photo shoot.

you know those cute holiday cards where everyone is 

smiling and looks like they stepped out of the pottery barn kids catalog?  well, photo shoots don't often goes as planned. when you're going for this.

you often end up with this.  dark lighting. squeezed faces and a what i didn't capture was a swift kick in the boots right after this...

anyways.

If I had a British Accent, I'd never shut up (clipped to polyvore.com)

i really wouldn't.

all i really need to know.

All I really need to know about how to live and what to do and how to be I learned in kindergarten. Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate school mountain, but there in the sand pile at school.

These are the things I learned:

• Share everything.
• Play fair.
• Don't hit people.
• Put things back where you found them.
• Clean up your own mess.
• Don't take things that aren't yours.
• Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody.
• Wash your hands before you eat.
• Flush.
• Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.
• Live a balanced life - learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.
• Take a nap every afternoon.
• When you go out in the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands and stick together.
• Be aware of wonder. Remember the little seed in the Styrofoam cup: the roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that.
• Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the little seed in the Styrofoam cup - they all die. So do we.
• And then remember the Dick-and-Jane books and the first word you learned - the biggest word of all - LOOK.

Everything you need to know is in there somewhere. The Golden Rule and love and basic sanitation. Ecology and politics and equality and sane living.
Take any one of those items and extrapolate it into sophisticated adult terms and apply it to your family life or your work or government or your world and it holds true and clear and firm. Think what a better world it would be if we all - the whole world - had cookies and milk at about 3 o'clock in the afternoon and then lay down with our blankies for a nap. Or if all governments had as a basic policy to always put things back where they found them and to clean up their own mess.
And it is still true, no matter how old you are, when you go out in the world, it is best to hold hands and stick together.
[Source: "ALL I REALLY NEED TO KNOW I LEARNED IN KINDERGARTEN" by Robert Fulghum.

a day of firsts.

today is the first day of school.
 





















the first day of second grade for little one.
 














the first day of kindergarten for little two.

the first day this mommy is alone by herself for four hours straight, five days a week for the first time in eight years.

the first time mommy doesn't know what to do with herself.

their were lots of tears (on my end) and lots of excitement (on theirs).  i think i'm just what i like to call a "summer" mommy.  i love the lazy days spread out before us.  discovering what's to be had, no plans in hand.  while routine is all fine and well, give me a sunny day at the beach to discover anyday.

love.

looking for some original wedding or shower invitations? these are adorable. considering my abundant collection of blue mason jars i would have been all over these if i was getting married now...instead of 13 years ago! they also have an abundance of other great wedding stuff on their site, too!

(photo courtesy of the wedding chicks)

free desktop wallpapers!

yippee!

some lovely vintage-y desktop wallpapers on the fossil site today. i have the beach bike on my desktop now. how i'd love to have one of these bikes...

why?

i've been gone. again. i know. you can't keep up. when i'm not around. but it felt right. it felt good to be away, ok? the pressure of blogging daily can be too much. especially when you pile on job(s), littles, friends, to-do lists, travel, recitals, concerts, games, etc.

it. just felt. right.

i needed a break.

but a friend asked. "why?". "why do you think you have to blog every day? can't you blog a couple times a week?" "take some of the pressure off. do it once in awhile. keep up...if it's something you enjoy, do it as you want to do it."

i think she might be right. you see. the pressure of blogging daily became too much. another to-do on a long list of to-do's. and everyday it got pushed to the bottom of the list. i know you don't want to read about my littles everyday. sure they are cute and funny. but there are probably more interesting things for you out there. i felt pressure to be original. to be clever. to be interesting. i think i owed to you.

so i thought about what she said. "why?"

why is it pressure?

why has it become a chore. a task. a to-do lister.

where did the fun go? the interest? the inspiration?

well. to be honest. i'm not sure. but what i do know is this: i've missed it. sharing. chatting. learning. i'm going to try to be back in this space a few times a week. as i can. you'll have to check in. see my progress. encourage!

vintage school lockers.

this has to be one or two of my favorite finds so far.  i've been hunting and gathering for my business, the polkadotcrab, for a few years now.
 



































these goodies don't come along everyday.  especially at this price.  $10?  and you'll deliver them, too?  oh yes.  i'll take them!

 

glu..ing.

here's a sneak peek at a project we've been busy working on for a certain upcoming day...
care to guess?

why hello there.

i know. i've been away. away from this space for awhile. again. it wasn't intentional. it just happened. i've been thinking about it here. here in this little corner of cyberspace. thinking of things to write about. thinking about needing the time to write. jotting down notes. but i haven't been. here.

january. well it happened. it was awful cold. and loaded with lots of snowstorms. and six snow days. do you know what snow days do to a person? kids love them. after two or three, moms? not so much. i think this week is only our third full week of school since before christmas. and guess what? we were home sick one day of one of those weeks. meaning that little one has only gone to school for two full weeks in 2011. enough said.

february? well. it started out with the plague. at least that's what a friend referred to it as. i was down and out. for a week. and you know what? mommy's can't get sick. because the world keeps right on turning anyways....

so here's a peek at what i've been up to...i've got some exciting things coming up that is going to take some more time, but be good. be just what i've needed. can't wait.

but in the meantime, a little show and tell perhaps?

drinking espresso. lots of espresso.


playing in the snow.


sewing...


ailing...


and dreaming of vacation.

in the rearview mirror.

2010 was a pretty interesting year for us. after the awfulness that engulfed us and our friends in 2009 we knew 2010 had to be better...

we spent a bunch of time away this year. 3 weeks total on the beach which isn't bad for us land-locked folks...

we drove half way across the country for two weeks at the beach with family. we learned that we won't do that again (drive not visit!)...

my business got busier, i did a super fun show in february and met lots of fun interesting people...

little one finished kindergarten and started first (!) grade...

little two is in his final year of preschool...

i got an ipad (what did i do without it?)...

discovered the joy of prescription sunglasses...

we finally finished our basement...

we almost uprooted our family and moved to charlotte, north carolina...

little one discovered justin bieber...

we drove to texas to visit the american girl store. lord help us.

an old friend lost her dear dad...

we added clementine to our family...

we took a ride on thomas the train...

my mom got a new knee...

another friend got a new hip...

a friend decided to go back to school and move away...

we made new friends...

started a 365 day photo project (and didn't finish)...

we hiked, we kyaked...

we went to colorado with friends...

we went away for new years (lots of fun!)...

went to texas and florida.

spent time in 19 states in one year...

the littles played t-ball and soccer, danced and did gymnastics. sang in the choir...

i cooked and baked a lot...

made jam for the first time...

my computer died...

i got addicted to watching chelsea handler...

i got further into adventuring...

rode my bike a lot...

discovered a yummy new cupcake shop...

and spent oodles of time with my family that made the year perfect.

do i know what 2011 will hold?

no. but i'm moving full steam ahead...

finished.

ok. so it is a week plus after christmas. but i finally finished a gift that i have been working on for way too long.

it was one of those projects that you conceptualize and think, "wow that will be a good idea" "and that's easy. won't take me anytime at all." well...
i should know better by now.

i hand cut the snowflake from white wool,
glued it on raw linen,
and then blanket stitched around it.
i added the vintage buttons at that end.


it really shouldn't have taken that long...but i started it when i was knee deep in other projects. i should really try to finish one thing before i start another. maybe this year i'll learn my lesson...

i even did button holes on the back after i made an envelope sleeve and sewed great big vintage buttons to close it. i did a modified flange hem around the edges. now. to get it in the mail. i hope they like it!

did you know.

"did you know mom, that actually you will miss me lots today while i am at school?"

where. i've. been.

i've been out of this space for awhile. popping in here and there. but mainly gone. just vanished.

well. you know. life. it sometimes gets in the way. and happens.

first my computer died a long slow death. took the hubs awhile to decide it was really gone and that we had to get a new one.

but by that time. well. school had started. so had soccer and dance and choir and gymnastics and some sales. and well. it was busy. really busy. and then my mom had her knee replaced. and there were birthdays. and work. and littles who just needed attention and a puppy who. has. required alot. of attention. *ahem*. and then all of a sudden it was thanksgiving. and i had to have a little surgery. and then it was christmas and new years. and well. i'm just taking a deep breath. and actually enjoying the calm of january. so that's it. that's where i've been.
busy. but no busy busier than anyone else.

and i've been thinking. thinking of where i want this blog to go. what i want it do. and i'm hoping for some revamps in the near future. but for now. i'm just going to look back and enjoy.

 

all is calm.

wishing you and yours the merriest!

merry christmas!