Sew 46 sucks huh?

Where do I begin and how would I stop without the post becoming so long, you say "eh" and move on? Hmm.. I'll guess I'll show you a smidgen of what I was up to this weekend.

On Friday night, we celebrated Robb's birthday with a dinner of Chicken Cacciatore at home and enough candles to frost the cake in wax and set off the fire alarm. I still haven't made the cacciatore the way that he loved it the first time I cooked it for him. When I didn't understand the difference between a bulb or a clove of garlic... I cannot put in two whole bulbs of garlic anymore and expect everyone else in the house not to get sick or mad at me.

But the smell of garlic is the scent of heaven, or so I've been told...

Below is one of the gifts I gave to Robb. I got the idea from Leann over at The Old Parsonage. She is so crafty and her husband was turning 50 and she did this for him. Mine isn't, but I thought it would still be funny.
The tags say, "46 sucks"... and yes, there are 46 Tootsie Pops in this bouquet. He said he's going to put it on his desk at work and offer the sucky banana flavored ones to his co-workers.
Besides his birthday, Maddy and I got to work on her prom dress and finished the fabric painting. I ruched up the top piece but haven't cut it to fit yet.

In case you're wondering how I got it to ruch up like that, look below. Some day I'll do a tutorial if it turns out really cool...

Maddy worked her hardest and got all the painting done on the skirt. Here is what we were working off of for a design.

Doesn't every use the back of junk mail for scratch paper?

Her finished product. We put the sheer over it and it sort of softens and mutes the pattern. Once ironed and completed, I think we're going to really love it.
My chore this week over lunches will be to put it all together. I'm taking parts of it to a sewing meeting tonight for some advice.

Meri and I did tons of work in the woods this weekend. Our wooded area is so un-kept that neighbor kids thought it was a public property and not ours at all.... Um nope. We're going to make it look loved. I cut down so many trees and burned so much dry branches, hauled so much brush and dirt this weekend... I think the only part of me that isn't achy is my chin or nose.

Citronella torch fuel is a wonder on keeping those burning piles alive... and for keeping bugs out of your way!

I've got a few days where I won't be able to work in the woods, so hopefully while my body recovers I'll be able to get this prom dress done!

Enjoy your day!