You may notice that I do not post a ton of information or photos of my daughter.  During pregnancy, I felt myself become a bit quieter on the blog. I felt like my energy needed to stay within, rather than radiate out. (I felt this in teaching and practicing yoga and meditation as well.) Once my baby was born, I began to feel as though her story needed to be hers to tell, so I refrained from a lot of public talk about development.*

Now that there is a bit more space in my life and head for creative endeavors, I’m back to asking myself what I want to do with this space on the information superhighway. So naturally, I re-examined my original goals for blogging. And I mused on what types of posts I like to read. Not surprisingly, these things intersect at various points. I like to read blogs that are written in a conversational tone about projects people have undertaken. And how those projects have changed them. I like to read blogs that are personal, yet not necessarily a diary. When blogging, I like to mark occasions of creativity. I like to take stock of where I’ve been creatively, where I am, and where (think) I would like to go. I like beautiful things. I like CONNECTING people. I like tinkering. I love video blogging (though I mostly do this on  my yoga blog).

It also helps to think of what I do not like and what hasn’t worked for me. I do not like reading sponsored posts, generally. I kind of don’t like it when all of a sudden a blogger is working for all sorts of corporations and plugging all kinds of products they’ve been given(I know people have to make money, but this is just how I feel).

Also, I learned how to make animated GIFs this week using an awesome tutorial by Pugly Pixel. This is my favorite new way to unwind once Oona is in bed for the night while BK plays Angry Birds. Here is what I’m talking about.

Now, dear readers, indulge me: why do you blog? Why do you read blogs? I’m all ears.

XO, kel

This weekend I…

enjoyed the science center with my baby girl and some friends. (AWESOME!)

took a delicious yoga class at The Movement Center,

savored a new flavor of Ben & Jerry’s (cookies & milk, yum! also, rocky roadish is awesome and is sans gelatin!),

walked and talked with my family at day-break. (bk & i travel by foot and bike primarily. i hope this is a value we pass on to our little.)

worked in fits and starts on another pair of “quick change trousers” for Oona. (anna maria horner writes GREAT patterns, by the way.) (i also hope to make this dress before our trip south. the pattern is a little harder to follow than an anna maria pattern, so i need a video to help me!)

lingered over the final pages of my book.

cooked and baked for friends. (squash enchiladas, inspired by a recipe in Vegetarian Planet.)

how about you?

kelly

p.s. my nieces and nephew call me “aunt la la.” i find this name incredibly wonderful.

p.p.s. i cut my bangs this morning and feel like a new person. i have been toying with the idea of cutting it all off.

And, I have been painting. Yes! Painting! Here is a little snippet of what i have been creating.

And, my sewing machines have been earning their keep too! I made another tee using the Sew U pattern I love so much. This time in chartreuse sweatshirt material. Mr. Sunrose thinks it is totally 80s. And he is totally right.

And, I have been practicing more and more yoga. The teacher I study with on Friday afternoons is wonderful. On top of that, I have explored a few new classes around town as I begin to look for a good fit for my own teaching schedule.

Oona has been going on lots of play dates. I feel so fortunate that many of my girlfriends also have little ones her age. I do so enjoy multi-generational get togethers!

What are you up to these days?

Oona and I spend a lot of time everything in our music play area. She loves to dance and has begun to use our Melissa & Doug Band in a Box to play along in the rhythm section of our family band. (we just use what we have on hand to play along to the soundtrack of our day!)

our family is preparing for a big trip to central and south america, so i have been gathering resources on how best to travel with a toddler.  we will be gone a month and will be all over the place both literally and with respect to our gear needs. some of the big-ticket items i’m looking at are a baby life jacket (for water-taxis and kayaking), a portable sleep space (baby pod, perhaps?) and possibly a new, more portable car seat.

do any of you have experience with lengthy international travel with a wee one?

We use and love the following diapers (*=hook-n-loop closure and +=snap enclosure):

• Gro-via All-in-Two (very awesome cover-insert system with biodegradable alternatives for traveling AND ORGANIC!).*
• Gro-via All-in-One (again… ORGANIC! and very easy to use. these are papa-grandpa-sitter friendly though not terribly absorbant as a naptime diaper).+
• Blueberry Bamboo Pocket (SO SOFT).+
• Rumparooz Pocket (awesome double-gusset).+
• Knicker Nappies Pocket (super awesome for sleep-time, though wide in the gusset).+
• Happy Heinies Pocket (great all-around diaper, though the hook-n-loop can be a bit grabby in the laundry).*
• Kawaii Overnight Pocket (AWESOME for the price, though the snaps are very tricky to snap).*
• DiaperRite Bamboo Pocket (great diaper at a good price, though the snaps are also a bit tricky to snap).*
• Fuzzibunz Pocket (great all-around diaper, though some of the material can make stuffing diapers tricky– it’s sticky!).*

I have also tried g-diapers, thirsties and bumkins. They are all fine systems, but I am not crazy for them.

Cloth diapers work well for us.

xo

k

That was truly a longer break than I intended to take. Since last we met here on the blog, my obsession with sewing knits has continued, I finally had a spark of inspiration for a painting (though neither time nor space to paint), and (among other things) I dyed my hair.

Here is a photo of the knit dress I wrote about in my last post. It is the dress pattern from Sew U: Home Stretch.  The gathered shoulders are my absolute favorite part. The fabric I used is a very basic blue jersey. I like this. It was more challenging than the basic t-shirt, but less challenging than I had anticipated. This dress is incredibly comfortable, though not entirely practical for me since I’m still nursing. Otherwise (and perhaps future-wise), I may have made this in a fleece and worn it all winter long. Oh my gosh that would be so awesome.

I’ve cut a few more patterns– a dress, shirt– and some fabric to go along, but haven’t sewn them yet.  I decided to try a few woven pieces since a girl cannot live in knits alone. (or can she?)

My painting inspiration came from the book I’m currently keeping BK up late by reading in bed. Ahab’s Wife is absolutely mesmerizing. The main character is named Una, though she is not the namesake of my Oona– I heard about her only after my little bun had emerged from the oven. Anyhow, the book is fantastic. Fantastic does not begin to describe how *into* this book I am. It has even moved me to contemplate reading Moby Dick once I’ve finished. The painting will materialize someday, though I do not anticipate it any day soon.

Finally, I have been experimenting with my hair color. I used to be OBSESSED with coloring my hair. My mom used to “frost” my hair in high school (before my sister and I had a manic panic mis-hap that lead to a “NO MORE DYE-ing IN THIS HOUSE!” edict). In the last 5 or 6 years, however, I’ve worn my hair completely natural. About a month ago, the urge to get a tattoo and dye my hair pink overtook me. I am still thinking about the tattoo, but I did have my hairdresser give me pink highlights. It was very underwhelming. The pink lasted literally 2 days. Then, I had these brassy streaks where the pink had been. SOOOOOO, rather than shelling out another Benjamin, I dyed my hair blonde myself. Oh how happy I am that this was not a complete disaster. The streaks that had been bleached for the purpose of pink-ing are a lovely white blonde and everything else is a sweet apricot. All for about $6. (Garnier Nutrisse 111, White Chocolate.)

I’ve been sewing more and more, though I spend most of my time playing with and chasing Oona as she crawls and cruises all over the house. A while back, I aquired Sew U: Home Stretch — a book dedicated to sewing knits– and have since been experimenting with the patterns included.

First, the book is excellent. I wish I had read a book like this while taking apparel design and construction.  One thing I love is the instruction at various levels of sewing expertise.  AND that the book instructs in working with knits with and without a serger. (I have one and love it, but now know it’s not necessary to work with knits.) Second, the patterns are really cute and part of the book’s instruction is adapting them (i.e., patternmaking) to make even more darling garments.

I began by making a basic tee with an interlock fabric of minimal stretchiness. It turned out great! I used my regular sewing machine for the shoulder seams, but serged the rest.  In the future, I think I will used the regular machine first and then serge to finish, because I can get a little wobbley with the seams on the first pass and with the serger’s knife on, you do not get that fabric back if you are imprecise!

I decided to make another basic tee in a stretchier jersey. Oh boy. This was trickier, but I am still happy overall with the results. The pattern is boxy to begin with, so I actually do not think the stretchy jersey looks as good.  Also, I learned that on the stretchier fabrics, pulling the fabric while sewing will give a puckered look. While this may be fine when sewing tights, it does not look great on the shoulder of a shirt.

I’ve just cut the fabric to make a dress from the same book of patterns. The fabric is a fantastic blue interlock. Once I’m wearing dresses again (it’s really hard while nursing, unless the dress is a wrap style — like this– or has buttons and you wear a tank underneath), I hope it will be a staple for me.

Fabric notes: We are so fortunate to have a Mill Ends shop where I can find fashion fabrics for $4-5 per yard. Also, I bought some gorgeous slinky pink jersey from Fabrics for Less on Sandy.