Embrace the Past

Lemme walk you through it...
This weekend we're having a yard sale. While going through all our junk we came across an old desktop computer. Eric cleaned it off to recycle and put all sorts of photos from our pre-kiddo life onto my current computer. I've been through all 8 zillion of them and here's apparently all our pre-kiddo life entailed:
1) lounging. There are like 79 pictures of me lounging on couches covered in blankets. I miss lounging.
2) cats. We're like an old couple who has 9 cats and takes like 100 photos of them a day except we're not old (debatable) and there were only 5 cats. As many pictures as I take of our 3 children, I took at least that many of the cats. Freakish.
3) lounging with cats. In all the lounging photos one or more cats is always snuggled up with me.
4) lots and lots of pottery.

So, for today's Embrace the Camera I'd like to take a walk down pottery memory lane. The above shot was taken at the Buyer's Market for American Craft in Philadelphia in early 2007. I was like a minute pregnant with Eli and we had just found out like 2 days before this show - the biggest of my career. During that show I booked orders for more than a year. It was intense. My woodworker friend Marc made those awesome shelves. You can put them together in all different ways. They're beautiful.

I'm not gonna lie. I was a pretty dope potter. See?

Pots.
Dear Pots.
I love you.
I miss making you.
I'll be back with you someday...


And locals will have one last shot to score some pottery at said yardsale. There's one wee bin left and its mostly plates and seconds. But sometimes you gotta take what you can get.

I'll be back pottery. I'll be back.

Peek of the Week - May 25, 2012

Dizzy's got a Peek of the Week for ya this week. Can't you tell by the eyes?

What's Peek of the Week you ask? It's our semi-regular Friday feature where we hear all about what cool things you other crafty families and blogging types have been up to. Tell us about your projects, finished or in-progress, a funny kid moment, a personal accomplishment or just something that made you smile.

Each week I'll get the ball rolling by sharing a Peek from our week and then invite you to do the same by linking up to your own post.

This week Dizzy would like you to have a peek at the heap o' dough we have handed over to the Disney/Pixar franchise. He and Amos think it's money well spent and I guess I kinda do too. They do love some cars.

One morning he decided to line them all up to get a good look at the whole kittencaboodle.  Can you imagine if he lined them up end to end? They could reach across town!

And you???
You could get peeking in three easy steps:
1. 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.
2. Include a link to this blog or put the Peek of the Week button (on the sidebar) in your post.
3. Link your blog post using the InLinkz button below.

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.

An Original

This is Peek of the Week worthy but since it's only Tuesday and the polish is likely to wear by then, I give you an incidental monumental moment.

You see, it's here in my 485th (whoa) post that I can note and say with some certainty, I have had an original thought.

I'm clear on this platform...most of the ideas are not mine. I'm an excellent executor. You give me the idea, I'll make it so. I may even improve upon it. But usually the brains behind things here are the fella's, or Eli's, or Yaya's. They come from a book or a pattern, or let's face it...pintrest.

Yesterday I had one of my own.

I spent much of the day looking forward to a little self care evening which was to include situation comedy and a manicure. And then it came to me...

a tiny mustache on an index finger. So simple. So whimsical.

Trivial, yes. It's no cure for cancer, unless what they say is true and laughter is, in fact, the best medicine. But to me it's like a miracle. This ol' brain, she's still got some life in 'er.

Milestones

Oh. My. Word.
So, yesterday was the last day of school for these two fellas. So, for funsies and so I can reminisce from time to time, let's talk milestones. Here are first day/last day photos from this year. 

Dizzy. Dear Dizzy. Your four year old self is awesome. AW. SOME.

• You're big into legos and building which has helped stem the tide of your disassembling tendencies. Turns out you like to assemble as much as disassemble, thankfully. You and Amos together make a great demo and building team. He's demo.
• You love rewards. You work hard to earn your prizes and when one is on the line you can really pull out all the stops. You're nice to Amos. You clean things. You help with Hazel. You're sweet. It's pretty awesome but pretty much everyday you expect some swag. It's becoming problematic.
• You've had a few big kid 1sts lately like you got to take your first solo bath with the door shut and everything. We have taken the child safety lock off your door so now if you have to poo at night, you can take care of that yourself. Hey - these things matter. You got to go to the restroom yourself at two very familiar places (Mellow Mushroom and the theater - both places I could see you the whole way there and back and I made you go to women's).
• You sing Pop music. You love Adele, Fun's We Are Young, and Somebody that I Used to Know by Gotye and you BELT them out in the morning when you wake up but the house is still sleeping (momentarily). 
• You're Awesome.
• And as I was writing this post an impromptu late night visit happened and you had your first sleepover. Boy girl. Just saying.

Oh Baby A. You and I, we've made it through a tough year and I am super proud of you. I cried when I picked you up (at the early no-napper time) for the last time today as a member of the Bunnies class. We sat in the grass and looked at your little picture book with pictures from your year as a Bunny and I talked about how I hoped this was your hardest year of school ever. And it just might be. You got the raw end of a deal here kid, and I have high hopes for next year.  I've done only a little bit of meddling to get you in a really good class. It's gonna be great.

• Diggers and Cars and Dirt. 
• You have a blast at bedtime. We recently discovered that you were scaling your IKEA cubbies to get to your light switch. I'm super glad (and a little surprised) that you did not fall from them and sustain a blunt head trauma at some point but now they're off the wall and make great little "garages" that you like to park cars in. Win. Win. 
• You love your sleepy music and to have the volume ALL THE WAY UP! Had to duct tape the volume controls. 
• You are coming out of the phase where you take your shoes off every 3.7 minutes and I'm so happy. 
• You are my sweetest child and you love me the most and it makes me feel so special. 
• You are awesome. 

And dearest Hazel. You were 9 months old yesterday. And because your promptness is unmatched, you decided to crawl. And it is freakin' adorable. In addition you:

• give kisses when asked by making kissing sounds. It's my favorite trick.
• eat everything under the sun. Faves include avocado, anything that comes in a pouch, bread, cheese, tofurky, fruit, veg, cheetos. You were born to eat. 
• wave
• pat your belly when we say belly belly belly.
• love to swim and play in any water. 
• love to roll on the bed and be push rolled.
• kind of sign more. 
• say Mama and it melts me
• are awesome. 

I love you three. I look forward to reading back on these posts and having a little weep and a chuckle. Congrats on an amazing year.

Peek of the Week - May 18, 2012

So this is pretty exciting. I'm gonna jump right in.

See my cute little mustachioed kiddos up there? Well you could also see them on ABCNews.com, the Stamford Advocate, TreeHugger News (really?), the Dallas News, the Daily Record, and more.

Like for example, the Shreveport Times. We've been featured in an article about the marvelous mustache called "Crafters Embrace the Mighty Mustache," written by a new friend and AP writer, Jennifer. Thanks Jennifer!

Pretty doggone exciting.

So that's my Peek of the Week. What's yours?

What's Peek of the Week you ask? It's our semi-regular Friday feature where we hear all about what cool things you other crafty families and blogging types have been up to. Tell us about your projects, finished or in-progress, a funny kid moment, a personal accomplishment or just something that made you smile.

Each week I'll get the ball rolling by sharing a Peek from our week and then invite you to do the same by linking up to your own post.

You could get peeking in three easy steps:
1. 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.
2. Include a link to this blog or put the Peek of the Week button (on the sidebar) in your post.
3. Link your blog post using the InLinkz button below.

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.

Embrace the Glider

Looking for us? Well these days you'll find us out in the yard, gliding on the new old glider. 

We've had a string of gorgeous days and I've got one gorgeous baby who loves to get her glide on. The boys play happily in the yard and a good time is had by all.

 

See you there!

And OH MY WORD - check back tomorrow for a very exciting announcement!!!

Linking up to the Anderson Crew today as is our Thursday tradition. Cheers!

Beautiful Mess

Motherhood is messy. It's confounding and exhausting and it never ever ends. Thank goodness, because nothing has ever made me happier.

Mothers of every make, form, and type are magical people. God bless us every one.

Peek of the Week - May 11, 2012

Take a peek and a deep breath.

What's Peek of the Week you ask? It's our semi-regular Friday feature where we hear all about what cool things you other crafty families and blogging types have been up to. Tell us about your projects, finished or in-progress, a funny kid moment, a personal accomplishment or just something that made you smile.

Each week I'll get the ball rolling by sharing a Peek from our week and then invite you to do the same by linking up to your own post.

So today, I have a two-fer.

First, I have completed Hazel's birthday pinafore (4 months early, yes). We did a fabulous little photo shoot today on....
Second, check out my new sweet vintage glider!

I've been dropping not-at-all-subtle hints for a few weeks that for Mothers' Day I would love a glider in the yard for rocking and nursing and reading. I looked around for vintage ones nearby with no luck. Then the fella took over and found on craigslist this lovely 40 year old gem sitting on the front porch of a sweet little grandma in Wash Park, just a few miles down the road.

Oh, this is actually a three-fer.
Third...Hazel can stand!

I really wanted to get a nice shot of the whole pinny, so I kinda propped her up and she stayed! For like two minutes until I chickened out and sat her back down. I was totally ready to catch her before she face planted, but she just never did.

Aren't they yummy? I am one lucky Mama.
If you simply must have one (the pinny, Hazel's not for sale), get yours in my shop here!

What's been yummy about your week?
You could get peeking in three easy steps:
1. 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.
2. Include a link to this blog or put the Peek of the Week button (on the sidebar) in your post.
3. Link your blog post using the InLinkz button below.

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.

Happiness Is...

Happiness is a sweet snuggle with this little chickadee as recorded by budding photographer, Dizzy. 

That's all.

Linking up with the Anderson Crew for Embrace the Camera. Yay!

A Seersucker Story

Nobody move. It's 8:10 a.m. Hazel's enjoying her first nap of the day. The smell of baking banana bread has literally intoxicated me. And the boys too apparently because they are in Eli's room "being Happy Brothers."

Some background: A few months ago when the boys were being particularly snarky with one another, We made the Happy Brothers board. Every time I notice that they're playing nicely together or being very helpful or generous to each other, I put a smiley face on the Happy Brothers board. After they earn 10, the get a pretty big shared prize. If they're at each other, I erase a smiley. Sad day.

Eli at some point realized that Amos was really slowing down progress on the Happy Brothers board so he made up a Happy Eli board for when just he is being a sweet brother which, let's face it, is pretty often.

Anyway, they're in Eli's room playing so delightfully together. I hear Eli teaching Amos how to spell things and they're doing races together. It's super sweet.

So, I'm taking this opportunity to blog in the moment (yes, confession... a lot of my posts are composed late at night and scheduled to post at a later date).

A story for you...

We have a little tradition of the kids getting a new outfit for the last day of school. Everybody gets one for the first day, sure. But ours somehow have always ended up with new duds on the last day. It makes for fun comparison photos.

Last year's were home sewn. Which is dorkier? Home sewn seersucker, or store bought? The ties might tip the scales for store bought.

So anyway, this year at the grand opening of our local Crazy 8 store (a cheaper arm of the Gymboree franchise - I'm in trouble) I found these seersucker super suits and I couldn't resists.

Then I couldn't resists again letting the boys trial wear them to church on Sunday.

I got Amos dressed while Eli took his first ever solo bath with the door closed and everything. Washed his own self - the whole bit. Then I scurried upstairs, leaving Amos occupied with a letter game to get my self dressed. Real quick.

Within 45 seconds the boys switched places. Eli hopped out of the bath and ran, stark naked, around the house. Amos hopped in. Sport coat, bow tie and all.

That's one way to get out of dressing so dorky. Well played Amos. Well played.

But be warned, come the last day of school, I'm not letting you out of my sight. 

Water Baby

Hazel has a new happy place.

It's the front yard in a tub full of luke warm water and toys. 

 

 Interloper!

Another interloper!

Amos is a super drama queen lately. This was his face when Eli got a tub of his own. 

But me thinks he may be faking.

Yes. We bathed them out there. Soap and all.

All facing the camera? I'll take that!

Happy Sunday everybody!