Shady dealings and the best customer service I have ever had

I want a dress form.
Not one so I can sew for me. I need one that is the right size for toddlers.
I've been searching ebay and discovered that while the prices are reasonable, everyone wants $20-$30 for shipping. Somewhere in my searches I managed to find a local warehouse that had one in stock. They would even let me pick it up! I called ahead and they said they could help me bring it to my car - a must considering I had to have both the girls with me.
So I drove out to the shady warehouse district in Newark NJ... I called to say I was at the front entrance and was directed around to the side of the building. A guy comes down the freight elevator with a black trash bag. I hand him some cash, check to make sure all the parts are there and toss it into the trunk.
I'm sure somewhere a security camera caught that and in a few weeks someone will come knocking on my door to ask me about my connection in the disappearance of some mobster...

So now I'm the proud owner of a new dress form.
What should I name her?

Visit to Grandma's

One of my favorite things about visiting Grandma is going through her stash.
Fabric, notions, patterns...
I have a jar of buttons that I got from her. She's of the generation that never threw anything away. In the jar are buttons from old shirts, buttons from pants and fascinating buttons with an unknown and mysterious history.
This trip, I perused vintage sewing patterns. Grandma let me take all the patterns I wanted! I can't wait to get started on some of these for the girls.



















She also has a collection of McCall's Needlecraft Magazine dating back to 1948. She said I could have it! I took the first twenty home with me. Reading old adverts from 1948 really highlights how different the world is now.