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.