It's all in the details

I spied the tunic length Zone Bleue design

in a charming little clothing boutique

on Forest Avenue in Laguna Beach named Duet

that specializes in unique and often hand made pieces

from all over the world.

I was drawn to the feminine ruched collar

and asymmetrical design.

.

It fit beautifully,

but the color of the top was not flattering for my skin tone,

it being a grey/beige hue

There was enough cotton in the fabric contents

that I believed it could be dyed to a warm beige color.

Upon returning home with the new acquisition

I filled the kitchen sink with warm water

to wet the entire garment

then drained most of the water and added in the contents

of a pot of coffee that had been sitting for half of the day.

I let it soak for about 15 minutes before gently rinsing

and hanging the garment to dry,

fortunately the color came out exactly as envisioned.

As I was pressing the piece I wondered why

the designer had chosen to leave so much of

the over lock stitching exposed on the edges

of the ruffles.

Was it a conscious decision to meet a certain price point?

Maybe I've been watching too much of the show "All on the line"

on the Sundance channel with Joe Zee.

Either way, in my world I couldn't seem to let this charming

design just be as it was created,

something inside me causes me to tweak it and make it my own.

Possibly it is the possessing of a cachet of delicate delights

needing to be seen and not tucked away any longer.

I felt it needed a little more and began foraging through my

cluttered studio to find the perfect vintage laces and trims to add

to the top covering the exposed seam edges.

I chose to also dye the lace pieces selected

for embellishing in coffee

before attaching them to the garment

and pieced several laces

together for additional detail

on the diagonal seam of the back of the tunic.

The lace you see at the collar of this sweet piece

was originally going to be an underskirt on the garment

but after pinning it in place

I realized it was adding too much bulk along the bottom

and found instead the lace was the perfect embellishment

to add along the bottom of the ruched collar

and included it on the sweet tie at the collar

and then recreating the tie into a rosette.

supplies needed...

miscellaneous laces and trims
needles, scissors, thread, sewing machine optional
pot of coffee
a creative imagination...

A little R & R in Punta Mita

relaxing at the St. Regis Resort on Punta de Mita peninsula

laying on a lounge chair and enjoying the gentle sea breezes,

and easy summer temperatures under a huge umbrella

or at the oceans edge under a swaying palm tree

day dreaming and drawing...

soaking up the local color

.

reading and water coloring...

Punta Mita is a 1,500-acre amazingly lush beachfront village

located on the north end of Banderas Bay in Mexico,

about 10 miles north of Puerto Vallarta

and it's surrounded on three sides by the Pacific ocean


.

map photo courtesy of St.Regis

I can highly recommend it !

( a most generous gift from an appreciative client )

.

Free Range Chicken

my latest dish design

just back from firing

( notice the chicken is in front of the wire, not trapped behind it! )

thus the title

the perfect plate for serving this chicken appetizer on

Spicy hot and so good !

Jalapenos are washed sliced and the seeds removed

then filled with slices of grilled chicken breast

and wrapped in thin sliced bacon

popped in the broiler

for approximately 5 minutes on each side

until crispy !

Enjoy !

Mingle magazine give away

Stampington & Company has generously sent me a copy of their new magazine

to give away here on my blog.

........ .........photos courtesy of Stampington & Company

The much-anticipated premiere issue of Mingle is finally here! Readers will delight in all the fun and unique ideas for gathering and celebrating we've put together. From a Thankful for Friends party thrown in the woods to extraordinary tips for hosting exceptional gatherings with a creative flair, we’re hoping to inspire you to find more reasons and ways to celebrate. This issue also explores two intimate artistic retreats – Pen & Paper: A Be Present Retreat and Do What You Love. There’s so much eye candy in this issue, you won’t want to miss it.

Since Stampington has gifted me with 2 issues

1 for me and 1 for you

I'm going to peruse my issue and give a short review

then give away both issues, including mine, slightly thumbed through.

2 winners will be announced

on Saturday October 22

So, if you would like to win this issue for yourself

leave a comment below

and maybe an entertaining idea too!

Congratulations to the winners,

to live inspired & rita

please email your mailing addresses !