Easter

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Getting some rare solo time with my mom, laughing, listening to Bossypants on the ipod while driving to the garden center.

Spending hours outside, cleaning out (or beginning to) the front garden.

Making cascarones with Kate and then, later, smashing them on patient, kind relatives before Easter dinner.

Coloring eggs with what felt like 47 (but was really just 11) beautiful, funny kids at the neighbor's.

Getting good feedback on a logo design (still not done) and feeling a little re-energized creatively.

Laughing at ourselves as we - those with young children - sat quietly talking (some of us a tad hungover, truth be told) while the older adults/grandparents had raucous good, loud fun at the neighboring table at Easter dinner.

Watching Kate and her cousin runningrunningrunning outside in the front yard with their pink, Easter dresses flying and white tights dirty with grass stains.

Buds on the trees outside giving me hope while we undergo Day 4 of a mild but necessitating school skipping GI bug.  Things change, pass, etc.

but, of course.

So, not three weeks after I completed the hand-sewn doll mentioned below, Kate informs me that she, inspired by the snotty princess doll (lesson = not learned) in a newly obsessed over book, would really, really, really like a small, plastic princess/fairy doll.  She knew I would not necessarily jump on this, mostly as I've been on cleaning-out kick.  I told her I understood why she would love a little doll like that, though, and if she wanted to spend her own hard-saved money on this, I'd help her get it.  Also, I asked that she find a toy to give away (poor snowy owl) to make room.  After spending a little time searching online, we ended up finding something - one very similar to those her cousin has been collecting - that fit the bill over at our neighborhood Target.  Was I happy to help her buy a plastic toy made by who-knows-who to add to an already enviable assortment of toys?  No, not so much.  Was I proud of her while she foisted her money onto the counter?  Yep.  Is it now naked, missing a shoe and hair all jacked-up, near the bathtub?  Of course.

promises kept...eventually

After receiving Hillary's great book some time back, I let Kate go through and pick one design she'd like me to make for her.  She chose Margot, the "topsy-turvy" doll.  That was back in December.  So, there followed three hoped for and then abandoned deadlines (Christmas, Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day) only to - finally - be completed in time for a random Friday (last).  She's already undergone a braid replacement (I struggled with that hair, let me tell you) and several name changes (Marfa, Pretty, Worky...) but, most importantly, she's been dubbed Kate's "favorite doll ever".  She doesn't have a Barbie (yet) so we'll enjoy this while it lasts.

Idle Hands

Because I've not written on here in so long, I believe I will try to foster the impression that I've been knitting, sewing, crafting, in short, creating non-stop since my last post.  Please, think that.  Don't for a minute think that the sweater - my first - took me a mere 3 years to complete (though if you did think that you should also know that it was packed away for a good portion of this time).  In truth, I have been trying to get my hands busy again and the below pics show a few of the projects I've recently worked on.  I was the most relieved by the completion of the sweater, most excited about doing the screen printing but, oddly, most satisfied by the making of those small plastic, glitter-iffic wings.  These were fashioned one morning a couple of weeks back when a small someone wistfully mentioned - yet again - her desire to "some day" be reunited with a small, cheap, blue plastic fairy that she found and then lost over 3 years ago.  She said something to the effect of, "I know!  "We" could make wings for my other dolls!"  Um, no.  "We" cannot.  I'm not sure where "we" would begin and I don't really want to start a glittery mess and blahblahbadparentingblahblah.  Somehow, though, she caught me at a good time - perhaps I was avoiding cleaning the kitchen or balancing on our budget - and so we cut up an old plastic box that had once held flip flops, found some elastic cord and - voila(ish)! - some pretty good stand-ins!  Like most things I make, these (everything below, really), are best viewed from a distance and with kind eyes (or one closed).  No matter.  I'm just happy not to be doing the devils work.

 

 

 

 

Himself

Happy Father's Day to all the men out there who help raise and carry and feed and watch and teach and love their little ones.  I, for one, am grateful I picked a good one (and that he picked me back).

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I am so, so tired today. Up a lot last night, once to tend to Herself combating (what I'm guessing were) growing pains, once because Matt was at band practice and I kept thinking I was hearing noises and then for a stretch because my stomach was being a little punk.

Would probably be wise in drinking vast amounts of water but the lure of caffeine is growing mightier by the minute. We've played outdoors for a while and am now hoping a little movie (Chicken Run) and couch time with the girl will pan out and give me a small boost before heading to a cookout later.

Loving the kids/images here.

(Note:  the image above pretty much sums up our love for the Farmer's Market).

Links to love

I recently cleaned out a whole slew of bookmarks that I'd been saving for months, maybe longer.  Here are just a few:

there's just something so wonderful about this guy, courtesy The Sartorialist
these handy little things
this site that would probably be even more useful were I an iphone/blackberry/whatsthelatest user
this site for kids that I think is brilliant/addictive
one of these...I actually got a great one for mother's day but for those still in the market, this one is a great deal
this painting
this site for the graphic design geek in me
these decorations
this dessert
these sweet rings
this great scooter
this bit of humor

On a more productive/creative note, I finally finished painting Kate's Big Girl Bed (pink, godhelpus) and made a couple of coordinating pillowcases and a picture inspired by the Anthropologie pillow coveted/copied by many.  Also, I'm currently working on a cd design for a very talented musician/friend and recently churned out a couple easy pillowcase dresses for Kate/a friend.  There are many tutorials out there for these but this one seemed especially easy to follow.  Below is a not-so-great pic of the finished product plus a few more, just because.