tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-373240082011-12-14T16:37:09.650-08:00Bethnoreply@blogger.comBlogger771100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37324008.post-90710666303222334062007-04-04T14:24:00.000-07:002007-04-05T07:19:16.328-07:00

I've moved the blog, that is.Come and visit with me over at writemamawrite.typepad.com!Moving is hard work.

Bethnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37324008.post-77147649142280068732007-04-04T08:41:00.001-07:002007-04-04T08:41:48.777-07:00

Do you ever feel invisible? In the mama gig I'm so very, very happy that the boy gets to be the focus of attention. I don't enjoy attention, really, and he's adorable. I also don't, however, like the whole dismissal that happens when people (too many people lately) decide I'm just a mom and am therefor, evidently, without thoughts, feelings or any other non-robotic-like capabilities. Yes, I

Bethnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37324008.post-44656632573427763852007-04-02T14:08:00.000-07:002007-04-13T13:02:48.399-07:00

Looking for the Martha Stewart dish cloth tote tutorial? Oh, dear. It's gone, but it'll be back next week with a few changes (nothing was wrong with the directions, mind you, so you can still trust me here!). UPDATE: You can find the Martha Stewart Dish Towel Tutorial here. The directions are very similar!If you were looking for that tutorial, take off your coat and stay awhile! Just like

Bethnoreply@blogger.com69tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37324008.post-31379153489567035112007-04-02T13:56:00.001-07:002007-04-13T13:03:31.573-07:00

The titleInstead of the Martha Stewart Dish Towel Tote Tutorial we could call it a Co-opt a "Good Thing" and Make It Your Own Tutorial or the Fairly Easy Mother's Day Gift or Teacher's Gift Tote Tutorial. Anyhow, call it what you will but it's here. It's also probably the 1 million + 1th tutorial on totes, and I'm pretty sure it's not the best one (but it's mine).The storyWhen I was teaching some

Bethnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37324008.post-44453903589675300762007-04-02T06:58:00.001-07:002007-04-02T07:24:39.064-07:00

This past weekend was the first in about two months where I didn't feel terrible when it ended. We've been too busy in the week and I've packed too many hopes and dreams into our weekends (a sure way to build yourself up for disappointment). This time we walked along the boardwalk with coffee and our little running boy, I got a few things done and we had quiet time to relax Sunday evening.This

Bethnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37324008.post-89736289374296395862007-03-31T08:40:00.000-07:002007-03-31T08:54:33.805-07:00

Yesterday was this sort of day and I want the whole weekend to be the same way. It's raining (again) and feels like we should just snuggle in bed counting ladybugs, reading the restaurant review in The New Yorker with a sax playing dude and zebra keeping a watchful eye on our relaxation. Somebody forgot to type up the memo and pass it off to the boy, however, and he woke up early, early with a

Bethnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37324008.post-85708062294081976732007-03-30T06:38:00.000-07:002007-03-30T07:16:29.980-07:00

Ineedtimetosew.Sigh.You?

Bethnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37324008.post-81131573928136728482007-03-29T06:46:00.000-07:002007-03-29T07:33:24.388-07:00

I absolutely love oilcloth. I was so scared when I first thought about getting some, then cutting into it was nerve-wracking and then I fell in love with the punch, punch, punch noise the machine makes as the needle pokes through and it was all over. It's so easy to work with and there are such beautiful oilcloth designs out there now. When I have a few scraps I'm going to make this lunch bag.

Bethnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37324008.post-57184772497132255532007-03-28T07:35:00.000-07:002007-03-28T12:15:01.657-07:00

My mom's on spring break (from teaching) and so yesterday the three of us (Mom, me + the boy) all headed up to the (hands down) best thrift store in the Pacific Northwest. With the boy in the back doing his melt-your-heart hand motions to Twinkle, Twinkle, Mom sitting next to me singing along with The Rainbow Connection and with a few great finds, it was just about the perfect spring break

Bethnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37324008.post-36395801175330034012007-03-26T05:34:00.000-07:002007-03-26T06:12:18.044-07:00

The rain cleared for a beautifully sunny day yesterday. We headed off to the beach and for the first time the boy was able to just run around on his own, finding clams and always heading for the water through the muck. I kept trying to hold his hand because it was so slippery and I could just see the potential wipe-outs and subsequent muddings of the face and clothes. The boy was happy, happy

Bethnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37324008.post-62103584834723089172007-03-25T00:52:00.000-07:002007-03-25T10:39:31.494-07:00

The rain is amazing. In the Pacific Northwest lots of people tend to dismiss things like umbrellas and raincoats; you'd just be lugging them around far too much! Today on an errand across town, however, I saw a handful of people at various points along the route in full rain gear. With a fishing pole in hand they would have looked at home in the middle of a river. Spring, PNW-style, is

Bethnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37324008.post-56592028975020649392007-03-23T07:43:00.000-07:002007-03-23T08:36:24.256-07:00

We did a little of this yesterday, and the peanut butter balls (with substitutions... it seems you can really mix these up!) are almost gone.We did a lot of this yesterday too. Tomorrow I'm going to work on birds, mats and those poor doll quilts. They were started before the craze, and now would you just look?!Thanks, everyone, for all of the fantastic food advice. I went crazy and bought the

Bethnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37324008.post-2518072948891627332007-03-22T07:03:00.000-07:002007-03-22T07:41:27.020-07:00

I had a dream (don't you just love it when people tell you all about your dreams?-- I know, it'll be short + painless, I promise) where something was happening that I should have been worrying about. In the dream I was worrying about why I wasn't worrying, and then when I first woke up I was worrying about having a dream about worrying about not worrying. Crazy.Anyhow, I've been worrying about

Bethnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37324008.post-60704923829104468542007-03-21T07:43:00.000-07:002007-03-21T08:25:16.629-07:00

...birds sing, and flowers grow.Elizabeth Mitchell's beautiful song sings through my head countless times a day lately. Each time I look at the boy I can feel my love growing, just as she sings. Last night he was playing with T and he dumped all of the little blocks out of the box. The boy went over to the big stool, put the box upside down to give him a higher base and then started stacking

Bethnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37324008.post-84818914073422149542007-03-19T15:24:00.000-07:002007-03-20T07:52:03.402-07:00

I first saw it here, then I dreamed about it and wrote about it here and got a little faucet advice here. It took some time to finish this little kitchen!The sink is a thrifted bowl, the faucet is courtesy of a $10 gift card to Home Depot and though we spent more for the "good stuff" the wood wasn't really all that much. The curtain's from fabric I had on hand (we've got a little gingham theme

Bethnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37324008.post-8849113013281481152007-03-19T00:51:00.001-07:002007-03-19T01:07:27.990-07:00

T + I decided that would be a great name for a blog, if it isn't already taken (take it if it isn't!). Anyhow, yesterday was full of mama drama and I'm not very proud of it.First off I'm thrilled beyond belief that my intro and pattern reviews are posted on the Sew, Mama, Sew blog. I'm so excited to be working with Kristin, interviewing other crafty mamas and doing just a tad more writing. It's

Bethnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37324008.post-62779463156753928542007-03-16T06:29:00.000-07:002007-03-16T07:23:49.794-07:00

Seattle had the same amount of traffic we remembered (it's only been a few months since my last visit, after all), but the Eastside had more cranes. The arboretum was as beautiful as ever and it was fun to be there with the boy thinking about all of the walks and talks T + I had, dreaming of him. In another week the blossoms will be at their peak but they were quite pretty yesterday. I

Bethnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37324008.post-17899646891138160712007-03-15T05:51:00.001-07:002007-03-15T05:54:36.752-07:00

They're everywhere, and now they're in the little shop too.My mom saved the day with a little hand-stitching (after my tormented efforts with the blue).They are so grabby + tossable.I just wanted to add in here that I so love it when people comment, but I'm having the worst time writing back. Blogger isn't saving the profiles for me, and it's just not working. Anyhow, I'm going to try to fix it

Bethnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37324008.post-61211061366322233782007-03-14T06:38:00.000-07:002007-03-14T07:44:24.076-07:00

Today's about lists, taxes, Book Babies at the library and it's always, always about the boy. I love this crazy little boy. By the by, I'd like to actually complete some of the things on the aforementioned lists.The "uh-oh" [dis]organization effort is at the chaos stage so, of course, I'm sitting here doing some extreme avoidance. It's enough to make you want to hide your head in a pot.Happy

Bethnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37324008.post-69502947443850227052007-03-13T07:09:00.000-07:002007-03-13T12:48:33.262-07:00

Birds are singing, sun is shining... joy radiates. I have no idea what the weather's like outside right now but inside things are looking good. Just look at what my mother-in-law gave me when the boy and I stopped by for a visit yesterday.Wait. Did you see it all? Look!There's a whole stack of vintage fabric she and my father-in-law found in Portland last weekend, and then there's a gigantic

Bethnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37324008.post-37743819808919166042007-03-12T06:36:00.000-07:002007-03-12T11:31:06.063-07:00

Evidently the Pineapple Express has moved into the Pacific Northwest, and we're getting rain in a big way. It's also very warm around here. We're (I'm) desperate for non-shopping opportunities to get out of the house, but the boy is still under the weather. The basement is almost done after a good day's work on Saturday, and today we finally found the perfect little faucet for the boy's kitchen

Bethnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37324008.post-77051735884552674982007-03-10T06:18:00.001-08:002007-03-10T06:20:42.441-08:00

I like it. I bought the fabric long before I sewed the purse, however, and forgot which fabric I intended for the lining and which was for the exterior. I think it fits the person who will open it at Christmas time (or there's always a birthday too) and I know she'll appreciate the buttons, which belonged to my great grandma. This is the other one from the Amy Butler pattern, and I'd definitely

Bethnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37324008.post-57217832549211465732007-03-09T06:36:00.000-08:002007-03-09T09:29:42.938-08:00

Here's the pink purse. I'm pretty sure owner will love it, but she's not getting it for awhile! T + I have this crazy plan for a "Homemade Christmas," but it means I have to work now for a little December joy. The pattern review for this and the other (more sophisticated + tricky) purse will be up soon over at SewMamaSew, which gives me a little thrill. I did the button holes wrong, but I did

Bethnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37324008.post-66058644883025058922007-03-08T07:13:00.000-08:002007-03-09T07:10:00.095-08:00

Happy little free-form flowers just for the spring fun of it. I cropped an unfortunate word (not a bad word, mind you-- just poor execution) and a bit of a sorry bird. Now I need just the right dimension of frame to do the same!I spent too much time looking for this little "tutorial" on how to fold your fabric. It's something I never thought I'd worry much about. No kidding-- I was doing

Bethnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37324008.post-17129223308033407062007-03-06T12:18:00.000-08:002007-03-07T08:07:15.581-08:00

Guess what I've been up to? My parents gave us the last of their fall orchard apples and the house smells like yummy applesauce now. The boy continues to love applesauce mixed with cereal, banana on the side (with a pancake or some toast thrown in for good measure) each and every morning.I'm working, working on my purses and the review too. They're looking good (and I know just who they're for

Bethnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37324008.post-40299924643069926032007-03-06T06:41:00.000-08:002007-03-06T08:07:33.350-08:00

Here are some more yo-yo's, courtesy of Whip Up. I could also spend an hour (easy) on the Craftzine blog and look at all of these good things.I thought these swatch portraits were neat (though I have no walls for this now) and then saw them the next day over on Soule Mama's site. Man, she works fast. She did write that she has Saturdays as "work days," and I figure I could work pretty fast too

Bethnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37324008.post-63862648097742360652007-03-05T06:58:00.000-08:002007-03-05T07:30:52.369-08:00

I think I may just have the perfect sewing machine now. Cross your fingers! We're getting to know each other and though we did have a broken needle last night I do believe it was Martha's fault for adding in a bit too much embellishment to the towels I was sewing. On a different "crafty" note I will say that after spending Saturday in the basement I'm painting, I am not a big fan of painter's

Bethnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37324008.post-41709741320800463712007-03-03T08:23:00.000-08:002007-03-05T07:30:02.153-08:00

We had a moment of snow again, but our ornamental cherry is about to burst. This was such a fun little project to do with the boy. He dipped his fingers in the paint, we made up a "Dot, Dot, Dot" song and then I made some "branches" with a toothpick dipped in brown. Easy, peasy, springy. I've seen similar cherry blossom projects where older children use hand prints or footprints along a long

Bethnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37324008.post-30810618557266218622007-03-02T07:03:00.000-08:002007-03-02T07:12:18.246-08:00

These bananas were sitting in the bowl on the counter (a sad hint to the Mama around here for some real bananas). We've got stuff to do (i.e. grocery shopping and a little sewing too)!Nothing much new to report in way of reading or good books around here, so instead of Friday Reads go get yourself some new fabric over at the Sew Mama Sew blog! She has "Free Fabric Fridays" lately... Kristin

Bethnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37324008.post-34615357530574151652007-03-01T07:11:00.000-08:002007-03-01T11:49:24.604-08:00

...of a new month and the promise of spring. Yesterday it snowed though, which seems highly unusual for this time of the year in Western Washington! I kept running over to the window saying excitedly, "It's snowing! It's snowing!" The boy sort-of looked at me like, "Ummmm... Okay... So?"Look at this beautiful quilt over at Craftopia. Oh, and this one too! This, along with the inpiration of

Bethnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37324008.post-1601655805744298682007-02-27T14:11:00.000-08:002007-02-28T06:35:16.509-08:00

I've saved the best for last. I suppose you thought I'd forgotten? This is my favorite doll quilt of the three. The lovely colors and all of the tiny, tiny squares and stitches make me happy. Grandma is pretty sure that Mrs. Richards (is the name right, Grandma?) next door made it for her when she was a little, little girl.I have fabric on the way that reminds me a bit of this same feel, one

Bethnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37324008.post-14069638515624041252007-02-27T06:24:00.001-08:002007-02-27T13:22:30.906-08:00

For the little ones......and the mamas.There were lots of toys to play with too, though eating is big!

Bethnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37324008.post-46316011722172564422007-02-26T07:48:00.000-08:002007-02-26T07:59:33.117-08:00

I want to love it, but I'm beginning to think the last machine wasn't just used for a project and then taken back to the store. Perhaps the person tried it and then burst into tears after the extreme build-up of happiness at the prospect of trying a brand new sewing machine was destroyed by oil on the thread and a broken needle for no good reason. Just a thought. Maybe we just have to develop

Bethnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37324008.post-7015939534434698152007-02-24T12:55:00.000-08:002007-02-24T13:18:58.282-08:00

Do you recognize this fabric? This will all be in beautiful baby balls soon. Below is some of the fabric for the boy's new kitchen accouterments. By the way, when the kitchen is done done, you're going to hear about it in a big way. I feel like it needs its own blog: mylittlekitchen.blogspot.com. Oops. That should read: theboy'slittlekitchen.blogspot.com, right?! I painted it twice

Bethnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37324008.post-21799801830918489492007-02-23T09:38:00.000-08:002007-03-22T07:43:16.615-07:00

"So, what're you reading" was just too long and now we have "Friday Reads." In a nutshell I am reading nothing. Nada. Except the boy and I have read our Mary Had a Little Lamb book about 50 times this week (and I'm just talking Tuesday on) and we're reading lots of Maisy books, Spot books, and several books with this illustrator from Barefoot Books. C really seems to love her bright pictures

Bethnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37324008.post-33955561187274068052007-02-22T06:57:00.000-08:002007-02-22T07:54:04.536-08:00

Okay, the sewing machine had already been used. USED! Not new and shiny and fresh out of the box but used. Well, it was still shiny and it was new to me but it wasn't the same. It's gone and I'm searching. This has happened to us a lot in recent years; there were several baby items we bought for the boy and when we got them home we opened them only to find that they'd been used and then stuffed

Bethnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37324008.post-45016283347078790002007-02-21T07:10:00.000-08:002007-02-21T11:11:00.151-08:00

I have a category in the shop called "Quilts for Little Ones" which has nothing in it. It's not for baby quilts but rather for baby doll quilts. This is one of my mom's ideas from years ago; she really feels like there aren't beautiful, little handcrafted doll quilts out there, that they'd be fun to make, and that people would buy them! I was talking with my grandma the other day and she sent

Bethnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37324008.post-62394380303816418922007-02-20T07:09:00.000-08:002007-02-20T07:56:11.397-08:00

This is Rose.She is not a chicken and would be offended if you thought so. She's soft, oh so soft, and she has vintage button eyes which make her look very wise and a little quiet.She does have a big back-story but she's not sure if she knows you well enough to share it all. She has some relatives who are chickens, and her eyes came with sewmamasew fabric. Rose has two siblings. She looks

Bethnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37324008.post-27591311920562251092007-02-19T10:11:00.001-08:002007-02-19T10:14:38.792-08:00

My sister and I are thinking alike, which happens more often than not. I had this picture sitting in iPhoto waiting for the weekend, and she has a beautiful picture of thread over on her site.Things have been busy around here, in a good way. We've been having fun as a family, visiting the zoo and having milkshakes in one of our favorite little places (if you're ever in Tacoma, try the espresso

Bethnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37324008.post-57986919163640532302007-02-17T10:24:00.000-08:002007-02-17T10:59:37.680-08:00

There's actually sun shining through our windows today. Sun. After days upon days of gloomy rain and clouds, we're all itching to get outside! Play awaits.Here's a little playtime for you:I loved the artwork on the You Are My Little Bird CD. Check out these amazing announcements and invitations.Courtesy of Angry Chicken, here's a site full of old-fashioned fun (to buy!).Also via the Elizabeth

Bethnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37324008.post-57331350132649672332007-02-16T06:55:00.000-08:002007-02-22T20:17:36.891-08:00

Friday's going to be SWYR day around here. I've got to encourage myself to spend a little more time with books. It gives me such pleasure and it's always the first to go (well, mopping the floor's been on the back-burner too...). Music has to be thrown in also.I'm mid-way through this. It's very validating, I suppose. I get these guilt trips sometimes when I see the Daycare Explosion variety of

Bethnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37324008.post-66734599429383852982007-02-15T07:53:00.000-08:002007-02-15T08:31:49.424-08:00

Apples.I'd never made applesauce before the boy arrived, and never knew how easy it was. My parents always have lots of apples every year and now that we're in the same town we are often the lucky recipient of apples and pears too. These apples were sitting in boxes in my parents' garage, waiting and hoping to be put in a pie or some such thing. In an effort to "save the apples" my mom baked

Bethnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37324008.post-24716818261026136642007-02-14T06:59:00.000-08:002007-02-14T08:07:13.961-08:00

I, too, have been a little ambivalent about Valentine's Day in my life. Sometimes it just feels like so much pressure and I always think about how showing your love and care should be a daily event, not just a yearly thing. Really though, we could all probably use some prodding in this department every once in a while. How often do I really, really tell and show T how much I care about him?

Bethnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37324008.post-53106898165364597122007-02-13T14:22:00.000-08:002007-02-14T07:59:41.997-08:00

I'm not an 80's music freak by any means, but I just had to add this in after that last post. Now the Police are back! Crazy! These guys know how to get a little cash flow.Aaahh, cash flow. We could use a little more of that around here. The boy and I just started a parenting class this morning; we had visited as a guest a couple of weeks ago and just loved it. I had resisted like crazy,

Bethnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37324008.post-39231533808444689152007-02-12T07:09:00.000-08:002007-02-13T15:36:19.019-08:00

Okay, they turned out a little more 80's than I originally pictured (and the zig-zag inspiration came not only from all of the little shop's splat mats but from this invite too, I'm sure!). T says that's fine though because the 80's are back, as evidenced by Wham reuniting and Prince's (he's not former any more, right?) Superbowl half-time show! The boy did the painting and coloring, and of

Bethnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37324008.post-60888732277164882412007-02-10T21:42:00.000-08:002007-02-10T23:34:13.150-08:00

Fighting the funk #7- Start some big projects. These little packages are the smallest of some large purchases (size-wise, not cost) made today at Lowe's for the boy's little kitchen. I'm so excited! I love a new project (and a jigsaw is just plain fun-- ask Molly!).Have you seen this? Great stuff every day, and they even have my favorite, Nikki McClure, on there again.Gotta go. I'm updating the

Bethnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37324008.post-27457116619866474282007-02-08T13:28:00.000-08:002007-02-09T12:40:49.272-08:00

#6 Warding off the February Funk Pic- The real pic of yummy, yummy scones is on the way. For now, you see my problem. I'm out of sugar! Warding off any kind of funk with me generally includes some sort of baking. Bake often. Eat it all up. Enjoy. Share the goodies and share the recipe!I know they just weren't into scones over at Colorfool, but neither was T until he had this version. They

Bethnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37324008.post-87835293447156511962007-02-08T07:30:00.000-08:002007-02-08T11:12:05.666-08:00

#5 Look for signs of spring (hope!).Our little mini-daffodils started to come out last night and I called the boy over to take a look. He got super-excited, raced over to the door, and wanted to go out. Immediately. I couldn't figure out what he wanted or what he was thinking for the longest time but then I realized... We had been playing outside yesterday, of course, and I showed C where the

Bethnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37324008.post-60570934402522430082007-02-07T19:56:00.000-08:002007-02-07T13:27:16.096-08:00

Fighting the Funk #4When life gives you rain, put on your froggy boots and jump in the puddles; embrace the weather if you can!

Bethnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37324008.post-32190330678038962272007-02-06T06:54:00.001-08:002007-02-06T07:01:30.927-08:00

I'd rather have the blahs of February than the excitement of yesterday. The boy choked on a little, soft piece of melon (very, very strange) and I had to call 911. We took an ambulance ride to the emergency room and then spent several hours there. Last night T and I watched the boy to make sure his breathing was fine (the melon never came out, so there was a concern that it might be in the

Bethnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37324008.post-9974859979834943692007-02-05T10:24:00.001-08:002007-02-05T10:24:24.091-08:00

#2 Play lots every day, preferably with toys that have been hidden away to enhance the novelty of it all! Use lots of imagination. Play together.

Bethnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37324008.post-82915788093980791592007-02-05T06:49:00.000-08:002007-02-05T10:23:57.845-08:00

Here are some WIPs laying around the house (but really, do they count as "works in progress" if I haven't actually made progress on them?). Look at this fabric:Oh, and this:Can you see those little sock monkeys? The envelopes are for our Valentines (yet to be created):Here's a new project I started while T read out loud last night. Notice the word "Beginner" in the title?!And here, for

Bethnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37324008.post-7821492104369959202007-02-04T19:01:00.000-08:002007-02-05T06:12:50.833-08:00

#1 Play outside, every day. Explore and breathe the fresh air.Many of the blogs I like to read mentioned the "February Funk" last week. In anticipation of a long (though short) month, this mama invited everyone to join along in her effort this next week to shake up her blog and to post a picture each day... Kids or no kids, snow or no snow, the whole idea I think is to just show things you're

Bethnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37324008.post-57407733666523849922007-02-02T06:55:00.000-08:002007-02-04T19:01:33.383-08:00

My goodness, was yesterday ever a big day! I suppose it mostly felt like such a long day because the boy is a bit miserable and off his game. The two of us haven't been sleeping, and Slow Mommy that I am I couldn't for the life of me figure out why my normally sweet boy was having such trouble (and screaming through the night when I'm used to his glorious, long stretches of sleep !). Aren't

Bethnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37324008.post-43357496002330439132007-02-01T10:56:00.000-08:002007-02-01T11:33:45.133-08:00

The boy and I got our orders ready to ship early this morning. A trail of bubble wrap extended through the kitchen, into the living room, around C's foot, through the hall and then back into the kitchen once again (it's a small house!). C's holding one of the packages up to his head like Carnac the Magnificent, hoping to intuit what's inside!Speaking of magnificent, we printed a bunch of T's

Bethnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37324008.post-46435569570394373062007-01-30T07:13:00.000-08:002007-01-31T23:48:02.601-08:00

I've been baking more than usual lately which often either means that a) I'm completely stressed out and I'm trying to get a little closer to calm and to control something, b) someone's sick or hurt or hurting and I don't know how to help or c) my sweet tooth is out of control. I think it's a little of (c) and a lot of (a) lately (thank goodness it's not (b)-- that's terrible when that's

Bethnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37324008.post-71594585718956100312007-01-29T13:54:00.000-08:002007-01-30T06:43:31.641-08:00

Did you see the beautiful banner my amazing husband created for me? He is so darn talented, that guy, and I'm so lucky. He's just so... supportive. T not only made this banner, but he figured out how to work with Blogger so I could use it, made several others for me to use in the future, and he designed cards for me to pass out/include with shipments/etc. I'm determined to get some ink so I

Bethnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37324008.post-77667984691178224652007-01-27T19:57:00.000-08:002007-01-27T19:58:14.929-08:00

A little hat for a little girl. She's turning one and needed a wool hat, and we actually had some sunshine for a picture!I haven't done any knitting for awhile and so I was slow, slow. It was enjoyable, as always, but my hands hurt so badly-- a bit of arthritis, I'm afraid. This hat is supposed to have a pom-pom on the top but I thought "ears" looked better!

Bethnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37324008.post-60710286060339205722007-01-25T07:25:00.000-08:002007-01-25T08:13:25.932-08:00

Oh, how I miss reading. I just never seem to do it as much any more. Is it because I'm too tired? Too busy? Too scattered? Sometimes I'm a bit jealous of my husband's bus ride (not usually, but occasionally there's a twinge). The blog has been working in that it is encouraging me to think and be a little craftier in my day to day. So, I thought, what if I put up a list of books I'm reading

Bethnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37324008.post-56368402539055384572007-01-24T16:25:00.000-08:002007-01-24T16:40:21.850-08:00

This is exactly how presents from a one year old should look, I think. We painted the wrapping paper and some index cards became beautiful birthday cards. Lovely!

Bethnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37324008.post-61408475326830971432007-01-23T13:12:00.001-08:002007-01-28T01:48:51.386-08:00

There was sun shining in our kitchen and a wee little corner of the living room this morning. C went over to the wee corner and put his head down on a cushion right in the sun and he was so beautiful. I miss that sun! I also miss the snow though, and didn't want to post because I want that amazing bit of Japanese maple to pop up every time I see the blog. I have nothing beautiful to replace

Bethnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37324008.post-80700096116585781992007-01-23T12:27:00.000-08:002007-01-28T01:48:26.266-08:00

You know how you find someone or something that says exactly what you've been feeling/thinking (and yet you haven't been able to articulate it?). I was looking back on this post to find this beautiful, little kitchen and I reread her thoughts about the importance of homemade and the dreaded "tepid response factor." I've been mired in that lately and it felt so good to rethink it once again.

Bethnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37324008.post-88176201349608605292007-01-22T09:29:00.000-08:002007-01-23T20:27:35.471-08:00

Yesterday I went shopping with my sister. I always say I hate to shop but I think, when it comes right down to it, I just hate to spend money. I'm so stingy (I hope not when it comes to others but definitely when it comes to spending money on myself) and I agonize over purchases before, during and after. It was fun though, and I really enjoyed hanging out with B. We hit the mall for several

Bethnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37324008.post-47264520786142193082007-01-18T07:55:00.001-08:002007-01-23T12:22:34.102-08:00

Here is a bunny I made the other night.And here is his friend:I've become quite attached to these two and knew right away that one would have to go to the boy. They were both meant as birthday gifts but I think one will have to speed its way over to Germany to spend some time with our little cousin. That means two more must be made! What a wonderful pattern, for free no less. I thought it

Bethnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37324008.post-7290866496489331332007-01-17T12:38:00.000-08:002007-01-23T12:22:06.488-08:00

It's been so cozy around here lately with the snow. I love snow, and when there's enough on the ground I still get this school kid thrill and think: "Snow Day!" I suppose that's because it was always so exciting as a teacher too... Of course with the boy around he and I still did the things we normally do, but snow adds a magical element all the same. We had such a good time making this

Bethnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37324008.post-48812925322885543332007-01-17T12:33:00.000-08:002007-01-23T12:21:39.732-08:00

I forgot to put these up here. I have been making some more aprons for gifts and for the shop, and I also have a few more splat mats done (and need to post them to the shop). I want to keep this chalk cloth mat (lousy picture), but also want to sell!

Bethnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37324008.post-27630846313948731542007-01-15T11:16:00.000-08:002007-01-23T12:21:12.778-08:00

A little break can do wonders for your perspective. We all hopped in the car and headed up north where there's tons of snow and even beautiful icicles. We visited the boy's great grandparents and he enchanted everyone with his busy, busy ways. T pulled us in a sled up at the farm and the boy was a little concerned about what his crazy parents were up to! We had lots of time to visit and had

Bethnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37324008.post-1168542517309882252007-01-11T11:02:00.000-08:002007-01-23T12:20:37.705-08:00

Oh the joys of having a graphic designer husband. He's much, much more than that of course, but the thrill of good design so close and so attainable is a wondrous thing! T took too much of his time last night, sick and all, to "whip out" a little shop header for the new Etsy store and I LOVE it! He's going to do cards too and with the new blog up and going it feels so full of... possibility.

Bethnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37324008.post-1168475833807138022007-01-10T16:29:00.000-08:002007-01-23T12:19:40.234-08:00

I've been in the dumps lately and don't quite know why. The new year hasn't been a refreshing start yet, but I'm still holding out hope. Today there was snow and I love the fresh, new look it gives to everything. I knew it had snowed before even opening the curtains because it was so bright!-- Love that reflected light! Both boys (big & small) were home sick yesterday so I sort-of worked

Bethnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37324008.post-1168293439866143102007-01-08T13:55:00.000-08:002007-01-23T12:19:12.502-08:00

And this was fun! It's about 3000 miles away from Perfect, but it turned out super-cute (especially on my little guy though it's in someone else's home now!).

Bethnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37324008.post-1168293257544670842007-01-08T13:53:00.000-08:002007-01-23T12:18:51.946-08:00

Oh so pretty!

Bethnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37324008.post-1168293030266033172007-01-08T13:43:00.000-08:002007-01-23T12:18:34.675-08:00

It was a long day in a LONG (or is that short?-- I guess I mean it was hard) weekend. For over an hour and a half last night I smelled the delicious Hawaiian Sweet Bread baking in the bread machine, and I dreamed about taking a break with a huge slice or two or three covered in butter. It was going to be so good! When it beeped I ran over and deflated right along with the bread. The whole

Bethnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37324008.post-1167942369376551072007-01-04T12:22:00.000-08:002007-01-23T12:18:13.097-08:00

I need to make two little aprons like these for birthday gifts. Soon. How will I even begin?I've also had a yearning to make this chicken for about a month now. Time to get started!

Bethnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37324008.post-1167941752928410182007-01-04T12:04:00.000-08:002007-01-23T12:17:37.787-08:00

But I'm putting them up anyway: My first project posted on the blog! This weekend I have to whip out six more of these oilcloth mats as they're a hopelessly overdue "order" for our playgroup high chairs.I looked and looked and couldn't find a reasonably priced version anywhere that seemed nice enough, aside from the Land of Nod (http://www.landofnod.com/-- keyword: reversible mats) ones.

Bethnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37324008.post-1167940992570198402007-01-04T11:51:00.000-08:002007-01-09T17:07:38.153-08:00

Months pass by in the blink of an eye! I don't think I feel quite as alone and, what's the word?-- Snarky?-- as the last post reads to me now. By luck I happened upon one blog the other week and it made me think and think, and then it led me to all of these other blogs... I'll stick a bunch of them up on the sidebar eventually, but for now just wanted to note that it's a new year and I'm going

Bethnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37324008.post-1164137763153658282006-11-21T11:17:00.000-08:002007-01-23T12:16:32.779-08:00

So why does it seem like the only two choices are to be a working outside the home mama, with all of the possible interaction and intellectual stimulation that can provide, and a working at home mom who feels brain dead? As a rule I suppose Americans are more in the brain dead category, filling their lives with TV and trashy internet wanderings, but I yearn for something a little more to keep my

Bethnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37324008.post-1162948563956307612006-11-07T17:14:00.000-08:002006-11-07T17:16:03.973-08:00

Okay. The chicken needs to come out of the microwave. The little guy won't take nap number two. And here I am, trying to get this done. Let's see how successful I am.

Bethnoreply@blogger.com