Things that made me happy today......
- finishing my housework before noon.
- laying out a plan, gathering fabrics, notions, patterns to sew again
- sending pictures to hubby and making him smile.
- baking banana bread
- my MAC (what a great computer)!
- my camera (having this much fun with something should cost a lot more LOL)
- listening to Colbie Caillat
One of the great things about traveling around the world so much is that - besides getting to know people of lots of different nationalities - you get to experience their culture. It is not like going on a vacation, and seeing a bunch of tourist traps, but actually getting to know their traditions, their values and how they eat and live. That is definitely the best part of military life, and if you ever get a chance to go overseas then I say TAKE IT! I enjoyed living in Turkey for two years. We were not required to live on base with the other americans, and we chose not to live in the "alley" where the rest of them lived. Instead we chose a spot next to a man-made lake, and when you looked out of the windows of our house you could see the mountains on a clear day. There were a few american teachers, germans, and turkish people living in our area, so we were able to make friends with a wide variety of people. The first house in our gated community (I know that sounds fancy, but all we had was dirt roads) belonged to our Landlord. His entire family lived in the community and together they took care of the business. Honestly we could not have asked for a better friendship then the one we had with them. They drove me everywhere, fed us on a regular basis (and I just love dolma) and whenever we needed someone to take care of our house, our pets, our car, they were always there for us. We were invited to all of their parties, their boatrides and it was just great fun. I will never forget those two years, because I enjoyed them thoroughly. Most importantly I gained a lot of friends, and respect for the daily struggles they deal with in Turkey. I think hubby would agree, that they are the most genuine nationality we have ever met.
Anyways, the Turkish were equally as crafted of a nation, as they were friendly. They make wonderful wooden carved chairs and tables, bedframes, and gorgeous handsewn clothing. They are also known for fabrics (Vakko) and beautiful handmade carpets. I was always busy when I lived in Turkey. There were always so many things to see (and buy LOL). A lot of my furniture was made there. I would collect ideas hand it to someone to recreate. This included my sewing room, which started off as an idea, and was then built by hand. The above picture is one of my favorite sets of dinnerware. Yes, they have lovely porcelain and glassware. I bought it in Turkey. I sold one of my Wedgewood sets to pay for this one. I love it, and use it often for decoration. The dishes must be washed by hand, so needless to say, I don't like to use it except on Holidays.
Other then that, I cleaned up the house today, and quickly left myself an hour to think about my next sewing project. Honestly, I hate sewing in the wintertime. I don't only want to sew with knits. I want to make beautiful things out of corduroy, wool and other fabrics. However I always find myself clueless when it comes to the little ones. That is why I went looking for inspiration yesterday. The last set of ideas I posted were from a Spanish chain store called Zara. If you have ever been to one, well let's just say your jaw drops when you walk through the door. Not because the stores are so ultimately fancy, but because of their merchandising, the prices, and how lovely they put their ensembles together. They give you options for every color. The prices are incredibly reasonable, and the quality is definitely well worth the price. I have bought several items there, and I still have them (5 or 6 years later). Did I mention fashionable? Very. I believe the first store opened in NYC not too long ago, so if you ever get there take a look. I loved their children's clothes - especially the picture of the little girl with cuffed shorts, tights and the fur vest. So Ralph Laurenish!
