Bug's preschool class and the class from the room next door went on a field trip to a greenhouse oday. I was lucky enough to be able to go with them (Thanks Kim!).

While they enjoyed learning about various plants, I think they were more fascinated with the worms on the ground. There were quite a lot of them as it rained almost all day yesterday.

Here are just a few of the gorgeous, vividly colored flowers that we saw!

So this weekend we went to my in-laws house to celebrate Easter. It's been awhile since we've been to their house to visit and they had redone several rooms to aid in their home business, Yorkie Fantasy. For those of you who sew, you'll understand why their new set up fascinates me! I want a sewing room (or two) like they have!!!

Here's a look at their living room as it looks now.

This is looking from the kitchen into the fabric and supply area. She buys fabric by the bolt now but still has some smaller pieces to use as the need arises. You can also see a glimpse of her cutting table here.

Here is a different view of the cutting table which includes her pressing machine and her embroidery machine.


This is the view from the other side of the room. More fabric and lots of storage! For reference, the cutting table and window are just outside this photo on the left.


Done drooling?! Take a minute, then we'll move on to their family room. This is where the major sewing work gets done. I think she has about 6 different sewing machines in this room, including a serger. If you look closely, you'll see her thread collection on a turn-about in the corner. What you can't make out in this picture, is that there is a desk and a walkway in between the table and the chest of drawers.


Here is what lays between. The master work center. Her orders come in on the computer or via phone and then the process of custom making clothes for dogs begins.

So there you have it. A great sewing set up! My mother-in-law will make anything from costumes to belly bands & panties, to t-shirts, to ball gowns and coats for your pet. If you are in need of good, quality custom made clothing for your dogs (small breed in particular) at very reasonable prices, be sure to check out Yorkie Fantasy.

About a year ago, I stumbled across several articles about life after the Chernobyl accident. Though the official death toll stands around 30, the number of people impacted by the radiation are in the hundreds of thousands. One site, Elena Filatova's, was very powerful - both in imagery and in words. She has compiled several photo essays (the photo here is from her work) including Ghost Town & Land of the Wolves (travelogues from 2003-2005). There are some more recent images from 2007 and some of 2008 in Pluto's Realm.



It's interesting to see how much radiation is still there - more than 20 years later. Nature is slowly working to correct for the radiation that has poisoned so much of the area.

Anyway, take a few minutes and, well (enjoy seems like the wrong word) explore the healing and scarring.

One last thing. Take a look at these Chernobyl photos on the BBC site. Compare those ruins to these flickr photos of abandoned Detroit. Eerie similarities...