The Garment District In Los Angeles Is A Fantasy Land For Lovers Of Jewelry And Fabrics!

Started out with a trip to Mood Fabrics, because it was number one on our list.  Spent an hour trying to decide if it was possible to narrow down what I wanted to one or two pieces.  It wasn't, so I didn't buy anything at all.  I know - I was surprised at myself.  The prices are quite dear, so I needed to know exactly how much my finished project would take.  I wish I had that brown sequin fabric to make a tank top, but at $60 per yard if it takes more than 1/4 yard, I'll pass.

  This Brown Sequin Fringe is so beautiful!

  Been back twice to Maple street, thinking I would buy this Rhinestone Mask, but haven't been in the mood for the haggling expected by the shop owner.  Maybe next time.  I don't need it until December since it would be a present for Nick's girlfriend, Kelsey if I do buy it.

 Two of my beautiful nieces playing around with by the pound fabric at the Michael Levine Attic Outlet.  That piece was about $1.50.

  And here's the main Michael Levine store, which was one of the three places on our list as not to be missed.  Surprise, we never got there.  Although we spent a lot of time checking out this fab fake fur on the sidewalk across the street from there.

 And finally at the third place on our list, the FIDM Store. Look at these beautiful Gold (filled, I am sure) earrings for only $8.  Did I buy them?  If I say yes, then my daughter will be expecting them to be in her Christmas stocking.  They do have the Fleur de Lis which as the national symbol of France would be appropriate wear for someone teaching Freshman French at Cal.  It is also the symbol for the Boy Scouts, and both her brothers are Eagle Scouts.  So I'm not saying I bought them, but if you happen to pop into the FIDM (Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising), I'm pretty sure they won't have any.

Happy 11/12/13

Sequential date - they get rare as the century rolls on. What to do to celebrate?  Maybe just go to Chili's for their new Pumpkin Spice Hot Lava Cake?  Or take the train to the Los Angeles Garment District?  Or both!

The Queen's Corgis, The Frustrations Of Trying To Blog Using Just An iPhone (Hint: It's Mainly That Darn Auto-Correct), And That Old (But True) Expression "Confession Is Good For The Soul"

Initially I figured I could take my time picking out a new computer and use my phone for writing and reading and commenting in the wonderful world of Blogs.  (Didn't some clever writer already dub this "The Blogosphere"?)  But as annoying and time consuming as the tiny keyboard is, the deal-breaker is Auto-Correct.  Somehow or other, when I tried to comment on how "incredible" a talented sewing blogger looked in her latest creation, on little slip of the finger on one of those tiny keys and suddenly I've called her "edible" - EEK!  Of course I'm the reason Auto-Correct "thought" to use that word - when John is out of town I expect him to text me with pictures of most of his meals and I send lots of food related email, (recipes, restaurants, nutrition, and such), so "edible" usually is the word I want.   The smart thing to do is wait until I get my new computer this week before I attempt anything blogwise.
I'm sure old Auto-C didn't mean to make me seem so odd, not that I need any technologically help in that regard.  Yes, I did it by myself yesterday.  And until I confess all on the blog, it will keep bothering me, although I an totally innocent in this misunderstanding.  It all started with getting my son's dogs groomed, an all day procedure which deserved the ultimate reward you can give a dog in Southern California  - Sunday Brunch sitting under the table with their own bowl of delicious Chicken and Rice at The Lazy Dog Cafe.  And the people food is scrumptious too!  As we waited in the sun for our table on the patio, they played with the other small dogs waiting too.  I was bending down petting the most perfectly mannered and groomed Corgi, and trying unsuccessfully to remember the exact name of the different types and which one this might be, so I gave up and just asked, "Is this one of the Queen's Corgis?"  When trying later to describe the look on the owner's face, the term "dumbfounded" was what both my son and I came up with.  I clarified with, "You know they are Queen Elizabeth's favorite dogs?  Queen Elizabeth, Queen of England?"  At that moment his partner showed up and he started laughing and finally answered, "Yes, and Yes!"  How embarrassing!  I didn't even remember that term could be applied to gay men!

New Toy And Almost Finished (But Already Worn) Halloween Costume

I was pretty excited when my mother started looking at the newest sewing machines, because I knew she would give me this beauty!  And yesterday I went to my sister Lynne's and used it to make this costume out of some of her stash.  It's safety pinned in the back and doesn't have the ruffles on the sleeves yet, but it worked well for the Pub Quiz. 

The Decorative Spider

Been away from home for so long that the sweet little circular web spiders have decorated my front porch for Halloween for me. 

Some of that away time was spent in Las Vegas, where I almost gave into temptation and bought this bracelet.  Somehow nothing looks too gaudy to wear in Las Vegas.  

It's Been So Long Since I Had Anything Get Posted, That I've Forgotten What To Say

I got back to Southern California yesterday and have been drifting in and out of sleep for the whole day.  My only task was to take the Granddogs to the vet for their yearly check-up this afternoon.  They are perfectly healthy.  Yeah!  The only surprise was how difficult it was to change back to driving on the right hand side of the road.  Anyone who knows me knows that I am left-handed - one of the around 7% or so of the population.  And for me the driving on the left was more natural.  It just makes sense to have your non-dominate hand responsible for the simplest of all the controls, the turn signal.  You have left or right and no other possibilities.  Unlike the the wand on the other side that has windshield wipers, with varying speeds and setting, including cleaning, and lights.  This is where the dominant hand should be used.  And for 93% of Americans, it is.
On an alternate train of thought, I Will Never Take Good Internet In The Hotel For Granted Again!  When we were in Sydney, we stayed at the Oaks Goldbrough in Darling Harbour.  Great location, but Internet was $90 per week per device - and it worked very sporadically, and then only in the bathroom.  (They said they were refunding the money, so you know how bad it must have been.)  John needed it for business, but I had plenty of Sydney sightseeing and pastry eating to do, so I didn't use it.  The other option was to stand in line at the Starbucks for 45 minutes and buy tea, which gave you half an hour of Internet.  Which took 10 minutes to log into.  Barely enough time to check family emails, checking on my sister-in-law Marya's complicated (but thankfully successful) surgery.  So all is good in my world!

Vegemite - On Toast With Butter - A Much More Logical Accompaniment With Morning Eggs Than Jam

Just when you forget that you're in a foreign (to me, at least), country, something so unusual comes along that it snaps you back to reality.  That something was Vegemite, a spread I tried on my toast just recently.  This stuff is delicious!  But first let me put this in perspective.  You know how delicious Ice Cream is, and how delicious Caesar Salad is?  Well Vegemite is to Jam what Caesar Salad is to Ice Cream.  It's maybe a little saltier than I would choose, but I haven't tried it with unsalted butter yet.