made in a treehouse

Fall

2011-10-22T12:07:00.000-04:00

One morning last week when it was wet and gray and I was feeling a bit miserable, I decided to pack up Eliza and head to our closest metro park, Blendon Woods. There were a lot of wet leaves to glide through, I had a wandering toddler as my hiking partner and we saw wild turkeys in the parking lot. Three things that made staying miserable, pretty much impossible. Even on rainy days there is still so much I love about fall.

Homemade pants

2011-10-14T00:53:00.004-04:00

I made Eliza some pants a few weeks ago. This was my attempt to take some pictures of her wearing them:

Really, it's much easier to just lay the finished product on the table and photograph, but what fun is that? The pattern is from the book Growing Up Sew Liberated, which I love. In case you couldn't tell from the action shots, this is how the pants look when sitting still :)

Storytelling

2011-08-23T22:00:00.011-04:00

The other night as I was finishing up reading Eliza her bedtime stories, I started to tell her some stories from my childhood and some stories about my dad. Although we do talk about my dad and David’s dad quite a bit with her, I had yet to tell her an actual STORY. At first, I wasn’t quite sure what to say, I just knew I wanted to tell her a story from my childhood about my dad. I had a hard time thinking of something actually. I wondered, is my memory that horrible?? So I started to ramble about how my dad walked me to my bus stop at Hubbard Elementary School each morning and how he would hold my hand and then later, in middle school, he drove us to a different bus stop, in the parking lot between Thompson Recreation Center and what is now Fifth Ave School and we would wait in the car for the bus to come. I reenacted how there were a couple of nasty speed bumps (or were they potholes?) and we bounced in the recliner together. Then I rambled about how my dad would often get us lost on road trips and tell us he was taking the scenic route although I could not remember any particular trip or details.

Finally I started to remember how there was this time when I was about 13 or 14 and I went to the car wash with my dad. I don’t remember which car wash we went to or any other details like that, but this time as we were pulling out to leave, the horn started going off by itself. Maybe water go into the horn, who knows, but it wouldn’t stop. I mean it was BLARING and people were staring at us. We ended up driving home south down High St. right through OSU campus. I doubt this really bothered my dad much, but I was a teenager and completely mortified! I remember I ducked down in the passenger seat so no one would see me, I was so embarrassed!! We drove all the way home with the horn screeching. It stopped right before we parked in front of our house.

I guess if you ramble long enough you do remember something.

There I was telling Eliza a story, not just a detail. When I stopped, Eliza said: “More.” It was as if we had just finished one of her favorite books. It felt really good. I also almost cried of course.

I told her the story three more times. We eventually pretended to duck down ‘embarrassed’ when I got to that part. We scrunched down in the recliner and covered our heads. At the second or third telling she asked, “You washed the car? In the bathtub?” She was nodding to me like she really only asked this to confirm that this was the correct answer.

I really love the way toddler brains work sometimes. “No,” I told her. “We went to a car wash.” I went on to explain a car wash with minimal details and told her we would go to a car wash next week so she could see one.

Fast forward to this week. Finally, after two days of asking, I told her we would go to the car wash. I told the story a couple more times and then she asks me,

“Is Papa Carl gonna be there?”

And there it was, the first time where I had to in some way explain his absence. I wasn’t expecting it. I cried a little. I hugged Eliza and explained that no, he wouldn’t be there and we could take a picture along with us. We copied a picture (above) of my dad standing in front of a train engine and Eliza carried it with her most of the day. It was a little heart breaking and sweet and it is just how it is. But as hard as it is sometimes, it feels good to talk about him and remember...and above all else just tell some stories about him.

Every kid needs an apron!

2011-08-18T22:19:00.005-04:00

Eliza is all about helping us cook lately and I decided it was time for her very own apron. There is just something so sweet and nostalgic to me about a little apron. I made one for her yesterday afternoon from this tutorial. It was nice and quick too, a perfect nap time project.

When I finished it, I tried to get Eliza to wear it straight away, but she wanted NOTHING to do with it. I guess she is at the age where I could make something for her and she doesn't like it. I hung the apron up though and today when she helped me get some things ready for dinner, I asked her to go get her apron and she ran to put it on herself. So I guess, for now at least, she still likes the things her mama makes. I hope it stays that way as long as possible! Here are a few more pictures of the apron:

I'm Open

2011-08-02T07:28:00.004-04:00

Made in a Treehouse is open once again. I opened yesterday around 1pm. I am so excited to be open and making things again. Please stop by and take a look...grab some lovely Wee Wonderfuls dolls for a loved one in your life, or yourself. That's cool too :) I hope to update the shop a couple of times a month so don't be a stranger!

Exciting News

2011-07-20T09:04:00.001-04:00

Isn't this doll above just the SWEETEST?

We call her Lulu...I made her for Eliza, but pretty soon YOU can have one too! I signed up for a cottage license to sell Wee Wonderful designs and I'll be selling dolls just like Lulu in my shop starting August 1st!! I hope to also make some more owls and a few other things, as time permits. Help support my sewing hobby. Buy one...or two or three...starting in just two weeks!

Space

2011-07-19T21:03:00.000-04:00

I created this little corner for Eliza in our living room recently. It isn't much, but I am really happy with it. I bought this little shelf at a yard sale. It isn't exactly my style, but I like the challenge of trying to make things work anyhow.

This is pretty much it for Eliza and her toy sprawl. Not too bad, really. One of my goals as a parent is to not have my living room become Toy Palace.

Something I've noticed now that I am only working part time and in my home so much, is I am more interested in having our living space flow for grown ups and kids. It isn't that easy...especially when I don't want to spend any money. I am trying to find small ways like these to improve our space and make it work for everybody. I am hoping as I get better at being at home with Eliza all the time, I will find ways to improve our space and little by little things will fall into place with the house. I stumbled across this e-course recently on creating playful learning spaces and I think something like that might be pretty interesting. I could definitely benefit from some professional guidance I am sure!

Painting on Stuff

2011-07-11T21:19:00.007-04:00

I've been wanting to try painting on different surfaces with Eliza for a while now. Actually, I've just been wanting to bust out the paints more, but I don't feel like I have the greatest indoor set up for messy projects. Originally I was going to try this at the kitchen table, but it occurred to me that the reason painting feels stressful to me sometimes is because a toddler sitting in a booster seat is probably the worst set up for painting! It seems so obvious now. Her little arms can't reach everything and the sleeves of her shirt get pulled through the paint. The space to actually paint on is limited by where she can reach. So at the last minute I moved this project outside. I'm thinking about carving out a corner of the basement for indoor messy art projects because I WOULD like to get messier with Eliza, but not necessarily in my kitchen.

We painted on an assortment of things I found around the house: a piece of foil, fabric, wax paper, vinyl and a toilet paper tube. Fun as it may look, I don't think Eliza spent more than 10 minutes actually painting. That is kinda how our projects go, 10 minutes of trying out an activity and then back to pretending. Eliza is all about the pretend world these days, which fascinates me so much. Her pretending is so involved, I could write about it for at least a whole other post, if not several!

There is a great post here on art activities to try with your toddler by one of my favorite bloggers, which is where I picked up this idea. We've only tried 5 of the 11 ideas listed to date, so this list should keep us busy a while. I think I want to try painting on bubble wrap next though!

Writing and Toddlers

2011-07-02T17:18:00.000-04:00

Around Valentines Day I bought this little tin mailbox from the Target dollar bin. I thought it would be a cute way to wrap David and Eliza's valentines. But I forgot to use it. And later, it got mixed in with Eliza's toys. Then I came across a great book which gave me a great new idea for it.

The book is The Write Start by Jennifer Hallissy. The author also has a blog by the same name. I really loved this book (and the blog is pretty cool too)! It is 52 ideas for encouraging writing at any age, even two! It starts with ideas that encourage letter knowledge and then builds to activities such as creating a family newspaper and making your own coupons. What I also loved is each idea is broken down by age (scribblers, spellers, storytellers and scholars) so even the youngest of writers have something to do in each activity. For example, I think one of the ideas involved keeping a journal and for the scribbler, she suggests creating a color journal...each day your toddler could pick a color and scribble that color on the page. Totally doable for a toddler and at the same time encouraging writing! There were many more great ideas in this book. Another thing to love about this book, the chapter titles: Learn, Make, Do, Play and Connect.

Reading through this book and the blog also had me thinking up some ideas of my own and I love it when a book does that. There was something in there about creating a mailbox...don't remember the idea exactly, but it got me thinking about my tin mailbox sitting idle in Eliza's toy bins. So I set up the mailbox on our bookshelf in the living room and started writing Eliza little notes. Think the kind your mom would put in your lunch box. Then I put up the red flag and told her to check her mailbox for a note from mama. I've only done this a few times, but she was just as excited as when I bring home books for her from the library. Getting letters is pretty exciting afterall, even for adults! And that I am hopefully encouraging a love of writing in the process? Even better!

Berries

2011-06-07T21:13:00.002-04:00

I've been thinking a lot about BERRIES lately.

Last summer, on our trip to Washington, we stumbled upon some blueberry bushes. We were visiting a good friend of mine from college in Seattle. A friend of hers rented a place that had a long row of blueberry bushes in the backyard. It was July and the berries were ripe, so we ended up heading to his house and picking blueberries in the late evening sun. Then we sat on the deck, ate blueberries and shared a couple pints of Ben and Jerry's ice cream, straight out of the carton. It was just one of those perfect evenings...an old friend, my family, being the northwest, ice cream...and then, on top of all that: blueberries!! I have thought about that night so many times in the last year. Ever since then, I have dreamed about growing my own blueberry bushes in containers in our backyard. Although it won't happen this summer, I do hope to get out and pick some Ohio berries this summer. I've been looking at Windy Hill Berry Farm for our berry picking adventures. Do you have a favorite central Ohio berry farm?

With berries on my mind, I bought home Blueberries for Sal a few weeks ago. Amazingly, I had actually never read this classic before. I love the alpine meadow setting of the illustrations. Eliza is very interested in looking for the mama when we read this. She also likes when I make the "kaplink" sound for the berries landing in an empty bucket and of course pretending to eat the berries. We pretend eat A LOT over here. I was pretty surprised she is so interested in this book, since it is quite long, but she loves it. I think her love of blueberries has something to do with it. We have actually been reading this a lot over breakfast, while we eat these blueberry muffins, a favorite recipe of ours. When DO the blueberries get ripe in Ohio? Very soon, I hope!

I'm back (for real)

2011-05-29T22:58:00.003-04:00

Hey there.

I'm going to start blogging again, probably about the usual stuff: being me, being a mom, creativity, making things and remembering. I'm having some issues getting my domain back because I let it expire when I was thinking about giving up this blog, but hopefully I will be back to madeinatreehouse.com soon enough. But for now, here I am at my old blogspot address.

By the way, something I would not recommend: if you have a domain, do not let it expire because it has been a huge pain to reclaim it! So much so, I started to think about starting a completely new blog, but do you want to know what is more of a pain than trying to get an expired domain back? Thinking of a new blog name.

Anyway, just wanted to pop in and post a little something...I'll be back soon with something creative to share. Yay!

Colors

2010-10-10T21:52:00.004-04:00

I've been trying to make a conscious effort to talk colors with Eliza lately. I randomly came across this post and it reminded me of this flannel which I use often as a children's librarian and have adapted to other themes as well. For Eliza it became a bunch of different colored houses and a cat hiding underneath. We sing:

"Cat, Cat, where are you? You better come out we're looking for you!
Are you in the red house?"
Etc
Etc

At first Eliza was afraid of this little game, which was funny. She would shake her head and say "No, no, no, no." What a goof! But now she is happily hiding the cat under the different colored houses and then looking for the cat. Colors will come eventually....and it may just be time to make a home flannel board.

Grand Re-Opening

2010-10-04T22:02:00.005-04:00

After a nearly year and a half hiatus, I am opening my etsy shop again. I am finally going to give selling items I've sewn a try. Wish me luck! I've had this idea for a stuffed owl pillow in my head for a while now and about a month ago I drafted a pattern, made a couple of "test" models and this is what finally came out. I've made 6 of them now and the first one is listed in my shop right now. Look for three more owls to be listed this week. If you are my facebook friend, I'll be posting the links for each new owl as I list them. I can assure you, if you have a little one, they will LOVE these owls. They are 100% Eliza approved.

Moments

2010-09-13T23:32:00.018-04:00

It is so easy to get caught up in the rush of life and let the smallest moments of your life slip by unnoticed. We all do it. But I want to try and be better at acknowledging the moment. Even if it is horrible or boring or awkward.

Tonight, after Eliza was in bed and after David and I caught up on Mad Men for the week, we lingered on the couch and debated the merits of unloading the dishwasher tonight or tomorrow morning before work. I mistakenly started to say: “Don’t put off until today what you can do tomorrow.” In case you don’t know, I am a rather excellent quote/idiom-butcherer. Finally, I told David I would unload it if he just sat in the kitchen with me. And so I did, and he followed. When I was finished, he started reloading. We were like a machine, our routine completely effortless for all the time we spent putting it off. Then I started to do a very uncoordinated cheerleading routine that was straight-up ridiculous and solidifies me as a children’s librarian, in case there is any doubt. I leaned against the counter and we just talked about this and that. I’m pretty sure there was some ribbing about who is the better dishwasher loader (me, of course). If I hadn’t been so aware at the time, the moment would have slipped right by. And maybe that isn’t so horrible, there is nothing earth-shattering here, but in that moment I just felt really good and content and I just want to remember that because it is so easy to forget, it kills me sometimes.

Overdue

2010-09-03T20:54:00.012-04:00

There was a time when I was pretty good at this blog...but now, you know, life has gotten in the way. That and sleep and just needing to relax at the end of the day. I don't see how some of my favorite mama bloggers do it, seriously! They are more supermom than me I guess.

Check out Eliza reading to grandma and grandpa's dog:

So I may try and blog here and there this fall. Maybe. I am not making any promises. I'm taking a few 'me' days in September to make stuff, plus I am also making a little something for the Library's Levy Launch Campaign. That means I may even have sewing to share again.

Speaking of the levy, you should vote for it.

Because we have a great library in Columbus. Now more than ever, libraries are needed in our communities, especially the community where I work. Access is a HUGE issue in many areas of Columbus: Access to books, to computers, to help getting ready to read, help with homework or filling out a job application...the list goes on. All of these services would suffer so greatly if Issue 4 does not pass. The library as we know it would be gone. This levy accounts for half of the library's funding. As many as half the branches would close. It's that important. For more information, check out the button on my sidebar.

If the levy doesn't pass, this is how we will all be feeling:

Eliza's Birthday Dress

2010-05-28T21:17:00.008-04:00

I did it...I really did it. I finished Eliza's birthday dress for her birthday last weekend. It was finished 2 days early in fact. Go me! It has taken me much longer to get around to blogging it though.

The pattern is the Oliver + S Birthday Party dress. I bought this pattern while I was pregnant with the hope that I could make it for Eliza's first birthday and I am so glad I did. I am feeling mighty proud of myself for this one too, because making it did challenge me. I found myself over at my mom's house late twice, in the week leading up to Eliza's birthday, trying to decipher a few parts. But it is a great feeling to figure out something hard and emerge a better sewer!

I really love everything about this dress: the fabric, the colors, the contrast, the pleats and the buttons, the hem and of course the cheesehead wearing it (see below). That my mom helped me figure out the hard stuff makes it even more special. All the blood, sweat and tears = totally worth it...especially when the big day finally arrived and I got to watch Eliza laugh, crawl, walk and of course eat crackers in something I made just for her.

One

2010-05-24T06:29:00.006-04:00

My baby turned one on Saturday. This has definitely been the fastest year of our lives, yet it seems like ages ago that Eliza was a newborn. It seems even longer ago that it was just David and I. One of the things that is so amazing to me about when you have a child is how instantly you cannot imagine your life any different.

Eliza is doing all sorts of amazing things lately...she is walking about 5-7 steps on her own, she is signing a lot(milk, more, all done and cracker), and she says a few words ('cat' is by far her favorite word). She is developing a since of humor, which I love. She pretends to sleep and even did some pretend crying this past weekend, which was too funny! Another favorite game is "On your head" in which she places something on her head and mommy and daddy announce it, i.e "Book on your head" or "Sock on your head." She loves books and will often sit and just flip the pages of her books completely entertained for several minutues. Already she has some favorites too, which makes this children's librarian mama very very happy!

One. My baby is ONE. Still kinda hard to believe...but it takes things a while to sink in with me sometimes.

Pants

2010-04-25T20:53:00.008-04:00

Back in February, I bought the Oliver+S Sandbox pants pattern. Two months later, the pants are finished. Really these pants could probably be completed in a couple of evenings or so, but this is the pace I am working at these days. Oh well, better late than never! Here is a better shot of the pants:

It was next to impossible to get a picture of Eliza in these pants that still show off any of the nifty details at all. And Oliver + S patterns are full of nifty details. But I snatched as many actions shots as I could.

Next up is the Oliver+S Birthday Party dress, which I hope to make for Eliza by her 1st birthday. We'll see. I have the pattern cut, but that is about it. I'm not gonna be too hard on myself if that isn't complete by her big day, which ::gasp:: is LESS THAN A MONTH away. How did that happen? I'm not stating anything new here, but man, time flies!

A sweet little sandwich

2010-02-13T20:41:00.005-05:00

Whenever I see or hear the word sandwich, I always think about how David told me sandwich is the word that made him lose his 2nd grade spelling bee. He put an 'e' on the end of it. So sad. Everyone ALWAYS remembers the spelling bee word they lost on, right? What word did you lose on? Strangely, we never had a spelling bee at my elementary school, but I love learning what words other people lost on.

Anyway, that sandwich up there, I made it this week. I started it Sunday and finished it this morning, before heading off to work. And that, my friends, is my first completed object since returning to work in August. It is hard for me to believe it really took me that long and also that I started and finished something and am blogging it even. Wow...

I've actually been pretty crafty this week. I probably shouldn't jinx it by typing that on my blog, but I think I may have found a way to be at least a little creative during the week. The answer was to move my sewing machine downstairs and into David's "office." It took a little convincing my husband, but he ended up with a bigger table for his computer out of the deal and it is honestly working out quite nice to be in there together. It seems like we are getting more time together.

This felt sandwich was fun to make...it was a nice mix of machine and hand sewing. I got the pattern (which included the felt) from Lilly Bean. I can definitely see myself making Eliza more felt goodies (I also have the hot dog pattern). Making the sandwich got me thinking it would be kind of fun to have a felt food making party at my house...maybe in the spring? Does this sound fun to anyone else? Or is it just me?

A BYOF (Bring Your Own Felt) Party. Yeah!

Eliza loved the idea. Let me know what you think...

Come on Get Happy!

2010-01-31T21:43:00.005-05:00

I've been tagged by friend and fellow blogger, Katie, to list 10 things that make me happy. I am having a lot of trouble keeping up with my blog these days, so I really needed this motivation to write something here. Reflecting on what makes me happy is also something I needed to do. I feel like I've been a bit of a downer these days. I blame it on the weather, but it can be tough to be happy sometimes, especially in winter. Writing down some happy thoughts made me realize I need to take a more proactive approach to happiness. I may need to print this list and carry it with me wherever go.

So here you go, 10 Things that make me Happy:

1. Lunch at the Nordstrom Cafe -It may be weird that I listed this first, but I have found that a quick fix for a crap day is to eat at Nordstroms, so I decided to list it first...Crab bisque, Caesar salad, bistro fries or the Black Forest Ham Sandwich. These are my happy foods, guaranteed to make a down and out day a little brighter. I haven't eaten there in a couple months...looks like I need to schedule myself a lunch date!

2. Family time -I really treasure being a family now and I think my favorite thing in the world is to just be at home with David and Eliza, doing nothing at all, just being the goofy bunch that we are. I also love when David and I balance each other out and when one of us cracks the other patches things up.

3. Date nights -As much as I love family time, I also miss the alone time which I now realize David and I completely took for granted for eight years. I am giddy on date nights. It occurs to me sometimes that it will be a LONG time before David and I will be alone like we used to be. By that time, when it finally happens, we will be a heck of a lot older and we will likely miss family time the way we miss our one-on-one time now.

4. Sewing -I love love love to sew and I miss it fiercely. I am not sewing nearly enough these days, but I've made a few changes this weekend and I am hoping it will result in more sewing and hopefully more crafty blog posts.

5. Remembering -I tend to romanticize the past. I can't help it! I love talking about people in my life that have touched me or made me laugh. I often repeat and retell the same old stories, again and again.

6. Reading out loud -I read out loud a lot for my job and I am thankful for that. There are days when sharing a story with a group of children can stop an unhappy day in its tracks. I love to read a great story, but nothing tops sharing a great story out loud with others.

7. Being Outside -I think one of the reasons I have such a tough time being happy during winter is because it is my least favorite time to be outside. I spent a good deal of time outside growing up and spent a lot of summers in the state of Washington. I am sure that impacted me a great deal. Sometimes a good walk can clear my head better than anything else.

8. Clothes -It's true, when I am wearing a kick ass outfit, I'm usually feeling pretty darn happy. I used to spend a lot more time shopping for clothes, but there isn't much time for that anymore, but maybe, in the name of my own happiness, I need to take myself on a shopping date?!

9. Writing -I've always been a writer. I don't write nearly enough these days...and I need to.

10. Antique/Thrift Stores -I like weird old crap. I've been known to wander antique stores when I am having a bad day and I love the thought of finding treasure among so much randomness.

So there you have it, ten happy things. I think I am going to use this as my guide, to help me get through the winter. I am smiling just thinking of some of these things. So what makes YOU happy? I'd like to know...that is, if you are still out there reading this long neglected blog of mine!

Consider yourself tagged if you are reading this.

DIY Baby Food

2009-12-10T11:46:00.007-05:00

We started solid foods with Eliza a few weeks ago. I thought this would be great fun...I absolutely hated it. I had no idea how messy feeding a baby was. It gets everywhere. Eliza gets food in her hair, on her eyes, behind her ears. Everywhere. I'm sure this isn't news to any veteran mamas out there, but I honestly thought the food would just go straight from the spoon to her mouth. Silly first time parent! I also naively thought that Eliza would instantly like solid food, after all, she seemed interested enough in David and I's food, but again: Wrong.

A month later, however, and things are swell. We have our routine down: we feed Eliza when we eat, at the dinner table. Before we even started solids we would sit her at the table with us and give her something to chew on, usually a baby spoon, already making her part of our meal. Now, David and I feed her bites of sweet potatoes in between our own dinner. I've decided to try and make her baby food and I honestly think this has been so easy, which has shocked me. When we started rice cereal (which I did not make) I was sort of panicked that I wouldn't be able to find time to make her food, but I checked out the book, Feeding the Whole Family, which I think I saw over on Soule Mama at some point. The one thing I really took to heart from this book is for each of the recipes, it has an adaptation for 6 month olds or 10 month olds, which is really just telling you to set aside this or that and puree it for your infant. This got me thinking about how I can do this with any meal. So now if we are having pasta and salad for dinner, I am already chopping up carrots so I'll just set some chopped carrots aside, boil them and then puree them alongside all the other cooking we are already doing. In a snap there are five baby meals. Incorporating baby food making into the normal meal preparation has made baby food making much easier. I have done some baby food making (i.e. pureeing) at night too, but not anything painstaking. Very little effort, trust me. And I've pretty much decided to ditch all the baby food cook book recipes, except for the basics. Who has time to make gourmet food for your baby? Not me! I'm sticking to one or two ingredients, no more. Another thing that has saved time is I bought organic frozen vegetables to cook and puree. Since these are already washed and chopped, it saves me some steps and seems more appealing than jars of baby food to me (and is actually still cheaper than jarred food).

I think as Eliza's tastes evolve, I may need to invest in a food mill too, but I haven't yet researched how these work. Have any of you used one? The other thing I am not all to clear on is when I am supposed to increase Eliza's meals to more than one per day. We are still trying new foods, but lately it seems as if I could feed her at breakfast too, at least some of the time, but I've also heard you shouldn't rush things. So far she has tried only rice cereal, apples, bananas, sweet potatoes and carrots. Are you supposed to be out of the tasting phase before adding a meal? What did some of you all do?

It's about time

2009-11-17T06:54:00.005-05:00

Wow, it's been a while.

Coincidentally, my lack of blog posts, began at almost the same time Eliza stopped sleeping through the night. And since this became a regular thing, I have been so exhausted at the end of each day, it is all I can do to watch Mad Men before going to bed. Yeah, too tired to even watch TV. Sad.

I have to be honest, being a full time working mama is the hardest thing I've done in my life. Ever. Couple that with a full time working papa who is also in school and that I usually work two nights per week, it's just hard. And we do not have it all figured out just yet. Things just feel hectic all the time. I've been a little too snappy. And as I am sure many mamas know, the work is never done. I sometimes hate that feeling after I put Eliza down for bed, that the work is only just beginning. The house needs picked up, dinner needs cleaned up and the dishwasher needs run, the diapers and bottles need washed and packed up. There isn't room for slacking off. I think we are doing a good job though, I really do. Eliza does rejuvenate me with her smiles and giggles and milestones. When it is all said and done, I love being a mom like I've loved nothing else before. Eliza has no idea her parents are so beat.

I had a revelation this morning that part of my problem is that I haven't had my coming-of-age moment where I accept the fact that Eliza is simply not going to sleep well at night for the time being. I keep hoping that she will go back to being the champion sleeper she was at three months...but we are going on two months of crap sleep and although I hope to God this won't last forever, it doesn't appear to be ending any time soon. I think if I could accept that, it might just make my days a little easier.

I haven't really done anything crafty. I've had a few small moments of this or that, but nothing finished. I am still holding on to the hope that I can still make at least some Christmas gifts this year, but we'll see. It might just not be doable this year.

The picture up top is one of my works in progress. It's a Poppy doll from the pattern by the lovely toy maker hop skip jump. I've been working on that doll here and there for two months! I am not quite working at the in-time-for-a-Christmas-gift pace, I tell ya!

I also have the hop skip jump jack rabbit pattern which I am dying to make. It will happen someday...someday...

Baby scraps

2009-10-06T15:23:00.002-04:00

Eliza and I got some crafty time in this weekend. Turns out she excels at eating fabric. She is just starting to grab and reach for things, so I spread some of my fabric scraps around her so she could grasp and feel them. Such a simple thing really, but a perfect 'crafty' activity for a baby.

What more do you need when mama's got a bucket of scraps? I did a little crafting too, about five minutes worth in thirty, but it wasn't really about how much I accomplished. I am hoping this is only the beginning of many, many crafting adventures together. There is not much I look forward to more than making things with my daughter someday!

One Year

2009-09-30T23:02:00.002-04:00

Today, one whole year has passed since my dad died. I've been thinking about a lot of things...about who my dad was, about how he influenced so much in my life, about that horrible day spent at the hospital one year ago yesterday and I really just don't know where to start or if I should write anything at all. How can I even sum him up in a few paragraphs on my blog? It is impossible. There is too much to say, yet I can't help but try to describe him and remember him.

Here are a few facts: He still carried his keys on a 25 year old key chain which said "Dad's Keys." One of my favorite times with him was when he tried to haggle at the thrift store for a $5.00 suit case. He used the term "twofers." If you haven't guessed from his love of the term twofers or the haggling at a thrift store, he was cheap. He always took advantage of senior discounts once he was eligible. He once tried to fill up two cars with his Fuel Perks discount at Giant Eagle and tried to use me as his accomplice. He got busted by a very sassy attendant. He drank a lot of coffee and he always drank it black. He didn't like to waste. After he died I found about 20 (I'm not exaggerating) Styrofoam coffee cups in the kitchen which he was 'reusing.' He was genuine and kind and patient and he really listened and I mean really. He was hilarious. He had a magnificent hearty laugh. He couldn't stand George W Bush. He had a mustache for most of my life. Two of his favorite shows were Scrubs and that Funniest Home Video Show. He remembered things about you most people forgot. One of my favorite things in the world was having lunch with him. I miss his voice and I wish words could properly describe the sound of it. I wish I had a recording of him saying something, even if it were just a voicemail message. I loved his handwriting. He loved Ohio State Football, but he wasn't one of those annoying fans that goes overboard. Two days before he died he took my 10 yr old nephew to his very first Ohio State game. He always bought his cars used. He loved cookies and ate too many of them, especially after he quit smoking. He smoked for 40 years. He was humble and even though he accomplished much in his career, he would still describe himself simply as a social worker. Anyone who knew him knew he was so much more than that. If Carl Brauner was the one helping you pick yourself up off your feet...you had landed in the right place. He was more selfless than anyone else I have ever known. He died way too soon.

I know I have blogged a lot about my dad this past year...and I appreciate that you have stuck around as I wander through and make sense out of grief. It helps me to write here. I can't help but write about him and I doubt this will be the last time. He is a part of what makes up this blog now and what makes up me.

This morning I went to the cemetery for the very first time. I decided to take snickerdoodles instead of flowers to set at dad's grave. At the grocery store, the sign above the cookies read: "Life's Short. Eat Cookies." I couldn't have said it any better.

Saying Goodbye

2009-09-28T20:43:00.009-04:00

Yesterday we headed down to my old stomping grounds, the Short North. I grew up there, and as I've mentioned on this blog a while ago, my mom is selling the house I grew up in. I wanted to walk through the house one last time, even though it is empty now, to just take it all in, remember and say goodbye. Perhaps it is weird to say goodbye to a house, but I needed to do it...and I am glad I did. Despite the fact that I cried immediately upon unlocking the front door, it was a lovely day with my family. The only agenda was to walk around the house, talk and take pictures.

Growing up we always took pictures in front of the tree out front. My parents planted it when they moved in...I think it might have started out as their Christmas tree one year...but I'd have to check my sources on that one. Here is a picture of me in front of the tree at age 5:

And here I am at age 32, with my little family. Many, many family photos have been taken in front of this tree.

I wanted to take at least one family photo in front of it. It struck me how much this tree has grown in my lifetime...it was once big enough to see over, but not anymore:
Here are a few more highlights from our day...oh how I am going to miss that old woodwork!

A few years ago, my dad taped this note on the storm door...this note is so dad. These are the types of things I miss most about him. I smiled seeing it there yesterday.

When we got home, we noticed one picture of Eliza and I is strangely similar to a picture of me and my mom almost exactly 32 years ago...We are even wearing similar style shirts that we both made ourselves.
I think I like how some things can be the same, thirty years later. More pictures of our day are here.

My blog is 3

2009-09-27T12:12:00.001-04:00

Three years ago today, I started this little blog...I don't know what it is about three that makes me feel like, dang, that's a long time! Three years ago I was just learning to sew, David and I weren't married, and we didn't even have a single cat (now look at us: we have 3 cats and a baby)!! A lot can happen in three years!

I made the little mosaic of some of my favorite creations I have blogged about these last three years. Browsing through my flickr page, it was hard to pick just 16 images...It kind of amazes me how much I have made. This past year has been my craftiest by far...I think I have steadily picked up my crafting pace too!

I started this little blog to motivate me to try new things and create more. It has certainly helped me do that. More than that though, it has given me a little space to share and connect with people in a way that I really didn't before. I love having a little space on the web to write and ramble. I have to say, it really is nice to have a few readers...I honestly never thought I would have more than 5 who also knew me personally. As much as I write this blog for myself, it is very motivating to know people read it and it is all the better for it. Thank you!

I wish there was more to say...

2009-09-14T07:13:00.003-04:00

Ever since I started back to work, (4 weeks ago now) I have struggled to find a free moment to really accomplish something. There hasn't been much to say here, unless you want to hear about how I pretty much keep up with the chores or about the book I am reading here and there. That's about all that gets done these days and when I say done, I mean barely done or almost done...and when I say I am reading a book, I mean 2 pages at a time before I head off to bed, too exhausted to read. I know I'll figure out how to find time to create again, but right now it feels like it is all I can do to make it to work each day without forgetting my lunch or my breast pump.

Since there hasn't been time for a crafty project, I started sorting through some old photographs. Friday, I went through an old suitcase of my dad's full of old slides and negatives from the late 1960s and early 1970s. I found this suitcase right after my dad died last fall and it has been sitting at the top of my stairs for months and months. I am just now brave enough to really look through it. These old photographs fascinate me and I'd like to make prints from many of the slides. My dad was an amateur photographer and there are many gorgeous ones from his time in Thailand when he was in the Air Force. There are are also some really beautiful pictures of my mom too, from when my parents were engaged and first married. I hope she gives me the go ahead to post a few of the photos of her here. I really want to share them. I'd honestly like to digitize all these slides and negatives, but I am unsure of the best way to do that. I am thinking of getting a film scanner, but it looks like that might be expensive...Have any of you digitized old slides or negatives? I'd love to hear more about it if you have.

Last week I made a shirt

2009-08-21T08:25:00.011-04:00

Lately I've been wanting to make myself clothes. I tried a couple of times when I first started sewing, but nothing ever turned out quite right. I have at least three half finished pieces of clothing tucked away in my craft room that I just gave up on. But here lately, with a couple of successes while I was pregnant, I thought I would try again.

I started simple with a pattern I've actually made before, Simplicity 3835. I really like this pattern because it is so flexible. You can make a ton of different tops or dresses with it. This time for example, I made my sleeves longer and ditched the elastic in them:

When I first made this shirt, I made it too small and it was way too uncomfortable to wear. This time I made it three sizes bigger, and it fits perfect. It amazes me how different pattern and store sizes are. It is really so important to measure yourself before sewing yourself clothes. Last time I made myself an 8, since that's what I buy at the store...but according to Simplicity patterns, I am a size 14!! Humbling as it is, just cut the bigger size, it makes the end result much more flattering. It took me a while to learn this!

The fabric I used is Heather Ross, Far Far Away in double gauze, purchased from Sew to Speak. This fabric is very soft and perfect for a light weight summer top like this. I have another couple yards in the purple unicorn print from the same line and I am debating making another top with it too, but we'll see...I also have enough left over from this print to make Eliza a matching top or dress...how dorky would I be if I made us matching clothes? Probably pretty dorky right? Oh well, I'll probably do it anyway.

One of my favorite helpers also joined me for the making of this shirt:

Lola gave me some extra challenges by pouncing on the pattern pieces while I was trying to cut the fabric. She must have sensed this pattern was too easy for me now. Or maybe it was her way of telling me she needs a matching shirt herself? Or a kerchief, perhaps? She does love her designer fabric!

No sewing happened this week with having to go back to work (sigh) but today was my first day off with my girl since going back to work and I think it was the best day I've had in a while. I look forward to more of these Fridays, just her and I and I'm sure the weekends will be even better too.

Returning to the Real World

2009-08-13T07:29:00.002-04:00

My last day of maternity leave is approaching fast. How quickly the time went. How far David and I have come as parents. Those first few weeks we really had no clue, but we figured things out and have found balance once again. And now I go back to work. I have to be honest, I am dreading my first day back. Monday lurks beside me like a close-talker everywhere I go. And this is coming from someone who loves her job. I am gonna miss Eliza like crazy. Thank God I have an office I can shut the door and cry if I need to. I know she will be fine. I know that. But that doesn't stop me from worrying she'll feel abandoned by her mama and other horrible thoughts. I am trying to take comfort in the fact that my work is meaningful. I like the work I do, I get to be creative, I work with interesting people and the work I do makes a difference in my community. That eases the pain a little. I am trying to remind myself that it will all come together in due time...and maybe missing her will only make our bond stronger or at the very least make me try even harder, to not take one second with her for granted.

P.S. In case you are wondering, the photo at the top is staged...although, yes, we do of course read Eliza lots of books, she isn't quite reading on her own just yet. This picture was completely the librarian in me saying, "let's get a picture of Eliza reading a book!" Eliza agreed to lay on her tummy and flash several adorable smiles, while mama snapped picture after picture...thanks for that hunny!

She really just wants to eat this dress...

2009-08-06T18:51:00.006-04:00

Remember the Tea Party Dresses I made? Well, I finally hemmed them and they almost fit Eliza. I was feeling impatient this afternoon and decided to try this one on her. In between all of the hand chewing and hem grabbing I got a few really sweet pictures.

I don't know where I'm gonna find the time to keep on making her things when I go back to work (in just over a week), but with looks like these, I'm gonna have to find the time somewhere!

Home

2009-08-01T16:32:00.005-04:00

My mom is selling the house I grew up in. It is a good thing really...The house is old; it needs remodeled again and of course my mom needs to move forward. A house full of 35 years worth of memories has got to be hard to live in now, without my dad. But that it is really happening has been a hard pill for me to swallow this summer. And it is happening...the yard sale is over, the furniture is in storage, the new condo has been purchased. My mom should be all settled in her new place before I even return to work from maternity leave.

I haven't been there much since my mom started packing things up. I always thought I would be helping with a task so huge, but having a newborn has made that impossible. It is probably a good thing actually, because I don't think I could've done it. The few times I have been over since the furniture was moved out have been hard. I am the kind of person who holds tight to objects with some sort of memory connected to them. I found a ratty old poster, a topographic map of the Pacific Northwest, sitting by the stairs when I went over last week. I'd completely forgotten about it until I saw it. The poster hung in my dorm room freshman year of college. I have always loved maps and I was really proud of it...I think I actually bought it at a map specialty store in high school on one of our visits to Tacoma, Wa. My dad and I took it to Long's Bookstore and he got it matted and attached to foam core for me. It's a small memory which is probably why I completely forgot about all of it: the poster, that it hung in my dorm room, the connection to my dad...all of it, until I saw it in a pile of random stuff ready to be tossed out or moved. It got me wondering...what else have I completely forgotten about?

To me, that is what makes it so hard to see my childhood home emptied out. I am afraid of what I'll forget.

When I was 12 or 13 my dad took me by his childhood home. My dad grew up here in Columbus, but I'd never seen the house before then. It was a half double and I don't think his father ever even owned the place. We didn't go inside, we just drove by because it wasn't in the best neighborhood anymore, even back then. It was probably a Saturday afternoon and it was just the two of us. We had gone down to the old Schottensteins store in the south end of Columbus (which isn't there any longer) and for some reason my dad decided to take me by his old house. I don't remember much else about that day. I don't remember what we talked about, I just remember finding it so fascinating, even at that young age, to see the house where my dad grew up and I have never forgotten it. I don't think he had seen the house in many years either and I wonder what prompted him to take me by it on that particular afternoon.

About 5 years ago I decided to drive by the house again. I loosely remembered where it was, right off Main St by the old Rosary Catholic Church and School. The house was abandoned and boarded up and the street was really depressed, but I still felt transfixed by it and tried to imagine a different neighborhood. I tried to picture my dad living in the house as a child, wondering what he was like back then. He never did talk much about being a kid and there are few photographs of him as a child, so picturing him as one has always been tough on my imagination.

I have no doubt I will take Eliza by my childhood home someday. I will tell her she was inside it when she was just an itty bitty baby. When we do visit, I will very likely be so bold as to even knock on the door and ask for a tour too. Although it saddens me she won't know the house or get to spend the night in it, deep down I know the stories I tell her will still help create something for her, just like when my dad took me by his old house. I also know that without us, without my mom and my dad, my brother and I, it is already a different house. Where it really exists is in our memories. No one really needs to live there to keep that alive. I still can't help but worry that there are more memories trapped inside the french doors, or the built in book cases, or my old bedroom, but I guess I'll have to take what I can get. Those lost memories will just have to haunt the place!

Read for Fun

2009-07-31T23:57:00.003-04:00

I know I am a little late...but I discovered this little summer reading club tonight and decided to give it a go. Since I finished my own library's Summer Reading Club and since summer technically doesn't end for quite a while longer, might as well start up a new one, right? I think this little club truly gets to the spirit of reading for fun as an adult. Here are just a few things you get credit for:

:: Reading with a Frozen Treat
:: Reading Outside
:: Quit Reading a Book You Don't Like
:: Read with Fresh Flowers
:: Reading in Bed

To quote the site: "It's not intended to encourage reading lots of books. Instead, it marks the moments that we, as adults, can grab for reading. The five-minute summer vacations."

The design freak in me also loves the little reading record she has designed.

Tomorrow, I'll have to pick myself up some fresh flowers and some ice cream to go with my book! And on that note...what have you been reading this summer? I could use a few suggestions...Maternity leave has me feeling a little out of the loop as far as a good book is concerned!

My Dad's Egg McMuffins

2009-07-30T11:40:00.007-04:00

My dad did not really cook, but there were a few things he made that my mom never did so I always think of him when I make them. French Toast was one of those things and Egg McMuffins are the other. I have fond memories of my dad making me Egg McMuffins when I moved back home for a brief time when I was 24 and also anytime we went to the airport in the early morning, whether I was taking him and my mom or they were taking me.

My dad's Egg McMuffins are probably similar to most others, but there are a few added touches.

To make a "Carl" Egg McMuffin:

:: Fry an egg, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Try your best to shape into a square or rectangle.

:: While egg is frying toast an English muffin.

:: When egg is done frying, turn off heat and put half a piece of American cheese on the egg so it melts a little.

:: When the English muffin is done toasting, spread a little bit of mayo on the bottom half (if you don't like mayo, use butter or margarine, but I was leery of the mayo at first too and it really tastes good!)

:: Add your egg.

:: Add sausage or bacon if desired (I like mine without).

Serve with black coffee and eat OR for the "To Go" version, wrap in foil and take your coffee in a travel mug.

Little Eliza on the Prairie

2009-07-26T12:27:00.005-04:00

I made this bonnet for Eliza over the weekend. Man, talk about an instant gratification project! You need only an hour (or less) for this. I finished the bonnet over a couple of Eliza cat naps...and what a great feeling it is to actually accomplish something during one of her famous (and way too common) 40 minute or less naps! The other great thing is you can use fabric from your scrap bin. I seriously want to make more of these. If I know you and you end up expecting a girl in the next year or so, you will be getting one of these from me!

I kinda forgot how awesome a bonnet could be...I used to love them, oh back in the 1st and 2nd grade...I had my mom make me a bonnet because I was OBSESSED with Little House on the Prairie back then, along with many young girls of the 80s I imagine. Oh how I wanted to be Laura and live in a log cabin with a Ma and Pa, ride around in a covered wagon and wear a pinafore (I think I may have had my mom make me one of those too actually).

I don't think David shared my love for bonnets...until he saw Eliza wearing it. A baby in a bonnet is pretty darn cute, especially when it's your own:

A tote just for me

2009-07-24T10:15:00.004-04:00

I've spent my 'me' time over the last few weeks making this tote. I bought Anna Maria Horner's multi-tasker tote pattern right before Eliza was born. It was an impulse buy and I didn't think I would get to it, but I am finding I am more focused during my craft time now. Maybe I am more aware that my time to create is a gift so I've been using it wisely? Who knows...but I truly enjoyed making something just for me!

This was really fun to make and it kinda comes together like magic. This was my first time using an Anna Maria Horner pattern and the instructions were fantastic. Now that it is finished though I am worried it is too funky. I wanted to make something bright and contrasting, but is it too much? What do you think?

While she napped...

2009-07-20T15:40:00.004-04:00

Before I had Eliza, I didn't think we needed a changing table.

Well, I changed my mind...pretty much right away. I have changed my mind about so many things in the last 8 weeks (I should do a blog post about that...it is funny to look back and think of all my pre-baby misconceptions)! We can still do without a changing table in the nursery, however, we needed something in the living room, which quickly became overrun with a changing mat, diaper packs, cloth diapers, wipes, etc etc. It all just looked like a mess on the living room floor and it was kinda driving us nuts.

So I headed on down to Once Upon a Child and bought this:

It isn't horrible, but it isn't lovely either. After I cleaned it up I decided to take a look at my fabric stash and see what I could do about those shelves. Turns out I had several yards of the same fabric I made our couch pillow covers in, which is perfect since this is in our living room for all to see. I also covered the cushion (not shown) that goes on the top shelf with the same fabric. Here is the AFTER shot:

A tad better! And all was completed during Eliza's late morning nap today. Best of all though, all of these things are not in piles on the floor. Much much better!

Cloth Diaper Review: So far so good

2009-07-16T22:23:00.002-04:00

For the last two weeks David and I have been testing out cloth diapers on a part time basis, using cloth diapers every other day. One thing is for sure, they are prettier for Eliza's photo shoots!

Overall, cloth diapering has been easier than I expected. No, not as easy as disposable diapers, but close enough. We settled on bum genius diapers. I read a lot of good reviews on them and I also really liked that they are adjustable (check their website for more information on this) and will fit Eliza until she is 35 pounds. We bought twelve diapers to start with, figuring even if we decided it would be too challenging to use cloth full time, we could at least do cloth diapers part of the time, which would still reduce our amount of diaper waste headed for the landfill. I think we could definitely do cloth diapers full time, but I am going to let David make the call after we continue testing them out part time for a while longer. I did a considerable amount of research before deciding to try cloth diapers, but nothing beats experience. Here are some highlights from our trial so far:

:: If you aren't sure if you want to commit to cloth, buy a few at a time. Once we decided we wanted to commit to cloth diapering part time, we started buying them gradually throughout my pregnancy. It is a considerable up front investment --the diapers are $17.95 each. Buying three at a time made it much more manageable.

:: The amount of washing involved in cloth diapering is its biggest drawback. Bum genius diapers need washed twice, once on cold and once on hot. They also need washed in an additive free detergent. I ended up switching to Charlie's Soap for all of our laundry since I needed to buy a different detergent just for the diapers, plus it is biodegradable and I read numerous positive reviews online. You can buy it online or locally at Sprout Soup. I think it is actually cheaper than Tide or an equivalent.

:: I made two 18" x 18 " zipper bags for the dirty diapers. They are made from PUL, a water-proof fabric from which cloth diapers are often made. I have one at each changing station in the house and each time we change a diaper, we place it in the bags and zip it closed. When it is time to wash the diapers, I just dump the bags into the washing machine and then toss the bag in the wash too. This keeps you from having to touch dirty diapers at laundry time. This was definitely the best tip I found online.

:: I am seriously impressed with the lining on the bum genius diapers. I was worried the cloth diapers would mean Eliza would feel wet, but the lining really pulls the moisture away. Eliza's skin seems much smoother on her cloth diaper days. Bum genius diapers are pocket diapers which means an insert (two are included with each diaper) is stuffed into a pocket on the diaper which absorbs the moisture. The insert is often soaked while the liner feels just a little wet. You do have to remove the insert before placing the diaper in the wet bag, but the contact is minimal.

:: So far, no leaks...and we have had a couple leaks with disposables already.

:: I love the different colors, especially the bright ones. I really think the fun colors have some sort of positive psychological effect making me want to commit to cloth diapering.

I asked David if he had any thoughts to add for my cloth diaper review and he immediately replied, "I like them," which floored me. He was really suspicious at first, so the fact that he likes them says a lot. Then he mentioned washing them, which as I said before, is the biggest challenge with cloth diapers. Even doing them part time and being on maternity leave I have had trouble keeping up. We will definitely have to develop some sort of routine if we do them full time.

Cloth diapering has been very doable for us so far and it really feels good to notice our trash is not quite as massive or that we are not tearing through nearly as many disposable diapers every week. I'm definitely glad we braved testing them...the investment is already paying off.

Maternity Leave prompts online shopping addiction...

2009-06-29T21:22:00.000-04:00

Time to myself is in short supply now that Eliza has arrived and I find the few things I actually have the energy to do are online. One thing I can successfully complete in between breast feeding, burping, rocking, swaying and diaper changing seems to be the online purchase. Usually I have much more self control than I have had this past month, but when it is the one thing I can feel successful at separate from newborn care, it really can't be helped, can it? A small luxury for the new mama...certainly there are much worse things...

So let me show you some of my new loot:

I purchased this lovely nursing cover from gingersnappz:

I didn't think I would need one of these, but I have already had a few moments where emergency nursing was called for and it was a pain in the butt to use a receiving blanket. This has been much easier and it is made from cute Amy Butler fabric, so when I am done having kiddos I still have a fun fabric to make something with ;) Plus, I love that one of the bottom corners has a bit of terry cloth stitched on the backside so you can wipe baby's mouth or whatever else.

I also bought one of these posters from By Order of the Crown. I've seen these on the internets for the last couple years:

I never saw the point of these posters really, until Eliza. I have felt very not-calm many times since her birth so I am temporarily hanging it in the nursery for David and I when we are at our whits end, unable to decipher or calm our daughter's cries. We need the reminder sometimes.

I've also purchased a bonnet pattern, as well as, fabric, an issue of Ottobre (a children's clothing pattern magazine), two patterns from Sew Liberated (there was a sale!!) and a Balboa baby sling. We already have a few baby carriers (a Mei Tai I made and a Baby Bjorn), but Eliza really likes being cradled so I thought she would like a sling and she does...it works almost like magic for me. I don't think you can have too many baby carriers...we use them all!

Now that I've typed out all my purchases, it really seems absurd that I have bought so much. Seriously, now is NOT the time to buy patterns! Oh well, what's done is done. I'll try and be better next time...

Snuggler/Swaddler

2009-06-24T21:39:00.004-04:00

Eliza love love loves being swaddled. We swaddle her up like a burrito every night before bed and often for naps too. David and I however are HORRIBLE at swaddling with receiving blankets, we just do not do it tight enough. We resorted to buying several of these, to make things easier on us. So in my first few moments of craft time post-Eliza, I decided to make the Snuggler from Lotta Jansdotter's new book, Simple Sewing for Baby. Here it is so far. It just needs some velcro and it's done:

I thought I would try and test it out on Eliza, even without the velcro, so I could get a picture of her looking all cute in it for the blog, but it really needs the velcro in order to keep a squirmy little newborn inside...

The story behind her name...

2009-06-23T07:38:00.006-04:00

Eliza was one month yesterday! In the hustle and bustle of becoming a new parent, I haven't yet told the story of how I came to pick out her name: Eliza Josephine. Might as well try and do that here and now, in the shadow of Father's Day, while she naps...even if she is stretching like she is going to wake up.

Eliza we picked simply because we liked it. It was pretty and simple...not much of a story there.

The middle name however, took a little more work. If we had been having a boy, we would've picked the middle name Carl, for my dad. Since we were having a girl however, I had to pick something different. My dad passed away when I was 8 weeks pregnant and so my pregnancy was very connected to his passing away. I thought often of the impact he had on my life. I wanted a middle name for our girl that was symbolic of my dad. Girl versions of Carl didn't work...so I started looking at the meanings of names and then turned to the Saints. My dad was a very inspirational Catholic for me, someone who walked the talk in his daily life and was quietly devout. One of my favorite stories about him is one his cousin told me about how he used to mow their lawn as a teenager and sing songs in Latin while he did. As I looked through the patron saints, I settled on two St Josephs, which Eliza's middle name, Josephine, is symbolic of. There is the Joseph, everyone knows, the Father of Jesus, and thus patron saint of Fathers. What I didn't know is that Joseph is also the patron saint of Social Justice. This is fitting as well since my dad worked for Catholic Social Services for more than 20 years. The work he did was very much in the name of social justice and it inspires me each day in my own work as a librarian. I also discovered a St Joseph of Cupertino who is the patron saint of pilots and air passengers. My dad was in the Air Force and loved planes from the time he was a boy. Throughout my childhood he took my brother and I to air museums and air shows and he could always identify the type of planes flying overhead. When he took me to the airport as I got older and started traveling places by myself he would often wait for my plane to take off before departing, pulling over to the McDonalds and waiting in the parking lot, drinking a cup of black coffee. Sometimes he would even call my cell phone to let me know he saw my plane take off. He is the reason I love airports and flying. I love that we live so close to the airport now and I think of him each time I see a plane overhead.

It is kind of a roundabout tribute to my dad, but fitting nonetheless and a story I cannot wait to tell Eliza someday

Bittersweet Father's Day

2009-06-21T17:17:00.001-04:00

Today is my husband's first Father's Day. Already he is proving to be an amazing dad, as I knew he would be. We have always been a very 50/50 couple in terms of workload (somehow I lucked out and go a husband who does all the bills and laundry) and I think we are already this way as parents. He has saved me numerous times already with Eliza, jumping right in after a long day at work when I needed a break. It is weird though to celebrate Father's Day so soon after Eliza's arrival as we are such rookies. We are so clueless really and although we are getting more and more clued in as time goes by, I don't think either of us feels quite like a Father or Mother yet, but we are, and Eliza has a pretty awesome dad. I can't wait to watch their relationship unfold. The next few years are sure to be quite a fun adventure with David at our sides!

Today is also my first Father's Day without my dad and I cannot really celebrate Father's Day without mentioning him. It is a weird thing to not have a dad anymore. I feel entirely too young for that. I never got my dad gifts on Father's Day, but I always took a moment to write something in a card about what a great father he was or one of my favorite memories from childhood. If I were to write him something today, I would tell him I hope to be at least half the parent he was...that his example is guiding me as I fumble my way through this new adventure called parenthood and even though he isn't here to go with us, we plan on taking Eliza to air shows, and on train rides and if we ever get lost we will of course tell her we were just taking the scenic route. I miss you Dad...I know you are doing just fine up there...but I sure do wish you were still here and that you could meet Eliza.

My Sweet Little Sewing Machine

2009-06-07T17:48:00.007-04:00

I'm really feeling lucky that I got to spend so much time sewing in the weeks before Eliza was born. I miss my sewing time already...and yet I also feel guilty for even wanting to sew right now. I actually have had a couple of times where I could steal a half hour in the craft room this past week (like right now), but I am not quite there yet...if that makes any sense at all. I know I'll be back at the machine here and there eventually, but not just yet.

The day before Eliza was born, I got my machine repaired and it was running so smooth that afternoon...smoother than I ever remember it running before. I really can't wait to sew on it again. My machine is a Bernina 1000 Special and was purchased by my mom, for 50 bucks at her next door neighbor's yard sale several years ago. I love this little machine...it doesn't do any fancy stuff, but it does just what I need. My mom gave it to me about three years ago when I really started sewing so I've pretty much learned to sew on it. I love this machine for what I have created with it and for how far I've come since I began using it. To see just how far, browse my blog archives. It was not too long ago when I could barely stitch a straight line!

When I got my machine fixed, I asked the ladies at the shop if they knew how old it was. They figured it was made in the late 1980s or early 1990s and the woman who repaired it told me it was worth between $400-500 dollars! I had an Antiques Roadshow, SHOCKED moment. I had always suspected it was worth more than my mom paid for it, but not by that much. I have no intentions of selling it on ebay, but it made me wanna hug my machine as I carried it out of Beth's Creative Stitchery. I felt thankful for my mom's good yard sale karma. I couldn't ask for a better machine and I hope to be sewing on it again soon, once I figure out how to work hobbies into my new life with Eliza.

3 is the magic number!

2009-06-02T10:19:00.004-04:00

I meant to post this yesterday...whoops! We have a winner for my Zombie Lip Balm giveaway! I used random.org to draw the winner and it chose 3 which is Evan's comment! Congratulations! Send me an email me and I'll get these out to you ASAP!

And that is that for Zombie Lip Balm...Columbus folks however, do not despair! Wholly Craft is well stocked (I made it there just in time...the day before Eliza was born) and you can still purchase it there until they run out.

Parenthood: Week One

2009-05-31T15:42:00.005-04:00

A more appropriate title for this post might be: "We Survived."

What a week this has been as we get to know our little Eliza....so full of amazement, joy and happiness, but also stress and total exhaustion...I swear I must have gone several nights in a row with only an hour or two of sleep. I knew I'd be getting less, but did not expect to have some nights with absolutely none...silly me! This has been without a doubt the best and most difficult week of my life.

A few things we have learned about Eliza:

:: She misses life in the womb...in other words, she is fussy. We are trying to make things easier for her with lots of swaddling and white noise and of course lots of snuggling. Our new favorite sound around the house is a recording of our hairdryer, played on repeat, again and again.

:: She likes to eat...a lot and frequently -sometimes every hour. My girl is wearing her mama out! I honestly did not realize breastfeeding could take so much out of me, but it does. I see now, how much it really takes to stick with it and I am hoping I have what it takes.

:: She's a charmer. No matter how late she keeps her dad and I up, how exhausted we become, the next morning she is instantly forgiven and we are marveling at funny facial expressions or her yawns or her cute little baby sneezes (I never knew how cute baby sneezes were before Eliza).

We have so much more to learn...but if there is one thing this week has taught me, it is that you can only prepare so much...some things can only be learned on the job, and that is definitely what we are doing these days.

******

Don't forget, today is the last day to enter to win FREE zombie lip balm! Just post a comment here for your chance to win. I'll pick the winner tomorrow. Good luck!

Eliza Josephine

2009-05-24T14:53:00.002-04:00

Our daughter Eliza Josephine is here! She was born on May 22nd at 7:22 pm. She was 8 lbs 3 oz and 19 1/2 inches long. We are completely in awe of her. I cannot believe we have created someone so amazing...

I'd put this on, but...

2009-05-20T20:03:00.005-04:00

I'm still pregnant...yup, 41 weeks as of today. I've gone ahead and stopped working, which has been good for my lack of energy. I am paying much better attention to myself, taking note of every little baby movement, but man my mind does wander and worry! To distract myself, I made this post-pregnancy halter top. It's the Amy Butler Cabo Halter Top pattern. I have had the pattern for a while. I even cut this out once with a different fabric one crafty afternoon with Angie a couple years ago, but never stitched it up.

Last weekend I was convinced that if I started a sewing project, I would surely have my baby, but here is my project, completed...and we are still waiting. In the meantime though, I taught myself how to install an invisible zipper, so I am feeling mighty accomplished! The fabric is new Anna Maria Horner purchased from Sew to Speak last weekend. I really hope I can fit into this post baby, it seems perfect for summer. That is one flaw in making yourself clothing pregnant...you can't try it on, so I'll hope for the best I guess.

I really think this will be my last sewing project for a while (although I thought that about the Oliver + S dresses and the bibs too...baby wants mama to sew I guess). I was showing my friend Kelli how to sew this afternoon and my sewing machine all of a sudden started sewing by itself without having to press the foot pedal. It was as if the thing was haunted or possessed! I cannot find anything online about this type of problem, and the foot pedal wasn't dropped, so I am completely stumped. We're off to the Bernina store tomorrow to get this checked out. I am sure by the time things are all better, baby will surely be here.

***While I wait, there is still time to enter my Zombie lip balm giveaway! I am running it through the end of the month. To win all you have to do is post a comment on my last post. Good luck!

Zombie Lip Balm Giveaway!

2009-05-16T07:32:00.008-04:00

About a month ago I decided to close my etsy shop. The thing is, I still have a good deal of inventory so I've decided to do a little giveaway. If you would like some all natural zombie inspired lip balm, post a comment by midnight 5/31 and I will draw a winner June 1st! The winner will receive 3 flavors of scrumptious lip balm: wild cherry, tangerine and peach!

I plan to take the last of my Zombie lip balm to Wholly Craft very soon, so if you are a Columbus reader you can still buy it there, while supplies last. But the truth is, I am probably going to retire from the lip balm business. Zombie lip balm may be gone for good after that so get it now, while you still can.

And, in case you are wondering what the deal is with zombie lip balm, it all started a couple of years ago with a video David made for a class he was taking. You can view the video here. Enjoy and good luck!

Date Due: Today

2009-05-13T20:33:00.002-04:00

So today was my due date: May 13th. I've been repeating May 13th for the past 9 months and here it will come and go, just like that. When will my daughter's birthday be? Only time will tell. For now we just wait...which stresses this mama-to-be out a little. We are now in striking distance of many family birthdays.

I thought May 13th seemed like a good time for some show and tell of projects started, but not yet finished for the baby...since I guess baby isn't quite finished either. I have made two quilt tops since being pregnant. Here is one:

It's a doll quilt. Someday I will finish it, hopefully when my daughter still plays with dolls!

I also started a sweater:

I started it before we knew we were having a girl and I've been working on it here and there. The pattern kinda bores me so it has taken a lot of motivation to even get this far. I am now striving to finish it by Kid #2

And now something that is finished, bibs! Last week I became addicted to bib making and made 10, yes 10 in one week! I made some for us and some to give away (because there are many babies arriving all around us besides just our own). Bib making is super fun and easy, I highly recommend it. If I wasn't having a baby any day now, I would offer to make them for strangers.

Walking

2009-05-03T22:53:00.010-04:00

I have to say, I've had a great couple of days. There is nothing like working seven days in a row to make you appreciate a day off. This was one of my favorite types of weekends because we didn't have a lot planned and it rambled. There wasn't really anywhere we needed to be so I did what I wanted. I sewed, I saw family and I savored the sunshine...

Today, once it was clear it was not going to rain, I called up my best friend to go for a walk. We went to Inniswood Metro Gardens. Despite living my entire life here in Columbus, I had never been here before today, but a conversation with Katie this week sparked my curiosity. What a special place this is. I especially liked taking pictures of the brick and quotes sprinkled throughout the Secret Garden:

I cannot wait to go back with a kiddo and a picnic basket!

I also cannot help but mention to all my Columbus readers: don't forget to vote on Tuesday. The Franklin County Metro Parks levy expires this year and they need your vote! Read the fact sheet here. We are so lucky to have such a great bunch of metro parks. Let's keep it that way!

More Tea Party dresses...

2009-05-01T08:02:00.007-04:00

Sometimes, I get a little obsessed with the things I like. Sometimes this is bad (i.e. I own way to many uncut patterns and pieces of fabric). Other times, it results in amazing bursts of creativity and energy -which is the case with these dresses. I made two more Oliver + S Tea Party dresses this week. I have no idea how I whipped these gals out. Seriously, neither of these were started before Sunday morning and I have been at work every day this week (today I am finally on day 7 of a seven day stretch). Where the sewing energy came from? I have no clue.

I will tell you, these aren't actually finished...I still have add the hem and buttons and do some edge stitching, but these are details I feel convinced I can talk my mom into doing for me when I am on maternity leave :) Plus she is better at the finer details than me. I made these in the 3-6 months size, so hopefully I'll be able to put them on our baby girl a little sooner than my first one.

I eliminated the piping on these two, to make things go faster and easier...but I embellished on one with a little tulip embroidery. I thought the blue just needed a little something extra, next to the lovely tulip print I bought from Sew to Speak.

Here is one more close up of the embroidery. I embroidered the back too.

I have to say, despite being exhausted, I have been feeling so compelled to sew this past week. I think it is because I know I won't be doing much sewing for at least the first month of my baby's life, so I am cramming it in before it is too late. I feel this motivating pressure to sew up what I can in these next 12 days! We'll see how much sewing energy I have left though...I fear it is dwindling, but I do have the weekend off, so we'll see...

Thoughts :: 37 weeks

2009-04-24T10:17:00.001-04:00

We are nearing the end over here...less than 3 weeks until I hit my due date! I've been feeling reflective of late. I overheard David tell a friend he thought I was the happiest pregnant person he has ever seen. I wouldn't go that far...I am certainly very uncomfortable, tired and moody these days, but over the course of this adventure I have been pretty content. Pregnancy has been so interesting to me, so unlike anything else I've experienced. I can't help but be a little thrilled despite the rough spots. Now it kinda feels like we are just waiting...I've been feeling restless, but I don't have quite enough energy to be crafty after work, so I'll straighten the living room or load the dishwasher or just sit on the couch...mind racing, waiting...

Who needs baby Gap when you've got handmade?

2009-04-20T19:54:00.004-04:00

I made this dress for baby girl this week. I am so in love with it...seriously gushing over its cuteness over here! I made the 6-12 month size so I think it will be a long while before she wears it, but I love love love it nonetheless! The pattern is an Oliver & S Tea Party dress and it was so fun to make (for the most part...there was a little swearing at my machine towards the end). What I loved about making it were the fun little details (i.e. the piping that lines the top and skirt panels). The pattern was pretty simple with great instructions and a few good challenges -the kind that make you a better sewer though. I've already cut out the 3-6 month size pattern too...who knows if I'll get to it, but this being my first piece of baby clothing I have ever made, I was thrilled at how fast it came together. I could easily make another one of these in an afternoon, so maybe I'll get to another one before baby. I'm not holding myself to anything though at this point, I've only got three weeks until everything completely changes and we are feeling pretty excited and anxious around here!

Crafty Librarians & Handmade Baby Love

2009-04-19T18:04:00.005-04:00

There are few things I love more than handmade gifts. I know I am stating the obvious here, but as a maker of things myself, it just melts me to pieces to be the receiver of something handmade. Over the last few weeks I have received some of the most lovely items for our little girl from some of my favorite crafty librarians. I thought I could wait until baby came to post pictures, but low and behold I cannot! Take a look at some of these lovely things...

A sun hat made by Dianna:

A baby Kimono made by Angie. You can also read all about how she made it on her blog too!

And Cathy knit me the loveliest little things. I have actually long admired both the hat and baby bolero pattern for years! They are from the book One Skein. I especially love the detail on the back of the bolero (which is why I've posted a back photo). It is equally as cute on the front though!

I also have Cathy to thank helping me close up some armpit holes in the one thing I've been able to knit for the baby! Finally the holey arm pit sweater saga is complete!

I am so thankful to all my crafty librarian pals for making baby girl such amazing things. I seriously cannot wait to dress her up in all of these...and then read her a book or two!

Coraline Mystery Box Swap :: Sent Box #16

2009-03-26T20:04:00.008-04:00

I forgot to finish the story of the Coraline Mystery Box Swap I participated in. Here is a crappy picture of the box I sent:

My partner took a much better picture when she received it, which you can view here. What went in to this box? Well, I made a black kitty from the free pattern at Wee Wonderfuls, a dragon fly, button eyes on a mini pin cushion, a key necklace and a seeing stone. The seeing stone is actually a rock I found on Shi Shi Beach a few years ago. I collected several rocks with little holes in them there, they were everywhere. They turned out to be a perfect thing to have on hand for this swap. The box is just a box I bought from Michaels...but I talked David into staining it when he was staining the windowsills for our new windows and then I lined it with red crushed velvet. As I alluded to in my first post, I also typed up a few things too, since the originals contained typed letters:

The letter wording is inspired by the original letters in the boxes, but I customized it to fit this swap. I am a horrible typist, by the way, and way worse when I cannot delete as freely as you can on a computer. Glad I don't have to type anything for real on a typewriter these days. This swap was such fun and I am so glad my little mochi came up with this idea, I needed the creative kick in the pants.

My new favorite room in the house...

2009-03-24T07:33:00.007-04:00

Our baby's room is finally almost done...I can't resist posting a few preview pictures...

Here is the little corner by the window, with the rocker and dresser. Both pieces are repurposed items from the 70s or 80s! The dresser was my brothers growing up and I took it to college and everywhere else after that. We repainted it and added new knobs to freshen it up. The rocker-recliner we just covered with a slip-cover from Walmart, it was David's and also traveled with him to college.

Here is a closer shot of a little print I purchased from the black apple. It really ties all of the colors in the room together. I actually bought this before we were even pregnant...lucked out that it works so well in here:

More fun prints from elsita above the bookshelf (also a re-used item):

Just a few more finishing touches to pull together...still need to get a hamper and a few more wall decorations (hello etsy), but I am really feeling proud of how little we spent on this room and how easy it was to give a few old cast-offs a new life. I'm sure I'll be posting more pictures eventually, once there is actually a baby living in here!

I am feeling a mix of anxiousness and complete terror as my due date approaches. So many fears running through my head and so much anticipation. Everything is feeling so very real now...the baby has a room, we now own a car seat, we've toured the hospital...I know all these little things are necessary and part of the process of becoming parents, but in the moment sometimes I feel struck at how HUGE this change is going to be...so much bigger than anything else in our lives, ever.

Coraline Mystery Box Swap :: Received

2009-03-17T21:33:00.009-04:00

I have to say, you really can't beat exciting mail....check out this amazing Coraline mystery box I received late last week:

It arrived all the way from Belgium! I love love love it! Thanks so much Sandrine! My favorite thing is the dragonfly brooch, but it also contains a lovely little pouch for collecting relics, some button eyes and a key!

This was such a fun swap to give and receive. It was hosted by my little mochi and was inspired by the 50 boxes sent out by the Coraline movie crew to 50 bloggers they follow...seriously, take a minute to check out the originals here on the ASIFA Hollywood Animation Archive website. The originals were so amazing and full of handmade goodness --very inspiring! The my little mochi version stayed true to the spirit of the originals; they had to contain at least 2 handmade items, buttons for your new eyes and the boxes were to be lined with red velvet. Check out some of the other swappers boxes posted in the Coraline Mystery Box flickr group.

I'll post pictures of the box I am sending out soon, but I want to wait until my partner receives it. I did lots of planning for this swap. Coraline has long been one of my favorite books and so I reread the book before starting anything. I've also been loving the Coraline movie website...you can do lots of fun things...even upload a picture and give yourself button eyes (I'll warn you, it's freaky) or download a mini-knitting pattern by miniature knitter Althea Crome. The movie, unfortunately was a slight disappointment, not nearly as good as the book, but the effects and all the little handmade details in the movie made it worth the watch and I did like the 3-D and wearing the funky glasses.

As a mini-preview of the box I made, I'll end this post by telling you I used a typewriter to finish it up...that's right a real, live typewriter! Amazingly, we still have two at my library branch and so I sat down and used a typewriter for the first time since I was in high school!

Hello Blog!

2009-03-13T22:01:00.006-04:00

Hello blog, I've missed you. Seriously! Time is in real short supply lately and unfortunately blogging is low on the to-do list these days. I imagine I will be rather hit or miss for the next several months, but I am still going to try to pop in here and there. Tonight, I am popping in with three beautiful things for the week (I've actually never done one before). The theme is HOME.

01. The view from my new windows

02. My Orla Kiely Canisters which I majorly stalked Target stores like a complete dork to find. Scooping sugar never looked so good!

03. My toes...way down there, past my belly are a couple of purple-pedicured toes and feet! I can actually still reach them, but at 31 weeks, I'd rather just not...

Square Root Day aka My Mom's Birthday

2009-03-03T22:12:00.006-05:00

Today is my mom's birthday. We are almost exactly 30 years apart (my birthday is also in March). A couple of years ago, when I turned 30 and she turned 60, we celebrated these milestones by going out of town for a weekend, just the two of us...something we'd never done before. My mom is my craft and sewing hero by far. Growing up she made us lots of clothes. She even made us swim suits and biker shorts (it was the 80s after all) and homemade "Cabbage Patch Kids." Over the years she has also been known to crochet, make candles and do ceramics.

I discovered about a month ago that my mom has a bazillion table runners. I don't know how I never noticed this before. I probably didn't need to add to my mom's collection, but since she clearly likes them, and none of them were handmade, it seemed like the perfect birthday gift...just in time to change them up for spring.

This project again reminded me of the healing power of craft and creating. All these firsts without my dad are so overwhelming at times. Making things truly does something therapeutic that I cannot quite describe. And I think receiving something handmade, especially if you value handmade items, can also be a healing thing. Choosing the fabric for this was by far the most fun and challenging part of the project. I really had to put myself in my mom's shoes. The fabrics were all carefully chosen with my mom in mind...she loves florals and soft colors, especially pinks!

The pattern is modified from a quilt pattern in an old Quilts and More magazine I had on hand. I just eliminated the batting and then top-stitched it after turning it inside out. I definitely might be turning more quilt patterns into table runners since there isn't as much of a time commitment as a quilt and since I now know just who to make them for!

The Holey Armpit Sweater, Part 3

2009-02-24T08:07:00.009-05:00

Here it is again, the infamous sweater which started out as a baby gift, but will end up on my own baby instead. In case you haven't been reading my blog long enough for the whole (pun not intended) story, or would just like a recap, click here and here.

I still have to sew up the holes, but I am considering it pretty much done at this point, after all, it is OFF my needles right? I'll be consulting some of my knitting peeps about them armpit holes, in the next month, so watch out!

February is flying by way too fast for my liking. And I need to be better at slowing down...at home and at work. I swear I used to be a much more patient person than this! It seems easy to get overwhelmed with all the preparing for baby and yet when I actually do slow down, I remember the baby won't care if the den isn't painted when she is born or if we have new storm door. All these things will come in time. So much easier said than done though. I was reminded last night how important it is to still do the fun things, things that have nothing at all to do with preparing for the baby. So my mission for the next few months when I am feeling overwhelmed is to set aside time for fun, to chuck the preparing (and worrying about the preparing) out the window at least once a week. It should at least liven up these last few long weeks of winter (BTW Winter, I am soooo done with you, especially since only my ugly winter coat fits anymore!)

Nesting & Pillows

2009-02-13T11:09:00.008-05:00

Apparently I am nesting lately...Although it feels as if it takes more the form of worrying and making lists and giving David things I want him to do, not me. It is hard for me to get my mind around the fact that we are in our third trimester as of Wednesday. How is time going by so fast?

I've been in the craft room a little these past couple weeks...I started a doll quilt from instructions posted on the Sew, Mama Sew blog. All month they have easy projects you can do with fat quarters. There are lots of ideas for working with what you already have and I think they are posting a project for each day of the month. I've been starring lots of the projects in my reader for later.

In an impulsive fit of frustration I bought a slipcover for our couch last week. Poor couch has been clawed to shreds by our kitties. And since it is not even 4 years old I just cannot replace it yet. I've never been a huge fan of slip-covers, but it does look better than the shredded look we previously had going in our living room. The new slipcover, however necessitated new pillow covers because we went from a burnt-red-orange colored couch to a grey one. Only one of the previous pillow sets still worked. So I whipped up 2 new sets of pillows with some fabric I had on hand. I bought the fabric at Ikea a while ago and it worked out perfect for pillow covers.

For a snug pillow cover, I found this recipe works quite well:

1. Cut one piece of the fabric you want to be the pillow front to the exact size of the pillow you want to cover, so if your pillow is 20x20, cut the piece the same size.

2. Cut two more pieces for the backing fabric. The height will be the same as your pillow height. To calculate the width add 6 inches to your pillow width and divide by 2. So, if the pillow you are covering is 20x20, your two pieces would be 20x13.

3. For the backing pieces, fold the long edge 1 inch and press. Fold again by 1 inch, press and stitch close to both edges.

4. Lay the pillow front right side up and lay the backing pieces right side down on top of it. They will overlap. Pin all the way around and stitch (I used a 1/2" seam allowance).

5. Clip corners and turn right side out. Go find your pillow and cover that bad boy up!

A Little Fabric Love

2009-02-01T18:56:00.006-05:00

After morning Mass with my mom, I hit Quilt Beginnings for their annual Super Bowl Sunday Sale today...I bought a little fabric...well, kind of a lot, but it really cannot be helped sometimes. I have no plans in particular for any of it, just couldn't pass it up, since it was on sale and all. I wanted to buy more, but I stopped myself...except for these last few pieces:

That's right! Brown Bear, Brown Bear fabric! Adorable, yes? How could I, a children's librarian, pass that up? The only sad thing is they were sold out of this print. The employees bought it all! But they informed me they are getting more. Now, what to do with it? I want to make something interactive with it and was thinking of making some bean bags with the square pieces or maybe a stuffed cube? Or even a fabric matching game, but the repeat might be too big for that...any other ideas?

She's Growing on Me...

2009-01-30T19:32:00.003-05:00

I made this little gal this week and I'm not sure how I feel about her. It's the free doll pattern from the Black Apple, but instead of a painted face, I embroidered it and I gave her some pig tails. What I am not liking are her skinny chicken legs. If you decide to make this pattern enlarge it by more than the 150% it calls for. I would try at least 200%, perhaps even 300%. At only 150% the arms and legs turn out no more than 1/2 inch thick once they are sewed together. Turning and stuffing these arms and legs...man was that annoying! Other than her legs, I like her okay...but it's finally convinced me to just bite the bullet and buy the pattern for these gals over at Wee Wonderfuls...I know they won't have chicken legs!

The Return of Part Time Crafter Tips

2009-01-28T08:19:00.003-05:00

Several months ago (perhaps almost a year ago, but who's counting?) I started a mini-series on this blog where I thought I would offer up some tips to fellow part time crafters...mainly because it is hard to squeeze in time for creativity and craftiness when you've got a million other things to do. Since I've been at this for a little while now, I thought I would share what works for me. Even if it is common sense, it took me a while to figure out how to create a work-life-craft balance.

Thing is, I kinda forgot about my tips and only ever offered one.

But it's a new year and so I'm bringing them back and hopefully I won't forget about them this time!

Part Time Crafter Tip #2: Make something you can start and finish!
I like to be challenged, but when you have limited time and you have a room full of half made quilts, forget all that and just make something like a pillow. Just because you make something quick does not mean you are abandoning the challenging stuff! Some days are just NOT for challenges especially if you only have a couple hours and need some instant satisfaction at the end of a stressful work day. Here are some places to go for something quick and fun to make:

One Hour Craft
One Pretty Thing -there are usually at least a few quick projects to be found here on any given day
CRAFTzine
Bend the Rules Sewing by Amy Karol
Last Minute Patchwork + Quilted Gifts by Joelle Hoverson
Lotta Jansdotter's Simple Sewing

And here are a few ideas to get you off your seat and on to the sewing machine:

Pillows
Pillow covers
Cloth Napkins -tutorials here and also in Amy Karol's book.
Rag Doll -a great free pattern from the black apple is here (Update 1/30/09: but enlarge it by more than 150%, see this post).
Coasters -great tutorials here, here, and even appliqued ones here.
Make a skirt -Amy Karol has a great 5 minute skirt pattern available FREE on her site, which I've tested and give a thumbs up! If you don't have the elastic she uses you could just do a fold over waste band.

Hope there is something here for my fellow part time crafters!

And with that I am headed to my sewing machine today...Libraries are closed, so I definitely see some sewing in my future!

Go Check this Out

2009-01-27T19:01:00.005-05:00

My friend Cheryl who is currently living abroad in the UAE featured me and the blog in her Spotlight Series. It was fun to be interviewed...even though in real life I tend to shy away from spotlights. I especially enjoyed remembering how I came up with the name for this blog; I hadn't thought of that in a while. Coming up with a blog name is such a big decision, kinda like naming a child. You can check the interview out HERE! Her blog has become one of my favorites (and I'm not just saying that cuz she's my friend) as well as a daily reminder how blogging is such a fantastic way to stay connected despite such great distance. Her blog is full of interesting photos from her family's adventures in another country and many more lovely things. Thanks again Cheryl!

The Craft Book Challenge Returns!

2009-01-26T20:36:00.006-05:00

This past summer I gave myself a craft book challenge. The challenge was to make something from each and every one of the craft books I own. I did this because I have an impulsive craft book buying problem so I own a lot of books...but sometimes the books end up hanging around on my book shelves a little too long and not much gets made.

I originally gave myself an end of 2008 deadline, but I've decided to scrap the deadline all together and just try my best to finish eventually and focus on making things regardless of any deadline. I haven't revisited this challenge since the end of August, so yesterday I thought it was high time to pull a book off the shelf again. I decided on Last Minute Patchwork + Quilted Gifts by Joelle Hoverson, also of the fabric and yarn shop Purl in NYC. I have flipped through this book many, many times. One of the things I love about it is that the projects are divided up by time, i.e. 1-2 hour gifts, 2-4 hour gifts etc. This is perfect if you are a part-time crafter like me and just want something quick and satisfying for a Saturday afternoon.

I decided on the pin cushion above (from the 2-4 hour section) and I just love it...plus it was made entirely of pieces from my scrap bin. It was easy, but different from anything else I've made...which leads me to my next thought, a part time crafter tip. But you'll have to wait...for...it. I'm bringing them back, but not til tomorrow. Stay tuned!

Daddy's Girl Pillow

2009-01-19T19:42:00.010-05:00

Technically this is the Farmgirl Photo Pillow from Stitched in Time by Alicia Paulson, but I've renamed it the Daddy's Girl Pillow. I squeezed this little project in yesterday...somewhere in between sorting through 2 closets, a dresser and 4 boxes of clothing, moving furniture from one room to another, packing up Christmas decorations, rearranging two closets, tidying the kitchen, living room and dining room, posting on my blog and running errands. Can I just say, I was unstoppable yesterday??? It was awesome.

But back to my original topic...I made this pillow for our baby girl, my way of letting her know I'm okay with her being a daddy's girl. Afterall, I was one. I have always loved this photo of my dad holding me...there is something about the way he is looking at me. Since my dad's passing this photo has become even more special. To me, it looks as if he is in awe of his new role as dad. His eyes are gentle; he looks amazed and content. I have no idea what he was thinking of course, but to me, this picture captures my dad's personality in a way my words cannot. Working on this was also very healing for me. So many of the projects in Stitched in Time are perfect for family storytelling. This book arrived in my life at just the right time.

Also, printing on photo fabric turned out to be so flippin cool! My mind is racing with ideas for B&W pictures of my grandma in the 1940s, baby pictures of my mom and what I could turn them into. The brand of photo fabric I used was Printed Treasures and it's available at JoAnns (but kinda pricey so use a coupon). Stitched in Time has a ton more ideas for cool projects (check out the flickr group to get an idea). You could easily use a whole pack of the printable fabric as you work your way through the book.

I love you more than ________

2009-01-18T19:03:00.004-05:00

Along with many others, I too became enamored with this fun site this weekend, I love you more than blank. Cheryl posted about it on Friday and I submitted a few of my own too. I was so excited to see them in hearts, Saturday afternoon (seriously...I think I did a happy dance at my desk when I saw them). Today I printed my hearts and hid them around the house: on David's keyboard, in his sock drawer, with his shaving things...a small way for making up for being a tad snappy in the phone yesterday. I think I'm forgiven. The rest of my hearts read:

I love you more than my sewing machine
I love you more than hippies love patchouli
I love you more than spicy scallop rolls from Akai Hana
I love you more than road trips
I love you more than being in my PJs, cuddled up in a blanket
I love you more than a closet full of clothes from Anthropologie
I love you more than my new maternity pants
I love you more than getting things for FREE

Go check it out and submit yours too. It's fun...and you are so right Cheryl...things do look better written in hearts, thanks for sharing this!!!

Mei Tai

2009-01-13T21:05:00.004-05:00

This weekend I made myself a Mei Tai Baby carrier. The pattern is from Sew Liberated and you can get it locally at Sew to Speak. I wanted to test out the finished product so I grabbed Chicken, who is our most holdable cat, but he squirmed out just after David snapped this photo and I never did get it tied right. Hopefully we have better luck with the baby...good thing babies can't leap!

This was so easy and fun to make, although as I sewed it, my machine started to make a very funny and disturbing noise. I am thinking I should take it in for maintenance before I sew again. I never have taken it anywhere in the three years I've been sewing on it and it was from a yard sale...so it may need a little upkeep. Here is one more shot, showing off the lovely Joel Dewberry fabric:

The one thing I worry about with a Mei Tai is how it will work in real life and if I will really be able to carry our baby in this. The first thing I wondered was how does one put this on solo, so I visited youtube and discovered there are a ton of great instructional videos on mei tais...like this one and this one and so many more! Hopefully these will clue me in to the ins and outs of mei tais!

Save Handmade Toys Etc

2009-01-06T09:01:00.005-05:00

Just in case you haven't heard (it's been all over the major craft blogs), handmade toy makers and pretty much anyone who makes things children could use are in danger of being put out of business. I had heard about this, but only in the last week, as more and more bloggers have posted about it, have I grasped the true impact this could have on handmade products.

Legislation that was designed to prevent toxic imports will require expensive testing of all toys produced...even handmade toys, testing that costs thousands of dollars and is unrealistic for your average handmade etsy business. The legislation is also so poorly written that it requires testing on items that aren't even toys like handmade cloth diapers, clothing etc. All would be required to be tested! Basically the legislation needs to be re-written to exclude certain classes of items for children and this is where you can help. If you have ever bought (or even desired to buy) anything on etsy or at a craft fair, click on the image below to find links to an online petition as well as sample letters you can use to write your Senator or Congress Person.

This site has a great explanation of the issue and even possible solutions. Act fast because there are only 30 or so days left to make a difference to this legislation.

***Update 1/9/08***
This legislation also affects libraries since children's books would also be required to be tested! And it is retroactive, so it could require libraries to either remove all books for children under 12 or ban children under 12! More info on the books here.

Pretty crazy stuff! And one thing I didn't mention in my original post was that this law also affects resale and thrift shops. Toys and clothes for children under 12 at thrift stores -even FREE stores would require testing! So if it passes you couldn't buy second-hand items for your kid!

Baby Girl

2009-01-06T07:52:00.008-05:00

We found out last Friday, we are having a girl! I would've been happy either way...it was much more exciting to simply see her on screen...to have a picture of her, even if it is black and white and hard to truly identify anything. She was laying on her side, which allowed us to see her eyes! And I loved seeing her move her little arms. The ultrasound was very emotional and exciting for us. So far she is the right size and weight for 21 weeks too. That was a relief to me since the only weight I seemed to have gained is what I lost in the first trimester.

Knowing we are having a girl will certainly make the craft projects easier. I have the fabric for a Mei Tai Baby Carrier and am looking forward to starting on those soon. I am going to make two...one more manly one for David and a pretty one for me! I bought this pattern about a month after finding out I was pregnant. We are definitely wearing out babe!

The ultrasound prompted me to begin researching baby products finally....Sheesh, what a job that is! Is it possible to live simply with a baby? Not that we are the best at living simply now, but I am hoping for as little junk as possible. Another question for my mamas (it is so awesome to be able to ask you...I am truly blessed to have so many experienced moms around me)...What did you find essential? What did you find you didn't need? And what kinds of things (if any) did you find second-hand? I would really like to recycle some of the baby gear out there, although I know some things you just can't (i.e. car seats).

7 Random Things

2008-12-31T08:30:00.008-05:00

I've been tagged by Cheryl and thought that seemed like a perfect post for a little morning blogging on the last day of the year, so here are 7 random things about me. I have no idea if you will find them interesting, crazy, annoying or what, so here it is...

1. I'm a slob. I don't pick up after myself and I don't like to throw things away. I am usually the reason my house is messy. Strangely I do not show this side of myself at work, I keep a pretty tidy office and throw away as much as I can. When I tell my husband this he gets rather annoyed because it does show I am capable of being non-slobby, but choose otherwise at home. I guess I just know what can get away with ;)

2. I hate losing. I don't like to admit this, but I think I am in fact a sore loser. Even in stupid things like the other night when David was kicking my butt at Wii Tennis...and Golf...and Bowling...

3. Losing my dad has been (and still is) the hardest thing I've had to accept in my life. It breaks my heart my kids won't ever know him or hear his voice.

4. I love airports. I don't so much like going through security, but I love the assortment of travelers and the ridiculous overpriced shops. I love walking the long stretch to my gate and all of the windows looking out to planes taking off. My favorite airport is Sea-Tac.

5. I also love Sky Mall catalogs! I love the collection of ridiculous, unnecessary inventions. There is always something to make me laugh each time --like this, seriously, a Coolaroo Dog bed? Who buys this stuff!

6. I love to write. I used to write stories all the time as a kid. Pretty much as soon as I knew how to write, I made up stories. I still have a lot of them. Then in college I took a creative writing class and that really opened my eyes. I wrote a story I am still really proud of. I wish I took more time for story writing...but I have so many other interests, it is hard to focus sometimes. One of the things I love about keeping this blog, is the exercise of sitting down to write and reflect, usually at least once a week.

7. I am overly smell sensitive -it isn't just being pregnant, but yes it has gotten even worse! Certain smells literally make me gag and I cannot control it! I avoid public restrooms unless it is a true emergency --and one of the drawbacks of pregnancy has been having to make many more trips to public restrooms, this has been torture for me and my smell-gagging problem.

One last random detail: the picture...I started a baby quilt this fall, but it still sits in my craft room as only a quilt top. Since I hadn't shared it yet, I thought it worked for a random post. Hopefully, I will follow it up with a completed quilt picture sometime before the May due date!

I hope that is enough random and weird random facts about me! Hopefully it isn't TMI. I am going to tag a mix of ladies I know in real life and others I know only through reading their blogs:

Angie at the Creative Perhaps
Diane at Playing Joyce
Erica at Craftyblossom
Betty at BettyNinja

The Tagging Game "Official" Rules:
1. Link to your tagger and list these rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog; some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their name and a link to their blog.
**Whoops! I broke this rule...feel free to break it too :)
4. Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Post Christmas Wishes

2008-12-26T08:08:00.009-05:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas...I meant to post a little blog hello on Christmas Eve but I was baking these cookies, pretty much all day long. They were worth the time I spent. My dad would've been happy...I think his spirit guided me because this years cookies turned out more colorful and flavorful than any other year ever. My dad could throw back some serious cookies, especially after he stopped smoking seven years ago. We called him the Cookie Monster and I loved baking cookies for him at Christmas. I missed my dad a lot yesterday, but we kept distracted and it wasn't until the evening, once David and I were home, that I just had this empty feeling and couldn't quite figure it out...it was then it hit me: I miss dad.

My dad was always hard to buy for at Christmas because he was content with what he had. Figuring out the perfect present for him was hard work. But a couple of years ago, I bought him something he actually loved and used: zip-up beer bottle cozies. Until then, every time my dad offered us beers when we'd visit, he would deliver them to us with a paper towel and a rubber band wrapped around them, his own homemade variety of a beer cozy. My dad was thrifty and was always coming up with contraptions to avoid having to buy something new. After that Christmas he always drank his beer with the zip up cozies I bought him and I teased him about his old paper towel ones. We had some good laughs about those. Funny that the same things that can make you laugh can make you cry later. Nevertheless, I love remembering that Christmas and if I could, I would kick back with a bottle of Sierra and a paper towel beer cozy wrapped around it with a rubber band, just to hold that memory a little closer. But since beer and pregnancy don't go together, I encourage all of you to have one for me and maybe I'll have to track down a 6-pack of IBC this holiday season instead!

**Cookies are (clockwise from top): red velvet whoopie pies, chewy cherry almond bars, chocolate hazelnut coins and peanut butter bites (which have a Reese's cup inside!)

***Also, all cookie recipes except the whoopie pies can be found in the 2007 Better Homes and Gardens October publication "Christmas Cookies" which comes out every year, usually you see it at the checkout at grocery stores. It is available at CML for local peeps. The Red Velvet Whoopie pies are from the December 2008 issue of Better Homes and Gardens. I did also find it on the BHG website just now, but had to sign up for a free membership to their site to get it which leads me to believe all the recipes can be found their if you just join their free club.

Decisions, Decisions...

2008-12-18T07:47:00.000-05:00

If it turns out we're having a boy, I may have to get one of these...or two...

Robot Alphabet from Bold & Noble

Monsieur III from blancucha

Cowboys and Indians from Belle & Boo

Little Mr from Aunty Cookie

Peter Pan from elsita

I was looking through my favorites on etsy last night and kept finding all sorts of goodies for a boy...we find out for reals on Jan 2.

Kitty Photo Shoot

2008-12-16T23:24:00.006-05:00

It's past my bedtime, but I was uploading some of our cat pictures to flickr tonight...and had to post this right now! Our cats sure are photogenic aren't they? Especially all grouped together like this! I love taking their photos, it is so much fun...and great practice for me too, especially when the sun shines in the window just right.

I uploaded many of my cat pictures to a flickr group connected with one of my favorite and daily reads...Itty Bitty Kitty Committee, a cat loving blog written by Laurie Cinotto. I've been reading this blog for a while now and it inspires me to take many cat photographs. The blog follows the daily lives of the kittens she fosters and there are also appearances by her resident cat who often mothers the fragile kittens. She takes such amazing cat photos and narrates the adventures of these foster kitties as they discover their world, truly capturing the kitties personalities. If you love cats, you will love this blog! And it is comforting to know that this creativity goes toward the good cause of finding the kitties good homes.

Stitches

2008-12-14T10:03:00.000-05:00

In case I need to provide proof that this is still a craft blog, here are some things I stitched up a couple of weeks ago...

The patterns are from Sublime Stitching, which has many fun designs...I love, love, love embroidery patterns...Buying them is, perhaps, a problem I have. Embroidery is a great winter and beginner craft. It is easily done while snuggled up on the couch under a blanket. These two designs are from the Sexy Librarian and Forest Friends patterns. I always have the hardest time deciding what to stitch on, but I stocked up on white pillow cases recently and am planning to stitch up a mess of pillowcases around here. I especially love the sexy librarians on pillow cases. Wholly Craft also carries Sublime patterns, so if you are local, go there and save on shipping! Another one of my favorite sources for embroidery patterns is Wee Wonderfuls. I highly recommend checking out her shop...I love so many of her designs. I bought the Winter Stichettes and the Quilting Bee Stitchettes ages ago, but still cannot decide what to make them on...Let me know if you have any ideas!

This years Christmas Tree

2008-12-11T21:50:00.002-05:00

Saturday, David and I braved the snow and went out to get our Christmas tree. We pretty much just grabbed the first one we saw since most of the trees were covered in snow and we were shivering. Usually we take a lot more time picking out a tree than that. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised when Sunday after the tree had dried out and we put it up, we realized it was quite petite -not too much taller than David! But the tree is still looking good, despite being shorter than usual and so far it has survived the attempts by my 3 kitties to take it down, ornament by ornament.

Here are a few bits and pieces of our Christmas tree so far. I may be back with more...

This is what the cats like to do with our tree:

And when the ornaments are on the floor, all cats plead innocence:

Love It or Leave It

2008-12-04T20:13:00.006-05:00

Love It

:: A Husband who goes along with my cooky ideas (most of the time).

:: So many lovely prints at Belle & Boo. There has got to be a way I can justify a purchase...they are 25% off this week too!

:: Trains. These pictures on Hula Seventy and these at abby try again have me craving a Christmas train ride.

:: Advent Calendars. Cheryl posted about one, then I was looking through some of my starred items in my Google reader tonight and realized I have starred three advent calendars in the last week:

a woodland one from Green Kitchen
a bright embroidered modern one from purlbee
&
a recycled one from Craftastica

Don't you want to make one? Someday I will, but there are other things in the works this year...

***

Leave It

:: Gigantic inflatable Christmas lawn decorations like these. Seriously, do not get the appeal of these. Luckily there are only 2 houses in my neighborhood sporting these types of things, but still, they just drive me crazy, absolutely crazy. I could go on a really long rant about these, but I won't, not here on my nice little blog...but I just had to get that out too.

What could you love or leave?

Thankful

2008-11-27T07:06:00.001-05:00

When I was growing up, my dad worked on Thanksgiving. As a director of a community center, he put on a gigantic community meal every year that served hundreds of people. Sometimes my mom and brother and I went too and helped out in small ways. Often we just went to be around my dad when he was busy working, doing something he loved. The community center was in a former Catholic school building and I vividly remember playing behind the curtains on a stage in the gym, curiously exploring while things were being set up. Looking back now, I see what a strong example his work was for me and I am so thankful for that. Sharing a meal is such a special event and Thanksgiving is a time to celebrate community as well as family. So if you haven't yet, please remember to give a little something to your community this holiday season as well. I think now more than ever this is so important.

Disaster on the needles

2008-11-26T17:10:00.011-05:00

If you've been reading my blog long enough, you may remember a sweater I was making for my cousin's baby. Well, if you were wondering what ever happened to that, the baby was born in August and the sweater is still on my needles:

I have always had trouble with baby gifts...with this one, the issue is the armpits:

As you can see, there are rather gigantic holes in the armpits. The more I knitted and thought about those armpit holes, I just lost steam. I couldn't give the sweater away anymore, it had armpit holes for goodness sake! So I gave up on this one and hid it in a corner of my craft room. But I decided to pull it out this afternoon. I think I will try and finish it, just for good measure. In the meantime though, I started another sweater for our babe last week:

This one will take a while (for me anyway, I knit in slow motion) and the pattern is really boring...miles and miles of stockinette stitch, but it is easy and has a much smaller chance of armpit holes! It should turn out as a boat neck sweater and the pattern is from the book Baby Knits for Beginners. My goal is simply to post a finished picture (of both sweaters) on this blog sometime in the future, modeled on my own child perhaps?? I am hoping that I have a better track record for baby gifts when it is for my own child!

A few things I love

2008-11-23T09:48:00.006-05:00

I found the best thing last weekend at tiny canary:

A Squidtivity!!! That's right, a Nativity Scene, with squids as the major players! Handcrafted by the lovely Cleo Dee. I know my photograph isn't the best (I am finally trying to use my camera on manual mode -I have a lot to learn), but hopefully you can still see the adorableness in this! I saw her Squidtivitys last year at Renegade, but only bought a squid Christmas ornament. When I happened upon it again in my own home town, I decided it was of course, a sign. I spent all my craft fair dollars on this. I've been busy searching for a creche to place my lovely squids in all week and I finally found one on Friday. Here are a few more close up shots:

Mary, Joseph and the Baby Jesus (I wish I could show you how adorable the baby Jesus is)!!!

The Three Wise Men (note that they are even carrying gold, frankincense and myrrh!!!).

I have to admit, I have been kind of dreading Christmas coming this year and this really brightened my Holiday outlook.

I'll leave you with a few other lovely things:

Stitched in Time by Alicia Paulson (of the wonderful blog Posie Gets Cozy). I usually ask the library to buy craft books that interest me before buying them, but I just trusted my instinct on this one and it was right! The projects in this are so amazingly precious...things like making an appliqued family tree, a fabric family cookbook cover, and a road trip tote bag where you embroider the states you travel to on it!! There are also a lot of projects where you print your own photographs onto printable fabric. I've always wanted to try printing photos on fabric, but the things I've seen up to this point, just looked too grandma-crafty, not modern girl crafty. These photo projects are very modern and classic. I already want to make our baby about half the projects in this book!!!! Just need to get a little of that 2nd trimester energy I keep hearing about, but have yet to see...

The new flickr group for Sew to Speak! I already uploaded a few of my creations made with fabrics from my favorite local fabric shop!

I simply cannot get enough Calexico. Any other Calexico fans out there? The new CD has been the only CD in my car for the last 2 weeks and I am not anywhere close to sick of it.

Friends

2008-11-16T08:30:00.004-05:00

I am feeling thankful this morning. Despite the fact that I hopped out of bed at 7am after being awake for over an hour with a headache, I just feel really great today. This weekend I have seen so many of my favorite people. David and I have been living like hermits this last month and a half and last night and Friday we had dinner with good friends and it felt so good to just have conversations.

One of these favorite people is my best friend, Kelli. A week after my dad died, she moved 2,486 miles away, to San Jose, CA. It has been hard not to have my best friend around to cry with or be excited about the baby with. I am thankful that today it is easier than ever to stay connected despite distance, but I miss not being able to just pop over to her house and read magazines. I am so thankful she is here this weekend. It really feels as if she never left. I think I am going to cry when she leaves again though. I made the bag at the top of this post for her. It only took me about a year to deliver on it. I guess it took moving to California to really motivate me. The pattern is a variation on a pattern in the book Quilts by Denyse Schmidt and I've made it before and even posted about it on this blog. It is a nice easy project that really only takes a couple hours, not a whole year.

I started reading a (so far) fantastic book Friday, Operating Instructions: A Journal of My Son's First Year by Anne Lamott. It is both hilarious and heart-breaking and just the type of pregnancy/parenting book I need right now. I can't put it down. It has already made me cry and laugh out loud. I am trying to hurry up and finish this post so I can go back to reading it actually. It is a memoir so it isn't even really a parenting/how-to book at all. I like how honest it is and I am relating to so much in it: the writer lost her dad too early, she has an amazing best friend, her disdain for Republicans...I even think David would read this book.

Do any of my mamas out there have any more reading recommendations? I have always been into the self-help genre and have already ordered in about 20 books on my library card only to feel overwhelmed and realize there is no way I am actually going to be able read them all. The recommendations of friends are surely a better way to go on this one, so please do share!

A story about how I made a gourmet sandwich for dinner

2008-11-13T19:08:00.000-05:00

I don't know if this post can possibly top pregnancy news, but let me tell you, I have always loved me a hot ham and cheese sandwich. There is something so comforting and warm about it. So when I saw this recipe on Posie last week, I made up my mind to make it, and Tuesday night that it is just what I did. A Croque Monsieur...doesn't that just sound sophisticated? And yet, when it comes down to it, it is just a hot ham and cheese. Of course, it was much more complicated to make and I think that is where the sophisticated part comes in. I may have spent 3 hours making it (that includes my 2 trips to the grocery store though...pregnancy seems to be affecting my mental abilities, mainly that I forget things very quickly and often). It was very good, VERY rich and completely bad for us. But so good. The mornay sauce is definitely worth making, but it takes forever to make and you don't need much of it -you end up pouring it over the sandwich and then broiling it. I put a little too much on. That was my only mistake.

Finally, around 8pm, David and I were able to eat dinner and I of course snapped a photo first. It amuses me to take photos of my food. I often think how funny it would have been if before dinner, when I was growing up, my mom would have said: "Wait, I need a picture of those cabbage rolls first!" This could very well be a common occurrence for my children someday!

Books and Babies

2008-11-10T21:45:00.009-05:00

I am happy to report there has indeed been craftiness going on here, but since the natural light is quite horrible at 10pm, I am going to talk about books instead and if you stay with me long enough, I have a thing or two to say about babies. Cheryl posted her five most influential books on her blog last week and challenged her readers to do the same...so I have been thinking a lot about the books which have influenced me and how. I looked through my personal library and sadly realized I only own four of the books I consider most influential. I've also been thinking about the difference between a book I love and a book which has influenced me -a subtle distinction! So here, I think, is my final decision, for now anyway, at age 31! I also decided to separate my adult from my children's, so I will leave you with ten.

5 Most Influential -Adult
1. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
2. The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien
3. Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen
4. All the Kings Men by Robert Penn Warren
5. Flannery O'Connor stories

*It is interesting to me that none of these are books I have read recently. Also, with the exception of Pride & Prejudice, their influence on me has a lot to do with language. These were books which motivated me to write.

5 Most Influential -Children's
**Apologies on this one because it gets a little rambly, but each of these has its own story! Plus, I thought of about 10 books not 5 so I may be posting a Part 2 later on sometime.

1. George's Marvelous Medicine by Roald Dahl -Oh how I loved Dahl! This was the first Dahl book I read. During the summers I read Dahl books in bed till 1am with very little light and cracked up under my covers.

2. Nancy Drew books -yes, I admit it, I loved Nancy. It was the Nancy Drew Files that were all the rage in my day, but I read the old school ones too. I remember getting the first 3 original Nancy Drew books for Christmas in the 5th grade and trying to read them in the car at night!! These also led me to Trixie Belden books. Did anyone else read these???

3. Little House on the Prairie (whole series) by Laura Ingalls Wilder -I took the pioneer thing to an extreme! I even had my mom make me a bonnet and wrote my own Laura stories in a teeny tiny notebook which I still have...somewhere! I'm kinda surprised I didn't start calling my parents Ma and Pa!!!

4. Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

5. Song of the Swallows by Leo Politi

I could also create a list of Children's and Teen books which have influenced me as an adult, but I'll have to save that for another post...maybe to go along with my Part 2 of books which influenced me as a child since I've already thought of at least 5 more! I honestly forgot what a crazy reader I was back then. And I would love to see what your Top 5 or 10 or 15 are...so if you have a blog do this too, it's fun!

And now for the baby part of this post...yeah, well, we're having one! In about 6 months actually. I am finally going public with the news since I will officially be in the 2nd trimester on Wednesday! I have to be honest, it has been a strange and difficult thing to be grieving and expecting at the same time and I don't know quite how to put it into words except to say that it is bittersweet.

Expect to see some baby crafts coming soon. I sewed for the first time in a couple of months on Friday. Many ideas are swirling in this scatter-brained head of mine.

Oh, and the Belly Balm in the picture above is from here. I hope it does marvelous things to prevent stretch marks! I am prepared to fight them!

Thanks for staying with me on this one...Goodnight!

A Saturday Afternoon

2008-11-02T22:43:00.006-05:00

Perhaps you would like to go apple picking with me? It was the last weekend for 'U-pick' at Lynd Fruit Farm. My mom and I went yesterday...the weather was perfect, why don't you come along?

Almost there...

Peeking through the trees...

Winesap apples, ready to pick!

Gold Rush Apples too high up for my arms to reach!

And this is what 16 pounds of apples looks like...don't worry, they keep 'til February. We made a delicious apple crisp when we got home too. This was my first time picking apples and it was so relaxing and rewarding. The apples really do taste better...I think I may have started a new fall tradition!

My latest guilty pleasure: Vampires

2008-11-01T20:38:00.007-04:00

I've had a mild interest in vampires lately...all the hype about the Twilight movie coming out and then I just finished the second book in the Twilight series (New Moon) myself. Now I am impatiently awaiting the 3rd one, but am about 1 billion on the library waiting list. So I have had vampires on the brain a lot. Even though the books are really not that well written...I can't help myself, I want to read more! I want an obsessive vampire boyfriend who watches me sleep! I also got sucked in to True Blood (which is also kinda bad) for a while, and then we canceled the cable. So I am without any vampire fix whatsoever! Except this...lip balm is my new vampire fix. Don't you just love these labels? David did some Photoshop magic to create the vampire bite. I decided these should only come in two flavors...peppermint because it is cool like vampires and wild cherry, since cherries are blood red.

Yeah, it would've been awesome if I had thought of this in September or something because it would've gone great with Halloween, and today is the day after Halloween...but at least it's here in time for the Twilight movie premiere! Stop by my shop and stock up on Vampire Bite lip balm while vampires are still hip!

You can call me a granola girl if you want

2008-10-24T08:24:00.010-04:00

Earlier this week I made homemade granola. I've been wanting to do this for several months, but kept forgetting to hunt for recipes. Well I finally did it. The end result was delicious and it was super easy to make. A good bowl of granola with milk has always been one of my favorite breakfasts -I like it both cold and warmed up in the microwave for 30 seconds or so. It also tastes great with vanilla yogurt (which is how I had it this morning). It seems at least slightly cheaper than box cereal to make my own so that's nice too. I adapted my recipe from three I found online at Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, The Kitchen Sink, and Curious Bird to come up with the recipe below. In future batches, I hope to try and make the granola a little more clumpy, however, from what I have googled this seems a little tricky. And the taste is the most important part right? Here is the WIP (work in progress) recipe I used. I am sure the next time I make granola, it will be slightly different, but customizing your own is half the fun!

Ingredients:
4 cups rolled oats (old fashioned variety)
1/2 cup coconut (most recipes called for unsweetened, however, I had sweetened on hand already so just used that and it didn't taste overly sweet)
1/2 cup nuts (I used almonds and hazelnuts)
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp vanilla
2 Tb honey
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup brown sugar (although next time I'll probably try more than this)
pinch of salt
2 cups raisins (or any other variety of dried fruit)
1 Tb maple syrup (most recipes called for real maple syrup, but I didn't have that and didn't want to pay for it either so I just used the fake kind, it turned out fine)
2 Tb water

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Combine dry ingredients except dried fruit. Whisk together wet ingredients. Pour wet mixture over dry ingredients and mix until well covered. Pour mixture onto a cookie sheet with ridges (so the granola won't spill over the edges). Bake 20-30 minutes until golden brown. Stir every 10 minutes. Cool pan on wire rack. Once cooled, add raisins or other dried fruit.

See doesn't that sound easy?

One year later

2008-10-20T10:42:00.012-04:00

Photo by: Kimberly Rottmayer/Picture the Sound

It's official! David and I have been married one whole year today. Despite the challenges of the last month, it has been a great year for us and probably one of our best as a couple. I keep hearing the first year of marriage is the toughest, but this year has been pretty good. I only wish my dad were still here to celebrate with us. Our wedding day was such a wonderful day for our families too. I love remembering it.

This summer also marked 7 years that David and I have known each other. It amazes me how young it seems like we were back then, how different it seems like we were...and then how we are here today, moving through life together, evolving, and we don't even realize it yet. Today we went hiking at Darby Metro Park where we got married. It was almost as beautiful as our wedding day, although a bit cooler. And the trees look different. There was more rain last year and the leaves were yellower. We were a little more casual while we were there this time:

Today we actually spent time exploring. We walked down by the river and took pictures. It was great to be back there today and I feel thankful that we can continue visit year after year.

An Old Suitcase

2008-10-19T20:32:00.012-04:00

We spent most of today helping my mom with some things around the house. At some point I went down in the basement for something and I discovered this suitcase. It's my dad's from when he was in the Air Force and I had never seen it before today. If you look closely enough, you can read his childhood address: 486 Berkeley Rd. The suitcase was heavy enough that I knew something was inside. I of course opened it immediately, on the concrete basement floor.

Before I tell you what is inside, I want to tell you that in my grief over my dad's death, I am taking such comfort in remembering -even if it makes me cry my eyeballs out. I love remembering and I can tell I am going to be one of those moms someday who tells my children story after story about their Grandpa they'll never get to know. My hope is that these stories will have at least some of the influence on my future children's lives as my dad's presence had on my own life. I am also taking great comfort in all the tangible things I have that remind me of my dad, especially photos and some childhood letters. I may share some of those things here eventually.

When I opened the suitcase, I found several cartons of slides, about 10 boxes or so and some papers. There were also several typed copies of an egg roll recipe from Thailand, held together with a rusty paper clip:

Each of the slide boxes were marked as to what they contained, most were taken while my dad was in the Air Force, many when he was stationed in Thailand. I've always known these slides existed, but never discovered or seen them until today. My dad dabbled in photography when he was younger and I am excited to see these slides for the first time and maybe make some prints from them. Although it does sadden me I cannot ask my dad about them. That to me is the hardest thing so far about losing my dad: knowing I cannot speak with him anymore. Despite being close with my dad, I think when someone important dies, there is always a feeling of things left unsaid. In this case, especially since my dad died so suddenly, I feel there were many conversations we hadn't even had yet. It is then that I turn back to my memories. I have so many memories to be thankful for and it is important to remember that.

So I suppose this post means this blog is back. It may not be very crafty for a while, and I may get a tad melancholy, but this blog has never been entirely craft-focused. I am much too scatter-brained for that. So it's official: I'm back...and I am definitely trying out that egg roll recipe here, just bear with me it may be a while on that one.

My Dad

2008-10-01T10:48:00.004-04:00

So I lost my dad suddenly yesterday. After a horrible 24 hours at the hospital Monday he finally passed yesterday morning about 1 AM. This was a complete surprise to our family. It is probably way too early for me to even type this, but here I am anyway. I try not to get too personal on my blog but I've never been through anything this big and awful. I'm sure I am reacting impulsively writing this. I miss him so much already, he was the best listener. My parent's friend Carol said at the hospital "they just don't get much better than your dad." So true and simple. My mind is a mush of dad thoughts right now, but I don't think I can get them out in a coherent way just yet...be back in a few weeks or so.

Woosh!

2008-09-15T16:35:00.006-04:00

Central Ohio was struck with a Hurricane Ike leftover yesterday: Hurricane force winds! Seriously, winds were blowing 60+ mph! Power is out all over Central Ohio. Strangely, even though my neighborhood got hit hard, we did not lose power. Many trees are down though. Our next door neighbor even had their siding ripped off! Because of the wind and lack of power, my library branch was closed, so I made something. A sweet little bag:

This is an idea that has been in my head for a while...It is made from a felted wool sweater and some new and vintage fabric. I've decided to go ahead and list this in my etsy shop too. So stop by, it should be listed very soon (and for a rock bottom price)! I sold my very first bag last week and I was so flippin giddy over it! It has inspired me to try and fill my shop with more sewn items...so here is one of more to come (hopefully)!

Pizza! Pizza!

2008-09-12T15:59:00.005-04:00

August seemed to be a mad flurry of craftiness and now September is flying by entirely too fast. Too fast for me to get much of anything done at home. I've been in a bit of a crafty rut these last couple weeks....just coming home completely exhausted, barely enough energy to knit in front of the TV. So I thought I might as well share a recipe. I have been cooking at least. David and I have been making pizzas for the last several years, we have it down to a rather specific routine -I make the crust, he tops it. Here is one of our favorite pizza recipes:

David and Amanda's BBQ Chicken Pizza.

Ingredients:
**note these measurements are approximate, I usually just eyeball it

1 Martha White Pizza Crust (can use other brands, but we like this one the best)
cumin
chili powder
garlic pepper or powder
BBQ Sauce
1/4 cup red onion, sliced
3/4 cup frozen or fresh corn
shredded cheddar cheese
1-2 cups cooked chicken, cut or torn into bite size pieces. I use leftovers or those rotisserie chickens from the grocery store also work great for this!
cilantro

Preheat oven to 425.

Make the crust:
Make the pizza crust according to the instructions on the package, but before adding water mix in cumin, chili powder and garlic pepper. I don't use a precise amount of the spices, I just sprinkle it all in till it feels about right.

Prepare the toppings:
Grill corn and onions on the stove until onions soften and start to brown. Add some of the spices you used in the crust if you like

Chop cilantro and remove stems. Set aside.

Top the pizza:
When the crust is ready to be topped, spoon BBQ sauce onto it. Add corn, onions, chicken and top with cheese. Bake according to crust directions, I think about 15-20 minutes.

Top with chopped cilantro

Eat and enjoy!

Another craft book conquered

2008-08-31T16:15:00.005-04:00

Here is a leaf cushion from the book Simple Gifts to Stitch by Jocelyn Worrall. David got this book as a gift for me several months ago, and I wanted to make this leaf cushion right away, but it was just as the spring/summer fabrics were coming out and I could not find corduroy anywhere. I just couldn't make this cushion with anything else! Now that fall is approaching, corduroy is all over the place and on sale, so I stocked up to make these simple pillows. This is easily a 'one hour or less' type of project.

This book has lots of simple looking projects and a wide variety too. There are baby items, bags, a wallet, placemats, even a skirt! Overall it seems like a solid addition to my craft book library. I would love to make many of the items in it, but for now, I am moving on to the next book, this is a challenge after all! Is anyone else out there trying to make things from their craft book library? I have to say this challenge has been very motivating so far.

Sushi for Dessert

2008-08-28T07:02:00.006-04:00

Last weekend when we had our niece and nephew over for a visit we had 'sushi' for dessert. It turned out like this:

Yes, we even ate the 'sushi' with chopsticks! I got the idea straight from the pages of the May 2008 issue of Family Fun. Unfortunately they do not have the instructions on line...but it is just pound cake cut into circles and rectangles. You ice the pound cake and sprinkle it with coconut (that's the rice). Then you just press various candies on top (we used Swedish fish, M&Ms, and licorice) for the insides. Lastly, wrap it with a fruit roll up. Easy peasy! We made these with the kids, but I suppose if you wanted them to look cooler you could make them ahead of time and pop them in the fridge until it is time to eat.

Warning: This dessert sushi is very messy and the amount of sugar consumed in such a short period of time will induce hyperness, even in the adults! Plan a trip (run) to the park after eating.

Here are a few other links to dessert sushi I found afterwards:

From Not Martha --this one uses Twinkies!!!
A different one from Family Fun that uses rice krispie snacks
From Brownie Points, a more involved, but delicious looking version!
And if you still need more dessert sushi links head here.

Gocco, finally!

2008-08-25T22:06:00.005-04:00

Here they are...my first ever goccoed notecards. I finished them all Thursday night actually, but am just now getting around to blogging them. I think they turned out pretty well, although I did scorch my screen a little. On most of the note cards though, you can't really tell. I'd say about 80% of the cards were useable. Next time I'll have to make a lighter photocopy though. The image is from a photo I took on a quick morning hike at Blendon Woods Metro Park, by my house. I photoshopped it a little and then braved the gocco. Burning the screen was my favorite part. I loved the sound of the flash bulbs going off and then opening up the gocco to see the screen I produced. I'm trying to think up more things I could screen print...so far the only thing coming to mind are Christmas cards. I am really so thankful for this swap. I really need things like swaps to motivate me to try new things sometimes. The best part is I had just enough cards left over to send to my in-laws, who bought the Gocco for me for last Christmas! I've also received so many lovely cards from my partners already. I've been loving opening my mail the last few days! It is so nice having such a simple thing to look forward to --delightful mail.

Mondays

2008-08-21T07:30:00.007-04:00

So Monday is not normally my favorite day of the week. Despite having a job I truly enjoy, I love being home. But this particular Monday was different, it was a fabulous day. I made Angry Chicken's 5 minute skirt on Monday morning and finished it in time to actually wear it to work that morning! How's that for productivity? Let me tell you, it got me off to a GREAT start. I definitely love that fold over elastic stuff. This was actually my second 5 minute skirt. But this one I used bias tape instead of hemming...the other one still awaits a hem. I also measured my waist in the wrong place for the first one so it is a tad large. Remember girls...we live in the age of low rise and your waist is a lot higher than you think! My momma told me this but I ignored it, silly me!

I hope to finish my very first set of gocco cards by tonight (the deadline for the swap I am in). I am positive they will be mailed late, but I want them to look sharp. They will be printed by end of day hopefully. I'm copying my design on the copier today so I can burn my first screen after work tonight. I've watched and read a million tutorials (I particularly like this one from etsy). Cross your fingers for me! I really don't want them to look like a rookie job (no, I'm not a perfectionist or anything)!

Time

2008-08-18T22:35:00.012-04:00

I had a radical thought this weekend: What if I didn't worry so much about running out of time?

Would I accomplish more?
Would I ENJOY the time more?

I've resolved to try and worry less about time.

Before I had that thought, I created this:

I highly recommend this project if you are short on time. This particular project (the Artsy Clutch from Bend the Rules Sewing) took about 30 minutes. It is perfect for a friend craft day in which you are going to spend most of the time talking anyway (would you agree Angie?)

Despite my new philosophy on time, I could use a tad more of it for the gocco swap I signed up for. I've noticed a lot of cool notes so far in the flickr pool. Lot's of inspiration for me to get a move on anyway!

I'm also thrilled me to see my former blog banner is a small piece of the inspiration for a treehouse theme over at Common Threads: a virtual quilting bee! I love the idea of this virtual quilting bee and wish I weren't too late to jump on that bandwagon! I have been reading the blog for the last month. I think the way it works is each month one person picks a theme and then sends fabric to each of the other participants. The participants make up a block and then send it back to the person who picked the theme and then they sew the blocks into a quilt. Definitely go check out the blog, you'll get the idea. I cannot wait to see the treehouse blocks these amazing ladies come up with!

Crafty Kitties

2008-08-18T07:33:00.000-04:00

I've blogged about them before...and I cannot help but do it again after this weekend. What can I say, I crossed into crazy cat ladydom many months ago. Indulge me!

The cats LOVE the craft room, they always have. Often they follow me around while I sort, iron, cut and sew. I actually have to kick them out most of the time, but that wasn't the case yesterday. Here they are helping me out...

Lola helped with the ironing:

And Chicken sorted my scraps:

Could you ask for better helpers? And if you miss Pudge, he can be found here reading my pattern to me, but that was a few weeks ago, yesterday he just slept! And what did I do in the craft room? Well, I made a 5 minute skirt. It was pretty darn quick to make! Pictures to come, post-hemming!

Lazy Sundays

2008-08-10T13:57:00.003-04:00

Lazy Sundays are really okay. I don't know why I insist on feeling so guilty about them. Perhaps it's the nagging to-do list that I have in my head. Or knowing since tomorrow is Monday this is my last chance to do whatever I want. In general, I always feel guilty when I practice laziness. To curb the guilt of lazy evenings, I've been knitting a lot of wash cloths. Kinda makes me feel like a granny knitting my wash cloths, but I think I've always had a bit of inner granny in me.

Apron Love

2008-08-08T17:39:00.007-04:00

First, pardon my cheesy photograph...I was playing with the timer on my camera and I felt fabulous at the time. This is the Reversible Apron from Lotta Jansdotter's Simple Sewing. It was quick. I started it one evening this week and finished it up this afternoon. Even with having to turn 4 narrow 25 " long apron ties right side out, it still took no more than a few hours. I suggest watching a movie during that part. I watched Almost Famous (I forgot how much I like that movie)! I did change a few things...I added a pocket to one side and rather than making the ties the same as the apron front, I reversed them so the contrasting fabric shows. You can see my other side here. When I finished the apron this afternoon, I wore it out to a friends house and then to JoAnn's. David said this was silly, but I think I am just ahead of a fashion trend here. And I got lots of compliments from the ladys at the fabric store! They understand.

So that is one book down...not sure what is next...

Travels etc

2008-07-31T07:25:00.007-04:00

I spent most of last week in Fircrest, WA, in the house my mom grew up in. It wasn't a long enough amount time to visit with my aunt, grandpa and cousins, but I am thankful for it nonetheless. One of my favorite things about my grandpas house are the raspberry bushes:

I helped a little making the jam, but mostly I just took pictures. I am so sad to report only 1 of the 3 containers of homemade jam I brought home survived the plane ride. It's a long story, but I basically came home with a box of exploded jam containers.

On the plane I knitted this:

It is almost done. I'd be knitting it now while I drink my coffee, but I wanted to squeeze this post in before my trip is a distant memory!

I also stumbled upon this yesterday --an independent summer reading club!! Even though the summer is almost over, I might play along. I like the spin on summer reading and even though I am a librarian with a fabulous summer reading club at my own library, I thought this one was pretty unique. The reading activities include things such as wander through a bookstore, read while you listen to the rain and read something more than 75 years old. How fun! And I loved the graphics...I am such a sucker for silhouettes!