Bliss Beyond Naptime

Ship, Shower and Shave

Decided very last minute to go to some friends' wedding this weekend -  oceanside. Again, with each child my decision-making skills are diminishing. Even this morning I was asking Craig ' maybe I should stay home'; then asking Edie 'should Mama stay home with Kale?". She said 'come'. I do what she says.
So this Tuesday I started this dress from Burda World of Fashion - I think Spring 2008 issue - I'll double check - and finished it just in the nick of time. Damn, it's tricky getting the self-portrait shot with a grungy mirror. I need a dress from. Hey! Wait a minute, I have one!Just not set up yet. Gratis, my friend. A sweet old lady answer my ad in the local paper and wouldn't accept any cash for it. Thanks Lola!

So we got a dress for Mama, house/chicken sitter, knitting projects packed; now what? Our friendly neighbourhood self-professed snipper-witch came over for emergency haircuttings for this is a pretty classy crowd and we're all looking a little Hillbilly lately. So sweet she did a house call at the last minute. Thanks Cha Cha! As for the shave, I'm going to hop in the shower now and hopefully won't damage the plumbing with my increasing in intensity de-hillbillying. As for the ship part of this post; we're going to ship Kale out via Air Canada - precious Cargo! Don't want to traumatize him with too much driving - I'd hate to mar his almost surreal happiness status quo. I'll share some shots of our grand adventure when we get back!

Wordless Wednesday

Blue Lagoon

I got a request from a client to spin up some blue and green. Can't seem to stop. Might make a whole sweater's worth for a KAL on Ravelry for the Year of the Goat Medium is the Message Tunic Sweater (whoa, that was a mouthful). So far I spun up this hearty stuff:

 But it's all oatmeal while I'm more hyped about free-range egg souffle these days. Might hold out instead for my shipment of merino to come in and dye in those shades of Christopher Atkins frolicking with pre-pubescent Brook Shields in paradise - gosh, I seem to keep bringing that one up.

Here's another blue project in the shop. Leftover fabric from Edie's water parade outfit.

Blue and red. One of my favourite combos! Makes me feel like Super Girl.

I Outta Pinata

Edie's fabulous babysitter/soulmate started up an art club with her girlfriend that is held every Saturday and Sunday in downtown Winlove. Parents drop off the kids from 10 till 1 for childcare while TT and Super Mel "educate, promote and integrate kindness". Love Winlove!

They started off with kids yoga, were told the story of Jack and the Beanstalk, made parade gear then proceeded to parade through downtown handing out packets of 'magic beans' to kids who, according to Edie, weren't their friends yet.

By the time the time came for me to pick her up it was whacking time. Edie keeps saying 'I'm going to smack it across the river!". She was sooooo into it (normally she's the town mute). Yeah, I think we found the perfect club for her my little tortured artist.

Meanwhile, Kale hung back (on top of this vintage quilt score from the thrift shop!) and waited for the swathes of ladies to come by and feed him grapes straight from the bunch...

... while the Sunshine Boy played the bongos (I know that's not bongos. Bongos reads funnier than djimbe). No breakage in the pinata yet (someone please tell me how to type in the squiggle over the 'n'?) so Mama took a whack at it.

Sporting my pinata whacking skirt of course!

Through Thick and Thin

I felt stretched a little thin this week. And not just  because little big guy is busy sucking all the life-giving fat source out of me (who, by the way, turned six months old two days ago!). I experienced a wicked migraine that hit on Tuesday, left me nauseous on Wednesday resulting in a really not-as-wonderful-as-usual Mommy/Wifey until just now (I'm awesome again, Cheech!). That and there were a couple of other post-it notes from the Universe suggesting the idea to par down some projects and online commitments; simplify, simplify, simply simplify (would typing one simplify have been simpler?).

On the way to a doctor's appointment on Tuesday I was listening to an interiew on CBC with a woman who wrote a book on the long-term effects of growing up online. Me being mildly attention challenged I only retained her recommendation to get off the computer and onto something that engages you so much that time seems to hurl by seamlessly leaving you refreshed and at peace. Since drinking my morning latte all day long may be contributing to the problem I can't wisely put that on my list of meditative things to do, so I'm slowly backing away from the computer and backing toward the spinning wheel or sewing machine as part of my Mommy-time morning ritual.

And the Universe also took form of a fiber artist looking for a spinner to provide her with thick and thin singles in particular colourways for an incredibly cute project that involves naked newborns (I'll share more later - it's all legit). I had so much fun spinning these that I'm going to crank out more and set up a new category called Thick and Thins in my shop just for these simple beauties. They'll be a little less expensive than my art yarns just for simplicity's sake!

Wordless Wednesday

Sometimes I say too much. Spearheaded by Curious Bird. Wednesdays (twisting my lips with my fingers and throwing away the key hand motion).

Dandy Lioness

Spring is Edie's season. Not in the drape the colour swatches around your neck until you don't look so hurtin' season but her enthusiasm for all things representing snow-be-gone and swimming-holes-around-the-corner time. What gets her most excited probably is the emergence of all things butterfly-y and flowery. And the most abundant flower of all? Our field of dandelions. Heaven on Earth.

So I had to quickly make her a butterfly and flower skirt of course! I followed this free Lazy Days skirt pattern that I found via Soulemama. Literally took ten minutes. The fabric was surprise-gifted to me from Curious Bird (she's really generous like that) a couple of years ago and has been patiently waiting for the perfect project to come along. The deal with Edie is I make her something, then I make Mama something; so I put on my Japanese pattern figuring out goggles on and cranked out that shirt up there. Craig muttered during the fashion shoot (which I think successfully pulled off that hash-induced seventies haze I was crossing my fingers for) that the sleeves look half-done. He totally doesn't get it sometimes - though I agree the tunic top looks ridiculous on me. Or maybe he's just cranky that I haven't made him the yoga pants I've been promising him forever. It is his turn for a sewing project after all. Anybody know of a pattern for men's yoga pants that don't look like pajama bottoms and are super bullet-proof around the crotch/crack area? Is it too early in the morning for such questions?

This spring fever also brought on full on excitement for camping. Edie got to sleep in the tent with her Dada last night in the freshly mowed backyard (we got our first lawnmower last week! I feel this is an important step toward adulthood!). I heard them creep in at 5 am. They should be out for the count til 10ish I bet. Ooooo... what to do with all this free Mama time? Oh yeah. Kale. Lucky he's so stinking cute!

By Jove, I think We Got It!

Have I used this blog title already? Poor not-so-little Kale; totally suffering from second baby syndrome. Meaning, this is the latest picture I have of him. And it's about a month old (the red cheeks are gone now, Mom. I think it was my crazy dairy intaking). That's more than 1/6th of his lifetime! So, to make it up to him when he's in therapy for the lack of evidence of his fleeting youth captured on film, wondering out loud if he's been adopted because, in truth he secretly wants to marry his big sister (that's what Edie predicts anyway), I can say, "hey, kiddo. I built an empire around your name. Don't you feel the love reading your name on practically every woman's unmentionables in the Northern Hemisphere (ala Calvin Klein)?"  And he'll say yes "yes, Mummy" in that cute little English accent we're busy imprinting on him these days.

Oh yeah, that ottoman is squarly snugged up to the sectional up there. Little guy loves rolling around and around like a little weeble wooble. Loved the name suggestions, thank you everyone! I was so tempted to go with a French one like one of my favourite wool shops, Laine Zin Zin - just sounds so Euro-sassy. And the punk band name that never happened - that meant Squat to me. No, seriously, our band was going to be called Squat - remember Donna? So I decided shop number two will be called While Jupiter Dreams - because like the winner of this contest suggested, let's have an ode to Jove. Congrats Calynde for the seed planting and thus being the winner - a scarflette is off to you (send me your addy). Hang on, here's the long winded story again; We were this close to naming Kale Kale Jupiter but then discovered that Jove is another name for this planet. Decided to go with Jove because it's all like Love with a "J" and perhaps a touch corporate-friendlier lest he decides to rebel and work for the man. I like the sound of While Jupiter Dreams. Things I whip up while my Big Gaseous Planet of Love takes his naps. Best go reserve it now - sure the name's in hot demand. Though I should run it by the man first (but he's kind of out of commission due to a stag) before I committ to anything. Whatever it's called - due to open in July - stay tuned!

Oh, I just can't decide...

This is our most-daily walk to the mailbox. Edie's venturing further and further away from Kale and me making me feel proud of my self-confident, strong-willed girl while at the same time wanting to grow Elastic Woman-type arms to streeeetch out to snatch her up and whip her back to my chest and hug her and squeeze her for ever and ever. Parenting is such a trip.

I know I'm suppose to announce the winner of the Name That Shop contest today but I can't quite decide. Love the suggestions so far but I would like more please! I'll announce the winner on Monday. Have a great weekend everyone. Keep your loved ones close but not too tight!

Overalls, I'm Pretty Happy

Littlest Munchkin's not napping 20 out of 24 hours a day like he use to so my sewing time's kind of scant these days. But I've finally been able to complete the summer 2009 gardening outfit so I'm all set to join Craig out there who's been coming in every day happy as, and looking like, a pig in dirt. I adjusted a vintage 'jumper' pattern from the seventies for this corduroy ensemble making the bottoms long enough so I can really get down on my knees all practical like but still pull off that homey, homey don't cha know me je ne sais quoas.

Kind of looks like Craig's planting some 'egg' plants here, right? Our ladies are just cranking out so many little yolk-y gems we thought if we bury them all we can dig them up mid-winter and they'll still be farm fresh. Just kidding. Them things up there are potatoes. We're planting lots of them. Lots. A good hardy veggie to devirginize the soil. Edie's slowly taking on the role as family photographer. Here she is again documenting the magic that goes down at Quackhouse Farm. Busy time the spring; getting us all outside more and gifting us sound sleeps through the night. During the day... not so much!