Maker Market

Today was another craft show.  I was looking forward to this one, as it was outside and in the parking lot of a coffee shop, which meant good coffee only steps away!  I love my neighborhood so much, and today's event just made me so happy.  A friend started this show, the first Sunday of every month May-September.  I was supposed to do June but after having impromptu throat surgery, I had to pass on that one.  So today was the day.

My first ever show I had NO CLUE what I was doing, but now that I've done a few every year, I'm really getting the hang of it.  I know what to bring, I know what usually sells well, I know how much to make, and yet still always make way too much!  Getting the tables set up is pretty fun, I'm always perusing Pinterest for ideas. 

 This show I had two smaller tables, which I covered with vintage table cloths (one was a kid's sheet) and I used my wire baskets I have for shows, along with Otis' toy drum, and my Irmi giraffe.  He's been holding clothes in Otis' room, but guess what fits on him pretty well?  BIBS!  I love how it turned out. 

I also used my tent to hang clothesline and I hung up some tag blankets and bibs on the side.  Last but not least, my trusty vintage sheet bunting I stole from Ingrid's bedroom way long ago.  It has since been taken over for hanging at my shows. 

 

I did pretty well today.  My goal was to make enough money to buy this pair of clogs.  My god, red and cute and Swedish, I just died when I saw them.  But money doesn't grow on trees and we need a new floor in our kitchen so I couldn't just buy them straight up.  Well, I could, but I'd feel guilty later...Now I don't have to!

Books and Braids and Beaches and Bods

This week:  I tried on a pair of pants that DID NOT fit me 2 weeks ago.  Turns out the 30 Day Shred is working!  I felt so good being able to button them!  I'm hobbling like a grandma because my knees are so shot, but that's the price I pay I guess...

 And!  My hair is long enough for braids.  This is SO EXCITING because the last time I had hair this long is when I was 20.  I have been a short haired girl my whole life, this is such big news for me.

 Summerfest is going on right now.  It's a sleazy huge music festival that happens every year and people act like it's the best thing and you just HAVE to go.  We never do, but we had free tickets and it was a beautiful day, so we went.  Otis fell asleep on me, Ingrid whined about walking, and the beer cost a ridiculous amount.  Probably won't be going again next year...

 The thing we WILL be going to again is this amazing place called Bookworm Gardens.  It is so cool!  A sprawling garden with little sections devoted to kid's books.  There's tons of stuff for kids to do, like play music, sweep a barn, water the garden, play in a log cabin like Laura Ingalls, scrub Harry the Dirty Dog, go in the Three Little Pigs' houses.  It was so fun, the kids ran and ran for two hours, we actually had to drag them away because it was lunch time.  We didn't get to see everything there, so we'll have to go back.  Afterward we went to a nearby state park and had a picnic and played on the beach.  It was another gorgeous day, we had so much fun! 

 And now it's the Fourth of July, we should be planning lots of fun things to do, but instead we're looking at all the rain in the forecast and thinking maybe we'll just stay in and paint our kitchen cabinets.  I have a show on Sunday and I am hoping it is not rainy the whole time since it's outside...Please cross your fingers for me!

Summer Break!

We've been on break for about a week and a half now and I'm loving it.  We have to leave at 7:30am to get Ingrid to school on time, so it was always rush, rush, rush.  Now we have the best mornings, we have nowhere to go, we get to hang out and be lazy if we so desire.  Otis has been sleeping in until after 7, which is great, except next fall school starts even earlier!  I guess the bell will ring at 7:20 instead of 7:40.  UGH.

We have a summer list full of parks, museums and local activities.  So far we've done the museum, Chill on the Hill, the wading pool, parks, and of course, gardening.  Keeping busy!  One activity a day, even if it's just going to the park. 

 I have also started the Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred video.  Whew!  I've gained about 30lbs in the last year for some reason, so I have to kick my ass in gear and get some more exercise.  I am not a video exerciser, normally.  But a few people had mentioned doing it and loving it, and I thought for $8 and some 3lb weights I might as well try it, right?  It's awesome!  The thing I love is that Ingrid loves watching it with me for some reason, so she's my biggest cheerleader!  As soon as I've had a couple cups of coffee she says "Okay, mama, time to shred!"  Honestly, I need that, since I would otherwise get lazy.  I'm also doing some sort of post on Instagram after I do it so I keep a log of it.  Even if no one else is seeing it, I feel like I have to do it to keep myself motivated. 

Otis has been sick and crabby the past couple days though, so I am worn out.  Mentally tired of dealing with his mood swings and crying.  Physically tired from him wanting to be cuddled and carried all the time.  Please, don't let your kids get Hand Foot and Mouth disease!  It sucks.

Next week is another week of whatever, and then we have a fun filled weekend for the Fourth of July and cousins and the cottage and I have another craft show!  The Maker Market is July 7th, I'm getting ready for it and looking forward to hopefully not a really hot day!  Last year I did an outdoor show in July and it was like a hundred degrees.  Ugh.  I'm happy it's in the parking lot of a coffee shop, I foresee a LOT of iced coffee in my future.

What are you up to this summer???

A Nature Walk

It was nice out this weekend so we went over by the botanical gardens to take a nature hike. It was gorgeous! We saw a deer, a turtle sunning on a rock, fish in the lagoon, and a huge frog. The kids thought it was pretty great, although damn Ingrid is a whiner when it comes to walking!! Every five feet she would whine about being tired. Meanwhile, little bro was running along the path like he had all the energy in the world...

FIVE!

Ingrid turned five yesterday.  It seems like she's way older sometimes, and others it seems like she shot up before I could even notice.  I look at pictures from just a couple years ago and she just looks like such a baby then!  She has turned into such a girl now, no longer a toddler or even a little girl. 

We had a party for her Saturday afternoon.  It was exhausting.  Nine 4 and 5 year olds came over and we did something pretty much every single second they were here!  We made glitter wands, which they took outside to have a parade with.  They marched up and down the street singing happy birthday and shouting "Sparkle! Sparkle!"  The neighbors thought it was funny.

Then we did a pinata, which I have to say I will never do again.  It is just NOT fun, the kids can't seem to break it so I ended up breaking it open with my hands so they could grab the candy.  Then they all argued over who got gumdrops and who got suckers.  And it cost a lot. 

 We had cake.  We played outside. 

And then they all went home and my mom and I were absolutely exhausted.  But it was so fun and Ingrid was so happy to have all her friends over.

Yesterday we had some family over and cooked out.  Twice.  We also had neighbor friends over and had more purple cake.  It's like birthdays just keep on going around here! 

Ingrid got a new bike for her birthday, purple of course.  She has been really good at it, although it makes me nervous because she still doesn't quite get the brakes when she's going down a hill. 

She also got this AMAZING vintage electric piano from Grandma and Grandpa!!  I love this thing!  Right now it's down in our basement, but I will be making room for it somewhere up in our living room.  It is just too cool!  And the sound is amazing.  Love this!

 Now the festivities are over and I am left with a five year old.  She starts full day school in a couple months!  It amazes me how fast it's gone.  Happy Birthday, Ingrid!

Spring Weekend

It's so funny how a little sun and warm weather makes everyone so happy.  Especially when you have shitty weather for most of your year, like we do in the midwest.  This weekend was like all smiles and sunshine and fun, because it was nice out.  We got a lot accomplished!

Saturday morning we went to the zoo.  We saw the baby jaguars, they were playing with their mama, it was pretty cute to watch.  We had a picnic and then the kids crashed in the car on the way home. 

Brendan took off the front door so we could paint it.  By "we" I really mean "HE" since he ended up doing all the work.  I chose the color. 

Our door had a funny panel nailed on the front.  Brendan said hey, I think this is really a six panel door, they just covered it for some reason.  So he took off the panel and found that they had filled in the panels and then nailed a piece of cardboard over it, painted the whole thing an ugly navy blue color or black that faded in the sun, and called it a day.  So...hours later he'd managed to yank all the junk out of the panels and today he sanded and primed and painted.  It's still drying, but we will have a nice six panel, classic red front door soon!

We also got new house numbers.  It's amazing how something so small makes such a big difference!  Our neighbors were like wow, we never even noticed our numbers before but yours look so great!  And the best thing is, they were $6 a piece from Home Depot.  Next up is a new light fixture for outside. 

The kids got their fair share of play, too.  Chalk, tricycles, playing catch with the dads, going to the park, and popsicles.  Not bad for a weekend!

Catch Us if You Can.

Greetings fromTeam Liddle!!  It has been so blah around here, I really just haven't been up to doing anything.  But now I'm not sick, the weather is going to only get better (RIGHT??) and we're at the end of April.  Things are looking up.

 

We  have been enjoying our crazy weather.  It snowed the other day, but not as bad as in Minneapolis.  Sorry, Alisha, I really do feel for you!! Piles of snow in April is not what we like.  I got a jogging stroller, a Bob Revolution, and I can't believe I had two kids and never had one!  It is amazing, we have enjoyed taking long walks along the lake and even have jogged a bit, which Otis finds hilarious.  Definitely worth the money, that one.

 I finally got the kids all set for the rain, thanks to LL Bean.  Ingrid's dog coat is uh-MAZE-ing!  If Otis will wear pink dogs, he's totally getting a hand me down.

 

Let's see, what else?  I have my first show of the year coming up, at Ingrid's school!  Very excited about this one, I got everything ready right away and have been able to take some time off sewing for a bit.  Which is good, because then a very crafty friend announced a summer Maker Market in the neighborhood, first Sunday of every month during the summer, and I will be doing that!  Which makes four shows this summer!  I can't wait, it feels good to have a lot going on!

 

And then of course, we have a PURPLE UNICORN birthday coming up for a certain almost-five year old.  I never ever thought I'd be scouring the internet for sparkly purple unicorn things, but here I am...She is over the moon I found a unicorn pinata, dear god.

 

Oh, and I thought I'd share this find:  it's a Hoho!  There is a woman on Instagram that makes these and I have fallen head over heels for them!  They are just so cute, and one of a kind, she just makes them out of whatever fabric she has and each one is so charming and adorable!  She has a wait list you can get on, or if you're lucky enough she has flash sales during the week, but they go fast, like in 5 seconds!  I was lucky enough to get another one last week, I just happened to go on IG when she had just posted one.  It has cameras on it, it's so cute.  Otis has to have his Hohos to go to bed now, they are his best buds!

 And one last thing, sadly these banana seat bike pants no longer fit Otis, so they are going up in the shop!  If you know anyone younger than two, they may need these!  They are adorable and I am so sad they only fit him for a short time.  They look decievingly big, as they are high waisted.  I thought for sure they would be huge on him, but they were high waters on him and no longer fit over his skinny butt.  Bummer.  But good news for anyone looking for some cute vintage pants!

 Whew, there you have it, another mishmash, catch up post!  Enjoy!