This was Christmas, it was awesome

We were lucky enough to snag two aunts, an uncle, two Grandmothers, and a Grandpa at our house this Christmas.
The adults all got stockings because that's how I roll.


One of my favorite treats came from the amazing Lux Bakery


I don't want to say Alice is spoiled in anyway but she received not one but two ponys.

In addition to a babydoll that she can bathe and one she can have when she is old enough not to break it.


We also posed for our first family holiday portrait. It went...as well as could be expected.

Oh 2010, you have gotten crazy on me.

We have had a nutball year thus far. Hence total silence on this blog. It all started a wee bit before the new year with a total kitchen renovation courtesy of my Mom. Back in the Fall of '09 when Mom found a 70% discount on a new dishwasher and in quick succession, a stove and set of cabinets (plus sink!) at considerable discounts.

Mom asked a friend who is a site superintendent to caravan with her to our house so we could gut the kitchen and rebuild it into it's current glory. This is the previous kitchen.

I will take a picture of the results as soon as we finish painting. It might take a while since we are going to be out of town for the next two weekends. 2010, continuing on the non-stop crazy train.

The kitchen required about a thousand visits to IKEA (thanks Mom!). There were two sessions of all night driving for Mom and Dennis. The cabinets refused to fit until a stud was exposed and shaved down. Tony learned to drywall and our neighbor Charles offered the use of his table saw to cut our new countertops (thanks again Mom!) to size. It was a pretty big project for just a few people all taking place the day before Christmas.

Now that it is all done I don't know how I lived without a fully functional kitchen. Especially nice are the new GFCI outlets that prevent me from electrocuting myself and burning down the house. One more time with feeling: Thanks Mom!

Bluebird Poster

I was compiling some portfolio pieces today for an illustration bid and I came across this poster I made for a college dormitory.

The seed of this poster idea came from my time as a Camp Fire Girl, where I gained the rank of "Bluebird". I attained this distinction by being over six years old when I joined.

The manual we were given focused on the worth of home and social skills with the "Blue Bird of Happiness" used as a metaphor. The specific content of the manual and the program remains fuzzy in my memory.

Ruminating on this mythical bird, it occurred to me that there should be more than one incarnation of the bluebird. Though happiness is a laudable state, perhaps there should be a bird or two that could reflect the particular states of the freshman college student.

Repeat Performance

Alice is asleep right now so I have a moment to note that yesterday's successful use of the potty was not a fluke! She requested use of the facilities again this morning and went through the whole process without a hitch. I have a book that is called "Potty Train your Child in One Day", but I confess that I never actually read the book.

Maybe Alice read it?

Banner Day

We used the potty.

Not me, or Tony, or the cat (though that would have been notable). Alice told her dad during tonight's bath that she needed to use the facilities. She hopped out and was as good as her word. Much rejoicing, the end of diapers is nigh!

Following Leanne's example

Our excellent buddy Leanne showed me how to cover unrecoverable stains on Alice's clothes with fabric paint in her great blog Kindred Design

Here is a previously blueberry stained onsie, modeled by the little lady:


Alice will point out the details:





I used a poppy pattern that I originally made for Alice's baptism announcement:


This method will salvage quite a few outfits, so my thanks go out to Leanne and her excellent crafty blog.

Ate a cheese sandwich at the Capital

A five dollar "gourmet" cheese sandwich from a vendor at the Texas Book Fair (seen behind Alice)


Of course the lady needed a little drinky-drink to go with her sa-mich:


Then she needs to break it down to the smooth tunes of a high school kettle drum band:





Good Times