damestarbaby

No Matter What

2011-05-13T18:25:00.001-07:00

Allow me to explain.

It happened like so many times before: from afar I heard the sound from my youngest that tells me she's been physically assaulted by my oldest. It's a specific sound, and way too familiar. My temper flares as soon as that sound hits my ears. Every time.

This time, though, I make my way to the scene to find my little one shrieking about injustice, but the offender is nowhere to be seen. My temper rises, and I search, calling. No sign, no answer when I call her name. I am nothing short of livid at this point, clinching my jaw and muttering, rehearsing the words I'm going to scream at her once I find where she's hiding. They go something like, "I don't care what she did, YOU CANNOT HIT HER!" and "I KNOW you know better than that because it seems I have to tell you this every single day!!" and "God #@*&it, child, you best answer me when I call you!!!!"

It's clear why she's hiding, I realize, as she sheepishly rises up from behind a rock outside our front door. My purple face tells her all she needs to know, but I manage to responsibly suggest that she stay at least an arm's length away from me while I deliver the verbal onslaught. (It's no wonder to me why she has trouble controlling her temper, by the way.)

She wisely spent a whole bunch of time in her room before she tried to make her testimony. We were all much calmer and more rational at this point, though my anti-violence lecture still lasted about ten minutes.

"Maybe if I wrote it down, it would help me remember," she suggested. "Perfect," I say, having forgotten the brilliance of assigning sentences as punishment. It's writing practice and discipline all in one!

I line the paper and explain that these sentences are to be done in her very neatest handwriting or she'll have to start all over, that she's still in trouble and the words on the page are meant to sink deep into her head, and so on. She says, "I get it, mom, you can go now." Another wise move.

The above picture is what I found when I checked in on her about five minutes later.

A little dismayed, I ask why her letters go all crooked at the end of each sentence, and she answers, "Because it says, 'I will not hit my sister, no matter what.' You know, like you say when you really mean it."

It's italics!! She wrote the emphasis words in italics.

And just like magic, I'm not mad anymore.

A Perfect Circle

2011-04-02T09:36:00.000-07:00

A Disclaimer: If you are unmoved by or uninterested in the amazing and often hilarious things that come out of the mouths and minds of children, this blog may not be for you.

For the rest of you, here's a story written and read for you by my very own Mazzy, inspired by the If you Give... series by Laura Numeroff.

Of particular brilliance are the illustrations.

Atta girl, Maz.

Mid-Week Music Video

2011-03-15T22:04:00.000-07:00

I'm not too proud to admit that my family watches our fair share of YouTube videos. Some because they're funny, some because they're informational, and some because they're viral. My favorite ones, though, tend to be of the music variety. The old late-nineties MTv lover in me never died, I suppose, though the bands (read: the videos) I'd choose to tune into now would never have made it to premium cable.

So, I think it's high time to fulfill an early teenage dream of being a VJ. If only once a week. Move over, Martha Quinn.

Gifts For My Girls

2011-03-12T13:51:00.000-08:00

I wanted to share some gifts I recently made for the girls. At our house, Mama-made gifts come when inspiration strikes, so they are specially cherished because they are one of a kind, designed so specifically with each child in mind, and filled with love.
First, for Scarlett, I made a little lady tool belt.
It was inspired by the stash belts that can be seen in abundance at summer festivals. I salvaged the leather from an old coat that was begging to be repurposed. The leather was great, but the jacket was hideous. The butterfly clasp came from a flea market years ago and has been patiently waiting for me to put it to the perfect use.
This particular eight-year-old's utility belt features plenty of pockets for treasure collecting and little custom compartments to hold all of her essential tools: a pocket knife, a flashlight, a pair of scissors, a large purple whistle and (on special occasions) a hammer. Now those things she always seems to need are always within reach and her hands are free for climbing trees and riding her bike. Next came Tallulah, who just had her first birthday. I wanted to make her something to help us remember this important milestone, something that would last, that would withstand being chewed on and dragged around and loved and still be around for her when she has a one-year-old in need of a Mama-made gift. And it had to be a doll.She has red hair and blue eyes to match Tallulah's own, and I stuffed her with the sweetest smelling wool bits to avoid using polyfill. She fits right in with the rest of our doll family, and most importantly, she fits just right in those loving little hands.

I get such a feeling of satisfaction from creating something with my own two hands for the ones I love. I hope you feel a little inspiration to make something for yours.

Drums, Please...

2011-03-05T15:36:00.000-08:00

A list:

(for those of you looking closely, this was only one of two pages of names)

A hat:

A hand:

A winner!:

Congratulations, Mrs. Hunter.

Thank you to ALL of you who commented, liked, joined, shared and tweeted!
We're happy to have you.

An Ordinary Average Day

2011-03-02T13:34:00.000-08:00

We are:

~Building a small scale Cherokee Indian longhouse

~Getting a little carried away and making elaborate furniture to go in the Cherokee Indian longhouse
~Wearing big girl panties and filling everyone's boots with goodies from Mama's basket

~Drinking Carrot-Orange-Lemon juice with a side of Wheat grass

~Working on novel #2

~Dropping one kid off here

~Meeting my best girl for afternoon coffee here

~Eating veggie burgers for dinner here

~Heading back home for a little American Idol with the girls.

~Then off to bed to read a little bit of this before I doze off to a good nights sleep so I can wake up and start it all over again.

How did you spend your day?

Our First-Ever Giveaway!!

2011-02-26T14:22:00.000-08:00

You may have noticed, and you may have not, that we haven't blogged in some time.

There are many, many reasons for this: Winter boredom, laziness, a sharp decrease in desire to spend any more time than absolutely necessary in front of the computer, particularly with a willfull button-slamming toddler on the scene, and a sharp increase in desire to cook and read and snuggle with our real babies. The most important reason, though, is that DamestarBaby (and all that comes with it) has always been second to our ever-evolving families. We mother first, and sew second. We're super grateful to have the option of ignoring our business when we need to, and so are our kids.

That said, we still sort of feel bad, and we're ready to start paying attention again. What better way to celebrate than with a giveaway?!

So, here's the deal: the winner will receive two shirts of their choice in any size they'd like. TWO SHIRTS. For example,

a Chakra shirt for your daughter

and a Guitar for the little man in your life.Perhaps a gift for a birthday party,
or just a little wardrobe lift.

These are just a few examples, peep the rest of our shirt options in our shop.

No matter how you slice it, you win two of our shirts, for free. Well, almost.

It is a contest, and there are rules. It's like this, to enter you can:

1)Become a Fan of DamestarBaby on Facebook

2)Follow the DamestarBaby blog

3)Link back to this post on your own blog or Facebook wall or Twitter feed

If you are already a fan and a follower, just comment so and you'll be entered. If you do more than one of the above, leave a separate comment for each action and you'll have twice (or thrice!) the chance of winning.

We're procrastinators ourselves, so we'll give you a whole week. This giveaway ends Saturday, March 5 at 3 p.m. The winner will be chosen at random, because we couldn't possibly choose which one of you we like best.

OK Go

2011-01-04T18:46:00.000-08:00

Here's a brilliant, worthwhile way to spend seven spare minutes: watch these two videos and tell us which is your favorite.

Grab your kids first, they'll want to see this, too.

AWESOME, right?!

Ringing In

2011-01-02T22:44:00.000-08:00

If the quality of our coming year is in any way connected to the quality of our New Year's Celebration, then 2011 is sure to be a year to remember.

Our annual NYE Christmas Tree Burn was gathered 'round by our closest friends, and sparks flew higher than ever. The kids all made it to midnight, which is good, because if they hadn't, they'd have missed the snow.

The Midnight Moment turned magnificently surreal when our bonfire sparks rose to meet huge flakes of snow, falling silently onto our squealing children. Magical, truly.

Back in the warmth of the house, we indulged in a little friendly boys v. girls Just Dance competition. Those pictures, however, are best left to the imagination.

We rung it in right, and can't wait to see what we get back.

Cheers, all, to 2011!

A Match Made

2010-09-26T22:18:00.000-07:00

"How many slams in an old screen door? Depends how loud you shut it. How many slices in a bread? Depends how thin you cut it. How much good inside a day? Depends how good you live 'em. How much love inside a friend? Depends how much you give 'em."
— Shel Silverstein

Yesterday one of my oldest friends and one of my newest friends became wife and husband. People came from miles, from hundreds and thousands of miles, and across states and seas to watch. Everyone contributed. Some curled hair, some pitched tents, some arranged flowers, made dresses, took photos, baked cookies, danced, spoke, sang. The creative energy was palpable. Two worlds collided, and the explosion was breathtaking.

Yesterday I watched one of my best friends have the best day of her life. A day where she could look out and see all of her best friends gathered in one place - in a beautiful place on a perfect day - smiling and radiating love.

How much love inside a friend?

So much. SO much.

The Papa Chair

2010-09-22T08:54:00.000-07:00

In our family we have what is called the "Papa chair". It is the most coveted place to be. Warm and safe and perfect for snuggling.

The girls usually win this spot, but every so often I get my turn too.

Planets and Horses and Babies, Oh My!!

2010-09-02T13:01:00.000-07:00

We're back from Summer break with some new goods in the shop.

(Oh, did we not tell you we were taking a break? Our bad.)

First, the horse shirt Scarlett's been asking for since she was three has finally come to life. It's a good thing we spent all that time thinking about it, because it came out just right.

The Dream of Horses

Next, we tip our hats to third graders everywhere with our own model of the Solar System. Only ours isn't made out of styrofoam and wire hangers.

Intergalactic Planetary

And last but not least, Tallulah makes her official Etsy debut today. She'll be popping up more and more now that she sits and stands (!), putting the baby back in DamestarBaby.

Baby Chakras

Going back to school in style!

My Summer

2010-08-30T08:45:00.000-07:00

High Times

2010-07-06T17:06:00.000-07:00

This past weekend found the JLF high up in the California mountains at High Sierra Music Festival. Four days of music, sun, trees, dirt, skin and smiles all around. I was far too busy merrymaking to take pictures, which is probably best for all parties involved.

**this photo here was taken by 1yen at flickr.com**
My words, as well as any still picture I could have snapped, fall short of describing the scene at High Sierra: the energy, the constant movement, the colors, the feeling. Since it only comes but once a year, everyone's more than happy to let it all hang out, which I suppose is why I hesitate to take photos. You know, "What happens at High Sierra stays at High Sierra."
Here's a little video tour of the most memorable moments from this year's freakiness. Again, nowhere near the same as being there, but at least not as hot.

These parades happen daily, providing the recommended daily dose of booty-shaking.
My favorite night of the Festival was the one my husband and I spent watching this band, Dr. Dog, tear it apart until 4 in the morning. I am now obsessed.

The Carolina Chocolate Drops, blending hip hop and old time like it's that easy.

The ever-present hoopers and spinners decorate the festival in circles.

And last but not least, my favorite pair of brothers performed this same version of my favorite song they sing. I think they might have even been wearing the same clothes. Mmmmm.

I relish the yearly opportunity to revive the freak in me, but it's also lovely to come home to a peaceful, clean, shaded space.
Until next year.

Scarlett's Blog

2010-06-13T12:22:00.000-07:00

Hi my name is Scarlett and I am seven.Last night I cooked dinner.My mom told me how to cook it.Icooked greanbeans.And I cooked pasta. I diced tamatose.I found a holapaneo in the greanbeans.While we were eating dinner we played my favoret game.UNO.I love that game.My Daddy won two games and Mommy also won two games.I only won one game. I love to cook!It makes me feel importent.I like contribute to the family espesely when people like the food that you cooked!Sometimes I cook
whith yarn in my bedroom !I folow a cookbook called BILLS OPEN KITCHEN!
I have a baby sister!I love her she lahfs!

Dreams Made Real

2010-06-11T14:03:00.000-07:00

I'm a very left-brain person. When it comes to creating things, I like to follow instructions. In the kitchen, I'm all about measuring cups and recipes. I'd really rather trace than draw free-handed. My favorite thing about Legos is the little step-by-step book that tells you what to make & how to make it. I love trying out complicated knitting patterns, but I can't even begin to imagine how a person could make such a pattern up.

The same goes for sewing, for the most part, which is why I leave most of the designing to my right-brained artistic partner. She has the vision, makes it into a pattern, and then I follow it. It's always worked well.

This year, though, I found myself determined to make some dresses on my own. I couldn't jump completely out of my comfort zone, so I followed (sometimes quite closely) a few different inspirations.

The first came from the cover of an old Cookie magazine.

The dress just spoke to me, so I made my own version, fresh for Spring:

The second and third are sixties-style shift dresses, a la Twiggy.

She rocked a shift dress like no other, but I thought I'd try my hand at a couple of girl-sized
numbers. No pattern, just a picture of a pattern (baby steps).

This one turned out quite Twiggy-ish if I do say so myself.

These first two will be available this Summer at our booth at the St. Helena Farmer's Market.

The third, my favorite (which I'm keeping for my own little style icon) was born when I saw this on modcloth.com:

I upcycled a ruffly dress I picked up at a thrift store and...

Now Mazzy has her own shift dress to rock at a certain highly anticipated wedding we're attending in September. Plus, I made a new limited edition of our Traveling Dress, which is available now in our shop!!

The itch has been officially scratched.

A Dull Moment, Please.

2010-05-25T13:27:00.000-07:00

Accident: (n.) a specific, unexpected, unusual and unintended external action

which occurs in a particular time and place, with no apparent and

deliberate cause but with marked, generally negative, effects.

We're two down on accidents here in the Jones household, and if karma comes in threes, I suppose I should lock my kids inside a padded room. Okay, separate padded rooms.

Accident #1: Hokey Pokey Head Trauma

Last week, at a small birthday gathering for a dear friend, my husband was at the piano playing a round of "Hokey Pokey" with an enthusiastic (this was after birthday cookies) group of our collective kids. Eden, my 3-year-old, turned herself around with a little too much gusto and slammed head-first into the piano bench, with markedly negative effects.

She cried (loudly), it bled (a lot), I had a little shock seizure (?!), and then it was over. We avoided the emergency room only because there was already a doctor in the house. Once the trauma subsided, Eden was just the same as before: laughing and singing. Except now she had this

But before the trauma had subsided, there was definitely a few moments where I thought that she (and we) would never be the same. Hence the seizure, I suppose.
But while I was beside myself, her resilience just amazed me. Five minutes (or maybe ten) of painfully intense crying and it was all over. Like, what's next? Why are you all standing there staring at me? Let's move on.

So we did. And then, a mere two days later...

Accident #2: Surrounded by Bees

My two girls were out playing in the woods, where they often play and where we'd just had a birthday party a week before, when Eden was stung by a bee.

It was a yellow jacket, actually, but a sting is a sting.

Daddy ran to her rescue and by the time he got back to the house with her, I heard Mazzy out there screaming. I mean screaming. I ran out there as fast as I could, which was nowhere near fast enough, and by the time I got to her there were still about six bees going after her.

So she's screaming, I'm crying, batting bees and ripping her clothes off, we're running back to the house, (a distance of about fifty yards) and all I could think was, "This is why people exercise."

Let me say here that I have lots of friends who run for fun, and I never have understood what's fun about it. But after running across a field carrying my six-year-old, I was beyond out of breath and it occurred to me in a new way why running (when it's not an emergency) could be useful.

Back to the point.

Safe back at the house, Mazzy explained what happened, which was this: Eden started crying, saying she'd been bit by a bug and Mazzy was trying to figure out what was wrong when she saw a bee. Then she saw more bees and finally she discovered their hive in the ground. Feeling fierce and protective, she grabbed a stick and started whacking away at the hive. She got stung ten times and was scared half to death when I met her in the field.

Again, her resilience was amazing. I've been stung plenty of times, and it hurts. But I've never been stung multiple times at once. Mazzy got stung TEN times, and she was over it in about five (or maybe ten) minutes.

I think we've all learned something here. But is Eden going to stop dancing? Or are my girls going to stop playing in the woods? We'll just have to cross our fingers and hope for our luck to change.

And, armed with Mazzy's map, we're going to get even with those bees.

It Takes A Village

2010-05-09T09:39:00.000-07:00

It's hard to pin Mother's Day down, because every year it's different. First it's Kindergarten crafts you bring home to your own mom, then it's phone calls to her from your college apartment. Eventually it becomes your own: first when you're pregnant and anticipating what motherhood will be, and finally when you're in it, when motherhood is your reality.

No matter where we are along this evolution, as women, we can't help but be a bit sentimental on Mother's Day. Sentimental and appreciative. So today, this Mother's Day, I'm going to gush like only a mother can.

I am joined on this path of child-raising by five very close friends, and it's them who I want to pause and appreciate this year. (If you're reading this, you're probably one of them, but if not, please forgive the personalness of this post, I simply can't help myself.)

It's so easy to take your friends and family for granted. They're always there, a short car ride or phone call away. You see them all the time. But really, to have this close-knit circle of six such different women, who've all arrived at this place and time by their own circumstance, who've become so like family, is truly magical.

They are amazing women, each of them in their own way, and amazing mothers.

Raising and nurturing not only their own children, but all the others' as well.

As we weave this web of friendship and family, we teach our kids the value of community.
That burdens are always lighter when shared, joys are so much greater when multiplied, and that smiles are the best kind of contagious.

I think they're catching on.

So, thank you, my people, my girls, for all your love and support, for sharing your kids with me, and for taking such good care of mine. I love you all dearly.

And a Happy Mother's Day to you and yours.

Portrait of a Phase

2010-04-29T21:35:00.000-07:00

If you're a parent you know (and if you're not yet, you'll find out) that your kids' lives move along in phases, undulating like really slow tide changes: they're sick, they're well; they're toothless, they're teething, their teeth fall out; they're chubby babies and then they're tall, lanky kids. But more generally, there's kind of an overarching ebb and flow that lasts anywhere from two to six months per cycle. For a couple months they fascinate you, amaze you and fill you with pride. Then that phase passes and for the next few months they defy understanding, amazing you in less positive ways, adding gray hairs to your head and causing you to question your abilities as a parent.

Lucky for me, I'm enjoying the former with my five-(almost six!)-year-old. She's in the best phase yet, really, because the good stuff keeps getting better as they get older.

I am just soaking her up right now because she's so much fun to hang out with. Brevity (you might have noticed) is not exactly my thing, suffice it to say that she's turning out even cooler than I hoped. I'll resist the urge to wax on and keep it to a short list.

Here's a Top Five list of Mazzy's recent obsessions, which all contribute to the increased level of coolness:

1. Jem

Jon opened up this can of worms, and Mazzy has found her kindred spirit. They watch a full episode on YouTube every Saturday morning. Now all she wants for her birthday is "Jem stuff:" glitzy fabric for Jem outfits, hair spray (which really means hair dye), and face paint. It's truly outrageous, indeed.

2. Horse Kisses

She made up a new kiss that puts Eskimo and Butterfly Kisses to shame. It's awesome.

Here's what you do:

Grab your child or anyone else you're in the mood to love on and tell them you want to give them a horse kiss (best to let them know what's coming). Rub your cheek against their cheek, then forehead to forehead, then the other cheek. Repeat until your heart is full.

3. Unsolicited chores

All kids "help" at times, but at five, she's old enough to actually help me around the house. Sure, she wants money in return, but emptying the dishwasher without being asked is well worth a quarter. She also likes to separate the laundry and set the table, but she draws the line at sweeping.

*click note for translation*

4. Little House

I'm not the first to dive into Laura's world, but we've finally arrived. I've tried a few different chapter books with Maz, but she usually only lasts four or five chapters before she's over it. I wised up and got Little House in the Big Woods on tape from the library. The effect was immediate: Mazzy was doing needlepoint before we got to the second tape.

5. Pictures

Now that she can read, Mazzy pronounces a few words differently. My favorite is "picture," which she pronounces with a T sound (pick-ter instead of pick-shur). "That's how you spell it, that's how I'm saying it," she insists.

She's also taken to a bit of photojournalism. With my camera, she documented two recent outings:

The Iris Garden

She took a picture of just about every flower on the property, and there are hundreds... the beauty of digital.

She had Eden pose for her.

She even shot from a tree she climbed.

Not bad for a Kindergartner.

Then there was our annual Spring trip to Forni Brown for garden goodies

Seeing things from a child's perspective is one of the great rewards of parenting, after all.

Particularly when that child is a total bad-ass.

Found!

2010-04-24T10:07:00.000-07:00

A Happy Saturday morning to us, for our Jewel Beetle's been featured in today's Etsy Finds, among some other scientific specimens.

Click here to check out the full story.

Thanks to Matt and Emily and Etsy!

A Little Reflection

2010-04-22T11:45:00.000-07:00

Yesterday marked three months that Tallulah has been with us. Since we are always looking for an excuse to make a cake, we decided to have a little celebration. We sat down with a big piece of cake and a game of Scrabble to reflect on all the things we've learned the past three months.

Tallulah has learned to smile, put her hand in her mouth, grab things, splash in the water, that night time is for sleeping and that with one little grunt she can summons one of three adoring big people to scoop her up and shower her with kisses.

Scarlett has learned to share her parents, to walk on the hardwood floors in cowgirl boots very quietly, to change diapers, that there is nothing better than smooching big fat baby cheeks and that babies do not like it when you pick their nose.

I have learned the balance of giving to two children and a husband, but still keeping some for myself, how to eat standing up and breastfeeding at the same time, to surrender to the chaos instead of resisting it, and that what gives me the most satisfaction and fills my soul and makes me want to burst with love is my family.

In the past three months our family has grown so much closer, we've all banded together to make the necessary adjustments that a new baby requires. We've become a strong unit. All because of this little girl. She has filled all of our hearts more than we thought possible.
Happy 3 month Birthday little one! Thank you for choosing us to be your family.

Learning to Read, American-style

2010-04-17T09:14:00.000-07:00

My daughter brought home a list of "Instant Words" from her Kindergarten teacher yesterday. An unassuming four pages of the 500 most common words in English, ranked in frequency order. You know: "the, of, and, to, in, is, that" and so on. Innocent enough, right?

Not quite. (This may be the right time to mention that I'd just watched the new Michael Moore movie the night before.) I read throught the first 100 words, thinking proudly about how well my Kindergartener can read. Then the word "oil" popped out at me.

Oil: word number 88, among other benign words like "we, your, can, said, day, now, find, make" and such. It sticks out like a sore thumb. I've asked three other people to look at the list and pick out the word that doesn't belong and they all spotted it, too. These first hundred words make up about half of all printed material. But I can't think of one book I've read to my kids that has the word "oil" in it, so think about how frequently it must be printed in newspapers and adults' books. Is this crazy to anyone else?

Let's take a closer look at the rest of the list, shall we?

The word "boy" is number 141, "girl" is way down at 288.

"No" made the top 100, coming in at 77, but you don't find "yes" until the bottom of the fourth page at number 471, four words before "government."

Both "man" (124) and "men" (168) are there, but neither "woman" nor "women" made the top 500 at all.

"Take" (104) comes before "give" (114), but at least these two are close.

Thankfully, though, "tree" (215) comes before "building" (431). "Make" and "made" are both in the top 100, and "buy" isn't on the list. "Scientists" (438) is the only profession on the list, "Indian" (283) is the only nationality, and "English" (402) is the only language.

Public school is a system, it's true, but thankfully parenting isn't. I wish I didn't feel like I have to work against the system to keep my kids' minds outside the box, but I've seen The Wall, and I'm moved by bumper stickers, and sixties protest music is very near and dear to my heart.

Nothing excites me more than the potential of my girls. They were born into a crowded land, and will have to carry forward the legacy of our complicated history. But their reality is brand new, and that brings me the responsibility -- the opportunity -- to help them see what's most important in life. Words that aren't in the top 500, like compassion, respect, understanding, peace, and love.

And (ahem) women.

Get What You Give

2010-03-31T16:02:00.000-07:00

We've surely said it before, but we love what we do and where we do it for so many reasons. Spring is beginning to show its face and warm us right down to our souls. It also gives us warm fuzzies to hear feedback from our customers.

Better still is to see kids in our clothes.

Living in a small (and sweetly supportive) community affords us this opportunity somewhat often, but it never fails to make our hearts go pitter-pat. Particularly when they're captured on film in the Spring sunshine by one of the most talented photographers we know.

Thanks for the warm fuzzies, Briana.

Beauty in the Gap

2010-03-28T17:46:00.000-07:00

When I first became pregnant with Tallulah I got a lot of comments about having another baby seven years after the first one. Some were positive but the majority seemed to focus on the negatives, like "they won't be close to each other because they'll be into different things" - "you'll have one in high school and one in first grade" - " the baby will just get into her stuff and annoy her" - " when the first one finally leaves the nest, you will still have an 11 year old" blah, blah, blah. Personally, I think with enough effort put forth any family situation can work. Where all members feel close and connected.
So to all the skeptics out there (none of you guys of course) here are just a few bonuses of having a large gap in ages.

The girls don't seem to mind a bit, and I love it so much I may just wait seven more years until the next one.

For the Everyday Woman

2010-03-24T11:47:00.000-07:00

A few well-placed words of encouragement for those who don't (get to?) spend a whole bunch of time in front of a mirror every day.

And well performed, I might add.

Dreaming up Dresses

2010-03-12T12:49:00.000-08:00

If ever there was a time to be inspired to make some new dress designs, it is now. The muse is upon me and is coming from all different directions. What, with all the high fashion of the Oscars, which is really just as much about the dresses as it is about the films. And the winner (declared so by my Academy of One) is...

Diane Kruger.

*photo property of justjared.com*

Next, there's the release of Alice in Wonderland, which I loved and can barely stop thinking about since we saw it four days ago. Amidst her fantastic Wonderland surroundings, our heroine is featured in at least four fantastic frocks. Here's one, but you must see the movie yourself to view this Academy's choice for Best Dress in this category. It's actually a tie between two: one which is whipped up by the Mad Hatter in seconds and the other demanded to be made for Alice by the Red Queen. See it. See it.

Bonus Trivia (and, um, Dork Alert!): Did you know that the Mad Hatter's frazzled orange hair and fallow skin is the result of overexposure to mercury in the hat-making process?

Sorry, I can't help myself.

Finally, lately the girls and I just can't get enough of Project Runway. It's really the only reason I've ever wanted TV, but that's why God made Netflix. We've been rushing the mailbox like fiends, and we're only on Season 5. (perhaps another Dork Alert?) The show has inspired all of us: I've been trying my hand at pattern-making; Eden's walk has taken on a certain dramatic sway of the hips; and Mazzy's been doing her own designing.

I know, right?!

Stay tuned here and watch our shop as Spring nears to see what's come of all this drawing and dreaming.

The Last Week, In a List

2010-02-24T12:37:00.000-08:00

Here is a chronicle of the week's notable developments, which fall into two categories... Awesome and Not Awesome.

Awesome : The chartreuse velvet rocker/recliner we picked up for $18 at our local thrift store. (Bless those Adventists.)

Not Awesome : The long black ballpoint pen mark Mazzy promptly added to the seat cushion.

Awesome : Mazzy's piano skills, now being refined by weekly lessons.

Not Awesome : The incessant piano playing, plus the number of times each day my 3-year-old sings "If you like it then you shoulda put a ring on it."

Awesome : Daddy working from home, lovely for so many reasons.

Not Awesome : Daddy working from home, for other reasons.

Awesome : Last Saturday's date night, which included hanging out with friends at a bar!

Not Awesome : Waking up on Sunday (after hanging out at a bar) to discover some sort of allergic reaction on my lips from eating raw oysters.

Awesome : Rockstar (pictured here ----> )

is still alive!!

Not Awesome : Rockstar is the only one of our nine hens that is still alive. (We cross our fingers every night and have yet to identify the wily chicken killer.)

Awesome : Spending the majority of the last three days with my five year old snuggled in my lap, her head in my hands, running my fingers through her hair.

Not Awesome : The infestation of lice that brought about the aforementioned tender closeness.

Awesome : Everything in my house being clean and freshly washed and smelling of Tea Tree Oil, also because of the lice.

Not Awesome : Our cat's ever-expanding repertoire of midnight shenanigans, which now includes the nightly breaking of at least one bedside water glass.

Awesome : The growing eagerness for the movies of March. Specifically Ponyo, coming out on video March 2nd, and Alice in Wonderland, in theaters March 5th. Neither Tim Burton nor Hayao Miyazaki can do any wrong in our eyes.

Awesome : Speaking of movies, Jon miraculously improved my mood last night ('twas a very irritating day, again the lice) by suggesting the perfect 80's B-movie: Dead Calm. I usually don't go for scary movies, but I was in no mood to laugh or feel sentimental, and this movie was more amusing than scary, with the most amazing payoff at the end. I did wind up laughing after all.

And, finally, one more Awesome...

Awesome : The culinary craftiness of Marshall Brainstorm, whose homemade(!) hot sauce and curry now rank #1 in the JLF kitchen. Keep it coming, Mr. There's-Nothing-I-Can't-Do-Better-Myself.

Father-Daughter Fiddle Lessons

2010-02-20T11:00:00.000-08:00

These two made the hour long journey to their first fiddle lessons this week. They arrived home beaming with joy and whipped out their fiddles to show me what they had learned. Mary Had a Little Lamb never sounded so sweet and so horrible at the same time.
I love that they are both learning together. He's just as unfamiliar and awkward as she is. Hopefully this will be a bonding journey that they will always look back on with fond memories. Who knows, maybe it's the beginning of a family band.
Fortunately for you these pictures don't come with sound.

Week Four

2010-02-19T11:45:00.001-08:00

Week Three

2010-02-12T12:26:00.001-08:00

Instead...

2010-02-09T13:27:00.000-08:00

I know that football, and particularly the Super Bowl, is an important part of the lives of many Americans. But for the Jones Love Federation, this past Sunday had something else to offer.

A beautiful sunny winter day atop Table Rock.

Week Two

2010-02-05T11:07:00.000-08:00

10,957 Days

2010-02-01T20:43:00.000-08:00

It feels like I've arrived, now that I'm thirty. I've been living and breathing a good long time. I've had, as my daughter would say, 10,957 sleeps. I feel like I have a newly acquired right to claim that I'm officially mature. For me, that particular sense of legitimacy has been a long row to hoe. At the same time, it doesn't seem possible that I've been with my husband for eleven years and that my youngest (and final) child is now three. Jeez, I'm not that old!

My daughter would also tell you that the best part of any birthday is the party, and this year my friends threw me a good one. A "Gender-Bender Star Search" one, to be more specific. Confused? I was too. But boys dressed as girls and girls as boys and everyone was supposed to be an 80's TV character. We had Punky Brewster and Alex P. Keaton, Cliff Clavin and Rainbow Brite. I'll limit the photos (trust me, your mental image is better) to this one: my personal favorite ensemble of the night, The Smurfs.

(Plus a Ninja Turtle thrown in for good measure.)

AND there was a Talent Show. This part was my idea. Partly because we have to compensate for a staggering lack of nightlife out here in the country, but mostly because it feels good to watch your friends put on a show for you. It does. And my friends happen to be quite talented, if I do say so myself.

There was a clear standout in this category, too. A runaway winner, really. And without further ado...

Thankfully, it must take a lot longer than thirty years before you really grow up.

Week One

2010-01-30T10:45:00.001-08:00

The Arrival

2010-01-21T21:47:00.000-08:00

This day, into the hearts and arms of her beautiful family, came Tallulah Rose.

Welcome, child. You were so worth the wait.

The Waiting

2010-01-20T15:48:00.000-08:00

Forty weeks is a long time to count down to the arrival of a new baby. If it all goes according to plan, they take 280 days to develop. We can't hear their little voices, we can't see their eyes, we can't hold them in our arms. But we want them to have all the time they need in there to come out safe and strong. So we wait.

That's one of the things kids are good for: teaching their parents the virtues of patience. Even before they arrive. Well, at least we're not elephants.

By this, the ninth month, the 281st day, I can scarcely think of anything else. Even while I sleep, my head is full of visions of finally meeting this baby. And it's not even my own. Every time the phone rings, my heart speeds up as I run to answer it. Not yet.

Everything is in place. The nest is ready, there are blankets and clothes and diapers, two eager parents and even a big sister.

She's already got everything she needs and her lungs have yet to breathe in all the love. Love from all the members of our tribe.

We're all more than ready, and she'll come when she's ready and the waiting will be over. Soon I'll answer that phone and it will finally be her, it will finally be time. Until then,

we wait.

Handmade Hubby

2010-01-12T09:36:00.000-08:00

I made my man some new duds for this winter and I'm thrilled with the way they turned out. I mean doesn't he look handsome? The hat is pretty simple but still exciting because A: I finished it and B: It fits. Usually when knitting I have issues with both of those things.

The shirt I am SUPER proud of. I've been planning on making it since this summer, but kept putting it off. I wanted to make him something that he would really like and want to wear. I used a vintage cowboy shirt pattern and added my own details with the stitching. Anchors on the front and a pirate ship on the back.

He loves them both (or so he says) but I believe him because I've overheard him bragging to his friends.

I get such a feeling of satisfaction from making special things for the ones I love.

Forest, Trees.

2009-12-30T17:39:00.000-08:00

I've been in a pretty contemplative mood for the last couple of weeks. Despite being surrounded by the whirlwind of family and festivity that is Christmas, I've been spending a lot of time in my head. Scheming, evaluating, reevaluating, singing quiet songs.

This puts some people off, to be sure, as quietude can easily be mistaken for disinterest or even anger. There is a lengthy laundry list of reasons for my inward focus but none of them are negative, per se. I actually haven't felt this content for a long time.

How does this make for an interesting blog? Patience friends, bear with me.

Most religions and cultures (those outside Christianity and Capitalism, that is) place a high premium on an individuals' ability to relax, to quiet the mind and maintain focus on the big picture. At our worst, we get so caught up in little everyday struggles that our frustration boils over and burns everyone around, particularly those closest to us. At our best, though, we choose to keep the more pleasant details in the forefront of our minds and hearts. We remember that everything is connected, that we get what we give and that love is all that matters.

At times it's hard to see the forest for the trees. But beautiful moments happen constantly in this life, and we'd all be better off to focus on what we have rather than what we don't. For me, it's taken a couple weeks of mental vacation to regain that focus; you might use yoga, date night, fireside chats, long-distance phone calls or a hot bath with a good book.

It's always there if we're willing to look.

While we're on the subject of quiet songs and beautiful moments, here's one of each in the lives of two lovely people in the prime of a marriage that ultimately unraveled, but not before they created two lovely children and some lovely music. (Yep, we're still infatuated with Ms. Simon)

Preparing for Hibernation

2009-12-21T16:04:00.000-08:00

We've been busying ourselves since Winter began with preparations for our yearly trip to the big city for Bazaar Bizarre. Whew! Let's all breathe a collective sigh of relief now that that's over. Don't get me wrong, it was great fun for all of us: me, Amy and the baby girl rolling and kicking inside her belly.

We showed up, like last year, with a bunch of crooked manzanita branches to make our display (we're not the kind to make it easy on ourselves), which wound up looking very home-y. Amy's eight-month pregnant nesting knows no bounds.

And we came home, like last year, with some well-deserved and lovely handmade gifts for ourselves and our kids.

Now it's smooth sailing until Christmas, and knitting for gifts seems downright leisurely. All that's left for this year is to spend some quality family time and throw an awesome New Year's party (more on that later).

Oh dear, did I say that was all?

Let's not forget about the Winter Sale in our Etsy shop!! In the spirit of giving, we're giving you all deep discounts on lots of new, one-of-a-kind items.

Like this

and this

There are also some old favorites at new prices, too. The sale is on in-stock items only, so look around for sizes and stock up!!

Every Picture Tells a Story, Don't It?

2009-12-09T10:34:00.000-08:00

We've been invited to play a little game of photo tag with our good friend Tegan (known to the web world as soulyluna) a close comrade in motherhood, friendship and handmade goodness.

She asked us to share the 10th photo from the first photo folder on our computer and share the story behind the picture. We'd never pass up a game of tag, so here are our submissions.

Jaime

I took this photo of Jon and Mazlyn on an April morning in 2005. We were in Georgia visiting our friends Nate & Nicole. Mazzy was 11 months old and not yet walking, and she learned to say "Hi, y'all" and "Bye, y'all" on this trip.

Neither of them knew I was there at this moment. Jon had gotten up with Mazzy and I got to sleep in (*aaah*), but I couldn't resist the sound of their playing and snuck out with my camera to capture the sweetness. I was standing on the other side of a window.

Later this same night, a crazy southern storm rolled in and -- inspired by the combination of thunder and lightning and whiskey -- Jon and Nate wrapped themselves in plastic garbage bags and did the "Georgia Slip n' Slide" on Nate's flooded lawn. Those photos will have to be a part of another project.

Amy

My photo was taken about four years ago when Scarlett was only 3. It was Springtime and we were beginning our day in the usual way...naked in the garden. Actually, I think I may have been wearing clothes.
She was thoroughly enjoying the morning sun warming her sweet skin. She had just made a batch of dirt cupcakes for her Papa and was carefully picking tiny white flowers to place on top as frosting.

Thanks, Tegan, for inviting us down memory lane. If any of you fellow bloggers would like to play (tag? Yes!) we'd love to see what you've got. Leave a comment with a link to your blog so we can check it out.

One of Those Days

2009-11-28T22:24:00.000-08:00

Sometimes you just have one of those days, and the only remedy is a long hot bath, a big hug and some CHOCOLATE, SUGAR, BUTTER and MILK.

So comforting.

The Makings of a Good Weekend

2009-11-17T09:21:00.000-08:00

A little work around the house....A little Creating....

Lots of fresh air and sunshine....

And best of all, going out for frozen yogurt to celebrate the loss of another tooth!

I hope everyone is enjoying these GORGEOUS Autumn days.

kyoot.

2009-10-30T10:03:00.000-07:00

If I could listen in on my five-year-old's thoughts these days, it's likely I would hear a constant stream of words broken down into letter sounds and slow phonetics as she obsesses about reading and spelling. At least that's what I see coming out: words, words, words.

Here, I'll show you.Here's yesterday's grocery list. As you can clearly read (no?) we need coffee, cream, mushrooms, peas, meat, broccoli, potatoes, apples, turkey and onions. And unlike boring adult grocery lists, this one comes with a little scene from the store.
From her perspective, we see little Eden fussing for something. "Please Maz," she says. Mazzy says "No Eden," and reaches down to pick her up while mama, pushing the cart, is saying "Stop fighting Eden."

Am I the only one whose heart is melting?!

I am loving this phase of her learning. I love the fact that she's taken on her mama's preoccupation with spelling and pronunciation. I'm reminded of those days when she was learning to talk and I was the expert translator for anyone who couldn't understand her early language. Only now it's the written word. And it's everywhere.
My house is littered with words, names, lists. Written the way she hears them, the way she thinks them, the way she says them. She even writes little love letters.

I V U too, Mazzy.

A Step Back In Time

2009-10-24T11:27:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was Old Mill Days at Bale Grist Mill. This is one of my favorite events as it lets us get a glimpse of life in our little valley the way it was in the 1850's. The mill not only ground farmers crops into flour, it was also a gathering place to learn news, share gossip and get to know your "neighbors".

The day was filled with good old-timey music, fire building demonstrations,

spinning wool into yarn.....this was particularly exciting to one little girl I know who has been trying to convince her father and I to "move to the country so we can raise sheep and spin the wool into yarn to sell at the farmers market."

The kids also got to make rope, corn husk dolls, do some hand-stitching, use a giant saw and run around in the crisp autumn air.

Lunch was chili and corn bread and fresh pressed apple juice.

One of the highlights of the day was pressing the apples into juice.

Everyone got a turn.

Some needed a little help.

The end result was oh so delicious.

It was a great way to spend a day. Good friends, good food, beautiful surroundings, fun, magic and educational.

On To December!

2009-10-08T15:14:00.000-07:00

Just starting the second week of October, I can already feel the inevitable pull of the Holidays. The next three months get so much attention but they pass by so quickly. As soon as you're done making Halloween costumes and sorting through trick-or-treat booty, you're planning Thanksgiving Dinner. Then there's Winter Solstice and (gulp) Christmas. My knitting needles tremble at the thought.

This year we have one more thing to squeeze in there in December...

That's right, we'll be making our 2nd annual appearance at Bazaar Bizarre! If you're anywhere near San Francisco on the weekend of December 12 and 13, you'd be well-advised to make your own appearance at the Bazaar.

And not just for us, we are only one of over 100 vendors with one-of-a-kind crafts to tempt and amaze you. Jewelry, ceramics, feather headdresses, clothing of every persuasion, letter press papers, butterflies under glass, and all manner of handmade art for everyone on your Christmas shopping list. If you're like me, you'd rather get them something original to stand out against all that chain store-bought stuff that's usually under the tree.

We'll be at another smaller festival, right around the corner: the St. Helena Hometown Harvest Festival, which kicks off with a Pet Parade where dogs and their owners strut down the street and are judged on their costumes. A must see for anyone nearby this weekend!

Bring it on, Holiday season!

Hoes Down

2009-10-07T09:21:00.000-07:00

This weekend brought us out to the beautiful (and little known) Capay Valley for the 22nd annual Hoes Down Harvest Festival.

We packed our crew into three cars and treked 75 miles to this Wonderland of Organic Autumn Fun. The place was crawling with delighted ragamuffin hippy kids and their adult counterparts. Ours jumped right in to climb and disappear into the tunnels of a huge haystack pyramid; brave a ride down a zip line;

dye silks with natural pigments and paint their own Tibetan prayer flags;

make clover flower wreaths and corn husk dolls; indulge in a bit of roleplaying... as chicken

and potato farmer;

dance to rocking bluegrass bands;

navigate through an obstacle course;

ride in a covered wagon;

pow-wow;

and generally "celebrate rural living." Holy harvest festival.

And then there was the food! Organic smoothies blended by bicycle, apple cider the kids could press themselves, sweet hot barbequed corn and ridiculously good homemade ice cream.

We watched sheep shearing, cow milking, fiddle playing, flour grinding, spinning and weaving all under a glowing early October sun.

Why do the best days only come once a year?

Saxophones and Synthesizers

2009-09-21T15:05:00.000-07:00

We take in and put out a whole lot of music here in the Jones house. The girls have always just gone along with it. Every once in a while we throw in a kid's song, but for the most part they hear what we like. This way, when they latch onto a song and want to hear it over and over, it's usually something awesome and nobody minds listening again. For the most part, they like what we put on. Their favorite bands happen to be our favorite bands, too. No quarrels at the DJ booth.
But Mazzy, at five, is just beginning to develop a musical taste that's distinct from ours. There's been something cooking since she first heard "Beat It." (Which we now perform regularly with Maz on the electric guitar and me on Micheal's part. We've almost got it down.) Couple that with the fever pitch she puts on when she sings "Eye of the Tiger" on Rock Band. I didn't really catch on until the other day when a song I didn't recognize came on the car radio. A little dramatic spacey intro led into some funky horn-heavy synth rock. She kept asking me what it was and I couldn't tell until the chorus. It was this,

and she was rocking as hard as one can rock while strapped into a five-point harness. That's when it hit me: this kid LOVES eighties music. Well, what's not to love? The acid-wash, the boppy dances, the catchy tunes, the hair?!
So we've been having some fun with that (though we're trying to keep our hair out of it). We use Pandora to keep a fresh supply of sing-along hits coming. It's like when I was young and my mom would always have the oldies station on. These are our golden oldies. Cyndi Lauper, Duran Duran, Tears for Fears, Hall & Oates, INXS, it's been an all-out revolution. We even borrowed SpaceCamp from the library, just to round out the experience. She's not quite ready for Dirty Dancing.

We invite you to come along on our little trip down memory lane. Comment your favorite eighties song or movie or line from a movie or whatever. I might bestow a hand-knit gift on one of you.

One of her newest favorites is "Voices Carry." I think I'd go with "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" if I had to pick one.

Loving the mohawks and mullets!

Back to School

2009-09-09T16:29:00.000-07:00

School started for us the other day and it couldn't be more pleasant. It's nice to change up the routine and Scarlett is more than eager to be learning new things. We are going to be doing things a little differently this year. For the most part she'll still be homeschooling with me but for two days a week she will be going to a friends house, who just happens to be one of the best teachers I know and is homeschooling her own child this year. This is a perfect solution for us since I struggle with finding a balance between all the regular mama duties, running a small business and homeschooling. Sometimes I feel that it's impossible for me to do it all......and stay sane. Especially with a new baby coming. Oh wait, have I mentioned that we will be joined by a new little one this winter?

We are very excited about the changes taking place in our household. I feel that now I can more fully enjoy every minute I spend with Scarlett and also every minute I spend alone. It's the best of both worlds.

School Spirit

2009-09-03T13:13:00.000-07:00

Mazzy started school last week and it's caused a gentle shake-up of the JLF routine. I say "gentle" only because so far most of the changes have been positive.

For example, our typical morning routine of getting dressed, eating breakfast and brushing teeth now actually takes place in the morning rather than sometime in the afternoon, if at all. Mazzy's relationship with her sister seems to have benefitted dramatically from a little daily separation. There's more talking and far less screaming between them (or among the three of us), and the increased calm has laid the way for a lot more sweetness.

It's perfect timing, really. As the Summer heat gives way to the breezy coolness of Fall, the tempers inside shift from boiling hot to pleasantly warm. Sigh.

The change I was looking most forward to, though, was spending some quality "alone together time" with my youngest.

She's loving her new ability to make decisions and execute plans without interference. I'm loving her enthusiasm for following on my heels as I mill around the house. ("Yeah!! Let's make the bed!") We treat ourselves to some time at the downtown bakery at least once a week because I've found a new novelty in walking through town at a two-year-old's pace.

As for the school, I'm satisfied with our choice. It meets or exceeds all the criteria my husband and I put into place: it's public, it's small, we love the teachers, there's a strong emphasis on music and art, and when I wave goodbye to Maz every morning, it feels right.

Plus, though it's only been a week, they haven't squelched her love of reading just yet.

This Week at the Farmers Market

2009-08-27T14:40:00.000-07:00

For all you locals we have some new designs that will be available at the St. Helena farmers market tomorrow. Here is just a little taste.......

The twilight tank. If you look closely you can see the stars made out of embroidered "french knots".The pocket skirt with vintage toadstool fabric. Also available in pants.

My personal favorite the Little Black Raincloud. (you know, like the Winnie the Pooh song)

And the Swan. Which wraps around and has a cute little swan bottom on the back.

See you all bright and early tomorrow!!!

Turn the Page

2009-08-18T17:47:00.000-07:00

This Monday was a milestone for the Jones Love Federation, marking the first day that I did not provide either one of my kids with nutrition from my own body. It's been just about exactly six years since my first baby began growing inside me, and since then I've been either pregnant or nursing. Both at times.

Well, not anymore!

My second (and last) baby has been officially weaned which means from now on, I'll be keeping what I eat all to myself, for better or worse.

When I finally start eating again, that is. See, somehow or other I got roped into doing The Master Cleanse with my husband. We decided to start today, so I won't be ingesting anything but this lemon juice-maple syrup-cayenne pepper concoction for 10 days.

To be fair, I've been wanting to do this for a while now and never could because I was always feeding a babe. But I've witnessed my husband and lots of my friends go through this cleanse and have watched in envy as their energy and clarity seemed to skyrocket. Now that the hour is upon me, however, I can't imagine anything more nirvana-inducing than a grilled cheese sandwich.

Ah well, we'll see what happens. I plan to stick it out mostly because I so love the idea of starting this new chapter of mothering with a fresh perspective and a clean, um, slate.

Licorice Dress

2009-08-10T13:27:00.001-07:00

New in the Shop : the Licorice Dress!

Whirlwind Weekend

2009-08-06T09:25:00.000-07:00

I know it's Thursday and I'm four days late on reporting on our weekend, but it was like a confusing piece of art that you have to stand back and perhaps walk away from to fully appreciate.

We hosted ourselves a little family reunion. I only say little because the family reunions of my childhood involved at least 100 people I was directly related to and supposed to recognize. Here, we wound up with 32 both directly and not-so-directly related, but for our first venture in organizing such a gathering, that was plenty.

My husband's brother and his family flew out from Ohio, so we invited the rest. Just about every living member from his mom and dad's families came. So I invited mine just for good measure.Mazzy paraded with her cousins.

We got to meet our newest niece, beautiful little Abigail.Stella was on her very best behavior.

These two, not so much.We had tons of yummy food and good beer on tap, late nights by the campfire with three generations of family and all the jovial laughter this family is known for.

Then they all dispersed and we were left with more Costco snacks than we know what to do with (5 lbs. of Frosted Flakes? Sure!) and leftovers for days (steak and potato salad, again?!) and a few new stains on the carpet. All signs of good times, and well worth it.

Adventures in Relaxation

2009-07-23T14:21:00.000-07:00

In the doldrums of Winter, we imagine this place. While the rain and cold confines us to our homes, we begin to count the days until we can sleep outside on dry ground under the clear starry sky with our friends and some very tall trees all around us. We long for it. We do it every year, but only in this one season, and it never seems to come soon enough. Then we arrive, 12 big people 8 little people, and we're always freshly amazed at how beautiful the forest is and how clean the air feels and how much stuff we all need to get through a weekend of camping. Then we relax. The kind of blank agenda relaxation that only comes when you're far away from telephones and computers and TV. If you want music, you have to make it yourself.
We only motivate for the sake of a little adventure. For these six-and-unders, a bumpy ride down a gravel road to the river is a fantastic voyage indeed.We spend our quality timeand they spend theirs.We talk around the campfire and tell stories by lantern light.

We soak up the sunshine and the fuzzy warmth of so much togetherness.

Hopefully it's enough to last until next time. But, ah, the Summer is young, and there are plenty more adventures in relaxation to come.

All's Fair

2009-07-05T22:40:00.000-07:00

It's just not Summer for us without a trip to the County Fair. It helps that it comes right to our little town, and makes it impossible to pass up. But come on, show me a person of any age who doesn't get excited when they step out on the Midway and into all the sights and sounds. Bright lights flashing, kids on rides squealing with delight, carnies hawking their prizes and the pump organ calliope music blaring. Well, maybe not everyone, but I know a few kids in particular who are more than happy to oblige.

This Weekend

2009-06-29T14:14:00.000-07:00

It was hot. I mean HOT!!! I felt like I was melting and chose to stay close to the air conditioning. Someone else however was completely inspired by the heat. 100 degrees outside does mean that mud pies will actually bake. So even though I continually tried to convince her to come inside, she wouldn't even think of it. She was a very busy baker. Making mud pies for all.

After the pies were set out to bake, it was soup time. So she built a fireplace.....

and hung her kettle.....

and got right down to business. She was in her bakery for hours and hours turning this.....

into this......

It's vegetable-fruit soup.

A Handmade Father's Day

2009-06-22T19:39:00.000-07:00

For Father's Day I wanted to make Dave something really special to show my appreciation for him. He truly is an amazing father and the sweetest, most loving and supportive husband. He loves vests so I thought he might appreciate a custom vest sewn just for him. I made it out of old jeans, pieced together.

I'm thrilled with the way it turned out. He looks very dashing in it.

Then Scarlett asked me to make her a wedding veil for her date with papa. So I dove right into my doily stash and came up with this.....

She loves it and it makes her feel very beautiful. I swelled with pride as I kissed them both goodbye. Off on their date (they went to the movie UP) in their mama made goods.

Different Strokes

2009-06-21T01:29:00.000-07:00

One child wants to climb the highest mountain.

(So what if it's a huge pile of composted turkey droppings?! No harm, no fowl.)

The other child prefers to take this opportunity to do some organizing.

There's a few kids out in the yard keeping an eye on things, making sure nobody gets out of line.
But for the oldest child, there's nothing more fun than spending time with his oldest friend.

And a good weekend to you and all your children.

And their Fathers.

guess what?

2009-06-15T16:36:00.000-07:00

...chicken butt! Make that NINE chicken butts, now happily pecking and scratching and laying eggs in my backyard. They've been with us for almost 24 hours now, and we're all having a hard time leaving them alone.

Some of us like to get real close, and others must enjoy our new friends from a safe distance.

I can already see how they'll enrich our lives with valuable lessons in respect, responsibility and hand washing. They'll certainly enrich our soil, and we mustn't forget the real reason we got them in the first place:

I may the only one in the house who's excited about eating these super fresh (like, still warm fresh) eggs, but hey, more for me!

Creek Adventures

2009-06-08T11:20:00.000-07:00

We found the greatest little creek. It is perfect for exploring because of the shallow water. The kids have so much fun catching minnows, building dams, seeing who can make the biggest splash and of course throwing rocks. They never tire of throwing rocks in the water.

Something magical happens when you plop a kid in nature. They are so at ease. They get so absorbed it in what they are doing whether it's searching for shells or even just sitting with their feet in the water. They are so in the moment.

Oh, if only every day could be spent this way. (the world would surely be a better place)

Shoot the Moon!

2009-06-01T18:30:00.000-07:00

Amy and I were talking the other day -- you know, business meeting -- about how the last Space mission was barely mentioned on the news. It's so blasé, Space. So there's some guys out there cruising around fixing stuff, big deal. No one pays much attention unless something goes wrong or something explodes.

So, you want explosions? Check this out!

QUEST on KQED Public Media.

I turned up the radio this morning after Mazzy said, "Mom! They said Centaur!" and heard this story.

At the NASA Ames Research Center (NorCal baby!) they're building this SUV-sized bullet (nicknamed Centaur) that they're going to shoot at the moon. They hope to find water under the surface, and they're hoping for the resulting huge plume of moondust to be visible from Earth. If you're as dorkily interested as I am, you can visit the official website, where among other things there's a song written about the mission available for download (seriously!).

Now that's what I call newsworthy.

I'm such a nut, gonna paint my...WHAT?!

2009-05-25T11:27:00.000-07:00

There are lots of times in the lives of parents when our kids do or say something we've never seen or heard them do before and we think "where did that come from?"

There are other times, though, when they do or say things and we can immediately identify the influence (i.e. "But daddy says it all the time!").

Here's what my girls were doing during a little quiet painting time today:

And I know exactly who's responsible...So, thank you, David Catrow. I'll go draw a bath now.

Rainbow of Goodness

2009-05-23T14:26:00.000-07:00

The Farmers Market was a huge success yesterday. We both woke up on time. Our awning (that recently got broken) went up and stayed up for the whole day. We got a chance to visit with all the regulars. All of the Traveling Dresses sold out, as well as most of the Chakra Tanks.

However the thing I am most excited about from yesterday is all the produce I got for feasting on over the next week.

YUM!

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

2009-05-21T14:53:00.000-07:00

If good fortune finds you in St. Helena tomorrow morning, you'll find us at the Farmer's Market.
Yes, the season is upon us. The one time of year when we have to get ourselves dressed and out of the house before sunrise to go to work. (Work!) We look forward to these early mornings of unpacking and displaying our clothes while the other vendors put out their fruits, vegetables and flowers. It's just us two, no kids (ahhhh). So we get to relax and people watch and chat with each other and all the familiar faces that pop into our little tent.
Here are a couple of new things you'll see if you're there:The Traveling Dress! A sweet little A-line halter with an attached side-tie scarf. For now, these will only be available at the Market. But if you'd really like to see them available in our Etsy shop, then comment away. We've been known to accomodate friendly requests.

The Chakra Tank is the newest item in our shop. We'll have these at the Market, too, in both black and natural (which is organic!).

This is just a teaser, there'll be a few other little things we've whipped up that you'll just have to come see in person. So be there or be square!

The Fifth Year

2009-05-19T20:19:00.000-07:00

My firstborn just turned five years old. There was kind of a mad dash of events leading up to her birthday party (click it!), including the Avett Brothers show that kept us out until 3 AM the night before (it was worth every second).

As usual, despite all the planning and preparation the party slipped by in a flurry of presents, cupcakes, hot sun and kids splashing in the pool. Perhaps it had something to do with the aforementioned late night, but before she or I knew it, it was bedtime and her birthday was over.

Then in came Hoppy (my dad, her grandpa) the next morning to rekindle the dwindling excitement with a very special present.

There was some assembly required.Mazzy got to help, and got a little lesson in "righty tighty, lefty loosey."They flipped it over and voila!The girl got herself a custom built vintage low rider, and another little piece of family heritage. This was the bike that both my sister and I learned to ride on.

When he pulled it out of his trunk a whole bunch of memories came out with it. I still remember waiting for my dad to fix the broken left pedal with a piece of plywood he cut perfectly to fit (you can barely see it in that last picture). And who doesn't remember the first time they realized they were riding alone, turning around to see their dad back in the distance and wham! getting their first skinned knee. One such crash left the front wheel of this bike a little off center and you still have to hold the handlebars slightly to the right for it to go straight.

Sometimes it's a good thing that my parents were always the kind to never get rid of anything. Because I can't wait to watch Mazzy ride away for the first time on those same wheels.

Inspiration

2009-05-17T09:49:00.000-07:00

The other day when I asked Scarlett what she wanted to do she instantly replied "let's paint in the garden!" That sounded like a perfect idea to me so we grabbed our supplies and headed out.Filled with inspiration from our surroundings we painted most of the afternoon. Butterflies and grapevines and sunshine seemed to be the theme.

I'm so grateful that she shares my love of painting. My heart swells watching her. Lately she's been asking for more direction on how to make her paintings look "real".

She's my inspiration. Constantly reminding me to look at the world with an open mind and an open heart.

Adventures in Homeschooling

2009-05-12T14:30:00.001-07:00

2009-05-10T19:28:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking about my grandma a lot lately.
I think there are a few reasons for this.
First, my family and I have recently moved to a house farther into the hills and woods, and once you live a good distance away from the nearest town you must learn to plan better and be more resourceful, intuitive and self-reliant. My grandma seems to embody all these qualities, having lived on our family farm in rural Kansas all her life, and I find myself thinking more and more these days something like, "Oh, that's why she always does that." And it makes me feel good to think that finally I'm beginning to get it.

I believe that along with the wisdom that comes with age, there's also a certain bit of nobility. And since we're both women and sisters and mothers, I hold dearly onto all her little sayings and bits of advice. "You never use soap on a skillet, that's just a waste of good grease," and "it might not help get the job done, but grunting always makes it feel easier."

Second, my daughter's birthday is coming up and when I recently talked to her on the phone, she asked if it was alright for her to send Mazzy another doll for her birthday. Let me back this up by saying that my grandma was the youngest of eleven children in her family, and they struggled like everybody during the Depression. She's told me quite a few times about how she only had one doll growing up and it was handmade to begin with and you can imagine how ratty the poor thing must have been. So now she gives my girls dolls every chance she gets and says "I just don't think a girl can have too many dolls." I just can't argue with that.

Third, it's Mother's Day, which is always bittersweet for me because my own mother is gone. But every time I feel that aching sadness of a motherless child, it's followed closely by a deep admiration of my grandmother's strength, as a daughterless mother. I cannot, and hope I never have to wrap my mind around that.

Finally, as I get older myself and see my own legacy take shape, my respect for her grows and I feel a closer connection to her on that cord that ties me to her through my mom and connects my children to generations of women that even I never knew.

She's a simple woman, my grandma, with simple goals. She loves nothing more than to have a house full of guests and family and feed them all and hold babies and take care of my grandpa. And she's spent her whole life doing what she loves. Mothering. Nurturing, nourishing and loving. I don't think anyone can aspire to do anything greater than that.

Lovely as the month of May

2009-05-09T12:10:00.000-07:00

Maybe like a lot of people, we tend to stay pretty close to home. Occasionally a specific need drives us out of our little Valley, but never for long.

The sights and sounds that surround us are anything but boring, and it's only because we see them every day that we take them for granted. Vineyards, wild mustard, wine cellars and famous restaurants, blah, blah, blah.

But in Springtime, and specifically in May, the natural beauty here just demands our attention and gratitude.

There are, after all, lots of places where little scenes like these don't just happen on the side of the road. It's no wonder we never leave.

I'm sure part of the magic of Spring has something to do with feeling the warm sunshine after the Winter months of cold, and anticipating all the outdoor adventures that the Summer brings. The frogs chirp at night and the birds during the day, and if you wake up early enough you'll see hot air balloons drifting overhead. The hills are still green and the seeds in the garden are just sprouting.

We are truly lucky, and we only have to look around us to see why.

It's That Time Again

2009-05-06T14:33:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite times of the whole year is Garden Planting Time. I love the days spent with my two favorite people in one of my favorite places at such a vibrant time of year. I'm especially motivated this year because I have been reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. It is so inspiring.

I got another burst of inspiration after receiving an email about being featured on a blog. I went to read the write up and got sucked into this really great gardening blog. I ended up getting some good ideas to build some trellises. You can see the one above made out of branches left over from trimming the trees. A couple more down below in the tepee style.

A trip down to our local organic nursery. We picked up sun sugar cherry tomatoes because they are the closest we can get to lollipop plants (which is what Scarlett wanted), zucchini, green beans, cucumber, more tomatoes (lots), basil, thyme and cilantro.

It was a great way to spend the weekend. All of us working together. Creating something together. Something that will nurture and nourish our bodies and our hearts. My mouth is already watering at the thought of Caprese Sandwiches for dinner and salsa made from fresh tomatoes. Food grown with love always tastes the best.

I'd like to dance with you, if you'd like me to.

2009-04-25T15:49:00.000-07:00

So, last Friday (so long ago!) Mama and Daddy snuck away and went to see Devendra Banhart play at the Mystic Theater in Petaluma.
If you know Devendra, you know what an awesome treat this was. If you don't, poke around the internet a bit and you'll soon learn. Most of my near and dear friends don't quite share the same degree of (ahem) enthusiasm that I have for the man and his mythical music. Which made the morning after kind of stifling for me, for there was no one to get super excited with me about all the details still swimming melodically around in my head.
But my husband, dear man, was with me all the way.
I still vividly remember when two good friends of ours introduced us to Devendra's first album. They actively argued about which songs should be played in which sequence to properly initiate us. I think they went with Pumpkin Seeds, then Michigan State and for days I couldn't stop singing Legless Love, Spider Love. (Still with me?)
This was about seven years and four or five albums ago, and we've all come a long way since then, but the love hasn't died.
As for the show, he absolutely rocked. I'm sorry I don't have a picture to share, but I was much too engrossed. He played Mama Wolf (my song) and everyone in the theater was howling by the end.
Nothing like letting go in a room full of people who've let go, too.
His music may not be for everyone, but Oh Me Oh My, it is for me.

Reasons I Love My Husband #1

2009-04-19T20:43:00.001-07:00

He cooks with his pocket knife.

A Beaster Celebration

2009-04-14T09:42:00.000-07:00

No, I did not misspell Easter. I'm talking about Beaster! A holiday made up by our dear friends that involves the friends-family. The friends you are so close to that essentially they are your family, just not blood related. Otherwise known as your tribe. This is my tribe. The ones who have helped raised my daughter, who have cried with me in times of sorrow, who have rescued me at 2 am in a blizzard, who encourage me at everything I do, who give me strength when I feel like I'm about to crumble, who jump at the opportunity to celebrate ANYTHING, and who have provided my daughter with siblings and multiple parents.

We spent the day enjoying good food, searching for arrowheads in the field, playing ladder golf (I've never heard of it either, but it's really fun) and catching up with each other.

The kids ran around climbing trees, riding down the hill on numerous cars and bikes and bailing out in the grass, searching for Easter eggs and then hiding them again for each other.

And it wouldn't be a true celebration without a jam session.

It was such a pleasant day. I came home filled with love and gratitude. I love and cherish these people. Happy Beaster Everyone!

Go hug someone you love.

proof in a pattern

2009-04-07T16:23:00.000-07:00

A little while ago, a few of the ladies in my life approached me about teaching them to knit. Nothing formal, just me and seven friends and yarn and needles and a little bit of direction, but somehow or other I felt unworthy. Intimidated, even. Although I've been knitting for years I still feel like a beginner. A one-trick pony. I make hats. Not sweaters or vests or socks or ponchos or mittens, just hats. And the one hat that I'm really good at making is fairly simple, to be honest.

So I set myself on a personal mission to put a few more notches in my needles. I get a lot of joy out of knitting and I'd love to spread it around, after all. I picked out a couple patterns with some tricky stitchwork and cast on. One for Eden and one for Mazzy. I changed the sock pattern into a hat (baby steps), and they both turned out awesome. So now that I've graduated from beginner to, say, fourth grader, I think I'm ready to teach. As long as all they want to learn is hats.

The Simple Things in Life

2009-03-31T18:57:00.000-07:00

Sometimes all it takes to make a really great day is a little bit of sunshine, a couple of good friends and a field of dirt.

Shop Update

2009-03-27T11:53:00.001-07:00

I just listed some new items in the shop. We are going to be making more one of a kind pieces so be sure to check in periodically to see the new goods. As usual if you see something that you love that you want in a different size, send us a message and we'll see what we can work out for you.

Have a wonderful weekend!

A Little Brush with Fame

2009-03-23T16:09:00.000-07:00

My daughter's preschool is right next to Rubicon Estate. It's just one of the hundreds of wineries that stretch up and down the Napa Valley, but this one is owned by Francis Ford Coppola.

So it was unexpected, but also sort of reasonable, when I met Sofia one day dropping off her little daughter Romy to spend a day in Mazzy's class.
As an owner of a children's clothing business trying to make it's humble way, I couldn't let her just go without some booty. I had to act fast though, they're only in school for three hours, so I wrapped up a Cabbage Rose Cap that I had on hand in her size and delivered it to her when she came to pick Romy up.
She said, "Oh, cute! Did you knit this?" And when she handed it to Romy she said "Look Romy, she made this hat for you." Which is not entirely true, but close enough.
Coming to the point, we got a little reassuring proof that our wear is celebrity-grade when the two were spotted strolling in New York donning our hat.
Not exactly our big break, but enough to make my day.

Welcome to the World

2009-03-13T13:49:00.000-07:00

Our dear friend Wendy just had her second child, a little boy named Oliver. To welcome him into the world I made a mobile to go in the room he shares with his older brother Jasper.

The theme is birds so I salvaged a branch that previously served as a Christmas decoration, glued on some of our famous felt leaves and added some pretty little flying birds. I think the end result is equally simple and magical.

Sneak Peek

2009-03-02T07:42:00.000-08:00

We are working on new designs for spring. I can't believe it's already almost here.

Here is a shirt I just finished the other night. I'd love to hear comments. Do you like it?

The Afterglow

2009-02-27T17:10:00.000-08:00

I have reclaimed my life and my house from the constant dollhouse construction of the last two months. The auction is over.

Our pet project and all the dolls went to a lovely lady with a 17-month old future co-op attendee for $1300. Not too shabby!

As for the rest of the night, we raised just over $150,000 for the school. No shab there, either.

However, in classic 'me' form, I never took a photo of the house once it was finished. My excuse this time is that I was so eager to get it out of the house and we were so last minute in getting it on site that there was no time for photo ops. But there was, I'm just forgetful like that. I'm sure there's some subconcious I-don't-want-to-be-reminded-of-how-hard-we-worked-on-something-that-was-so-awesome-that-we-ended-up-giving-away type of explanation, too. It's that bittersweet letting go that we all must get used to, right?

I did manage to get pictures of all my dolls, though. Redemption!

So, in order of their making (not that they necessarily got better toward the end):

That's one lucky 17-month old!

I think next year we'll let someone else have a turn.

Water for the Thirsty

2009-02-17T16:08:00.000-08:00

We have a seasonal creek near our house that usually runs from sometime around October to sometime around March. This year, so far, it's been sadly dry and silent. Rainless winters are bad for lots of people for lots of reasons, but we've been particularly missing those fun rubber-clad creek escapades.

I'm sure I'm not the only one who woke up happy this morning, having had the steady patter of rain as my dream soundtrack. But I was even happier when I opened our front door and heard our creek roaring proudly.

Get your boots and umbrellas, kids. This may not last long.

Journey of the Dolls, Volume 2

2009-02-12T08:42:00.000-08:00

I'll go ahead and say it, I've been shirking my blogging responsibilities. My list of priorities has recently gotten much longer, and the new ones have a rapidly approaching deadline. Allow me to explain (and brace yourselves, this might be a long one).

My head has been swimming for the last two months or so with preparations for the auction for Mazzy's Nursery School. A yearly event that casts a long, foggy shadow over January and February and is a major test of our "cooperativeness". Sure, the kids can get along at school, but can 75 or so parents coordinate and communicate well enough to pull off a 300+ guest event? If it all goes well, we'll pull enough money out of the guests for four teachers' salaries & benefits and maybe a little extra to help maintain the 19th century schoolhouse. Last year we raised enough for solar panels.

The economy? What? Okay, yes, it's the worst of times, but we're working on the theory that if you bring enough parents and extended families and friends together and give them enough good food and wine and show them enough cute pictures of their kids, they'll cave. You wait, they'll cave. I'll report back on that.

For now, though, I want to show you my personal contribution to all this madness. This year is the second time I've taken the reigns on Mazzy's 'class project.' Last year Jon and I made an 8-foot teepee that went for $1500. I spent so much time making it, and it turned out amazing, but I had to let it go and I never even took a picture of it. I won't make that mistake again, so here's this year's work-in-progress.

Two weeks ago, we had two 4' x 8' sheets of plywood. Jon's been slowly transforming them into a 3' x 2' dollhouse version of the co-op schoolhouse. We have nine days to get a roof on it and paint it. I'll report back on that, too.

A dollhouse is no fun without dolls, so I've been working on those. I was inspired by Amy's dollmaking, and after several failed attempts at making my own doll pattern, I went with a modified version of The Black Apple doll.

I had Amy paint their faces, and now I get to pick out their clothes and sew and stuff them.

Like this:

Again, nine days.

Wish us luck.

Mystic Crystal Revelations

2009-01-30T10:48:00.000-08:00

Forgive me for indulging, but it's my Birthday Eve, so I went on a little hunt for something significant to share.
The first place I turned was to Rob Brezsny (a one-stop shop for all manner of freakiness), and he told me this:

"The seed cannot sprout upwards without simultaneously sending roots into the ground," says an ancient Egyptian proverb. Keep that thought in mind as you head into the thick of your new phase of growth, Aquarius. What part of you needs to deepen as you rise up? What growth needs to unfold in the hidden places as you gravitate toward the light? How can you go about balancing and stabilizing your ascension with a downward penetration?

(That's what she said;)

Check your own horoscope if you're into it. And since we're on the subject of planet alignment, take a gaze at the night sky this evening to behold a big, bright Jupiter hanging around the moon.

Finally, if you're looking for a reason to celebrate this fine winter weekend (who needs a reason?!) I'm happy to share my birthday with you.

Let's Make a Loom

2009-01-23T09:42:00.000-08:00

I made a loom last weekend and it was so easy I thought I'd share it for any of you who are cooped up in the house and need an activity.
All you need to get started is a small board, some nails, a hammer and a little helper to hand you the nails.

Hammer an equal number of nails in rows on each side of the board. Keep them pretty close together.
It should look something like this......

Then take some yarn and start at one end and string it on around two nails, across to other side, around two nails, across to other side.....

Fasten the loose ends to the back with tape or tie them off onto the end nails. Next you need to find something to do the actual weaving with. You could use a knitting needle, Popsicle stick or anything else that might work. We found an arrowhead that was just perfect for the job. Attach some yarn to your weaving tool of choice and start going. It's over, under, over, under and on and on until you get to the end then turn around and keep going....over...under....

You're Weaving!!!! Hours of fun.

1.20.09

2009-01-20T17:23:00.001-08:00

Well, if the inauguration isn't a perfect reason to start drinking Mimosas at 10 AM, then I don't know what is.

First-Ever Sale On NOW!!

2009-01-16T14:09:00.000-08:00

There are so many good reasons for us to hold our first sale, but here are ten of the best ones:

1. Only four more days until the Obama administration brings in "A New Birth of Freedom"!!!

2. We love you.

3. We're all trying to save money, but shouldn't have to sacrifice cuteness and originality.

4. We love you. Yes, you.

5. There is a chance we might be forced out of business in February. (Have you not heard? Click here and here to see what you can do to help.)

6. We might have gotten a little overexcited in our preparations for Holiday sales.

7. We were taking inventory anyway, so we thought "What the hell?"

8. We need to clear the way for some new designs.

9. We really do love you.

10. We're just in really good moods.

So, everything in the shop is at least 20% off. Guitars are 30% 0ff and prints are 33.333333% off! The prices are already reduced for everybody's convenience, so put your calculator away and stock up!!

P.S. You may notice the Hand-Stitched Guitar listing has not been changed. This is because it's hand-stitched. We're nice, but we're not crazy.

Double P.S. If you're one of the 150 passengers that survived yesterday's Hudson River landing, convo us and receive an additional discount. If you're the pilot or crew, we'll dress your kids (or grandkids) for free. That was bad-ass.

Journey of the Dolls

2009-01-14T22:31:00.000-08:00

It all began one morning in October when I woke up to the first cold day of the season. The clouds and fog were so refreshing after a long hot summer. The perfect day to cozy up under a blanket and start a project. Scarlett agreed so we made some hot cocoa and both squished into papa's chair. We chose to make dolls for each other for our project. After a quick sketch of some faces we got right down to stitching. We ended up sitting in that chair all day just talking and enjoying each other. It was one of my favorite days of the whole year.

Throughout the past few months we've managed to sneak in one of those "doll days" every couple of weeks. We have stitched and stuffed our little hearts into these dolls.

She even got to use her very own sewing machine, a cherished birthday present from Jaime.

We finished them just in time to wrap them and place them under the tree.

Scarlett named hers Moon and mine Star. Whenever I look at them my heart swells with love and pride (because my daughter is just barely 6 and she made such an awesome doll) and memories. I remember all those moments where the rest of the world disappeared and it was just her and I creating something together.

Out with the Old

2009-01-13T08:34:00.000-08:00

It looks like the CPSC is doing some fine-tuning on the new lead testing law that will take effect in February, and that DamestarBaby will be able to keep on truckin'. We officially fall under the "wool and cotton" category that's being exempted.

Whew!

We are, nevertheless, planning to overhaul the shop. We're going to have a massive inventory sale, so keep your eyes peeled for that. And we're going to give ourselves a new name. DamestarBaby still holds a special place in my heart, but it was kind of a hasty decision, to begin with, and I'm really tired of having to say it three times and then spell it (it's D-A-M-E, like Dame Edna (seriously), then "STAR", then "BABY", all one word). Plus, no one ever gets the double capitalization thing right.

This is not to say that our new name will be easier to remember. It's simply not like us to choose something common, and it's pretty late in the game, so half the trouble is finding a name that still has an available domain and Etsy username.

SO, good luck with that, huh?

Just when you all were getting used to us. Well, maybe we'll throw in a few new designs for your trouble.

Shop Update

2009-01-11T13:33:00.000-08:00

I just listed some new items in the shop. Toadstools for bigger kids.....

And Banjos in Pink and Asphalt.....

The Darnedest Things

2009-01-06T18:37:00.000-08:00

There's that phrase that's said when we hear those mistakenly witty, innocently truthful statements from our kids. Like yesterday, por ejemplo, Mazzy was discussing facial hair and its relation to gender with her dad and said, "NO, girls don't have beards! But I saw a lady at the Nutcracker who had a mustache!"

Then there was that major test of willfullness to not fall down laughing, and instead show the dignified compassion you'd like them to show. So I ducked behind the counter for a minute and when I composed myself, I stood up and calmly explained that there are exceptions to every rule, and that everyone's beautiful in their own way. No help from Daddy, of course, who was doubled over for about ten minutes.

I digress.

Just as often, though, I hear myself say some pretty ridiculous things in response to my kids. Sometimes grossly oversimplifying and sometimes trying in vain to explain things much too complicated for them to understand.

My two-year-old is chin deep into her "Why?" phase. All parents know what I'm talking about. Well, it only takes about three or four "Why?s" before you get into complex physics or existentialism.

"Eden, you have to put a jacket on before you go outside."
"Why?"
"Because it's cold."
"Why?"
"Because it's Winter."
"Why?"
"Well, because at this point in our planet's orbit around the sun, the part of the Earth we live on is tilted away from the.... oh wait, you're two. Just put your jacket on."

I blurt out some good ones when I'm frustrated, too. Like last night I was just about finished with my homemade lentil soup, with a loaf of homemade bread in the oven when Eden came into the kitchen covered in a mysterious clear gelatinous substance. I followed her into the bathroom and saw that she had been busy spreading an entire bottle's worth of Corn Husker's Lotion all over the floor, and I said, "Oh nice. Way to ruin this golden Martha Stewart moment!" as I stomped off to get some towels.

Even better, though, if you can remember that long ago, are those things we used to say before the kids arrived. Things like: "I'm never going to say 'no' to my kids unless I have a really good reason"; or, "I'm not going to be one of those moms that cuts the crust off her kids' sandwiches"; or how about "my kid will eat what I eat. None of that short order cook crap." Ha!

Well, there's something very humbling and comforting in knowing that we're all in this together. We'll all get smarter and communicate more effectively, but hopefully we'll stay innocently truthful.

Better Late?

2009-01-05T14:33:00.000-08:00

I know this is so last year, but I have to share some holiday snippets.

Here are Mazzy and Eden about to embark on their first attempt at ice skating. Note the worried look on E's face and her death grip on Mazzy's hand. She didn't let go the whole time.

And here we are warming up after that.

Here they are with their "Swedish Fish Snowman" on a play day in the snow. (It was Eden's turn to wear the hat.)

Here we are warming up after that.

This is the world as it looked to us when we woke up on Christmas morning. It was still, silent and glittering white as far as the eye could see.
We were inside for most of that day drinking hot cocoa and playing reindeer games.

Another year gone, a new one rolling out before us.

Happy New Year!

(now, back to work;)

It's Beginning to Look Alot Like Christmas

2008-12-23T11:49:00.000-08:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE

Entangled

2008-12-14T12:18:00.000-08:00

Call me super lame, if you like, but I'm not ashamed to admit how excited I am about knitting.

That's right, knitting.

I've found myself with enough time on my hands to get to a few wooly projects that have been shelved for a while and it makes me happy like I can't even explain. Like when you rub a dog's belly and they shake their leg because it feels so good... that's me with my needles in hand.

I just finished a prototype pair of fingerless ball-length gloves for Mazzy, and now I'm onto this hat, which is a refreshing change from this hat. After that and some quick Christmas caps (more, more, MORE!!) I'm hoping to create a new original something-or-other to add to the DamestarBaby collection.

Until then, I'll be blissfully floating on a sea of center-pull yarn balls, and Daddy can do diapers and dinner.

Dear Santa........

2008-12-11T12:26:00.000-08:00

I hope you like my letter. Please I would like a microscope and a sleeping bag with horses on it.
Thank you
Love, Scarlett

Claymation

2008-12-08T14:07:00.000-08:00

Nothing like a little food coloring and glitter to make the season bright!

Catching Up

2008-12-05T14:51:00.000-08:00

Much has happened since we last posted. Including Thanksgiving; a day which was much too full of food, friends and family to fit any blogging in.

Then, of course, we got right back to business and hauled our wagon full of wares to Bazaar Bizarre. You didn't think we were going to skip that, did you? Now that we've decompressed, I'll tell you about it.

We rose before daylight and made our way through ridiculous morning fog and wound up in San Francisco with enough time for some pre-show coffee from a corner cafe. Mmmmm. We got lots of funny looks from pedestrians and the toll booth ($6!!) lady because of the large craggy tree on top of our car. The whole day had a sort of country-bumpkins-in-the-big-city feel to it, (which is a label I wear with pride, thank you very much) especially since this was our craft show debut.
Well, we hit the scene (a more-or-less empty warehouse) and found our spot (#18, baby!).

We snapped a couple "before" shots.We unpacked and un-treed the car and our booth turned out looking awesome, if I do say so myself. The day went by in a flurry of DJ beats, people watching, receipt writing, question answering, refolding and rehanging and lots of compliments on our flagship photo.

Oh, and we sold quite a few things, too.

It was great to get out and take the same DIY approach to selling our goods as we do in making them.

As for the big branch, any feelings of guilt I had about cutting it off of its mother tree gave way to secret pride sitting there next to it all day. After all, we plucked it out of obscurity and brought it on a pretty exciting adventure. It was totally worth the work and made for a one-of-a-kind display in a sea of tables and racks. And this is surely not the last you'll see of it, as it's taken on a new Christmasy incarnation at Amy's house. More on that later.

Thanks for indulging us in a little hiatus. Stay tuned for some Holiday Crafting Chronicles!

Oh, and there are lots of craft shows going on all over. I highly suggest checking one out if you have the ways and means. It's a great way to spend a Sunday.

Today's Recipe

2008-11-26T15:54:00.000-08:00

"Rocksidian" Cupcakes

Ingredients:

about 1 1/4 inches of rain (just enough to make everything shiny)

1 nearby extinct volcano

1 40 lb. girl

a pinch of boredom

a digging stick

obsidian

**Mix ingredients outside. Works best if the child is really into volcanoes. Obsidian must be thoroughly washed and dried before presenting. And whatever you do, don't let any little sisters touch it.**

Big Small Deal

2008-11-21T14:06:00.000-08:00

The Winter '08 issue of Small Magazine is out, and guess which warm fuzzy winter hat is in its pages!

hmmmm...

That's right, one of our very own Cabbage Rose Caps got shipped all the way to New York, slapped on a little girl named Audrey and circulated to all Small subscribers! You should be one, too. It's free.

The magazine, I mean, not the hats. The hats are available in white and blue in our shop. They come in two sizes, small fits little kids from 1 to 3, large fits big girls ages 4 to about 6 or 7. (though you could put a big hat on a small kid and it still looks pretty damn cute.)

They're super yummy soft and warm for the winter, with spiral roses on each ear. Our customers rave about them, and once you see your kid in one, you'll know why.

I am WOMAN hear me ROAR!

2008-11-20T10:40:00.000-08:00

We had a little adventure the other day. Instead of sitting in our cozy houses sewing we got to get out and do some real grunt work, like hiking into the forest to cut down a tree. Why? you ask; Well to make a long story short we need a creative way to display our clothes at Bazaar Bizarre and we decided to just bring a tree to hang our clothes on.

Disclaimer: We did not cut down a WHOLE tree, only one branch. We love trees and are not in the practice of wasting them uselessly.

We found the perfect branch. The only problem was that we could barely reach it and OF COURSE we did not think to bring a ladder with us. No problem, we could reach well enough from one side (the side that the branch would fall on). Again, no problem, we'll just catch it when it falls. See how I am poised in the photo above. "Don't worry Jaime, I got it, I'll catch it, I won't let it fall on your head. All under control."

There's me feeling like a bad ass. And looking the part with my bandana and muscle tee. Somehow the tree did not fall on our heads. We sawed the branch almost all the way and then used our brute strength to pull it down the rest of the way.

Dragging it (uphill) out of the forest. It was a lot heavier than it looks. I would have helped her but I had photography obligations to tend to.

Then we had to taper the bottom enough to fit in this urn thing we are using as the base. We used a Drawknife and it was hard work yet satisfying. I don't have any photos because we were so engrossed in what we were doing. There was quite a bit of sweating and grunting.

All that hard work really worked up an appetite and we were both STARVING. So we decided to reward ourselves for all of our hard work and the fact that we did not have to rely on our husbands to do it for us. I grabbed the girls and Jaime strapped the tree on her car and we all went out for pizza.

And Beer! Aaaaahhhh! Nothing like a bucket of Coronitas at the end of a good days work

It's days like this that make me love my "job". And my partner. GO TEAM!!

Stay tuned for pictures of the final product.

Misty Morning

2008-11-19T09:58:00.000-08:00

I am loving the morning drive to school. The girls gab away in the back while I drink my coffee in the front and this is when some of our best conversations happen. This morning was super foggy, so the coffee was extra special, and Mazzy insisted on having the windows down so the fog could come in the car.

A good idea, I thought. Plus, if the windows hadn't been down, she may not have spotted this guy hanging out watching the cars go by.
Everybody loves a little surprise.