The Life and Times of Some Chickens

It all started with a little ad campaign by The Sak. That's how i was introduced to the witty and wonderful world of Sloane Tanen's Chicks.



i stopped dead in my tracks inside Border's one day reading through Bitter with Baggage Seeks Same. It got to the point that i really wasn't snacking on one or two grapes in the grocery store, but i ate an entire bunch. Of course i walked out of the store with that book- i was hooked!



Tanen's quick wit and hilariously true tales of the lives of little pipe cleaner chicks living on the mean streets of NYC or vacationing in Kentucky will no doubt leave you laughing and looking for more. Trust me- i have- and i do!

it's the most wonderful time of the year

How come myself and other devoted Lilly Pulitzer ladies always refer to Lilly sales with Christmas themes? I'm not kidding, this is the most wonderful time of the year! It is the annual Lilly Pulitzer huge end of season sale! Last year i was 4 months preggo and the last thing on my mind (my bloated, wierd-craving, water-retaining mind) was fitting into a slim LP dress or skinny polo shirt. And a girl can only buy so many LP accessories and McKim sandals! So, much to the Mister's content, i avoided that sale like the plague. This year? Different story. Such a different story. I was dropping JMS off at school this morning when the text came in from Catherine.

C: Sales up!
M: Driving ack!
C: Oh no!! Hurry!

don't worry, dear readers, i did not commit any speeding violations or flip off people driving 60 in the fast lane. (well maybe i wanted to, a little...) I made it safely to my computer and promptly added to my LP tote and ordered the following: (AT ROCK BOTTOM PRICES, I MIGHT ADD!)

A Franco Dress in "Peel and Eat"





And how can i forget the Moms! I could not live without my mother and mother-in-law during the first month I had JMS. They provided daily shoulders to cry on, helped with laundry, gave me constant encouragement, and most importantly, held the boy when i needed an afternoon nap! Oh the naps were my favorite part of my day! To each, a Murfee!

Mom's Murfee



My Mother-in-Law's Murfee



My friends picked up Lilly table cloths, beautiful dresses of their own, and of course, Murfees! The Murfees, which are originally $118 (yikes, i know!) were only $39! really! go there now! go on, we're done here!

Baby Friendly Vacation

Ever heard of baby proofing your house? You know, putting locks on your liquor cabinets, hiding all of your fine china, plugging up your electrical outlets, getting rid of table cloths that are just ripe for the pulling?




How about baby proofing your vacation? The Mister and i are recently back from one successful first family vacation in Ogunquit, Maine. We went, very optomistic that JMS would nap on the beach, ride along in his stroller for late night ice cream cones, and otherwise enjoy the salt air like his beach loving parents. We also went, knowing full well that certain types of restaurants were out of the question, knowing that the little guy is just learning that it can be very boring to sit in your seat while everyone else around you is eating and playing with things ie: drinking from wine glasses and eating with utensils.



We worked around the little guy by going to baby-friendly restaurants, eating al fresco at local sandwich shops, making sure he was able to get his naps in- either by strolling him around the town, or putting him in the baby bjorn and letting him doze. He even impressed us by sleeping soundly in his little baby sun tent at the beach! (what a guy!) Moral of the story- work around your little one's schedule, but remember to enjoy yourselves and not stick to a rigid on-the-minute feeding, nap and sleeping routine. We made sure to be back at the hotel to give him his little dinner of sweet potato puree, but once he was finished, given a bath, and put in his sleep jammies, we tucked him in the stroller and headed into town for ice cream.


Happy Hour for parents= baby in Baby Bjorn, and pinot grigio in hotel pastic cups.



Walking on Ogunquit Beach late night with the family.

how i'm spending my summer vacation.

summer with the boy has been a new adventure for the Mister and i. Fortunately it involves lots of this:



and this:




and this: (thank you to my brother)



and this:



oh, and how can i forget this! (thanks to beverly!!)

it's been a while, hasn't it?

Meet Jake.



otherwise known as the love of my life.



My Valentine's Day sweet surprise, my sweet love heartbreaker, my little baby boy.

Project 8

Have you ever felt so helpless in the face of a natural disaster and all you can do is sit in front of your computer reading article after article, view picture after picture of the tragedy and wish you could run down there, and just do something? Anything? A friend of mine in my knitting group directed me to this wonderfully inspiring project to help the hundreds of animals that were unfortunate casualties to the BP oil spill. You may have noticed Dawn Soap commercials on television depicting workers hand washing away the disgusting brown oil coating pelicans, turtles, ducks and birds.



Craft Hope has partnered with The Institute for Marine Mammal Studies, The Audobon Institute, and The Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge for Project 8. You can read all about Project 8 and how you can help by knitting, crocheting, or sewing washcloths and small towels that will be used to wash off these precious little guys.

The deadline for Project 8 is July 3rd

You can mail your handmade towels here:

Kimberly Davion
c/o IMMS Oil Spill Relief
1700 East La Rua Street
Pensacola, Florida 32501
USA

i don't know about you, but i'll be raiding my stash tonight in search of washcloth-friendly yarns to knit up some little towels. In case you're looking for a free, quick and easy pattern for this- check out this one from The Chicks With Sticks Guide to Knitting.

hello, remember that time we blogged together?

i know. you may not remember me, but i sure do remember you. and so is life as a blogger- especially a crafty hands-full, zippy summer loving gal. How is it that this tends to be a seasonal blog? summer, winter, fall= craft heaven= life updates. so let's update, shall we?

two lovelies of mine were married in York Beach, Maine this memorial day. And what a day it was! Lilly lover that i am, i put husband to the test by asking (begging) that match with me. (and of course i helped it along by actually BUYING the tie and giving it to him as a gift). but he's a good sport and i love him for it.



more on the wedding, friends. i'm short. it's a fact. sometimes i honestly believe that i am just as tall as everyone else around me. you know that scene in Breakfast at Tiffany's when Fred Baby is talking with O.J. Berman about Holly, and O.J. asks Fred if he thinks Holly's a phony? Fred says, "i don't think so." To which O.J. replies, "You don't know, huh? Well you're wrong. She is. But on the other hand, you're right. Because she's a real phony. She honestly believes all this phony junk." Now, much like Holly Golightly, i honestly believe that i am not short! But then when i find myself in a situation like the one below, it kind of hits me that, um yea... i guess i am kind of the short stick.



so we'll talk more soon. promise. and i promise recipes & craft projects & life updates & home improvement projects. really.