For the Calorie-Conscious

I finished these last night:

All of the fun, but none of the calories!  These pincushions were made using this tutorial, by Schmaltzy Craftsy.  Check out here site, her things are amazing!  I put my own spin on them with the cupcake theme.  They are made from old soda bottle caps & are only about 2″ tall.  I like the fact that these could also be used as play food for a child (or an adult, if you’re like me!).  My blanket stitch still needs some work, but I’m not hating the hand sewing as much as I used to.  I think I just may have to make several dozen more!

I also finished this baby quilt top last night:

It took me way longer to decide on the fabrics than it did to sew it all together.  It’s only about 2 months late… and still not finished!

While I was putting together this post, I noticed things in the other room got really quiet, which, anyone knows with kids, is almost never a good thing.  I entered the kitchen to this:

Wyatt on the window sill.  Notice the big ol’ pincushion full of very sharp pins?  This little guy never ceases to keep me on my toes!  Now, would you please excuse my while I go pull him out of the toilet?

Back to Reality

We had a good couple of days away over a long weekend.  The kids had a great time down the shore.  I didn’t realize it, but this was Wyatt’s first time at the beach.  He loved playing in the sand (he kept asking to go back to the sandbox), but wasn’t too crazy about the ocean.  Max, on the other hand, practically grew fins, and almost lost his shorts to a particularly randy wave. 

Little Guy discovers world's largest sandbox

Rolling down the sand hills

We also hit the Cape May Zoo, but lost a little steam when we realized that we showed up an hour before they opened.  Luckily there was a playground, which kept the wee ones happy, but then the humidity hit, and crankiness set in.  The kids weren’t that happy, either.  

The next day, we headed up to Storybook Land, which I would highly recommend to anyone with toddlers/preschoolers.  Max could go on every single ride, and with the exception of the Bubbles the Roller Coaster, Wyatt could, too.  And the rides aren’t totally boring for adults, either.  The other great thing is that, although there’s not a lot of indoor activities (i.e., air conditioning), there is a small splash park for the kids, and almost the entire park is beautifully landscaped and shaded by mature trees.

By midday, despite everyone being tired and in meltdown mode, Max still wanted to pose for this picture:

Behave, or else!

 

All in all, it was a fun time, albeit too short, but isn’t every vacation too short?

A Good Week-end

We’re off to the shore for a short little respite.  We’ll be back in a few days with (hopefully) some rested bones and not too much sunburn.  Have a great end of week everyone!

I’m Loving…

Grandpa's Wonder Pine Tar Soap

 

When I was pregnant with Wyatt, at about week 35-36, I developed PUPPP, which is something no woman should EVER have to experience, much less while she is about to burst with baby.  Anyway, if you’re unfamiliar, which hopefully you are, it’s a dreadful rash that develops on the belly and spreads, sometimes as far as down the arms & legs.  It usually starts in the stretch marks (not the case with me), and grows to the point where your belly is just like one humongous hive.  The itching is…. intense, to say the least.  My Doctor was not much help, he told me to take Caladryl & Benadryl & not to worry, it’ll resolve itself after childbirth…. umm…. yeah, up to six weeks later.  That was absolutely unacceptable.  Think the worst case of poison ivy you’ve ever had and multiply it 50 or 60 times.  I’m not exaggerating in the least, this thing was TORTURE! 

The Caladry & Benadryl did absolutely nothing, and the itching got more & more intense until I was literally about to jump out of my skin, or at the very least, wishing for a quick demise.  In complete desperation, I searched the internet for help, and found lots of suffering women on numerous message boards.  I was shocked to learn how many were actually contemplating suicide, it had gotten so bad.  There was plenty of talk of steroids as a solution, but the obvious risks to the baby made that a deal breaker for me.  I was considering asking my Doctor for an early induction when finally, I came across Naomi’s PUPPP page.  On it she’d posted several remedies with effectiveness ratings.  I desperately scanned them all for the highest rated suggestions, and found the Grandpa’s soap.  I searched some more message boards & found a lot more testimonials as to its efficacy, so I rushed to the health food store as quickly as possible to get me some sweet relief.   

As soon as I got home, I put Max down for his nap & hopped in the shower.  I literally felt a difference immediately.  The smell leaves a bit to be desired, but I was so desperate, I would’ve rubbed feces all over me if I thought it would help.  I showered with it three times a day for the next two days, and by then, the rash was 75 % gone.  I could sleep again!  I had my life back!  It was a miracle!  Within a week, the rash was completely gone, something that most Doctors will tell you is not possible until after you give birth.  This soap was the anwer to my prayers.

Thankfully, once you get PUPPP, you rarely ever get it again with subsequent pregnancies.  However, last week, after Bill was out in the yard removing a weed-infested patch of lillies, he noticed a small rash that had developed on his forearm a few days later.  It was so small, that we didn’t think much of it, until the next day, when what I thought was a bug bite on my chest turned into a full-blown red, bumpy, ITCHY, war zone.  WTF?  I didn’t set foot in the yard that day!

So again, after days of trying Caladryl in vain, the rash kept getting worse, spreading to my neck & arms (Bill did end up getting it worse too– I REALLY would’ve been pissed if he got off virtually scott-free.  Love you, honey) I decided it was time to bring out the big guns…. you got it, another dose of Grandpa’s.  And once again, he delivered.  Relief came within days– it probably would’ve been quicker if I had showered 3x’s a day again, but thankfully, the situation was not as desperate this time around.  Bill used it, too, and noticed similar improvement.

So, if you’re ever in the market for an all-natural rash remedy, give it a try.  It may just be your little miracle in a box, too.

Hey, Y’all!

Like my southern accent?  A little something I picked up while living in FL…  anyway, sorry it’s been so long since I’ve had anything to say, I guess it’s been a busy week.  The coming weeks are about to get busier, but I’ll try to be a bit more organized…

Not much to report on the home front, I’ve got a few things listed in the shop, but nowhere near what I hope to have in the coming days/week.  I think I need a professional organizer for my life.  I’m not even joking, I do believe I suffer from some kind of ADD lately, I just can’t seem to stay motivated enough to finish my projects…. not just sewing stuff, but anything.  I’ve had the foyer spackled & ready to paint for a week now, the paint was purchased 3 weeks ago, and every day I tell Max he can help me get started while Wyatt naps…. then, nap-time comes along, & I need to lay down, too!

I blame it on the pregnancy… my waistline has finally surpassed Bill’s, and when I hug him from behind, my belly fits perfectly into the small of his back, like a puzzle piece.  My hips and thighs have already gotten so big, I’ve resorted to telling people it’s actually my head that’s shrinking (that would explain a lot of things, really).

Anyway, this is by no means my official shop update announcement, but here’s a little something you’ll be able to find there today:

I simply love this frog fabric, and had just enough to add some detail to this bag- anyone feelin’ froggy?

 

Have a great weekend!

My Latest Obsession

First of all, I just want to thank everyone for all the love regarding the alien life form pregnancy.  If I weren’t so stinkin’ tired, I would have made an attempt to respond to all of you personally (and maybe even post something else this week) but the truth is, I’m still struggling with my energy levels.  By the way, for those of you that are of the wagering persuasion, the due date is Jan. 3rd or 4th, depending on which Dr. you ask.  Obviously, we’re ecstatic, and the “Oh shit!” meter has only gone off a few times during some particularly stressful bouts of misbehavin’ on behalf of the two other little aliens that occupy this house.

Anywho…. anybody watch Project Runway?  It’s my new obsession. Wednesday night was the Season 5 premier.  It never really struck me before as something that would be of interest, but I guess I heard enough buzz last season to finally pique my interest.  I’ve been getting caught up with Bravo’s PR marathons they’ve been running this summer.  Now that the new season has started, I’m excited to actually watch it from the beginning, starting with all 16 designers (as opposed to the last 5 or 6, which is where I always seemed to tune in during the day). Only now I can’t FF through the commercials, nor can I watch 3 episodes in a row. <sigh>

And I think I may have developed some kind of crush on Tim Gunn.  Love him! Not in the ‘I want to marry him & have his babies’ kind of way, ’cause, let’s face it, I’m taken, I’ve got enough babies on deck for now, & I have a small inkling he just might be batting for the other team…. But I think I’d like to invite him over for tea & to play some Scattergories… 

So, anyway, about the premier.  I was discussing the first challenge with the Mr. ( don’t let his machismo fool you- he’s just as into it as I am). The contestants had 30 minutes and $75 to purchase all of the materials for their creation.  The only catch was that they weren’t shopping at a fabric store, they were shopping at the grocery store.  I liked the challenge, but I thought it would’ve been nice to see what everyone was capable of before they were thrown into something as wacky as making a dress out of mop heads or plastic cups.  I think a lot of contestants weren’t warmed up yet, froze, & their creativity ended up being stifled. I have to admit that all of the plastic & paper tablecloths strutting down the runway were a disappointment.  If it was me, I would’ve headed straight for the dog food aisle, picked up some 40 lb. bags of dry food (I think they’re made of Tyvek, which sews up like fabric), a few collars for accessories, and maybe even some plush chew toys for a little fur action.  So the model would’ve smelled a little meaty, I’m sure they’ve all smelled worse at some point in their careers…

The other thing is, I wish they would lay out the rules for the audience a bit more clearly…. like, the plastic cup man used muslin as a base for his dress, but clearly, he didn’t get the muslin from the grocery store… isn’t that kind of like cheating?  And what notions are in bounds/out of bounds?  I assume thread is allowed, but what about elastic, buttons, Velcro, etc?  One woman used the spine of a spiral notebook for her closures (genius!), but what did everyone else use?  I know it’s just an hour show, but my inquiring mind wants to know…

On another note, I’ve been working steadily on some new stuff for the shop.  I won’t have a huge inventory right away, but I’ll be having a “re-opening” sometime next week with some summer steals before I update with back to school & fall ditties… so stay tuned and….

…Make it work!  

6 Years, 3 houses, 1 family

Today is our wedding anniversary.  Six years ago, Bill & I literally had a wedding of superheroes.  You can read about it at length here.  When I met Bill there was a chain of events that made me seriously consider if this was not meant to be.  Within minutes of meeting him, I learned that he was the brother of someone with whom I graduated high school, best friends with the man that was about to marry someone that I grew up with (and best man in the wedding), we shared the same favorite movie, and at that moment in time, we literally lived on the same street, only five houses away from each other. No, that’s not where we met.  That last one blew me away.  It was almost as if we were bound to meet eventually, some way, some how, like it or not. 

We dated for five years before we got married, but, finally, six years ago today, we made it official.  I was never happier (or thinner).  We watched part of our wedding video yesterday, mostly just to show the kids all of their family dressed up like a bunch of crime-fighting drag queens, but I ended up getting drawn into it.  I smiled, I laughed a lot, but it made me sad as well.  I was a reminded of how many people in six years time are no longer with us.  I wonder if I had known then just how little time there was left with some of them, would I have done anything different?  Since I didn’t want our wedding to be a sad memory for me, I quickly shifted gears and started thinking of all the wonderful little people that are now in our lives, that weren’t back then, and my heart is all smiley again. 

Six years doesn’t seem like that long, but in that time we changed careers, bought a house, had a kid, sold a house, moved to Florida (and consequently bought another house), had another kid, sold a house again, moved back to PA, lived with parents for 6 months, finally bought another house, lost two parents, and now, are again awaiting a new little person.

It’s funny how things come around full circle and just keep on spinning.  Even when it seems like nothing is really going on, things are constantly in flux.  All of a sudden, you wake up one day and realize that you’re in a completely different place than you were just a few short months ago.  I guess that’s just life, peppered with bright & dark spots, and highlighted by the occasional tragedies and triumphs.

So I just want to thank my partner in crime for all of the memories, support, and the greatest gift from the past six years, our own little family.  May the next 6, 10, 30, 60…. years bring many more adventures and bright spots that we can share together for a long time.  I will always be grateful to you and I will always  love you.

Happiness Is…

I was tagged by my friend Ann with this Happiness MEME.  Thanks, Ann!  I had nothing to post today :)  If you’d like to participate, here are the rules:

Share five things in your life that make you happy! Go back and link your post on The Bargain Shopper Lady’s blog, even if she was not the friend who tagged you! After you are finished, tag five more friends! Let’s see how many we can get to participate!

Happiness is:

1.  Watching my kids laugh together & genuinely enjoy each other.

2.  A walk through the woods on a sun-speckled path, where the only noises to be heard are the birds chirping, and the leaves gently blowing in the wind.

3.  A good, hearty, cleansing belly laugh.

4.  Bringing a creative idea or thought to fruition.

5.   A weekend with absolutely no obligations.

 

Again, I’m not sure who to tag, but if you’d like to participate, please join in!

Counting by Zeroes

 

Dear Makers of Edu-Mat,

Thank you for creating a product that has helped teach my children about counting and how to write their numbers.  Can you please, however, provide me with an explanation that is understandable to a preschooler as to why the 0 comes after the 9?  For the life of me, I have not been able to come up with a reasonable enough answer that the four year old brain can accept.  So far the only rationale that has come close to being tolerated is that you are just plain wrong.

Thank you very much for your prompt attention to this matter.

Very truly yours,

A perplexed and exasperated parent that is out of any conceivable answers.

Happy Birthday, America…

… and Happy Birthday, Momo9! 

When I was younger, I took a lot for granted.  Now that I’m (a little) older, and am more aware of the world around me, I realize how fortunate I am to live in this great country.  Nations, like people, are not perfect, but I would not want to live any other place than the great United States of America.  Happy Independence Day, everyone!