Because I'm Me

Shop Update

2013-06-18T16:57:00.002-04:00

I've gotten a few recently completed ties into the shop. Fun, fresh new colors and patterns for summer.

More to come in the next few days.

A side note: The other day I stopped by our The Children's Place Outlet and they had some great newsboy caps on clearance for about $5. The caps came in linen, blue, and gray in sizes newborn - 12; perfect to pair with a wide variety of ties and dressier looks (and, like ties, they're not just for boys!). I don't come across these adorable caps very often so wanted to pass that along.

Summer Vacation 2013: The Year of the Canyon: Florida

2013-06-17T08:00:00.000-04:00

Our adventure ... a 2 1/2 week trip from southwest Florida to Grand Canyon. The goal was to get there and back, I really didn't give a lot of thought to the magnitude of what we were doing beyond that.

We did it! One Mama, 5 kids (oldest stayed home to work), 1 old camper, 1 minivan, 5300 miles driven, 13 nights camping in 8 different campgrounds, 1 night in a hotel (we marveled at the size of the fridge in the room, it was three times the size of the camper fridge), 3 nights with family, and over 1300 pictures taken. And a gazillion memories to last forever. Best. Vacation. Ever.

Our first stop was Falling Waters State Park in the Florida panhandle, home of Florida's highest waterfall and some great, deep sinkholes.

As we pulled into the park I noticed a sign stating that the waterfall isn't always active, that it can be dry. Which it was. Not quite as exciting as a cascading waterfall, but still interesting.

Dry Waterfall

Very Dry Waterfall

The park had some nice trails, made of decking, concrete, and paths, which we enjoyed.

Second stop, Florida Caverns State Park, located down the road from Falling Waters. This was a gorgeous park with huge, tall, lush pines and magnolias.

From our campsite we could walk to their swimming lake and to a few other trails. Unfortunately, we discovered very quickly that the bugs in this park were HUGE and relentless - Ian said they reminded him of Jurassic Park. The giant bugs make hiking and hanging out a little less enticing.

The park is named after the Caverns, a series of underground rooms filled with stalagmites and stalagtites. Free tours are offered every day but Tuesday and Wednesday and are well worth taking. Living at just above sea level, as we do, it was hard to imagine real caverns in Florida (dig here, hit water!), so it was really thrilling to tour the caverns and discover a new side of Florida.

Back in Business

2013-06-12T10:35:00.001-04:00

Cadillac Ranch, Route 66, Amarillo, TX

The shop has now reopened and I'm excited to get busy on some quilts and ties!

Summer Vacation 2013: The Year of the Canyon

2013-06-11T09:47:00.001-04:00

Grand Canyon, Arizona

The kids and I are still vacationing, having traveled to the Grand Canyon. I'd hoped to post vacation updates along the way but through our entire trip we've only had internet connection 4 nights, which just didn't provide enough time to sort through all the photos taken when the kids needed the computers for schoolwork.

Caprock Canyons, Texas

So far, a wonderful time. Super photo heavy posts coming soon!

The shop will reopen sometime tomorrow, providing I can get online to reopen it.

Palo Duro Canyon, Texas

TOS Review: Let's Make a Webpage

2013-06-03T08:00:00.000-04:00

A confession: When I was asked to review Let's Make a Webpage by Motherboard Books I was skeptical. Maybe even highly doubtful.

A web page building program for kids aged 8-14. At 10 and 11 Kaden and Adam scarcely use the computer, except to play games. Their keyboarding (once, we called it typing ... seems like a long time ago!) skills need a lot of work and while they've done some research on the computer I wouldn't expect them to be capable enough to make a web page of their own. So, either the program had to be very simple or over their heads, right?

Hmm ...

Let's Make a Web Page by Phyllis Wheeler is a 60 page e-book. I was sent a link, followed it, and downloaded the book in just one file. I was able to easily print it (two sided, to save paper) and then stuck it in a binder for the boys. Very simple.

The program recommends using a specific web page editor called Coffee Cup. I think you could use others, but since this was what the author was using it was what we used. I installed the program for the boys, not feeling terribly comfortable about having them do that on their own on the computer.

Once the web page editing program was installed I handed the boys the printed e-book and the laptop and left the room to sew some ties.

The next time I saw one of the boys he had a web page with shooting fireworks and background images.
He'd interviewed one of his sisters, learned how to search the internet for images and sound files, learned how to save them on the computer, and learned how to save his entire page and view it using a web browser. He'd also taken a picture of his sister from my computer and put it on the web page, front and center. And he'd done that all by himself.

Skeptical no more! More like very impressed and excited.

Both boys loved this program and both of them, in no time at all with very little assistance, had created really cool, exciting, full-of-neat-stuff web pages.

The only problem we ran into was putting sound on the web pages. Try as we might we couldn't get that lesson to work, so we skipped it.

The instructions are very clear and easy to follow. The author is very thorough in her explanations and directions. Ms. Wheeler writes very conversationally, so while she used technical terms they're presented in a friendly easy-to-understand manner.

Since building their web pages they've both gone back in and added and edited, adjusting graphics, colors, and fonts. And, unlike some of their schoolwork, I've had not once had to tell them to work on it. It's also obvious that they're more confident and comfortable with the computer, which is so important as the computer becomes such a big part of school and everyday lives.

This skeptical Mama is impressed.

Let's Make a Webpage is geared towards kids ages 8 and up. It can be purchased at Motherboard Books for $19.95.

Click to read more reviews from the Schoolhouse Review Crew.

TOS Review: Pointillism Fruit Art DVD

2013-05-29T08:00:00.000-04:00

When my oldest daughter, Cassie, was 8 or 9 years old we found a wonderful art class for her through our local art league. One of the artists she learned about was Georges-Pierre Seurat, who painted with tiny dots. "Seurat the dot" (yes, a little pronunciation fudging), her teacher taught her ... and that little rhyme stuck for her and me, to this day when one of us sees a dot painting we know who made it, or at least who inspired it.

I was recently given the opportunity to review a DVD entitled Pointillism Fruit with Pat Knepley, available through See the Light.

The DVD contains four complete step-by-step lessons totalling 96 minutes. Each lesson contains history about the artist and the time period, information about the technique and art elements, and the "how to" information needed to create your own masterpiece.

In addition to the DVD materials required include cotton swabs, poster board or art paper, a pencil, and a variety of acrylic paints.

Pat Knepley is an enthusiastic artist and teacher. She is very conversational, without going overboard. Her lessons are presented clearly, knowledgeably, and patiently. There is a Christian element to each lesson, which I was aware of ahead of time, with a few minutes dedicated to a lesson focusing on the Bible and Christianity, throughout the rest of the lesson it isn't mentioned. As a secular home schooling family I found it noticeable, not overwhelming, and didn't mind it at all.

After the kids had gathered their supplies they sat down with the DVD and watched the lessons. One of the blessings of the DVD is that the kids were able to stop or replay as needed to be sure they understood the technique and lesson. We broke the lessons up over four different days, to avoid getting overwhelmed. We spent about 4 hours total watching the DVD and doing our projects.

Mia (13) seemed to grasp the concepts quickly, I think her previous art classes gave her an advantage.

Adam (11) said, "I liked it because we learned about an artist. I liked it because I liked pointillism art. I thought it was a fun project.".

Kaden (10) did find it a bit frustrating, making lots of little dots and then adding lots more little dots for depth and shading takes time, but he stuck it out and said, "This kind of art would inspire other people to do more art. I want to do more art. This is a good program for people of all ages. This will be good for everyone."

River (4), well, he really got the dot making part but the rest of it was a little over his head, as expected.

Mia, age 13

River, age 4; Kaden, age 10; Adam, age 11

I liked this program. I appreciate that the kids learned more than just drawing with dots; they also learned art history, technique, color mixing, and color value. Having the DVD will allow the kids to pick it up and do the program again any time they'd like.

Pointillism is recommended for kids aged 10+ and is available at See the Light for $14.99.

Click to read more reviews from the Schoolhouse Review Crew.

Gorgeousness

2013-05-26T23:59:00.003-04:00

I truly get over the top excited when I get pictures of my ties "in action". This one is no exception ... I can't begin to explain how thankful I am that Scott and his bride invited me, through my ties, to be a part of their wedding.

Aren't they a beautiful couple?

Congratulations to you!

And an extremely handsome young man from the wedding party:

Shop News

2013-05-23T08:00:00.000-04:00

Quick news ... the shop will be closed from May 27th to June 12th.

There's still plenty of time to get orders in before I close for a much anticipated family vacation.

*These ties are not yet in the shop, but if you're interested in either of them, for men or boys, in bow tie or necktie, just let me know.

Sneak Peek

2013-05-18T16:29:00.003-04:00

Usually the sneak peeks make it to facebook well before they make it to the blog, so I thought I'd mix things up a bit and post a first peek here.

These ties, and their coordinating bow ties, should be listed in the shop within the next few days. Can't wait? That works for me ... just ask!

Enjoy your weekend.

Summer Color Fun

2013-05-17T08:00:00.000-04:00

These ties weren't all part of the same order but they looked so good together I had to take their picture.

Hillsborough River State Park

2013-05-16T11:48:00.001-04:00

A few more images from our camping trip to Hillsborough River State Park a few weeks ago.

One third of the way in from the left and halfway up the image is a sunbathing alligator.

It was a gorgeous day, nice and cool at night, and comfortable in the morning with a slight breeze.

While at the park we saw a raccoon (he stole our trash bag and carried it up a tree!), a deer, an owl stealing fish, 2 smallish-medium sized alligators (one of which did not move, thankfully, when my son fell in the river), turtles, fish, and much more. Come to find out, this park is known for it's snakes. Some folks who were there the week after us saw a number of them. I am not good at all with snakes, not at all. Thankfully, we did not see any of those.

Mini Rapids

Suspension Bridge

TOS Review: One Minute Mysteries: 65 More Short Mysteries You Solve with Science

2013-05-16T09:57:00.000-04:00

I received a copy of, and was asked to use and review Science Naturally's One Minute Mysteries: 65 More Short Stories You Solve with Science!, written by Eric Yoder and Natalie Yoder. Having used One Minute Mystery books in the past, I was very excited to be chosen for this review and it didn't disappoint.

This arrived at just the right time. Adam (11) and Kaden (10) had just finished their logic curriculum, and this book offered a perfect "end of school year" alternative.

I kid you not, when the book came in the mail I had to hide it from the boys. They were so excited. The mysteries are short, as the title says, and I knew if they got their hands on it they'd devour it in record time, and well before I had a chance to do it with them.

If you've read any of my home schooling posts in the past you might have noticed that I love finding ways to sneak learning in almost unnoticed, much in the same way a Mom might sneak veggies into her child's diet. This is that kind of book ... it's fun and short and entertaining, but still contributes to our weekly requirements of reading, logic, and science (it is not a science program, but a fun supplement).

Using the book and incorporating it into our school day was easy peasy. The boys and I, and Mia (13) would sit at the table and I'd read the short, engaging one page stories, each of which have a question or statement at the end that needs to be explained with science (the mystery). After they'd give their answers and discuss their reasoning (when more than one solution was suggested) I'd turn the page and read the answer, based on science. The answers were more than just one-liners, they provided the reasoning behind the answer as well. After we were well into the book I casually left it laying around and, sure enough, they picked it up and read the stories to each other and worked through the answers.

The book is divided into chapters; life science, earth and space science, physical and chemical science, general science, and bonus math mysteries. Story topics include whales (they're mammals, not fish), a irrigation problem and solution, mosquitos, and balance.

The softcover book is 160 pages and is geared for ages 8-12.

The kids and I really enjoyed and appreciated this book. While they knew a lot of the answers they didn't know them all and learned from it. It certainly held their attention, the mysteries are quick enough to not lose their focus. It's a great family activity book, easy to do together. I think this would be a great book to have on a road trip, perfect for car entertainment (the boys are planning to test Ian's knowledge with it on our upcoming vacation) and something to do on a rainy day.

One Minute Mysteries: 65 More Short Mysteries You Solve with Science! is available at Science, Naturally! for $9.95.

Click here for more reviews of One Minute Mysteries: 65 More Short Mysteries You Can Solve with Science! from the Schoolhouse Review Crew.

Independence Day Planning

2013-05-10T08:00:00.000-04:00

Image courtesy of Tamarack Lodge

Believe it or not, it's time to start thinking about the Fourth of July. (I know, didn't this year just start yesterday?)

When I was growing up my family went to my grandparent's house most years to celebrate Independence Day. I have so many great memories of swinging on the porch swing with my cousins and drinking Ting soda. While we saw our cousins throughout the year, some more than others, Fourth of July was the one time when we were all together.

When I was 13 we moved out of state. Around that time some of the older cousins spread out to various colleges and began lives of their own. As happens, the annual Independence Day get-togethers became a wonderful part of my past.

Many, many years later, just after Ian was born, we had a huge family reunion for that side of the family on Fourth of July weekend. Not only were all my cousins there but so were their (and my) children, most of whom we'd never met before. A gorgeous family portrait was taken, with everyone celebrating the "red, white, and blue". That was a good 14 years ago and so much has changed (and now we have facebook to keep in touch!) but the recollections and pictures are always there.

Awesome memories!

Whatever your wonderful holiday plans, a tie may be the perfect icing on the cake for those family photos. Or for showing your spirit at a local parade (we love the annual parade in Waupaca, WI, though we don't make it every year).

"Girl, it's only May," you say. True, there's plenty of time, almost two months.

The shop, though, will be closed from the end of May to June 11th for my vacation so I'm recommending orders get in soon so there's no "down to the wire" worry. I will, as always, work to accommodate last minute orders, but I can't speak for the USPS, so I suggest playing it safe.

These ties, coordinating pocket squares, and more can be found in the Holiday section of the shop and are available for both boys and men. Red and blue gingham ties are available as well in neckties and bow ties.

The ties are certainly not limited to the Fourth of July. They're great for Flag Day, Memorial Day, Veteran's Day, Pearl Harbor Day, and every single day of the year.

Find a little American pride pinspiration here.

What are your Independence Day memories? Are you my age, old enough to remember the Bicentennial? I'd love to hear your stories.

TOS Review: Spanish For You!

2013-05-09T12:18:00.000-04:00

I was asked to review Spanish for You's Fiestas program by Debbie Annett, MDEd.

Spanish for You is a Spanish language course for kids in grades 3-8. The program I was asked to review, Spanish for You! Fiestas! was a downloadable e-book and contained an e-book, lesson guide, worksheets divided into age groups (grades 3-4, 5-6, and 7-8), audio files both by the teacher and in a native tongue, and flashcards.

I intended to use this with Adam and Kaden (ages 11 and 10). Mia (age 13) decided to join in.

To begin, I had to open and download all the files mentioned above. They were very large zip files and my computer found them very challenging. After the zip files were downloaded and opened I had the task of finding the files - audio, worksheets, and flashcards - I needed for each lesson. There was a lesson guide but the files weren't clearly labeled in the lesson guide and weren't necessarily in order on my hard drive, creating some organizational confusion.

To be truthful, we're a book family. Until the kids do schoolwork online (late middle school / high school) we sit at the kitchen table with our books and work away. I was out of my element with this program and I was beyond frustrated, which may have been lessened somewhat had I had much experience with downloaded programs. That said, I really do believe that the program needs to be, and can be, better organized. I spent a lot of time channeling paraphrased SirMixaLot lyrics:

"I like big books, I cannot lie. You other brothers can't deny ...".

After fighting with the computer, the files, my SirMixaLot brain, and, ultimately, the printer I was tempted to give up on the program, thankfully I didn't throw in the towel, because my first impression was not a reflection of the quality of the program itself.

The program seemed to me to be kind of a hybrid between immersion and traditional classroom. Our program, Fiestas! teaches Spanish while talking about parties and events, rather than just the rote memorization I remember from junior high Spanish (as boring as that was, I can still conjugate a whole lot of verbs!). The first lesson teaches birthday party terms, which really got the kids attention and kept them interested. Even River (age 4) sat at the table and participated. The flashcards and worksheets, combined with the audio lessons, really worked. We spent about 20-25 minutes a day on the lessons and by the end of the first week all the kids had learned a dozen words in Spanish and after two weeks they were learning verb forms and had a grasp on some basic communication. What they were learning made sense because it was in "everyday" terms, and that made it much easier to learn and retain.

After the first few days we got into a routine ... they'd work on flashcards while I found the correct files for the day, nowhere near as frustrating as it was initially. I'm not sure if the kids liked watching me get confused or really, really liked the Spanish program, but they did ask every day to do Spanish (I believe it was combination of both). Each days lesson included a combination of sound files (very handy for non Spanish speakers), flashcards, games/activities, lesson pages, and worksheets.

From Kaden: The program helped us memorize Spanish, so we could speak it. It took a while to find the right pages but when we found them we could learn something. I think other people would learn from it when they did it.

Overall, I liked the content of this program for the kids because they liked it and they learned from it while still having fun. The lessons were engaging and interesting, with a lot of variety in presentation and work required.

In it's current form this is not the program for me, I wish it were organized with everything needed for a lesson together, with a clearer, more navigable lesson guide, but I think this program has great potential. If a new lesson plan that I could follow more easily was released we'd likely continue with the program.

Spanish for You! Fiestas! 24-30 week program can be purchased at Spanish for You! for $34.95 for each specific grade level, or $64.95 for all three grade levels (grade 3-4, 5-6, and 7-8). Included in the $35.95 and $64.95 are:

soft cover book or e-book (currently only our trial pkgs.)
24-30 week lesson guide for the grades you need (24 weeks for G5-6 & 7-8, 30 weeks for G3-4) (PDF download)
self-checking worksheets (PDF download)
audio files of entire book (includes bonus audio of native speaker of entire book) (MP3 download)
flashcard/activity pictures (PDF download)

Click here for more reviews of Spanish for You! Fiestas! from the Schoolhouse Review Crew.

One Adventure Down

2013-05-08T08:00:00.000-04:00

We made it through our inaugural camper weekend. Last Saturday afternoon we headed to Ikea and then a state park campground for the night to test out the camper.

Worked perfectly.

There is still some organizing to do (we forgot scissors somehow) and a few more necessities to take care of, but we got so much done and had so much fun.

I must admit I ordered a memory foam mattress as soon as I walked in the door on Sunday. This old body doesn't do well on cheap concrete camper mattresses!

A little remodeling update ...

Before:

After:

Sorry the "before" doesn't show the same view as the after, but it should give a good idea.

All cabinets, walls, and drawers have been painted white to remove the two-toned brown and gold look (with oxidizing brass hinges). New white self-closing hinges and clear Ikea knobs have been added.

The quilts on the ends are from the girls bedroom, before they were replaced with Mama-made ones. I squared the corners and added elastic at the bottom so the quilt would stay permanently tucked in (the boys prefer blankets on top of the quilt).

In the top image you can see the front door. The bottom half of the inside of the door has been painted with chalkboard paint. Two coats over primer turned out just right, super easy to write on and wipe off.

Those benches will be recovered eventually, but today they aren't bothering me too much so it'll be a bit.

We're planning our next adventure already. In the meantime I'll be practicing my backing up skills (not easy my friends, not easy).

TOS Review: Papa's Pearls by Homefire Press

2013-05-07T08:00:00.000-04:00

I was recently given a copy of, and asked to read and review, the book Papa's Pearls, a Father's Gift of Love and Wisdom to His Children and Grandchildren, written by Diane Flynn Keith.

Papa's Pearls tells of the life of Diane Flynn Keith's father, Papa, from childhood to death, overcoming poverty and crime to become a successful father, husband, and businessman, while simultaneously sharing Papa's "pearls" of wisdom. Each chapter has it's own pearls and short accompanying anecdotes; I was reminded of all those little memes that float around facebook that I see and "must" remember and promptly forget ... except that the addition of the stories behind the "pearls" made sense, and made the little nuggets of knowledge much easier to remember and relate to.

The softcover book is a fairly quick read, with 112 pages. It's written for adults, as a parenting and personal growth book, and also worked with my older elementary and middle school aged kids.

I read the book first and then passed it along to Mia (age 13) to read in a doctor's office (have I mentioned that the child slammed her thumb in a car door - requiring stitches for the cut AND a splint for the break?). She enjoyed the stories of Papa's life and found a few pearls that spoke to her, particularly one about saving money and one about hugging more (everyone needs a lot more hugs than they're getting!).

The book was then passed on to Adam (11) and Kaden (10). In place of their regular creative writing, they were asked to pick a number 1 through 17 (the number of chapters in the book), then read the chapter, choose a pearl from it (they're listed at the beginning of the chapter), and write a page about how that pearl could apply to their lives. Teacher Mama hoped that they'd start reading and read the entire book but they stuck to the assigned chapters. They did do some good thinking, and wrote terrific papers about being honest and trying after failure.

I enjoyed the book. The lessons are meaningful, especially as they're presented. Some of the "pearls" really hit home for me, like "Tell yourself you like it" and "Be grateful every day". Some of the anecdotes had me giggling, some had me near tears, and many had me rereading so I'd remember and put into practice the lessons being taught. The boys were very ambivalent about Papa's Pearls. They read what they had to, but really had no interest in digging any further into it. Mia, on the other hand, enjoyed it very much and talked about it quite a bit afterwards, she really did get a lot of out of it, and I can see other teenaged girls really liking it and finding great value in it.

Papa's Pearls is available at Papa's Pearls for $14.97 and $7.00 shipping and handling.

Click here for more reviews of Papa's Pearls from the Schoolhouse Review Crew.

If You Need Us ...

2013-05-01T13:52:00.000-04:00

.... we'll be on the road with our "new to us" pop up camper.

The interior is no longer brown walls and brown cabinets with gold detail and brass hardware. The cabinets and walls are now white (always nice to find a "use what you've got" project!). Much more my style and so much lighter and brighter. A trip to Ikea will occur in the near future for cabinet knobs. I will share progress pictures as we transform this baby into "ours".

After deciding not to pay someone to install the tow bar and trailer lights hook up I bought the needed parts online; I installed the lights wiring myself and a friend did the trailer hitch. I was pretty darn proud!

Our first trial run will be this upcoming weekend. One night to see if we can figure out how everything works, which is imperative because all I know how to do is plug in the electricity; I've got a lot to learn.

And then ... at the end of May/beginning of June we're taking a 2 week trip to the Grand Canyon, with some pretty cool stops along the way!

Buttonhole Cutting Trick

2013-04-25T08:00:00.000-04:00

The last step to making the vest from the other day was the buttonholes and buttons. Buttons are easy. Buttonholes, not so much. And, as the very last step to making the vest, not the part of the vest I wanted to take chances with!

To ease the process a bit, here is the best buttonhole opening solution I know of:

To begin, sew your buttonholes. I have no sage advice here. My only suggestion is to google or search for a YouTube video for your particular machine and make as many practice buttonholes as necessary.

Many tailor suppliers and notions sources sell a buttonhole cutter set, containing a cutter and a block of wood or mat.

I did not have ready access to a shop that I knew would carry one of these sets (rumor has it Joann's doesn't carry this product) so I, instead, went to a hardware store and purchased a simple cold chisel for about $4.50.

As you can see, it has a nice point to it, not sharp to the touch but sharp when pressure is used.

Gather the rest of your supplies; a small block of wood, a spare piece of fabric large enough to wrap around the block of wood, and a hammer or mallet.

Wrap the cloth around the block of wood. Wrapping the bottom will protect your floor, wrapping the top will protect your fabric.

Place the buttonhole to be opened on top of the cloth covered wood.

Center the chisel over the area of the buttonhole to be opened. Because the sides of the buttonhole are raised from stitching the chisel wants to be right in the middle and will naturally go there, avoiding the newly sewn threads. Hold the chisel vertical, perpendicular to the wood and buttonhole.

Hammer the top end of the chisel a few times with some good solid whacks to cut the fabric and create the buttonhole opening. Move the chisel down the buttonhole and hammer again, repeating if necessary until you've opened the entire buttonhole.

Voila: Perfectly opened buttonhole! Great job.

On occasion, your buttonhole opening will be smaller than your chisel. To easily solve this, instead of laying the buttonhole flat on the wood wrap it over one edge and hammer the chisel through a portion of the buttonhole, then turning it around to finish the buttonhole.

Step back, smile, congratulate yourself, and marvel at your brilliant buttonholes.

The Best Boys Vest

2013-04-23T08:00:00.000-04:00

I've been toying with the idea of adding vests to the shop after making this one last December. I hesitated (time constraints!), and hemmed and hawed, until I received a special request for vests to match this tropical tie purchased for an upcoming summer wedding.

I was so excited by the opportunity I immediately said yes and got to work. That is how the boys vest came to be.

The vest is fully lined, in a coordinating solid. It has three buttons up the front and a belt in the back, allowing for adjustability.

I am offering the vest in the shop in a seemingly endless array of Kona cotton colors. Of course, prints can and will be done just as easily per request.

As soon as I get the post put together I'll be sharing the most incredible simple trick I learned for flawlessly cutting open buttonholes!

Shop Update

2013-04-17T08:00:00.000-04:00

A few of the new summery ties appearing in the shop this week. A click on the images will lead directly to their shop listing.

Robots, oh my!

2013-04-12T08:00:00.000-04:00

This was a post about a whole bunch of home repair and maintenance going on around here this week. After writing the whole entire post I just didn't feel it, so I deleted it.

So, instead, we have a new pair of Mama Made Cargo Shorts. Please trust me when I say this is more fun than faucets, washing machines, printers, and refrigerators.

The many pairs of shorts I made last summer have now shrunk, somehow, and land well above River's knees. They shrunk around the waist too.

For this pair of shorts I used the same pattern as before, but had to add to the length and width (the pattern shrunk too, how does that happen?), and extended and widened the pocket, making it even better to fill with stuff.

They're robot shorts! River is super happy about that, even though he really has no shirt to wear with the shorts (why yes, a robot shirt probably will show up here very soon). The fabric is a Robert Kaufman print, and was purchased at StitchStashDiva.

I can't say enough how much I love this simple pattern.

Now if I could just get his clothes to fit until they're worn out ...

Fun

2013-04-11T08:00:00.000-04:00

Another beautiful weekend spent camping. It never gets old.

This particular weekend was spent in the company of 80 or so teenagers. The kids came from various local scout and other groups to compete and just plain have fun getting to know each other (and themselves a little better). For many of the kids it was their first time camping and they handled it like seasoned pros, it was neat to have the opportunity to see the experience from their point of view.

The first night the kids played games and watched movies. Apparently, Risk, is THE game. As soon as Adam and Kaden grabbed the game they, and Ian and Mia, were surrounded by new friends. The Risk board stayed set up all weekend, occasionally the players would change (I must admit I found someone to take my place pretty early on), the board would sit for hours while other things were going on, games would end and new ones would start, but no matter what, Risk was ready to go.

The competition ... tug of war, an obstacle course that involved galloping on a stick horse, a "bucking bronco" in the pool (Mia won that event ... sailing balance comes in handy), shooting, canoe dunking, and more.

I spent most of the weekend hanging out with Adam and Kaden. They were a little too young to compete but didn't let that stop them from having a great time and trying all the events they wanted to. I enjoyed a little one-on-two time with them. It's not often I get to hang out with just one or two kids for a whole day so I really soaked it in and enjoyed it.

The last event Saturday night was an extreme dodgeball tournament. Very exciting to watch. My kids, being the home schooled souls that they are, had no idea how to play but learned quickly (that happens when balls are flying at you!). I played dodgeball in elementary school and I had no idea there was so much strategy involved, the teams that had a plan and a back-up plan seemed to do the best.

{this moment}

2013-04-05T08:00:00.000-04:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.
If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

From SouleMama

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Swap Projects

2013-04-03T08:00:00.000-04:00

A few completed swap pieces ...

Two appliqued mug rugs for a Quilting Gallery swap.

Two house blocks for Block Swap Adventure.

I often get so busy making ties and related accessories that I don't make time to sew other stuff. These swaps are a great way to change the pace a little and do something different. Very, very refreshing and fun.

News

2013-04-02T08:00:00.000-04:00

A new section has been added to the shop, Mens Neckties. Currently there are 20something different prints available, I'm adding more as quickly as possible, including some styles that are completely new to the shop (and will be available for men and boys).

The men's ties match boy's bow ties and neckties ... great for weddings or photo sessions.

As always, if you don't see what you're looking for, ask. I'll do my best.