First Great Weekend Pool Day of the Season

Max lost another front tooth . . . one finished growing in and then the adjoining tooth checked out! We were used to the gap on the right and now will have to get used to it on the left. Max would spend his life in the water . . . and probably will this summer!

Speaking of FISH, after 2 times in the pool this season, Miss Ellie is swimming and yes I mean swimming, kicking her feet and moving her arms to move through the water! It is unreal. She LOVES it. She jumps in with or without someone watching, which is a little crazy. Se is really having fun. I am now a big believer in the no life jacket to learn to swim. She is on top of the water, not up and down in it. That is the key!

Sam is not loving the swimming part, but loves to hang on the raft. That is a start, learning to love the water. He seems to like the new floaties . . . well sort of.

This is Ellie's swim face . . .

Ready to go . . .

Partners in everything, they are a force when they ban together.

Prints Charming - Love these big prints from Australian Desgners

Since all I am doing lately is buying and swapping fabric, I thought perhaps a simple photo would be fun.  It has been a busy couple of days with school out yesterday.  Great report card meant a trip to Lake George last night for Putt Putt golf and ice cream.  Our afternoons are filled with swimming in the pool and just hanging outside.  Ellie and Sam will be a handful this summer and I quickly realized during the half-day Max was home for vacation so far- that it will be hard to keep him entertained while watching them.  I will be looking to set-up lots of playdates and perhaps a few camps are in order.  

I am making a promise to myself right now - NO MORE HOURS ON THE COMPUTER SWAPPING FABRIC UNTIL I SEW A BIT . . . even just turn on the machine

I am not sure if I will ever make anything with these, but boy are they fun to look at.  Perhaps curtains to hide toys or a window treatment for the laundry room.  Something fun needs to happen with these. Any ideas?

Thank-you Mrs. Eversole and Starbucks

So everyone who has known me for a few days, knows I have a coffee habit.  Lots of locals here and other places we have lived support their local coffee shop and I get that . . . but for me Starbucks is my local coffee joint.  One of Max's first words was "hot bucks" and for sure the Starbucks logo was the first one he knew.  Now that we live in a city without a drive-thru and two toddlers who are somewhat difficult to control in a Starbucks, it has become a weekly treat and not a daily trip for both Max and I.  So when asked to chose a special treat, 9 times out of 10 he picks Starbucks.  Enter his gift for Mrs. Eversole this year.   He decided he wanted to get her a Starbucks card because she was the BEST teacher.  Also some books because that is just what teachers like to do, shop for books.  Thanks to this tutorial and post, we recycled (copied) a wonderful gift idea.  Max presented the gift cards in the Starbucks cup along with a cosie and a key fob.

As we were doing the crazy morning rush, I asked him to write a note, when I came downstairs this is what he had done . . . by himself . . . neat, good spelling and all done!  I love seeing his handwriting and how much it has improved this year.  He has had a great year - became a whiz at math, his reading is fantastic and only missed one spelling word all year!  So proud of you.  

Mrs. Eversole at yesterday's first grade picnic opening Max's gift and accepting her class gift.

Had a hard time writing on the cup, but wanted it to look just like a real hot bucks.

Yesterday am, the Ott tots and I ran around like crazy and in under an hour had the gift cards and plants ready to go.  Whew . . . then the picnic . . . then home to finish the project of a photos to music DVD for everyone in class.  It was fun to put the various pictures to music.  Staying up all night burning DVD's was not that fun . . . but they are DONE.  After dropping them off this am, my role as room mom is history.  It was a great year and all the parents were wonderful - but it is a responsibility I think I will pass on for a few years.  

Thanks Mrs. Eversole for a wonderful year!

Confessions of a crazy fabric junkie - Love Flea Market Fancy

My first ever fabric swap . . . I am hooked!  I am crazy for these aqua seeds from the Flea Market Fancy Line by Denyse Schmidt.  CRAZY for them!  Love the goodies she sent along, Japanese print Kerchief girl and some wonderful Japanese Hedgehogs/Mushrooms.  Thank you Deborah!

Who knows if I will ever put scissors to these, I LOVE them!

My Heather Ross collection is growing and I have swapped for a couple of pieces of Munki Munki . . . I can hardly wait!  Thanks Amber.

FMF - Posies.  Aren't they lovely?

Dots and spotted leaves in the red colorway.  Have some other colors dots coming from a EBAY auction and a trade for three colors of spotted leaves.  Yeah!

Now the biggest problem is I have all these projects dancing in my head that I am dying to take on.  The problem is just no time to sew.  So I am trying something new this week.  No fabric buying and I will make the most of the couple of days before school gets out and I will have a almost 7 year old to entertain and drive around in addition to our two-year olds!

Love these photos and these kids!

A few months ago my sister told me that Clare was planning a trip to the East Coast from Seattle and would be spending some time in Upstate NY and was available for photo sessions.  I jumped at the chance to have her photograph the kids.  Here is a sneak peak, aren't they fantastic!  BTW Ellie is pictured in a Weekend Sewing Dress in the Far Far Away Unicorn print.  Fabulous isn't it!

Art Show in Glens Falls, NY this weekend

It was a BEAUTIFUL day to spend outside in downtown Glens Falls today.  We really enjoyed ourselves at the show.  It was fun to see a lot of friends and to make new ones.  Jessica from Rosebud Johnnies shared space with us and it worked great.  She is about to list some of her fantastic bags on her ETSY site along with all her great kids hats, quilts and other fun stuff.  She has a wonderful color sense and started sewing along with me a few months back.  She is great at making all kinds of bags.  

We sold a ton of scrabble tiles and were thrilled to find a lot of customers return from previous craft shows.  It is so fun to have people come to the booth and say, "I have been hoping you would be here. . ."  

Hammered sterling silver disc.

We sold a lot of our chunky initial necklaces and are reminded what a wonderful gift item these are.  Our goal is to get our act together enough to approach some local stores about carrying them.  They flew off the bottles today.  Speaking of bottles, we received ALOT of questions and offers for my hand blown glass bottles that we display some of our necklaces on.  I got them here and LOVE them.

Darcy in shop girl mode.  It was great having another body in the booth, so when one of needed a break we were all set.  I never left the booth, which saved us lots of money!  I plan to venture out if we hit a slow patch on Sunday.

Lots of fun wired wrapped earrings . . . from the semi-precious stone purchase from India.

Pigtails, Pigtails, Pigtails

First time having key fobs in the booth and they were a big hit.  We will make sure to make lots of them for future shows.

Czech Glass earrings, we are loving these!

Wire wrapped topaz.

The talented Jessica of Rosebud Johnnies!

Close up of her awesome bags.  I will have to post some shots showing the whole bags, but wanted to show the wonderful crystals!

Who doesn't want a little bling on their bag?

Off to sleep, so we can get going early and hopefully have time for a STARBUCKS, this Seattle transplant needs her fix!

Heather Ross Prints and Ebay . . . .Priceless

HR - Fish, originally uploaded by threedancingmagpies.

This sewing bug has really captured my attention! I decided this week since my husband was out of town on my birthday and didn't do ANYTHING on his or our kids behalf . . . that I would remedy the situation. With some e-bay shopping. I just started sewing when these prints were in local stores and I never bought them in time. Now of course I have to have them and not too many to be found. I was thrilled with the mail deliveries the last few days!

Far Far Away Unicorns and Weekend Sewing!

Have I mentioned how much I love having a little girl to sew for?  Her summer wardrobe is super cute so far.  I really love everything about this dress - the double cotton gauze, the cute unicorns or as Ellie calls them, "pretty horses".  If you know me you know restraint is not one of my better attributes and I of course bought this print and all the others in the Far Far Away line by Kokka Japan in every color-way.  My intent is for my nieces to have the same dresses, if of course my mother ever measures them . . . (please mom, take the tape measure to babysit with you this week)

My own summer wardrobe consists of long flowing tank dresses from Target.  I have really been loving the length and thought since the last dress for Ellie was a short playdress, maybe this one needed to be long and flowing . . . so glad that I kept it long!  Perhaps if it really bothers her and gets in the way, I will shorten in.  But hey, sometimes you have to suffer a little for cuteness sake.

Earlier today a wonderful photographer, Clare Barboza, took pictures of the kids at Yaddo Gardens in Saratoga Springs.  I met Clare when she took the photos for my sister's wedding last August.  We tried to sneak in a session when we were in Seattle, but it never came to be.  She has been on a month long tour up and down the east coast and I was thrilled by the opportunity to have her photograph the kids.  The goal was to get a shot of all three of them together.  Some goals are just not meant to be accomplished.  The kids were wild and not all that cooperative.  Especially Ellie, who lately thinks she is the boss of the family.  Actually, she really is.  I took all these shots after getting home from the gardens and she of course could not get enough of the camera for me!  Why she wasn't turning on the charm earlier I will never know.

Love this picture because it shows the wonderful drape of the fabric and what a wonderful choice for clothing it is.  Also since Sam's birthday the bubble mower has become the favorite toy and is always running out of bubbles.  Maybe this is the one toy we will have to give in and get two of.  Just prior to this picture Ellie bit Sam when he tried to claim back the mower and then he ended up pulling her hair . . . it is hard to share when you are both just two!

We worked it out by taking turns, she mowed up the driveway and he mowed down the driveway!

This is the final test for any clothing item for Miss Ellie, can you hang in it?

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Mirror Balls, Heather Ross, Garage Sale and Baseball - what a weekend!

Has been a crazy week and I just realized although I accomplished a lot, not much is actually completed . . . goes for sewing, the house, the kids, and getting ready for our first craft/art fair since before the holidays!  A huge accomplishment for me was cleaning the basement and realizing we just don't have the storage space for all the crafty stuff I like to hoard supplies for.  I made a mental break through, which I hope will translate to a physical one.  I decided that yes I do still love to knit, but if I knit everyday I still could never use all my stash and some items I just am not that into anymore.  For example knitting socks - with 3 kids (two 2 year olds) just not a reality anymore.  Yarn I have had to make Steve a Fisherman's Sweater he has requested for 10 plus years, not going to happen.  (actually found three sets of various gray 20 skeins each bags and partial sweaters in various boxes and bags!)  Gone!  It was a wonderful experience.  It all was put out at the garage sale and what didn't sell is going to find a good home in the next month.  Lots more to go, but it was a start.  Sold about half what I put out!

I had meant to take pictures of the sale set-up.  It did take a few days, but I think it was worth it.  We got rid of lots of big items crib, changing tables, big plastic toys, baby gear, yarn, rubber stamps, linens, dishes, paper goods, etc.  This is what is left to go to charity in the am (minus the stroller which Ellie pushed over to use as a ladder to get up on the table)

Moments after the sale, it was off to watch the last game of the season for Steve and Max's team.  They had such a fun year and are looking forward to a post-season play and a game against an west-side of Saratoga team.  Great bonding for Steve and Max.  The team had tons of fun and the coaches called them the dirt devils, which judging from the dirt after washing Max's uniform was a great name.

It was a hard season for Sam and Ellie, they really didn't want to watch.  They either wanted to run onto the field to see daddy or big brother or get wet at the spray park next to the field.  They never really get too wet, just damp and then the dirt from the field really sticks to them.  Baseball for me equals bath and a VERY dirty load of laundry!

When I was taking the team photo, this is what Sam and Ellie were doing.    Sam is at the top of the frame and really just as crazy about the dirt as Ellie is here.  We are getting sand in the sandbox this week!  We were exhausted on Saturday night and everyone went to bed by 8!

Today Ellie and I went with a friend to look at all the quilts on display at the Adirondack dome in Queensbury.  We also did a little fabric shopping.  I was thrilled to find the discontinued mirror ball fabric from Michael Miller and even more thrilled to see all the yardage that was available.  I have been searching for a boy color to use as a background for a Happy Birthday banner for both boys, like the one I made for Ellie a few months back.  I didn't get around to it for Sam's birthday (last week) because I really hadn't found a fabric I loved.    I am so thrilled to have a stash of this!  It works great when you want a solid that has some zing!  I also love it for quilt backs.   Another thing I have been consumed with this week is trying to land some Heather Ross prints for a swap group on flickr.  I now have in my stash, pink bikes, pink VW vans,  blue gnomes, the dogs above and misc.  stripes and dots.  After some e-bay shopping I hope to have some of the fish and fish in the bag.  I lost a few crazy auctions this weekend and can't believe the prices on some of the munki munki stuff. I have been looking at PJ's but haven't found the deals that I am hearing some people finding on-line.  I will keep trying!

Finally I will leave you with this shot of various pink mirror balls - it is a lovely light pink, lighter hot pink and then HOT pink.  I am loving them all!  Is it crazy to be so excited about fabric?