The Trickle-Down Effect

Thanks to the one little post by my sister, I have seen a lot of traffic coming through my store that has turned into a few orders and even a swap (I am now the proud owner of a super-cool apron from Love, September!). I have also been invited to create a wall quilt or two for the new Child Advocacy Center when it opens next year.

Today is no different... I am featured as the giveaway here and all you have to do is follow her simple directions and you'll be in the running for one of my Stitched Handprints. Lucky You!

And with this, I promise to stop clogging up this blog with my sewing geekiness. If you want to hear more about what I'm up to, visit me at Something Sewn.

Sing A Song

Elliot has been a singing fool for several weeks now. While he plays he is almost always singing himself a song. Whenever we have guests over we try to get him to sing for them. He always chickens out and so we decide to try to capture a song on video. Our attempts were mostly fruitless, however the results are fairly amusing.

How We Spent Our Summer

In honor of all those little folks returning to school and crafting their own "How I Spent my Summer" essays, I thought I'd write out ours.

Elliot spent his summer playing in water, spending numerous nights at Grandma Cindy and Grandpa Jim's and meeting Thomas and Sir Topham Hatt. Rode his first carnie rides at the Johnson County Fair and experienced 'big living' down at the Morrissey acreage riding a tractor, 4-wheeler and lawnmower. His first MLB game in Kansas City is still talked about. 'Goa Woyals!'

Fred has spent this summer nursing a running injury and is hopeful that Disney is still on. He also got a road bike and has been putting on miles and falling off of it whenever he can. Fred blew up his grill and yet managed to smoke food through numerous hellacious rainstorms. He also watched one of his best friends get married this summer. I mean, really, Josh-freaking-Rother got married?

Anna has been sewing and busy with opening and filling her Etsy store (come on, people, buy my nifty shi#!) She also somersaulted elegantly from the back of a horse and is nursing the injuries to this day. A quick day-trip to Kansas City with a friend, eating Fred's grilled dinners and is still begging for a wafflemaker. A wafflemaker.

Summer is ending. I know this because a 3T Chicago Bears jersey showed up on our doorstep, Fred has been relentlessly playing the new Madden and I'm thinking Halloween with Trick-or-Treat bags for my Etsy store and costumes for the family.

(Elliot & Fred as Curious George and the Man in the Yellow Hat?)

The end of Summer means one thing: the beginning of Fall. My fave-o-rite season. The weather, warm food and sweatshirts. The lets do it before the weather turns activities. It's Waubonsie in October, comforting Fred when the Cubs blow it and avoiding Lincoln like the plague on game days. And, hopefully, my blogging will get better.

Sweetness!

Thanks to Jen for the following:
- Wanting me to make some handprints in fabric for her kids
- Letting me put them on Etsy for her to purchase in my store
- Buying them and blogging about it, leading to
- ME BEING FEATURED ON A KIDDO WEBSITE!!!

Check me out at Ohdeedoh!

If you want a Stitched Handprint - check out my shop!

Neat and Tidy List: It Makes me ...

Happy
A huge smile and running hug from Elliot.
Dinner with everyone talking about their day.
Bananas in my oatmeal and pancakes for dinner.
Elliot finally using the potty at least once daily.

Annoyed
The lady that tried to run Elliot and I over this morning.
Wal-Mart. Even just the parking lot.
People that inadvertently say offensive things.
The 'are you sure no more kids?' question.

Sad
The book I'm reading... the chick's brain dead.
My sister and her family live too far away.
Knowing nothing I can do can 'fix' the one I love.
Some people are just rotten to the core.

Hopeful
Alzheimer's research continues.
Payday on the 15th lets me get a haircut and highlights.
Elliot just might be out of diapers at age 3.
Someday my dining room will not be carpeted.

Disappointed
No sales yet on Etsy, except to a person I know.
Being made to feel I'm not good enough for certain people.
A purchased product fails to meet expectations.
Nikki & Victor and Nick & Phyllis Newman.

Excited
Nate's sleeping over at our house soon.
I think I'm going to make Bella a fabulous fall coat.
Finishing my quilt - first one I've made for ME.
RIBFEST.

You Want a What Wedding?

From the very beginning, it had been Fred's idea. I stared, figuring out whether or not to laugh at him and ultimately snorted saying "yeah, right, a baseball wedding. Come on, be serious."

He was.

Soon we were putting together pennants, taking pictures for a baseball card and buying a case of baseballs. Painting pots, buying bulk licorice and ordering ivy. Taking hat orders, designing a flower ball, finding pint-sized jerseys and rounding up a dozen old bats.

The very original plan was guys and gals in jerseys on Sherman Field here in Lincoln. After a series of getting-nowhere calls with the City's Parks Department we ended up with a small town church and infused baseball in every step. Rev. Tubbesing embraced the idea - asking at least twice, even I get to wear a ball cap?

Our guests signed baseballs as a guestbook and picked up their programs broken out by innings. I walked down the aisle after a ring bearer in uniform holding our rings in a mit and a flower girl in uniform carrying a baseball-looking flower ball. The guys were all in hats - sharp white ones with the team of their choosing.

Did the I do's and walked down the aisle to the organist playing 'Take me Out to the Ballgame.' Everyone snickered - we grinned. We left the church under a tunnel of baseball bats and were sent off by guests waving their pennants. Climbed on the small bus (what, a limo at a ballgame??) and we were off.

As stated on the program, the 7th Inning Stretch was the drive over and the 8th and 9th Innings were the reception. No stuffy dance for us - just people hanging out, eating baseball food (cracker jacks, hot dogs, popcorn, nuts, etc.) and the groom's ball field cake and looking at the baseball cards we had made as favors. On each table were painted brick wall pots with ivy climbing out and mini baseball hats tucked inside.

It was, by far, the most funnest wedding ever. Happy 5 Years, F.

Mommy's Haircut Parlor

Before I became a Mommy, I started cutting Fred's hair. Thanks to having thick, poker-straight hair it has always been an easy chore for me... a 1 on the bottom and finger-width on top.

Got that?

Now add in 9 months of growing a baby and all of the forgetfulness that comes with it and what do you get? NO GUARD on the clipper and a crying pregnant lady shrieking "OhmiGawd I'm so sorry!"

Fred was calm and patient - and annoyed as all get out I am sure since I shaved this strip down the middle of his head - and promised me that everything was fine. No big deal. This way, he joked, he'd be more aerodynamic when running. That, and a heaping bowl of ice cream soothed my sorrows... but I have never forgotten about it. (In fact, it was almost a year before I was willing to cut his hair again.)

Fast forward about 2 1/2 years to tonight. Fred sits down and I swear I see a flicker of fear in his eye that dates back to "pregnant + clippers = BAD NEWS" but I forage on. After taking a look at the fabulous job I did, I was puffing out my feathers in my I am sooo awesome at haircuts kind of way and plopped Elliot down on Fred's lap and flipped on the clippers.

Whoops. And... oh shit. As Britney would say - I did it again.

Only this time I'm not pregnant and have no good excuse.

Silly Mommy.

Call me Captain Lame-o

I guess I'm in the midst of a raging case of Blogger's Block.

Anything you want to hear about, Internets?