for me it was ice cream, for him it was the cookie tin...

...for me, it was all about the ice cream. Sure, there were probably more "memorable" events that should way heavier in my mind, but it has and will forever lie in the ice cream. The kind that was rectangular shaped and, when unwrapped, fit so perfectly in it's similarly shaped cone. The kind that I could only buy at the corner shop where my grandparents lived when we flew back overseas to visit. The kind that stuck so heavily in my mind, that my fondest memory of England is the ice cream. Not the castles. Not the train rides through the country, nor the visits to see our old cottage.
...Just the Ice Cream.


...so when my husband and I brought our children back to the midwest to see their grandparents this summer, the first thing that came to little M's mind was the cookie tin. The cookie tin that has been in their cupboard long before my first visit as their son's new "girlfriend". The cookie tin that always houses an option of either Oatmeal Raisin cookies or Vienna fingers. The cookie tin that has my youngest one talking about it non-stop as we approach their house since visiting a year before.

...the cookie tin that has become his rectangular ice cream cone.

in the meantime.....

...a little textile pattern I am working on in the wee hours after my boys are asleep.

lost friend.....

....I couldn't help but feel for this little boy when I worked on him last night.
I liken it to one of those really good books that you know would work best with a sad ending, but somehow you find yourself still wishing for the happier one. My heart broke for him when I added the thread, but I knew that it was needed to bring him to completion.

...sometimes it's good to have a few tears in the house, no?

I almost had a heart attack with this one....

...a couple of weeks ago, we went to our eldest son's favourite hangout to celebrate turning seven.
I almost had a heart attack when I saw what was about to adorn our table. As the two waiters carefully carried this birthday surprise, with a very disproportionate miniature candle sitting precariously on top, his eyes opened larger than I had ever seen before.

....He was beyond thrilled. I was beyond mortified at the thought of eating this entire thing in one sitting. Thankfully a few good bites were all that was needed to satiate his soul, and we were all ready to continue celebrating.....

.... sticky fingers and all.

in the midst...

...in the midst of days filled trying to keep up with little souls home for the summer, I did manage to sneak in this little number today (not sure how I managed that one....)

...should I be asking myself why I am on a sudden kick of schoolyard images?

it's officially up!

...with a sigh of "ahhhhhh", I can finally announce that mummysam's A Day in the Life fabric
is now available to view at Robert Kaufman!

...can someone pinch me?

I wasn't going to share this.....

...I wasn't going to share this, but after thinking about some of my comments as of late, maybe it wouldn't be such a bad thing to do....

...I am often asked how I am able to "balance" life and work so well, and as much as an attempt is made to make it work, there are always going to be those days that leave you wondering if you have indeed achieved such a balance.

...with an almost 5 year old and newly turned seven year old in the house, we have entered a new stage of challenges....especially when the personalities are polar opposites. I finally did something I never thought I would do, and oh how I needed it.

...Yes. I took the last Drumstick (a purchase last week due to a sudden desire to relive my own summers as a kid) and locked myself in the bathroom. At my wits end, I listened to the "din" of two boys struggling to get along, and sat there savouring every bite. I no longer heard the whining. I no longer heard the requests for mummy's presence to hear about what "happened". I no longer heard any of it. All I could hear was the sound of the paper slowly getting peeled away as I reached further down the cone. It may have only been five minutes, but it was the longest stretch of peace I had since waking up, and it felt like an eternity.

...so there you have it. I definitely have my own moments of frustration and struggle, and in this particular case the Drumstick did the trick. Let's just hope they don't ask me where that last one went.......

and the winner is......

city man and the octopus from Lost at Sea exhibit...now available in my shop!

Alright. I won't keep you in suspense for any longer....the winners of the fat quarter giveaway are......(with the help of the random.org generator)
1. Helena
2. Debra of Evansville

Congratulations! I would love to see what you use them for, and know with all the amazing ideas that have been floating around, that something great will become of them. (Please e-mail me your contact info so that I can send these merry packages on their way.....)

I cannot begin to express how amazed I am at all of the ingenious ideas, and feel even that much more excited about my designs. There are so many ideas that I never would have even thought of, and many that I want to take a crack at myself. (And once the fabrics find their way into the stores, I will set up a flickr group for everyone to share their projects! Oh, how curious I am already.......)

Thank you again everyone!

fat quarter giveaway time!

adayinthelife2, originally uploaded by trueup.

it's time to giveaway some fabric from my upcoming line with Robert Kaufman, entitled "A Day in the Life", don't you think?

I received my first cuts of the fabric a couple of weeks ago, and am just thrilled beyond words.....the boys especially had fun reading through the day in the life design, as it came straight from my own diary when they were little. (I used to document each day with the boys through a series of doodles.....)

adayinthelife6, originally uploaded by trueup.

I am particularly fond of the black and white patterns, as there are so many fun possibilities to play around with them. The boys liked colouring them in with fabric markers, while others suggested using embroidery as a means to colour everything in. ( although there is something about just black and white that makes me love these the
most)


What's even more funny is the timing of this post, as I am frantically typing this announcement before my little one's 5-minute time-out is up. How's that for living the life of your design?

For this giveaway, I am going to give away two fat quarter packs, each with a variety of designs from my collection. (each winner will receive three fat quarters). You have until 10 pm EST Friday to leave a comment, and I would love to hear any ideas you may have for the fabric. Twitter, become a follower, blog about it, and you can count yourself in for up to 4 votes..... good luck!

p.s. please go visit my friend Laurie from Scarlet Fig...she is hosting a fantastic giveaway of her own!

poke poke poke poke poke........

....oh how the "cheeky monkey" came out to play while we were on holiday this past week.....
This photo was one of those "oh, I must get a picture of my cute boys all wrapped up and resting under the sun" moments until I looked back at the image in my camera and saw what was happening all along. Little did big A know what was coming, as two very gentles pokes from two very controlled feet gently tapped his back (and doesn't he have the cheekiest expression to go along with it?) This moment in time pretty much summed up many of our days, as the little guy found extreme pleasure in this new form of "entertainment", which of course was met with anything but enthusiasm from the recipient. (and with that came two " very tired" parents as well.....)

...amidst the many a poke and prod, we did manage to squirrel in some great time playing in the sand and catching up with family. Before we knew it the time had ended, and we embarked on our 17 hour drive straight home (with barely a poke, might I add.....thank goodness!)

...we are now recovering as we try to get schedules on track, and I am looking so forward to getting a bit of work done as well. That is, as long as the "cheeky monster" didn't hitch a ride back with us :)

...check in tomorrow for some fun giveaways!!