hello dolly

After all these years, I still can't resist a doll.

This is "Stroll" our, I mean Amelie's, first kokeshi.

I guess it's a good thing that I have a doll of my own.

all the rage

The very small world I live in includes art. I love art. I love looking and doing and watching others do. If I were rich I'd buy a lot of art.

wendyofva

I'm not rich. I'm just a mom who buys her groceries at Costco and shops at discount stores. But I've found a loop hole. Artist Trading Cards. They are all the rage you know.

I'm much to lazy to go into detail about what they are so just click the link. I "wikied" it for you. (That's a new word I just made up that I'm sure will find it's way into mainstream language soon.)

Here's a card I did last week:

Here's some cards I love:

1. Hotel Chatham Paris, 2. ATC Feather Mail (2), 3. Woman, 4. Offer, 5. artist trading card assignment 2, 6. "China Girl" Artist Trading Card

You can trade cards on Etsy, Flickr, here and here. I'm sure there are a billion more places as well.

Might you like to trade with me? Show me your goods and we'll negotiate. Beware though. I'm a hard sell.

on becoming happy

The thing about being a housewife is that you must embrace it fully or you'll never survive.

For years I bucked against the system. I was sure that the good Lord intended for me to be the next top editor at Harper and Collins.

I wore my hair in a pixie. I bought designer make-up and expensive black clothes. I was chic and unhappy. Whatever.

Malphi

One of life's great truths is that babies soften you. I didn't know who I really was until I saw myself reflected in my children eyes. I didn't know that I loved to crochet until I made the boy's baby blanket. I didn't know I loved to bake until I baked a birthday cake.

There is an old story about an African farmer who, upon hearing that other men were becoming rich by finding diamond mines, sold off his land and went in search of his fortune. He searched for many years and died a poor man. Meanwhile, the young family who bought his land discovered crusty old rocks in the soil which turned out to be diamonds.

Sometimes you are sitting on a fortune. Sometimes you have to do a little work to uncover your diamonds. What looks like ugly rocks, could be just the thing you are looking for to make you happy.

Constança

I find housework is made much more enjoyable by the wearing of aprons. I consider them my uniform. I wear them to cook. I wear them to silversmith. I wear them to rock my baby to sleep. They help me take the tarnish off my life.

They make me feel official. They make me feel like a resourceful woman.

They make me feel like a diamond in the rough.

a fresh start

Here we are. 2010.

Yep. It came.

The boy is back in school. Thank the Lord for that.

The baby is back on her nap schedule. Hallelujah!

We purged the fridge of all sweets. Damnit.

And I'm thinking I would really love to have a clothesline in my yard.

Now I know you are saying to your computer, "April, you suck at laundry. Why do you want a clothesline?"

I'll tell you why.

I love the smell of sunshine on my clothes. I love the feel of crisp cotton. And more than anything, I love to listen to the sound of sheets snapping in the wind while I drink a tall glass of lemonade on a lazy afternoon.

I want to keep my options open. If I do decide to do laundry, I'd like to have the option of hanging it on the line to dry. That would be refreshing.

the big bother

2006

Birdie is walking around the furniture. She is tittering this way and that and falling quite a bit. I love to watch her fat little legs as she maneuvers around. The concentration on her face.


I'm trying to soak it all in. I'm trying not to forget.


Not so long ago it was the boy I was watching. I miss my baby boy. He is long gone and in his place I find a wise crackin' string bean. Every ounce of babyness was gone in a wink of the eye. Poof!


He yells at his sister when she slobbers on his toys.


He whines when she jabbers so loud he can't hear the television.


He is repulsed by her stinky diapers.


But he loves her and it is magic to me to see the two of them together. As far as Birdie is concerned, Thom can do no wrong and the closer she can be to him the better. I was never one to worry about loving a second child like I did my first. What I didn't anticipate though, is how much my love for my son grows when I watch him love his sister.

toss and turn to 2010

Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man. ~Benjamin Franklin

Kellene

12/31/09
10:06 pm

I think it would be nice to get better at knitting this next year.


12/31/09
10:43 pm

This may be my last chocolate for a very, very long time.


12/31/09
10:44 pm

Okay just one more.


12/31/09
11:12 pm

Is it midnight yet? Can I go to bed?


12/31/09
11:28 pm

Oh for heaven's sake, why am I torturing myself? It's already 2010 in New York. I'm exhausted.


12/31/09
11:50 pm


Should I wake up Sugar Daddy to kiss him at midnight? Nah. I don't want to get his cold, and he's sawing logs over there.


Did I check to see if the doors were locked?


My pillow feels flat. New Year's resolution: buy new pillows.


Also, get better at knitting. Oh and get my art room organized.


What am I doing? I don't believe in making resolutions.


Check lists. I believe in check lists.

• buy pillows
• organize art room
• get my sorry soft arse back into shape
  

Is it midnight yet? Why am I still awake? How far should I run tomorrow? We need baby wipes. And celery. Lots of celery to snack on. Is that Thom? Oh good, just the dog. My word I'm tired. Go to sleep. Go to sleep. Go to sleep. Did I lock the front door? Oh and,

• no more staying up late
  

calling crocheters!

Rosie is a headband wearing type of gal. For Christmas I crocheted her a big blue flower. She had been borrowing mine that I bought from Emily Sparks.

I was able to duplicate it pretty well without a pattern.


Rosie went to an orphanage in Mexico on Christmas day. She distributed presents to the kids. She served them Christmas dinner. They played soccer.


Rosie wore her new headband.


The teenage girls at the orphanage loved it. They all wanted one but Rosie couldn't give it to just one girl. She wished she had more.


This gave her an idea.


She will be going back to the orphanage in Mexico and she wants to take a headband for each girl.


Do you crochet?


Will you help us make headbands?


Here's a closer look at it.



Okay girls.

I am not a pro by any means. I've never written a pattern before, but here it goes.


Chain seven and connect to make a circle.
Double crochet thirteen through the center of the circle.
Double crochet a second row on top of the first, doubling up to make twenty-six stitches.
Chain five, single crochet into every third stitch. Repeat until you go all the way around the circle.
Double crochet seven into each arch to create the petals. Single crochet between each petal.
Tie off.
Chain a length of sixteen inches.
Connect to back of flower every two chain stitches. Continue across the back of the flower. Chain ten inches on the other side of the flower.
Turn and single crochet eight inches up the first chain.
Chain two inches and connect to back of the flower in the same way as the center chain. Chain ten inches on the opposite side before connecting to the first chain and single crocheting to the end.
Turn and repeat the last steps to create the third and last chain.
Tie off.


I know this pattern totally sucks. But believe me, if I can figure out how to make one of these, any seasoned crocheter should be able to whip one out in no time.

Here's a much better pattern! Thanks Jen Renee!

Tis' the season for fiber arts! Come on girls! It doesn't require much yarn! Get those needles flying!


If you are willing to make and ship me a headband, please leave a comment with your contact info and I will tell you where to ship.


Also, if you can send me a better pattern to post to replace my gibberish, I'd be much obliged.


Oh, and while you're at it, make one for yourself. I've been lapping up the compliments every time I wear mine!

what's mine is yours

merissa

There is always that one Christmas gift that just doesn't quite make it under the tree.

Usually I find it stuffed in the back of my closet, forgotten. Or- I spend most of Christmas day wondering where in the world I hid it so well.

I'm a little crazy that way.


But this year, it wasn't my fault. Birdie's kokeshi doll didn't make it to us in time.

After all, she was coming all the way from Japan.

I decided to start a tradition of buying Amelie a kokeshi every Christmas. Now, I'm not so disillusioned as to think that I'm really doing this for my daughter. I know I am doing it because I personally can't resist them.

Who can?

So sue me.

Some women live their entire life through their kids. Can't I have just this one thing?

I'm thinking "our" little dolly will come today.

I promise to let Birdie hold her for at least a minute before I put her up high, safe and sound.

In my bedroom.

happy holidaze

Well I'm coming out of my Christmas daze. The house looked like a party gone astray. The fridge was stuffed to the gills with millions of calories. The tops of my thighs are brushing together.

Ug.


But then the magic was kept afloat for a few more moments when I saw this.

SPARK from Jmills ENT. Jeremy Miller on Vimeo.

If you missed Spark, I'm so sorry. Get you crap together next year and join in the fun.

Also, I had these for lunch.

They freshened things up considerably.


And I have a gift certificate in my pocket to Lululemon which should help rectify my thigh situation.


I'm back in business baby!

persuasion

I don't live where is snows. I like it that way.

Last Friday it was eighty degrees and I wore flip flops while I baked Christmas goodies.

But every now and then my dad likes to remind me how beautiful the snow can be. He sends me photographs that he has taken around his icy home. Maybe it is his last ditch effort to persuade me to move back closer to my family.

It's not a bad tactic. It works pretty good.

For about ten minutes or so, and then I realize I really like to look at snowy photos, but I love living in a warm climate.

Nice try Dad. Your photos are amazing, but I think I'll stay right where I am.