A little about my life - following flickr friends - Keeping it Real

I thought I would join in the getting to know you game a bit.  What fun to "meet" friends made through the wonderful on-line sewing, stitching and crafting community.  I have really enjoyed all the inspiration and exchange of ideas/knowledge.  It has fueled a few new passions for me, some good and some maybe not . . . (fabric is taking over our home, slowly creeping into every room)

So here is a quick shot of my little life.  (One thing I realize, since adopting two babies a couple years ago, pictures of me seem to not exist- will need to change that)

Max, my oldest and I

We have lived in Saratoga Springs, NY for the last five years and have really put down some roots. It is a wonderful community and I am lucky to have so many wonderful friends. It is a great little town to raise a family and its proximity to NYC / Boston / Montreal (all three hours away) is ideal. My husband Steve grew up a little more than an hour away in Williamstown, MA and he is thrilled to be close to home. I actually grew up far from here on the Washington coast in a small town called Aberdeen, but other than the Pacific NW, the Northeast does feel like home. I attended college in Northampton, MA at Smith College and have lived in the New England States for at least half my life at this point.

I am a product of the early 80's I guess. Kurt Colbain was in my class (and then the class behind me) in Aberdeen and I guess we dressed in grunge not to be cool, but because that is what you did in a small logging community where it rained all the time. Who knew that years later the area would be famous for things like being the town Kurt was from and also the big town in the area where Forks is . . . too funny. My dad ran the local paper mill from the time I was in second grade until I graduated from High School and then our family moved on. Right now all my immediate family, mom (dad died of prostate cancer)/brother and sister lives in the Seattle area. We lived in the area for a couple of years and it was fantastic being so close to family, but Steve had a job opportunity he couldn't pass up (and he is a bit of a mamma's boy and loves to live near his family as well)

My sister, brother, mother and I

My husband and I have been married for 8 years now. We waited until later in life to start a family and although I wouldn't trade our pre-married days for the world, we traveled, worked and really enjoyed life - we are older parents and it shows! The kids are really wearing us out!

Most recent family photo

 

Our oldest son Max is 7 and in second grade. After having Max we faced a lot of problems both getting pregnant again and then staying pregnant. Finally after a couple of eptopic pregnancies, we started the adoption process. We adopted Ellie in April 2007 from Flint, MI and then less than two months later adopted Sam in Riverside, CA. The whole process has been amazing for all of us and we have been blessed to be parents to these two wonderful little people and so lucky that we have been with them since they entered this world. Ellie and Sam will soon be celebrating their third birthdays, wow has time flown!

Sam and Ellie

Max, Ellie, Sam at Yadoo Gardens in Saratoga Springs, NY

I used to knit like a fool and when we lived in the Seattle area, helped to run a small yarn shop - The Wooly Monkey, in the Greenwood neighborhood. I worked at the shop and taught classes. When we moved east, I have taught some friends to knit and some local classes, but am just not as into it as I once was. Every now and again I will knit something fabulous, but not very often. At the peak of my being into, I had a couple of bag patterns published in Vogue Knitting, which at the time seemed like such a big deal. I am trying to get a little more into knitting again or at least will have to try and use up some yarn, it is getting in the way of my fabric obsession.

Business Partner and Friend, Darcy

After moving east, I did start to miss being creative. One of the first people I became friends with in town, came to me a few years ago with a crazy idea to start an ETSY shop and also start selling at stores and craft shows. We formed Three Dancing Magpies (yes only two of us, but thinking ahead!) and have been having fun every since. We mainly make and sell Mother's Necklaces and other sterling silver simple hand-stamped items.

It has been a little over a year since I really started to get into sewing. It started off as just wanting to learn so I could make some real simple things for our booth at craft shows. Then maybe make a quilt or two for the kids. Then I started buying fabric. 

At first it was Japanese fabrics that we would make cover button hair accessories for and sell both in an ETSY shop and also at craft shows. Quickly I had much more fabric than we would ever need for covering buttons with. I started taking classes at the local quilt shop and fell in love with everything about sewing. 

All of the on-line inspiration has really helped me and the crazy fabric dreams and obsessions with various HTF has been a lot of fun! I have really enjoyed the swaps I have started to participate in and look to continue. Thanks to everyone who welcomed me into this fun on-line sewing community and helped to fuel this wonderful new passion. I am having a lot of fun! To those who I make blocks for, I promise I am learning every day, I am in awe of so many of you! I look forward to reading other's "keeping it real" posts and can't wait for all the upcoming swaps. I think I am ready to try something I have been following the last year - the doll quilt swap. I can't wait to find out who my partner is for the pillow swap and then last to look forward to in the Potholder Pass!