Did I speak too soon yesterday? Did I anger the weather gods? It snowed again this morning - still is snowing, in fact - and it’s decided to stick around.

I can appreciate what a fun sight this is to a little person, I really can.

And I can even enjoy this kind of thing myself. Particularly in my pajamas, curled up on the couch clutching a mug of something warm. Oh, yes, that kind of thing really hits the spot.

But beautiful fall-meets-winter scenes like this one only really last until it’s time to head to school. And today, one boy had a delayed opening but the other didn’t. Which means I had to go out twice.

Two times to put the chill into my feet.

Two times to navigate the slushy roads.

This unexpected November snowfall really put a crimp in my Monday morning agenda. The flakes are still falling lazily out my window, the trees are still a beauty to behold, and my toes are still cold from the last time I went out an hour and a half ago…

I’ve had to abandon my plans to get my eyebrows waxed - guess I’ll just be shaggy for Thanksgiving. In all of the snowy excitement this morning, I forgot to start the crock pot with tonight’s dinner, so I’ll have to make whatever tomorrow’s meal was going to be instead. I haven’t yet tackled the work I planned to do on the kitchen sink, but I can handle doing that later this afternoon - and find a way for Eamonn to help me.

Speaking of little helpers, I did accomplish one thing already today. In the hour Aidan and I had to ourselves after we dropped Eamonn off at school, he stripped his and his brother’s beds for me, helped me sort the dirty laundry, learned to fold his own clean shirts and learned to bundle his clean socks into pairs. I have to tap that 7-year-old energy more often… He’s not usually the one who wants to help, but he was ready and eager this morning, and for that I am thankful. Maybe there’s something about being home alone with me, without little brother underfoot that brings out this side of him.

In less than an hour, it will be time to go out again and pick up the little guy. It really is pretty out there. Forget about the treacherous driving, the inconvenience, the chilly feet.

Focus on the beauty. Right?

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Would you look at my flickr favorites? Clearly I am a little unbalanced when it comes to shoes. Strangely enough, I don’t have a huge shoe wardrobe myself. I have a black lace-up pair I have had for 7 years and wear most of the time, a brown pair of maryjanes from eBay, and a black pair of maryjanes from eBay. Other than that there are a few other pairs laying around that I sometimes wear, but these are my main ones. In the summer, it’s my black sandals or flip-flips. So many fun & funky shoes in my favorites, but I’m still playing it safe with black & brown in Real Life.

Today I am thankful for time with friends. Time to share some conversation, a little lunch, some more conversation, a delicious cup of gingerbread coffee with pumpkin creamer, and just a bit more conversation. Thanks for a nice time, Michelle. Let’s not wait another 8.5 months before we do this again!

And by the way, Michelle, what on earth has happened to our children? Remember these sweet babies?

When did they turn into this?

*sigh*

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Eamonn had a Target gift card and chose to spend some of it on a set of alphabet blocks.  It doesn’t matter how many elaborate newfangled toys end up in our family room, it seems the most popular are always the classic toys.  They are particularly fond of anything with letters on it, as letters lend themselves to spelling silly words.  And silly words lead to giggles.  Lots of giggles.  This set of blocks is very cool because there is more than one of each letter, so they can actually spell their own names without having to employ creative spellings, or turning V’s into A’s and Z’s into N’s.

At my suggestion, Eamonn also bought a clear tub to put the blocks in.  And yet, well, let’s just say maybe I should start a pool here on how many days it will be before the first block finds its painful way under my foot while I’m holding a heavy laundry basket on my way to the washing machine…  I’m going to have to come up with a good way to entice him to keep the blocks put away.  And if I’m successful with that, maybe I can branch into keeping the computer games in their cases and his socks off of the floor.  A mother can dream, right?

Look what was in our yard late this afternoon.  What a ruckus this little one was making!  I don’t think I’ve heard a full-size cat meow so loud, let alone a kitten.  He wasn’t the least bit afraid of letting me get close, either.   Yesterday there was a different kitten in the yard - all black - but he was super skittish.  I’m guessing they’re related.  Too bad Neil and Eamonn have bad physical reactions to cats, or I’d have put a bowl of something out for the fuzzy little guy.  The boys would both love to have a pet, and cats are at the top of their list.

Anybody ever have bunnies?  I keep thinking a rabbit might be a nice pet, but I wonder what the “upkeep” is like.  At this point I don’t want a high-maintenance animal, but I could handle a pet that has similar requirements to cats.  Dog-level requirements would be too much for me.  If you’ve placed an order with me in the last few weeks, you’d agree that adding one more big distraction to my plate would be a bad idea!

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This morning I tried a new soap. One minute I was a 36-year-old woman taking a shower and the next I was five or six, in a movie theater with my grandparents watching Pete’s Dragon and eating butterscotch candies from Granny’s pocketbook. That’s some powerful soap.

Ahem. Anyway. I’ve decided we spend too much time staring at screens, be they computer monitors or televisions. This point was driven home to me this morning when I suggested to my little henchmen that we should have a few hours today with no TV and no computers. From the looks on their panic-stricken faces, you’d think I had put forth the idea that we spend the day organizing our underwear drawers and vacuuming.

At approximately 9:30am, after ample warning and time to play a few games, I turned off their computer monitors, closed the lid on my laptop, and set the timer in the kitchen for 2 hours. Then Eamonn and I set to work making a pie. I was under the impression that I had taken a glass pie plate from among my grandmother’s things (the other grandmother, not the one with the butterscotch candies) a few years ago. I thought it was part of the small collection of items I picked out when my parents were cleaning out Grandma & Grandpa’s house in preparation to sell it. I suppose I could be wrong. Or maybe I put it somewhere weird. Either way, there was no pie plate to be found. Eamonn crawled into the cabinet for me to check the dark corner in the back, but he came up empty.

So we improvised. Round, rectangular, what difference does it make? It all tastes the same, right?

And as far as that goes, it was good but not great. We used pre-made crusts and canned filling and you can tell. Don’t get me wrong - I still had a piece for lunch, and will probably have another slice or two before the day is up. But I think the next time I want to take the easy way out pie-wise, I’ll just do my usual thing of throwing a Mrs. Smith’s Apple Pie into the oven. Those are delicious.

When not baking, I flipped leisurely through Sue Heaser’s new book, and the boys tried on their clearance costumes from yesterday. The two hours ended when the oven timer beeped, the little people scurried off almost immediately to watch their new Backyardigans DVD, and I (who really am no better when it comes to screen time these days) flipped open the laptop, did a quick email check, and processed my pie-making photos. It’s probably pretty sad that we find ourselves twitching when the tv and computers are taken away, and I think for all of our sakes, I’m going to institute more of these screen-free times. I’d like to see more baskets of books in strategic places around the house. I’d love to find the boys engaged in a good story sometimes, instead of bathing in the blue glow of the computer screen. Aidan has been able to read since he was four years old, but he considers it more of a utilitarian skill than something that can bring him pleasure. Eamonn is learning to read now, too, and while it’s hard to deny the contribution that tv and computer games have made toward that goal, I think I’d like for his reading vocabulary to extend beyond play, quit, bonus features, and scene selection.

It could be worse. Most of the games they play on the computer have significant educational value. When they watch TV, they are watching either PBS, or DVDs from our collection. And often (as is this case this very minute) the TV seems to just be there for background noise. A few minutes ago, they set the language to French (on purpose), quickly got bored because they couldn’t understand what anyone was saying, and proceeded to play some imaginative game completely unrelated to what the French Backyardigans were doing. This kind of thing happens a lot. So, they’re not playing shoot-em-up games all day or being barraged with harmful advertising, but they are missing things with their eyes on the screen so much. I need to think about ways to restructure our days and minimize the amount of time we spend being passively entertained, and now is a good time to do it, while I’m working on tasks, calendars & scheduling.

As for me, I have some business-related work to take care of this afternoon, but I am craving some more screen-free time. I’m going to drag the vacuum down to the family room, crank up some Polka Dot Radio nice and loud, and do something physical (not to mention useful) with my time! Actually, forget Polka Dot Radio for the moment - I have this strange desire for Christmas music suddenly. Maybe I’ll indulge in a little Christmas Broadband for a while.

I hope you’ll pardon me now. There are halls to deck!

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The boys and I braved 50-degree temperatures, squeaky car brakes and raging PMS for a quick trip to Wal-Mart today. I was in need of baby blue thread, and Neil not being home, I couldn’t just run out on my own. Waiting until Monday was out of the question because I really wanted all three of the last scarves completed and in my Etsy shop immediately. Patience is not my strong suit. So into the car we piled, amid I don’t want to go out’s and why can’t we stay in our pajamas all day’s and I think you should just go and let us stay home’s and (my personal favorite) Hey! I wanted to get in first! He can’t get in the car first! I wanted to get in first‘s.

Since leaving the whiny people behind in the driveway to debate the merits of being seated first was not a viable option, I soldiered on, bringing them with me. A few minutes on the road softened them to the idea of shopping, and I had just started to let myself think that this wouldn’t be a terrible trip after all, when they saw it: Stewarts. The only place Mom lets them have ice cream and frozen root beer floats for lunch. Can we go to Stewarts? Pleeeeeeease? Had I responded with my gut, I’d have said “You have got to be kidding me! The last thing I need today while your father is out of town and I am dealing with the Period From Hell is the two of you hyperactive on a liquid sugar lunch!” My cooler head prevailed, however, and what came out of my mouth was more along the lines of “I don’t think so, Sweetie. Maybe another day.”

There was a time, not so long ago, when “maybe another day” would have been greeted with a disappointed but understanding and accepting “ok, Mommy.” These days I am more likely to be barraged with a chorus of but why’s and I’m hungry now’s and why can’t we go to Stewarts today since Daddy isn’t here’s.  [Daddy has smartly declared his dislike of Stewarts, and in so doing has managed to render himself an obstacle to eating there.]  It’s enough to make me tear my hair out. When did they suddenly decide that whining, arguing, and pestering me was a good plan? I have never given in to that. I have never given them reason to believe that persistence in this manner would pay off to their advantage. The only logical conclusion is that they enjoy seeing my head explode as I try (usually in vain) to keep my cool.

But I was trying to tell you about my scarf, wasn’t I?

Wal-Mart itself was relatively uneventful. I got my thread, and the boys asked me if they could pool their Halloween money from Grandma and buy a new Backyardigans DVD. I have to admit, I was completely won over by the idea of plopping them in front of the TV for two hours this afternoon, and I readily agreed. As we were skipping with glee to the checkout, we found ourselves in the Halloween clearance aisle. I thought about the dragon costume, which has served us through three holidays now and a number of dress-up games in between, and it occurred to me it might be fun to pick up another costume or two. A few minutes later we were the proud owners of a $4 shark and a $5 Boba Fett. Not a bad haul.

Don’t worry. I am getting to the scarf. Really.

Upon our arrival at home, we made ourselves some lunch, and sat down in front of the new DVD while we ate. I got sucked into the hour-long Secret Agent Backyardigans special episode, but I managed to tear myself away before the two regular half-hour episodes began. And that, my friends, is when I put together the new scarf.

This lovely scarf, made with prints from Amy Butler’s Lotus collection and a custom coordinating button by me, was to be an attractive 6×60-inch scarf. But something went horribly wrong. Well, not horribly wrong. You can’t even tell by the picture. Let’s just say, when I measured the fabric last week, I somehow left off about 10 inches. So, ok. 50 inches long is still acceptable, right? Sure. But I also managed to cut the width so oddly that the scarf varies from 6 inches wide at some points to 5 inches wide at others. It’s kind of wavy, and it’s noticeable.

Yes, it’s a misfit scarf, but it’s not without its charm. In fact, I would hazard a guess that the wonky part isn’t at all obvious when the scarf is being worn. It’s still got some pretty fabric, and it’s still backed by a nice, soft flannel. And of course, it still features that funky polymer clay button. So I’m going ahead and selling it anyway. With a significant discount to make up for its shortcomings. I just couldn’t relegate the poor thing to the back of a drawer somewhere. Someone will buy it and shower it with the TLC it needs. Poor little misfit scarf.

Whew. I sure said a lot for someone who initially wasn’t going to even bother posting. I thought all I had to say was “I added three more scarves to Etsy” and that would have made for an awfully short, uninspired post. I guess sitting in my dark bedroom, lights off, in my bed, under the covers, 10-String Guitar emanating softly from the laptop speakers, I found my voice. I’d keep this peaceful music on all night while I sleep, except for the fact that once in a while a voice pops out of nowhere for a 10-second promo spot and scares the heck out of me. I don’t need that kind of stress.

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They boys had requested a weekend at a hotel. We couldn’t swing that, so we asked them to make a list of their favorite memories from previous hotel visits and worked at checking them off.

Hot chocolate. Check.

Staying up late on Saturday night to play games. Check.

And check.

Finding a shore town to do a little shopping for jellybeans and other trinkets. Check.

Walking on a boardwalk. Check.

Unexpectedly getting to play on the beach. Check.

And getting to see things we don’t see every day. Check.

Check.

And Check.

I think we did pretty well. And I suspect the happy boys, who are upstairs giggling in their beds when they should be sleeping, would agree.

There are more game night and beach photos on flickr.  And a peek at my newest skirt, if you are so inclined.   It was a nice time today and last night.  I hope you all had pleasant weekends as well!

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We made a different kind of cookie yesterday and were waaaaay more successful than we were with the ill-fated Pumpkin Biscotti. This time I had the “help” of a little person, which is always nice, and we slaved away all afternoon getting that sugar cookie dough perfect. Yes, it takes the ultimate concentration to combine melted butter, an egg, and a pouch of cookie mix just right

It also takes the proper attire. During the early summer, when I was on my big apron kick, I had made one for Eamonn using some Curious George fabric and a thrifted sheet. He’d never used it since then, and wouldn’t you know it, I had no idea where to find the darn thing. So, he wore my Susan Branch apron - the pocket ended up in the back, and the ties could have wrapped around him twice before tying, but he was happy, and I think he’s just cute as a button like that.

A few hours later, I did find George. I had never put a polymer clay button on it, so I found one that I’d made in navy blue & white stripes and sewed it on with orange embroidery floss - I figured I’d be consistent with the theme of none of the elements of this apron matching each other. Now I just have to remember where I put the apron the next time we bake…

Pants. Made ‘em. Love ‘em. These look even more like pj’s than the other ones, though. What I really need to do is make a pair in a plaid flannel or a solid brown, or something like that - something that doesn’t scream “I rolled out of bed this morning and didn’t bother to get dressed all day.” As much as I love my Heather Bailey Freshcut Painted Mums, they really do look more like a lazy morning than a conscious fashion choice.

This week’s flickr favorites. Check out the Sharpies! Did you know there’s an entire flickr group devoted to photos of Sharpies? Two, in fact! Guess I’m not the only one who needs to have every color…

The boys have been asking us all week if we can go to a hotel this weekend. Being very much not made of money at this point in our lives, I think a spontaneous weekend away at a hotel is not in the cards for us. However, I have had them think about what their favorite parts of previous hotel stays have been. They’re making a list, and we’re going to try to recreate those experiences as much as we can. So far their list has things like

• Buy jellybeans (like we did at Ocean City in April)
• Go shopping (not sure how this got on the list, but I’m not going to complain about it, LOL!)
• Go to the boardwalk (Ocean City again)
• Have hot chocolate (like we did when they came to Philadelphia with me for the Donna Kato class in September)
• Stay up late playing Rummikub (Philadelphia again)

I think we can do these things with a game night followed by a day trip to a shore town about an hour away from here. I just hope the weather cooperates and that having to sleep in their own beds is not too much of a disappointment!

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I have these days where I know there is work to be done. Days where I have a glorious four hours of time alone. Time alone that could do serious damage to my to-do list. But something distracts me. Something makes me spend my four hours doing other things. Things that feel like fun at the time, but then later make me less-than-proud of my actions.

I’m not talking about anything sinister or sundry. No, it’s really just something that I’ve been prone to all of my adult life - doing “work” that doesn’t need to be done, simply because it’s fun, regardless of the important work that does need to be done. This morning I found a tool that would help me splice together three different feeds so that I could offer one single Polka Dot Radio feed that would let subscribers know when there is a new blog post as well as when there has been an update to the station’s playlist. Is that a cool thing to have? Oh, yeah! Could my radio station have lived without it for another few days, weeks, or months? Most certainly.

I didn’t spend my entire four hours playing around with radio-related things, but I did spend more than half of it that way. And when I skip my morning shower in favor of turning on my laptop, and when I get lured into blowing off a task list so that I can tinker with code, it sets a precedent for the day. No matter how many times I said to myself today that I would put down the computer after such-and-such a time and concentrate on other things, it was an uphill battle all the way. I did the bare minimum - straightened up the living room & dining room, processed new orders & payments, and finally took that shower. Other than that, there were feeds to play with, blogs to read, and Moo cards to order.

When I’ve had a productive day, but productive in an “I did what I wanted and shirked all other responsibilities” kind of way, it leaves me feeling like I somehow cheated my way through the day, and that I’ve probably missed some of the better moments having my nose buried in my laptop.

The day wasn’t a total loss. I did orchestrate a small treasure hunt for Aidan to do when he came home from school. At the end of the hunt was his favorite snack waiting for him. He loved that. And tonight the four of us sat on the boys’ beds daydreaming about a fun trip we could take this weekend. Aidan wants to stay in a hotel, and while that is probably a cost-prohibitive diversion, I think we can manage to replicate some of the great things about hotel-stays right here at home. Making plans has a way of pulling one out of their self-absorbed doldrums. It’s optimistic thinking infused with enthusiasm, and one can’t help but feel better in its wake.

The high lasted all of 5 minutes before I found myself sitting downstairs on the couch, one eye on the TV, the other on my laptop. I was reading some of my favorite crafty mom blogs, and while often I find them uplifting and inspirational, that is not the case when I’ve had a slacker kind of day. Seeing all of these women who make beautiful things and find creative and special moments with their children gave me this feeling of terrible inadequacy. I found myself wondering what I’ve missed with my nose in the computer so much. Why wasn’t I outside pushing the boys on the swing, or taking a walk in the crunchy leaves today? The winter will be here before I know it and I’ll wonder where the fall went. Where did it go? It left, while I was being picky about an irrelevant rss feed and reading about other people’s lives.

The final straw for me was reading about Stefani’s muffins. Her kids were enjoying homemade muffins for breakfast in a tee pee they’d made together in the yard. A stray thought crossed my mind: “how nice it would be to give the boys something homemade for breakfast instead of the usual pop tart.” I almost dismissed it like I’d lazily dismissed all other thoughts just like it today, until I paused. What, exactly, was I doing right now that was so important? Was I particularly interested in what was on TV? No. Could I really enjoy any more crafty mom blogs while I was in this dark place? No. Is 9:15 too late to start baking? Well, usually, but not tonight.

So now I blog as the smell of a recipe I’d never tried before wafts through the house. Awash in a sea of cinnamon, cloves, and ginger I feel more in balance right now than I have all day. Pumpkin Biscotti cooling on the counter, I’m ready to think ahead to a better day tomorrow. Tomorrow I will tackle that task list. Tomorrow I will be open to putting aside the laptop for a little real living. And tomorrow I will greet the boys with a smile and we will have cookies for breakfast.

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The boys and I are on our own today. When I asked them what they wanted to do, the answer was “go to Panera.” Really? Really. Sure you don’t want to go to the bagel place (read: Mommy is addicted to their fat free tuna on a very light everything bagel, please get bagels, please, please, pretty please)? Nope. Ok, then. So we went to Panera for lunch. I tried a Sierra Turkey Sandwich (well, half of one, really. I’m saving the other half for supper) which wasn’t as good as the now-defunct Tuscan Chicken Sandwich, but it’ll do.

From there we walked to Path Mark, a supermarket I don’t particularly care for, which is redeemed only by the DVD vending machine they have. For $1 you can rent a movie until noon the next day, which I think is a bargain and very handy for those weekends when all of the Netflix are in transit and you’re dying for a little mindless entertainment.

After we safely had our movie in-hand, we walked over to Starbucks for a Decaf Tall Pumpkin Spice Latte for me and a couple of big cookies for the boys.  (Aidan lost his second tooth while eating his cookie.) This is going to be a very fattening day, I can tell. At least the boys ran around and burned off some energy when we got home. I promptly plopped myself down in a chair with my latte and my laptop. And my camera. But not the good camera - Neil’s got that with him, darnit.

Lots of pretties on flickr this week, eh? I can see the seasonal “warmth” creeping into my selections at this point. All that’s missing is images of crock pots and comfort food.  These colors make me want to curl up next to the fireplace with a quilt on my lap, some choral music on the DVD player, and a good mystery in hand.  Not quite chilly enough for that yet.  And that’s ok, I can wait.  Today’s weather really has been perfect.  It’s 60 degrees and sunny right now.

I started a project this morning that I hope to finish sometime today.   I’m making lounge pants!  I’ve got Eamonn’s done, and the pattern cut out for Aidan’s.  I want to make myself a pair, too, and if there is still material left, Neil is getting one.  We’ll all be sickeningly cute in our matching Halloween pants, I’m sure, but it’s not like we’ll be leaving the house in them. Well,  the guys won’t, but I might.  Heh.

How about you?  Having a pleasant Saturday?

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I dropped Eamonn off at preschool this morning and decided to take action and do something about my desperate hair situation.  My bangs were down past the tip of my nose and I’ve been grousing for a month.  I went someplace different than my usual, and on the way home I passed the Salvation Army Store.  Well, technically, I didn’t pass it.  I pulled into the parking lot, took a space, got out of the car, and went shopping.  Why?  Beats me.  I just gave 5 bags of clothes to this very store, and the last thing I need is more stuff.  Still, in I went.

I had forgotten Wednesday is half-price day, and it turns out it was also my lucky day.  I came home with a hooded cardigan sweater (something I’d been wanting) and a pair of black boots (something I’d really been wanting).  And each of them only cost me $3.  Wow.  I also picked up a pillowcase for 50 cents.

I remembered seeing somewhere online that you could make skirts from pillowcases, and a google search turned up this post. I wish I had a pillowcase as spectacular as the one she used, and now that I know that I didn’t pork-up so much this summer that I can’t fit into a pillowcase, I will have to be on the lookout for more interesting ones.

So here’s my new outfit.  The whole thing (minus the t-shirt that I’ve had forever) cost me $6.50 and about 1/2-hour of sewing.  Woo hoo!

I still felt like sewing after I finished the skirt, so I made a table thingy I’ve been thinking about for the living room coffee table.  I guess it’s a table runner, but it feels weird to call it a “runner” when it doesn’t actually run the length of the table.  Is there another name for this?  Anyway, it’s reversible.  This side is for the fall, with its leaves and pumpkins, and on the other side, I just used dots that coordinate with the walls of the room.  That will be appropriate for all other times of the year.  On both sides I used fabrics left over from my fall napkin-making.  Wait, I don’t think I actually showed you my fall napkins, did I??

Well, here they are.  Eamonn loved watching me make these, and I enjoyed having a little groupie who could help with folding and setting up the photo shoot.  I still have one set of napkins in me - I need a Christmas set!  Once I find a kitschy Christmas fabric collection that will do, I’ll try to score some of it cheaply and get to work on them.  Then I’ll be done.  I’ll have made a set for summer, fall, Christmas, and every other time of year.  I just love using these - they’re so soft, fun, and ecologically sound.  I can’t imagine wanting to buy paper napkins ever again.  Which is a good thing because all of these napkins I’m making won’t pay for themselves until about 2011

It was nice to take the afternoon “off” from processing orders and catching up on email, but I’m going to have to put my nose back to the grindstone this evening.  After I take Aidan to his religious ed class, start dinner, pick Aidan up, complete dinner, eat dinner, clean up dinner, get everybody’s stuff ready for tomorrow morning, and get myself into my comfy pj’s, that is.  Oh, and of course there will have to be pre-bedtime snuggles, stories, and songs with my little men.  A mother’s work is never done

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My creepy, larger-than-life podcasting pose, at that. No, I haven’t started a podcast. I love to listen to them, but I can’t imagine my place being at the helm of one. So what’s with the headset, then? This was me two weeks ago, when I was chatting with Ilysa Bierer and Kira Slye of Polymer Clay Productions. It was an honor to be interviewed, and if you are reading this, Ilysa & Kira, I thank you! (And I promise to get that headset back to you as soon as I can find three minutes to dig up a box!)

If you’re interested in listening to the interview, you can check it out here.

You know how you always can come up with better ways to say things after a conversation is over? Well, maybe you don’t, but I am intimately familiar with that feeling. After playing the podcast and hearing myself speak, I realized that I didn’t say too much to embarrass myself, which is a really nice realization to have But I do think that maybe I trivialized my book store a bit. It really is a lot more than just a way to “pay for my clay so I can play.” Like many polymer clay enthusiasts, I have a serious affliction when it comes to new books, videos, and anything that gives me the opportunity to see what people are making. It’s an exciting feeling to see the UPS truck pulling in the driveway when I know some new book is on the way. I’ve been known to squeal and jump up and down in the living room, which may not be dignified behavior, but who cares?! Besides my obvious love for the products I sell, I really enjoy the connections I’ve made in the community as a result of having this business. Given how much I love seeing new books & videos come in, is it any surprise that I get excited to share them? I know I have complained long and hard about packing orders around here, but if there is one bright spot, one shining beacon of enjoyableness in that task, it is that I know I am sending a little package of inspiration someone’s way.

I was asked what my business plans are for the future, and my feeling is that I will continue for as long as

• I have an interest in polymer clay and a need to create things with it
• The business can sustain itself financially (we could never survive on this, but so far it’s not costing us anything)
• I can run the business without negatively impacting my family life
• I am happy running it

So there’s my little addendum to the interview. Other than that, I am happy to let it stand as-is. Neil commented to me (in jest. I think…) that I made it sound like I neglect our children in the course of being crafty and having a business. Anyone who reads this blog knows, though, that once in a while I do dust the little darlings off, take them out and play with them No, if anything is getting neglected, it is the kitchen. And maybe the husband.

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I sent of my contribution to the Sweet & Sinister Swap yesterday and got this box in return. It was stuffed to the gills with neat things - things that I enjoyed opening and looking at, and decorating my house with. Handmade things. The aesthetic is so different than that of the box I sent in, that I really hope my partner likes it. I didn’t get to make as many things as I had hoped to, and I’m afraid my contribution looks a little skimpy in comparison to what I received. What is that they say? Less is more?

Ginny, if you’re reading this, thank you so much - I love everything!  And I hope you enjoy what I sent you.

We went on a class trip this morning.  Pumpkin picking and a hay ride.  Somebody got a little dirty…  I’d love to chat all about it, and tell you about my trip to Super Suppers last night, but I need a nap.  I haven’t been sleeping well the last two nights, and I may doze off right here right now.    All I need to do is find something to occupy the Little Cherub. Right now he’s leaning his chin on my arm trying out different ways to say the word “pickle” and that just won’t do

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I was going to call this post “Fun With Flickr,” and that reminded me of my sister. When she was in preschool, she would come home from class every week with a little age-appropriate worksheet about somethingorother in the world. One day it was “The Joy of Seeds,” only she, not being able to read at the time, remembered it as “Fun With Pits” - a title that entertained 8-year-old me to no end. So, Fun With Pits, it is.

Only we’re actually talking about flickr. Not pits. Shall we get on with it?

I like to share my favorites for the week every Friday, and this is no exception. I found most of these by looking at what has been submitted to some of my favorite flickr groups recently, or by looking at the photos from my contacts. Check out Erin’s giraffe in the lower left corner - isn’t he great? I love this guy’s quirky expression. My living room has an unofficial giraffe theme, and we have a small empty spot on one wall where an African mask used to reside (it plunged to its death on the tile below when an overzealous child knocked into it). I’m considering asking Erin if she minds me using her image in that little spot.

Aside from the spotted creature, and a few other wild animals, this week’s favorites are almost a step backwards into my summer of aqua love. It must be indian summer

Have any of you looked at the calendar lately? When did it get to be the end of September?? [Note to self: Dad’s birthday is sooner than you think, and you might want to get him a card.] What the end of September means around here in Polka Dot Creations Land is that the current Color Challenge is about to end! I’m aiming for September 25th as a last day, but it really is subject to my ever-fluctuating schedule, not to mention my unpredictable whims .  If you plan to submit an olive green lovely, then it’s best to do it sooner than later, lest a whim strikes this very weekend…

Aren’t these some pretty entries?  I love the colors in the ATC, which really coordinate nicely with the Kato-esque pendant.  These pretty earrings feature some lovely green pearls(one of my favorite colors to use, back when I was heavy into freshwater pearls), and the fabric coasters are appealing to me.  They are made with Freshcut fabric, which you probably know is one of my favorite collections.
Ah, Friday.  Aidan has asked to spend the night with his grandparents, so he’ll be gone this evening.  This morning at the bus stop he declared his intention to stay at their house until Sunday, so if Grandma is having it, it’ll be  an Aidan-free weekend.  I tell you, when I am down to only one boy around here (no matter which one it is), it’s almost like being alone - it’s so quiet.  When both of them are here, they are either playing (loudly) or fighting (loudly).  Of course we miss him when he’s not here, but there’s something to  be said for having a weekend free of pandemonium   It’s Eamonn’s Special Night tonight and last I heard he was looking forward to doing more “how to draw” pages from Captain Underpants like last time.  Not my first choice, but I’ll take one for the team

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Having a great time. Wish you were here. Today we learned to construct Japanese inro pendants, and to decorate them with image transfers, stamps, pigment inks and the ever-important gold leaf. This is my pendant in-progress. It still needs the domed top to be added, and it could use some sanding/buffing. I’m impressed with how this is coming along, given my lack of experience with these techniques.

I worked on a second box using my canes from the Country color scheme during the times when the main box was baking. This, too, is a work in progress, but I don’t think it’s as impressive as the first inro.

I bought one of Donna’s pendants - I love it! It’s got my favorite green in the world, and it’s got polka dots. What more can a girl ask for? (My son the ham, must get into every picture and make a weird face.)

This class has been great - I love the pace, and I love how, with Donna’s instructions, I can do something completely new to me and it will feel like second nature - as if I’ve been doing it forever.

After-class, the family and I walked next door from our hotel to Chili’s for supper.  The rest of the evening involved, drinking tea & hot chocolate with the boys in the hotel lobby while Neil got a little break, and all four of us playing a rousing game of Rummikub before tucking in the boys and kissing their sweet little faces goodnight.

If this is a post card, I must be writing really tiny…

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