Mermaid Monday : The Best of the Beach

From Santa Monica Beach to Malibu's Zuma Beach...

it was a weekend full of fantastic memories made...

up and down the coast!!

Sunday Funday day dreams

...inspire the makings of Mermaid Monday!!

Love,

Mademoiselle♥Mermaid

Friday Flower pick : The Gold Medallion Tree

 From June Gloom to June Bloom...

The brilliant Gold Medallion Tree steals the show around SoCal this week!!

It looks particularly gorgeous in the early morning light...turning the streets to gold with it's bursts of tropical looking blooms, accented by lush green foliage!!

Have a Happy 'n Golden Friday!!

Love,

Mademoiselle♥Mermaid

Thursday Things I Love

blooming yellow trees ♥ tennis time at the park ♥ a walk in the cemetery at sundown ♥ pancakes with jam 'n fresh strawberries ♥ flower photography ♥ hand carved carousels ♥ making lists of the...

Love,

Mademoiselle♥Mermaid

Words of Wisdom From Mrs. Rachel Lynde

"If you can't be cheerful, be as cheerful as you can." -Mrs. Rachel Lynde

Anne of Green Gables

Mrs. Rachel Lynde from Anne of Green Gables film; 1985.

Love,

Mademoiselle♥Mermaid

Stars, Stripes, and Fashion Forever

Now that the (other) most wonderful time of the year is upon us...

It's time to start thinking barbeques, fireworks, outdoor concerts, and weekends at the shore!!

Here's just a little red, white, 'n blue inspiration to get the beach party started!!

Love,

Mademoiselle♥Mermaid

Sunshine 'n Summertime

Making waves on the Mermaid Monday!!
...Hello, sunshine 'n summertime!!

Love,

Mademoiselle♥Mermaid

Summer Solstice

Summer has officially rolled in...

...as effortlessly and beautifully as a Pacific Ocean wave rolls onto the shore!!

At Mademoiselle Mermaid, summertime means caftans and cover-ups galore...

...and for me, summertime means bike rides, Sunday Fundays at the beach, and afternoon walks in the sunshine (to keep an eye on what's blooming of course)!!

Here's a peek at how the Summer Solstice looked on the Westside of L.A.:

Here's to summer!!

Love,

Mademoiselle♥Mermaid

Thursday Things I Love: Marigold Sunset

Something to L♥VE: a perfect marigold bloom...

dripping with a refreshing mist..

...soaking up the last rays of a setting sun!!

"Isn't it splendid there are so many things to like in this world?"

-Anne of Green Gables

I'm loving these seemingly endless, long days...

...with the summer solstice right around the corner!!

Love,

Mademoiselle♥Mermaid

Wednesday Words of Wisdom: On Passion

"Passion rebuilds the world for the youth.
It makes all things alive and significant."

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Love,

Mademoiselle♥Mermaid

Persuasive Pale Blue

If sweet, gentle persuasion had a color...

I think it would be this soft, pale blue.

Taking a walk this morning while finishing up an audiobook version of Jane Austen's Persuasion, I couldn't help but think that these flowers perfectly fit the mood!!

In fact, I'm naming this color Persuasive Pale Blue. 

(Naming colors very elaborately happens to be one of my favorite games;)...

Has it been a while since you last enjoyed a Jane Austen novel? 

...Librivox has recordings of her loveliest works, all available for free download...

...if I may persuade you;)...

Love,

Mademoiselle♥Mermaid

My Best Sewing Tip

Spring is about to turn into summer, and I still have a little unfinished business to mention on the sewing front!!

...If you perused the Spring 2014 issue of BurdaStyle US, you may have seen my "Best Sewing Tip" on page 105!! 

"Cut a 1" strip of tricot interfacing and iron it to the edge of the wrong side of a knit fabric before hemming. No skipped stitches, no puckering seams, no knit fabric being eaten by the sewing machine!!…Even hard-to-sew knits are suddenly workable!! The tricot interfacing works perfectly because you won’t lose the knit’s stretch (use a zig zag stitch), and the added bonus is that the crisp seam looks super professional!!"

I was delighted to share my sewing tip...which I must admit, was a most excellent discovery when I first realized it...in response to a post on BurdaStyle's blog, offering a giveaway with Fabric.com!!

Check the original post out here: http://www.burdastyle.com/blog/fabriccom-giveaway

I can't remember exactly how I figured it (the interfacing idea) out or what inspired me to try it...but I do remember the dress I was sewing.

It was this one...

 ...An absolutely gorgeous feather print jersey knit...an oh-so enchanting fabric that was oh-so hard to sew!! 

When I first spotted it at Michael Levine's in downtown L.A., I fell instantly in love and promptly bought the whole bolt...and another...So, as you can see, not being able to sew it perfectly was simply not an option!! 

My tricot interfacing trick worked like a charm...

and now I use it all the time on super stretchy or hard-to-sew knits!!

So, what did I win, other than a fabulous 'n fun feature in the issue?!?!

...A new home sewer AND a serger!! Wow!!

Thank♥You, BurdaStyle.

(BurdaStyle Spring 2014 cover.)

 The Summer 2014 issue is out now, and it's fabulous too!!

...Find it on the newsstands!!

...And find me, all smiles, with my new machines below=)!!

Needless to say, I am quite excited to get these beauties set up and sewing!!

Time for some summer sewing!! 

Love,

Mademoiselle♥Mermaid

Portraits of a Saturday Morning

Happy♥Saturday!!

Love,

Mademoiselle♥Mermaid