so embarrassed...

i just noticed that i haven't posted for 24 days. not good. yeah, i've been "busy" or "stressed" or just plain uninspired (and still waiting for those photos...pickin' em up tomorrow). but here are some things that have been spinning in my head:

i finished my fall swap package and mailed off to canada on friday. i am so excited to share whhttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifat was in it but can't until alison receives it! everything was so fun to make and put together. i'll post photos when (1) she receives it and (2) when they are developed.

halloween...oh it was fine. i worked so missed out on trick or treating. stella was a spooky cat (black cat costume made by elin for lilly a couple years ago...SCORE!), eli was a mouse (by elin for ida!!! hooray!!! no work for me!) even thought october's project of the month was to make a costume, i will count the 7 fairy skirts, pairs of wings and face painting i did at stella's birthday party...think that's ok???

i took the pledge, did you??? (see the button???) i am really gonna try. i hate mass produced junk...but i know some people prefer it to be "returnable" or ...well, just mass produced. oh well...we'll see what i do with them.

for handmade gift ideas you should check out:
sew mama sew
creature comfort's holiday gift guide
indie collective's gift guide
and, of course, etsy
there's gotta be something for everyone in those lists!

i am thinking of hosting a swap for december...kinda like a big pollyanna...for project of the month. you'd send me email, name, address, i'd match you up w/ someone, you'd send a handmade gift of some sort. any takers? i'll decide if it's for reals later on.

for november, i want to collect thanksgiving recipes....i was thinking of posting them all together for a reference of sorts. so if you have a favorite, please send it my way!!!

alright...check out the poll i have and answer honestly...

i hope to post photos tomorrow...for now, check out chris' flickr page...he's hooked!

i'm gonna hit the hay...eli has a fever and who knows what the night will hold!!! (if it's like stella's from saturday...it'll last 8 hours, end up with yuck in the trashcan, if you know what i mean, and then fine and dandy...we'll see.)

alrighty...thanks for hanging in there...this was a rambler!

birthday weekend...

ooooohhhhhh am i tired! we've had a wonderfully exhausting weekend full of celebrating stella's fifth year! i will be so happy to share photos (i'm back to film) after they are developed! hopefully tomorrow...for now...i'm hitting the sack...

thank you to everyone that helped me and contributed to making stella feel so special...especially loren and rich...they gave their time, house, friendship...i love you guys!!!! and my sisters who supplied cake, snacks, nail polish, face painting...oh the joy!!! and my mama, who made caramel apples, marshmallow fairy-mushroom-snacks!

it was so great...but i'm seriously falling asleep right here...so off to bed and photos will be up soon!

ETA: 6:47pm ACTUAL: changing every minute

so this is a desperate wife waiting anxiously for her hubby to come home. i think i've had it with the touring for now. it's been a busy year for it and i don't handle the temporary single-mom-ness well. anyway, i'm just jotting down my current neurosis because it is so funny....i wanted to see how chris' flight was doing...you know, on time, etc. so i googled JFK airport arrivals...at some point i ended up here where i've been SERIOUSLY watching his plane do circles over the ocean! stella and i are cracking up at the little red line behind the plane make little tiny OOOs...anyway...can't wait for him to be home!!! and according to flightstats...that'll be soon!!!

edited 7:16pm...landed on runway at 7:13. now...for the drive here from new york...
**sigh**

a week away to 5

i can't believe my little girl will be 5 next week. i think it is a universal feeling that the fifth year is significant. some bridging over from toddlerhood into little-kid-ness. this year, stella has decided exactly how and what she wants her celebration to entail...we will be having the obligatory family ice cream and cake on friday night, the day after her "real" birthday, and the all girl outdoor fairy beauty shop party on sunday. what a combo. we've been gathering ideas and supplies for the girls tranformation...she wants them all to get fairy skirts (we'll be making those), flower face paint (aunt lura has to do it), painted nails (by aunt andrea), and fancy hair (any volunteers!!??) we are having a pink tulle fairy house all decorated with gathered pine cones, acorns, leaves and other findings from stella's outdoor gathering times. this is all her. and i love it.

something very fitting popped up last night over here...i bought mine promptly and hope it arrives in time for me to stitch it up for her! acorn fairy's must be in the air! stella collected acorn tops for hats for the clothespin doll fairies she wants to make. we'll use some wool for hair, glue on the acorn hat, draw a little face, dress her up with fabric scraps, make some feather wings...and voila! this will be the "craft" for the party.

did i mention she also wants to make her own lip gloss...??? we'll see about that!

oh dear...she is getting big!

anyway...we're off to pick up the car from the shop, grab some things at trader joe's and maybe get some more supplies at joann's. i'm hoping for a very productive weekend while chris is away in iceland! sigh...

also...did you notice i moved project of the month over here??? i'm hoping you'll still be inspired and email your photos to me to post in the sets...i jst can't manage 2 blogs right now! alrighty...have a great weekend! see you back here on monday!

change is on the way

well...i'm in need of a new outlook...so keep your eyes peeled for a new blog look. changes in content, intent, and purpose! i'll be reexamining project of the month...it may be a goner, and just a feature here (you'll still get to craft-a-long!)...just really trying to get some new inspiration and focus...

thanks to everyone for the well-wishing, light-sending and prayer-requesting. it's helping in a big way.

i'm hoping the changes will be done and in effect by the end of the week...
stay tuned!

weekly update

so that blog malaise is lingering...

truth is, my mind has been overly occupied with not so creative, more contemplative thoughts that don't lend themselves to blogging, ya know?

so...i thought i'd let you in on the mundane in my life:
1. we did switch totally to gdiapers and i love it. feel good about flushing it away and not piling it up in the landfill...sigh of relief!
2. we got some klean kanteens and a sigg for chris (inspired by rachel and others out there in blogland) i plan on making some kanteen kozies to spruce up the look (stella wishes for a sigg now because they are so cute!)
3. just finished watching season one of curb your enthusiasm. pretty funny. not stellar though.
4. also just watched grizzly man. bizarre and disturbing.
5. happy to find routine these days. i need it to keep my mind from spinning.
6. i'll be posting some photos soon of the apron and tea for 2 set i made for the women's auction at my family's church...happy to say it brought in some good cash thanks to a devoted fan!
7. has anyone ever done sitemeter or the like? you can see who visits your site when and from where and how they found you. interesting at first, freaky after you think about it for too long...but interesting nonetheless.

and here's an idea...maybe y'all should leave a comment saying hi so i can "meet" the people visiting my little blog...that would be fun, wouldn't it??? and i don't think i'm being sarcastic...really...

okie doke. hopefully fall will arrive here soon with crisp cool air and refresh my brain and spirits...needing some rejuvenation these days...so send some light my way, think happy thoughts, pray for some inspiration...

so dramatic, aren't i!!???

thanks for keeping me going girls...i'm still loving the updates on your blogs!!! makes me happy!

unpacking...

well...we've been home from seattle for almost 2 weeks...and while the clothes are all put away (except for chris...whose clothes are now repacked and somewhere in amsterdam), i feel as though we are still mentally unpacking the trip. we loved our time there so stinkin' much...with offers of places to stay if we wanted to move....it gets tempting...but truthfully, i'm not ready for that yet. could yall just move back east????yeah, seattle is a nice city, but its YOU i like, every part of you (mr. rogers...)

ok...and i have been suffering from general blog malaise...i think in part due to no camera!!! annoying!!! i should just do film. no digital. we'll see.

anywhoozle (loren, it's contagious), we're truckin' along...and i hope to back in blog form soon...sorry for being a bit boring...but i'm in good company

alrighty folks...have a good week...maybe i'll getup the gusto to type some more...
xoxo