bye bye hair

I've never been one to fuss with hair but it's been over a year and a half since i've had mine cut (!). It was so long and annoying that i just kept tying it up and tying it up. Well i got sick of it and went and got it cut to my shoulders and love it. The best thing is that all my old hair went to Locks of Love. It was a little strange seeing my hair detached from my head and put into a bag but it felt good to donate it. If you ever chop off more than 10 inches of hair, consider donating it. I never thought much of hair but for kids suffering from illness it can make them feel a little better. I remember my cousin who had leukemia never having hair and always felt bad for her. More for her illness than her hair, but still.

nice giveaway

end of day
Originally uploaded by wayfarer

I love vintage tablecloths. I have one now that i use and just love. It's old, bought torn and stained but it's so pretty. We do art projects on it since it's so beat up. I think it's so pretty though. I've sewn it twice already trying to keep it around.

Sarah from The Misadventures of Mama and Jack is giving a tablecloth away a day! I hope i get one! Her blog is a real joy too. She's got a talent for finding great stuff at flea markets.

Here's the one I have that i love...i so wish it hadn't been so beat up but then i get to use it at least once a week and i just love using it. It's just so pretty. Much better in person but still, you get the idea i think in the picture. This picture was from a winter project.

Paris

Yeah, so remember when i was asking if anyone knew how bad Air India was to fly internationally because they had good rates to Paris? Well we're going next week inshAllah. Looking forward to it. Curious to see how little dude does with the long flight, jet lag, and Paris itself. I'm hoping he takes it all in stride. This is our first real vacation since our honeymoon and probably the last one for a while except little weekend driving trips. Looking forward to some r and r and seeing my favorite city. I would really like to show the husband the loire valley and the south of france - my favorite places but Paris is amazing. Can't wait for some gooey creamy cheese with granny smith apples and other splendors of Parisian cuisine.

That's what i'm up to. Planning the trip.

Sick little dude

My boy is hardly ever sick and when he is it comes and goes fast except when he had rotavirus and roseolla. Those were eternity's it seemed. But throwing up has not been an issue in this house except for the rotavirus experience which all three of us took part in. He's real sick now. Not.fun.At.all.

Paris is very near and i haven't planned a thing. House is a wreck. Inlaws visiting soon after Paris. It's just one thing after another these days. Have not sewn in i don't know how long. Or done anything really.

this swap is like rocket science

Trying to match up 13 crafty people according to their huge varying interests is like rocket science! A third are into yarnish crafts, a third into paper and a third into sewing. There's two times the amount of people that are getting rid of fabric than who want it and two times the amount of people wanting yarn than are getting rid of it. I want to make every one happy and divided the groups up and tried to get it matched up best i could. Partners will be emailed out on Monday unless more join tomorrow and then i'll have another 3 hours of racking my brain. :-)

Hope everyone has fun!

This is so cool!

This would be so cool to see! That station is so busy!



Found this cool video via I Saw Your Nanny's blog which i found via So Crunchy's blog.

swap

I'm keeping the swap open another week. All of a sudden people are joining so i'll leave it open till May 5th. Swap partners will be emailed on that day. Thanks!

odds n ends

Had a good weekend in Boston. Feeling better. Getting caught up on stuff. Thanks for your comments and support. Got a menu together and will update the food blog soon. This one too. I've been working on a new quilting project when i can (hardly ever!). Will upload pictures soon.

Saw something the other day on a path near where we live. I spotted a turtle and a frog in swampy like ponds and was telling little dude that next time we'll bring boots and go in so we can touch them. Welllllll, later that day while walking back, we passed by a stream and out of the corner of my eye i saw a snake fly up and fling himself around. After a closer look i saw what he was doing. He had a frog halfway down his throat but he couldn't get the joint legs in and was trying hard. It had to be the most disturbing, disgusting but interesting thing I think i've seen. Oh yeah...the details. Snake was about 4 to 5 feet long and the frog was a good 6 inches. You won't be seeing my son going anywhere near any of the water in that park including the river. The images won't leave me head.

Speaking of bad images. I was having a bad dream last night and must have been talking in my sleep because ld sat up in bed so i did too. He took my face in his hands and gave me a kiss and said "All better mommy." And then we fell back asleep. It was so sweet and so funny. Makes the temper tantrums today a bit more tolerable. :-)

Doing alright

I'm doing all right. Had a busy busy weekend and some unexpected this and that. Then root canal finale time. Not fun. Getting ready for a weekend trip too. I do need duas though. Can't say what for exactly but please send some our way...

I just don't have words right now. Will be back on Tuesday insh'Allah.

Stuff going on over here. Be back in a week or so....

Grumpy day

This warm weather is making me and the little man fight a lot. I'm really annoyed today. I'm annoyed that i have to fight my kid to leave the house, to come into the house, to get into the library, to leave the library, to do this, to do that. Sigh. It's not a good day.

Here's my other long running complaint. I am finding it so hard to meet other people here. People are just not friendly in the northeast nor sociable. I was talking to a lady the other day and she's lived in her house for 25 years and just met her neighbors a few years ago. That's crazy!

Anyway, i thought story time at the library would be good for little dude to make friends and me too but here's the problem. It's alllll nanny's except for a few moms who i have nothing in common with and my kid doesn't either. So i tried a different library and this one almost made me laugh out loud. There were three primped women each with one toddler, and all 3 had a nanny by their side. It was hilarious to me. They were discussing with each other how their nannies are part of the family as the nannies watched the kids. I mean seriously, take the nanny to story time? Why? In case your kid throws a fit? I totally understand when there is multiple kids but one? This particular library makes you sign a paper in fact that a parent has to be present or a babysitter because people used to dump off their kids and take off for the half hour. It's a strange world where i live. It's like everyone works and has nanny's or their kids are older or they are at home with their nannies and that is just all too weird for me to be a part of it. I feel like calling them all "The Untouchables" because they are so distant from life. Hollow. They don't even touch their kids. I'm judging here but i just find it all so strange. It makes me miss Atlanta and i really hated Atlanta but it's looking like the most friendly place on Earth these days. I miss Colorado most. People were just cool there.

It's practically impossible to meet other likeminded moms here. In Atlanta I had a few good friends. That's all i need. One or two friends to get together with, get some fresh air with etc. I was talking to a woman i met a few months ago at the fabric store who just moved here too. We traded numbers (she is pakistani - that's how we struck up a conversation). Normally i avoid desi's because my friendships with them (not all of course) are transitory. They call only to gossip or get personal information but never to truly be a friend. I'm not into that.At.all. Anyway, this girl makes me laugh because yesterday we were talking and i was saying "what's wrong with us?" because she was saying her social life was suffering too. Both of us had good social lives before so it can't be us can it? She laughed too. It's just impossible here. She and i are friends but like usual our kids are way off in age so it's hard to get together because our lives are just different and her husband travels a lot while mine works a lot.

Bah humbug. That's my mood today. Crabby.

acorns and rocks

LD is into nature. I started when he was small taking him on a walk every day. This stopped when we moved here because it's too cold half the year. But anyway, we always collect leaves, acorns, and rocks. We help worms by moving them from the street to the dirt and we always smell flowers and not pick them (unless he excitedly bends over to smell them and falls face first into them breaking most :-). I love his love of nature. Except when we need to get somewhere. The kid always wants to stop and smell the flowers now and if you are walking and there are flowers, you won't be walking long.

Today, after throwing a fit for me wanting to leave the library, We finally make it outside and he says "Smell the fowers mommy." He kneels down like i always do. "See it. Prett-y." When LD sees a plume of trees or nature without man or building he says "prettty. see pretty mommy!" I laugh because i used to always point out the trees to him and the pretty colors and take pictures so now any set of trees is pretty. I love it when he says it and it always makes me smile that deep smile that can only be found at the core of me.

I follow along the flower bed. We do this to every single flower out there. Now I love that i've instilled this in him but i was hungry because i don't have anyone to make me breakfast every morning. And i wanted to get home. "No mommy! Smell da flowers! (crying now as i try to pull him away) Smell the fooooowers mommy!" Grrrr. This is when we fight. When he's doing something i've taught him to do and i don't want to. But the kid never wants to leave. He could stay there all day and never be ready to go. We go to a park and he always leaves in tears because he never wants to leave. Ever. I have a kid who never leaves a store crying and he never cries for us to buy him anything. But you take the kid outside and you are going to have a battle. It's a given. Even if it's just walking to the car. That walk can take an hour. And you can be guaranteed that when you do the mountain that's called laundry each week, there will be pocket after pocket of acorns and rocks.

swap!

We have 3 so far. Is there anyone else out there that wants to join the thrifted, gifted and made swap?

Successes!

Spring jacket!
Originally uploaded by wayfarer

Sometimes when i sew things i'm like "Eh, it's okay" but these are two of my recent favorite things.... a spring jacket for LD. I can't believe i finally got a pattern right and now i feel more confident about them because a lined jacket isn't exactly the easiest thing to make. I can tell you i never figured out how to do the sleeve edges so i just cheated and topstiched them. It's weird turning right side out. Any tips? It looks fine like this but i'd like to know for next time.

which buttons?
Originally uploaded by wayfarer

And these shorts.

skater shorts
Originally uploaded by wayfarer

LD loves skateboarders. He's always pretending to be one. When the little ironing board is out he's on there skating. Shen there's anything oblong he says "skateboard momma, skateboard!" I don't like skateboards. When i was in the hospital a few months ago for those kidney stones, there was a teenage kid in there with a face that was half missing, many broken bones and scrapes all from a skateboard accident. He was a big mess. I said then, no skateboards for my kid. Sigh. Anyway, i made him these cool kids skater shorts. Used vintage corduroy (color is better in person) - i couldn't for the life of me figure out what to use that fabric for. I got it in a packet with some other pieces at last fall's rummage sale. I was going to use the volkswagon bus fabric with it, but i thought this gave it a better vintage feel.

details
Originally uploaded by wayfarer

I didn't finish the bottoms because i want them to be a little "grunge". He loves them! Wouldn't take them off and started crying lol.

I can't wait to do more patterns now!

Sewalong project this week.

Something for the home.

Here's a great plastic bag holder. Hate plastic bags but let's face it, they up in our homes somehow. Grab this holder when heading out the door shopping or to store until recycling.

Coasters are always good.

Or quilted potholders.

What would you guys like to do next?

LD's quilt

P4110027
Originally uploaded by wayfarer

sooooooo, here's my question. I want to do the binding in red to pull out the reds in the top, hubby is saying do turqoise. Would red be too offsetting?

I still have a little more of the quilting to do but loving it so far!

music

My music has been boxed up for a long time. I finally opened the box and i forgot just how funny Magnetic Fields are. Disk 2 all the way.

Warm!

I cannot believe it. The sun was out, jackets were left in the car and LD refused to get back in every time we stopped. I needed to drop off some stuff at the thrift store - they are only open on thursdays and i had my car full of boxes for them. He wanted to go in and then he wanted to climb a tree (?). He doesn't know how to climb a tree, nor is he big enough lol. He wants to be like Max i guess. That's his hero. Max the mischief maker (from Max and Ruby). Then he wanted to collect acorns, and play with sticks and jump in the leaves and have a leaf fight (which i was all for because let's face it, i'm taller and that means i win). I couldn't get him in the car there or at the library because he was so excited to be outside. Like this was going to be his only chance and he had to take full pleasure. Now his nap will be cut short because i need to go to the dentist and he's going with me. Root canal ickiness. Never had one but not looking forward to it. But one thing is making me feel better. Spring is here! The trees are budding, grass is starting to turn green daffodils have popped up. I've got to find a picnic basket and quick so we can start getting outdoors all day every day. Love that. House doesn't get messy, kid is occupied by natural things (no tv, no toys), mom gets fresh air and fresh perspective, we both get exercise and so many other positive things from the warm months. Fun fun fun.

No mommy! cut the fabics!

Conversation this morning while cutting the fabric for this quilt. Him choosing the ones and counting the pieces for me and me marking and cutting. (And him scattering them all over the room and driving his trains through them.)

Me: Come on, let's go to the library for storytime.
LD: No Mommy, cut the fabics (there is no r).
Me: Don't you want to go see the kids?
LD: No Mommy! Cut the fabics. Cut the fabics!
Me: You'd rather cut fabric than see the kids?
LD: Yes Mommy. No kids. Cut the fabics! Come on mommy. Cut the fabics.

LOL. What two year old would rather cut fabric with his mommy for a quilt than go to the library for storytime (and to wreck havic). Story time is a little crazy. Halfway through the first book, one kid will get off his mat and then another follows and then the whole system crumbles. Guess who is the one that brings the system down? Yes, my kid. He's ALWAYS the second one which is the one that brings everything down. The poor librarian who is new to children's storytime tries so hard. I feel for her and always try to keep his legs crossed to make it harder for him to get up and easier for me to plop him back down, but once anarchy takes over, there's nothing i can do. It's quite funny really.

Same thing happens at preschool. The way the teacher describes the breakdown makes me laugh. LD will instigate Joey, the other bored and physical kid, to join him in his plan and between the two they get the whole thing broken down. If you know Montessori schools, they like order and LD dislikes order. And he's bored there. Once he figures things out, he loses interest. I'd like to think that i'm raising my child wrong for him to constantly bring down the system but you know, i'm sort of proud. I'd rather have a reformist than a conformist.

Caught up a bit!

Finally got done with all my ebay selling. Spring cleaning is still underway. I'll start doing my menu's and food blog again in May. Been crazy around here!

I also have our next set of spring activities since the trees are finally budding and i'll post pictures of our past activities.

Getting a root canal done tomorrow after a bitter year long fight against it. Hate dental procedures and drugs and this has been a week full of drugs. Annoying. I really need to find a homeopathic store here. It's hard to find stuff here. We live in an area where it's rural but it's not. Everything is just far. Which reminds me, gotta go get the bernina back. She's all cleaned and spruced and ready to make a bunch of button holes. I got the call this morning.

I know i said i'd open the store but there doesn't seem to be much of an interest anyhow so i'm taking my time. There's locals who want to buy stuff though and it makes me want to go around to all the town center gift stores and see if they want to carry some of my things. That would mean little dude going to preschool more though and i can't bear the thought. Me and other moms around here are so different. They can't wait till their kids are in school and me, i can't bear the thought. I love spending time with him and doing things. Yes, at times, i want my own time but he is only going to be this small once. And this is the only time he'll love kissing and cuddling his mommy and wanting mommy to coddle him like a baby. And it's the only time he'll say the craziest things and wonder how he comes up with it. For instance, if he sees a hand print he says "hi five mommy hi five!" And how he wants me to put my legs on the coffee table so he can go across my train tracks. How he "needs" to go to New York City every day now. This request is not going away. How he calls little girls princesses and boys his friends, whether he knows them or not. How instead of saying "go again" he says "try again". How he eats a strawberry and says "juicy!" and how before he's even finished his bowl of yogurt and berries he's asking for "more please." And how when his doll or bear is in his way he says "Excuse me baby!" How he tells me "mommy, you need coffee. Tired. I'm tired too mommy. I need coffee too." So i make him ovaltine and me coffee and we talk about our day.

I love this kid and i love being a mom. God has given me something i never thought i'd have. I don't want to share it with anyone else. Annnnyway, I have this constant internal battle of wanting to do something outside the house and being a mom but it always comes down to being a mom first and letting that other stuff go, hence the reason i haven't been working hard on getting the store open. I want to, but i look at this boys eyes asking me to play with him, teach him, hug him and i can't refuse. Every cell in my body collects the memories of these days so when i'm old in my rocking chair quilting away in lonliness i can recall the weight of him, the way he plays with the baby hairs on the back of my neck and the way his breath sounds in my ear as he shifts his weight and lays his head on my shoulder. How he loves trains and talks about them all day and plays with them and gets excited about them when one day 30 years from now, he'll be stuck at a railroad crossing cursing the train that is making him late for work (God i hope not!).

Oh my God, listen to me go on and on. Like i'm hormonal or something. I'll spare you now...time to play.