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The Bribe

Published by Kelly November 2nd, 2007 in Sew Smart. 35 Comments

Okay, I said I wasn’t below a bribe for comments as incentive to keep me sitting at this computer including Saturdays and Sundays…good lord that is a crazy thought.

So here is the prize. Ain’t she sweet?

The squares are by Moda, the “Urban Chic” line. It is a great mix of vintage and cottage. The colors are about as true as they get to the photo with nice poppy fuchsia, teal, white, orange and a hint of brown. The white button is a handmade polymer clay button. This pillow was lovingly made by yours truly to grace a beautiful home somewhere in the world.

Still need more convincing that you should keep commenting even on my mundane posts?

Look how sweet and cozy it looks in my little reading nook!

This is 100% cotton so you want to keep it away from the kiddos or heavy wear and tear. I think washing it may make it a wee bit lopsided. It is one of those pillows that if you are married your husband will find completely useless and annoyingly in the way and you will simply adore.

I sport the brown, yellow, and orange version in that very spot normally. I was going to sell it but fell in love with it so now it has a home here.

So there you have it. I ain’t too proud to beg as the song goes. I normally hate when people beg for comments…I mean dropping a hint here and there is one thing, but out and out asking…kinda tacky. So not only am I being tacky I am bribing you with treats. There is a sucker inside all of us. Only for November…..I am already regretting the decision as I think about how crazy this weekend will be and how in the world I will sit and think for a moment to pump out a post. I can do this…I can do this….

I will tally up at the end of the month and if there is a tie, Chloe will draw a winner. You must comment on the day it is put up before the next post arrives. ( I realize I squeak posts in around midnight some nights, so you need to comment before the next post shows up) Also, none of this bickering back and forth in the comments…CHRISSY and MERIDYTH……take it outside in the school yard! You girls are funny.

I still have more Halloween pictures and narration to put up. I haven’t exploited Chloe and Conner’s trick or treating escapade yet….that is to come.

Happy Friday faithful readers!!!!! Now get crackalackin in my comments. Tell me what you are doing this weekend to celebrate Chloe’s b-day. Kidding…tell me what you are doing in your area of the world.

Anti-climatic

Published by Kelly July 12th, 2007 in Chloe Grace, Life in General and Sew Smart. 17 Comments

How can I follow the last post, so I will just let you down easy. I have to confess, I did not make the animated GIF, my dear, sweet husband did. Now in my defense, I drew out what I wanted on a piece of paper and he brought it to life. It is a really hard program to keep a steady hand, even if you are an artist, so it is best to just commit to making it look like a 5 year old did it. He did a similar one for my brother in law, Dan, documenting a very embarrassing moment. Fantastic, no? So I can not tell you how to do one yourself. The program he used is ImageReady CS2, knock yourself out learning. I will be sure to include some more slide shows now and again, seeing as they really help emphasize a story.

So I am totally laid up again, whatever I did to myself a few weeks ago, abated for just a few days, and now is in full swing again. I swallowed hard and called our insurance today to see what the damage would be to go to the chiropractor on a treatment plan. Looks like we will only have to sell Chloe’s arms and keep the rest of her to pay the bills. I totally and utterly resent how much we still have to pay out of pocket considering we pay 18% of Ryan’s monthly check to insurance…….18% we never see…. it is INSANELY expensive. Make the bad man stop.

So I am laying in my pile of misery waiting to go to the doctor tomorrow and get some x-rays and get to the bottom of this mystery pain which I am pretty darn sure is either sciatica, herniated disk or pinched sacral nerve. They are all so close to each other it is hard to distinguish. My amazing mother is coming into town today to be my wench/babysitter/comforter/friend over the next 1.5 weeks…..man I love that lady, she is the BEST!!! It is pretty sad when you look at your child in their crib and they reach out to you and you cringe because you know leaning down and picking their 20lb body up is going to buckle your knees in pain. Feeling sorry for me yet? Good.

Moving right along. I took some pictures today of Chloe in her way way way fabulous 80’s sweatshirt I found it at a consignment shop for $1.00. This thing is SWEET!!!!! Velor, puffed sleeves, bubblegum dispenser pattern….I love it on her!
Hey Chloe, guess what?

We won a trip to Disneyland!!!!! Whoa…dial down the crazy face.

Just kidding.

Fine, give me the silent treatment, it was a joke, lighten up!

Completely unrelated….yesterday while feeling bad for myself, I watched 6 episodes of season 2 of the Office (that show is brilliant!) while rolling, cutting and baking a bunch of polymer clay buttons for me to use on my sewing projects.

Here is a little looky loo, sneak peek, at some projects almost finished. I am a few steps closer to opening up my Etsy store. Truth be told, it will probably be the fall because I can’t, in good conscious, sew often. Chloe is a little more important than me trying to turn a few bucks out. I will be selling pillows, towels and taggies initially to test the water. Mostly, cottage style using a large portion of Amy Butler fabrics.

Lastly, I think you should know that Chloe is a very deprived child. She is forced to play with a limited supply of toys. If you feel sorry for her, make checks payable to me and I will go and buy her some toys to play with. Don’t let this injustice continue.

From the grave

Published by Kelly June 26th, 2007 in Life in General and Sew Smart. 16 Comments

CLING……ING……TO……LIFE……

Still not well, but one of us is on the up and up. I finally broke down and took Chloe to the doctor yesterday, she was getting increasingly worse over 7 days and not better, so I wanted to make sure we could get to the bottom of it, especially when she woke up sounding like a baby seal was trapped in her chest and one nostril was completely closed off by a veil of green boogers….YUM! She does have some sort of sinus issue causing massive congestion, head pressure and chest funk, slightly swollen throat, but thankfully no virus or ear infection….yet…and hopefully not at all. She is doing SOOOO much better today and even feels like playing and crawling around rather than staring out the window like a savant. It is great to see her smile and babble again, I missed her little sunshiny personality.

My mom is my hero, she happened to be in town to watch my brother’s children but stayed the last two nights with us so she could get up with Chloe and take care of her during the night so I could take my HEAVY, coma inducing, back pain meds and actually sleep through the night. What would we do without moms? Thanks Dawn Louise, I love you!!! I feel like a million bucks energy-wise…seriously I feel like I could lift the house up from the foundation and dust under it. It is amazing what sleep can do…however, I am still in massive pain and do not have a clue what to do about it. I already went to the chiropractor and that helped some…but I am no better off today than I was 6 days ago. I don’t want to go to an MD because they will just give me medicine, which I already have. I just keep nursing it, not lifting much (except my 20lb baby!) and heating it on and off. I am SOOOOOO looking forward to a 12 hour drive in the car….CRINGE.

Today I thought I would go postal if I didn’t do something for myself to feel “normal” again. I won 88 fabulous Amy Butler squares on Ebay for $13.00 and I am in love!!!! She is my total fabric design crush, I love her. So I sat for an hour while Chloe slept and pumped out this great lumbar pillow for my fun orange wingback. I made the brown button out of polymer clay. I love it and I feel so happy looking at that chair. Have a looksee….

lean in closer

even closer still

Ain’t she a beauty….I have 73 more little squares I need to think up something to do with. Anywho….blogging will be patchy over the next 1.5 weeks as I will be out of town…stay faithful…don’t leave me…be monogamous, I promise to get back on track with plenty of Chloe pictures soon…..pinky swear.

Toy Murderer

Published by Kelly May 24th, 2007 in Life in General and Sew Smart. 13 Comments

That is going to be the headline in the newspaper. You know you are about to go postal when you are harmonizing to the nursery rhymes that every toy seems to be equipped with. The worst offender is Baby Tad (thanks Amanda!) Chloe loves it, of course, but I know every single word to all the songs and silly little things it says. Let me tell you, I am pretty amazing at my shapes and colors! If I could give myself a sticker it would say, “You’re TERRRRRRRIFIC” and a cat would be on it. Remember those?
I wish I had audio because you would need to hear this one toy. It is the most ridiculous singing voice. It is super mature, all sexy with runs and licks in the song. “Baa, Baa, black sheep have you any wool….ol ol ol, OOOOOOOHHHHH OHHHHH, Yes sir, Yes sir Three, eee, eee, eee, bags full.” Again, doesn’t translate through typing, but it sounds like it could be on the light and easy station. Do you even put that on your singing resume? Sexy voice found on the Zip Rhyme toy.
Chloe is playing in her crib right now and is cracking me up. She is going through a growling stage. She sounds an awful lot like a trapped bobcat. It is quite impressive the volume and grrrrr she can manage for her age. She has such a low voice. She does not make squeaky, screechy girl sounds. I wonder if that is indicative of her future speaking voice? Chrissy…did your mom say you had a low voice as a baby? I mean I love your adult voice you raspy seductress.

So I signed up for the Tea Towel Swap over at Crafty Daisies. Not that I am a big tea drinker, but it is fun to create. I was inspired right away and this is what I came up with.

Don’t you love my photo shoot, because you ALWAYS drink tea under a plant…very natural! My old roommate Kristie got wigged out if plants were near food, she thought it was very unsanitary, like they drop dirt and dust on things. Funny girl.

Second View:

So Renee, who ever you are, I put it in the mail yesterday…enjoy! Hope it remotely matches your kitchen. Looking forward to my towel. Keep an eye on out on Crafty Daisies if you are interested in a future swap.

Next on the sea of randomness, we will dock at Peony Paradise. Did someone slip me a mickey? My mom brought me a small bouquet of peonies off her bush. They are my absolute favorite flower. The smell is heavenly. If I could grow them in my nose, I would….don’t think I wouldn’t try. (The Bobcat just growled at me again, I think “cribtime” is over.) Anyway. put your nose close to the screen, maybe you can smell them. They are just that magical.

If you haven’t guessed already, I have absolutely nothing funny or interesting to share…SOOOOO….let me default to Chloe pictures seeing as I have denied you the two previous posts. Wow, that was painful to get to this point.

Chloe Chilling on the Front Porch, take one! (You have to forgive her squint…it was pretty bright out)

Nice volume on the hair sprout wouldn’t you say?

Giving the Ryan, pouty, bottom lip. LOVE IT!!! Is there nothing NOT round on this child?

Chloe showing off

Very sick of the sun by this point.

So yeah, earth shattering post…I know, I know. I am just good for that stuff.

Peaches, Blueberries and Tulips…oh my!

Published by Kelly May 1st, 2007 in Chloe Grace and Sew Smart. 21 Comments

Oh no, oh YES…corny Kelly is back. Look at that title….CHEESE, pure stinky stanky cheese! I can’t help myself. There is so much brewing around our household that I can’t quite share yet, but let’s just say that Jesus is absolutely being so merciful right now and I am on a cloud of joy. Answered prayers…amazing! Oh the mystery. Time will reveal….just be patient.

This is more of a photo entry due to the fact that my beloved Heather and husband are coming for a very quick and unexpected visit tomorrow to grace us with their fabulous presence for about 48 hours so I need to get my house in order ASAP! Hotel Portnoy is back open for business. I have swan towels to fold with chocolates from Switzerland being flown in….the works baby!

So Chloe is eating solids like a champ, like anyone would doubt she doesn’t do her share of eating! Now all the, “Man Kelly, you must feed her cream, not milk!” comments can stop. You can blame those fabulous rolls on my cream AND food! We don’t believe that she should gain anything less than 2 pounds a month. We want a 50lb one year old. KIDDING. She is healthy as a horse and that is all I care about. So what if she can stow away midgets between her rolls, do you have a better use for those stacked marshmallow arms? She has details upon details on that little body. The problem with her eating is her helicopter arms. She insists on helping each and every bit down her throat. It is a battle of good and evil trying to pin her arms down and get the food in her mouth without there being a gigantic mess. Sometimes I am successful, sometimes I am not. This is just an example of how Chloe is exercising her artistic freedom by bedazzling her face with some peaches. Actually she got a random eye itch and before I could put the spoon down and grab her wildly swinging arm….she fell victim to her peaches.

So very proud of herself. Who me???? What the…..????

Today, without trying to be all matchy matchy…Ryan comes home for lunch only to be greeted by his mini blueberry twin. Aww….aren’t’ they cute? Blueberry buddies!

Ryan is sporting his “Holocaust eyes”. That is what we call his black circles. The boy takes iron pills, but nothing seems to lighten those bad boys up! I swear he is healthy, you don’t need to send money to feed him. You can just send money for fun!

Nobody is going to accuse this family of having small eyes.

And now, the grand unveiling….cue trumpets….
My very first outfit completed (minus bloomers!) I am so very pleased and empowered by my new found knowledge. I am, of course, stealing this knowledge from my mother in law who painstakingly watches me do everything at 1/1000 of the speed it would take her…but dang it…I am learning! Thanks Patty!

Here is Chloe’s first dress made by mommy. Each and every stitch lovingly put on.