Life In Color

Unexpected Thrifting

This morning was going to be a sweet sleep in day today, but it just did not happen, so I rang up Sciarrino and we went thrifting. First we walked to a sale I had been to earlier in the week, on day two of the sale (I missed day one because they added Thursday at the last minute - I was so bummed!), and got a piece of cool fabric, but I knew today was going to be half price day and I wanted to go back for a couple of things. Tuesday and I walked over and both things I wanted were still there (a lamp and an old school map). Then I took Tuesday back home to have some papa time and hit up a few more sales around town.

Sciarrino and I got all this cool paper ribbon (I know, like I need more ribbon). We decided we are going to have a present wrapping party this year. I like the 66 2/3 yards of ribbon, what?!?! And the little deer was just too cute to pass up. 

This little book is very funny and old school. It illustrates important manners like pulling out mother's chair before dinner. The serving dish is a wonderful green color, so it had to be mine. I also got a cool tray I'm going to use outside when I finally set up the porch all cute (soon I hope). But the best thing of all was this outfit:

It is so wonderfully made at first I thought it was store bought, but it's handmade. I should be able to squeeze Tuesday into in the fall, we'll see how much she grows in width, it has room in length.

Then it was onto the reunion. Sorry my out of town peeps, the only picture I managed to take was a cute one of Tuesday and my friend Jenna:

Out of 431 class members I think maybe thirty or so were at the daytime family event, lots more will be there tonight, but not me, since we just left Tutu last week for the concert, and I didn't want to leave her so soon again. In some ways I don't think I've changed much since high school, but I definitely feel more secure with who I am than I ever did in high school, pretty normal to feel that way I guess. All of my friends who were there looked fabulous and pretty much the same. It really made me want to get back to shredding it and eating healthy. After the reunion we headed out to a toy maker's house. He wasn't invited to the art fair this year (which I can't believe, there were no toys!), so we went to him. Luckily I had saved his card from last year. Tuesday loves the truck we picked out for her:

This is the Oregon wood truck, all the blocks are made from native Oregon woods. You may also notice Tuesday showing off a new skill:

Sitting all alone! She does it so well. A week ago she could not even sit that well assisted. She is such a watcher, she stares and figures something out until she gets it and then she just does it. Very intellectual :) 

Something to gaze at

I have been meaning to do this for a while.

I saw this idea on another blog, I think inspireco, but I'm not sure. 

It was really easy to make. I just took a 12" wreath frame, spray painted it white and then tied ribbon on in various lengths. (Ribbon is all from my shop: The Ribbon Jar). I made sure I tied the ribbon on super tight, and warmed a few of the ends that I thought would fray. 

The ties that are hanging onto the cup hook are made from this ribbon. Now looking into Tuesday's room:

Tuesday loves it, it is very high so there is no way for her to reach it, but it moves a little bit with the fan and she likes that. I think doing something like this at showers, weddings, or with lights and in a studio would be awesome. Happy weekend all!

Happy and Shinny!

It is really heating up here in more ways than one... First of all the temperature has been hotter than ever - into the 90s. Hot weather calls for awesomely cute little outfits. Tutu wore this little number from my friend Stacy:

Doesn't she look cute? Thanks again Stacy we love it. Funny thing though, I showed Bj the outfit, and he was all, "ahh sweet." Then later I had her over my shoulder and Bj said, "what did you do with her dress?" It's a little onsie sort of with dress on the front - genius, because she's always picking up the hems of her dresses to pull them up. 

We stayed in the basement most of the day, nice and cool there. Here is her new jumpy device:

She would like to demonstrate it's wonderfulness for you:

It's called a Merry Muscles and I read about it on Amanda's blog. The other thing heating things up in here is our new range. Now I think Bj would be excited about this anyway, but it sort of marks the end of our remodel, so it makes him extra giddy.

Yes, Bj is the cook in the family, I am very lucky indeed.  Heres hoping things are heating up in your neck of the woods.

Old Ideas

I have tons of ideas floating around in my brain, culled from blogs, magazines, etc. A few days ago I finally reached up in that foggy space and grabbed some of them. They are all very easy. I have seen this arrangement of frames in many design idea books, but I sent Bj to Ikea and he found some colorful frames and help me finish off the artwork section of Tutu's room:

I didn't bother framing the record sleeve or invitation to my baby shower, I just stuck them on the wall with double sided foam tape. We have one more awesome print to get framed, and are going to look for another to fill in the bottom space at the art fair this weekend. On the other side of the window:

A framed paper sample from Sciarrino (one of her graphic designer perks). Tuesday loves this and will twist around to see it when she's on her changing table. In my craft room I finally pulled apart a few Foster Art Guides and framed them up simply:

But when I went to hang them I had a springy nail problem. Anyone with lathe and plaster get this? I don't know what I kept hitting but after six holes in the wall I called it a day, we'll bring in the experts (Bj) tomorrow.

I got this idea from a photojojo newsletter a long time ago. 

And speaking of jars... I have finally re-instated custom jars. I know a lot of people have been asking about them, but I wanted to make sure I could get the turn around time down to a couple of days, so that custom orders didn't take weeks to get out. Seeing as how I now have baby fun zone down in the work area:

I am able to make this happen. I have been getting re-energized about Ribbon Jar with my machine, and Tuesday's love of anything ribbon or tag like. More ideas coming soon with my pretties. Right now I do want to let you know I'm clearancing out the jars that are in stock now, as well as the spring fling paper kit. Lots of yummy goodies in there so check it out. 

Unrelated, but I have an old Franklin Covey planner and storage binder I'd like to see if anyone wants before I give it to goodwill. It's the classic size (and needs a refill), and in the most wonderful pea soup green color that I love so much:

It is well loved, but still I think awesome. If you'd put it to good use let me know and I'd be happy to send it to you. snapped up, thanks!

Three

In the craziness that is the universe my incredibly cute and tiny god daughter turned into a cute and slightly larger person this weekend, she turned three! I can not believe it, I mean I can, but boy, oh boy did that go quickly. 

Little Miss Sweet as Pie decided to she wanted to come down and go on the carousel. That sounded good to us since we had never taken Tutu before. As soon as we pulled up she was talking up a storm, "the carousel, it's starting!" Okay toddler voices, ahhhh do they not just kill you with their sweetness? Tutu and I opted for a seat on the wagon instead of a moving horse:

She loved it, really enjoying the colors, lights, mirrors, all of it. We walked out to a big old acid ball that has been covered in tiles to look like the earth:

I have got to stop sticking out my stomach like this, I always do it so I can kind of set Sparkly Pants on it, bad habit. Must start finding stomach muscles and sucking them in! Anyway we ate some cupcakes at a picnic table, where Tutu practiced her standing skills:

She loves to stand, but just today she started wanting to sit a little bit too. I think maybe she doesn't have enough chunk on her to hold her up (her six month check up was Monday: 13 pounds even, 25 inches tall). Any we played around on the playground some. I love running around the playground, and V is at such a fun age, she wanted to try everything. I should offer to take an older kid to the playground once a week - that's a good workout! After another trip around the carousel V opened up her present from us. I was going to do this complicated picnic blanket and set of picnic stuff, but I found this and knew it would be perfect:

Was I ever right, V loved her. She's got lots of "dollies" at home and I Michele told me that all the way back in the car she was talking about how her new dolly was going to be friends with her old dollies. I know Tutu and V are 2.5 years apart, but I think once they are a little bit older they are going to be best of friends too. 

The machine

I got my new machine at the beginning of the week, but have been trying hard to finish the mountains of other things I have to work on before playing with it. Well I didn't finish everything I wanted to do, but made a sizable dent so I let myself play with my new Babylock Decorator's Choice (BLDC2) machine a little this weekend. 

First off, let me just state that I'm sure this is not going to turn me into an overnight sewing superstar. Just like the study I put into photography makes me have some skill and not my wonderful camera, I know I'll have to practice, practice, practice to get this machine to work for me. That said, oh my god it rocks. For lots of reasons, but one of my favorite fun things is this little button:

The one that looks like scissors? Well it cuts the thread for you, and I'm pretty sure this is the best add on feature to a sewing machine besides the actual sewing. I love it! It was one of the things I really wanted on a machine, but when I went into the shop I quickly realized those kinds of machines might be a bit out of my league price wise. Now this machine was not cheap by any means, but at a fraction of the cost of some of the fancier Pfaffs and Berninas (which are fantastic) it has everything I wanted in a machine. Oh and I was going to keep my old Janome, as I thought it would have pretty much no trade in value, but I ending up swapping it for the extension table, which is so handy (and it snaps to the side of the hard case, these people thought of everything!). 

I pieced a really simple back out of stash fabric (Ceara that purple was going to be pajama pants for you about six years ago - sorry never got to it!) for a picnic blanket thing I dreamed up. The piecing went so well. Let's just say I'm pretty sure whatever kind of seam allowance I was doing before, it was not 1/4 inch. At least not all the way down a row of stitches, and not all the time. This is the most even I've been, and I love it! The Babylock has a nice little feature that lets you regulate stitch speed, so that you don't do stupid things like try to sew faster than you can think. Of course I had to pair the easiest thing with the hardest thing, and decided to quilt the pieces together with circles. 

Now this is just going to be a tester picnic blanket so I don't feel bad about totally screwing it up. The larger circle was me using a walking foot for the first time (not so pretty), the smaller one is hand stitched.

Then I tried free motion. It's been a while since I done this kind of quilting, but I think with practice it will be the method of choice for this kind of project (and it helps to have those gloves they grip the fabric).

It was super fun to play with, and while I might not get as much sewing time in as I like, I'm so glad to have a great tool now to use and experiment with. I've pressed a bunch of my fabric and folded it all neat for inspiration:

Now doesn't that look yummy? I also got the updated Kona Cotton color card, because I am really liking solids in quilts:

Isn't that fantastic? Speaking of color I finally framed up some old pages from teach yourself color theory books. Will share soon. Off to dream of sewing!

p.s. okay so this finished just barely too late to be counted for a post on the 12th, but I'll make up for it!

Six Months

My lovely little Tutu yesterday, on your six month, 1/2 birthday, your papa and I ditched you. That's right, you're a half year old and we decide to go to the Coldplay concert. See the thing is I never thought six months would come this fast, it was so like, in the future. I think you were only about a month old when we got the tickets. I said to your papa, "do you think we'll be able to leave her by July 10th." Oh certainly he thought. But last night was that time and it was not so easy to leave you, even though your favorite auntie Sciarrino was watching you and I knew you girls would have fun. I thought about you the whole concert. Though I have to admit, when our view of Chris Martin went from this:

to this:

you may have slipped out of my mind for a moment. 

You did survive with out us though, only taking one bottle in 9 hours (way to go on a huger strike Sparkly Pants), and making Sciarrino carry you all night in the Baby Hawk. I am so lucky and grateful that I rarely do leave your side and that I get to nurse you so often (as often as you like). 

You are so curious. I do not get bored being with you all day, quite the opposite, you wear me out little one! I am constantly telling you what this is, or how that works. You look at me and I feel like you just want to know things, so I tell you. 

You are quite a petite little wonder, people comment on it all the time. You can twist and move your little body all sorts of ways now. I get the feeling you might never crawl, you love to stand and try walking when we hold your hands, and I'm afraid you might skip right to that step. 

Your little feet are still so small though, that I've never even put shoes on you. But your papa does have me try your baby Uggs on you every week, just to check. Speaking of trying things on you, I love dressing you up. If you spit up, I never mind, I have a back up outfit ready to go. 

I've started signing to you. Not baby sign language, I don't know that, but actual American Sign Language, the kind I learned when I was in grade school. I'm surprised how much comes back to me and I just use it while I talk to you if I'm not holding you. You love watching me do it, and when I sign that you are mama's beautiful little girl you always smile. I am always caught between wanting to give you every opportunity to learn something and taking a little time for myself to do a crafty project (or ten). You are always with me, and feed on demand, so that doesn't give mama a whole lot of time. Sometimes this does frustrate me, but you never do. I think the days of me having to constantly entertain you are over. You are always reaching for some toy or checking out your hands and feet. More often it looks like you are having so much fun I just have to stop what I am doing and come hang out with you.

We're going to figure out the sleep/work/eat/play thing soon, I know. Already the first few months seem like a distant memory. Sorry I'm your personal paparazzi, but I have to get every little bit of you down so I can remember you this way forever. 

I love you, and if you tried to guess how much you probably wouldn't even come close to what I feel for you, it's that big of a love. 

Feeling the love

Today was a busy day. Tuesday and I got up early (but luckily not as early as yesterday!). We decided to head downtown with my mom to hit up the street fair and get some yummy food. Then we went on a super awesome mission to get my new machine (that's right - Tutu came through for me, but more on that later). While I was playing around on the demo machine my mom walked Tuesday next door, and wouldn't you know she talked grandma into getting her a little plasticky toy. 

Don't worry mom I didn't take it away from her instantly, she wouldn't let me anyway:

I guess this is just the start of grandparents spoiling little Tuesday. And grandma isn't the only one, nana made her an awesome little sun hat. 

Only it turns out it wasn't so little (compared to Miss Tiny Head). And most of my shots are like this.

Heheh, I really do think she likes it though. I mean anytime she tried to put something in her mouth that usually means it's top notch :)

Later Tuesday and I went to our first softball game. I'm not such a huge fan of these types of things (especially when I forget cash and can't by a super red rope), but Sciarrino plays and I figure I shouldn't automatically pass on my fear of sports with balls to Tutu, so we went. 

It was extra fun because our other friend also plays (hi Kathy!), and Sciarrino's mom and brother were in town briefly (that is THREE Sciarrinos!)

This happens all the time with Tutu, people look at her and not the camera. 

Right after this Tuesday decided that Joby's beard was one of the best things ever, it was pretty funny to watch her sit there and pet it. 

All of that activity made us tired. Tutu is already in bed, and I'm to follow now. No time to look at the machine today, so hopefully I'll have a time to play around with it a bit tomorrow and give you an update. Or a more concrete one than "fifty million things just got added to my I want to sew list."

Humble thanks

Wow, thank you all so much for the kind words on the bumper. I am going to try some of the suggestions, and see if I can't get it straightened out at least a little. It's nice to hear that even store bought ones have issues. Bj just told me that Tuesday wants to get me a sewing machine as an early birthday present. Don't I just have the sweetest smartest daughter ever? And don't worry she can flip flop back to front all day long... with out her diaper. I guess cloth diaper babies can be a month or so behind on the rolling/sitting/crawling/walking thing because of their wide loads :) Speaking of cloth diapers I got this stuff to try to give my machine a clean, since I guess soap build up can make diapers rougher. Has anyone tried this affresh stuff? We don't have odor, but man did I stick some stinky diapers in there today! 

Bj went to Ikea earlier and got some more things for Tuesday's nursery, so hopefully we can do a tour of it soon because it will be done done done. I want to make a bunch of these fabric boxes for the new shelves we got. And I have a few other projects that need to get finished, like the mobile and some misc. sewing things. Projects, projects, projects, I just can't help myself, I love me some projects. 

Boo, no picture today (Tuesday and I laid low while some finish construction stuff was going on), so I'll leave you with a great, short podcast about why you shouldn't use antibacterial soap. Only you can stop the spread of resistant bacteria :) 

Well I got halfway through it...

Okay so I got halfway through the month with daily postings, but then two things happened: a holiday (which was awesome) and a @#$@%$# crib bumper (not so awesome). 

Independence day was wonderful. We spent it with a big group of friends at my Mom's (thanks Mom and Bill!) while they were at the blues festival in Portland. Hello pool, thank goodness too because it was hot! We lounged, ate, swam, nursed, napped, and ate some more. Tuesday loved the fireworks like so completely, she was in awe. We didn't get around to doing any of the little ones, but sat out on the golf course for their big show and she drooled over them. I can't believe the noise didn't scare her. I can't believe she woke up for them, she was totally off her schedule (and is sleeping now, so she must still be catching up), and we didn't get her to bed until after 11. It's crazy to think that is when she was going to bed every night just a month ago, I guess things have gotten better!

So this bumper thing, okay here's a picture:

Okay so now here's a picture where you can see some of the problems. And I'm saying that like prob-LEMS.

Ugh, the wave. I'm sure it's because my measurements are not exact and also because of the tie placement. 

Now I know I got these ties marked in the right spot (Sciarrino helped me do it, back me up Sciarrin), so what is the problem? My sewing machine. I'd like to say right off the bat that my mother got me this awesome gift for my 21st birthday. But that was eight years ago and lots and lots and LOTS of sewing projects ago. It's a Janome My Excel, I can't link to it because it's no longer made. But it's just a really good basic machine. Unfortunately for me really good basic machines do not like being pushed to their limits. I can't even drop the feed dogs on it and as a result have shoved some things under the needle that really should not have gone there. Now it gives me lots of uneven stitches. And it does this thing when I first start sewing that just about gives me fits! It either sucks the thread up (resulting in constant rethreading) or down (resulting in bobbin entanglement) unless you pull HARD on the thread when you are beginning to sew. Well I borrowed my  mom's machine for a portion of this, but for the ties I only had mine, and I can't very well pull the thread, wad a big bunch of this under the needle and sew and expect everything to stay in place. So they slipped around a bit. My mom did mention to me today that I could have basted them in place by hand, but by this point I was SO OVER THIS PROJECT PEOPLE. It's my own fault really for calling myself a crafty genius when I did the bumper one. I didn't follow any directions for this (um, obviously) so I've got no one to blame but myself. Ugh the shame!

The thing is:

Tuesday loves it. And I don't want to go buy one because most of them are full of polyester batting, and I purposely made this thin so it would not be a suffocation danger. I think I'm looking at some serious seam ripper action, taking off the wonky ties and repositioning them. You know where I'm going with this right (Bj sure does). I want a new machine!!! Sciarrino and I checked them out Friday and I have my heart set on this little baby. Well actually Babylock, the new Decorator's Choice (apparently there is not that big a difference between the Decorator and Quilter, except price). Does anyone have one of these? Also why the heck are machine prices so secret? I can't for the life of me find them online, and I want to know if I'm being offered a good deal. Do you sign some kind of secrecy thing when you buy a machine from a dealer? You can email me privately if you like. I'd love any Babylock review. This one has automatic cutting, and a presser foot knee lift. I think it's the least expensive machine to have those two features that I really want. 

Oh and look what Tuesday can do even with this huge diaper:

Whoa, the arm is still under, wait for it...

Did you just roll over? Did you?

I think you did! Phew that was hard work:

Okay off to update the dailies.