Whew... wiping the sleepy Pixie Dust from my face and enjoying the cool temps this morning. I actually used my little oil heater in the bedroom last night as there was a chill in the air! I've got 2 hours to work before I need to get ready for our Easter Gathering at the Rancho Coffee Gals clun weekly meeting. It's a bunch of ladies who live (or lived - past tense we moved) in the Madera Rancho's area of California. Some of the nicest, and most vocal, gals I've ever met. When I moved abnout 40 mins away... they told me "You are one if the first who came and started this chapter... so you stay!" lol. SO I travel my 40 minute route back and enjoy meeting with thee wonderful women. Do you have a weekly or monthly meeting with any group??? It's so enlightening to have a group of people cheer you on in a positive way!!

I'm gathering things from my huge inventory of fabrics, trims and lace..... and I want some unput from YOU!... What would you like to see in there??? Add a comment as to what you want to see in the April box. And your comment will enter you into the contest! I want this to ne fun!! So tell me what mystery items you think should be indluded..... it might or moght not get included!! Okay!! Let's get it on!! Contest rules include the following ... Open to resident of the Unites States for free shipping. For thoese in other countries, YOU are responsible for all costs included for shipping, txes, tarriffs etc.

I've seen a couple where they just destroyed what would have been a cute pair of coveralls...... it was plastered in paint from head to toe....and there was no interest in it at the sale. They offere itk hours and nobody paid much attention to it at the sale. I entered for it but apparently was not a winner as I haven't been told otherwise! Ok tell all!!!

This outfit was put together around the hat. It was my delightful Aunt Elaine's hat that I was so honored to receive after she passed. Aunt Elaine was an elegant being who delighted in anything and everything that was proper, elegant and mannerly. She alwayd did things so elegantly and was the gentlest person I every met. Every holiday was perfectly adroned and creative and she did with such ease that is was seamless.... you knew when an event was ther that she would have found a way to make the table settings fun and elegant in some way. SHe had such an ease about you, that if you showed up in a sweat suit so popular in the 80's she would make you feel like you fit right in! Trust me when I say I never showed up like that because she is the one who gave me my family name.. even at my wedding I was called this..... "Miss Mary" which at 66 is still my between the few cousins left in the fam! I was called "Miss Mary" because when I was very little I would wear very frilly dresses and little anklets etc... and if I should get even a smudge on them I would fuss and cry until I got a new dress on. lol This was the delight of my Auntie E because she had many miscarriages before she finally had 2 sons who were "All boy" if you know what I mean. Auntie E loved to fuss over me and she ws so very special to me. When, at the end of her life, she asked for me to do Hospice care for her... and of course I did. I was a retired RN at the time. My Unkle Karl, her husband, was just as elegant as she was and they were both devoted to each other all their lives. Unfortunately, at the end, her dementia caused her not to recognize my poor dear Uncle and she woudl scream in terror about the "stange man in her room" when he appeared. She recognized me though and I spent my time wiht her... I held her hadn with Uncle Karl for her last breath on this side of Heaven So... when my group of Ladies decided to have an Easter Hat parade on this day, I retrieved Auntie Elaines hat from my studio... it is proudly displayed in there all the time as I feel she is with me. SHe would encourage ANYTHING I would do wuth such praise that I know... she would love upcycling. She always dressed stylishly and elegantly and yet in "todays" fashion!