Sensing a Theme

So far in March, just about every post has some admission to the fact that I am not the idea man around here.

This post is no exception.

This morning while trying painfully to have an original thought - I noticed a really good one from someone else. It was from another seamstress mama I follow - Amy - the very talented lady behind the adorable kids' clothing line, Brownie Goose.

This morning the BG facebook status said:

"very sad that this year i won't be doing the "40 days to help the strays" in which i donate money from all outfits made during lent to the no-kill animal shelter here."

(Aside:This our first baby, Big Wendell. Our 4 furry kiddos haven't gotten much (read: any) attention on this blog because they had to go live in foster care with the fella's mom while we play out our stint in student housing and get settled somewhere real. We miss you guys!)

Um. Bingo.

I should mention that she's not doing it because she just had a baby like, this morning. Still making complete sentences would be impressive enough, but throwing good ideas in there...that's too much.

So, on this fine Fat Tuesday, I am going to take this inspiration and carry on this good idea. During Lent 10% from each sale will be donated to our local no-kill animal shelter.

So - I may not be the idea man. But that's ok. Because I have the good sense to follow advice, listen to the wisdom of others, and get inspired by other people's really great ideas.

And, most importantly, to give credit where it's due. Thanks Amy!

Rock and Roll Confessions

Confession: Some of my best ideas are not my ideas.

Take the Cheese Wedge Onesie for example. The fella thought up that little gem as a gift for a family we know from Eli's class, to welcome their new baby. They're from Wisconsin. They serve the best cheese at their parties. The need a Cheese Wedge Onesie.

And he was right. They loved it. As did the dozens of other people who ordered it to celebrate the Packers being in the Super Bowl.

I can take no credit for that.

Now for this little item. This was the brainchild of my friend Eileen who wanted a gift for her friend who loves music and dj-ing, for his new bundle. She suggested a turntable onesie, which was clearly genius. But I couldn't really work out the translation into fabric.

So, I simplified it down - headphones. Now that could work.

And did it ever.

I just added it to my shop - and if you're not digging the hot pink, you can rock out lots of colors and patterns, or suggest one of your own:

Pretty cool.

You can find it here.

Thanks smarty pantses for the great ideas. Keep 'em coming.

Peek of the Week

Hello lovelies.

But enough about me. Let's talk about you. I'm instituting a new feature called Peek of the Week. And it's 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, or cute kid moment. If we could peek into your week - what would you want to show us?




Just to get us started. Here's mine for this week:

I've had one of those weeks where I wracked my tired little brain for an original thought, design, idea or something. I didn't come up with much. Peek of the Week was one, although it's original with an asterisk, i.e. I had lots of blogspiriation on that one. The second is this sweet pair of britches:
I tried out a new pattern and it rocks my socks.

It's the Boy's Shorts pattern from Making Children's Clothes by Emma Hardy. I made a size bigger for Eli, so they're more pant-ish right now. But the pants are fabulous and I'm excited about as he grows watching these become manpris and then shorts. I think they'll be great at every length.

Work it.

Because these came out so sweet, and I love the all season feel and the grow-with-me feature, I put them up in my etsy shop.

There you have it. That's my Peek of the Week.


So...what's 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.

Can't wait to hear what wowed you this week!

Link Your Posts Here:




*Disclaimer: Fingers crossed that the InLinkz link works. I've used it on other blogs but this is my first time setting it up on my blog. Leave me a comment if you have any trouble and we'll work out the kinks. Thanks!

button test

Embrace the Pancakes

Welcome to Part 3 of the "Camera Rules the Day" Trilogy. This is the third (and final) installment of photos from Super Fun Tuesday. (Installment one - Eli's 1st dentist visit which was surprisingly fun. Installment two - the boys' 1st gymnastics class).

Our third stop was to Snooze - a delicious breakfast/brunch joint that always - ALWAYS - has a wait around the block.

Somehow we got in on just a ten minute wait! We were giddy.

"Hands off my pancakes, chump!"






Thief!



"Dear Lord, we thank you for these pancakes."

If I wasn't toting two (well, three officially) kiddos with me, I'd wait around the block every day for the sweet potato pancakes from Snooze. Drool.



While we were waiting for our feast, we got silly with the self-timer shots, which gave us a perfect shot to participate in Embrace the Camera this week!



We look hungry. Amos is eating a crayon aperitif.
On a separate note, check out that booze stock. Seems like a lot for a place that opens at 6:00 a.m. and closes at 2:30 in the afternoon. I'll have to remember that for when I'm not knocked up.

Snooze - we highly recommend it.

That Mama Strikes Again...

Once again, I got a little photo happy. The boys had their first gymnastics class together yesterday (Dizzy took gymnastics while back by himself).

So, the thing was was that I had the camera with me because of the 1st dentist visit (obviously) so, I decided that rather than carry it every week or try to catch gymnastical shots with my phone camera, I would just be the annoying lady who took pictures the entire class. And then it would be out of my system and next week I'll leave the camera at home and we'll just have fun.

(Spoiler alert: There's one more installment in the Can't Put the Camera Down Day Trilogy. You'll be getting that tomorrow).

The boys had a grand old time at gymnastics. We decided to downgrade to the poor man's gymnastics - rec center style - now that we're paying for two little gymnasts. We could not be happier with poor man's gymnastics. Poor man's gymnastics is a hit.

At the expensive university gymnastics program where Eli once bounced and bounded, there were multiple classes going on at one time. So you were expected to keep your toddler with his or her group and focused on the current activity or apparatus. It was like herding... well... toddlers.

Poor man's gymnastics is a free-for-all. And what do toddlers love more than a colorful, bouncy, energetic free-for-all? Not much.

There were some all together activities - mostly songs and such. And the newly mature Dizzy ate that stuff up. But Boogie and I were thankful that the teacher started off those activities by giving the runners permission to run.

Let toddlers be toddlers? Revolutionary.

Pearly Whites

Today was Dizzy's first visit to the dentist.

Yes, I am that Mama. I brought the camera.

As part of his recent developmental burst, my previously cautious and sound sensitive child listened calmly while this stranger told him all about these new scary noisy tools.

And let her put them in his mouth.

She won him over by saying that the buzzing brusher sounded like a racecar. I didn't hear that, but he bought it.
He got nice and comfy for the flossing portion of the evening.

And he took home some sweet swag.
Amos cowered. Adorably.

I am amazed by Dizzy's new found confidence, bravery, awareness and interpretation.

His post-dentist visit observation:

"It was not Hermie."