Project Runway

I realized a brand new season of Project Runway was running after an episode on Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast.

I really liked Season 19 of this show. Love Christian in his role. 

Project Runway aired on Bravo and Peacock. I bought a one month subscription to Peacock to watch it. 

I waited until it was well underway to begin. Loved this season too! 

I watched several other shows while I had access to Peacock. If you are out of things to watch on your normal streaming services, this is a good month’s worth. 

A pair for each door

I needed something to have by the door to slip on very quickly to turn off a sprinkler or take the dogs to our yard for a pee or grab the mail. 

Actually I needed two pair, one for each door. 

I talked to youngest, about what words to use in my online search, and she suggested “recovery slides”. This was to pull up options with lots of support below for my arches and on top for my metatarsals.

In searching, I immediately recognized a name, OOFOS.

This is the company that makes my indoor house shoes, found/gifted by oldest/DIL. I love those house shoes and they work extremely well for me. 

I ordered two identical pair of slides (size 8) and they arrived quickly. 

These are perfect for me. They fit very snuggly, have great arch support below, and really support my metatarsals on top. 

Important note - these are not water shoes. In fact they get quite slippery when wet. 

Funny note - one review said it was too much arch support, like walking on a tennis ball. Another review said it was too tight, they should have gotten the kind with Velcro. Both those reviews were actually positive for me. I thought these would be perfect and they were. 

Another important note - Middle is not allowed to wear them, her foot is thicker than mine and we are afraid she might stretch them. 

Dexter

 We have the Paramount/CBS app because of all things Star Trek. I also watch primarily CBS TV shows. 

Middle wanted to watch Yellowjackets, so she upgraded our subscription.

Quite accidentally I realized this gave me access to Dexter/New Blood. 

I very much liked the original Dexter series. 

I mostly enjoyed this new addition too. 

My husband watched parts of it with me and commented they set it up to continue. I read articles (after I watched it all) and yes, it was set up to be season one of a short mini series, but was cancelled. No season two at this point in time. 

The Dexter TV series is based on books. I have not read them. I am not planning to read them at this point in time, but adding them to my possible book list for the future. (I can’t decide if I would like them.)

Here are a few facts to consider - 

Sewing this summer, the first quilt, a 9-patch variation

I made two quilts last year as gifts. They were very simple. 

https://baby-steps-v.blogspot.com/2022/10/we-had-wedding-today.html

I made another quilt, this time a belated/delayed birthday present, in July 2023.

It was a unique technique -

https://my.modafabrics.com/2017/07/woodruff-quilt.html

I made the block in different sizes, to try out the pattern. I used the small size (left) included in the instructions. 

I gathered fabric -

My goal/plan was to make (at least) two blocks per day. This would keep things progressing, not stress my hands, more easily fit into my over busy days, keep things fun.  

Eventually, I was here -

And then I was here -

After a good pressing, and the border added, here -

I dropped it off for my long arm quilter. Here (below) is the motif for the plain/alternate square. The other squares were meandered. The border got parallel lines. 

Back from the machine quilter - 

Extra backing/batting removed when the binding was added. The quilting really shows with the ceiling light off and the natural light shining at an angle.

Black eyed Susans

 It is a gardening rite of passage each summer. When the black eyed Susan’s bloom, in the bed down by the street, it means fall is approaching. 

I keep a lookout each year. This little guy bloomed in July, a couple weeks before the rest of his bed. I have no idea why.

Then a few of his friends joined in the fun.

And then by early August, everyone was in full bloom.

I posted photos of the day lilies to the left of the black eyed Susan’s earlier, here they are again.

I have black eyed Susan’s in one other bed too, on the other side of the driveway, closer to the house.