Baby Got a Buzzcut

My husband has been saying for months that our little boy needs a buzz. I agreed that he needed a haircut, but I thought shearing his sweet little head was going a bit far. Some baby boys can pull of the full-head-of-hair look. I think it's cute when little boys have long-er-ish hair. I know lots of little dudes who pull it off quite well. Not ours. It waaseither sticking up or falling in his eyes. It was light and fluffy and uneven and he had a big bulk of curl in the back which was beginning to resemble a rat tail. The picture below doesn't do justice.

 

 

He woke up Saturday morning, with his bangs plastered to his forehead by snot (sorry) and I decided it was time. I asked my husband how long the longest setting on our clipper was, and within 60 seconds the little guy was naked and sitting on the bathroom counter with a pile of fishy crackers in front of him (the baby, not the husband!).

I cried the whole time. Like sobbed. I've always thought it was weird when mothers refused to give their babies haircuts, but I will judge no longer. I get it. I was starting to see how different he was going to look, and I was afraid he would look weird, or bald, or creepy.

I was wrong. He's still adorable. Even cuter. We're all even more obesessed with him.

And he likes it when we scratch his head with our fingertips.

In No Particular Order...

Family. Friends. Love.
Marriage. Motherhood.
Employment. Healthcare. Security.
Our warm home. 3 beds. Full bellies.
Baby toes. Freckles. Bearded kisses.
Giggles. Tears. Breath. Heartbeats.
Past experiences. This very moment. Future possibilities.
Coffee. Pizza. Clean water.
Peaceful moments. Stressful moments. Quiet. Noise.
Kitchen dance parties.
Shearling boots. Scarves. Onesies.
Faith. Wonder. Hope.
Healthy bodies. Strong minds.
School busses. Music. Online shopping.
America. Military. Freedom.
Girl power. Cheerios.
Dishwashers. DVR. Books on tape.
Target.
Pie. Peanut Butter. Pinterest.
Yarn.
Perspective.
Not too much. More than enough.

It's a good thing our family doesn't go around the table on Thanksgiving and say what we're thankful for. I'd still be sitting there, and my turkey would be cold.
I can't pick just one. It all adds up. The good, the annoying, the exciting, and boring... it all adds up to our life that is not perfect, but it's just right. I hope you feel the same about yours.
xoxo

Glory Glory Hallelujah

 

 

I've had moments when I feel a little embarrassed of this country and the things we do here. It happened at the MN State Fair when I saw the line for people buying chocolate covered bacon. It happened when I finally found out who Honey BooBoo is. It happens just about every time I go to Walmart. Really, America? Is this who we are?

But TODAY! Today is a day I am filled with pride for this nation. I'm bursting with gratitude for the women who faught for my rights. I'm humming patriotic songs, and I'm breaking out in stars and stripes. I love Election Day.

 

 

Fab Foto Friday: Almost Audrey.

{image cred}

(...um it's a whole flickr photostream on the topic of vintage knitting. Love.)

Out of respect for the lovely, sweet, and patient customers I have waiting for their orders I have not been blogging. I have been knitting. And this is almost exactly what I look like while I do it... wearing my straw hat and pashmina, sitting in a directors chair in the desert.

Almost.



You Just Don't Know

There is a little boy in my daughter's grade whose mom passed away last week. I don't know him, I don't know the family, but there hasn't been an hour that I haven't thought about him.

{fine art print by RenataandJonathan on Etsy}

I keep thinking about the moments when he is at school and he suddenly remembers that his mom won't be at home when he gets off the bus. Or when he wakes up in the morning and realizes that it wasn't just a bad dream. I keep finding myself looking up at the sky and praying that he has someone to tuck him in at night. Someone who is going to do all they can to help him grow up. 

You just don't know what else to do for a little boy who has lost his mom.

You just don't know who you will have to say goodbye to sooner than you'd planned.

You just don't know how important all of those little things that you do as a mom are.

You just don't know when your babies will lose you. 

You just don't know what their last memory of you will be.

Jeez Louise, go kiss your babies.



Confessions: I'm That Lady

I'm that lady driving 70 (in a 65, oooh) down the highway with something sticking out of the bottom of my car door. It's just part of my maxi skirt. And when it's winter it will be the end of my scarf. True story. Multiple occasions. Happy Monday!

Sunday Signage: Always Remember

{image cred}

Fab Foto Friday: Tell Your Friend(s)

Did'ja hear? 

Several shops on Etsy are now able to accept credit cards and Sweet Baby Dolly is one of them! You no longer have to be redirected to PayPal upon placing your order if the seller you are buying from is participating. Let's put on our polka dots and dance.

Yee hoo!

 

Give her some space.
Let her decide.
Let her do it alone.
Keep that opinion to yourself.
Sing along to her kind of music.
These are things I'm constantly repeating to myself in my head.
Just when I thought I was getting the hang of this parenting thing, we've entered a new phase. Actually we entered it about a year ago, but I'm just catching on.

My favorite girl in the entire world turned 7 today.
 I will not bore you with the "where did the time go?" or the "it seems like just yesterday..." because you know what I'm talking about. Her birthdays have always been exciting for me, but I'm finding this one tricky. I wouldn't say I'm sad, it just feels different.
Maybe it's her increased independence? Not because I'm sad that she doesn't need me to do things for her. More because it seems like she's becoming a real person. An actual human who moves through the world in her own way based on who she is, and what her surroundings/family/teachers/peers have taught her. She's just so capable of so much. She is her own little person with her own little  BIG ideas.

Everyday I try to focus on being the person she needs me to be, and not trying to make her the person I want her to be. I want her to be her.

Sunday Signage: feeling blessed

{image credit}

Fab Foto Friday: Mobile Baby

Another cute vintage photo! This one is my mom (I think?).

We've had our own little baby on the move for the past week. Which means that while I type this I've got one eye on the computer screen and one eye on the baby heading straight for the lamp cord. NO!

So,  if you have any infinitely tiny specimens on your floor I will send my baby over, and he will pick them up for you. And put them in his mouth.

Happy Friday!

 

I QUIT! ...wait, no I don't!

Hello Friends,
Just thought you should know that two days ago I decided to hang up my needles. I told myself that I just wasn't going to be able to manage, to balance (as mentioned before), to be and do everything. Fall is coming up, it's a super busy time for Sweet Baby Dolly on Etsy, and I had no idea how I was going to swing it with our new little love bundle of a man baby (now crawling!) around the house.

So I put away my needles. I emptied my yarn basket. And I cried. And I cleaned the house for an entire day. And I made an apple pie. All of this of course, in between playing and taking care of the children folk. My husband and daughter both tried to persuade me not to quit, but I just said NO.

What was I THINKING? Clearly I wasn't thinking. I can't QUIT! Yes, it's hard, but is that who I want to be? Is that what I want to teach my babies? That when it gets hard you just quit!? NO.

Plus I'm obsessed with it. For the horrifying 28 hours that I decided I wasn't doing it anymore, I felt like I didn't even know who I was. I love knitting, designing, selling, my customers, my computer, my needles, my YARN! I need to have a part of my life that exists beyond the domestic (call me a bad mother/wife, I dare you).

So my dear Friends, I'm back in biz. My shop is open and ready to go. A few changes, a few new designs, and million more to come. I'm just going to have to take it a bit easier this fall, not take so many orders, stay up a little later, and get up a little earlier. I can handle it. I think.

Here's a peek of a few new little cuties...

... more to come, I promise!



This Old House

I love old houses. Pictures of homes, old neighborhoods, farmhouses... I sit and stare at them and think about how the day the last board was set, the pride the owner must have had, and the people who inhabited them. Not a day goes by that I don't feel the soul of this old house we're living in. I've spent a little too much time thinking about the lives that have lived here and what went on in these rooms.

The day before we were leaving for our big family vacation, the house was a disaster and I was running around, trying get things organized for the trip. I heard the dog bark and I saw a man walking through the yard. 
Aw great, somebody's here.
There's a tight County Commissioner campaign going on here, and I assumed it was a politician asking for our vote. I was a total mess with a baby on my hip and okay fine, I wasn't wearing a bra. I asked my husband to deal with the matter, so he stepped outside to talk to the fella.
He was out there for a while, and I noticed two other women, and then I saw them taking pictures. I thought maybe they were with the historical society or something and decided to put on a bra and head out there.
Too late. My husband came in the house. Expressionless, he said "Oh, it was some lady... her Great Grandfather built the place."
WHA? I was silent. I just looked at him, hoping he was joking.
"She's from Belgium. She has a pillow that her Grandma made with a picture of the house on it."
Oh my GAD, are you SERIOUS?
He was serious.
Well did they want to come in? Has she been here before? Did she speak English? Did she tell you about her grandparents? How long is she in town? Who was she with? Did she show you the pillow? WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?
I ran out to snag them before they left, but they were already gone. 
And then I think I actually felt a tiny piece of my heart crumble.
The moral of this story is: When you get up in the morning put on a bra, tidy up, and answer the door when someone drops by. Usually when a stranger comes a knockin' they're kind of a pest, asking me to buy something, or vote for them, or fix their car. I never would have imagined I'd miss out on such an extraordinary visitor.
And to the poor Belgian woman whose ancestors built the Gustave Lanz house in Scott County MN: I'm so sorry you traveled across the world and paid a visit to a monument of your family's history and weren't invited in. Feel free to contact me via this blog or my Etsy shop. I would love to chat with you!

Roadtrip Review

Aaaaand, we're back!

Our summer vacay was anything but relaxing.
We took a road trip, yes as in driving with a baby and a child, to Spokane, WA to see my fam. There were aunties, uncles, cousins, and baby cousins. We ate, laughed, swam, shook dice, went on roller coasters, and whacked a pinata. We saw mountains, lakes, fields, monuments, and wildlife. Uh, yeah, we made some serious family memories.

And I learned some lessons... here are my top ten:
1. Your baby will not sleep well in a pack 'n play. He will not want to nap, he will go down with a fight and he will wake up in the middle of the night every night. Yawn.
2. Stay at the cheap motel on the first leg of your trip, and the nice hotel on the way home. It's the "best for last" philosophy that I will be sure to follow next time.
3. You will return chubby. No biggie. But I'm glad we don't have Taco Time and/or Sonic anywhere near my home.
4. Not everyone who brings their child into a truck stop at 2 a.m. and buys a Mt. Dew and an apple fritter is a drug addict. The Mt. Dew was for my husband, not my child just to clarify, thank you.
5. Over-pack. Sophie and I both brought 4 pairs of shoes each, and we both ended up wearing rubber flip flops the entire time. But just knowing those extra shoes were there was worth it. Fo sho.
6.  If given the choice between a national chain or mom and pop ice cream shop, go with mom and pop. You will be handsomely rewarded.
7. STOP! Get out and breathe, stretch, shop for horrible souvenirs, take pictures in front of over sized statues. It makes the next stretch of driving so much more tolerable.
8. Send post cards. Friends/family back home get a kick out of it.
9. Our children were made for life on the road. Very few peeps out of the back seat.
10. It's hard to have to leave to go home, but it's even harder when you have to say goodbye to people you love. Awww. Sweet.

If you need me I'll be doing laundry.
xoxo

A Midsummer Break

Shhhh.
It's so quiet. In the house, in my brain, and in my Etsy shop.
I decided I better take a little break for the summer, so Sweet Baby Dolly is in vacation mode, not listing any items, and not taking any orders (I'll reopen mid-August).
With my Sweet Girl home from school for the summer, and the addition of Mr. Baby I was finding it, um, difficult to balance. If I'm working I feel like I should be playing, and if I'm playing I feel like I should be working. Even as I write this (both sweeties are sleeping) I feel like I should be folding laundry, or creating a pattern, or maybe try putting on some deodorant. If you are a MOM (or DAD!), and you stay at home, work from home, or work outside the home, you know what I'm talking about. Your list is never ending, you struggle with staying present, you sacrifice yourself, it's so hard to find that balance.

Mae Gordon's Original Balancing Cyclists by curiousprints on Etsy

A few minutes ago, I came across A Cup of Jo's series on that very topic... balance. The series features outrageously successful and brilliant women and how they (try to) make it work. It's nice to know we're not alone, and if they can do it, we can too!

Little Geeks on the Prairie

Last weekend we decided to get our Laura Ingalls Wilder on. The birthplace of the pioneer turned author is in Pepin, Wisconsin. It's about an hour and a half from where we live. Ok, two hours if my husband is driving. He likes to take the scenic route.

Hold your horses, that's not actually where she was born. It's a reproduction built about 40 years ago on or near the land that was owned by Charles Ingalls, aka Pa. We all decided we wanted to live there. The inside featured 3 rooms, a loft, and a fireplace. Pimp it out with some plumbing and electrical and I'm pretty sure we'd manage. What? You don't think we could do it? It was fun to think about.

Sophie was in Heaven and did not want to leave. When she started begging us to buy her a bonnet at the gift shop in town we decided we better scram. And looky what we found on the scenic route home... an intersection with my initials!

Next on our Tour de Prairie: the banks of Plum Creek in Walnut Grove. YES!







Chop-Chop

How's your hair? Mine is driving me ca-razy. Like bushy-fro-homeless person-jungle woman crazy. I have what you call volume. I have a hair surplus. I'm Hyper-follicular.

 It's time for a haircut which means it's time once again for me to attempt to pretend I'm remotely close to thinking about maybe chopping it all off.

Yeah, pretty sure I'm not going to, but that doesn't stop me from Googling images...

Someday I might just start to think about possibly doing it. Maybe.

Sweet Native Girl

My sweet Soph is obsessed with Native American history. I know. She's six. It all started at our favorite county park where she read a monument which said that the land was formerly hunted by a native tribe. She wanted to know more, so we Googled. Images and stories that we found naturally led to a fear of these feather wearing, buffalo hunting historical figures. But the more she learned,  more her fear turned into fascination. We just returned home from our first summer vacay trip to the library with a stack of books about... mmm hmmm. So here's a little treasury I put together of the sweetest of the sweet little native inspired finds.

1.oneeyeddog  2. Babyccino 3. Gingermelon 4. pretty little things 5. RiverLuna 6. FletcherandFox

Fab Foto Friday: Nap time

I need a nap, how about you?

Confessions: I'm that lady

I'm that lady you saw at Target picking up the trail of grocery store coupons that I dropped all over the store. When I noticed they were gone, I'm not kidding you, I almost started to cry. My whole grocery list and meal plan revolved around those suckers (YES; once in a while I have my act together).  So I retraced my steps and found one, and another, and another...
I'm the same lady that finally got to the grocery store, completed her list, arrived at the checkout and realized she had lost them all again. Thankfully the sweetheart cashier punched in the codes for me.
Perhaps a paper clip attached to my shopping list is not the most effective way to tote my 'pons.

photo from couponing101.com article: How to Organize Coupons

I guess I've got aome reading to do?



Fab Foto Friday: Camptown Ladies

Ahh nature. Sweet-majestic-hot-humid-buggy-dirty-nature.

I'm headed out earrrrrrly this morning to go camping with Sophie's Girl Scout troop. Two days, one night, about an hour away, and I've packed enough for us both to survive in the Swiss Alps for a week. My husband told me all we need to pack is an extra pair of underwear. He's so right.

Now WHAT am I forgetting?

Pinspired: WE ROCK

...And summer has begun! My Little Lady is home for the summer, and I'm presented with the challenge of feeling like a good mum and providing a wee bit of fun every day. I saw this on Pinterest and thought we better give it a go:

  original source: muchas piedras on Flickr                                                                   

Ahhh! So fun, I know! We picked some rocks, we grabbed the paint, we got ourselves situated on the patio, and I realized a few things. One, I was dealing with a six year old. Two, our paint brushes were a much too large to produce such an exquisite level of detail. And three, we were limited to a very small time frame while Mr. Baby Boy took a nap. So we decided we'd just paint designs and free-wheel it. 

                                                                  

Hmmm, not quite the BAM! POW! we were envisioning, but we had a ton of fun. And we were done and cleaned up before Mr. Baby Boy woke up, and just as the sun was starting to pinken (ooh new word!) our cheeks. We know, we ROCK.

Fab Foto Friday: better with age

Happy Birthday to ME!
Oh my dear good heavens, what am I THINKING sharing this picture?

I'm thinking you might get a chuckle out of it. I thinking it's proof that we get better with age.
We all have something we want to go back and tell our young-selves.
What do I want to tell this little girl (what? you thought that was a boy??)?
I want to tell her to kick and scream and throw an absolute tantrum on the day they take her to get her hair cut into that little 80's man mullet. Other than that, she'll be just fine.

Real Country Living

image from oabonny.com                                                  

Just takin' a coffee break, browsing through my Country Living Magazine. It's a total favorite. It's all of my hopes and dreams in the form of a monthly publication.
But I must have missed a couple issues.
I didn't get the issue where they mention that every window of your house will be filled with flies and every corner of every room will contain at least one spider.
I didn't get the issue with the photo shoot of the garden that was ripped to shreds from the 25 mph winds that regularly make their way through those romantic, wide open spaces.
I didn't get the issue with the cover shot of a sweet front porch with that painted wicker furniture and comfy pillows covered in an inch of gravel dust and little tiny gnats floating in the vintage pitcher of lemonade.
I didn't get the issue with the advice column on what to do when crazies stop at your house hoping that you can fill their gas tank, change their tire, or tell them why their car isn't working.
I didn't get the issue with the photo of the blonde farmer whose hair turned orange from the rusty water.
Ah well, I guess that's why they didn't name it Real Country Living.
And what did you say? Real life does not look anything like it does in magazines?
I'll still read it and drool over their gorgeous images of rural perfection.

Big Stack of Thank You

When I started doing this Etsy thing, I had no idea what I was doing. I had no idea how to do it. I had no idea that people would like my work and actually want to purchase it. I had no idea how much positive feedback I would receive, and how gracious my customers would be. Really, I swear I have the best customers. I've received friend requests on Facebook, personal emails, and even a Christmas card! I just want to say THANK YOU, and let you know how much each order means to me.

I spend a ridiculous amount of time on each order making sure it's exactly as it needs to be. When I'm making a hat I'm thinking about the little head that will wear it, and I'm hoping for sweet memories to be made while wearing it. These hats aren't made in a factory. There is no assembly line cranking them out one after another.

They are made by me, specifically for you, one at a time.

So many of you have told me you love what I do, and I just want you to know that I love doing it for you.

Awww, sweet. xoxo

Have you SEEN this show? OMG

I can't even tell you how happy it makes me to see women on TV talkin' some sense for a change. Seriously. Aren't you sick of that Real Housewives business? Kardashian B.S.? And the show where all those women dress up and fight over a man: I can't even bring myself to type the name of it.

I know, it's entertaining, but I think we better think of a better name to call it, because REALITY it is not.

 If you are a female between the ages of 16 and 100, please watch it. It's on tomorrow night.

Our womanhood depends on it.

You know what? If you're a man... you need to watch it too.

Here's the website:

The Conversation with Amanda de Cadenet

I hope you love it as much as I do.

xoxo

Fab Foto Friday: 20 questions

What a sweet looking old lady.

It's my Great Grandma.
I have a million questions for her, but here's the first 20:

1. When were you born?

2. Where were you born?

3. What's your earliest memory?
4. What was your childhood like?
5. What makes you laugh?

6. What do you do for fun?

7. When did you get married?
8. Why did you get married?
9. Where did you get married?
10. What did you love about motherhood?
11. What do you do well?
12. What do you find challenging?
13. Where have you traveled?

14. Where are you standing when this photo was taken?
15. Why was this photo taken?
16. Where'd ya get that dress?
17. What's your most prized possession?
18. Do you know how to knit?
19. What's your proudest moment?

20. What do you want me to tell your Great Great Grandchildren?

Charlie Boy!

We spend each day dancing on the creaky old wood floors.

You love it.

Your head on my shoulder, staring out the window,
wondering what's out there waiting for you.

My right arm is around your tiny little butt, my left hand holds your sweet head.

Your right hand is on my shoulder, and your left hand clenches my shirt.

I peek into the mirror to see if you're sleeping and I notice how small you seem.

One half of me whispers:  oh please stay this way forever.

But the other half of me can't wait to get to know you better and see who you'll become.

This ain't my first rodeo Charlie, I know what's going to happen to you.

You're going to get too big for me to hold like this.

Too boyish.

Too busy.

So I just squeeze every little bit of baby sweetness out of you, and

I hope that even when you're a great big boy,

 you'll still love dancing with your Momma.

smooooooch.

From My Own Backyard

YES! Today marks the beginning of the season of eating things from my own backyard.

If you haven't done it, it's a sweet delight that gives you a feeling that you are a little bit more special than the rest of the population. If you have done it, then you've made that walk from your garden to your kitchen with your arms full and your smile wide.

It's RHUBARB time. Yeah, I know, it's not hard to grow. It still makes me feel special.

Honestly, it makes me squeal with delight. So good and bright and tart. Pucker!

Fave recipe is from Serena of Farm Chicks. Super simple, easy, and delish...

even if the rhubarb didn't come from your backyard. Wink.

Inspired!

I am like a big huge color freak. I'm obsessed with color and crazy combinations. I love it when a cluster of strange colors are grouped together and they end up working themselves into beautiful magical loveliness. Sometimes people feel the need to dance, or write, or cook in order to express themselves creatively. I feel the need to group colors together. Is that weird?

I'm constantly inspired, by everything. I mean everything. Sometimes strange things. I might tell you about that later, but I just wanted to give you an example of a recent item that struck my fancy. It attached itself to my brain and would not let go until I turned it into a baby hat.

I know! I wish I could direct you to its origin. I saw it on Pinterest (if you are not yet on Pinterest, please leave this page immediately and sign up. I'll see you in 3 days.) The link was disabled, so I have no idea where it came from or who is responsible for this lovely creation. I just couldn't get it out of my mind, so I turned it into a hat.

And then I felt better.

It's available here.

Customers that love my shop tell me they appreciate my use of color.

 But lean in close, because I'm about to whisper...

I'm really just a big copycat. Shhhh.

 I see something, I love it, and I turn it into a baby hat. Copycat is a little harsh, though. 

I prefer the term inspired, thank you very much.

Where the Magic Happens: Part II

Well, since I impressed you so much with the post about my state of the art, in house photography studio, I thought I'd really knock your socks off by sharing a behind the scenes peek at Sweet Baby Dolly Worldwide HQ...

Yes, it's in a closet.

You see that wire basket on top of the printer? That's my International Shipping Center.

And behind that door is my Supply Warehouse (ok, it's a bookcase filled with yarn).

My grandpa made the desk 25 years ago, and I got the chair at a thrift store.

It's located in the center of the main floor of this 140 year old house. FYI, houses were not equipped with home offices in the 1800's.

Baby sleeping in the room to my right.

Husband watching some Pawn/Storage/Extreme Food Eating show in the room to my left.

Daughter dancing/prancing back and forth behind me.

I'm usually able to type one complete sentence without being interrupted.

Oh yeah, I know, I am serious business.

Confessions: I'm that Lady...

On Friday night my husbee took our daughter to a little rodeo they have in our town every year. I put Sir Charlie to bed and ordered one of my fave little pizzas: Chicken Delight= chicken, tomato, pineapple, onions, extra cheese, oregano, and dreamy creamy sauce. I ordered a Large, Marge yes I did.

I'm that lady who snatched that large pizza out of the delivery man's hand, closed the door, and yelled:

"PIZZA'S HERE!" even though nobody was home. At the moment it was important to me that he not think I was planning to eat the whole large pizza by myself. I now realize how ridiculous this is which is why I'm confessing.

FYI* I didn't eat the whole thing (because now I care that you think I did?). I plowed through about half of it when the Easter basket caught my eye, and I decided to dive into that for a bit.  Pre-menstrual much?  

Fab Foto Friday: The Hardest Part is Getting Started!

I love this picture.

I see sawdust on the floor, fresh cuts of lumber,

a flourescent light fixture (I didn't know they had those "back then"),

and an awesome vintage fan (want it).

I see a skinny guy with big ears who must have had some serious skills, passion, creativity and personality. He would eventually become a successful cabinet maker, father of 5, master landscaper, skilled photographer, and my grandpa. He always told us that the hardest part is getting started.

When I look at this picture I can imagine the guts it took to get started, and how much these men believed in what they were doing.

Every minute of every day is a chance to get started on Potential Greatness. Potential Success and Ultimate Happiness.

Isn't that exciting?

The Universe Speaks to You in Whispers

Oh Oprah, how much do I miss you?

"THISSS MUCH?" Oprah asked.

No Lady O, WAY more than that.

I've loved her and watched her and listened to her since I was a child. I'm pretty sure I have a file in my brain in which I store all of the information I've learned from her.

I'm okay with it if you hate her. I will still love her.

Anywho, my point: One of her big mantras is the idea that the universe (or God, or whatever you prefer) speaks to you. At first it whispers. And if you don't hear the whispers it will throw a little pebble. If you don't notice the pebble you get a big ol' rock... you get where I'm going with this, I know you do, you're very bright. The idea is that the longer you ignore these messages, the more apparent they will become until you are forced to react.

When The O-Dub (that's Oprah) talks, the J-Me (that's me, Jami) listens. 

And when the universe speaks, well I listen to that too.

So lately I've just been wondering (asking, or praying, whatever you want to hear) if there's something else/more I should be doing right now. And then I heard the whispers: blog blog blog.

But I didn't. Too busy. Little girl. Little baby. Lots of Sweet Baby Dolly orders. And I mean really, is anybody even reading this thing (I secretly hope not.)?

Now tonight, two times within 10 minutes I got the pebbles:

BLOG BLOG BLOGGITY BLOG

So there it is.

Back to the blog. I don't know why, and maybe I never will, but I heard the whispers, I noticed both pebbles, and now I have to react. If you think I'm a crazy wokka wing-nut talking up a bunch of hoo hoo, that's okay (cuz I pretty much am all of those things.).

But if you get what I'm sayin then Hi-Five for you.

What's the universe telling YOU?

p.s. One thing I don't listen to is my spell check... it's claiming that the following words aren't spelled correctly: wokka, hoo hoo, cuz, and sayin. That's a buncha foo-diddly.

Just the Two of Us

Since Baby Brother was born I've been trying to give Miss Soph as much one on one as I can. Sometimes it's just a weeknight trip to Target, but this weekend we got out for a hike at the county park down the road from us. It was magical, not only because it was like 50 degrees (in February, in Minnesota?), but also because she let me take a thousand pictures of her.

She recently discovered this little blog (while Googling herself... um yes...). So let me just give her a shout out since she will no doubt be reading this:

Hi Sophie! Thank you for the super fun day and for letting me take all those pictures! Cute, huh?

Love you! Best kid!

xoxo

Where the Magic Happens

Working on photos and editing new listings for the upcoming re-opening of my shop.

I thought you might like to take a peek at my high end, state of the art, ultra modern, professional photography studio. This is a blogspot exclusive people...

Yes, that's a toilet, and yes it's just our upstairs bathroom. And yes, those are Christmas decorations, and yes it's the end of February (it's on my to-do list, ok? Don't judge).

I know diddly-doo-jack about photography, but for some reason the lighting up there just works for what I need. I brought the big round tin barrel in from the hallway for my new collections.

Cute, huh? If I do say so.

Introducing: Sweet Baby Charlie

Here's our sweet little Charlie Boy. He was born on December 21, and he is the sweetest thing ever. Ever. It's a daily challenge not to devour him. We are all obsessed with him,

and we think he kind of likes us too.