{Rubber-Sol: Why, hello there!}

A Chair for Kate

When Hank and I first got married, we always talked about our future and our to-be children.  We always knew we wanted them, and we always knew we wanted three of 'em.  Yep. One. Two. Three.  So along came Alison, then Henry, and then several years passed.  And then, finally, Kate.

During the pre-Kate years, everything came neatly in pairs.  Mama and Alison.  Daddy and Henry.  Hank and I played one-on-one quite easily, and parenthood was pretty darn fun.  It still is, don't get me wrong.  Just adding the extra little body makes things kinda chaotic at times. Like Amanda (fellow mama of three) once stated, adding one more kidlet is more of a logistics issue (though she said it much more eloquently, I'm sure).  Like take this, for example:

3 Kidlets(own minds) + 2 Cookies = Chaos

Yeah, things like that make life nutty (and funny).  Sometimes the youngest kidlet gets the short end of the stick. . .and they end up with no cookie (so to speak).  In our case, Kate almost wound up with no chair.  You see, years ago I handpainted a table and chairs (IKEA!) for Alison and Henry, and they spent years and years playing and eating and coloring and playdohing at that table. And because I always knew kidlet number three would someday make his/her debut, I went ahead and bought a third chair just for him/her years ago. 

People always wondered why we had a single white chair, and for the first year of Kate's life, the chair remained white, dingy, and oh so lonely!  So finally (finally!) I went ahead and painted a chair for her.  Here, take a peek:

I feel so relieved to have checked that off of my to-do list! And next up?! Her Christmas stocking. . . I know I still have that wool felt. . . somewhere.

Marathon Post

The Baby Pool stash is growing by leaps and bounds  - - the lucky duck winner will be quite pleased with the loot!  I was going to take a photo of the goods, but decided to wait until the winner was announced.  That way everyone can be surprised together!  Some of you sneaky gals, tucked in some little gifties for me too.  Behold:

A fabu handcrafted pouch (isn't it thee cutest?) filled with goodies:  fabric, ribbon, and buttons (oh my!) from the incredible Nicole (co-creator of the most excellent Back-Tack exchange!).  Nicole must have known that GREEN is my fave color -- just look at those buttons.  I'm in heaven.   And she also managed to slip in a bag of Vanilla Madagascan tea.  Oh yum!

And then new pal, Mo, sneaked in some fabulous notecards from her soon-to-be-launched shop, Froy & Olo.  My snapshot doesn't do these cards justice as the paper has a slight shimmer and the tiny flowers have jeweled accents!   Many thanks to Nicole and Mo!

******* On the crafty front, I managed to complete the baby afghan.  YES!  A project that I did not abandon.  Here, take a peek for yerself:

I have found that I crochet much faster than I knit, and I must say that I am quite pleased with the outcome of this afghan. Here's another view:

And yet another (can you tell I'm proud?)  :) 

My busy hands haven't rested as I also managed to whip out this teeny, tiny sweater shell for the bun.  The pattern is from Debbie Bliss' The Baby Knits Book.  Knitting up this sweater was quite fun as the I.G.F. (Instant Gratification Factor) was quite high!  And I like that!  Here take a peek:

And finally,  my friends, here are some itty bitty booties that I crocheted.  You can guesstimate the size of these wee things as compared to Alison's hands.  I just need to add some buttons so that the Mary-Jane straps can keep wriggly feet cozy and toasty.  This pattern was from Martha.

****** Now back to the Baby Pool.  You can check out the Pool calendar with all the guesstimates.  (If perchance I have a wrong date/time for your guess, just let me know.  I was at an all time "loopy" high this evening).  View the Calendar Here!

****** And here is a list of things that are kinda stressing me out:

My parents are on an Italian adventure until June 18th (which means they may miss the birth.   :( ) I don't know why they chose this time of the year to travel, but they had better hurry back!

Hank's parents have to make an emergency trip to Michigan this weekend.......which means that if the baby comes this weekend......oh, I can't think about that!

We have no baby names picked out.  Uh, hello!

We have home renovations going on RIGHT NOW!

As of Wednesday, I am  now 3 cm. dilated and 80-90% effaced!!!

Pouchity Pouch

Little Henry spent his first day in preschool on Thursday. Big sister Allie made sure to watch over him -- she's quite the little boss! Henry's teacher told me that Henry did pretty well considering it was his first day, and he did manage a handstand or two in the middle of the lesson! That silly boy! He makes me laugh.

During my two hour stint of solitude (while kiddies were at school), I lugged some of my eBay packages to the post office, and then I headed to the fabric store. Alone! Imagine that! Such an odd feeling! My plan was to craft up some little pouches for sale on my website, The Paper Princess (which will be relaunched soon -- fingers crossed!).

Last night super pal Amanda came over and we spent an entire evening of crafting up. It's been forever since I've done anything crafty, so it was such a LUXURY to work away over music and a good chat. Here are some pouches that I made last night. Here take a looksee:

The first is a floral pouch that I made out of some Amy Butler fabric that the lovely Yvonne bestowed upon me a couple of months ago.

A few miles away from my house is The Fabric Barn, which is otherwise known as a crafter's dream. Despite its name, they really don't offer much fabric, but ribbons...oh they have ribbons. Imagine a warehouse full of every type of ribbon, notion, buttons, tulle, trim, craft items....imagine all that, and you have experienced The Fabric Barn. I scored yards of grosgrain ribbon (4 yards for $1.00) in a bizillion colors!

The green trio was made of vintage repro fabric, and the buttons shown are from the 1950s -- I think the green one is bakelite. They were so much fun to make. If you would like to see the rest of my creations, click on My Album.

********
In other news, Mother's Day weekend was quite a treat as the kids spent the night at their grandparents' house on Friday night. This allowed us to sneak in a romantic dinner for two, a play, and frozen yogurt!! Woo hoo! This morning was spent sleeping in (two days in a row!), and spending time with my parents and the in-laws! Such a treat.

Even more exciting is this is MY LAST WEEK OF WORK. MATERNITY leave starts as of 2:50 p.m. Wednesday afternoon! Yipee!

Crafty Bits

The constant downpour of rain here in California has left us cooped up inside for the past few days.  So while the kidlets played inside, I busied myself with the baby afghan.  After crocheting up several different square styles in varying colors, I think that I have narrowed it down to these three!  (Can you tell I love green?)  The Briar Rose patches were a snap, the Peony squares a bit tricky, and the Willow Squares, the newest addition, SO time consuming!!!  And, uh, as you can see, I only have 20 more of those to go!!!!   I'm just praying to the Crafty Gods (C.G.s) above that I don't tire of this project and abandon it for good. That would be so so sad to be relegated to the C.o.A.P. (Closet of Abandoned Projects).

Hank has left his debit card too dangerously close to the computer, and I have taken advantage of its proximity by splurging here and there on various goodies.  Above you can see the "LUSH"  yarn that I was lucky enough to purchase (yes! She sells out fast) from Adrian over at Hello Yarn.  If you haven't visited her, please do as she is continually restocking her virtual shelves of handspun goodness. Other faves of mine include the brisk selling creations of Heidi at My Paper Crane.   I have yet to purchase from her as eager buyers out there oftentimes leave her cupboards bare.  Also pictured above are my SIZE 19 needles! Egads!

I've also been blessed by happy greetings and good cyber love.   Tracy Roos sent over a baby album kit that I am so eager to rip open and start creating.  She was so thoughtful and sweet.  (Thanks again, Tracy!)  Another sweetie, Ani, sent both a birthday card for HENRY and a Valentine card for the family!  (Is the birthday card not the most thoughtful thing ever?)

Despite all my crafty progress, I am behind in several snail mail goodies.  I (happily) owe goodies to Hope and Lori-Lyn!  I haven't forgotten about you ladies!!

******** On the homefront news, Handy Man Yury, came over last night to discuss our plans for Phase 1 of our Home Sweet Home project.  We're transforming our walk-through office and returning it to bedroom status.  We're also going to add crown moulding and thick baseboards throughout our dining room and living room.  Hopefully we'll also chuck our antiquated wall heaters and replace them with forced air and heating.  Only then we will return to our studio/office creation (that I had planned way back when). All of these changes are exhausting, yet so very exciting.  Okay I'll stop rambling now.

Craftin' Up Weekend

Last Thursday I started a new afghan for our little bun (fingers crossed that it really is a little girl. . .there is always that little seed of doubt when it comes to gender prediction!).  I went to my favorite yarn supplier and stocked up on some super soft Rowan DK yarn.  Here take a look at my STASH-OLA.  I walked out with 45 skeins (yes, they're all in that bag!) of the purdiest yarn you ever did saw.  And the killer part?  I still have to buy more....so sorry wallet!  Anyhoo, I've been crocheting like a madwoman, and I've finished 8 briar patch squares like the one shown.  Lately I find myself eager for the evening hours when the little ones are asleep so that I can crochet away. 

Next weekend good pal Cassie is throwing a birthday party for her little girl Kylee, and today while the family was napping away, I whipped out these little t-shirts.  The three shirts read:  "I'm Sassy,"  "I'm a Ham," and "I'm Spunky."  And the backside of each tee reads, "Just Like My Mommy."  To add to the fun, I made this this shirt for Ms. Sassie Cassie herself.  I hope she likes them.

Yesterday, while at the mall, I was browsing through A Pea in the Pod and saw a line of t-shirts that read "Due in June (or one's respective due date)."  And can you believe that they were selling them for seventy something dollars?  Um, no thanks. 

Since I was already busy crafting up all these tees, I made one up for myself. You can view my budget version of A Pea's, I suppose.  I am quite the happy camper knowing that my tee cost a mere $10!  Yay for bargains!

Well before I leave, I thought I'd leave you with my profile 19 week photo. Just yesterday I tried to put on a pair of my khaki cords, and, um, they were a TIGHT (In fact, they were so tight that I couldn't feel my lower extremities for about three hours.....alright not that tight). I find this rather funny because I just wore them just a few days before and I was still able to breathe. Ah, such is the way with pregnancy.

P.S. I just added my pregnancy photos to the sidebar. You can also click HERE to view them. Isn't it crazy what a difference two weeks makes?

Boy? Girl? Tune in Tomorrow!

While Alison and Henry scootered about the front yard today, I sat down with my crochet needle and whipped up these little guys.  The pink one (the first one) came out a wee bit smaller than the blue.  Despite my rusty crochet hands, they were pretty easy to make, though now that I look at the photograph, they look more like mushrooms than cupcakes.  Oh well!  I think if I do a better job shaping them up, they'll look more cupcake-y.  Of course, it doesn't help that my two babes tossed them around like beanbags!

Last week was surprise galore as I received this little munchkin from Yvonne.  Isn't she cute?  I was thinking that I should sleep with  her under my pillow so that the girlie vibes would rub off on me.  I just had to show front and rear view as the little heart-clad bum is too sweet to ignore. 

Another Dutch blogger, Marieke, sent me an adorable postcard when she found out that I was pregnant.  You can see it HERE.  She even made me a cheat sheet with translations so that I could enjoy the humor.  I thought I'd let you guys take a peek....and form your own translations.  He he!

Yesterday Ms. Hope sent me a cute little note with a "How to Have a Relaxing Pregnancy" article.  How thoughtful! It's on my nightstand for tonight's reading.

And take a looksee at this motherload of goodies from the lovable Giao.  I ordered one of her fabulous scarves, and sneaky gnome slyly added a box full of treasures for me to covet (as a tagback gift.....not necessary, but certainly so much appreciated!)  I've already used the bath tarts and lip balm (not pictured), and I must say that I've been in heaven.
 

Tomorrow is my 18 (almost 1/2 there!!!) week appointment, and hopefully I will be able to find out the answer to the ultimate question:  BOY?!  OR GIRL?!  What do you predict? Stay tuned for tomorrow's post! 

Knitting Like I Mean It

As I mentioned earlier, I finished the Flirty Party Apron for my mother-in-law; I've been meaning to post a photo of it, and here it is! I started this project sometime in August in hopes that I would be finished for Christmas. Just a few ends need to be weaved in, and that's it! Immediately after finishing the pink apron, I started on a blue one for my own mother. My mother is the consummate hostess and party thrower, and I just know that she will be thrilled with her new gift.

On the sidelines, I've also been knitting up BLOOM from Rowan 36. I am enjoying the felted tweed, and as usual, I'm setting my sights on another project (perhaps something from the Rowan Vintage collection).

On Sunday I exchanged my frequent flyer miles for two tickets to Hawai'i. (YES! We're going on vacation!) My in-laws were super generous and exchanged their miles for two more! And if that weren't enough, they also gave us a week of their time share in Kona (on the Big Island where my dad is from). We'll spend a week in Kona/Hilo, and then fly over to Oahu to spend another 11 days with my family! I can't wait. We haven't been on a real bonafied vacation since I was preggers with Henry, and now that Hank and I are on the same schedule (for the first time in years), we are looking forward to more family vacations!

Gettin' Knitty With It

Hopefully my mother and mother-in-law won't peek at this page, but here is a little snippet of the gift I'm knitting for them. The diamond pattern is coming out quite nicely afterall. I've decided that typing out the entire pattern (row by row) helps keep the brain focused. I tend to get a little spacey while knitting, so this blueprint idea has helped tremendously!

Spacey and loopy tend to be the adjectives that best describe me lately. Hank has a story for y'all that he'll share later on. But it will showcase just how SPACEY I've been. I tell ya, once you have babies, your brain takes a downward dive. . .you're never quite the same, right moms? Sometimes I'll start walking towards the bedroom with a destination and agenda in mind, and then I'll stop mid-pace to think, "Where am I going?! I don't quite remember!" So my two babes have given me bigger feet (did you know that they grow a bit while pregnant?) and a watery brain. THANKS kids!

Last night we went to Circuit City, and I saw the camera I've been coveting. I have the regular SLR Canon Rebel that uses real life film, but this digital brother is quite handsome and it makes me swoon. A girl can dream, right?

****Batch #3 of eBay is in the oven! ***

Summertime and the Living's Easy

Right now the babes are busying themselves watching Sesame Street, and I thought I'd sneak in a little post. I've been super occupied with vacation: trips to the park, library, music festivals, dips in inflatable pools with wee pals. We've been fortunate as the weather has been favorable, allowing us the freedom to spend time outside.

***TIMEOUT...I hear a "ruckus" going on in the kitchen!***
Okay so sorry. Henry's new trick is to open the refrigerator (that treasure trove!). He's on his second juice box, but I'm gonna let it slide as it's allowing me a (kinda) peaceful moment at the computer.

So where was I? Oh yeah. Summertime. Like usual I have a lofty to do list that I'd like to conquer, but the leisurely pace of summer has made me lazy. During my first week of vacation, I was quite eager, and I actually finished Alison's sweater. And then I sewed up this little knitting roll-up out of a remnant that I found at one of those chic high end fabric stores. Now I can store my circular needles and straight ones too! It has turned out quite nicely, and I'm so pleased that my needles aren't clankety-clanking at the bottom of my bag anymore!

Currently I'm working on this from knitty. I'm knitting one for my mom and one for my mother-in-law, and hopefully they'll be ready for Christmas. The criss-cross diamonds are kinda tricky, and I'm not even sure if I'm doing them correctly. I think I'll have to do some googling to see if there are some diagrams for me to view!

When time permits, I've been enjoying new sites that I've found. Perhaps my newest favorite is The Trixie Update! Another goodie is Paige Pooler. I've also discovered that I seriously need to update my link's page! There's just so much goodness out there!

Well I had better run now. I just heard Alison say, "Henry....lock yourself in my room...and I'm gonna see if I can get you out!" You see, she's gotten to be quite savvy with this tool.

At Last!

At last I have the Curb Appeal Album for display. Have fun.