Live from Broadway!

I've taken my show on the road and am blogging live from Broadway! Or almost . . . I'm actually in NJ at the moment, having returned from NYC yesterday. I had a glorious day in THE CITY with my mom. We had a great lunch at The Modern, MOMA's (the Museum of Modern Art) fab restaurant, followed by a great showing of Sondheim's "Merrily We Roll Along." We then did some early Christmas shopping (if you can believe it) at the MOMA Design Store, which is really too much fun. After what seemed a long train ride home (it was making ALL local stops), we picked up some sushi, and then I crashed hard with a migraine (an easy price to pay for such a great great day!). Having lived in NYC for three years and having grown up a quick train ride from NYC, it was so great to be back again in that vibrant place! So so different from Salt Lake City--like night and day!

I did, of course, bring my sewing machine home with me for the long weekend. Surprisingly easy as a carry-on, actually. Brought just a little bit of fabric, because my plan was to surprise my mom by working on some window valences for her. I think that's today's plan.

On other news, I am now eagerly awaiting arrival via post of this beautiful work of art from Emily:

Isn't she just absolutely beautiful?!?!?!?! Emily posted a picture of one she had done a week or so ago, and I just simply fell in love with her and had to have one of my own.

I had fallen in love with Emily's work back during the Modern Christmas Tablerunner Swap last winter, when I first watched with awe the stunning table runner she was making for some lucky swap partner and THEN later discovered with total glee and amazement that I was in fact that lucky swap partner!! Emily sent her package out a wee bit early, so I had to keep my total excitement under wraps (which was near to impossible, as I was ready to burst) until the others in our swap began to receive theirs a few weeks later. I have the world's most gorgeously made table runner, which I will treasure forever! I was hard-pressed to pack her away (I actually do keep pulling her out of the Christmas box, frankly!).

Having fallen deep in love with Emily's little girl work of art, I was originally just going to put her in my Evernote file of things I might like to try "someday when I get better at stuff." But then I had an inspiration!! I knew that sweet Emily's trip to the FQ Retreat had been jeopardized by an ill-timed and costly pet emergency (and who can say no when our dear pets need us?!), and that she was having a sale of several of her wonderful pieces to help raise funds to support her trip. Ta da! Brilliant insight (it seemed to me)! Since I knew I couldn't conjure up the magic to make that wondrous little girl image, but Emily could, I could commission her to make one for me!! And faster than it's taken me to write this poorly written blog post, she has already designed and made my sweet little girl in a pink polka dot dress, swinging on her apple tree swing set, set against a setting sun!!! Thank you so much to my talented friend Emily!!!