Home » June 2009

selfishness.

It's in all of us,

whether we like to admit it or not.

It is one of the traits that I personally like the least.

It breaks my heart to see it displayed.

It is even harder when I see it in my own life.

Sweet Halley wants to give her hair to

Locks of Love.

She has been asking for months.

I keep hoping she will forget or change her mind.

All because of my selfishness.

She is five,

and has never had a haircut.

Hair does not come easy to my girls

and the thought of cutting off her

sweet curls and baby blonde is

really more than I can take.

But then I think back to when I worked at a salon.

Each time a client came in to donate their hair I cried.

Amazed by their loving hearts.

For the person whose life would change

through the simple sacrifice of hair.

Hair that grows back.

For someone who has none.

In a week or so I am going to say goodbye to

my kind and sensitive hearted daughter's hair.

Then mail it off to be made into something wonderful.

Life changing.

I will probably never regret it.

Just thankful for the extraordinary

lesson that Halley is teaching me.

Her example is changing my selfish heart.

Monday, June 29, 2009

a peek inside my brain

what is it...

crazy people don't know they are crazy?

so if I know I'm crazy, than I'm not, right?

let me take you on a tour of a typical night for me and my crazy brain.

It's 10:30.

Jason's not home.

All of the girls are sleeping.

My projects are done.

The house is picked up.

I just started a new book.

(I haven't read a book since Twilight and that, well...)

I turn off the lights and head to my room for a few hours of reading.

But then I pass by the computer.

Maybe I'll just read a few blogs.

I set a ten minute limit.

Visit Kelly.

See this post.

Click on this tutorial.

Think, well my new book does need a bookmark.

Turn back on the lights.

Go the garage to collect supplies.

Set everything up.

Make a bookmark.

Think, well everything is out I might as well make a couple.

Soon one dozen bookmarks are sewn.

Then I have to trim them,

so I might as well watch something on the Tivo.

How is it 3am?

Turn off the lights.

Go to bed and read.

One page in, I am falling asleep.

Save my place with cute bookmark.

Nite nite.

Who are these bookmarks for?

Make a purchase during my stroller sale and you just might find out.

Sunday, June 28, 2009

Happy Sunday.

Saturday, June 27, 2009

me. me. me. me. me.

Hi,

thanks so much for adding to the stroller fund.

I am giddy and crazy from too much coffee,

toffee crack and insomnia.

So what do I do?

Make a Pretty. Messy. flower

for you grown-ups who say

"if only I had girls..."

"I could never pull that off..."

You can. I promise.

Or you can't and I am just a dork...

(well I am a dork, maybe I

just look ridiculous)

which if that is true, let me live in denial.

To me, funky hair accessories are like shoes and purses.

They always fit.

They make me happy.

They distract from

under eye circles,

spit up stains,

wrinkles in the land of botox,

straw like bleached hair,

and two inches of roots.

Have a good hair day, or at least pretend like you are.

Secondly,

something hilarious is happening.

Someone nominated me for

two BlogLuxe awards.

Which I hardly deserve,

which I will NEVER win,

but are really fun.

(but if I can be honest, coming in

last place... not very fun.)

So would you take a second and hop over

and cast a vote for little old,

over-caffinetated,

under rested,

messy flower wearing,

me?

I will big puffy heart you forever!

Really?

For reals?

(If you really puffy heart me,

feel free to vote every day..

just saying.)

Friday, June 26, 2009

shameless plea for help

I need a new stroller.

I want a really, really, really nice new stroller.

My awesome Graco has been really good to me.

It has survived near weekly Disney trips for

the past three years, countless walks and probably

one hundred beach trips. But there comes a time

when enough is enough. When it is near impossible

to push empty, much less filled with critters, a car seat

and tons of assorted bags, coolers, and beach toys.

I want my new stroller to be able to handle whatever

comes its way without wearing out or killing me.

I go to bed dreaming about this stroller.

I beg and beg for this stroller.

I pretend that Bumbleride will hear my pleas,

feel compassion and send me one.

But then I came back to reality and devised a plan.

I have dozens of one of a kind, limited edition

Pretty. Messy. Flowers.

Would you like one?

Would you like to put me and my Graco out of our misery?

Would you like being a part of my dreams coming true?

What's that?

Your answer was yes?

Well lucky you!

I am having my first ever sale.

Buy two of anything in my shop and I will send

you a pin or clip in the color of your choice.

For reals.

For my super cool blog readers.

Just tell me your color preference and if you would

rather a pin or a clip in the 'notes to seller' section.

Happy shopping means happy strolling.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

all american tutu

my girls won't wear jeans.

ever.

jeans bug them.

all dresses and skirts all the time.

so how can I sneak them into a pair of jeans?

make a tutu of course.

what's more american than a

red white and blue denim tutu?

I have a three pack of firecrackers who will be

tutu-ing it up come this fourth.

You can too. Easy and inexpensive. Promise.

Supplies:

Jeans you don't mind cutting up.

Three yards of tulle

(I am making a 5T. You may need more or

less, depending on the size.)

Denim needle for your sewing machine

1 inch grosgrain ribbon

First cut the waistband and belt loops off of the jeans.

If your jeans have elastic, remove that as well.

Cut a piece of ribbon the same length.

Use a lighter to seal the ends of the ribbon.

Cut the tulle into twelve inch pieces.

You will have three per color.

Or nine total if you are using one solid color.

Open up the tulle.

Sew a gathering stitch along the entire long side.

For my machine I use zero tension and a stitch length of 5.

Make sure NOT to backstitch on either end.

Don't let the pile of tulle attack your assistant.

Because she attacks back.

This is what the gathering stitches look like.

Pull the bottom thread on one side and

gather the tulle until it looks like this.

Pin each gathered section of tulle to the

ribbon in the your desired color combo.

Here is what it looks like from the other side.

Switch to normal tension and stitch length on your machine.

I use a fairly big zig zag stitch to make sure

the threads grab all of the crazy tulle.

Stitch down the entire length of the ribbon.

My assistant thinks you are doing a great job!

Pin the ribbon to the inside of the denim

waistband with the messy side down.

Fold in the ribbon where the button goes.

Sew a straight stitch along the legnth of the waistband.

Clip stray threads.

Done!!!

A certain firecracker had no interest in working today.

She was not feeling patriotic.

The only freedom she was interested in was

freedom from her mother's photoshoot.

But a little candy got a semi smile out of her.

(You can find instructions for the tank here

and grab a headband here.)

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

i'm so sorry.

I used to be a really good driver.

I thought I was awesome and amazing.

I learned on a stick shift.

My first car was a Volvo station wagon.

Except it wasn't as nice as this one.

Jealous?

I moved on from the Volvo to a truck, then to a SUV.

Moms in minivans made me CRAZY!!!

I judged,

rolled my eyes,

was impatient,

complained.

Why can they never park!!!

What is wrong with them?

I thought that motherhood automatically made you forget how to drive.

When I became a mom I still drove a SUV and I could rock any parking space.

Parallel park in downtown LA?

No problem.

Back out of a tiny space, surrounded by Suburbans?

Easy.

I could rip up and down mountain roads without using my brakes.

But then, we had another kid.

Gas was five billion dollars a gallon.

My dream of owning a Sequoia quietly died.

Instead, we went with a more sensible minivan.

As soon as I got the keys, I too forgot how to park.

Or back out.

Or come within legal length of curbs.

It only took one week for me to take out a pole.

Two weeks to destroy the picket fence in our front yard.

One month to do my worst to a shopping cart corral.

Now you can find me sitting in the van, singing the kids songs, as I wait

for the school parking lot to clear. All with the hope that I won't demolish anything.

Consider me humbled.

Take my apology.

Being a mom has not made me a bad driver.

The minivan has.

Here is my reasoning,

you cannot see the nose on a minivan.

Therefore, you have no idea if you are dangerously close,

or very far away from doubling your insurance premium.

So to all of you SUV driving, eye rolling, judging Target shoppers

who see me breaking out in a cold sweat, nearing a panic attack,

then quitting and parking far away, have a little compassion.

Because now I sure do.

Monday, June 22, 2009

window into whimsy winner

Yay Jingle!

thanks for all of your entries.

if you didn't win, hop over to the shop.

the new patchwork yumminess will chase your blues away.

hope those of you who did something nice

were blessed by it.

even better than winning.

Saturday, June 20, 2009

introducing...

After quite a few failed attempts,

most which looked more like a doctor's mirror,

and less like something you would want to put on a baby,

I am happy to introduce the latest line of happiness in the shop.

Meet the Pretty. Messy. Baby line of headbands.

Perfect for the little one in your life who,

regardless of how much pink she wears,

or how over the top girly her carseat is,

or how you tell the stranger her name is Janey,

is still called a boy.

(Not like that happens to me.

Every single day.)

Now she can be called a boy with

a stinking cute flower on her head.