Jessica Flores Design

Purple Pours Into Summer Evenings

A couple of weeks ago, Nora and I set out with a picnic lunch and a plan to visit as many libraries as we could in a day (which ended up being only two) and stopping to eat where we might (Plymouth's Centennial Park)." We started at our local library to see what was new.  Oh boy was there a lot!  The nation-wide summer reading theme this year was splish splash something or other, and walking into the children's department was like taking a vacation at the beach!
(wearing smudged sunglasses, apparently, because my camera was not cooperating)  The windows were painted with sea life, 
 there were fish hanging from the ceiling (sshh! don't tell, I let her stand on the table), a real row boat to climb in (and a whopper of a trout to catch!), a puppet stage shaped like a submarine, 

and a little beach hut complete with lawn chairs and a thatched roof. (What is that face!?) Nora soon found a little friend to play with who had an imagination as big as hers, and the fun went on for at least an hour.  Oh, did I mention that there was also a lighthouse craft to make? 
  Preschool wonderland at the Bremen library, I tell you!  Kudos Bremen librarians!

We came away with the most wonderful book, which we read for the first time tonight.  Red Sings From Treetops is a 2010 Caldecott Honor Book. 
It is filled with Joyce Sidman's poetry singing with the imagery of living, breathing color and its rainbow of change through the seasons.  Nora interrupted the whole way through the poetry the first time we read it, because she was so fascinated with the illustrations:  mixed media paintings by Pamela Zagarenski of folksy doll-like figures and animals all wearing paper crowns.  Imagine a sail billowing with butterflies, "Oh, Mommy, look how they made the boat!", red music notes falling from trees like cherries, a giant paper moon rising behind black winter branches "is that a whale in the sky?!" This is one we could read and look at a hundred times and still find new questions to ask, new surprises to find hidden in the landscapes. The words and dream-like paintings lulled Nora to sleep the second time through . . . and left me clinging tightly to green, the queen of summer, and purple as it

    . . . pours 

    into summer evenings

    one shadow at a time,

    so slowly

    I didn't notice until

    hill,

house,

book in my hand,

    and Pup's

Brown spots

    are all

Purple.

    

A Birthday Dress

 My little flutterbudget turns five in two weeks.  She is spunky, perceptive, thoughtful, creative and bright, and she is growing up. This has been a summer of many milestones for Elnora Grace.  In the last month she has begun to buckle herself in her booster, she can ride about a mile to the end of the road with me on her bicycle with training wheels, she is jumping in the pool and going underwater like a flying fish, and she has become speckled with her first freckles, which she is more than delighted to share with anyone who cares to look closely at her little nose (and that one spot behind her elbow.)  These may seem like small everyday things to take for granted, but I think every mom knows how the littlest steps forward can tug at the heart and start us thinking about first rides on the bus, slumber parties and gossip, or send us off contemplating the last time a little hand will reach up for ours while walking to the school steps.  

Luckily, I have one more year to savor the littlegirlhood of preschool, and luckily, Nora still likes to wear the silly homemade things I make for her--like this party dress I finished yesterday with Heather Bailey and Amy Butler fabrics. 

Now before you start thinking how on the ball I am with this birthday dress, please keep in mind that this was supposed to be her Easter dress.  Three months later, I finally finished it.  But not before several hours of grumbling, ripping out seams, tugging on slippery fabric, and becoming ruffled with ruffles. . . I thought I would make a vow never to sew another garment again and then I pop it over her darling head, she twirls and giggles, and I want to sit right down and make her three more.  It's madness.  

The shirring on this was so much fun!  If you are a stitcher and haven't tried it, go get yourself a bobbin full of elastic thread and gather up some necklines!  I really can't wait to use this simple pattern for some flannel jammies and shorten it up for a couple of swing tops for school.  Can you blame me?!  She likes them, and before I know it, she'll be rolling her eyes at the mention of anything made by her mother!

Fun in the Sun

  Here are some pics from our glorious day at the Briar Patch last month.  Gasp!  Has it been a month already?  I know, that greeting is becoming all too familiar here, but summer is flying by as usual, and there's just no time to blog!  
 There are vacations to be had, parades to watch and join, pools to float in, sprinklers to run in, weeds to pull, and fruit to pick!  
 Thank you to everyone who came out to shop from my wares and also Mom's fantastic creations, including this gorgeous new collage.  Don't ask--I've got dibs on it!  How cute does that look next to my yoyo posies?!

I have been finding some nooks and crannies in my busy schedule to create.  This fine little zipper pouch found a new home via the Briar Patch event, and I'm working on a few new ones with wristlets.

I'm really excited about the new farmgirl cards. Two designs are ready to print, and I'm hoping to debut four of them at a private trunk show in September.  This will probably be at my home.  If you're interested in attending, please send me a note.  It will be a great time to get deals on the summer items I need to get rid of, grab some new fall styles, and place custom orders for the holidays while browsing through my fabric stash!

Time for bed.  Tomorrow brings another play date at the sprinkler park and maybe some time at the sewing machine in the afternoon!