he's lucky I had to get home....

...it's a good thing I had to get home, or else he would see me walk in with yet another unnecessary project at hand (I still have to put back in some quarter round in the kitchen, finish painting the doors upstairs, paint that annoying hard to get to spot behind the living room radiators....you know. The projects that should get done first before I tackle anything else)

..I have officially painted the kitchen four times, the living room three, and my studio twice in the four years since moving here. As my husband sees it; once you paint it, it's there for life. As for myself; once you paint it, it's good for about 4 months until you see an image in a magazine that shows you that the color you originally picked just won't do anymore.

..I drove past and tightened my hands against the steering wheel, ready to pull in. (not quite the intensity that Meryl Streep had with the truck handle in Bridges of Madison County, but you get the idea....) I was right there, and oh how I just wanted to go in for a quick look. The boys' room has been looking kind of bland lately, and they could do with a fresh coat, right? The justifications started rolling in, and I was ever so close to caving in.

..Then the quarter round started talking, and the leaky faucet began to scream...pretty soon a whole orchestra of 90% done jobs started to play. And oh how loudly they played right into my ear. I couldn't do it. For the first time I resisted that urge to bring home yet another project, and found myself driving home with my hands a bit more relaxed on the wheel.

..Besides, I have to go that way again tomorrow...if I get one of those looming projects done today, maybe that orchestra of unfinished tasks will let me add another instrument? (I swear I will finish it this time. Really. Well, maybe except for that spot behind the radiator....but do people really look behind that anyway?)

"mum...it was a real hug...I got a real hug!! "

(my youngest son with his dad..)

:: upon going to bed, my eldest son ran upstairs breathless and happy. "mum! mum! I got to hug dad! And it was a real hug (demonstration quickly followed...). He gave me eight of them!!!!"

:: he was so happy, and by the look on his eyes, you could really tell just how much he needed it.
It has been two weeks since their dad's cycling accident, one that I had been told should have been fatal. And along with this type of accident comes not only the physical pain from recovery, but also an emotional one of how to handle it all. Being told "not to get too close dad", "watch where your leg is kicking!", "be careful how you walk past dad", "daddy can't play right now" on a regular basis to two young boys can be quite challenging emotionally on both the kids and parents.

:: I'll be honest. It has been tough. My eldest son's symptoms have skyrocketed these past two weeks, as the overall change in the flow of the house has made him quite uncomfortable. I don't always remember to step back and look at what is really going on, and will often react to his outbursts with my own sense of frustration. I have to remind myself that we are all in some way affected by this accident, and my eldest son just has a tougher time expressing it.

:: When he finished giving me the exact play-by-play of their hug, I could see just how much this has affected him.....more so than I had realized. He needed that hug. Dad needed to give that hug. I needed to see those huge eyes light up when told about that hug.

:: We are thankful....ever so thankful that the accident ended the way it did. Yes, there will be quite some time of rehabilitation ahead of us, but that is nothing compared to what it could have been. No brain injuries, no internal damage......he will be o.k.....he just has to get ready for the massive onslaught of hugs!

in the shop.....

:: some holiday (or winter, if you want to be more general) fabric has arrived in the shop....


:: and how did I not notice those dirty little seven year old nails until now? (he assures me that the rest of his hands were washed to perfection).

as the holidays near....

while we continue to mend, I have managed to sneak in little pockets of time here and there to feed that little creative bug of mine that cannot be left alone...(plus it helps tremendously to keep some sanity when one needs it most!) My posts will be brief and sporadic for still some time, but allow me to again treat you to a little pattern heading my way in about a week(although the pattern for the fabric will be in a half-brick layout instead). Look for it in the shop soon!

wishing everyone a wonderful weekend....

thank you......

..first of all, it must be said that I am ever so thankful for all of your support. Your comments were just what we needed to hear, and again I thank you....
..We are hanging in there, and as a good friend suggested, looking at his progress on a week to week basis vs. comparing each day individually. There is still time to be had for mending and healing, but for now what I really need is a little distraction. Allow me to share a little something I have been tinkering on, with hopes that this fabric will arrive in a week or so. (and for all of those waiting on Mr. Fox, portraits, and other fabrics....they will be arriving any day!) I didn't quite think it through enough this year, as it suddenly dawned on me that creating holiday fabric should have been done weeks ago...(drats). With the time running ever so short, I managed to sneak this little number in with the hope that you may all get to enjoy a little mummysam version of the holidays......

...alright, I am off to mend now. Thank you for the distraction....

Renegade Canceled...

I am afraid this Saturday's workshop and book signing at Renegade Handmade in Chicago has been canceled. Please bear with me as I take time off from blogging to tend to some matters at home. My husband was in a bad cycling accident (he will be o.k, thank goodness...) and I need some time to help him recover. I will start posting again more regularly next week. Thanks so much.

his view of the city...

(embroidered linen with encaustic)

we went to the city...

we were all excited, as was he....



...but he was also overwhelmed. The unexpected noises, the crowds, the smaller spaces....he couldn't adjust and was ready to go home. Then we found the perfect little playground shaped like a ship. With no other children there, he was able to take a mental breath and return to the noises hand in hand.....

they weren't as itchy this time....

...remember those itchy tights? Well, a few washes later and the "itch" factor seems to have died down quite a bit. (thank goodness for that!) I am a bit hooked on these tights, and thought it would be fitting for an upcoming magazine article about myself and my workspace. With a quick call to my lovely friend Thea, an afternoon was spent with some good coffee, great chit chatting, and really fun photography. We decided to put my sewing machine on my lap, as it truly plays the role of a pencil when it comes to my own approach to fiber art. I don't use a pencil when it comes to the stitched work, but rather use the machine solely as my drawing tool. What do you think?



...along with my "fashion" shot (can you tell how hard I am, yet again, trying to disguise the lack of any chin? There's really only so much one can do....), came the need for a basic studio shot as well. It may not be in full-view, but what it does showcase is the corner that I find most inspiring.....that one little spot that I find comforting, and in a perfect rainy day, can become the most comfortable space to be in. Thea captured it so well, and the collaborative process in itself was so inspiring. It's been a long time since I have gotten together with someone and brainstormed ideas back and forth, which was much needed. (even with a heavy sewing machine on my lap......)

it told me off, but I kept going.....

The time: 9am, Monday morning
The place: the crime began in the kitchen, and then made it's way to the family room
The crime: I ate the last cider doughnut from the apple orchard.....the last one that was being saved for my eldest son.

The Reenactment:
7am: big A speaks: "mum, can you please save that last one for me?"
mum: "of course..it will be there when you get back from school."

9am: Mum could no longer stand looking at that morsel of utter goodness when passing through the kitchen. She stood for a moment and pondered the situation. "Well," she thought..."It does look like it might be getting a bit stale. And who would want to ruin their cider doughnut memories with a tainted doughnut?" She knew it was wrong, but her jaws stood there aching to just have a bite. She was starting to drool......

930 am: a satiated mum looked down at what she had done. Sure, the doughnut was even better than she thought, but looking at the last remains brought about the guilt. She couldn't bare to eat that last bite, and so it was left there.....where it remained until the afternoon.

2pm: With one final walk past the plate, she stopped in her tracks and looked down. It was definitely stale now, so eating this last little bit would be guilt free. Within seconds the evidence was gone, the plate was washed, and she was at the bus stop waiting for her son's return.

3pm: Big A states, "where's the doughnut? I thought you were saving it for me!"
mum's horrible reply "Oh, it went stale..I had to throw it out. We'll get some more the next time we visit the orchard. I promise."


oh what a naughty mummy I was, and when I looked at this picture I was convinced this food was talking to me (well, more like telling me off). At least it tasted good, right?

scratchy but worth it...

I am trying....really trying to get used to the idea that I no longer have to wear plain cotton shirts and the same pair of jeans everyday. After several years of just not caring due to the inevitable smear of wet crumbs from little fingers and little mouths tagging my shoulders with cookie drenched drool, it's time to break free. Starting from scratch isn't easy, and it's taking me a bit of courage to buy things that cost more than $15. So, one pair of shoes and some cool tights later, I am setting off on this new journey to become "me" again. The one problem about wearing clothes that are just shy of wearing jammies, is that your expectation of comfort is extremely high. Am I constantly shifting my jean skirt side to side because the waistline isn't familiar? yes.
Am I scratching my legs because the .00000009% of wool in them is making me itch something dreadful? oh yes yes yes... Am I thinking it would be just easier to go upstairs and put some comfy pants on? Yep.
I went upstairs this morning (after the scratching hit an all-time high) to look in the mirror, and found myself quite excited to see a woman no longer looking ready for kids to unleash their damage. (did you ever get as bad as I did? I can't tell you how many mornings I put on the same shirt the next day, noticed the milk stains on my one shoulder, and just scraped the stain off with my nails. why add more laundry?)
As a result, the comfy pants will go neatly back in their drawer, where they will remain until the kids go to sleep. (I never said I would dress this way all day...besides, how can you relax on a couch with itchy tights?)

The balance (and imbalance) of motherhood.....

(remember this photo?)

...I may not be locked up in the bathroom eating ice cream this time, but I am still escaping.
With two boys clearly exhausted from a week of school and deciding that Saturday morning was the perfect time to test out waking up at an ungodly hour, I am taking a "break" from the resulting emotional drama as I hide out in my little studio. A coffee at hand, I am laughing as I type this post with the sounds of "brotherly love" in the background. What better timing than now to send you over to the lovely Leilaloo, where I discuss the balancing act of simultaneously being an artist and mum?

...So, if there are any other "escapees" out there, please pop over and say hello!

poppytalk love....

Open publication - Free publishing - More indie love

today I want to share with you a wonderful little ensemble featuring all the loveliness that can be found at poppytalk. If you are like me, and are finding it hard to break out of the snugglies due to cloudy skies and pouring rain, then grab a nice cup of tea and enjoy......