my date with Antonio

i have been handed the gift of 10 minutes one-on-one tomorrow with the Mayor of Los Angeles. i am floored. need to compose myself. and some thoughts.

and what to wear??

have a great weekend.

more on monday to be sure!

a little bit of coffee {and a little bit of rice}

the above are miniature housewares i picked up for the girls at a japanese gift shop. (we are very into little bits right now. and always into our rice cooker! so these seemed a natural pick. there was also a very cute turntable and telephone. next time.) the little bug is always asking me if i'd like "a little bit of coffee" - then passes on this carafe. a little bit indeed. (bring it on!)

and feeling a little bit busy. my mom arrives tomorrow. (can't wait!) need to get a little bit done before she arrives... back to it.

happy tuesday!

dear rock,

thanks for the cd hon. i so wish that i could pick up and join you guys in vancouver. the show is going to be amazing! and for your note. as i sit in my bright rooms i often think of you. as i am picking sticky cheerios off of the floor, i think of you transcribing your interviews and all the thrill i used to get out of research. as i am being beckoned to wipe a bottom i think of you going to see o perform and how long it has been since d and i went to anything "live" that didn't involve someone dressed in a furry costume. things are so different for us right now. yet the connection remains strong. i am so grateful. i can't wait 'til june!

and because you asked
7 songs that i* am listening to at the moment:
spike jones :: i'm a lonely little petunia
the police :: peanuts
joanna newsom :: cosmia
blossom dearie :: they say its spring
hawksley workman :: goodbye to radio
great lakes swimmers :: see you on the moon
meat coaster :: it was a very good year

most of these come off cds i have been generously sent. (thank you!) the last one is a song d and his "band" will be playing at an upcoming fundraiser/party friends of ours are organizing in support of down syndrome research

i guess that is it for now...

so much love, ant

p.s. *i here means me and the bugs! e even went as far to explain to her father the other day that "the police" was also a name of a band that auntie c loved when she was girl; not just "cops".

p.p.s. the little bug has me read this to her at least once a week!

p.p.s.s. oh - and a pic of the bath and the girls - because i know you want another! have a great weekend.




i have just posted on sew green. {i am so enjoying what is happening over there.} have a good one!

::inside::out::

::inside::
gazing at daffodils
watching the rain
making granola
reading miss rumphius
planning gardens

::out::
retracing d's childhood walks
imagining fewer mcmansions
and more orange groves
splashing in puddles
sprinkling seeds
looking for blue sky

happy spring!

and a big thank you to beth over at sew, mama, sew! for the shout out. i am flattered.

567 minus 1

the detritus of two birthday parties over the weekend.

the big bug won the jar of gumballs. for having the closest guess to how many were in it. 567. (she guessed 594.)

i don't think she had ever had a gumball before. at least not to my knowledge.

i told her that this jar would likely last her until she was 12. and no, she can't have one everyday.

how was your weekend?

stepping out

feeling like this week just began, is over, and i missed all in between.

hoping for a weekend of r & r puncuated by a couple of bday parties...

and i just posted my first on sew green... {and a big thank you for the great outpouring of support to this endeavour!}

have a great weekend!

oh - and look what kristina just posted!

weekend in review

so no "smockets" were made. the temps soared into the 90s. (this scares me. it really does.) and my time "making" ended up being limited to an "artist's apron" for a birthday girl. and plans for our yard to go"native". goodbye sprinkler system and traditional lawn (which is dead anyway), hello ceanothus and yarrow. much time was spent chasing after these two - who we were puppy sitting for our neighbours. oh. my. they. are. cute. and yes, now all talk has turned to how we "neeeeedddd" a puppy of our own. (and that was just me!)

in the midst of all this, fried chicken from Dinah's was eaten. (yes, a guilty pleasure.) and a much coveted turtle arrived. (the image above.) both courtesy of sam. (thank you thank you!)

and so it is monday. children were dragged out of bed to make it to school on time. i absolutely detest having to wake my kids. it is a rare occasion as they are usually up with the sun, but this time change thing... there is nothing worse to me than trying to rouse those beautiful warm and cozy dreamy bodies. i just want to watch them doze on. but alas, the school bell rings at 7:55 for us...

and lastly, i am thrilled to be part of Sew Green, a collaborative effort concerning our environment/consumerism/consumption/sustainability... instigated by "a rave and a rant". thank you shash for the inspiration and getting me thinking. (and thank you lisa, for bringing me in.) go check it out!

happy monday!

super.buzzed

i am so looking forward to the weekend. this fabric (and the placemat below) just arrived from superbuzzy and i am set to make another "smocket" or 2.

i am also very excited to be a part of a new collaborative endeavour. with an amazing group of women. but that will have to wait until monday...

have a great weekend.

since you asked...

the lunchbag is based on some written instructions in a magazine. sorry i don't remember where exactly. I have been using oil cloth ordered from sewmamasew for these. (they came on recommendation from sally, so i knew it would be good!)

i made a cardboard template that is a little ragged but still works. the bag is a very simple 6 pieces:
back / flap - about 61/2 by 14 inches
front - 6 1/2 by 8 1/2 inches
sides - 5 1/2 by 8 1/2 inches
bottom - 6 1/2 by 5 1/2 inches
it is stitched wrong sides together. starting with attaching the front and back pieces to the bottom piece; then the sides to the bottom; then joining these to the front and back, starting the stitching at the bottom.
i put a strip of velcro (hook) horizontal, about 2 inches from the top edge of the back piece, on the wrong side
i put two shorter strips (loop) vertically on the right side of the front piece (to attach to the piece on the back, which folds over to the front when the bag is "closed".
i also add a little pocket to one side, which you can kind of see here with the bag on the far left. i also add a strap at the top.

it is not insultated. though i have been investigating how this might be done. i also have some pieces cut in a canvas that i have been meaning to try. (i am all for machine washable lunchbags and haven't been brave enough to run the oilcloth ones through the machine.)

does this make sense? i hope so. please feel free to email me if it doesn't. i tend to cut the oil cloth with my rotary cutter and just piece it together as i go along, to make sure it will fit.

thanks for your interest.

and happy international women's day. to all the women in my life (that includes you!) thank you.

in the bag {and off the list}

another lunchbag (the same pattern as before). another project checked-off my list. i am way behind in correspondence, promises and obligations. but spring has seemingly sprung(or at least my allergies think so) and i am feeling somewhat renewed. if i owe you something... it is on the table. be patient please. and accept my apologies for the delay!

gobsmocked

a request was recently submitted for a pocket (we have checked this book out of the library). a pocket where hands could be clasped together, no less.

then i happened upon alicia's "smocket"

aha

here we are...



she loves it. filled the pocket with little treasures right away. and walks around with her hands in it.

i love it. it is the back that gets me. the cross-over and tie at the shoulder approach. timeless. and i made it reversible (to the green and pink print, sans pocket) so she can wear it twice as much.

a request has been submitted for another. in this print. (for the love of superbuzzy) with a larger pocket. for a larger kid.

and perhaps i'll try a mom-sized one as well...

thanks alicia for the inspiration, and for sharing the pattern. and thanks back to amy for originally passing the vintage pattern on to alicia!

and thanks to my bugs... well, for just being you. we had an awesome weekend we three girls. the sewing machine busily humming on the kitchen table while they quietly played together. (together! all! weekend!) i couldn't ask for more.

happy monday.