New Places, Wide Open Spaces

Bug Graveyard; Jack Purcell's

Ahhhhh, that's better. After a botched attempt to take an adult-acation in March we successfully got some fantastic family-seeing and babysitting time in this weekend. We all enjoyed the weather, spent a lot of time relaxing and eating good food, and none of us needed to visit a doctor. It's a good thing!


Singing Feet, Ella's Deli

Our first day included a trip to the zoo and a stop at Madison landmark, Ella's Deli. The weather was gorgeous, the zoo was free and the matzo ball noodle soup was hot. If you ever get to Madison, a trip to Ella's is not to be missed! Where else can you order a great kosher meal, ride on a carousel and see feet that sing? Nowhere!

Whilst in Madison we also hit Harvest and our new favorite coffee shop, Crema. Mmm, I love me some Alterra coffee. Oh, and we played outside, hit the only three garage sales in town, and scored a freebie kid's play kitchen off the curb. Yay!


The line at Hot Doug's


Awesome meal at El Tinajon

While in Chicago, we attempted to visit Hot Doug's after seeing the episode of No Reservations where Anthony Bourdain pimps the encased meats emporium. However, Hot Doug's had other plans that included about 150 people waiting in line in front of us to get a gourmet dog. Undettered, we waited patiently for about 5 minutes and then blew that popsicle stand for one of our favorite joints called El Tinajon in Roscoe Village. Hot dogs, schmot dogs. I had some kick ass fried plantains and other fantastic Guatemalan treats.

Lest you think our vacation centered around eating, I'd like to assure you that we did a lot of other things. Sleeping in? Not so much! But we did have a ton of fun. Thank goodness for a do-over!!!

Did you have a splendid weekend, too? Did you get out to enjoy the weather?

Little House on the Prairie Bonnet

When I was a kid, I dreamed about getting an Easter bonnet from the Easter bunny year after year. It would be perfectly crisp and white - eyelet maybe - and I would prance around the house looking distinguished and adorable. However, the bonnet never came to pass, and over time I forgot about it (maybe when I hit my all-black stage at age 13).

Fast forward 20 years and I now have two nieces who like Little House on the Prairie and who yearly make the trek to Walnut Grove Minnesota to learn all about little Laura Ingalls Wilder's life. And, of course, wear a bonnet. I'm not jealous, but boy do I know a girl deserves a decent bonnet, especially if she has occasion to wear it!

The littlest niece is turning six in a few weeks, so I made her a special bonnet that's modern yet the style from the 1870s (okay, I'm totally imagining since I have no historical reference here, but I'm certain the bonnet appeared, at least in the TV show). I think it turned out pretty cute. It took me about 2 hours from cutting to completing, so I like to say it passed the "nap test" -- meaning I could make it in a single nap time (score!).

I may have to scale up my pattern a bit so I can make myself an adult-size version. Are you ever too old to wear a bonnet?

Goodby Grubby Hubby Tee; Hello Cute Kiddo Tee

My hubby thinks I have more clothes than him. Probably true if it weren't for all the 100s of tee shirts shoved in every crevice of his closet. Recently he parted with one (one!) and I decided last night to try to repurpose it into a small fry shirt for wee one. I realized my inadequate knowledge about sewing on stretch fabrics as soon as I started. The plain old straight stitch doesn't really work when you try to stretch out a neck to go over the head or things like that. Guess I'll have to call Granny Pumpkin and get a over-the-phone tutorial. But, for a first attempt it worked okay. And if I can perfect it into some pants and jumpers, then I'll have a potentially huge wardrobe for the little guy, made entirely out of punk shirts. Tres trendy, right?

Sunday Cupcakes, Lattes and Other Indulgences

Today was a good day. I wasn't so sure when I woke up and saw snow outside, covering everything in sight, but it turned out okay (and now the snow has already melted). First (after a fantastic Mr. Pumpkin quiche), we took a walk down to our local coffee joint Lily's for coffee and a treat. The wee one enjoyed it because he got to see some dogs and trucks and buses along the way, and I liked it because the top of my caramel latte tasted exactly like a perfectly toasted marshmallow (and looked like it, too).

We had guests coming for dinner (buy some art...DO IT) and it was a great excuse for me to get out some Pampered Chef tools I've never used. I made cupcakes with hidden vegetables (thanks Jessica Seinfeld) and topped them with pink and purple frosting. Yum. The homemade mac 'n' cheese wasn't bad, either. There was a lot of kid chaos and Wee Pumpkin loved every minute. As they walked to their car to go home, he looked at us and said with conviction: "More?" So, needless to say he likes playing with other kids. Especially adorable little girls.

Now, I'm in pajamas, enjoying listening to the song Notorious by Duran Duran. Does it get better?

Hope you had a good weekend!

Etsy Featured Seller Greenware Design

If anyone needs a gift idea for me, you know, Mother's Day is coming up, or Easter, or whatever, and I am drooling over this shop featured on Etsy called Greenware Designs. I "favorited" them a while back but haven't bit the bullet yet to buy one of their super awesome little succulents. I may just have to go for it...I could use a little spring pick-me-up!

Feather and Fan Progress

I have a notoriously short attention span when it comes to (well who am I kidding, everything) knitting projects. So why I decided it was a good idea to knit a blanket for charity, I'll never know. Maybe it was because that's what they said they needed most. Maybe I thought, hey, it's for a baby, and babies are small, right? They need small blankets, right? Wrong.

I already ran out of the yarn I planned to use so had to come up with a clever alternate color when I realized that buying more of the original teal would not pan out as it had been discontinued. In fact I got a computer virus trying to Google search to find more of it when I finally gave in and got the chocolate brown to finish the blanket. My thought is that it will be exactly half teal, half brown. Hey, it's gender-neutral! Bonus!

All frustration aside, I actually really love the pattern. I don't think it's turning out half bad. God bless Ravelry, right?? I can knit it in front of the TV, and I'm really looking forward to proudly handing it over to the ladies at Bundles of Love. I mean, last year I spent the whole year growing my hair out for a cause -- why not spend the whole year knitting for a cause? Lookout, next year it's going to be knitting a bus cozy for some sort of cause. That's at least a two-year project, right?

Anywho, next up in knitting I'm going to try to make the Purl Soho baby placket sweater for a certain wee one's cousin-to-be. I heard this pattern was a little wonky as first published; anyone know if this is the corrected one?

Dress-up: the Perk of Parenting

Before we had kids we read this hilarious Onion article about these young hipsters who had a baby for the sole purpose of dressing the child up in cool outfits. Oh, we laughed. Then we had Little Pumpkin. Now it's all clear. Being crafty is an added affliction, as the cool outfits should of course all be handmade. Luckily, my attention deficit issue means I never spend too much time on any one thing, including making clothes for the boy. Here and there I whip something up and that seems to appease my need to be a young hipster craftster parent with an unflinchingly cool fabric store within walking distance.

Last time I stopped by said fabric store I picked up every single thing they had that had any form of cars, trucks, diggers, dumpers or airplanes on it. These "surfer dude shorts with pocket for your matchbox car" are the first in a series of things I plan to make featuring the wee ones most beloved things in life. And, whadda ya know, they make him look like the dress up doll of an urban hipster. Awesome! As an added bonus, I should make Mr. Pumpkin a matching pair.

I'm on the hunt for some new boy's sewing patterns. I'd like some summer clothing and I mostly see pretty basic stuff. Anyone sew up this Oliver + S sailboat top or pants pattern (above)? I think it's cute but I've never used this brand of pattern. Any other recommendations? I could use some new inspiration.

Bad Economy Or No, Thrifting is a GO!

We spent all weekend at the thrift stores it seems. We are pretty regular pounders of the thrift store pavement. I actually have come to hate shopping, with the exception of thrift stores, antique stores, craft stores and usually the garden centers. Sometimes I get really burned out, especially since it seems like our local joints have really started to jack up the prices on certain "valuables" like Levi jeans (c'mon, people, these are NOT worth $14.99).

But, alas my faith in buying other people's junk at what I consider a reasonable price was restored. We got Wee Pumpkin a new (made in China) yet metal Radio Flyer tricycle for $7 at Hidden Treasures, a whole mess o' board books in almost unused condition at Unique, some water shoes and some cute Oshkosh red stripey "haw haws" for when he's a bit older. I can just see my guy tooling down the sidewalk in his red overalls on his red trike. I also found Mr. Pumpkin a sweet Duran Duran 45 record with "Notorious" on it. Hey, wait a minute! I didn't buy a single thing for myself. What tha!? Oh, well, maybe next time.

Psssssssst...where are your favorite thrift stores? I need to add some new places to my rotation!

Tonight we're going to take advantage of the heatwave we're having (it's 45 degrees) and grill out. Mmmmmmm venison hot dogs. Hope you had a fantastic weekend!

Craft Room Re-Do: 1 Year Anniversary!

It's been almost exactly a year since I revamped my craft space by removing the "guest room" and taking it over fully for crafting. It's a really small space, but pretty ideally situated with it's own door and window. Without a closet it's really not good for any other purpose...really!

Reflecting back, it was such a good move. I get SO much use out of the space. My only two complaints are that I have too much stuff and I end up piling it up because there are no closets and my fabric storage is woefully small. So what you see here if slightly cleaned up to make it appear as though I'm a much neater person than I really am. And notice how one wall of the room is missing from the photographs. That's the wall with the huge pile of ties waiting to become tiesies and the hugs bin of sweaters waiting for some felted purpose. It's also where my sewing machine sits, on a table piled with projects waiting to be sewn up.

If you'd like to share your crafty space, drop me a comment and let's figure out how we can feature you on my blog. It's such a guilty pleasure to see how everyone organizes their crafts! And I could stand to get some organization pointers, so let's share!

Please Spring, Spring Already!

We've had a couple of warmish days and man, is it torturous when it goes back to 35 degrees like it has this week. This photo was taken last weekend when it was 55 degrees and sunny. Oh, where, where did you go sun? Anyway, it's all good because we'll just stay inside and make risotto and play with our dumptrucks, right? Right!

Don't forget -- tomorrow we celebrate Earth Hour at 8:30 PM local time. It's just an hour, but symbolically it is really meaningful. My giant skyscraper office building is getting in on the action, so I figure I can, too. We usually light some candles and enjoy one lo-fi hour of relaxation. Pretty nice.

Happy Friday!

Get Hip to it: Run Amok

One of the most excellent fringe benefits of helping plan the No Coast Craft-o-rama each year is meeting all the talented and so-friendly local crafty types. I am always completely blown away by how welcoming and open everyone is, and it really makes all the work of planning big events worth it.

Enter Oona, the talent behind Run Amok. Not only is she super-talented, but she cracks me up. She says "aces!" She doesn't drive. Her mom is one of the sweetest moms I've ever met. She's just one of those people who gives me warm fuzzies every time I see her, and I want to see her become rich and famous beyond her wildest dreams. So, I asked her to write a tell-all autobiography and I agreed to publish it on my blog. I was dying to know what her craft space looked like. What books does she read? What inspires her?


Oona says: I keep my knitting needles (and typewriter ribbon tin collection) in the diningroom.


Oona says: My favorite fabrics.


Oona says: I love my green chair.


Oona says: A view from the door with piles of things that need finishing.


Oona says: I love my (moms) Bernina. A lot.

What's inspiring you now?
A random collection of things I guess: photos of fair isle knitting, 1950s sewn vinyl toys, Japanese craft books, the Organized Collections pool on flickr.


Oona says: Pincushions to be finished, and the never ending sock. This is only the first sock, and its taken 5 weeks to get to the heel, I can't believe it at this point.


Oona says: Cottons on the left, vintage kimono fabrics on the right.

What books are on your nightstand?

Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace and the Emperor and the Wolf (bio of Akira Kurosawa and Toshiro Mifune) . I think each one is about a million pages, and that’s why they’re both constantly on my nightstand, but both are well worth it.


Oona says: Sorted buttons for making bracelets.

What are your favorite places to shop?

Right now it’s mostly Blue Moon Fiber Arts for yarn, United Noodle for unusual snacks from Japan, and thrift stores for everything else.


Oona says: Some of the (mostly handmade) doll collection I have, mostly bought or traded for on etsy.

What are your plans for Spring?

I’m starting to get a little stir crazy, so basically anything that involves being outdoors would suit me just fine. I’d love to be walking home from work, or sitting in my backyard most of all. Also, I need to spray paint a massive light fixture so I can place it in a thoroughly inappropriately small room, so that’s pretty much tops on my to-do at this point.


Oona says: Some of the dolls I've made.

What websites and blogs do you visit?

F*** You, Penguin is the funniest website ever. Ever!

Fine little day is lovely.

The Selby takes amazing photographs.

Ravelry is the knitting equivalent of crack and should be illegal. I’d like to visit other things on the internet, but I can’t seem to stop looking at the ravelry.

Thanks for being so totally "aces" Oona! And thanks for sharing your crafty space. It looks like you've got quite the set up!

The Best Laid Plans...

Mr. Pumpkin and I had it planned perfectly: a trip to Milwaukee and Chicago sans toddler. We anticipated three full days of catching up on reading, being lazy, eating leisurely dinners without need of carset, booster seat, highchair or stroller. It was going to be great. We researched, we made reservations, and then, got horribly, horribly sick. So sick that after 1 day of travel, Mr. Pumpkin dropped me at my parent's house (who were taking care of wee Pumpkin) to recover and he drove all the way back home (5 hours) to see a doctor. Today, I finally made it in to see the doc and I've got a sinus infection to add to his double ear infection. We're a sad, pathetic lot!

Strangely, I wasn't really surprised, and the weekend wasn't a total disaster. We had breakfast with our friends at our favorite Madison joint, Monty's Blue Plate Diner. We did make it to Milwaukee for one night out with our friends. We visited Fischberger's Variety Store and the Paper Boat Boutique.



For dinner, we chose Cafe Centraal and Mr. Pumpkin even had some beer (can you tell he's really sick in this photo??) The food was great, but my inability to talk made it a slightly awkward dinner. That night, exhausted yet hopeful that it was "just a cold" and that with a little rest we could tough it out, we fell into our beds at the lovely County Clare Inn.



In the morning, after a sleepless night, we realized we had to head home. We stopped first at Hotch-a-do for some breakfast, and although pretty slow, the food was good. My latte was great! As we sat and discussed plans gone awry and what we needed to do next, this truck pulled up outside with a sign that made me laugh out loud: Who gets sick when it's convenient? So true. Who does get sick when it's convenient?



Afterwards, we headed into the little market in Beans and Barley to pick up some tea and what-nots. I love that place. I also love that they have an Art-o-mat!



Despite the colds and earaches and all, we still managed to have fun. I witnessed several signs of spring, including the first 50-degree temps of the new year, a robin sighting and going outside without my coat! We're going to try a mini-trip again in April. Wish us luck!

Molasses Chocolate Chip Puff-Cloud Cookies

My wee one and I stole a few moments alone together this morning while daddy ran some errands. Kiddo's under the weather, so we stayed indoors and "winged it" on a batch of cookies. I dragged my wee one's little table into the kitchen so he could reach everything and I let him "dump" all the ingredients into the bowl. He loved running the hand beater, and also enjoyed banging all the measuring spoons and cups against the bowl. And, much to our delight (and my surprise), the cookies turned out awesome: a "happy accident" in the words of the late, great Bob Ross. They are light, fluffy, a little spicy and chocolatey-riffic!

Molasses Chocolate Chip Puff-Cloud Cookies:
Makes approx 2 doz.

1/3 C. vegetable shortening
1/3 C. butter
1/2 C. sugar
8 T. molasses
1 egg
1/3 C. whole milk
2 1/3 C. all purpose flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t. ground ginger
1 t. ground cinnamon
1/4 t. ground cloves
1/4 t. salt
1/2 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Cover cookie sheet with parchment. Cream shortening, butter and sugar together. Add the molasses, egg and milk and beat until smooth. In another bowl mix all dry ingredients except chips. Stir dry mixture into wet mixture. When it forms a soft dough, add the chocolate chips.

Drop by tablespoonfuls onto cookie sheet. Bake 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

These are best enjoyed warm!

What's cookin' at your house?

Vacation Planning: Kid-Free Adventures!

Oh, it's been a long time coming. After 19 months of non-stop, action-packed parenting, I'm ready for a break! Not just an 8-hour break spent in my cubicle, or a quick trip out to dinner with a babysitter at home (of which there have been only a few), but a real, true, grown up overnight drinking eating leisurely dinner out spending time in stores with breakables having adult conversation and relaxed cups of coffee vacation! WAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOO am I thankful we have a set of grandparents within driving distance to give us a much-needed respite. And I can't forget our friend Jeff, who is doggy-sitting. No barking! For several days! Ah, the finer things in life...

I feel like this is it. It's my one chance to really live it up, maybe for a long time. I know it's silly, that really I could do this more often if I wanted, but it's still got me all wound up about making the very most of every second of the trip. Where will we stay? Where will we eat? What shops must I visit? And really, I MUST get that new flash for the camera before I leave so that all the photos are just right (Photos of cows! Millenium Park! Photos of food! So many photos!) . Now, you'd think I was headed to Hawaii, or the Bahamas or somewhere exotic. But, we're just going to Milwaukee. Seriously, Chicago is as far as we'll get. And we've been there literally about 10,000 times. But this time is different. Much more important.

I've already done tons of research. I found it particularly difficult to find information about unique and unusual lodging and dining. I thought I'd compile my list of lodging options here and solicit feedback. Any other ideas where we should definitely stay or go or see? I'd love to know your must not miss southern Wisconsin or Illinois hot spots! Maybe another day I'll post the ever-increasing list of must-eats and get your feedback, too!

Milwaukee Hotels:
Hotel Metro
Knickerbocker on the Lake
Iron Horse Hotel
County Clare Inn and Pub

Chicago Hotels:
Monastery of the Holy Cross (stay with monks!)
James Hotel
Inn of Chicago
Indigo Hotel

In my searches, I also found some really cool Frank Lloyd Wright lodgings in and around Wisconsin. Check these out!
Whistling Swan Inn (Door County)
Seth Peterson Cottage (up north, Wisconsin)
Muirhead Farmhouse (Illinois)

Where else is fun to stay?

Firsts: Snowman

This winter has been full of firsts for our wee one: first steps, first trip sledding, first real "words" and now, first snowman! We've had plenty of snow this year, but this week we had the first "wet" snow that really makes snowman construction easy. So we made some snowballs (Pumpkin can say ball now) and grabbed a few sticks for the arms and a pine cone for the nose and some charcoal for the eyes.

Even though we worked pretty quickly, wee Pumpkin was in tears by the time the camera made it on scene. He definitely prefers the solid, uneven ground of the sidewalk to the snowy backyard. We're working on making him a bit more outdoorsy. The problem is that he loves being outside, but he often just stands there, afraid to move. Ah, well...someday (we hope) there may be an end to the snow and cold. Right now it seems endless, but I still have hope.

What's the weather like near you? Ready for daylight saving time in a few weeks? I am!

Cake and Choo Choo

This past weekend was a bit of a birthday bonanza at our house, with both an auntie and a grampy having birthdays. We celebrated at our house, so we didn't have to travel, which was nice. It did mean we got to do all of the cooking, which I will gladly opt for rather than a long drive with an antsy toddler. I hustled around the kitchen to make sure everything was *just right* and I think it was. I made some sun-dried tomato and chevre scones, a gorgeous cake out of my new Dorie Greenspan book, and we put a pot of white bean and ham soup on the stove to cook all day (which was the easiest and yummiest thing I've eaten in a long time...basically throw two hamhocks, 12 cups of stock, 2 quartered onions and two bags of navy beans in a pot and cook on medium low). Yum!


To get out of the house, we loaded up the entire family and headed to the Twin Cities Model Railroad Museum to see the miniature Minneapolis and St. Paul train system they had set up. It was pretty remarkable, and even included a hobo campout on the sketchy side of town under a railroad bridge. Right now, through February, they're doing their Saturday "Night Train" exhibit where they turn off all the lights except the train lights after 6 PM. I wish we'd seen it, but it's too late for our wee one -- by that time he's usually finishing up dinner and getting into pjs. I do want to try to get back there for the circus trains, though. Cool. And man, that place was filled with nerds. We were in our element, being nerds ourselves!

What's going on in your neck of the woods? We're gearing up for another snowstorm and hoping it melts quickly!

My Starbucks Wreath -- for Spring!

It might be a bit of wishful thinking putting out a spring wreath just a day after we got four inches of snow, and when the temp outside is just hovering around 16 degrees, but it felt good. It felt hopeful and cheery and optimistic about the fact that winter has worn out it's welcome. We're ready for the crocus to bloom and the sun to warm the grass into greeness.

I stole this idea from my friend at McSmithleyville who made this gorgeous wreath, apparently a spin-off of something Starbucks had over the holidays. I didn't have time to make a Christmas wreath (and in fact I have an old standby white button wreath I use each year), so I made this one to grace the door and usher in the Spring.

We had a busy, birthday bonanza weekend and I'm still reviewing all the photos. I am now officially wiped. Did you have a relaxing weekend? I hope so!

Life with Babes

My sister went back to work this year after 7 years of stay-at-home-mommyhood. She had a hard time interviewing because people kept asking her stuff like "tell me about a time recently when you've had to...use technology to yaddayaddayadda..." I think she felt kinda stuck with referring to a time when she had to carry a screaming toddler out of a grocery store to avoid a complete and total scene, or explain how the birds and the bees work, or whatever. I mean, totally relevant work experience for some jobs, but not so much for others. In the end, she took a job as an assistant at the school her kids go to. She said that at least with that job she felt like she could apply the vast amount of knowledge she'd gained in her most recent 7-year career.

I read this great article that made me think of my sis, and also of my hubby who someday will have to go back to work. As much as a potential employer may not have ever experienced stay-at-home parenting, or parenting at all for that matter, these are what I thought were some effective ways to describe the skills it takes to be a parent. It's true for me that I've never been as good at time management as I am today. Luckily I've never been a perfectionist, so I don't have to worry to much about that. But prioritization, yep, had to learn it.

What about you other parents? What skills are/have you learned?

Happy Heart Day

I had a lovely little date with my boys on Valentine's Day. We picked up pizza and frosted our valentines cookies. I gave the wee one a bath and let him play extra long. The highlight of wee one's day was when we spotted a helicopter outside our window. Oh, the joy and excitement! Hubby and I did what we usually do -- played on the internet, watched some TV, made fun of a couple on HGTV and went to bed by 10:30.

Today we all ended up at the Mall of America by accident. Wee one wore his new "Kid Banz" that we got him at Pacifier (and which he loves and mama loves, too, because they actually stay on). The wee one was enthralled by all the roller coasters inside the mall. He kept pointing and saying "choo choo!" He could hardly be torn away, and had absolutely no interest in Lego Land. It was all about the choo choo.

Ah, the domesticated life. Did you do anything fun? Sounds like some lucky souls have the day off tomorrow. Not this poor sap. I'm back to the office again, jiggedy jig.

Newly Most Coveted: Tammis Keefe Textiles

Ever since my mom, sister and I opened our vintage shop on Etsy, I've been crazed. You'd think I'd want to be selling, selling, selling. But, no. I want to be finding, shopping, collecting! It's terrible! My mo discovered this great textile designer named Tammis Keefe who I'd never heard of, but is my new favorite. There's even a Flickr group dedicated to photos of her hankies and tablecloths and things.

Current favorites:
Home is Where the Heart Is
Japanese Design
The Circus
High Street
Whimsical Insects

Feather and Fan Knitting for a Cause

I am finally doing it! I am finally crafting for a cause! I have this great blanket in the works that is coming along well, and the pink hat is up for sale in my Etsy shop (buyer gets to pick the charity of their choice for 100% of the cost). I'm feeling so productive! I hope I can finish up my blanket so I can start knitting something for wee ones soon-to-be boy cousin. Weeeeeeee! Maybe this year will be my year of knitting!

The blanket pattern is called Merino Stripes Feather and Fan. I'm not knitting it in a self-striping yarn. I'm just using some acrylic yarn I have around. Bundles of Love requires non-wool yarns, presumably so they may be washed easily. If I knit something for them again in the near future, I think it will be a sweater. I think it'd be much less time-consuming to finish. And, hey. I'm an instant gratification girl, but at least I know that about myself.

Got any good knitting projects going on? I'm addicted to Ravelry and cannot stop adding projects to my favorites!

Fun on Ice

We took a cue from our friend at Tapir's Poop today and visited the Art Shanty Project. It's basically a bunch of tricked out shacks set up out on one of our suburban lakes. At one, we gave confession to a carp and at another we opted not to take a dip in the freezing waters and get warmed by the sauna ice house. It was, as we knew it would be, a quintessential Minnesota experience, chock full of hipsters, old hippies, kids, dogs and those who just love winter and/or love the challenge of building and surviving out in the cold. Just as we left we saw someone start unloading big boxes full of hot dog buns. Dangit, I guess we missed the ice-side cookout.

If you want to see more about the art shanty project, check out the search I ran on Flickr.

Vroom Vroom Goes the Pillow

My little one is absolutely and totally obsessed with vehicles of all sorts. I know, that's so typical. But I had no idea how strong a boy's affinity for cars, trucks and tractors could be until having one. Oh, and don't forget diggers and dump trucks (dumpa dumpa in our house).

I made him some flannel pants with trucks and diggers on them, and immediately when they come out of the wash he grabs them and runs around the house with them, going "vroom vroom!" Tonight when I took off his shoes (which have cars on them) and put on his pajamas, he grabbed the car shoes and tried to put them on over the footie pajamas. He's just nuts. And don't even get me started about the toys and books. There's no such thing as too many. It must be something in boy genetics that makes it so.

I decided that the wee one could probably start using a pillow now that he's a year-and-a-half (how the heck did that happen??!). I used up the rest of his "vroom vroom" flannel fabric and some scrap cotton, as well as a pack of rick rack. I've been really purging lately, so it was pretty pleasing to get rid of some stuff. I can't wait to give it to him when he gets up in the morning and see what he thinks!

We finally hit above 30 degrees today, so when I got home from work I took the wee one for a little walk. He LOVED pointing out the moon, and we even saw a few airplanes. He didn't like walking on the snow, though, so I had to carry him over the sidewalks that weren't yet melted clean. I think I probably looked pretty awesome with two dogs on leashes in one hand, a toddler in the other arm, trying not to fall down, and trying not to loose the poop bags or otherwise soil ourselves in dog sh&t. Ah, yes, I am certain I was looking cool.

I was imagining my neighbors spotting me and saying "Well hasn't she got her hands full heh heh heh!" or some inane comment like that. In reality they were probably saying "I hope she doesn't fall on my icy sidewalk and sue me." And I was just hoping not to smear sh&t on myself or my kid, or loose a dog in the street. Well, either way, it felt good to feel a bit of sunshine! And I'm pretty sure we all remained poop free.

Boobs Making the Rounds

I originally started blogging because I wanted to write about crafts and crafting and my craft sale and all kinds of craft-craft-crafts. I was craft-obsessed. Then my son was born. Now I'm kid-obsessed and on the side I craft. So, I bring you, dear reader, yet another funny photo of my child.

BUT! But but but! There he is, wearing HANDMADE, CRAFTED slippers I bought on Etsy. They are the greatest boob slippers ever made, by Piddies! My kid likes the boob slippers just as much as his dad.

See, I'm still writing about crafts. Duh. But really, who has time for crafting anymore!? Shoot, I barely have time for my fifth glass of wine tonight...but I'm sure I'll squeeze it in somehow.

Finishing up the Pixie Hat

I finished knitting the pixie hat -- tiny little yarn on tiny little needles so it took me LOTS of hours. All good times, though, spent in front of the television. And I still cant't decide if it's in fact pink, or not. Ho hum. Well, my kid does not need another winter hat, so I think I might either donate it or sell it and donate the money. As much as I'd love to slap some nipples on it (suggestion compliments of my favorite nipple-crafter, thanks!) I think it's got to go to some good cause. I gotta get my karma juiced up this year so my whole new life plan comes to fruition for me. That's how that stuff works, right??

Well, new life plan or not, lately I'm just feeling really darn lucky to have a job at all. And really lucky I have one that's good enough to support all three of us. Yikes, it's ugly out there. I'm taking the approach of not turning on the TV or opening the newspaper. I just don't want to know sometimes. I am "cautiously optimistic" which seems to be a phrase I hear quite a bit lately.

Anyway, I started knitting a new baby blanket for charity, which is really just my lame excuse for sitting and watching loads of bad TV. And drinking wine. No harm in that really, right??

Reform the CPSIA

Hi everyone...I wanted to pass along some information about a proposed set of laws called the Consumer Product Safety Information Act (CPSIA) that will basically close my Etsy shop, or at least the part of it that contains clothes for kids. Take a minute to read the law as it's been proposed if you are so inspired. Although we all want our kids to be protected from what can be harmful to their health (duh), this law has some serious flaws.

Now, I'm no lawyer, but from what I hear, even libraries will be affected by the law, which wil require them to test all of the books on their shelves or ban kids from their libraries. I won't be able to sell my tiesies or kid's clothes as of February 10 unless I have each item independently tested. Quoting the below-linked Forbes op-ed: "As of Feb. 10, it will become unlawful to make or sell anything intended for use by children under 12 without a program to test the goods for lead--even if no items of their kind have ever been found to pose a lead risk, even if you make and sell only a few inexpensive items a year, even if you've sourced their materials from the most conscientious local suppliers and even if they're items toddlers seldom convey into their mouths, such as dartboards or bicycle tires."

Here are some articles on the topic:
Forbes, part 1
Forbes, part 2
Bloomberg
National Bankruptcy Day

Please call your congressperson or senator to give your feedback. I appreciate it!

Giving Him a Complex

Picture this. I'm sitting on my couch, night after night, for about 3 nights. I'm knitting and watching TV. The knitting project is going great. A pixie hat for my son. Then, my routine changes. I take the knitting out during a Saturday naptime. In the light of day, I realize something is wrong. The hat, which I thought was orange, is pink. Now, I am not that opposed to putting something pink on my son's head. Well, I guess I sort of am. But my husband really is. So this hat is almost done (and it took quite a while using this sock weight yarn) and I have no idea what I'm going to do with it. But damn it's looking cute, wouldn't you agree? I even thought about donating it to my newfound awesome local crafty charity, Bundles of Love, but they don't need any hats! Bah!

Suggestions?