tooth fairy fail. and WIN!

before we go any further... if you're a tooth fairy non-believer, do yourself a favor and don't read the rest of this post... :) don't say i didn't warn you!

ennyhoo... as i mentioned earlier, i've been perusing martha stewart's encyclopedia of sewing and fabric crafts.

one of the many crafts/gifts that caught my eye is a cute tooth pillow... it's a little square pillow w/ a pocket where you can store the tooth for the tooth fairy...

well, paloma is waist deep in the "loose tooth" age... and so, of course, i started to make the pillow... however while i was sewing it up, she wiggled another tooth loose...

thankfully, i finished up the pillow in time for bed last night (click to enlarge thumbnails):



we went thru our nighttime routines and fell asleep w/ visions of teeth and fairies dancing in our heads...

this morning, i went into paloma's room to wake her for school. she was already awake. AND CRYING MISERABLY... clutching the pillow... and the tooth... (!!)

"Mommy, the tooth fairy never came!!!" she cried. (O_o)

i was SHOCKED!!! (O_o) i mean what the h*ll kind of tooth fairy doesn't pick up a loose tooth!!!??? and after it was placed in such a beautiful holder and all.... what could possibly delay her/him!!?? what does she/he do all day anyway!!?? and why is there no tooth fairy customer service/complaint line??!!

(O_o)

paloma was SO upset... she even wrote the tooth fairy a letter in case she showed up (slacker...):



before she walked out the door to walk to school w/ the thin man, she hugged me tight and whispered, "i really hope the tooth fairy comes. i hope i didn't do something wrong."

(O_o)

hours passed.... i picked up paloma and porkchop from school. porkchop ran to paloma's room and of course, i followed because very rarely does something good come of him playing in her room... i shooed him out of her room and noticed a LOT of glitter scattered on the floor... i called to both of them to clean it up... they bounded down the hallway...

"what glitter?" they said.

"the glitter that you guys scattered all over the room... please stop doing crafts in your bedrooms you guys. paloma, i also want you to make your bed please." i replied.

the paloma looked completely confused but started to make her bed anyway... and she found this under her pillow:



there was some money inside the pillow pocket and a beautiful unicorn toy sitting next to it!!!

the note reads (click to enlarge):



we couldn't believe it!!! there was even a trail of fairy glitter from the windowsill to paloma's bed:



in closing, she went to bed very very happy tonight... as will i... tooth fairy, we'll never doubt you again... hope your wing is healing up quickly! :)

thank you for coming by and reading...

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friday dance: rebel rebel

another friday dance dedicated to my papa. who for some reason thought *I* was a rebel... *flashes devil horns* ;)

friday dance: papa & me edition

my father is in town. that is all. :) *doescarltondance*

new kid on the block

at the end of august, my extended (my stepsister's sister in law) family grew by one new bouncing baby boy! so, of course, to celebrate the healthy baby's arrival and the blossoming family, i started sewing (not heavily drinking or gorging myself with sushi per usual...). :)

i wasn't sure what i wanted to make... i took a walk, found myself at the library (a common occurence) and started perusing the craft book section. i picked up martha stewart's encyclopedia of sewing and fabric crafts, sew u and sew what! skirts

clearly, i wasn't going to make him a skirt or any part of a women's wardrobe so, i hoped martha stewart would inspire me... and she didn't disappoint!

first of all, the book is GINORMOUS! supposedly, it contains 150 projects... i didn't count them, but considering the size and heft of this book, it wouldn't surprise me... so, i saw these three projects that served as a launching pad:

(click to enlarge thumbnails)



one of the many cool things about this book is the included CD. it has all the patterns & designs needed to complete the projects.

i made the bunny exactly as specified and instructed in the book, except that i also made a yo-yo, stuffed it with fiberfill and used it to make the tail:






the kimono was easy to make. i even made my own contrast binding... however, i did notice after cutting out the pattern that the front flat pattern was missing seam allowance at the "angled shoulder". i should have trued up the pattern beforehand, but honestly, i just assumed that the pattern was correct. i mean, it's in a martha stewart book for goodness sakes... (!!??)

the pant was made from some random pattern i already had. the baby booties in the book were too feminine looking so, i used the pattern for the sole in the book, but then used porkchop's old pair of robeez as a reference to draft patterns for the top and heel. i didn't want to use elastic (as in robeez) because the shoes are made of felt. so i used ribbon and made a hole in the top to secure. next time, i make these booties, i think i'll use ultrasuede, fleece and an actual buttonhole. :)



ennyway... thank you for stopping by and reading. hope you have a lovely rest of the day... :)

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"...you have caused me to look up at the stars..."

one of my favorite poems (ever) is tess gallagher's under stars. it starts and ends with a letter and the sender transfixed by the letter's destination, it's recepient, the future and the present...

on sept. 10, i (try to) dedicate a post to my best friend, andra brubaker, who passed away on this day in 1993.

i think i've mentioned before that one of the umpteen things i miss about andra are the letters i would have received from her...

i finally feel comfortable enough to share some of the "visual splendor" with you... the verbose bodies of letters themselves remind me of some of the funniest and saddest times of my youth, when i was just discovering my "voice" and "vision", etc... and i think it would be difficult to share those without giving some lengthy background about our 20-something selves... i'll save you the gorey details... ;)

when i say "visual splendor" i mean it... when andra and i became classmates in an "Art 1", we quickly became friends. her drawings and paintings were whimsical, lyrical and emotive... she was born with a talent that was encouraged by her family.... her hands flowed easily with any tool...

i had some talent but it was something i had to work at and focus on. i struggled with anything that wasn't a pencil. and i never entertained the thought of art or design as an actual career because my parents would have never accepted it - and they proved me right when i finally entertained the thought and got into art school.... thankfully, that's not the case now...

when we started college & writing the letters (in 1989!), we'd doodle on the envelopes like this one (click on thumbnails to enlarge):



or this one:



sometimes, andra would send me class notes (botany) along with her letter - two sided notebook paper + tree hugger:



the last one i'll share with you is a postcard that shows her individual approach to penmanship:



i wish i knew why it is so difficult for me to write a letter today... sometimes, i think it's because it's not as easy to buy stamps anymore... (lazy...) sometimes, i reason, i'm not even sure if the addresses i have are current... (<-- wait. that's a lie. i send 80+ holiday cards in december and i rarely get one back...) often, i let the fear of not getting a response, prevent me from making the effort... this is true of me in many areas of my life w/ re: to socializing... hence, my "loner" ness.

for someone who LOVES getting mail, i just don't act like it... admittedly, i also get really distracted with email, text, twitter, FB and (the dreaded) TV, etc... often, i'm glad for the technology that connects me so quickly to friends and family, but in some ways, they act as barriers or filters of true, honest, "warts and all" friendships too.

the four full years of andra letters that i have i treasure and cherish. i feel the weight of the different papers, the pressure of the pen on the paper... i hear the crinkle pages turning, tangled in other pages... i smell graphite, ink or the earthy scent of "stuff getting old"...

as old as the letters are, they reek of the present to me... they are the act/quality of endurance solidified.... they are the blessings of our friendship. they are andra's hand to hold in fear and in grief. they sit with me when i cannot sleep. they make me laugh... they remind me that i learned from failure... they nudge me gently to get back to the "work in progress"...

today, i realize that andra's letters are reminding me to be more thankful to have the friends i have... and i should cherish them and tell them so... often. :) i should be a better friend than i am by trying to be a friend instead of self-segregating myself from friends out of fear of rejection... that i shouldn't be afraid to accept the offer to lean on friends when i need to, when conversely, i'm never afraid to be leaned on. because i learned the hard way, as a child, that's the best way to find out who your real friends are - they're the ones who don't run away, when they see you in the harshest light.

and lastly, i'm reminded to be patient with myself and others... that it takes two people to make a real, loving friendship, as it does to write letters. that friendships like letters shouldn't be written or read in one sitting...

and in closing... because andra would never want me to stop dancing... i post a favorite song of ours for friday dance:



i miss you so much, andra. our time together was too too short. i hope to see/be with you again someday... til then, i'll address my letters to the stars...

be careful. be good. be nice.

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friday dance - dartboy edition

friday dance is dedicated to my dear friend and criminal mastermind, @smanny aka dartboy & self proclaimed surly girl. she leaves for a new adventure in a new city much too soon...

i'll miss you very much, ma petit chou! a bientot! bises! :')



heads up philly! hide your elderly and children! ;)

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"oh firenze dolce firenze"

in october, the thin man and i will celebrate our 10 year wedding anniversary. :)

after our wedding, we travelled to italy for our honeymoon. we started in venice and ended in rome, with stops in florence, pisa, siena, san gimigiano and capri.

i'd always wanted to visit italy. to me, italy was a bigger film celebrity than any international film star since most of my favorite films used italy as a backdrop -
fellini's 8 1/2, roman holiday, stealing beauty, night on earth, life is beautiful, godard's contempt, and a room with a view:



eenyway... a while ago, in a galaxy far far away, i picked up this quirky fabric that had a poem about florence printed on it... i didn't know what it said, so i was afraid to make anything from it until i got it translated and made sure it didn't say something that would make an italian want to point and laugh at me. ;)

recently, i've become friends with a wonderful mom (ciao marcella! *hugs*) at paloma's school who happens to be italian, from a small town near milan. she took a look at it and reassured me it was not offensive. :) i really wanted to make something that was large enough to show off the entire poem so, i decided on yet another dress from matsumoto's "feminine wardrobe":





the text of the poem is as follows (i still don't have an exact translation unfortunately):

"oh firenze dolce firenze
che portastionde magiche nel-mio io
dove nelodie ronantiche e statue autkhi
come la guerra e la pace
si ripetono nel tempo, celand o amori
nato nella tua culla.
dove maratonando nelle tue vie, he
sognate me raviglie nascoste.
alloggi casuali dove il neglie stpuc'
dare con l'aiuto della luna....
e l'alba dalba per ricominciare ad amare
circndata da un lungo fiocco d'argento
si rispecchia il tuo mondo d'arte
donandori un senso completo di liberta'
libenpa' di conquistartl..."

grazie & ciao ragazzi!

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friday dance: volcanoes & raccoons edition

(i'm posting this on thursday night, 'coz imma be busy tamarra... and it's friday somewheres, right?)

a week or so ago, i was working on these two t-shirts to give to my friend M. he turned 8, this past monday. he loves raccoons and volcanoes.

i moseyed on down to my local Michael's craft store and picked up some blank tees and some fabric markers... (click on pics to enlarge)



i used a grid to freehand draw the "happy volcano" with a vanishing ink pen. then, i colored it all in...



i used a light box to trace the image and text for the raccoon tee. although you can't tell - the t-shirt is heather grey in color... y'know, raccoons are grey... :



paloma and i were very happy with the results:




and last but not least- my offerings for FrIdAy DaNcE!!!

veruca salt's "volcano girls":



and ben folds' "rocking the suburbs": (ok... so the only raccoon that came to mind was the raccoon from the kids movie over the hedge... the song is from that film.)



HAPPY FRIDAY!!!!

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Maclaren Triumph Stroller (2003 - 2010)

ever since i discovered that my kids' photos on my flickr account were being favorited by users who liked "blindfolded kids in closets", i slowly stopped posting about my children on my blog. i really have missed writing about them and how they astound/confound me on a daily basis...

however, not too recently, i wrote about getting a little weepy when we gave our bassinet away, so i thought it only fitting that i give the stroller a similar eulogy...

2004:
2006:

7 years and 2 children later... our trusty Maclaren stroller finally gave up the ghost... (actually the frame and cloth parts were fine, a little sunfaded, etc... the wheels however were shred to ribbons...)

in my third trimester, i remember researching strollers online and reading that the maclaren triumph was a favorite for urban dwelling moms who didn't drive because it was very light and folded easily with a hand and a foot - perfect for us subway moms! :)

i also read it was preferred by tall folks like my husband.

so, thin man and i cruised over to the local babies r us and took their floor model for a spin thru the store. he noted it didn't hurt his back and i folded and unfolded the model, with a hand and a foot, while cradling a stuffed animal from the toy section in the other arm.... sold, we took it home...

that stroller went with us everywhere... planes, trains, automobiles, boats, hay rides, etc... its little mesh basket (and sometimes even the hood) held toys, goodies from garage sales, groceries, library books, etc... as a new mom, it helped me get acquainted to a different kind of independence and as a result, i was enouraged to stretch the boundaries of my new life.

the maclaren was my other constant companion in the summer. we had the babyjogger for the winter and the sit and stand double stroller for longer walking trips... neither of which were as easy or light...

i remember many early evenings, watching paloma or porkchop's little head, darting around at random moving objects (dogs, bugs, leaves) and giggling and pointing. then, nodding off a bit... and finally, falling asleep... i will always treasure witnessing someone so fragile, trusting me... the stroller facilitated so many quiet opportunities to be close to my child, even if only connected by metal and fabric...

although it was beyond our budget as new parents, to purchase in 2003, i'm immensely grateful that we did. i don't think we'll have any more children... but, i probably shouldn't tempt fate by saying so... but if we were blessed with another child, the first thing i'd run out and buy (and hug): a new maclaren. :)

ennywey.... i hope you're having a tolerable monday!! :) thanks for coming by and reading.

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friday dance: golf edition

(i usually post these friday dance interludes to my facebook wall... i figured today, i should share the furry wealth...)

sometimes, i feel like the golf ball...
in a water hazard...
filled with crocs...



sometimes i feel like i'm carl spackler...

but more and more often, i feel like the dancing gopher. or i desperately try to channel the gopher... :) here's a gentle reminder to reassure myself (and you), "i'm alright!" :)



happy friday dance!!!

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my "green acres" camisole

i know... this japanese pattern stuff is probably getting stale for you... so, thanks for indulging me another post about it... :)

below, the "town camisole" (G3) from jinko matsumoto's book feminine wardrobe:



so, i discovered something even more confusing about these pattern books... in american patterns, i can count on the sizing (S, M, L, XL) to be "standard" across the board. however, in this japanese book i found two different size charts in the book. one is front and center in the beginning of the instructions portion of the book. however, when you look at each pattern instruction separately, there is another size chart...

for example: i was a M when i made the ruffle blouse (F3) & dress (F2). i was a S when i made the town one-pc dress (A1). then, i noticed my bust size didn't even register on the size chart for this camisole. if i read it correctly, the size LL was for a size 30" bust measurement. (LL!!)

i figured out (for each size) that the designer multiplied the bust measurement x 2.4. so, i made a pattern for me using that formula.... (yes, i kept in mind that maybe i'd have too much fabric round my bust and look like a balloon...)

i got this unique farm scene border fabric from my mother in law's vintage stash... i really like how it turned out... i think it may look kinda cute over a jersey shirt in the fall/winter too.



in the future, if i feel like i resemble too closely a thanksgiving day parade balloon, i made a belt with a bakelite buckle that i purchased from ebay a while ago. so, i have the option of comforting my vanity if/when i have to:



oh come on... you didn't think you'd get away without hearing the theme song:



EN FRANCAISE!!! :)

thanks again for reading/stopping by!

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chasing fireflies

unlike me, my children LOVE bugs...

so it should not surprise me that they like the chasing fireflies catalog - despite the absence of actual fireflies to chase... and the over abundance of really cool kids clothes...

i just recently received the fall/winter 2010 issue. paloma likes to dogear pages of dresses she likes and then, slowly points to each one just to make sure i can knock them off for her... :)

she didn't ask for this lovely ruffle front corduroy jumper:



they had me at the silly ruffle... and corduroy... i'm such a 70s child... :)

i had some grass green corduroy in my stash and simplicity pattern 9854 for a simple jumper. it was so easy to do...



i eyeballed the ruffle and i liked the idea of making more of a bib shape to mimic the neckline... each ruffle is about 1.5" wide after turning the sides and bottom... the length is the neck measurement(s) x 1.5.



happily, paloma loves it... too bad it's a little too heavy/warm to wear while chasing fireflies... :)



thanks for reading/stopping by!

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"resort" dress & "town" dress

i finished two dresses from jinko matsumoto's book "feminine wardrobe":
(click on pics to enlarge)

the "resort" F2 dress:

from book: mine:

the "town" A1 dress:

from book: mine:

i love these dresses! they're perfect for these hot & steamy summer days in chicago... i made a small (1" wide) matching belt (w/ vintage MOP belt buckle) for the F2 dress because it was a little too billowy. now, it looks more like a tunic... the A1 dress is very vintage looking, can't wait to try it out dancing...

both dresses were very easy to make... for the F2 dress, i only had to draft the extra ruffle and lengthen the front and back pcs i'd aldready made for the ruffle top. the A1 dress required only one pattern to be drafted - the belt - all other patterns were included with the book.

the only thing i thought really confusing was how to apply the facing to the A1 dress... so, i've included how i sew a facing below, just in case anyone else needs some tips:

here's the back facing and the back:



i mark the seam allowance at the shoulder seam as a guide. then, sew the armholes and necklines, stopping at the seam allowance, clipping curves, trimming seams:



turn it inside out and press:



after doing the same thing to the front, pin the front and back together at the shoulder seam. IMPORTANT *DO NOT PIN THE FACINGS!



this next part is tricky (and so i sew the slowest i ever sew...). sew the front and back together at the shoulder seam WITHOUT catching the facing. you create a "facing sandwich" sorta :



press the front seam allowance down and fold/press the facing seam allowance over it. and then slipstitch the facing seam:



ennyhoo... i hope you like my dresses... :) thanks for stopping by!

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The Reporter Frock Grosgrain Giveaway

dear reader,

you (and i) need this dress... so you (and i) need to comment on/link to The Reporter Frock Grosgrain Giveaway for the greater good of all womankind.

click it (the "the reporter frock grosgrain giveaway" link above). comment on it. link it. and win it, ladies... :)

mamazilla 1, metric system 0

so... i did it!!! :)

i converted all the measurements from metric into (good 'ol, familiar, clunky) american units, drafted the patterns (including the varying seam allowances), and sewed up a camisole from the japanese pattern book, "feminine wardrobe" by jinko matsumoto.

here's mine:



and here's the model from the book:



i used this funky vintage fabric (another goodie from my mother in law's old craft room stash...):



notice how the screenprint is printed on the crosswise grain... (??) i wasn't sure what to do with it but after i saw the bipatterned camisole, i immediately thought of that fabric and was curious as to how it might look as a finished product...

i LOVE it! :) and really, as soon as i got over my fear of all things metric, it was a breeze... can't wait to start on another garment!!! huzzah!!! :)