This goes down in my house a few times a month

We have two golden retrievers, a female named Gala and a male named Marc Anthony.  We call Gala our nanny dog, because she's always taken care of all of us as best as she can without thumbs. Sometimes when something terrible happens to Rylee - getting her milk in the wrong cup for example, as happened in the video - it makes Gala very, very sad. She will come from anywhere in the house to be sad near Rylee, as you see her in the video. Sometimes this will make Marc Anthony sad. And the result is funny and sad, in proportion to the amount of sleep I've had.

As a bonus you can hear the best Christmas album ever at the beginning before the family starts in. Enjoy!

When favorite things collide

I love sewing for Rylee and had a few ideas for a handmade costume this year. Then someone offered me this free, new-with-tags pig costume.

I love free stuff almost as much as Rylee loves the first piece of Halloween candy.

I made the bag. Last year. It counts.

Mmmmm.....

Kitschy Coo Pettiskirt, Version One, Lessons Learned

Because princess-itis has seized our household - earlier and with greater intensity than I could have ever imagined - I decided the time has come to venture into tulle territory. I didn't enter lightly, having wandered on these plains of desperation, climbed these cliffs of insanity while sewing a Tinkerbell costume ten years ago. But motherhood has its costs and pay them we must.

I armed myself with the high quality Kitschy Coo Pettiskirt tutorial and took Rylee shopping to pick out the tulle. I have to thank Amanda here not only for a great tutorial but also for her unwavering support as I begin life in a princess inhabited household. It's nice to know we're not alone in our trials.

My first attempt will be for At Home Dressing Up and not for Public Wearing or Viewing but I do have some valuable lessons learned.

1. Gathering on the serger does make quick work of the gathering but it will certainly eat into your seam allowance if you're dumb enough to forget to add extra for the necessary trimming of the ugly serger seams. This will render your pettiskirt a tutu.

2. Cutting tulle while it's still warm enough to require ceiling fans running will make you cry.

3. Things that are more fun than gathering yards and yards of tulle.

4. Even if you spend an entire nap time (PLUS some) sewing something you already spent an entire nap time cutting out, right after nap is not the best time to present a bratty little ingrate slow to wake toddler with her new princess dress.

5. Things that are higher quality than the tulle I bought.

6. Things that are sadder than watching your rolled hem fall right off the skirt because it was too narrow and the satin frayed away right underneath it.

7. The smirk that makes it worth it and might even make me try again.

Off we go!

Rylee and I are taking wing to Michigan again. Some cousin-y goodness, some grubby camp fun and then some beach time with Daddy. Should be a hoot!

I'll try to post pictures and what-not.

Decisions, decisions

We finally got a decision on wearing yesterday's character tops.  And the winner is...

Dora!

But wait. What's the touch of green at the neckline? And why does Rylee look a little puffy. And what's that green bit protruding from the bottom...?

And at the sleeve?

Yes, indeed. We've reached the stage of life of a toddler dressing herself and her choice today was not to choose! It was too hot for two shirts, though, so before leaving the house we had to wrestle her out of one of them. She was distraught until handed two scraps of fabric. Then all was well. I should have kept my scraps and sewed a big, makeshift lovey out of them.

Happy 4th!

Birthday Model in motion

We finally had Rylee's postponed birthday party and it was a blast! And I even got a few pictures of her birthday outfit before she spent the rest of the party in a bathing suit. I should probably quit making special outfits for her party since they're always pool parties.

Mommy got the gift of catching her playing with her handmade tea set. We've had a few impromptu parties with it and she will seek it out on her own. Score!

Although I love to bake and even showoff by creating the fanciest desserts my skills can muster, this year's cake was made with the guest of honor in mind. Behold, the cake that love baked.

And here's the good side of having her in her bathing suit instead of her fancy birthday clothing by the time cake rolls around.

Alas, she had a 2nd piece after being changed into dry clothing and in spite of mommy's careful pre-treating the new top came out of the washer with mysterious blue dye stains. :-(  I washed it once and it came out with no stains but some ground in dirt, so I tossed it back in with a second load. I'm not sure if there was frosting left over from the Backyardigans cake or something in the second load that stained it. Bummer!

So far the stain treating is promising, so maybe this won't be the last picture I have of it unstained.

Guest Blogging

The lovely Daisie asked for birth stories over on her breastfeeding blog. She was looking for stories to inspire mothers who might have a hard time getting started, particularly after a traumatic delivery.

So I poured out my guts in a story that she was kind enough to post. It's all the words I have for awhile.

If you read it and want to see how far Rylee and I actually came in breastfeeding, check out my little piggy at about 10 months old.

Modeled dresses

Rylee has croup. It's the sickest she's ever been and what's really crummy is her birthday party was supposed to be tomorrow. Postponing is the pits!

We got to the doctor yesterday and the steroids they gave her are making her feel much better. Before she was struck down with fever and wheezing I was able to persuade her to model the two dresses I made to sell.

The monkey is my favorite. The kind of print I would buy five times before I bought ladybugs. I have a bunch of it. But I already sold a ladybug one just from my blog post and I predict it will sell much better.

Tea and festivities

For your 2nd birthday you absolutely need a fancy new dress.  Bonus points if it includes your brand-new BFF.

Cheesy, pre-shirred Dora fabric? Check. Five inches magically cut from the middle and re-sewn? Check. Fit through the chest? Check. Toddler proof?

Um....

...no.

Ok. I'll re-try the ribbon straps I made initially.  At least I got the tea set done. In addition to the scrumptious Strawberry Lemon Cake there are some lovely chocolate tea cakes available.

Yum!

And a choice of lemon or herbal tea. Great!

What a fancy party we can have!

I know she'll love some of her other presents, too. Like the Backyardigans sticker book.

And the DORA!!!! coloring book.

(Twenty Minute Interlude. Feel free to talk amongst yourselves.)

Rylee's teeth: 0. Mommy's sewing skills: 1

Or as my two-year old has been saying for months now...."Mmmmm! Tasty!"

Dear Mom

Dear Mom,

Tonight your youngest grandchild is going to go to bed one and wake up two. I've had two years to get to know this amazing little person.

She is joy, mischief, wonder, temper, dependence and independence.

She's so fearless sometimes my heart stops and so brave it skips a beat.

She loves birds, berries, cheese, swimming, shoes, purses and raw flour.

She'll take calls from the Backyardigans, but not a real person.

Sometimes I don't know which is harder to fathom: how long she's been here or how long you've been gone. I'm so sad that you haven't met her, because you would love her. And I know she would love you.

Birthday Craftapaloza

Continues!

A nice long nap from my sugar plum yielded the top half of her birthday outfit. She slept so long, in fact, that I probably could have finished the shorts. But I also need to - you know - take pictures and blog the progress. And the little hot pink shorts will probably take 30 minutes, tops.

A bit more tiny confection than I normally make. But if a girl can't feel fancy on her 2nd birthday, well when can she feel fancy? It needs a quick pass with the iron, but you can get the flavor of fancy here.

Simple Rylee Tunic, Take Two

The 2nd tunic I sewed up last night fit MUCH better. I was able to finish the neckline before we left for our gadding today. Unfortunately my model was in a less cooperative mood.

Getting on with it

After Wednesday's whine I looked over a bunch of patterns to try to decide what to make for Rylee's birthday. I spent one hour doing this and did not arrive at a decision. More of the same.

So I decided today was the day to get back on the horse, one way or another. I was determined to sew something, anything.  And it ended up being this:

It's vegbee's peasant top lengthened to a dress with Kitschy Coo's double elastic neckline modification. Because coming up with my own ideas or - heaven forbid - following a big-four pattern was beyond my capability.

Rylee cooperated by taking a decent two-hour nap. The downside is I did the length and the neckline by guessing. It was about 3" too long and too big through the chest and neck. I shortened it and took in the elastic a little bit. It's still too big but I've been wanting a simple shift to pull over her when we come in from swimming. There's usually only an hour before her bath and it's a pain to get her dressed all over again. It works for that.

I made a few changes and sewed up another one. This time I didn't finish the neckline (duh!) and I'll try it on her tomorrow.

Hoping this is the boot to the behind I needed. And besides, a busy mommy needs something comfy.

Dear Daddy

Dear Daddy,

I'm having lots of fun at Aunt Kari's. Went to the dark side. See you soon!
Love, Rylee

I wish I hadn't let Rylee in on this computer super power

Rylee's Easter Dress

As promised, here's my little super model in training vogueing her new dress and hat. And a few front of the camera pics to go with it.

With the larger print I was hoping for a "little old lady" look. I think I got it...

This picture breaks my heart because it confirms that my baby is all but gone to make way for this kid

Coordinating basket. Mouthful of candy that fortunately came out with stain treatment.

View of the back of the hat ribbon. So glad I changed from gray to cream.

Just about the only mommy/daughter picture prior to her staining herself with chocolate and jelly beans.

Proof for Amanda that I do wear hot makeup sometimes.

The hat had 90% wearing success. I'll take it.