{image credit}
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Friday, August 24, 2012
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!
Monday, August 20, 2012
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...
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.
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!
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!
Saturday, August 18, 2012
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
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.
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
Thursday, July 5, 2012
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.
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!
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
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.
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!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)