Saturday, April 30, 2011

This Guy

Who's got two thumbs and loves the park?This Guy.

Enjoy your Saturday.

Friday, April 29, 2011

Peek of the Week - April 29, 2011



Our new Friday feature - the Peek of the Week - is all about you. I want to hear (and share with my readers) what wowed you this week. It could be a cool finished project, a work in progress, a personal accomplishment, a cute kid moment, or something that surprised you.

If we could peek into your week - what would you want to show us?

Each week I'll share my Peek of the Week to get the ball rolling, and invite you to link to your own blog posts about your own Peek of the Week. I know y'all are up to cool stuff - we wanna see it!

Here's my peek:


Today is my Dad's birthday. This post will offer you a peek into my lameness.

His birthday card doubled as an apology. It went something like this:

Dear Dad,
I'm so sorry. When I saw the pattern for this tie portfolio a few months ago I really really hoped I would forget about it before your birthday. No such luck...
When I was a potter, I think people appreciated getting my hand made gifts. And now I think people like friends who have new babies, or girlfriends who get a HHS purse for their birthdays, appreciate my handmade gifts.

But poor Dad.
Poor poor Dad.
He's a pilot. He travels. He wears ties. I couldn't help myself.

Dear Dad, Happy Birthday. I'm sorry.


See? Peeks are fun! Even if you're embarrassed about the content - the more humiliating the better! So let's hear yours!

Here's how it works:
1. Each Friday I'll post my peek of the week, and give you space to link us up to yours.
2. Blog about your Peek of the Week - whatever it is. Whatever happened that made you proud, laugh, smile, inspired, excited, or just plain happy - now that's worth sharing.
3. Include a link to this blog or put the Peek of the Week button (on the sidebar) in your post.
4. Link your blog post using the InLinkz button below.
5. Visit some of the other linked posts to see what folks are glowing about this week.
Leave them some comment love and expect some to be coming your way.

If you don't get a chance to get here on Friday, feel free to link your post up later.
The InLinkz button will be active for 5 days.


Thursday, April 28, 2011

Embrace the Blue Eyes

Here's a little story about my living being made mostly on my computer and about my computer being lame and almost out of memory. So last night in an effort to make some space I went through my photos and came across a few gems. Since I started with the oldest photos, these are all of Dizzy from 2007/early 2008.

Know what struck me most? Kid has some BLUE eyes! I'll be taking credit for that. Nice work genes!


Something else is striking me as I scroll down...kid loved a paci!




Yum. Yumma Yum. Blue eyes and that crazy blond mohawk. Color me smitten.

Ok, last revelation I swear, but I'm realizing now that all my Embrace the Camera posts feature only one of my children. Next week I'll try to remedy that. We do all turn up in the same place from time to time.


I'm linking this post up for Embrace the Camera the camera day on the Anderson Crew blog.

You can do the same right here tomorrow, as you link up your Peek of the Week post telling us what made you happy, proud, laugh, or smile this week. Please come back tomorrow and share! To learn more about the Peek of the Week, click here! It's fun!

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Give it Up for Giving Back

Got some great give-backs to report!

Remember back on Fat Tuesday when I got inspired by Amy of Brownie Goose to give a portion of my sales during lent to our local no-kill animal shelter. It's 40 Days to Help the Strays!

I'm happy to report that I'll be sending $69.87 (ok, I'll probably round up to $70. It's for a good cause.) to our shelter, which is called the Dumb Friends League. That's a bit insulting, but they do a heap o' good, so I'll look past it.



And secondly, the Japan Benefit this past weekend was so much fun and a huge success! I don't have a number of what they raised altogether, but I bet it was a lot. There were a ton of people there and they were super generous! I sold about half the onesies I stitched up for the occasion, contributing over $100 to the cause.

And guess what! Now you can help too because the items leftover from the benefit are now for sale in my shop, with the same portion, $10 from each item, going to help our brothers and sisters in Japan.

Here's what's available and links to where you can purchase:
This little sweetie is available in size 9-12 months, 12-18 months, or 18-24 months. There's only one left in each size so act fast!

This one is available in sizes 0-3 months, 3-6 months, and 18-24 months.


This is the only t-shirt style I have left. It's size child's small, which fits about 3T/4T. It's available in a onesie too, but there's only one left - a size 6-9 months.


There's only one of these (with the flag outlined in white) left, so act fast! It's size 12 months.


This is the last of this style too, also size 12 months.

So hurry on over! When these are gone, they're gone!

Sunday, April 24, 2011

A Whole Lotta Easter

This is a lot to cram into one post. But since today's the day, I'm throwing it all in.



Eli loved the egg decorating. You'll notice that there is no Eli egg. There was. It lasted about 15 seconds and then hit the floor.
No doubt the Easter Egg Hunt has been the highlight of toddler Easter.

Amos was a bit sensitive the whole morning, but man his pout is cute.




Eli was shockingly generous with his candy. Amos picked up nary an egg, so he spent the whole morning mooching from Eli, who kindly obliged him.
I love this one for the the comparison effect. Check these guys out from last year:
Love the mohawk.

Happy Easter All!

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Benefit for Japan

About a week ago I got a call from my dear friend Yuko. She was helping to plan a benefit for Japan that the Japanese Academy of the Rockies was putting on. She wanted invite me to attend and also to help. I was thrilled for the opportunity.

So I spent the week pondering a design and sew sew sewing 25 t-shirts and onesies to sell at the benefit.
With the help of many of you on facebook, I narrowed it down to these three designs.

$10 buckaroos from each onesie or t-shirt will go to Save the Children's Japan Relief Fund.

Want to help?! Here are a few ways:
1) If you're in the area, come on out to the benefit. It's 2:30-5:00 today and there will be performances, music, a silent auction, children's book sale and other goodies and food for sale to benefit Japan. Click on the poster above for all the details.
2) Purchase your own benefit t-shirt or onesie. If there are any left I will put them in my etsy shop and continue to send $10 per to Save the Children. Stay tuned on this one.
3) Donate! Click on over the Save the Children to make a quick donation to the Japan Relief Fund. Easy Peasy.

Thanks for all your design ideas and I'll let you know how it goes!

ありがとうございます
Arigatou Gozaimasu!
Thank You!

Friday, April 22, 2011

Peek of the Week - April 22, 2011

'zat time again!



Our new Friday feature - the Peek of the Week - is all about you. I want to hear (and share with my readers) what wowed you this week. It could be a cool finished project, a work in progress, a personal accomplishment, a cute kid moment, or something that surprised you.

If we could peek into your week - what would you want to show us?

Each week I'll share my Peek of the Week to get the ball rolling, and invite you to link to your own blog posts about your own Peek of the Week. I know y'all are up to cool stuff - we wanna see it!

Here's my peek:

This week I took mullet matters into my own hands.


Be-fro, I mean before. (aside: I did have a tiny twinge of regret when I went back to find a before photo and saw these beautiful curls)


Benefit from my wisdom here: Don't consider attempting any such feat on a toddler unless you give him a ticky-to-eat frozen treat. An organic whole fruit push pop is just the ticket. Keeps said toddler occupied and makes his shirt sticky so the hair will have somewhere to stick.

A straw prolongs the period of occupation at least two fold. But you're smart to save it until you're about half done and the child begins to get fidgety.

He had no idea he was being groomed. My ruse was a grand success.

And I gotta say, I didn't do half bad. He's still got some curl, but less snarl in the back. It's easy to fix and still cute as a button. Is your mullet getting outta control? Come on over - I've gotta push pop with your name on it!


Now it's your turn!
How it works:
1. Each Friday I'll post my peek of the week, and give you space to link us up to yours.
2. Blog about your Peek of the Week - whatever it is. Whatever happened that made you proud, laugh, smile, inspired, excited, or just plain happy - now that's worth sharing.
3. Include a link to this blog or put the Peek of the Week button (on the sidebar) in your post.
4. Link your blog post using the InLinkz button below.
5. Visit some of the other linked posts to see what folks are glowing about this week.
Leave them some comment love and expect some to be coming your way.

If you don't get a chance to get here on Friday, feel free to link your post up later.
The InLinkz button will be active for 5 days.



Thursday, April 21, 2011

Embrace the Peace

Sweet moments like this are getting fewer and farther between as my baby is getting older and scrappier.
But geez - could you just melt from the sweetness? I totally did.
(aside: my Sweater Set modular flower sweater makes me sooooo happy. Those are some pretty cute flowers, no?)
And after I had sufficiently snuggled, I settled him into the rocking chair and commenced with a sleepy boogie photo shoot. See the best of those shots here.

I'm linking this post up for Embrace the Camera the camera day on the Anderson Crew blog.

You can do the same right here tomorrow, as you link up your Peek of the Week post telling us what made you happy, proud, laugh, or smile this week. Please come back tomorrow and share! To learn more about the Peek of the Week, click here! It's fun!

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Sweet Tedium

I apologize. I concede that this post is going to be tedious for any of you who did not give birth to Amos.
So, for those of you for whom that fact is true, my sincere apologies.
When your babies get to be toddlers, you miss that sweet feeling of them sleeping on your chest.
But, when you get a good thing going with their sleep, you don't mess with the routine. That routine is gold and the sleep is triple platinum.
But yesterday after gymnastics, Amos was tired enough to drift off after I read his books and was rocking him for just an extra minute.
I savored it.
Then I exploited it for a very sweet photo shoot.

Then I tucked him into his crib and let him be. And he slept for three and a half hours.

Triple. Platinum.