tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12958698114043936262024-03-05T07:54:22.708-05:00How I KoppThis is how I do it.Meaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13838381850704527439noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1295869811404393626.post-9960763999194176692014-06-20T15:56:00.002-04:002014-06-20T16:09:28.910-04:00Do you want to build a snow dress?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfIL_PDxSyvPkJgq5IzOaF8ntf1gRjUYtDgmudri1sdh1WqQ_2S6mFwvntJXifs1Rf97MhXjfWDIxihVCX2KXPusj_HZVS4sO_1cIGmlFgoqKMvwmimrAFe1FCBX4-eUy1csE7WdqzcKgX/s1600/Charlie+Elsa+002edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfIL_PDxSyvPkJgq5IzOaF8ntf1gRjUYtDgmudri1sdh1WqQ_2S6mFwvntJXifs1Rf97MhXjfWDIxihVCX2KXPusj_HZVS4sO_1cIGmlFgoqKMvwmimrAFe1FCBX4-eUy1csE7WdqzcKgX/s1600/Charlie+Elsa+002edit.jpg" height="285" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sorry. I couldn't resist.</td></tr>
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"Frozen" Fever, <i>amIright</i>? It hit our house earlier this year, perfectly in time with the ad campaign around the DVD release. Well played, Disney. You certainly know your target audience. </div>
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It would've made sense to wait until Halloween to sew a costume (or a dress, depending on which one of us you're asking), but my inner four-year-old took over. There would have been nothing better than dressing like my favorite characters around the clock. Plus, I know that in no time she'll be all dark and gothic and tween-y. For now, though, she's my little princess, or Queen Elsa rather.</div>
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6jM3Xlaqjz5_UePWYU-xCT7u70jMd_Z0jqBV_wSpzxU7eEHOLBBfheqNZxiID-Ay8ex7MXsVkSTv5VxWzClHItIYzIieu_ambWUAh8ISAiB9sUpldLI3sU2njEP3mYGfHcLOxgwX_XPML/s1600/Charlie+Elsa+004.jpg" height="285" width="400" /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA2cegABD4SjtAhTlGTqErtD3Qv0YbONgEfyx9ICBMhlZh_dx0eIPlR7mN8ZQod9i2uKtwq0EWoMsOAn95MJACJG8g39SWwk-TACjO2WODCAd5Xhpa46v9SXUCVUwZpXrNFb93WoVzOTxd/s1600/Charlie+Elsa+006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA2cegABD4SjtAhTlGTqErtD3Qv0YbONgEfyx9ICBMhlZh_dx0eIPlR7mN8ZQod9i2uKtwq0EWoMsOAn95MJACJG8g39SWwk-TACjO2WODCAd5Xhpa46v9SXUCVUwZpXrNFb93WoVzOTxd/s1600/Charlie+Elsa+006.jpg" height="285" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGOrjrMNNybeAoXvuNR7dTK-eq3UkbQtFEEIdZPEBDMzmDoBpkXYgHuN-NxjM0B458rxDqN6RkjLR6oWZK06w0lb8cSvX-vpkGNWvKxAoLoQolisRT4GGagB8gap3Yxh9kd5WK1Ip_rCwz/s1600/Charlie+Elsa+007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGOrjrMNNybeAoXvuNR7dTK-eq3UkbQtFEEIdZPEBDMzmDoBpkXYgHuN-NxjM0B458rxDqN6RkjLR6oWZK06w0lb8cSvX-vpkGNWvKxAoLoQolisRT4GGagB8gap3Yxh9kd5WK1Ip_rCwz/s1600/Charlie+Elsa+007.jpg" height="285" width="400" /></a></div>
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I'm really happy with how this turned out despite my over zealous trimming of the hem. With the way she's growing I'm probably going to have to add a ruffle to the bottom come fall to give it a more appropriate length, but that's a small price to pay. Plus, it'll probably be easier than hemming this bad boy (bad girl?). The fabric is perfect for Elsa, but the glittery rhinestone bits did NOT want to cooperate when it came time to finish the bottom edge. Meh. It won't fray, so no biggie.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYX8DCVtu3sTN-lDY5UV8ZcAzXVnQNuNuVw5DwS4K_2bW1zD0Els9wIEplmMM_jyaPHL6HOXJ7KQBI51ySF2QjL-pYMl4CsMDOrdDN5M1rkzT0F5a8l9CUsM-7JERTfCrgRk7xmXJJ32_T/s1600/Charlie+Elsa+034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYX8DCVtu3sTN-lDY5UV8ZcAzXVnQNuNuVw5DwS4K_2bW1zD0Els9wIEplmMM_jyaPHL6HOXJ7KQBI51ySF2QjL-pYMl4CsMDOrdDN5M1rkzT0F5a8l9CUsM-7JERTfCrgRk7xmXJJ32_T/s1600/Charlie+Elsa+034.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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See what I mean? The blue fabric is from Joann, as is the cape fabric. I forgot about the top of the dress on my first Elsa shopping trip, though, so the semi-sheer white dance fabric came from Hancock on a later excursion. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibCk6T86vLqrbbiRq3niyoZCpoLhqtLLqgQ1glEgO38ZjujfnLxkNLC6rOudSgr26oJCmHaNUVR4a3d3zLNWPSyIEIQmj6FoE79MqCpyRzbaFQguwi-b3Xp1Kz3mt0GGQmzRc163kGhSNa/s1600/Charlie+Elsa+011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibCk6T86vLqrbbiRq3niyoZCpoLhqtLLqgQ1glEgO38ZjujfnLxkNLC6rOudSgr26oJCmHaNUVR4a3d3zLNWPSyIEIQmj6FoE79MqCpyRzbaFQguwi-b3Xp1Kz3mt0GGQmzRc163kGhSNa/s1600/Charlie+Elsa+011.jpg" height="285" width="400" /></a></div>
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For the pattern, I combined two that I already had in my stash: The <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/157619207/the-bateau-neck-top-sewing-pattern?ref=shop_home_active_1" target="_blank">Wee Muses Bateau Neck Top</a> and the <a href="http://kitschycoo.bigcartel.com/product/the-skater-dress-sewing-pattern-18m-2t-3t-4t-5y-6y-7y-8y-pdf" target="_blank">Kitschy Coo Skater Dress</a>. I've whipped them both up in the past, so I knew they'd work well for my Charlie-Elsa after a bit of blending. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd3j1fwXobh9jFMxacCpc_SXvituDDFWIXu10aTEG5yRyOE8eapjU1ZNcG6SAfWBoKCSq3PSnGO44RUl7wmpqvtYINitd-irW5ftoiHBzOFnu2BLVm6zTQwiFYCZw7RMWD6cKFJEx2xPgI/s1600/Charlie+Elsa+023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd3j1fwXobh9jFMxacCpc_SXvituDDFWIXu10aTEG5yRyOE8eapjU1ZNcG6SAfWBoKCSq3PSnGO44RUl7wmpqvtYINitd-irW5ftoiHBzOFnu2BLVm6zTQwiFYCZw7RMWD6cKFJEx2xPgI/s1600/Charlie+Elsa+023.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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The top of the bodice is the Bateau Neck pattern, which I eased into the Skater Dress from the modified sweetheart joint and down. Same with the sleeves. I traced the Bateau sleeve, but I used the Skater sleeve for length and fit. I know this isn't full-Elsa-off-the-shoulder, but it seems to work for the preschool set. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEito62n6hjDPfvtnbykrnHIQMe81-S1C1yVR7q4ePxl1KtIvZEdx8LaaxjjWxCxOJ6jNEfxATdU-1cL8840c7Kl-5sNbBZUWASxewZ4RHmFfPaLuHyFg9-4Omo-t0mspXnQEAqvy8g9cfTq/s1600/Charlie+Elsa+028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEito62n6hjDPfvtnbykrnHIQMe81-S1C1yVR7q4ePxl1KtIvZEdx8LaaxjjWxCxOJ6jNEfxATdU-1cL8840c7Kl-5sNbBZUWASxewZ4RHmFfPaLuHyFg9-4Omo-t0mspXnQEAqvy8g9cfTq/s1600/Charlie+Elsa+028.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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I'm sure I could have done a better job on the sweetheart here (there's a bit of pulling happening), but I wasn't about to futz with it once both pieces were together. No seam ripping, for the win!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkk7Hp5JIfkixqsk6hePc78I7yPD-BmM9RqRLMUhBLLz1efei-8q0HZ8x0d5bdD6fkhz8lb-zNHwOKbken18LLUWYfM_Qt5-W4DMXivBS-DvyVKUl7TZSirkW22n9bdWvMzI5bOa09NQJ-/s1600/Charlie+Elsa+041.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkk7Hp5JIfkixqsk6hePc78I7yPD-BmM9RqRLMUhBLLz1efei-8q0HZ8x0d5bdD6fkhz8lb-zNHwOKbken18LLUWYfM_Qt5-W4DMXivBS-DvyVKUl7TZSirkW22n9bdWvMzI5bOa09NQJ-/s1600/Charlie+Elsa+041.jpg" height="285" width="400" /></a></div>
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This is what my pattern pieces looked like after I fiddled with them. I know it appears that this is all Bateau, but if you look closely at the bottom section of the bodice you'll see that I eased the sides in with our tried-and-true Skater as a guide for size. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcFdbxr0Q8R1SFuiAAeQ5BkekITma8nTzqjiJt9YCNVbRTrwKs2bgHMJxDBNY1xku_0MKO_HF0Pxm0bTSORHitZ89vzDVezn14hh70TQySE_dzbZF_8GOwwT1KR_8JopJ4r4u82w9WwpMD/s1600/Charlie+Elsa+038.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcFdbxr0Q8R1SFuiAAeQ5BkekITma8nTzqjiJt9YCNVbRTrwKs2bgHMJxDBNY1xku_0MKO_HF0Pxm0bTSORHitZ89vzDVezn14hh70TQySE_dzbZF_8GOwwT1KR_8JopJ4r4u82w9WwpMD/s1600/Charlie+Elsa+038.jpg" height="285" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My fancy DYI seam allowance.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizDvjL61oiVF1lS5-FjZ8TM-hJxys5DO9b_px-km3K5LVnwTbNnbP4KdHbsZL8MuB7x42zMbMWVHeZKHNUzXbeBXudu3f3F1b6qDViyFjtHjxhDGkX8-YLALWgxyaeAaxct1dEOKKXND_1/s1600/Charlie+Elsa+040.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizDvjL61oiVF1lS5-FjZ8TM-hJxys5DO9b_px-km3K5LVnwTbNnbP4KdHbsZL8MuB7x42zMbMWVHeZKHNUzXbeBXudu3f3F1b6qDViyFjtHjxhDGkX8-YLALWgxyaeAaxct1dEOKKXND_1/s1600/Charlie+Elsa+040.jpg" height="285" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All the pieces, sans cape.</td></tr>
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For the cape, Charlie insisted that she wanted it to be attached to the dress. I was a little iffy on that one at first, but it actually ended up being much easier than coming up with a detachable piece--just stitch that sucker on and go. I chose a sparkly mesh(?) that wouldn't fray at the ends, gently rounded the bottom of it, gathered it fit the back between the top and bottom of the bodice, and voila! Of course, if you ask my muse, the cape should have been trailing several yards behind her, but until she can sew her own, Mom gets final say.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfsZYYczb8RhmmIQlSk22H7SNbiiDvsDGSd7aVytIqW5-NfrkKnGu0-wpv1H5TJ7zgQLxxb_RZGjDolZQ9CXjdv7TsVlT5hYxLofA2-2p7DEFjKT-D3wKElgFrCUIYyRqjQ4_075prHdBT/s1600/Charlie+Elsa+032.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfsZYYczb8RhmmIQlSk22H7SNbiiDvsDGSd7aVytIqW5-NfrkKnGu0-wpv1H5TJ7zgQLxxb_RZGjDolZQ9CXjdv7TsVlT5hYxLofA2-2p7DEFjKT-D3wKElgFrCUIYyRqjQ4_075prHdBT/s1600/Charlie+Elsa+032.jpg" height="285" width="400" /></a></div>
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There's one last thing that I have to share because it was a lot of work, dammit! I carefully and lovingly hand cut a couple dozen sparkly snowflakes to float on the cape for extra Elsa-ness, and they were awesome. And they lasted about 15 minutes before they all fell off. Sigh.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVVbRcj6RtnYO0sa7F1egcMavqIf8eAMzFUHArh4Dzh2gihtiImDfIa0WnJEqwUSuj9ucPhYlByWCEnbbswmiThsTSq2_cM7DGz6dgtUi7YbWnPGWXCV0a5LpB5CL_gV10FBiqfJTst36h/s1600/flake+Collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVVbRcj6RtnYO0sa7F1egcMavqIf8eAMzFUHArh4Dzh2gihtiImDfIa0WnJEqwUSuj9ucPhYlByWCEnbbswmiThsTSq2_cM7DGz6dgtUi7YbWnPGWXCV0a5LpB5CL_gV10FBiqfJTst36h/s1600/flake+Collage.jpg" height="192" width="400" /></a></div>
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You live, you learn. Or in this case, you spend precious sewing time cutting out snowflakes only to realize that the fabric you're trying to stick them to wants to have no part in being snowflaked. Next time, fabric... next time. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0olAAMGiBw6r-VYkLOPtNxzBRwSkH0uKbZmKMB1STpbihl6Sg0fbFktBxDSK0To0QfCRPeHWbmG7us6LfDCajW4aeByETxoD7Zgcd45VJjroYgRl4E8UThyphenhyphen0qwX2QNvSA5wVOipYUV_NG/s1600/Charlie+Elsa+009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0olAAMGiBw6r-VYkLOPtNxzBRwSkH0uKbZmKMB1STpbihl6Sg0fbFktBxDSK0To0QfCRPeHWbmG7us6LfDCajW4aeByETxoD7Zgcd45VJjroYgRl4E8UThyphenhyphen0qwX2QNvSA5wVOipYUV_NG/s1600/Charlie+Elsa+009.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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For the time being I'll... wait for it... Let it Go. (You knew that would be in there somewhere, right?)</div>
Meaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13838381850704527439noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1295869811404393626.post-16572498309065971662014-06-06T16:17:00.001-04:002014-06-06T16:17:11.139-04:00Me Made May 2014: Week 5 RecapThat's a wrap, folks!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo2URZR6JMdT8yZb9DQ4r3mPcgU3fIyvd5g9txzTA1LdTytt3KSRjo9KVV1vxS-dXtvP3TlAyHVtCsFr7diTyHCc7zjcm3Ys6nEbZaZUF2mVJOcf2OFpN_3nuqvX5riwUANlp1e0lLGDKC/s1600/WEEK5+Collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo2URZR6JMdT8yZb9DQ4r3mPcgU3fIyvd5g9txzTA1LdTytt3KSRjo9KVV1vxS-dXtvP3TlAyHVtCsFr7diTyHCc7zjcm3Ys6nEbZaZUF2mVJOcf2OFpN_3nuqvX5riwUANlp1e0lLGDKC/s1600/WEEK5+Collage.jpg" height="201" width="400" /></a></div>
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Day 25 - Colette Patterns <a href="https://www.colettepatterns.com/sewing/mabel" target="_blank">Mabel Skirt</a> (repeat)<br />
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Day 26 - Deer & Doe Patterns <a href="http://boutique.deer-and-doe.fr/29-tops-plantain-t-shirt.html" target="_blank">Plantain T-shirt </a><br />
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Day 27 - Grainline Studio <a href="http://shop.grainlinestudio.com/product/tiny-pocket-tank" target="_blank">Tiny Pocket Tank</a>... without pocket<br />
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Day 28 - By Hand London <a href="http://byhandlondon.com/products/anna-dress" target="_blank">Anna Dress </a><br />
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Day 29 - Kitschy Coo <a href="http://kitschycoo.bigcartel.com/product/the-lady-skater-sewing-pattern-for-teens-and-women" target="_blank">Skater Dress</a> <br />
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Day 30 - Deer & Doe <a href="http://boutique.deer-and-doe.fr/29-tops-plantain-t-shirt.html" target="_blank">Plantain T-shirt</a> and Tilly and the Buttons <a href="http://www.tillyandthebuttons.com/2014/04/make-brigitte-scarf-come-to-my-online.html" target="_blank">Brigitte Scarf</a> (both repeats)<br />
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Day 31 - Wiksten Tank and Colette Patterns <a href="https://www.colettepatterns.com/sewing/mabel" target="_blank">Mabel Skirt</a> (yes, AGAIN)<br />
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That's it for the recap on this week since so many of the pieces were either actual repeats or re-makes of the same patterns. I can't say enough about how much I enjoyed Me Made May, awkward photos aside. I've been sewing for myself with gusto for the past couple of years, and it was nice to have a reason to pull a bunch of my me-mades out of the closet. It's true that I <i>do </i>actually wear them year-round, but this whole exercise prompted me to look at everything with new eyes. And make me want to sew more. Sorry, Husband.<br />
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I've said it before, and I'll say it again: The online sewing community is amazing. Thanks for a great month, Me Made May!Meaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13838381850704527439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1295869811404393626.post-25943700390954272552014-05-30T23:09:00.001-04:002014-05-30T23:15:01.566-04:00Me Made May 2014: Week 4 RecapYou guys. Ugh.<br />
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I love wearing things I've made--I mean, come on, that's why I made this stuff in the first place--but I'm pretty much done with the part where I try to pose in a fashion that shows off the... well... fashions. My hands. Where do I put my hands?! On my hips apparently. That said, here's another week on the books!<br />
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Day 18 - Sewbon <a href="http://sewbon.com/2013/10/15/tutorial-running-and-exercise-belt-diy/" target="_blank">Running Belt</a>: So I've been taking our very deserving dog on some longer walks lately, and while I enjoy the exercise and fresh air as much as he does, he's just not much of a conversationalist. Probably because he's too busy sniffing EVERY BLADE OF GRASS we pass. No matter, though. I've got my phone to keep me company with music, or even better, audio books. Look, I found time to read-ish! Anyway, add the phone to the poop bag (let's call a spade a spade here), hand wipes (again: poop), my keys, the leash, etc., and I found myself longing for -- gulp -- a fanny pack. The Internet met my plea with something so much better though, and from a sewing blogger I adore, no less! Have you seen the Running Belt tutorial from Sewbon? (Link above.) I'm as in love with something that has "running" in the title as I'm ever going to be*. I might go back in a stitch a couple of vertical lines to create a more defined pouch since I've found my stuff sort of slipping out of convenient reach in the belt's tube, but it's still awesome. Two thumbs up, which I totally have now that all of my items are safely tucked away in my Running Belt.<br />
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*The Running Man. I also love the Running Man.<br />
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Day 18, part 2 - <a href="http://www.shopwiksten.com/product/tank-top-sewing-pattern-downloadable-pdf" target="_blank">Wiksten Tank</a>: I've made at least half a dozen Wiksten Tanks, so it's pretty shocking that we're this far in without a sighting. I think it's because I've been so focused on trying to dress the Me-Made-May part that I haven't wanted to reach for my basics, opting instead for peacock feather dresses and elephant skirts.<br />
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But! I've got a few, they're perfect with jeans, and of course they layer under a cardigan effortlessly. If you sew you likely already knew that and probably have a closet full of them yourself. This one is a cotton gauze with no adjustments to the pattern. Score.<br />
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Day 19 - Made by Rae <a href="http://www.made-by-rae.com/2013/09/ruby-dress-top-pattern-is-here/" target="_blank">Ruby Top</a>: I've already waxed poetic about Ruby this month, but what's a wordy-recap from me without the words to make it happen? For this one I used a shot cotton for the yoke and an Anna Maria Horner voile for the body. When I started sewing again after many years away, it was Rae's blog that introduced me to AMH voile. I don't know if it's a first love thing, but now I hold her fabrics as my gold standard. I loooove them. All voile, all for me, please.<br />
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Oh, and this top got a slight hemline alteration, using the Wiksten Tank as a guide.<br />
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Day 20 - Colette Patterns <a href="https://www.colettepatterns.com/sewing/moneta" target="_blank">Moneta Dress</a>: Another one I've covered, but this was actually my first version. I found the fabric on super sale at Joann, originally intended for a dress for my daughter. She got her dress, but I also made a swing back to the store for some dots of my own. I only wish that I'd taken the time to sew mine with as much care as I did hers. Thanks to my serged seams, I just don't feel like this one is going to hold up as well as its peacock couterpart. Oh well! I played with my double needle, and I'm sure to get my money's worth out of it thanks to the aforementioned discount on the cotton jersey. And of course I love the pattern.<br />
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Day 21 - Made by Rae <a href="http://www.made-by-rae.com/2014/02/josephine-sewing-pattern-is-here/" target="_blank">Josephine Top</a>: OK, as I glance back at my Me Made May gallery, I appear to be a bit of a Made by Rae fangirl, which just begs the question: Where's my Washi Dress? The answer is that it's awaiting a full bust adjustment on the pattern, and that it will come eventually, BUT IN THE MEANTIME(!) there's Rae's Josephine which comes with two cup size options. What?! Fan-damn-tastic. All the work was done for me, and I just had to focus on what fabric to use. This one is a lightweight chambray, and I've got voile and rayon versions in the queue. The pleats (pintucks?) are surprisingly easy to sew, but high impact. Huzzah!<br />
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Day 22 - Salme Patterns <a href="http://www.salmesewingpatterns.com/products/digital-sewing-pattern-gathered-top" target="_blank">Gathered Top</a>: So. This shirt. It seemed like a great idea at the time, which was well over a year ago, but after wearing it once and seeing the photos (Mother's Day last year... don't ask to see 'em), I decided that I'd be better off scrapping it and using the fabric to make something else entirely. But then Water Day at my kiddo's preschool rolled around, I was able to take the day off, and I wanted to wear something light and breezy. I figured a bunch of three and four-year-olds wouldn't be too critical so I dug it out. You know, it kind of grew on me. It may still end up with another life, but at least we had Water Day. What do you guys think?<br />
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Day 23 - Colette Patterns <a href="https://www.colettepatterns.com/sewing/mabel" target="_blank">Mabel Skirt</a>: Unlike my love at first sight with the Moneta, I was a little, "Meh," when I first saw the Mabel Skirt pattern. After seeing a few versions pop up online, though, I was suddenly convinced that my handmade life wouldn't be complete without a simple knit pencil skirt. This is another muslin (I need to tweak the waistband a bit), but it's so, so comfortable. My styling here could use a little nudge one way or the other (am I preppy? am I Bohemian?), but the ease of wearing this skirt trumps it all. I've got fabric ready to go for another, and if I can get over my "Does this make me look like Kelly Bundy?" feeling, I'll be all set!<br />
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Day 24 - <a href="http://www.shopwiksten.com/product/tova-sewing-pattern-downloadable-pdf" target="_blank">Wiksten Tova Dress</a>: Not only have I covered this pattern, but I covered this very version of this very dress. So instead, let's talk about my shoes. They're leopard print Dr. Scholl's classic sandals that I bought about 18 years ago. They may be my oldest shoes, and I think that they were my very first leopard print item. I'm fond of them and sentimental as can be, so imagine how pissed I was when they nearly came flying off of my feet thanks to TWO rogue screws that spontaneously gave up on me as I was walking through the grocery store. Of course I'll fix them (sentimental shoes and all), but man did they almost ruin my weekend mojo.<br />
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And that's it! One more week to go in this whole Me Made May thing. Whew. I've also got a little "Frozen" Elsa magic up my sleeve for those of you who are tired of seeing my mug, but would like to see my little blonde muse take a turn. (I'm looking at you, Mom and Mother-in-Law!)Meaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13838381850704527439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1295869811404393626.post-33559040979400422362014-05-20T15:20:00.000-04:002014-05-20T16:14:11.087-04:00Me Made May 2014: Week 3 RecapThe upside of Me Made May: Holy crap, the online sewing community is full of talented, supportive, inspiring ladies! (Gentlemen, are you out there? If so, who's <i>your </i>favorite indie designer? Colette Patterns? Megan Nielsen? Hmmm!?) <a href="http://instagram.com/mdkopp#" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/meaganday/" target="_blank">Flickr</a>, blogs... I've gone down the rabbit hole, and I DON'T WANT TO COME OUT.<br />
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The downside of Me Made May: I suddenly expect the people in my "real life" to want to talk about French seams and voile <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">and jersey versus interlock </span>and full bust adjustments and bias binding. At length. And with sincere interest. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Check it out: A sewing recap in which I show my face!</td></tr>
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<b>Day 11 - Colette Patterns <a href="https://www.colettepatterns.com/sewing/moneta" target="_blank">Moneta Dress</a></b>: My first repeat of
the month because it was Mother's Day and nothing says MOM! like a peacock
feather dress, amIright? I already gave a little rundown on this one <a href="http://howikopp.blogspot.com/2014/05/me-made-may-2014-week-2-recap.html" target="_blank">here</a>, but
to summarize: I love it. A lot. Oh, and Mother's Day was lovely. Perfect spring
weather, time with my family, and my gifts included a bottle of wine that I had totally forgotten about until right now, but now
plan to enjoy tonight. That's a win!</div>
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<b>Day 12 - Made by Rae <a href="http://www.made-by-rae.com/2013/09/ruby-dress-top-pattern-is-here/" target="_blank">Ruby Dress</a></b>: It's kind of surprising
that I haven't worn one of my Rubies already this month since this is my third me-make
with the pattern. This is my first dress version, though, so maybe it's more a
matter of pants and my disinterest in wearing them this month? Yes. That's it:
No pants in May! Unless you made them yourself, in which case, have at it.</div>
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Bonus Ruby: I also made a top for my own sweet mom. How cute
is she? Hers is a linen blend/voile combo; mine is a cotton-tencel
chambray/voile combo. (The latter three are from <a href="http://www.hawthornethreads.com/" target="_blank">Hawthorne Threads</a>, in case
you're just itching to whip up one of your own.) In terms of construction,
these are straight from Rae's pattern, finished with bias binding. Will anyone
talk bias binding with me now? Anyone...?</div>
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<b>Day 13 - Deer & Doe <a href="http://boutique.deer-and-doe.fr/29-tops-plantain-t-shirt.html" target="_blank">Plantain T-Shirt</a></b>: I lurve Deer &
Doe's Plantain. I've made this guy at least half a dozen times (again, once
for my mom, although she's perfectly capable of whipping one up and likely will
now that she sees how awesome it is), and I would have happily paid good money for the
pattern. But it's free, and you should all download it if you haven't already, though I suspect that if you've managed to find your way here that you already know all about Deer & Doe, and that you could likely point me to many other super cool free patterns.
In which case, do! Please! But I digress. This top is lovely, and it's the perfect mix of fitted and flattering without being
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Construction notes: I've tried this shirt in two sizes since
I was right on the cusp, but I think I prefer the larger, looser of the
two. Maybe it's my fondness for tunic styles and swing tops with skinny jeans,
or maybe it's my fondness for cupcakes and extra room for lunch, but either way
you can't go wrong. Oh, and I just realized that I actually wore a Plantain
last week with my <a href="http://howikopp.blogspot.com/2014/05/me-made-may-2014-week-2-recap.html" target="_blank">elephant mini</a>, but didn't even mention it in the
round-up. Oops! (That one had a slight high-low hem thing going on; this one is right
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In the photo at the top, my blonde mini-me is wearing another Made by Rae pattern,
the <a href="http://www.made-by-rae.com/2012/02/flashback-skinny-tee-sewing-pattern-is-here/" target="_blank">Flashback Skinny-Tee</a>, turned dress. I feel like I should say something about
the fact that we match, but in my defense, that fabric from Heather Ross’ Briar
Rose collection is just fantastic. We should all match! Plus, it was a strawberry
picking field trip for her school, so come on. My husband is lucky I didn’t
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqFiMhSqqEJ9OczCHKNIVzvadtwzJNGPOUmbSt4g1MX5OJLhTSXkhgK9IwLkc3rHKw50TMX-Ddbm5H0_DwMZKd4PEX25g94pWtT-_DsMZ60vBc8AAs-ChxauOJo016Dmk0i87X0vpHlLvX/s1600/may14_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqFiMhSqqEJ9OczCHKNIVzvadtwzJNGPOUmbSt4g1MX5OJLhTSXkhgK9IwLkc3rHKw50TMX-Ddbm5H0_DwMZKd4PEX25g94pWtT-_DsMZ60vBc8AAs-ChxauOJo016Dmk0i87X0vpHlLvX/s1600/may14_2.JPG" height="200" width="133" /></a></div>
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<b>Day 14 - Colette Patterns <a href="https://www.colettepatterns.com/sewing/laurel" target="_blank">Laurel Dress</a></b>: Now this one was my
first Laurel, and seeing it here, it's my favorite. Blame my years of working
at the Gap in the late '90s, but I'm firmly of the belief that you can't go
wrong with a denim dress. (Full disclosure: I'm also in love with perfectly
folded stacks of clothes, and I mean PERFECTLY.) This dress is actually a
denim-chambray, and thanks to my hefty hem (I added length, but changed my
mind), it has a perfect built-in weight to keep it from creeping up my legs
when I walk, which I do a lot of since my horse-drawn carriage is in the shop.</div>
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Construction notes: I dutifully cut out my size as dictated
by the pattern, but I ended up going back in and sewing the side seams with a
more generous 1-inch allowance. I also fiddled with the invisible zipper for a
bit (it was a poor-quality zip and didn't want to have anything to do with the
thicker fabric) before realizing that I didn't even need it. I added another
1-inch seam allowance in the back, and this baby can pull on and off without any contortions. I
suspect it will be in heavy rotation this summer, with or without the necklace. <b> </b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh30kVGSG_xPmVk9qpegZ-FjyS7_qVKzd49WXcdgqqUt4CPcrQXoRKP6whKd8t7pLeI8hAP_i9_kpnhjhR381fAL8C9c-8MxUCapOncFH-SrnszJnkNJz6a9vfwd_Bf4jtBKuBTWT1A6_rq/s1600/may15_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh30kVGSG_xPmVk9qpegZ-FjyS7_qVKzd49WXcdgqqUt4CPcrQXoRKP6whKd8t7pLeI8hAP_i9_kpnhjhR381fAL8C9c-8MxUCapOncFH-SrnszJnkNJz6a9vfwd_Bf4jtBKuBTWT1A6_rq/s1600/may15_2.JPG" height="200" width="133" /></a></div>
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<b>Day 15 - Grainline Studio <a href="http://shop.grainlinestudio.com/product/scout-woven-tee" target="_blank">Scout Tee</a></b>: Again, it's amazing
that I made this far into May without a Scout sighting. I've made this shirt a
number of times, with varying lengths and adjustment, but this one is from a rayon
challis remnant I found at Joann Fabric, with a couple of extra inches added,
and the swing back adjustment Jen describes <a href="http://grainlinestudio.com/2011/11/15/pattern-tutorial-scout-full-back-pattern/" target="_blank">here</a>. My photographer had already
gone to preschool for the day, so I was on my own for these pics, but just as well
since this pattern is so thoroughly reviewed online. Anything I could say would
be a repeat of a repeat of a repeat... Grainline Studio 4EVA.<b> </b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj88534EtbGqDQ1VriosewVyRk-DEVvnfdGLoYqtIPP-DfmT_qSfHhdLLC7KM9oG5nzl5Pc1WzMHs1IpUWAFTP4RKH9INMuAbr95IVRiWiTG88gktUWtleWGDx5b0I0nPG7YzghO7RaJipj/s1600/may16_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj88534EtbGqDQ1VriosewVyRk-DEVvnfdGLoYqtIPP-DfmT_qSfHhdLLC7KM9oG5nzl5Pc1WzMHs1IpUWAFTP4RKH9INMuAbr95IVRiWiTG88gktUWtleWGDx5b0I0nPG7YzghO7RaJipj/s1600/may16_2.JPG" height="200" width="133" /></a></div>
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<b>Day 16 - Wiksten <a href="http://www.shopwiksten.com/product/tova-sewing-pattern-downloadable-pdf" target="_blank">Tova Dress</a></b>: I was in love with the Wiksten
<a href="http://www.shopwiksten.com/product/tank-top-sewing-pattern-downloadable-pdf" target="_blank">Tank</a> pattern the moment I saw it, but it took me a little while to come around
on the Tova. As all too often happens, though, I stumbled across someone's
version somewhere in my web surfing and decided that I not only loved the Tova,
but that I had to make many, many of my own. This is my second take on the
pattern (the first is an un-blogged three-quarter sleeve flannel shirt), and
it's going to be a summer staple for sure. The fabric is the same cotton-tencel
chambray that I used for the top of my Ruby Dress above, and though it might
lean a tiny bit toward the sheer side, the weight will be lovely in the dead
heat of a North Carolina July. Plus I can always wear a slip. Or interesting
underwear.</div>
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Construction notes: The Tova directions are thorough, which
is great, but the pattern is labeled Intermediate for a reason. During that
yoke insertion, I actually felt my shoulders knotting up. I managed my plaid
version in the fall just fine, and one side of the yoke for this dress went in
without a hitch. But the other side. Oh, the other side! I think I stitched the
same few inches three tedious times before it was in somewhat properly. Not a
record, but with my thinner fabric, I got antsy each time I had to
pull out my seam-ripper. We survived, though, and now I have an easy-to-wear
dress. High five! The arm holes are finished with--you guessed it--bias
binding.<b> </b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnQnlcxrsegoyiDem2jBGtSuIX2YdRX4QrtxBX_tfyNDWbJvpFHc-Gi77m7Qj-3k9-hitbdOCJC6HOVniERsCuooEB-Kbp_s16qDggEEGGsRuS8kx6YUC92S_KRxV-_M1aWjmXyDidtcmm/s1600/may17_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnQnlcxrsegoyiDem2jBGtSuIX2YdRX4QrtxBX_tfyNDWbJvpFHc-Gi77m7Qj-3k9-hitbdOCJC6HOVniERsCuooEB-Kbp_s16qDggEEGGsRuS8kx6YUC92S_KRxV-_M1aWjmXyDidtcmm/s1600/may17_2.JPG" height="200" width="133" /></a></div>
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<b>Day 17 - Sew Liberated <a href="http://sewliberated.com/products/paloma-top-tunic-and-dress" target="_blank">Paloma Top</a></b>: Another day, another
Paloma. There's something to be said for nice fabric: It sews better, it wears
better, it lasts longer. This is not nice fabric. But I wanted to work with
stripes to show off the features of the top, so mission accomplished? One thing
I didn't mention in my <a href="http://howikopp.blogspot.com/2014/05/me-made-may-2014-week-2-recap.html" target="_blank">Paloma notes</a> last week is Meg's use of Lite Steam-A-Seam 2
in the construction. SO COOL. I highly recommend picking some up before you
dive in. It would obviously come in handy with your other knits-sewing, too, so
add it to your toolbox. Or don't. That would just mean more for me.</div>
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* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * </div>
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And that does it for this week! The good news is that I'm almost out of items that I've made but haven't written about. The bad news is that that won't stop me.</div>
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Bias binding time?</div>
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<![endif]-->Meaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13838381850704527439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1295869811404393626.post-22936926717177060742014-05-15T09:42:00.002-04:002014-05-15T09:42:54.192-04:00Me Made May 2014: Week 2 RecapSince I know you've been waiting anxiously for this week's recap (and by "you," I mean "my mom"), here it is. This is the part where I should probably warn you that this is a long and rambling post all about sewing (yippee!) because every last thing I've ever made for myself--except for the three items that I quickly noted in last week's recap--has been undocumented in the realm of cyberspace. Want to talk sewing and headless photos? Then you've come to the right place!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgELUNXOL5eDKwcpBxr5buSE_gRWw2QmYQ0JeF7o5O-Dj1o88HtXfHub7N02WnyF6B8W73UsbICjbRc3JLpO5qFEn7Y0ReW2bgobNKiELRYDgIJXTbHGk2tUC5ZYmozkbKXH3QGcoIUw2z/s1600/WEEK2+Collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgELUNXOL5eDKwcpBxr5buSE_gRWw2QmYQ0JeF7o5O-Dj1o88HtXfHub7N02WnyF6B8W73UsbICjbRc3JLpO5qFEn7Y0ReW2bgobNKiELRYDgIJXTbHGk2tUC5ZYmozkbKXH3QGcoIUw2z/s1600/WEEK2+Collage.jpg" height="203" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>I've tried to include an additional garment photo below to help fill in the details, but I'm a bad blogger and had to rely on quick phone photos, most of which were taken by a helpful four-year-old. </i><br />
<b><br /></b>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggR6KXitFmzwhWMunSMmAC_ypwxaTOtrRgL2YzzyNlBlfLTqy_Zts2I6kEJ6KH1vnUv1YyWfjuN1yYJkeDCjQ9yAkZVMte5_-KSrDdOxm1f1yqaobRx8WiUesi-KfZLUQJlxX0wVaZkzPT/s1600/may+04_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggR6KXitFmzwhWMunSMmAC_ypwxaTOtrRgL2YzzyNlBlfLTqy_Zts2I6kEJ6KH1vnUv1YyWfjuN1yYJkeDCjQ9yAkZVMte5_-KSrDdOxm1f1yqaobRx8WiUesi-KfZLUQJlxX0wVaZkzPT/s1600/may+04_2.JPG" height="200" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hello, white legs!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Day 4 - Colette Patterns <a href="https://www.colettepatterns.com/sewing/laurel" target="_blank">Laurel Dress</a></b>: This is actually my second take on the Laurel, made in a linen blend from Joann Fabrics. Oddly, I whipped this one up in the heart of winter and paired it with leggings (timely seasonal sewing!), which might explain why I didn't realize how damn short it is. Oh well. That didn't actually stop me from wearing it out in public, though it will probably stop me from wearing it to work with bare legs. <i>Probably</i>.<br />
<br />
Construction notes: Because this was my second Laurel, I knew that I could make it work without the zipper, so I just forged ahead, taking in the side and back seams like I did on my first (unblogged) version. Welp. It worked, but just barely. I mean, I can clearly pull it on and off, but not without making myself look like I'm performing some kind of Houdini escape act. When I make this dress (tunic?) again, I'll try to correct my over correction. Correct? Correct.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0945Uk41YVy8SX4RDAMdx4q8-KXBODYOP9Vula9YRKQ9B2TveHLN_YZG9Myl-6IJHx2pCGghJLTC6_Ois_yZHjwDv-nL5jradq7UVh5kIKg0oWAOQmpG3gCXGe181izobmebxHeHkVMaj/s1600/may+05_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0945Uk41YVy8SX4RDAMdx4q8-KXBODYOP9Vula9YRKQ9B2TveHLN_YZG9Myl-6IJHx2pCGghJLTC6_Ois_yZHjwDv-nL5jradq7UVh5kIKg0oWAOQmpG3gCXGe181izobmebxHeHkVMaj/s1600/may+05_2.JPG" height="200" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Again with the legs.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Day 5 - Tilly and the Buttons <a href="http://shop.tillyandthebuttons.com/collections/all/products/coco" target="_blank">Coco Dress</a></b>: Again, my second take on a pattern, and again it's just a <i>leeeetle </i>bit on the short side. This time I actually did wear it to work, though, because I was attending a Go Red for Women event, and if this dress doesn't scream, "GO RED!" then I don't know what does. The fabric is again from Joann, and I found it in their bottom-weight section. It's nice and thick and stable, and despite its "jeggings" label, it worked well for the pattern. Tall ladies who sew, if you happen to be reading this, do you go for it with original dress lengths and proportions, long legs be damned, or do you lengthen without question?<br />
<br />
Construction notes: My first Coco was a shirt with the funnel neck and three-quarter cuffed sleeves, but you'll have to take my word for it since it's now packed away with my cool weather clothes and I didn't actually get a single picture of it before stashing it. But! I did learn a bit on fit from that (totally wearable) muslin, namely that I needed to transition from one size at the shoulder, up a size at the bust, and back down to the original at the waist and hips. An easy to fix for this dress and all other future Coco makes. Added bonus: Both the shirt and this dress earned high marks from my hubby. I guess mod styling is his thing? Whatever. Positive feedback is nice. And encouraged.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiciWM0VsD3Tz-rw-dQJsph8mR2awq0HftRpXEvN89kvI4NC8rEMXkgrkK6m9BndfSWKsYsFQqG5swei7Kk19vS27uzwY6bP0ipAoAzmi0w0TpEgi7XbVIupmMzrm_GefIOYwbeYt3AuqYc/s1600/May+06_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiciWM0VsD3Tz-rw-dQJsph8mR2awq0HftRpXEvN89kvI4NC8rEMXkgrkK6m9BndfSWKsYsFQqG5swei7Kk19vS27uzwY6bP0ipAoAzmi0w0TpEgi7XbVIupmMzrm_GefIOYwbeYt3AuqYc/s1600/May+06_2.JPG" height="200" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Neck down, please.</td></tr>
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<b>Day 6 - Colette Patterns <a href="https://www.colettepatterns.com/sewing/moneta" target="_blank">Moneta Dress</a></b>: Guess what. This is also my second make on a pattern. Could this be my favorite me-make ever? It's possible. Who knew that what my wardrobe was really missing was a swishy peacock-feathered sundress? Well, apparently <a href="http://www.girlcharlee.com/ice-green-purple-pink-peacock-feathers-cotton-jersey-blend-knit-fabric/girl-charlee-p-9595.html?cPath=90_103" target="_blank">Girl Charlee</a> did. That's where the fabric came from, and look at that: It's made in the USA. Now I love it even more.<br />
<br />
Construction notes: Nada. It was a nice, straight-forward, simple sew. The fiddliest part is mastering the invisible elastic insertion, but again, because this was my second go-round, it went pretty well. I put it all together on my regular machine, serging the exposed seams after construction. Oh wait, I did have one change: I cut the skirt pieces out at the longest length laid out on the pattern. Hurray for the tall girl learning her lesson.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdsv82FVAjGFRldnUCEDj2qZeRdoXitG1_-L7hSxMygt-pL7CGUxH8EvvP3F0fISXmosz6zUNP6XC-xiFf4x66hvQn1gq6ejl35dvYToGURUrH6ZojCMTpKNPd7OjMnqheMS8wviIsx8eA/s1600/may+07_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdsv82FVAjGFRldnUCEDj2qZeRdoXitG1_-L7hSxMygt-pL7CGUxH8EvvP3F0fISXmosz6zUNP6XC-xiFf4x66hvQn1gq6ejl35dvYToGURUrH6ZojCMTpKNPd7OjMnqheMS8wviIsx8eA/s1600/may+07_2.JPG" height="200" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Why's my head look tiny?</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<b>Day 7 - Sew Liberated <a href="http://sewliberated.com/products/ashland-dress" target="_blank">Ashland</a> Dress-turned-Top</b>: I'm not entirely sure why Sew Liberated Patterns don't get more love from the online sewing community... I'm certainly a fan! This is actually a dress pattern, but I was inspired by top that Meg McElwee (the brain behind these patterns) posted on her <a href="http://sewliberated.typepad.com/sew_liberated/2012/08/spoonflower-is-giving-away-fabric-and-an-ashland-pattern.html" target="_blank">blog</a>, so I decided to dive in with that version. It was an easy enough pattern hack to make, just shortening the skirt. This cotton voile was found at a local shop, but a quick Google search tells me that it's Bromley Voile Arbor in Citron, and that it's readily available online.<br />
<br />
Construction notes: This pattern gives you the option of cup sizes, which is freakin' awesome. I'm obviously capable of sewing my own garments, but I find the idea of needing to do full bust adjustments is just daunting enough to deter me. Silly, I know, and one day I'll get over it. But not today. Today I'll just make sure I trace the appropriate cup pieces on the Ashland and call it good! Full disclosure: There are a lot of pattern pieces. But other than that, it comes together quite well. I <i>might </i>add the tiniest bit to the inset (half inch, maybe?) just to give me more bra coverage in my next attempt, but I still like this one enough to keep it in rotation.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir6eHDevUKMFlt7erQbaBPhuNR8aNjry_NP2yhdZz4U7ve0sUC5qd4NzalVHUf328zM5UqlClge9rBQRzwue-EZ8Io6ObRTmqopRsIfOE47hgAF_yuhzVM4gq5RPJVquyzO4My6phvRY5i/s1600/may+08_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir6eHDevUKMFlt7erQbaBPhuNR8aNjry_NP2yhdZz4U7ve0sUC5qd4NzalVHUf328zM5UqlClge9rBQRzwue-EZ8Io6ObRTmqopRsIfOE47hgAF_yuhzVM4gq5RPJVquyzO4My6phvRY5i/s1600/may+08_2.JPG" height="200" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whee! Swingy!</td></tr>
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<b>Day 8 - Sew Liberated <a href="http://sewliberated.com/products/paloma-top-tunic-and-dress" target="_blank">Paloma Top</a></b>: I love this shirt. And I feel like a broken record. The flowy top-skinny jeans combo is one of my favorites, and this shirt is just
interesting enough to keep it from being a boring old t-shirt. (Though I love
those too.) My fabric choice here is kind of meh<span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-position-x: 0%; background-position-y: 0%;"><span style="background: yellow;"></span></span>.
I like the color, but it's so sheer that I have to wear it with a cami<span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-position-x: 0%; background-position-y: 0%;"><span style="background: yellow;"></span></span>,
which while fine and dandy, isn't always my favorite thing to do. It seems like
one shirt should be enough, yes? Oh well. It was purchased online ages ago.<br />
<br />
<br />
Construction notes: I gave the pattern a good look before I decided to size
down from what my measurements indicated, and I'm glad that I did. It's still
plenty roomy and floaty and flowy<span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-position-x: 0%; background-position-y: 0%;"><span style="background: yellow;"></span></span>,
and I really can't imagine that I would need any additional fabric billowing
around me. If you've made a t-shirt, you probably have a pretty good
understanding of how they go together. Pay attention on this one, though. It's
tricky in the coolest way, and the resulting gathering and sleeve insertion are
really neat. (That sounds a little vanilla, "neat," but it's true.
Gee whiz.) Oh, and I didn't cuff the sleeves. There, done.<br />
<br />
<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtJXljR2vFu2dl4b6Uy1Q_EJm1On3x1VsqcezG9fMMXpuwpca52s7KweDD60c-67LwrO0P09-P39olePU8jCacy3zUkynSx20B573WblRllnYlUdGIFbsvIRG81JONyOO-lSdv3DqdESLe/s1600/may+09_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtJXljR2vFu2dl4b6Uy1Q_EJm1On3x1VsqcezG9fMMXpuwpca52s7KweDD60c-67LwrO0P09-P39olePU8jCacy3zUkynSx20B573WblRllnYlUdGIFbsvIRG81JONyOO-lSdv3DqdESLe/s1600/may+09_2.JPG" height="200" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With pollen shoes.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Day 9 - Grainline Studio <a href="http://shop.grainlinestudio.com/product/moss-mini-skirt" target="_blank">Moss Skirt</a></b>: Wait. I lied above. This? This is definitely my favorite me-make. I helped a
friend sew up curtains for her new baby boy's room (elephants!), and ended up
with left over fabric. I figured that it would make good a muslin for the Moss,
right weight and all, so I dove in. Little did I know that this skirt would
become my most complimented handmade item. Again, positive feedback is fun!
Color me validated. Granted, the woman who stopped me the first time I
wore it wanted to get one for her 17-year-old daughter, which might sway
another 36-year-old woman to STOP WEARING THE AGE-INAPPROPRIATE SKIRT, but not
this one.<br />
<br />
<br />
Construction notes: Aside from lengthening it a couple of inches in
anticipation of my future whining, I stitched this up just as I was supposed to.
The zipper slowed me down for sure, but in the end, it's there, it works, and
I'm the only one who can see the wonky fly inside. Win!<br />
<br />
<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0X5bdByWdOCKRdhvoS8GvbQzMPA8w2DAgDNEcfLvP9NZF7wP9AAWVCq0hyIBCANP3DejSffRGutxE_69w_bt8gJyLGmWuK13VLQgciDxE0wCk0EfxdQo6EFH1hQDkg500VChpv7O-Cws5/s1600/may+10_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0X5bdByWdOCKRdhvoS8GvbQzMPA8w2DAgDNEcfLvP9NZF7wP9AAWVCq0hyIBCANP3DejSffRGutxE_69w_bt8gJyLGmWuK13VLQgciDxE0wCk0EfxdQo6EFH1hQDkg500VChpv7O-Cws5/s1600/may+10_2.JPG" height="200" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oops. Same picture.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Day 10 - Tilly and the Buttons <a href="http://www.tillyandthebuttons.com/2014/04/make-brigitte-scarf-come-to-my-online.html" target="_blank">Brigitte Scarf</a></b>: OK, I realize that this is kind of a throw-away, and that I only committed
to wearing me-made items four days a week, but I was on a roll and didn't want
to stop, dammit. Plus, I was already cutting fabric for some Mother's Day
sewing, so why not add a Brigitte? It took maybe 15 minutes to whip up in a bit of Anna Maria Horner voile, and
BAM! I'm 10 for 10 for Me Made May.<br />
<br />
<br />
Construction notes: Do you have a sewing machine?<br />
<br />
Yes? Good. You're done.<br />
<br />
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I also learned this week that I find it infinitely easier to quickly crop an Instagram<span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-position-x: 0%; background-position-y: 0%;"><span style="background: yellow;"></span></span>
photo than to find one where I'm content with my hair, my expression, my
outfit, my stance, the background... pretty much vanity at its finest. But I've
kind of enjoyed the pride that Charlie is taking in being Mommy's photographer.
Sure, it might mean that I only have blurry shots to pick from (See Ashland
above), or that I'm clearly giving her instructions on how to hold and focus my
phone in every picture, but she's totally into it and has actually insisted
that she be the one to help me out. Here honey, take Mommy' photo. That's good parenting, yes?<br />
<br />
Plus, she offered this spot-on and perfectly adorable assessment of why I
was asking her to help me: "I'll take pictures of your dress so that you
can put them on the computer to share with lots of people you don't know who
like to sew too, and you can make new friends!"<br />
<br />
Yep, that's pretty much it, kiddo.<br />
<br />
<br />
Meaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13838381850704527439noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1295869811404393626.post-72048735178449651852014-05-05T16:59:00.000-04:002014-05-05T16:59:06.148-04:00Me Made May 2014: Week 1 RecapWoo-hoo! I did it! Sure, it was technically only three days but I totally made it through the first week of Me Made May successfully. There was <strike>celebration</strike> wine. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7oatHiOFQr2-bxrBy0rRPrdNNfGWI-50Y9A2JmWdFjBnJjWJEsLp_qEpMH-o9iAHdYyzXTxRIltoD1SEREp5_rvntVMKLv_DLKxeEJpflrP9ezhTV205vX4UCoIrR3g0cr7ZTNxjjen7U/s1600/WEEK1+Collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7oatHiOFQr2-bxrBy0rRPrdNNfGWI-50Y9A2JmWdFjBnJjWJEsLp_qEpMH-o9iAHdYyzXTxRIltoD1SEREp5_rvntVMKLv_DLKxeEJpflrP9ezhTV205vX4UCoIrR3g0cr7ZTNxjjen7U/s1600/WEEK1+Collage.jpg" height="135" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://byhandlondon.com/products/anna-dress" target="_blank">Anna Dress</a>, <a href="http://seekatesew.bigcartel.com/product/the-city-girl-frock-top-pdf-pattern" target="_blank">City Girl Top</a>, <a href="http://grainlinestudio.com/2013/08/05/hemlock-tee-pattern-its-free/" target="_blank">Hemlock Tee</a></td></tr>
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And now, since I'm someone who tends to <i>think </i>about blogging the details of her sewing adventures instead of actually doing so, here are the pertinent details on Week 1's wears, or "unblogged" items, as the kids say.<br />
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Day 1 - By Hand London Anna Dress: Polka-dot rayon challis, slash neckline, knee-length (though you'll have to take my word on that one thanks to my headless torso-selfie... my torsie?), and successful invisible zipper insertion on the first try--huzzah! But I flubbed the facing/zipper technique. While it works just fine, I'm acutely aware that I did it wrong. Handmade charm, though, amIright?<br />
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Day 2 - See Kate Sew City Girl Top: A lightweight, semi-sheer linen sweater knit with half-sleeve option. (Once again, you'll have to trust me and my torsie.) The pattern suggests a sturdier, stable knit, but I really wanted something soft and drapey. I left the arms and hem unfinished, and I love it.<br />
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High on the success of that one--hello, speedy sewing!--I dove into another City Girl Top in an even looser sweater knit. It was, in a word, soterriblewhatwasIthinking. My mistake, though, not the pattern, and I've got another one planned, which you may or may not see here in one of these recaps at some point in the near or distant future <br />
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Day 3 - Grainline Studio Hemlock Tee: I <i>think </i>this a poly-blend tissue knit, but I stitched it up so long ago that I honestly don't remember. The shirt and pattern are cute enough (plus, the pattern's FREE!), but the fabric feels strangely stiff. This was actually the first time I'd worn this shirt, grabbing it from the sleep-shirt drawer in the spirit of Me Made May, and I have to say that it kind of grew on me over the course of the day. Maybe I'll bump it up into the workout-shirt drawer. Ha! Like I work out! Good one, Hemlock Tee.<br />
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There: I sewed, I wore, I recapped. Hurray for Me Made May! Maybe I'll see you next week.Meaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13838381850704527439noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1295869811404393626.post-76406531464225219802014-05-01T12:46:00.002-04:002014-05-01T12:46:57.832-04:00Me Made May 2014My parents gifted me my first sewing machine in high school--or was it middle school?--and I immediately set to work making Very Important Things like boxer shorts, constructed with cockeyed plaid, to be layered with my ill-fitting biker shorts in gym class.<br />
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On a slightly related note, the class behind us only had to take one year of phys ed, while my class had to take two full years. Injustice! At least I still have the shorts.<br />
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Fast forward to me as a mom, several years removed from my crooked boxers and unevenly hemmed dresses. I found myself wanting to sew for my little one, rusty though I was, so I gathered some supplies and tentatively refreshed myself on the ins and outs of sewing. Good news: It's like riding a bike with needles and thread and dangerously sharp scissors. Even better: There's an incredibly vibrant online sewing community to serve as inspiration and a never-ending resource for help and motivation.<br />
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My kiddo is four now, and I still make plenty of things for her. (I mean, come on: Kids' clothes are cute!) In the past year or so, though, I've really stepped up my own me-made wardrobe, and I have no intention of stopping. There are a number of reasons to be invested in the process of making your own clothes, but for now let's just go with this: It's fun!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpm5DXOPEXiRwP_JgeiXIXOszxUUbfBCtjrxgrmpyKyqzpTR_0GUwKQV_5uDI8xBPosa17fXkXhpOd6uMQZe6ugvpITjEqIVdBOea7ouAT0P7vTiDZV321H9OoxtziLBIKGlJXIQEcrCf0/s1600/challengecollage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpm5DXOPEXiRwP_JgeiXIXOszxUUbfBCtjrxgrmpyKyqzpTR_0GUwKQV_5uDI8xBPosa17fXkXhpOd6uMQZe6ugvpITjEqIVdBOea7ouAT0P7vTiDZV321H9OoxtziLBIKGlJXIQEcrCf0/s1600/challengecollage.jpg" height="95" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me Made May 2014: I think I can?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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So, without further ado: <i>I, Meagan of howikopp.blogspot.com, sign up (one day late!)
as a participant of Me-Made-May '14. I endeavor to wear at least four me-made
items each week for the duration of May 2014.</i></div>
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Thanks, online sewing world, for making me want to play along!</div>
Meaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13838381850704527439noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1295869811404393626.post-4041249629860249902013-11-04T15:27:00.000-05:002013-11-04T15:36:40.196-05:00Princess of PowerWhat's that? Take two years in between posting things on my blog? Sure, don't mind if I do.<br />
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In my mind, I've been a very good blogger with regular updates for family far away. I've kept photos current and stories fresh. I've documented all of the wonderful things that I've made for my wonderful daughter while my wonderful husband wonderfully tolerates my wonderful hobby. I've documented a first day of school and riding a bike (WITH training wheels--I'm not <i>that </i>far behind), the loss of a beloved kitty, and the addition of a puppy.<br />
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But yeah...Let's just dive back in like I've been doing this all along, okay?<br />
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So, Happy Halloween from She-ra!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgII-1hz4z1-XAhUY1sN9ZoGibNDr4MK0adDBq2zBUFrgUHaqXU9iiQgeUxM5R_U0fgpnvPEUtyL_BKh-6AXPmX0DpQ9_UlRGQy9aLCaZikMahfPlvcdhzK2MF0W9Omkw8aWkc7Dg3Hd7cR/s1600/Halloween+2013+007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgII-1hz4z1-XAhUY1sN9ZoGibNDr4MK0adDBq2zBUFrgUHaqXU9iiQgeUxM5R_U0fgpnvPEUtyL_BKh-6AXPmX0DpQ9_UlRGQy9aLCaZikMahfPlvcdhzK2MF0W9Omkw8aWkc7Dg3Hd7cR/s400/Halloween+2013+007.jpg" width="400" /></a> </div>
This year I decided that I wasn't going to put a bunch of time and effort into making a costume for Charlie. Why go through all of the hassle for a one-day-only outfit? (To lend validity to that reasoning, let's just suspend reality and pretend that I'm NOT the mom who <strike>encourages</strike> allows her child to wear costumes year-round.) Enter the "what do you want to be?" conversation, followed by a quick web search to find one toddler-size Princess of Power costume.<br />
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Guess what? They don't exist. Oh sure, if you're a grown woman who watched She-ra when she was in her prime (we're talking 1985 here), then you can be She-ra. If not, too bad. <br />
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After a bit more help from good old Google, we turned up some lovely home-made She-ra costumes, though. Great. Fine. I agreed to make one, but I wasn't going to like it. (Spoiler: I did. I really, really did.) I found some red and white metallic shot cottons from Fabric.com, along with some gold ombre spandex. Amazon led me to a simple white leotard and nude footless tights. I figured that the rest of the details would just kind of come together as we went.<br />
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Aside from a belt that I probably should have basted down so that it would quit creeping up her belly, it's not too shabby!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQYr2k-VqnCsnpX_m3AU3Kkh0IACdPtIZv58GZorLB07JNs0Wn3ZsiKyClckbwfoo6sslpaLcvbm9xKZoGMwGA3Gdto3M4Xwl54VfVJp-XXNkBwKHOsVx87-RP-KsHNNEOGIOWPziIkb-c/s1600/She-ra+Collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQYr2k-VqnCsnpX_m3AU3Kkh0IACdPtIZv58GZorLB07JNs0Wn3ZsiKyClckbwfoo6sslpaLcvbm9xKZoGMwGA3Gdto3M4Xwl54VfVJp-XXNkBwKHOsVx87-RP-KsHNNEOGIOWPziIkb-c/s400/She-ra+Collage.jpg" width="335" /></a> </div>
I had originally planned on making some sort of leg warmer/boot cover things for her, but Target came to the rescue with these cuties. (Does my three-year-old own more pairs of boots than I do? Maybe.) We also found a sword in the Halloween section at Target, and she was content with it as it was. You better believe that the purist in me started to spiral out of control, though, envisioning ways to She-ra-ize that baby. I painted on the chest emblem with some fantastic gold glitter paint that we found at Joann, completed by a single turquoise sew-on rhinestone. Of course, you can't buy a single rhinestone, so I now have a small bag of those just waiting to find a home. <br />
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The white shot cotton turned into a simple, double layer, elastic-waist skirt. No pattern, I just cut a yard in half and double layered it because it's fall and the fabric is pretty thin. The cape came together using a <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/105616512/childrens-sewing-pattern-pdf-girls-cape?ref=shop_home_feat">darling pattern</a> from My Childhood Treasures that I already had. I just eliminated the hood, and cut about three or four inches off the front pieces in the center. (Sorry! I was just kind of winging it, so I didn't track the changes very well.) I added button holes at each shoulder of the cape so that she can easily remove it, and the gold buttons that secure the cape are a nice little nod to the additional gold on She-ra's outfit. The belt, necklace, and armbands are all jersey-covered fleece. <br />
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It might be the head-dress that made this the most fun for me, though. Joe is normally content to just let me go, but early on in this project I mentioned that I was putting him in charge of the crown. And did he nail it, or what?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxEP9ARPA-FS9bHY5yzVYTjpjynbhtQs8d1O2oHclR4hyphenhyphenddhbKXKL0qsKIiGbc38JtD9k_Mh8qX27qvP7JrXewkIxM6oSNKixMxgjtpNxZ4NeDWT1H-q-W3yO38eVZ6rQkdkyS831DR6i0/s1600/Halloween+2013+006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxEP9ARPA-FS9bHY5yzVYTjpjynbhtQs8d1O2oHclR4hyphenhyphenddhbKXKL0qsKIiGbc38JtD9k_Mh8qX27qvP7JrXewkIxM6oSNKixMxgjtpNxZ4NeDWT1H-q-W3yO38eVZ6rQkdkyS831DR6i0/s400/Halloween+2013+006.jpg" width="400" /></a> </div>
You can really see it in all of its glittery goodness in the photo above. (The lovely Egyptian goddess on the left is my pseudo-niece Jordyn. She's delightful, but I had nothing to do with her costume. Sorry, J.)<br />
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Anyway, after gathering a few supplies along our travels, the crown ended up coming together with a foam visor and some sparkly gold foam paper, both from Joann. Some cutting, some glue, the addition of a red jewel that we had on hand, and voila!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCJiIpgSsC1LSQQqSOzCscG5Y0pEFPgIyLFTNAYuhkMyfATKMP-T02-1afC6Fs5WZvXbxX3CK3dDvyNdw3_RWOI_BEwmSoO5uv3ueLeY2WY4lDXdhyphenhyphenwpUBg7vo1Ef2dE6-9UneRICTepUg/s1600/Halloween+2013+051.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCJiIpgSsC1LSQQqSOzCscG5Y0pEFPgIyLFTNAYuhkMyfATKMP-T02-1afC6Fs5WZvXbxX3CK3dDvyNdw3_RWOI_BEwmSoO5uv3ueLeY2WY4lDXdhyphenhyphenwpUBg7vo1Ef2dE6-9UneRICTepUg/s400/Halloween+2013+051.jpg" width="400" /></a> </div>
She totally loved it. The day I had her try the whole thing on, she declared, "Mommy, I'm the REAL She-ra!" High praise indeed. <br />
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Someone should really teach her not to run with swords, though.<br />
<br />Meaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13838381850704527439noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1295869811404393626.post-89824799489563174222011-11-22T13:15:00.002-05:002011-11-22T14:39:25.608-05:00Yes, please.<em>Alternate title: Why My Child Screaming "LOWWWWWD!" While You Try to Eat Your Dinner is Actually Polite (And Why Did You Sit So Close to Us When There Are Plenty of Tables Open?*)</em><br />
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So, wee lil' Charlie had a handful of signs that she used before she could talk. Adorable little pudgy-fingered signs for things like more and milk and please. <br />
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Here's evidence from early April (over seven months ago!) of the unprompted "please," followed by evidence of why Charlie thinks she can have whatever she wants whenever she wants it. Good parenting in full effect, ya'll!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwnLu6U_CZsbOrROnPkagjcg4p6vomjDZXgmjKQ2I52Bq7KXmBB8rSsZI-iLmR9c_UeGm5Li282nHDGRXBLqA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />
Yes, very practical and helpful and did I mention <strong><em>adorable</em></strong>? But she can say words now, and does. A lot. Except for please. That one's been a challenge. <br />
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If you prompt her to say please, she'll quickly rub her chest like any good little ASL student should. Great, but perhaps it's time to try saying things without our hands? No? Well, would you like Mommy to teach you some new sign language? Just pay attention in the car, Sweetheart, and you'll learn some new vocabulary words, too!<br />
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And thus began my brilliant quest to get my toddler to speak in three easy steps:<br />
<ol><li>I started with asking Charlie each time she signed please, to say it with her mouth instead. Genius! Except, what does my kiddo do? She's just moved her hand up from her chest and started rubbing her lips instead. (I'm not gonna lie, I actually think that's pretty smart. Again, the adorable... it's overflowing I tell you!)</li>
<li>Though the mouth signing was cute, it wasn't exactly what I was going for. Up next, each time she signed, I'd respond with, "Say it out loud." To which she'd respond with "Loud." OK. Well, at least she's saying <em>something</em>, right?</li>
<li>And the final phase: I tricked her! Ha, take that, Toddler! I got her to repeat after me by saying PLEASE! really, really loudly, and then please! really, really softly. And it worked! Sort of... I can get her to say it now, but it takes much cajoling, and I have to say it in a really exaggerated way first. Good thing I like speaking like a Muppet.</li>
</ol>So, there you have it: How to almost get your toddler to say "please" in a way that everyone around them will understand. Almost. <br />
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Enter dinner last night and another proud parenting moment. After negotiating with Charlie to let us have something other than beans and rice, she agreed that a 'tato would be good. Off we went, happy to be one day into a short work week. Food was ordered, food was delivered to our table, Elmo was offered bites of potato. (This is the first time in a couple of weeks that Elmo has been invited to join us for an outing thanks to Charlie's on-going love of all things pig. He was really hungry.)<br />
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As we were winding down, Charlie decided she'd like some ice from Daddy's cup for dessert. (I know, we're spoiling her.) I, of course, prompted her to say please. <br />
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And then I watched her start to sign. But, but, BUT! She stopped mid-sign.<br />
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I could see the wheels turning in her brilliant little mind. Charlie knew that she was supposed to <em>say</em> please. She opened her mouth, I braced myself for a pride swell, and she said as clearly as she possibly could, with as much volume as she could muster:<br />
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LOWWWWWDDD!<br />
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Ah, manners.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRivb7oxkXrZo48x-Pc3mm0Q5lF0LVFjzmnT1zs7i_CHD3L4tesdU1YCyMHasvmxkzQlHjm22-v1pqwqKT9fhcRYKy6YPgXwHquUifSVgYDr4BFyzLD4Awe9FgkVI6gTV7MHNu827nm4o4/s1600/IMG_8303.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRivb7oxkXrZo48x-Pc3mm0Q5lF0LVFjzmnT1zs7i_CHD3L4tesdU1YCyMHasvmxkzQlHjm22-v1pqwqKT9fhcRYKy6YPgXwHquUifSVgYDr4BFyzLD4Awe9FgkVI6gTV7MHNu827nm4o4/s1600/IMG_8303.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">*A woman came in toward the end of our meal and chose to seat herself at the booth right behind us. She even sat down in the seat that backed up to the seat Charlie and I were sharing. Huh? I didn't even try to keep the kid quiet because really? You picked your poison, lady.</div>Meaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13838381850704527439noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1295869811404393626.post-41573348035954448212011-11-08T11:25:00.001-05:002011-11-22T14:38:54.388-05:00BIG TIME PIG TIME.What’s this? A Blog post? From me? <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">I could go through the motions of trying to condense the last missing six months worth of life into one lil’ old update, but let’s be realistic here: it ain’t happening. I can’t. I won’t. Let’s not. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Instead, let’s jump right into how we’re Kopp-ing these days. PIG!</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">At some point in the last couple of weeks, Charlie dug up an old VHS copy of “Babe” at Gramma Kate’s house. Yes, much to Joe’s chagrin, I let Charlie watch TV. I try to make sure it’s moderately educational, or at least not full of quick edits and strobe lights, but I work from home in the afternoon. I either get an assist from a televised playmate, or I have to teach Charlie how to place media buys and edit e-newsletters, and frankly, her spelling is just terrible. (This would be the part where Joe would say that if I didn’t let her watch so much TV, that she’d be able to spell. Don’t be stoopid, Daddy.)</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">So, “Babe.” She loves that movie. I mean, she loves it. She goes to bed requesting “Pig,” and wakes up asking for it again. If you make the mistake of mentioning one of the animals in the movie, like say, a sheep (you’d be surprised how often sheep come up in conversation with a toddler), then she asks for it again. That poor old tape has been rewound so many times in the last week that I’m surprised it still plays at all. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">But Grandma Vickie is here this week for a visit, and guess what she found at Target? Well, that would be “Babe” on DVD, of course! Charlie’s very own copy to keep at our house, where she now not only requests “Pig,” but will specify “Pig… DVD.” </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">And you know what makes watching “Babe” on DVD even better? Watching it <em>with</em> Babe! I’m sure that we’ll eventually have to add a tuft of hair to the top of this little guy’s head, but for now she loves him whole-heartedly. Thank you, Grandma Vickie for both the DVD and the softest little piggy friend ever! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiz3Q1V0TJv9GuuAoA27eLe9OupyEt27_UO3FIXNNfZA-vapZ47by-FpdeAwNQN3HZXeSWkcaF37HxfwoABMgVLD3p0Qz6DhjJE40OXkQEL5ieDrG05hODzFMSsVKTMSWmlL1i-sXdAQEi/s1600/piggy+collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiz3Q1V0TJv9GuuAoA27eLe9OupyEt27_UO3FIXNNfZA-vapZ47by-FpdeAwNQN3HZXeSWkcaF37HxfwoABMgVLD3p0Qz6DhjJE40OXkQEL5ieDrG05hODzFMSsVKTMSWmlL1i-sXdAQEi/s1600/piggy+collage.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Confession: On one (or five) of our viewings, I may have been overheard whispering to her that while some people eat pigs, Mommy and Charlie do not. See, I can do my own brainwashing, television or no.</div>Meaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13838381850704527439noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1295869811404393626.post-87911269244135505662011-05-19T15:04:00.002-04:002011-05-25T09:34:20.566-04:00Making a Mother’s Day<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black;">Alternate title: For Amity </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em><span style="color: black;">See, it’s a pun! Amity is my friend and “amity” means friendship! You should all have a friend whose name means friendship. It just makes life better.</span></em></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black;">This year marked my second Mother’s Day. Well, it marked my second Mother’s Day as a mom. I’ve actually acknowledged my own mother for years now. Probably for as long as I’ve known her. (I’m guessing.) And Mother’s Day is great – if you’re a mom. If you’re not, it’s more likely a day that you remember with just enough time to join the throng of Hallmark shoppers, jammed shoulder-to-shoulder in the tiny aisles, searching for the right card… one that mixes humor with love, thankfulness with poop jokes. (You know you’ve seen them.)</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black;">Yep, I love Mother’s Day. And I’ll have photos up from my MD fun soon, but this post? Well, <em>this</em> post is actually about my wonderful, beautiful, giving “mother” of a friend, Amity.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black;">Seven years ago, Am became the first of my close friends to become a mommy, and almost five years ago she added a second love to her fabulous family. It was a role that just came so naturally to her, and I really don’t think I’ve ever seen her happier than she is when she’s with her kiddos. She’s nurturing and patient and makes me pause sometimes to think, hmmm... maybe I could handle more than one. Then I glance over to see Charlie dancing on the storage trunk that she’s just managed to scale, and I come to my senses.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black;">Amity though? Well, she was meant to be a mom.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black;">It’s funny, within just a few months of giving birth the first time, I remember Am saying that she could see herself being a surrogate one day. I, of course, attributed that to a rush of some sort of superwoman hormones, but it stuck with me.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black;">Then, early last year, I became a mom. And when Charlie was about one month old, I received a beautiful email from Amity, who probably doesn’t know that I saved it. (Point of clarification: emails aren’t necessarily an impersonal way of communicating for us – especially when one of us is hard to get in touch with due to, oh say, a newborn being in charge of everything. <em>Everything</em>.) </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Am’s message explained that something had been weighing heavily on her heart, and that she had begun the very slow process of becoming a </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri;">gestational surrogate. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black;">In her own beautiful words:</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri;"><em><span style="color: black;"> I literally woke up one morning and felt like the wool had been removed from my eyes. I saw my kids and my life with fresh eyes. I saw how wonderful my family is and was overwhelmed by this feeling of my family being complete. Every day since then I have woken up with this feeling of peace and contentment. </span></em></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri;"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri;"><em><span style="color: black;"> I think that seeing you with your daughter has just reinforced this notion I have, that so many people are meant to be mothers. Life hands people all kinds of things, and I feel like not all women were meant to carry or grow babies, but that doesn't mean they aren't meant to be mothers. </span></em></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em><span style="color: black;"> To be able to give someone the same amazing life with children that I have would be amazing. I have my children, I relish them and love every bit of them. I want that for everyone I know. And if I can help someone to get that, it doesn't take much thought. In the end I get to see a family completed. </span></em></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black;">Amazing, right? You know what’s more amazing, though? She did it. My dear, sweet friend made a family for someone else. And just in time for Mother’s Day.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black;">*****</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black;">It was decided pretty early on that, wanting to maintain some sense of normalcy, it made more sense for Amity’s husband to stay with their kids when the big day came. And that, my friends, meant that I was able to be Amity’s “person” in the delivery room, and I joked for weeks that I was going to doula the hell out of her.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black;">At first I was a little lost. The last time I did this, I was in the other seat and all that I really remember "needing" was to get that baby out. But I figured it out. Boo-yah, doula on! Before the epidural was called for, I was actually helpful, providing counter-pressure to Amity's hip during contractions. (That was funny, really. Amity couldn't see what I was doing, but it took all of my might, leaning as hard as I could into her with my feet planted in what I can only imagine was some sort of strange wrestler-like lunge. But hey, it worked!)</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black;">Once the epidural was in, well... I didn't have much to do other than break out the camera.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black;">Note: This begins the not-too-graphic photo part of the post. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEDihrctrlNegB_fa9FPFVBTo3A3kVuErwTYZ8DJLrqcLRp2k_n9WemJ0F0boVR6ynO0G85E6TnITtjIr24GlYPtwE0Tx8D6dQzYzzBMly_uqM-RswJxagz88EYXS5H5x8T8M3rBkneDpw/s1600/pre-epi+510.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEDihrctrlNegB_fa9FPFVBTo3A3kVuErwTYZ8DJLrqcLRp2k_n9WemJ0F0boVR6ynO0G85E6TnITtjIr24GlYPtwE0Tx8D6dQzYzzBMly_uqM-RswJxagz88EYXS5H5x8T8M3rBkneDpw/s1600/pre-epi+510.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black;">Here, an incredibly uncomfortable Amity waits as patiently as possible while the epidural is being prepped. One of her goals going into the birth was to go into labor on her own and see if she could make it epidural-free. At about six centimeters she decided that natural labor - especially when it feels like your hips are being ripped out of their sockets! - is just fine. For someone else.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk9HN1bub_mYaoCUAkQPUl11RsY1-fQ-UaZ8gl4tE62HrUD3xqb_el0cDmYPmBmG_Um2a7uMU7WDjrtiy0l1trXlTjZ18bzHn50Fp54SydD7GTZ5hqPFWjkWdSwCqN3CY9ehQiKDRpJJtt/s1600/post-epi+510.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk9HN1bub_mYaoCUAkQPUl11RsY1-fQ-UaZ8gl4tE62HrUD3xqb_el0cDmYPmBmG_Um2a7uMU7WDjrtiy0l1trXlTjZ18bzHn50Fp54SydD7GTZ5hqPFWjkWdSwCqN3CY9ehQiKDRpJJtt/s1600/post-epi+510.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black;">Well, that's just much better! We learned that you're allowed to have whatever clear foods and beverages you want during labor, including coffee, but not with cream. Who knew? (I wasn't offered anything during Charlie's birth, probably because I was too busy puking in the corner.)</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6PlwRIzMgyGMfozmjy0zYGEra8e6JzpvGZqege_vchdH-9sMulkslU5rZqgN8GqnbVg8ecEWrjLwQZUNKULI0bo2Cc7swQPmLQzKs6_2ebwrErSmXT9vTQKMthlBRXBIiLTMTZsaUDh7E/s1600/hand+510.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6PlwRIzMgyGMfozmjy0zYGEra8e6JzpvGZqege_vchdH-9sMulkslU5rZqgN8GqnbVg8ecEWrjLwQZUNKULI0bo2Cc7swQPmLQzKs6_2ebwrErSmXT9vTQKMthlBRXBIiLTMTZsaUDh7E/s1600/hand+510.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black;">I stayed by Amity's side - or rather, her head - during the actual birth, and it was perfect. The baby's parents stood on either side of her, helping bring their little girl into the world. (In response to the look on most faces when it gets to this part of the story, Amity normally clarifies that both parents are trained medical professionals. So just relax! Geeze, you'd think no one's ever watched their baby being born out of someone else's body before...)</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTW_NyIRd1oLPjTwzmf2RnE7fqAnLatthp8phaEG-UejMMcB0EuIyYRYmq-cuoqoq0ZBwQUMBEQ32PqtToHtkkMJk1g2f-ywYqDs-OO-_8GN8nbVwQHvTYPJuOmU9S_iz4Brgzq_Tk5zHD/s1600/brand+new+510.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTW_NyIRd1oLPjTwzmf2RnE7fqAnLatthp8phaEG-UejMMcB0EuIyYRYmq-cuoqoq0ZBwQUMBEQ32PqtToHtkkMJk1g2f-ywYqDs-OO-_8GN8nbVwQHvTYPJuOmU9S_iz4Brgzq_Tk5zHD/s1600/brand+new+510.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black;">The baby was (and is!) beautiful. A full head of hair, totally kissable cheeks, and oh, did I mention HUGE?</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYLpwtWCEgQn9RnHcskapXafpgY8ZWNUEItSkN-m9fOP1h0OL1sA751nS1uWYf_dHLvDIhzHjYSRyjkczd8kVc-TWKHwFPNlCQNSmwyAVFpbVkSGD7VL0nnEtPo3nOZM79tochVp_EoDCK/s1600/hands+510.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYLpwtWCEgQn9RnHcskapXafpgY8ZWNUEItSkN-m9fOP1h0OL1sA751nS1uWYf_dHLvDIhzHjYSRyjkczd8kVc-TWKHwFPNlCQNSmwyAVFpbVkSGD7VL0nnEtPo3nOZM79tochVp_EoDCK/s1600/hands+510.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black;">Daddy was the first to kiss his precious girl. To see the joy on M&J's faces really was priceless. I'd get up in the middle of the night (or, in this case, at 5:15 in the morning) everyday if it meant seeing a family completed.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuAmq5BHysEk7hnbhBsfuQlSBswHybaCcSJYLoXKwowdyryJaKYT-D3epUCvRujmWcH9b-QA5LOfwY-3ZcDEYU9KRNj4isAXw_CNIdB5LSsqPzor0SiFWc2gjlb7KN0AENCURo9RBV6rU4/s1600/am+kids+510.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuAmq5BHysEk7hnbhBsfuQlSBswHybaCcSJYLoXKwowdyryJaKYT-D3epUCvRujmWcH9b-QA5LOfwY-3ZcDEYU9KRNj4isAXw_CNIdB5LSsqPzor0SiFWc2gjlb7KN0AENCURo9RBV6rU4/s1600/am+kids+510.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;">I kept Amity's hubby updated all morning on the progress she was making via text message. (Technology, I love you sometimes. Mwah!) And just like magic, he and the kids happened to be around the corner when Baby A arrived. They were able to make it to the hospital to see their mommy and meet the baby she'd been growing for another mommy "whose tummy was broken" before the rest of the visitors arrived. Look at those faces! They're as beautiful as their mom.</span></div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCP2f_CkRkKqk1ekXauu5eN38goHIhsYhQOorCSiS5JX9yzdyHsjTX9E7QtiudmpthpRorPn9kmh2WA65rRtnaBnUhIvvRAyd8ea2ZyFx2kaXgTVGQrq81GYfX-NdnvhDLyMhVWpkazdip/s1600/with+am+510.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCP2f_CkRkKqk1ekXauu5eN38goHIhsYhQOorCSiS5JX9yzdyHsjTX9E7QtiudmpthpRorPn9kmh2WA65rRtnaBnUhIvvRAyd8ea2ZyFx2kaXgTVGQrq81GYfX-NdnvhDLyMhVWpkazdip/s1600/with+am+510.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black;">And here's Baby A with the woman, my friend, who helped bring her to her family. I know I've already over-used these words in this post, but come on! Beautiful. Amazing. Wonderful.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black;">Love.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black;">Amity, you made a family. Happy Mother's Day. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black;">(And yes, I know I'm late on this one, too. But really, it wouldn't be me if I'd written this <em>on</em> Mother's Day, would it?)</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black;">By the way, in case any of my two readers were wondering, Amity has a </span><a href="http://andthisismotherhood.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: black;">blog</span></a><span style="color: black;">, too. (Click on the word "blog" to find your way there.) She does a much better job of explaining everything that went into the surrogacy, which makes sense since it’s her story!</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black;">My own Mother's Day photos will follow soon enough, but for now, I want to celebrate Amity: friendship <em>and</em> my friend.</span></span></div>Meaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13838381850704527439noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1295869811404393626.post-4792823789517619002011-05-10T20:44:00.002-04:002011-05-25T09:35:51.014-04:00It's not too late for Easter, is it?I figure at this rate, I should have a nice, complete Mother's Day update by the time Father's Day rolls around. And a Father's Day post by Labor Day. And a Labor Day post by... well, you get the idea.<br />
<br />
So without further ado, here is one slightly stale "How we spent our Easter" post.<br />
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Alternate blog title: Are you happy now, Amity and Catey?<br />
(That's right. I called you out for <s>calling me out</s> being supportive and encouraging and urging me to write more. <s>That'll teach you</s> thanks!)<br />
<br />
Up first, a Thurb-Bunny. I can only assume that he was downstairs keeping a lookout for a more traditional Easter mascot. I repaid his dedication to protecting the family and his food dish by hiring someone to shave him. No, really, I did. Photos to come on that one later. Maybe by Christmas.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihVhprEBBjJDGabDsPeBsDNenC1jWcjJ3YCI83QTELIOafKdI2sBIHzGxZdyTfTM3qZhjphK_fFEs2J4vCQdWHbg1NwXSGxMaP1NGWDzuJVt5OLfN4qQgdjBBIsNtly3SkxLFfLZhl3gEB/s1600/510+easter+thurbunny.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihVhprEBBjJDGabDsPeBsDNenC1jWcjJ3YCI83QTELIOafKdI2sBIHzGxZdyTfTM3qZhjphK_fFEs2J4vCQdWHbg1NwXSGxMaP1NGWDzuJVt5OLfN4qQgdjBBIsNtly3SkxLFfLZhl3gEB/s1600/510+easter+thurbunny.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And this? Well, this is Charlie with her very first Easter basket. No, it's not her first Easter, but I <s>am a terrible mother hell-bent on ruining every holiday with lack of festivities and late blog posts</s> didn't think a three month old (last year) would appreciate a basket full of sugar quite as much as a 15-month-old (this year). That, and a year ago I was much better about what <i><u>I</u></i> ate since the kid was nursing, like, every half hour. This year? Bah! Sure, she still wanders up to me asking for milk, but it's a lot easier to distract her with a Cadbury Creme Egg these days.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">(Embarrassing admission: I had to look up whether it was "creme" or "cream." If we had any of them left, I'm pretty sure I'd have to give one up as punishment.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Oh, and by the way, the basket clenched in Charlie's lil' hands was once clenched in my lil' hands, but I find it hard to believe that mine were ever as cute as hers.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlZP2xfYyUV3Q0rIuOQKKktjIB4ULUuBXaNcNC3Iafd1YhraACpGQ7PeTJBgQ3T0m4BsbS8qlt7nqRqJpaonZFj0E8YM7HRgsELP4XILYsYsIRmlUiG82k83LuV3ECwF57XUUm30TtXhqO/s1600/510+basket+hands.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlZP2xfYyUV3Q0rIuOQKKktjIB4ULUuBXaNcNC3Iafd1YhraACpGQ7PeTJBgQ3T0m4BsbS8qlt7nqRqJpaonZFj0E8YM7HRgsELP4XILYsYsIRmlUiG82k83LuV3ECwF57XUUm30TtXhqO/s1600/510+basket+hands.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In addition to candy, the Easter Bunny also tried to make my kid smarter. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Stupid Bunny.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSs2qdkPGnXkIEHQx7BBxKunOL11zWGEMTUSArtNvTbEoz7OkHTiCP8uAdqIytCakWJGqOtD17I-SI1obdNPXKLZ_y4VW2FsgREA37gRaPNGy5Mrp2H9wRBmDvMSX7GAyqrhTEvInRVZ09/s1600/510+a+is+for+easter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSs2qdkPGnXkIEHQx7BBxKunOL11zWGEMTUSArtNvTbEoz7OkHTiCP8uAdqIytCakWJGqOtD17I-SI1obdNPXKLZ_y4VW2FsgREA37gRaPNGy5Mrp2H9wRBmDvMSX7GAyqrhTEvInRVZ09/s1600/510+a+is+for+easter.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Tweety Bird basket from Grandma Vickie & Grandpa Joe!)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The magic of the aforementioned Cadbury Creme Eggs is seen below. (Don't worry Charlie, you're not the first person to display a double chin in the presence of a Cadbury Egg.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrf0B1otmGeMotZuzI4T1GdZYMROf5ZYks5plSRggjQjTuX0CaA0QTpNmasJ6Qm_kPWAC8jTcrKnz0EBM2WNSF5n3eOWVrHCUCfQTFrz2KgSAG4GM2wYlNep6GkI-E_2CCY19I3muVFwu8/s1600/510+cadbury+egg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrf0B1otmGeMotZuzI4T1GdZYMROf5ZYks5plSRggjQjTuX0CaA0QTpNmasJ6Qm_kPWAC8jTcrKnz0EBM2WNSF5n3eOWVrHCUCfQTFrz2KgSAG4GM2wYlNep6GkI-E_2CCY19I3muVFwu8/s1600/510+cadbury+egg.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If you ask Charlie, however, the real magic of the Easter basket was not the candy (though it was good), and it certainly wasn't the flashcards (pfft!).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It was the pink "grass" that somehow got spread all over the living room. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If only we knew how that happened...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij3zIcLBJXrfPYHbRCsUleZ4Zfqroa_yf257YmGG98TqRW1D8oEq3LmGICrdIV7xzoSFs9ppQSkWP5ioMOc_wdZhxlq76gaatjkFqVueRwM77XSborEfOMmRwJzyWl1IPfdyGv_BsK6yTR/s1600/510+grass+throw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij3zIcLBJXrfPYHbRCsUleZ4Zfqroa_yf257YmGG98TqRW1D8oEq3LmGICrdIV7xzoSFs9ppQSkWP5ioMOc_wdZhxlq76gaatjkFqVueRwM77XSborEfOMmRwJzyWl1IPfdyGv_BsK6yTR/s1600/510+grass+throw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMJTBpAxDl97ZcZNfaiRi-fYyZaRUb9B5MCkEPvyWYKqfRgAMks1dMYvwZ97PqJfv1hL_GQjVOIUUQ97rYuTmt9kfnuDv4hjTG5GCy9j4aWHNDuIjVj8B0eaUIHNhYQR-8kqKDtCrYAxsX/s1600/510+grass+sit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMJTBpAxDl97ZcZNfaiRi-fYyZaRUb9B5MCkEPvyWYKqfRgAMks1dMYvwZ97PqJfv1hL_GQjVOIUUQ97rYuTmt9kfnuDv4hjTG5GCy9j4aWHNDuIjVj8B0eaUIHNhYQR-8kqKDtCrYAxsX/s1600/510+grass+sit.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Skip ahead a few hours. Have some time to kill? You should probably just follow someone around taking their picture. People love that. Especially toddlers.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The real point of these pictures is to point out that after much hemming and hawing, I cut Charlie's hair. OK, that sounds more impressive than the reality of me grabbing a flap of her long, born-with-it hair and snipping it to be the same length as her grew-in-later, thicker hair. But still, first haircut!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And it happened just before Easter, so it belongs in this post, right?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwLiwmhoTPncJr2odUcchOD6FiuhwPlhowsm9FJaWks80G6eWcDHx4Hl92UkKG07x1A8-rgVjLUoJNlbrEWIHa2D_732lAhm6R6TjibOL3wsvL9I9qBmwSrM8H1gihMbbASewqEZGGaV9s/s1600/510+hair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwLiwmhoTPncJr2odUcchOD6FiuhwPlhowsm9FJaWks80G6eWcDHx4Hl92UkKG07x1A8-rgVjLUoJNlbrEWIHa2D_732lAhm6R6TjibOL3wsvL9I9qBmwSrM8H1gihMbbASewqEZGGaV9s/s1600/510+hair.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charlie is clearly delighted with her new 'do.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Easter basket? Check!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Educational toy? Check! (And eye roll.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Haircut? Check!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It must be time for a bit of egg hunting at Gramma Kate and Grampa Greg's house.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Yes, yes, it is.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgebe6SNK9s_t9gKBFd0mTmsnci8rcFX3CN-8jlhSc1EMv0nrliWAPYtx9gzOH7d3ft-x_r30QWTigPjOTvATe_-L_-_zzItuRDCJL2pqND6njWyfS0DLlJiEal9tHUvKIYNWgaaGx3egsB/s1600/510+egg+hunt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgebe6SNK9s_t9gKBFd0mTmsnci8rcFX3CN-8jlhSc1EMv0nrliWAPYtx9gzOH7d3ft-x_r30QWTigPjOTvATe_-L_-_zzItuRDCJL2pqND6njWyfS0DLlJiEal9tHUvKIYNWgaaGx3egsB/s1600/510+egg+hunt.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzoHGtjR6COqUtcpI5Ft6SVw7-AOStkew06nppd111_GQB4mbW1CGptTmORqpj_kLYZqXzZ1FZnfBxBOIwbe6DvV0R9YhMI60WuMG6S8lBd6MaHc8qQTmlHyl4SWvPKRGFM69zFLztukap/s1600/510+basket.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzoHGtjR6COqUtcpI5Ft6SVw7-AOStkew06nppd111_GQB4mbW1CGptTmORqpj_kLYZqXzZ1FZnfBxBOIwbe6DvV0R9YhMI60WuMG6S8lBd6MaHc8qQTmlHyl4SWvPKRGFM69zFLztukap/s1600/510+basket.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU-Jpms0u7u3W-UF5Z8g1HsO9HtMTOdy69QzqDdRrsskE7vpy6-UUB7k-Vc182bmS4ZX_TKNutxjuBSpiLmpru3gWH0VpX7S0ep53RFCPqarb93Hdhq1Myjn2MmOrmZnkGv88AecSEkt5o/s1600/510+j+%2526+g+hunt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU-Jpms0u7u3W-UF5Z8g1HsO9HtMTOdy69QzqDdRrsskE7vpy6-UUB7k-Vc182bmS4ZX_TKNutxjuBSpiLmpru3gWH0VpX7S0ep53RFCPqarb93Hdhq1Myjn2MmOrmZnkGv88AecSEkt5o/s1600/510+j+%2526+g+hunt.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Charlie's buddy (and surrogate big sister) Jordyn helped teach Charlie the ropes. For the record, Jordyn is a very patient teacher. Charlie is a less receptive student.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Unless you count her dedication to mastering a surly, "Don't tell me to pick up these eggs, I didn't drop them out here!" demeanor, in which case, A+!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_quWqvUbKA-CeKND1Uw7Cm0Mmo691MQbSx5EJEnsKoH16vlAlpNjiNjGDCXMkIZycwplkBd-GpnQ5PYniOeMCWvOh73p9n7g2O8kZnecMhVCnGTJspe5tV17Oy5gb_OOAOd9UDmOUd3Zr/s1600/510+bossy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_quWqvUbKA-CeKND1Uw7Cm0Mmo691MQbSx5EJEnsKoH16vlAlpNjiNjGDCXMkIZycwplkBd-GpnQ5PYniOeMCWvOh73p9n7g2O8kZnecMhVCnGTJspe5tV17Oy5gb_OOAOd9UDmOUd3Zr/s1600/510+bossy.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So, Easter eggs? Blah.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Big, rubber ball? Suh-weet! And also worthy of some very deep, introspective thinking.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHZX3uqSSEDYrspM2YTUTY_32DtwpFx9HqAxFVsY9X5JbKQuOb_E03euausUtaYv33MHBYnUCjSk3z_r2NEdBnSv24r-9ZaJffIBe5aYtVZrYVPQhh85dag5ZDZsPf3YOopQ4jcxi9MQIe/s1600/510+ball.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHZX3uqSSEDYrspM2YTUTY_32DtwpFx9HqAxFVsY9X5JbKQuOb_E03euausUtaYv33MHBYnUCjSk3z_r2NEdBnSv24r-9ZaJffIBe5aYtVZrYVPQhh85dag5ZDZsPf3YOopQ4jcxi9MQIe/s1600/510+ball.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And then there was the obligatory Easter family photo. Obligatory because I SAID SO! Nah, everyone was delighted with my suggestion that we pose for a family shot. Charlie couldn't get enough. She just wanted us to keep asking her to stay still and look at the camera. She was nothing but smiles and joy.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Or not.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHDV6ziKiRj2R6XhX7UQgsmIO5IVs3J0GzrXv3maohy09Emc9HTY1adSn7pusTVGVYpvVrNqIFjsAqC-fHyM_YNkARImQiLAkIb4jRllmF4f8nrH2om50NHe69Ca4ETXoAvZpsKeXTG2f6/s1600/510+family.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHDV6ziKiRj2R6XhX7UQgsmIO5IVs3J0GzrXv3maohy09Emc9HTY1adSn7pusTVGVYpvVrNqIFjsAqC-fHyM_YNkARImQiLAkIb4jRllmF4f8nrH2om50NHe69Ca4ETXoAvZpsKeXTG2f6/s1600/510+family.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Is it just me, or does she look like she's really contemplating the merits of spitting on my head?</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">But, BUT! We got one. Sure, Joe might be the only one facing the camera, but thanks to the angle on my girl and me, my friend Sue pointed out that Charlie's nose wrinkles like mine when she smiles. And that, family and friends, is worth her thinking about spitting on me.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpLJuObtbAv0wNTGnBrtJY4RgcgeJO2mWyWFuop1HhAHm2cTEOoONTBTdC3qABFi29ukHfdB3sJw3dzmU5pg1pEln0E-xiP0Y-06Tidotq5s58ioitDBJ1QPx336mYn5Q1iHS4NPwgj_SF/s1600/510+family+good.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpLJuObtbAv0wNTGnBrtJY4RgcgeJO2mWyWFuop1HhAHm2cTEOoONTBTdC3qABFi29ukHfdB3sJw3dzmU5pg1pEln0E-xiP0Y-06Tidotq5s58ioitDBJ1QPx336mYn5Q1iHS4NPwgj_SF/s1600/510+family+good.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">What a difference a year makes!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSV8XVo_H_yq3oyA0Wcaa_n2Dg_OyYgU5BbOHwjGoZHAryqGtyoBCeH1HzD0NpFAPlxNlgzlnFA4skIz9D6kV7ZmbBwAiYvLhMikkW_ZyH7e2dGWDroW9AceuUvf-kEHAFPpVA1uVcvNll/s1600/510+easter+2010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSV8XVo_H_yq3oyA0Wcaa_n2Dg_OyYgU5BbOHwjGoZHAryqGtyoBCeH1HzD0NpFAPlxNlgzlnFA4skIz9D6kV7ZmbBwAiYvLhMikkW_ZyH7e2dGWDroW9AceuUvf-kEHAFPpVA1uVcvNll/s1600/510+easter+2010.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I hope you all had a wonderful Easter. And Mother's Day. And, well, have a Happy Thanksgiving, too, in case I don't get to tell you that until next February.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">(OK, one more embarrassing admission: I totally airbrushed the bags out from under my eyes in the "Last Year" photo. True, I couldn't erase the dead-tired look in my gaze, but at least my skin looks fresh!)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Meaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13838381850704527439noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1295869811404393626.post-23492136062325900132011-04-27T12:26:00.002-04:002011-05-25T09:34:45.125-04:00Adventures in teethingI'll be honest with you. I don't remember what it feels like to have teeth coming in. I also don't really remember what a contraction feels like, what it feels like to push a baby out of my lady parts, or what it feels like to live with a newborn, but I <em>do</em> remember that those last three <strike>sucked</strike> were life-changing. <br />
<br />
And based on what Charlie tells me, so it is with molars.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinzy1zwwGnH-gBZRW6Jrt0nGzQjaNrQSt7u2M-hrZZnwBKpxNL8EMflK6ZgxQQjgcnd8lyNIXwqeNr1bfNnsgphEDfTni8nA0VbqkbXYpb5p1COAMaObfDyuSiNGe_IM4MUYDAWsmlhKj2/s1600/hurts510.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinzy1zwwGnH-gBZRW6Jrt0nGzQjaNrQSt7u2M-hrZZnwBKpxNL8EMflK6ZgxQQjgcnd8lyNIXwqeNr1bfNnsgphEDfTni8nA0VbqkbXYpb5p1COAMaObfDyuSiNGe_IM4MUYDAWsmlhKj2/s1600/hurts510.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Sure, she'll have a beautiful smile and the ability to chew carrots, but for now, it bites.<br />
<br />
And thus we officially begin our... DUN-DUN-DUH-DUN (read that like a superhero intro, please)... <strong>Adventures in Teething</strong>! <br />
<br />
I think I've made it fairly clear to anyone willing to listen to me (or read this) that I border on obstinate when it comes to medication. OK, I <em>am</em> obstinate. I border on belligerent. I don't like it. I will try all things homeopathic, herbal, and otherwise natural first. We've been big fans of Hyland's Teething Tablets, which are homeopathic, but there's one small problem: there's been a temporary halt in their availability while Hyland's revises their production methods. We have one partial bottle left, and I dole the tiny pellets out to my fussy toddler as often as I can. They seem to help her a bit, so hurray for temporary relief!<br />
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These molars, though? This is heavyweight teething we're dealing with now.<br />
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So, some Googling and blog-reading and instinct-following later, we are now the proud owners of one Baltic Amber Teething Necklace, shipped straight from Lithuania.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpB_8xQpaj1vWsfTOGEG1XAB86_isVvLqGRZB9JDy7NMEfNyVt9hmFObfdErfMT80L2wSHwresZK1roxvam2tCPnWp7GmGY7GgyOSdvBtVnDecpMe1_m0D1-oOLPjmMEfhQMQO-bTJfWmF/s1600/window510.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpB_8xQpaj1vWsfTOGEG1XAB86_isVvLqGRZB9JDy7NMEfNyVt9hmFObfdErfMT80L2wSHwresZK1roxvam2tCPnWp7GmGY7GgyOSdvBtVnDecpMe1_m0D1-oOLPjmMEfhQMQO-bTJfWmF/s1600/window510.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">According to my <strike>frantic scanning of poorly-translated copy</strike> copious online research, these necklaces are what every good mommy in Eastern Europe uses to soothe their grumbling babies. And even if that's not true, who cares? It's pretty!</div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left">Seriously, though, here's what it's supposed to do:</div><div align="left"><span lang="EN"> <em>Amber is associated with sunlight and warmth and reputed to boost the immune system, reduce inflammation and accelerate healing: perfect help for babies and toddlers who wear it when they are teething. </em></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN"><em> When a baby is wearing an amber teething necklace, the skin's warmth releases healing oils from the amber (a resin) which are absorbed. Amber is known to reduce inflammation of the throat, ear and stomach and to fight inflammation, infections and respiratory disease. A natural analgesic, amber will help calm a baby without resorting to drugs. Its anti-inflammatory and therapeutic properties are even recognized by allopathic medicine.</em> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN">Does that make me sound crazy? Is it a bunch of hooey? Does this blog make my butt look big?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN">Last week, before it arrived, I was lamenting the fact that I hadn't ordered one earlier. I really wanted to give it a try before I resorted to other methods. Worst case scenario? It did nothing but look nice, and we'd end up with a new accessory. Either way, I felt like a mean mom watching Charlie shove her hands in her mouth, gnawing on dirty fingertips, whining and whimpering through her day. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span lang="EN">But Saturday the necklace arrived and Operation Got Nuthin' to Lose began. I slipped that thing on her as fast as I could get the envelop open, and after a few seconds of distracting her from the fact that it was on, we went on with our day. She's worn it every day since, taking it off just for bedtime, and I have to say that I think it's working. There hasn't been a single incident of the hands-in-mouth, woe-is-me, these-teeth-are-trying-to-ruin-my-life since. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFUV0AZivrK2Yne7c30t-Vsu0jBJ8PCXTKp8DkwZLsKmN4inxOCNYR4A2t9VWsdoJt2gGMpq2n5cVyiLMOoiOw7oKFgfjLJOBljPlguo7GqN-DblKDx27IZBcsP-DrqeHzrtO0cHbsp61B/s1600/clasp510.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFUV0AZivrK2Yne7c30t-Vsu0jBJ8PCXTKp8DkwZLsKmN4inxOCNYR4A2t9VWsdoJt2gGMpq2n5cVyiLMOoiOw7oKFgfjLJOBljPlguo7GqN-DblKDx27IZBcsP-DrqeHzrtO0cHbsp61B/s1600/clasp510.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's the screw clasp in the front. The individual beads have knots tied between them, so in the event that a little hand gave it a hard enough yank to break it, the whole thing isn't going to fall apart into candy-sized bites.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If the necklace was around my neck, you could say it was the placebo effect. It's not my neck, though, and I find it hard to believe that you could convince a 15-month-old that her gums don't hurt anymore just because you've put a necklace on her. It doesn't work that way. (At least not in my experience... if you know otherwise, please tell me how to work your magic!)</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Sure, it's been less than a week, which means I guess we'll have to wait and see if anything changes as these big, bad molars pop through. (Based on the way Charlie had been complaining, I'm pretty sure she's going to have bicuspids the size of my fist.) In the meantime, though, we have a pretty necklace and a contented toddler. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">And now we wait...</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNVMIXGaBJ4lUVSUneOxax9m-Qluam8jrELxGRbj0aiHpB6LRFm_EyGnm1tyavPbWE9V-GkAIVDttGqEajsaJ7Y5rO3W1esiZn5wXGaF2AP_w6P13yxSoRVYYyFKS2ke3j1hEemTjzXnmG/s1600/waiting510.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNVMIXGaBJ4lUVSUneOxax9m-Qluam8jrELxGRbj0aiHpB6LRFm_EyGnm1tyavPbWE9V-GkAIVDttGqEajsaJ7Y5rO3W1esiZn5wXGaF2AP_w6P13yxSoRVYYyFKS2ke3j1hEemTjzXnmG/s1600/waiting510.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div>Meaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13838381850704527439noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1295869811404393626.post-65052854716416378912011-04-25T10:48:00.001-04:002011-04-26T08:54:52.361-04:00Grandma and Grandpa come to visit!Rule of blogging #1: Write new posts.<br />
<br />
Oops.<br />
<br />
You see, I actually started working on this particular update a couple of weeks ago, but things like, oh say, the birth of a baby to my dear friend who was serving as a surrogate (a separate post to come on that one!) and taking care of my own monkey ate up a lot of my free time. That, and TV. "16 and Pregnant" isn't going to watch itself, you know.<br />
<br />
But I'm back! And wow, do I have a lot to share. OK, let me amend that to say I have a lot OF PHOTOS to share. Really, if you're here, I know you just want the pictures anyway. Words, shmords, right?<br />
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So without further ado, photo collage time! <br />
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Eariler this month Grandma Vickie and Grandpa Joe came to visit us all the way from Nebraska! <br />
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And we took pictures!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKaQJ7y5qBOYK3EBQGicXjEI8EDq-dYfUIrvGxEq0j43ta1xMz1mALYayV27Lq6nXykrKGKj2l7heIbaE7mTOt8Lo-O-RaYM_6e69ycrh2FWcGfr4PIllxnDwOI64nQ_7Y1JzahIKheFdi/s1600/pattie+collage+510.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKaQJ7y5qBOYK3EBQGicXjEI8EDq-dYfUIrvGxEq0j43ta1xMz1mALYayV27Lq6nXykrKGKj2l7heIbaE7mTOt8Lo-O-RaYM_6e69ycrh2FWcGfr4PIllxnDwOI64nQ_7Y1JzahIKheFdi/s1600/pattie+collage+510.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is not Grandma Vickie. <em>This</em> is Grandma Vickie's sister Aunt Pattie. She and Cousin Caroline (in the room, but not in the picture) live in North Carolina, but we don't see them nearly enough. We should do something about that! Also, that <em>is</em> Charlie's tummy.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJBDiKGLgqDVyMXjdhJjS1btfA_M25bEDxUJ_3KMMLPxJRBUrkcRSu1q4YhWqq0CwokrPLULsiMWApvSGKYr1mXS0D_bOhK7z3BEiBAeOZ2veFnkQqvGA5R1sg17lVtUe8S-sADX0gRoI-/s1600/swing+collage+510.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJBDiKGLgqDVyMXjdhJjS1btfA_M25bEDxUJ_3KMMLPxJRBUrkcRSu1q4YhWqq0CwokrPLULsiMWApvSGKYr1mXS0D_bOhK7z3BEiBAeOZ2veFnkQqvGA5R1sg17lVtUe8S-sADX0gRoI-/s1600/swing+collage+510.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is also not Grandma Vickie, nor is it Grandpa Joe. This is Gramma Kate and Grampa Greg and the two suckers Charlie calls parents. Among Charlie's favorite things is time spent on the swing, and she's an expert at conning you into standing there far longer than you want to. One little pouty lip and a quick sign for "more, please" and we're stuck standing in mulch, swinging our little dictator. That's love.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuRM1CCMSbrS8-miqJgdq8kqyvXxiQhQEmDehi1T2K1xs8quUO6EIz715AGEzoXipcLuWzZJX28HsV9t-GM1UbFSp0a3aCR2qZTMmed-aRtkXvtEoQRYlbTlFPTFSC2SLY9Fzk_Bx3RysE/s1600/bubble+collage+510.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuRM1CCMSbrS8-miqJgdq8kqyvXxiQhQEmDehi1T2K1xs8quUO6EIz715AGEzoXipcLuWzZJX28HsV9t-GM1UbFSp0a3aCR2qZTMmed-aRtkXvtEoQRYlbTlFPTFSC2SLY9Fzk_Bx3RysE/s1600/bubble+collage+510.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My parents (Gramma Kate and Grampa Greg) love to entertain. Or maybe it's not so much that they love to entertain as they think Joe and I are terrible entertainers. (To be fair, they haven't seen the gymnastics routine we've been working on.) In any case, they (Gramma Kate & Grampa Greg) love to see Grandma Vickie and Grandpa Joe, too, so we spent an afternoon at their place letting Charlie show her Nebraska Grandparents how she likes to spend her weekdays. But this time we added bubbles! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzDQM2Ok7mecHWVO-4bKQ7HzUh_o_0WN9H9Z0A6nop97JzZOHVVvcQUZahtdhzwWRKjy60olvSau7uoWdn0GEUgIMiZ0WiPYrpUAjraCrz4v4rfYJmMdGWeTrKh2suQB8-MuuLE1OVy2TJ/s1600/ball+collage+510.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzDQM2Ok7mecHWVO-4bKQ7HzUh_o_0WN9H9Z0A6nop97JzZOHVVvcQUZahtdhzwWRKjy60olvSau7uoWdn0GEUgIMiZ0WiPYrpUAjraCrz4v4rfYJmMdGWeTrKh2suQB8-MuuLE1OVy2TJ/s1600/ball+collage+510.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Yep, we added bubbles AND balls. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOkpmZU6hSUUK6USjs7L2t_4XLDT88dp1wiHIXjNoSZPM3Rp_3_Q0euFn8KFDWiLqzB0lw1zwzbIlQ8pZayrM2TnvHB78SjcfbuKjEvZ4wf_bVB9w5K6nQ0WboIiqEFiDDiNYddfLzr6CC/s1600/walking+collage+510.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOkpmZU6hSUUK6USjs7L2t_4XLDT88dp1wiHIXjNoSZPM3Rp_3_Q0euFn8KFDWiLqzB0lw1zwzbIlQ8pZayrM2TnvHB78SjcfbuKjEvZ4wf_bVB9w5K6nQ0WboIiqEFiDDiNYddfLzr6CC/s1600/walking+collage+510.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><em>This</em> is Grandma Vickie and Grandpa Joe! (The other guy is Dad.) We took a trip to the Science Center where we saw meerkats, lemurs, tigers, wolves, and dinosaurs. And we wrestled a toddler.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7sttM0CiaDii2eqYpJLmhrVeUuK4eELNYf2XQZIKkfuEfczVdmj92OnwK_cB6tSJUMCoxk_TfR3ehMmwN3kSrVPC1v5rdgldKRiNuHLwDFuX-J3vOEP8G_17s5IFuU2w2PcjfDsdmZueU/s1600/shoulder+collage+510.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7sttM0CiaDii2eqYpJLmhrVeUuK4eELNYf2XQZIKkfuEfczVdmj92OnwK_cB6tSJUMCoxk_TfR3ehMmwN3kSrVPC1v5rdgldKRiNuHLwDFuX-J3vOEP8G_17s5IFuU2w2PcjfDsdmZueU/s1600/shoulder+collage+510.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Hey, it's me with my boss! We're working on getting her to carry me sometimes, too.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW-3CiBJN1gVTN7UfeHsRO7G1Z0FhQyM4naNIS8tZIOTJ5v_8fLJe7Ak7rmJJHDpbRB-Ydy-s79Ez1Yx45Q35AIM-zw_xrC5l4ZPwLgvHgf1pQ7FhhS-J12YJO9kl4BXUpeef-MWhJCQrl/s1600/sheep+collage+510.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW-3CiBJN1gVTN7UfeHsRO7G1Z0FhQyM4naNIS8tZIOTJ5v_8fLJe7Ak7rmJJHDpbRB-Ydy-s79Ez1Yx45Q35AIM-zw_xrC5l4ZPwLgvHgf1pQ7FhhS-J12YJO9kl4BXUpeef-MWhJCQrl/s1600/sheep+collage+510.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Yeah, you're not supposed to feed the animals, but look at how sweet that is!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_YNkJxIUSQlqxrDGTVZ-HskLRLvvHRlue7Lf7iInBw_93C46dNRnde51w1pj4d_tHELmhVArd8p_Ul8IPvRgSOHl81GDqxees5JQv3q22oOEfd-rNpIUH_qkVDIWFORWvyRz6_Pzl7163/s1600/mirror+collage+510.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_YNkJxIUSQlqxrDGTVZ-HskLRLvvHRlue7Lf7iInBw_93C46dNRnde51w1pj4d_tHELmhVArd8p_Ul8IPvRgSOHl81GDqxees5JQv3q22oOEfd-rNpIUH_qkVDIWFORWvyRz6_Pzl7163/s1600/mirror+collage+510.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Grandma Vickie sighting on the right! (Mommy lurking on the left.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl7w4oUR-JAxKh-FAvYkh_TTeV86sCQ2QebgD5WJNbY56cLzzbbuBYFDl_f5MiEVsZpitiPnGW7hDJymCmmTn6-EcUEv_Q7-xES-ZlUNP8wVHi6hl7o6fa7VOyY63xb5g-y0sQhpV7wWDm/s1600/kopp+collage+510.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl7w4oUR-JAxKh-FAvYkh_TTeV86sCQ2QebgD5WJNbY56cLzzbbuBYFDl_f5MiEVsZpitiPnGW7hDJymCmmTn6-EcUEv_Q7-xES-ZlUNP8wVHi6hl7o6fa7VOyY63xb5g-y0sQhpV7wWDm/s1600/kopp+collage+510.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Elmo! G&G brought Charlie her very first balloon while they were in town, and it was nothing less than a total hit. He's still floating around the living room, deflated but buoyant. Good thing our new decorating scheme is to use as much brightly colored plastic as possible. He practically blends in.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And do you know what's hard to do? Get four people to look at the camera at the same time. But, BUT! How sweet is the kiss Grandma is stealing in that picture? It makes my heart melt.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We love you Grandma Vickie and Grandpa Joe!</div>Meaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13838381850704527439noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1295869811404393626.post-79210523757356225192011-04-04T17:33:00.001-04:002011-04-28T15:41:23.428-04:00Portrait of a sleeping babyI remember trying to capture pictures of Charlie in the very beginning, ones we would proudly attach to emails sent to faraway family with notes about how big she was (huge!), how often she cried (never!), and when her next "well check" was (seemed like every damn day!). In the hospital, I even have the memory of Joe trying to capture a shot of her eyes just so that we could send Grandma and Grandpa Kopp in Nebraska proof that she did, in fact, have 'em.<br />
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</div><div>But now she's a big 14-month-old who hardly sleeps. OK, that's not entirely true. She's actually a pretty good napper, BUT we don't bother trying to get pictures of her sleeping anymore.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Until this afternoon. </div><div><br />
</div><div>For the first time in a long time, she fell asleep on the way home from Gramma Kate's. I opened the windows when we got home so that we could both savor the breeze blowing outside, and I settled in on the couch to get some work done. But then I looked at my baby (or toddler, if you want to really get into semantics) sleeping in the carrier that she's almost too tall for, and I grabbed the camera.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Her hands are just too perfect.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Her toes are just too kissable.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Her cheeks are just too soft.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Her lashes are just too long.</div><div><br />
</div><div>And these moments are just too fleeting.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig8OJDoLu95jpDDAlFrHWci5A9VFlcB-rOzjG2wuiDmDmWnMzF8e2_EV8BivPcdncpIUoTBsKrmtK05Z8wOtU2XccBThLmK_QwLx2kDnZ4UzOQl1a-3aHNi-FMGKQ2meSBk8BXDQmRZOov/s1600/portrait+of+a+sleeping+baby+500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig8OJDoLu95jpDDAlFrHWci5A9VFlcB-rOzjG2wuiDmDmWnMzF8e2_EV8BivPcdncpIUoTBsKrmtK05Z8wOtU2XccBThLmK_QwLx2kDnZ4UzOQl1a-3aHNi-FMGKQ2meSBk8BXDQmRZOov/s1600/portrait+of+a+sleeping+baby+500.jpg" /></a></div><div><br />
</div><div>But I could never love her too much.</div>Meaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13838381850704527439noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1295869811404393626.post-65734670906213694562011-04-01T11:28:00.003-04:002011-05-25T09:35:02.669-04:00When in DoubtYesterday evening Charlie was uncharacteristically cranky. Really, she's such a happy kiddo most of the time that when she is a little off her game I just don't know what to do to help. She was walking around whining and whimpering, which made me want to walk around and do a little whining myself. <br />
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Then I had a light bulb moment. After origami-ing myself into the Moby Wrap, I scooped her up and bundled her like I used to when she was itty-bitty. We turned on her favorite song, danced two and a half times through it, and she was out.<br />
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I had no idea that there was a whole "attachment parenting" movement before I had Charlie, but I cannot recommend enough that every new parent invest in some sort of sling or carrier. For me, it's instinctive: you want to soothe, you want them close, but frankly, you also wouldn't mind having your hands free to do very important things. Like blog. And push buttons on the zapper.<br />
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And really, how sweet is this? I swear I can smell her sweet baby breath through the computer.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZvwQ173VZ-V8OJsopySCg8j_7G5b53seiGSerLsqGk5HRHVvyO4Do0dz0S40GCXDkVmmgREK1uYUkND5Q2w3VQukFUK4QaZOe-u3xcrH2p1YUSe5WQSmwxXQfVC5gnc3aRL8vJhgDGkHk/s1600/IMG_3475+edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZvwQ173VZ-V8OJsopySCg8j_7G5b53seiGSerLsqGk5HRHVvyO4Do0dz0S40GCXDkVmmgREK1uYUkND5Q2w3VQukFUK4QaZOe-u3xcrH2p1YUSe5WQSmwxXQfVC5gnc3aRL8vJhgDGkHk/s320/IMG_3475+edit.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv9s-I667OyIgKXJfwTImpWTg_PWpbSDH2DEDI1q8xKDM3AwARAPxS-g3iLMKHxnkoQOTTBl16bukltsaIKJ541CrwJy4JSAvEwXunFEgol3erSl-FbdyTS4FPl8XkVR7gMuww-80t27se/s1600/IMG_3478+edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv9s-I667OyIgKXJfwTImpWTg_PWpbSDH2DEDI1q8xKDM3AwARAPxS-g3iLMKHxnkoQOTTBl16bukltsaIKJ541CrwJy4JSAvEwXunFEgol3erSl-FbdyTS4FPl8XkVR7gMuww-80t27se/s320/IMG_3478+edit.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9fsu8IqWUZk83gtVNtqT5gP27Kmgsvv34dWNp5rZ53lHQXMAFdZ8x2ObIPJmOudbqYQN9VwYl5PgItYAmzqYuaI66KQujcasjL1tZhOF9tntlRmOFlSoBy9aehC21ym0WbrCSxKwB7Wb-/s1600/IMG_3485+edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9fsu8IqWUZk83gtVNtqT5gP27Kmgsvv34dWNp5rZ53lHQXMAFdZ8x2ObIPJmOudbqYQN9VwYl5PgItYAmzqYuaI66KQujcasjL1tZhOF9tntlRmOFlSoBy9aehC21ym0WbrCSxKwB7Wb-/s320/IMG_3485+edit.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>And that last one? I love that matter-of-fact, just-woke-up, let-me-see-what-you're-doing-before-I-decide-whether-or-not-I-want-to-go-back-to-sleep face.<br />
<br />
It's not as cute on me, though.Meaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13838381850704527439noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1295869811404393626.post-70423783024177455462011-03-31T18:17:00.001-04:002011-04-01T11:32:35.426-04:00New routines (or the lack thereof)Just about every email I've ever received from all of the parenting newsletters I've subscribed to have mentioned how important routine is to lil' ones. That's fine and dandy, but we're hardly a family of routine followers. The only ones in the house who truly seem to stick to a schedule are the cats, but even they have to sometimes just give up and wait a bit longer for breakfast. Or dinner. Or treats. Huh. I may have just figured out why they're so fat.<br />
<br />
So, yes, routines are nice, but we're not good at them. <br />
<br />
Enter last week and the beginning of a big ol' new routine: the morning trek to Gramma and Grandpa's house.<br />
<br />
Since Charlie's birth, we'd been very lucky to have Gramma come to our house to take care of her. Except for a few days when Gramma's broken ankle complicated her driving across town to get to us, Charlie was able to sleep in, spend the morning in her jammies, and generally just relax. It was time to start dropping her off at G&G's, though, so that meant that we needed a plan. Preparation. And God forbid, a new routine. <br />
<br />
This, of course, is not a big deal for all of the parents out there who have long managed to drop their babes at daycare and still get to work on time, but for us this was like a major life change. Perhaps even more so than the actual addition of a child to our home. There was grumbling from both parents. There was negotiation of who would drop of (Daddy) and who would pick up (Mommy). There were lists of take-with-Charlie items to be scratched out. There was the laying-out of the clothes she would wear in the morning. There was diaper bag stocking. (We still haven't managed the transition of cloth dipes to Gramma's house, but it's a'comin!) There was figuring out how to get the dishes done and the trash out in the middle of the new morning hustle. There was mapping out a morning schedule that would time everything just-so and get Daddy and Charlie out the door. And, while I'm at it, there was prepping Mommy's work bags, milk pump, and water bottle so that she could be on time, too.<br />
<br />
Again, so not a big deal for most, but good grief! We are clearly not most.<br />
<br />
One thing I hadn't really prepared for, though, was Charlie's reaction. Most mornings we've had to wake her up to get her ready to go, and each morning I've thought to myself, "Well, this isn't going to go well." But each morning she's stretched and popped up with a smile. She's laughed and kicked her feet while I wedge her socks and shoes on. She's grinned and whispered, "Bampa," after I ask her if she's ready to go see Gramma and Grandpa. She's dutifully grabbed a toy to take with her, happily reached for Daddy who loads her into his car, and even waved as they drive away.<br />
<br />
She's been wonderful.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiezietDUSGejwwwen-W06FKcZYPcaebH1UyT-ZiRyzC0LNMg6ITAuEPTI4X6TlR8fdvj7JIWNzXsift80iixF7DPqMj2IH0HMqcuQWP-R_84_Ke3T89wvzkZMjaiKZGvHhJUP6PSFHw66J/s1600/bright+eyes+edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiezietDUSGejwwwen-W06FKcZYPcaebH1UyT-ZiRyzC0LNMg6ITAuEPTI4X6TlR8fdvj7JIWNzXsift80iixF7DPqMj2IH0HMqcuQWP-R_84_Ke3T89wvzkZMjaiKZGvHhJUP6PSFHw66J/s400/bright+eyes+edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
And you know whose house is trashed at the end of the day? Not mine! (Sorry, Gramma.)Meaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13838381850704527439noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1295869811404393626.post-78964991925611394292011-03-25T12:37:00.001-04:002011-04-28T15:40:55.426-04:0014 months<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Charlie is 14 months old today... or one year, two months, but at this age it's still easier to just count the total in months, isn't it? (Let's see, that would make me 399 months old. Ooh, that means a big celebration in April!)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">Anyway, 14 months old, and she's just amazing. I'm sure I'm not supposed to think anything less than that, but really, I'm just awed by her. And there have been so many times since I started this little bloggy thing that I've thought to myself, wow, I should write a post about that, but then I don't have appropriate photos to go with my story, or the video includes a gratuitous crotch-shot of Daddy's khakis, so I forgo it, and suddenly I don't have any memories written down to share with Charlie later. Boo. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">So, with that in mind, here's a list of wonderful 14-month-old things that she does that I simply don't want to forget:</span><br />
<br />
<ul><li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">She loves pink. I don't know where she got it, but she's shown me on several shopping trips that it's her preferred color. She'll walk up to a display of something like, say, backpacks, and reach around the blue and yellow ones to get to the pink one. I deliberately tried to avoid over-pinking her when she was itty-bitty. Her wardrobe is my coloring book. But pink, <em>bright</em> pink: she digs it. (Oh, and she also likes green.)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">She's funny. I mean <em>intentionally</em> funny. She'll go out of her way to include herself in the laughter if Joe and I get going, but she'll also do silly things, giggling all the while just waiting for us to start laughing, too... enter the mixing bowl.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">We have a big, plastic mixing bowl that she's fond of digging out of the cupboard. It's white with black rubber on the bottom to keep it from slipping, and it has a pleasant weight to it. And apparently it feels good on your head. Charlie will pick it up and put over her face like a helmet - completely obscuring her sight - and walk around with her arms out like Frankenstein, laughing hysterically. The rubber absorbs most of the impact when she walks into things. Which she does. A lot. And we all laugh, so she does it again.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">She signs. Really, she has two main signs, more and milk, though she uses "more" (we say "more, please," in case you were wondering) as "all done" as well. I call it her ALOHA of signs because you really have to pay attention to context to figure out what she's saying. In reality, the sign involves tapping your closed fingers together, but we've seen kids do it with their fists, too. Charlie has her own version: one open hand, one fist, tapped together in a sort of circle, which I think evolves from pat-a-cake's "roll it" motion. It's fabulous, and she uses it liberally.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">She'll tell you (if she's in the mood) what a duck says, what an owl says, and most recently, what a horse says, but instead of neighing, she goes for a more realistic whinny. (Thanks, Grandpa.)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">She says Mama, Daddy, kitty, cat, kitty-cat (yeah, that's her favorite), duck, bath, and Grandpa. (That last one is much to Gramma Kate's chagrin.)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">She'll also repeat a lot of words if you ask her to, but the one that she's really latched on to - and uses on her own - is pretty. She'll now grab hold of my necklace and whisper, "Pretty."</span></li>
</ul><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">And I think she is.</span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSK-6Lyjegpfv_jbKWD-tNPFUIc1XIevYfIazWfCzqM6RA15rAWL7P-L2K0CT1UWSyJPrbdJUXvV4qiCYlNAPQCmlSlt2JtuAlNQbTmYEB-5aDbXXFHPOSYIfJdJAS9SZ9m0bz1rJbNCPL/s1600/charlie+chalk+edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSK-6Lyjegpfv_jbKWD-tNPFUIc1XIevYfIazWfCzqM6RA15rAWL7P-L2K0CT1UWSyJPrbdJUXvV4qiCYlNAPQCmlSlt2JtuAlNQbTmYEB-5aDbXXFHPOSYIfJdJAS9SZ9m0bz1rJbNCPL/s400/charlie+chalk+edit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">(See? No new photos.)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS';">Charlotte, Mommy loves you.</span>Meaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13838381850704527439noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1295869811404393626.post-6844893777145176642011-03-17T15:28:00.001-04:002011-04-01T11:32:53.683-04:00Delightful!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',sans-serif;">Yes, delightful because you get to hear six uninterrupted seconds of giggles and squeals at the end of this clip along with the cutest QUACK-ing you've ever heard. B</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',sans-serif;">ut it's also a bit horrifying because you get to see the chaos in our living room. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',sans-serif;">(And then there's that "Blair Witch" cinematography thanks to budding filmmaker, Charlie. Sorry, you've been warned.) </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxwSSGamdWMKMLOBMSgHzX3RpqpLZodQT6-lIrZQzSaJPymNWGmUwvYbUD3QQJ0lu3lvwfpmqM0N5u_wXtAoQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',sans-serif;">Oh well, the laugh is worth it!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',sans-serif;">And for the record, I <i>try</i> to clean up and keep the floors clear of tripping hazards, but there's this almost-14-month-old who keeps going behind me quite literally undoing everything I've tidied. She's very efficient. And a bit of a daredevil. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',sans-serif;">Also, the television is OFF! I failed to mention in that NickJr post that we read too. I dare say she has more favorite books than TV shows, so at least there's that.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',sans-serif;">OK, I'm gonna go watch while she destroys the kitchen now.</span>Meaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13838381850704527439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1295869811404393626.post-60420637208417318262011-03-14T17:52:00.001-04:002011-04-01T11:33:21.144-04:00Adventures in art... sort of<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It was an incredibly beautiful weekend, so what better way to celebrate than by christening our sidewalk with a brand new box of 20 fresh Crayola chalk crayons? Charlie's first, I might add. I was super excited, just waiting and watching that box on top of the fridge. She couldn't have cared less, but she also didn't know the magic that a pretty day was going to bring us. (She's also around two and a half feet tall, so it's really hard to see the top of anything.)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Anyway, pretty day... freshly napped... Daddy ready for a break from organizing the office... the perfect time to get our graffiti on!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Or not.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The way I wanted it to go:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBAIXAZr8JdA3BmxInJsK9CT8sLSPY2PA1loHIvuf4UAYhggPu5eS9IAgJBoqqolvGLX1rOb8FEZIBXmzvLxrrQpAhh-mdi11KML3QtAJibVSWAQQ_pkcUG7yuI4BuuRrfJI31dToNgAPl/s1600/chalk1edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBAIXAZr8JdA3BmxInJsK9CT8sLSPY2PA1loHIvuf4UAYhggPu5eS9IAgJBoqqolvGLX1rOb8FEZIBXmzvLxrrQpAhh-mdi11KML3QtAJibVSWAQQ_pkcUG7yuI4BuuRrfJI31dToNgAPl/s640/chalk1edit.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The way it actually went:</span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8DbRrYB6_wr6Dlr5v5-b9doRssztmtc9pKWN39z7DtZTD5WzAvpWnZ5emhagqF3cr2XXuIjHvz043YYhhjWSH9jmw9pcgGaGGrEBMVHDbrMys5shvo6vRD8Ak1eG-h7gIT55dtKvv7XAP/s1600/chalk2edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8DbRrYB6_wr6Dlr5v5-b9doRssztmtc9pKWN39z7DtZTD5WzAvpWnZ5emhagqF3cr2XXuIjHvz043YYhhjWSH9jmw9pcgGaGGrEBMVHDbrMys5shvo6vRD8Ak1eG-h7gIT55dtKvv7XAP/s640/chalk2edit.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZgqXgkn0fRI7QtiLLgsdVENjAuTPab7w9JsSS8_d59NFsrqBibjXFmt4DVH_Xh2a7yKE1pTI7Uvx0406Bv3wVUFRGWgg7JutzarCcSrvTe-WD9WuGpuCMv5e7H0JMSTOtWRCXL1GXA53g/s1600/chalk3edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZgqXgkn0fRI7QtiLLgsdVENjAuTPab7w9JsSS8_d59NFsrqBibjXFmt4DVH_Xh2a7yKE1pTI7Uvx0406Bv3wVUFRGWgg7JutzarCcSrvTe-WD9WuGpuCMv5e7H0JMSTOtWRCXL1GXA53g/s640/chalk3edit.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">But who cares! How cute is this?</span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX7c1wJw2VBnYLHEyYQonETtvxCtZezWBl3meJ2RGNvladEvVOldEBZ_iw-fVwhm36zT7F7g0yPrGrSx7mweY-dNtvfa5gxUywbWkHr92mTfLYI6Z93CU6FG9aU7KX33zDVCRkiKjdy-Jv/s1600/chalk4edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX7c1wJw2VBnYLHEyYQonETtvxCtZezWBl3meJ2RGNvladEvVOldEBZ_iw-fVwhm36zT7F7g0yPrGrSx7mweY-dNtvfa5gxUywbWkHr92mTfLYI6Z93CU6FG9aU7KX33zDVCRkiKjdy-Jv/s640/chalk4edit.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Seriously, those overalls? Those leg-warmers? I think they're worth a post in and of themselves. (And I kind of want them in my size.) </span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span>Meaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13838381850704527439noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1295869811404393626.post-85039173486762657882011-03-09T12:18:00.000-05:002011-03-09T16:13:33.747-05:00We watch a LOT of NickJr.<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Sure, we try to squeeze in "Sesame Street" and even some "Mickey Mouse Playhouse" from time to time. (I've also heard rumors of Barney rearing his ugly, purple head, but that doesn't happen on <em>my</em> watch.) NickJr, however, is king of the TV in our house.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Moose, a slightly-animated yellow guy, and his friend Zee act as hosts between the shows, and Charlie has long loved them. I mean, she really loves them. She knows when shows are wrapping up and will get excited because Moose is coming on. Seriously. She doesn't even watch most of the programs; they're just background noise to her playing. Queue the closing credits, though, and she'll pay attention. And that's fine because Moose actually teaches things like numbers and letters and manners and how to approach strange dogs. All very important things, clearly.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">We like him so much that we even made him the top of Charlie's first birthday cake:</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0cce9tUIVLXAznaf5vk4ciN1DijBHtJWbFEFzTo6EeEHQXKT3hOetdzMR20IHaYKXKZDJHe_ygR3rE4JFusvbRKoGcfH7_Vio0__DZMo7275cFrVI_Dct8TpkeabrQMl4xlXUEmxCw6Xo/s1600/cake+close-up.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0cce9tUIVLXAznaf5vk4ciN1DijBHtJWbFEFzTo6EeEHQXKT3hOetdzMR20IHaYKXKZDJHe_ygR3rE4JFusvbRKoGcfH7_Vio0__DZMo7275cFrVI_Dct8TpkeabrQMl4xlXUEmxCw6Xo/s400/cake+close-up.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">So there's Moose, but more recently, there's also "The Fresh Beat Band." Oh, dear God, The Fresh Beat Band. I am not exaggerating a single bit when I say that EVERY. SINGLE. NIGHT. I wake up with one Fresh Beat song or another stuck in my head. They are the soundtrack to my sleep. My head will be humming about friends giving friends a hand, or how I suddenly have loco legs. I used dream about faraway places. Now I dream about a fictional smoothie stand and all of its flavors - sung in my head, of course. (Wiggly, giggly watermelon, anyone?)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">But I don't mind. Why? Because of how much she adores their closing number. They always end with the same song and the same dance, and Charlie will come running over to me any time she hears those opening bars, begging to be scooped up for our own dance. I'm getting pretty good at these moves, too, even with only one arm free. (The other has to hold a spellbound baby, of course.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Here's The Fresh Beat Band performing her favorite song live. I guess we should commend them for not lip-synching?</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://2.gvt0.com/vi/__rnrrGlm6o/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/__rnrrGlm6o&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/__rnrrGlm6o&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object></span></div><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">And here's Charlie tuning in to the fact that the TV show is ending and her song is near. Look at that build-up! (I especially like the here-I'll-just-sit-and-wait-for-it pause.)</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dx6tcz6aG5uUVz9wSNgTfIT9IDmTBGy86ONM1f1Avi1XoaAIM7BCXOq00jOtSg5CrKqeCaRNrztGwrFGxDjXA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Really, wouldn't you like (OK, <em>tolerate</em>) them, too, just to see that face?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">She is her mother's daughter: give her a song and dance number and we're good-to-go! I sense some elaborately choreographed afternoons in our future. Oh, "Annie," she's gonna love you!</span>Meaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13838381850704527439noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1295869811404393626.post-70803793428654811182011-03-07T10:21:00.000-05:002011-03-09T12:22:09.009-05:00Let's go on a picnik!<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Picnik.com, that is.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Some of my favorite mommy-blogs are as much about the photos as they are about the actual text. I feel like I've not only watched these children grow up, but thanks to the richness of the photos their mommies have included on their blogs, I feel like I know them. These are more than just little snapshots - these are rich, deep photos that are so "alive" that you feel like you're there with them. I feel like I've been to Utah. I feel like I've spent days at the Isle of Capri. I haven't, of course, but I <em>have</em> enjoyed images of those savory spots, and I feel like I've felt the warmth of sweet baby cheeks coming through the computer screen.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">And that brings us to Picnik.com. Joe sent me a link to yet another blog written my yet another mommy with yet another camera. I wasn't especially sucked in by this mommy's writing (am I a blog snob?), but I did appreciate the note from Joe that she uses the same camera we have and that she edits most of her photos with Picnik. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Oh, okay.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Neither of us were familiar with the site, but last week that changed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Enter the wonderful world of super-easy photo editing:</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3hmgrfHOnS3eAEgr3tZBi_-T8cevmC0l38IRW8A5_Lf77YRDCTQvN-O_fxGOY0DPBC03YGeipUjVI0TSPKG9PaS18e4JEuDyGWkygrdyx_HJ8bWW4ICE3qUD8i72uQOIdrPq5qXxYyK9d/s1600/cute+hat+original.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3hmgrfHOnS3eAEgr3tZBi_-T8cevmC0l38IRW8A5_Lf77YRDCTQvN-O_fxGOY0DPBC03YGeipUjVI0TSPKG9PaS18e4JEuDyGWkygrdyx_HJ8bWW4ICE3qUD8i72uQOIdrPq5qXxYyK9d/s400/cute+hat+original.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Original cropped shot by Daddy</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGtcx9QdodB5-Tf21UqvKNM-KRurWqYdhiihrXEuN86_lkO7bd10NuxkL0_j1N51u1VJTtoDB7XDS7Bg-ApHD2bxA0ovleDtpZ9ZCJ81GTd2qMX7imV9C5qHyLyzBYVP6dQIzccyW-5VHV/s1600/cute+hat+edit+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGtcx9QdodB5-Tf21UqvKNM-KRurWqYdhiihrXEuN86_lkO7bd10NuxkL0_j1N51u1VJTtoDB7XDS7Bg-ApHD2bxA0ovleDtpZ9ZCJ81GTd2qMX7imV9C5qHyLyzBYVP6dQIzccyW-5VHV/s400/cute+hat+edit+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Picnik edit one... yummy, yummy color!</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD7vUJjT_y00b1E2Pr1cLahY7xC4e7tk6vhJUuEe5OfhIxTyd-7_ODrGXUoRHNsQJUgosXMYFGBkhf0tuzZfbBL8yulCz_5enMqlyiO5Kzg2shIKjLpXLI9mrfGuxnnyyL-G6i004y3UBy/s1600/old-time+hat.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" q6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD7vUJjT_y00b1E2Pr1cLahY7xC4e7tk6vhJUuEe5OfhIxTyd-7_ODrGXUoRHNsQJUgosXMYFGBkhf0tuzZfbBL8yulCz_5enMqlyiO5Kzg2shIKjLpXLI9mrfGuxnnyyL-G6i004y3UBy/s400/old-time+hat.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Retro Picnik edit two... how very '60s</span>!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Yes, I'm trying <strike>not to punch my computer</strike> to learn Photoshop, but in the meantime, you can expect some way over-edited, picnik-ed images to grace this clunky ol' blog page!*</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">*Joe doesn't like my clunky ol' blog page, so maybe once I master Photoshop, I'll do something cooler. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Maybe.</span>Meaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13838381850704527439noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1295869811404393626.post-35685651422512796272011-03-07T09:57:00.000-05:002011-03-09T12:22:32.627-05:00A delayed birthday tradition-to-be<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Going into Charlie's first birthday I started getting a bevy of emails from all of the newsletters I subscribe to with all sorts of great ideas about how I should mark my bebe's big day. Good grief. In the middle of all of the useless (to me anyway) ideas, there was one I could actually get behind: put a special shirt on your little one and take a picture. Next year on her birthday and each year to come, put the same shirt on her and snap another picture to really mark her growth. That one I liked!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Fast forward to Charlie's actual birthday, January 25th.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Fast forward again to Charlie's 13-month birthday, February 25th.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Sure, it was a month late, but so what? We went for it! I looked around for a shirt that could be her special look-how-big-I-am-now photo, but I didn't really like any of the ones I saw online. Then I thought, why purchase a kids' shirt for her to grow in to when I could use one of my own... you know, something big enough to really torture her with for YEARS. Enter a very cool Beatles t-shirt that Joe gave me for one of our first Valentine's Days together. Vintage-look, great band that she simply <em><u>has</u></em> to adore, and a special meaning and connection to Mom and Dad. Perfect!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Too bad the thing looks enormous on her - but wait, there's always next year!</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-FKbbpkA-itsKrPnkBy_-z5_GOAj3PBSPg5K_JE6LVJiJJ_Hr3ztBOeIGuvwsPYHkmSUypFkTFQc2_wKr3bor7VLMWP1gGpeDon3jX04wIIe6LWgFKP-_RrQjyUcBd7sI2nGJxNskjPhF/s1600/13+month.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" l6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-FKbbpkA-itsKrPnkBy_-z5_GOAj3PBSPg5K_JE6LVJiJJ_Hr3ztBOeIGuvwsPYHkmSUypFkTFQc2_wKr3bor7VLMWP1gGpeDon3jX04wIIe6LWgFKP-_RrQjyUcBd7sI2nGJxNskjPhF/s400/13+month.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Let it be? Nope, not me!</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;"></div> Meaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13838381850704527439noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1295869811404393626.post-9941464450204443152011-02-24T20:11:00.000-05:002011-03-09T12:22:54.475-05:00Just a quick post... mostly in photos<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I'm short on time, but not on love. Charlie started hugging this week. This is just the most fun!</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwGWmKeDrKcePXElDpCPPD0ehKVpPLiKPqi6UH4PepQ6QqjAr3nygp-4QBbAWrqo1DwxJeEv-VYDPQfhsZHECKZJPdx6WokaNXmWPJNIumyZZEuHUc9FqPrKBbsQec7kRH-_5yA_NSmU_L/s1600/hug1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwGWmKeDrKcePXElDpCPPD0ehKVpPLiKPqi6UH4PepQ6QqjAr3nygp-4QBbAWrqo1DwxJeEv-VYDPQfhsZHECKZJPdx6WokaNXmWPJNIumyZZEuHUc9FqPrKBbsQec7kRH-_5yA_NSmU_L/s400/hug1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvt832rzBU_8gvk6Bh2RVbtb5y2kr1sq7TQor3vwO2F0uwJ95Lq3Tfc3D0LLbR9grzNRa26pFyHfy6y0p0OkzOR5e2dtn1aAdDoLDbgmyB9zihrRgHVsSW_SCWou8i35Ua6oXkr_Y0WJtX/s1600/hug2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvt832rzBU_8gvk6Bh2RVbtb5y2kr1sq7TQor3vwO2F0uwJ95Lq3Tfc3D0LLbR9grzNRa26pFyHfy6y0p0OkzOR5e2dtn1aAdDoLDbgmyB9zihrRgHVsSW_SCWou8i35Ua6oXkr_Y0WJtX/s400/hug2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiePz2347dHN0q78-oAQZEdzgDyZJ8JYs1AXyV4crvMfaCqqiohxYDg3BLsW9-QxPaZd7H6FOz6JvyX0S2vR_MQ4J-dU_rrUgYskva7L46XAGL9I4VXKzkpvAT_z1aZcycjAdouys6UYBzy/s1600/hug3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiePz2347dHN0q78-oAQZEdzgDyZJ8JYs1AXyV4crvMfaCqqiohxYDg3BLsW9-QxPaZd7H6FOz6JvyX0S2vR_MQ4J-dU_rrUgYskva7L46XAGL9I4VXKzkpvAT_z1aZcycjAdouys6UYBzy/s400/hug3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSM1_gyC_Nxb8-HRjv1n2FjhGGXzjel_RSUvAdE4leIPGFJCI6k2vyK4q93VjZ6JD2MUh5WoEa2h65UgeUmWT835RCVMKXhYBCE16UPW66fL0H1GIrplViLbxbc3XGNWaJ4EgWOpqQJ989/s1600/hug4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSM1_gyC_Nxb8-HRjv1n2FjhGGXzjel_RSUvAdE4leIPGFJCI6k2vyK4q93VjZ6JD2MUh5WoEa2h65UgeUmWT835RCVMKXhYBCE16UPW66fL0H1GIrplViLbxbc3XGNWaJ4EgWOpqQJ989/s400/hug4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhBiozYOnYZEIKOt5i4meGJZsVtn10OCmx-YFqzE-98boY_M2z7ydd7GuWD4ynU8Ao-8Lh5FsB9or7H9XEwlVj3Rg1zxMwhFpuY3TatkgRr_K8x4jxCIAMu9basRhf2rMCO_bHjt0vAv2h/s1600/hug5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhBiozYOnYZEIKOt5i4meGJZsVtn10OCmx-YFqzE-98boY_M2z7ydd7GuWD4ynU8Ao-8Lh5FsB9or7H9XEwlVj3Rg1zxMwhFpuY3TatkgRr_K8x4jxCIAMu9basRhf2rMCO_bHjt0vAv2h/s400/hug5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Want a hug?</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span>Meaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13838381850704527439noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1295869811404393626.post-69844200293438604602011-02-17T18:57:00.000-05:002011-02-17T18:57:35.433-05:00That Mother-Daughter Magic<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">My mom and I have always had this sort of telepathic/psychic connection. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">No, really, it's true!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><u>Exhibit A</u></b>: This was when we still lived in Michigan, so I wasn't more than four. I had spent the day with Grandma Rose, my mom's mom. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">(I don't remember what we did, but for the sake of this post let's just assume that we baked a six-tier wedding cake for our own enjoyment and then graffiti-ed the side of the house with the leftover icing and sprinkles.) </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Driving home with my mom, she was quietly thinking about her mom. I guess Grandma had looked a little frail or tired that day, and it worried Mom. She hadn't said anything out loud, but I suddenly burst into tears with, "I don't want Grandma to die!" </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Weird, right?</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><u>Exhibit B</u></b>: In second grade, my parents went on a ski trip. I stayed home. Mom thought that she should buy me a little something to <s>make up for the crushing guilt of leaving me, her sweet little angel, behind</s> show me how much she missed me. She selected this heart-shaped, decorative tape dispenser. It was pink with diagonal lines in shade of blue and purple. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">At the exact same time, I was in school coloring. Coloring what? A big heart that I had drawn diagonal lines on in shades of pink, purple, and blue.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Skip ahead a couple decades...</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><u>Ex</u></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><u>hibit C</u></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">: Just today as Charlie and I were getting ready to leave Gramma's, I was sitting on the floor gathering our things. (OK, I was changing a diaper.) Apropos nothing, I <i>almost</i> blurted out, "No, I didn't watch 'American Idol' last night." <i>Almost</i>, meaning I didn't actually say anything. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">But what did Mom </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>actually</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> say? "Well, it's the second night of Hollywood Week on 'Idol.'" </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Half telepathic-half verbal conversation. Cool!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">So you see, there's a pretty strong connection between the women in my family. Charlie is the first-born daughter of a first-born daughter to a first-born daughter. I already feel that deep, almost vibrating pull between us. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Like last night while I was snuggling her to sleep. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The room was dark and quiet, but she was still awake. It was one of those perfect moments where I could see a little glimpse into our future, one where we whisper to each other about things like the best parts of our days after we read our favorite bedtime stories. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I was pretty sure that Charlie could feel that magic connection, that she could sense something profound in the room.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">And then she farted.</span><br />
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</span>Meaganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13838381850704527439noreply@blogger.com2