Shop in, Shop out---and Home Delivery too.

 

Good evening. The long holiday weekend is almost over, chilly and windy here again. Before I forget, are we tired of patriotic photos and posts? I lost at least three followers on Instagram this weekend.

Moving on, I am still acclimating to going out maskless---but I like it. I was okay with the claustrophobic " I can't breathe'' issue, but my densely fogged glasses made every outing an exhausting ordeal. This is better! 

Last week  I went to Michael's. [craft store] A start of summer trip to the art store has been a tradition of mine for many years. I'd go to Pearl Paint on Canal Street, later on Long Island and choose a new nature sketch book and a small watercolor paper pad. Maybe a delightful if costly tiny set of watercolors or watercolor pens. A couple new fine line drawing pens, Sakura. Then I'd trawl the garish craft aisles for kits, projects, games--rainy day treats for my kids. Beads for bracelets were always a hit, as was tie dye. And those weird foam shapes. Markers, crayons, a puzzle book or a word game. I love doing crafts with small children, one of my dream jobs I never pursued---we had so much fun. 

Kids are older now and Michaels looked oddly barren. First visit there in two years or more. I  didn't buy a sketchbook, I no longer paint, but I found a few good treasures.

I especially love Dollar Bins, here and at Target too.

Trims and inspirations for Fall etsy items. [half price sale right now, come visit!]

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Another day last week a long awaited mail order from TQC finally arrived. The owner mentioned online she was welcoming a new grandbaby so I won't complain. What a treat this package was.

For quilting. Love the shoe polish tin they come in.

A fun string quilt. Yes I could make it without a pattern but it is more complex than it looks, plus I try to  support designers whose work I enjoy.

And then there was this little gem. For only six dollars I got this amazing array of charming print fabrics. I was thrilled. Notice the prettiness, the diversity that also all goes together and could be a darling little quilt! I forget the count but I d guess more than twenty different prints. Wow! Only six dollars. Hours of fun.

I am crazy about this tiny belly button polka dot. In RED! No info about it, anyone recognise it?

 It would be perfect for doll dresses and tiny quilts.

I also got two jelly thimbles. 

They choose the colors, maybe I'd have liked not the ugly licorice blue black-y one. Hello, bright turquoise. Well it isn't green, that is what counts. I ordered these because I couldn't find my bright pink jelly quilting thimble from Mel. It has a metal top with a rim and I love it. Oddly it turned up this week in my in-use spools basket, in  my workbox. Where has she been! Who with?!

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Despite heavy rain the other day I couldn't park at the farmers market. Double parked in fron t of the police station and city hall! Reckless. No purchases, just a few snap shots.

Peonies and sunflowers. Summer perfection.

Last bit of news is that I have switched from in person grocery shopping to online/ delivered/ carried up the FEMA stairs for a ten buck tip---grocery shopping! I didn't want to do it during Covid because I didn't want strangers handling my food---plus I enjoy the shopping part of grocery acquisition. But now I decided to go for it. It's expensive but wonderful. I am very impressed. So far after a month of deliveries, they only forgot my ice cream and my hummus, just once. I was not charged for those items, so that's okay.

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So tell me what was your favorite activity with your kids, or other kids in your worlds? Or something special you did each summer with your parents, a special treat?

 My favorite activity with my mom was reading together, plus nature walks; my favorite activity with my dad was sewing and drawing, and evening runs to the ice cream stand. My fave with my own kids was summer crafts and beachy activities, teaching them to swim---pool and ocean, surf, beachcomb, kite fly and so on. [and trips to the ice cream stand...] I vividly remember one late summer, teaching son to to surf cast for fish. Maybe you loved going to soccer practice? Or braiding hair? Planting their first seeds in the kiddy garden, riding bikes or skating? What memories does summer's beginning bring back for you? Tell us.

Treasure of the realm! Found objects, gathered for no reason, just a joy in their oddness, 

their uselessness.

Welcome July!

love

lizzy

gone to the beach......