Pookie & Fig

Christmas Crafting

2011-11-16T16:35:00.001-05:00

We've already started the Christmas crafting here. I know, I know, Thanksgiving hasn't even arrived yet, but when it comes to handmade items, one cannot start soon enough!!
I haven't made any of my little birds in a long time (scrolling back through the archives I see the last one I made was back in 2007!) and I can honestly say, I haven't really missed making them. While rummaging around in closets, I've come across a few old unfinished ones and haven't felt the least bit of interest in completing them, so there they have sat.

But recently the girls discovered these incomplete birds and...started playing with them. So I've pulled out the felt, my old pattern pieces, and some embroidery floss and have started sewing again. And, I have to say, it has been really enjoyable!
These little birdies will be for the Doll's Christmas that the girls and I are planning. Each of their dolls will receive presents under their own little Christmas tree on December 24th. There will mostly be new clothes and cradle blankets under the tree, but there will also be a few of these little guys. I think the dolls and their "mothers" are going to like them!

Flowers

2011-09-28T16:48:00.001-04:00

A few months back, I started a Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt. I needed to greatly reduce the amount of scraps spilling out of the craft closet and this seemed like the perfect quilt to use them up in. I started full of gusto, but after finishing my fourth "flower" I quickly realized that the vast majority of my scraps were of only two colors--red and blue. There were a few pinks and even fewer greens and just a handful of purples and yellows...but that was it. I could have made just a red and blue quilt, but I really wanted a full range of color. The problem with more colors meant that I would have to buy new fabric in order to make a scrap quilt and that just seemed terribly, terribly wrong. Unable to solve this little problem, I finally gave up and packed the project away for another time.

Just a little while ago, while browsing an antique store, I stumbled across a candy box full of little fabric hexagons, all ready to be made into flowers! Of course I bought it and without any guilt! I mean, yes, it is "new" fabric, but it feels okay, because I'm helping to finish someone's unfinished project and in the process I'm completing mine.
And besides, how could I really pass up those adorable vintage prints!

Long Summer

2011-09-06T18:55:00.002-04:00

It was a long summer--a really long, ridiculously hot, summer. It was one of those summers where it really was too hot to do anything. Yes, it was even too hot for swimming at the pool! For once, I can't say I'm sorry to see summer go. No, the only thing about summer that I will be sorry to see go is...
...this little gal, who has become so accustomed to me, that she will now happily hover at my elbow while I weed the flowerbeds.
Yes, fall means that she will be taking off soon, but that's alright--I'm sure she'll be back next year and, well, I'm really, really ready for some cool nights, hot cider, and sweaters! Come on fall, hurry up!

Colors of Spring: Red

2011-02-28T19:37:00.000-05:00

The first spot of color this spring was, not green, but...

...red.

Green was only a couple of days behind though.

Nature Walks

2011-02-18T19:16:00.002-05:00

It's been too nice to stay indoors much and so, we've happily welcomed "nature walks" back into our school days. When lessons are over, the girls grab their pencils and sketchbooks, I get my camera and the water bottle, and we all head outdoors for a stroll. This week we headed to the lake in search of something new and exciting for our nature journals.

Sadly, although it's been warm, it's still a bit too early for much of anything to be out--the wildflowers are just barely budding, the turtles are still residing at the bottom of the lake, and the bugs are practically nonexistent. But, thankfully, the ducks were there. They're certainly not new and I'm not sure they're very exciting, but the kids were thrilled to have something to draw.

Hopefully, we'll have better luck next week!

Violet Valentines

2011-02-16T11:14:00.004-05:00

We had a little tea party for Valentines. I made up some chocolate macarons with purple buttercream frosting for the occasion. The buttercream frosting was delicious, but sadly the macarons weren't. They came out hard and flat and were a challenge for Pookie (who is missing two front teeth) to eat. I think the lack of clear instructions concerning the egg whites might have been part of the problem. Another time perhaps...

And really, the food wasn't all that important--the kids and I just wanted an excuse to use our new (to us) tidbit tray. Little hand-painted purple violets--we're all head over heels in love with them!

The Dollhouse

2011-01-18T16:57:00.000-05:00

This year, there was one Christmas gift that I just couldn't wait for the girls to see...

...the dollhouse!

This is the Vermont Farmhouse Jr. kit by Real Good Toys. I wish I could take some credit for this one, but my husband did all the hard work--painting, assembling, and (my favorite part!) wiring it for lights.

I love the lights--they makes it all seem so real and the whole house glows so beautifully at night!

The girls love it and are constantly playing with it--rearranging the furniture and creating new little scenes. We talk about what things need to be added (curtains and some kitchen shelving being tops on the list) and what things we could possibly make for it (some towels for the bathroom and quilts for the bed will be made shortly.)

I'm looking forward to seeing how this little home changes as the girls age. I remember, as a girl, attempting to create all kinds of miniature items for my dollhouse. I can't wait to see what my girls come up with!

2011

2011-01-12T11:58:00.002-05:00

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and New Year! Ours was full of lots of excitement and glee, as well as plenty of much needed peace and quiet.

And now, the Christmas decorations are all packed away, the house is mostly back in order, and we are all slowly falling back into our regular day to day activities.

As sad as I am to have the holidays already behind us, I must say, I'm excited about what lies ahead. I think 2011 is going to be a good year!

Pepper

2010-12-21T23:43:00.000-05:00

There are only a few handmade gifts this year--one per girl to be exact.

This little Waldorf inspired doll is for The Littlest. She's made entirely of items I already had around the house--some mismatched socks, an outgrown (and too stained to save) toddler dress, and some yarn and stuffing from the stash.

Pookie and Fig have already named her Pepper, but we'll see what The Littlest thinks of that!

Dormant

2010-12-10T13:03:00.000-05:00

We had our first hard frost about a week ago. The hydrangeas immediately became a mass of limp green leaves, but the roses bush wasn't as easily conquered and continued budding and blooming awhile longer.

Just the other day, the rose bush produced two more flowers and then gave in to winter and went dormant. Though this bush normally produces bright pink roses, these last two came out decidedly pale, looking a bit tired and worn out.

I'm feeling just a bit like these roses right now--pale, tired, worn out. Two weeks ago, I came down with a horrible head and chest cold and the recovery process has been frustratingly slow.

But, at long last, I think I am finally getting better. And just in time, Christmas is right around the corner!

A Little Big Bed

2010-11-19T19:18:00.000-05:00

The Littlest moved into a "big girl" bed a little while ago. Getting the mattress was easy, but finding the bedspread and headboard hasn't been so simple. I'm still searching for the right headboard, but the search for the perfect bedspread is now over.

This one turned up at my favorite antique store and I am just so in love with the pattern and all those lovely colors! It makes me happy just looking at it!

Now if only the perfect headboard would show up in time for Christmas...

Time Away

2010-11-10T15:50:00.000-05:00

We just returned from an incredibly relaxing vacation--ten days in New England, visiting family and friends, eating and drinking at our favorite coffee shops, walking the beaches, and getting a whole lot of rest. It was a much needed vacation!

The only downside to vacationing--all those suitcases you have to unpack when you return home. Not my favorite task...

Into the Wild Blue Yonder!

2010-10-18T18:00:00.000-04:00

I was sick for just about week there, a horrible stomach bug that left me too tired to do much of anything. The only thing I managed to do, was make it out to the airshow with the family.

Some of my favorite moments:

Seeing a sky full of paratroopers.

Really cool to watch, but so glad this is not my job!

The Thunderbirds--definitely the best part of the show.

Although this pass made me so nervous every time!

All in all, a really great time. If there's one in your area be sure to check it out!

BTW--Halloween costumes are coming up soon. What with that illness and all, I'm way far behind schedule on the costumes! But soon--promise!

More Butterflies

2010-09-28T09:09:00.003-04:00

Butterfly specimens are always so hard to find, but luckily for us, they've been cropping up everywhere lately. Or rather, they've been cropping up in parking lots lately.

We've recently stumbled across quite a number of butterflies, deceased or dying, in store parking lots. Most are injured (probably hit by a car), but some appear to have just reached their end naturally.

I could never collect and kill (that's just not me, I just couldn't do it) so it's always such a thrill to find a butterfly that is already deceased and in perfect condition. These recent finds have been making me happy:

One we haven't identified yet. I'm thinking I might try relaxing this one in order to spread it's wings. I've never tried doing that before!

A Buckeye. We only found the wings. I'm assuming that the ants took off with the rest of it.

A Red Spotted Purple. They're really quite blue and very beautiful. But as much as I love the top of them...

...the underside is even more beautiful if you ask me.

And a Spicebush Swallowtail. I love the colors on this one as well--it looks like someone sprinkled blue glitter all over the wings!

I recently looked at a butterfly checklist for our area and discovered that there are at least 100 different species here. In looking at our "bug book" photos and our specimen collection--I think the girls and I have "collected" about ten species. Obviously, we have a long ways to go before we've spotted them all!

Fig's Dress

2010-09-21T20:49:00.001-04:00

A few weeks ago I started shopping for some fall patterns for the girls. There are so many adorable, cute patterns out there--I'm having a hard time whittling my wish list down to just a few items!

But, before I started in on the fall wardrobe, I figured I'd better finish up the last of the summer dresses...

And so, at long last, Fig's pink dress (the same as Pookie's blue dress, just pink) is done. It's still plenty warm here, so she'll probably have a good couple of weeks in which to wear it. And hopefully, if I'm lucky, it will fit next year too. In fact, I really hope these fit everyone next year, because I've already bought the material to make a third one with...

Anyway, now that that's done, it's time to make those fall purchases and get sewing!

Oh...and make some Halloween costumes...

Hi

2010-09-16T15:38:00.001-04:00

I've been away from this space for a bit, just savoring those last few moments of summer--those final days of carefree nothingness and relaxation.
But now, despite the still warm weather, summer has passed and autumn is undeniably here. The pool has closed, the schools have opened, the migratory birds and butterflies have been hastily flying by, and the leaves have just begun to change color and fall.
And just as the outside world has been gradually changing, so has the inside of our home. After a busy August spent decision making, online shopping, and assembling furniture, we now have our very own schoolroom and two very excited little pupils--Pookie and Fig!

We are now three weeks into our homeschooling adventure and we're happily settling into this new routine.
And now that all of the changes are behind us, I think I'm ready to return to blogging. More soon!

Butterflies

2010-07-22T13:36:00.000-04:00

A few pictures of butterflies today...

While my flowers have consistently failed to entice any butterflies to venture near our house, the kids play-doh did wonders. In and out of the patio they swooped, investigating all the bright colors on the patio table. Who would've guessed?

My husband found this specimen for us while on his way to work one day. It's missing half it's wings, but it's still a lovely specimen. I need to get a riker mount for it.

I love seeing their wings up close--so much more beautiful than anything I would think to create...

Rain Rain

2010-07-16T14:06:00.001-04:00

Lots and lots of rain this week. Three days worth. No need to water the lawn. No need to water the flowers. No need to do anything until...

...it was over. Then there were puddles to jump in and fall in. Muddy clothes to be washed. Muddy feet to be cleaned. And mushrooms everywhere. We hadn't seen any mushrooms since spring...

Today the hydrangeas look parched and dry. All of the mushrooms have shriveled, shrunk, and toppled over. The nasturtium leaves are brown and dry around the edges. I need to go get the hose and water the garden.
Did it really just rain?

Dinosaurs all in a row

2010-07-09T11:36:00.001-04:00

Friday. Clean up day here. Trying to get the house in order so it looks nice for the start of the weekend. Dusting, vacuuming, and...

...putting these dinosaurs in order on the windowsill.

That probably wasn't necessary.

Making sure that the all of the triceratops and stegosaurus were evenly spaced apart.

Umm...really wasn't necessary?

Wasting ten minutes trying to find out what the plural form of stegosaurus is.
Uhhh...very unnecessary. I guess.
But, just in case you were wondering, according to my research, the plural form of stegosaurus is...stegosaurus. Although, there are a few websites that say you can use stegosauruses or stegosaurs.
I will probably never have a reason to use the plural form of stegosaurus again.
I think I may just be procastinating now.
Back to cleaning...

Birthday Girl

2010-07-08T18:51:00.001-04:00

Well, I had big plans for Little Miss P.'s birthday. And I started on said "big plans" real nice and early. Nothing was going to stop me from getting the job done--I was prepared, I was being timely, it was going to be a success! And then, as you already know, everyone got sick. There are some things you just can't prepare for...

So, I had to scale back on Little P.'s party plans. Waaayy, waaaayy back. In the end, though I was disappointed that things hadn't gone as planned, I was glad that, miserable as I was, I managed to get something done for her birthday. Something is better than nothing, right?

Anyway, part of the plan was to have about fifty or so paper mache hot air balloons. By birthday day, I had just fourteen. Thankfully, fourteen is just enough to spell out "Happy Birthday" with and still have one balloon leftover for the cake.

The girls painted almost all of the balloons. I painted a few leftovers and added the decorations. The Playmobil kids were nice enough to hang out in the baskets and hold little letter signs. (Thanks guys!)

And then there was the cake. I used my favorite Martha Stewart One Bowl Chocolate Cupcake recipe, and sadly, for the first time ever, the cake was a disaster. One layer was horribly lopsided (think 2 inches on one side sloping down to about 1 inch on the other side!) and the other layer was constantly losing large chunks of cake off the sides. Thankfully, after some trimming and patching and a whole lot of icing, the cake looked okay.

Loads and loads of white icing were piled on top to look like clouds and then one last balloon, with it's little passenger, was set floating atop it all.

The birthday girl enjoyed it all--balloons, cake, presents, being the center of attention--it was all great. And now she is officially two!

Sick Days

2010-07-06T22:28:00.002-04:00

Where have I been? Well, I wish I could say I've been off doing fun and exciting things, enjoying myself so much that I just didn't have any time for blogging, but sadly, that wasn't the case. I've been sick. And I've been tending to sick kids.

The kids and I managed to come down with a horrible illness of some sort that involved high fevers, headaches, coughs, sore throats, achy joints, etc., etc. Thankfully, we're all almost better. Or rather, the kids are already better and I'm slowly getting there...

Thankfully, I was well enough to enjoy some 4th of July festivities. We managed to make it down to the lake for some free ice cream, games, and balloons.

And then, much later, we sat by the lake and watched the firework display. The kids were excited and amazed. So was I. Fireworks never become boring or dull, at least not in my opinion.

We also celebrated a birthday over the weekend, pictures of which will be coming shortly...

Vintage Picnic

2010-06-18T15:06:00.000-04:00

We braved the heat and the humidity today and had a little tea party picnic.

Decked out in their new dresses, everyone enjoyed some chocolate milk and cupcakes.

Fig's ABC dress is complete. It took me a long time to find some buttons that matched (I wanted something other than white), but I finally located some at the local antique store. Fig loves this dress because "It has puffy sleeves like a princess and a twirly skirt like a princess." The skirt is incredibly full and I really ought to get some kind of ruffled slip or something to go underneath it and give it more volume. And the puffy sleeves, what girl doesn't love those?

And with her sisters all decked out in new vintage attire, Little P very much wanted her own dress to wear.

She found this one in my box of "still not finished" projects and insisted on wearing it. I managed to coax her out of it just long enough to hem the bottom and put a button on. This dress was such a disappointment back when, but now it looks perfect. Or, rather, it did look perfect. There is quite a bit of chocolate milk on it now...

I think a vintage fall wardrobe is definitely going to be in the works. I am just so in love with these dresses!

Paper Balloons

2010-06-10T18:13:00.000-04:00

Back at the paper mache again, working on some party decorations for Little P.

Just getting a little bit done here and there, in between day trips to the pool and evening trips to the playground.

Vintage Dress #2

2010-05-27T09:35:00.001-04:00

So here is yet another vintage dress that I'm working on for the girls. (Yes, it is still a work in progress, so please just ignore those bright blue marking lines everywhere.) This particular pattern is for a dress and a very ruffly apron, which means that Fig, who loves all things girly and ruffly, immediately fell in love with it and just had to have it all to herself.

I'm really loving these vintage patterns. Just like the last one, this dress has an amazing fit and a gorgeous shape. If there is one downside to these vintage patterns, it's how time consuming they are. There are a good number of bias strips for necklines, arms, waists, etc., etc. to be measured and cut from remnants, lots and lots of hand sewn elements to be done and little details everywhere, that aren't quick and easy, but really help to make the dress. No instant gratification here, but the end result is totally worth the time and effort!
So this dress just needs a whole lot of hemming and some buttonholes to be complete and then it will be on to the apron! And then, of course, there will be the pink dress to finish up. And then...we'll see!

Color

2010-05-21T17:44:00.012-04:00

Lots of painting outside today.

Followed by lots of painting the outside.
Eveything is now covered in paint.
Hopefully it rains soon.

Continuing our Search

2010-05-20T23:14:00.003-04:00

I've been slowly working my way through two more vintage dresses for the girls, but have had to stop as I need to make a trip to the store and buy some matching bias tape and buttons. Although the girls are really anxious to have some new dresses, going to the store is not tops on their list of things to do. It's been pleasantly cool and sunny, the perfect weather for all day play at the playground and evening fishing at the lake, so that's what's been winning out around here with the kids. It is supposed to get hot and humid again shortly though and when it does I know I'll have three red faced, cranky and irritable kids very ready to take a trip in the air conditioned car to the air conditioned store to buy bias tape and buttons.

So besides hanging out at the playground and fishing at the lake the kids and I have also been continuing our search for new bugs to photograph for the bug book and new bug specimens for our bug box. We've had a bit of luck with the bug specimens thanks to some pretty frequent storms in these parts. Flash floods do in a number of bugs, so it's just a matter of getting out at the first glimpse of sun and finding them before the ants do. And we've definitely had a lot of luck with our bug photographs.
Like this little fellow who I believe is a katydid nymph.

It took us a long time to ID him. The antennae kind of threw us off for a bit there...

And then there is this as of yet unidentified fellow. Little P is big on finding bug specimens, so when she found this fellow she immediately brought him in the house for us. When he turned out to be alive there was an awful lot of squealing and back out the door he went!

And grasshoppers galore. They are everywhere. I had no idea there were so many different varieties...

Then there was this bee fly (I think) which we spent a long time trying to get a pic of. There was a whole lot of, "he's over there!!" "no, I see him, he just flew over there!" "no, wait, I don't see him anymore!" during this photo shoot.

And finally this Gray Hairstreak butterfly, which, sadly, is the only butterfly we've managed to get a picture of so far this season. I've planted all kinds of flowers that butterflies are supposed to love, but so far not a one has dropped by.

So those are just a few of the pics we've been taking. We have a ton of these to print off, ID, and add to our bug book. Maybe that's something we'll do when the weather turns horribly hot again...right after we get those buttons and bias tape of course.

Finis!

2010-05-17T12:20:00.003-04:00

Pookie's dressed is finished! I am absolutely loving this dress, as is Pookie. She says it's the perfect spinning/dancing dress and I definitely agree!

I really, really, love this pattern. It fits her perfectly and just has such a lovely shape to it. Fig and I can't wait to get her version started! In fact, Fig can't wait to get started on a bunch of dresses. She's been busily browsing the vintage patterns with me on etsy and has been making me "favorite" all the ones she likes. You'd have to hear her talk, "That one, with the short sleeves, not the long, and I want it in yellow not blue, and I think we should make the skirt a little longer. I like the flowers, but maybe they could be white. Can we get a hat like that for it?" Fig, a little fashion designer in the making perhaps?
So now I'm off to work on dress two and then, if I'm still feeling energetic and enthusiastic, there might be a little bit of pattern shopping next!

Still sewing...

2010-05-14T16:02:00.001-04:00

I've been meaning to post all week about the sewing challenge, but I seemed to be making so little progress, a post didn't seem worthwhile. But it's Friday (!) so I most certainly need to put up something by now!

So here is Pookie's dress which is almost finished. I've really been taking it slowly--making sure that I do everything right and that all the seams are finished nicely. There is still a bias tape trim (that goes around the neckline) to do, four buttons and buttonholes to add, a very large bow to sew on, and some dreaded hemming and then I'm finished with this one!

And I really need to hurry up, because Fig is dddyyyiiinnngg for her dress!

Day One

2010-05-10T17:49:00.001-04:00

Okay, it's day one of the kids clothes week challenge and I've already gotten in umm, well more than one hour of work, technically speaking. Granted, most of that time was spent rummaging through boxes in the garage and complaining loudly to the dog about how impossible it was to find anything, but that's hard work, right?
I did finally manage to pull together a pattern, some fabric, and a bit of bias tape. The fabric is all ironed and the pattern is traced and ready to be cut out, but I can't begin sewing anything until I go out and buy a needle. Sewing machine needles were just one of the many things I could not find amongst all those boxes... *sigh*

So I'm going to be making two dresses from the vintage pattern pictured there (the white and red polka dot dress view) and I'm hoping that a vintage size 4 fits both Pookie and Fig. I'll be making Pookie's dress out of the blue print and Fig's out of the pink. A quick trip to the store for needles, a bit more bias tape, and some buttons and I should be good to go.

Hopefully, I'll be able to get a lot more done tomorrow!

Birthday Prep

2010-05-07T18:54:00.002-04:00

Birthday's are still 2+ months away, but I'm already preparing for them. Last year, birthday's were sadly very boring and uneventful due to our move, so I really want to go all out this year.
That and seeing as all the birthdays take place over the course of just seven weeks, a little bit of early prep certainly doesn't hurt...!

So here is a little bit of what I've been working on for Fig's birthday. There is still a lot of thinking and tweaking and what not to do before it's just right, but it's coming along.

An easy project for me to do a little work on here and there...in-between unpacking all those boxes of course!

Lake evenings

2010-05-06T07:00:00.002-04:00

Throughout the moving process, we've spent most of our evenings down at the lake. Sometimes the kids fish with Dad and other times they just putter around the lake throwing pebbles, pulling out aquatic plants, and picking flowers.

Everything stops when a fish is caught though. Suddenly there's a scramble to get to Dad and see/touch/poke the fish.

Then the begging and pleading starts. "Can I puhleeeeze put the fish back in the water?!"

As soon as the fish swims off, the kids all return to their play as if nothing had ever happened.

The kids didn't hold a fish last night, but they did see a duck egg, smell honeysuckle, and listen to a chorus of frogs.

I guess fishing isn't always about catching a fish.

Yes!

2010-05-05T19:23:00.001-04:00

We have moved! And yes, we have internet again! I'm frantically working at unpacking boxes in the hopes that I'll be done in time to participate in The Kids Clothes Week Challenge. Of course, I don't necessarily have to be done unpacking in order to participate, but I do have to find the boxes that have all my sewing tools in them... Not an easy task! If only these boxes would unpack themselves!

Nature Sketchbook

2010-04-24T10:00:00.002-04:00

We found a dead bird in the front yard recently. It had obviously flown into the window and perished. The kids were pretty excited about this nature find, Pookie especially. She spent a long time observing the bird and kept saying, "I've never seen a real bird this close before!"

My sister (who was here visiting for the week) whipped up a little sketch book for Pookie and then the two of them settled down, pencils in hand and proceeded to sketch the bird.

I was surprised to find that, a half hour later, Pookie was still contentedly sketching the bird. It was the first observant drawing that had ever done and she was really enjoying it. She really took her time examining the bird and adding all the details to her drawing.

A few days later, I started searching online bird identification guides in the hopes of naming our mystery bird. Every time I settled on a bird, Pookie was quick to point out why it couldn't be that bird. "No, it had spots here, remember? No, it was all brown here, remember?" No its eyes were yellow, remember?" she kept asking me. And no, sadly, I didn't remember. Without the pics I'd taken, I would never have been able to identify the bird.

We finally determined that our bird was a Brown Thrasher.

I wanted to keep the bird around for its skeleton, but sadly something took off with it during the night.

I think I'm going to make Pookie a larger nature sketchbook.

And I think I'd better make one for me too!

Change of color...

2010-04-23T17:04:00.001-04:00

We're supposed to be moving here in just about a week, so I'm back to packing boxes. Or maybe I should say I'm "repacking" boxes. While I am very excited about the new home (more space!), I'm hating the process of boxing up everything again.
So for now all sewing, drawing, painting, crafting, you name it, has come to an end. It's all in boxes. Except this one thing...

...which you may remember. It's been sitting unfinished for a very long time. I kept intending to go out and buy more embroidery floss so I could work on it, but it just wasn't happening. Finally, as I wasn't feeling wild about the color scheme anyway (what was I thinking? white and light pink? those colors would never show up! no one would ever even notice all my hard work!) I decided to just work with what I had.
And I have a huge pile of embroidery floss to work with.
I finally settled on using various shades of red and so far I'm liking it. I'm still feeling a bit overwhelmed by the amount of flowers (yet again, I tried counting them, but there are just too many!), but I'm gonna give it another try. And maybe, seeing as it's the only thing not in a box, I'll actually finish it this time.

Sunsets

2010-04-10T21:58:00.000-04:00

Today was entirely unfun. My husband had to work, which meant I largely forgot (or more likely ignored) the fact that it was Saturday. By seven this evening I realized what a truly horrible day the kids had probably had--a Saturday stuck at the house with a very grumpy, short tempered mom, who insisted on doing housework all day, ugh!

Determined to squeeze some fun into the last few hours of our day, I rounded up everyone and drove down to the corner store for some ice cream treats.

Then we sat by the lake and enjoyed them. And by the time we were done eating, talking, and giggling, Saturday seemed like a pretty good day after all.

Summer Skirts

2010-04-08T19:24:00.000-04:00

Pookie is both incredibly tall and incredibly thin, so it's hard to find clothing for her that fits. Occassionally, we find something that works, but more often that not we just end up with clothes that either fall off her or are way too short for her to wear.

My frustration with her wardrobe reached an all time high yesterday, so I finally just raided the fabric stash and made her a skirt. I loosely followed the Lazy Days pattern over at Oliver + S and just one hour later, I had two skirts ready to wear.

Two identical skirts because Fig would not let me leave the sewing machine until I'd made her one too.

I ran out today and bought some more elastic so that I can whip up a few more of these. Once we are settled I plan on getting out the patterns and making Pookie some dresses and stuff, but for now I'm sticking with these skirts. I can whip one up in between packing boxes, which currently makes the Lazy Days skirt the perfect project for me!

And Back Again...For Now...

2010-04-05T19:25:00.000-04:00

Well, I'm back...again. My apologies for that really long break there. It took two weeks to get internet access installed here at the new house and then, shortly after we got it, we lost it. Some kind of problem with our internet service provider meant yet another week without internet. So three weeks of no internet plus two weeks of packing, moving and unpacking equals a very long blog absence. Sorry.

So what's happened since my last blog post? Well, we have quickly progressed from winter to summer here. I suppose it is technically still spring (the trees are still leafing out and the daffodils have only just begun to fade) but seeing as we went from wool coats one day to swimsuits the next, it does feel a bit like we skipped spring.

Not that I'm complaining mind you. With the return of the warm weather, we've been able to spend a good portion of our days outside doing all the summery things we love. We've already blown bubbles, licked popsicles, played in the sandbox, had a picnic, planted flowers, splashed in the kiddie pool, and covered the patio with chalk drawings. Good stuff.

And when I haven't been busy outdoors playing or indoors cleaning up sticky faces, hanging up wet swimsuits, sweeping up dirt, and mopping up puddles, I've been working on a few summery projects. Hopefully, over the next few days, I'll get a chance to share some them.

It's good to be back!

As concerns that "for now"-- I might be missing from here, yet again, sometime soon. Word is we're moving...again, so at some point there might be yet another blog break while we pack, move and get settled...again. I'll let you know when I'll be disappearing though!

Bird Watching

2010-02-09T07:00:00.008-05:00

Since somewhere around late fall, our backyard has been full of Northern Cardinals. Unfortunately they stuck to the back part of the yard, meaning they were visible (hard to miss that red), but a bit too distant to see well. So, hoping to entice those cardinals a bit closer, I finally bought a bird feeder to put outside the girls' window.

The news quickly spread and suddenly all of the other neighborhood birds showed up. The girls have been loving watching the birds up close and have quickly learned the names of all the most frequent visitors (Cardinal, Chickadee, Titmouse, and Nuthatch) and are slowly learning the names of less frequent visitors (Mourning Doves, which Pookie insists are called "good morning doves" and House Finches) as well as the less interesting visitors (apparently Juncos are just not worth memorizing the name of.)

The kids have been much more observant than I expected and are quick to come and let me know when there is some new bird at the feeder. The House Finches only just showed up the other week and I wouldn't have known of their existence but for the kids.

Of course, I started taking some pictures of the birds and naturally the kids quickly became a part of that. They know exactly what birds we don't have a picture of yet and at least once a day one of them comes bursting into the kitchen telling me to "Come quick! There is a *fill in the blank* and it is close enough for a picture!" They've also been reminding me that we need to go for a walk so we can get pictures of the geese and the heron that hang out at the lake.

Now, I suppose the next question would be whether or not to start a bird book (like our bug book.) I'm leaning towards no for now--we're certainly not still or quiet enough to capture any pictures of birds "in the wild" yet and my camera is currently not capable of handling such distant subjects. However, it most certainly doesn't hurt to begin collecting pictures now annnddd....see where it goes from there.

Snow Day!

2010-02-08T18:09:00.000-05:00

We're having a snow day! A real snow day. We've had a bit of snow here and there this winter, but nothing to compare with our much beloved and missed New England snow. But today, snow, real snow.

The kind of snow you can make snowmen with and build igloos with. So that is exactly what we did--we built and built and built until we were too tired and too damp to build anymore.

And then it was time for hanging out by the warm stove making hot chocolate and hot cookies.

Seasonally correct cookies and cocoas. We couldn't ask for a better day!

Alphabet-ing

2010-02-05T18:11:00.000-05:00

The two older girls and I have started working on letters/numbers during Little P's naptime. We've been cruising right along with the consonants, but have suddenly encountered a bit of trouble with the vowels. As it's Friday and it's raining and those vowels are being so very pesky, I thought we'd skip the more organized learning approach and just paint with letters today.

Because it is so much more fun to practice your letters when they're covered in paint!

An Introduction

2010-02-02T19:06:00.001-05:00

I know, I've been missing from this space again. But this time I have a good explanation from my absence. See I've been rather stuck in the dining room/kitchen/outdoors with this little guy.

Jasper. The newest addition to the family. He's brought a lot of joy, a lot of frustration, a lot of excitement and a little bit of calm to the family. We're still in the process of potty-training, so I've been hanging out with him in the only non-carpeted rooms of the house, patiently (mostly) working with him.

But it's all good. I've brought all my sewing supplies into the dining room and consequently I'm finally getting somewhere with some long overdue projects.

And that's where I am--sewing while attempting to decipher the difference between "I really want to go outside and play" and "I really need to use the bathroom."

We're getting there...

Up, up, and away

2010-01-20T17:11:00.000-05:00

We get inundated with newspapers here. Normally they go straight to the recycling bin (after removing the crossword of course), but lately I've been letting them pile up. The newspaper is for wrapping household items in (I'm boxing stuff up, we're moving...again, same assignment, new house), but I thought it might be fun to use some for a papier-mache project.

It was the kind of art project I thought the girls would enjoy, but no. Several minutes into the process they began complaining about how horrible sticky hands were and sweetly suggested that I might like to finish the project for them. *sigh* I thought kids liked getting dirty? Dirty, but not sticky perhaps?

The painting, glittering, and decorating that followed, they loved.

And now the girls finally have their hot air baloon. It's just large enough to give their "wee people" a new view of the bedroom.

Rudolph

2009-12-18T15:44:00.000-05:00

I spent way too long yesterday trying to make Martha Stewart pipe cleaner animals. Most of them were a disaster (the elephants looked like they hadn't eatten in weeks and the pigs looked like very round pink mice), but the deer came out just fine.

I thought they'd make some great Christmas ornaments, but the kids won't hear of it. They've been keeping "Rudolph" and "Clarice" safetly tucked away in their pockets, only letting them out for little evening strolls past the Christmas lights.
I guess I'll just have to make some more...

Who's responsible?

2009-12-17T10:59:00.001-05:00

If you ask your littlest daughter if she is the one responsible for removing all of the ornaments on the bottom third of the tree...

And she gives you a look like this...

...should you believe her when she says no?

Yeah, that's what I thought.

(Almost) Two out of Three

2009-12-16T15:50:00.001-05:00

After several afternoons spent in front of the sewing machine, I finally have the front of Pookie's doll quilt complete. I had no desire (and no time) to do a quilt quite as complicated as Fig's (those pieces were tiny and hard to sew together!), so I opted for a "scrappy" log cabin design.

So glad I did--the design is quick, fun and, best of all, uses up ~~some~~ a tiny bit of the fabric scraps I've been hanging on to. I'm thinking I might have to try making a full size one of these. Maybe during the February doldrums or something?

Now that I have Pookie and Fig's doll quilts almost finished, I need to start thinking about Little P.'s. And quickly, I'm running out of time!

Slowly...

2009-12-10T17:23:00.003-05:00

I'm making very little progress with the handmade Christmas presents. There really aren't quite enough hours in the day, it seems. So in an effort to squeeze a bit more free time into my evenings, I spent today making and freezing about a weeks worth of dinners. Not having to make dinner for several nights should mean enough free time to finish a few presents before Christmas...I hope.

Because really, this should be done by now, shouldn't it?

Recognize it? It's Fig's doll quilt that I first posted about back in April and jokingly said might be a Christmas present. Yes, I am that slow. But, at least it's getting finished, right? There's just a bit more hand quilting to do and then it's going to be a mad rush to get Pookie's and Little P's finished before Christmas.

Or at least before the 12 days of Christmas are up.

This Christmas.

Really.

I mean it.

Cupcake anyone?

2009-12-09T18:20:00.003-05:00

I know, back to back posts featuring sugary goodness! However, these came in the mail today--or rather, the means of making these cupcakes came today. A little advent surprise package from my parents arrived full of all kinds of goodies including cupcake mix, icing, and sprinkles. Upon discovery of such goodies, a non-stop chorus of "Mommy can we!" and "Mommy puh-leeze!" immediately ensued.

After much discussion, I agreed that the cupcakes could be mixed, baked, iced, decorated, and consumed today if I had help cleaning the playroom up.

The playroom is now clean. The bathroom is also clean. Even the dining room floor is clean.

The cupcakes? They were delicious.

We just might have to make cupcakes more often!

Of Mice and Cookies

2009-12-08T15:00:00.003-05:00

Oh my, where has the time gone! Since December first, we've been busy opening advent calendars (and gleefully gobbling up the chocolates found behind each doors), hanging up our outdoor lights, and decorating our Christmas tree. We've also spent a little while making sugar cookies.

Mostly Christmas themed cookies, but there were a few giraffes and zebras thrown in the mix.

These may just go down as the most memorable Christmas cookies ever. Not, mind you, because there is anything particularly memorable about the cookies themselves (they were tasty, but not that tasty), but because of the mouse.

Oh yes, a mouse. As I was removing a cookie tray from the stove drawer, a little mouse stuck it's head out and squeaked at me. Now, I'm not afraid of mice, but I really don't like being suprised by any of there kind.

And I certainly do not like finding a mouse where there shouldn't be a mouse.

So I suppose you can imagine how this went--three screaming little girls, one screaming me, and one mouse noisily running laps around the stove drawer.

I finally took the drawer outside and dumped it on the lawn...only to discover that the mouse was no longer inside. Oh no, that mouse was back in the house, waiting for me. There was one little triumphant "squeak!" and then the little fellow disappeared under the dishwasher.

Recent findings would suggest that he is not the only one of his kind present in the house.

Like I said, some very memorable Christmas cookies...

2009-11-25T13:30:00.003-05:00

We spent the better part of last week in the car driving to and from a wedding. Two days northwest of here, I finally caught a glimpse of the mountains.And there they stayed, just out of reach. There wasn't enough time in our schedule to allow for any exploration...perhaps another time.

And now it's time to start baking some Thanksgiving pie!

New Wall Color

2009-11-09T17:57:00.002-05:00

My husband was away on business all of last week and so (as I like to keep myself busy while he's gone) I decided to paint the livingroom. No small endeavor, it took me two and a half days to complete the project.

A quiet blue/grey color making me quite happy.

And Finally....

2009-10-30T16:10:00.003-04:00

Little P's costume.

I know, she's in grey. Grey, not really a butterfly-fairy-princess costume color, so we've settled on her being a little moth fairy princess. A twilight kind of fairy.

The dress is a bit of a mess. The bodice went together easily, but the skirt gave me all kinds of problems. It's a little too busy looking, a little too heavy for the bodice, not quite even, lying flat and lifeless here, looking breezy and lively there. After ripping everything apart for the fourth time I decided enough was enough. She'll only be wearing it for trick-or-treat tomorrow. It'll be almost dark by the time we venture out in it. Chances are she will never want to wear it again. Why then does it have to be perfect? So I've stitched it all together one last time and am leaving it be...I think. I can't guarantee that, some time late tonight, I won't be frantically trying to make it look just that much better...but I'm going to try very hard to let it go, call it good enough, move on...

After all, it's almost November. Time to bake some pies or something!

Pookie's Costume

2009-10-29T15:36:00.003-04:00

With just a few days to spare, I've finally finished Pookie's dress. She was very specific about what she wanted. She drew me three designs for her dress and then proceeded to point out the most important elements of each design. She wanted a flat dress, no ruffles, petals, flowers, long, butterflies, trees, some birds, a necklace...the list went on and on.

We managed to pare the list down a bit and ended up with just flowers and petals. Phew! Thankfully, she's happy with the finished product.
And now I have a half-finished dress for Little P. I need to complete...

The Bug Box/The Bug Book

2009-10-28T10:02:00.009-04:00

It all started with The Bug Box. A cousin-in-law kindly sent the girls a few insect specimens. My mother packed these specimens in an old art box and added a few of her own to the collection. The girls quickly named it The Bug Box. They loved looking in the box, they loved examining each of the specimens with their magnifying glass and they loved quizzing each other on the names the specimens. But there just weren't enough bugs, so the girls went searching for some more specimens. They found a dead dragonfly, a dead grasshopper, a dead centipede, a dead wasp, dead moths, numerous dead beetles, and about thirty cicada moltings (that would be all those dirty looking brown objects in the largest compartment.)

The girls also found a number of live insects. They were very excited by these finds, but were disappointed that these live insects could not go in The Bug Box. "Do you think it will die soon?" the girls would ask as they followed some poor insect across the yard.

And so The Bug Book began. I would take the girls for walks and we'd look for dead and live insects. If they found a dead insect, we'd collect it for The Bug Box... ...if we found a live one, I would take a picture of it for The Bug Book. At least once a week we print off our latest pictures and add them to our photo album. I'm slowly working at adding names, dates, and locations to our pictures.
It has turned into quite a fun project for all of us. It has definitely made our walks much more exciting (who can spot the next new bug!) and has helped to make us all more observant.We've talked about other book possibilities (like a bird book), but have decided to stick with just insects for now. We have a lot more pages to fill in our photo album and a lot more "bugs" to discover.

Painting Break

2009-10-15T18:42:00.004-04:00

Taking a break from the girls' Halloween costumes and doing a bit more stenciling on the walls.

I ran across this stencil company in an issue of Southern Living and fell in love with their designs. I'm currently using the "Trillian Way" stencil in the girls' playroom (hence the pink walls) and love it.

Costume Progress

2009-10-08T15:20:00.006-04:00

With Halloween just a few weeks away I sat down and had a talk with the girls about what they wanted to dress up as this year.
"Princesses!" they excitedly told me.
"But you were princesses last year," I pointed out, somewhat disappointed.
"Yeah, we like princesses!" they informed me.
So we talked for awhile about other possibilities and after lots of discussion the kids finally settled on "Butterfly-Princess-Fairy!" which, I suppose, is a little bit different than just a princess...
So, here is Fig in her partially finished "Butterfly-Princess-Fairy" costume.
She's pretty easy to please when it comes to dresses--so long as it is girly/princess-y enough she will wear it. She loves this dress and has spent quite a lot of time showing us how well it twirls and how great the ruffles look when you bounce through the air. I'm thrilled that she's happy with it!
A few more details to add here and there and then I will have one out of three costumes complete. Phew!

Fall Arrives

2009-10-07T10:32:00.003-04:00

Last month...

...looking bold, bright, cheery, healthy.

This month...

...sad, tired, brown, crinkly, and suffering from a horrible case of powdery mildew. I suppose I should rip them up and replace them with something more seasonal and cold hardy, but I haven't the heart. Maybe in another few weeks, when they have truly, throughly expired, I will...

Back Again

2009-09-21T14:57:00.002-04:00

The boxes are almost all unpacked. There are a few, tucked away in closets, that I plan on unpacking at some point...but not today. Probably not tomorrow either. But at some point, hopefully, I'll unpack them all.

For now, it's time to relax and explore...

...and see what our new state has for us to discover.

Garden Paths

2009-06-09T13:09:00.004-04:00

It feels like you've stepped right into the middle of a fairytale or a book like "The Secret Garden." Paths meandering though untamed azaleas, rusted gates entrapped in heavy vines, stone staircases leading to hidden terraces, and the most beautiful peonies and irises of every color.

The kind of place you'd expect something magical to happen in.

I think the kids love the gardens just about as much as I do.

*The gardens are located at the Buttrick Mansion, now called the Old North Bridge Visitor Center. They are a part of Minuteman Park and are open to the public free of charge. They are located just a short distance from the Old North Bridge where the "shot heard round the world" was fired. If you are ever in the Lexington/Concord area, I would highly recommend visiting this portion of the park.*

Moving Blues

2009-06-03T08:37:00.003-04:00

I know, I didn't follow through on that promise at all. Crafty things? Nope. An insane amount of cleaning, sorting, tossing, moving prep stuff. Yeah. Too much. Way too much. So much, that I finally cracked and realized that all this crazy work was really just me trying not to think about what's really bothering me.

I've been trying not to think about how hard it will be living far away from family, how much I'm going to miss all the neighbors (who are just about like family now), and how anxious I am about going to a part of the country I am totally unfamiliar with and where I know absolutely no one.

So I've thought about it all and have come to the obvious conclusion that 1. there is nothing I can do about what is going to happen and 2. while I'm worrying about tomorrow I'm not enjoying today. So that's what we're doing here (and why I've been a bit absent of late), trying to just enjoy today. Using these last couple of weeks to create more good memories like...

...spending a whole afternoon in the backyard painting. Bouncing on the neighbor's trampoline until everyone is hot, pink, and exhausted. Enjoying one too many cups of coffee (or juice boxes depending on your age) and lots of good conversation with family and friends.

Picking...

...wildflower bouquets for the girls' room and building sandcastles at the beach. Having a picnic for every lunch. Allowing the kids to play outdoors past their bedtime.

Letting this chapter of our lives end on a happy note and...hopefully realizing that the next chapter, though perhaps difficult at first, will probably be just as joyful.

Cakes and cleaning

2009-05-15T08:56:00.003-04:00

The husband has had to work late most of this week. The kids are always disappointed when Daddy won't be home before bed time, so I try and find something to make those evenings special for them. A movie, a tea party, or...

a cake. There was just enough sugar left in the house to whip up some buttercream frosting. Some crushed frozen raspberries mixed in made it all just that much better.

I've spent the week doing an absurd amount of laundry, cleaning, decluttering and stressing about the upcoming move. In the process I've learned that I really need to take some breaks to do stuff I enjoy, otherwise not only am I exhausted, but I'm also in a horrible mood by the end of the day. So I'm making a commitment to updating the blog every day next week with something fun or creative that I'm doing so as to guarantee that I will take a break from the aforementioned tasks (if you can call stressing a task...) and do something that brings a little joy to my day.

Time for some fun!

We Return

2009-05-05T08:18:00.004-04:00

We're back! I had only intended to stay away a few days on vacation (at my parents house), but when the meals kept magically appearing on the table and the suitcase was always miraculously full of clean laundry...well, the desire to return home quickly vanished. It was a great week full of sunny trips to the beach, coffee shops with oversized cookies, and unsuccessful, but awfully fun, antiquing.

But, the fun has to end at some point. So here we are, back at home, suitcases and contents still cluttering up the hallways. At some point I'll work up the energy to make the dinners, do the laundry, and put away the luggage. One more cup of coffee might help with that...

Butterflies

2009-04-24T08:53:00.003-04:00

Well, here we go--first post of the week on the last day of the (work) week. Of course I fully intended to post sooner, but it's been an impossible week--the husband has had some long work days and I've been hit hard with seasonal allergies. This week has been mostly sneezing, wheezing, coughing, and sniffing with a few headaches and sleepless nights thrown in the mix. A grim week indeed.

There was one good thing about this week though...

...our visit to the butterfly atrium. My mom had discovered this place and, thinking that it would be something the girls would enjoy, she and my dad offered to take us there.

It was such a treat to go--the girls and I absolutely loved this place! I initially thought there was going to be some kind of barrier up between us and the butterflies--but no! You walk through this garden area with some butterflies busy fluttering from plant to plant, others diving in front of you (rather shocking at first!) and still others landing on you and happily staying put for some time.

Not only was it fascinating, but it was also very beautiful. My only regret is that I didn't think to have the girls bring any sketchbooks. I think they really would have loved drawing some of their favorites. Another time!

And so our week draws to end with the promise of better things to come. There is a book sale (which I have been anxiously anticipating for weeks), very warm weather, a little vacation for me, and hopefully some beach trips all coming up this week. And seeing as my allergies seem to be improving it looks like I'll be able to really enjoy all that!

A happy weekend to all of you!

Recovering...

2009-04-15T21:38:00.004-04:00

Easter was beautiful (although a bit chilly) and, unfortunately, mostly picture-less. As usual there was just a bit too much going on (dying Easter eggs, making sure all the tights were washed, dresses were ironed, making a blackberry roulade for dessert, eating way too much chocolate etc., etc.) and consequently the thought of taking any pictures just never crossed my mind. Okay, well wait, actually I did think of pictures just once--the family Easter photo. Oh my, getting a decent picture of all five of us is almost impossible these days (and I say "almost" because I think one out of ten photos might be okay.)

So now we're halfway through our post holiday week. It's been a rough week. Up too late, up too early, too much travel, too much chocolate, too much post-holiday clean-up--we're having a tough time getting back into a comfortable routine and as a result crankiness levels are at an all time high.

To try and snap us out of our foul moods I suggested to the girls that we go birdwatching. This was met with much enthusiasm as it meant a real opportunity to use binoculars (something the girls have been dying to do.)

I had high hopes for this outing. Last time we'd taken this same walk we had spotted not only the usual birds (sparrows, chickadees), but had also seen a woodpecker and a cardinal. So I brought along my camera and told the girls we could start a bird book with the pictures we took.

Well, wouldn't you know it, but we couldn't spot a single bird. We heard a few (waaaaay far off somewhere), but didn't see a single one! Thankfully, though it is early spring, we spotted a few other things the girls enjoyed. For example this butterfly-

a Mourning Cloak. Which gave us the great opportunity to discuss camouflage. Now you see it...

now you don't.

And the girls thought these very tiny flowers...

...were pretty cool. They're the only flowers, besides dandelions, out at this time of year. They're called Whitlow Grass and are very, very, tiny. Size did not prevent the girls from trying to pick a whole boquet of them though!

And that was the extent of our nature walk . No birds and, much to Pookie's disappointment, no beetles or caterpillars either. I'm thinking I'll print off these pics and help the girls start a nature journal. Something we'll start....maybe next week when we are all (hopefully!) feeling a bit better!

Spring

2009-04-09T21:46:00.005-04:00

Suddenly, after all that rain, cloudiness, and cold, it feels like spring again. Almost warm, partially sunny, a little bit more color every day--so nice! The girls are thrilled, especially as this means that shoes are now...

...optional.

Rethinking a dress

2009-04-08T13:03:00.006-04:00

As Easter is fast approaching I thought I'd better try that smocked dress on Little P. again and see if the fit had improved any. Sadly, no. In fact, if anything, I'd say the dress was looking worse than before. Although we seem to have our very own little girl version of the Very Hungry Caterpillar living here (really, she eats all day), all that nutritious goodness must be going straight towards vertical growth and not horizontal. So yes, she's taller, but not fatter, and was seriously disappearing in all that fabric. Frustrating to say the least.

On a whim, I thought I'd see if the dress would fit Pookie. And what do you know...

...it actually looks alright on her. Pookie hated it, that is until I curled her hair and suggested she try singing "On the Good Ship Lollipop." Then of course it was a big hit--she thought she looked just like Shirley Temple and lot's of dancing and "Animal Crackers in my Soup" singing followed. So now I'm debating about exactly what to do. Should I put more time into trying to make it work for Little P. or just finish it up and let the older girls wear it?? Guess it will go back in the "almost finished" project pile for bit, while I think it over some more...

Rain and Things

2009-04-06T15:38:00.006-04:00

We're indoors again, our noses firmly pressed against the windows watching the rain come down. Lots of rain. Lots and lots of rain.

And as we watch the girls talk about worms and rain and how worms don't like rain or mud. They're concerned about the worms. They're going to rescue them all from watery deaths just as soon as the rain stops. So we're watching and waiting for the rain to stop. It may be a rather long wait.

I've just started working on a doll quilt for Flossie (to be followed by one for Mimi) which was intended for Easter, but has quickly become a birthday (August) present instead and, you never know, may just show up in a Christmas post come December.

Something to help pass the time, while I too wait for the rain to stop.

Lots of Love

2009-04-01T08:58:00.005-04:00

I love antiquing. And I really love it when I'm antiquing and I find something I love that is at a price I love. Which is why the girls now have a second lamp for their room......because, at only five dollars, you know they needed another lamp for their room. And really it was a great purchase--you wouldn't believe how excited the girls were about it. They actually screamed "Yeah Mommy! You bought us a lamp! We love it!" *happy sigh* Girls after my own heart. Love that.And at just $4.50 this large bowl (which I really need in order to put...something in) just had to come home with me. Love it.
Other good finds not pictured here--some bookends for my husband (which we have spent well over a year looking for) and, at long last, some art to put on our walls (which up until now have only featured mirrors.) Both were well worth the wait--they're exactly what we were looking for. Love them.
And loving this week which is currently perfectly spring like--a little sunny, a little rainy and a little bit greener every day. Perfect!

Mostly Good Muffins

2009-03-24T15:45:00.006-04:00

On a cold day, I love nothing better than an oven warmed kitchen and the aroma of hot baked goods. So as it was quite cold and windy, the girls and I turned on the oven and mixed up some pear granola muffins.

The girls had a blast making these--partially because they love cooking, but mostly because it meant they could take turns using the sifter. (They're big fans of the sifter, not such big fans of taking turns...) They thoroughly enjoyed the muffin batter, greedily eating it by the spoonful, and were amazed at the sight of muffins "growing" in the oven. The finished product, however, was not such a hit.

After one bite, Pookie and Fig (unbeknownst to me) quickly disposed of their muffins by handing them off to Little P. who, it appears, thoroughly enjoyed one of her illicit muffins and smooshed the other into every puzzle, game, and stuffed animal in the playroom.

I enjoyed my muffin and took a picture of it on my retro tablecloth...which I just ironed, starched, and burnt.

We'll consider the day...half successful.

In the Kids' Room

2009-03-23T09:11:00.004-04:00

Things I'm loving in the kids' room right now.

The addition of this bird (that I was unwilling to part with, but unsure what to do with) to the girls' mirror. A few more, added here and there, have given the room a much more lively appearance.

And this lamp...

from an antique store. The girls love it because the "princess" has such a beautiful dress--I think I love for it for the same exact reason!

Please, draw on the walls!

2009-03-19T15:44:00.009-04:00

Like most girls, "Little Women" was one of my first and favorite novels. I wanted to be one of the March sisters (though of course Anne of Green Gables or Rebecca of Sunnybrook farm would been equally acceptable.) I read that book over and over again (always with a box of tissues ready for the part when Beth passes away.) I watched the movie over and over again too...also with a box of tissues handy. Despite living at least a hundred years before my time, those March sisters were just soooo cool.
Since moving to this area my one wish has been to visit the Louisa May Alcott house. Today, that wish finally came true. My mom and aunt watched the girls and, with a sister and cousin along for company, I was finally able to visit the "Orchard House."
It was beautiful, it was fascinating, and surprisingly I've walked away thinking not of Louisa, but of her sister, May. Really. Shocking, I know.
May, just like Amy in the book, loved art. Her parents, wishing to foster her love for art, but unable to afford much in the way of art supplies, allowed her to draw on her bedroom walls. Beautiful pencil drawings all over the room. It was incredible! She later became a successful artist (her still life painting was chosen over Mary Cassatt's for an exhibit in the Paris Salon!) and I think that, in may ways, her parents had a lot to do with that. It has given me a lot to think about--the girls freedom to pursue what they love, the opportunity for them to be creative and how I'll support them in all their endeavors. Something I'll think about during an afternoon tea party and some Little Women paper doll cutting. Fun and tasty!

Continue or Quit

2009-03-16T15:01:00.003-04:00

Pookie's dress is giving me so much trouble. *sigh* With all the previous dresses I've always cut out the bodice the perfect size and then gathered and attached the bottom half of the dress to the bodice--easy. This time around I thought I'd try something different by keeping the shirt all in one piece and just pleat the bodice until it was down to the right size.

Why oh why did I do decide to do that??? I have no idea how it can possibly be but, after numerous fittings, this dress is still too big. And now that I've sewn on the binding and the straps I'm feeling a bit less than enthusiastic about pulling out the seam ripper and tearing everything to bits again. I'm thinking about scrapping it and starting fresh with a new shirt, but there's a big part of me that hates to be a quitter.

I think I'll give it the customary 24 hour wait period and then see how I feel. Maybe I'll be up to the challenge tomorrow. Maybe...

Little P. Helps Out

2009-03-12T20:43:00.005-04:00

I'm working on a "recycled" outfit for Pookie. She picked out blue and I'm adding some white cotton trim for fun. While this dress is going to be entirely different from Fig's, I do want her outfit to have a matching headband like Fig's had.

After hitting a rough spot in dress construction today, I started playing around with some ideas for the headband. While I loved Fig's, the flower on it was just a bit too small. Oversized flowers seem to be the hair accessory of choice at the moment, so I thought I'd try my hand at making one for the headband.

Sadly both Pookie and Fig refused to model my first attempt. Apparently their Playmobil people were in the midst of some great adventure and could not be abandoned. Thankfully I still have one child left who is currently incapable of refusing to model for me.

And so we have Little P. modeling a headband with a flower that is about half the size of her head. Although it is seriously oversized on her, I actually kind of like the way it looks--very baby flapper, obviously requiring the pearl necklace accessory you see there. I think, that if there was anyway to guarantee that it would actually remain on her head, I would make one for her too.

Anyway, it is still very much a project in the works. It has the flat back (perfect for attaching to a headband) that I want, but is much, much, too messy looking for me. Hopefully it will only take a few more tries to get it right and then...we'll see, maybe I'll have Little P. model again.

Fig's Dress

2009-03-10T16:45:00.003-04:00

Fig selected the discarded purple men's shirt for her dress. Her only request was that she be able to "twirly dance" in it. So, out came the scissors and the seam ripper and several hours later Fig had her dress...

...and a headband to match.

Fig is ecstatic about her dress and talks constantly about her "bootiful dancin' dress." Yes, thankfully it passed the twirl test!

I'm thrilled that it cost me nothing but some thread and a little time...

...and made Fig the happiest little twirly dancing girl in the world.

Disappointments and a Dress

2009-03-06T10:21:00.005-05:00

Wondering whatever happened to Little Peach's dress? Well, it's still in the works. I was dreading having to sew on the collar (baby collars and I don't get along too well), so I put off working on the dress for awhile. I finally worked up the necessary courage to attempt it this morning, and thankfully everything went smoothly.

Now that the dress is almost complete I'm feeling a bit disappointed over a few elements. I really wish that I had used something other than yellow floss for the smocking. The yellow hardly shows up at all--all that hard work smocking and you can hardly make out the pattern. Next time I'll know better.
I'm also feeling a bit disappointed over the fit of the dress. Although the dress pattern said 1/2, the dress seems somewhat large and Little Peach's head looks a bit like it's disappearing between those two sleeves. Thankfully, it's way too cold for her to wear it yet, so I'm hoping that by the time it has warmed up some, Little Peach will have gotten a little taller and little fatter and consequently the dress will fit a little better. If it doesn't....I'll have to see what I can do.
So, I think I'm going to put the buttons and pockets on and then give this dress a little break again. I'll do the hemming and any necessary tailoring later when the time to actually wear the dress comes. And in the mean time I can start on that much asked for dress/skirt for Fig.

2009-03-04T14:20:00.006-05:00

March came in like a lion... The ground is once again deeply covered in snow and the temperatures are well below freezing. I'm boycotting the outdoors until something more spring like makes an appearance (which is supposed to happen tomorrow, so this will be a rather short boycott.)
So we're back to doing indoor stuff. Somehow, despite one still sick baby and two sick again toddlers, everything has been going perfectly this week. At this moment, I could almost accept the title of "supermom." I baked cookies and muffins with the kids, folded and put away all the laundry (which hasn't happened since the birth of Little Peach), and the house is almost "neat, clean, and tidy"...almost. Of course, I'm quite sure that in no time everything will go back to crazy, chaotic, and messy and the "supermom" title will be revoked...but still, I'm gonna give myself a good ol' pat on the back and savor the moment while it lasts.
And while I'm doing that, the kids will probably keep devising new ways for "Jonah" to be injured. Jonah, that little fellow down there.
He came with their latest Playmobil acquisition, an ambulance. Since his arrival, the poor fellow has been bitten by a Spinosaurus, attacked by an alligator zoo escapee, and knocked over by a penguin (just to name a few). Of course, after each accident, my job is to strap the poor little guy to the stretcher and load it in the ambulance. Then off the kids go, ambulance in hand, only to come back a short while later and remind me that they do not have anywhere to drive Jonah to. I'm wondering if this subtle hinting/logical reasoning is their latest attempt at getting me to purchase the hospital for them. They just might succeed with this tactic....we'll see.

2009-02-23T15:07:00.004-05:00

Carrying over our colds from last week into this week. Lots of coughing, sneezing, and using mommy's clothes as a handkerchief. Too much fighting and crying and too little sleep and quiet. There can't be too many days left to this cold...can there??

Noticing the spring flowers beginning to make an appearance outdoors and enjoying these spring flowers indoors.

I don't have the cold, so I can enjoy the scent of these--flowery with a hint of damp soil, love it!

Adding to our "wish spring was here" collection are these caterpillars, flowers, and butterflies decorating the playroom.

They remind me of the delightful Minuscule bugs (which we first learned about from her blog.) The girls and I have been watching way too many of the videos over at YouTube. This one...

...is very appropriate for how things currently are here. Here's hoping for a better tomorrow.

2009-02-13T17:39:00.005-05:00

A few days ago, a Valentine's package from my aunt arrived for the girls. In among all the goodies were some cupcake liners and heart sprinkles, which meant we had noooo choice but to make some cupcakes.
So yesterday we mixed up the batter...
...using my favorite one bowl chocolate cupcake recipe courtesy of Martha Stewart.

And today we whipped up buttercream frosting with some pureed raspberries mixed in because 1. it makes the icing pink and 2. raspberries are so yummy! The icing is a bit too sweet for my taste, but the girls are loving it--they're licking all the cupcakes clean!

Now that the food is taken care of, it's time to finish the decorating. We have some hearts to hang up and then we should be all set to celebrate the patron saint of love and happy marriages--two things I am very thanksful for!

2009-02-09T15:11:00.004-05:00

At long last, a vintage, blueish, flowery, and incredibly cute bedspread for Fig found at Sandi's etsy shop. (Fig's would be the bed on the right there.)

Other cuteness in the girls room...

...these pillow cases from a great aunt. What little girl wouldn't want to sleep on those?

Now that the linens are complete, it's time to get some art on those walls...

2009-02-06T23:16:00.002-05:00

Couch jumping--one way to get the pent up winter time energy out...

...and a chance for me to try out the "action shot" feature on my camera. Fun for all.

2009-02-04T14:58:00.007-05:00

Managed to squeeze in just a little bit of smocking time this morning. Wish I had realized before cutting the pattern and doing the iron transfer that little blue smocking dots would not show up well on a fabric with blue flowers. Lesson learned. I attempted to re-mark as many dots as possible, but soon gave up and just hoped I could wing it.
And the smocking part, I absolutely love! I'm loving the rhythm of the floss over needle, floss under needle and the sudden appearance of lots of very tiny little pleats. It's so relaxing and so sweet looking.
Of course, it's most certainly not perfect. I spent some time ripping out stitches I didn't think were "quite right" but then decided that it was okay--it is my first, if I can just finish it I should be happy.
Hopefully it will be done in time for Easter (why shouldn't it be...right??) and hopefully it will fit Little Peach. If not...well I guess I'll just have to have another baby girl, because somebody is going to wear this dress!

2009-02-03T16:06:00.006-05:00

Generally one does "spring cleaning" but there is something about being stuck indoors for days at a time that brings on a need to do some winter cleaning as well. I've spent the last few days vacuuming, scrubbing, dusting, and washing--getting the house as clean as is possible (with two toddlers some mess is expected.) I've also spent the last few days sorting, tossing, storing and donating. We're moving this summer, the news of which has suddenly made me much more aware of how much...stuff we have around the house. Stuff I didn't remember we had (and obviously wasn't missing), stuff we didn't need (but I felt guilty parting with), stuff I've never used (but might, someday, maybe...probably not), lots and lots and lots of stuff. So, I'm letting go, I'm getting rid of it all and, most importantly, I'm being extra vigilant about what we do purchase from here on out!

The girls spent most of the week coloring, molding, cutting, pasting, and painting. And with the arrival of slightly sunnier days, the girls have discovered that the "turtle bugs" (some kind of small, black, beetle) have returned to the sun room. That also keeps them occupied--hunting down the bugs, capturing them, and finding their magnifying glasses to examine them. Pookie drew the bugs and informed me that we need a bug book so we can learn more about them. Guess that's one purchase I will have to make...

And now it's a new week. I've...taken a break from the cleaning for now. I think I've run out of energy and need about a week to recoup before I tackle the upstairs. That and I've really been wanting to try out the smocking on Little Peach's dress. I've never tried smocking before and I'm really, really, anxious to get started. The dress is all sewn up and ready for me to start so hopefully, should all people under the age of four go to sleep early tonight, I can get started this evening and have something to show you all tomorrow!

Yes, a rest week....exactly what I need!

2009-01-20T16:27:00.005-05:00

I've come down with a case of the winter time blues. You know, when you look out the window and instead of thinking "Oh how beautiful, all that white lovely snow!" you think "What? Snow? Still? Isn't it time for spring yet?" Or when the piles of laundry, dishes, toys, dust, dirt, etc., etc. seem to grow bigger and bigger while the house seems to get smaller and smaller. And worst of all when you go to mark a day off the calendar and realize...that you already have and yes, it really is still January and warm weather and sunshine are months and months away. Yeah, that's where I'm at right now.
So, I'm pulling out all the little girl summer dress patterns I have and hoping that if I keep my hands busy and my eyes focused on something summery, maybe the next few weeks will be that much brighter and pass by that much quicker.
Other things that are succeeding in brightening my day...

..these potted herbs (even if the dill looks a rough right now.) The green herbs and bright colored fruit are a welcome spot of color with all that white surrounding us.

These smiling faces. They're everywhere. The girls have set up interesting little Playmobil scenes on just about every surface in the house. I'm not always sure what they're doing, but they sure look happy doing it.

And, lastly, the two little teeth suddenly making an appearance in Little Peach's smile. I love it!

2009-01-15T15:19:00.004-05:00

One of my New Year's resolutions was to try and get the girls outdoors every day. I managed to keep that resolution up until the "Arctic freeze" hit. Temperatures are ranging between the single digits and low teens here, which isn't that bad (really, it feels kinda refreshing...at first anyway) but is horrible if you're a toddler and immediately upon exiting the house you get snow down your boot or fall into a snow bank without your mittens on. After two days of thirty minutes spent getting everyone in their snow clothes, followed by only five minutes outdoors....we opted for some indoor imaginary cold weather adventures instead.

Or at least I think they're having a cold weather adventure. They are hanging out in their ladybug tent, covered in blankets, drinking hot chocolate and looking at seals, polar bears, penguins, sharks, whales and...panda bears. Yeah, panda bears--I have no idea where they came from.

2009-01-14T15:12:00.006-05:00

Making vegetable soup took a fun twist today when I gave the girls the leftover vegetables to do...

...some stamping with.

(The celery "roses" in the background there--those were a big hit).

So our day was nice, relaxing and fun. The girls happily stamped and questioned (do dogs like celery? do potatoes come from seeds? do carrots grow on trees? how do plants come out of seeds?) while I cooked and answered...as best as I was able to.

I'm enjoying cooking again, now that Little Peach has discovered the joys of a biter biscuit and is content to spend some time in her high chair rather than be constantly held.

Although clean up now takes....

...twice as long.

2009-01-13T15:42:00.003-05:00

After seeing this adorable skirt (made from the free pattern available at Oliver + S) I knew I had to raid my fabric stash and try one out. I found a plain red cotton and after some discussion with Pookie we settled on some ladybugs being drawn on it.

So, I went to town with my black fabric marker drawing countless ladybugs until about a quarter of the fabric was covered. Somehow or other I didn't put that fabric marker far enough out of the way though. During after dinner clean-up I discovered the girls had gotten a hold of the marker and decided to add their own designs to the fabric. Upset? Yeah...definetly, but I'm trying to keep in mind that they're just learning by imitating, frustrating as that can be at times... I made the best of the fabric disaster that I could (turning smiley faces into ladybugs and such), but, obviouly, the ladybug pattern is a little messy looking now. It'll be alright for just a play skirt though I guess...

I haven't finished drawing in all the ladybugs, but I did finish stitching up the skirt (minus the hem ribbon.) It is incredibly fast, very cute, and much to Pookie's satisfaction very poofy. She declared it the perfect dancing skirt and immediatley turned on some music to dance to.

Fig is persistently asking where her dancing skirt is. I think I need to get some more elastic and make a BUNCH more of these!

2009-01-09T14:59:00.009-05:00

And now the last round of Christmas gifts...

My girls love their Aunt's drawings so I was thrilled that the girls received these shirts for Christmas.

There are three shirts, one for each girl, but Pookie was the only one awake when it came time for pictures. (And I wish I could have gotten a better picture of it, but Pookie is the queen of a million poses in under a minute...) They are pink, glittery, sequin-y and most importantly princess-y which means they're perfect.

For me there were these earrings...
...from the etsy shop tinyleaves. I'm absolutely in love with those flying sparrows...so is Little Peach at this moment, which is slightly problematic, but I'm getting good at quickly dodging her curious fingers.

Also for me, some bookplates from the etsy shop of Diana Sudyka . The perfect gift for a bibliophile, don't you think?
I'm having fun matching up book plates with books. Like this polar bear seems just perfect with "Giants in the Earth"--that book always makes me think of long cold winters.

And a Narwhal with "Kidnapped" might be a good combination.

I really need to do more etsy shopping next Christmas...in fact I might have to start with some etsy shopping for Valentine's, Saint Patrick's, Easter and...

2009-01-08T15:45:00.005-05:00

This is one of those "I love it!" and then forgot about it kind of Christmas gifts.

I saw this little girl, back in the fall, at an antique store. I loved her, but was intent on my search to find a nice serving platter and consequently left the store without her. Of course once the store was closed I remembered her and lamented the fact I hadn't bought her. Thankfully my parents were paying attention and much to my suprise there she was under the Christmas tree

I had originally thought of putting a little plant in her, but that face...

...is just too cute to have hidden. So currently she's keeping me company in the kitchen, hopefully out of the reach of very curious toddler fingers.

Oh, and those yellow mixing bowls behind her were another Christmas gift. I love how cheery and bright the yellow looks in my otherwise incredibly drab kitchen. They are from Stonewall Kitchen --a store you could buy me anything from and I'd be very happy!

2009-01-07T12:25:00.004-05:00

I'm horrible at picking out Christmas gifts, really. Every once in awhile I'll run across something think "perfect!", buy it, give it, and it is perfect. However, most of the time it's more or less something like "perfect!...or maybe not...maybe they already have something similar...maybe they won't use it...maybe they'd rather have cash instead..." Really I'm that bad--I begged everyone to make wish lists for me just to make my Christmas shopping easier.

Now the rest of my family, they amaze me, they get my family and I things that either A. I've always REALLY REALLY wanted (but forgot I wanted) or B. I never thought of, but wow do I love it! So I thought I'd share a few of those Christmas gifts here over the next few days.

First up, passes to the local Children's Museum. Until we had children, I had no idea how pricey family museum visits can be. And I quickly discovered that the more kid friendly the museum the pricier it is (kids as young as 1 year are charged admssion, ouch!)

(Fig playing drums)

(Pookie the paleontologist.)

The passes to the children museum were great because A. it was something we wouldn't normally have spent the money on B. it didn't clutter up the house, and C. it was a fun experience for the whole family.

(Fig in the osprey nest.)

(Pookie stamping.)

Museum passes for Christmas gifts--highly recommended!

And secondly Sophie the giraffe. This was a gift for Little Peach and she's been chewing on it (she's teething) since she got it. I've never seen her chew on anything like she chews on this!

I'm seriously thinking of buying a bunch to save as future baby shower gifts. Not only is it cute, but it's functional, and has a cute little history which you can read about here.
And now back to the cooking and cleaning....

2009-01-01T12:21:00.005-05:00

I'm still here...I'm just hanging out lazing around though. My husband has been on vacation so we've been taking it easy, enjoying some family time, and playing with all those new Christmas gifts.
And speaking of Christmas gifts, the weather has been very conducive to getting some use out of them. First there was lots and lots of snow and then warm weather and rain which means....
...you can wear your new snow boots, new spring coats, and carry your new pink-polka-dot-ruffly umbrella all at the same time!
I'll be back next week with lots to share!

2008-12-19T14:39:00.002-05:00

We managed to get outdoors today and squeeze in some sledding and snow stomping before the storm hit. We are now snuggled up inside thawing out our frozen noses and cheeks--the heat turned up to combat the challenging combination of a drafty house, high winds and cold temperatures.

Watching the snow rapidly fall. The neighborhood kids are out sledding, the adults are shoveling. Currently, we're all loving the snow.

2008-12-15T15:37:00.003-05:00

Little Peach has discovered how to crawl and her favorite travel destination is the Christmas tree. She's keeping us busy removing lights and branches from her hands.

I've managed to keep Christmas ornaments out of her reach, but not out of Pooke and Fig's reach. Sadly a number of these ornaments have suffered as a result of curious fingers...

My husband bought me these glass balls to decorate our very first Chistmas tree with. For purely sentimental reasons, I might just have sneak one away to save for myself--then I can rest easy as toddler curiousity destroys the rest!

2008-12-10T15:08:00.004-05:00

I've finally started in on some handmade Christmas presents for the girls. As they spent a good part of the summer pretending to fish (using my bamboo garden poles and some jute) I thought some fish and a fishing pole might be enjoyed.

I've been drawing some fish on muslin, stacking some batting inbetween the front and back and machine stitching around the edges. The plan is to place a washer inside the fish and then have a magnet lure to catch the fish with. So far...I think it will work. I'm keeping the batting pretty thin and the fish pretty light weight so they should be "catchable."

And I'm pretty sure the girls are guaranteed to like them. They've already run off with the clownfish prototypes and are requesting more. Phew!

2008-12-08T18:43:00.002-05:00

Paint, markers, paper, glue, popsicle sticks, and a little help from Mommy....

...meant that Pookie now had a gift to give to Daddy for Christmas.

(That's a lion in case you were wondering.)

She's very excited about her gift. So excited...I'm worried that present might have to be unwrapped before Christmas.

2008-12-05T14:26:00.002-05:00

Want the bowl.

Got the bowl.

Dropped the bowl.

The End

2008-12-04T15:35:00.004-05:00

And the whoopie pies were a success! I finished them just in time for the party--frosting the last one ten minutes before walking out the door. My favorite part about getting to take a dessert to a party...

...finally getting a chance to use this vintage platter.

Other tasty pleasures...

...these chocolate filled advent calendars. This year we have two identical calendars. No arguing over who's is who's and no more splitting tiny chocolates in half. Now if only there were some way to solve the "only one chocolate per day" disagreement we keep having...

2008-12-02T14:37:00.003-05:00

Successfully found and decorated a Christmas tree. The girls' Christmas excitement has now nearly doubled.

Had quite a bit less success with sugar cookies.

The good, the bad, and the ugly. Crunchy, but still an exciting (and, at least as concerns the unburnt ones, tasty) experience for the girls.

Maybe we'll have more success if we try "Christmas" whoopie pies instead.

2008-11-26T17:26:00.003-05:00

We're spending Thanksgiving with family, so I'm only responsible for contributing a few pies to the celebration. I'm attempting the new take on old classics courtesy of Martha Stewart. I'm having some doubts about the chocolate-pumpkin pie, but the apple-raspberry pie is looking pretty good...

and pretty enticing...

Best to keep these pies up and out of reach until tomorrow I guess.

2008-11-21T14:01:00.003-05:00

I'm working on some ornaments for the tree that are kid friendly (i.e. unbreakable/shatterproof.) After playing with pom poms for a bit I've come up with this little fellow...

...who appears capable of surviving toddler curiousity. I think he needs a little ice block/sled /skis/something to stand on. I'm still workingon that part.

Some popsicle stick snowflakes (which the girls can help with) will be next I think.

2008-11-20T16:10:00.002-05:00

Working on a Christmas-y blanket for the couch which, I am ashamed to admit, I last blogged about two years ago. Yes, yet another unfinished project which will finally be finished.

It's made of a nice soft flannel--perfect for snuggling and cuddling under while sipping some hot chocolate (with whipped cream of course.)

And now I can almost cross one item off my Christmas "to do" list.

2008-11-14T14:45:00.004-05:00

At long last here is the fall coat that I started for Pookie (yes, started 3 years ago) and finally finished in time for Little Peach.

The jacket is from Butterick 4009 and the bonnet is from Simplicity 2900. I made it from a blue flannel, so it's nice and soft and perfect for days when only a light jacket is needed. Luckily we've had a lot of those days this year, so Little Peach has gotten a lot of use out of it.

I love the bonnet and as it was incredibly fast and easy to put together, I think I'll have to make Little Peach some more. That is, of course, if I can find the free time to do so...