sock monkeys on the loose

fasten your seat belts, it's gonna be a wild ride!
well, i'm happy to report my PFAFF is back in the studio and running smooth as butter. yay! that means i'll be working on special orders first then focusing on a big sock monkey update!! they will be wilder and crazier than ever before. full tilt monkey madness! the plan is to have a bakers dozen of monkeys ready for a web update by mid-july. it's been way way too long since my last monkey update, so i hope you're excited about it as i am :-)

while she's away

my studio table looks a bit nude without the PFAFF. i dropped her off yesterday at the sewing machine repair place for a tune-up...hopefully that's all she requires, and not new parts. there aren't too many old school sewing machine places in chicago that will work on the vintage industrial machines. lucky for me, this place i found is right across the street from my gym (i mentally noted that day one). it has antique singer machines displayed on the shelves and awesome vintage industrial machines sitting in their original tables. the owner nodded approvingly over my ol' PFAFF and said (in an accent i couldn't place.. greek? italian?) "these are good machines. very good machines". so we'll see how it goes :)

in the meantime:

• i'm working on a big batch of ebay listings for vintage jewelry that my mom unloaded to me.
• expecting a shipment of mohair
• clipping salad daily from the garden
• surviving the heat without a/c
  
• stuffing sock monkeys as they patiently wait for the PFAFF to return.

yes, you read right: sock monkeys! (a not so subtle hint of things to come :)
talk soon...

BTW (bear tip Wednesday)

hi ya. just a quickie to say there are 2 colorful sweeties over at Collins Gifts - "confettie pop" (red/blue) and "neptune". both are hand dyed/ tie dyed mohair and absolutely one of a kinds! their favorite activities include eating caramel popcorn and looking at the glowing night sky.... stars, fireworks, fireflies.. that sort of thing :)

another btw: my sewing machine is definitely on the fritz. need to take her to a pro for sure.

pengy's in paris

oh la la! a parisian hug of mini's! sent from a lovely collector in paris, france. wish i could squeeze myself into the box next time and visit :) thanks for sharing... il est très mignon!

the old PFAFF

i've pulled out my original and very fragile 1950's PFAFF instruction booklet, oiled + greased every part, looked in every cranny, polished and dusted... but the old german gal still "sticks" at a certain point of rotation. she weighs a ton and i hope a trip to the sewing machine doctor is not necessary. fingers crossed i can keep tinkering and fix the problem myself... soon! wünscht mir glück!

remembering pops

happy father's day, dad...

there aren't too many photos of my pop as he was always the one behind the camera taking pics of us. plus, he was a little bit camera shy. my mom took this photo, a rare one of him (circa 1970 or so) not wearing his woody allen glasses :-)
he was very proud of my work and checked my web site regularly to see what was new. so in case he is looking in today, i bring you 'a pair of oranges':

mandarin + mandy, *new* one of a kind mini dancing bear necklaces. just posted on my web site so go snatch 'em up! both SOLD, thank u!

have a wonderful sunday. xoxo

♪♫ happy birthday paul ♫♪

we love paul!

check out paul's campaign Meat Free Monday (for me it's every day of the week :)

the best is yet to come

got a hankering for ol' blue eyes lately... (in addition to my husband :)
Sinatra is my instant mood lifter.

these made me smile

painted rock at uncas lake, CT

wild slippers caught on camera! person also had a cigarette dangling from mouth and carrying mail, just so you get the full effect :)

two girls; Tuesday and me. although blurry, i think it's sweet. a lot of unplanned similar dressing happened during our trip. my mom and step mom both wore identical colors (complex colors, not just a solid) at my dad's memorial service.

Rob at uncas lake, the place he learned to swim as a child | a balcony view of a beach house in connecticut.

it was an emotional trip out east, to my dad's memorial service in PA and to rob's aging parents in CT. thought our visit was under sad circumstances, there was brightness and laughter too:

• i caught up with relatives i haven't seen since the 80's
• had lunch with an hilarious 73 y.o. uncle at a jewish deli
• helped my mom clear out her closet (for stuff to go into my closet ;)
• rode bikes along a nature trail and came across an historic silent film studio
• swam in uncas lake (with my behatted head above water)
  
• gazed at stars by the beach
• kayaked one peaceful sunny morning
• enjoyed an ice cream cone under the shade of a tree
  
• played with an adorable pair of 8 week old kittens
  

simple moments that bring joy. may our days be filled with them.

p.s. thanks for all your heartfelt comments/ emails/ phone calls/ sympathies about my dad. i am touched and honored to have friends like you.

Sneak Peek for June PFATT Marketplace

and who may this little creature be? you'll have to stop by PFATT Marketplace tomorrow to find out! update: he is SOLD, thank you!
p.s. see PFATT Marketplace ad in Romantic Homes magazine (i always flip through it when at Lowe's :)