Wes & Erica finally travel!! - part 2: Ft. Wayne, IN -- Where to go

Downtown had several murals and gardens throughout. 

With how much this blog post is being split up, you'd think Wes & I were on vacation for weeks but in fact, we were only in Indiana from a Thursday (arrived late at night) thru Monday (left mid-afternoon). Dominique just took us to A LOT of places. One of her and Kenny's favorite pastimes is hiking/walking so we did a ton of that all around town. Dominique told us that Fort Wayne is known for its nature trails and she is actually a certified Master Naturalist. She took us on a short hike through Matea Park. The park had several trails and we took the Raccoon Trail. While on the trail she showed us the Indiana state tree (Tulip Tree) and identified some other plants and animals (mostly insects but we also saw a tiny tree frog). Since the weather was amazing (about 78℉ - 80℉ each day we were there, slight breeze, no rain!), we went on a couple of other hikes.

We walked through Headwaters Park, which is a beautifully maintained park in the middle of downtown. It lead to the old historical fort that Fort Wayne is named after.  The fort looked like a huge campus with brick ovens, several lodges and a large plaza. The outer perimeter is always open but the gates have been closed all of the other times Dominique has visited. Luckily on the day we went, there were groups of school children going for educational tours so we just followed them in. The lodges had their windows propped open so we could look inside to get a glimpse of how the inhabitants lived.

Dominique also took us walking through Johnny Appleseed Park. Remember the Johnny Appleseed legend from grade school? He's kind of a big deal in Fort Wayne. We saw his grave site and many apple trees. There were some other random graves near his but we couldn't figure out who the belonged to. Probably just some regular townspeople.

OTHER THINGS TO DO AROUND TOWN -
       Castle Gallery (☆☆☆☆☆) - this was an amazing art gallery housed in a three-story home. The old neighborhoods in Fort Wayne are beautiful. We spent a day just driving around, looking at historic homes. On a neighborhood walk, we ran into a LuLaRoe consultant who was getting out of the direct marketing business. She was selling all of her inventory for crazy cheap ($3 leggings and $5 for all other clothing). Dominique & I did a little shopping while Wes patiently waited. LOL And around the corner was a gorgeous mansion -- the Castle Gallery! I would love to be neighbors with an art gallery. The Castle Gallery had mostly oil and water color paintings (my favorite!). The house, which is currently lived in by the gallery owners, was immaculately decorated and each room had so much personality -- art, furniture, antiques. There was so much there but it didn't feel cluttered. Our favorite room was the upstairs loft on the third floor. It was a little hectic on the day we visited because the owners just acquired some new art and were rearranging the decor. The women were still super nice and welcoming. Their cat, Stella, followed us around. Sadly, the gallery dog wasn't at home that afternoon.

       Fort Wayne Museum of Art (☆☆☆) - the museum was tiny. It looked fairly large from the outside but only the first floor was open. There are no permanent exhibits. There were five temporary/travelling exhibits on display. The only one that I enjoyed was Tim Tate's The Persistence of Visions. The artist glued ceramics onto a mirror and used light to manipulate depth perception. It was really cool.

The other exhibits showed lithographs, etchings and wood block panels. There was a photography exhibit by Imogene Cunningham. She is known for her black & white photography and her revolutionary interpretations of the human body. The other artist being shown was Marlene Rose with her Japanese glass art. We weren't too impressed with the museum but I guess we just showed up during the wrong travelling exhibits.

       Artlink (☆☆☆) - a small non-profit gallery for creative arts. It showed several different art mediums, from paintings to jewelry to the ballet (a rehearsal was happening but it wasn't a public one so we couldn't watch, but we did hear them stomping about). There was one thing there that I would have bought if I had $1,500 and space in my luggage. It was a rock covered in glass beads (the pink blob pictured above). An artist wrongly interpreted the story of the albatross (The Rime of the Ancient Mariner) and it ruined the gallery for Wes. LOL
       Creative Women of the World (☆☆☆☆) - a cute little boutique in downtown. I liked that everything was handmade but I don't think many cultures/styles were represented. It was mostly beaded art. There was a nice variety of beaded products - a TON of jewelry, which is normal, but there was also some clothing, home decor and purses. I really wanted a souvenir from our vacation but I didn't see anything there that I wouldn't see at a local craft show in Oklahoma.

       PugFest (☆) - was a complete bust! 😒😑😔😩The event was held in the huge Fort Wayne Coliseum but the turnout was awful. I think there was at most ten pugs at the event. There were some other dog breeds, too, so probably a total of fifteen dogs present. There were a handful of vendors but they were mostly selling items for humans and not for dogs, which kind of sucked because I was really wanting to buy a souvenir for Sadie & Athena. We watched the pug costume contest (I wanted the "pugicorn" to win but he didn't), a pie eating contest (they ate whipped cream and the Chinese Crested dog won) and the talent show (turns out that pugs are not talented). The only good part was that all of the dog owners were very friendly and didn't mind me petting all of the dogs. There was a pug that coming back around to us for more and more cuddles!

       Our Lady of Immaculate Conception Cathedral, Chapel and Museum (☆☆☆☆☆) - the Gothic style cathedral was erected in the 1800s. I love going into cathedrals, so I insisted we take a peak inside even though Dominique & Wes aren't Catholic, and this one did not disappoint; the woodworking on the alter area is stunning. The baptismal font had glass "cut outs" so it looked as if the water was flowing out of it. The organ was beautiful. And there was a crypt but it was not open to the public. Otherwise, we wold have gone downstairs. We walked around the diocese grounds and viewed all three buildings since everything was open. The chapel had all limestone and/or marble walls and ceiling. The museum had some interested displays. I especially enjoyed the display of communion wafer making tools.

       Hampton Inn (☆☆☆☆☆) - simple and comfortable hotel. Sometimes that's better than the ritzy ones. We were barely "at home" so we didn't need anything too upscale. Our room was clean and furnished nicely. It actually looked like a cozy bedroom instead of a stale hotel room. The staff was really friendly. The check-in receptionist complimented Wes's eyes -- and not his hair!-- and she gave us lucky room #222. I wasn't sure why it was lucky. The hotel is right off the highway and near a lot of restaurants. Breakfast was a bit lacking but all the other amenities were good.

Wes & I enjoyed our vacation to Fort Wayne. It is a very small town so don't expect too many things to do around town. Besides visiting Dominique, we mostly went for GearFest. GearFest is a huge music festival hosted by the Sweetwater music gear & equipment company. More on that in next week's blog post.

Wes & Erica finally travel!! - part 1: Ft. Wayne, IN -- Where to eat

Kenny and Dominique were wonderful hosts!

I've been wanting to take a trip that required airplane travel (even though I prefer the convenience of my own car) and overnight hotel stay for a while now and in late June, it finally happened!! Wes and I went to Fort Wayne, Indiana to see one of my old college roommates. Dominique & I met at OU and crossed paths during our study abroad semesters; then we were roommates for a bit when we returned to Oklahoma. She is one of my only friends from college that I still keep in touch with (we actually send each other post. LOL) I haven't seen her in probably ten years so I figured it was about time for a reunion.

Wes & I have never been to Indiana and we found Fort Wayne to be a charming town. I really liked the old neighborhoods and we both liked the style of their narrow multi-storied houses. I did not enjoy its roads and was relived that Dominique drove us around everywhere. There were "diverging diamond interchanges" that are supposed to be safer for traffic but they looked so confusing. And the roads curved and forked at every intersection without any warning. It's a pretty small town so I'm sure everyone else gets around just fine. The airport was a breeze to get through! It had a therapy dog (named Murphy) for passengers to pet after we got through the security check point, which was kind of hilarious because the Fort Wayne airport was literally the least stressful airport that I've ever been to. Fort Wayne is quite a bit smaller than Oklahoma City so we were able to see all of the sights in about a day and a half. I usually blog chronologically but I think I'm going to split this up categorically -- food, places to go and things to do.

Cindy's garbage breakfast (mine) and two egg plate (Wes's)

FOOD (the main reason why I travel) -
       Bagger Dave's (☆☆☆☆) - Wes & I arrived pretty late so there weren't that many dinner options for us when Dominique and Kenny picked us up from the airport. We decided on Bagger Dave's because they have all day happy hour on Thursdays and it was just a block or so away from our hotel. The restaurant is known for its hamburgers but I ordered the Twisted Mac n' Cheese, which was very cheesy and rich. It was macaroni and cheese with several difference cheeses and crumbled pretzel bits on top. Wes ordered a hamburger and said it was pretty good.
       Cindy's Diner (☆☆☆☆☆) - go on a weekday morning; there was no wait!! Cindy's Diner is a tiny retro diner in the middle of Downtown Fort Wayne. It's only open for breakfast and can seat a maximum of fifteen people at a time. It has been there, in its original building, since Fort Wayne had a Downtown. The restaurant is known for its "garbage", which is potatoes, onions, eggs, ham and cheese scrambled together into a loaf and served with toast and jelly. It was delicious. Coffee is served in vintage mugs, which added to the cozy vibe.
       Coney Island (☆☆) - we really lucked out on getting seated at restaurants. We never had a wait, even when we went during popular hours. Kenny absolutely loves Coney Island so I won't say anything bad about it but Wes & I didn't find anything special about their food; at least it was cheap and fast. The baked beans were sweet... like grotesquely sweet. I really think Coney Island is franchised because the restaurant was set up exactly like the one in Oklahoma City's Downtown and the hamburgers and hot dogs tasted the same, too.

       DeBrand Fine Chocolates (☆☆☆☆) - the chocolatiers were really nice and tours are offered on Tuesdays and Thursdays (we went on a Friday so didn't get a tour). They have really unique flavor combinations. We all split three squares from their Connoisseur Collection: the Brazil (which tasted bland  and not chocolaty enough for me), Rosemary Citrus (my favorite; it was very tart) and Chai (Wes's favorite). There was so much to choose from! And a lot of it looked too pretty to eat.
       West Central Micro-creamery (☆☆☆☆☆) - the BEST ice cream that I've had in a while. The ice cream is made in small batches inside of a house-turned-creamery. They have rotating flavors; their upcoming ones are Blue Moon and Mint White Chocolate Chip. I was pretty upset those weren't on the current menu but I got the Vegan Lavender Lemon and it was amazing. It didn't taste like coconut or nut milk, which is the issue I usually have with vegan ice creams. I sampled the Strawberry Cheesecake and Pineapple Orange (which is what Wes got). They were really good, too. They have ice cream flights where you can get four tiny scoops of different flavors, which is what I should have gotten instead of a waffle cone. But, no regrets... it was so yummy!
       Rise & Roll Bakery (☆☆☆) - Dominique really wanted us to try this place; I thought their pastries were okay but not the best. I got the cheese danish (which was way too glazed and hard to eat), she got the pecan roll (I wish I had gotten that because it was actually really good) and Wes got the cinnamon caramel donut (dubbed "Amish crack"; I didn't like it, maybe because I'm not Amish. LOL). All orders come with a free small coffee and free refills, so that was nice.

       Sweet Monster (☆☆☆☆) - rolled ice cream doesn't necessarily taste any better than regular ice cream but it is certainly so much prettier! We shared the Peanut Butter Time, which was peanut butter flavored ice cream with Reese's and Nutter Butter on top. Kenny and Dominique got the strawberry shortcake.
       AA Poke (☆☆☆☆) - fairly average poke restaurant. Wes and I took an Uber there for a late dinner and the ingredients were still fresh. I got the salad with yellow tail and various toppings and Wes got the rice bowl with tuna and salmon.  My only complaint would be that the portions weren't very filling. An aside -- Fort Wayne is pretty small so the pool of Uber drivers isn't spectacular. The driver who took us to the restaurant smoked in her car and the one who took us back to our hotel drove recklessly. And weirdly enough, they were both named Brandy/Brandi.
       Firefly Coffee Shop (☆☆☆) - this place had a super awesome vibe but I thought the coffee was just so-so. I got the raspberries and cream iced latte; way too much raspberry syrup. I could barely taste the coffee. Wes got an iced coffee and said it tasted pretty average. The coffee shop had a really nice and large patio (a lot of the places we went to had patios but I didn't see very many dogs. Sad face). It was decorated with handmade artwork and had jewelry, art and decor made by local crafters for sale.

       Mahnin (☆☆☆☆) - Fort Wayne has a populous Burmese community and this is one of the most well known Burmese/Thai restaurants. This place is genuinely authentic. The staff was so friendly! I got the stir fried seafood over glass noodles and Wes got the Burmese fried noodles with pork. We both enjoyed our meals very much. Our meals came with traditional soup, which had a little too much ginger. I thought my meal was over peppered (too much black pepper) but I think that's how it was supposed to taste. This is one of Dominique's favorite restaurants.

       Conjure Coffee (☆☆☆☆☆) - another one of Dominique's favorites. We had a lot of coffee throughout our trip and this was my favorite spot. I got the iced mocha. It was served with a metal straw! The cafe had a hipster vibe but the staff was really nice (and not arrogant). I had the root vegetable hash with arugula and corned beef tongue for breakfast. It sounds crazy but was really good. I would definitely recommend it. Wes got the coconut strawberry oatmeal and enjoyed it. Everything was very filling and worth the price.

It probably sounds like all Wes & I did on this trip was eat but we actually did quite a bit of sightseeing. Dominique took us all over Downtown and we had a full trip. Dominique likes to get the most out of her vacations so she really jam packed our days with activities. I think we convinced her to take it easy but we still did quite a bit. Oh, you probably noticed our weird unicorn/mermaid figurines. Dominique and I traveled with/photographed My Little Ponies on adventures in college (before it was cool) so I had us go to Barnes & Noble for these Mermicornos. I still found it humorous but I think Dominique grew out of it. Next blog post will chronicle our touristy adventures!

     

OKC American Sewing Guild Camp Canyon Retreat 2019

I made some neat clothes!

Literally a month ago -- talk about a late blog post!!-- I participated in my first full sewing retreat. (I went to the 2018 retreat but only stayed for a day.) The Oklahoma City chapter of America Sewing Guild hosts a three-day long retreat annually at Camp Canyon Methodist Camp. The weekend consisted of make-n-take projects, a fabric "garage sale", door prizes (I didn't win any 😔) and lots & lots of sewing. We were housed in the main conference room but our meals were served 1/3 mile away in the mess hall. The campsite is super scenic so I spent a lot of time meandering around outside.

About forty ladies from sewing club participated in the retreat. I was seated at a long table with Karen, Brenda, Karla, Tammy, Irene and Amy. We all got along, which was great because we spent all weekend together (its pretty hard to move once you get your sewing station all set up).  My initial roommate was Marilyn but she had a last minute family emergency and couldn't make it, so my new roommate was Connie. And that's about all of the names I can remember from a month ago... sorry, my memory is crap. LOL

This is just one tiny sample of the fabric I bought from the garage sale. RagsReborn is going to have SO MUCH new fabric for fall/holiday craft shows!!!

The first thing we did after setting up our sewing stations was rummage through the garage sale. Everyone was encouraged to bring their left over scrap fabric (and pretty much anything else that is sewing related) to sell as a sewing club fundraiser. There was an entire room full of awesome stuff! We were allowed to pack as much as could possibly fit into a plastic shopping bag for $5/bag. I bought a bag of fun patterned fabric for RagsReborn and a bag of fabric and notions for me to use throughout the retreat. Each year, the sewing club holds a garage sale challenge where we make items using only fabric purchased from the garage sale. There are two categories - clothing and non-clothing, and I planned to make one of each to enter. I didn't know what I would do with all my new fabric, but I had all weekend to figure that out! My friend, Brenda, became my personal shopper and brought me all sorts of fabric to add to my stash. Honestly, she brought me more than I could use so I had to put some of it back. LOL I only brought a couple of patterns with me because I wasn't sure how much I could sew in one weekend. Especially because I was strictly sewing garments and I'm new (and not very good) at sewing clothes. 

All of my beautifully traced and cut pattern pieces 😍 Thanks again to Marilyn for letting me borrow her pattern and use her tracing paper. 

My first project of the weekend was to sew an outfit for the sewing club's pattern challenge. For the challenge, we had to choose a Simplicity brand pattern that is approved by American Sewing Guild, sew the garment and model it at our monthly meeting. My friend, Marilyn, and I decided to sew the same outfit. She was going to guide me through the process but since she couldn't make it to the retreat, I was on my own. And what do I do? I started sewing the shirt and decided that it would look so much better as a dress. Like, the cutest little mod shift dress ever! So I went rogue and spent all day sewing the black puppy dress (pictured in the very first picture of this blog post). The fabric I used was from the garage sale so I'll be entering the dress into the sewing club's garage sale challenge, clothing category. I did eventually get around to making the Simplicity pattern (#8021, view A & B). Brenda picked out the black suede fabric with the eyelet cutouts. 

The second day of the sewing retreat turned into a dress making day. I was going to sew a couple of different variations of the Simplicity pattern (to get the hang of making simple shirts and pants) but my friend, Karen, gave me this beautiful flowing yellow floral fabric. There was tons of it! I was pondering what to make with it when Carolyn and Brenda came over to show me this designer fashion catalog. I don't remember which brand/designer it was but there were gorgeous $400 summer dresses in it.  I showed them Karen's fabric and a dress that I liked and we set off to make a replica. Carolyn is a seamstress and used to own Helen Enox Fabrics where she did custom tailoring so I was in good hands. 

Top: the pattern I used for the bodice of the dress, Karen's yellow fabric and the dress from the catalog. Bottom: a cute keychain Brenda gifted me and our second make-n-take project; a tablet stand.

I would say that the dress was a team effort but Brenda and Carolyn mostly make it for me. The only part I sewed was the bodice, which I botched up so Brenda had to take it apart and re-sew it for me. Carolyn has the most incredible Bernina sewing machine (advanced, high tech and expensive could be other adjectives to describe it). It practically sews itself. She taught me how to use the gathering foot and rolled hem foot on it. Then, she taught me how to use her serger, which changed my life. Seriously. I have already started saving up money to buy one of my own. After we finished the first dress, I decided that I needed to make a second one by myself. I grabbed a few pink fabric scraps and sewed the dress pictured in the very first picture of this blog post. I decided on a different design for the bodice so I wouldn't have two identical dresses. Plus, I think the racer-back works better as a summer dress. I was so proud of myself. Not only did I sew a dress all on my own, but it was my fourth garment I made that weekend!

Brenda, me, Carolyn and Karen

Sunday was the third and last day of the retreat. I think most of the women were ready to leave but I still had sewing to do! Brenda picked out some black & brown fabric for me and I had promised her that I'd use it for something before the retreat ended, so I made the shirt pictured in the very first picture of this blog post. I also started the round purse pictured below. I had no idea that round purses were so trendy now; I just felt like designing and sewing one. The chain and charms were from a kit that I picked out at the garage sale so I'll be entering it into the sewing club's garage sale challenge, non-clothing category. Our two make-n-take projects for the weekend was a shopping bag made from recycled feed bags (I used an old dog food bag, pictured below) and a collapsible tablet/book stand. Those are so cool and useful. I'll be making more of those and adding them to my craft show inventory line up.

Final inventory from the retreat - three dresses, two shirts, one pair of pants, one tablet stand, and two bags. I would call that a huge success. I had a blast and am so thankful for all of the new friends that I made. Everyone is so smart and talented! I plan to use what I learned to sew many more outfits. Now, let's all wish me luck in the Simplicity pattern challenge and garage sale challenges! 

Last week was Infertility Awareness Week

Last week was Infertility Awareness Week and the theme was Infertility Uncovered. I visited Resolve's website (the national infertility association) and read a bunch of articles, personal testimonies, and blogs but I didn't write a blog post of my own. I usually do but I didn't feel right doing so this year because I literally have nothing to contribute to the theme. Its tricky for me. As I dig deeper into "infertility", I realize more and more that, not having gone through it first-hand, I can't truly relate one hundred percent. Yes, it is true that I cannot conceive a baby on my own. But, I have not gone through the ups & downs of fertility treatment. I have not attempted to foster or adopt. I have not considered surrogacy or IVF. I want to empathize with my fellow sisters but I feel like a guest in the infertility club; sometimes welcome and sometimes not. I think for this year's theme, I am the unwelcome sort of guest. So I will stay silent on the #infertilityuncovered topic.

Even though I couldn't really participate in this year's Infertility Awareness Week, I want to leave some friendly reminders:
       * One in eight couples is infertile. Please don't ask about a woman's family planning; you never know how hurtful that simple question of When are you going to have kids can be.
       * We all are capable of making informed decisions about the size of our family. Please don't ask Why don't you have kids, yet or tell us You won't know what love is until you become a mother.
Just because I am not actively on an infertility path, I still believe in the importance of awareness. I will remain a cheerleader for advocacy and acceptance.  I send out my best wishes for those couples on their infertility journey. I grieve for women's miscarriages and couples with unsuccessful results. I am the one in eight.

Lastly, a little bit more about myself and my personal journey...   There is the tribe of women who are "childfree" (don't have children; never wanted to have children). There is another tribe of women who are "childless" (went through their infertility journey and ended up without any successful results). I am stuck in the middle... when I was in my late teens/early twenties, I decided that I didn't want to have children; then when I got married, we decided that life wouldn't be so bad with a kid or two but then we found out that I have advanced & extremely severe endometriosis. So then I reverted back to my original decision of not wanting children after all. I'm sort of childfree but I'm also kind of childless. There isn't really a tribe for me. So I continue to forge my own path.

SURPRISE! More craft shows...

I have pillows! I have large stuffed animals! And, I have small stuffed animals (ok, not really small, they're the size I've always offered)!

Guess what, guys? I WILL be having a spring craft show season after all! HOORAY \(^_^)/  As you already knew, Wanderlust Pop-up Shops was my only spring craft show this year and it was cancelled because Oklahoma weather is terrible (100% chance of rain and a high of 40℉ forecast for its previously scheduled date, um... no thanks 👎) The new scheduled date will be Sunday May 5, 2019. While stressing out about Wanderlust, I picked up two more shows, so, you'll have a couple more chances to buy that pillow or stuffed unicorn you've had your eyes on. 😉 I will have ALL of my inventory at these remaining shows (there will be tons of inventory to choose from because I was sewing like a madwoman in preparation for Wanderlust Pop-up Shops)... that means SO MANY pillows, the entire stuffed animal menagerie, plus other fun stuff like tote bags, wall hangings, cell phone and tablet pillows and anything else that is in my crafting closet. This will be my first time participating in these two shows but I've heard good things and I'm sure they will be pretty fantastic.

Arts & Crafts Marketplace

Saturday, April 27, 2019

9am - 3pm

The Station at Moore Central Park, 700 South Broadway Ave., Moore, Oklahoma 73160
https://www.facebook.com/events/2287826001277874/

The "marketplace" will be outdoors on the lawn. I won't have a tent so please pray for good weather. Actually, the event coordinator told me that if it rains, she'll move the entire show indoors so maybe we should all pray for rain. LOL The main goal for this show is to be an artisan marketplace but there will be a handful of direct sales vendors. This show was recommended to me by a fellow crafter, Elizabeth (owner of Zee & Zeus dog treats) so if you come out to see me, please also swing by her booth to pick up some goodies for the fur babies.

I know this is the most generic craft show flyer ever but this is what they posted on their Facebook event page...

Arts & Crafts Fair
Saturday, May 4, 2019
9am - 4pm
American Legion Post 12 - Bethany/Warr Acres, 6101 NW 50th Street, Warr Acres, OK 73122
https://www.facebook.com/events/2348265302058651/

This will be a true craft fair; only handmade items and no direct sales! The craft fair will be held in conjunction with the lodge's annual pancake breakfast (which starts at 7am... vendors are allowed to start selling at 7am but I won't be there until 9am). Breakfast and shopping all in one go! What more can you ask for?

Wanderlust Pop-Up Shops
Sunday, May 5, 2019
10am - 6pm
Wheeler Ferris Wheel, 1701 S. Western Ave., Oklahoma City, OK 73109
https://www.facebook.com/events/284402045529166/

I hope you guys can make it out to the rescheduled Wanderlust. I know its on a Sunday, which can be a little inconvenient but I promise it'll be worth your while to come out. It's all local, handmade, Oklahoma artisans!! There will also be food trucks and kids' activities. And, it will be my last craft show before summer break (no shows for the rest of May, and all of June thru September).

Did you know you can frame clothes?

Its spring cleaning time! I've been going through my closet and, oh my goodness, there are a lot of clothes that I don't wear anymore! 😆 Luckily, I can use a lot of it as fabric for RagsReborn pillows and what I can't use, I can donate. On the other hand, I came across a couple of items that I can't use as fabric but I still have a sentimental attachment to so I don't want to get rid of them, either. At the same time as I was trying to come up with ideas of how to re-purpose my clothes, I was also thinking of how to fill some of the empty space on a few of our walls. Then the two collided and I decided to frame a few of my shirts. It is a pretty straightforward process and here's a super simple DIY.

Materials needed: old article of clothing (I used the blouse that I got married in; it still fits but it's become a little too tattered to wear), picture frame, hot glue gun and fabric scissors.

1. Open up the picture frame and locate the piece of paper in between the cardboard backing and glass.

2. Cut out the section of fabric that you want to frame (or, if you don't want to cut into your shirt, fold it to where only the section you want to frame is visible). Make sure that the section is bigger than the piece of paper from step #1.

3. Wrap the fabric around the piece of paper (I wrapped it tightly, like I would a Christmas present) and glue around the edges.

4. Put the frame back together and you're done!

Another thing that I like to frame and decorate with is puzzles. But I guess that's not a novel idea. any suggestions for what I should frame and decorate with next?

RagsReborn's Spring Craft Show Schedule

Howdy, everyone...long time, no blog. How have you been? Good, I hope. I suppose this lack of blogging isn't news anymore since I only blog about once per month now. So lazy! LOL I guess I haven't had that much going on. Or at least not that much that's worth writing about. So onto RagsReborn's spring craft show schedule...

Wanderlust Pop-Up Shops
Saturday April 13, 2019, 10am - 6pm
Wheeler Ferris Wheel 1701 S. Western Ave., Oklahoma City, OK 73109
https://www.facebook.com/events/284402045529166/

This will be my third year at Wanderlust. 😎 And that's because it has always been one of my favorite shows to be a part of. The event coordinators do everything they can to ensure that both vendors and shoppers have a great experience. The best part--- all of the vendors are local Oklahoma makers! No direct sales or multi-level marketing companies. Support handmade crafters!! Support local small business!! Support artisans!! And all that jazz...

And that's it. Only one spring craft show this year. I might pick up a small show here and there if a good fit comes my way but I don't have much planned for this spring and summer. *Gasp!* No worries though, I will be doing several shows this fall and holiday season. I already have applied for--and have been accepted to--a handful of shows (which is amazing because I never get my schedule organized this far in advance!) I plan to hit the craft show circuit pretty hard again starting in October. Until then, let me know if you need any custom orders made; you know those are my favorite and I am always ready for them!