Playing in Poser

I found some wonderful new morphs for the little 3D dollie, Sadie, so I had to get them. Is this the cutest little face or what? This makes me want to make a little texture and character package for her. :)

My son is 18 today. It's kind of a shock to realize. He's not a little boy anymore. 18 years ago I was still waddling around trying to get myself into labor to avoid a C-section, but no such luck. This kid is one of the joys of my life. I am so lucky to have had him and his sister. I'm so glad I did not miss out on being a parent.

Another Weekend Already

Our Geoffrey turns 18 tomorrow! I can hardly believe it. My "baby" is now 6'3" and looks like a grown man. Which he is, officially. He doesn't want to go out on his birthday, he wants this particular soup I make and my homemade bread, and one of my homemade chocolate cakes to celebrate. I am only too pleased to know that he'd like my vegetable soup more than going out to a fancy-schmancy restaurant!

Vicky is going to UCF in Orlando for a football game this weekend. She's meeting new kids (mostly boys, ha ha) and her social life is starting to pick up after the first two lonely weeks of not knowing anyone in Tampa. Every day she calls raving about how much she enjoyed this class or that, learning new things about art and math and sociology. All the things I wish I'd been able to do, going to college and living in a dorm, she is doing. I was an older commuter student when I finally got around to going to college. It's such a pleasure to experience, vicariously, this college student life through her young eyes and experiences.

Lately I've been working on the perfect lip balm formulation. Or as nearly perfect as I can get it. I have a very nice one I've been using for a while, but want to make something a little firmer and heat-resistant to melting, that still has a nice glide. I've got a couple of great customers who are going to test them for me and give me their honest opinions.

Today a new Whole Foods market opened in Naples. I was astonished at how wonderful it is, how big and how practically everyone seemed to be there for the grand opening! I found something I have been trying to find locally for years, but never could -- Explorateur cheese. It smells like the bottom of a diaper pail but is absolutely ambrosial, the best cheese I ever had. It brings back memories of a romantic time when DH and I were first dating and we found this lovely cheese exploring Charleston, SC. Is it like that for others, I wonder? Every treasured or favorite food seems to have a back story for me.

Crocheted Baby Dress

My DH's oldest granddaughter is having a baby girl in November. I'm already crocheting for this little girl we all can't wait to meet! I made her a little dress out of Patons Grace, a really lovely lightweight thread. I'm making some ballet slipper type booties and a headband to match too.

What really makes me nostalgic is that I have a photo of myself holding the baby-to-be's mom right after she was born, wearing a little sweater I crocheted for her. And now I'm making things for her baby. It gives me a lump in my throat. Here's the little dress.

Our Vicky was home for the Labor Day weekend. It was so nice having her here, and so hard to watch her drive off again last night. I suppose I will get used to it eventually, but right now it's very hard.

Geoffrey will be 18 in a few days. Last night we took him to get his main birthday present, a brand new laptop. It's really gorgeous and has more RAM and hard drive space than my desktop, which I had custom made only 2 years ago (and paid twice as much for)! He is delirious with this new computer because he's been using a pre-Cambrian laptop we bought 6 years ago and it's as slow as molasses. Now I just have to buy him a few more little things to celebrate his big day.

I've started back trying to exercise hard at least 3 times a week. I've got a walking at home DVD with Leslie Sansone and it's very invigorating. I look like a sweaty, red-faced baboon when I'm done but it's definitely a good workout. I just wish she wouldn't talk and laugh (!) all the way through it. I don't care what she says, it's not fun. Uh uh.

Empty Nest

Well, the nest isn't quite empty, but close. Last week we took Vicky to USF and got her settled in her dorm. Her roommate wasn't arriving for a few more days, so it was hard to just leave her there in this monastic little cell of a room all by herself, where she doesn't know anyone. We have had some teary phone calls and minor financial crises, but things are starting to sort themselves out.

She's got a meal plan so we know she's not going to starve. Even though all the kids profess to hate the meal plan food, every time we talk to her she's telling us about some yummy thing she just had for lunch or dinner. I miss her so much sometimes my head hurts. She's coming home for the Labor Day weekend tomorrow night. Yay!

I've added a bunch of new soaps to my Etsy shop, including Cedar and Saffron, Lavender Amber Sonnet, Night Blooming Jasmine and Dragon's Blood. I've also added back my hand crocheted Bath Pouffs, which are really nice and create mounds of rich lather no matter what soap or body wash you use with them.

I got this link from a soaping forum today and if you love ballet and incredible feats of gymnastics as much as I do, check out this Chinese dance troup in Swan Lake -- unbelievable!

More time-wasting fun links: Cake Wrecks and Engrish Funny.

Ever since the Olympics are over, I feel like I got drunk on TV and had a hangover. I had to prohibit myself from watching TV for a few days. That Michael Phelps, wow! I got such a kick out of watching his mom watch him swim. :D

In the last couple of weeks I've made the most darling little crocheted baby dress in green and pink Patons "Grace" yarn. My husband's granddaughter, Summer Joy, is expecting her first baby in November. Now I'm working on a blanket, very soft with a rainbow of pastel colors. I love making baby clothes!

Irish Mocha Soap

Today I added Irish Mocha handmade soap to my Etsy shop. It smells Mmmmmmm...

My Watermelon Herb Granita handmade soap is in a Watermelon treasury today, here. Go give it some love, if you've got time.

Arabian Spice Soap

Today I added Arabian Spice Handmade Cold Process Soap to my shop on Etsy. It smells soooo good! :)

Yesterday Vicky and I went to the movies together. I was flattered that she asked me to go with her. We went to see "Step Brothers" with Will Ferrell. OMG was that funny -- filthy, crude, juvenile and hysterical!

New Stuff

I heard from an old friend the other day that I haven't seen in almost 30 years. It's so great when old friends get in touch! Kathy and I used to work in the same office at the UM's Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences. Now her kids are all grown up and mine are ready for college. It just doesn't seem possible that time goes by as fast as it does!

Last night our air conditioner stopped working. In South Florida, this means a crisis. It was over 90 degrees in here today. Lowell was able to find a repairman who came out on a Sunday morning to fix it. You don't even want to know how much it cost. We are probably going to have to get the whole a/c system replaced in the very near future. Right now, I'm just thankful to be cool again.

It's hard to believe but I grew up without air conditioning, right in hot and muggy Miami. I can remember sleeping on terrazzo floors in front of giant box fans just to try to cool off. I didn't have a place with a/c until I was in my 20's. But I can't live without it now. Nope.

The last couple of days I worked on crocheting a new bag for Vicky, who is crazy about red, green and yellow Rasta colors. I lined it with some very groovy Laurel Burch fabric, a bright tie dye with little animals sketched out in black. This is the best thing I've ever crocheted, I think. I should've taken a photo. She shrieked and gave me a big hug, so I think it was a success. I'm going to try to get a picture tomorrow.

I'm trying to think if I've added anything to my shop lately. Hmmm. My newest soaps are Fine Young Cannabis (a Cannabis Rose duplicate) and Ahoy Matey (incredibly expensive but a divine ocean scent). I've been soaping like crazy to get caught up on replenishing my inventory, plus adding new soaps. Coming soon: Arabian Spice, Irish Mocha, Polar Express, Lilac, Cedar and Saffron and Dragonsblood.

My favorite new time-waster: Fail Blog. OMG. I could laugh myself into a coma.

We learned a few weeks ago that the beds in the dorms at USF are an odd size, so regular sheets won't fit them. Fortunately there is a handy little company that makes sheets for this custom size, and they sent us a brochure. The other day a huge box arrived filled with sheet sets, comforter, pillows, foam egg crate pad, towels, portable shower kit, under the bed storage, pop up hamper, and hanging clothing and shoe organizer thingies. I think Vicky is going to be all set in the linen department. I still have to find a lock for her laptop, so it doesn't get stolen. According to the orientation we went to, laptops and bikes are the two most frequently stolen things from dorms.

I cannot believe that in less than a month she will be at college. I'm so not ready for it.