Smiling for the Camera

I just thought this was a fun one of my soon-to-be kindy-gardener.

Focus on her image in the digital camera NOT the fact that she is all grown up.

Eleanor's Sweet Pincushion

This momma is proud.

Look at what she hand sewed at camp this week!

Her very own pincushion.

I was just telling another blogger friend, shouldn't I be able to work on this with her?

Do I really have to send her to camp to do this?

 But I haven't the slightest clue how to teach her to craft and sew, how to break down these projects to a 5 year old level.  And besides, if I didn't send her, then I wouldn't get the fabulous 20 minute ride home from camp where I get the excited low down on her day.  That is the BEST.  Don't you think?

::WOOT WOOT:: Start of Farmers Market Season!

It was a gorgeous Sunday here in Chi-town to kick off Farmers Market season. 

I gotta say, it's incredibly easy to find inspiration when you are strolling around, checking out the fresh foods, baked goods, flowers, greens, etc. 

I could have taken pictures all day along.  Oh, and a little shout out to one of our most loyal readers who I happened to see at market today--Ann, can I get a woot woot?

I do love when a friend makes a comment to me that makes me realize *someone* out there actually reads our blog.  You know like, "hey, love the new banner!"

The mushrooms stopped me dead in my tracks.  

Can you say Giada's wild mushroom and pea risotto?

This picture goes without saying.  Seriously?  

These *might* be as pretty as my wedding day flowers.  Might.

I'm always on the hunt for local fare.  Could be in the form of the Mexican paletas down at the lake front, the Wisconsin cheese curds, OR possibly fish straight from Lake Michigan.  I am dying to try the walleye.

The gentleman farmer.  Does he wear bow ties and seersucker suits?

Which, btw, I totally bought my hub a seersucker suit shortly after we were married.  Like, maybe the week we got home from our honeymoon?

Jake's Country Meats had some serious homemade ham/pork jerky.

Can I just assume that it's healthy because it's labeled gluten free?

Now, the peonies were $5/bunch.  A steal, right?  The problem, see, is that we were short on cash from a fun night the night before.  So.......it was the peonies or the Vietnamese spring rolls and iced coffee?  Food won out.  Is that bad?

I mean, would you have turned these bad boys down?

Or, as the hubby always says, "She can eat crackers in my bed."

Ruh-roh.  The toy store by the farmers market had Ugly Dolls.

Suckahhhhhhhh.

God Bless the farmers market and the sun and time with the fam.  Even if it means an ugly doll in exchange for no complaints.

What Kind of a Sewing Machine Do You Have?

I got a new machine!  Yippee!!!  I'd love to say I did the research, found the perfect model of machine I wanted and then went out and made the purchase.  It began that way and I got 100% mired down in indecision: What brand was best?  What features did I have to have?  What features would I eventually want once I was a more experienced sewer?    (Not to mention that with our big move I was too scared to spend that kind of money.  eek.)  So, when my Aunt called and said her friend was selling her Bernina which was ten years old but closet kept all these years, I thought, okay, this is it.   At least this will get me sewing on a better machine then what I have now and in a few years, I can make the leap to fancier doo dah.  


Now if only I wasn't on the road and I had this little baby up and running in my house already......

Nothing a little Fantastik and dust busting can't fix.

It's an Activa 130.  Anybody else have one?

The feet alone made this a good buy--walking foot, free motion quilting foot, pintucking foot (will I really ever use that?!).

That's Mimi reading the manual and Eleanor looking on--she wants to get her hands on my old machine. I told her I'd set it up for her--mommy and me sewing tables?!

Alright, so let's fastforward five years and I'm ready to buy new--what do I buy?  What do YOU have and why do you LOVE it?

So what if its our fifth snow day?

We're diggin' it!

Ruh Roh

I love when I download pictures off my camera and find that unbeknownst to me, 

the kids have gotten a hold of it (probably because I was nursing, wiping tears or boo boos, cooking, etc......def NOT surfing the web or sewing.  DEF not.).  

Sad.

Surprised.

Happy.

Silly.

Cocky.

Negotiating.

Mad.

Irritated.

Happy Valentines Day!

Here is what we managed to create one week post Virginia's arrival.  Eleanor decided to create her own Valentines vs. buy them at the store.  Garland took her to Michael's to pick out the "ingredients" for her Valentines.  She was quite proud.