Into the Woods

We have an annual group-camping tradition with some friends from college in which we joyfully participate each summer. We went last summer when Sawyer was 4 months old, and needless to say, this year was a little easier!

Like his mom and dad, he's a sucker for the woods and wide open spaces. He also loved running around in the tent like a maniac!

A dose of weekend camping in Wisconsin does the body good! Our campsite population grows every year with more kiddos (mostly of the female persuasion), and we all enjoy our fellowship in the woods relaxing and being together.

While a serene, adult-only camping trip definitely has its merits, it is a wonder to behold children outdoors, exploring new things and breaking free from the confines of every-day routine.

Bugs, games, frogs, s'mores, and campfires make life grand. Add in a remote controlled fart machine and they really enjoy themselves!

Bald is Beautiful

This is Elin. Isn't she a pretty girl?

Bald is beautiful! Her mama, Lauren, and I are friends from college and spent the better part of last Friday afternoon corralling these two rug rats. Sawyer's looking through my wallet for some money no doubt...kids these days!

Before we got together, Sawy Boy and I hung out and played in the ample green space outside their condo on the lake. We occasionally shared our blanket and space with an assortment of dogs who were nearby at the adjacent dog park.

He's learning to appreciate dogs. They tend to bother him a little.

Seeing Double

My mom will often comment on how much my son looks like I did when I was his age. A few weeks ago, she sent me some of my baby pictures and I'm pretty sure they look like Sawyer in a dress. I'm on the left and he's on the right. What do you think?

Baby Brother

My baby brother got married this past weekend in Rochester, NY! Taylor is a saint among men...hilarious in every way and such a caring soul. His bride Rebecca is a blessing to our family and to everyone whose presence she graces. These two are madly in love and we were so happy to celebrate their nuptials. The big day went off without a hitch and all of their planning made for an amazing day.

Here is a picture of the bride and groom from their photographer's site...can't wait to see more of these beauties. The lovely couple is off gallivanting on a cruise through Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize. Ahhhh love!

Me and my boys took a spin in the photo booth at the reception!

Wanna-Be

Since I was a little girl yearning for toe(point)-ballet shoes, I've wanted to go see a "real" production of the Nutcracker during the Christmas season. I've never been one for Broadway or musicals in general, but for some reason an official seat at the Nutcracker Ballet has always been an aspiration of mine.

This weekend my lovely sister got the two of us tickets to the Joffrey Ballet's presentation and it was all this old wanna-be-ballerina hoped for and more. Tutus and soldiers! Evil mice and the Sugar Plum Fairy! I relived my childhood dreams for 2 hours and wished I had never given up ballet. What was I thinking as a 12-year old!?

The Swap

Over the weekend, I led a little sewing session at my church for a monthly event we have called "The Swap." Each month, someone leads those who show up in a session/workshop on something they are interested in or have a passion for. I obviously wanted to spread my love of sewing to any willing participants.

Besides teaching my new proteges and sewing together, one of my favorite parts of this weekend was buying loads of fat quarters I could have never justified just buying for myself! Look at how luscious it all is! I felt like Scrooge McDuck swimming around in his vault of gold coins, basking in the glow of all this yummy fabric before my eyes.

We made custom pillow covers and it was grand old time! Here are some pictures from Saturday. I wasn't able to get everyone's, but below are a few. In a world where many of our jobs require sitting at desks all day with results and work that is often un-quantifiable, it just feels good to make something with your own two hands and actually see and feel the fruits of your labor.

Scrappy String Quilt

I'm finally getting around to my month in one of my virtual quilting bee groups! Using this tutorial, I'm asking my pals to put together 4 string quilt blocks for this month's project. The fabric is cut, some samples have been made, and the goods are out in the mail.

At long last I've found something to do with the phone books that are delivered at what feels like bimonthly intervals in Chicago. I've cut up 6" thin paper squares for my blocks and given each member of our group 6 to work on, hoping they'll at least do 4 for me. Because the strips are smaller (1" to 1.5"), the paper-piecing makes the job go more easily. Can't wait to get my blocks back and put it all together!

Ethiopia

This lovely lady hails from Ethiopia and was custom made for a coworker of mine whose friend is adopting a little girl from Africa. I hope that this princess dressed in her finest will be a dear friend to her for years to come!

Many Hands Make Light the Work

Over the past weekend my mom and dad had many of our extended family over to their house in upstate New York for a good old-fashioned garage raising. After tearing down the older and smaller garage, a roof had to be placed over the new garage walls. My family is at no loss for strapping young men with both brain and brawn, so the invitation was extended and the masses flocked.

While I like to think that all of us ladies were able-bodied, plenty of male garage workers were present so we provided a constant flow of food and snacks to keep the men going strong. Besides circular saws and nail guns, it truly was out of the 19th century, and I thoroughly enjoyed every old-school minute of it. I didn't really get any good pictures of us girls, since we were slaving away in the kitchen...and watching movies...and taking naps.

For me, there's something wonderful about men at work that makes me appreciate the strength it takes to build something that will last and the knowledge it takes to care for one's home. I'm confident in the varied skills and talents of mine and my female kin, but garage/roof building is not the contribution we make. In our different ways, all of us are building structures of support and shelter for each other, some material but many intangible. Whether it be through hard work, knowledge, love, or strife we continue to deepen and grow our bonds as family.

International Quilt Festival | Chicago

Over the weekend my good friend Caroline and her sweet little girl Beatrice and I spent a few lovely hours at the 2009 International Quilt Festival just outside the city. Whoa, baby. These people were not messing around.

A whole convention room packed full of die-hard quilters is truly a site to behold. I mean really... don't underestimate these ladies. They are serious about their craft and giddy with delight when it comes to all things fabric.

I'd heard of "art quilts" before, but I never imagined how much these would take my breath away. I was stunned beyond belief with some of them. Here are some of my faves...

Cat or Alien?

My niece Madeline requested a stuffed kitten for her birthday - "an orange kitten with a purple face" to be exact. Nice color choice, if I do say so myself girlfriend.

I found this free Amy Butler pattern, but I'm wondering if it looks more like an alien/Pokémon cat of sorts. I don't want to scare the poor kid, but I want to follow through on my delivery of an orange stuffed cat. What do you think? Cat or Alien? Anyone know of a pattern that is a little more cat-like out there, but still cool?

Home Made

I have clear and vivid memories of Easter morning as a child. I remember what my plastic, woven Easter basket looked and felt like. I loved this purple hula-hoop I got one year. I still want to color in a coloring book with Goofy and Pluto that I was lucky to get and honestly still think about. Whether my mom had sewn my sister and I matching dresses or we had bought them in the store, I looked forward to wearing something a little fancier for church that day. I can smell the white "patten leather" shoes and hear them squeaking.

Over the weekend my sister and I took it upon ourselves to spend a few hours to relive the memories and dye some eggs for Easter. I have no real qualms with fake dye or PAAS kits...they're lovely. We just wanted to be a little more au naturale. I found several recipes for making home-made dye, so we combined what we liked and put them to the test. Our blues (red cabbage) and yellows (turmeric powder) turned out the best and next year I'd like to venture into the land of green dyes (red onion skins). We even made up our own concoction for a light orange/peach dye.

Like kids again (this time a little more concerned for where stray dye would end up), we took turns creating our beauties and experimenting in what would work and what wouldn't. I'm quite happy with my life...but sometimes, don't you just want to be 6 years old again? Maybe I'll stage an Easter Egg Hunt in my backyard on Sunday.

Urban Amish | Part 3

Is it too late to give my brother a wedding present if he's been married for almost a year and a half? If you're new around these parts or if you've forgotten, I'm not shy about my feelings toward the actual quilting of a quilt (aka the bane of my existence). I've said it before and I'll say it again. I love everything involved in making a quilt except the quilting part. So here's to the happy couple...who got married January 5... of 2008.

International Entourage

Remember that little Swedish flicka I made a few months ago? Well, now she's got an international entourage of friends. I couldn't help myself! Through a boutique at a work conference last month, several of my girls sold - so I was pleasantly surprised. Here's the lineup:

I'll spare you all the pictures, but here are some head shots. Alaska, Congo, Sweden, Norway, Korea, and Colombia. I've got a Dutch girl in the works, but I'm a little stuck on her hat. Oh yeah, and I can't forget India... I so need more time in the day.