Dear Readers, please go to Caribbean Destination Wedding Blog and read my daughter's post.

Then VOTE for her. The voting ends July 16th. You can vote every 4 hours and help her even more!!!!

YES, that IS a photo from her own wedding in Negril, Jamaica!

Better than armchair travel!!!!

A fabulous new travel business opened on the internet today! Our daughter, Laura, just launched TRIP CRAVE! Laura has years of experience with an internet site selling travel to the Caribbean. [ http://www.caribbeanjourney.com/ AND http://www.villacollections.com/, see my family links on the side]

I hope you will visit and bookmark this new site which will bring you wonderful travel ideas at great prices!!

More sewing ideas.







My daughter and I like this red print dress.



Too cute!!!



I think I could make a similar one using the pattern at the right. It is Simplicity 2926. Simplicity patterns are on sale for 99 cents this week at Hobby Lobby. I also have a source for a similar large red and white print fabric. The red grograin bow and satin sash will be easy. Great for Valentine's Day!


Here is a scan of the fabrics for the dress.

















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Also from Anthropologie.....this window full of antique ornaments .

I need to pack our ornaments away!!!! However, I was happy that the tree was still up this afternoon when my friend Tracie came by with some of the "Christmas" I had missed out on by being away in early-mid December.
This is a hand-painted silk scarf from my friend Lizzzzie! What is on it??? Pears of course...

Someone in our family takes constant photos. This really helps my blog! Thank-you, certain photographer!
Here we have the creative force behind all the delicious meals we enjoyed over Christmas. My daughter, Laura, studying a recipe down-loaded from the Internet...perhaps for the "Floating Island" dessert....a meringue island floats in a sea of creme anglais (vanilla custard sauce). Heavenly!
BTW, she is wearing the retro apron I sewed for her one evening....as a surprise. Laura loves the retro 1950's kitchen scene, complete with frequent decorative use of rickrack and ball fringe!

Today we headed out for a bit of Christmas shopping at the North Point Mall. Laura wore the jacket we had fashioned with the "petal" trim. Mr. Pear (who wishes to be know as Steve from now on in blogland), and son Andrew were along.

We experienced gracious dining at the food court (not!) It has a carousel so we were able to enjoy the grandson's first carousel ride! He found it to be delightful!

BTW, scroll down about 3 posts and you can read a post by my daughter....we were slow in getting it published!

This lucious jacket [$425.00 at JCrew] caught my daughter's eye. Actually she read some blogs about creating a similar one, so she has enlisted my help (meaning I am doing this) in transfroming an off-white collared blazer which was hanging in her closet. Fun????

I will try to get some photos of it soon....as it is quite a transfomation process. Removing the collar and buttons. Creating soft silk flowers to flow down in a cascade around the neck and fronts.

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On other matters, the dog is still missing. He is missed. However, the gloomy clouds are lifting and Christmas cheer appearing here and there!!! My SIL is even caught smiling sometimes.

Daughter Laura is off to the gym for a workout and is feeling much better after the shingles episode, and granddaughter Lilia is about to come through the front door from the school bus, and will have to change for ballet class. Busy, busy.....baby is asleep for a bit or I wouldn't be here blogging!

Hope your holiday spirits are becoming active and cheerful....be well!

[painting by Van Gogh]

Today is my mother's birthday. I will be going to stay with her this weekend.

A couple of weeks ago I was staying with my daughter (except she went traveling while I stayed there!) . Laura is a travel agent who has specialized in the Caribbean. Here is a link to what she and my son-in-law did (her blog) while Lizzzie and I were babysitting in her home in Georgia!

[If you read the last 4 posts you will feel like you have visited the area too!]

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Never forget to stop by my October 1st post to leave a comment and be entered in my birthday drawing! Caw! ( or Krah?)

Remembering.....Wye Mountain Daffodils

This is my daughter about 25 years ago. In a soft yellow sweater, in a field of daffodils. Both of us had to kneel down to be on "daffodil" level. Every March this field on a mountain in Arkansas is covered with daffodils. They were planted over the years by the couple who used to live there, and have muliplied as the years passed. What a golden gift for future generations!

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I have been posting some collage work here.

Here are some recent photos of our baby and his family. He was 2 weeks old last Saturday...


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These are my favorites of about 80 that the photographer took that afternoon. It is so wonderful to see the family as a unit and Lilia as a big sister!

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I've reached the point of being homesick for my own life and world now. I think they will make it for a while without me.
I have a quilt/art show to hang next weekend. So I will have to leave soon. It is a long drive, and for some reason, I am a bit more tired than when I first came....so maybe I'll take 2 days to drive to Little Rock. Maybe spend the night in Holly Springs, MS....?