Various!

Yesterday we went to Santa Cruz to reclaim the ticket's money from Julio Iglesias concert. I can't believe I couldn't go! My mom and her friends went and they were amazed! I was there last time he went here around 20 years ago! I was a kid! But this time the concert was planned for August 22; just the day before my birthday. It was so fine and I was excited but then, last wednesday a plane crash took place in Madrid Barajas airport in a plane that was coming to the islands. Wasn't my island but Gran Canaria, but we all feel so near them because, living in an island makes you take planes for whatever you want to do, and it's a tragedy to know whole families where inside the plane coming from vacation.

So, the concert was moved to Saturday August 23 in honor to the victims but that was my birthday party day! And I couldn't go to the concert and as it was moved by the organization I could ask for the refund of my tickets.

So, I went yesterday to the city to make this. And, while there I also went with DH and the kids to the Patchworks store (didn't buy any fabric at all!!!!, lol...) and then the kids wanted to eat McDonald's and while they were in the queue I went to see the sale in a shop in front of the restaurant. And look what I found! (I have already had my morning cappuccino in the glass but forgot the pic!, Sorry)

A Bodum thermo-glass! Perfect for my hot coffee and also for my cool coke! And it really works like a thermo!!! I think it's my preferred glass now!, lol...

I've already started my Halloween projects!

Update: I am so sorry I forgot to add the credits to this design. I made it using a free design from the wonderful designer Lizzie Kate. You can find all her free designs in her website.

I am 35 now!

Oh God, I can't believe I am 35 years old! When did this happen???? lol...

Well, there's no remedy so I have fo face that I am getting older and older and enjoy it! Guess that's the right thing to do, lol...

For this day I wanted a "petit comité" party. Just with my close friends and family. I made these cute invitations (using Mo Jackson art) and prepared a sweets, candies and baked goods only party! With coke of course! Then the boys opened the "barbecue-bar" when the sun started to go down and we stayed there until almost 10pm! With all the kids! And all located in my Dad's garden in front of our homes.

The party was organized to start at 5pm. While I was preparing the table, the buffet, the garlands, etc... I received the best present of the day; my brother, that was surfing in France, came as a surprise to the party! He was supposed to  arrive at night but took a sooner flight back! I was so happy when I saw his car getting inside the garden I started to run to him crying like a baby!, lol... I my God, how old I am!!!!! This pic was taken by DH from our home's balcony while I was crying and holding Chani, lol...

And also from the balcony he took this other pic of Chani, Henrito and me "embellishing" the party table, lol...
As party favors I made this little placemats with Ikea fabrics and using a mix of the picnic placemat and the regular one from Lotta's amazing book! And also made some matching coasters. (please ignore the &%&/%$%&/$ fly in the plate, lol...)
I prepared the table for everyone and then decided to leave a part for a buffet so anyone could choose which sweets and candies they wanted. We ate tooooo much! lol...

Julia prepared this beautiful salad that, also, was sooo good!, lol... But, don't you think it's a pity to start such a beauty?, lol...

Well, with everything ready to go I am also happy and ready to receive all my friends and have fun with all of them!
My Dad was so happy with my birthday and he insisted we wanted to come to the party and see me. He gave me a cropped jacket for present that's amazing. I'll post a pic of it because it's worth it!, lol... He's a delight and Celita adores him to death!
Well, we installed a pool for the little ones but look.... Only one "oficial-baby" inside, lol... Oh my God, the kids did really had fun yesterday!
Look at Celita's face! She was so happy!
Look how's Elmita enjoying the pool! Isn't the sweetest?
And then there was a bigger pool for the big children. Oh, they did have fun there! lol... Even at night they went again to the pool! lol...


Oh, I saved this pic here because it shows the bunting, pennant, party garland (all those names for the same thing, lol...) Click in the photo so you can see it bigger. I made using the Purl bee tutorial.
Here we are: form right to left, Elma, Elmita, Lisa, me and Celita. We have one photo like this from EVERY party we've been together, lol... It's like a tradition. I am so fortunate to have such a great group of friends. We're more than in the photo but the three of us we know each other since Lisa came from the UK to marry Juan Pedro. I bet she's more Canarian now than many born here, lol... I adore these girls so much and also my other friends in the party that aren't in the pic. I am so blessed I have them all and I'm nothing without them! Thanks God for letting me live so happily through these 35 years and let me live the same with all my big family here. Love them all!

At night again inside the pool!!!; lol...
The cake was a disaster! I made a three layer mocha-frosted cake but the frosting went bad and I had to "erase" it, lol... I bought one in the last minute and was disgusting, lol... Henrito was in the pool when Henry started to light the candles and he came with me all wet kissing me. He's so sweet! In the pic you can see his hair, lol... He blew the candles and went back to the pool with the rest of the kids. No one was brave enough to eat the cake, lol...

And here's the post-party effect. lol... When we got back home Celita laid down in the floor laughing and asking for her milk!, lol...
And Henry went to the sofa to rest while watching some cartoons. I think he didn't even see the start of it before falling asleep, lol...

It was a great day and a great party. I did enjoy it so much and I think I can not express all the joy I feel with such a great group of friends and family. I adore them all!

Sunday afternoon

Here I an right now! Later I'll post about yesterday.

Update post: This new chocolate (at least for me is new, lol...) Lisa gave me for my birthday is amazing! Like a Cadbury creme egg inside the bar! Oh my God!!!!! Almost forgot about the gossip while eating,lol...

Faith

I was so stirred yesterday morning.

My mom's from a beautiful historic small town in the north of the island. It's called Garachico and in August 16th there are the local festivities in honor of San Roque.

Every year we go to a mass in the Saint's chapel. Now, there are too many people and they get San Roque out from the Chapel and the mass is outside. Jose Luis, the priest, always tells us the same history of San Roque, how he was born in a rich aristocratic family in Montpelier. And when his parents died he gave all the heritage to the village he lived in and he went to Roma, he wanted to help others and live a religious life. He stood by the plague patients and then he started to cure them. People thought it was miraculous and everyone came with him to recover.

Then he got the plague himself and went to a cave where a little dog came always to heal him up. God was meant to have done this and also to have made a little river to go where he was and so he could have water. A friend of him found him and treated him until he was so ill and went back home where nobody recognized him because the illness and he was given to jail. He died there and it's said that a great light came from him and they discovered the born-sign he had in his chest; a cross.

Since then everywhere in Europe suffering the plague prayed to San Roque to save them and get the plague out of their towns.

That's why, when in Garachico centuries ago, the plague came in a boat from Seville, they prayed to San Roque to help them and they promised that if the plague stopped they'll make a mass every August 16th for him.

My mom always goes to this mass as she went always with my Grandma and now it's me who goes with her and also my kids.

But yesterday I don't know why I was soooo touched in the mass.

When San Roque went out from the chapel he did it with a back music of his new hymn. It was so pretty and I got so emotional. I thought I was going to cry. Everyone around was so touched also and he was so beautiful with his little dog besides him.

The square of the chapel was so pretty decorated with the typical ribbons in a "bamboo" stick. And full of people dressed in the typical antique clothes. It was so pretty everything and it deeply touched my heart.

I have been "angry" with God for so long, but I have staretd feeling better since my little girl was in the hospital and the only healing I had was talking to God and asking him to take care of my little newborn girl. So yesterday I felt so near to San Roque and God and felt really good!

Here are some pics of the mass and the procession that took place after the mass and where everyone sang San Roque's hymns and a folklore group played songs also. It's so pretty to see a whole village together celebrating how a saint helped them to go over a plague so bad!

Well, I know this blog is not about Faith but sometimes you get touched by all the good energy around a festivity like that!

Anna Tunic

Click  in the photo to see it bigger

I've been wanting to make the Anna Tunic's pattern from Amy Butler since a long time now. When I saw this beautiful fabric from Heather Bailey's Pop Garden line in Sewlovefabrics shop, I thought it was the time to make the dress and also I remembered I had this other pattern mostly the same for Celita's size.

I think the dresses ended looking amazingly!!! The dress was a bit difficult for me to make, I think it was more a language problem for me than the pattern itself, lol... I did "invented" the yoke finish becase I couldn't understand what the pattern called to make to finish it, lol... 

But I think the final effect is nice and I was so happy to be dressed the same as my little baby!

God, what a party!

I have tons of good pics from this beautiful day and this group is a good one! There were 2 pools for the kids! A castle to jump in all the afternoon and lots of good food!!!! Elma and Carlitos were all the afternoon before baking and the cake was amazing! Lock at the pic! Hello Kitty!, lol...

We met all the best friends and family and we had the best time together laughing and enjoying just being together! I do love this kind of meetings and the birthday party was so fun! 

Henry got totally wet by the kids. While they were playing in the small pool they "splashed" him all over making a fight, lol... I thought he was going to get ill!; lol...
Neni is so fun in this pic! I don't think she did even eat that piece of cake, we were just enjoying the photos!; lol... ISn't she wonderful and pretty???
Oh, that shoes, do you remember them from a post before? Well, Celita got inside the little pool with them! There's a pic of her all dressed inside the pool in the first group of photos, lol... It was so fun! She got inside the pool alone and there she was like if seated in the grass! lol... Like I said a great and fun day!

Click in the pics to see them bigger and you'll enjoy such beautiful photos of the kids!

Getting ready for a cake!

The picture is so bad, but... he's so cute!!! I just can't help it!, lol...

Last Sunday I wanted to make some frosting, not for a cake but to eat it alone, lol... I love to!

Henry heard me getting everything ready and wanted to help. He made it himself alone!!! 

The thing is that lately I have been having trouble making frosting because it always went bad, and looking at this picture I have realized it has been more then 2 weeks since I made a good one. This was mixed by Henry and the last one we've made for Elmita's birthday party was mixed by DH!!! 

God, my all-time-fear question.... Am I loosing my "mojo"?????

ps I'll post the pics of Elmita's birthday tonight. They're so fun and sweet! Nice mix of words, isn't it?,lol...

Hey!

What a dress!

I really can't remember how many times may I have photographed this window! They always have precious things there! And this dress is just amazing!



The only thing is that one of the pics I took was from a Valentino lace blouse that was $4500(or was it even more, Elma?) so I don't think this dress may be afordable for me either. Well, not to mention that it won't be my size at all!, lol...

Family Sunday

What a great weekend we had! And Sunday was the best end of it! All the family together, lots of food, lots of kids, lots of giggles!

The pool was so good and the weather just perfect. 

The kids had lots of fun together playing football, kind-of-tennis (lol) and the girls just had fun hanging around each other and gifting us with wonderful smiles!, lol...

Ready to start a new week!

Is it a better way to start a new week than a full cookie jar??? These are my kids fave cookies and can eat thousands of them! It's a delight for me to see my little Henry climbing the chair to open the jar and get one cookie before getting out from the kitchen running as fast as he can, lol...

Like I said, there's not a better way to start one of the last holiday weeks before going back to school!

Ok, I know, the jar is Christmas themed, but what can Is ay? I just love it and haven't find a prettier one, lol...

Nantucket Weekend GIVEAWAY!!!!

Nantucket Weekend GIVEAWAY!!!!

This is just an amazingly pretty shirt! I just wish to have a pattern like that, lol...

Beach

Look how much sand can a body have in less than 10 minutes, lol... These are my kids enjoying the beach with their father and their big sister.

God, how much I love living in this little island!

Kidston Tesco bag

Can't believe I took this photo! That's not me, it's from a girl that was also waiting in the pool entrance! It's the Kidston Tesco bag and couldn't resist! Lol:-). Everything looked so pretty inside that bag.... 

Decoupage

Here's my kid getting ready to Decoupage the little einsteins!

Liberty Fabric

Liberty fabric. No words needed. Just pretty!

This is my first entry to the blog made from my mobile phone. Hope it will keep working, lol...

What a difference!

That's what I thought this morning (after thinking I am silly). It's incredible that the Colorfast inkjet fabric sheets can cost here in my island $31! And I can find it online for $10,99 exactly the same thing! Even paying for rush delivery international it could have been cheaper for me. How could I be so silly to buy it here? I was so excited that I found it here that couldn't resist! lol... 

Also the quilting fabrics are so expensive here; $18 per yard! $10 more than in the US!!! Exactly the same fabrics! Well, that's why I love the internet and the difference between the Euro and the Dollar these days, lol...

Shoes

Aren't them just pretty? My baby girl's new shoes!

Leila and Ben Capelet

I really totally adore Leila and Ben's patterns!

Look how my baby's capelet look like, isn't it just lovely? I am actually planning to do mine and we'll be both the same for my birthday's party. I am so excited about it!

Really, go and check her crochet patterns, you'll be amazed! 

Been away but crafting!

It's been a while since I last wrote here but I haven' been crafting anyway. 

Here's a dress I made today for my baby girl. I found this pretty Beatrix Potter fabric in a sale and couldn't resist and then my aunt suggested me to do a "body" of a dress with crochet and the skirt with the fabric.

I remembered the Leila and Ben crochet tank pattern I bought the other day and that I wanted to try and started the work. I have to confess that Kathleen from Grosgrain fabulous inspired me to "create" my own pattern and I did some changes in the tanktop pattern and then just used the whole wide of the fabric (44") and then measured my baby from the mid chest to the middle of the leg. And that was it!!!

I just started the back crochet pattern and when it called to keep with the pattern until the tank length size I started shaping the armhole and then the neckline and did the same with the front side. I made the straps a little longer as my yarn was thiner (I used Katia Mississippi) than what asked in the pattern. Then did the edging and completed the top part of the dress. 

For the last step I joined the skirt and sew it with the crochet top and made the seam for the bottom.

I really like how it turned out!