A Fashion Show & a Case of Nerves

So, tonight, the lovely Ms. Kaitlin will be launching her new line of funky tshirts (company named, aptly, T.Party). And, the models may-or-may-not be toting a few of my little pursey purses. How ridiculous is that?

I dabble. I piddle. I play around with fabric a bit.
I don't make purses. Do I? Shit. Maybe I do.
I definitely cranked these all out last night just so it looked like I had "stock".



Now I have to get off my patootie and do this whole etsy.com thing I guess.
So we're going with blink as a brand name.
And I even ordered little tags to insert in the purses.
Of course they didn't come in time. But it would have been cool. It will be cool. For the next batch.

Mostly I'm excited to play at being posh tonight.
Drinks and sushi and a runway with friends?
Yes please.
Long lost friends at that.
I've been rather a recluse lately.
Making purses and all.

Purses...Purses...Everywhere...

Snickity Sneak Peak!

just a couple of the purses for Kaitlin's show Thursday...

okay. and seriously? How adorable is this fabric? I want to give it a hug.
<3

T.G.I. (almost) F.

I'm gonna go ahead and need Friday to hurry up and get here.

I even made a list of reasons are you ready?

1) It's Friday.

2) I can wear jeans to work.

3) It's handoff Friday! (Wherein I inevitable sound like a bad parent for being excited for The Munchkins to go stay with their dad for a couple days)

4) I will have complete & total sole access to: the ice cream, the remote, the bathroom!

5) I get my hands on my FREE WEDNESDAY WORK from Nathan Monk! woot!

6) Dinner with Dan *

7) pie

8) alcohol

9) pie AND alcohol

10) It's one day closer to Saturday, which is when I get to hang out with the lovely Ms. Stephanie again

11) did I mention there would be pie?

12) Uninhibited sewing time!!!

*disclaimer - #6 is actually #1 on the list in my head...but I was working chronologically
#2 in my head is pie. But I was hoping, what with the double emphasis, that you'd already have figured that out.

Caught in the Rain...

A Few Key Points about Getting Stuck in a Torrential Downpour for 15-20 minutes.

1) It is infinitely more satisfying to jump in large puddles in your flip flop than it is to do so in your green suede flats.

(So...that's Argument #362 for always carrying a spare pair of flip flops in your purse.)

2) Where do all the homeless people go??? In the 45 seconds it took for every single homeless person loafing about on the front steps & benches of the library to realize that it was raining...they'd all completely disappeared! It was like magic.

3) There is nothing that makes me smile faster than seeing other people miserable and grumbling. (schaudenfreude) It's Rain! It's not rocket science! If it's cloudy & overcast & smells like ozone all day you can bet your Great Aunt Bippy there's gonna be precipitation soon! Take precautions. Bring an umbrella. And if you don't (see also: my wet hair, dripping duds & soaked sweater) you aren't allowed to complain about it. The end.

4) Revel in it. I did. I took the long walk back to work. I cut around some puddles making little hippity-hoppity jumps over every crack in the sidewalk. I waited until parents with small children scurried by, shoulders hunched, before I jumped in the choicest puddles, winking at the little kids. It gives them something to aspire to... to be that adult that's allowed to jump in puddles whenever they want.

5) Indiana has been so retardedly DRY this summer that I'd forgotten what a rainy day smelled like. It was hot like ozone and worms and dirt. And it made me miss being a kid for a minute. We used to go count the worms out on the driveway after a good rain. Yeah. I know. Don't say it. We were odd little kids.

6) I am in awe of people that can make rain boots look fashionable. Oh, I OWN a cute pair of rain boots. They're black and skinny and nearly-knee-high, and they have crazy little polka dots all over them. I think they're adorable...and I rarely get to wear them... but I still feel like a kid clomping around in her dad's work boots when I wear them. And yet, there are women out there that defy that standard. They look chic and stylish in their big rubber boots. It's mystifying to me, but I love it.

7) I should probably invest in an umbrella. Or two. But then I'd just leave them hanging at home on the coat rack or in the cubby under my desk at work. Owning something does not mandate that you use it...even when you ought.

8) No One looks attractive after getting caught in the rain. No. One. I'm okay with this. I'm not too stellar to begin with, so it doesn't bother me in the least. It fits my argument against wearing tons of makeup nicely also. But seriously? I'm dripping; head to toe. My hair looks like I just stepped out of the shower. The cotton dress I've got on is soaked from hip to knee and the wraparaound sweater on top is soaked from shoulder to hip. And I'm grinning like a fool.

Last Minute Kid

What do you do when your son looks up at you at 7:30p and tells you he needs a Peace Shirt for school tomorrow?
Applique to the rescue!
Thank God for my sewing machine.



He's going to be the kid who tells me he has a 5th grade Science Fair Project due tomorrow, isn't he? I'm pretty sure it would behoove me to have a stash of poster board and paints on hand at all time... Last minute paper mache volcano here we come!

Take-out Fake-out

What do you do for dinner for three picky Munchkins who claim they don't want dinner?

Fake Chinese Take-out!



You can find the white takeout boxes online...I think I ordered mine in two sizes, 100 pcs each @ Oriental Trading Company. I just love that place. These things make great leftover containers and are just plain fun to have around the house...

Also? I had forgotten how easy it is to make your own fortune cookies!
The Munchkins liked to draw pictures to hide inside their cookies instead of writing fortunes, so I cut up little strips of paper and let them decorate their "fortunes" while I mixed up the batter & got the cookies going.

As a result, Confucius had a lot to say about robots and ducks last night...









Good Fortune Cookies:

Ingredients
2 egg whites
1/3 cup sugar
4 tablespoons melted butter, cooled
1/2 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoons almond extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
2 1/2 by 1/2-inch fortune strips

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a cookie sheet thoroughly.
Whip egg whites until light and foamy. Blend in the sugar and continue to beat until soft peaks form.

Pour in the melted butter, flour, salt, and extracts; mix until well combined. Drop a tablespoon of the batter onto the prepared cookie sheet. Using the back of a spoon, spread the batter evenly into very thin 3-inch rounds.

*Make sure you spread these THIN! otherwise they just don't crisp up right!*

*Also! You have to work VERY quickly to shape these cookies after you pull them out of the oven, so just bake 3 or 4 at a time!*

Bake for about 5 to 8 minutes or until the edges are a light golden color.

Remove the cookies with a spatula & place them on your work surface. Lay the fortune in the lower middle of the cookie and gingerly (these suckers are HOT!) fold in half to make a semi-circle. Then, bend the edges toward each other to make a crescent. Drag the crease across the rim of a small measuring cup, ends down. Works well if you cool them in mini muffin tins to hold their shape until crisp!

*Helpful Hint*
Have a thin, CLEAN pair of those stretchy cotton Magic Gloves languishing in the coat closet? Put 'em on! It makes handling the piping hot cookies sooo much easier!

Waiting for a Train

Sometimes you have nice, calm mornings...
Mornings where the kids get dressed on their own; and don't argue over the last bagel; and do their own ponytails. And where you have time for a cup of coffee without burning the back of your throat by tossing the contents of the entire pot down in one gulp. And by you...I very obviously mean not me...because I never have those kinds of mornings.

Exhibit A: Today.
Already running a good 15 minutes late we get stopped by a train a block and a half from Munchkins' school. And it's the Longest. Train. In. Eternia. (throwback he-man reference in the morning, anyone?)

So...in order to break up the already burgeoning rebellion in the back seat... Mom breaks out the digital camera... and here's what we got:








Annnnnnnnd of course all of them wanted to take their own picture of the train...

My kids are so weird... I have NO idea where they get it from...
hee hee hee

Pumpkin Spice Playlist

I did not create this playlist.

I stumbled upon it completely by accident.
And it is the happiest accident I've made all day.
Awesome.

Pumpkin Spice Playlist

Fashionable

Fall always puts me in the mind of

of dresses paired with boots or thick tights and little cardigans...and hats.
lots and lots of hats...

To that end, I've found myself surfing about the blogosphere collecting pictures of cute vintage dresses and hats that I adore. Part of me wants to try and recreate some of these patterns and make my own. Part of me wants to hit up consignment shops and goodwills and try to find some of these pretty patterns to tease up or down into my size.

One thing's for sure... I intend to ditch the work-friendly twills and slacks for more dresses and tights this year...






ack! I love both this skirt AND this coin purse!!!



And while you're here...pop on over HERE and listen to "Take Care" by The Beach House...because it's just lovely.

Wanting what you can't have...

When you're not around, I crave mornings of sleepy half-sentences and warm rumpled bedclothes and your stubble.
And the surface-of-the-sun heat of your skin under my palm.
And the way that the rumble of your chuckle makes the nerve endings clear to my toes vibrate in anticipation of your touch.
I crave the way the little nubbins of hair on the back of your head tickle my fingertips just after you've gotten your hair cut.
And the way your lips quirk up on the left side when you're trying not to laugh at me.
And arguements over art and the education system at one in the morning.
And throwing french fries at you.
And you...
I crave you.


More than I can admit in person.

Jax

Who doesn't like a good juxtaposition in life, in art, in crafts?

Mr. Handsome scored big in the brownie-points department last week by surprising me with over 20 abandoned Army ammo bags. Score! (We've had this discussion about me and the little things in life, right? Apparently ammo bags that can be re-purposed are high on that list... who knew? And a giant kudos to Mr. Handsome for knowing me well enough to know that these little bags would make me do a happy little jig in the living room)

But, back to the bags.
I decided I'd rip apart two of them to make one giant slouchy handbag, and line it with something pretty and frilly and girlie...a nice contrast to the harsh Army green exterior. Originally I had some really gorgeous floral print silk all laid out. But, at the last second, I thought I'd do a prototype bag with a blue/green floral polyester lining...and I'm SO glad I did! It's turning out phenomenally!

I adapted the basic handbag pattern I used for the girls' playbags last week, keeping the pleats and the general shape, but switching a few things out for a more grown-up look.


You know what one of the best things about this bag so far is? (Beside the edging done in the original canvas strap? Which was a last minute decision that I'm in love with.) It's the random detailing I decided to add to the front of the bag! Check out those little fake-out rosettes I made! Cool huh? See that stamp just to the right of the rosettes? I'm pretty sure that tells you what kind of ammo was once in these bags...


Let's all studiously ignore the fact that this bag is not completed yet, shall we? I had a full weekend of shenanigans with Steph, Casino time with the gang, and now that football season is back in session...lazy football couchtime that may or may not have included Slurpees...

I'll be sure and post up when I finish this bag and attempt the silk lining, but for now let's all just ooooh and aaaaah at the process...

Awesometown! Floor Cushions!

I have just discovered my next project... and it is THESE:


This project has just bumped "making pajamas" from the Projekt List for the weekend. I'm so pumped to get started on these I can barely stand it.


Punk Pillows

*i wish fiberfill wasn't so gosh-darn expensive...

A Good Pair of Black Heels

I don't wear them that often, but I love the way I walk when I wear heels. I adopt this odd sort of swaggering little hippy walk that just kills me.

I quietly deride it in others when I see it, but when it's me? It's this odd blend of confidence and sexy that I don't ever get to feel otherwise... It's like the morning after a good run, or the stretch right after yoga or really good sex. It's satisfaction and cat-that-licked-the-cream-dish smugness.

It's heels.

Bizzy Bee

...that's Me...

and this is what I've been working on lately:

ta da!
More on easy-peasy tutes and such later... I'm crunched for time today!

Wanting to be someone you're not...is a waste...

***

***

Photo Montage

Your kisses give me...

*****

Delicious Music

It's been the most wonderfully random day.
Aside from the meetings there's been Jeopardy in the office, late surprise lunch with the world's most handsome man (which included Raspberry Italian Creme Sodas. *sigh* I could die happy and full right now of a food coma) and so much lovely music that I'm just floating.

Let's see if I can link these darn things for you, hm?

Bulletproof-Acoustic-Version.mp3


Florence + the Machine - Dog Days are Over


Iron & Wine - The Trapeze Swinger

If Work Permits - The Format
(forgive the video on this one. it gave me a headache in 3.2 seconds)

Worth It.

Last night, I had one of those evenings that makes me revel in the fact that I'm a momma

There were no major fights, no screaming, no whining, no nosebleeds, no spankings.
It was glorious.

We got home & the kids dropped their shoes in the shoe basket & deposited their bags on the hooks in the front room without being reminded. Then they wanted to HELP make dinner. So I chopped up a half dozen hot dogs into fourths and let them roll everything up in crescent rolls. We played chutes and ladders for nearly an hour, until interrupted by a knock on the door.

In my house, a knock on the door usually means a random family member stopping by, or the landlord. Regardless, it's a treat! So all three Munchkins went thundering to the door, only to reveal a very taken aback ASPCA member. Orange shirt stuttered her way through a greeting and started in on her patter when the questions began.

"What does your shirt say?"
(well, it says a.s.p.c.a.)
"What does that mean?"
(it stands for am--)
"What're you holding?"
(a clipboard)
"What's a clipboard? "
(it keeps all my papers togeth--)
"Are those pictures of doggies on that paper? "
(well, yes. you see, at the a.s.p.c.a., we--)
"Can I see? "
(see what? my papers? followed by some nervous shuffling and a stilted continuation of her spiel on busting up one of the largest dog-fighting rings in the country last year)
"What'd you bust up last year? "
"What's a dog ring? How you do fight one? "
"I have three pennies." and "Do you want my three pennies? "

After a solid ten minutes of trying unsuccessfully to corral The Munchkin behind me on the front porch I finally sent the poor, confused fund-driver away with an apologetic shrug.
"Friday's pay day, I don't have anything for you"

I almost felt guilty about the mental gymnastics we just made her do. But really? She knocked on my door at dinner time, what did she expect?

Three games of Chutes & Ladders later, we were curled up on the couch with a copy of Junie B. Jones & the Big Fat Mouth. I had to do all the voices (and I do mean all. the. voices. every single one. even the Janitor...who was of German descent apparently...). A round of bubble baths ensued, and then all four of us were curled up on MY bed (wet hair dripping all over my pillows and silk sheets. grrr) for another round for 5 stories before I was able to shuffle half-sleeping children off to their own beds with a minimum of fuss and lots of sleepy little kisses and hugs from sweaty, overheated little bodies.

It's nights like that, when I don't have to threaten them three-ways-from-Sunday just to get into bed (let alone stay there for any amount of time) that makes me grateful. It reminds me that, on the days when I think I'm going to pull my hair out because a small coup has erupted in my living room, or a civil war has broken out in the kitchen, that there ARE days that make it all worth it.