All work and no play...

...makes Patty a dull girl. So whenever I have a little lull in my workflow I plan spontaneous trips just to break up the monotony. It just so happened that this past weekend was one of those "I actually have nothing to do" kind of weekends and it also so happened that it was the 4th of July weekend and Jon had Friday off. So we booked an impromptu trip to St. Louis... one of my most favorite US cities! I know I've blabbed here & there about how much I love St. Louis. Not only does the city have incredible history & character but it also has some of the best attractions for kids... the City Museum, the St. Louis Zoo, the MO Botanical Gardens, to mention just a few! And every year, on the 4th of July they have Fair St. Louis... another fabulous attraction.

On Saturday morning we watched the Independence Day Parade just outside our hotel...

parade1

Yes, we all got beads and didn't even have to flash anyone! ;)

parade2

Then we met up with my sweet niece, Asja, and the girls had an absolute blast!!! After a round of hugs & kisses,

arch9

arch11

The girls did their best gangsta pose around the arch...

arch5

arch3

arch6

Some got into it a lot more than others...

arch1

And, well, I'm not quite sure what this pose was all about...

arch2

Then in the late afternoon, we headed out to the City Museum. What an incredibly fun place that is! I strongly recommend it if you are ever in the area. We went a couple of years ago and had such a blast that we decided it was time to go again...

city-museum1

city-museum2

city-museum4

I just couldn't resist this photo montage! How fun is this!?!

slide-montage

On Sunday we spent the day at the Botanical Gardens... seriously one of my favorite places in the whole world. This place is like a dream... so lush and wonderful!

gardens6

And the Chihulys... oh, the Chihulys!!!

gardens8

I got a chance to play with my new camera and get up close & personal with some of their exotic flowers & plants...

gardens7

gardens9

gardens4

gardens3

Sophie got up close & personal too...

gardens2

Actually, the best pictures I got at the gardens were of the girls, but I can't show you too much right now because I'd be revealing my next sewing pattern collection (yes, I just can't stop working.... it's a sickness, I tell ya!) So here are just a few teenie-tiny sneak peeks:

gardens11

gardens10

gardens13

My three most favorite people...

gardens1

34 comments:

  1. awesome! Looks like lots of fun ... and cute patterns. My daughter, who will be 9 next month is obsessed with the pants from last post. Any recommendations on making those a size bigger? Like an 8?

    ReplyDelete
  2. LOVE the last photo. Sweet.
    You are a work-a-holic, Patty. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous2:18 PM

    Gorgeous photos. Looks like you had a great time! I can't wait to see the new patterns.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous2:20 PM

    Patty: What beautiful PEOPLE, and the clothes are lovely too.

    'Looking forward to the pattern for the darling sundresses.

    Eileen O.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Annie2:22 PM

    More patterns? YIPPEE! These looks so sweet! Right up our alley... can't wait to see more. Glad you got a chance to play this past weekend... nobody wants a dull Patty! ;)

    Annie

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thank you all! Yes, I debated whether to show these now or wait a little longer, but I am just soooo bad with secrets! LOL! Glad you like the new patterns sneak. There will be 4 new ones debuting in October. :)

    Beanie G... I just emailed ya, but just in case anyone else is wondering, the pants come up to a size 7, but I think it wouldn't be too hard to grade them up 1 size by just following the lines and cutting your fabric a tad bigger than the largest size (same goes for grading down to smaller sizes). ;)

    Feel free to email me if there are any questions regarding sizing or grading.

    patty

    ReplyDelete
  7. Gee, where did you get those super-fab outfits for the girlies??? :) They look great!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Oooh, those outfits look FABULOUS! I'm waiting with bated breath for the patterns so don't hold out on us too much longer or I'll surely pass out!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Great pics Patty! Glad that yall had a great time. Loved seeing the sneaks of your new patterns. Love what I see. And I was tickled to see Jon wearing your camera bag. :) I really hope you are enjoying it!

    Amy

    ReplyDelete
  10. Fabulous! I am in love with my family too. I have two girls also, age 4 and 2. I love Botanical Gardens--maybe they can be an inspiration for your next fabric collection!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Great pics!! Am I totally pathetic for honing in on the Mezzanine pics your girls are wearing? LOL yes but they are cute!!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Patty - I love your 4th of July pics and adventures! I love doing family outings!! I just love the sneak peaks at your new patterns..and you girls are so sweet in them. I have to ask...when you go out like this...do people recognize you?

    ReplyDelete
  13. I would say slow down and take it easy, but I'm too excited to see what you have next! The new dresses are FAB of course! Can't wait to see more!

    Looks like you guys had a good time - the pics are beautiful!

    Anna

    ReplyDelete
  14. LOVE IT! Beautiful photos, as always, but I think I am most jealous of the weather. . . We've been well over 100 here in Houston for a month (with only 1 day of reprieve). To think, there is a place where people can stand to be outside! Can't wait for the patterns!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Great pictures!I am just wondering where your precious daughter gets that gorgeous red hair? Both of your girls are so beautiful! The new patterns look adorable!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Amy... we love our camera bag! And the colors & design are unisex enough so that men can carry it too without feeling too embarrassed. YAY!

    Cathy... are you trying to give me a big head? LOL! Nope, they don't recognize me, but the girls were sure turning heads at the gardens this past weekend. :)

    Lori... our Summer has been pretty mild in the MidWest. We've even had a couple of cool days recently. This is not what I'm used to, having lived in FL for 20 years!

    Marie... both Jon & I have red in our families so she could have gotten it from either side. Isn't it a gorgeous color? :)

    Thank you all for the lovely comments!!!

    patty

    ReplyDelete
  17. Oh it just thrills my heart when someone talks about my ST.Louis like that. We St. Louisans are a bet proud of our wonderful city can you tell. :)
    Loved your pictures of the Gardens. They were stunning. Oh how sneaky with the sneaky peeky! Can't wait to see this pattern. Just order 2 of your patterns and can't wait until I get them.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Your pictures are absolutely beautiful! And, your family is lovely :)

    ReplyDelete
  19. Such cute pictures! I have the D700 also! LOVE IT! My gosh you are working a lot aren't you?! I am SUPER excited about your pattern teasers! I hope one of them will be a 'Lady Frida' hee hee. ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  20. Hey, next time you are in STL check out Lafayette park. The houses surrounding it are spectacular, and the gardens and statues are pretty too! We wasted a whole afternoon there, and walked around and grabbed a bite to eat at a cafe.
    Glad you got a little break! LOVE the new sneaks. Can't wait!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Lovely photos!! Love them all, thank you for sharing. You work so very hard, and it shows in your products!!!
    Cheers!

    ReplyDelete
  22. the last pix of the girls posing, I think that is a Charlie's Angels pose, perhaps, in honor of Farrah Fawcett....but I think they are doing the new spoof version with Carmen Diaz, Lucy Lui, and Drew Barrymore perhaps...

    ReplyDelete
  23. Victoria Hassink9:26 PM

    The dresses are wonderful...I am not sure I can wait until October!!

    ReplyDelete
  24. I have yet to see a dull Patty so it seems like you are keeping a good balance. Looks like you guys had a blast! Loved the sneak peek-What a great place to shoot!

    ReplyDelete
  25. I'm eager for the new patterns because I LOVE those sundresses and can see one on my 4 year old!

    ReplyDelete
  26. Those are amazing pictures! What kind of camera do you have?

    Love the sundresses!

    ReplyDelete
  27. Anonymous11:09 PM

    Love the photos! Sorry if I missed it, but what kind of camera is this? These are some of the sharpest kid pics I've seen! Just beautiful!
    Denise

    ReplyDelete
  28. Ok, those pictures of the botanical garden are just breath taking! Love them. Dang! that's a nice camera! (doesn't hurt that the photographer knows what she'd doing either) ;)

    THANKS FOR SHARING!
    -Lucy

    ReplyDelete
  29. Kelly & Denise, in answer to your camera questions, I shoot with a Nikon d700 and all of these pictures were shot with a 50mm 1.4 lens. Thanks for your compliments!

    patty

    ReplyDelete
  30. Anonymous3:42 PM

    awesome camera you got there! I can't believe how tall Sophie is! She is now above your shoulder right?

    Alicia

    ReplyDelete
  31. HAHAHA! How did i miss the gangsta photos the 1st time around?? Those are HILARIOUS!! So much anger and funniness...

    ReplyDelete
  32. Anonymous9:43 AM

    so charming, thanks for sharing your wonderful trip with us, and pic of your sweet fam. I, too, like the last photo.

    Ok, I did notice the sweet outfits the girls were wearing, but duh, didn't realize it was a sneak peak of your new patterns.

    ReplyDelete
  33. love ye blog and all the pics.. look like you had a lot of fun here.. keep uo the good work.
    cheers!!

    ReplyDelete
  34. Your photos are just gorgeous....as are your girls!!

    ReplyDelete

Proudly designed by | mlekoshi Playground |