1. My parents left for Italy yesterday for a ten day trip. I know...I'm jealous too! Ten days in Italy must be magnificent. I'm so happy that they are getting to experience it together. I think my dad has gone before. As a former Air Force officer, he's been nearly everywhere. But it's a trip my mom has always dreamed of. I even remember her talking about it when I was a child. Early on in their married life, it was never an option. Heck, they didn't even get the chance to go while we were living nearby in Germany! You see, with an Air Force officer's salary, a stay-at-home wife, and five children, my dad couldn't exactly afford to fulfill that dream for my mother. They always chose us and our family over their own desires. But now he can. Thirty-and-a-half years after their wedding day, he can. I'm so happy for them! And it makes me realize that all of those "somedays" that Mark and I dream of might also eventually come true. For now we're happy to keep dreaming and keep choosing our boys instead. It sure would be magnificent, but we wouldn't trade it for these two little guys any day.
2. Once upon a time I wrote about a day when I had my Mommy "A" Game on. Meaning pretty much the perfect day of mommyhood. Monday was not one of those days. No, I certainly wouldn't give myself...or my children for that matter...an "A." It was more like an "F." Total failure. I won't even go into the full litany of shenanigans that took place. Just the first few hours will give you enough details to know that it was all down hill. The boys woke up unusually early. Like 5:50ish. I turned on this little Wheels on the Bus video that they're obsessed with, covered my entire body and head with a blanket and fell back asleep on the couch. Soon after, they decided they were ready for breakfast. I set them up at the table with their yogurt, bananas, and milk. I escaped for two minutes to use the restroom only to have Kolbe pop up outside the bathroom door with a message: "Mama!!! Rudy spilled his yogurt!" Great, I thought, imagining his yogurt spilled all over the table. Returning to the kitchen, my fears were far beyond realized. A small, small portion was spilled on the table. The rest he had dumped in to his lap. Grinning from ear to ear, he looked up at me with his little doe eyes as he did his best to rub it in from his ankles to his waist. Lovely. Just lovely! I thought. I grabbed him from behind and carried him straight to the tub. I started rinsing him, clothes and all, quickly stripping off each piece as I went. Then came the diaper. Wouldn't you know it, that thing was full of good ol' numero dos. Straight into the tub. And the rest jammed between his fat little butt cheeks. I rolled my eyes at the fact that I would now be cleaning the bath tub too. Forty-five or so minutes later we were all cleaned up and in one piece, ready to leave for our first music class of the fall "semester." We arrived at the community center just in time to find out that classes didn't start until next week. And of course Kolbe was not willing to understand. He was bound and determined to see Miss Kris and devastated that it was an impossibility. See. I told you the first few hours of the day would be plenty enough to get the point across. Just imagine the same thing over and over for the rest of the day. Thank God it was only twenty-four hours.
3. I've been consigning some of the boy's old stuff or stuff we have duplicates of at a little consignment shop here in town for the past year or so, but prior to last Friday, I had never been to an consignment "event." You know, like the ones you see on TV where it's just for one weekend and a ba-jillion people show up and race to get the item of their dreams before someone else does. This one was kind of like that. I went with my friend Melanie and yes, there were people waiting outside, but not thousands or anything. And no, the selection wasn't insanely good, but I must admit that there was a lot of cool stuff there. And sure enough, I went with just one item on my search-and-find list and left with quite a few more than that. But still managed to stay under $20. I can totally see why some people get hooked on going to those things. I definitely think I'll go again in the spring when it comes back around. Why not? I'm always up for a good deal!
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
What I Wore Wednesday
Give me a second...
I'm nervous!
Yes, this is my first time to participate in something I've been following for quite some time. The author of a favorite blog of mine, Lindsay at the Pleated Poppy, has been doing a weekly posted called "What I Wore Wednesday" for quite some time now. It's kind of like an effort to...well, you know, make an effort in what you wear. And accountability of sorts. Not only with other participants but heck, with the camera as well. I've been meaning to participate, and even Mark has encouraged me to do so, but I've just never gotten around to actually leaving the camera out and available every morning for photo ops.
I also think it's partially a mind game. People are going to think I'm vain! Like I'm saying that my style is to be emulated, or something! That couldn't be farther from the truth. In fact, I think my style is far worse now than in my yester-years. I've digressed. But that's part of the whole challenge! To actually make an effort to be presentable. For my husband. For others. For my kids. For myself.
And hey, I'm banking on these photos being pretty laughable in years to come too. What great fodder for the kids to look at twenty-five years from now! ...Can you believe mom wore/ looked like/ went out in public like that!?! Hey, just trying to archive a little piece of the life that is mine here in 2010.
So without further adieu....
I'm nervous!
Yes, this is my first time to participate in something I've been following for quite some time. The author of a favorite blog of mine, Lindsay at the Pleated Poppy, has been doing a weekly posted called "What I Wore Wednesday" for quite some time now. It's kind of like an effort to...well, you know, make an effort in what you wear. And accountability of sorts. Not only with other participants but heck, with the camera as well. I've been meaning to participate, and even Mark has encouraged me to do so, but I've just never gotten around to actually leaving the camera out and available every morning for photo ops.
I also think it's partially a mind game. People are going to think I'm vain! Like I'm saying that my style is to be emulated, or something! That couldn't be farther from the truth. In fact, I think my style is far worse now than in my yester-years. I've digressed. But that's part of the whole challenge! To actually make an effort to be presentable. For my husband. For others. For my kids. For myself.
And hey, I'm banking on these photos being pretty laughable in years to come too. What great fodder for the kids to look at twenty-five years from now! ...Can you believe mom wore/ looked like/ went out in public like that!?! Hey, just trying to archive a little piece of the life that is mine here in 2010.
So without further adieu....
Thursday:
(just my average day being mom...library for story time, errands, etc.)
magenta tank: old navy
white top: Target clearance ($2.00)
jeans: Target
The shoes missed the pic but I just had to add them cause they're cuties...SteinMart
Friday:
(around the house, grocery store, dinner at my brother's)
white tank: Walmart
black boyfriend cardigan: Old Navy
jeans: SteinMart
sandals: Target
necklace: Old Navy clearance
(I would consider this outfit an ultimate sampler of the places I buy almost all of my clothes. Sad, I know.)
Saturday:
(hanging with family most of the day...that outfit not pictured...and then my cousin's thirtieth birthday party)
top: Old Navy clearance
jeans: SteinMart...their NineWest and are the best fit ever. I have two pair.
sandals: SteinMart
Sunday:
(church, hanging at home, dinner with the in-laws)
tank: Kohls
dress: Target clearance ($5!)
leggings: (I got cold at the last minute) Walmart
cropped jean jacket: Old Navy
sandals: SteinMart
necklace: ???
Monday:
(music class...that was cancelled, errands, library)
I'm pretty sure this is the look I'm supposed to be avoiding!!!
t-shirt: Old Navy
capris: ???
jacket: Target clearance
flip flops: American Eagle
Tuesday:
(around the house, annual "female" appointment, cousin's house, family time)
Apparently I thought fixing my hair and make-up would make the gown-that-closes-in-the-front a little less demoralizing...
tank: Kohls
mini-cardigan: Old Navy
jeans: SteinMart (the other pair...)
flip flops: American Eagle
necklace: a beach shop somewhere along Pensacola Beach circa 1998
Monday, September 27, 2010
Sewing Room
At the fabric store a day or two ago a woman caught me looking at some lovely fabric and asked if I had ever used it before.
"No. Not yet. It's a bit out of my budget," I replied. "Have you?"
"Yes, actually. I used it to make the curtains in my sewing room. I love it."
"I do too! It's really pretty. You must love being in your sewing room."
"I do. But don't we all! Do you have a sewing room?"
I paused for a moment and probably flushed a bright shade of red. Wanting to defend my humble little dwelling, I simply replied with:
"No, not quite. But I've got room to sew."
Now it was her turn to blush a bit. "Well I guess that's all you need," she said with a smile and casually walked off.
No, I definitely don't have a sewing room in my house. Just a jack-of-all trades room that serves as a guest room, office, and sewing storage for me. I don't actually sew in there. There's no table where I could make that happen. All the sewing takes place in the kitchen...which is why it only takes place during nap time or after the kids have done to bed. Yes, it's annoying to have to set up and take down each day, but we're in the put up and shut up phase of life and I have no room to complain. Maybe someday I'll have that dream playroom I've imagined where I can corner off some space for permanent placement of my things. And maybe not. Only time will tell. But you know what? I have a feeling that I'm not alone in this. While there are certainly some very blessed women out there, such as the owner of this:
I'd say that most of us who like to sew, or scrapbook, or read, or... probably get along just fine without an entire space dedicated to our hobby. I mean, really...how many of you out there have a library in your home!?! So I thought instead of sharing my "sewing room" with you, I'd show you my "room to sew."
"No. Not yet. It's a bit out of my budget," I replied. "Have you?"
"Yes, actually. I used it to make the curtains in my sewing room. I love it."
"I do too! It's really pretty. You must love being in your sewing room."
"I do. But don't we all! Do you have a sewing room?"
I paused for a moment and probably flushed a bright shade of red. Wanting to defend my humble little dwelling, I simply replied with:
"No, not quite. But I've got room to sew."
Now it was her turn to blush a bit. "Well I guess that's all you need," she said with a smile and casually walked off.
No, I definitely don't have a sewing room in my house. Just a jack-of-all trades room that serves as a guest room, office, and sewing storage for me. I don't actually sew in there. There's no table where I could make that happen. All the sewing takes place in the kitchen...which is why it only takes place during nap time or after the kids have done to bed. Yes, it's annoying to have to set up and take down each day, but we're in the put up and shut up phase of life and I have no room to complain. Maybe someday I'll have that dream playroom I've imagined where I can corner off some space for permanent placement of my things. And maybe not. Only time will tell. But you know what? I have a feeling that I'm not alone in this. While there are certainly some very blessed women out there, such as the owner of this:
or this:
I'd say that most of us who like to sew, or scrapbook, or read, or... probably get along just fine without an entire space dedicated to our hobby. I mean, really...how many of you out there have a library in your home!?! So I thought instead of sharing my "sewing room" with you, I'd show you my "room to sew."
This is how I roll. Literally. This is my sewing cart. A random hand-me-down printer cart from my uncle. She lives in the guest/office/storage room, just inside the door. She gets rolled out to the kitchen each day that I sew. The machine stacked on top, thread just beneath, and works-in-progress on the bottom rack.
Across from her stands the guest bed/work station. Shamefully, it usually looks like this whenever it's not housing a guest. I know it annoys Mark to know end, but hey, no one else sees it! I realize it looks like a total mess...complete with confiscated Buzz Lightyear that was being mis-used....but I know where everything is and why it's there so I'm happy. Organized chaos.
Once the babes are resting, my cart makes the trek with me down the hall to the kitchen table. Where all my goodies spend an hour or two looking like this. Sewing cart: check. Machine set up: check. Large: Sonic drink: check (rare...just on lucky days!) Cell phone: check (you know...just in case the slight possibility of someone calling might occur)
I must admit that guest/office/storage room does live up to the last part of it's name in a great way. It has an expansive walk-in closet that houses my ever expanding storage of fabric, among other things. I know. I know. This also looks ridiculous. But really! Most of this yardage I got great deals on! Ok...ALL of it!
Monday, September 20, 2010
A Favorite Sewing Achievement
I think every sewist has certain pinnacles that he or she hopes to reach. For some, it might be designing and creating her very own garment. For others it may be as simple as putting in a zipper well.
Some prefer to sew clothing. Others prefer to quilt. Still more prefer to create other items for the home. Or costumes! To each, his own.
My mother has always been primarily a garment maker. She made many of my childhood dresses and ensembles. And even a few of my prom and formal dresses. Not to mention my gorgeous gown for homecoming court my senior year of high school. (Lets just say that in Mississippi, circa 1999, wedding dresses were appropriate for such an occasion.) However, I know of another sewist who makes the most beautiful quilts in the world. Intricate and detailed, they are the envy of any family home. But she doesn't do garments.
I, for some reason, have been unable to pin down exactly which sewing field I prefer. At first, I dabbled in simple sewing. You know, straight lines and the sort. Then I really started to push myself and endeavored into garments. Both for myself as well as the teeny tiny people of this world. My first being an Aladdin costume for my son. But I couldn't stop there. I had to try bags. Purses. Curtains. Backpacks. Accessosries! Leave no rock un-climbed!
But still, there was the ever elusive quilt.
Surely it couldn't be that hard. After all, it's just a bunch of straight lines, right? Technically, yes. It's just the time it requires to make it. And the details. And make sure it's all lined up. Precisely. And...and...and...
But I did it! And it's the crowning achievement of my sewing life thus far. And I did it for two of my favorite people.
My boys.
I followed a wonderful online tutorial found at Obsessively Stitching. Honestly, without Care's step-by-step instructions, I don't think I would have ever managed! And her I-spy obsession and swap opportunities were perfect for me, as I was hoping to make something functional for more than just keeping the little ones warm. Playing I-spy with the eighty-eight different novelty squares is so much fun!
Some prefer to sew clothing. Others prefer to quilt. Still more prefer to create other items for the home. Or costumes! To each, his own.
My mother has always been primarily a garment maker. She made many of my childhood dresses and ensembles. And even a few of my prom and formal dresses. Not to mention my gorgeous gown for homecoming court my senior year of high school. (Lets just say that in Mississippi, circa 1999, wedding dresses were appropriate for such an occasion.) However, I know of another sewist who makes the most beautiful quilts in the world. Intricate and detailed, they are the envy of any family home. But she doesn't do garments.
I, for some reason, have been unable to pin down exactly which sewing field I prefer. At first, I dabbled in simple sewing. You know, straight lines and the sort. Then I really started to push myself and endeavored into garments. Both for myself as well as the teeny tiny people of this world. My first being an Aladdin costume for my son. But I couldn't stop there. I had to try bags. Purses. Curtains. Backpacks. Accessosries! Leave no rock un-climbed!
But still, there was the ever elusive quilt.
Surely it couldn't be that hard. After all, it's just a bunch of straight lines, right? Technically, yes. It's just the time it requires to make it. And the details. And make sure it's all lined up. Precisely. And...and...and...
But I did it! And it's the crowning achievement of my sewing life thus far. And I did it for two of my favorite people.
My boys.
I followed a wonderful online tutorial found at Obsessively Stitching. Honestly, without Care's step-by-step instructions, I don't think I would have ever managed! And her I-spy obsession and swap opportunities were perfect for me, as I was hoping to make something functional for more than just keeping the little ones warm. Playing I-spy with the eighty-eight different novelty squares is so much fun!
Thursday, September 16, 2010
What's in a Name?
Obviously the name of this blog stems from the name of my etsy shop. No mystery there. But where did the name of the etsy shop come from? Well, as a stay-at-home mom, of course the boys are the center of my every day existence. They're my job, after all. I think about them constantly and love them fiercely.
Once upon a time, when Rudy was more of a baby than he is now, say six months or so, I had this conversation with Kolbe:
Me: Rudy is the baby, huh, Kolbs.
Kolbe: Yeah.
Me: Are you the baby?
Kolbe: No, me's not the baby. RuRu the baby.
Me: Well if Rudy is the baby, then what are you?
Kolbe: RuRu the baby, me's the sweetheart.
I guess after years of calling him my sweetheart, it finally stuck. Thus the first part of the name. The second part came about in a similar way. Ever since Kolbe was born I've been a big singer of "You Are My Sunshine." It's my favorite. And the boys love it too. I suppose after hearing it roughly a million times, Kolbe picked up on it too:
Me: Goodnight, my sweetheart.
Kolbe: No, me not sweetheart. Me's sunshines.
Me: You're not my sweetheart anymore!?!
Kolbe: No, me's sunshines.
Me: Well who is going to be my sweetheart then???
Kolbe: RuRu sweetheart. Me sunshines.
Now, between the two, the names can be used interchangeably. Some days Kolbe wants to be the sweetheart. Others he prefers to be the sunshine. Rudy doesn't know to argue for a title yet, but I'm sure he will some day.
So there you have it. Sweetheart and Sunshine. My two little boys. And a perfectly fitting name for my shop and blog. 'Cause really, the only time I get to work on either is when they're napping or asleep at night...all the while, still thinking of them and the little family God has blessed me with.
Once upon a time, when Rudy was more of a baby than he is now, say six months or so, I had this conversation with Kolbe:
Me: Rudy is the baby, huh, Kolbs.
Kolbe: Yeah.
Me: Are you the baby?
Kolbe: No, me's not the baby. RuRu the baby.
Me: Well if Rudy is the baby, then what are you?
Kolbe: RuRu the baby, me's the sweetheart.
I guess after years of calling him my sweetheart, it finally stuck. Thus the first part of the name. The second part came about in a similar way. Ever since Kolbe was born I've been a big singer of "You Are My Sunshine." It's my favorite. And the boys love it too. I suppose after hearing it roughly a million times, Kolbe picked up on it too:
Me: Goodnight, my sweetheart.
Kolbe: No, me not sweetheart. Me's sunshines.
Me: You're not my sweetheart anymore!?!
Kolbe: No, me's sunshines.
Me: Well who is going to be my sweetheart then???
Kolbe: RuRu sweetheart. Me sunshines.
Now, between the two, the names can be used interchangeably. Some days Kolbe wants to be the sweetheart. Others he prefers to be the sunshine. Rudy doesn't know to argue for a title yet, but I'm sure he will some day.
So there you have it. Sweetheart and Sunshine. My two little boys. And a perfectly fitting name for my shop and blog. 'Cause really, the only time I get to work on either is when they're napping or asleep at night...all the while, still thinking of them and the little family God has blessed me with.
Friday, September 10, 2010
Welcome, Welcome!
So I've finally decided to bite the bullet.
I have another blog.
A kind of crafty, kind of thrifty, kind of foody, kind of home-y, kind of journal-ish new blog all rolled in to one. Yes, for a while now I've had not just one, but two other blogs. A family one and one where I spill my guts about my life as a stay-at-home mom. Just ramblings, you know. And I'll be honest. I have read and followed craft and food blogs for quite some time but have always sort of turned up my nose at the whole idea of running one. I thought, really, who has the time to come up with all these ideas, make the item, create the tutorial, blah-de-blah-de-blah.
But here I am. Deciding to start yet another new blog. This time designed to where I can incorporate not just my family, not just my love of writing, but my loves of home-making, parenting, sewing, crafting, decorating, educating, cooking, and more. Our family blog is just for family. Like a timeline. Something we'll be able to look back on years and years from now and smile at the memories with misty eyes. And my other blog... my hopes are to shut it down and incorporate it into this one before too long. Really. No one needs three blogs.
Why make the switch? And why now? Well a while back, say around the beginning of July, I decided to start a little shop on etsy.com. Etsy is essentially a marketplace for handmade goods. Check it out sometime. Seriously. They have everything. You see, I love to sew. Love, love, love it. But don't have the money to do it completely for myself or our family all the time. So I figured if I started up a little shop featuring some of my favorite things to sew, I'd never run out of sewing projects and would always have an excuse not to mop the floor during nap time. Oh, and possibly make a buck or two while I'm at it. So far things have gone really well. It's fun and exciting and I look forward to all the fun that a tiny little business entails.
But back to the whole blog thing. I've noticed that a good portion of the online shops on etsy provide a link to the maker's blog. And I'll be the first to admit that I too love to go check out their blogs and meet the person behind the product. For us stay-at-home moms, its often our only connection to other adults! So here we are. A new blog. I didn't want to share our family one with the whole world and figured I better have one with the same name as the shop instead of the random name of my little writing blog. I don't ever intend for this site to become a tutorial site, a technique site, or anything close. Really, I don't think I'm good enough at anything to be able to "teach" someone else how to do it. And I don't want to create anything that's going to take more of my time than my two existing blogs do...which is minimal. Mainly I'll just continue to write about the life of stay-at-home mom in addition to featuring some of my favorite sewing projects, information about the shop, recipes I've tried and love, fun parenting/educating ideas and more. Sort of like passing along the great things I encounter in my great life. Sound good? Here we go!
I have another blog.
A kind of crafty, kind of thrifty, kind of foody, kind of home-y, kind of journal-ish new blog all rolled in to one. Yes, for a while now I've had not just one, but two other blogs. A family one and one where I spill my guts about my life as a stay-at-home mom. Just ramblings, you know. And I'll be honest. I have read and followed craft and food blogs for quite some time but have always sort of turned up my nose at the whole idea of running one. I thought, really, who has the time to come up with all these ideas, make the item, create the tutorial, blah-de-blah-de-blah.
But here I am. Deciding to start yet another new blog. This time designed to where I can incorporate not just my family, not just my love of writing, but my loves of home-making, parenting, sewing, crafting, decorating, educating, cooking, and more. Our family blog is just for family. Like a timeline. Something we'll be able to look back on years and years from now and smile at the memories with misty eyes. And my other blog... my hopes are to shut it down and incorporate it into this one before too long. Really. No one needs three blogs.
Why make the switch? And why now? Well a while back, say around the beginning of July, I decided to start a little shop on etsy.com. Etsy is essentially a marketplace for handmade goods. Check it out sometime. Seriously. They have everything. You see, I love to sew. Love, love, love it. But don't have the money to do it completely for myself or our family all the time. So I figured if I started up a little shop featuring some of my favorite things to sew, I'd never run out of sewing projects and would always have an excuse not to mop the floor during nap time. Oh, and possibly make a buck or two while I'm at it. So far things have gone really well. It's fun and exciting and I look forward to all the fun that a tiny little business entails.
But back to the whole blog thing. I've noticed that a good portion of the online shops on etsy provide a link to the maker's blog. And I'll be the first to admit that I too love to go check out their blogs and meet the person behind the product. For us stay-at-home moms, its often our only connection to other adults! So here we are. A new blog. I didn't want to share our family one with the whole world and figured I better have one with the same name as the shop instead of the random name of my little writing blog. I don't ever intend for this site to become a tutorial site, a technique site, or anything close. Really, I don't think I'm good enough at anything to be able to "teach" someone else how to do it. And I don't want to create anything that's going to take more of my time than my two existing blogs do...which is minimal. Mainly I'll just continue to write about the life of stay-at-home mom in addition to featuring some of my favorite sewing projects, information about the shop, recipes I've tried and love, fun parenting/educating ideas and more. Sort of like passing along the great things I encounter in my great life. Sound good? Here we go!
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