It's official - yup, I am famous.

Well, not technically yet. But I am on my way. LOL

A couple posts ago I mentioned my intention to design some fabric. I love to design & I LOVE fabric, sounds like a match made in heaven.

Well I found this website

http://www.spoonflower.com/welcome

and if you search my name or you can directly to my site


http://www.spoonflower.com/profiles/emcmom 

you can view my creations. I currently have only two posted, as it is taking some time to turn all  my thoughts and sketches into digital masterpieces, but how cool is this?

Once I have a design up I can order my own fabric  - anything from a swatch to a massive amount of yardage! Once I approve of the swatch, make any changes to the file I deem necessary, I can then put my designs up for sale. So anyone, say you, who happens to be in dire need of some awesome bird print material, can find me, and order my print!

I feel like a giddy school girl. I am beyond excited.

Just had to share :)

Three little things...

I am thankful for many things in my life, but today - I am thankful for three little things....

In the grand scheme of  life these things are not huge indicators of anything, they really make no difference one way or another. To anyone else but me these will mean nothing. Either way,  life would continue on.

But to  me, these mean alot today...

ONE... the kids had a dentist appointment today and NO CAVITIES ... thrilled, thrilled I tell you :)

TWO.... the painting is done! DONE! FINISHED! So excited! The colors are growing on me. At first I was like, oh my - what did I choose? But I like them now... and I will like them more tomorrow after my back and neck get to feeling better. Painting is tough work!

THREE....  Dennis is taking the kids Friday and Saturday to his parents - I get a whole evening, night and day alone!  And now that the painting is done (see thankful thing #2) I can sit on my butt and sew!!! Just Bo and I. I can see it now. Me sewing, him laying on the floor chewing on a bone I covered in peanut butter to keep him entertained a while longer than usual. Praying for no thunder storms - because the dog doesn't like thunder, and I need a good nights sleep!

Burnt Pumpkin and Wilted Celery

Sounds like some kind of nasty soup that I would have been fed as  a child.

But actually, they are the colors the at I have FINALLY decided on for the downstairs living room.
They sound gross, but are so cool and will be perfect - I can just see it!  And given any bit of luck, they will be on the walls and looking fabulous by the weekend! Its all coming together folks - its all coming together!

...I also have come to the conclusion that I want that job - the job of naming paint colors. Really, I do - how fun would that be!

I have also been contemplating  fabric design...

How does one go about doing this? I know it takes forever and people are rejected repeatedly, I hear the fabric design world is brutal... but how fun would it be to do that? You can either created by hand or via computer.

So today, while outlining the upteenth fire truck for a upcoming show... my mind will be wondering to  what would make a beautiful fabric - even if it never happens, it will be fun to think about. And lets face it, just about it anything is more fun then fire trucks and cranky customers :)

How easily I forget.


I signed up my baby for Kindergarten this week.   I am not ready to send her out into the big world, with big kids and people, without me.  She is way more ready than I am.

Just yesterday she was my baby.  This little ball of life that slept no where except on my chest for 12 months straight. At the time,  I don't think I cherished it as much as I should have.  In fact I know I didn't.

We have been on a kick at our house, watching old home movies. Mostly of Esdin,  his sweet voice signing and babbling. Running around in his underwear. Acting goofy. I don't remember him like that. I seriously don't know when he changed, when he grew up. In one movie, he is dancing on the deck in the rain- in his underwear.

He walks in the door, holds out his hand and says in this little voice

"come on mama, bon't de shy. come wid me and bance in de wain"...

It is the sweetest little voice. But honestly, I don't remember him sounding like that.

Every  other night is cuddle night at our house, usually Dennis  and Esdin pair up and McCaiden and I cuddle up and talk and fall asleep - long before the boys do.... us girls like our sleep! LOL

But as I lay there, we ALWAYS have to hold hands, her wearing my hat (because it smells like me) I got from Alana, Sam's wife, I look at her and try to burn that image, that moment into my mind.

I want to remember this when she is 16 and yelling at me about something teenager  related :)

I cried.


... and I cried... Seriously? Cried? What kind of sap am I turning into in my 'old' age? LOL

A Robin has never really had a great significance in my life until about 4 years ago. Spring of 2006.

The morning Grandma passed away, a Robin appeared on our porch, tapping at the window on the door. It was there every morning for like a week! Then it moved to the downstairs window under the deck. Then in moved to the deck and built a nest and had 3 babies. The following year the Robin came back and built a nest in the garage. Not even scared when we walk up to it, just hops away, not startled.

My kids have come to know every Robin as "GG" - since my grandma is their great-grandma.

Well, yesterday while enjoying the warm weather on the deck. Sitting there just soaking up the sun and listening to the sounds (if I close my eyes, I can almost take myself back to summer vacations at grandma's cabin), I looked into the woods and there on the trail to the camp, I saw her.

A Robin... GG is back for the summer.

And I cried.

Making Progress....

I understand that life is about small steps in the direction of a goal. I understand that progress takes time and just because you want something done 'now' doesn't mean it will happen. Small steps, patience, thinking it thru, all good qualities to have to reach your destination.

However, sometimes you just need to rip the band aid off, in one meaningful, yet painful swipe to get the picture across that you have had enough of the patient, small steps and the goal needs to be accomplished NOW. :)

We have been renovating our downstairs for years. Before McCaiden was born, we finished the living room and bedroom, making it a livable space and then we stopped... for 5 plus long years.
I hate the ceiling in our room, I hate the color, I hate the curtains, I hated my sewing room in the space that was supposed to be a bathroom, I hate the no trim up in the living room, hated walking thru the space, the clutter, the unorganization.

My husbands "it will get done." : "all in good time." : "everything will work out."... those speeches were not working for me any longer. So one day about 2 weeks ago, after my soap box lecture on how I don't want to live like this, I started taking down the boards on the ceiling in our bedroom. It was very freeing! LOL Dennis hated it, he was mad at me for a while. He is such a procrastinator, although he has gotten better, he is just lacks motivation. Well, by taking it into my own hands, I guess he got his motivation.

In the two weeks since I did that, we have finished our new bedroom - except doors (closet and doorway) and some trim along the bottom - but I am thrilled. We have also painted the old bedroom which will now be the sports den/computer room/tv room - it is awesome. I mixed paint we already had leftover from other projects - so the painting cost us a total of $5.00 total. Bold, awesome, just fabulous. Right now we are working on the ceiling in that room, which will take a bit, but it is coming along... WE are motivated :)

{by the way, he later thanked my for motivational removing of the boards}

Also, although small, I finally have my own sewing space... the walk in closet under the stairs is now an awesome shade of turquoise! And it holds all MY stuff :) it is perfect. I have yet to get in there and sew, but I have arranged everything (some new organizational tools will be bought) hung up important, inspirational stuff... I love it.

I am also noticing how my color choices have evolved! I love bold colors but have always shyed away from them, (what if I don't like it? what if it looks bad? what will so and so say?) well, you could say I have come out of my shell. Our new bedroom, while most of it is wood, honey colored, the rest is a deep charcoal gray. The entertainment room is a dark rust, brick on one wall and the other three are this olive, muddy, green color - sounds nasty but looks beautiful. And well of course, my sewing room - turquoise? yes! it is just perfect!!

Our next painting project is the living room downstairs. I better tackle it while I am still motivated... just can't decide on a color - remove the border, keep it? go bold or keep it simple?

So just remember, although baby steps get you where you want to be, eventually you may need to make the choice to just do it... take it by the horns and create something beautiful that makes you happy!!!

LISTS...

I make lists.

There are at least 5 lists on the frig at any given time. Lists about when book orders are due, when the PTC is, what day I have shadow at school.

Grocery lists, to do lists, want lists... it goes on and on!

Here is what is currently running thru my head - I need to write it down!

- Find a new dentist - ours is leaving, rather abruptly and we need a new one!
- Make an eye appointment for Esdin
- Cookie dough fund raiser money due Monday
- Field trip money due Wednesday
- Clean the bathroom (scrubbed the tub last night, but I didn't get any further)
- order carpet for downstairs
- tear down the ceiling in one room downstairs and paint
- paint the ceiling and walls in the living room and bedroom down stairs
- order a fill up on the gas tank
- Kids need jeans - they both grew overnight I swear
- WORK - I am swamped with stuff - everyone wants something and they want it now
- my sewing - I need to sew! and I need to put it on the list or I don't get a chance to do it
- buy tickets for the circus! YEAH!
- buy tickets to go see NEMO on ice - YEAH!
- go to the bank and order a new debit card - long story, stupid banking people
- make an appt for Bo at the vet - he seems to have hurt his leg somehow - this after he ripped his ear open last weekend - blood everywhere! gag!

I think that sums it up. Besides cleaning like a mad woman when I get home tonight because Rachel, Chad and the boys are coming over so Chad and Dennis can play guitar together... I want a nice relaxing weekend. Besides the grocery shopping, jean shopping and going to the Rail Jam so Esdin can see the snowboarders - I hope it is a relaxing weekend! I need sleep!!!