At least the music is good

Can somebody else take over?

I am GAHzosted.

The boy is too awake at night.

The girl is too fussy about what's for dinner.

The husband plays too much late night hockey.

And I have too many things I want to do and not even close to enough energy to do them.

Also, between staff and family, I feel like I'm responsible for too many people right now.

I'm hardly qualified.

Also, I'm dieting.

Which is actually working (12 el bees down in 7 weeks) but is way way wayyy annoying when what I really need (yes need) to do is eat a huge plate of spaghetti, drink the better half of a bottle of red and just go to sleep.

For a week.

Instead I'm "enjoyyyyying" some steamed fish on a freaking salad of all things.

Not even Captain Highliner could call this comfort food.

I suppose what it's lacking in flavour it's making up in empowerment.

Fatigue and stress, either on their own or in combination, are definitely binge triggers for me.

Not that this is some sort of revelation.

The only good thing about this week so far is the new Starbucks music compilation I bought for Blackbird.

I would encourage you to drink local coffee (Equator all the way baby) but hit the 'bucks up for music.

Specifically their 40th Anniversary album.

So good!

Or you could just come visit me in the shop for a listen.

Think Paul Simon meets Alicia Keys meets Neko Case meets Buena Vista Social Club.

Meets home decor.

Meets grumpy shop keep.

Noooo. I'll be nice. Really I will.

To better days, quieter nights, 0 cal cheeseburgers and beautiful music.

Em

Pillow Fight!

I'm too lazy today to go back through all my old blog posts and figure out if I've ever talked to you about the talented Robin Andrew of UNPOSED.

So I'll tell you about her now.

She's a local area photographer.

A great one.

Over the past few years Robin has transformed from Electrical Engineer to Portrait Photographer and turned her love and talent for photography into a booming career for herself.

There's nothing I respect more than someone who can turn their creative passion into a business that pays the bills.

Robin photographed Clemmie when she was only 5 months and also did all the photography on my website.

She's talented and hilarious and can turn anyone into a model.

If only for an hour.

Another thing that makes Robin special to me is her willingness to sponsor my friend Lisa's Lupus fundraiser last year.

Lupus fundraising time has arrived again on the calendar and, yet again, Robin is stepping up to do her part.

Unsolicited this time. So that just shows you what kind of gal Robin is.

She's come up with an idea to host a huge pillow fight/movie night/fundraiser next month.

So Saturday, April 30, she's hosting a Family Fun Night at Almonte, Old Town Hall with proceeds to Lupus Ontario. The event will kick off with a giant pillow fight, followed by a double bill family movie: Despicable Me, and Tangled.

Wanna play?

To participate, purchase a pillow case in advance for only $8. Cash only please. All proceeds from pillow case sales will be donated to Lupus Ontario. Stuff the pillow case with your favourite pillow and come out to have some fun.

Pillow cases are now available for purchase at the following locations:

Tag Along Toys, Kanata

Blackbird Gift Shop, Almonte,

Arts Carleton Place, Train Station Gallery, Carleton Place

Wearing your PJs is encouraged!

Popcorn and drinks will be available for sale and there will be a 50/50 draw. Jack FM will be broadcasting live.

The Old Town Hall is at 14 Bridge Street in Almonte. The event begins at 7pm, doors open at 6:30pm.

Hope you can come!

Just EAT it

Wednesday night we had our "Cougar Town" decor inspired workshop.

I've always coveted the letters E A T on Courtney Cox's character's kitchen wall, and after seeing the gorgeous fabric on "Dutch Girl" Jody's website, Col and I thought we'd take a stab at making them ourselves.

On a side note, if you have a sewing project in mind, you really have to check out Dutch Girl Textiles.

Jody has a collection of some really interesting and beautiful fabrics, at really decent (Canadian!) prices to boot.

I haven't been able to find many of her fabrics in shops so it's huge to be able to get them so close to home.

She's also really good at holding babies and making them fall asleep so they don't ruin workshops.

Which is an asset.

But back to the workshop.

With 12.5 workshoppers (see obligatory pregnant girl below) we kind of crammed 'em in like sardines to this one.

It was cozy.

Yeah...that's it.

Cozy.

Thankfully everyone was very easy going and willing to share.

And the end results were pretty stinking adorable.

I even made a set for my house:

Pink's not usually my bag in the kitchen, but this selection of fabric was too pretty to pass up.

A nice little touch of floral for spring too.

Now that we've figured out how to build these letters, I can see myself making them for gifts.

And damned if I'm ever going to pay to spell out "Clementine".

Now I can make the letters myself and save a bundle.

Or at least the "C".

After that workshop I figure it's about 45 mins to an hour of labour per letter.

Fortunately after long evenings at workshops I have this to come home to.

My little RMT in training...

And a smiling boy.

He smiled for the first time this weekend.

Boy was I wrong in thinking he couldn't get any cuter.

Poor little sucker wrapped in his girly blanket.

Waste not want not.

Am I right? Or am I right?

Em

Keep it Clean

I've simplified my blog design.

Hopefully you're not one of those who doesn't do well with change.

In the shop again today and working on a blog post for our last workshop.

Stay tuned.

Em

The Girl's Room

Oh hi again.

What a difference a week can make.

I'm in the shop today (a Thursday!!) and, though all I pretty much manage to do is catch up stuff while I'm at work these days, it's got to be done and it makes me feel good to do it.

Leslie, in her infinite search for adventure I can only imagine, has offered to take both kids for 2 hours on the days she's at our house with Clemmie.

So Griffin and I have been getting out of their way in the mornings to run errands, etc and then heading back around 2:30 so I can drop him off with them and go in to the shop.

Tuesday and Thursday.

3 to 5.

It's not much, but it's routine, and babies aren't the only ones who need a little routine you know.

Poor Leslie might not like this arrangement forever so I'll have to be sure to check in with her often about how she's fairing.

She puts on a brave face that Leslie.

Now that I type her name, I don't know if I've ever really talked about her on here.

She's our angel-on-earth, gift-from-God, couldn't-live-without-her caregiver who has been coming to our house 2.5 days a week since Clementine was one.

She bakes, she cleans, she makes us supper, she loves our kids, she gives great advice, she makes my friends jealous that they can't have her, she rocks the casbah...you get the picture.

So that's Leslie.

The woman who allows me to live my life at least to a fraction of what it used to be.

And that's something.

Tuesday when I got home she had a can of paint in the bathroom so she could "touch up" some spots on the wall that were bugging her.

The craziest part about that sentence is that SHE painted the bathroom in the first place.

You know, on a whim.

Because she knew it was something I wanted to do, and she wanted to help me out.

And now you're jealous too.

I love it.

But this isn't about Leslie. It's about me having some time to write.

I finally took some pictures of Clemmie's new room!

Now that I've got this adorable crib (courtesy of the fellow freelancer Jen Hughes btw) all outfitted with matching fabrics and custom bed skirt etc etc, she's probably ready for a big girl bed, but she's just going to have to suffer through for a few more months of getting her legs stuck in the rungs.

For "finished project"'s sake if nothing else.

Insert drumroll (please):

Our reading chair, crochet blanket courtesy of Jean Newton (Lisa's mom), photo of Clem when she was 5 months courtesy of Robin Andrew - Unposed

My unmade bed in the background...oops. And here you thought I was perfect.

The dresser I painted before she was born

Anthropologie drawer pulls

My most amazing vintage chandelier find from Vintage Wear/Ware right here on Mill Street!

The quilt mom sewed for me with all the gorgeous Etsy fabrics I bought.

AND matching baby doll blanket for the bed my uncle Steve and aunt Jude made me when I was a kid.

Leslie gave Clemmie the tin "Three Wishes" sign above her door.

It belonged to her daughter when she was a girl (or a kid I mean...she's still a girl as far as I know) and I joke that of the 3 wishes, Brad and I each get one and it's always "we wish you'd go to sleep" so that trumps whatever piddley one wish she has left.

I don't think she gets the joke though.

She's only 2.

So there it is.

The girl's room.

And, as promised a long time ago, here's a picture of the FABU custom bedding I had made by Etsy seller Heidi Rose.

Not great shots, but his room is still a bit of a mess.

See you soon!

Em

There she is.

I may not have been blogging much, but it's not like I'm sitting here popping bonbons and watching Oprah's Farewell Season.

Ok, so I am watching some Oprah.

But only in between episodes of Max and Ruby, nursing, beating the toddler off the baby while nursing, emailing vendors and trying to maintain some sort of order in this house.

I am burned out!

Seriously.

Mentally, I'm toast.

My adrenaline is even pumping as I type because I'm trying to zip through this before somebody wakes up.

Heaven forbid.

What have I been doing you ask?

Well.

I've been doing loads of advertising freelance lately from home, which is great considering I'm only back to work at the store a few hours a week (last Saturday was my first day back...my boobs weren't the same for about 24 hours. Sheesh, this boy eats more than I thought!).

Also,

Handmade Harvest is rapidly approaching and we've had some amazing sponsors step up.

Some even unsolicited! I feel like a superstar.

It's going to be so amazing. The vendors (of which there are 52) are incredible. I have literally started putting cash aside so I can spend a wad on May 7th. Happy Mother's Day to me!!

Here's a sneak peek of what you'll find at the show:

Also,

Workshops are officially back in session.

I haven't been posting about them on here because they've been filling up too fast just through the emails.

So if you want to be in the loop on those, I hope you'll join my mailing list.

You can go here to do that.

Also,

I'm hosting my 2nd Clothing and Accessories Event.

But this time I'm calling it a "Trunk Show".

You know. Because it just sounds cooler.

It is set to be held Friday April 15th in Heritage Court (14 Mill Street).

I'll extend the hours this round I think because it was a little nutty last time.

I've bought even more amazing stuff than last time. The jackets are even more ridiculously awesome and I have some really gorgeoso bags coming in.

And scarves. Beautiful, funktastic scarves.

That's only 4 of about 25 styles I have coming in.

Another good reason to get on my mailing list.

I'm going to cut this one a little short, although there's still lots I could talk about.

I'll try to get back on the blog wagon.

To tie you over until then, maybe you'd like to see pictures of my babies.

Clemmie is now able to sit through the better part of a movie (which may sound terrible but I'll tell you, it's a flipping godsend right now) so I thought it was about time we started letting her try popcorn.

Here she is thoroughly enjoying some on the couch with mom.

Is she gorgeous or is she gorgeous?

And here's her baby brother "Giff" (as she calls him) lounging at her feet.

I've nicknamed this kid "Dream Boy" because that's what he is.

He doesn't sleep through the night, but he will go for stretches as long as 5 hours at night, and at 7 weeks old, I really can't ask for too much more than that.

Right?

Answer me. Because if I can, I will.

That's all for now.

Hope to hear from me soon.

xo Em