Tiernan Design

Sweet Magnolia

I cut a magnolia blossom off of a tree of an abandoned house next to my workplace.  Man did it smell pretty.  I put it in a glass and came home from work the next day and it had completely opened up.  I took a picture of it because it made my kitchen sink window look so pretty.  Also included are orchids from Mother's Day, one of my sewing projects (curtains if you couldn't guess), one of two kinds of shamrocks, the prefect summer fruit and a super "B" bargain from Anthropologie.  I came home from work the next day and it was completely brown.  the light that burns the brightest........

Dinner Auction Update

 

Organza, netting,some white Christmas lights and working with less than $200 helped me add some bright colors to dress up a Parish Center for our annual dinner auction.  I got the idea from making a dress last year that had a little puff of a flower for a belt.  The flower was very easy to make and was actually very cute.  So, a pattern for a flower belt was used to dress up a structural column, who would have thunk.  I was able to save the flowers from going into the trash, which is a good thing because Stella has been asking me to make her dress out of them since me and my mom started sewing them (yes, I said mom.  I needed to rally the troops because I was quickly running out of time).  She has hit the fairy princess part of her life.  So maybe this fall, when we start to spend more time inside because of the changing weather, she can help me make a little dress.  Maybe she can be a fairy for Halloween....and let me tell you, she would be one dainty fairy.....NOT!

Happy Easter

 

"God's most blessed gift to His Family is the gift of Life. He sent us the Prince of Peace as a babe in a Manger.  I've said that we must be cautious in claiming God is on our side;  I think the real question we must answer is, Are we on His side?"

                                                President Ronald Reagan

What do Easter and Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon have in common?  click  here - Glenn's Easter Essay

It is Auction time again

 

Hello strangers.  Sorry.  No really.  My work just completed the design of an entire new hospital and jumped onto another project to design a free standing cancer center, so the leisure of blogging has been put on the back burner as well as most of my home projects.  It is that time of year where I get to use my imagination a different way.  My parish's annual auction is coming up and I am doing the decorations again.  Since I was unable to make ZERO auction meetings I had to send my idea via email.  I have attached the sketch I zipped over for review.  I am going to making bright orange organza zinnia looking flowers and back light them with the oh so inexpensive white Christmas lights.  It could go a little Asian or a little fairytale-ish.  I am leaning to the fairytale - thanks to my daughter Stella - so there might be some moss, butterflies added somewhere.  Here are a few of my other auction adventures HERE and HERE.  

I Love Etsy

 

I love Etsy.com.  If you want something unique and not pay an arm and a leg, this is your place.  You can artwork, photography, ceramics, textiles and beautiful jewelry like these from Luxedeluxe.  I bought the sparrow necklace above for my sister for Christmas and I almost bought a necklace for myself, but I restrained myself.  What makes Etsy even cooler, is that the artists are from around the world.  I was pleasantly surprised when the sparrow necklace arrived and the return address was from Scotland.  Browse Etsy, I am sure you are going to find something you like.  I know I am too late to post this for those looking for interesting Christmas gifts, but like I said earlier, I was a day late on everything this holiday season.  Maybe a birthday or anniversary....oooooh Valentines Day is coming soon too!

Project #1 - Ignorance is Bliss

   

If I knew what I was getting into, I don't think I would have made a dress my first attempt out of the gate.  At least not a dress made out of slippery, stretchy fabric, as the pattern required.  A nice cotton sun dress would have been more appropriate, but like my title says, ignorance is bliss.  I am glad I did it because it was a HUGE learning experience.  I made many calls to my mom, and she took over the gussets.  Apparently I would have made her a nervous wreck if I did those.  She kept saying "you can't do those - I can't do those and I have been sewing for 55 years".  If you know my mom, you just kind of step aside and say okay and just sit and watch and learn.  We had to stop sewing the gussets and take a break because she was having a hard time with the fabric, using a stretch stitch and having the thread was constantly breaking.  I got a call the next morning from her telling me she was coming over and had a better idea.  I guess I am like her in that I won't let some fabric deter me from finishing or figuring out a better way.  Needless to say, she kicked some gusset butt and then went home.  Three weeks later I was done with the dress you see above.  There is no way in hell I was going to model the dress, so I have some cropped photos of it when I wore it to my company Christmas Party.....and a FUN party it was!

Project #2

   

 

After I made my dress (see post below called Finally, My Dress Form), I moved on to something a bit easier, Project #2.  I wanted to make aprons for all my sisters and my mom for Christmas, but I ran out of time.  My mom got one and the one sister I "had" for Christmas got one.  I really enjoyed making the aprons, because you can have fun with colors, patterns, etc.  Aprons should be lighthearted.  The pink-purple one is the one I gave my sister.  I had to ask her to give it back to me so I could photograph it for the blog.  I finished it the night before our Christmas, so I had no time to take a picture of it.  This Christmas came so fast for me, so I felt I was always one step behind.  I actually was buying presents on Christmas Eve the first time ever.  Mental note...........never do that again.......ruins Christmas. 

Happy St. Nicholas Day

     

Put your shoes out tonight! 

A little tidbit about it.  I had no idea St. Louis was such the hot bed for St. Nick celebrations.

"The tradition of St. Nick's Day is firmly established in the Milwaukee and St. Louis communities, with parents often continuing to observe the day with even their adult children. Widespread adoption of observing the tradition has spread throughout the german, polish and belgian communities throughout Wisconsin, and is carried out through modern times."

Finally, My Dress Form

   

 

This took a lot longer than my 5 minute project posted below, but it was worth it.  It took my husband about 1 1/2 hours to "wrap" me and then my about the same amount of time for me to stuff/adjust.  The stand is made out of PVC pipe and an old Christmas tree stand.  I am going to try to make my dress for my company's Christmas party.  Key word here is "try".  I'll post my progress.....maybe.  The total cost for the whole dress form was about $37.  This included the duct tape, stuffing and PVC pipe.   On another note, I really do clean my house.  The mirror is just old, but I love it.  We have the same etched mirrors on all closet and full bath doors in our house (which reminds me I wanted to make a separate category for "My House" details - stay tuned).  The fingerprints on the door?  Yep, I have no excuse for those. 

My 5 Minute Project

   

Old wreath, monkey grass berries, decorative grass plumes.