Just The Girls

Seems like it's been all business here lately. But, really these gals are my business. On the left is Ava, modeling the junior sized messenger bag I whipped together for her friend this past week. Ava told me the little girl's favorite color was blue, so a little blue accented messenger bag it was for her birthday. See Chloe? She seems a bit underwhelmed an unimpressed doesn't she? Perhaps she was more interested in her kibble snack. Olivia, on the right is modeling her poodle skirt mixed with normal preschool attire tee shirt. Do you like her Leap Frog watch she got at Wendy's in her kids meal bag? Me either. But don't tell her, she loves the thing.

In the background is my Photo box for taking pictures of my bags and putting the photos on the internet...it does wonders for the decorating in my office. I never take it down, I'm too lazy. And the huge armoire on the corner? Yes, that thing is enormous and takes up 1/3 of the room and houses a very old tv that no one ever watches and a collection of never used scrapbooking supplies. (Olivia will have a scrap book of her 1st year of life with us before she is 18, I swear. Doesn't that sound like a good winter project?) Clearly I should list the armoire on craig's list. It takes up too much space. And yet, this all sounds like a project that I don't have time for. What else is new?

I might be getting the decorating bug again. There are some spaces around here that could use it, clearly. Hmmm...how far can one get on the $0.00 budget? Perhaps California Closets will come and create some built-in's for me out of the goodness of their little organized hearts?

Yeah, right don't hold my breath.

Oh, Those Colors

They arrived today. See them? Opening the package and seeing these amazing colors made me swoon. It was like a fix, I tell you.

They were ordered from Quilt Home
and arrived very quickly. Wonderful customer service if you are looking for some quilt weight fabrics for your stash. I have to smack my fast clicking ordering finger every week when the online newsletter arrives. Must-Not-Order-Too-Much-Fabric.

They are sadly not for my own personal stash, they were ordered for a custom set of bags I'll be working on this week.

The tote will look something like this one, but in the colors you see above. I'll toil away here for a while and post the bags when they are done.

On the home front, as if talk of fabrics are not the home front...but you get my drift. My gals are seriously looking forward to seeing grandparents and extended family for Easter and spring break.
Olivia wants the Easter bunny to bring dress up pumps. Ava wants to Easter bunny to bring her a bike helmet that doesn't have Power Rangers on it. Plain pink or purple or blue...something not embarrassing would be much appreciated thank you very much Easter bunny....bok bok. I'm not exactly sure when the Easter bunny took some steroids and beefed up to look a bit like Santa Claus, but it's been made clear that 1 hollow chocolate bunny and a few stale jelly beans will not cut the mustard this year.

I'm off to buy these. And, I'm not sharing.

Off to Market

It's been a whirl wind of a week. I spent the beginning of the week taking some custom orders, yeah...love custom orders, and love spending time with the ladies as we work to come up with something one of a kind. I'll get to work on them next week.

I've also been down to my favorite place in all of Indianapolis, Broad Ripple's...54th and Monon Shops. This is where the delightful Tanya of Ceramic Dreams features some of my bags in her shop. I took several new spring bags down and she called to tell me that I had already sold several pieces this week! Since I've been experimenting with some really bright colors mixed up, really mixed up, (ok, so mixed up that I'm not sure people will "get" what I'm trying to do since I'm often not sure what I'm trying to do) I'm thrilled that so far so good at Tanya's Ceramic Dreams for the new spring goodies.

See this new tote? It's going to market with me tomorrow. We are headed downtown to the Eiteljorg museum for Women In Art Market day. I'm quite frankly thrilled I was allowed in. I'm looking forward to see what the other artists are showing. And, we all know the Muffin Man is big man on the cul-de-sac tomorrow with the girls, so I will be eating my lunch all alone. Or rather, hopefully amongst lots of people walking the market, perusing the goodies and writing big checks.

Getting ready for this show has been at times wonderfully invigorating and at times a ridiculous amount of self imposed stress and pressure. Oh, the table will need 10 more heat therapy rice bags...must whip those up tonight...oooh ran out of white rice..must run to Costco for white rice in bulk. Wouldn't it be adorable if they were two colors rather than one? Must figure out dimensions for cutting. Oooh, that adds another step for sewing them together. But, they are so cute so it's worth it.

Loving the new colorful totes, must have at least 5 on the table. Gah, running out of time and have only 3 designed. Where is that oldest child to be used for cheap child labor? Would it be bad to insist 4 year old uses iron to interface 75 pairs of bag handles? Would that be awkward explaining to ER doc why 4 year old has iron burn on her finger? Bad idea, let them play Wii. Forget the child labor help, for now.

Last minute idea for creating a few Easter baskets for the table? Oooh found adorable fabric which appears to have eggs on it. Lady at store insists they aren't eggs. But seriously, they are eggs and with a pink bow? This could be made into some rocking awesome Easter baskets...but we are sort of at the 11th hour and is it wise to take on a new project for the booth? Clearly no, will I do it anyway...maybe.

So, if you are in the market for a fun activity downtown Indianapolis tomorrow anytime 10am to 5pm, stop by the Women in Art Market at the Eiteljorg Museum and tell me to breath in and then breathe out. Then repeat and get a sandwich.

All Lined Up

I've been in production mode this week. Good golly, wouldn't you know it the weather has suddenly changed to 65 degrees and I'd rather be on the swing set.

No worries though, they are done all lucky thirteen of them. I've been working on a custom order for a week and a half and here they all are lined up like little pink soldiers ready to go to their new homes.

See all those glorious bright colors? This was a fun project getting to work with all these sunny spring colors. Goodbye brown and maroon chenille, until fall when I am suddenly in love with you again.

Pink tissue. It makes me happy. I can be having a dreadful day and then go look at a bag all packaged up in her cellophane bag with pink tissue poking up, presto good mood restored. Perhaps I should some with me at all times.

I went to a small show this weekend. Not too terribly well attended. Sad, especially since the venue was fabulous and that show could be SO MUCH MORE. You know me, I expressed my constructive ideas with the organizer and she asked me to send an email with some ideas for making it more local artisan'y for next year. All in all it did kick my butt in gear for the other spring shows I have planned. Got me going with making sure the table would be well stocked and every item has a tag with a price.

Of course, as always it was amazing fun to meet the other vendors. Check Wendy out here..yes, my girls are the proud new owners of some Eeko Wraps for their lunch boxes. I am living ziploc baggie guilt free at this very moment, thank you very much. Since the Muffin Man was on kid duty I got to eat my Subway sandwich without having to share my pickles, which is always a treat.

And that my friends, is why I have a small business. Eating my sandwich with pickles in peace.

They Were Green and Fuzzy

See the little kid on the left? She woke up this morning fresh from rolling out of bed complete with morning breath. She insisted with straight face and absolutely no snicker or remorse that she had already brushed her teeth when I inquired about those fuzzy green things that should have appeared pearly white.

I asked her again, please go brush those teeth before school. Again, she insisted that she had indeed brushed them before coming to see me. When I told her that I hadn't heard any water running, she told me that I couldn't possibly hear every water trickle in the house every single time. Little does she know, yes I do. I also have eyes in the back of my head and can read minds.

I pulled her little sweet, yet deviant head towards mine and told her I would not hesitate to sniff that breath and if it wasn't minty fresh, there would be swift and severe consequences for anyone lying to her mother. She stomped off loudly saying FINE, she would go brush those teeth. Then she paused for a moment to run her hand slowly over the table that was missing the sewing machine since we ALL know in this family is missing since it is in shop after my latest user owner mistake. She paused ever so gracefully and looked my way to say "So, where did you say the sewing machine is again?" The kid is the black widow.

Holy mother of all things evil...if I was going to make her brush those teeth, well then she would take that opportunity to remind me what a dork I am to break my new machine.

Oh dear God in heaven, please keep her out of federal court. Please let her run into some teacher sometime in the next ten years who can convince her that Sing Sing is a horrible place and she'd be much better off using her powers for good.

Uncle dammit, I cry uncle

Remember the Beast? I hate it. And I love it for it's potential and sheer brute strength. But, mostly I hate it. Seriously, this damn thing better be making some kick ass bags in about another week or I might have to go back to struggling on a machine that isn't built to do what I need it to do or I could simply run the thing through my index finger and call the whole thing off.

I am so #$% frustrated with myself for making some seriously stupid mistakes. Which as of right now is driving me to lug the 65 lbs. of sewing machine head all the way across town again for the second time this week to sheepishly admit I made a complete beginners error and tried to wind the bobbin without unthreading the machine. If I had waited to receive the replacement owner's manual that I ordered over 10 days ago, perhaps I could have read in that owner's manual that you MUST UNTHREAD THE MACHINE BEFORE YOU WIND BOBBIN. Somebody, pass the "Doesn't follow directions well" tee shirt please. Yes, on these commercial machines the needle pops up and down WHILE you are winding the bobbin. This is completely different than home machines. Who knew? Well, perhaps the 16 times trying unsuccessfully to wind the bobbin while watching that needle go up and down might have been a clue for Poirot over here. But no, this gal has to learn everything the hard way. Because if I wasn't constantly learning the hard way...well what fun would there be in my life?

So now I have a newly refurbished machine that has been professionally oiled and fixed and was until yesterday when I picked it up, in fine working order. It took me all of 10 minutes to jam the bobbin case after I got home. Nice.

The question of day is can I get dressed and out of my pajamas to drive across town to take the humiliation at the repair shop? Or should I save that bit of deliciousness until tomorrow?

Oh, and I have a show this weekend, bags are not getting made with all of this foolishness centered around the Beast.

I'm going to have a cup of chamomile.

Marching Towards Spring

March 1st. I want spring. Bad. I'm tired of being cooped up. I just want to take the pooch and walk a few miles without being bundled up and slipping on the ice covered streets. The kids, well they could use a romp around the backyard as well.

Look what they received in the mail last week! Canadian Maple Leaf Mittens! From Canada, whoot! Aren't they the best? My aunt, who is a real living and breathing Canadian sent them. I'm jealous. I'm guarding them so the girls do not lose them. I'm just that way about red maple leaf mittens.

I've been toiling away in the sewing room. We even have a new addition to the family.


















It's a beast I tell you. A beast. I rescued it from a auto repair warehouse on the south side of town via Craig's list. Do you use Craig's list? It's my new best friend. It was under about 2" of dust and automotive grease. I can't exactly figure out how to properly set the stitch length wheel. But, I'm sure that is a minor technicality. Once once I get my hands on a copy of the user's manual, yeah they lost that, I'm sure happy days will be here again and I will be cutting through 12 layers of decorator fabrics with fringe in no time at all.

See that needle? Yea, there's even a yellow warning sticker on the thing with a simple picture of a hand with a finger flying off the hand. Scary! I've been circling the thing in my sewing room like a 14 year old boy eyeing up a college co-ed in a swimsuit. I'm here wanting to strike up a conversation and all, but seriously afraid it might bite. I'm proceeding with caution, driving this thing is sort of like hooking up a sulky to a huge bucking colt. I'm all over the place. But when I can get it to calm down a bit and slow everything to a minor crashing halt the stitches are absolutely gorgeous and it cuts through my handles and fringes like a hot knife through buttah.

Did you see Ava in that picture at the top? She was sick with a icky virusy thing and we didn't even know it yesterday. She's in a ball on my bed soaking up sponge bob reruns spreading germs to my pillow as we speak. Poor thing. The Muffin Man asked how she could possibly get sick now that winter is almost over and none of us are sick here on the cul-de-sac. Hmmm...honey, do you think she might have contracted the galloping green stickies from that petrie dish of an elementary school she attends 8 hours each and every day? Gosh, all that hanging out with notorious nose pickers and chronic sneezers...who would have thought? I love men, being the stronger sex and all. Gees.

Green Fabric Lost and Found

The fabric used to make these bags, until two days ago had been lost in my mess of a sewing room, for perhaps a year. This is a shameful admission isn't it? I bet I bought this fabric over 2 years ago after swooning over it in a now defunct local fabric house. I've had this niggling feeling since last summer that there was more of those wonderful green polka dots and Japanese style flowers hiding somewhere in the fabric chaos that makes up my sewing room/staging area/design center of a converted bedroom. It eluded me though, hiding cleverly amongst the stacks of reds and pinks.

Ha, clever no more that green stack of yumminess, I was overcome with happiness to find my neatly packed spring green pile of fabric cleverly hidden in between a mess of red toile and quilting cottons a few days ago. I immediately dropped everything and vowed to use it all up, pronto. Never to be lost again. See that little green polka dot key fob in the bottom of the picture? It was the very last scrap of 1 3/4" x 12" at the end of the bolt, and it made it onto the black webbing before it could scurry into a haystack of blue batiks.

It all looks so spring-like don't you think? I'm a bit "over" the extensive winter weather here if you can't tell. They are almost ready to be toted off to the new spring shows where I will be exhibiting starting next month. (see the side bar for specifics should you live in the Indianapolis area)

Perhaps I will go on a mission for that black and tan linen flocking I know I bought in '08. Admittedly it might be time to take a few minutes for some spring cleaning. Sad but true.

The Grub Part Two

Well, how does the old saying go? The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat? By the long faces leaving my living room last night, you'd know they experienced the agony of defeat.

I however, not so secretly, was perfectly content with my house full of kids and friends. Of course I had this to graze by each and every 10 minutes in my kitchen like a holstein cow. Perhaps this is why my favorite pair of cargo pants, otherwise known as "fat pants" were less than ahem...comfortable this morning. Grrr....

Look at someone's sticky fingers heading on in to the Muffin Man's practically world famous chicken wings.

The Snack Stadium...it was by all accounts an over achievement on the part of my friend L. She arrived promptly 1 hour early before the party barking out orders to start peeling twinkies and hohos to both her husband and myself.

Here we were, about 1/2 hour into the twinkie peeling and toothpick stacking. Yes, that is a "dummy" pan holding the perfectly planned space while the 7 layers of taco dip were being chilled at 37 degrees in the fridge. She missed not one minute detail. Perhaps my city could hire her for some urban development projects tax payers might have to foot the bill for here in late 2010.

See the marshmellows in the on the left side of the stadium? My idea, thank you very much. I thought they quite resembled some of my mid-western compadres who regularly purchase season football tickets.

And the final result? I present to you the Snack Stadium 2010, which unfortunately shall be forever memorialized as the snack stadium of doom. See the players? They are a tribute to our Winconsin friends out there.


The goal posts were of course carefully constructed Slim Jims. My daughter Ava quickly made sure no one would bogard the goal post before her greasy fingers could be laid upon the holy grail.

What to do with all the leftover twinkie's you ask? Each party goer was promptly sent home with a ziploc baggie that was freezer ready. No arguments. Just take your twinkie baggie and leave. There was one minor skuffle that involved what might be construed as a cat fight over the ho-hos. But all was resolved peacefully, thank goodness.

This stack stadium fun was brought to the cul-de-sac in part by a plethora of Blue Hawaiian drinks. Here is the snack stadium civil engineer herself dressed up in full regalia. Oh, there's me on the right in the one and only sports themed tee-shirt I own. Which I only have since L gave it to me last year. We do look sort of happy with our blue drinks though, don't you think?

Ho hum...another year another football season done for. Big East basketball anyone?

Go Panthers!

It's About The Grub

I don't know if you've heard or not but our fair city is playing in the Super Bowl tomorrow night.
Oh, and how I wish that I was sitting out on the warm veranda in New Orleans as the coastal breezes brushed by. No, I'm in Indy snowed in under a fresh new and very wet 6" of snow. It is barely 20 degrees here and the children are now climbing ladders inside the house for amusement. Don't ask. I'm not bitter or anything.

The only thing to entertain me this weekend is well, football. In my book this is hard up, even if it is the super bowl. For those who know me in person know first hand that I usually take up my knitting while everyone else cheers on their team in my living room. And, believe me I've been duly chastised for the move. I laughed out loud once when the muffin man, in all sincerity suggested that I attend one of those wives and girl friends clinics the Colts have been known to host for lack luster gals who know nothing of the game. I in turn suggested he take a quilting class. He didn't talk to me for two days.

Oh, I'm happy to entertain friends and neighbors with crock pots full of pork bar-b-que, home made chicken wings and kick ass pots full of chili but as far as knowing a 2 point conversion from the likes of a 5 yard penalty, well I'm just not your gal. That is until this week when my gal pal L emailed me this. SNACK STADIUM

I'm all in now, sports fans. Call it a holy conversion. She has called me daily for the update on the shopping list to create such a HOLY SEVEN LAYER DIP SENT FROM THE GODS.

Apparently she's arriving with child and husband in tow an hour early at my house before the party so the assembly line can commence. Here is her rendition of pre-party wet your whistle action. Ok, other than the fact that her cat is now interested too I am decently aroused by the mixture of not only twinkies, cheese sticks but also Ho Ho's? Was that not the shopping cart of shame? All I can offer in return is blue curacao mixed with vodka and anything else that can be mixed with lemonade and marachino cherries with a spot of leftover gin from my 40th birthday party 7 months ago to boot.

Before I overdose on the crack on that table the night before the big night of food fest, I mean the super bowl. I must remember that I have also arranged homemade black bean soup, get it "Souper Bowl"?, asian meatballs, football shaped sour dough bread, lettuce wraps and blue icing'd brownies to be delivered to my house by 5:30pm tomorrow night. Schwing, those men in tight white pants could be braiding each other's hair for all I care. I'm getting Asian meatballs!
And a SNACK STADIUM.

See, this weekend it's all about the grub.

My New Favorite

I saw this magazine on a news stand rack last week and simply could not resist.
This pleated weekend sized bag was just too adorable to pass up despite my best attempts to simply step away from the rack.

It is made with a whole assortment of rectangles. Lots of rectangles and no pattern...just my favorite thing to do.

Here is my second attempt. The first one is a darling brown zebra stripe mixed with dark reds. I'm too lazy right now to snap a photo. But it will be going to my next show as well.

I've had this french blue toile for over a year, never seeming to be able to find the right companion to mix. It is the best feeling to finally find the proper home for some fabric that has been hogging precious shelf space for too long. I'm most happy with my fabrics when they are purchased and then immediately find a creative home making up something delicious then subsequently sold to a happy client. However, when you purchase completely on whim and intuition like I usually do, also known as not planning all that well...um, sometimes there are a few pieces that simply take longer to find their final destination. Thus the hogging up valuable shelf space issue. So here she is, blue french toile paired with blue and red wool houndstooth and an unexpected black and brown velvet flocking for the handles and decorative yo-yo. Topped off with a vintage button and I think she is ready to go somewhere overnight.

Martin Luther King and a Birthday Meltdown

Ava shared her birthday this year with Martin Luther King Day. Which was a stroke of luck in that she could celebrate her day in style with LBF (little best friend) while at the movies rather than taking a timed multiplication test within the confines of Near The Cul-De-Sac Elementary.

The next day at school the children were given a piece of paper in which they were instructed to write their big dream, similar to Martin's famed "I have a dream...."

Ava promptly wrote that her dream was that the Chinese government would change their one child policy so that children like her could stay in China with their real parents.

Ouch, real parents. Me of all people know that the word "real" in the adoption community is, well, emotionally packed with less than positive innuendo. But, as the mother of an 8 year old I also know that political correctness is not necessarily first and foremost. I know what she meant. I know I am a real mom. I've cleaned barf up at 3am, I've endured countless Hannah Montana songs. Ava's birth mother, whoever she is, is also a real mother as my friend had to delicately remind me at lunch last week. Ava's right, in a perfect world she would have been born to parents who were willing and able to lovingly care for a baby girl newborn. She would have been raised in her hometown, schooled with kids in China, been given the chance to make a life for herself amongst her people. But she wasn't, and she's beginning to process the consequences of her being left by someone at a government office. I can't say that I blame her for being a bit pissed.

She says she just wants to know what her birth family looks like. She wants to know if the one child policy enforced by the government of her home country had anything to do with why she was left. I can't give her any of this. I can give her any doll she wants, any computer game, a warm bed, good schools, my love, and all the hot chocolate she absolutely seems to crave. But, I can't grant her that one wish. This my friends, really stings.

And now we have one of those moments I always knew would come when we decided to adopt. It is one of those" yea, we are adopting" and someone says "oh, how wonderful for you, and have you thought about what will happen when the child questions where she came from and experiences loss and grief"? And since I'd read the memo I astutely responded that we had so much to give a child and we will cross that bridge when we come to it. We will just love her enough to get through any issue that ever comes up. And, love conquers all right? I'm not so sure anymore. It isn't one of those snappy response issues. I'm not sure there is a right answer. It hangs over us with some days seeming to be more clear and sunny than others but we always have that one cloud.

It's now been several days since we had our conversation. She's grieved a bit. I've grieved a bit and now we are rebounding. She is at this moment in her room with her sister belting out Taylor Swift tunes at the top of her lungs laughing hysterically.

At one point I think I really did believe back in 2002 that getting that beautiful baby in my arms would in some way be reaching a destination. I now know is probably isn't true. Seven and a half years later we are simply starting a journey.

New In The Studio

Dog Collars. A couple of months ago I was asked to make some dog collars and leashes for Ceramic Dreams, the delightful shop at 54th and Monon Shops, for you local Indianapolis folks. Tanya, the owner of the shop mentioned they might sell well since the shop is located so close to the amazing Monon walking trail here in the city. The Monon Trail can always be found buzzing with walkers, bikers and dog lovers out for a stroll. Now, I have a special spot in my Puggle Mama heart for Chloe, but it never occurred to me what fun it would be to make her fun collars.

Now that I have ordered the hardware to make sure the collars are durable as well as too darn cute for Valentine's Day. I'm hooked. And, Chloe is hooked up! Maybe Chloe will have a new one for each season. She will have to share her February heart themed collar with a Chinese New Year one and in March, she might become wholly Irish.

Because there was just a little bit of fabric left over from the collars, the rest quickly turned into delightful little Valentine's key fobs. Way less calories than that box of chocolate you were thinking about purchasing. Can you tell I've been hitting the gym recently again?

Here is my Puggle model. She takes the job very seriously. There was a milk bone in it for her after all.

And, no I have no idea what that schmegma that is smeared on her little name and phone number tag. Probably something she got into raiding the bathroom waste can. Not cool, Chlo.

Go Colts

In case you were wondering who we will be cheering on to win the Super Bowl.

Chloe said inquiring minds wanted to know.

$.50 worth of blue fleece doggie couture provided by Pink Evita.

It was a big hit with the football fans at the party, what can I say?

A Ridiculous Martyr I Tell You

Ava is a Brownie. She's a card carrying member of two troops if truth be told. There is the local troop and a city wide all Chinese adopted troop as well that she hangs with now and again. Me? I was never a scout, unless you count that unfortunate 6 months I spent with the Camp Fire Girls somewhere around 1978. I admit to not being terribly gung-ho when people I meet share with me the inordinate pleasures of sleeping with nature, which you know means a significant lack of toilet paper for 3 days. I myself, have always preferred the Hyatt to tents, and have a special disdain for anything looking or smelling like a baked bean. So, when Ava expressed serious interest in scouting, I entered cautiously. But, she enjoys it. I mean really enjoys it. She loves her gal pal cronies and relishes in each and every new activity they jump into with reckless abandon.

A few months ago her troop leader thought it would be so fun for the girls to "design their own" Brownie bag for their book and vests with the pleuthera of multi-colored badges. Then I would take their requests and make up 11, yes count them 11 unique bags based on the design whim of each Brownie in the troop.

Have you ever had one of those moments in life where you know this is too much work and you don't really have the time to fill the request bequeathed upon you, but you simply cannot say no out loud? There is all this agreeing and nodding going on, but inside your head is saying "Say no woman, it is ok to say no sometimes. You are a 40 year old woman, SAY NO. It will be good for you to say no." And then you say yes. One week later you find yourself making 11 tote bags for your daughter's Brownie troop. (My mom helped so don't feel too sorry for this sorry martyred sap.)

Well, here they are. And the girls LOVE them...and their sweet parents have even called me to thank me, the Troop leaders have taken me to lunch (completely amazing thank you gift) and I'm not sorry for even one hour I invested in the project. They are simply so darn cute all lined up at meetings on the wall over their coats. A few of the girls like them well enough to ditch their school backpacks in lieu of carrying their new tote. Is this not the highest honor that could be bestowed upon me my an 8 year old?

If you are interested in a similar project for your little scout, which I honestly have no idea why you would be, but heck...you can find this amazingly fun fabric here. Girl scout fabric, made by Robert Kauffman. They have a boy scout line too. You know if your boy scout wants a handbag?


Have you ever been on ebay or ETSY and the seller goes into great detail about how her house is smoke free and pet free and she only uses eco-friendly detergent to wash that fabric you are buying? Yea, that's not us. We don't smoke but as you can see Chloe the Puggle was most interested in the Brownie bags. They were probably delivered with a tiny bit O' fur attached. And yes, that is a hand knit scarf she is wearing courtesy of my 4 year old who begs me to make her scarves while shopping at craft stores only to then turn around and tie them around the dog every damn day.

Kind of looks likes she's saying, "Where's my Brownie bag"?

New Year, New Look...New Simplicity

Ahh, 2010.
New Decade.
New Blog Look.
New combined effort to balance kids, cul-de-sac, puggle time, and the wee business.
New Simplicity. I wonder if this might work for my laundry room?

A fighting chance to blog something of substance. Maybe.

Christmas Cards

Last year I completely dropped the ball as far as Christmas cards were concerned. Nope, I did not send one Christmas card. Sad, I know. But I was fine with the decision after I realized that unless I decided to lick and stamp at about 3am for a few nights, it just wasn't happening . It was sort of well, freeing really. No pressure to select just the right photo of the family or the girls. No rushing out to get them printed. No extra $40.00 in postage alone.

This year I decided I wanted to send the cards. I didn't feel pressured to do it. I simply wanted to do it. And, hello Vistaprint....from the safe and secure chair located in front of my computer, I was able to order lots of Christmas cards while NOT dragging my two children to Costco for printing. That alone was worth the extra $7.00.

My only dilemma....reindeer hats or traditional Christmas coordinating outfits in front of a tree.


















Personally, I'm partial to reindeer balloon hats since it shows their personalities. Their goofy silliness in all it's glory. And, this is what they look like most of the time when we are home. Except for the hitting, pouting and general sanguine behavior we sometimes see when they have had just too much sisterly togetherness.

Then again I did "earn" those matching holiday outfits when I sweated it out in pentagon style negotiations with my 7 year old at The Children's Place. She flitted about tossing red velvet, green polka dots and bolero sweaters at me while acting like Paris Hilton with her paid stylist picking up the trail after her. At the point of my exhaustion I ended the show with a short clip to the back of her arm skreetching at her in my public mom voice...."look, your selection of one and only one outfit needs to come BEFORE the second rising here, dear. And, your sister will get an outfit too, so leave something on the racks." Nice, I know. I did catch another mother out of the corner of my eye laughing at me while skittering away from us...far away. So yes, I earned those outfits and photographic evidence that I survived that trip to the mall with my daughters.

Which one did we select? Did you guess? If you're on our card list this year you should find out in about 4-7 business days. Otherwise, here is a hint. The Vistaprint templates were too small and rigid to accommodate some very large reindeer hats even though they were too darn cute while they lasted. Which for the record was about 20 minutes.

Happy card sending and collecting.

Tree Lighting

Well, not exactly OUR tree lighting but we did attend our fair city's tree lighting downtown last night. It's become a bit of a tradition around here that to kick off the Christmas season we crash our friend's office the night of the big lighting, smoosh cheese crackers into his office carpet, rearrange his employee's picture frames and drink a few too many juice boxes...or glasses of wine from plastic cups if you are of the over 21 set.

Why he and his darling wife keep inviting us, I will never really know. But, we did have a blast as usual. Look at Ava and her gal pal E. They decided on matching holly fairy face painting this year.
Look at the little party goers last year. Despite the nightly bricks on the head trick I've been trying, they seem to be growing nonetheless.

A little note about Miss Liv. She was so pleased with her Holly Fairy face painting she asked numerous times to visit the ladies room to just take one more look in the mirror. "Oh Mommy, I beeeutiful" she said upon seeing herself made-up. Yes Liv, I agree...beeeutiful.

Well, I have thanksgiving decorations to store away in tote boxes, leftover brownies to eat and a tree of my own to think about pulling down from the attic.

Let the holiday festivities begin.

Hello- Is Anybody Out There?

Bless me blogosphere it has been ahem, a while, since my last post. Did you think I left blog land? Even I thought I might have left blogland. Yea, yea everyone's busy. So that excuse it probably mute.

It's been so long that I almost had myself convinced that Ava is too old to blog about (and I need to save the cash for college not therapy sessions) and Livi is too even tempered and cool to embellish any wonderful and gray hair inducing antics and splay them all over the internet. The Muffin Man, yea, well he found out about the blog and got into the habit of reading. You know as well as I do that we can't have that...how can I jovially make fun of the geezer if he reads regularly? Did I mention that he gave up and fell asleep during the bestest Colts game ever on Sunday night and missed the huge win? All after I told him NOT to give up and go to bed, because surely they would come back and win. (This is just a test to see if he is out of the habit of reading) But it was a true story, in case you were wondering for posterity's sake.

Here is what it comes down to...I love splaying our often and somewhat disfunctionalism's. It is often my therapy to write about them, those beings that for whatever reason seem to consistenly circle around my kitchen while wearing mismatched socks, chocolate milk mustaches, and crooked self trimmed bangs.

I'm nearing the end of my WAHM crazy holiday season when I drag myself around town in a 10 year old truck selling handbags and accessories at local art fairs, want to buy a watch? This will surely lead to more bloggy time as I step carefully and slowly away from the sewing room. You know with 17 people coming for Thanksgiving and Christmas to prepare for...I'll have lots of free time.

To tide you over until my next post, I'm promising something in the order of witty banter by 2011, here are a few photos of my ladies. Skipping through life over the last few months...in mismatched socks and hand-me-down high heels.

Aren't they cute?

Oh by the way, we went to California for 5 days, Livi turned 4, Ava was cast in the school play, Liv is now on the 2020 Olympic gymnastics team, the Muffin Man rolled back into his company's parent organization, and I am turning gray and had a good color job. Now you are officially all caught up.

Pool

It is so darn chilly here. What is going on? The middle of August feels like fall. Last weekend it was a precious 90 degree day and we immediately headed off to the pool. And stayed several hours, even though our entire town had the same idea.

Liv didn't mind the crowds at all.



Remember a few weeks ago when I couldn't keep my grubby little mits off the bid again button on ebay?

Look who scored an obscene amount of little pet shop toys.

Poor thing had to start 2nd grade and now Liv is enjoying the fruits of my labor while Ava is off memorizing what 4x6 equals.