making my day

Lots of people and little things have been making me smile lately.  Here’s the list:

-My BFF who recently asked me if I would be her new baby girl’s godmother.  I am so honored by this request.  She really cracked me up because she began the conversation with something like, “You don’t have to say yes, I won’t be offended, but….”  She is nuts!  I am so excited for this new role and am looking forward to the christening in October.   

-All the sweet baby-on-the-way well wishes from my last post.  Thanks so much.  It was fun to receive your little notes.  They make the idea of having another baby even more exciting (and real).

-A very kind woman who took the time to leave me a terribly thoughtful comment about the “clever cape” pattern.  I don’t believe she has a blog; I would link to her if she did.  The pattern is downloaded a few times everyday, put Stephanie was the first person to let me know that she made it for her son.  She sent photos too.  Here is what she said:  My son turned three yesterday so about two weeks ago I started looking for cape patterns (he is VERY imaginative and I knew he’d enjoy a real cape vs. the blanket with a safety pin he’s been using).  I just started searching the web for free patterns and I found this cape, it’s much cuter than anything else I found so I printed and made it on Friday night – it’s darling, THANK YOU! As soon as it was tied on him he ran all the way around the park, arms properly outstretched.  You can smile knowing that a little person out west is enjoying his very own ‘clever little cape’.”  Thanks Stephanie!  Your note and photos made me smile, for sure.  Your boy is a handsome little one.  Happy belated birthday to him.

-Grammy’s story about a co-worker of hers who made a shrinky dink bracelet using my tutorial and photos from her flower garden.  How cool is that?  I’m hoping Grammy will snag a photo one of these days when she gets a chance.

-A very close friend’s latest sewing project.  It is going to be amazing once it is finished.  I am dying to get a preview.  (You know who you are.  I will trade you a belly pic for a project-in-progress pic.)

-My kiddo’s “chicken arm” run.   The little guy bends one of his arms like a little chicken when he really gets going when he is running.  It is hilarious, and I was so glad to capture it with my camera. (Top photo.)

-A tiny bit of patchwork that has helped me get over my sewing blahs and has reminded me that quilts are really what I like to work on the most.

squeaky

 

About a month ago, I ventured down to the basement of my office building in search of a vending machine treat.  I put my dollar bill into the slot, pressed B7, watched the spring-like thing that was holding my bag of Sunchips rotate, and stood there feeling helpless as the bag dangled, unable to drop into the bottom of the machine where I would be able to fish it out.  Normally, I would chalk it up to bad luck, fork over another dollar, and secure that bag of chips–which I did.  But I also made note of the telephone number of the vending machine company and told my sad story to a very friendly customer service rep.  Two days later, I received the above note, with cash, in the mail.  Of course I felt pretty silly making that call, but for now lets just blame it on the raging pregnancy hormones.

So, yes, my goofy vending machine story was just a very long-winded segway leading to our big news that we are expecting number two in late January.  Horray!  We are very excited.  The only real side effect I have experienced with this pregnancy has been fatigue in the evening and a true aversion to sewing.  Lucky, the first trimester is behind me and I am feeling a lot better.  Fear not.  This blog won’t be turning into a “best-of-the-baby-junk” factory.  We’ve got all the gear we need, and plenty of tiny green and yellow hand-me-downs from baby number one.  Belly shots, however,  will make an occasional appearance– for my sisters in particular. 

We don’t plan to find out the gender of the baby, though I did catch Grammy referring to #2 as a girl the other day.  I realize the unknown drives some people nuts, but we like the element of surprise.  Plus, I won’t be as tempted to make things for the new baby and will be able to focus on my little guys “big boy” quilt which will be completed in time for his second birthday in December.  Thanks to a certain Ginger Monkey and Miss Tula Pink, I am thinking hexagons.  I have the fabric all picked out, and just have to learn a bit more about English paper piecing.  I feel like I may be getting in a little over my head with all the hand piecing, but I think I am going to like the process.  If anyone out there has any advice on the topic, please drop me a note.  I’d love to learn any tricks that speed things up.

We’ve been having a fun and busy summer, full of ice cream eating and pool hopping.  I was in LA recently for a work trip, and then we spent a wonderful long weekend in Maine.  I’ll post some photos from our Maine trip soon–there were lots of good ones.

fashionistas, raconteurs, and rockstars

This was a shower gift for a very special bride-to-be.  She was my neighbor growing up and the BFF of my sister, Alpine Auntie.  The little girl with the most perfect bowl-cut and adorable dresses from suburban Massachusetts grew up to be quite the sophisticated New Yorker who found the perfect guy.  The first time that this bride-to-be brought her man to our hometown to attend a farewell party for Architect Uncle and Teacher Auntie, Redhead Auntie and I treated him (and a crowd of say, 50 people) to a skit/reenactment of his future wife’s high school prom experience.  Any excuse to make a girl blush…and to embarrass yourself in front of a large group of people.  Our skit concluded with a dance routine set to a Rihanna tune.  Yes.  I know.  Very classy.

I enlisted a very helpful committee of bridesmaids to help me come up with nicknames to make napkin rings for everyone in the wedding party.  After a few email exchanges, we settled on:  the mr, the mrs, wino, hippie, rasta, fashionista, punk, artist, biker, raconteur, rock star, chatterbox, wanderer, chef, shopaholic, kerald, and frequent flyer.  I am grateful to have had the help of these creative women.  (THANKS GIRLS!)  My original choices were not nearly as interesting, and certainly did not capture the personalities of the members of this boisterous group of friends. 

The napkins are a linen fabric and the rings are made out of a heavier drapery fabric.  Slap bracelets give the napkin rings their shape.  Basically, I made little slap bracelet coverslips and stamped on the nicknames using fabric markers and rubber stamps.  I thought I was pretty clever when I came up with the slap bracelet idea.  The best part of the project was being in touch with the bridesmaids  and picturing the bride-to-be and her groom serving dinner in their home to all their closest friends.  Congrats you two.  We can’t wait for the wedding!

underdog

Have I mention recently how great my kid is? One and a half is a really good time. There are a few things about him that I’ve been wanting to record, so I thought I’d jot them down here.

When he wakes up in the morning, our little guy sings sweetly and plays in his crib until it’s really time to come out, and then he calls for his ma-ma and da-da until one of us rolls out of bed and goes to his room to say good morning. I think the biggest reward for being the one to take the “early shift” is the bounding enthusiasm with which you are greeted when you walk into the kiddo’s bedroom. When I say bounding, I mean it, as he jumps up and down with the biggest smile you’ve ever seen. And then when you pick him up and out of the crib, you are in for the biggest and best full-body hug you have ever received—two little pairs of skinny arms and legs wrapped tightly around your neck and torso. It really is one of the best feelings.

Bedtime is pretty great these days too. In fact, the other night (I swear I am not lying) the little guy read me a story for the first time. Granted the book is very basic and only really consists of the words “night-night” and a roaring, improvised “whoa!” But still, he said “night night” and “whoa!” at all the right times, and absolutely amazed his mom. After we read a few stories, he slinks off the twin bed, walks over to his crib and tries to pull himself up. It’s his way of saying, “OK, Mom. I am tired. Can you put me in here?.” And then he rubs his little face in his blankie, lets me cover him up, and says “night night” with that little smile that gets me every time.

His favorite foods lately have been strawberries picked from our garden and eggs from out neighbors’ chickens. He won’t touch strawberries that have been chilled from the refrigerator; he likes them garden-temp. But really, who doesn’t? (Note the strawberry juice on his face in the photos.) And now he’s being a bit selective about eggs—he can distinguish fresh from store-bought. Smart little bugger.

He shoots hoops every morning with a basketball set that was given to him by a good friend, and plays wiffle ball pretty much every evening. We’ve been pool hopping at Papa’s house as well as at the homes of some other local friends, and his favorite part is jumping in. When he is swinging, he repeats the word “Mama” until I give him a big old underdog push. And while I run underneath that swing holding my gorgeous baby boy, I have to yell UNDERDOG! Nothing less will do.

Everyday lately has been so much fun. But slow down little man; it seems like it is going by so fast. You are starting to make me understand all those seasoned parents who say that having kids makes time pass really quickly.

This last photo was taken at a recent family party. My aunt and uncle have the most amazing swing set.