Another Etsy Treasury

This is kind of fun to do. On Etsy you can create a collage of some of the things that are for sale. Some have themes, others don't. This is my latest Treasury. This is one that I included mandaholden .

Boasting

My mom has talent. She is one of those gals that when I was growing up, would make matching pajamas for me and my best friend, just whip it up for the sleepover that night. She has knitted since she was 3, she can paint, draw or mold anything. It comes so easily. Ask her to draw a hippo for my son, 5 minutes later an amazing hippo that is book-worthy.

Anyway, she has published a couple of books. This one in particular, I love. It is called Surface Applique for Quilting even though it isn't so much about quilting (for some reason this is what the publishers chose to call it), it is more about making things with wool felt. I don't even think that there is a quilt in there.

There is this ottoman, kind of a garden of felt flowers for your living room or study.

This is actually a recreation of my brother's house. It is pretty fantastic, especially in person.

Another project is entitled Three Birds Panel. My brother has always had a thing for ravens, so my mom did this for him.





There are about 26 projects in her book. I have this one hanging in my family room. It also had a fish-mobile to go with it, that is great for my baby.








I just like to look at all the things in this book. Great ideas for paper and mixed media projects. It shows you how to do it by hand, machine or trusty adhesive, so a good mix for all skill levels. Applique for quilts could be used from this book. It is a fun book to get ideas from, to learn from and to just stare at. Yes, I am a little biased, but I wouldn't associate with it if it wasn't good (mostly kidding there).

Things I am eyeing this week

Think knitting, crocheting, needlework for this week.

These bloomers by Sheepy Time are so cute, or as Caroline calls them "bwoomers".

I really do believe a world exists that there are knitting bunny-like creatures that work with a lamb and create like this, Elsita just illustrated it for us.>

I can knit, sort of, but cannot count the stitches. Once Upon a Hook has solved the problem for me (Hook can knit, I can enjoy it).

If we had known that my oldest would wear out three pairs of cowboy boot galoshes by the time he was four, we would have had these on him at birth. Togs4tots >

Isn't this lovely? This shop has some amazing items, all gorgeous. Coccole di Lana

Now, off to bed. My husband and I went to "Live Free or Die Hard". It was so farfetched and completely entertaining. It wore me out. Oh, and look at my Treasury at Etsy. More of my favorites.

Delightful Custom

I had a gal contact me about my nursing aprons, but she doesn't nurse and wanted to know if I could make her a non-nursing apron. This made me so nervous! I make things and then people buy them, but with this there were expectations. What if I didn't meet them? I said yes and asked her to put together a list of fabric options. My mom and I made one, but I decided that we needed to give her more choices. So we made another. I like both but loved one more than the other - but both were good choices. I posted them in my shop so she could see the pictures and descriptions of both aprons, she said when she saw one of them she started crying, good tears luckily. She said that it reminded her of one that her grandma gave her when she was little. That made my day. So now it is in the mail, off to a loving home. Which one do you think she chose?

Flashback Friday!

This might be hard on the ego. I remember that couch, it was the softest couch ever. Then my beloved trike. I wonder where that is? Who knew a 9 month old could handle that kind of vehicle?

Prodigy 2 Year Old

This is me according to Girly. Unfortunately, she is extremely accurate! She has captured my inner self. She says I am smiling.

What is this wet stuff falling from above?

Some have said it is rain. I barely remember it. We had two storms over the last two days. What a relief. I love summer rain storms. Barefooted, running around, standing in the gutters. My kids were inside and heard the rain on the roof. They grabbed their umbrellas and binoculars (to look for more clouds) and headed out front. It was a warm rain.

Eli grabbed his butterfly nets and he and our neighbor were catching debris in the gutter. That would have been cool when I was their age, but now, it was a little gross.

The next day we had another little storm. Eli and Caroline once again grabbed their umbrellas. My neighbor and I stood underneath our garage while his daughter played with my kids in the rain. Dave came out with a large umbrella, to which Eli pronounced "I have a great idea..." and went running back into our house. This was the great idea: An umbrella hut. Emma added to our 4 or five umbrellas with some of her own.

I need to learn to think like a kid again.

My whole life, the story went like this...

I was born July 21st, which is during the Days of '47 Rodeo. My dad was the chairman of this rodeo for two years and on the committee for many others. The story goes that my mom and I had to wait at the hospital until after the 24th of July(Pioneer Day) so my dad could ride in the parade. All this time I thought that it was because he was in charge, the chairman.
Last week, the Pioneer Days Committee was honoring past chairs and queens (yes, lots of big hats and hair) and I went with my dad to the dinner before the rodeo. Each chair has a stone on a wall with the year(s) they were in charge. Imagine my astonishment when the years listed for my dad were NOT the year I was born. I asked him about it, he said he was on the committee that year and HAD to be in the parade. This is going to take years of therapy to work out! My dad is the one not wearing a hat or huge buckle.

We stayed for a bit of the rodeo. It brought back so many memories. I went every year until I was 15 and have gone a couple of times since. I remember being with my little brother and walking around all the pens with animals. Then hearing the clanging of the broncos that were about to get ridden. Watching these cowboys strutting around, watching the rodeo queens with bright pink lipstick on. Yeah, it sounds hokey, but as a child it was so fun to pretend to be the cowgirl, wanting to be one of the little girls that rode around the barrels, never the one in turquoise wranglers and rhinestones though. Dirt, manure, cotton candy. This year I just watched and thought "Why would you ever subject your body to such pain and jerking?" Their brains must be bounced back and forth like a ping pong ball in their skulls. And I have always hated knowing that the reasons the horses were bucking like that was because they are uncomfortable and pissed. My favorite part was always when the parachuters would come flying down from their plane. This time, there were three. The first had a trail of smoke after him. The second one had our state flag attached to his body and right when he landed, grabbed it up so it wouldn't touch the ground. The third jumper had the flag of the United States of America. It was huge and beautiful trailing behind this person. Everyone stood up. I always get choked up when this type of situation happens, especially when we sing the national anthem. In any case, what this flag represents makes me proud to live where I do.

Let me paint you a picture

"Oh My Goodness". I must say this all the time because Caroline has made this her new catchphrase. We have been trying to introduce the idea of potty training to her. She likes the idea, but only the idea. So today while at Target, "Oh my goodness!" I hear. I find Caroline with a package of princess undies. There is one for everyday of the week. We bought them. Fast forward to this afternoon, after a quick shower (too hot outside) I put her diaper on her and then go to attend to her little brother. The she comes downstairs with a turquoise bow in her hair, a white tank top on, her diaper with six pairs of undies on. And of course on her feet, her Zoe slippers. I don't dare put the picture on the blog, to protect the innocent, but here is a small snap of it.

Really I am trying to avoid my motherly duties. The kids are sitting right next to me playing on Disney.com on the laptop. I just need to check out for a minute. Dave has been on a 55 mile bike ride for the last few days and I am looking forward to his return any minute. I am coasting. So I will document a few more things.

These are all pictures of my children's foreheads. What do all have in common? My children are all born with major cowlicks. They get stronger with age. Even Caroline with long hair has one that is prominent. Joey's is just in the beginning stages.

Another random thought to put off making dinner. I bought a Bumbo for Joey today. These are the funniest little seats. I think Joey will like it. He holds his head up really well, and I think he wants to be up and looking at the kids where the action is. We'll see, it may end up being a waste of money. Has anyone else used one of these?

This one of my favorite pics of Eli. He doesn't always photograph well, meaning it doesn't ever show how he really looks. He is the cutest kid. I have probably snapped at him one too many times today, so now that I have had my time out, I will go and be a better mama.

Flashback Friday

I'm running this from another blog I read. I thought it was a fun idea, I think we all should do it. All one of us who read this. Post a picture every Friday, of you, that is pre-1985. This is me when I am 2. Caroline is two and I don't think she looks like this.

Things I love lately

I have been making some things, my mom has been doing some others, and selling them on this great site Etsy. I love to look at this site. It is a site for all things handmade. There are some weird things, well weird to me, and then there are things that are so beautiful. Yesterday, I decided I would finally buy a print I have been eyeing for about a year. I want to collect them all, there is just a peacefulness and vulnerability to her work.

This one is called Gentleness White and it is going in Caroline's room. Isn't it beautiful. It is from a store called belleandboo. I am enamored with this woman's talent. I will add more to it, but want to have some restraint.

Want to see more? Here are a few more things that I have fallen in love with this week.

<--by bliss

northstarjewelry --->

<--bumblebeedesigns

aliciabock--->



<---smallthreads

I could look at this site for hours. And there are some unusual things. Like this and this

but there is something for everyone. And I like to see what is being made. So, if you really want the day glo doll for your birthday, it is on Etsy, buy it before someone else does.

Gilmore Girls scenes

So I have a void in my life. It isn't really affecting me now, but come the fall, it will be painful. I am addicted to Gilmore Girls. I love the quick pace, the pop culture references, the interaction between all the weird yet lovable Stars Hollow residents. The coffee, I don't like it, but if I hung out there, with them, I'm sure I could drink Diet Coke all day with them. I love Luke, I can't stand Dean, I love Rory with Jess. I even really like Logan. I can't get enough of the whole show. Luckily, reruns abound on The Family Channel. It drives my husband crazy, I think with jealousy. I especially love Lorelai. She makes funny faces, says funny things. A friend of mine, who watches tv dvd's while she runs, got hooked on this show a couple of years ago. She said it made her not want to run, but sit on her couch, drink coffee and eat things like donuts, pizza rolls and nachos- all at once!

Sadly, the CW decided to cancel it after a 7th season. Everyone was reporting that it would be back for one more season, a shortened one, but one more. And yes, the last season wasn't as good as the previous 6, but it was still better than most of the shows on TV. Then, Wednesday, May 16th, it was officially silenced forever, except in syndication.

I know that a certain relative of mine will make fun of me for this post, but he will admit it is one of the best shows ever to be on the airwaves. And he probably, come the fall, be a little slower in his step, a little hunched in the shoulders, come Tuesday nights.

What would summer be without water?

It is HOT!! The kids change into their suits at least twice a day to go out and get wet. They end up getting wet even when they aren't in their suits. Caroline likes to "water" my garden, but she just ends ups carving our mud with water.

****Caroline just walked in here and said "Happy Birthday Mama! Bye!" and walked back out. It isn't my birthday.****

Caroline came out of her room with her slippers and sunglasses on wanting a popsicle, so her dad gave her one and let her eat it in the living room!

Eli got a slip and slide for his birthday, we use it everyday and now our lawn looks like it is dead!

Caroline has only worn shorts or pants 3 times since summer began and that was to bed, she only did that because her favorite nightgown was being washed. Dresses all the time for this one. Dresses that end up covered in mud.

Eli can't just smile at the camera, he has to pull a face or do the football player pose - you know the one where their chin is up, thick necked, looking tough? I erase them all, yuck!

My first red tomato. Each year I say I will only plant three plants. Each year I plant 6 or more and then there are the volunteers from years past. But I love them and I love to make salsa.

Oh, I hate snails! What do they do for your garden? Does anyone know? They are eating everything! So I am killing them. I don't feel really bad about it either.

Before I had Joey, I planted rows and rows of peas, a few different kinds in a few different locations. The only location that did well, and always does well was the East garden.

The kids love to pick and eat them, I don't think that they realize they are healthy. They are now kaput, but they were really good. I am going to plant some more in the fall, I've heard that sometimes that works. Has anyone had any experience with this?

Those who surround us

I have really good friends. I have different sets of friends. The usual sets: highschool friends, college friends, study abroad friends, neighborhood friends. I have close friends from all different groups and am lucky for that. In particular, I have a group of friends that started in 1994, the week before college began, and sorority rush. From there, this set of friends has materialized. There has been a time where some of the friendships were stronger or weaker, but always loyalty and support.

In 2002, my friend Ash had William on the 1st of Nov, I had Caroline on the 3rd, six weeks later Lizzie (or LizE) had Ellie and Luke, six weeks later Cori had Jonah, six weeks later (or so) Julie had Max, followed by Tracy having Jane that summer. So, each year we try to take pics of the kids all together, in groups. We have all the older kids (pre-2002/3) and the 2 year olds, now we have a new crop coming, with 4 already here.

The newbies, the 2-bies and the oldies.

My mom has said, when you have good friends and they have kids, you love their kids. I have found this is true. When I have playdates with these kids, who I have known since they were born, I find that it is easy to have these kids over. Maybe because I am friends with their moms and we obviously have things in common, or because their children know that their moms are such good friends, they feel more comfortable playing at one another's houses. I think that we have similiar parenting skills, not identical, but similiar. It probably helps that we all have the same belief systems. But mostly I think that you love your friend, you love their child. My children know how much my friends mean to me. My friends know how much my children mean to me, even when I am at my wit's end. Maybe that translates a little into how our children feel about eachother's children and the parents. In any case, when we call get together, big kids, little kids, infants, husbands, I am not stressed. The kids will have fun together. They may have a tussle here or there, but they work it out, and I am not uncomfortable if another parent needs to step in and discipline my child some. I also know that they are all looking out for one another. I know that my friends love my kids. When I am sick, or just had a new child, and someone offers to take my kids for the day, I usually decline. Except with these friends. I know that they can look past the bad, behavior or the state of my house. They will nurture my neglected children, they will love them and make them feel safe. I hope they know that I will do the same for them.

I don't have any sisters. Sisters-in-law (who are all amazing), but no sisters. I think that the relationship I have with each of these women fills that gap for me. Each offers me different things, but they all give me guidance, support, honesty, empathy, history and another adult to love my child.