Bookstore Bliss

I just did something I never do. I bought a brand new book at the bookstore. Other than textbooks, I can't remember the last time I paid full price for a book. I did not go home to see if I could get it cheaper on Amazon. I didn't look on e-Bay. I didn't wait for it to go on sale, did not pass Go, and did not collect $100. And you know what? I couldn't be happier about it. I would have paid $30 for that book, and when I got to the cash register with my exciting splurge, it was way less. On sale, and I didn't even know it. I love you, B&N.



In other exciting bookstore news, while I was there (out without the kiddos), I managed to find an empty armchair, and read this book



almost all the way through. It helps that the print is about 36 points... like you could read it from across the room if necessary. It was an excellent book, the sort of thing that new parenting classes should include, because taking beautiful pictures of your children is just as rewarding as... I don't know... having a clean living room, and much easier. When you have kids, that is.

Babywearing Project

I recently made a Moby-wrap style baby carrier, although, "made" might be stretching it a bit. I've wanted to try one of these for a while, so found some online instructions. Turns out, this is a piece of knit fabric, 20" by 5'. That's it. I cut five feet of fabric. No hemming or anything. The trick was learning to wrap it. Incidentally, the fabric piece I bought would make two more, so if you want one, comment or e-mail, and I will send you one (to the first two commenters only). :)

My Instructables

I've been called off at work a couple of days recently, so I had some time at home I wasn't expecting. In addition to undecorating, doing laundry, playing with Ethan, watching my items for sale on e-Bay, buying other items on e-Bay, grocery shopping, and crafting, I wrote some Instructables.

Two of them were featured on the main page at Instructables.com, and I entered two in their Holiday Gifts contest. Feel free to take a look at the projects, and especially, feel free to vote for my holiday gifts. The prize is a Dremel drill set Matt and I would love to have. We might even fight over it. :)

Make Designer-Style Baby Blocks


How to Make a Grandparents' Calendar & Scrapbook (even if you don't know how to scrapbook)

How to Make Maternity Jeans Using Regular Jeans and a T-shirt

Tummy Time Baby Quilt

What I Would Buy if I Had an Extra $3,300.00 Lying Around

Seriously. It's cool. It can hold carseats and groceries and kids, and it's way better than one of those flimsy wagon things you pull behind you.

And, for the record, what Matt would buy if he had twice that amount lying around:

Cathedral Window Quilt Pattern

I have been so inspired by finding free patterns on other peoples' blogs that I decided to offer one of my own. I wrote these instructions for a class I taught on Cathedral Window Quilting (after learning how to do it from my industrious friend Brite, who has actually finished a cathedral window quilt, unlike moi). This is a variation of a traditional Cathedral Window pattern, easier because you quilt the squares individually then piece them together.

I've been hampered by technology, though, and I can't figure out how to merge the two .pdf pages into one. I also can't figure out how to add a nice "download" button to my sidebar, so it looks as if I'll have to post the images themselves, and you can feel free to download them by right-clicking and selecting "Save image as."

Photo of finished quilt squares courtesy of The Gathering Room.

Reversible Bird Seed Skirt GIVEAWAY!!!!

In case you hadn't noticed, I am a sucker for giveaways. I like them. They're quick. They're easy. They're free. In fact, I even win things. Recently, a set of baby caps and an autographed CD. It's like slot machines. You win a little, randomly, and that increases your desire to lose even more money. Amazing, and scientifically proven. But there's nothing to lose here. So, go ahead and take a look at Grosgrain fabulous' sweet handmade and originally designed clothing:

Reversible Bird Seed Skirt GIVEAWAY!!!!

You might even want to enter. :)

Babywearing: The New... Oh, Wait. It's Old.

I think the recent trend toward "babywearing" and "attachment parenting" has mostly blown over my head, or flitted by me, or something, undoubtedly while I was changing diapers, nursing, or working on my Master's. However, I had a sling that I used all the time when Ethan was little. I still use it from time to time. I like slings. I liked being able to stick Ethan in one, and nurse, and make dinner at the same time. Slowly, of course, but surely. All this multitasking (in my case) and attachment parenting (in other cases) is seen as some new thing. I've seen authors of websites attack the idea of wearing your baby as if it's some new American fad. As if it's better to let little Johnny go off and be independent by himself just because he's growing up in American suburbia and his mommy doesn't work in a cane field. They seem to forget that women in other cultures have been wearing their babies for years... for millennia, really, that it works well, and that is a normal and natural thing for a mother to do who wants to take care of her baby and take care of other business as well. Does it really matter whether that business is in a Central American jungle or an air-conditioned North American house?

In that spirit, I'm posting a link to this contest: Win the Essential Babywearing Stash from Along for the Ride (one Beco Butterfly, one Hotsling baby pouch, one BabyHawk Mei Tai, one Zolowear Ring Sling, and one Gypsy Mama Wrap). If I win, several of my lovely pregnant friends should rejoice at the gifting potential, and I will, too, because I have wanted to try some of these slings myself, before passing them on (possibly).

A Post for Knitters

Mom watched Ethan for us for a few hours while I went in to a staff meeting and some training at work. I've been called off so often lately I'm desperate for a few hours. So while I was gone to work, Mom and Ethan played and browsed free knitting patterns at Knitting Pattern Central. A page was up on my computer, and there were so many free patterns available, I may never buy another knitting book again. I downloaded about 10 in one sitting, including the pattern for these adorable baby socks:



I'm already thinking of making them for a friend who's having a girl. Thanks to f. pea for the picture, and Pickin' and Throwin' for the pattern.

Ethan's Birthday Book

For Ethan's birthday, I made him a little Winkflash photo book about the first year of his life. I put an apple green cover on it, called it "My First Year," and wrote simple text in first person. I'm thrilled with the results, despite the fact that I did it in one sitting late at night. I plan to make one for him every year, but I've been thinking about a colors book next: Ethan in green clothes, holding a green toy, for instance, and the word "green" in a large simple font. This will enable me to preserve a few more brain cells by not having to come up with text that chronicles an entire year. I started looking into some different online photo places, and put the results into an article at Real Clever Moms. Follow this link to get the lowdown on photo books: Creating Custom Photo Books.

Pipe Dreams

When I'm not doing the things I'm supposed to do, like assignments for school, I occasionally read baby blogs. I came across a new one today, and learned that Halle Berry is buying two of everything for her new baby. No, not twins. Just has two houses, and doesn't want Baby Berry to get confused. So, she's getting two of everything for the nursery, down to stuffed animals. Huh. We take the EXACT SAME pack-n-play and cozy blanket with us when we travel. And we deliberately have ONLY ONE house. How's that for decreasing confusion, Halle?

What I really should be doing is logging on to Texas Tech to find out what I'm supposed to do for my first week's assignments. I dreamed recently that I logged on, and discovered that all I had to do for the first week was download the syllabi, but I'm afraid that's a pipe dream. It will probably be something like, "Assess your immediate (100 mi. radius) community's health promotion resources, and write a 15 page paper detailing current and potential interventions, including management strategies for proposed interventions." Just my luck.

Sweepstakes Update: Jimeale Bag

I recently won a drawing at Cool Mom Picks (where, incidentally, I go about 2-3 times a week to enter drawings because I am addicted to that sort of thing); unfortunately, I didn't claim the prize in time. However, the gracious Cool Moms wrote Jimeale, who created the prize in question, and she sent me a great diaper bag from her line, anyway. A plus: she donates 15% of proceeds to support a breast cancer benefit, Boarding for Breast Cancer. Click on the picture to see the rest of her bags:

Things That Make Me Laugh

Some things Ethan does/likes that crack me up:
1. He loves to watch the bathwater go down the drain... he crawls over and has occasionally put his face so close he snorts water up his nose (only temporarily distressing).
2. He loves the cat, so much so that whenever he sees Bunter his little hands clench up in fists, he kicks his feet, and his whole body goes stiff.
3. He loves to drink leftover cereal milk from a spoon (I suspect it's because I eat Raisin Bran with sugar on the raisins).
4. He thinks fake sneezes, coughs, and animal sounds are wildly hilarious.
5. He finds anything remotely electronic fascinating, especially digital clocks.
6. He loves pictures of babies, including the one on the yogurt container. He tries to give kisses, getting so close to it his little eyes cross, and he's drooled all over about half the pages in my baby knitting books, because they all have pictures of adorable babies (in handknits, of course).

People tell me it gets so much more fun when children can talk. It's hard to imagine it could get any more fun.