Mayfly

We've been on an emotional roller coaster this week. Soon, maybe I'll talk about it. I thought this would be a calm, reflective way to wind it up.

SIGHT:

skinny little legs with knobby knees in tall black soccer socks

my pretty new necklace

yellow and white and maybe a little green, for my last minute Tie One On apron

puddles on the black driveway

SOUND:

my new favorite, pandora.com

baby N cough, cough, coughing in the night

my dear mom's voice over the phone

rain tapping on the roof

TASTE:

homemade Italian sausage pizza

tart dried cranberries in the sweet oatmeal cookies

breakfast for dinner: cheesy scrambled eggs, waffles, fruit

a semi-sweet riesling chosen for the label alone

SMELL:

those oatmeal cookies in the oven

clean kiddo hair

j's bed- smells just like him

wet dog- blick!

TOUCH:

a big hug from my mom

snuggling N- she's only cuddly when she's ill

soft little boy hair- "How long do you want to grow it, J?" "Three years." :)

wet shoes, hands, pant cuffs

Noticing the trend? They are predicting rain ALL. WEEKEND. LONG.

Thanks go to Shari for this nice idea.

Posted by Alicia at 1:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Just a quick Corner today, nothing spectacular, but we're really feeling the need to appreciate our family around here this week. These are pictures of my babies when they were both new. N is on the left, J on the right. They were each about 3 weeks old.

Here is one other picture I took today. Thrifted goodness: a dress for the funky fabric, and some adorable, fancy French baby shoes ($2) The brand is babybotte- I looked them up and they go for about $50. I'm feeling good about that deal. They are size 24, which I think is about a 7. I can't imagine her feet ever being this big, but these kids do grow quickly!

Also, if I put this in writing, it might help me get it all done. Here's the stuff I've been working on this week:

designing new tags
redesigning my business cards
still hunting for fabric tags
ordered a rubber stamp of my mayfly logo from Office Max (only $13!)
finishing up a little something for a not-so-little someone
laundrypalooza (too bad it isn't as much fun as it sounds.)

Posted by Alicia at 12:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Well, mural season is upon me. Winter is a slow time for my mural painting business, and that stinks. Right when we start to rely on the money and the holidays come around with the added expense of gifts, no one wants to do projects at home. It happens every year. There is usually a small rush to get some work done before Thanksgiving, and then it slows to a trickle until after tax season. So this year I expected it, and lo and behold, April 17 passed and I'm working again. I painted a baby room last weekend. I have a playroom to do this weekend, and several jobs still in the works.

Of course, I have always made little things on the sly, but now I'm considering officially marketing some more items. The step stools are popular; I think I might be able to get them into some little boutiques with a bit of effort. And the little aprons and such- they are pretty cute. If I can keep the prices reasonable, I think I might be able to sell them here and there too. I know this sort of thing isn't as profitable as the murals, but it might help, and it would keep me busy in the off-season. I guess it time to investigate how to charge, gulp, sales tax.

I also feel like it is time to get more professional and official with my paperwork. I'm going to go have some real estimate forms printed. The kind that have the carbons built in. And I'm going to print myself some paper tags and thank you cards. I looked online last night for some fabric tags for my sewing items. I want them to be very simple and clean, a la Shim + Sons (scroll down that post to see the tags she uses), but there seems to be a minimum order requirement of 1000+ for something like that. 1000?! I'm not ready for that commitment. I was thinking 100. I'm going to call around locally to find some. I'd try to do them myself somehow, but I want them to be super washable and durable. Anyone have any sources? For fun I think I might try to print some t-shirts and a canvas bag for my supplies. Freezer paper stencils, here I come!

I also got my first special order sewing job. OK, it IS my sister-in-law, but still. Kim wants a summery bag out of the fun stripes and dots. I'm excited and a little nervous. I hope it turns out well! So, that's it on the official news front.

In more FUN news:

I got home from an estimate last night and J came running to tell me that he and daddy were "doing stuff!" They were doing some science experiments. They had some baking soda and vinegar volcano action going on and then they made the ooze. It was cool- very slimy! 1 cup water + 1 1/2 cups corn starch + stir, stir, stir = OOZE. Note: If you make this, don't throw it out down the sink, it'll clog the pipes. Throw it into the compost.

Oh, I almost forgot. Am I the last person to see this site? Brian showed it to me this weekend. www.pandora.com. It will build streaming radio stations based on your likes and dislikes in music. It is great!

Posted by Alicia at 7:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)

About 7 years ago (I think), I was working downtown at a little company that handles artwork- crating, shipping, framing, storage- that sort of thing. We were hiring an office assistant and we had two candidates. One was a young lady, a former nanny, who had recently returned to the Midwest from the East coast. The other was Stephanie. My boss and I held multiple interviews with these two women and discussed them. Now, Stephanie will tell you I didn't like her, but I did. She was a little shy, an artist with museum experience, and she had this great voice. It was a bit high pitched with an ever-so-slight twinge of a southern accent now and then. But she seemed a little spacey. I was feeling really swamped at the time with my work load, and I needed someone who was on the ball to help me out, so I actually voted for the other girl. Gasp! What if we would have given her the job?! I'm so sorry, Foff. What was I thinking?!

In the seven years since I met Stephanie (lovingly named Foffie by the children in her life) she has become one of my best friends in the world. She is smart, sweet, incredibly creative, caring and so much fun. And yes, she's a little spacey- she's just herself. She's one of my true soul mates. Not the romantic kind of soul mate, but the I-would-lay-down-on-the-tracks-to-block-the-train-for-you kind. I can't imagine not having her in my life.

She lives in Columbia, MO now, and she came to visit this weekend and it was so good to see her. J ADORES her. "Foffie this, Foffie that...when is Foffie coming back? " Here's Foffie modeling the apron I made her:

The fabric is very funny. I have had it for years and it has always been intended for her. An apron seemed so appropriate for the theme; it says "How to Get a Husband" and has all these antiquated man-catching tips on it including: show him you adore children, don't scold him if he takes a drink, cook special dishes for him, etc.

Two of my favorites:

You see, Stephanie seems to always be hunting for a man. She's had several long term boyfriends during our years together, but she's still not found The One. Melanie, my other good friend who has also come to love Foffie, and I were teasing her about it Friday night. The truth is I don't ever want her to settle for less than The One. The Best One. And I'm confident she'll find him. And if she doesn't, so be it. Then she won't need him. It would mean one less person to share her with anyway! Wink!

Posted by Alicia at 7:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)

I bought myself something pretty yesterday and played a joke on Brian.

I acted all sheepish and said, "I bought myself something online today."

B: "Oh really, what?"

Me: No answer. I just looked at him.

B: "The camera?!"

Me: Again with the blank look.

B: All the blood drained from his face and he said "You bought that $700 camera?!"

Me: Blank look, then I chuckled. "No!" (I have a really hard time playing jokes because I am a terrible liar.)

Here's what I bought:

Isn't it charming? (Get it? CHARMing?) It's from Jenny's etsy shop. Everything she makes is gorgeous and reasonably priced too! I'm not much of a fancy jewelry person, but I loved this, so I'm thinking of changin' my ways.

Posted by Alicia at 8:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Here is the ensemble, including the cookbook. Click on the images to see them bigger. They'll be making their way to TX now to my little niece who's turning two.

Miss M. has kindly agreed to model when she gets them. I thought about asking one of my little models to do it, but he was sleeping on the job.

Posted by Alicia at 3:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

This Corner of my Home looks so nice and peaceful. This table sits behind our couch in the living room. It's one of the first things you see when you come in the front door. The table itself was made by my sweet Brian from all salvaged Habitat ReStore materials. The top is a window. The lumber is all used. It's painted a nice buttery yellow- also from the ReStore. (Cheap stuff there- check it out!) The lilacs are from the bush on the side of our house, and I LOVE them. They are the palest purple, not quite white, and smell heavenly. I seem to remember them being a little darker in years past. I wonder if something is up with the soil? Too acidic, not acidic enough?

That's the good thing about photographs. You can set a stage, capture only what you'd like. This table is in the room we are currently remodeling. And remodeling around here is a slow process. Here's the scene while I took this picture: Directly behind me, over my right shoulder is the hole in the wall. Over my left is a section of torn up wall with exposed studs. To my feet is a crying baby. Poor N is fighting a sinus infection AND teething. She on antibiotics, but I don't know if it's working. In the kitchen is J, up on a step stool clanking around the cabinets, loudly searching and whining for more Easter candy. Outside dump trucks are rumbling by with loud brakes and heavy loads. There's some construction going on a few blocks over, and we must be on the dumping route. Needless to say, it was a two-cup-of-coffee morning.

N is now down for an early nap, which will blow the afternoon nap, but Mommy just couldn't take any more. I tried to put the finishing touches on the cookbook, but I broke my hole punch trying to punch through the cover. I'll have to run to Kinko's this afternoon to see if they have a heavy-duty one. I'll post pictures of the finished project later. Maybe I'll ask a cute little somebody to model the ensemble all together. Jen, I'll take it to the post office late this afternoon, so I doubt it'll make it there by the party. Sorry! Let's just say I'd did it on purpose, to spread out the fun for a few more days! :)

Posted by Alicia at 9:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (12)

Jennifer- aka Aunt Jenny, do not read this if you don't want a sneak preview of M's cookbook.

(I shouldn't have posted the apron and oven mitt yet; she tells me she likes to be surprised when she sees what I come up with for the girls.)

OK, everyone else, still there? Here's a sample of what I'm working on for Madison's cookbook.

I am making some simple little drawings on paper and then I'm going to laminate them and somehow put them together in a little fabric cover to match the apron. Here's what I need help with: I can't think of enough simple, easy-to-draw food items that a tiny kid might understand. So far I have a pb&j sandwich, lemonade, a bowl of cereal, and a smore. Any more suggestions? I have to get this done tonight so that I can mail it tomorrow. Her birthday party is this weekend.

HELP?!

Posted by Alicia at 1:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Meet the new blog: www.themayfly.com/weblog

Be sure to change your Bookmarks/Favorites to my new address and if you have been kind enough to link to me on your page, you can change that too. Thank you!

I know, I know. It really looks about the same, but nod your head and smile and tell me it looks nice. I have been working on it FOREVER. And I am tired. There are still a few things to be tweaked, like learning how to handle comments, so please leave me one. I can categorize now- very cool, and I do not have to wade through uploading and picture problems- woo hoo! I couldn't have done this without my great friend, Michael. THANK YOU- I owe you and Tobi dinner! My webhosting company, ICD Soft, went way above and beyond the call of duty for a webhosting company and gave me much needed technical support. Thank you, Brian, for bearing with me through all my cussing this week. Now you'll see more than the back of my head staring into the computer screen. Believe it or not, I did this to save time. Ha!

And now we move on... back to real life. Thank goodness. I have a lot of catching up to do. I need to make my niece a little cookbook to go with her apron and mail it off. I need to make someone sweet a baby gift and mail it off. I need to spend time with my kids and eat candy. Oh, and so much more to do.

We had a great weekend. The kids went egg hunting in our yard this morning, and then we had a relaxing Easter picnic with my family.

Posted by Alicia at 11:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)