watch and wait

Video clips at Ustream
So the kindergarten at Soldier Hollow has been incubating eggs. Today is day 21 and they just got the live webcam set up and ready to watch the hatching. Why am I sitting here watching? It's reminding me of watching the police chase OJ Simpson down the LA freeway in his white Bronco... years ago, but don't deny it... you know you sat there and watched for hours waiting for something to happen. And so did I.
Jump to 2011, now we are all a little older and more mature, but still, I find myself stopping in the hardware store at the 'baby chicks for sale' troughs... mesmerized by the fluffy little cheepers. It's just a good as a trip to the petting zoo.
Here's to hoping we see something fluffy hatch soon, so we can all get on with it.

ski between the lines

All the late storms this last week have dumped loads of snow in the Wasatch mountains. Here's what Bishop's Bowl at Sundance looked like when the storm cleared for a minute and the sun came out.
See all the squiggly lines? A lot of those tracks are mine- and my gal Q- who had the day off of school- we were doing our best to fill in the gaps, until our legs could no longer hold us up. It's about time I got a powder day in, or, I should say... it's about time I got myself out onto the ski hill to enjoy a powder day.

PS- This is Sundance's last week of skiing, and there is a super deal going on... check it out on Facebook- day skiing is only $20, night skiing is $15 through April 3rd.

Good, (I hope your hands are) clean... fun.

Kick up the fun a notch at your next party. Get out the olives, blackberries, raspberries, grapes, (what snacks am I forgetting...?) and don't forget the hand sanitizer, Sharpies and cameras. Make caricatures of friends, family or foreign dictators. Take it to the next level with peanut butter pants, Airhead turtlenecks or Twizzler scarfs. Let your imagination run wild and laugh the night away. Enjoy the weekend.

swiss days

I recently learned that I am going to be a vendor at the 2011 Swiss Days Festival in my new hometown, Midway UT, (September 2nd & 3rd, Labor Day weekend). This bit of news is exciting and scary. I have a LOT of stitchery, sewing and all of that work to do, it's going to be a busy year, and I can't wait.

scribble sewing and swirls

on the door

In this house, everyones got a sign on their door. It's a serious business- your door message- not to be taken lightly or ignored. I have personal experience being reprimanded for not heeding the posted words of warning, no one is above the law here. As of this morning, this is what I found posted:

Various emotions, feelings and personal declarations on display- get the crap out of my face, I just want to be left alone and C (age 6) just wants to make art.
I'm feeling a little left out, apparently, Steve O and I need to work on a sign for our door. I'm thinking something like No Kids Allowed, Enter If You Dare, or how about, and we could set a precedent here...- Do Not Enter Without A Personal Compliment or Have A Great Day Chumps... (I just can't help myself.)

jenny o

I can't get this catchy tune outta my head, this gal, Jenny O.  just played at the South by Southwest music festival in Austin TX this past weekend. Listen in, and watch- anyone who rides a bike in their music video is allright by me.

grande finale

St. Patrick's Day went out with a bang...
-one trip to the instacare for stitches (broke glass science kit tool in the hand, 2 stitches)-
-attended a piano concert, the pianist was a long, lost friend from high school-
-dinner at the Crazy Train burger joint at 9 pm, with a couple of extra kid friends in tow-
-then a traffic stop for a headlight out in borrowed neighbor's car (ours is in the shop again...) with too many kids for number of seatbelts... my sob story of the evening's events worked and I got off with a warning- thank you lucky leprechauns foot.

 Let's hope today is a little less eventful concerning brushes with the law and trips to the hospital, but not less on fun... my little M is 11 today, and we're gonna party.   Here's to the one of the happiest, hilarious and peaceful gals I know. Happy Birthday!

St. Patrick Day intentions

All my best intentions for some really fabulous St. Patrick's Day front door decor are sitting in a heap in the corner of my sewing room. I had (wait... still have) this great idea- to make a scrappy, wacky sort of wreath with all these green bits and a leftover wreath form I found laying around. As you can see, it never got done.  But, it's going to happen, cause little naked, leprechaun/monkey guy is not going back in a drawer. He's staying on the shelf in plain sight,  staring me down and daring me to get him up on that front door. Maybe I'll make some tiny pants for him too... maybe not, for sure a tiny hat (tiny Easter dress?).

The Converse sneakers really have nothing to do with the wreath plan, I just threw them in while wondering how they ended up on the floor of the bedroom and not rockin' St. Patty's Day at the Middle School?

in the mailbox

How is it that this combination of periodicals landed up in my mailbox today?

fashion district

We stopped into downtown LA's Fashion District to have a wander and pick up a few items of fabric, trim, zippers and what not. Just a bit late in the afternoon- 4 pm- everyone was getting ready to close. Michael Levine, one of my very favorite fabric store was just closing... pretty bummed, (I really needed a bunch of zippers) we found some other goods along the way, like this really great ribbon for Beehive Bazaar items Q will be making for the spring show May 5-7.

ladies weekend

Phew,  just back from a whirlwind trip to So Cal with the ladies. We did a little relaxing at the beach house and a little running around the Southland... a much needed get away from the monotony of winter and everyday life.

Sunday, we made our way to Pasadena- to the Rose Bowl Flea Market. I have never been to this gigantic, exhausting spread of bric-a-brac... I think I'm in love. If only there were more hours in the day, days in a lifetime...

Treasures aplenty- we were all wishing we'd driven a moving truck instead of flown to CA. Now I know where to go (with that moving van) when I'm ready to do some redecorating. 

 The variety of goods and people on display, my oh my... sunny skies above and a day of hapless wandering- smiles all around.

a nappy bag

Just finished this specially ordered diaper bag for a local gal. I haven't made any bags since the move.  I had to fumble around the new sewing room looking for all the elements of bag making for quite awhile before I got everything organized, lots of muttering "now, where did I put those... magnetic snaps, zippers, straps and hardware, plastic canvas..." going on.

I've been recently deciding to mix up the fabrics and colors on the outside of the bag, no more "party in the back, business in the front"---> now it's party everywhere/all the time.

This canvasy striped fabric on the inside is super duro, for outdoor furniture I think. You could probably wipe it all down with a wet cloth daily if necessary. Like if your precious little one spit-up in there, baby food spill, diet coke mishap, dirty nappy temporary storage...  

covered buttons

This is one of the reasons you should never throw away any scrap of fabric, no matter how small.

why do we even own these books?

I am mostly talking about The Little Red Hen here. Every time I read this book with the kids I start getting all fired up. If you don't know what I'm talking about- here is a sample page, and the theme of the book...

The hen is trying to persuade her lazy friends/family to pitch in a little to grow, harvest and mill the wheat to make bread. She gets denied over and over again from every single barnyard companion. Is this speaking to anyone else out there? Any other mothers feel my pain... picking up what I'm laying down? 

This.Is.The.Story.Of.My.Life.
Everyone wants hot, fresh bread, but no one wants to help make it.

deep breathe... then exhale...

Then there is Frog and Toad, a couple of simpletons- but then again what did you expect? They are just amphibian amigos, (they're luck to have a book series...) trying to have a little fun. I have to laugh, admittedly out of jealous spite, whenever we arrive on the page of Frog's list of Things to Do.

I have a hunch Pierre's list of Things to Do is even shorter than Frog's.

sportswoman

The other Ann Taylor... ski racer (invited to ski in 1940 Olympics), pilot, horsewoman, designer of ski clothing, wife, mother, socialite- girl, you got it going on.

Hey, get off the shed!

This shed, inelegantly deposited in the sideyard of our house, (our petite substitute for a third garage bay)- lovingly nicknamed the "Outhouse" or "Sport Shack" has been calling F's name since he first set eyes on it. I missed the vision of what exactly he was planning until I went outside yesterday and found this scene unfolding. Oh well, if you can't beat 'em join 'em- Steve O climbed up too and helped plan the big jump. 

A small crowd gathered- our whole family and the young, impressionable Calderwoods' risking the cold to watch the scene unfold and embed some fresh ideas of how to behave when they turn 13 or so. 

Thank goodness he had his helmet on... what a good example.

Special thanks to the Calderwoods' for reminding us of this Saturday Night Live skit, we are so glad you are big SNL fans too and that you're the kind of neighbors to applaud this type of behavior, or at least turn the other cheek and not call DCFS.