Eric ran out to a long-overdue poker game Friday night. Not only was it time for a game, but it was also a needed break with some old friends. Truth be told, I also enjoy having a night home alone every now and again. To read, write, or work on business stuff after the kids are in bed and the house is quiet. Yes, I can do all of that with Eric here, but I hate to feel like I’m ignoring him. And I get so caught up in what I’m doing that sometimes I actually am.
Friday night I took full advantage of the situation. Kids and I ordered in pizza and sat around watching TV favorites until the girls went to bed. At 10:00, we switched to a movie, but the boys were tired and asked if we could finish it Saturdya when they got up. Sure thing 
Throughout the evening I was busy plugging away at the data entry on the new shopping cart. So much of it could be copied and pasted from the existing site, but the setup is changed enough that the current product descriptions look lost on the page. I was struggling to beef them up. And letting my frustration get the better of me. Although I love writing and don’t normally have a problem with getting text on the page, I did find it really difficult to write promotional copy. Pimping, if you will.
There was a lot of whining; my children mocked me. I am sure that every five minutes, there was a wee cry of ‘I hate this job,” and a response of, “maybe whining will help.” Brats. But there were right. Whining didn’t help. So I took a deep breath, poured a glass of the only wine Eric and I have ever both liked and settled down under a blanket on the sofa.
I love red wine, but Eric doesn’t. It’s the spices that do it for him I have to admit, I love them too.
Before long, I wanted to be a little more comfortable and moved into the bedroom with the laptop, all my notes, and my new copy of ‘Practical Magic”. I love that movie! And it’s a good one to watch while I’m working – I’ve seen it so often that I don’t even have to look at the screen to know what’s going on. But the plan worked – all of the items are into the database and today will be spent beefing up those product descriptions – as well as grocery shopping and doing laundry.
Exciting life, I lead. No?
Getting back into the habit of blogging is HARD.
Initially, I was away with several sick kids. We spent the 18th celebrating the Pip’s birthday at a local Mexican place. It was a great time. Despite Jordan having been home sick that day with a bad stomach ache, he was feeling better and in a party mood. The other kids were chipper and didn’t even fight over who got to sit next to Mama. We laughed and sang together as the servers helped the birthday girl enjoy her special dessert.
Unfortunately, about an hour after we got home, three of the kids were complaining of the same stomach ache Jordan had earlier. No other symptoms – just a pain that on more than one occasion had them laying on the floor yelling out in pain. It was heartbreaking. Throughout the next week, we had kids home from school; one on the first day; two on the second; one on the third; I even got called to school several days to bring meds or to bring home sick children. It was a mess. But, we’re done. Whisper, the lucky birthday girl, never did catch whatever it was. YEAH!!
Even after the recovery, it was easy to just stay away and not look for witty and interesting topics to talk about. Naughty.
Although, I’ve not had much time for sewing, I have taken steps toward a new sachet design. I’m researching a design to embroider on the front of the sachet and then need to work on the smelly mix for inside. Quite a change from what I normally favor, I’m looking toward a more ‘girly’ pink and green palette for this new item. Mostly because of the color significances to go along with the aromatherapy, but the girls suggested it was about time. I’m looking forward to cutting and stitching.
And I need need need to spend time formatting the new shopping cart we’re using for the website. I have a HARD deadline of March 25 [and yes, I know how soon that is!] so the site is ready for showing off and [ahem!] pimping by April 2. We have plans in the works that have great potential for more traffic. And our customers must be happy.
Purplume, one of our regular commenters, has nominated us for the Happy 101 Blog Award 
I encourage you to go and check out her blog – I love reading it and would have nominated her, but… it can’t work that way.
Cool, no? Good friends give on to others. They share the love and wealth and cupcakes. And so, the rules for this privilege are to:
- Copy and display the award on one’s blog.
- List who gave me the award and link to their blog.
- List 10 things that make me happy.
- Pass the award on to other bloggers and visit their blog to let them know.
Let’s see, things that make me happy:
- Eric, my love and partner in crime. We’ve been together forever, but those hugs still fix what ails me.
- The monsters [Jordan, Alek, Ravynn, & Whisper] and the music of their laughter.
- Mail with stamps – cards, letters, invitations, postcards.
- Crashing through a roadblock in my genealogy research or finding new-to-me old family photos.
- Finishing a new product design and pattern and showing it off
- Moose tracks ice cream on an almost hot summer day.
- Exploring old cemeteries.
- Snuggling under the blankets ALL DAY on a Saturday and watching movies I’ve already seen 100 times.
- Knowing that, if only for a few minutes, all of the laundry in the house is clean, folded and put away.
- Being able to drive with the windows open for the first time each spring.
And for the blogs, I nominate and recommend:
La Vida Dulce
Crush Mix Blend
Smarter than Pancakes
Mommy’ s Journey
I had hoped by this point to have new product to show off. Unfortunately, even with a basic template for the art that I want to drop onto this new item, I am failing mightily. I trace and edit and it’s still not working. I think I’m close, but I need a couple more pair of eyes to check it over to figure out what exactly I’m doing wrong. It may actually be nothing, but… I’m too close to it.
When the kids get home from school, I’ll have the boys check it over. Also, Eric is on his way home from work, so maybe he’ll look it over. After confirming the office wasn’t closed for President’s day and also after answering work email [that came in this morning] from home, he drove in. Only to find the office closed. He’s supposed to get a phone notification when the office is closed, but no call came. He’s cranky 
We may head out for lunch, but at the same time get some work done on this new product.
I’m crossing my fingers.
~sheila
UPDATE: I just talked to a friend who owns a design company out of Pittsburgh and he’s willing to help out with the dog ‘problems’. I know good people and I’m happy for the support we give each other.
I do so love winter.
Frozen fog sounds awful, but it sure is pretty. When I ran across town to deliver Alek’s backpack to the school [woops! he forgot it] this morning, I took some photos at the park. I use this park for a lot of the product photos on my website. I rarely see it in winter. I think I’ve been missing out.
This is a rock wall which separates a picnic area from the playground. I have to admit I’ve never noticed it before.
Just after I took this photo an older woman drove up behind me and rolled down her window. “Lovely day for photos, isn’t it?” And she shook her camera at me. We talked about the ice frozen on the trees and agreed it was a shame that the paths weren’t clear for walking. I would have loved to get down by the river which I could hear running in some place I couldn’t see.
I did push my way into the park a little ways to explore the winter. I love how each branch is completely encased in ice. And how you can see the unused playset in the background – oh, the cruel beauty that is mother nature
Happy to be back home, I’m enjoying a hot cup of coffee and will soon head out to the sewing studio.
~sheila
Although we started this morning with news that EVERY school in the area was not just on a 2-hour delay [those are so common we don't even celebrate them], but was closed, my four monsters were loaded into the van for a trip across town to the dentist. At 8am. I suspect I’m a bad mother, wasting a perfectly good snow day in that manner. I issued reminders for them to bring any homework they hadn’t finished the night before OR a book OR some game device. They complied and we were early.
I also was a good little student and grabbed a stack of books I picked up at the library last night. Just a few on different ideas for kid’s clothing – sewing, knitting, crocheting. I found some great ideas for hats and dresses – even some dolls
The most exciting information in any of the three books I had time to browse through during the cleanings was found in an appendix, included like an afterthought, was a brief tutorial on freezer paper stencils.
There is a project that’s been bouncing around my brain for several years that I couldn’t quite figure out how to make work. But this new information brings me so much closer. Also found today is this photo from iStock that should help as well.
I’ll need to make some changes, but it’s great inspiration.
Now, if only I can make this work. I feel good about it. More to come.
~sheila
Thank you to Mandy at I Am Java Mama for thinking we’re worthy
The rules for accepting this:
Put the logo on your blog or within your post (right click and save),
Pass the award onto 12 bloggers,
Link the nominees within your post,
Let the nominees know they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
I’m awarding the following blogs:
I’ve selected these blogs for a variety of reasons. I encourage you to check them out
~sheila
I have great plans for new items for Bats! meow… I also have great hope that the time I need to draft the patterns and sew some samples will just appear in my life.
First up are a couple of new dresses or, maybe skirt and top sets. The way this usually works is I determine what my girls want and then sew for them. If the design is a success [as determined by the ooos and aaahs of the 6- and 7-years old girls in the house and in the neighborhood], we’ll photograph, do the price workups [cost versus profit], create the web listing, and work on alternate size options – not necessarily in that order.
Next up are a set of rag dolls. Or something of that nature. I’m super excited about this. When I was a little girl, all of my baby dolls [and I had a LOT of baby dolls with ALL the accessories] were little blonde things with bobbed hair. They didn’t look anything like their mama. Even the baby dolls in our house are 90% blondes. I do believe it’s time to expand the market to include more of the ‘looks like me’ variety. Of course, there is more in the plans than just brown hair and grey eyes. I’ll share more as soon as something has been sewn and stuffed. I’m really looking forward to this!
Finally, I want to incorporate my love of quilting into our designs. More housewares, some quilts for babies, even some pillows for bigger kids and adults. But not just any design will do – we’ll need something special, so more designing on real life graph paper.
So much to do. Such great plans. But time, again, is the enemy.
~sheila
If I could do anything, I would.
- …Figure out a cure for cancer
- …Build a movie theater on the moon
- …Be an underwater explorer
Welcome to Doodle 4 Google, a competition where we invite K-12 students to work their artistic will upon our homepage logo. At Google we believe in thinking big and dreaming big, so this year we’re inviting U.S. kids to exercise their creative imaginations around the theme, “If I Could Do Anything, I Would …”
We’re looking forward to the kids’ answers too. Gather those art supplies and some 8.5″ x 11″paper and encourage your students to enrich us all with their creative visions for what they would do in the world, if they could do anything.
This year, a group of “Expert Jurors“, well-known illustrators, cartoonists and animators from organizations like The Sesame Street Workshop, Dr. Seuss Enterprises, The Charles Shultz/Peanuts Museum and Pixar Animation Studios, will be helping us select the 40 finalist doodles as well as attending our awards ceremony to personally meet our winners.
Registration closes at 11:59:59 p.m. Pacific Time (PT) on March 17, 2010, and entries are due by March 31, 2010 no later than 11:59:59 P.M. Pacific Time (PT). The winning doodle will be featured on our Google.com homepage on May 27, 2010.
Reposted from Doodle 4 Google.
On the table in the sewing studio are the parts for one of the cutest girls dresses I’ve had the pleasure to design: The Wednesday dress. Just like Wednesday Addams. It’s a goth favorite.
I made one for Ravynn when she was 2. She wore it until Whisper grew into it and Whisper wore it until she couldn’t. Now, that very dress is hanging in my fabric storage closest ready to be pulled out and used for inspiration. When I feel my energy level slipping or when I’ve clearly overloaded my schedule and simply need the reminder that “Your children love what you do and who you are. Carry on Mum,” I hold it in my hands and I feel stronger, better, more determined.
I want to sew for the girls [and the boys], but I have pending orders [note the Wednesday dress I just mentioned] to finish and ship. I also have website updates to finish and discuss with my designer. There are minor updates needed to Etsy and ArtFire. And I have sketches for more designs that I desperately want to mock up a pattern of and get ready to promote.
But first things first, so tomorrow I will complete the dress.
Maybe after that, I’ll photograph the sewing studio to share with my bloggy friends.
