June 2016 – Karla's Cottage

Sewing (yep, I was SEWING!!) a duster from two shirts

By Karla Nathan / June 30, 2016

If I can do this, anyone can. I am not a patient, or even very good seamstress. But sometimes I need something and that do-it-yourselfer attitude kicks in, or I simply see a piece and feel like I have to give it a try. Like this duster. The design is one of the many, pretty projects featured in the Gilded Journey book that I was honored to have my travel journal tutorial in too.

Here is the photo from the book of Lorri Scott's duster. Hers was so inspiring, that I was compelled to see if I could replicate it, and her instructions were very easy, even for a novice sewer like me.

Beth wanted to make one too, and offered up a stack of white dress shirts that her husband no longer needed due to a job change.

The shirts in the photo look like they are linen, and we were going with a cotton/poly blend, so I knew ours would be a bit different. But we figured that anything you added a ton of lace to would have to look good, right?

Once mine was all put together and I had plenty of lace sewn over my hideous seams ( I really am a poor seamstress), I decided to dye it. The poly blend fabric wasn't going to grab the color very well, but I'd hoped that it would take well enough to take the edge off of the harsh white and tone the shirt down to go better with the vintage lace. And I think it did just that.

This photo is from before I dyed the piece, and I don't think you can really tell the difference in the pictures, but in person, it is just enough of a change. The lace itself took the dye better than the shirt did, yet, some more than others. I'd expected that, different fabrics soak up dye in various ways. I could've waited to sew the trims on after I dyed the shirt, but I like that mismatched dyed look.

Here is an in progress shot, you can see the glaring white a little better in it. And tell that the laces were a bit more creamy to start with.

The trim was all vintage to start with, but the dye ages them even more.

All of the buttons were replaced with an assortment of mother of pearl ones.

Ahhh, you can't go wrong with vintage lace, can you? Although, I wish I'd fitted the shirt to myself a little better. Basically, it is a one size fits all type piece, but I'm a little short, and this was stitched from a couple of men's shirts, so it is a bit voluminous on me. Which is okay, but if I make another, I will find shirts that fit me a little better to start with.

And I'll try to slow down and pay more attention to what I'm doing. (Did I mention the bad seamstress skills?)

I kind of sewed the sleeves on inside out…. Since they are way too long for me, as most sleeves are, I will wear them rolled up anyway. The original dress shirt's seams are double stitched, so it doesn't show that the fabric is inside out, unless you try to button the cuffs, which I won't be.

Thanks, Beth, for the shirts and lace collars to play with! And thank you, Lorri, for such a lovely project to try to emulate.

If anyone wants to try one themselves, I highly recommend the book.

The construction project, in the midst of adding a hearthroom

cottage

By Karla Nathan / June 28, 2016

Things are coming along with the new room. There it is on the right, without the siding and door yet.

This is the view from the road. Our cottage started out as a tiny, 4 room shack almost 100 years ago. When we bought it, we added an upstairs, then rooms in the existing attic. Over the years, the kitchen has been redone a few times, as we could afford it. Twice, we have taken out interior walls to open it up, and now we are ripping off the exterior wall and adding an addition on the side of it, to make a hearth room.

You can see some previous incarnations of the kitchen here.

Ten years ago, we added my studio and a garage (on the left) with an office for my husband and an apartment for my son, above it. This is a very weird layout for a home, it is starting to look like a crooked caterpillar, isn't it?

As we have made our changes over the last 25 or so years, I've tried to keep the feeling of the old farmhouse in the new pieces we've slapped onto it. While keeping things as affordable as I could, which worked well because the original house was kinda plain and simple. But even while making efforts to have it all the new blend in with the old, I know that I was fooling myself, the odd ball, meandering shape we had created was nothing like a house built in that era.

Still, we love it. It is over customized and unusual, but it is exactly what we need. It has taken us a couple decades to get to this point, but I think we just might…. maybe… be all finished with remodeling after this last build on?

Last week, the contractor hung some plastic to protect the kitchen from some of the dust (there is NO WAY to avoid all of it), and within a matter of an hour, the two walls were gone, while I sipped my morning coffee and enjoyed the show.

We got a great preview of what to expect when the job was finished and the area would be one, big open space.

Then, some plywood was screwed up to block off the construction from our living space until a lot of the messy parts are finished.

Here is a view from our living room before the temporary plywood went up.

And here is a drawing from the plans. See what I mean about the weird shape? Good thing that we love our cottage, because I think we'd be stuck with it if we ever tried to sell it…

Between the Beach and the Hard Rock- thanks to Gloria Gayner, I Will Survive

celebrations, family, Travel

By Karla Nathan / June 25, 2016

Our trip to Orlando started with a drive to Cocoa Beach. Years ago, we started going there because it was the closest ocean access to Disney. Now, we go because we really like staying at the La Quinta by the pier. It isn't a fancy hotel, but has a beautiful balcony view of the water, and is a comfy place.

This year, Sugarwings was old enough to rent a boogie board. Kia and I mostly bopped up and down with the waves and played in the surf. She kept trying to catch tiny fish in her hands and actually managed to do it, too. I told her that she'd be perfect to be stranded on a deserted isle with. She can catch fish bare handed, plus is a vegetarian and doesn't eat them, they'd all go to me.

My handsome husband isn't an ocean guy, so he didn't get in much. He is more of stroller along the shores than a swimmer.

And our oldest teen? She refuses to let sun touch her body. She is an expert at staying lily white. Which I wish I was at her age, then maybe I wouldn't be so wrinkly and spotty…

Due to our flight being cancelled on the way out (we had a fun day in KC, going to movies and lunch while waiting for another flight), our time at the beach was cut short. We had a full day there, then moved on to Universal Studios.

If you stay at one of the on site hotels, you get a free pass to skip most of the lines. Or you can buy one for EIGHTY NINE BUCKS. geesh!

Good thing we got free ones, because if I'd bought those, I'd have been sad, many attractions didn't even have lines and we wouldn't have needed them anyway. There were times I was very glad to have them, and they were helpful. And we were thrilled with the Hard Rock Hotel. My sweet husband, who is not a fan of Disney, puts up with a lot of princess foofala on trips, and since it was Father's Day week, we thought he should have a place he would like to stay.

It was one of the nicest places ever. The pool was ideal, Sugarwings and I hardly left it when we weren't at the park. She participated in all of the poolside games and contests that she could.

Avahnni even entered the hula hooping event. Sugarwings won the hula hoop water relay twice. So, when the DJ asked for adult volunteers, I figured that I'd get up on the stage and maybe be in a water balloon toss, or something along those lines.

But dang, once I was out of the water, chosen as a volunteer, I discovered…

oh my…

It was a lip sync contest.

oh noooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

I don't sing. I can't remember words to songs. I have no rhythm. I dance like Martin Short, if I'm at my best.

The other contestants were cute college girls, swaying to the music and holding up their cocktails. Girls who knew how to dance.

When I was asked what genre of music I wanted, I requested "grandma music". Maybe something from a cartoon or from the 70s? I was given Disco. Oh no. I do not Hustle. Panic was setting in.

Then, I looked around and realized that while there might have been 200 people there, Sugarwings was the only one I knew. So, I went for it. I went as silly and dramatic as I could.

I let the Martin Short in me come out full strength in my dancing and that won the contest for me.

It was a highlight of my trip. Thank god there are no photos. I still am surprised that was me, up there in front of the crowd in a swimsuit, dancing and being silly. My mom would've loved it, she was goofy too.

As much as I loved the Wizarding World, I could've been happy at that pool all week. It even had night time family movies, with underwater speakers.

No matter how much fun a trip is, it is wonderful to be home. And to see progress done on the new room while we were away.

When Sugarwings started reading the Harry Potter books, I told her that I'd take her to Universal to see Hogwarts when she finished them.

Then, her Daddy married the mother of the biggest Harry Potter fangirl ever. So, we decided to change the trip to a "Welcome to the Family" vacation for the fangirl and her sister.

We are lucky to have these two girls in our lives. They are smart, polite, talented, funny, sassy, and cute as can be. We love it that they are such good influences for Sugarwings and Dewdrop.

And we love it that they are now our very own grand fairies.

Plus, I got a bonus trip to Florida out of the deal!! I'm missing those seashells already. Tell me again, why do I live in Kansas instead of near a beach?

Thank yous

Books, swaps

By Karla Nathan / June 22, 2016

Not only did the Farewell to Downton swap artists spend time making lovely pages for our books, and entrust me to compile their works into journals, they sent along presents with the packages. Which is beyond kind hearted. I do not do the swaps for free, there are fees to cover my supplies, postage and a smidgen of my time. So, a gift is above and beyond the role of the artists.

And that background? I received some Downton themed fabric too.

Some created art for me, including this collage and the vintage paper book. Others sent prettily wrapped bundle.

Including this clever surprise bundle. It is a length of lace, wrapped around little goodies.

Here are some of the tidbits that were tucked away in the ball.

Lots of trims and embellishments came my way. And after making all the books,I could use a replenishment of my stash! Thank you for the kind gifts, swappers!

And a big thank you to all of the nice people who entered my swap. Even though we had a record amount of drop outs, the beautiful pages that came to us were made with care and were very nice. I'm pleased with the results and so far have heard some lovely feedback.

When the drop outs began, I started scaling back on my production of the covers, and there were many people who ordered a second book. Also, a few thoughtful swappers who had to leave our group offered to buy the cover I had created for them, which I was thankful for.

Instead of making the hundred that I had planned, I scaled back to 50 some books. At this point, I have two books left to sell.

To give the new owners a head start, I've added lots of lace trim to the pages of both. Each comes with 2 Downton themed coloring pages and a mini scrap pack of vintage items to use on your pages.

If you are interested, please email me at: karlanathan@sbcglobal.net

SOLD, THANKS!

The interiors are made up of card stock, scrapbook-type paper that you can use as is for a background to your work, or cover with your own papers instead.

These books are $46 plus postage. Each is a little different. If you'd like to purchase one of these, please refer to them as #1 or #2, so I get your favorite to you.

SOLD, THANKS!

Disneyworld vs Universal

family, Sugarwings, Travel

By Karla Nathan / June 20, 2016

Last week was the worst imaginable for the city of Orlando. So much tragedy, so much heart ache. But that town is such a well oiled machine of tourism, filled with professionals, that we probably saw less of what was going on right there in front of us than we would've if we'd been at home in Kansas watching the news. In person, we didn't see any signs of turmoil, or heightened security.

On our last night, the performance of La Nuba was dedicated to the victims of the shooting and that was moving, but the only reference we saw to any of the horribleness that had occurred during the week. I'm sure that the citizens of Orlando were hurt, frightened, angry, and saddened, and I have to admire their bravery in not being beaten down.

Visiting Florida and the attractions in Orlando has been one of my favorite things over the years, but now even more so, after seeing the toughness of that town and the way the people there were not going to let the terrorists win.The town has a special place in my heart.

You don't come to my blog for stories of terrorism and sadness, though. I debated even mentioning the trip at all. But my posts are also my diary, or journal, and while I feel a sort of survivor's guilt about being in a bubble of happiness while such ugliness was occurring, I still want to fill in the pages of my life with the stories of what I've done and where I've been.

So, onto happier talk?

And what could be happier than a frozen butter beer in Harry Potter Land on a hot day???

This was our first trip to Universal, we were there to visiting the wizarding world.

When I was a teenager, I went to Disneyworld the summer that it opened. After watching Walt talk about it for years on Sunday nights during the Wonderful World of Disney, and a lifetime of begging to be taken to the original park in CA, I was beyond thrilled to finally get a taste of that Wonderful World myself. And it didn't disappoint.

Maybe since I wasn't a child myself on the first trip there, I never outgrew it? Add in a few decades of not being able to afford to visit, and then experiencing it through Sugarwings' eyes, and I am as hooked now as I ever was.

But this trip, we only walked through Disney Springs to see the Cirque De Soleil with our circus performer grands. (and they LOVED the show, Kia's eyes were riveted to the stage and she applauded so hard for the aerialists that her hands must still be sore)

So, I had a "Minnie" Disney fix, not a full one. This trip was about wizards. Which were AMAZING! Everything about Universal was so well done, especially Potterland. The Hogwarts Express especially. And the dragon in Diagon Alley?? wow!

Yes, I loved it all.

And it was an ideal park for teens, the big girls appreciated the more thrilling rides.

The food was great, the park was well run and friendly.

The size is manageable for getting around, reminding me of how cozy Disneyland and California Adventure are, these two Universal parks are much like those, size wise.

The workers were so nice and friendly, going out of their way to give Sugarwings little tours of the rides if she was too leery of getting on one, since she goes more for the atmosphere than the rides.

but….

I still missed Disney.

Dr. Suessland was magical and very well done.

Do you notice anything odd here? We played in this park about 30 minutes and only saw two other kids briefly.

Another plus for Universal, at least while we were there is that it wasn't as crowded as I've seen when visiting Mickey.

And there are some breath taking views.

Here is what I think I figured out….. Universal is fantastically done, and has rides much more interesting to older kids. Less crowded, less expensive, extremely detailed, it is beautiful.

But, while there is plenty of magic and fun, and excitement, where is the heart?

Oh there are fun characters from lovable movies, but I missed the pulling of my heartstrings that I get at Disney.

Seriously, there is not one single thing about Universal that I can't recommend. It was quite wonderful and I hope to go back again. Especially if I have older kids with me.

And it could be just my imagination, or plain old nostalgia that has me so hooked on Disney.

But I don't think so.

Universal is a fun day out at a fantastic amusement park. I really did love every second of it and was soooo impressed with the park.

But Disney is a fun day into my childhood dreams and into my heart.

The quality of the park is every bit as good as Disney, and the themes, are just perfect. Jurassic Park? Yay! That T Rex at the top of the waterslide was horrifically real. I still shiver thinking about him (Sugarwings didn't go near that ride)

It also had Impact Wrestling Live.

what?

Yep, we went to check out the venue. My son Ryan is a big fan and I hoped he'd see us in the crowd while watching at home. We didn't stay long, although it was interesting to peek in on.

Sugarwings liked the park, even though she missed the princesses. She isn't a ride person, she goes for the atmosphere. She likes the shows, characters, performers, parades, and Universal does not measure up in that department.

When it was time for the parade, we scoured the sidewalks for a good spot to watch from. After my experience with the other parks, I knew that you had to get a seat early, before the viewing points were 15-20 people deep and you couldn't see anything.

It was surprising that there was only a scattered crowd for the parade, and we had multiple choices for watching it. Then I saw why, it was a handful of floats, and suddenly over. Not the extravaganza I was used to. But Sugarwings enjoyed it. Maybe sometimes, over the top isn't needed?

There is certainly something to be said for no crowds blocking your view, too.

Please note that none of this is a complaint about my trip, only a comparison between the two parks. Both are wonderful, I was just trying to put my finger on why I was feeling about them.

Swap pages for the Farewell to Downton book, some are sideways, all are beautiful

swaps

By Karla Nathan / June 16, 2016

Well, isn't this embarrassing???

It seems that I have NO IDEA how to turn the pictures around.

I have been plagued with a streak of problems and this is just the latest.

Everything around us seems to be falling apart, such as cars, air conditioners, computers, cameras, and more.

Notice I mentioned the computer and my camera?? So, I have a new Mac ( a big change from Windows, but a welcome one, even with the learning curve)

So, here is my dilema. I have a new computer that I'm trying to figure out. I had a billion pages to sort and assemble into books before leaving on a big trip.

Then, my camera kicked the bucket.

Did I mention the deadline and the huge pile of pages?

I ordered a new camera, but it wasn't going to be here till Wednesday, we were leaving on Saturday, and I had to get these pages photographed before making them into books. And I had to mail the books by Friday, and they take at least a week to put together, package, label, and mail.

No problem, my phone has a great camera!!

And it is an Apple too, I should just be able to have the photos on the phone show up on the Mac, right? Well, for most people maybe.

I think I mentioned that learning curve?

Well, lets call it a learning mountain. Maybe a learning Mt. Everest.

I have over 16,000 photos moved from my pc to my Mac, and there are NO FILES, just pictures floating around nameless and I'm still slightly stupefied by it all.

Or just stupid?

And the pictures I took on my phone won't share with my Mac, no matter how many ways I try and how many trips to see the Geeks at Best Buy. So, I simply emailed them to myself and saved them to my desktop to get them available to use for my blog.

Whew, I did it!!!

I solved an issue!!

Yay, me!!

Oh, but wait….

This doesn't look right…

hmm….

AAARRRGGHH!!!!!!!!

Time is short, too. I don't have a way to get more pictures in time to get the books made and mailed before the trip. And I promised to show pages on my blog.

And as I tell the grand fairies, A Grammy Always Keeps Her Promises.

She might be a bit half assed about it, but she does her best and never lies.

So, please forgive my sideways pictures. I'll figure this out when I get back from the trip.

hopefully

I apologize for the small and sideways pictures.

But oh my gosh, aren't they gorgeous?????????????

I am blown away by the beauty of the pages that are gracing my studio table right now.

Compared to my other swaps, this one is a small group, but it sure is a good one.

Very, very well done.

I've been quite impressed with the quality and the loveliness of the creations.

Hey look, this one is straight!!! All of the photos are straight on my desktop, I don't know why Typepad seems to think they should be flipped on their sides, or why it decided this one shouldn't be.

Oh, well, that run of luck was short, back to flipped.

But I'm sure you can still appreciate the beauty.

While I am disappointed in my ability to fix this problem, I'm still thrilled with the artwork pictured.

The sideways pictures are just one of many things going on with me right now. I think I have gremlins.

I might be battling gremlins, but I'm doing my best.

And with artwork like this, building the books has been a joy, even with all the glitchy issues surrounding me right now. These pages have made me very happy, and I know the swappers will be as thrilled as I am with the books they receive.

Thank you to everyone who joined the swap. And thank you to those who ordered blank books too. I will most likely have more extras to hawk when I get back from my grand daughter trip, we had an unprecedented amount of drop outs on this swap.

Thanks to those of you who stayed committed and created such pretty things to share with each other!!!

Custom Downton Abbey Journal for Guncle Randy

guncles

By Karla Nathan / June 13, 2016

The Farewell to Downton Art Journals were very feminine, so I wanted to do a special one for Guncle Randy. I went with dark olive velvet and vintage gold trim. The tie is brown velvet ribbon, and the book still feels lux without being girly.

Here is one of the layouts I made for him. The flowers are cut out of a painting I did of Highcleire Castle. I had already cut it up and thought it would be a good idea to save the scraps for book pages. I framed it out in black velvet ribbon.

The two old photos on the other side are made into a pocket.

In the pocket, I put some more old pictures, like this great one of two guys and their dog.

This is a folded, old letter, with the stationery rimmed in black on the back. I added a medallion with an R for Randy and glued one side down. It ties shut.

When it opens up, there is another vintage photo. The paper is old and fragile, so I reinforced the fold with washi tape.

This whole swap was a fun theme for me, I certainly enjoyed the show for the seasons it was on, and it will linger in my mind for a long time.

Building the Farewell to Downton swap books

Books, swaps

By Karla Nathan / June 10, 2016

It has begun!

All of the pages are sorted, and the books are being built.

And I am once again, blown away by the beauty that came in the mail to my cottage.

See what I mean?

I'll show a few more close ups for now, but I have to scoot myself right back over to the work table and get busy getting the rest of the books put together. We are leaving on a grand daughter trip this week and I want all the packages sent before I go.

Enjoy!

Overwhelmed, but trying to stay reasonable

cottage

By Karla Nathan / June 7, 2016

Kansas has been extra rainy this spring. Which, after years of draught, I shouldn't complain about and won't.

Well, maybe not much.

Just a little.

The mud has held up our remodel a bit.

I should be more like Sugarwings, she looked at the sloggy mess and saw mud pies.

The mud is a joy to her.

But for me, I'm kind of in chaos. The kitchen and living room are half packed up, the yard is a mess, which is all bad enough, but we also have a few other smaller projects going on and between those partially finished jobs, and the piles of tools and displaced items around is multiplying the other construction chaos.

Plus, everything seems to be falling apart around me. The computer, air conditioner, my camera, Ryan's car, and that is just a partial list.

My way of dealing with it all? I've gone on an organization binge. Since I can't control most of what is going on around me, I've gone over board on controlling what I can. I had to rearrange my studio and add a cabinet taken out of the kitchen. That lead to every single thing in the room being sorted and labelled and straightened up.

The construction, while delayed, is an exciting thing, and I'm not worried about the progression. I know our builder and know the project will go well. I just am overwhelmed by so much at once.

So, I'm trying to stay as organized as I can with what I can and take a lesson from Sugarwings to look at the chaos around me as opportunities.

Fried computer? Ack! But now, I have a new Mac!!! (its a learning curve, and there are issues, but I'm so pleased with it)

And I'm trying to concentrate on how lucky I am to be able to replace it.

And to remember that this is just a mud puddle, not a life threatening flood like in Texas. We are healthy. We are blessed. Life here is good, just sometimes a little messy.

Glittered mat board and frame

family, how to's

By Karla Nathan / June 4, 2016

I'd rainbowed-up the Hippy Chick's graduation photo so much with PicMonkey that I couldn't find the ideal frame to match it.

She loves all things sparkly and rainbow, and those were both requirements to match the glowing picture of her.

So, I took a white framed, plain mat and glittered them up. The mat is so glittery, it is crusty, with layer upon layer upon layer of shimmer stuck on with sheer glitter glue, starting with larger flakes and ending with a very fine twinkle.

The frame got a slather of red paint and I sprinkled the sparkles over the wet paint.

The pattern is random, much like the background of the photo. And it is blindingly bright in person!