My hope for 2008 ...

Our family watched the vintage classic "A Christmas Carol" this past week. I've seen the movie several times in my life, but this time I saw something new, something huge ... it happens in the middle of the movie when Scrooge is visited by the ghost of Christmas Present with two orphans, Ignorance and Want.

I couldn't find a video clip, but here's the transcript;

"They are Man’s" said the Spirit, looking down upon them. "And they cling to me, appealing from their fathers. This boy is Ignorance. This girl is Want. Beware them both, and all of their degree, but most of all beware this boy, for on his brow I see that written which is Doom, unless the writing be erased. Deny it." cried the Spirit, stretching out its hand towards the city. "Slander those who tell it ye. Admit it for your factious purposes, and make it worse. And abide the end."

"Have they no refuge or resource." cried Scrooge.

"Are there no prisons". said the Spirit, turning on him for the last time with his own words. "Are there no workhouses."

Championing the causes of the poor and oppressed, Charles Dickens personified Ignorance and Want as twins because Ignorance and Want are the twin evils of humanity. And eventually Ignorance will lead to doom.

Which made me think, it's really how WE act and behave towards one another in society that plays a vital role in lives of the poor and the oppressed. When I say we, I mean all of us! The orphan twins symbolized the plight of the poor and the causes of their poverty as well as humanity’s obligation to them. IGNORANCE is the greater evil, I'll speak for myself ... I don't want to be ignorant.

It is Ignorance that says "we aren’t their keepers" or say "someone should go do something about that problem". It is so much easier to bury our heads in the sand because poverty makes us feel so uncomfortable. Well maybe that feeling is good for us. It makes us think, and hopefully change.

I'm not sure what 2008 holds for us as a family, there are some big decisions on the horizon for us. One thing is the possibility of caring for the marginalized in our country and those just across the border. One very inspirational prospect is something called Micro Lending. In case you don't know what it is or who it's founder Muhammad Yunus is, check out the video, he won the Nobel Peace prize for his work and ideas on ending poverty. He's been quite an inspiration and his ideas from his book "Small Change" have been a big part of many conversations Jon and I have had this past year.

So as we end 2007, my hope and wish for you is; to love, give and grow more abundantly in 2008!

Another great Dove video ...

She speaks the truth ...

Mine doesn't have wings ...

I wanted to tell you about something that happened to me several years ago when my mother passed away. I had just flown back to LA from Colorado for my mother's funeral and Jon and the girls met me at LAX to drive me home. I was walking with Jon and the girls in the airport and a tall black man taps me on the shoulder and says "I have a message from God for you ... don't forget to look up, this is only temporary".

So Jon looks at me right after this and says "are you OK?" I say "did you hear what that man just said to me?" Jon says "what guy?" I say the one we just passed, I describe him and we turn around and he's gone. Now, I guess you could say, Oh, that's interesting ... or you could say that's amazing. Considering my state of mind at the time and the thoughts in my head at that very moment, I say it was more than amazing.

Next meeting:
A year later I take the girls on a field trip that's about a 2 hour drive from our home. It's a blazing hot day. We arrive at the Renaissance event and realize we have to walk a long way to get to the event. Then once inside we walk for about 45 min just to get to the center of all the activities. So here I am with a 6, 5 and 2 year old and Emily my oldest starts feeling ill. She has a fever and chills and I'm out in the middle of a dirt field, miles from civilization with a really sick kid. The crowds are thick, and so I pick up Emily who was too weak and out of it to walk. I put her on my back. I grab the hands of the 2 little ones and tell them to stay close and not let go. Emily is getting worse by the second and my cell phone won't work out here in the middle of nowhere. I don't see anyone who can help, so I figure I've just got to get back to the entrance and find some help.

I'm struggling to carry Emily, and it's so hot, I'm starting to get really worried. I say a prayer in my head for help as I walk and I bump into "him". He says, "Give them to me, I'll help you get there". Yes, of course it's my tall black man again. He grabs Emily and tells her to hold on to his back and he lifts the other two girls, one on each arm. He turns his head over his shoulder and says "Follow Me".

Now let me press "pause" for a second. If you know me well, which some of you do. It's not like me to hand over my kids to anyone. Also, looking back, I remember him wearing safari clothing. Who wears safari clothing at a Renaissance Faire???

End pause:

So I follow him through what seemed like endless secret long pathways between tents. I follow, and I don't ask questions ... again, that's not like me.

We end up at a medical station of sorts. He puts the girls down with a woman who identifies herself as a nurse to the girls. He says to me, "go get your car, they'll be safe here" Again, I listen and do what he says, I don't ask questions.

When I return with my car I find that the girls are still there. He of course is gone. I ask the nurse what his name is so that I can thank him somehow, maybe send a card or tell a supervisor how helpful and kind he was. She says she has no idea who he is.

I think I know who he is. I think I know who sent him.

So today I had some very difficult things happen. And some very interesting experiences. And then some amazing things happened. I'm still processing all that transpired. Sometimes it's beyond believable how God works and like the events that happened today ... well, it's so amazing and hard to grasp.

But that's an entry for another day.

Million Dollar Painting Found In Trash ...

I had a real debate with myself,” said Ms. Gibson, a writer and self-professed Dumpster diver. “I almost left it there because it was so big, and I kept thinking to myself, ‘Why are you taking this back to your crammed apartment?’”

But, she said, she felt she simply had to have the 38-by-51-inch painting, because “it had a strange power.

As an occasional "dumpster diver" myself, I really enjoyed this story. You can read the complete NY Times article here here.

The Future; Here and Now ...

What an amazing video! Here are some college kids telling it like it really is; how they learn, what they need to learn, their goals, hopes, dreams, what their lives will be like, and what kinds of changes they will experience in their lifetime. This was created by Michael Wesch in collaboration with 200 students at Kansas State University.

Education is going to have a tough time keeping up with the next generation OR will the kids have a tougher time keeping up with education? ... some great food for thought.!

Creativity ...

"We are educating people out of their creativity," Robinson says.

Across The Universe

The movie just came out this weekend and is already receiving wonderful reviews. The ticket sales were not as high as expected BUT all the major newspapers and initial reviews are saying it's a creative masterpiece and sure to win many awards. I can't wait to see it. They say that if you enjoyed Moulin Rouge or Beatles music, you'll love it!

Here's the trailer ...

Socialization ...

The girls and I had a really good talk today about homeschooling. They were telling me today that sometimes when they tell someone for the first time that they are home schooled they usually get a response that is puzzling to them. They hear things like "Really, that's too bad that you never get to play with anyone" or "Wow! You never get to go anywhere" or the most common reaction that I get all the time is "Aren't you worried about socialization?".

We'll that's why I refer to the fishes. Many people don't realize that "regular" school is an artificial environment. You are only around kids your same age, from usually your same economic circles and mostly the same ethnicity. Once you finish high school, life isn't like that. College and work environments are very diverse. What my girls are learning is how to relate well to each other, other kids of various ages and ethnicities. The girls run my errands with me, they know how to do grocery shopping, make a bank deposit and other real life stuff. The girls get to see how my husband does his job (he works out of our home) and how I run my clothing design business. We take several extracurricular classes outside our home, and we do spur of the moment field trips every week. We have our "official" educational field trips that we do with a several different large group of home schoolers and we've even managed to find quite a few friends to hang out with in our own neighborhood.

I have nothing against teachers or traditional schools, it's just that I don't think most people understand what really goes on in a home schooling home, well at least mine. I hope this little post of mine will get you thinking about the labels we put on people and how it makes them feel.

For now, I think the girls get it. Natalie said "Oh, next time someone feels sorry for me because I'm home schooled, I'll tell them that they shouldn't feel sorry for me because actually they go to school in the fish bowl and I go to the school in the ocean".

Project Mexico ....

In a few weeks our family is headed across the US border into Mexico with close to 200 volunteers to build homes for impoverished Mexican families living just outside of Tijuana. My husband Jon started Project Mexico in 1999, to date participants have built over 80 homes. The impact goes way beyond shelter for these families, it gives hope.

Our family gets so much out of doing this every fall and spring. A few trips back we built a home for Marisol and her daughter, Karla. Since I speak Spanish we all made friends very quickly. When I told Marisol how each participant pays their own room & board ($65 for the weekend) and each team of 20 raises the $6,200 for materials ($300/person) via fundraising she was completely amazed and grateful. Marisol has had a very rough life; she had an abusive mother, she's a single mom, and the list goes on. She told me that the miracle of getting a home from complete strangers with no strings attached was already overwhelming, but the fact that we all come back and visit and really do care about her and her daughter is something that she has never experienced until now. She's on a journey as we all are, I'm so grateful to be able to be a part of the story that God is telling in this little corner of the planet.

I've realized that these weekends in Mexico are so much more than just building a home, it's about using our hands & feet to show God's love for the people of Colonia de San Bernardo. If you want to know more about Project Mexico check out the site by clicking here.

Here's a video that Jon made from our last trip; hope you enjoy it!

Holly Jolly Christmas ...

I belong to a group of clothing designers, we are called Faeryhill Boutique. Our theme this week was "Faeryclaus". I had to make something for Christmas, it's hard to think about it when it's in the 80's in California. So here's my little contribution to our Ebay launch. I have some other new Christmas items coming later this week. I'll post them when I next come up for air. This year of home schooling is pretty hard work, I've got a 1st, 4th & 5th grader and we're doing well but the classical education mix is keeping me on my toes. I am loving the social studies part, we're in ancient Egypt right now ... too fun! So sorry I've been tardy with my posts, hopefully I can get back to my regularly scheduled postings ... we'll see how it goes.

My New Favorite Tune!

The artist's name is Leslie Feist, she just goes by Feist. This song is "1, 2, 3, 4" off of her "The Reminder" album. I've been obsessed with listening and watching these. I apologize in advance if I cause you to become obsessed too.

This first video has great sound and is from the David Letterman show. The second video is my favorite because it has the most amazing choreography, and yes it's all one shot. I watched the director's cut that showed how it was filmed, it is truly spectacular!

ps. Sharon, now your 1st post makes sense =)

I'm an apricot

"Soft and sweet, over time you let your provocative nature shine through. You are definitely unconventional, but you don't broadcast it. You offer people a fresh perspective on life - so fresh that it can be shocking!"

Orange is one of my favorite colors. If you like it too, take this quiz and see what color orange you are.

Would you like a margarita?

This is my favorite margarita glass. I bought a pair at the Goodwill on El Toro Rd, Lake Forest, CA they were .50¢ ea and they've lasted for 5 years. They are the perfect size and I love how they look in the sunlight next to my sink about 5:45 in the afternoon.


I hate that summer is coming to an end. It doesn't feel right to make my favorite drink while the leaves are starting to change and there's now a slight chill in the air. Since I live in Orange County, I think I can fit in a few more before fall officially arrives.


In case you want to know how to make a "real" Mexican Margarita; it's half tequila (5 oz.), one third (2 oz.) fresh lime juice and one sixth (1 oz.) triple sec which is a citrus liqueur. The rim of the glass is rubbed with lime juice and dipped in salt. The ingredients are shaken with cracked ice and strained into the salt-rimmed glass. It's served garnished with a wedge (not a slice) of a mexican lime (the tiny ones that look like key limes) You can get a bag of 25 for .99¢ at the 99¢ store, also on El Toro Rd.


This margarita is smaller and more potent and definitely more refreshing than the typical huge, frothy happy hour concoctions, you know, the ones that taste like a 7-11 slurpee. Be careful; there's a fine line between great conversation and inebriation ... therefore these should always be served with food, even if just a bowl of tortilla chips and salsa.


From my experience, the best time to enjoy a margarita is not at a noisy bar, but at home with my husband, preferably while sitting on a green plastic adirondack chair on my freshly mowed lawn under the huge tree in the front yard while watching the girls ride their the bikes and draw with chalk.


Now go enjoy your margarita before the eggnog and cider arrives =)

Teddy finds a home!

While at a thrift store, my daughter found this wonderful little scrap of vintage crewel embroidery of a sweet little bear. She asked me if I could make something for her with it, this is what I came up with.

It's a dress; the denim for the top came from my jeans that I cut to make shorts. The buttons are from a jar I bought at an estate sale recently (circa 1940's), the crochet trim from my favorite ribbon shop in downtown LA and the fabric from the the Flea Market line.

I so love these colors together, too bad I used the last of my scraps to make the dress. I made a bunch of new stuff this past weekend. I'll post pics the next time I get to come up for air, I have a very busy week ahead ... but hey who doesn't.

Hope you all get a chance to slow down this week and take time to do what you love =)

Money vs. Wealth

I started my day by reading the newspaper. They carried a story, from the assoc. press about Jack Whittaker, the winner of the highest paid PowerBall jackpot in the U.S. The article entitled "Powerball Win: Fantasy or Nightmare?" ends with a quote by Jack ...

"I'm only going to be remembered as the lunatic who won the lottery," he said. "I'm not proud of that. I wanted to be remembered as someone who helped a lot of people."

As I reflected on this today, I thought a lot about my dad. He was a preacher, his churches were mainly in the middle of California; the farming areas and were mostly comprised of migrant workers. He barely made any money, as a matter of fact our family was often paid with crates of fruit or vegetables.

Since he had such a flexible "work" schedule, he often spent the week fishing & gardening; and I spent most of my childhood with him outdoors. We ate fish often, since it was readily available because my father was such an amazing fisherman. He taught me how to tie my first hook and do my own line by the time I was 4, he even taught me how to clean them too. That's me in the picture, I'm 5 and was so proud of all the fish I caught by myself. I really should teach my girls to fish, I really miss it.

So after all this thinking and mulling over the difference between being rich vs. being wealthy, I pulled out my favorite gift from my husband Jon, a poem he wrote for me the year my father passed away, hopefully he won't mind me sharing it with you.

The Wealthiest Man I Ever Knew - by Jon Hall, Christmas 1995

The wealthiest man I ever knew wasn’t a man of many possessions. He didn’t have a fleet of cars, a big house, or attend expensive therapy sessions.

He was a man of simplicity, of gentleness … of servant hood and of thoughtfulness – with a fair share of caring, he had a character like no other … strong, but not overbearing. Of worldly things, he had quite few … that which he had tended to be recycled, used, and not very new.

But of earthly things, this man was beyond rich. The love of his family, and of his God, carried him through life without a hitch. Oh, he had problems, setbacks, and failing health like the rest of us. But the love of one daughter, she is the essence of love – represented in its simplest.

This daughters’ love, showed more than caring. It showed more than admiration, something far more daring. Her love was the essence of unconditional love. Something more than from herself, something more like from above.

This man showed his daughter this love, every chance he would … He showed it through the lessons, he showed it when they were fishing, he showed it whenever he could.

And from his example, she learned something quite valuable. She learned to love in a way that was gentle, but unstoppable. It showed in those hours, many a long hour, that she sat at his bedside, frustrated, but not sour.

For she knew that this man, tired, in pain, and near the end, was going to a place unlike any other … he was going to a place where his body would more than mend.

What made this man so wealthy, was more than money could buy. It’s worth more than anything … more than the world, bigger than the sky. It’s worth more than all the possessions of the world, more than all this earth could offer. His wealth was so staggering, greater than the world coffer.

For this man’s wealth was based on a love. The love of his God, the love of his daughter. An unconditional love, more than this world could eve offer.

And in the day, that she sees her father again, she’ll give him a hug, she’ll share a tear, but she’ll know where he’s been. In the place he is now, in a place we can only imagine, this wealthy man’s there now, in a place called heaven.

Just one last thing to leave you with, it's a little snippet from my favorite Nooma video ...

Which Pill?

One of my favorite movie moments from The Matrix;

MORPHEUS: The Matrix is everywhere, it's all around us, here even in this room. You can see it out your window or on your television. You feel it when you go to work, or go to church or pay your taxes. It is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth.

NEO: What truth?

MORPHEUS: That you are a slave, Neo. Like everyone else, you were born into bondage, kept inside a prison that you cannot smell, taste, or touch. A prison for your mind.

The leather creaks as he leans back.

MORPHEUS: Unfortunately, no one can be told what the Matrix is. You have to see it for yourself.

Morpheus opens his hands. In the right is a red pill. In the left, a blue pill.

MORPHEUS: This is your last chance. After this, there is no going back. You take the blue pill and the story ends. You wake in your bed and you believe whatever you want to believe.

The pills in his open hands are reflected in the glasses.

MORPHEUS: You take the red pill and you stay in Wonderland and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes.

Neo feels the smooth skin of the capsules, the moisture growing in his palms.

MORPHEUS: Remember that all I am offering is the truth. Nothing more.

Neo opens his mouth and swallows the red pill. Morpheus smiles.

MORPHEUS: Follow me.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

There's so many things in this movie that I love.

In this part of the movie you could interpret so many things, one spin is that it's about faith. When Jesus healed, he almost always seemed to require or respond to some act of stepping out, like asking someone to put out their hand, or asking them "what do you want". Other times he would be responding to an action; like responding to the guys lowering their friend on a mat through a roof, or to the lady reaching out to touch his cloak in the midst of a crowd.

It's not just enough to believe ... you've got to step out and trust. You can't see until you choose.

The Grass Ain't Always Greener ...

About 2 years ago we sold our house and became renters. It was about that time that all the experts started saying "there's no bubble", "get into real estate now" and "just flip that house". I admit, there were plenty of times that I felt a tinge of regret for selling, but it really was for the best.

Ever since we sold, it seemed to me that everywhere I went, all people could talk about was their equity; about what part of the house they were remodeling next, asking for referrals for contractors, who to use for landscaping, deciding which car to purchase and where they were going for their next vacation. I really would dread group gatherings since I no longer owned a piece of the OC real estate pie, nobody likes to listen to you talk about how much your last rent increase was or what kind of pet the landlord will let you keep.

Fast forward to fall '07 ... I find it sad and yes I admit, a bit amusing that the pendulum is swinging, way over to the other side. Now it's not considered polite to talk about real estate anymore. Right up there on the list with colostomy bags, brain cancer and the lastest Herpes outbreak.

And to add insult to injury, A&E ran an entire marathon of "Flip This House" this past weekend? Was that just a bad joke? Or are they just clueless?

All that to say, I do feel sorry for any friends that bought high and have an adjustable loan. And for those of you that paid a normal, reasonable price for your home, longer than 3 years ago and have a great interest rate and a manageable payment, I'm happy for you ... no, really I am.

Balance

School started for us two days ago. This will be my sixth year teaching, I think it will be the most challenging and hopefully the most rewarding. I'm following a wonderful classical home school education outlined in the book The Well Trained Mind, this year we cycle through Ancient Civilizations again, my absolute favorite time period to cover. The girls are in 1st, 4th & 5th grade this year. I have not posted recently, I've spent the last few weeks trying to get organized and work out a schedule of sorts, I think I'm ready.

In the past few weeks, I've been contemplating how chaotic my life has become. Lately, I've been so busy juggling my clothing design business, running a household, teaching, attending church events, keeping in touch with friends and all the other things I cram my life with that it's getting tougher to juggle it all.

I want to balance ... I don't want to juggle. Not sure what to do about it, but while thinking and digging around the web, I came across this fascinating little vintage animation from 1990, it won the Oscar for Best Animated Short that year.

I'm definitely not a deep thinker, but this little movie has got me thinking. I suppose it's a commentary on our society. My thought is, if they stayed perfectly balanced forever and didn't move, that would be boring. It didn't get interesting until they started shaking things up. Hopefully you'll enjoy or be bothered by it, let me know what you think.

Real Beauty ...

I am very aware of the role the media plays in how we as women view ourselves. And since I am raising three young girls, I want to be "real" all the time, at least that's what I strive for. Hopefully I'm passing down that freedom to my girls.

I recently shared this awesome Dove video with my girls. They all came away with the main point very clearly ... you can't always believe what you see.

And while we're on the subject; here's some of my favorite quotes about beauty;

You don't love a woman because she is beautiful, she is beautiful because you love her. ~Author Unknown

That which is striking and beautiful is not always good, but that which is good is always beautiful. ~Ninon de L'Enclos

Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it. ~Confucius

Floral Dreams ...

I couldn't resist! I found two twin bedspreads at a local thrift store, the colors are just spectacular, and the pom pom trim is just so funky. These definately are circa 1970's.

I want to make tote bags & purses out of one of them, IF I can bring myself to cut it. Not too bad for $5 for the pair. I'll have some extra fabric, drop me a line and I can sell you a yard in my etsy store.

Bunny & Shelby

Natalie loves to craft. Here's a picture of a new bear she made last night. His name is Shelby, he's got movable arms and legs and she made him a crochet scarf to match his blue eyes (she learned how to make him from a book we got at the rummage sale on Saturday) AND check out this crochet bunny she made this morning, it's a Japanese art form using crochet and/or knitting called Amigurumi - she's figured it out from seeing the pictures on the web.

I'm so envious, I can't even fold a map. She sees things in 3D and can figure out how to make them from just looking at a picture. I'm sure that gene came from Daddy, lucky girl =)

Giraffe's Are Cute!

I made this little guy yesterday. He's so darn cute, BUT it's so hard to keep the stitches evenly spaced and straight, I wish I wasn't such a freak about quality control LOL!

I'm not sure I want to make any more of them, but it's too late to change my mind ... I've already listed it as a custom item on ebay, just click on the link to see the auction. For now, I'm definitely going to have to make 2 more, the girls each want their own.

I may go blind trying to make them =)

Making Salsa ...

Here's a picture of my daughter while helping me make salsa today. We listened to great "ranchero" Mexican music as we chopped away.

Making great salsa isn't that hard to do. I'm in a good mood today, so I'll share my "top secret" recipe with you =)

Start with (6) fresh red tomatoes, (1) small red onion (actually looks purple, but they are called red), (1) lime, (3) serano chiles (use jalapeño if you can't find serano), (3) yellow chiles, (1) tsp of salt, (1) bunch of fresh cilantro. Wash everything and pat dry with a paper towel. Cut the stems off the chiles and the bottom inch of the stems off the cilantro, use all the leaves. Chop everything and put together in one bowl. Squeeze the lime juice over your chopped ingredients, add the salt (if you want more than 1 tsp., taste it first, and season how you like it), give it a good stir and chill for at least 30 minutes to merge all the flavors. Serve with chips and a pitcher of margaritas ... and slow down and enjoy your family, friends and the rest of the summer!

ps. My husband insists I warn you that this may be too hot for most people ... make the margaritas first, so that you have something to cool off your mouth =)

Vintage Finds!

On my weekly trek to my favorite thrifts, I found these. They came from 3 different stores, but match so perfectly. The avon index box is my favorite. My kitchen loves them all!

A Girl On A Mission ...

My 8 year old has been wanting to donate her hair to Locks of Love since she was 5. That's when her cousin from NY came out for a visit to CA during her chemo treatments and she first saw what the treatments do to your hair. She has another cousin right here in CA that also had chemo last year, so she's been patiently waiting to get her hair cut and donate it so that a child that has cancer (or another illness that causes hair loss) can have a real hair wig. Finally the wait is over. She just had 15" cut off, and is so proud of herself. We are proud of her too!

Vintage Finds

A have a few favorite thrift stores that I visit every Wednesday while my daughter is at her tap class. Here's my coolest finds from the last couple of weeks. The mushroom collection is from Sears and is dated 1978, I started with the utensil holder last year, and just found the matching salt & pepper shakers. The fabric is vintage, probably dates back to the 60's. The little framed crewel embroidery is my favorite, it has a label on the back that dates it as handmade in 1972, I just love the colors! ... now if I could only find a place to hang it.

Every Girl Wants To Be A Princess ...

My daughter just had a Pink Princess Birthday Tea Party. It was fun to decorate and bake all these wonderful yummy pink treats. I even made a pink dress. Hopefully this will be a great memory for her to have. I never had a birthday party as a child, so this was as much for me as it was for her. It's great to be able to give my kids these moments to cherish. They know who they are, and that they are loved beyond measure. Instead of counting the moments, I'm living the ones that count.

I drink a lot of coffee ...

In a effort to rationalize all the empty coffee bags I've been saving, I decided to do the "green" thing and make myself a little something. It's reversible, and when the white bag side is on the inside I can toss in the wet bathing suits and I'm all set for summer. I'm selling these as a custom & handmade item. Send me an email and I'll hook you up with your own.

Getting In The Game!

I'm a little slow. I've been needing to have a blog for quite some time. One of my passions is designing girls clothing. I get phone calls asking "anything new this week?" So in an effort to update my friends, I'll be posting pictures of my newest creations along with some relevant events of my day. We'll see how it goes.

I sell my one of a kind creations on Ebay, Etsy, Journal Modiste, Blossom Street, Craft Shows and personally to family and friends. Here's a dress I made today. My youngest daughter models it in this picture. It's called Scary Cherries!