happy bloglidays!

my life is requiring all my attention right now, so i'm taking a break from blogging. a blogliday, if you will.

dry your tears my one & only reader, this is just for now, not for always. besides, i may miss you so madly that i'm back tomorrow! one never knows.

if i don't get a chance later, i want to wish you all the happiest of holidays, a glorious start to winter (summer to you upside-downers), and a wonderful new year.

in my absence:

~peace.

a challenge of challenging proportions

it's quite easy to stick to the rules of the challenge when i'm not out, visiting my favorite shops. i did get a few yearnings when doing my online holiday ordering for the menfolk, but i stayed the course.

what nearly did me in was a trip to my beloved japanese dollar store!!!!!! they were so sweet to stock their shelves with all the things i love. being there was wonderful! it also was horrid, evil, painful agony.

i don't know how, but i did it. i kept from buying things for myself, & let me tell you: it nearly brought me to tears the entire time we were there a few times.

why kat? you're saying to your computer screen, why did you torture yourself by going there? well my dearest one & only reader, thehobbit wanted to get holiday prezzies for his bestest friends, & he insisted that was the place he needed to go.

he wanted special things, cause they're special. how could i have not taken him there after hearing that? so the belfry clan piled into bella, & spent a few hours shopping for special prezzies.

thehobbit bought them all notebooks & sketch pads; choosing styles & patterns he thought each friend would best like. i'm not sure why, but the japanese store has the best notebooks & pads. i know i've chatted about them before. i'll try to get a photo of the ones he chose - you'll like them.

so you don't feel too terribly sorry for me: manlyman bought me a few things i was fondling. new tongs, linen oven mitts, & a teapot that matches these - though he not only won't let me have them until xmas morn, i'm not even allowed to photograph them.

what are you getting for the holidays this year?
~peace.

sorry for the lack of photos, i'm stranded beneath a sleeping bebe.

waldorf winter faire aught nine

my assistant/bebe & hobbit wrangler/carrier of heavy items/eye candy had to work a tournament saturday, so i was left to do the show without his hoped-for help. manlyman has never helped at a show before, but i wasn't sure i could do it with a squirmy bebe on my hip.

not only did i manage, but i braved the rain to do so! ok, i didn't stay the whole day, but that was the fault of a clothing mishap, not my freaking.

i think what made the day possible (besides the support of my fellow dragonflies) was the elimination of as many stresses as possible. such as bringing my lightweight small table, in lieu of my heavier behemoth. the wisest choice i made was to bring only the barest of stock, & all things for which i didn't need shelves or other cumbersome display. when i realized i had to go home, i was able to quickly pile it all into one bin.

my tiny table in all it's wrinkled glory:



for having a small number of things for sale, & only being there a short time, it was a pretty darn good day. & now i'm off to go holiday shopping with my earnings :-)

~peace.

in which my bebe gets a booboo

fortunately, it doesn't seem to be bothersome.

~peace.

shop update!!!!

hurry! get to my shop & buy my wares before someone else does! here are a few new items:

mini market bag

corduroy market bag

chocolate brown pouch of colored pencils

mini mushroom set

there's much more newly listed, & more on the way! had the temperature not dropped to the 50s well below freezing, thehobbit & i would still be outside, snapping photos & humming xmas ditties. well not literally right now, i mean it's dark now. you know what i mean.

free shipping (to the usa only. sorry) until the end of the year. happy shopping!

~peace.

the keys to my shop

ok, i'm finally excited about the holidays. would you just look what santa is putting in my teeny one's very first yet to be sewn stocking!

image :: property of mama made it

i found them at this etsy shop. take a look around her shop, she has some great stuff - after you've lingered here awhile, that is :-)

lately i've been discovering all sorts of etsy shops that thrill me. do you have a favorite? leave it in the comments, so we all can see!

***

speaking of etsy shops - i'm in the middle of tweaking mine . today, if the sun stays, i'm going to reshoot a few things already in theshop, shoot pics of a giant stack of new items, upload the said giant stack, & the reshot items.

in the past i was happy to have my little corner shop on etsy, but i focused more energy on my in-person sales. there's nothing like watching people fondle your wares, ya know? hmm, that sounded delightfully naughty ;-)

as much as i love doing craft shows, i think it's time to make my etsy shop the focus. hence the afore mentioned tweaking. wish me luck!

~peace.

in which tongs are evil

i popped online to search for a new pair of tongs. mine were freakyold & finally bit the dust yesterday whilst cooking lunch.

now before you get your proverbials in a bunch, i was not going to cheat on the challenge. my plan was to ask santa for a new pair. or 2.

i went to amazon, then sur la table, then ebay. the next thing i knew i was drooling over things of a non-tongy nature. it's as though i wasn't in control of what my fingers were typing! i blame the tongs. clearly they are evil.

in my imaginary world i bought these boots:

i have a pair similar, but they don't go nearly as high up the leg. the heel is low enough for everyday outings. i want them. hmmm. i wonder if santa will get them for me?

this coat is gorgeous! if it weren't yellow, i'd definitely have put in a bid straight away. i'm just not a yellow gal. well i was literally a yellow gal for a few months as a child, but that's a whole other tale.



i love how the coat goes in at the waist. & check out the neat pockets, & the big buttons! perfect, but for the yellow.


now this frock coat i simply adore. it's my favorite taupey color, has funky embroidery here & there, & is velvet!



so pretty. so not something one can wear when one's wee bairn is still spitting-up. sigh.


i never did find a new pair of tongs.
~peace.

images :: property of individual sellers on ebay.

blogger is messing with my spacing again.

sunflowers in the dark

my apologies for this terrible photo - the sun had already set when i was baking. i knew the cookies wouldn't last till morning, so had to take the photo then.

i was looking for a gluten-free peanut butter cookie, & found this recipe doing a google search. i changed it a bit, & they were simply divine.

sunflower seed butter cookies

1c sunflower seed butter (i get mine at "trader joe's")

3/4c evaporated cane juice (sugar that hasn't been bleached)

1 egg

1tsp vanilla extract

***

preheat the oven to 350, & grease your cookie sheet.

beat the egg, add the rest of the ingredients, & stir to combine.

with hands slightly damp: roll wanut-sized balls, & place them on your cookie sheet.

flatten each cookie with the back of a fork that has been dipped in sugar.

bake for 12 minutes.

gently loosen the bottom of each cookie from the sheet, & let them sit to cool.

notes :: they will be mushy until they cool, so try to stop yourself from eating more than 1 when they are first out of the oven. store them in a covered container in the fridge. if you don't eat them all at once, of course ;-)

enjoy! i plan to try these with dried cranberries; sort of a strange pb&j. i'm also going to try them with an egg replacer, to see if they can be made vegan. i'll let you know.

~peace

photos of thrifty goodness

in what has to be a speedy record on this blog; i bring you the promised photos! excuse the wrinkles please, the iron & i aren't the best of friends.

meant to look like 2 pieces, this sweater vest is actually sewn to the blouse. i was happy to find this, because it replaces a maternity version i loved. normally i don't go for polka dots, but i have to admit these teensy dots were what caught my eye. happily we have the odd warm days even in winter here, so i won't have to wait to wear it.


i wish you could feel this sweater, it is freakysoft! unlike the above blouse; which i bought solely because i could not resist; this one is very nursing-friendly. the buttons open easily enough, perfect for my impatient little bebe. it doesn't show clearly in the photo, but there are crisp, white cuffs at the wrist.

i'll still need a nursing tank beneath this beauty, because the closures stop midway down. it's a heavy, slightly satiny fabric. look at those wide 3/4 sleeves! this blouse/coat is flouncy & fun.

i saved my favorite for last. i saw this linen blouse/coat, & nearly fainted! manlyman disliked it immensely, & said sure, if you want to look like a 19th century artist. he meant that as a deterrent hahahaha! silly man that only intensified my wooziness for it.

i also scored a pair of gray/black plaid, tweed gaucho-type bottoms. they fit perfectly, but i'm not too keen on the flared legs. as soon as i get some time (hahaha) i plan on altering them into straight-legs. i'll post a before & after when i do.

oh my friend, there were non-clothing treasures galore at the shop. i tried many times to get to them, but manlyman would stop me with a just clothes reminder. he has a heart of stone, he does.

& now i'm off to go stare at my new pretties to start my chores. i hope you have a lovely day :)

~peace.

note :: only one piece is actually vintage, the others just give the illusion of times gone by. i didn't want anyone to misunderstand yesterday's proclamation of vintagey items found.

ummmm, oops?

i may have strayed from the challenge a wee bit. it wasn't a purposeful stray, i merely forgot. those of you new to the belfry will think i'm lying; but i am not. ask any of the oldies, they'll confirm my swiss-cheese-brain. well maybe not now that i've referred to them as oldies...

so what did i buy that was neither handmade, nor used? a subscription to this magazine. it was a buy one, get one type of dealio, so i had the gift subscription sent to a friend who also has a new drooler.

hmm. i wonder if i didn't stray were i to pretend i bought the subscription for her, & it came with a freebie subscription for me? no?

anyway, i promise to feel dreadful about straying each & every time i read my fabulous new magazine. i also promise to pay better attention to my spending, so i don't fail the challenge.

***

unrelated, but equally fabulous (sans guilt) is today's thrifting haul. oh my dearest one & only reader!!!!! the treasures - gorgeous vintagey tops that i can nurse in!! i get all swoony just thinking about it. sigh.

i have no pictures to share, as my treasures are in the wash, getting the stinky chemicals removed. do your thrift shops spray their fabric items with chemicals? i shall take photos tomorrow, & post them, so you can ooh & ahh along with me.

~peace.

thankful

i have much for which to be thankful this year.

so many blessings.

so much love.

i hope you do as well.

~peace.

through the eyes of a hobbit

i love his photography,


seeing what catches his eye,

& how he sees the world around him.

~peace.

room with a view

i am ever so bored. people haven't been coming by to entertain visit me. something about us being contagious with a nasty pestilence, blah, blah, blah. whatever.

i am also sick of being in my bedroom. i do venture into other parts of the belfry, but i tire so easily, so predominantly we're in here. it's just easier, what with the beds, the tv, the laptop - ya know?

we're fairly certain everyone is on the mend, so i'm giving thehobbit a bit more freedom. he was sick of having to stay in bed, & i don't blame him. today he celebrated his freedom by making a fort between/beneath the beds, & playing tetris on the floor. wild thing ;-)

one good thing about my bedroom is lying on the bed, & looking at this:



he's been very into his toys of late. at first it was just sammy, his monkey rattle from here, & his giraffe teether; but the other day he discovered his ball. ooooh how he loves it!


i wish you could see this ball in person, it is truly a work of art. his very talented auntie-b felted it. would you just look at the moon! (& the beautiful bebe.)


turn it around, & you find the sun! (& again the beautiful bebe.)

hidden deep within is a jingle bell; which delights my boy to no end.

so as bored as i am, (did i mention i am ever so bored?) at least i have beauty to feast my eyes upon. quite a view indeed.

what about you? what beauty has caught your eye lately?

~peace.

it's a blog, blog world

there isn't much to do when you have the piggie pestilence. other than nursing, i basically have been lying here, watching tv, blowing my nose, & reading blogs. that is, of course, when i haven't been scaring myself with swine flu articles.

i addition to my favorites over there <----------, here are some recently discovered blogs keeping me company in my sickbed:

* just something i made

* 5 orange potatoes

* centsational girl

* the long thread

enjoy :-)

~peace

piggies in the belfry

sorry i've not been posting -- the dreaded swine flu has hit the belfry. so far i've had it mild; so the doc tells me; i just hope it stays that way. it looks like the little belfries have it now --prayers/thoughts would be appreciated.

on a vastly more happy note:

image :: via craftzine

~ peace.

challenge katified (real word)

i gave it some thought, & figured out how strictly i'll be adhering to tif's rules for the challenge. i truly wish to succeed at this, so i've had to tweak things here & there.

* gift cards - i have a few gift cards, & didn't know if i would be able to use them during the challenge. it came to me that since the cards were gifts, i wouldn't be buying anything when using them; merely using my gifts. yup. that works for me.

* xmas - there is no way i can make things; what with the new bebe; there just isn't time. & whilst thehobbit would be happy, manlyman just doesn't love the world of vintage/used/antiques as i. there may be some things on etsy i can get them, but as thehobbit asked santa for legos, i'll need to shop amazon as well.

* underpinnings - i think we all agree on this exception.

* bebe items - i cannot think of anything we'll need (that we cannot get from a thrift or resale shop) but as a year is quite a long time, it's best to be safe. a bigger car seat! see? i have already realized a future need. clever me :-)

that about does it. i don't think i've tweaked too far from the original. now i just need to make sure i don't forget. or cheat. of course i could go insane from lack of shopping, & spend much too much money on something used.

photo :: found on ebay (lost the link to the owner's posting)

bebe does need a bath tub. i'm just sayin'.

~peace.

a show, a challenge, & a month

just a few things to chat about:

* a show -- ocean charter's annual winter faire is nearly here. come see me (& the rest of the dragonfly artisans) on saturday, the 12th of december. i haven't a flyer to share with you yet, but until i do, you can find some of the details over there --->

* a challenge -- the utterly charming tif of dottie angel has decided to purchase nothing new for neither herself, nor her home for an entire year! so as not to embark on this journey of madness alone, she's asking others to join her. madness? a challenge i'm sure to fail? sign me up! i have to figure out details for my own version of the challenge still. such as: am i allowed to use my gift cards? what about items for the bebe? & so on. i'll let you know when i have.


* a month -- sew mama sew is running their annual handmade holidays through the month of november. i kept meaning to write about it, then promptly kept forgetting. i poked through the days already posted, & like the past 2 years, the entries are fabulous. i just hope i can find the time to make some of them. hahahaha. no wait. no hahahahahahaha. ok, how about this? i just hope i can find the time to save some of them in my files to make next year.



& that brings this post to an end. it's been lovely chatting with you, but it's time to make dinner. for the menfolk. i am still on the dreadful elimination diet from hell, so shall be eating air. yum indeed.

~peace.

i don't want to shock you...

i actually put a smattering of new things in my shop!


you didn't hurt yourself when you fainted; did you?

woohoo, lookie me getting things done. i'm still in my jams with unbrushed hair, but it's not as though you can see me. wait! can you see me? maybe i should at least put on clean jams - just in case.

~peace.

she's got the whole world

on her wall! (that song will be in your head all day. you're welcome.)

that's right - after years of staring at the little, ugly, freebie map; the kind with the advertising cluttering the oceans; i finally treated myself to this beauty:




oooh. aaaah.

it's not nearly as gigantic as i'd like, but at 32 x 50 (inches), it suits the space well.

don't you just love the colors! yes, i know the ocean is actually blue; as regular maps show; but the beige ocean of my map is much prettier.

who knew france was lavender?

oh kat; you're saying to the computer screen; france again? why don't you just put up a map of france, & stop pretending you even acknowledge the rest of the world exists.

silly you! the map of france (paris actually) is on the wall in my bedroom.

~peace.

sleepless in los angeles

one of the problems that comes with thebebe's (supposed) allergy is sleep-related. during the day he takes catnaps, then wakes every 1-2 hours at night. before all the other symptoms arose, he was sleeping in 3-4 hour stretches; both days & nights. i'm told that once we fix the (supposed) allergy, his sleep will improve. in the meantime, we belfry people are utterly exhausted. especially the teeny elfling.

would you look at those sleepy eyes? poor thing. by the way: how is it a child can be even more beautiful when sleepy, but a mama just looks haggard? something is wrong in that.

daylight savings is exacerbating the whole shebang. no matter how early we go to bed; & we are going freakyearly; it's still painful to wake at 4. that would be 4 in the morning. for the day. whimper

manlyman keeps pestering me to take naps, but i've never been able. i do lie down with lemondrop though. actually i lie beneath him, as he sleeps on my chest. he hasn't been able to sleep on the bed, or in his moses basket in quite some time. my hope is that this too will change once the (supposed) allergies are seen to. it doesn't much help my sleep-deprivation, but i do get to poke around the internet whilst he naps. i consider that my therapy, which i find more valuable right now than catching up on lost sleep. so, yay :-)

& now i'm off. the sleepless elfling himself his screaming at me sweetly asking for milk. have a glorious day, & get some sleep, would ya?
~peace.

woe & reviews

something is messing with my wee boy! the doc suspects a food allergy, so currently i am on an elimination diet. also known as torturous hell. today is day 5 (of 21), & i'm ready to slit my wrists. seriously. well not actually seriously, but seriously.

as a vegetarian, there isn't much left to eat when i cannot have eggs, soy, wheat, corn, & dairy. at first i thought it wouldn't be too big a deal, but there is soy, wheat, & corn in nearly everything! basically i've been living on rice & veggies during the day, & dreaming of sammiches & milkshakes at night.

i bought a few things the other day to help me get through the next few weeks, & thought i'd share my thoughts with you.

* enjoy life's double chocolate brownie cookies - these cookies are ok.

i wouldn't choose them over regular cookies, but they weren't bad. i sort of ate the entire box in 3 days, so need to get more. i'll try the other varieties too. i know there was a chocolate chip, but can't recall what else.

*so delicious' coconut creamer (no photo or link) - this comes in vanilla, hazelnut, & regular. i tried the flavored ones & didn't like either. the creamer has a tang to it that doesn't taste good (to me) in coffee. it wasn't as bad in iced coffee, but i wouldn't buy it again. i have 4 containers, so am going to use the vanillas in fruit smoothies, & freeze the hazelnuts in ice cube trays. i'm not sure what to do with them yet.

that's all for now. as i try other products & recipes, i'll let you know.
~peace.

*edited to say :: i gave the vanilla coconut creamer another try, & decided it wasn't totally dreadful. i did have to make a stronger cup of decaf to do away with the tang of the creamer. i also added cinnamon to make certain.

new around the belfry

before we get to what's new, i want to thank everyone for the support from my last post. your comments & emails were much appreciated. i definitely have the kindest readers in all of blogland. probably the most intelligent & good looking as well :-)

***

i finally got around to photographing some of the new things i told you about. they aren't the best of photos, but considering i was balancing a squirmy bebe at the same time, i'm surprised they are even in focus.

this is lemondrop's freakytall dresser. it began its life as 2 dressers, but after grammie & thehobbit dragged them in off the street (a neighbor was getting rid of them), she suggested i remove the legs of 1, then stack them. well yeah!

it's much too contemporary for my taste, but i couldn't pass up free. plus it sits in their playroom, so it's not as though i need look at it constantly.

here we have the giant mirror - oh i cannot tell you how much i love this!



click on the photo to see it in all its shabby glory! i love, love love it. did i say that already? well i do. sadly the mirror is much too heavy to hang on our pathetic walls, so it needs to sit on the floor.

what is that reflected in my new mirror, mirror on the floor?! that would be the beautiful blanket that auntiepaper crocheted for my teeny bebe. i'm very picky about colors, preferring more dusty versions. i was thrilled to see that she chose the 1 shade of blue i actually like! it's like a dusty periwinkle. i'm not sure if i'm describing the color well, but there ya go. by the way; the blanket is so soft & cozy!

lastly we come to what is no longer around the belfry. at last thehobbit agreed to have his long hair cut off!


ok agreed may be the wrong word here. we actually did a bit of bartering: legos for hair. that's right, he got a new set of legos & i got a pile of hair. & yes, technically i bribed him. but! i phrased it in a way that didn't appear (to his 11yo self) as though he was being bribed. so far as he's concerned, we bartered. oh the cleverness of me ;-)

what's new with you?
~peace.

the one where she gets serious...

it was brought to my attention (by more than 1 dear reader) that i'd a) not been posting nearly as much as i used to, & 2) that my posts seemed more chipper & fluffier than usual. people were concerned i was depressed & trying to hide it, or that something was dreadfully wrong with me.

i'm sorry to have worried some. the lack of posting has only to do with a certain wee person (& i'm not naming names) who hasn't been sleeping well of late. it's leaving me quite zombificated (real word) during the day. the other? well it's true, i have been purposely fluffy.

you see, i'm not always sure where to draw the line. what is too personal for my little corner of blogland? so instead of figuring out a way to share more serious things, i sometimes get a bit silly, & superficial.

because a few people were kind enough to have concern for me, i shall try to explain what's going on:

my mom has been ill for most of the year; in & out of the hospital with various things. it looked as though things were finally going well for her when they discovered tumors - inoperable, stage 4 lung cancer.

she began chemo to slow the cancer's progress, & allow her a bit more time. the chemo has been utterly brutal on her already frail body, bringing her to the decision that if the scans from the first round of chemo showed no slowing, she would stop all together.

well the results came back yesterday, & they found that instead of slowing, the tumors had actually shrunk! this wasn't even something the doctors were hoping for, let alone expected to happen.

my mom's morale has gone through the proverbial roof, & my hope is that it is just enough to help her fight through the pain & sickness the chemo is causing. maybe even enough to help her beat the unbeatable.

so there you have it. in the past few months i shattered my no photos of faces rule, & now i've erased drawings of lines. thank you to those who those of you who contacted me. screw the rest of you - heehee, only joking - thanks to you as well for just being here, & reading.

~peace.

what bebe really needs is coffee.

when he was first born, lemondrop received many prezzies from the older, well-to-do crowd, whom manlyman knows through work. we spent quite a bit of time discussing how generous we thought they were, & how blessed we were. then we put it all aside until we could get to the swanky shops to return it.

happily, we had been lucky in the amount (& quality) of hand-me-downs we'd received, so he didn't need more clothes. oh. did i forget to say it was all clothing? it was. golfer bebe clothes. yup.

we finally returned it this week, then spent quite a bit of time discussing how much it all had cost, how generous they really were, & how we wished shops still did cash-returns. what ever would we get lemondrop from swanky shops? i knew i'd never be able to dress him in a $40 onesie, let alone a $90 sweater.

then we spied the housewares department, & jumped for joy! & by 'we' i mean 'me'! look what we bought lemondrop:


we chose this one because it had a slight retro look to it, what with the dials & flip-switch.

now i'm a french press gal, but lemondrop prefers drip. finally he can have his cuppa just the way he likes it. plus i can brew enough for company without doing so in batches. it's just what thebebe needed - hurrah for prezzies!

we still have money left on the cards, but i'm going to set them aside until lemondrop needs something else for the kitchen. perhaps one of these? i'll have to ask him ;-)

i hope your day is a lovely one.

~peace.

stuff, then blah & blah

i haven't forgotten my promise to show you my new mirror, i've just been caught in a whirlwind of visitors & to-dos. the giant mirror did make it out from the middle of the bigroom, & now leans against a wall, looking simply perfect in all its shabbiness.

the giant bookcase; that was supposed to be moved to the studio, but made it only as far as the diningroom; was finally brought to the studio, & partially filled! i changed my mind about using it to house fabric though, & have instead been filling it with baskets, bins, & boxes of work supplies.

now i am back to searching for a tall, skinny shelving unit, with freakydeep (real word) shelves. it's out there, waiting for me, yearning to overflow with fabric. *insert dreamy sigh here*

as i said above, we've had loads of friends over to play; giving both thehobbit & i a break from each other our current routine.

we are also getting ready for our hallowe'en party. not one of our usual themed bashes; just a wee gathering, with close friends. that's what today's focus is: house prep & errands. also known as blah & blah.

& now to bring this ever so exciting post to an end. have a glorious day, do.
~peace.

in which i was thwarted...

the new bookcase did get moved, but only out from the middle of the bigroom, & into the dining area. it never did make it to the studio.

my plan had been to take advantage of manlyman's day off; spending the day getting the studio in order, & stopping only to nurse the bebe.

i was thusly thwarted:



~peace
ps, a giant mirror in a gorgeous, shabby frame replaced the bookcase in the middle of the bigroom! photos tomorrow.

oww & ooh

the past few days have been lovely, beginning with the return of beloved-yet-abandoning friends from their summer abroad. they; & their new bunny; came for a visit, which lasted well past sunset. it was wonderful to see them after so many months - i don't know who was more excited: the wretched shorties, or we mamas. of course my wee littlest one was immediately smitten by his auntie tinker. why should he be any different than his older brother?

the oww referred to above happened during our visit. let me take this moment to say: excited children & golf clubs do not go well together.



it's hard to see in this photo, but here we have thehobbit's first shiner. we were lucky that the club glanced off the bone beneath his eye, leaving only a faint blue/purple ring. so very lucky! the minitinker responsible for this artistry felt so terrible, that i felt just as bad for her as i did for thehobbit.

***

the ooh comes in the form of a shabby bookcase, gotten for free yesterday from a neighbor who wasn't able to sell it at his garage sale. hurrah for people who don't love ratty, old things as i do!

it needs a good scrubbing, but other than that, i think it's simply perfect. i cannot wait for tomorrow, when manlyman shall move the bookcase into my studio; to be filled after with stacks & stacks of fabric. hurrah indeed.

***

there have been other oohs making the past few days lovely: gifts of pomegranates & chocolate pie, other free treasures from the garage sale, the crispness of autumn in the air, & many hours spent with my boys.

i hope you are having such a wonderful time.

~peace.

i love clothes.

if that isn't the understatement of the year, i don't know what is.

i spent a good part of my pregnancy staring longingly at a closet filled with pretties, whilst my ever-growing belly forced me to wear more tent-like blouses instead.

well it's 10 weeks post-partum, & i find i'm still looking at that closet longingly. i did lose the pg weight (hurrah!), but i forgot about nursing. most of the easy-access blouses i own don't fit over my gigantic udders, so i've been sporting the same 3 outfits for weeks. blah. blah i say!

i can't afford a whole new wardrobe, but i am going to have to get a few items to get me through until xmas, when i can ask for more ;-). oh, & let me just say that online shopping is a new mama's best friend.

my first new blouse, courtesy of forever21:

i wore it yesterday, & loved how comfortable it was. it's a bit in the sheer side, so a pretty camisole (or in my case; a boring nursing tank) has to be worn beneath. i paired it with jeans, but i'm thinking it will look cute with a straight skirt. slightly turn of the last century perhaps?

there wasn't much more i liked on forever21's site, which surprised me. in the past i'd peruse their site, oohing & aahing & coveting as i went. it seems that the majority of their vintagey items have been replaced with 70s & 80s things. blah. they didn't even have the over-the-knee socks that are my winter must-haves.

my hope is that manlyman is up for a day of thrifting next week. if so, he can help with the boys, whilst i search for actual vintagey, easy-access blouses (& maybe a few sweaters?). i'd leave them all at home, but that would mean a much shorter day of thrifting, with having to rush home every 2 hours to nurse. i'd much rather take them all with me, & simply ignore manlyman's sighs of boredom.

& on that note: i am off to play moo-cow to my sweet little elfling. do you know of any affordable shops that sell vintage-looking clothes? do share!

~peace.

blurry with a chance of pestilence

did you know that when your vision is blurred from a lack of sleep, you think the photos you're taking are in focus when they actually aren't? & that no matter how much you curse at the computer, your photos shall not improve? did you? did you?!

well we you know it now. you're welcome.



but the toes! even blurry they make me smile.

***

we've been playing a wicked game of pass the pestilence the past few weeks. as of today the score stands at: one seemingly better, one on the way to better, one in the thick of it, & one beginning today.

i have to say it's been no fun in the least, & i'd like to play something else. something like all well & relaxing in the south of france would be lovely.

& now i'm off to drink a hot cup of tea, & nibble on blurry toes.

~peace.

proof of a first child

scrolling through nearly eight weeks of photos, i found that the majority were of lemondrop. the only ones of thehobbit showed him holding, or entertaining lemondrop. not wanting to give thehobbit more fodder for his future psychiatrist, i began following him about with the camera.

i will admit that as much as i love love love my older boy, he's not nearly as fun to photograph as is his dinky brother. he is as beautiful though - would you just look at those lashes?!

i feel sorry for the ladies in 10 or so years. (see me pretending he won't be dating until he's 21?)

~peace.

mmm brownies

slowly things are getting back to normal around here. i imagine it shall be a few months more until we are fully back in the swing of things, but at least i'm no longer spending entire days in bed. mostly.


i've yet to sew or craft, & most of the meals i've made came from boxes/cans/bags. this does not make me overly sad, as i get to spend my days staring at these monkeys:




add a plate of fresh-from-the-oven brownies, & that would be the most perfect photo ever.

~peace.

too darn hot

i know that i complain about the heat when the mercury rises to 75 85 degrees; but the past few days have been too hot even for the freaks who long to live on the surface of the sun. you know who you are.

apparently lemondrop does as poorly in hot weather as his brother & i. he has been a teeny, little miserable creature - which you know is just loads of fun for the rest of us. finally manlyman thought to look for white noise on youtube. he's spent quite a bit of the day with the wee guy, listening to hair dryers, rain, & babbling brooks. thank maude for manlyman & youtube.

***

finally i have some crafty items to share! this gorgeous waldorf doll was given to lemondrop the other day by his auntie oddsox. she left the arms & legs empty so his little hands could hold on more easily, & so he could suck on them if he wanted. or she was just lazy, & made that bit up ;-)

i stole the idea for this bracelet from a fabulous book. you wear it on the wrist that matches the breast you'll be offering next. just before your baby latches on, you switch the bracelet to the other wrist. (switch first, otherwise you'll leave little bead marks on your sweet bebe's head. i'm not admitting to anything.)


in the book, the abc beads shown were the tiny plastic ones. that didn't suit my style, so i used my antique-looking wooden beads. mine are a bit larger than their plastic brethren, but not terribly so. the rest of the beads spell out his name, so if it really was lemondrop it would read: lemondrop's next boob. it was just too clever an idea; & too sassy; to pass up.

if you make one of these bracelets for yourself or another, no need to give me credit as i stole the idea. please do mention the book though, because the woman who did come up with it deserves credit. i would give you the link to the woman's company, but i don't recall what it was.

that's it for today - i'm sweating where a girl ought not, so i am off to make some iced tea.

~peace.

no teeny toes

i've yet to deal with delilah's virus, but i transferred photos anyway. yes i know - i'm a wild thing, a rebel, i live on the edge.

sadly, all the pics i took of the teeny toes were blurry. in my no-sleep zombieness, i must not have switched the camera to macro lens. sorry. i promise toes in the future. instead i have the equally adorable (drum roll please)................

teeny fingers!



*sigh*

& once again i break my no-photos-of-faces rule:


what do you think he was dreaming of?

that's all from the belfry today. i'm sorry, but there really is little to chat about these days - unless you are interested in hearing about how little sleep i'm getting, how often he nurses (& what horrors he's inflicting upon my girlie bits), or the goings-on in the world of diapering. no? i thought not.

have a lovely one, do!
~peace.

more stuff

last night was the first in a few nights that we actually got more than 3 hours of sleep - it was heavenly. heavenly i say!!!

because i'm doing little more than nursing & diapering these days, i still haven't much to tell you. in lieu of goings-on, here are my thoughts on more gifts we've received:

* this diaper caddy is not only pretty, it's also quite useful. the compartments keep everything in order, & the liner comes out to be washed. i don't think it will work as well once we switch to cloth, but we shall see. if not, it will make an excellent something-else-caddy.

* lemondrop sleeps in the family bed quite happily in his moses basket. he's safe from his fidgety big brother our bedding, yet still within arm's reach. i wish we'd had one of these when thehobbit was teeny. we removed the cushy liner btw.

* update on the swaddleme: i tried it again, & this time it worked. lemondrop wasn't thrilled by the roominess of the leg area, so we'll set it aside until he fills it out better. if you (or someone you know) has an escape artist as we have, definitely get this wrap.

my quiet time has come to an end - i hear the elf princeling being brought to me for his zillionth late morning snack. have a lovely sunday!

~peace.