Countdown to Art Star Craft Bazaar


I had a rare moment this afternoon where they had both fallen asleep in the stroller. Combined, they are heavy enough to make it not quite safe to pull them up the steps and into the house. And, to be honest, I liked having a little bit of time where I couldn't run into the studio and get just a little more work done. I greatly appreciated a sit on the front stoop with a couple magazines...

3 more days until Art Star. Three evenings of cramming. A couple more things to sew. Tagging. Packing. Planning. And continuing to keep the house running (as it's state seems to exponentially decline as my inventory increases).

O's new room finally has a rug and some curtains, though only one curtain rod (and two windows). The Dad has been away for the last two days, returning tonight and beginning his working from home (out of what is currently a disaster of an office) tomorrow.

I am really looking forward to an evening (next week!) when I can put the kids to bed and then just sit in front of the TV without having to multitask and sew, cut, tag, or prep anything at the same time. And then we can try to get this house put back together.

Really, though, I am so excited about the fair this weekend. There has been some great press and I am so honored to be among one of the "most talented emerging artists" at this cool and funky show. Really? Me?

So, I know I've been MIA, but promise lots more about everything that's been going on around here on Monday!

If you're anywhere near the Philly area, come by and say Hi! Admission to the show is free. I have Booth #37. Live music all day, yummy food from local restaurants, and loads and loads of fabulous goods.

Take Care! And thanks for checking in.

Is she really 5 now?

We celebrated E's 5th birthday yesterday with a Wizard of Oz themed party.

A table decked out with three yards of this fabric as the table cloth, matching cups, napkins, and plates from Birthday Express, some repurposed yellow brick road pieces, and some fun jingly rainbow trees.


I made my first, somewhat sorry, attempt at a doll cake. Can you see that the layers were slowly sliding to the side?
And the much promised Dorothy Dress. Which she is wearing for the second day in a row and has already requested to wear again tomorrow. Made a size or two too big so that it will fit for a long, long while.
"Am I really 5 now?", she said to me last night after the lights were out.
"Because I really still feel like I'm 4."
"I should be as big as Noah. That's how big real 5-year-olds are."
"Oh sweetie," I told her, "you have all year to grow as big as a 5 year old."

Extended Vacation

Today is Day 3 of The Dad's 17-day vacation between jobs.

Tomorrow we head out of town for a couple days. To an island without cars or cell phone service.

To play on the beach and eat crab cakes.

Have a fabulous week.

Face Paint

E loves getting her face painted. It just goes along with constantly trying on new characters and personas. One more way to dress up. It never stays on for very long, her skin is sensitive and it usually starts to itch after it dries. But she loves the process. And the initial effect.

We went to a little family field day yesterday and someone brought along face paints. Knowing exactly what she wanted, E gave the painter detailed instructions. She wanted a mermaid on her face - not a little mermaid on her cheek, but a painted face to make her look like a mermaid. A blue crown like the ocean, pink round cheeks with stars, red hair like Ariel, and red lips.

Home, later that afternoon, we heard the dumping of blocks coming from the playroom. I went to check on her and saw that she had gotten out the Lincoln Logs and set up her own pretend face painting station.

"What would you like your face painted as? Oh, that one's not on the board. You can pick one that's on the board. Okay, now sit down here. What colors would you like?"

She painted each of us, with a Lincoln Log 'brush' and 'paint pots'.

I have to admit, I've been trying to get The Dad to let me get rid of the Lincoln Logs because the kids don't build with them. But after today? Seeing how they do use them? I think they'll stick around for a while.

Holy Guacamole

A little late for Cinco de Mayo, we whipped up some fresh guacamole last night before dinner. And I had flashbacks to when The Dad worked over on the West Side of St. Paul in an hispanic neighborhood flooded with Mexican restaurants.

Six months of his year (or what felt like that) was dedicated to the planning of a huge Cinco de Mayo festival. In 2004, E's duedate coincided with the festival. The Dad kept telling her (through my belly) that she needed to hang on just a little longer. She obliged and was 6 days late, born the week after when things had calmed down and he could take time off. She used to be so cooperative!

He worked there for almost six years and totally exhausted any love he had of Mexican food before. Three years later, he can finally appreciate it again.


Last night, we broke open the three perfectly ripe avacados on the counter, mashed them with half a sweet onion, 2 tomatoes, and a little sea salt. And voila! The best guac I have had in a very long time. Gone almost before dinner was even on the table.

Make It Snappy


Ahhh, my snap press. My reward to myself after the holiday fairs I did last fall. It weighs at least 20 pounds and looks so positively industrial. So, so, SO much easier and more efficient than the plastic snap setter and hammer I was using before.


And my overflowing pile of scraps.
There really is a box under there, attempting to contain it all.
The impetus for a new project to debut soon.

Things here are stressful, bordering on frantic. We have had some health issues with the kids, which seem to be all resolved, on top of The Dad changing jobs and the countdown (3 1/2 weeks to go!) to Art Star Craft Bazaar which I am feeling less and less on top of.

So, nose to the grindstone and a few more late nights coming up.

We're going to get away for a couple days next week - to a truly remote island with no banks or ATMs and no cell phone service! Just lots of time playing on the beach and exploring.
Then back for the home stretch.

Thanks for checking in!