Currently Drooling Over:

These spats by Ashes and Empires are some of the coolest things I've seen in a long time. I can't wait until I can walk in heels again ... I'm totally going to get some of these.

Craft Show... Lessons Learned

Back in September, when I didn't have internet access to keep you all updated on Junie None news, I participated in the Saratoga Art and Wine Festival. It was my first craft show and I was super nervous - so nervous that I forgot to bring my camera. So this picture is (again) from my friend Jen of some of the products I had on display.

Now, I will be honest and confess that I had what those in my professional field call "delusions of grandeur"; in the days leading up to the event I imagined selling out of everything, being mobbed by adorable mommies snatching up blankets and bibs, and even dreamed of the new sewing machine I would buy with my earnings. Well, by the end of the event I had experienced another psychological phenomenon: reality. I sold a few things, but in the end I broke even financially and DEFINITELY put more into the show than I got out of it. Several lessons learned:

1.) People generally don't go to art and wine festivals for the art. They are there for the wine. If I ever do a craft show again, I will do one that is strictly craft oriented, as I think it will attract more people in the market for hand-made goods.

2.) Things you never thought you'd need: white duct tape, tiny safety pins, a change of clothes to put on after you set up, and WATER - who would have thought that an art and wine festival could sell out of water. Hmm... In order to be completely prepared, in the weeks leading up to the event you will also need a toddler who naps at least 2 hours per day; a husband who is willing to take endless requests to build things, hang things, and paint things; and a personal chef, housekeeper, and chauffeur because you won't have time to do ANY of the things you are supposed to be doing.

3.) Bottom line: don't do a craft show when you are 7 months pregnant. It's really not a very good idea for a multitude of reasons, not the least of these being the frequency with which you will need to use the one bathroom which is three blocks away from where your booth is set up. Also, you will cry. Being pregnant adds this hazard to pretty much any occasion, but doing a craft show is really stressful and tiring, so there is just no avoiding it.

To sum up, I will think long and hard before agreeing to do a craft show again. It was a humbling and exhausting experience, but I DID learn how much my family and friends are dedicated to supporting me in this Junie None endeavor. So many people (namely my husband, dad, and mother-in-law) helped me, and even more showed up to support me, and that was really touching. And at the end of the day when I was a weeping, humbled mess, nobody said anything about how few blankets I had sold. They just fed me a nice italian dinner, drove me home, and put me to bed, happy to have me back and hoping I would wake up with enough energy to run a load or two of laundry.

Street Smarts

A few weeks ago I was driving "down the hill" to run some errands with Moses the chatterbox in his car seat. We passed the above sign and he announced "Mom - that sign says 'Watch out for deer!'"
"That's right, honey!" I said, impressed that he had figured this out on his own.

We then passed this sign, and Moses immediately shouted "And that sign says 'Watch out for horses!'"
"Great job, Moses! You sure are smart" said his proud mommy.
We continued driving for a few miles and passed this sign:


A confident little voice in the back seat piped up again: "And that sign says 'Watch out for letters!'"

Aren't kids great? :)

Last Taste of Freedom

My wonderful friend Jen just sent me some pictures of the trip we took a few weeks ago to Twain Harte - little did I know it would be my last trip before being imprisoned by my placenta. We had a blast - her son and mine get along REALLY well. We very rarely have to interfere on the "we don't hit our friends" and the "we always share our toys" levels, which, as you moms know, is VERY nice. The husbands get along very well too - both love cooking things over and/or in fire, and there was a lot of that going on. This left Jen and I, along with the delightful "baby Elle" to do girl things, like NOT cooking things over fire, and going to my favorite fabric store of all time, the Twain Harte drug store.

It is so weird that this drug store has a HUGE selection of designer fabrics, but they do, and every time I go there I meet quilters from all over California. I actually managed this trip without buying ANY fabric, but I did my fair share of drooling.

A great trip with great friends and a bit of adventure sprinkled in. Shortly after that first picture was taken poor little Moses fell into the river (in 37 degree weather, which, for us Californians, is REALLY cold) and of course, there were no clothes to change him into. Jen and I managed to jerry-rig up a new outfit out of diapers, dirty socks, plastic bags, and a tiny pair of pants Brett purchased at a local fishing shop, but the entire thing left Moses saying "I don't like to do that adventure, Mom."

Thanks for the pictures, Jen, and I think I still have your socks! :)

Just kidding...

Well, between the last post and today I've been sentenced to bed rest. The diagnosis: placenta previa - complete. Something about the "complete" part seems to be extra concerning for the doctors... so I'm on the couch for the next 3 weeks. Seems like the perfect opportunity to update my blog regularly, right? I'll try, but I don't have all my camera stuff available and I HATE doing posts wtihout pretty pictures. I'll just have to get creative. :)

I'm Back!

Wow - I can't believe the last time I posted here was in July!!! Nothing bad happened to me (thanks to those of you who asked). We just "lost" our internet connection, and it is apparently much more difficult than the commercials make it sound to provide internet access to those of us living in the boonies. I have missed this blog, and the blogs I have come to love reading daily. I will say, though, that having no internet connection did make me much more productive on several other fronts - housework being one of them, and napping being the other. :)

I'm looking forward to listing many new items in the shop over the next few weeks - I have been sewing, although that is slowing down a bit as I reach the HUGE phase of pregnancy. Happily, life as a pregnant lady with an almost-3-year-old has provided me with many blog-worthy moments over the last few months, and I'm looking forward to sharing some of them with you. However, nap time calls, so for now I'll just leave you with this picture of the latest quilt in my shop.