining while at the same time crossing my fingers the end of summer is near as yesterday was the first day of autumn.

ferris wheel quilty
Originally uploaded by blubird.

You know how you look at something and it doesn't look right? Once I'd photographed this piece it just didn't appear finished. I added the piece of twill with the "xoxo's" on it to the bottom and that seemed to "fix" it. I had stamped this directly onto the fabric and it was too washed out, too plain. I think it looks better now. On to the next one!

Originally uploaded by blubird.

I'm enjoying playing around with the fabric right now. This quilty is approximately 9x5". I bought the ribbon on sunday and decided it looked like the ocean to me. The ATC can be detached, it is velcroed on to the piece - this was actually my first fabric piece I did, probably about a year ago now. Not much else was accomplished with the sewing machine until as of late.

Originally uploaded by blubird.

My sewing machine is fixed thanks to Marie (yet we won't go into how easily this was remedied and show even more of my ignorance regarding machines). I sewed up a little scrap quilty today using bits and pieces from my basket of fabrics. There's a little tag that pulls out which has a swirly heart stamped on it and, of course, a button sewn on it as well!

Originally uploaded by blubird.

This primitive dolly got a new set of duds yesterday (sewn completely by hand as sewing machine still on the fritz).

Originally uploaded by blubird.

Originally uploaded by blubird.

what does it say that I've gotten the most excitment the last few days with a magic eraser and the little green machine?! Time for change!

Originally uploaded by blubird.

When the sun’s last rays are fading
Into twilight soft and dim.
(Theodore L. Barker)

Originally uploaded by blubird.

To come to the other side of a hot and humid summer is like entering paradise lost - or, is that found ?!! Regardless, it is getting to be the most wonderful time of year here in NC - glorious days with wonderfully cool evenings. This season extends so long down here, it truly is fabulous.

Originally uploaded by blubird.

I really, really do not like sewing machines - when something goes wrong I just do not have the capability of "fixing" it. This has always been my frustration with them being I am just not a mechanical-minded person. I was breezing along and suddenly it got all botched up, I think it is the bobbin thread but although I have put it back in and out and rethread the entire machine it still is doing the same, something is just not right with the tension or such. So there it will now sit, useless to me because I don't have a clue what else to try! When there are no problems I actually start to think I like sewing!

Anyway - I did this just randomly pulling bits and pieces of fabric from my stash. The picture of Ernie I took the other day and have made it into a little pocket where I'll hide a little something. I obviously can't add too many more embellishments until I can sew and finish off the sides (couldn't resist at least one little button tho to see how it would look - my god I am impatient! The tag I found inside an old linen blouse I bought at Goodwill because I liked the buttons - which I hope to use a few of on this piece, they are green with a metal center, very cool - and it was a bonus to find the tag with those words on it when I was removing them. And so true of a puppy - today I watched him chase a butterfly - pure joy!!

Originally uploaded by blubird.

at five months old and after living with me two months now, Ernie has wormed his way -totally- into my heart!

Originally uploaded by blubird.

Today I venture out for some groceries and essentials. I haven't driven since thursday as all the gas stations in this vicinity were out of all gas except for diesel by noon that day. Even I have nearly 3/4 of a tank I have felt the need to conserve and stick close to home. From newspaper reports it's hard to tell exactly when the supply will be replenished as there are many conflicting stories. Given what I see by obsessively watching tv of the devastation in New Orleans and the entire gulf region affected by the hurricane I have not felt this to be a any hardship for me at this time whatsoever. Yet this, as well as so much of what I have seen, makes me angry our government does not seem to have either control nor a grip on what Americans are dealing with on a day to day basis. My heart is breaking for all those affected so extremely by the hurricane, they are all in my prayers.

Originally uploaded by blubird.

Missing the boys so was browsing through some of my digital photos. Alot of memories in this one picture of Joe from a couple years ago (he's now 20). Before I knew it I'd whipped up on my sewing machine (which just goes to show ya if it's there eventually I'll use some of what I obsessively buy) a little dangly ornament. He's our musician hence the microphone. Love ya Joey!!

Originally uploaded by blubird.

there are no words

Originally uploaded by blubird.

A little silliness with an old photo.

Originally uploaded by blubird.

I have come to the conclusion technology & I don't bond well. Seems the flickr problem has caused a couple pics on my blog to disappear - I blame it entirely on Yahoo as it is so typical of what happens constantly with them. Ok, enough said - the more I talk about them the more I will be irritated.

I hoped to add some pictures of work I did last weekend (where did this week go?!?) - but have not had luck photographing, I rusted the heck out of a couple tins and the pictures are coming out too dark. I was going to take them outside today and try but got busy running around out and about (did find a new antique store in Moorseville - well, new to me) and it's been overcast all day so not enough light now. I will get to it. What I did was buy every commemorative bandaid tin I came across within the last few weeks- 12 of them to be exact - and aged and arted one up to start - ATCs fit inside perfectly!!! Also have another tin which was given to me that baseball cards originally came in - again with the ATCs. Very cool if I do say so. However, as there were 85 in each box I now have 1,020 bandaids - can pretty much count on never having to buy another in this lifetime - I'm clumsy and uncoordinated so do use more than my share but I think I'm now set :~)

School started this week, thought I'd do a collage as I don't have kids to send off (have seen some of the most adorable and excited kindergarteners in the store, too precious) - the scan is a photo I bought today that ought to work perfectly. Think I'll get busy.

AUGUST 2005 003
Originally uploaded by blubird.

this is a collage I made earlier this summer using the fab basic grey paper I LOVE! Note the hat on one of the girls, I was practicing making newspaper hats and this is the teeniest tiniest of the bunch!

I did get a little bit of art done over the weekend and am plugging away at getting my pages done for the PINUP fat book which is being hosted by Rebecca Zuniga (and which I predict will be ultra-cool as she has such a fabulous artistic bent AND promises the books to be hardback which is greatly intriguing)! I am getting these ready to mail any minute to Texas!

However I am at an of course they changed things just as I got the hang of this point with this blog. Seems Flickr now is under the control of YAHOO as of this week and to upload a picture takes forever and a day. Why oh why do they screw everything they touch up?!?!?! Here is what is posted on the page as you wait, and wait and wait.... When a lot of people are uploading photos all at once, you may have to wait a little while before the photos you are currently uploading appear on Flickr. THeir view on what "a little while" and what my perception of same is is vastly different I'll tell you that much. So, we will wait...........

On a good note - it is wonderfully, blessedly, fantastically, blissfully COOL this morning!!!! I seem to be whining incessantly about this heat down here in NC this summer but I want to add for the record I am not the only one - LOL! Native north carolinians (of which I come across a few although have come to the conclusion that most people that live in my neck of the woods [and the general meeting place being the grocery store where I work part-time] are either from New York, New Jersey, or Ohio) have had enough, period! But this morning when I first went out around 5am with Ernie it had to have been in the 60's - absolutely heavenly. I actually drank coffee outside today, something I have missed doing since about April. I have alot of bluebirds and it has always been a pleasure to sit out there and watch them wake up in the mornings. During the hot summer months they aren't as visible except right before one of the million and one thunderstorms we have had in the late afternoons. Truthfully - although we don't have to deal with adverse driving conditions, I feel I have just survived the equivalent of an Ohio/Michigan winter and just now emerging into a soothing spring, in this case of course autumn. The other day on the news the weather reporter predicted this to happen later in the week and it was suggested we start digging out the sweaters. This is a different world in many ways.

OK, still no picture ready, I am aborting this uploading process for this morning. Maybe will have to find an alternative as this doesn't seem to be doing the trick any longer.

Originally uploaded by blubird.

Another day near 100 degrees. The heat index prediction is it will feel like 111. I predict I will get some art made today as I won't be out there!!