10 quick things before bed.

1. this is a little glimpse of my table at squam. it was a huge leap for me since i've never done anything like it in my life. i was encouraged by pixie and we shared a table and lots of magic happened as a result. i'm so glad i took the plunge and did it. pix, i wouldn't have done it without you.

2. i am lucky because i know so so many inspiring people. jenica is one of those people. i am certain we will be friends when we are old and gray.

3. my favorite kinds of gifts come from little people. i heart when little people make me art. it fills me up.

4. i like hot chocolate dates. especially in the fall. especially with this guy.

5. i like when babies have blue painted toenails. i especially like it if they have grass stuck between their toes.

6. i like how sometimes my baby looks like a fake baby doll.

7. i like pumpkins. and hay. and homemade applesauce in the crockpot.

8. i like how i have a clone. and i like when she's smiley and happy.

9. i like when my kids hold hands in the car and it's not staged by me. it's just happening behind me. because they are in love.

10. i like roadtrips.
but then i like to come home.

shop updates

lots of post-squam shop updates this week! priced to sell, so spread the love! xx

loud

while having lunch with friends yesterday, we got to talking about chaos and life and i mentioned offhandedly that i "run a pretty tight ship" and that" i like order", and the kids go to bed early every night, blah blah blah. but right around 4pm yesterday afternoon, i ate all of those words as the day came crashing down around me.

the kids were completely off the wall, screaming, running around half naked, beating each other with random instruments. the noise level was insane. i was attempting to entertain guests and there were drinks spilled and my friend kevin put his hands over his ears and started rocking back and forth saying how loud it was. he was promptly mounted by three screaming kids who farted in his face and spilled a full beer all over him and my floor. of course, after these words about the loudness escaped his lips, the loud factor increased exponentially- even during a game of chess. i had no real snacks to feed my friends, so we ate kid snacks like cheese cracker sandwiches and pretzels and popcorn. i had to buy takeout for dinner because i couldn't get my act together to cook a real meal for everyone. someone needed to be thrown in the bath, and then an elaborate plan for scaring said person in bath was hatched which may have involved climbing through the bathroom window. there may or may not have been a slapping fight. and homework to be done. and everyone was nibbling on the kids' dinner of macaroni and cheese from a box, for the fifth day in a row. and lulu was creeping along the furniture begging to be let in on the action and hoping not to be trampled in the process.

i looked around at what was my life and realized that yes, while my kids do go to bed at 6pm- i do NOT in fact run a tight ship. my life is filled with chaos. and my life is freaking L.O.U.D.

so while my pictures and words may be bright and cheery, just know that i never, EVER write a blog post any time between 4pm and 6pm.

i feel.

i feel a bit conflicted.
because i'm feeling a bit
beat up
worn out
bags-under-my-eyes
totally sleep deprived
up all night
abused by the kids
gray is being tough
having problems on the bus
and taking it out on mama
and i'm feeling like poo.
i'm done at 6pm every night
and feel like i don't have
an extra ounce
to give
right now.

but on the other hand,
i feel completely lifted up
by life right now
and so blessed
because every.day. (no exceptions)
there are people in and out
visitors
calls
friends who will watch vampire shows with me
and lay out quilts with toys for the baby to play with
people who eat my hastily-prepared food
and say it's good
people who eat double desserts with me
friends to visit with
from across the county
surprise beer drop-offs
and friends who stop in
just for a half hour
to catch up
friends who stop over
to poop in my toilet

the best compliment ever

so
many
good
things

that i realize

you know what?
i have
just
enough
to keep going

there's just too much good out there
for the taking.

moment captured.

a day in the life.

wish i could bottle the joy on gray's face.

i am not really sure.

i am not really sure
how it is possible
that i manage
to be surrounded

consistently

by the coolest people on the planet

every.
single.
day.

people
big and small
that make me laugh
feed my soul
refill my cup
make me dinner when i am tired
stop by unannounced and
make me smile
even when i don't feel like it
wear wigs with me
dance to the b-52's with me
love me in period-stained jammies
and love me in gold high heels.

i
am
one
lucky
mama.

giveaway!

head on over to my dear friend jenica's spot for a nina beana giveaway! i've been making these little woobies out of vintage chenille and i'm totally in love with them. hope you are, too! plus some notecards, postcards, and fun scappie pack, too! brittany is also having a giveaway there! it's a complete lovefest, i tell you.

please enter!

squam prep fyi

i just got my new mini business cards for my creative business in the mail in preparation for squam. swoon! i went with the company myminicards.com and i was really happy with the ease of the site and the speediness of the delivery. the colors are bright and the shipping was free! plus, it's always fun to see your name on paper. makes a girl feel special.

FIVE DOLLAR sale in the whole self shop

record bowls as hats? hum....

feeling kind of kooky today and want to clean out the shop before squam and in honor of the new fall season approaching. head on over and see what's left for FIVE DOLLARS. yes loves, i love fall that.much.

check it out- wishmamas!

if you have a minute or two, click over to the wish studio to read/watch my piece, wishmamas: the ultimate lesson in letting it all go. thanks!

there are.

there are moments
that are so heartbreakingly pure
that i'm pretty sure
my heart
will stop

and i look around
and wonder
how on earth
so much love
can fit into one life?

i bottle up
these moments
and save them
for when i need them most

like yesterday
when my new van broke down
60 miles away from home
and we all had to squish into
a tow truck
with a flatbed on the back,
my broken vehicle
coming along for the ride

but i looked around
at my children sandwiched around me
and my husband sitting next to
the vibrating stick shift
and i just took out my camera
and started taking pictures


and laughing.

and it was enough.

things to do when it's 100 degrees and you have no air conditioning, part 1.

dress up like a viking and put on an opera show for your guests.

(and the fact that i'm posting these pictures just goes to show you how much i.love.you.)

kewpie

puppa balancing the little kewpie doll lulu in the palm of his hand
it's one thing that just makes me so happy
to see it come
full circle
knowing he used
to do this
to me
when i was a babe

(a swim diaper was being used as a hat because i forgot to pack one for the pool- they work great! also, a big THANK YOU to the dubes for letting us swim every day during this 90+ degree weather- putting up with the bickering siblings, the meltdowns, and the baby pee and poop! you guys rock!)

or...

:: or you could just jump in anyway. xx

here

here

take this

it will make you feel better

i promise.

xx

crocodile creek shout out

how could you not love a company who's motto is "the art of play"?

what i love most about the crocodile creek products are the bright colors. i love how my kids are drawn to their simplicity and their focus on fun. i'm drawn to their eco-friendly vibe and the high quality. if you have time, check out the beautiful website. they have some fabulous back to school items, especially the drinking bottles and the lunch bags. we have the firetruck bag and gray is majorly wanting the flower one. they sell the things that i would want if i were a kid again (those playground balls would have made dodgeball more tolerable).

here's where i tried to make a little video to show us in action getting busy with the floor puzzle. our video was a bit of a trainwreck. (it's 95 degrees and humid here- so be kind!) but the puzzle was fun! and now joey knows the letter U! so here goes:


the company's treat to you, dear readers? if you buy a backpack or lunchbox from them and enter the code "BACK2SCHOOL", you'll receive free shipping! and that's always a good thing.

("everyone say bye appropriately!"

"BYE APPROPRIATELY!")

them kids

a couple weeks back we took the kids to an outdoor music festival. which seemed like an OK idea at the time but in reality there were a whole bunch of ants, a cranky baby learning to crawl, a buttload of traffic, lines of port-o-potties next to us, a three year old with explosive diarrhea, and sibling rivalry. but being who we are, we were determined to turn it into a good time. which involved making the kids dance to the sam roberts band (song "them kids" found here) and eric hutchinson (kids are fond of this song). joey is particularly good at "forced dancing", and especially "forced dancing for slush (or insert bribe here)". he really loves it so don't be alarmed.

this video, if watched closely, features a nice little joey-toot right at the end of the fanny waggle. because he's entertaining like that. i'm sure it earned him an extra treat.

meow

little things make me happy.

like making real sailboats into
cat ears

meow.

xx

what sorts of little things
make you happy?

grace the screen monster gilbert

back story:

gray busted through our front screen door today while playing with a friend. she was really really upset about it and would not stop crying, even though i was reassuring her it was in fact OK and that accidents happen. she was scared of the unknown and scared of john finding out (even though johnny is THE.NICEST.DAD.EVER. see below). so i took the liberty of calling him at work and putting him on the phone with her and he told her not to sweat it.

shortly after, we received this email from him (like i said- nicest dad ever. and as a side note, gray really did save joey's life in the pool the other day, but that's a different story for a different day)

Dear Grace The Screen Monster Gilbert,

I would never be mad at you for making a mistake. The only issue now is stopping the bugs from flying into the house, so it will now be your responsibility to stand at the door all day long waiting for flies to come into the house. You have to trap each fly in your mouth and chew them up and poop them out your fanny cheeks, make a sandwich out of them and then feed the sandwich to your baby brother.

It's just a screen. It's easily fixed and I'm not mad. Consider this an even swap for you saving Joey's life the other day. I would trade a million zillion screens for just one Jogey Bear. You're the best little screen monster in the world. Enjoy eating all of those stinking flies.

Meow, you're a cat and I love you.

five days.

there are just no words for the amount of love and adventure that can fit into five short days.



thank you to the charltons to opening up your home and your hearts to us, with love and generosity. thank you to our new friends jen and rod for opening up your cottage to us and having the perfect summer day. thank you universe for perfect breakfasts at our old favorite restaurant with fountains dripping nearby, for ice cream on the water, for viking hats, for breathing treatments, for art supplies, for well behaved children on long road trips, for a newer, functioning van, for air conditioning, for silliness, for dvd players in the car, for allowing me to witness new babies being brought into the world. i stand here in awe, loving life.


and extra shout out goes out to:
iced coffee cozies
nice labor and delivery nurses
rhine wine
buffalo wings
my sewing machine
and johnny, who bails me out when i need him. xx

(ps- lulu is totally fine but having treatments to help her breathing- joey snapped the pictures while we were at the doctor's and they snuck their way into the movie and i'm too confused/tired to figure out how to remove them. same for the picture of joey's fanny crack.)

rolls

rolls make me happy.

do they make you happy, too? xx

home

due to crazy rainy weather the first couple weeks of summer vacation, and then a recent string of van troubles, we'd had the opportunity to spend a whole bunch of time at home. or maybe it just feels like a whole lot of time because the kids have been getting up at 5am and go to bed at 6pm. which sounds pretty cool but that's a lot of hours to fill with summertime-home-fun. don't get me wrong, i love staying home and i'm blessed to do so, but then there are other days where i've barely survived having three babes scream in my face and i'm covered in snots, carrots, and poo and i'm left feeling like i've survived some whirlwind. it's chaotic and messy and mostly beautiful here in gilbertland, and i'm learning to go with the flow and mostly just let go of perfect notions of parenting.

because they don't exist.

i need a creative date with myself to keep my energy up in the crafty world. it's getting harder to carve out any time because lulu is on the verge of crawling. she's at that even-more-dangerous phase where she can scoot all over the room and when she gets tired or needs a break she just slams herself face-down into the hardwood floors. so she pretty much requires constant supervision. goodbye showers! goodbye peeing and pooing for mama! guess i'll just have to hold it for the next couple of years :)

in other bright and shiny news, i won another giveaway! pixie hosted a delicious giveaway for these caramels which I CANNOT WAIT TO CONSUME. (i'm holding myself back from saying CONSUME WITH A BOTTLE OF WINE). if you get a chance, check out this etsy shoppe because it.will.make.you.drool. and then you will want to spend your whole paypal balance on everything.

also, my girl jenica is hosting a really great month of giveaways at her blog. so go. quickly.

in other, other news, mccabe's mermaid warriors class is rocking all of our worlds. joey is seriously getting into it, too. we've all done a journal (even lulu has one) and we're in the process of finishing up. if you haven't checked out mccabe's site, please do. you'll be a smitten kitten.

finally, i'd just like to give a glorious and very public shout-out to this generous soul. kelly, we are lucky to know you and so grateful for your amazing package! it has certainly helped our home-time be more beautiful.

xx

just in case

just in case you were wondering
we're all still here
still being dorks

just soaking up life.

xx

mystery.

"and i thought again how mysterious other people's lives are, most of all those you love and are closest to." -this is all, aidan chambers

happy.

i grew these with my dad.

it's the little things lately that have been making me
just
so

happy.

time flies when you've got three kids

cliche, i know, but these.weeks.are.flying.by.

it's completely ridonkulous to me that i'm the mama to three children, the youngest of which now has a real TOOTH and EATS FOOD and ROLLS OVER. this makes me incredibly happy but also so sad that i could weep. how can this be possible? this child of mine is the biggest joy i could ever have wished for. and now that i'm a seasoned mama (do i get to call myself 'seasoned' the third time around?), i'm enjoying it so much more because i don't have any of the anxiety associated with the not-knowingness of going through it the first time. oh, you want that binky off the bathroom floor baby? fair game! (just kidding, but you get my point). lulu freakin' rocks. that's all i'm sayin'. case in point::

and then there are these other two little humans that have been keeping me so busy and immersed in love. that kind of wild love that makes you want to pull your hair out and bawl with happiness all at the same time. i can't believe i made these people. i can't believe they are growing up and becoming such cool individuals.

they were both in a wedding this weekend and were amazing. i thought my head would explode with pride. seeing them walk down the aisle was priceless. and that little suit practically killed me with cuteness overload::

i am adjusting to being a mama of three now that gray is on day #2 of school vacation. since i had lulu at the end of january, i haven't really been home with all three of them because gray was in full day kindergarten and was gone from 8am-4pm every day (not including activities and sports). so only now, at the end of june, am i going through the transition.

and i'll be honest. it's kinda hard. but i'll get through it.

the sibling rivalry between these two is off.the.hook. but i'm going to combat it with
love
love
love
ice cream
pool trips
and fairy stories.

wish me luck. xx
in other news, i'm having a big ole sale in the shoppe. i've lowered prices on most items, just because i love you. thanks in advance for taking a peek.

a reminder

i know i've said it before

but seriously

be you
it's ok

even if YOU
is messy
or a complete trainwreck
and sometimes
you break down
or maybe you do a little toot in public by accident
or just act inappropriately
when everyone else around you seems
to be walking
the straight and narrow
(they aren't, i promise you)

i give you
permission
to smack your fanny
with glee

and embrace
the
youness
of
you.

j.o.y.

this is pummie's painting. and it does in fact bring me JOY. now that i'm moving things out of my studio, i have room for new and sunny things like this to inspire me. his painting has now taken center stage on my inspiration wall.

i've been so loving creating new things and sending them out into the world. i've had a burst of creative energy. i'm riding it while it lasts. record bowls, baby quilts, and burp cloths up.

drop me a line and tell me what's up in your world. what's been stoking your creative fires?

big ole studio-cleanout update!!

click here to see all the new goodies that i just put up in the etsy shop! not only is it a bit of a studio cleanout, but i've also been working on these new "postcard sets" that come with the vintage covers, too! total cuteness.

any order placed within the next couple of hours will be going out this afternoon when i go to the post office. i tried to price stuff really fairly considering the funky economy! i figure we all need a little brightness.

felt pins, postcards, notecards, paintings, collage, and fingerless mitts- oh my!

(the shop isn't going to be up forever- and i promise you won't have to hear about it all the time. xx)

my delicious life

so here's a little summary of my delicious life in a nutshell.

basically lately i've been doing this new hairstyle that is so whacked out that even the baby looks up and laughs at it. this picture is only a very tame version of it. i try to make this huge nest on top of my head, and then i tell the kids that rats and birds live inside my hair. they call me "ice cream cone head" or pretend that i have a big thing of cotton candy sitting on top of my head and they are constantly licking me. it's fun and bizarre and disturbing all at once. but anyone that knows me knows that one of my hugest hangups is that i pull my hair back waaay to tightly and it's this control thing i have so this is my first step in my recovery. getting my head licked by kids.

other things that are good:: dirty dancing to phish songs on the deck while we have family cookouts and eat crackers that taste exactly like gorgonzola cheese while drinking coronas with lime. our neighbors must really hate us. we put clothes on before we took this picture just to be nice.

naked baby feet. rolls. it looks like i've tied elastics all over lulu's body. her rolls collect sweat and dirt and weird grey-colored baby cheese and i would eat this cheese for the rest of my life if i could, and i don't care how disgusting it is to admit this.

lulu is rolling around. and playing with toys. and laughing. and she loves all of us, even when we are putting things on her head and making her eat jarred peas and laughing at her when she poops. she really does love us.

my kids have the bluest eyes on the planet. and the ones with teeth have the exact same space in between their two front teeth. which is the exact same space i had before i had braces. genes are powerful. they are also complete dorks, just like me. gray especially. and this is why i love her and why my heart breaks into a million stinkin' pieces every time i look at her.

ps-

i love summer.

xx

etsy love

mama wants some new art supplies for the kiddies for the upcoming summer vacation, so i'm reopening and relisting some things in my humble etsy shop. i want a tiny amount of cashola in my paypal account so i can buy some delicious things for the kids to create with! if you have the time or the inclination, click on over! and expect a shop update soon, with more notecards, postcards, and hopefully a small quilt or two!

xx

check check check out mccabe's goodness

little girls changing the world from mccabe russell on Vimeo.

and then click here for additional info.

xx

this week

this week
i am on
a one-woman crusade
to do
as many
random acts of kindness
as i can

and let me
tell you
it's the best medicine
that i know
of
in the world.

xx

mermaid warriors e-camp and other fun mermaid goodness

dear sweet friends,

rally around the insanely inspiring mccabe of dancing mermaid! she's offering an amazing e-camp for girls and she's having a rockin' special on her blog. for a delicious $45 (regularly $55), a sweet girlie in your life can attend this e-camp, watch the videos, and get a huge dose of BELIEVE IN YOURSELF. click HERE for more details.

i cannot WAIT for gray to dive into these videos. and neither can she.

even before i had children, i was always acutely aware of the difficult transitions that our young girls sometimes go through when travelling into womanhood. i spent most of my college days hanging around campus with young girls from the city, listening to them, laying in the grass, and creating plays. my most favorite professor created a program called "all kinds of girls" and we gathered the girls together, created little books, interviewed them just to hear their answers, and then had them put on little theatrical performances. some of my best college memories are of these little girls, who must be young women now. i hope that those days spent covered in paint and glitter made an impression on one of the girls. because i know they made an impression on me.

and now thanks to the wonders of the magical internet, we can encourage and inspire our young girls in such powerful ways. mccabe's videos are a dose of glitter and pack a powerful punch when it comes to encouraging us to get messy, have fun, and just be. after watching only a few installments of her mermaid warriors class, i created three pieces. and this was with a newborn on my hip and a very curious and whiny three year old in tow. so you KNOW it HAD to be inspiring. now that i'm a mama of three, i believe in the magic and power of youth even more than those "all kinds of girls" days. i want my own children to remember just how they are NOW- boisterous, clever, oftentimes inappropriate, creative, and messy. i want them to know it's ok.

the above picture is from last weekend. gray's piece of artwork was chosen for a methuen-wide K-12 art show. we didn't enter her piece. we only received the invitation to show up at the show! this was a big deal for my girl because we have about five public schools in our city and her piece getting chosen was so special. i was a beaming mama and bawling because i'm a DORK and because i was so proud of her creative spirit. seeing her there next to her work was freakin' awesome.

so there's my long-winded endorsement for all things girl empowerment, all things mermaid, all things mccabe. sign up now and get the dealie-deal! you won't regret it.

(video to come- stay tuned!)

Art for the Heart

Hello lovely ladies and dear peeps,

I'm getting involved with a volunteer project put together by my awesome cousin Tabatha. She's beginning to volunteer for a Hospice program, and she'll be spending time with people who have six months or less to live. She will sit with them, hold their hands, and listen to their stories as they pass. Unfortunately, lots of these special people don't have family to sit and visit with them, and as a result, their rooms are often very bare. So this is where "Art for the Heart" comes in. Tabatha and I will be collecting any and all artwork done by our kiddies (anything from coloring sheets to scribbles- anything! The only rule is no last names.) and then she will be taking it to hospice and hanging it up in the rooms. I really believe that this will brighten some days. I know my recycling bin is filled with drawings...so I've started a big bag to pass on to Tabatha. If you are interested, keep some stuff aside and pass it on to me when you get a chance. I'd like to get our first shipment off soon!

Here's the original posting:

Is your refrigerator overrun by your children’s colorful art work? You may think of them as drawings or paintings. We call them “Art for the Heart” and we have patients who would love them.

Most of our hospice patients are elderly and are delighted by children’s artwork. If you send us your children’s crayon drawings, paintings or other art work, our staff will joyfully deliver them to an appreciative audience.

We visit patients in nursing homes in Manchester, Bedford, Nashua, Goffstown, and the Seacoast. We will all treasure your child’s art.

Mail to:
Art for the Heart
Allegiance Hospice and Palliative Care
340 Granite St.
Manchester, NH 03102

Thank you.
For more information, contact: Susan Nolan, Allegiance Hospice Chaplain, 877-255-4623
snolan@allegiancehospice.com


I know I see most of you on a weekly basis, so you can just give me anything you have instead of mailing it to Art for the Heart.

Thank you for your time! And enjoy this gorgeous weather...

Nina

ps- I'm going to be seeing Tabatha this weekend and I'd like to have a big push these next couple of days for submissions- I want a nice, full bag to present to her!

message from me to myself and to you, too. xx