Sparkle-Pop!

Hope you all had an exciting 4th of July! We sure did!
Come back this weekend for some exciting changes!

Taking home Hawaii.

(picture courtesy of my sister in law Dana)

She's getting pretty good. It's just her size. Jack Johnson...move over. She's coming!

Hello July!

July. Has to be one of my favorite months. I love summer. I love being in the water. I love sunshine. And it is my birthday.


July's print is here! Barely made it into the shop before July 1st. But here she is. Ready to jump in. Or is she? Do you remember the first time you just went for it? Jumped off the diving board into water your friends swore to you was warm? Or off the edge into the deep end? Or do you still have to decide if you will jump in or go in slowly down the stairs?

July is full of REALLY tough decisions.

But before we get to July, let's talk a little more about June. Today is a very special birthday. My Grandma Knell.

(she's the babe in the center)

This woman has done it all. Kindergarten teacher turned mother of 10. To have 10 kids, you have to be creative....or else. She is AMAZING!

(here she is, center again this time with all her kids)

Sewer of all thing, maker of all things, orchestrator of all things creative. You got an apple core? She'll dry it, put a face on it and make it into a wrinkled old man statue. Got some left over fabric? She'll make a grocery bag saver. Have some paper scraps? She'll make an intricate paper Christmas ornament.


Well, I couldn't think of any thing better to give her, than her own personalized paper doll. Addie loves to play with Grandma when we visit, and I thought a fun activity they could do together, would be to play paper dolls (since my Grandma loves paper and loves dolls. Still. I am sure she rearranges the furniture in her doll house when no one is around.)


So, Vera Jewel...Jewel for short (great name isn't it?) gets her own monogrammed doll (notice the underwear) complete with rain coat and sunday best. Can't wait to have her play with Addie. Or me for that matter.


I am a little addicted, and I think I will be making more of these. I can't get over how cute she is! Be watching for a Free Download soon. These are just too much fun!!

Well, happy June 29th Vera Jewel, and for tomorrow, happy July every one! Just dive in!

Colors of summer

You know it's summer when colors start looking like this:

My 3 year old can sew her own clothes.

It's 1pm and Addie won't take a nap.

Addie, It's time for bed.

But mom, I'm awake.

No you're not. You need to go to sleep. You are so tired.

Mom, I want to be with you.

Go to bed.

But there are monsters.

Go to sleep.

Mom, can I sew a dress?

What?

Pause.

Puppy dog eyes.

OK. Let's sew a dress.

I have always been interetsed in teaching Addie to sew. I knew as soon as she learned, she would be hooked. I just didn't know the right age to start. She is 3 1/2 and needles and such aren't much for 3 year olds. But I pulled out a yarn needle, and a full length of embroidery thread, and we began to sew. And amazing! She got the hang of it!


Poke it in/Pull it out/Pinch the eye/ pull until it stops/ poke again close to where it came out.

She is a rhythm girl, and even began singing a song about the above routine.

Hum-dee-dum. Pinching the needle. toodle-oo. Poke it through.

Seriously folks...she sewed every stitch in this dress. Granted it didn't last long, but I couldn't believe it.

But she is hooked. Every day since: "Mom, can we sew today?"
And now she notices her toys, clothes, blankets, couch pillows: "Mom! Somebody sewed this for me! I can see the thread!"

Since this dress, she has made a dress for Flower and a toy cow and is working on a blanket for her baby.

I can't wait to get her an embroidery hoop. She may still be too young. But this might be just the thing to keep her away from Barbi just one more year.

Strep.

They are gone now to their little beds, but for the past 3 days we have made this of Mommy's sheets. Hot little bodies, achy muscles, soar throats and lots and lots of lots of snuggles. Babies with strep throat is never welcome, but I sure don't mind the extra loving. Even at 3 am. Even with pink medicine stains on my shirts. Even with a shop that is a little behind with shipping. Even when laundry is piling. I would rather have snuggles and hugs with my feverish babies than a perfect house any day. I can't always say that, but something about having sick little ones reminds me that my house isn't going to grow up and get too big for my lap someday. So dishes in the sink...quit your whining. These little divas come first.

Magic.

Addie age 1

"And above all watch, with glittering eyes the whole
world around you because the greatest secrets are
always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those
who don't believe in magic will never find it.
~ Roald Dahl ~

Addie age 3

This week I learned from my children that:

• Your shadow is your best friend because it is always with you
• Monsters live in trees but they are scared of daddy's
• Sunshine is meant to be felt with just your skin on (even when it is 40 degrees outside)
• Flowers are for giving to people (especially the cashier at Target)
• Dirt is for toes
• One piece of broccoli is a tree. Two pieces of broccoli is a dark forest.
• Igloos can be made from an end table and blankets
• Tree stumps are for sitting on when you are sad.
• Big stretches of green grass are for taking a "belax"
• Trees are for hugging.
• Butterflies have mommies too.
• Nail polish and chapstick makes you a princess.

And so I add to that beautiful quote:

Watch with glittering eyes your children and you will see the whole world as it really is. And you may even end up believing in magic.

Happy Monday everyone!

I quit.

We did it. We finally did it. We put our TV away. It is hidden behind Kenneth's dress pants in our closet, and I am feeling really good right now. Why? Are we crazy? Yep, pretty much. But now, instead of snuggling on the couch for a half hour of cartoons (or more) in the morning, we read books. Instead of watching a movie while the Mama catches her breath, we make a nest with blankets on the floor and read books. Instead of watching a cartoon to transition from nap to awake, we read books. We read a lot of books before...but with the TV there, the temptation was just TOO great from when I needed instant entertainment for my kids. And I have noticed (already in their short 2 years) the consequences. Addie was picking up sarcastic behaviors (PBS isn't perfect guys), they were starting to build a routine off the TV, and I was losing my motivation to find more creative ways to entertain. I did't grow up with TV. My dad rented a VCR once when I was 8 years old so we could watch the Music Man. TV isn't evil...in fact, I am going to miss it in a lot of ways. It did make life a bit easier. But the bad was outweighing the good, so good-bye instant gratification....hello real life. Let's see how long this lasts!

Mamma and her boys.

These past few 'vacation' days have flown by! I have loved this time to create more, and wishing that I could just work faster. It sometimes feels like my brain is so full of images that I have to get them out on paper or I am just going to burst. I keep a sketch book with me at all times, but sometimes taking real "art time" is necessary. I have been working on a few other projects that I can't really post about right now...hopefully soon. But these new prints are enough to keep me happy!

All this is available in the shop now. I have more coming, as always, but now I must get back to shipping and packing!



I am also going to be making my "I love my mom" cards available as singles in honor of Mother's day coming up. Don't miss out on these elephants!


And speaking of Mamas and Boys, check out my forever crush. He loves hanging out with me. He is my little side kick. I just can't get enough of his short stubby, squishy legs. Oh!! I love him!




Thanks for all your lovely comments about the chairs by the way! Have a great weekend and see you back for "happy site friday!"

Little moments. Little memories.

Hello friends,

I love weekends! Especially this weekend. "Conference Weekend" we call it. Twice a year, the Prophet of our church and other church leaders gather together and speak to a world wide congregation of Jesus and his teachings. Families and congregations from Africa to Sweden gather together to listen and watch all day Saturday and Sunday to the teachings from the scriptures as applied to our lives today...like how to find more joy in motherhood, etc. It is like a Mecca really, and I find it really cool that millions of people are listening and watching all at the same time. And, on top of that, our little family has the tradition of cooking lots of yummy food (swiss chard soup, homemade bread, slow cooked ribs, biscuits grilled asparagus, cream asparugus pasta, homemade granola and crepes with strawberries for breakfast) as cooked by my husband and kids a like. Ya. Whew! Well, I did end up making a cardboard stove for the kids when Kenneth started to saute. They didn't mind using "pretend" food, and I sure could have used it instead! But really, I am 'filled' in more ways than one!


And one more little happy note: I have new little pretties to add to the shop! I am really excited about this, and it has been in the works for a while. I was able to have them made here, and they turned out great!




Little mini cards with buttons on them for added cuteness. But these aren't any kind of card. They are meant to make those little moments: a note for a friend left in her purse. Or a note on your daughter's bed for her to see when she comes home from school. Or a note in a lunch for a little hand to open on a hard day at school. My mother was always leaving little notes for me as a child, and let me tell you...it made my day. These notes are for ANYONE. But, I would hope that these would encourage more note-giving between mother and child. Just an idea.

I will be posting these in my shop soon. Don't know if I will post them individually, or as a set yet. I sure love them! Hope you do too!

My Weekend Gourmet.

We call him the 'Weekend Gourmet'.

His stats: tall, dark and handsome.
His title: teacher, father, and chef extraordinare.
His therapy: cooking.

We are going to Hawaii in a couple months, and I have been desperately trying to get rid of those unwanted pounds I put on over the winter. But I have no hope. None. I have an amazing excuse to eat food. The reason? My husband. He loves too cook like I love to draw. It is in his blood. His therapy after a really stressful day is cooking up some new inventive recipe. My therapy after a really hard and stressful day is eating his really amazing new and inventive recipe. We make an incredibly good pair.

No, I have no reason to blame him. It is really my laziness about getting to the gym. But really...can you blame me when this was our weekend?



This is every weekend. And this is just "easy food." The kind of food he can make quick without thinking. You should see him on holidays. Or during the summer. You should see his library of books he POURS over...every culinary institute's manual, every ethnic cookbook, you name it he has read it. And I love it.



My kids love it too. Our weekends are spent making sure the kids aren't falling off the counters while they are covered in flour. They LOVE to cook with dad. I think they always will. And I think that I will always be his best food critic...um...taste tester that is!