Pull Up A Chair, Niblet

I've been thinking about the upcoming cooler seasons lately (and by lately, I mean a couple days ago). Besides trips to the mountains and our week long vacation, I look forward to baking.

Admittedly, Chris does most of the cooking. He always has. Not because I can't cook, because I can. I make a pretty mean lasagna and, while it's not the most difficult meal to prepare, I taught Chris everything he knows about getting the veggies just right in stir fry. I have a couple other specialties, but in general I can cook whatever I want. But he enjoys it too. He likes to experiment with all types of herbs and spices, while my culinary creativeness only goes so far as pure vanilla extract.

Which is one reason I love baking. I love vanilla. It makes everything better. In my opinion, of course. But getting back to my point. I'm looking forward to fall and winter because I'm starting to get the baking bug. And baking just feels right when the temperatures are cooler. Fresh, from scratch blueberry breads and pumpkin loaves. Pumpkin pecan pies (for Chris, not me), gingerbread men, peppermint candy cane cookies, almond sugar cookies... Mmmm.

Baking can get messy though. Flour tossed about here and there, egg shells, sticky spoons, butter dribbles. It's very dirty business, baking. And I don't have an apron. I've never really been a fan of them, but I made my MIL one for her birthday this year and then my SIL one right after that. And I loved both of them so I thought I should make one for myself, but put it off. For several reasons, including I've been poking around for another pattern that I liked, but I've also had several other projects that I've wanted to get to first.

I've been on quite a bit of a fabric kick lately too and have slobbered over this Laura Gunn fabric trying to come up with something I could use it for. I love it, but I haven't really been making things for myself and I really am starting to feel guilty about the heaping pile of cloth I've been squirreling away lately. Then I came across this giveaway on The Fabric Shopper recently and my notion for making an apron for myself was rekindled. I mean, how awesome is this?




I love those lantern pods and I think it looks perfect on that apron. And the style of the apron? The gathers in the bust and tie around the waist?! Love it!!

Of course when I think of getting in the kitchen for some seasonal baking I think about having my Niblet with me, enhancing my experience and doubling the mess on the counter tops. I remember when my brothers were smaller, seeing them dragging a chair up to the counter to help Momma cook made me smile. It'll be awesome to have my sweet one in the kitchen with me...my own little helper!

So naturally I had to find some rockin' fabric to make Arwen her very own Niblet sized apron. (K, I know, I know...I'll blame this purchase on you. hehe) Here's what I picked up from Matatabi. She has some really amazing Japanese fabrics; here are the two I got. What do you think?

(Photos courtesy of Matatabi)

So Long, Dog Days!

Something good is happening. Something very, VERY good. The cicadas have begun singing!

I first heard their songs last week and have been pretty giddy about it. According to folk legend, when those gigantic sweating bugs begin their evening songs the first frost is only six weeks away. Roughly. But that's enough for me. And from my estimation, we're on about a four and a half week countdown. Tick. Tock.

First frost means summer's over, school's back in session (which I always looked forward to when I was in college - okay, who am I kidding, I always looked forward to school starting back up) and fall is on it's way in! Ah, fall and winter. My favorite times of the year. Things begin cooling down, the trees show us their colorful beauty (I even love their naked splendor), cool breezes, cold rains, crackling fires in the fireplace, good books... So much to look forward to.

Chris and I spend a good deal of time in the mountains in the fall and winter and I'm so looking forward to getting Arwen up there. Especially to Virginia where we take our annual vacation. It's going to be awesome having her in a place that means so much to me. We have debated taking the bikes again this year and riding with my Niblet on the Creeper Trail. She already doesn't need support holding her head and hasn't for a couple months now, so if I find a seat that is small enough for her then it'll definitely be a go. Thinking about makes my heart happy. I'd live there if I could, I love it so much!

I also have apple orchard trips planned for the Niblet, rides through the Blue Ridge parkway, ramblings around small mountain towns, Halloween festivals and Christmas plays in Virginia, after Thanksgiving shopping... I can't wait to get her out, spending time with me doing things that I love. Ugh, if only I didn't have to work. I should cook up some plan to live off the land. Hmmm...

So farewell summer, I can't say I'm looking forward to the hotter days you're bringing. But I can look forward to the fancy weather that is pushing you on your way!!

No Rest for the Weary

Oh man. I'm trying to recover from a very long weekend. We visited with my family Friday, as they will be on vacation for the week and neither Momma nor me was going to accept a good-bye over the telephone. We swam, we grilled, we watched a crazy, frantic whirlwind of packing and getting out the door. A smarter Mel would have followed Chris' example and stayed as close to a corner as possible so as to become invisible!

It was wild being back for that. Even though I haven't been on the family vacation in years I could still remember what the 'leaving day' felt like so vividly. All the actions were the same, but the players were different. Now my younger brothers were the receivers of the wrath of a tired Momma who'd stayed up late making sure everything was ready. They were the ones poking around, dragging their feet and being too excited to care about grabbing things they'd later wish they had remembered. You could almost say I missed it. But then I remember how we suffered through the long ride to the beach and realized what I was really missing was my Momma.

I suddenly saw all the years I'd taken for granted being there, but being too busy and wrapped up in my self and my own time. I wish I was there with her now, feeling the ocean air tangle my hair and tasting the salt on my lips. Waking up early and sitting on the porch with her before anyone else stirs. Walking the beach and finding all the treasures that washed up overnight. I suppose these are things we finally understand as we get older. Or maybe it's because I have a daughter now and I look forward to our time together.

Mawmaw and I went to a baby shower for my cousin who's expecting twin boys. She looks beautiful, glowing, even though she's been ordered to complete bed rest. She was in the hospital 3 weeks ago because she began having contractions. After a week there the docs were able to stop her contractions and sent her home on the condition she stay in her bed, except to go to the bathroom. She is able to sit up in the living room occasionally. That was two weeks ago. They are hoping she can carry the boys 3 more weeks. I feel terrible for her situation, but she's handling it wonderfully. But then, when it comes to your baby, you will suffer anything.

We took Arwen swimming again and she loved it. Even though the water was considerably cooler this time after a couple evening thunderstorms she didn't seem to mind. I finally got her out when she started to shiver, but I'm still not convinced she was finished. Chris and I took dinner to Mawmaw's and Arwen had her first go at mashed potatoes. She loved them; Momma was a bit more reserved. The funny thing about all this food business, I can't believe I'm so hesitant to start her on solids. I'd have never imagined myself being this way. Having babies in the house since before I was in high school, I felt like I was going to be a very relaxed mother. Not so. To be perfectly honest, it feels like it's another connection to her that I'm losing. I already feel like I've broken something by going back to work. Now, it's time for her to nurse less and eat solid foods. Ah well, in time...

Also, I was supposed to meet K today for some Sunday afternoon fabric shopping. I thought it was Saturday. Chris' parents came to visit and at 5:00 I realized that I'd forgotten to call AND that today was the day. Friend? Hardly seems so. So sorry K. I'm a bone-head.

New and exciting things to report:

1) Arwen is rolling over now!

2) Arwen has a new walker and is going to be a maniac when she figures out what's really happening when she gets her feet on the floor!

3) My hair is falling out by the hands full. It's insane. And scary. Chris says it's stress. A lady at work says it's because I'm off my prenatal vitamins. Stressed? Yes. Off the vitamins? Nope. So, not new or exciting, but still happening.

4) My OB/GYN recommended that I start taking an herbal supplement called fenugreek to help increase my milk supply. I am not having problems feeding Arwen; in fact, she's still exclusively breastfed. Rather, as she's beginning to go longer periods between feedings I want to keep my supply the same or increased so I can hopefully start storing milk like a factory! However, I smell like maple syrup now. Most strange, grasshopper. Pancakes, anyone??

What to do, what to do...

Ah, the holiday is over. That just means we're on a countdown until another...60 days until Labor Day. Bummer.

I hope everyone had a nice long weekend. We did. We visited both families and had a good time. Arwen had her first experience in the swimming pool at Momma's and it was awesome! I bought a float for her, sat the little Niblet down in it and, after about a 30 minute inspection of the details on said float, she had a ball. She loves a bath so I was hoping the pool would tickle her fancy too. I can't wait to get back home and try it again!

Anyhoo. Like I was saying, 60 days until Labor Day. Chris and I both feel that that's entirely too long to wait for another long weekend, so we're trying to decide what we'd like to do in the space between (pause for DMB sing-along) to break up the monotony. Should we take a trip? Head North or South? Take a couple long weekends for day trips? Oh, the choices. Suggestions?

And speaking of breaking the mold, I am thisclose to trying to do Mommy-time once a week every few weeks. K and I are trying to hook up with some gals that we met in sewing classes for a sewing night. It makes me very nervous just thinking about it, but I know it would be good for me. I need to start getting out and realizing that I can survive a few extra hours on my own once in a while, though it still feels like betrayal on my part. I don't want to leave my little monster, but I know I should. Besides, getting together for a sewing night and seeing K more often will be a lot of fun. Chris has even found something for himself that would give him Daddy-time once a week.

Also, I've bought LOADS of fabric in the past couple weeks in anticipation of fall and winter coming (and making a hefty portion of Niblet's wardrobe) so seeing K would do me even more good. I need someone to give me that "Holy smokes, I think you've bought plenty of fabric for now!" look rather than Chris's encouragement with the argument "But it's so much fun getting packages in the mail!!"

So, I've been getting myself psyched about the potential sewing nights and thinking of making something schnazzy for myself to carry my current projects in...and then I found THIS!

The Fabric Shopper is giving away an Amy Butler bag that would be just perfect, not to mention absolutely adorable. And, best of all, it's the bag (meaning, not the pattern and/or fabric) so I could just use it straight away! Sewing nights...here I come!

Warm Weather...My Love/Hate Relationship

When I was younger there was nothing better than summer. School was out, which meant no homework and sleeping in the living room. Summer meant playing baseball, football and wrestling on the trampoline with my cousins (uh, yeah, they were boys, obviously!). But more importantly, summer meant swimming! Oh my goodness how I loved swimming. We'd have our own Olympics, water balloon fights, rainy swims, you name it. It was awesome!

Then something happened. I started dreading summer. I got married and moved away, and now I almost loathe the season. Even now I can't wait for summer to leave and fall to bring in its cool weather and beautiful colors. I've been trying to figure out what my problem is, what's happened to give me this overwhelming lack of enthusiasm for summer. And I think it has so much to do with swimming. I have been craving the pool lately. Maybe because I miss it so much or maybe because I'm looking forward to getting Arwen involved in something that I cared so much for when I was growing up; probably both.

I also wonder now if I don't miss it more than usual because of what it really means to me, deep down: spending evenings with my family. I have never missed my momma as badly as I do now. I imagined I would do so much when I thought about having a child, but it can't happen right now. Hopefully one day, sooner rather than later, there will be a way for me to be closer to my family; to have Sebastian and Arwen growing up together, laughing and playing in the pool like Niki, my cousins and I did, and maybe then my heart will feel a little less heavy.

And the first thing I'd do when I was back in town with the fam?? Plan a cookout/pool night at home!! Appropriately, Kate at The Big Piece of Cake is hosting a giveaway from Accent Furniture Direct that would so wonderfully compliment my poolside dinner!

These beautiful glasses...ah, I can taste the lemonade now!

Oops, a little dribble...thank goodness for these lovely napkins!

What a Weekend (and some great fabric!)

We had a pretty good weekend and I hope everyone else did too. We saw my family Friday night, Chris and I had a nice talk (I've been very down lately so it was nice to empty my head a little, if only for some momentary relief), spent Saturday cleaning up around the house (after the huge storm last week!), which wasn't necessarily fun, but definitely rewarding, and yesterday was Father's Day.

We had to spend some time apart, which sucked, but it gave the Niblet and me some alone time and we surprised Chris with an ice cream cake from our favorite shop. I also made a bag for him. So of course we stuffed our faces with delicious red velvet ice cream cake (which, by the way tastes just like red velvet cake!) last night and vegged out to some Scrubs.

Good weekend! And I am SO already ready for this one.

*******

The other day Sister and I were talking about Halloween costumes for Sebastian and I was so happy to find this giveaway from Fabric Shopper this morning! This would be perfect for a couple of our ideas or possibly a quilt for my Little Buddy. I haven't seen these fabrics at our local fabric shop so I'm really hoping I can win this one!

To Chris:

i carry your heart with me

i carry your heart with me (i carry it in

my heart) i am never without it (anywhere

i go you go, my dear; and whatever is done

by only me is your doing, my darling)

i fear no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet)

i want no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true)

and it's you are whatever a moon

has always meant

and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows

(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud and the

sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows higher than

the soul can hope or mind can hide)

and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart (i carry it in my heart)

~e.e. cummings

Happy 1st Father's Day, Chris. Arwen and I are lucky to have you. I'm sorry we have to spend today apart, but Arwen and I have a surprise for you so hurry back to us.

I love you...