Wednesday, June 25, 2014

A Birthday Bash Plan B

It's coming around again.

June's birthday.  

June's birthday, which is in July.  
June, 6.91 years old
In 2009 for June's birthday invitation, I used a digital print of an original painting that I commissioned Ann Gardner to do of her in her dance recital costume.
The commissioned piece, "June" by Ann Gardner 
June specifically asked for "original art" that year for her birthday, she was 6.  She also asked for a diamond ring at Christmas.  She's always been a child with a very distinguished taste for the finer things.  Back in May when she was discussing her party plans, (June thinks about these things months in advance) she asked to rent the tumbling gym.  Then she promptly broke her pinky on the first day of summer break doing a back tuck.  Bummer.  
I've got a little less than ten days to round up ideas and execute.  She gets her cast off on her birthday.  I seriously thought that would be enough of a celebration.  Evidently not.  I get the feeling she's expecting a little more.  Like when she mentioned a necklace at Tiffany & Co.  Let's just say, I got a little wild eyed.

She has moved on from her sisters doing hair & make-up styling and sharing fairy princess wings, little toile purses embellished with velvet butterflies and french wired ribbons as favors filled with tiny wooden toys and petite candies.  No, that's far too juvenile.  
(This really was a whimsical and colorful child party, but these pictures have such terrible lighting.) 
She wants hamburger joint food over vanilla cupcakes topped with sprinkles.
 Her "list" of wants now consists of "a professional trampoline or tumble track, but if that's too much Mom, there is always that Tiffany's necklace", (Thanks Aunt Julia).  

Parties were way more controlled when I was the creative director. 
I wanna make your wish this year.
(Could I not have shut that pantry door?) 



Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Dad, You Are The Salty To Our Sweet

Father's Day Morning
We were at Costco Friday morning and I saw the Pringles cases on a sale.  Why did I buy 2 cases?  I have no idea.  He loves salty and he loves Pringles.  But that's 24 cans.  Would I be happy if he ate 24 cans of Pringles?  
No.  
And I admit, I've got a little buyer's remorse.  
 My card to Matt on behalf of all the girls around here.

 The little bag holding the limited edition 2014 tie
 Notice the little mini rainbow loom tie that Junie Bug handmade for him?
 The basket of MORE salty goods.  Thank you Trader Joe's!
Hand lettered and handpainted artwork with a scrap fabric bordering it and zig zag stitched on the card.  

Monday, June 16, 2014

Ferre Father's Day Tie 2014 Edition

 I purchased a great polka dot tie at Deseret Industries for $2.
 I looked through my iPhoto from the last year, and chose pictures from the family highlights. 
 I sent the photo files electronically to our local Walgreen's and had wallet prints made of each in one hour.  Then I cut some of them down to make room for the machine embroidery I wanted to include, (I still had my mother-in-law's sewing machine in my possession from the quilt project). I stuck a little glue dot on the back of each photo to positition it on the tie during the sewing.  Then I sewed around each photo for permanent placement.
 Then with the little spaces left I freehand machine stitched "Matt~Happy Father's Day 2014  Aimee*Chloe*Elsa*June Ferre"
 Each year I try to give a written recap of the family experiences & vacations somewhere on the tie.  This year I wrote it on the back.
 The highlights were written in permanent marker on a piece of scrap fabric from Valentines.  It worked pretty perfect.  Then I basted the piece on the back of the tie.  The running stitch only went through the first layer, so no stitches were visible from the front of the tie.
Definitely homespun and crafty, but yet he wore another Ferre Father's Day tie for a fourteenth year.

Saturday, June 14, 2014

The Sunday Father's Day Tie Lives On

Introducing the 2013 edition of the ferre father's day tie. I ran out of memory last year on blogger, and too stubborn or cheap to buy more.  Just dumb.  I'm back on track and ready to share a throwback.
To see 13 more of our limited edition of the Ferre Father's Day Sunday Ties, click 
here, here, here, here, here, here, & here. We've got quite the archive.
The Chalkboard Tie - 2013
I went to Deseret Industries, a local thrift store chain, and purchased an old tie for $1.50.
I bought a can of chalkboard spray paint and gave the old tie about 3 coats of paint. 
Then sewed on our family portrait for the year, (courtesy of Amy Little Photography)
I used a white colored pencil and doodled away with a few little quotes, 

then let the girls sign it.
And he wore it proudly, yet another year...to church.

Come back Monday for the 2014 edition.  Nope, I haven't started, and I haven't a clue as to what I'll do.

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

I Lived

 Bear with me, on yet another high school themed topic.  Senior Dinner Dance. The theme song was from One Republic, I Lived.  I created around 65 little 4.25" x 5.5" tent cards to put in the center of the 30-ish dining table rounds, and then an 8.5' x 11" larger one for the entrance check-in table.  Not a huge project, just one layer and a zig zag stitch at the top to create.  The event venue was so nice as is, and they really had no budget for decor, but Chloé felt like this might be a nice touch to share the theme fairly inexpensively.




Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Finito!: The Senior Quilt Part II

See all those circles?  Yep, my head was spinning sewing all of those.

 The entire quilt was free hand stitched on my machine.  I used an embroidery foot, switched the feed dogs off and moved the quilt with my hands around to create the embroidered letters.  At the beginning, I couldn't get the tension right and messed up the consistency of the stitching.  Then I learned I was using the wrong size bobbin with my mother in law's machine that I borrowed.  Unfortunately, I didn't figure it out until the last section of the quilt.  It was my first attempt at quilting and honestly, I'm just happy everything lined up and worked out the way it did, so I can handle all the imperfections.  I'll know better for Elsa's quilt next year.


 I shared inspiring quotes on little cards for the Alta girls basketball team during their state tournaments each year.  I used this one from Eleanor Roosevelt during the state tournament a couple years back.  

I still love it.

Remember the quote by Marianne Williamson? 
I stitched it all the way around the perimeter of the quilt.

 What would you attempt to do 
if you knew you would not fail?  
That was a question I saw etched on a simple rectangular, brushed nickel paperweight over 15 years ago.  I was so moved by the question, that I wanted every high school graduate to hear it before deciding their life course.  So I made a hand lettered print back in 2010 to get others thinking about it too, you can find it available here.  Chloé shared it with the senior class officers at a meeting in the summer of 2013 when they were trying to decide the theme for their future 2014 graduation ceremony.  I guess they were intrigued with the question as well.  

I know what I would have done if I knew I would not fail, 
it hasn't changed in the 15 years plus I have thought about it either.  

I would go to art school.  
(Much to my artist dad's dismay.  I've learned you just can't fight gravity.)

What would you do?

"Go Confidently in the direction of your dreams," is often recognized as being written by the notable, American writer, Henry David Thoreau (1870-1862).  It's actually misquoted.  I really like the original quote, you can read it here.  I had to add that on her quilt.  Chloé is very confident and comfortable in her own skin.  

 I love this.  It's a nicer way to say, "Behave!" to your children.
I heard it in a talk by a woman I love and respect, Elaine Dalton.  
She tells the story of where this phrase originated.
You can find the talk here.

I included a quote from Chloé's coach of three years, who retired after the 2012-2013 season
to care for her babies at home and move 2 hours north.  

She loved my girls, and they knew it.

 If my children learn anything from Matt and me in our home, 
I hope it's the above statement.

The above quote reads, "Aerodynamically, the bumble bee shouldn't be able to fly, but the bumble bee doesn't know it so it goes on flying anyway."  - Mary Kay Ash  (American businesswomen, Mary Kay Cosmetics founder)

I gave this quote to the team just before the 5A final state girls basketball championship game in 2011.  It was amazing how this quote fit so perfectly with what happened that night.  You can read about the Hawk Shock here if you are a basketball fanatic.  The Alta girls basketball team beat the undefeated (48 games in a row), Syracuse Titans.
It's the kind of story movies are made from.





 Her mission call for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was issued the day she graduated from high school, probably decided around the time her Commencement Exercises were taking place in Orem.
I know, it was issued on the day of her very last high school experience.
Amazing.

 Four feathers=Four years of playing basketball for the Alta Hawks

Chloé is a dedicated team player, a kind friend and a faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  As her mother, I am honored she has lived under our roof for nearly 19 years.  This article that Amy Donaldson of the Deseret News wrote about her during her junior year in high school speaks of her devotion, faith and hard work.  I think I've shared it before, but it was the motive behind what I embroidered on the quilt, along with the design.

Chloé has been tying feathers in her hair before feathers were all the rage, not to mention, she was an Alta Hawk.  But to me, the feathers symbolize her growing feathers all in her preparation to fly away and leave our nest.  As far as the color scheme, she wanted just black & white and a little grey. But it absolutely made sense to me.  Things are pretty black and white for Chloé when it comes to her religious beliefs, she doesn't waver in those convictions, and will stand alone in her decisions if she has to.  And the grey area represents the compassion she has for the others around her who struggle.  
I love you Chloé.
I hope you know that as you fly away into the Arizona Sunset.

Monday, June 9, 2014

High School Graduation Announcements for Chloé

 The Graduation Announcement Suite
 Chloé is all about a party.  She won't miss one.  This just seemed appropriate.
 If you are a detailed person and know dates, she graduated on Tuesday, NOT Wednesday like I very carefully hand wrote.  
Whatever.  I was too tired.
 Our family mantra for the last 5 years.  Love this quote.  Absolutely love.
Remember it from the Q U I L T ?
An Instagram photo to insert.
Someday it will remind her of the era she lived in during her high school years.  
That about covers it.