20.6.13

Late night

"Now I know my ABCs, next time won't you sing with me?"



I don't know. I just found myself in THAT situation. You know, the situation where I'm in a one week professional development class for graduate credit, homework to do, a baby to get to bed, and a sewing project that just HAD to be finished.
So, with most {some} of my homework behind me, I jumped in to the project. And, with a husband out of town I had nobody to hold me accountable to my bed time...well, except myself... and myself kept saying, "one more letter, one more letter"




 For this project I used a tutorial I found through pinterest- it led me to Chez Beeper Bebe and her tutorial. I changed her letter template- I realized (I think) that she was just using Arial black on an outline setting, and I wanted bigger letters... so I made my own templates. Also, this set does not have magnets in them, but magnets are ordered and another set will be made this weekend.
I found the "scrap busting" aspect of the project delightful. Fun to watch that pile shrink a little, while reliving memories of the original projects the scraps came from. And, since I dream of getting my craft room organized this summer, it's probably important I reduce my fabric supply to make the task easier, right? 

16.6.13

to the fathers!

-->
my father moved through dooms of love 
through sames of am through haves of give, 
singing each morning out of each night 
my father moved through depths of height 

-e.e. cummings 

 So, I'll admit it. I'm a groupie. An e.e. cummings groupie. Like so many before me and so many after... I just love reading his words. i carry your heart with me has long been my definition of love, my love theme of life. I once wrote a lesson plan designed to teach some of his less erotic poetry to 3-5th graders. 

So, as I planned a father's day gift, sifting through the myriad of weird stuff out there in pintrest/Internet land, I came across e.e. cumming's poem that he wrote after his father died. How have I missed this poem? Every word of it made me want to meet this man, this father, this person. 

I found one stanza that particularly made me think of my husband and combined it with hand prints- baby's first painting!- and I think the end result is perfection. I stuck it in a frame (and then took a not so great picture) and it's a treasure for always. So sweet.

The stanza I went with was:
My father moved through theys of we,
singing each new leaf out of each tree
(and every child was sure that spring
danced when she heard my father sing)
singing in spring for a very new daughter

 Getting into the paint with baby just got me excited to get some more messy arts and crafts going this summer. There is freedom in knowing I can turn on the sprinkler and get a clean baby through more "play time". 

So, father's day to all. I'm so thankful that my daughter has such a sweet, caring, thoughtful, smart, interesting, loving man to be her father.
my father moved through dooms of love through sames of am through haves of give, singing each morning out of each night my father moved through depths of height - See more at: http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15405#sthash.vpq1CazO.dp
my father moved through dooms of love through sames of am through haves of give, singing each morning out of each night my father moved through depths of height - See more at: http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15405#sthash.vpq1CazO.dpuf
my father moved through dooms of love through sames of am through haves of give, singing each morning out of each night my father moved through depths of height - See more at: http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15405#sthash.vpq1CazO.dpuf

14.6.13

Fiesta time!

Cinco de Mayo is holiday time,
holiday time
in Mexico!

-From some song I sang in a first grade class recital. It's never left my brain.

I had a little fun for Cinco de Mayo. I justified it by saying I would put her in this outfit again... but truly... this was a one time outfit. And it rocked.
Once I saw the tutorial for the skirt on Dana Made it I couldn't turn back. She makes it all look so easy and fun. And it was. I see more fiesta style twirly skirts in our future. It was a great way to use up some of the random trim I've had around- lace, ric rac... I actually had to hold back a little.
Of course, once I had the skirt, she needed a little shirt. Using freezer paper, I cut out the stencil, ironed it on, painted and waited for it to dry. So sweet. I've used the same technique for another outfit I made for her, it's a fun way to dress up a simple onsie or t-shirt.
This Bunny outfit was done a few weeks before the Cinco de Mayo outfit. I think it's pretty much the greatest onsie ever.

 A little burro, a little fiesta, a little skirt, a little fun.