In. Love. Seriously.

I am in love. Madly, ridiculously, giddy in love. You'd think I was talking about a guy... you know... my husband or something. But no.. not today. I love Meadowsweet. Sandy Henderson has done it again.... Do you see that yummy brown? with that green? I have never loved orange more in my life..

I mean... seriously... do you see that color? I NEED a quilt in this. Need. I know... it's not a food type need... or an air type need. But it's close. And I won't be able to get one bit until December. Maybe that's the universe telling me to start saving NOW. Mom, if you read this. This is what I want for Christmas. :)

Uh oh

So... suddenly I don't want to sew any purses, or lanyards, or anything I've ever made. All I want to do is make more mixed media pieces, lol. I might have a problem! ;) Nonetheless... I posted some up on Etsy last night... then made 9 more. :)

So now I'm deciding on what to make next...I can only make so many birds and trees, right? So help me decide what to do next. Owls? Houses? Any "boy ideas"? I made one car tonight... then got stuck. Any ideas/requests would be very appreciated!

On another note...my son is hilarious. The other day I was trying to think of a word, and he jokingly said 'nolly' in the place of the word I was trying to think of. So I asked him what a nolly is... and he proceeded, without skipping a beat, to explain what a nolly was. And I mean, there wasn't even a milisecond of delay before he answered. He had me wondering if I needed to go home and google this term I'd never heard... then at the end of his explanation... as though it was part of the explanation... he said "But that's not really true.. I made it all up." OMG! SERIOUSLY? He totally had me fooled. Then did it again two days later with something else, lol. I am in TROUBLE when he hits high school, lol... maybe earlier...

I was feeling creative...

About a year ago, I made Haley this painting for her room...

Since then, I've been trying to find a way to do some artwork to hang on the wall that wasn't on a canvas. I love the canvas, but it is both fragile and expensive. I wanted to be able to offer it to my customers at shows... and hauling canvas around just seemed like a bad, and expensive idea, lol. So then I started thinking about using pieces of wood... but the sanding and priming just made it seem more like work, and less like creating. And then a light bulb moment happened. HELLO?? Why don't I do something like my family tree... only a little more whimsical?

And my mixed media line was born...

I thought those two looked great as a pair. :)
There are some pieces that I LOVE, and some I think are cute but not amazing. I have to remind myself that sometimes the ones I am critical of, might be someone else's favorite piece! For example, at market on Sunday, when they made thier debut... the first piece that was purchased... was the one that I was nervous about, lol....

See the beak? On the baby bird... it's just...well... WONKY! lol I think on some of the others, I was trying to make it skewed... so when I didn't MEAN to... it seemed like a mistake. And yet... she sold first... :)

Sometimes it's hard to remind myself that personally... when I am shopping, I actually love the 'imperfect' pieces. I think maybe it is because they are more human somehow? Less mass produced... more loved. But I tend to forget that when I am creating, and tend to be more critical. What about you? Do you love the imperfect?

I heart school supplies

I big fluffy, pink, fru-fru heart school supplies. It is an unhealthy obsession. When I start to see school supplies appear at Target... my heart starts to flutter. This year I told Haley she could pick whatever folders she wanted. I wanted her to be able to enjoy the task that I looked forward to every year. Spread the joy. She looked at me and asked me to pick them out. Wow. Seriously? Apparently she doesn't share my joy, lol. So I turned to Davis. His super organized personality must call out for school supplies, right? (Last year at the school Open House I picked up an eraser in his desk to admire it, and was scolded for returning it 2 inches from its original location, lol). Alas, he wanted the most simple notebooks he could find. I was to choose the rest. Now don't get me wrong. I was honored to be chosen for such a task. I just can't understand their lack of enthusiasm to join me. :) Is anyone else with me on this? :)

So anyway, I got the kiddos their supplies. I packed thier bags. I filled Haley's beautiful pink Trapper Keeper. Yes, they DO still call them that, thank you very much! :) I was in heaven. And then they went to school.... and took all of the new boxes of crayons and pencils with them. Boy, I love new crayons. Sharp, pointy, beautiful crayons. Oh, sorry, where was I? ;)

The second night, Davis had homework and needed a pencil. No problem! I have boxes stashed away. :) And so he went and used the powered pencil sharpener Haley had brought home from school a while ago. (I have no idea why one would get rid of such a device, but Haley somehow snagged one from a teacher). I had forgotten about it. It is such a wonderful little thing. It sharpens the pencil to a perfect point... and there is not evidence! No icky little shavings. It is like a gift from the school supplies gods. And so I started to sharpen one pencil. And then I thought... why not fill the container with new pens and sharp pencils for when the kids do homework?

And I sharpened so many, that it started to moan at me. It stopped turning. It needed a rest. And that's when I realized that I had a problem. I need an intervention, lol.

Garfield Park Craft Show

Last week Tuesday, my friend Sarah called and wondered if I wanted to do this craft show with her on Saturday. We had talked about doing it... then decided not to...but kept going back to it. So what the heck, right? "Oh wait, I have nothing made." I hadn't sewn any new items for my shop in weeks. Like, over a month, weeks, lol. So she told me to get sewing... and she sent in the app.

Just so we are clear, that was the first day of school. Yeah. So I sewed that night... and the next day. Then I had market on Thursday... and sewed that night. Friday was spent sewing as well... surprise surprise. But for my efforts, I managed to make 38 purses/totes, 21 lanyards, 25 key fobs, 85 tissue cozies, and 20 dog collars. Phew.

And I had one stocked booth...

And boy did we luck out. The person in charge of the show had put us in the wrong booth that morning, and we had to move, leaving only about an hour to set up (not so lucky). But the spot next to us in our new location was empty... and she let us expand! WOOT!

My friend Sarah, also known as "The Hippie Chick", makes candles, hand forged jewelry (she forms all of the pieces herself!!) and journals out of reclaimed books. Love her!

In this picture you can see the amazing journals that her hubby creates. He takes books that are damaged (written in, missing pages, etc.) and takes the binding off... inserts blank, recycled paper, and creates the journal with the book top and back.

Overall it was a fun day! There wasn't as much traffic as last year... but still a great day. Sarah and I had a blast. :)

School is IN!

Summer was both super short, and super long this year. I know, it doesn't make sense! But that's how I feel. :)

The weeks leading up to the first day of school, I thought I had my kids figured out. When I asked them if they were ready for the first day, or if they were getting excited, they would both reply that they weren't exactly excited, lol. They were both looking forward to seeing friends, but not enough to be excited about homework!

But secretly.... I thought that Haley was nervous, and that Davis was secretly looking forward to it, but didn't want to admit it. Boy was I wrong! The first day of school, Haley was one cool cucumber... and Davis was nervous.

I like to drop the kiddos off the first day instead of letting them take the bus, because I like to get the picture in front of the sign. I told myself years ago that I would only do it until 6th grade (this is my last one with Haley, *tear*) and that I would bring them early enough that it wasn't embarrassing, lol.

So we got there, took pics and Haley offered to show Davis which door he was supposed to line up at. He shook his head, and gave me a look. Then he asked me to stay. No problem! (Phew, my kids are not embarrassed of me yet, and they want me around!) So I walked him over, and asked him what he was nervous about. He had no idea. :) That's my kid. :) Anything new is scary. I feel the same way. Change is hard. But then friends started coming up and saying hello... excited to see him, and things got better. And he smiled. :) And when I picked them up that afternoon, both were all smiles, and loved their teachers. SCORE! :)

Here Davis is before school, sporting the sign that I made when Haley started Preschool. That was seven years ago. Sigh.

He's still feeling pretty good at this point. He's cool. He can handle it. :)

And then Haley's turn. I need to find the picture of her when she was going to preschool and scan it. Seriously. I need you to share my anxiety over the difference, lol.

At this time I would like you to note that both Haley's fingernails and toenails are painted an awesome sparkly pink. :)

And now you can see Haley at school... cool as a cucumber and wondering why I am still taking pictures....

And Davis. Poor guy. This is what he looks like when he is STRESSED. You might not be able to see it, but I can, lol.

And yet, he lived through it. :) He loves his teacher.... and the kid he shares his locker with. And was all smiles all week.

And get this... Haley has had her homework done before getting home every night. They have free choice time and she has been doing her homework then... with spare time to read at the end. HIGH FIVES ALL AROUND. This has never happened. Seriously. This girl has spent 5 hours doing 15 minutes of homework before. Can I get an AMEN?

Matt's Birthday

Somehow, in my family, we have managed to 'lump' birthdays, lol. Matt and Grandma are right next to each other, Amy and Nana, Tom and Lauren, Davis and Steven. Well... that means that 1 week after my mom's party, we got together for Matt's (my nephew).

This kid has a giggle like no other. It is contagious. You can't HELP but giggle with him! He LOVES anything Spongebob, and also wanted a Jack in the Box. Aunt Suzy, as usual, DELIVERED! :)

How about that smile? I mean, really... you are smiling right, aren't you? ;)

My beautiful sissy carrying out the cake, with 5 candles!

Lauren and Haley being girly. :) I love that as they get older, they have more in common. :)

More spongebob...

And here we have Davis. This is what he looked like most of the night. Uncle Tom wondered what was wrong. Why is Davis so quiet? Well... he is coveting Matthew's gift, Tom, lol. I was very proud of him... he never said a word. Never even asked to open it. Spongebob Legos. I mean, if that isn't THE gift for Davis, there isn't one, lol. :) And he just stayed quiet and STUDIED that box.

So it's a kind of a good thing he had that tooth problem. Because when you have to have the teeth removed via a dentist, the Tooth Fairy feels bad for you... and gives you a little bonus. He got $10!! And so I caved, and we went and bought it... and he did odd jobs for me around the house to earn the other $10. Yeah, I know. I'm weak.

I was right, and he was wrong...

Davis admits it. I was right, and he was wrong. All of those times when I said he needed to brush his teeth, or brush his teeth AGAIN, or brush them BETTER... well... I was right.

Want to know what happens when you have inherited your mother's bad teeth? (Haley lucked out and inherited Ross'). Even when you brush every day... you get cavities. Then, when your parents done have insurance and put off your cleanings... well... then they get worse. And you have to have two teeth pulled. :( And you look like this...

I know. I felt BAD. Like a failure as a parent. I cried. But even the dentist said that I was NOT alone... and then he turned to DAVIS and told him to brush. Phew. But I still felt guilt. Our dentist couldn't set the time aside to pull them that day... so we were on a waiting list. Then I finally found a place that would accept Medicaid (the kids are on medicaid while my husband is out of work) and could get him in. So we went, and they were able to pull it that day. WOOT! They were fantastic, and he was a trooper. There was a 4 year old girl next door that was screaming the entire time we waited. It was brutal. Someone came in 3 times to see if he was okay listening to it. As long as I kept his mind busy, he was great. See? My chatty nature comes in handy sometimes! Then it was our turn, and he wanted to hold my hand the whole time, and I needed to "man up" and act like it was no big deal. Um, I had to WATCH THEM YANK THE TEETH. I am not one who passes out. I hate needles... A LOT... but I can handle it. I'm just not happy about it. This was the first time I can remember feeling nervous that I might lose it.

The dentist told him to wiggle his fingers and close his eyes. They pulled the first one... and he said, "Wait, you already took it out? That didn't hurt." So brave. Then it was time for the bad one. The one that had made his face swollen with infection. (Okay, I'll admit that I am feeling parent guilt, just writing that, so please don't scold me, I won't be able to take it!) And it hurt. And he was crying, and they were having a bit of trouble getting it out. And I'm trying to say "Wiggle you fingers and Close your Eyes" and it comes out "wiggle your eyes... no, wiggle your... pause....um, fingers, yeah, um, close your eyes". This is me, trying not freak out while they rip out his tooth. He squealed, but did SO WELL. In the end, I think he handled it mentally better than I did.

They told us that in a half hour he should have ice cream. Somehow Frosty Treat always makes it better. :)

Making up lost posts....

So lately I've had a lot of posts going around in my head, and no time to write them. :( So tonight I am turning away those trying to chat with me on Facebook (ahem, you know who you are, lol) and writing some posts! So the next few days will be make up days... and you may notice that these things happened last week, or the week before. Bear with me. :)

A few weeks ago, my mom turned 59. Not a significant number, but a great party none the less. :) My sister Amy had everyone over to celebrate. (BTW, I got my mom the COOLEST birdhouse made from an old book... do you think I got a picture of it? :( Of course not.)

My sister Susan was in charge of dessert. She got a little carried away. :) She made a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, but then made cupcakes that were white cake (since neither of the younger girls really like chocolate) and then made a pecan upside down cake for my mom. WOW. So that means everyone gets extra dessert right? Well.. that's Aunt Amy's idea, lol. If you know my sister Amy at all... you know that her house is the house my kids go to for a TREAT. So when Davis didn't want to try the pecan concoction, Amy told him he could have two cupcakes. Then she tried to get me to let him have a third. They love Aunt Amy. :)

So the boys had cupcakes made my Aunt Susan...

And the girls played with silly dress up clothes...

And Grandma was silly too...

And the cousins had a great time. :)

Wow

School starts tomorrow. Boy, that was a quick summer. We don't usually DO much during the summer, just lazy days around the pool. But this year we had markets 2 days a week... so it felt like we were always racing somewhere. I'm both excited and sad that it's over. The kids going back to school means that I will soon be finding a 'real job', perhaps full time. I've always wanted to stay home with them, be here when they got home from school, etc. This should be an interesting challenge. ;) On the other hand, I'm excited to see them go back to school, and know that the schedule always improves their mood..whether they would admit it or not. :) A schedule is good for me, too. I joined a gym a week ago and haven't gone yet, because I hadn't 'set a time'. Well, tomorrow after I drop the kiddos off to school, I am heading straight there. Pray for me, lol.

Tomorrow Haley starts 6th grade, and Davis starts 3rd. They are getting so big. :) This is Haley's last year in elementary school and I am determined to take note of as much as I can. I know that next year will be an even bigger adjustment than this year. :)

Birthday Girls

A couple of weeks ago I had the honor of going to a birthday party for two wonderful little girls. Their mom is my best friend. :) And she rocks. No, really, she does. She doesn't even read my blog, so I'm not just sucking up, lol. Anyway, these girls are close to my heart, I love them like they are my own. Truly. And one's birthday is close to the 4th of July, and one's is close to Labor Day... tough weekends for birthday parties. So Kerri (mom) decided to do a combined party right between the two...

She had everything. There were games. There was a clown.

There was face painting. (That was my job... the kids didn't even care that I can't paint, lol)

The theme was a Carnival... it was amazing. They even had a bounce house!! Of course, Mom and Aunt Jayna had to try it out! Two gorgeous sisters. :)

And according to my kids they have the coolest swingset ever! lol

Birthday girl number one (who requested her artwork to be her new age)...

Birthday girl number 2 (who of course had to be like her big sister)...

And the big brother who kind of cheated and requested a six... even though his birthday isn't until November. ;)

And here are the birthday girls with their Grandpa, blowing out the candles on the cake... and the shirts I made them for the party. :) Alexandra's says "2" and Olivia's says "4". I'm thinking come November I'm going to be making one that says "6" for Thomas. ;)

Cousins

Every year for my mother in law's birthday I take pictures of her 3 grandkids. She loves having them all together in one shot. :) This year I was a little late... but still got them done. ;)

This one's my favorite. :)

I like this one too... just wish I had done a better job paying attention to lighting. :)

My son looks far too old in this picture. :( I have a feeling one day I'll look at his senior picture and remember this picture. ;)