Bridal Wear From Stash Mess

In the last post..."Wedding Day Dressing" ... the Brides Dressing Robe/Shirt had the look of "Your kidding me...Bridal Wear...no way!"  "Yes way" said the Bride after it's reincarnation from a man's XXXL shirt to a Brides Dressing Day Duster!  

And then there were the Bridesmaid Dressing Robe/Shirts.  

They agreed with the Bride....Yes Way!!!

Worked out perfect...Bride and Maids got a Fun Robe!

And I made....This Stash Mess at least half as much Less of a Mess!

Wedding Day Dressing

I know, I know....it's a mess...and you will never guess why.  You will no doubt guess that I have to make a mess by dragging out all the trims, fabrics, threads, etc. etc. to create just about any project.  I haven't done this in awhile, and I'm having such fun on this special project.  Ready? 

It's a 'Wedding Day Dressing Robe'.  See I told you it would be a guessing game!  Weddings these days have a touch of 'Traditional' mixed in with touches of 'Contemporary'.  In the olden days the Bride and Bridesmaids showed up at the church fully decked out and ready to walk down the isle.  The only photos of the 'getting dressed' part of the wedding day were for the Wedding Album where the Bride is perfectly dressed and posed.

Today, every aspect of the Wedding Day is celebrated and likely shared on Social Media...including the dressing getting ready room.  So it will be for my granddaughters wedding, but rather than 'Dressing Robes' the girls will be decked out in oversized old men shirts.  Doesn't that sound comfy and celebratory?  Just imagine getting a spa treatment with a makeup artist, a hairdresser, and a nail technician wearing a shirt off a thrift shop XXXL men's rack.  

Granddaughter says, "Nana do you think you could fix up the Old Men Shirts?"

My answer, "Really, you want to wear this thrifted $2 Old Man Shirt 

while you get ready to put on your $1200 wedding gown? 

 Of course I can."

PS...Watch for the finished Brides Dressing Shirt!

Wedding Day Dressing today is certainly different than 'Back In The Day'.

Here Comes The Stinking Bride

FALL-ing Back Blooms & Time Clocks

BEFORE Bloom

AFTER Bloom

There is more to this TIME of year's FALLING BACK besides clocks, and in my case...many clocks.  For what ever reason I think I need to know what time it is wherever I find myself at any given time.  So ridiculous...I'm retired.  No longer on a schedule where I have to clock in and out.  I really don't have to time myself on projects or keep up with 'It's time to eat"...my stomach does that.  

Sorry,  I digress...time to get back on the point of Falling Back Blooms. 

Every year since planting pots of Mums I can hardly wait for them to bloom in the Fall.  They pop up every spring and stay green through out the summer.  

I can usually count on them to begin blooming on time by early October.  Not this year!  Like clockwork I checked them everyday for signs of buds.  Made sure they were watered and had the right amount of sunlight.  Even gave them a dose of bloom fertilizer.

Finally they bloomed at the end of October.  I decided Texas Mother Nature was not going to let go of 2021's  '100 Year Weather Calamity'.  I hear she will likely reek havoc with 'The Farmer's Almanac' in 2022.  I'll be getting out 'Fake Poinsettias' for Christmas. 

Now for a few favorite this time of year 'Fall Blooms' from 'Blogger Archives'.

So Maxine,  depending on your outlook...

we either lose an hour of daylight or we gain an extra hour of sleep!

I'm going with extra hour of sleep!

 

Coloring Comes Full Circle

As a child, coloring books and a box of crayons were one of my favorite pastimes.  Without realizing it, that childhood experience led to a lifetime of  'Coloring In My World'.  Coloring has been a journey of many pathways that have come full circle. 

As an Artist of Many Mediums from 'Art to Zippers'.. most of which have found a place in this blog...it seems appropriate to add a category of 'Senior Coloring'.  After all, when you can relate to 'crayons to perfume' you can certainly circle back to crayons.

The Art of Conversation

It has been awhile since I sat down to start a blog conversation, and I must admit it is quite like setting up to paint.  Also something I haven't done in a long time, but has been on my mind as of late.  I've gone so far as pulling out decades old portfolios, boxes of brushes, tubes of paint, sheets of watercolor paper and albums of photographs destined to be references for future paintings.  

It's not like I have that much of a problem starting.  It's finishing!  As I discovered in the decades old portfolios,  UFO's have been a part of my creative process for...well...decades.

In my defense, I am also a 'Multitasker'.  In fact, I'm what is known as an 'Ultimate Multitasker'.  My grace is saved by Merriam-Webster who says, 

A good multitasker is a person who can perform or manage many tasks at the same time.  The 'Ultimate Multitasker, routinely has a half-dozen or more projects under contract at the same time, all of which would be seen to timely completion.

Hmmm, the decades old portfolio UFO's kind of blows the 'Timely' completion.  However, my saving grace comes with the recent matting, framing, hanging and gifting more than a half-dozen finished pieces from the ancient portfolio.

Now, back to starting a blog conversation when you don't have much to blog about. 

Via Google, a page on Career Development suggested 13 ways to start a conversation.  After 13 years of Blogging I think I can loosely claim to be a career blogger.  Of the 13 conversation starters there were a few I considered:

~Introducing myself...probably a good one since I've been absent from blogging for 11 months.  Please see post 'Now Is The Time' for my explanation of absence.                                                                      ~Mention a shared experience...my goodness, but as bloggers we have certainly shared many experiences over the years.  How about those of us who have done the AtoZ Challenge, and all the posts about our Ancestors.  Bless their hearts and pasts for providing us with the challenge of depicting their lives in the face of adversity, historical significance and family connections.                                              ~Comment on the weather...as a last resort or instead of starting a conversation...ending one.

Welcome November!

Now Is The Time

The years of 'Collecting' a plethora of everything from AtoZ and documenting just about all of it on this blog has been 13 years of discovery.  Who knew writing, photography and other bloggers could have such an impact on one's life.  I'm glad and thankful it has on mine!

As the end of 2021 approaches perhaps 'Now Is The Time' for this 'Blog Hiatus' to come to a close.  In doing so my expectations of future posts content will likely be somewhat different than the last 13 years.  Why?  Life over the last few years has changed dramatically...not just for me, but for the world.  

Since the last post of 2021 in February, the months of March through July were filled with making treasured memories. Coping with 'Missed beyond measure' is life changing, but tempered by knowing my husbands life was indeed a blessing to so many. 

'Loved beyond words'.  I'm using these words in 'Surviving Grief.(excerpts and paraphrased from...Living with a Broken Heart)  How do you live with a broken heart?  The answer isn't how you fix it or move beyond it.  The skill is learning to live with your grief as an ongoing way of being in the world.  It's the way you honor that which you love.  The heart is designed to grieve.  Especially when it is broken.  This is the price you pay for love.  But you can also find and feel grief in opening your heart.  Opening it to what the future holds.  Life is about endings and beginnings and the heart was designed to navigate you through this forever winding adventure called life.

So, as my heart navigates and survives through the times to come, some 'Collections' are providing 'Therapy'.  Plants and Dragonfly's!  

 

CollectInTexas Gal Blog is on Blog Hiatus!

You are welcome to browse the Collections of Posts ... listed on the Sidebar.