End of an era

Today my favorite brother signed a rental agreement to move out of our house and into his own place. I'm so happy for him, and it's just a couple of minutes down the street, but I'm so sad to be saying goodbye to having him here all the time. He's lived with Steve and I for almost 5 years, which is more than half our marriage! He was 12 when I left for college, so when he came to Biola (much to my surprise and delight!), we were really intentional about getting to know each other as grown-ups. Eric being an introvert, it took about 2 years for us to really feel like we knew each other.

I'm sad, because Eric has been here for the big things in our lives, especially watching Lucy grow up. She looks forward to him coming home every day, and they have such a special relationship.

He's helped with a number of our house projects. My favorite was scaring my parents about one of them. The guys had put drywall up on the ceiling, and one of Eric's jobs was drilling the screws into the drywall while someone held it up there. I called my parents, and in a forlorn sounding voice, said, "Well, Eric screwed up the ceiling." "Oh no!" my mother gasped! HA-HA! He was supposed to screw it up! =) Okay, sorry for the pun, Strandy.

So Bud, words are inadequate, but we love you and will miss having you here constantly. Don't be a stranger!

How I mashed my thumb

That would be a much cooler title if I'd broken it or something. Nope, just an annoying bruise. But I always like making sure my friends know when I do something dumb. I was trying to eek out the very last bit of tan thread on the spool by holding the machine tension with my thumb. Lesson: Hold tension above the needle mechanism while operating machine. I never knew how much I used the outside of the knuckle of my thumb until today. Actually, I should take a picture of my thumbs so you can marvel at the weirdness of them. If you're ever worried that I've died in a highly publicized accident where they haven't released the bodies yet, look for shots including my thumbs, and you'll totally be able to tell if it's me. Wow, this post is taking an odd turn... *ahem* ... on to other things.


So yes, I've been sewing away like a madwoman. Because the baby MUST have cute burp cloths! And because Lucy's all became cleaning cloths because they're awesome at that, so I needed to gussie the new ones up so we'd know which ones were for spit-up. I also finished another changing pad cover for the at-home changing pad, and a to-go model for the diaper bag. Someone gave me all the fabric for the to-go pad, and it just happens to match the diaper bag I made. Serendipity!






Can I just say how much I love bias tape? Hiding on the inside is a cute-cute-cute floral pattern in those same colors, but the ultrasound dictates that the flowers hybernate in the middle.









And here's the cutie-pants who is lucky she's cute, or else she'd have gone out the window long ago. Yes, folks, she's taking a truck, a tooth-fairy pouch, and a toothbrush to church. Please tell me these aren't somehow connected in her imagination.

Why in the world would you put this off??

I think every time we get up to Yosemite, we wonder why in the world it's been so long since we've been. I mean, really, it's one of THE most beautiful places in the whole world, and it's 2 hrs. from The Grammie Resort. Our dear friends who have been living in Bosnia for several years were in Fresno for a short time, so we hooked up with them and headed up the mountain. We couldn't have picked a better weekend. Wild flowers in the hills, snow in the mountains. Cool, but not cold. Blue, blue sky. It's early Spring, so almost no tourists. Seriously... can you believe it?

I love the moment when you get through the tunnel and BAM! This is what you see...
This is what our family will look like in a year. =) We borrowed little Noah for the shot.

The hat was an old hat of mine that's become a dress-up item at Grammie's. Lucy thought it would be awesome with her blue snow pants.

How happy is a child who has just been encouraged to pelt her parents with snow??
Scaling the vast peaks of Yosemite...


Did I mention it was a perfect day?

Someday I'll make you listen to the story about how I hiked to the top of Upper Yosemite Falls. And then how I produced a radio broadcast on Valley Public Radio about the Yosemite Institute and "scooped my competitors" by interviewing the president of the Curry Company, who never does interviews. Or about how I killed my knee running down from Vernal Falls. =)

Updates

Apparently my industry will be coming in fits and starts. But I'm definitely nesting. I had my carpets cleaned, and oh, the cleansing of the soul that comes with it! It kicked off the cleaning of the laundry room and the cleaning out of the crayon cupboard. If you don't know the joy that brings, I can't explain it. If you know about the endorphine rush, then you can appreciate the sunny color my week has adopted. Only about 18 drawers and cupboards to go...

I've also been sewing like a mad woman. Sadly, my diaper bag project is not quite what I'd hoped for. I have changes I now would make, but just don't feel like starting from scratch again. I wish I'd made it wider at the bottom, and shorter from top to bottom, and with a stiffer interfacing between the lining and outside. It's just too long and narrow and floppy. But it's a fun swiss army bag, with D-rings and carabeaners for keys, pockets for diapers, diaper pad, wipes and bottles, and extra little pouches for things like vaseline and nail clippers. I figure you only use a diaper bag for a year anyway, right?





Next up is a baby blanket for my little man. He needs one just like Lucy did. I wish I were a knitter, as the pattern I really, really want is a knitting pattern, but I am making some adjustments and making it up as I go in crochet. When I've got something of a pattern going, I'll take some pictures.

Giddy

This morning during playgroup I went to M&L fabric in the Anaheim/Cypress area, and came home skipping like a schoolgirl! I have to share my excitement with you all because my poor husband, while definitely encouraging and supportive, will probably never skip with me about fabric. M&L is amazing... seriously huge selection, and it's a warehouse, so the prices are phenomenal!

I chose this dark teal corduroy to make my diaper bag, and the striped one next to it for the lining. I like a bright lining so you can actually FIND things, but it's nice to have some variegation to minimize stains and spots. I thought of posting the design I'm going to use, but I will wait until you can see the finished product. It's got just enough frill so it's not too industrial looking, but still works for a boy.



I chose these 3 flannels to dress up my burp cloths. Had to get new ones because my old ones have all become cleaning rags. =) Here's the awesomest thing about buying these... they were displayed for almost 8 bucks a yard at the front, but I dug around in their $2.97 section and found the SAME PRINTS! Had to be careful not to do the fabric jig in the store. The off-white/tan behind there is terry cloth for my changing pad, since I only have one changing pad cover and it's actually a little too small for the pad I've got. Again, choices were $8.00/a yard and found this for under $3!
And now for some home decor. Remember this fabric I was coveting awhile back? It was something like $12 on-line. Then I couldn't find it on-line. Then I found it today for less than $4 a yard!! This will become a fabric board to replace this sort of camouflaged wreath above the fireplace.

This isn't new fabric, but I got it at the same place awhile ago for $2 a yard. I finally got around to re-covering my pillows to incorporate the brown of Steve's leather chair into the room. The quilt over the back there was my sister's contribution. It's really gorgeous and totally original! I should lay it out so you can see the whole thing.
And lastly, one more pillow to round out my love of the blue and brown in my living room.

Okay, thanks for letting me vent all that... I was pretty beside myself. =)

Out of the fog

I look at other women and wonder where they get their get-up-and-go sometimes! Flu? Meh, they're cooking 5 course meals the day after. Family in town? Their houses are perfect, and they host a baby shower the next day. I seem to just be a little slow on the up-take with such things. =) I had the flu twice in the last 6 weeks after not having had it since college, and a lovely flat-on-the-couch cold got sandwiched in the middle for good measure. So with that and having family in town in between the cold and the flu (and actually overlapping a bit), I feel like I'm finally coming back from wherever I was.

In spite of it all, we've had some wonderful days here and there, and I'm enjoying my favorite months of the year. Jan-Feb-March are just the best here. Torrential rain, then beautiful, sunny skies and snow-packed mountains. Do we go to the snow or the beach today? What a decision! I need to "summer" in Seattle or something, because "winter" here is such a delight.

And now I'm ready to hoe-in and start sewing again! Why? Because if you hadn't yet heard, we just found out we are having a BOY! (See here for "the reveal.") So I've got burp cloths to make, a new diaper bag, changing pad covers, and if I really get ambitious, a hospital gown instead of the uggo stuff they have at the hospital. I plan to head to the fabric store on Tuesday and then hole up at a friend's during play group and sew-sew-sew as fast as I can!

Here's a glance at the last few weeks through the fog...

Blossoms beginning to peek out...
Steve with Lucy and my niece at the Getty... apparently bronze naked men make her shy.
The three cousins checking out the lily pads.
There's my pregnant belly peeking out at you... nice excuse to eat a little extra Valentine goodness.

The cousins celebrating Emma's NINTH birthday!
Our traditional Valentine's Day Mrs. Fields cookie cake with some wonky script on it. It was supposed to say "FDIC Insured." Oops. =)
And a quick trip to Down-town Disney, which Lucy thinks is just as good as Disneyland! A ride on the tram and a visit to ply-wood Mickey, and we're all set!

The truth comes out

(Kudos to The Bud for being the most well-informed/sympathetic single man on pregnancy that I've ever met.)

The days are long but the years fly by!

A very happy birthday to my baby girl! My little sweetheart entered the world 3 years ago today at 4:19 p.m.


Age 1...

Age 2 (and a bit)...
Age almost 3!
She is such an incredible joy to our family! She's a funny kid, smart and curious. She's slow to trust people, but intensely loyal to the people she comes to love. She loves "math," books, Little Einsteins, stuffed animals, letters, Christmas and birthday (all year long), hamburgers, fries and shakes. She is tall for her age, but also pretty clutzy like her mom. =) She doesn't ever ask why, but she's interested in lots of things. She's generally a homebody, but once she gets out tends to love wherever we've taken her, especially the beach. She's a challenging kid to discipline, very strong willed and quick to fall to pieces over things she can't have. She doesn't like to stand in front of people and perform... or do anything especially conventional. She's interested in instruments and music (Mom says hooray!). She is an introvert that is doing an amazing job learning to be polite and kind to people. She's a fantastic eater. She's not the best sleeper. She has two small little dimples that show up when she smiles. And she's my best girl. I love you, Lucy Elizabeth!

The Golden State

I love my state. I love, love, love California. Go on "Soarin' Over California," and see why I get all teared up. The stark, craggy northern coasts, the grand redwoods, the striking deserts, the rolling valleys, the alluring Sierras. I always worry about the seminary students who come to Talbot and think that California is just the land of unending strip malls. I plead with them not to judge California by the suburbs of L.A.! Please, I beg, if you do nothing else you must get to Yosemite (in the Fall or Spring, of course).

So to those of you far away, through the madness of the crazy publicity that you always hear about, never forget that's not all it's made of.

(These are all my own shots, and I'm no photographer, so it's really the beauty of California shining through!)

Central Coast
San Pedro
Hill country near the Sierras
The Central Valley
San Jacinta
Tioga PassSanta Barbara
Central Coast
Santa Barbara

Joshua Tree

And of course, the crown jewel, Yosemite (this photo does NOT do it justice!)

Good Choices

The other day, I realized that about 8-9 years ago, among the myriad of small, lame decisions, I made some lasting choices, and I'm still really happy with all of them.

Right before Steve and I got engaged, I bought these great blue couches. When I was looking, a salesman at the J.C. Penny Home Store was so completely snotty to me and said, "Um, I really can't understand what you're looking for." Obviously I found them elsewhere. Now the blue couches I was looking for are all over the stores and magazines (see this month's Real Simple!). Go figure. I re-covered them a year ago with the same color because I still loved them--they just needed sturdier fabric (and needed the stuffing not to be popping out). I love that I'm still happy with them.

(Sorry, best picture I could find with my couches... but isn't my dad cute with Lucy?)

My china! We chose a pattern called Beresford 2000, and I still love, love, love my china (the actual receiving of the china is a whole other story for another day!). I pulled out my tea cups to serve coffee and tea to the moms of our playgroup this week--because why not use them!
(Wish you could see the subtle pattern around the outside.)


My wedding ring. I still would choose this ring if I could pick out any ring in the world. It seems to fit me perfectly.

And my husband... would still choose him any day. He's vintage--he keeps getting better.

Comfort Food

When I was 8 or 10, we drove up to Oregon for Thanksgiving to be with my dad's cousins. The matron cousin who was hosting is such a dear... had she lived closer, I would have adopted her as a grandmother. I remember waking up before everyone else and wandering out to the kitchen, and there she was, buzzing about the kitchen before anyone was up. She sat me down and offered me the most incredible bran muffin, hot from the oven (really the only way to eat these, though the microwave works exceptionally well, too), and asked if I wanted tea. I'd never had tea before, and I felt so grown up being given a steaming mug of Earl Grey. It was cold outside, but I was snuggled up and cozy with my muffin and my tea, and this lovely grandmotherly soul. It's one of my favorite memories. I try to recreate it once in awhile by making my own.

I made this last night... it's a "Boppy" cover for a shower on Saturday. The problem at the moment is that I don't have a boppy to fit it to. I'm borrowing a neighbor's this afternoon to see how it goes. I have a feeling it's too big. Better too big than too small, though, right? I'll let you know what I think. The pattern is here.

Have a lovely day, all!