Friday, June 10, 2011

Play a Happy Little Tune

**ERMama & Tammy--not sure if you'll see my response to your comments on the last post, so I'll just bring attention to them here. :)  Thanks for those!!  Comments do make my day.

OK, short post.  Today was my first day back to work after glorious staycation and I decided that I definitely needed a way to "announce" my return...not just once, but every time I entered a room.  Solution: harmonica necklace!!!

A photo of harmonica necklace really wouldn't do it justice, a video seems much more appropriate.


Sarah McAbee, I know you remember buying me this little beaut, and I think you'll be pleased (but not surprised) to learn that this is Hen's most favorite thing in my jewelry box, second only to my engagement and wedding rings, which he is constantly trying to swipe ("You have TWO, you should SHAAAARE").  Tiny harmonica (which has another secret codename) will be with us forever.

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Molly vs. Butterick Pattern B5629

Steps to sewing success:

Take a staycation. Go into start of staycation expecting to focus on LARGE list of honey-do projects that have been amounting while incorporating lots of play time, reading time, relaxing time with two adorable children.  Two days into staycation, decide that honey-do list is boring, and that completing to 65% is just as good as completing the whole way.  Shrug off the remaining 35% in favor of a "project". Surf internet for awhile, spend midnight hours on mommy-blogs, wonder why other moms are so awesome. Feel both strong dislike, and great admiration, for these D.I.Y. moms (seriously, they basically have their own sorority...sisters of DIY, we don't think we're better than you...we know we are). Only half-decide on a project, figuring that you can "flesh out the details" at the store.

Arrive at local Jo-Ann Fabrics.  Wander through aisles filled with colorful bolts of fabric. Having been seduced by said fabric (on sale! of course) and with delusions of crafting grandeur, venture into the abyss of the "sewing patterns" section. Go against better judgement to elect an easy project that could be completed over the course of an afternoon (new throw pillows, kitchen curtains...), instead, decide to sew a dress for your daughter.  (The plans said "Very Easy"...so it really can't be that difficult).

Emerge from fabric & pattern section half an hour later, with ridiculously well-behaved children in tow ("Oh, yes, thank you, they're always like this"). Pay for two yards of fabric, two Butterick sewing patterns, fusible interfacing and $15 worth of bonding/elastic/hook-eye closure/bias tape "stuff" that you know nothing about, but that you seem to remember as "important"...maybe...maybe not...who cares, just buy it.

Reward angel-boy with a trip across the mall to the sporting-goods store (or, "The Golf Shop" as it is referred to in our home).  Let him putt on the mini-green for 10 minutes, or until angel-baby wakes up and decides to pitch a fit.  Escort rumply, fussy, once perfectly-behaved children out of store.

Make it to car in just-in-time moment, only to realize that keys are lost.

Back into mall.  Tempting fate.  Search frantically through fabric store with crying baby and close-to-fit preschooler.  Allure of fabric store is lost after purchase has been made, and these other shoppers really seem to know what they're doing.  Feeling regret for such an ambitious project, but no time to revisit.  Keys are missing.  Run across to sporting goods store, smartly avoiding golfing section ("But I neeeed a 5 hyyyyybrid, mommeeeee"), realize five minutes into this crazy-lady search that keys were in front of stroller all along. Sigh of relief. Slap forehead with hand.

Lunch at Issei with Lizzie (best part of the trip!) and then home to piece through the goodies in the Jo-Ann bag.

After wrestling preschooler down for nap-time (unheard of), revisit contents of the shopping excursion with excitement and some uncertainty.  Sense of false confidence--check!  Am convinced that if Butterick says "Very Easy", it should be a walk in the park.  Get started making that "very easy" reversible dress with empire waist, button closure and gathered skirt for Kitty!!

About 2 minutes into instructions, realize that people who sew have their own super-special secret language.  Understitching? Grainline? Easestitch? Out-facing? Ok, that last one is sort of self-explanatory, but in the context of the overall plans it is just as confusing as the rest.  W.T.Elf Butterick Pattern B5629? Very Easy? Very easy for who, exactly? Martha Stewart?!

I managed to cut out pieces for the "bodice" (who uses that word?!) and have decided to just wing it for the rest.  Above is a photo of a cleaned-up version of what my dining room table looked like an hour into the project.

I'm going to preserve my crafting self-esteem and finish two projects that were already on my to-do list.  Sewing a ring-bearer pillow for the upcoming nuptials (SOOO SOOOON!!!  We are giddy with excitement--can you tell?) and a wedding bow-tie for my dapper nephew, Liam.  I'll post photos of those projects once completed and my confidence (or, over-confidence) in my sewing abilities will be restored.  Someday I'll finish that dress, I just hope Alice is still wearing size 12 months when it's complete.

Now, to enjoy the last day of staycation with a trip to visit my sister and Liam in Chambersburg.  A much nicer way to spend the day.

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Pro-nunn-ciate.

We're learning new things every day in this house.  Kitty is rolling over, nearly sitting on her own, and doing other things that sound a lot like dog commands.  She was an absolute treasure during her 6-month checkup yesterday, cooing and laughing as Dr. Holly took measurements and checked all of the usuals (eyes, ears, nose, belly, etc.)  She weighed it at a solid 21 lb. 11 oz. and is literally off the charts in both weight and height.  Big ol' baby.

Hen's daily discoveries are (obviously) of a more sophisticated nature.  Each week his vocabulary expands, and while he does understand the meaning of the word or phrase, he doesn't always nail the pronunciation.  We have to help out a bit, but this is the thing--I don't want to help him. I think the mispronounced words are the sweetest.  (Oh, pardon me cowboy, is my bad parenting peeking through?  Let me just cover that up quickly...this is a family-friendly blog).

For posterity's sake, I'd like to capture a few of those mispronunciations.  They're like prehistoric beasts--with us one era, and extinct the next. 

Plip-plop: Flip-flop
Walt: Wallet
"I'm gonna beep you!": "I'm gonna beat you!"
The light Bathroom: The Bathroom light (as in, "Please leave on the light bathroom for bedtime")
My rubs: My ribs

There used to be so many more of these, but, alas, my little boy gets bigger and his use of the English language reflects that.  He's currently yelling, "Ladies and Gentlement, lintroducing...!"  Not sure where this is going, but I like how showy it is.  Maybe I should oblige with a tap dancing number?  Morning at the Boegels.