back..from outer space...

I just walked in to find you here with that sad look upon your face....

Miss me??? Ugh, I stink. Not literally (wait..*checking* ...no, not literally) but yes, I'm aware of my stinkage. And I'm sorry.
On to better things? I suppose I should use this post as a big-giant-conglomerated-hodge-podge of catch-up. Try to keep up ;)
So, our two and a half year old is now wearing big girl panties, sleeping in a big girl bed, and going to big-girl school. Waaaah! Sigh, but really. I'm so proud of this munchkin. Potty training is going well (isn't it interesting how mothers of toddlers assume that EVERYONE is just as interested in their child's bathroom habits as they are??? And I'm no exception.) She still has occasional accidents, but we're doing pretty good. As long as we don't go to her friend Julia's house, which seems to be an accident trigger...hmm, or Leif's....or the beach...sigh. But really, she's doing very well! We use a book each time we go pee-pee, and Kenz has learned to "read" it along with me. A video:

Pretty cute, huh?
A few nights ago, she began informing us that her toddler bed was too small- "I too big for this bed. I need big-girl bed!" I'm not sure where she got this from, but she succeeded in coercing convincing us to make the new-bed purchase. We actually got her a bunk bed, but we've only put together the bottom bunk for now. She really likes it, and we think she just looks so cute and little when laying on it. The quilt is her big-girl quilt that I started back when I had free-time. It's VERY undone, but you won't tell, right? ;) (And really, a finished quilt? How Un-doMESStic..)

Storytime... Daddy does the best voices....

Btw, yes, she's half nekkid. We do live in Hawaii, afterall...
Her new preschool meets once a week and is a co-op, meaning all the parents take turns being there/teaching. For us, it's a bit of a prep for the real deal when she's 4. Preschool here in Hi is UNGODLY expensive, and we are sooo thankful to have found a group of ladies with similar mindsets and drive to make this happen. Kenz is retaining information from class, too, which is so exciting for us. For instance, when she sees letters, she'll say, "that the letter O" or "that Q Mama!!". Buuut, when she sees "B" she states, "I learned B in school! Julia's mama told me..."
She also keeps mentioning that she fell in school and hurt herself...not sure what that's all about, but she seems to have survived it??? Anyway, here is the obligatory "first day of" pic....

BTW, no, I did not cry, because I was in fact teaching that first day. Kinda anti-climatic, actually. Sadly, she doesn't remember much of what we learned when I was in charge....

And now it's time for the cute and random Mackenzie "story"...drum roll please....
Kenzi is a bit of a whiner. When I say a bit, I really mean she's got more wine than Robert Mondavi, but we're attempting this new "power of positivity" BS mindset, so we'll stick with "a bit." We try many many things to try to get her to speak without crying/whining, and Hubby's new thing is to tell her a bee will sting her if she's got her whiney-voice on. (Yaya, we're evil, abusive parents. We know. Moving on.) When she starts up, we bzzzzzzzz and it's actually quite funny and remarkably effective. So, just the two of us were in the car the other day, and Kenz starting whining, but caught herself.
She said, "Oh, I not crying. No bee, you no get me!"
Me: "That's right, honey. 'Cuz you don't want a bee to sting you."
She: "No Mommy. That's what Daddy says. You can't say a bee will get me, only Daddy says that." (This admonishment actually went on much longer, but I'll spare you the full transcript.)
Well.
Poll on what my anti-whining tactic should now be, as I'm NOT ALLOWED to use my husband's?

Speaking of my husband, he's also well. He has yet another position with his work, and with it another schedule change. But, it works out fairly well, and if I keep the girl up a little late "accidentally" then I can continue to weasel my way out of bedtime-responsibilities. Go me! I think he may be getting a bit bored with his current lifestyle though- he keeps picking up these new hobbies that don't seem too "long-and-injury-free-life" conducive. Nothing too dangerous, but stuff that makes me briefly envision full-body casts. Be careful stud-muffin!

Ps- I love all the girls in the left side of this photo. They have these expressions on their faces, like "OMG, I TOTALLY can't believe he just did that!"

We haven't been surfing as much, and I think it's bringing him down. But for my birthday, we were able to go out together, as a friend watched Mackenzie for a few hours for us. (Thanks Dawn!!)
And, so, on to me. I've been quite busy with sewing lately. Or, maybe I mean, even busier. There's a craft fair (really a mini-craft fair) coming up soon that I've, in a moment of insanity, agreed to be part of. I've been making tutus and obi belts and gift bags and headbands and appliqued shirts and ribbon wands, and and and and..... It's been 'fun', but it's hard to put so much work into something to sell. A gift- you know who it's going to, and you know it will be appreciated. But "goods"- you're always worried about whether it will sell and price-points and streamlining the process in order to make that two-dollars-an-hour hopefully turn into three or four ;) Ha, sorry for the tangent... I have "created" an etsy site to help find a home for anything that doesn't sell. Vitruvian.etsy.com Right now, it's just a banner, but hey, I made that myself and it's kinda pretty, no? But check back in a few days and I'll have some stuff up. Hopefully.
Just kinda hoping to find a way to support this growing habit of mine.
No, not that, I kicked that yeaaaars ago ;) Fabric-retail-therapy, duh!
My next post will likely be a show-and-tell of new projects. And from there we should be back in business with no more excessive boring catch-up posts. Hip hip and all that...
Oh, yea, for those of you that don't get the email, or aren't on my facebook (do such people exist??) I've also updated flickr. Now's your chance to over-indulge in MacKenzie cuteness... Kenzie's flickr page
See ya! (or write atcha, I suppose....)

Pleeeeegh...There, I did it.

See, honey. I posted. So there. Get off my tookas.



Ps.- Mwah.

wascally wabbit

Why won't my daughter sleep?!!?!?! And how many times is too many to put her back in bed? Little stinker.... And her silly little face is just Too Cute when she gets caught- I have to really train myself not to giggle.

Happy Mother's Day!

Hello all you mommies out there- happy You day! Today is definitely a "me" day, and it has been delightful. I slept in until 11:30- yup, no typo- 11:30!!! The plan was to have a beach day but it was a bit murky out this morning, and I was feeling lazy. I really have benefited from the sleep, too, I feel like a whole new person. During my rest, my main man took DD out to pick up mimosa supplies, so I had booze with my coffee and breakfast sandwiches- lol, it was just very nice. And right now, I'm sitting here, wearing my mommy crown (thanks mom!) listening to The Decemberists- my ALL TIME fave music (that DH downloaded onto HIS ipod so I could listen to it- remember, my computer is no longer with us.) I'm lovin' life. To all you hubbys out there- this is What To Do for her on special days. A nice drink, a nice breakfast, and a free slot of time to do whatever and listen to her favorite music. Siiiiiggghhhhh.
So this post is really not about me, however, but my own mama. My mother is a remarkable woman- warm and funny, and super creative with little things that bring a smile to your face. She's been an excellent role model for me in my own parenting- everytime I cast societies' disapproval aside to dance and sing like a crazy person in the middle of the Target checkout, I know I am channeling my Mom. That's who she is. A crazy person who could give a darn- if it makes her kids happy. Thanks for my childhood, mom. I was/am very lucky.
This is a show-and-tell for her benefit. I've been working on a quilted wall-hanging for her for Mother's day for awhile now, and it's been almost done for awhile now, as well. Except somehow, probably in our move, I've lost the walking foot to my machine, so I haven't been able to quilt it. I had ordered a new one weeks ago, which still hasn't arrived. Boo. So, here it is mom- mostly done, just waiting for the silly part to come:
I've been really excited about this. I designed it myself- which is nothing special as it's just squares- but it's a crossword puzzle (my mom loves puzzles) to which there are real answers- all "mother" related. I'll send the clues along with the quilt. The purple/dark square fabric is all my grandmother's fabric- my mom's mom, and the light fabric is all mine. And the word "mother" is hand-sewn. That's right kids- like, with a needle and thread! I'm proud of this quilt, and of the collection of special components to it, and I hope she'll love it. 'Cuz I love her. Sniffle.

Busy Busy Bee...

I have so many things to write about- but there is an imaginary ticking clock VERY LOUDLY counting down the seconds left in my sweet daughter's naptime- and well, I have a lot to do in this precious window. I wanted to take a moment to share some new projects with you guys, though, because, well, I'm super excited at how they turned out. It's nice to put out a little self-love every now and then, eh?
As many of you may know, I couldn't sew before Kenz was born. I had a machine- a very basic Brother- and I attempted a few projects. (I recall a pair of pajama pants in which the recipient couldn't fit his hand into the pocket). But it wasn't really my thing. And then I inherited the mother-of-all fabric collections from my grandmother, and I thought, well, now I HAVE to learn how. Luckily (?), Hubby was going to be on a rather extended trip, so I packed up the new baby (awwww) and we went down to Miami, where my MIL taught me to sew a quilt. And it's been all downhill from there ;) But until recently (very recently) I've stuck to quilts- I love the process of picking out fabrics, and the end result, but mostly I love that it is two peices of fabric sewn together in a straight line. Over and over and over again. Very much in my comfort zone.
Well, I have officially broken out of my comfort zone! I saw this tutorial: Spring Sewing ~ Spring Ruffle Top Tutorial and I had to have this top. I also had this perfect fabric. I had made a quilt with it, and had some left over to do something with, but never knew quite what, until I saw this. Kismet. Anywho, I know it's very- uh, different- but it's soo me, and it is my new favorite top that I own. Yay!!! Also, it was fun to make, so if anyone wants one (very roomy in the belly area too...) let me know and we'll chat.

Additionally, I tailored my first piece of clothing, and it turned out beautifully. I wish I had a before picture of this, but, well, I don't. I found this at the thrift store, and originally got it just for the fabric- I thought I'd cut it up and make it into- dunno, something. But then I tried it on, and the fabric felt like- well, how I imagine Edward My Dear Hubby would touch me when he was singing me to sleep. ;) It's so tissue thin and soft and divine. However, it hung like a sack. It was originally sleeveless, with the line from the shoulder going straight down to the waist- no curve- and the arm holes were about three times wider than they needed to me. So I simply pinned it where I thought it looked nice, added a cap sleeve, and cut! I wasn't too nervous, because it wasn't ever meant to be intact anyway. But somehow, it worked, and now it may be my second-favorite shirt. Oooh, I love new clothes!!

And, finally, something for my niece Hayden. Her first birthday is coming up, so I wanted to make her something hip but girly to wear. This is based off a Hawaiian skirt called a Pa'u, used for Hula. I made it longer than what would be right for a one-year old, because I wanted her to be able to wear it for a longer time. There are detachable straps for wearing it as a dress, but I don't have any of the snaps to put it on yet- but it's the same polka-dot fabric as the trim. As for the girly-glittery skull print- well, that's all Hayden's mama. She's punk-rock like that. I hope she likes it- I know Kenz loves modeling it- I'll have to make her one now.

Now I'm off to do some comfort-zone sewing. I have all the pieces for my BIG DEAL quilt project cut. AHHHH!!!

Late May Day, Forgetfulness, and Aprons.

Sheesh. I think the planets are aligned against me being a frequent and timely blogger. I swear, I start these things every day, but there's always something 'conspiring' against me, pulling me away to do more important work (reading..sewing...taking care of my pack of wild monkeys child). I will say, though, that my one (quite distracting) vice is now no more, as I've finished the Twilight series. Although I hate to end a good series, I have to say I'm a bit thankful- as I wasn't getting anything done. Now I can focus again.
We are now into the lovely (and scorching hot) month of May. I hope everyone on the Mainland is having fun with the weather, and appreciating the blooms popping up around you. we don't have many new blooms- as everything is in pretty much constant bloom here, but I did notice that some of the herbs have gotten flowers. Typically you should pinch the flowers off herbs, and I did... after snapping a few pics. It's a shame to pull them off, as they are so delicate and sweet, but if it's between flowers and food- well, I think you guys know where I stand on food.
Our May Day was spent at Home Depot, picking out new flowers for our window boxes. I'm so thankful that Hubby loves going garden-shopping as much as (if not more than!) I do- we could spend hours in the flower aisles. We came away with some happy garden mums- I'm not sure why, but I always disliked the mums back home- they came out in force around Thanksgiving- in burnt orange hues- maybe just because they graced every single Maryland front porch, I was snobby about them. But these yellow and purple ones spoke to me, and I'm loving what they add to our front porch. I also think these would make lovely wedding centerpieces....hint hint to someone getting married soon. Always looking out for you.

In addition to replanting my boxes, Hubby did all of the grass-related yard work. I haven't been feeling fabulous lately (have you ever sucked on a mouthful of pennies? yea..uh....neither have I. But, HAD I experienced something as totally weird and gross as that, I could imagine the flavor being similar to the taste in my mouth almost constantly. Ugh.) Usually yard work is my 'chore', which I actually like, as it gets me outside and in the sun. But, what with my icky tummy, it's been- well, neglected. So DH went out and did it all- edging, weeding, planting, and brick laying included. Woohoo, I'm lucky. ;)

I went to make him a Thank-You treat. We had gone to Costco and were woo-ed by the some ungodly pounds of strawberries. I thought, hmm, strawberry muffins? I had some bran, so planned on an oat-bran muffin, assembled all my ingredients, and got to work. Except...uh, no eggs. Sigh. I looked online for an egg-less muffin, found one, and got to work. Except...uh, no actual flour. Jeez. So I just looked in the pantry to see what I DID have. EEEK, not much. I had some silken-tofu, so I thought- strawberry cheesecake, but alas, no ingredients for crust. Turns out the ONLY THING I could make was a smoothie. Poor DH. This is sooo un Mary Jane. However, I do, at least, make a darn good smoothie:

about half a cup of peanut butter
roughly half a box of silken tofu
a few handfuls of sliced strawberries
a pour of soy milk
a pour of juice- I used apple
a scoop or two of flax meal
a dollop of honey

As you can tell, this is a very precise recipe. It sure is yummy, though. (As just an aside, I did run out to get eggs that evening- so he has muffins waiting for him when he came home. Stud-muffins. Har har.)

To compliment my mad kitchen skizzeels, I've been sewing/planning to sew some aprons lately. These two were made as gifts:

I didn't have a pattern to use, and just kinda winged it, but I think they turned out pretty well. I quilted one:
...and added ruffles to the other.

It was my first time doing ruffles, and well, I've practiced a lot since I finished this one. Oh well. Now I know.

And I found these beauties (cloth napkins) while thrift shopping: I went looking for pillowcases, which is just never really a fruitful hunt here. But these are fun, and about fifty cents each- I think they'll make adorable little aprons.

I especially like this one: It's so hideously 80's. I'm not going to keep it, so if anyone loves it as much as me, lemme know and it's yours.


We've also begun a Very Big Project here in our house. I wanna keep it secret until completed for the WOW factor...but here's a hint:
The person who guesses the room involved correctly first gets a homemade change/makeup/small-loose-items bag. I believe the blog is now set up so that anyone can comment (no account required) so don't be shy people!

Ain't too proud to beg.

Ok, guys, just a quickie. I was hoping for a favor?! I've been really interested/slightly obsessed with pillowcase dresses/tunics (typically for little girls) lately. They are super easy to make, and really fun to customize. Thing is, they are supposed to be made out of old pillowcases- the more vintage in feel, the better. We live on a little island in the middle of nowhere and commodities such as neato vintage pillowcases are a tad scarce. In fact, they don't even need to be authentically 'old', just something different than the standard unadorned white case. So, if anyone was cleaning out the linen closet or making a trip over to goodwill (and happened to come across the bedding aisle) and found a neato pillowcase that they wanted to, ahem, donate, ahem, to...uh...,me, that would be soooo cooool. Any fabric design would be awesome, and I'd even send it back to you if you wanted- I just have fun making them. These also make really cute maternity tops...hint hint hint.
So I'll post something real a bit later- I just wanted to beg while the courage was fresh. Email me if interested in helpin' a sister out. ;) Love you guys!