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Doing Things in the Right Order After Years of Not

June 17, 2018

photo credit I’m finding a new rhythm to my house life, mom life, wife life. I’m finally doing things consciously in the right order. It was 8:32pm. The three youngest are all asleep and as I crept past their rooms, checking on their night lights and blanket situations, I felt it. That siren call of my sewing machine. DO NOT GO DOWNSTAIRS. COME UP! My husband slipped out the back door with our oldest for some night baseball hits at the local park. They waved and I doused them in bug spray on their way out. I had not answered my sewing machine’s call. I had trekked down the stairs, pausing to pick up ten thousand items of dirty clothing, two CDs whose scratches had deepened, and shutting off light switches here and everywhere. I was determined to take the ten minutes of wiping counters and arranging dishes in the dishwasher before heading back up up to the machine and my luscious fabrics. It took twelve minutes, but the peace of mind I experienced with each soggy granola bowl rinsed and stacked was worth it. You see, I’ve spent years indulging my blogging, sewing, writing, texting, scrolling, calling, and venting. All before doing what needs to be done. I supposed the Sisyphean task of having small kids #forever meant for me if I stopped to do a dish, I would have to scrub the kitchen floor and I would NEVER GET A MOMENT FOR ME. Instead I carved habit after habit, year after…

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Catching Up in 7 Quick Takes

November 20, 2017

Hi hi hi hi hi hi hi. I do still run a blog, albeit a very neglected blog. I’m here! Hi! Late to link up with Kelly and the gang. 1 __ 1 Still doing projects and unpacking. Anyone who has moved with children, God bless you, because MAN I am still slowly unpacking parts of the house. The parts I knew needed attention right away, like sound machines and bed sheets, and legos, and toothpaste? Yeah, those are all set. But the den and my workspace and those empty frames I’m hoarding? Not so much. The construction is slowing down. No major projects but lots of putsy ones. Beautiful new bookshelves built-in, new light fixtures, caulking (and caulking and caulking), and painting. That kinda stuff. And a new fence. I love our contractor and his crew so we will miss their company when they actually flee away from us and our constant kid shrieks. 2 __ 2 Blessed is She What’s new with Blessed is She, Nell? Oh, you know, just a new wall calendar, 2018 planner,  journaling Bible, Blessed Conversations, and our amazing Laura Kelly Fanucci’s Lent journal! I’ve hosted two sessions so far for Blessed Conversations. I love the format. I love the community that’s coming together to form a sisterhood with it. Basically, I love it. I also got to flee myself with the babe to go to a leadership retreat with Jenna, Beth, and MaryRuth. We came out of the weekend refreshed, thanks in large…

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Catching up on all the things

June 17, 2017

Wow! Your survey answers were so so helpful. Thank you, my friends. Thank you for being here in this corner of the internet and thank you for your feedback. I resolve to write more frequently this summer about your fav topic: parenting!! and tell you all the things I’m doing wrong and what I’m learning from them. Ha! Quick catch up on the sewing side of things. I’ve been slowly creating small batches of things instead of my usual large orders. It’s more manageable and more swiftly in  your hands that way! Three things are happening this summer with my studio. First off, I hung a pegboard! Okay, my dad and husband did but I love the work space so much. I also found a sweet desk off Craigslist and love the size. Limited organic knit swaddles! (And fall pre-order) pic from grace Custom bonnets! Pick your fabric! And forthcoming: bloomers & caps. They’re almost all done but I’m still adding elastic and ties. Those will be available probably next weekend? And a handful of summer bibs. I have a bunch of fabrics that are slaying me with their bold & brightness and I love them. Okay, now you know everything I know. Or probably way more. Mom brain means I’m a little fried! What’s happening this weekend for you?

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Summer Postpartum Fashion Favs

May 17, 2017

Summertime and the living is . . . still a wee chilly up here in Minnesota. I mean, we’re no Christy or anything but it hasn’t burst into full on oven-door-open living. I put on my new jeans and the white linen shirt the other night. I wanted to feel like a human being, not a milk-making mama bear. It wasn’t forty minutes in to this novel experience that the baby directed an enormous poop right at the shirt, the toddler spilled his dinner plate on the jeans, and my earrings (yes, I PUT ON EARRINGS) got caught on my mom-bun and yanked ever so staunchly on those tiny fly-away hairs that are evidence of re-growth and postpartum hair biz. Right back into the bathrobe I zoomed. Linen It’s breathable and lightweight, but more forgiving in its flowing than a knit cotton. I gathered a bunch off off the inter web and then kept nearly all of them! The buttons make the shirt, as far as I’m concerned. Thank you for a little wooden button, designers! White one & pink one & butterfly one (for my sister) & brown one. All three of mine have been put in the dryer on accident and made it out relatively unscathed! Stretchy jeans Oh, as I confessed, I haven’t packed away my maternity jeans just yet (she’s a mere 5 months!) but that was, in large part, because I only have one pair and my non-maternity jeans were either too high waisted (not really ready to dive back…

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Leggings Sale on Instagram Monday!

April 23, 2017

I am so in love with the fabrics I have for this spring & summer leggings collection. The new design of a more roomy bottom and less of a skinny leg works well for my (YES ALMOST 20 pound 4 month old) big little baby. You may also have a little lovie in your life that needs some summer leggings love. Every time I release new fabrics, I hear this from you, kind friends: you are out of stock in the one fabric I love! To try to remedy this, I’m doing an instagram custom-sizing sale on Monday. This means you hop over –> to here –> my instagram account. Then you comment on the photo of the leggings you want, tell me the size you want, and I paypal invoice you so that it’s sold then and there and no one can snatch it up away from you!! A few of them but not everything! EEEK I kinda want to keep them all. But I won’t! I’m sharing the love, people. See you on the ‘gram tomorrow!

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A Double Birthday

April 10, 2017

  We share a birthday, this newly minted 5 year old and me. I love that she was my birthday present my last year of my 20’s. She is sweet, fierce, smart, and kind. Her birth story is here (my one and only water birth–though I wish they all could have been!). Each day, SweetPea bounds into my room, even as her feet drag across the hallway carpet and her murmuring about “I’M TOO TIRED TO BE AWAKE” is less than a whisper. The bounding starts are the door handle’s creek. She clamors into bed to check on her sister. Where is she? Oh HI! This enraptured love of the baby that we share, this longing to snuggle her face off, this smelling up all her baby smells, it’s pretty special. Also I found out I was pregnant with SweetCheeks on my birthday last year so that’s extra nice. Today we’ll eat a special lunch, take an extra long nap, and pound some serious sugar for our bday cake. Our gifts for her were pretty simple this year. These that Grace told me about, this desk for her doll, this outfit, and I’m almost done making her a horsey-pink-knit-skirt out of this material. And books. Half-Price books for the win! She’s still super into Little House on the Prairie books (second read aloud through) and Boxcar children. For me, Sunday morning I was served a Starbucks hot cocoa in bed along with breakfast so I really can’t beat that!! #husbandwinning **Chunky baby wanted…

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