Annie Jr.

went to see Annie jr. with my daughter last night and had one of those magical parenting moments that take you back to your childhood. this was her first play and she absolutely loved it. sat wide eyed and silent for the full two hours (a magical moment in itself). we had first row seats and part of the magic for her was that she new one of the orphans in the play (this was a grade school production). the other thing that amazed me was how far grade school plays have come since i was a kid. this production was far more than i had expected! great props, amazing acting and singing, and really good costumes. they filled the house at a large high school auditorium! the kicker was that i remembered all the words to the songs!?! good to know my memory hasn't gone yet!

new IHS ratings for boosters

i was thrilled to find out the the IHS published new ratings for booster seats. they actually tested 60 boosters and created lists for best bets, good bets, and not recommended. being that i love my maxi-cosi rodi xr, i was more than relieved to see it on the best bets list. IIHS research: booster seats

bunnies are in season

finally done with my second installment of "chick yellow" collection. this time i decided to use a bunny for the critter. guess it's just the time of year when we start thinking of spring, easter, and the like. i'll be ironing my new fabrics today and totally excited about starting to work with them. As much as I loved the alexander henry birdseed fabric, the coordinating polka dots i picked for the yellow collection were very difficult to work with. too much slip to them. hope you like the new fabrics; will post when done with collection.

charley harper love!

i am a big fan of charley harper and was giddy when my sister stumbled across these needlepoint canvases at purl : search : results (www.purlsoho.com). the only problem is trying to pick which one (or two, or three...)!?!

getting old...

went to my sister in-law's house tonight to celebrate my nephew's 22nd birthday. couldn't help but feel old. when my husband and i started dating he was 9, his sister 7, and his brother 5. recalling a time when i had to tell the youngest that his shoes were on the wrong feet at the mall made it even worse. now of course we can't reminisce in front of the three of them; they would be embarrassed and look at us in a light that would make us feel even older still. well, i guess that's the way it goes as time moves forward: the young get older and those of us over 30 stay the same age!

Little Dancers

my daughter is four and in love with all things having to do with ballet, pink, and frilliness. don't let that fool you though, she is as tough as nails too, thanks to her eight year old brother. i was waiting outside her dance class this morning as i listened to another mother (who had infinite patience i might add) trying to coax her little one in to joining the class. in the background, i heard the booming voice of the wrestling coach across the hall. "you guys better get your heads in to this or i am going put you in to a purple tutu and send you to practice with the four year olds across the hall." now granted he did not realize that there was an angst ridden little girl outside the door that was trying to work up enough courage to enter the room that he just insulted, but come on! then i realized that even in 2010, we still look at little girls as though they are delicate and fragile. let me tell you, you have to be tough, mind and body, to be in that ballet room. ballerina's are some of the strongest athletes out there. so lets stop using girl references to insult our boys and lets stop allowing our girls to hear it. and yes, i thank my lucky stars every day that my eight year old is not the least bit interested in wrestling!

New Stroller from Baby Jogger

anyone who asks my opinion on a new stroller is automatically turned in the direction of baby jogger or maclaren. i have a model from each company and love the fact that both brands have an uncomplicated folding mechanism and both are very lightweight. i just noticed that baby jogger came out with a new stroller (city micro stroller) that seems like it would be perfect for someone who loves their big baby jogger but wants to take it with them everywhere in a trunk that doesn't have room for it. still has front wheel suspension and sealed ball bearings and can hold a child that weighs up to 50 lb! not your typical umbrella stroller if you ask me. i can't wait to get my hands on one, but i have to talk my hubby into it first

updates...

i haven't posted in a while since i have been super busy and apparently lost part of my memory along the way. things totally forgotten lately include, but are not limited to: dentist appointment, bib for teething baby, friend's birthday, church date for son's first communion...yes that's right i am currently in first place for the mother of the year award! needless to say, I have not been able to get a whole lot done with my sewing, but did get an order for some pieces from a collection that I have made before. i finally found more matching fabric so it should be fun!

we are having a play date over today, so I should probably be picking up the house instead of blogging right now. those who know me would tell you that when it comes to housework and exercise, i become an expert procrastinator and can find an abundance of things that must be done before the aforementioned tasks. alas, today i do need to get down to business and get the housework done.

congratulations!!!!! are an order for my brother-in-law, paul conrad (superrobotmonster.blogspot.com), and the rest of the team at pixar for the many, many oscar nominations they received for UP!