Chicago Proper

We just finished up a lovely visit with Elie's brother an his family (including adorable cousin Ethan!)---it was so nice of them to travel out here from Miami to visit us. We took their visit as an opportunity to go up to Chicago and do touristy things that we haven't done before like go to the Taste and Shedd Aquarium and probably the most fun of all, Millenium Park and the Crown Fountain. The fountain, if you're not familiar with it, is actually two large rectangular boxes built of glass block. Where they face each other, the boxes display video close-up of faces and every so often the faces "spit" a stream of water. There's also water about and inch deep between the fountains. The extra fun part is that you're allowed to play in the fountain, which if you're a little kid on a hot day is just about the best thing ever (especially if your mom lets you go in in your clothes). It's free, it's great, and we went there both days we were in Chicago. Plus, it reminds me of all the good things about living in a big city that I miss---all sorts of people enjoying the public domain. I don't have pictures yet, but I will.

Also, I made the above pincushion for the June-July Pincushion Challenge. The theme was flowers and I went with embroidery rather than a shape. It's pretty sweet. I think it will be for a friend who is away for the summer. They say that cotton stuffing is better for pincushions--firmer, cleans your needles-- so I tore up some cotton balls to fill it. It took more than I would have imagined, but I do like the resulting weight.