Eleni

Thank God!

Today was a nice day finally!  I was ready to kill someone or myself if I had to deal with rain and cold for one more day.  I feel like I am always complaining about the weather!  oh well.  I am very excited because Wednesday I meet with the most fabulous photographer Tess to go over some ideas I have for my website.  I can't freaking wait to get some new stuff together for it and give it a fresh, new look and feel.  The site is tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiired, or maybe that's just me at 24 weeks pregnant, more than 1/2 way there peeps, I am freaking out!

Sweatshop Rock :: Soul Sauce

I am blessed in so many different ways I can't even begin to tell you.  But, one of  the great things that I have is a wonderful neighborhood and wonderful neighbors.  One of my wonderful neighbors happens to be one of the best cooks you have ever come across,  and after Dennis and I got her out of a curtain hanging incident a few weeks ago, she repaid us with dinner, and not any old dinner - Chili Verde, Sangria, (for those not with child) and a bit of Soul Sauce.  Oh my, what a feast.  We got tons of leftovers and I immediately downloaded this album.

Since I am not a music reviewer and definitely not well versed in jazz I am not going to go into detail about the album itself, because honestly I can't. It's just good kick-back summertime music that I played about 12 times in one late-night sweatshop sewing marathon recently.  Download it now!

Ne$ting

At 23 weeks, it's hit me big time, the nesting bug.  Only I seem to be nesting for the older one of the two.  That's not to mean that I don't care as much about #2, but reality for me is that it's the squeaky wheel who gets the oil and right now that squeaky wheel has taken the shape of a 16 month old who is into EVERYTHING.  So on my nesting quest I've found that I've become obsessed with his play area - how it is set up as well as what is in it.  First, there are tons of ideas out there for how to set up your child's play area, just look in this book, or here to start.  Because I am all into this like a psycho, I dedicated some time today to looking for some new things to add to his little area.  After reading some of this book, I decided I wanted to get him a latching lock box type of thingy, and came across this, and I want it. But I also want some other things like this ice box and toy stove. In an effort to be economical,  I toyed with the idea of making one, but that's just got disaster written all over it.  I mean c'mon, drills & latches?   Soooooo I am stuck.

Back to reality

I know it's been awhile, we just got back from a super vacation to sunny Florida and I've been hit with the doldrums big time.  There - sun, sand, no humidity (good hair weather), no bugs, and best of all a whole slew of baby helpers.  Here - rain, mud, crappy hair weather, lady bug infestation and a tick trying to make it's home in my shin, and of course, no baby helpers. 

It's such a weird thing, you plan to go away like 6 months in advance, save the dough, dream of perfect weather, make your lists, shop a little for it, maybe a little mani and pedi, pack the bag, hold the mail, unplug the coffee maker, lock the doors and you are off - you are looking forward, looking forward, looking forward.  You spend the week enjoying, relaxing, laughing, not worrying about a thing, just carefree and loving life.  Every now and then a little flicker happens where you think about home and somewhat look forward to the familiarity, but as quick that flicker arrives, it is gone.  Next thing you know, the end is upon you.  It's inevitable that you are packing a bag of dirty laundry wondering how you got it all to fit, thinking about those piles of emails, voice mails, junk mail and bills waiting for you.  The pit in your stomach starts to form and that bad mood sets in, canceling out all the stress release and relaxation you just experienced, that you worked for and earned. 

Vacation is kind of f'd up isn't it? 

Have you heard?

The New Kids are back together.....oh man, if you guys knew me back in the day, I was a total New Kids freak, probably not "the biggest fan".  But I stalked them.

OK, so here's an embarrassing NKOTB story (one of many) anyway, New Kids used to have a 900# that you could call and listen to a recording for like $3.99 the first minute then .99 each additional minute, I must have called that thing 5-6 times a day, and it was THE SAME recording every day. It Didn't matter to me because I was in love and I had a little job and was going to pay for my calls. Well, mom got the phone bill and saw all these weird 1-900 numbers on there, she called the operator and asked what was going on with all these charges, and the woman told her, "oh that's just one of those numbers that kids call when they have problems."   My mom was like, "what do you mean 'have problems'?  The operator went on to tell her that sometimes when kids have issues they don't want to talk about with their parents or teachers they sometimes call these help lines and work out their problems or get advice, usually stuff like: drugs, alcohol, pregnancy, y'know teenage stuff.  Ok, so my mom is practically in tears at this point, thinking the worst: that her only and oldest daughter is knocked up, on drugs and feels more comfortable talking to strangers about these issues 5-6 x per day for the past month than her.  It's a mother's worst nightmare right, seriously, it's the worst.  So what does she do, probably what anyone else would do, dial the number of course and what does she get, but a warm,welcoming greeting from The New Kids on the Block:.  Well, you'd better believe that when I got home from school that day, I got my ass handed to me a few times over. Never again did I dial, never again. Sorry ma!

Shameless self promotion

My two new friends Kristen and Sandee started this cool new business called Perfecting Expecting, which is a really cool concept and one that I wish was around when I was preggers with my first.  Anyway, it's like a concierge for you during pregnancy, a pregnancy planner, someone to help you wind (and waddle) through all the craziness that is pregnancy and everything that goes along with it.

So these two gals, besides being entrepreneurs and go getters, are also really nice.  So nice that they decided to do a little feature on their blog of little ole me and my baby bags!  Here is the link!  Check it out, and if you are expecting in the Boston area, you should check them out. 

Thank You

Thank you so much to everyone for your congratulations and well wishes. We are very excited about our new addition and feel so blessed and fortunate to have such wonderful friends and family to share this news with.

Today, it is snowing again :( and we are feeling a bit under the weather, but it's ok, I will make us some soup and we will curl up with some books and look forward to the day when spring really is here.  We can spend some time in the sandbox, and water table, blowing bubbles and exploring the backyard.  By the way, the official first day of spring is March 20th, which happens to be my birthday as well!  Sorry - had to slip that in!  But check out that link for some fun crafty ideas to do on that day.  Until then though I'll be dreaming about the day that these pop their precious little heads out.  Ahhh, the wonderful first signs of spring.

Pop quiz

Can you guess what these three things have in common?

Well if you happened to guess, "Helena, you are using Anna Maria's Chocolate Lollipop fabric, McCalls #3341, and that stretchy panel to make a MATERNITY skirt."  Well then you guessed right!  That;s right peeps, we are expanding our clan and adding another monkey to this brood on or around August 30th of this year! Lots to do, lots to do!

Sunday Blues

trying to beat em with a little spring!

Studio Friday - The Heart of Your Creative Space

"Where or what is the heart of your studio/creative space? Is it your desk or maybe a special piece of furniture, a window, a piece of art on the wall, your idea board, or one of your tools, a jar with ribbons on the shelf...? "

Well, I guess the heart of my space would have to be where I park my ass.

Here's a picture of my ass holder, really though, you have no idea how excited I was to buy this chair and make the seat cushion.  I really was inspired after seeing Heather Bailey's Studio, to try and rework some of the stuff I have in my space.  Funny thing is, I have champagne tastes with a beer pocketbook, soooo I chose to purchase a chair from the unfinished wood store, and finish it myself.  Then I made it a fancy, one-of-a-kind seat cushion.  I'll tell ya, that chair is pretty damn comfy and without it, how the heck would I sit and sew?  I know I could get another one but it really wouldn't be as special as this, and really it's all about being and feeling special.  Hoping your weekend is special! 

Have a great one peeps