Muito casual e confortável nas férias – Very casual and confy on vacation

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Será demasiado misturar uma peça de inspiração romântica como esta túnica/poncho de seda com franjas e bordados com calças esfarrapadas? A minha opinião é que o contraste resulta muito original e senti-me super-bem a usar este “outfit”.

Is it too much to mix a romantic inspired piece like this silk tunic/poncho (it has beautiful details like the embroidery and the fringe) with torn jeans? I believe this contrast worked out pretty well and I felt wonderfully and very confident all day when I wore this outfit.

Abortion Personalized

My sprained ankle is almost fully healed. I was concerned that I’d miss the screening of 12th & Delaware (loki, hbo, imbd) since it’s impossible to keep a leg elevated while driving to Hollywood. I did attend though, and the film was well worth the traffic. I’d recommend all Christians with HBO to see it this Monday.

Last night, filmmaker Heidi Ewing explained how her intent was to move the debate out of the courtroom to focus on the personal experiences of those whose lives are completely wrapped up in the abortion issue: pregnancy care center volunteers, abortion clinic employees, and pregnant women at a turning point in their lives. There were no celebrities. No politicians. Just two opposing street corners on opposite sides of the debate.

What I really appreciated was how the documentary showed the pro-life movement’s reluctance and inability to address the mothers’ real financial needs. In one instance, a woman on the phone complains that it’s easy for the volunteer to suggest keeping the baby when she’s not the one who has to find a way to feed and care for it. Towards the end of the film, a team of protesters rejoice that another woman changes her mind after being promised various types of material support…most of which she doesn’t receive, as the Q&A session revealed.

It’s troubling that some pro-life activists would justify willfully making promises that they have no intention of keeping when these women are desperate for food, clothing, shelter, and security, often for children they already have as well as themselves. If sidewalk counselors were just as passionate about helping resolve problems that exist prior to pregnancy, then they might be far more effective in preventing abortions later on.

Melissa Featured in Style!

We are so honored to be featured on The Stylish Planner, especially considering how completely unstylish I consider myself. It was an honor to be interviewed with The Stylish Planner, let alone featured!



Check out our complete interview, including my favorite jean, a picture of my family, and my cleansing regime! I give you all my deep dirty secrets.



Plus we love The Stylish Planner, so you've gotta add it to your daily reads!

the { swiss army } quilt

i'm just not sure if there is any other feeling better than the one generated from seeing your ideas come to life... example... a new quilt. when i fist saw the ( me plus you ) quilt pattern... i knew i must have one... but, with a little punch of me to it, so i called up Kerri and ordered a bunch of fabric from her shop for this steely quilt!!... though i had to dump the tangerine color addition ( silly boy toy ) in the end... it really does look wonderful in my bedroom and i couldn't be more pleased!

( 45 X 54" )

i love how the colors look next to my pillow from Julie too!!

or folded up... either way... pretty much just love it... ;)

and i think us ( me, new quilt & sweeta** Kindle ) are gonnna be fast friends!!


on another note... ( arms raised in protest ) another 20 yards of new fabric arrived yesterday from Hawthorne Threads and Fabric.com.... do they know what they are doing to me??? i buy, i love, i horde... it's an insane cycle that seems to never stop with all the great prices on fabrics they give!!! aaarrrggg!! ( wink, wink )


and lastly... thought i'd share a fab tip... BigHugeLabs flickr toys... now offers custom cd holders!! these are my ( i heart the 80's ) version for a few sewing peeps! cool hugh!!


XO, Heather

Uma peça faz o fato– One-piece outfit

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Este macacão foi o único trabalho de costura concluído durante as férias: comecei a faze-lo sábado passado e terminei-o na segunda-feira (ver aqui os detalhes de confecção). O cinto com várias correias/fivelas na frente conjuga com as correias das sandálias de salto alto e mais uma vez adicionei um pouco de cor com a “clutch” e os óculos em vermelho cereja. Este estilo de carteiras pequenas vê-se muito agora (inspiradas principalmente nos modelos originais Chanel cujo preço excede largamente o meu orçamento) e no início não me agradaram muito, mas agora começo a gostar; ainda bem que levo sempre a mochila do portátil para o escritório, o que me permite carregar a “tralha” adicional do costume!

Um aparte apenas para dizer que as fotos foram tiradas ao fim da tarde já com a ajuda de iluminação artificial... Não gostei muito do resultado e para melhorá-las um pouco, adicionei uns filtros de luz. Ainda estou a aprender estas coisas da fotografia digital...

This jumpsuit was my only sewing creation during my vacation break: I begun to make it last Saturday and it was finished by Monday (click here for the construction details). The belt with multiple straps/buckles coordinates with the sandals, and once more I added some color wearing a carmine clutch and sunglasses. This type of clutch is seen everywhere now (mostly inspired by the original Chanel clutch, which has a price tag out of my budget range, I’m afraid), and at first I didn’t like this style of small bags, but I must confess they’ve grown on me over the last couple of months. I’m glad I always carry a laptop backpack to the office; otherwise I wouldn’t be able to take all the “junk” I usually carry in my less small bags!

As a side note, these pictures were taken late in the afternoon, with the aid of artificial light; since I didn’t like the end result, I played with some lighting digital filters, trying to enhance them... I’m still learning though.

Engaged! Jennifer & Jason

Jen and Jason met in PRESCHOOL! I mean literally, they've known each other since they went to kindercare! How crazy!

So everyone knew they'd eventually they'd wind up here, through braces, and band camp, and college. It's such a sweet love story, and we love them even more for it!

Photo's By

Perfect Parallel Harmony

During my college days, I became fascinated with Early Music, both instrumental and vocal. Plainchant sounded so beautiful, and I’d always loved polyphonic music. So I began to read more about the subject. One unfamiliar practice was singing in parallel organum. It theoretically made sense as part of the development of harmony, but the idea of actually singing Perfect Parallel Fourths or Fifths seemed rather rebellious. Didn’t only music geniuses like Charles Ives do things like that? What if my music theory professor caught me?

Once or twice, I attempted to play the piano and sing familiar melodies but in different keys. I usually quit with a headache. I needed a partner in crime so that I could reasonably concentrate on one part. However, I did notice that chant had the advantage of stepwise movement, making it easier to stay on key. “Happy Birthday” was out.

At some point, I felt bold enough to recommend parallel singing to the older two of my younger sisters. One was excited, while the other was convinced that we’d never make it work. I selected Of the Father’s Love Begotten because all three of us knew the hymn fairly well. We probably tried it two dozen times, restarting because it was so easy to fall into “normal” harmony, and fumbling around for the best keys to make the song’s range singable. Eventually, we mastered it, and we’ve been singing like that ever since.

Don’t tell my theory teacher.

Engaged! Joanne and Jay!

Joanne and Jay are the sweetest couple! They are able to laugh and have fun, and just enjoy life! We can't wait for their wedding, it's going to be so beautimous and romantical!



Photo's by

In His Time

While lying in pain from a sprained ankle, I took the opportunity to read a book that has been sitting on a bookshelf untouched for years. It was the Repertorium Columbianum edition and translation of Christopher Columbus’ The Book of Prophecies (not The Libro de las profecias of Christopher Columbus one). It’s a fine edition, providing a lot of historical and textual background for the unfamiliar reader like myself. However, there are only two words to describe Columbus’ actual work: unconvincing and boring. It’s probably just as well that Ferdinand and Isabella likely never saw it.

Not to say that I didn’t get anything out of reading the text.  It provided some food for thought, introducing me to the work of Rabbi Samuel of Fez and unapologetically bringing Psalms into the “end times” discussion. (My general observation is that contemporary interpretations of prophecy, whether preterist or dispensationalist, seem to shy away from mentioning Psalms despite its New Testament use as prophecy.)  One curious passage was an addition made by Columbus’ editor, the monk Gaspar Gorricio, concerning the use of past tense in Old Testament prophecy:

But why are events that have not yet happened described as if they have already taken place? Because those things which are presently in our future have already taken place in God’s eternity. [009.3,4]

Although I found this statement a weak defense for his interpretive method, something else caught my attention. Gorricio seems to describe a God who lies outside of time and can see and access all points in time all at once. Augustine and Thomas Aquinas are famous for their claims about God’s timelessness, but this was the first time I had read something from the past that resembled contemporary discussions about God transcending the space-time dimensions of our world.

EXPOSE... the unknown crafters!

i think i can honestly say that i have been a bit more than giddy to share my next crafter with you... or might i say "crafterS"... ;) Twin Fibers is a team of twin sisters Jessica & Jennifer who produce some of them most stunning crafts to grace the Flickr realm... and yes it is VERY unfair that two peeps from the same family could be this talented!! hehe...

they have been a constant fixture in Kerri and my Swaps and in my online virtual quilting bees... so, i can vouch for their sick sewing skills and mad creative juices!! i think you'll get the idea with but a few of my favorite crafts from them...

You can check them out more on there blog too!! but, beware... you'll be instantly addicted to cuckoo clocks if you do! ( wink, wink )

i can't wait to hear what you all think of miss Jessica and miss Jennifer!! ;)
xo, Heather

A versatilidade dos vestidos túnica - The versatility of the tunic dresses

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De volta às posts de guarda-roupa, hoje mostro um conjunto cuja base é um vestido solto de seda, com um padrão em tons branco preto e cinza que acho muito bonito. Estou a usá-lo como top, juntando e torcendo o vestido na frente e prendendo-o nas calças capri pretas. Devido ao efeito de “encurtar as pernas” que as calças curtas normalmente têm, este conjunto ficaria melhor com saltos altos, no entanto achei que o intrincado recortado das sandálias rasas tinha tudo a ver com o padrão do top (vestido). A bolsa vermelha dá ao conjunto um toque extra de vivacidade (e por sinal condiz com a cor do verniz!).

Back to wardrobe posting, today’s outfit was built around a flared silk tunic dress; its white/black/grey print design is very beautiful in my opinion. I’m wearing it as a top, grabbing the excess fabric in the front, twisting it and tucking it inside the Capri pants. Due to the “shortening leg” visual effect that shorter pants induce, I would probably go for heels in this situation, but I thought the cut-out/twist of the flat sandals would look good together with the top (dress) print. The red bag adds some brightness to the outfit and, as a bonus, it matches my toe nail polish!

Engaged! Summer & Scott

How adorable are Summer and Scott!!! They are just as sweet and bubbly in person! Their personality completely shines through, and their 10.10.10 wedding is just going to be awesometastic, goofballness and all! Because that's who they are, and it makes me love them even more!

 

Photo's By: Pure by Lindsey

Plan B

Earlier this year, I happened upon a (negative) review of Jennifer Lopez’s movie The Back-up Plan (site, imdb). The plot didn’t surprise me in the least. Artificial insemination is a hot topic for any social medium targeting aging single women. As a younger member of that demographic, I can sympathize with their frustration over the lack of options in the marriage market and the sense of panic when their biological clocks begin “ticking.” It’s no wonder that women will pay a pretty penny for a chance at motherhood, even if it’s unsupported by a father.

What comes to mind is an interesting parallel with a biblical warning of God’s judgment against Judah and Jerusalem (Isaiah 2-4:1). The prophecy tells of the miserable conditions that the people later suffered: famine, oppression, loss of wealth, defeat in battle, etc.  Assuming that the standard interpretation of Isaiah 4:1 is correct, the passage portrays single women desperate to have children to secure their position in society. What I noticed is that they were willing to forego all the other expected benefits of marriage (love, financial support, fidelity, etc.), in effect putting up with a man who’s unwilling to commit to a relationship and can’t be relied upon for child support. What mattered was removing the shame of childlessness. Although women today might not be suffering the extreme hardships experienced in ancient times, I see a similar desperation expressed and a similar solution pursued.

serious fun!

i have had serious fun lately with all my hexie making!! i first finished up my {Handsome} hexies- the swap bundle for my secret partner using two fabulous lines if fabric! first some yummy Urban Circus from miss Laurie and an all time classic... Summer in the City by Urban Chics. i hope my partner loves them as much as i do... ;)

then while i was camping this past weekend i decided to start another hexie quilt for myself! i'm not giving up on my Grandmother's Flower Garden at all... but, this one will allow me to use colorful scraps and still have a modern feel to it! i've got about 100 done and my guess is about 900 more to go... but, in the end... i think it'll be quite striking!


then today Kerri and i have started up sign-ups for the {Urban} HOME Goods - a modern Swap ROUND 2!! this is such an amazing swap with all the talent swimming around and the home decorations that they create! and even though it always challenges me... i look forward to being pushed to another level to increase my skills :) here's my inspiration for the round... i just love all the different designs, color and textures... i can't wait to see what will be arriving at my door!



1. DSC_0965, 2. Scarlet Fig - Embroidery and Silkscreen Chair, 3. Quilt for Mrs Z, 4. Untitled, 5. canisters - a second set!, 6. Untitled, 7. Blue Circle Coasters, 8. new bag!!!, 9. Untitled, 10. Lights, camera, stitch, 11. Hope, 12. Sofa, 13. Hexagons, 14. yellow and orange zig zag, 15. 'Strawberry Sundae' wall art, 16. Placemats

Here's to another fabulous week!! ;)
xo, Heather

For a Greater Watts

“Your hair is pretty!”

That was probably one of the nicest compliments I have ever received. The two-year-old who said that was completely unaware that I fought a daily battle to get everything in place.

That summer of 2007, I had joined a group of volunteers for The Greater Watts Child Care Center’s reading program. Having played the part for years as the older homeschooled sister teaching my littlest siblings how to read, I wasn’t exactly jumping up and down to sit one-on-one with the many struggling African American and Hispanic children who lived at a nearby shelter. I lucked out. No one else in the group really wanted to entertain the ones, twos, and threes, whose attention spans usually lasted only a few sentences before they would hand me another book.

The toddlers would take turns sitting in my lap, showing me their favorite books and toys and chatting the hour away. I don’t remember getting a chance to finish a single book. At first that troubled me, after all reading was my purpose for being there. However, I quickly realized that what these children really needed was someone’s attention, someone who valued what they had to say…or attempted to say in inner-city babytalk. I probably failed to install in them a love for books, but maybe the brief personal connection will have a lasting effect.

Engaged! Ashley & Jordan

Your wedding is gonna start with an engagment, a YES and ring... it could be a candy ring, a toliet paper ring, some kind of ring... and a YES (did I mention that?)

So why not celebrate it with yummy, fun pictures! It's a great way to get used to your photographer and being in front of the camera. Since most of us aren't in front of the camera, every day.

Sooooooooo, this week, we celebrate, the engagement. With our sexy clients, of course.

Photos by: Caroline Johnson

Conversion by Caste

Last winter, I discovered the lectures available on BiblicalTraining.org. Buddhism is a popular religion, not only among local Asians but also for non-Asians as well. Since my familiarity with the particulars was limited to the typical overviews gleaned from general books on world religions and history, I decided to listen to Dr. Timothy Tennent’s Introduction to Buddhism.

I immediately noticed that Christianity and Buddhism have a few things in common. Both claim a monopoly over the Way, the correct spiritual path (salvation through Jesus Christ vs. the Eight-Fold Path), and both place importance on the end of suffering. In addition, early on, both stole converts from the traditional religion, which in my opinion was due to their ability to offer hope in a way that Hinduism, with its thousands of reincarnations and ascetic demands, was unable to do.

However, the lecture made me curious about the different initial acceptance patterns. A more egalitarian religion than Hinduism, Buddhism was promoted by the Kshatriyas, who sought to expand their political power by diminishing the Brahmins' spiritual power. (This story tends to remind me of the German princes who supported Martin Luther primarily to remove the Holy Roman Empire’s authority rather than for religious reasons.)

In contrast, Christianity, with its condemnations against partiality, appealed to the Brahmins of Kerala, who later became the St. Thomas Christians. They came to accept a religion that might have severely weakened their religious control and most likely would have encouraged them to eat and interact with members of inferior castes. This would have been an especially dangerous position to take because of the risk of becoming “outcasted” from Hindu society.

So a possible, but not necessarily accurate, interpretation is that ancient Buddhism appealed to the self-seeking “middles” while ancient Christianity appealed to the self-sacrificing “uppers.” Christianity has always had a reputation for bringing a message of comfort and hope to the oppressed, but it’s ability to change the heart of the oppressor says something very special about it.

Just Ignore the Man at the Piano

Yesterday, a friend of mine, visiting from out of state, asked me to take her to LACMA. Since we’re both mild jazz lovers, we decided to stay for that evening’s Jazz at LACMA performance featuring Grant Geissman and the Cool Man Cool Band. Sitting under the BP Grand Entrance Pavilion, I enjoyed the quartet’s contemporary sounds and the opportunity to people watch. All sorts of people were sprawled out on the lawn and under the canopy, eating picnic dinners and chatting with their neighbors. A number of attendees were obviously musicians themselves, having the “look” of aged baby-boomer performers getting into the music. I even spotted a few students intently scribbling in their spiral-bound notebooks, words that were probably unintelligible this morning.

Being there took me back to my college days, helping inflate the attendance at classmates’ gigs so they’d be asked to return. That was probably 90% of my lifetime exposure to live jazz. Being a classically-trained pianist whose improvisation skills would’ve made Bach cry, I always appreciated jazz piano players at their work. So it greatly annoys me when the audience, regardless of the venue, rarely (if ever) claps for the piano solos.

Of course, there’s a clear explanation for this. The piano isn’t particularly loud. In your average jazz band, the acoustic grand isn’t miked appropriately or amplified like the other instruments, so only an attentive listener will notice the difference between rhythm section backup and a virtuosic solo. In addition, the most impressionable attendees don’t even consider the piano as very important, preferring to cheer on the brass, woodwinds, percussion, guitar, and even the violin when it graces us with its lofty presence. The only member who gets a worse deal than the piano player is the double bassist, but he rarely tries to show off anyway.

I didn’t spend the whole concert reminiscing. It was a little too cold outside for that. I enjoyed the audience for what it was, a group of locals excited to be able to hear the music they love. I just hope one day, they’ll notice the invisible man at the piano.

By the way, his name is Emilio Palame.