MommyCoddle

Coming Soon...

Tonight I got to the box labelled "Pottery: FRAGILE." So I decided to post just a sneek peak at what's to come in the near future in my etsy shop. Of course I still made lots of buttons (lots of giant ones this time) which I think would look fantastic on this pattern, which is my spring knitting project. ( i just checked the link and realized the picture doesn't show it--but imagine one big button at the collar on the swingcoat front.)

But I also became obsessed with making these fun, chunky pendants. I love them and immediately strung one for myself to wear. I love the swirl of colors, the earthy shades and I love that no two are exactly alike. And I'm hoping others will like them as much as me...we'll see. I just have to work out some kinks with stringing them--adjustable? clasps? etc...
Tonight, I'm sitting in a little coffee shop in my new hometown...enjoy the benefits of wifi since we still are working out some phone/internet problems. My husband graciously blessed me with a night out. Tomorrow it's his turn.
I'm cherishing these few moments away to catch up with all of you, too...

Slowly Emerging...

Three days, twenty hours,and about five showings of Max and Ruby, and Maisy--we have arrived at our desitination. It is good to be home, to be settling in. We still have much unpacking and organizing and decision-making to do (as in, should the pots and pans go in the bottom right or bottom left cupboard?) but it is starting to feel like home. The first day that the girls spent in their own beds, they both slept like rocks.
Now, I'm sitting in my dad's office, enjoying his company (and wireless), watching my girls playing in the yard outside my window and feeling good about being here.
Its been a long road to get here, and not just the literal roadtrip that it took to arrive.

I have to do this...

I don't want to do this but I have to...no more posting until it's from our new little cosy apartment. I said my first goodbyes tonight and it was harder than I thought. I cried a little, but probably could have had a full-on sob fest. Not just at saying goodbye to this friend, although that made me sad, but I'm just in need of a good, overwhelmed, we're moving, MOVING!!-- in three days, life is changing dramatically-kind of cry.
I was just thinking the other day how nice it would be if all you blogging friends were neighbors--I'd have you all over for a packing party--packing, chatting, laughing....although we probably wouldn't get any real work done. And of course blair would be the one lounging on the sofa as we carried it to the moving truck, wine glass in her hand... :)
So, anyway, Maryland, here we come...Pa--I hope you're ready for the big dose of little girly excitement and love that's coming your way in just a few days...
I'll still be checking my email (i can't cut myself off completely, come on now...) so keep those little encouraging emails coming, if you have the time. They help, they really do....
I'll leave you with a final picture I snapped of the girls tonight--they were lounging on the bed while I was packing up my closet. Dan says he'd title this one, "loved to death". Ever since Henry returned from his snip-snip at the vet, the girls have been all over him.

(oh, and after reading everyone's comments from the last post--should I be booking the tour bus to the ribbon outlet for late spring??)

Next stop: home.

Swapping and Simplicity

Last week I offered some fabric from my stash and Stephanie over at sumthings swapped me for a few yards. She makes these great bags and she sent me my very own. I absolutely love it because it is nice and big (i'm still carrying sippy cups, a spare diaper, and a doll or three!), and it has great pockets. I love it, I love it. And not only that, she sent along a mini version for another certain someone in my house (no, not Dan, Jackie--I knew you were thinking that!!)...Emma takes it everywhere and I've asked if I could borrow it sometime and she told me 'probably not'.  What a doll.

We are just four days away from our move and I think we are in trouble--my mother-in-law came over tonight and declared, "your house doesn't really look any different." uh-oh. I guess it will be a busy weekend. Sadly, it took me two days just to sort through my craft stuff. I've learned two things about myself:
1. I have a lot of yarn and not enough yarn...meaning I have a ton of yarn but for some reason I only buy one or two skeins, barely enough to make anything beyond a short scarf or a pair of mittens. it's a problem...maybe i'll just have to start knitting everything in stripes.
2. I have a lot of ribbon. The offray ribbon outlet is in my hometown in MD, now a mere two hours from where we're moving...(toni I haven't forgotton our swap). Almost every time I go home, my mom and I hit the outlet. You would all probably pass out at the selection and the prices. I promise I'll take pictures next time. I'm hoping to hit it this spring. So this is my box of "thinned out" ribbon...meaning I gave some away. And the box is several layers deep. And see those green, pink,and chocolate brown grosgrain ribbons rolls on the top left--the rolls are probably 8 inches across...and do I even tell you the price?? (99 cents!!--for the WHOLE roll!)

Well, I had more to write about, but my bed is calling me and I'm on early duty with Mary tomorrow--dan and I have been taking turns on who gets up, who sleeps in...it's glorious!
But before bed, I must drink my giant glass of water. It's my effort to cleanse my arteries (I know it doesn't make sense) after our Irish dinner...I found some recipes online--sausage potato CODDLE (how could I NOT make that recipe), boxty, and then a compltely sinful irish mint chocolate brownie for dessert. The coddle recipe was a total clogger--basically greasy meat and potatoes...and the brownie recipe could be described as this: go to your grocery store. Find every fudgy, chocolatey ingredient in the place, mix them all together, now add some butter, then dump in some chocolate chips to the thick chocolate sludge. Bake it, spread some mint frosting on top, then cover with more chocolate. It was so sickening and so decadent--but only in small doses. So much so, there might still be leftovers for next st patty's. Just the smallest morsel in your mouth is enough. Your saliva glands work so hard to compensate for the fudgey mouthfull you have to apply pressure to your neck muscles....

Swap-O-Rama!

I am long overdue on posting the wonderful goodness that arrived in our mailbox last week from Mary-Sue and her children Annika and Pedar. They were our wonderful partners from the miniswap and we have so enjoyed getting to know them better. I wish that I was a wee bit wiser, and had my camera at the ready when we opened the box, because instantly the contents were grabbed, loved and carried away to special places around my house. Our package was filled with so much thought and love and care...it truly was overwhelming. So, though it doesn't begin to do justice for all that was included in our swap, here are some highlights (mary was napping during the photoshoot)....oh, and the box was FILLED with little pink hearts, attached to different gifts with notes about each item. It was so fun.
For starters, she made each of the girls one of these aprons, with their initial stitched on in buttons! I love them, especially because we have one craft apron that the girl's usually argue over. Now they each have their own and they are way more fun than our plain old off-white one!

Each of the girls got one of these adorable summer skirts. I'm thinking they will be the perfect thing to wear over bathing suits? Although Emma wears hers now over her pants, of course.

This went up in Emma's room right away.

And here's some more of the wonderful things that I could round up. Emma loved the dolls and I spent the first day cutting and cutting and cutting....and look at the wonderful bag and treats that Mary-Sue included for me! The bag has great pockets, which I LOVE... she included a wonderful book,
some herbal rub for my girls since they were both sick when we were talking, a candle and do you see that beautiful linen towel with the red poppies(?)...I don't know if I can even bear to use it!

Even as I sit and write this, I'm realizing there is so much that I forgot--the grey squirrel puppet. I think I may be having more fun with it than anyone else. I'm pretty funny with puppets, I've realized. Of course, it's easy to get two giddy girls cackling when there mother is hiding behind a chair putting on squirrel dramas. Oh, and the sun catcher--Today, I caught emma standing on the counter at the sink, spinning it...and the books, and Lily, and the jewelry for emma....I know there' more that i'm forgetting, but thank you so much Mary-Sue and Annika and Pedar. Your thoughtful package made three girls in Wisconsin (i won't be able to say that for very long) very happy! xo.

I think the miniswap was a success. And I think a Fall round just might be in order...

Honesty is the best policy...

So, I have to be honest. It's friday and I'm on my computer. But for the record, I have had A LOT of computer free days this week, though not by choice.
We have been so busy...realtors, potential buyers, packing, and just lots of time of sitting on the sofa with Dan talking things out, making a game plan. I'm overwhelmed, but okay. Excited, but each day contemplating and taking in the things that I will miss about this place.
But, I'm on the computer. So I had to fess up. I just needed a little comp-time today.

Swap Anyone?

I'm in cleaning mode. I've had this huge bolt of fabric that I bought from Crate and Barrel for a long time and I've never done anything with it. So, I'm giving it away.    All GONE !! Sorry.

I kept a little for myself and still have five yards for the giving or the swapping. It is 100 % cotton.
Leave me a comment so that we can keep track of what's been taken and I'll get in touch with you for more details via email. I'm going to keep it to a one yard minimum so that I'm not sending out lots of packages. Enjoy!

Dawn: 1/2 yd. Jeanne: 2 yds. Stephanie: 2 yds. Mirre: 1/2 yd. Sound good?

Pack Your Bags!

It's official. Yesterday morning Dan accepted a new job in Delaware. We'll be moving in about three weeks to a cosy garage apartment here while we wait for our house to sell; or maybe longer, who knows?? We are excited, overwhelmed, stressed, anxious (in a good way). There's TONS to do, but the payoff is great. This is the first time in my married/motherhood life that I'll be living close to my family. I can't wait.
The first thing Emma asked me when we came downstairs this morning was, "Could we go to Pa's house todayyyyy?" I think that's a good sign.
More blogging soon when I'm not so greasy, stinky and laundry-laden.
Oh, and for those of you that remember---  we Dan just found our MIA Christmas decorations....

Hip! Hip! Hippo!?

This stack of books came home with me from the library over the weekend. It actually pushed me over my borrowing limit. (we love the library around here...) But hidden inside one of these books was a pattern for her:

I definitely couldn't make hippos for a living...I'm very slow. But you can see she's well-loved. She was snatched from my lap several times before I even had the chance to get those eyes tacked on, hence the wobbly-eye look.
So go to your local library and search those dusty shelves.  Somewhere between 'making dolls' and 'fancy embroidery' you'll find a wealth of old patterns waiting to be discovered.