Try to keep up

Oh my god. This post is like the ball of hair clogging my shower drain.
Until I get it out, every things going to get backed up.

I have been wanting to write about a zillion things!
But I felt like until I caught up on all the missing pieces I couldn't write something new.

First things first, I am no longer the owner of Blackbird.

That transition has somewhat overshadowed both my trip to NYC and our family excursion (read: nightmare in the woods) to the cottage.

Although, I must say, I am surprisingly unsentimental about the whole thing.

It's possible I'm in a bit of shock.

But overall, it feels like 100% the right move for me.

Last week Leslie called in sick and it was the first time ever that something like that hasn't put me in a state of panic. Instead, I was able to stay home with the kids and we ended up spending the day at a friend's cottage enjoying the sunshine.

How lovely it is not to be on a schedule.

But back to my list of things to talk about.

New Yawk.

Despite being over a month ago, I do actually remember the trip.

I'll start by saying that since Clemmie was born, it's been difficult for me to enjoy a vacation. 

I find I need at least 24 hours to just get into a new groove of chilling the heck out, catching up on my sleep and adjuting to having the time to myself. 

I find I kind of need some alone time for the first little bit.
It's such a drastic change to being at home that I need some serious, isolation chamber style quiet time to switch mind frames.

I was in good shape by the time we arrived in Newark.

Not rested exactly, but excited and pumped to spend time with Melissa nonetheless.

The incredible view from Amy's apartment in Soho.

And so began our much anticipated weekend in NYC.

Or, what I like to call, the vacation equivalent to falling up a set of stairs (or something equally annoying, embarrassing, and almost impossible not to laugh at).

You see, no matter how hard we both tried, New York was out to make us look like tourists.

Or idiots.

Possibly both.

Every excursion was wrought with complications.

The first morning we decided to go for breakfast. 

Simple enough.

We were just a few blocks North of Katz Deli where the famous Meg Ryan orgasm scene from When Harry met Sally was shot.

Naturally, we walked 5 blocks East before realizing we had taken a wrong turn.

Happens to the best of us.
At least we got to take in a little New York scenery.

I couldn't help but take a picture of all the fire escapes.

Not to mention find the BEST coffee in New York.

What luck!

The moment (30 dewey minutes later) that we arrived at the deli was when we faced the real challenge.

Not only was there a turnstile with an attendant (this place has completely let it's 15 minutes of fame go to it's head and is way commercialized now, trading cozy booths for cafeteria tables) but there was a completely unmarked spot where you placed your order, another place where you picked up your coffee, an off limits seating section if you wanted to be served instead of serving yourself, and you didn't pay until your way out.
Phewf.

Apparently everyone else who goes there is a psychic, because damned if we knew what the hell we were doing.

After breakfast, determined to hit up a New York City style flea market, we took the Subway (which is way more complicated than the north, south, east, west format we're accustomed to in Toronto) uptown to Hells Kitchen. True to it's name in early July, it was a hotter than hell but authentically adorable market, of which I took no pictures but Melissa did. 

Because Melissa is good like that.

As far as landmarks, bike riding in Central Park was a definite highlight.

But it wasn't exactly free of adversity either.

First of all, we hit this hot spot on the last day of our trip, so we definitely had to keep an eye on the clock. We got there (after taking the long way on the Subway due to line closures...shocker) at about 12:30pm and decided to rent bikes.

You know. Because we're athletes.

In Central Park you can rent bikes for $15 an hour.
Which totally sounds easy. And it would be if this was a real business.
Instead, it's really just a bunch of random dudes with bicycles.
We tracked one guy down, but of course he only had one bike left, so though securing one was simple enough, we had to get the second by strapping on a little blind faith and following one of the aforementioned rando's down a street, and then another street, and then into a parking garage.

I know. That's exactly how people get killed on Law and Order, but it was ok.
There were other people doing it.
And I don't think any of them were crack addicts. Not that you can always tell.
In the end we both got bikes, and we both were able to tick "bike around Central Park" off our bucket lists.
Awesome.

By 2pm we decided we better get our shit in gear and head back downtown to get ourselves packed and ready to head to the airport.
Our goal was to be back at Amy's and out of there with our suitcases by 4pm, to Time Square to catch the Newark Airport Shuttle around 4:30 and to the airport with an hour to spare.
But the problem with New York is...well two things actually.
1. It's full of things to sidetrack you because,
2. Who knows when you'll be back there again!?

Long story short, we didn't end up leaving the apartment until 4:15, were presented with a Subway that had to go south before it would go north, and we missed our 5:15 shuttle by about 30 seconds.
We didn't get on the next shuttle until 5:45pm.
Did I mention we were in Time Square?
Which is basically the most populated place in the universe.

Did I also mention that our technically INTERFREAKINGNATIONAL flight was at 6:30?

At this point Melissa and I kind of stopped talking.
We weren't mad at each other. It was no ones fault really.
We just knew there was absolutely nothing we could say that could help the situation.

Besides, when you're both thinking the same thing what's the use?

So we're sitting in New York City traffic sweating bullets.
I have a connecting flight to catch to Ottawa.
At this point, it would seriously take a miracle to get to the airport before the plane took off, forget about actually getting through security and boarding!
6:15 we arrive at the airport and are standing at the check in desk, where a very friendly attendant takes our boarding passes and frowns sympathetically.

"I'm sorry. This plane has already boarded."
Of course it has.
"Ok." I say. "We realize we're very late. I have a connecting flight to catch in Toronto. Do we have any options at all?"


And all I have to say about what happened next is that it's true. You definitely catch more flies with honey.
Because didn't that sweet woman just pick up her phone, call the boarding desk and ask them to hold the plane.
We ran.
We ran we ran we ran.
When we got to security and I threw my hands in the air for my body scan, the guard looked curiously at me and said "Ma'am. Can I ask why you look so nervous?"
Shit. I thought. I'm breathing like a goddamn drug smuggler!


"Well, technically we've missed our plane sir." I explained. "We're holding out hope that we might still catch it!"
"Better get moving then." He replied.
American's rule!

Long story long, we made it.
On the flight home we decided that despite all the other little blips we dealt with on our vacation, we actually have very good luck when it counts.

Also, we like stripes.
Even if they make us look wide.

And that was New York.

Now the cottage.
I'm going to keep this really short because I kind of don't want to remember it.
Brad and I rented a cottage about an hour from home for one week. Saturday to Saturday.

Insert two kids, a huge thunderstorm, a power outage, the hottest week of the summer, an attempt to potty train, a 2.5 year old who had to sleep in a playpen she's outgrown, the same 2.5 year old hopped up on candies earned by actually using said potty, numerous screaming fits and two parents frustrated by their vision of a weekend sipping caesars on a dock being blown to smithereens (underused word!).

We came home Tuesday.
We didn't talk to one another until Wednesday.
And we decided to make the best of what was left of our time off by Thursday.

And that was the cottage.
We'll try again in 17 years maybe. Maybe 2.

There.
I got it out.
Welcome to my new blog address.

I hope you'll follow!
Em

Call me Em

This morning when I was getting back into my car after dropping Clementine off at daycare, a woman across the street (who I only know because she used to be a teacher at my elementary school so we're talking like 20 years ago) called out "Hi Em!"

I love when people I hardly know call me Em.
Makes me feel like they like me. (Which is so important to me it could be labeled a character flaw.) 
That they think of me in a friendly, approachable, neighbourly way.

A lot of customers call me Em.
Also, Clemmie.
But I don't like that so much.

"Emmmm? Canna have a peanabutta wap pleeeeease?"
Translation: "Mother dear, may I have a peanut butter wrap please?

Don't people say you should be clear not to blur the line between parent and friend?
Apparently I'm doing a real bang up job so far.

Picking up the Pieces

A few notes about gift giving to recipients under the age of 6.

- Don't give them anything with more than 2 pieces or accessories. They will either lose them, or scatter them, subsequently making their mother insane and inclined to make rash decisions like breaking something purposely or throwing them in the damn garbage.

- If the child is one or older, he/she likely already has a doll and a stuffed animal. If you give them another, they will love it for approximately one day. Then it will clutter up their bedroom or playroom until their mom finally takes it to the Hub. Give them books.

- A two year old will love you just as much if you give them one toy or seventeen toys. And no matter how many times their mother tells them "Say thank you to your Aunt Zoey", odds are tomorrow they probably won't remember who gave them what. If you really want to give them a lasting gift, take them somewhere they've never been and show them a good time. Then you can own a little chapter in their memory for life. (This makes a great gift for parents too).

(For the record, this is NOT my playroom. Via.)

Em

Sleep Deprived

Alriiiiiiight.

That's enough.

Aren't long weekends for sleeping in?

Maybe drinking one too many glasses of sangria? On a dock? Or at least a deck?

I have been up every day this weekend at some god awful hour before 6am.

One day, Clem sleeps in while Griffy wakes, the next day is the exact opposite.

Daddy needs to come home now.

Scratch that.

Daddy needs to come home yesterday.

We had supper at mom and dad's last night (again) and mom made a comment to my aunt Carolyn about how Brad is such a wonderful dad (and he is) and that he watches the kids all day every Saturday.

Oh wow. What a hero.

All day Saturday is actually only 10-5 if we're keeping score.

And really. We're part of a new generation who are equal parts parents.

I truly feel that we share the responsibility 60/40. And that's only because daddy doesn't have breasts.

I'm not going to be apologetic about how much I rely on my husband to raise these kids. I think that's fair!

I'm the one went through 3 months of nausea and another 6 months of irreparable damage to my body (not to mention psyche) and then surgery...and then the trauma of learning to nurse all over again...all followed by another year of having to tailor my fashion choices around having to slip a nip 6 or more times a day.

The least he can do is let me sleep in an hour longer than the rest of these early risers and cover me while I work ONE full day a week.

And like it.

Where did little Miss Good Mood go you're wondering.

I'm just tired.

And a tad grumpy.

Brad comes home tomorrow.

He'd do well to bring flowers.

Em

Round Two

So round two was significantly better than round one.

(My posts this weekend are going to be somewhat kidcentric since that's about all I've got time for these next few days. So my apologies in advance.)

I tired those little suckers out yesterday.

We're talking grocery store, park, book store, library, Nana & Papa's house AND an after supper walk for ice cream.

I decided to let Clem go to bed a little later that her usual 7pm shut 'er down and that has worked quite nicely I must say.

In fact, she's still asleep and it's already just after 7am.

Of course, since she's not up, her brother is, but c'est life.

His four month un-birthday was yesterday and last night the kid slept from around 9pm to almost 6am, so that's pretty respectable for a boy his age. I won't complain over nearly 9 hours of sleep from a newborn.

We're going to Evan's (Josie and John's son) 1st Birthday party today, so we'll be forfeiting a nap, but hopefully that will only mean another good sleep tonight.

I know. This post is riveting.

I'll try to take lots of good pictures at the party today to make up for it.

Em

One down. Four to go.

Well that was a long night.

Who are these single parents of two? They all deserve medals.

Or at least a lifetime supply of coffee and under eye makeup.

Everything started off innocently enough.

I managed to get both kids happily bathed, smelling like roses and in their jammies.

I put Griffin downstairs so I could read Clemmie her bedtime books without distracting her from her routine too much.

I knew he'd cry, but also that he'd live, and put Clem to bed.

Two books and a story.

Easy breezy beautiful.

When I got downstairs the boy was beside himself, but I consoled him back to a happy state and even managed to eat supper. (Which I had the foresight to make in advance knowing my window of opportunity would be a small one.)

45 minutes went by.

I can totally do this!

And then.

Chaos.

A screaming two year old over the monitor.

"Something's scaring me mom!" "There's a bug! There's a bug!" "I need another storyyyyy!"

45 minutes! Wasn't she asleep?

Doesn't she realize this is only the first of five nights we have to do this?

I decided to pick a time on the clock that, if she didn't stopped screaming by then, I would go to her.

I never should have gone.

It was like I completely lost my mind.

Or, if I was going to go, I never should have brought Griffin with me.

I went up without him at first, but could hear him screaming blue flipping murder and came back down.

Naturally she screamed even louder over the fact that I'd left her again!

I called my dad.

"Dad. I need your hands here."

That in itself wasn't a mistake, but letting Clem know her Papa was here, however, was.

"Papa. YOU read a book."

So Papa read her a book.

And when Papa reads a book, Papa takes his time and uses different voices, and inflection, and makes it just a little more fun than when mom reads a book. (In my defense, if it was my first Mercer Mayer rodeo, I might take a little more time with it myself.)

So when I came in the room again to announce I'd read her one more book and then it'd be bed time, it was Niagara Falls all over again.

We got through it.

I read a book, and told another story and left her with a "I'm not coming back until tomorrow morning" and went downstairs again to relieve dad.

Griffin didn't fall asleep until 9:30 (not the worst for a 4 month old but so much for time alone) and then I did some freelance work until 11pm.

I should have gone to bed earlier.

I fell asleep just fine, but woke up at 12:30 and tossed and turned until at least 3:30.

Then Griff woke up at 5:30 to eat and Clem work up for the day at 6:30.

So I'll be loads of fun today.

The sun better shine or I might not have the energy to do this all over again tonight.

Thankfully the boy is still asleep now at 8am and Clementine is munching a Cheerios and watching Toy Story on the couch.

So the big question is, do I try it again on my own tonight or do I call in the reinforcements?

I mean, I AM their mother. I should be able to do this.

I kind of want to prove it to myself even.

But I know almost for certain that she will attempt the same antics again.

They worked after all.

I'll just have to have a plan of attack in place this time.

I'm thinking Gravol.

For one of us anyway.

Happy Long Weekend!

Really looking forward to the post-bedtime fireworks. Really.

Happy Thursday

It's Thursday morning.

Brad has just left on his annual boys camping trip north north north of Sudbury and I'll be home with these little goofballs for a whopping 5 sleeps.

I'm hooked on the Hipstamatic app on my iPhone.

I know all you "real" photographers are rolling your eyes.

We'll survive I'm sure.

And besides, I'll accumulate my fair share of "mommy points" while he's away.

Already planning ways to cash in on those when daddy gets home.

I'm thinking girls movie night with my lady friends.

I've been dying to see Bridesmaids since it came out.

I may actually enjoy myself while he's away.

Not that I don't enjoy life with him at home, it's just kind of nice to be able to beat my own drum sometimes.

It'll be five days without channel surfing anyway.

Right now I'm sitting in Starbucks (I know, I should be at Equator, but I had to get out of town or risk getting caught up chatting) with Griffy sleeping at my feet in his car seat, trying to maximize on this little bit of free time.

My little brain is a buzz with new ideas.

The first one being that I've decided to reinvent the shop.

I was so inspired by the vendors at Handmade Harvest that I've decided to integrate more handmade product lines into the store.

Truth is, I've always been a little insecure about how much stuff is imported from India, China, Thailand etc.

I really do make an effort to buy ethically produced items for Blackbird, but it's a challenge sometimes.

By carrying more handmade products not only can I have a story to tell about where they came from, but I can support people who are doing what they love.

And that, I love.

Holding this past show got me really thinking about how little creative work I've been doing for myself lately.

I love to paint, and also sew for example.

But I've found it almost impossible to do either since Clementine was born.

As soon as I pull out the sewing machine, she's up there on the chair wanting to create.

So the sewing machine is moving to the shop. And so is the easel.

(Not to mention the button making machine I just bought online! Custom buttons available soon!)

Colleen and I are in talks with my landlord to rent an additional space in the back of the building for Blackbird storage to make room for our brand new in store studio!! (Incidentally, the gorgeous, lofty office space above my store is available for rent. Email me if you want more details! emily@blackbirdshop.ca)

We'll be able to create things in our downtime, offer weekend and daytime workshops, and get our craft on whenever the mood strikes without having to return the dining room back to its original state.

The plan is to launch the studio space as well as the Handmade Department of the shop by July.

You can be sure I'll document the process. (We have some plans of our own, but if any of you have a vision, I'd love to hear from you! Design challenge anyone!?)

I am beyond excited about the possibility of this.

Honestly, I don't know why I didn't think of it sooner.

We were talking about renting a different space altogether for a workshop studio, but this makes so much more sense.

I better get moving here.

The boy is starting to stir (how dare he!?) and mama better get to the grocery store if these babies are going to eat today.

See you soon!

Em

Dare to Compare

I know. I've never done three posts in one day.

Like I said. It's rainy.

Just found an old pic of Clemmie.

I think she's about 4 months here, so a bit older than Griffin is now but aren't they identical?

Clementine 4 months

Griffin 3 months

Ok. That's it for real.

Emily

Few things

Deservedly so, I've had a pretty bad cold since my Pop Up Shop last Friday.

My body is pretty nice to me and usually holds out until after a big event to break down.

But that still doesn't make it much fun.

Pity party over though.

I am happily positioned behind my computer at the shop on a rainy Saturday, ticking things off my to do list, sipping a half bold half smooth Equator coffee (because I'm difficult), singing along to Jason Mraz on the stereo, and hacking up a lung between customers.

Not to worry. I've already cracked out the hand sanitizer.

You'll be fine if you visit.

So let's do a little housekeeping.

AGENDA ITEM ONE: Easter Hours

We are OPEN: Friday 11-4, Saturday 10-5, Sunday (closed), Monday 11-4.

AGENDA ITEM TWO: Pop Up Shop

The Pop Up Shop was a big hit.

Though we didn't officially open until 5pm, we had a few 4:30 door crashers and I think that kind of enthusiasm should be rewarded...so we opened up shop early.

It was a flurry of flying scarves and jewelry and "can I try that on if you're not taking it"s for about an hour and a half and by about 6:30 the crowds had died down and it felt like 9pm.

Me working on an up sell. Apparently I'm pigeon-toed. Excellent.

The line up. (aka. my favourite pic of the bunch)

Awesome body forms on loan from The White Lilly.

Saw horse turned shelf courtesy of the landlord and Colleen's creative brain.

Christmas lights courtesy of my mom.

Amazing what a little twinkle can do to dress up a place.

Some happy shoppers taking advantage of the free manicures courtesy of Carmel Broughton of Carmelized.

Personally, I think this one was better than the October event.

We had a bit more space and a lot more stuff, so I haven't been subject to any angry "We got there at 7 and there was nothing left" emails.

Yet.

I'm thinking of taking this concept online so watch for that.

Thanks to all who came and helped (eventually) put my 3 month old through college.

The two year old is getting a scholarship. It's already decided.

Which brings us to the next item on our agenda.

AGENDA ITEM THREE: Kids

Griffin is officially 3 months.

Making it acceptable to wear 3-6 month clothing, although he's been in it since about 3 weeks old.

Eesh. These kids are big.

Since I have been pretty bad about journalling baby number two's progress, I figure I should at least keep updating my blog with pictures.

I think I had a whole scrapbook full of memories by the time the Cleminator was 3 months old.

Griffin's got a few grainy iPhone uploads and that's about it.

Thankfully, our children are so darned adorable that other people have been inclined to snap a few pictures.

Here are some shots from our trip to Fulton's Pancake House last weekend courtesy of Dan Greenberg.

Clemmie sucking down a maple lollypop between bites of pancake.

With a side of attitude.

Griffin sleeping like the little angel baby that he is.

Looking uncannily (a word?) like his big sister at that age.

AGENDA ITEM FOUR: Handmade Harvest

Once again the Humm has written a great article about the show next month.

I am so proud of this event.

Colleen and I, not to mention the vendors, have pulled out all the stops to make it great.

The swag bags, to give one example of what I mean, are DEFINITELY going to be worth lining up for.

It's going to take everything I have in me not to steal one to be honest.

But that would be wrong.

And you know how I believe in karma.

Let's just say you won't be going home with just a handful of coupons. I mean, there will be coupons. But there will also be ummm...JEWELRY and, um, little fabric WALLETS and, um CANDY.

The first 50 shoppers will get all of these things and more.

So come early!!

Since my last post I've also had a chance to get to know another one of our sponsors - Lilly White.

You can read our interview with her here.

That's all for now.

Happy Easter everyone!!

Emily

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

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