spring. tea parties. birthday.

spring.

whenever spring rolls around i get this happy feeling inside.

it means new beginnings.

colorful clothes.

picnics.

AND MY BIRTHDAY!!

i had just about the coolest birthday of all time, yesterday.

i've honestly never felt so blessed and excited about the people in my life.

there are so many of them...and they're all just about the coolest.

i got phone calls.

a recorded song.

a really sweet message.

a birthday cake.

a cast singing for me.
i got to see so many dear friends.

happy birthday wishes all around.

and...a suprise TEA PARTY!!

i mean...best ever, right?!

i'm just...so very happy right now.

OH!

and you only have a few more days to enter the giveaway on my blog.

go here to enter.

seriously.

it's the coolest.

catch you later!

rebecca jane

christmas memories.

did i ever tell you about the christmas of 2012?

it was...an eventful day, to say the least.

it started out as many christmases do.

with the opening of presents.

(i got a record player!!!)

and general hubbub.

but to me...the most exciting thing of all was the chance to see LES MISERABLES on opening day!

i mean...i was only waiting for it ALL YEAR!!

so, even though it had started snowing (my second white christmas!) my mom, sister, and i all headed off to the city to see les mis.

it was a beautiful movie.

i laughed, cried, and loved it.

i can't even begin to explain how truly wonderful that movie is.

oh my.

well.

after a terrifyingly scary attempt to get home on the icy roads...it was decided we had to stay the night in town.

christmas night.

in a hotel.

also?

we hadn't eaten any dinner.

and, being christmas, everything was closed.

so christmas dinner was a candy bar, bag of chips, and sprite.

it was a sad...SAD day.

so...the day started off well.

the movie was GLORIOUS.

but the evening...not so much.

:/

just making memories.

xo.

rebecca jane.

family life. oh! and pies.

oh goodness.

i truly adore being an aunt.

i don't get to see my niece and nephews all that often...but when i do, it makes my heart oh-so happy.

above is the newest addition to the family, henry.

just look at those eyes!!

squeeeep!

when the holidays roll around, i know i'll have several opportunities to see my family.

sisters. brother. niece. nephews.

a few times a year, almost all of us make it under the same roof.

and if, when the family comes around, i happen to make some terribly delicious pies and awe them all with my fabulous baking skills...well...so be it.

actually, some of my pies turned out kind of strange and wiggly this year...all except my apple pie (not pictured), which is always my shining glory.

i could make apple pies all day long and never tire of it!

well.

this is my 2012 thanksgiving post.

i'm ever so thankful for family...and pies.

happy late thanksgiving, folks!

hope you had a swell one.

xo,

rebecca jane

end of the world.

from an "end of the world" party i helped plan.

because...if we're going to die, let's die looking like a peruvian folk band.

did you party hard december 21st?

we ate delicious scones (and the like). 

sang around a campfire.

participated in an epic white elephant gift exchange.

 and sat on a trampoline in freezing cold weather laughing about things that probably weren't that funny.

i really love getting together with old friends.

xo,

rebecca jane

picnics are happy things.

i've had many obsessions: blanket forts, sushi, movies, books, and so on.

my recent one?

picnics.

i love picnics.

quilts.

lemonade.

mason jars.

pies.

picnic basket.

be still my heart.

so to celebrate the 4th of july and my mom's birthday, we decided to set up a picnic on a small hill and eat pie while watching the fireworks.

we had the best spot.

it was lovely weather.

just a few ants here and there.

basically...perfection.

picnics are happy things.

-rebecca jane

giving gifts is my favorite thing to do.

...especially when they're handmade tea bags with original tea blends made up and named after the person receiving the gift.

in love with this tutorial.

now that scrooge is over...and the holidays are over...i'm a little confused about what to do with myself. lately i've been working on my theatre portfolio, going through hundreds of pictures from 2007 to now...such memories! i've been so very blessed these last few years with amazing new friends i've met through theatre...especially this last year. 2011 was an incredible year and i'm so very excited to see 2012 unfold...it's held a special place in my heart my whole life...so i just know it's going to be swell!

xo, 

rebecca jane

p.s. HAPPY 2012!

happy christmas!

from rebecca, michelle, andy-cat, and millie-bug.

have a lovely LOVELY day!

xo,

rebecca jane

my halloween.

every year i like to spend my halloween a little differently than other people (be it a ball, etc.).

this year was no exception:

this halloween i spent the day...

sewing christmas costumes.

watching charles dickens movies (that's about the scariest movies i like to watch).

going, with two of my dear friends, to a diner. in 40's garb. and getting a chocolate shake.

watching episode 7 of downton abbey (season 2)...with much commentary from the viewers, mind you.

and listening to my friend read "sherlock holmes" aloud...and with a very terrifying accent (actually...it was hilarious).

i quite liked this halloween.

  

how did you spend yours?

special fourth of july giveaway!!

happy fourth of july!!
in honor of america's (and my mom's!) birthday...two lovely etsy stores have agreed to collaborate with me in creating a wonderful giveaway for you!

this week i've partnered with restless hearts crafts and the little illustrator to bring you this amazing giveaway package!

i am absolutely in LOVE with both of these stores...you should definitely check them out.

restless hearts crafts is a collaboration of treasure hunting and sewing.
they have been so kind as to offer these ADORABLE bunting napkins!!! 

(bunting is my new favorite thing.)

the little illustrator is an etsy store that sells unique and custom art work and t-shirts with original prints.

you can win any two prints from their shop! 

to enter:

1) become a follower of "sewing in the past" (worth one entry)

2) "heart" the "restlessheartscrafts" and/or "thelittleillustrator" etsy store (one entry each)

3) leave a comment and let me know your favorite "restlessheartscrafts" and/or "thelittleillustrator" item (one entry each)

4) heart your favorite item (one entry)

5) twitter, facebook, blog about this giveaway (one entry each)

or

6) just comment on this post with contact info.

please leave one comment per entry so all of them will be counted.

good luck!

giveaway will end friday, july 8th at midnight.

day of fathers :)

father. dad. daddy. papa. male parental unit.
i call him "pops." 

so happy day of fathers (or day of pops...whatever floats your boat)!

i hope you all have a glorious day!

(i'm the one in the pink)

happy {early} father's day!

my two older sisters and my niece and nephew came over last sunday to celebrate an early father's day! it was such fun to see my beautiful family...sadly i only see them rarely.

after eating quite our hot dogs and hamburgers (oh how i love them), chips, and PIE...we all agreed it was a very lovely {early} father's day.

i hope you all have a very lovely {actual} father's day this weekend!! :)

p.s. don't forget about the awesome giveaway going on!! it ends sunday night! don't miss out!!!

my birthday, surprises, and the like.

yesterday was my birthday. i turned a lovely 17. these past few days when people would ask me "what are you doing for your birthday?" my response would be "oh...just some small things with a few friends."

well.

i never ever in a kabillion zillion years...EVER thought i would have a surprise birthday party. ever. honestly, i thought i would never be fooled into going someplace and then see a bunch of people jumping up and saying SUPRISE! it just never occurred to me to even be suspicious.

well...that was silly.

yes. i said "aw shucks."

turns out they thought i had seen them so they weren't as loud and enthusiastic...but i was completely taken by shock. lol.

apparently the secret/lie/deception had been going on for quite some time! i can't believe that i had no suspicions! YOU GUYS...are awesome.

the food was just DELISH! fried chicken. cheese fries. sweet tea. YES! 

and the company was simply to die for... :)

posing with elvis was very lovely. he was so ever so kind.

apples-to-apples and catchphrase at the house was simply hilarious. even though i'm, sadly, dreadful at both games. haha!

i blew the candles out with one breath. oh my voice teacher should be SO PROUD of my lung capacity!!

and receiving german chocolate (mine had a hint of cinnamon!) was just the perfect touch to end the day off with.

i'd like to end this birthday post with a thank you to all of these wonderful people, along with my facebook friends, twitter friends, and JOY friends who have wished me a happy birthday! i love each and every one of you SO much. and it means quite a lot that each of you took time to either jump up from behind the bar at a restaurant or simply wish me well on a brand new year of life. 

i hope this next year is simply the BEST! 

17!! 

YAY!

of friendly giftings.

i just found a post from christmas that never made it on the blog! *gasp*

 soooo....without further ado, here are some pictures from a lovely christmas party i had with some lovely friends.

"a party is a party...but a christmas party...mm!" to quote the illustrious mr. elton.

when i celebrated christmas with a few of my chums, we exchanged gifts, made cookie dough (i say dough...because no actually cookies were cooked), watched movies, and giggled to our heart's content. we really had a wonderful time.

anywho...i'm sharing a few of my favorite gifts that i found/made...giving gifts is one of my very favorite things to do! i get more excited about giving than i do about receiving. well. okay...i like receiving gifts too... ;)

to my friend ryleigh, a book (made by me) to write a story in. for the past few months we've somehow made up a country that doesn't exist. where i'm the queen, she a peasant, and a great catastrophe occurs. i really don't know how it's started, but i figured it should be put to paper so we exchange this book and we each write every other chapter. it's ever so much fun...and quite hilarious.

to my lovely maddy, i bestowed a very loving card and a book called "the works of balzac". this is also an inside joke as her character in "music man" tells harold hill that the librarian advocates dirty books (an exaggeration) such as balzac. i found it in an antique store...and couldn't resist.

to my lovely morgie. a godey's picture i found at an antique store (well, not truly godey's i believe it is from a french magazine of the time, but very lovely, nonetheless). and an antique sewing box. isn't it the cutest?! i'm also very jealous of both her gifts and really feel like stealing them from her ;)