Friday, December 28, 2007

from our family to yours

poppin in to say hi

just wanted to say "hi" and get that last post down the page a bit. life is wonderful right now but i have made little time for the blog. for a glimpse into a bit of what has been going on take a peek over here. i will add more images there in a day or two.

Thursday, November 15, 2007

shop for a cure

for all of you local holiday shoppers here is an event for you....

This great craft bazaar is being held this weekend in Portland. I was going to have my own booth at this sale but had to back out due to getting slammed with the flu right before our trip to San Francisco. I was reluctant to back out but knew that I would not be ready due to my health.

Proceeds from the sale go to helping find a cure for Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis. The day was organized by Laurel from Bella Stella - her daughter is afflicted with histiocytosis, and she and her family are working tirelessly to raise money and awareness. Many local crafters are coming together to support this cause. There will be a great selection of gifts for both young and old. So if you are free and local drop on by Milagros. They do have some of my items in the store so feel free to pick up a scarf or two knowing that a portion of the sale will go to a great cause.

Wednesday, November 07, 2007

a small tangent


This past month plus has put me into major production mode around here. It seems as if all of my wholesale orders came one right after the other without much room to breath. On Halloween I delivered the last batch of goods to a local store and then set my eyes on filling the Etsy shop for the holiday season. It feels good to keep the momentum up and at the same time try to be intentional about making the time for family and friends.

On Monday Miss. A was with her Pa all day and I had a list of things I wanted to work on for the shop. Well of course as is always the case I got a bit distracted by a new idea and had to play around with it for a bit. The end result was so much to my liking that I spent the better part of the afternoon sewing and getting Daniel to both photograph and then model for some shots. It was a beautiful day and so we were able to actually get some outdoor shots. The results of my distraction are what I call the Loop Scarf. They are a short scarflette that wraps around the neck and is fastened through a loop sewn on the back.

I was having so much fun playing around with different wools and fabrics that I ended up staying up late that evening just to get some of the other things on my list done. I currently have a few scarves in the shop and will be adding some coffee cozies soon along with a few other items.

For now I need to get a few more loads of laundry done before Daniel and I head off to a long weekend on San Francisco.

Friday, November 02, 2007

crib notes or lack thereof


The humor of a child never ceases. I am constantly amazed by how funny Miss A can be at times, she is even at the point now where she will laugh at her own antics. Today was no exception.

So back in August we transitioned Miss. A into her 'big girl bed'. We had thought that we would start with her taking the nap in the big bed and sleep at night in her crib. Well she was quite excited for the transition and so after about a week the crib was taken down due to her lack of interest in it. Of course once it was down she missed it and wanted it back but we were able to get through that. During about the first two months we had no problems with keeping her on the bed. Sure she would tumble off sometimes onto the pile of pillows below but she soon learned to stay on the bed. We were surprised when she would not get off the bed during naps and in the morning. Maybe the thought of getting down was a bit daunting. Well that is all in the past. She now has the hardest time staying in her bed during nap time and in the morning we typically wake to her running down the hall to our room. It seems as if every other day she will spend the better part of nap time playing in her room. I have come to accept this as how it will be and I am fine with it as long as she is in her room for 'rest time'. It is quite amazing how much damage she can do to the room in such a short amount of time. Books, puzzles and toys will be strewn across the room and then the better part of the afternoon is spent cleaning up the mess.


Today she was all set on playing and having a good time. That is until she started yelling for me to come get her. So after sometime I went in and told her that it was time to go to bed. I picked her up and started singing rock-a-by baby and this is what unfolded...

Me: rock-a-by baby in the...
Miss A: I not a baby mama.
Me: [trying to compose myself] rock-a-by Miss. A in the tree top. When the...
Miss A: I not in a tree mama.
Me: [laughing so hard I have to lay her down on the bed] rock-a-by Miss. A in her bed. when the wind blows...[and by that time she was almost asleep. lucky for me because I don't think I could have make it through the whole song without laughing myself ill.

I am constantly amazed by the humor and insight kids have at this age. They truly like to call it how it is. For now she is sleeping and the room looks like a tornado hit it.



Oh the joys of the big kid bed.

Thursday, October 18, 2007

distracted


So the kid is sleeping and I should be working but... of course I got a bit sidetracked by an email. A friend of mine just sent me a link to this site [look up this MLS 7095450]. No we are not in the market for a house but one can always dream of the next place. I mean what is wrong with going to an open house now and then just to see what is out there. This is not beyond us. I signed up to get open house listings from this place and it is hard to resist taking a look around. It is even harder not to be tempted by the looks of these places and if we start saving our pennies [or 100's] we may be able to move by the time schools are a question for Miss. A.

For now we will dream. It is always nice to have a goal [or distraction] right.

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

hello::goodbye



Spending a lot of time working here. But wanted to say Hi.

Today I am...
Cutting a lot of this
Drinking one more cup
Listening to this currently
Avoiding thinking of something better then this and this for Halloween
Working through this big project.
Finishing this order and then some.

Some day soon I will be back in the swing of both reading and posting blogs. For now I am enjoying quickly glancing at posts and Flikr images and thinking up comments that I would post if the time permitted. Have a wonderful day.

Sunday, October 07, 2007

Oh its time...


::beautiful image courteous of Jessica Poundstone::

for me to start thinking about the idea of making a list of Christmas gifts to make this year. You know the idea of planning ahead always sounds good to me and then it never happens. The list of items to make far out weighs the number of days to make them in. So this year it is all about planing ahead a little [something I don't do often]. I read somewhere recently that there are 80 days till Christmas, since reading that days have passed so there are even fewer days left. So now onto the gift ideas. Last year we decided to take the money alloted to gifts and donate it in peoples names to different organizations both locally and world wide. Along with this we gave people a small handmade gift [patchwork dishtowels + tissue holders etc.]. This year we are going to be doing the same, giving something small to everyone. I was so excited when the list came together this weekend almost by chance.

List
::Shrink Plastic Flower Pin [using this tutorial by a wonderful friend of mine]
::homemade soap, lotion, and lip balm. [using this book]
::Coffee cup sleeve [using my own pattern]

The tutorial for the flower pin looks amazing and quite easy to do. Jessica is a very talented local jewelry maker and artist who I have come to know over the past few months. She decided a few weeks ago to go ahead and make a video tutorial on how to construct these great pins. I just think it sounds like a wonderful way to make a few gifts for people. Just think of the fun you could have one evening sitting around with some friends making these beautiful pins.

You might think that making homemade soaps etc. sounds like a big task but it something I have wanted to try for some time and I am taking the task on with a friend. We figured that if we divided the cost it would be cheep and fun to get together for an evening or two. All of the recipes come from the book Better Basics for the Home, a book I have had for almost a year and have yet to make something out of. So finally today the two of us sat down and made a list of items to buy. The goal is to start making by the first of Nov.

So now that the list is made it is only a matter of making the items. Lets hope that by starting this early I will accomplish these goals. That said if there is anyone in town interested in having a gift making party just let me know because I know that I am always more productive when working with others.

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

plastic::roundup


I have been meaning to post about this topic for some time but now is as good a time as any. In the greater Portland [Oregon] area there is a team of Master Recyclers who biannually have a plastic roundup. It is wonderful considering the amount of plastic that our curbside recycling accepts is laughable. This roundup takes in items at four locations twice a year. I mention all of this because this Saturday the 29th from 9am-2pm they are accepting any plastic that has accumulated around your house. At the last event we had a nominal amount to bring because I was reminded of the event by a friend but kept forgetting and so by the date of the roundup I had maybe a small bag to recycle. Even just being there the first time helped me realize not only how much they take but also how much plastic we really do use every day.



It is hard to challenge oneself to use less but it can also be turned into a fun game. Back in March I discovered a horrifying stat counter at the bottom of jumilla bugs blog. The tally was for the number of plastic bags consumed year to date [the link for the stats is quite informative as well]. I was blown away by the visual of the situation. I was only looking at the tally for maybe a minute and the number went up by 100,000 if not more within that time. At that point I vowed to make a conscious effort to reduce the amount of bags we used. It was a challenge and at times we got some funny looks like when we would go to home depot and say that we did not want a bag but would instead carry out our loot. Hauling our curtain hangers and hardware out of the home store also got us some looks but it was a great way to push our limits. We do have two amazing two cargo totes that truly come in handy. I know there are thousands of bags out there for just this type of thing but I love ours because I can always fit at least 3-4bags of groceries in each. During the month of April we were able to consume only 7 plastic bags and from the challenge we have both become more aware.

The even taking place this weekend is great and I encourage anyone in Portland to attempt to at least take this weeks plastic in. If you are not living on the eastside of town there is another event happening on October 6th on the westside of town. I encourage those outside of Portland to look into something like this in your area.

Monday, September 24, 2007

process::streaming


There are many aspects in the creative process all of which when used together contribute to the finished product. I have grown to love every aspect of working in my studio and especially relish in the moments when I get fully engrossed in a project. One thing that I find helps me with this is audio stimulation. I tend to pick things according to my moods and more often then not it consists of Podcasts. My actual music selection that has been downloaded to my computer is small and so I tend to just listen to what is already streaming to my iTunes on a daily basis. It is my way of getting caught up on the news, books, and radio shows that I tend to miss during the week. I have found that when I am listening to a specific show and working on a project I will remember that show the next time I work on that same item. Listed below are is my Top Ten list for this month. They are listed in alphabetical order. If any of you have other shows that you love to listen to I would love to hear about them.

Top Ten::
NPR: Books
NPR: Movies
NPR: Talk of the Nation
SFMOMA Artcast
Spoonful of Russian
This American Life
Travel with Rick Steves
Type Radio
Wiretap (on a podcast but you can find posts of it)
WNYC's Radio Lab

[all of these with the exception of Wiretap can be found on the iTunes store for free]

Thursday, September 20, 2007

helping hand


It is amazing how quickly the summer months passed and with it milestones. During this time Miss. A has changed from a toddler to a little girl right before our eyes. These past few weeks it seems as if every other pair of pants I put on her is an inch or two short and the shoes are all small. With her growth surt has come a desire to help with everything. I have my sister to thank for Miss. A's new found love for cooking. It seems that while she is being watched by my sister her favorite thing to do is help bake cookies or other wonderful things my sister seems to always find time for.



These days when I am in the kitchen I can almost always count on Miss. A being right by my side. If I think I am alone it will only be a matter of seconds before I hear the sound of her dragging a chair from the table over to the counter. 'Help mommy' has now shifted to 'watch mommy' when she knows that I am cooking at the stove. It is amazing the little things that can be taught while cooking a dinner. Measuring, pouring, basting, stirring are all jobs that she loves to participate in.



The day that I introduced her to the sink was a whole new adventure. We will spend many an afternoon standing at the sink, her with the plastic and I with the glass. On the sunny days before fall descended on us with a vengeance we would wash for a bit and then transition the tub of water outside for a nice afternoon of washing the rocks in the yard.

::Speaking of fall I am currently working on some more scarves that have been showing up in my shop this week.

Monday, August 27, 2007

shop news



::place mat napkin sets::wristlets::bibs::burp rag sets:: scarves::the updates to the shop will be throughout the week but I will be starting with some place mat sets and wristlets tomorrow afternoon.


::Check out this site I came across today. The materials, design style and attention to detail is refreshing.

Saturday, August 25, 2007

for a good time on a saturday

more

Today I will be spending a wonderful afternoon at a booth outside Milagros Children's Boutique here in town. It is going to be a lot of fun getting out there and selling again. Despite my original plans for sales the summer this is the only one I actually signed up for.

If you are around and would like to shop some great handmade goods feel free to come down and support some local Mamas.

Crafty Mama Bazaar at Milagros
Saturday August 25, 11 am - 3 pm
Milagros is located at 5433 Ne 30th Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97211

Monday, August 20, 2007

an honest look inside



There are very few times in my life when I have an empty bag or that I use the same one for a full week. I tend to switch bags often and can find a number of things collected inside from previous weeks or days. I am always impressed by my friends who still carry the same diaper bag or purse every day. Everything is so neat and organized ready to go. I on the other hand never know where to find the sunscreen or Miss. A's water bottle.

While working I would find myself reaching into my bag for something only to pull out a hand full of trail mix or crayons. It is amazing what can be found in cleaning out the bag. I would love to document the contents of my bag more often. It is almost an archeological tale of my week/ month.

::For notes on the content of the bag click here.

Friday, August 17, 2007

working away


I am actually popping in quickly to post a little something because I am sick of the last image posted. We have been quite busy around this place with an anniversary [#6], trips, house projects, transitioning to a 'big girl bed' and more. All of these things I would love to post about soon but for now I will leave you with some images of bibs and placemat::napkin sets I am working on for a show coming up next Saturday. It feels great to be producing some items that have been in the sketch book for some time.


Have wonderful Friday.

Monday, August 06, 2007

Blast from the Past



Our family loves to use the public library. It is a perfect way to get involved in community resources, test books, music or movies before we buy or just plain enjoy the book groups they have to offer. Miss. A loves the library very much and whenever we get ready to go she has to find her "choo-choo" bag and fill it with all of the books she wants to exchange for new ones. Recently I have been requesting episodes of Sesame Street and The Muppet Show. You see we rarely watch TV around here and when we do it requires going down into the basement and sitting on wooden school chairs. This is not a very conducive environment for media viewing and so Miss. A never really done much of.

So the other day when we were at the library picking up a Muppet Show DVD we had on hold I quickly perused the other DVD they had to offer. I was so excited when I saw that they had a season of Quantum Leap. I don't know about any of you but I loved this show when it was running. Not growing up with a TV I did not have the chance to see all of the episodes but once I discovered that a good friend of mine also liked the show it soon became a weekly thing for us. So like Twin Peaks this is one of the few shows I remember truly getting into when I was a kid.

Well last night Daniel and I along with a few friends decided to sit down and watch a few episodes. I will admit that it was not quite as good as I remember but it was entertaining especially when we started recognizing the special guests they cast during the season. We have not finished the season yet but so far we have seen both Brooke Shield and Jennifer Aniston. Then this morning when Miss. A was watching her Muppets who should be a special guest but a young 15 year old Brooke Shield. It is quite entertaining to see how these actors have changed over the years.

Sunday, August 05, 2007

new work

new work

I was inspired a few weeks ago to try some new fabric bibs and I truly enjoy how they are turning out. Miss. A's new found love for Etch A Sketch greatly influenced the sewing design of the gray hue bib. I am looking forward to experimenting more with monochromatic combinations of fabric. The size of these bibs are the same as the oilcloth covered ones but I see these as being used for younger children during the cute drooling stage.

It has truly felt wonderful sitting down in my room to sew and have my brain fill with new ideas. I hope to continue with this momentum and get a few things into the Shop by mid-month.

Sunday, July 29, 2007

Crossing the threshold



The more time I took away from blogging the harder it was for me to come back. The variables that have played into my absence are many, some excuses and others good distractions. I would love to say that I have been productive in my Studio and as a result there are amazing things I want to share but this is not the case. It seems that the amount of time I have spent away from blogging equals that of being away from my Studio. I am only just now getting warmed up to my sewing machines again.

I guess in part a lot of what kept me away was the ever-growing list of things that we were doing. It seemed that the more we did the less I wanted to write because there were so many things to write about. We have enjoyed an amazing summer of long dinners out on the patio, sandbox parties, hikes, camping, welcoming new friends back to town, welcoming a niece into the world, working, commuting and more.

A lot of what took up my time is the latter items on the list. For some reason I thought it would be a good idea to take on a small job at my Father-in-laws company. It was presented as a small project that would only take about 80hours with very a flexible work schedule. This sounded like a fun change of pace for me at the time. My sister was kind enough to take on the extra hours watching Miss. A and I took on the task of going back to work. In part it was fun being challenged in a new way and being back in a work place with other adults. Part of me did enjoy getting up early and into work at 6 just to get a good start on the day. The other part of me soon realized that 80 hours was not going to be enough to finish the job and I started working 3 10hour days a week for a month. The hours grew long and despite the fifteen minute commute into work the commute home killed me. After working for a good 10 hours I would hop in the car and drive (better yet crawl) along four different freeways to pick up Miss. A. This segment of the commute would tend to take 1.45hours and by the time I got home I was ready to crash. On the weekends we all just wanted to get out of the house and hike or spend time as a family. I literally could not cross the threshold into my studio for a good three weeks. It was like I had a mental barrier and could not over come it. On the weekends I would try to pick up on a project and give up before even getting into the room. For now my segment of the work project is finished and I am slowly getting back into sewing. I have ideas that I am hashing out on the sewing machine and it feels good to be at it again.

I hope that in writing this post it will help to push me back into blogging again. I truly missed being away not only from writing but also from reading. I look forward to catching up on others posts and hope to be writing more frequently now.

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

wrapped up



I have been finding some time in the studio recently to work and it feels good. My sister has been so generous as to watch Miss. A once a week and that has been a big blessing. Having a full day to work on projects makes all the difference. Currently I am wrapping up my work and getting to the end of a long and productive day. It is enjoyable to see that such times produce good results.

I am continuing to work with linen and gauze fabrics that are perfect for summer. It is funny that in the midst of making items for the shop and for others I often forget about myself. One of these times I will keep a scarf or two for myself.



Along with this work I have also been working on a bit of a strange request from my brother/sister-in-law. The request is for a sleeping/docking station for a Blackberry. This item is to be a birthday gift and I have found the appeal to be a fun challenge.



I am currently awaiting approval on color/design and will go from there. This is one of those projects I am looking forward to the end result because I want to see how my mental picture is going to be transformed into a reality. They are never quite the same are they?

Monday, June 11, 2007

slow movin'



Miss. A is now to the point where getting to a place is as much fun as the place we are going to. She loves walking around and exploring every little detail along the way. She smells each flower, talks of the water they need, and points out each manhole or fire hydrant and talks about the water that is in each one.



Last week Miss. A and I drove down to my hometown to visit family and friends. We were meeting some friends for dinner but were about twenty minutes early so I parked two blocks away. This was the perfect distance because despite my wondering what we would do to pass the time she showed me by exploring the whole two blocks.



This is such a wonderful age. Her vocabulary is growing each day so much so that it is hard to keep up. She will want to recap events from the day before and talk about who and what was there. I can tell that this summer is going to be filled with all sorts of wonderful walks and adventures that she will be more than willing to talk about if someone were to ask. I am learning to take it slow. Park farther away and enjoy the process of getting to our destinations.

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

outside vs. shop update



the sun is out and it is hard to get Miss. A inside for a nap or at the end of the day for that matter. she is in love with the sun, dirt, grass, water and anything that is outside. this afternoon i made the mistake of trying to transition straight from the car into the house for a nap. she insisted in playing for a little bit in the yard which in turn only made the inevitable nap that much harder. as she was going dow she was crying for 'outside' and then just fifteen minutes ago she was talking in her sleep about outside. i have a feeling that very few days are going to be spent indoors this summer.

that said my work will be trickling into the shop this week. i am quite excited about the new items i have been making and hope to continue exploring new fabrics and designs.



just this afternoon i was in my studio working with some new linen gauze. the light weight texture is wonderful for summer scarves and i love the way it falls when wrapped and layered.



i have also been working on a few new library+market totes.



in addition i will be adding patchwork bibs and burp rag sets.

but for the rest of today we will be enjoying the sun. oh yah and trying to not get burnt, poor Miss. A is subject a few burns in her life thanks to my fair skin. just yesterday we discovered her first few freckles. they are quite cute i will admit but we are taking no risks and making sure to lather her with sunscreen every few hours.

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

coffee is not so good...




...for your computer that is. But it is good for productivity. Yes that's right I spilled some coffee on my computer a few days ago. As a result the computer was out of commission as we tried to dry out the keyboard. Now some keys I can do without but the major ones that are required in passwords and the like are the ones that don't work. So instead of looking at flicker, reading emails, typing invoices or doing anything computer related for that matter I busied myself with work that truly needed to be done.



Recently there has been a rush in orders both from individuals and shops. This is wonderful but also means that I need to be very intentional with my time. The break was actually good and I have made some major headway with my 'to-do' list. Along with sewing for the orders I have added a few items to the workflow in order to put stuff in my sop throughout next week. I am planning on uploading a few items each day so check in during the week if you would like.




*computer status:: Keys still do not work but we have since plugged in another keyboard for now. I hope that it will dry out over time and if not off to AppleCare it goes.

Sunday, May 06, 2007

this+that



Time has flown and we are now heading into the second week of May. How did that happen? Well there has not been a dull moment around here and at least we have been productive. This past weekend we found ourselves going out on a friday evening to an opening. Now this is something we have not done in a long time and it was the first time we had actually bought a piece of work at a show. For quite some time Daniel has talked about how much he likes Matthew Feyld's work and so for part of his birthday gift I decided we better check his work our for ourselves. It was well worth it and we are now looking forward to picking up or piece at the end of the month.



On Saturday we enjoyed a quick visit from my mother in the morning and then Daniel and I were off to our annual Derby Day party. As always the show of hats were entertaining, the race was exhilarating and the company enjoyable. It is always fun to participate in something like that and as an added bonus we got to see the Queen this year. This was her first trip to see the Kentucky Derby.

Tomorrow I am looking forward to playing in the first soccer game of the season. The weather is expected to be in the mid 70's. Just what I need when I have not touched a soccer ball in over nine months. Both Daniel and I have played on the same team for the past four years and it is always a lot of fun playing on Monday nights. Unfortunately Daniel is out for the season due to a knee injury. So this time around he is the childcare which I guess is a good thing since Miss. A would not have done as well being in her pack-n-play the whole game like last year, I don't think she has missed a game yet. Actually she went to her first game when she was seven days old.

Thursday, April 26, 2007

change in weather



After a few days of rain we were thankful for the sun that came out today. It was truly a spring day and one to enjoy. Miss. A and I enjoyed some time playing in the park this morning only to return home to warmer weather and sun that would only duck behind the clouds momentarily. Miss. A did not even want to go inside the house but instead insisted on playing in the yard.



So in the yard we stayed playing and eating lunch. Daniel was even able to take a bit of time off from to join us outside.



The progression of the plants and flowers in the yard are exciting to watch. Since this is our first full year in the house we are captivated by the different plants and are always talking about what should stay/go, how to trim different trees, etc. We have just finally finished identifying the plants in our yard thanks to our local nursery. The even let us know the plants that were poisonous and may not be so good to have around with a little kid. As the weather warms up we are finding ourselves slowly waking up from hibernation. House projects that have been put off for months are being revisited or started. There is something about the changing of the season that has allowed us to be revived. This is going to be a wonderful spring.

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

a progressive update::


This week I will be updating my shop in stages. I am excited to get new items in the shop but I want to take my time with all of the processing and descriptions that need to be written. So check in throughout the week if you are interested. I am just finishing some more bibs that I am very excited about. They are patchwork with an oil-cloth and my stock was sold out at the last sale so I have been working on more. Those and many other items will be in the shop soon.

It was a lot of fun having Miss. A help out with modeling items. I agree with Martha that it is truly hard to get a little one to stay in one place for long. There was a lot of cajoling that went on but in the end everyone went away happy and she was quite the trooper.

In addition to working on shop stuff I have been making Miss. A some great summer bloomer pants. I have just made a prototype to far but she loves them. There are a few things that I am going to tweak about them but I am thinking they may be her new spring/summer wears.

Sunday, April 22, 2007

bloggaversery:: missed by 1.62days



So it has been a year since I started this blog, that is hard to believe. Over the past year so much has happened, I have grown so much as a individual. Little did I know that a year ago when I started this blog (all thanks to a great friend) I would have met so many amazing individuals all over the world. I love knowing that there is such a talented and supportive group of women even here in my own town. When I became pregnant with Miss. A it was quite unplanned despite four years of marriage [hence the title of the blog]. At the time I was quite involved in my job working in special education and was looking into applying to graduate school. Daniel was just getting started with his graphic design business and so we were just getting by. The idea of me staying at home was not in on our minds but it was hard to image going back to work after just a few months. Thanks to a wonderful supervisor who encouraged me to take a year leave of absence from my job I am now a full time SAHM. The funny thing is that I never imagined myself as one but then again I was still not imagining myself as a mother.

So thanks to the wonderful encouragement of the amazing people in my life. A year with my blog has encouraged, inspired, pushed and coerced me into the place I am today. Without this outlet I would not be working on running my own business, doing something I love and never had time for before. I would not be pushing myself each day to be the mother, friend and wife I know I should be. It is with a great "Thank You" that I continue this blog. I look forward to seeing what the next year brings.

Friday, April 20, 2007

light reading



So back at the end of March I picked up the wonderful Maritime Garden Guide. I felt inspired to work hard in the garden and get a raised bed set up. Actually that weekend we even started making a new compost bin in order to move the current one. The one we have now is taking up prime real estate in the sunniest part of the yard. The guide has been quite inspiring but between all the time consuming events since the end of march we have not made any further progress.



The plan for this weekend is to finish the compost bin just in time for Earth Day and get a bit more reading done with both the Maritime Guide and my first (three weeks old now) issue of Selvedge. I have read a few of the articles and am looking forward to the rest. I am also tempted by many of the books in their Bookshop issue as well. I can just see the bank account being depleted by the end of the weekend. But that actually may be due to the home repairs we are getting quotes on. Oh the fun of owning a home.

Thursday, April 19, 2007

she can do what...



So I guess my daughter is a contortionist but I would not have believe the news if it were not for the photo documentation. I was not around when the event took place but Daniel said it was unprovoked and he could not believe it so had to photograph for proof.

So about three weeks ago I found this amazing wooden toy house at a thrift store. The whole thing including a large lot of people/freniture only cost $20. I was shocked at the deal and had to buy it. Miss. A loves it and wants to play with it all the time. Well on the night in question I believe she got a bit to into playing with her people and decided she wanted to get into the house. Mind you this house is not that big but she found a way to join in the fun. Somehow she was able to get herself through the living room and out the front door.



Since this incident she has only done it one more time but this time I was there to witness and it scared me a bit as visions of us cutting the house apart to get her out were running through my head. It has been about a week since her last contorting adventure and I hope that maybe she has forgotten about it.