random

Look what I found. I’m number 98 on growing blogs. Better start posting more!

I love these so much. They’re so representative of who we are. Kevin with his serious face (that I know is a facade), me with sleepy eyes, and Cale, silly, dirty and scruffy. His cracks me up the most. I helped him with the main carving, then he went and stabbed it a few hundred times and colored on it. He thinks the mouth with the tongue sticking out looks like an upside down cowboy hat.

Sunday was my baby shower. It was a cute overload. I’m not sure I’ve ever been so overwhelmed by cuteness before. Look at my diaper cake. If you think explaining a baby shower to a 3 year old is hard, try explaining a diaper cake. I love it though.

And in other news, we now have our flight itinerary and today everything else should be scheduled. Stuff is about to get crazy here. Can you believe that tomorrow is November? Time has flown! I have so much to do and so little time. I wonder if my husband(who just asked me to pack sensibly) will be pissed about me wanting to keep my sewing machine and a small craft stash with me.   I’m going to be bored once our stuff is gone.

Coming soon: secret project in the works that might be controversial to our family, thank you gifts for the lovely ladies who held my baby shower, Star Wars table turned cute, and how to make maternity clothes more stylish.

Arrgggg matey

It’s no secret that my son likes pirates. So what did he want to dress up as for Halloween? A pirate of course. I didn’t like any of the already made costumes so I made him one myself. It was one of those things where I was afraid it would look like crap, but it ended up nice.

The hat came from the backup costume I bought just in case it did turn out bad. The shirt is a regular button down shirt that I found at the thrift store and added ruffles to. I made the vest from some fake suede fabric I had laying around. The buttons and skull and bones medallions are made from fimo and painted with stinky but awesome gold paint. The “jaggedy” pants are made from a t shirt. The sash was made from scrap fabric. It can be used as a headband or a knife holder. Add rubber boots and stripey socks and you have a pirate.  I also made his booty bag. I was sewing very last minute, but everything got done and he liked it.

And here he is in tough guy mode. The sword was broken before the night ended.  He kept asking me questions about pirates so he could keep in character.  “Do pirates sit, Mom?”

He’s looking forward to tomorrow night when his Dad takes him trick or treating, while I sit home with my feet up.

il regalo

Finally finished. This was one of those projects that starts out sounding so easy, but actually involves so much more work than I was ready for. It was hard to part with. I think the moment it left my house, the temperature dropped. Okay, maybe not. It was made for my Sicilian nephew. For my friend who understood my doubts about getting pregnant for the second time, who has listened to me, who has been a great friend. Without her and and her family, I know our stay here would not be as pleasant. I will always think of them as family. Sweet Giuliano (whose birthday coincides with my conception date) gives me courage. He lets me know that I can do this again. All has not been forgotten. And that there is nothing better in the world than a child’s laughter.
And even though this gift took a very long time to make, they have given us a gift far more precious.  Now they will never forget  us.

*In which the heroine compares life to quilting.

My life does seem a lot like this quilt. Some days it sits quietly, silently calling me from the corner. Other days, I jump to work on it and get as much done as I can. Just when the end is in sight, you start thinking about new quilt projects. And then there’s the decisions. The important ones, like how to finish it. Should you do the easy way (tying it) for the sake of it being easy? Or should you go for the gusto and spend the extra time hand quilting it? One is easy and will make you happy for easiness’ sake, but the other is more pleasing, especially to other people.
Up until this point I have not been freaking out about moving. But now it’s decision time. Each question I have to answer leads to more questions and it’s making me want to go the easy route all the way through. But what’s easier for me is not exactly the most considerate of other people.
Is being pregnant enough of a reason to be selfish and lazy?

Oh yeah, I was supposed to tag other people, but it’s something I hate doing. So if you want to be tagged, you’re it.

*I love Jane Austen novel, especially the titles of each chapter.

Tagged

I’ve been tagged by Abby.

The rules:
A. Each player lists 6 facts/habits about themselves.
B. The rules of the game are posted at the beginning before those facts/habits are listed.
C. At the end of the post, the player then tags 6 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog

1. I have wavy hair for the most part, but on the back of my head, I have 3 little corkscrew curls.
2. I have spent more time asleep this week than awake.
3. When I bake muffins or breads, I like to take them out of the oven a few minuted early so they have a smushy top.  It’s the yummiest part.  No one in my family seems to agree though.  More for me!
4. We’re invited to a costume party this year for Halloween.  Normally this would be so much fun for me, but there are few pregnant costumes that are appealing.  We cannot agree on anything.  My pregnant zombie idea got vetoed for being too “distasteful.”  I really don’t want to go anyways.  The pregnant woman always gets stuck as DD.  Quite honestly, I’d rather sleep.
5.  I keep craving homemade doughnuts.  I wish I wasn’t too lazy to make some.
6. I still haven’t finished the quilt I’m working on, but I’m already planning the next two.

I’ve been sick all week.  I’m hoping it’s almost over.  I kept Cale home today so I can relax a little more and not worry about getting him on and off the bus.  My kid is much too understanding.  I’m a very lucky mama.

Hello October!

I love me some gerber daisies! Too bad they’ve been dying so quickly lately! Must be the warm weather. The “vase” is a candle holder with a glass vase inside. And I made the spiderweb thingy. I love Halloween and I have been wanting to get all of out stuff out since September. Especially since we won’t have our own place to decorate for Christmas.

October means we have 2 months left here. It seems so short for the amount of stuff we have to do. And even though it will be close to 6 months since our last international flight, I’m dreading it.
October also means a very special secret project gift for my husband. I have to keep it secret in case he reads this though.
And last but not least, it means Halloween. And costumes. And I’m ashamed to admit the words that have come out of my mouth recently, but they contained the words “boot-tops” and “jabot” and talking about needing them. (I know only one reader gets that reference so sorry to the rest of you.) In my days of working at a costume shop, those were things we made fun of. And it just so happens that they are because my sweet son wants to wear the costume that we thought was the lamest, a pirate. Life is funny!

Cale went back to school this week and I have gotten a ton of stuff done. Unfortunately, I’m still nowhere near finishing the quilt so I better get to work! It’s so much easier to work on during the day.