New Year's Eve Meme

Saw this here and thought it would be fun to play along.

Here are the rules: Bold the things you’ve done and post on your blog!

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band ... I played the saxophone until I was in 10th grade.
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain – do small ones count?
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo -not in public, though!
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea.
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch - sewing.
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill- only once!
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon-- a half marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors - now it is a parking lot
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke – only once, on my birthday a few years ago.
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie - crappy ones, but they were paychecks!
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business- Waldeck Dry Goods!
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies- 12 years in a row!
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy - I still have Toby
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar – eew. Tasted it. No thanks.
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades- went there to see Phish for New Year's 1999-- I wouldn't call what I did there "touring", though
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper - it doesn't take much to get your picture in the Lititz Record Express
85. Kissed a stranger at midnight on New Year’s Eve
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating – fish. Just fish.
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous- Elizabeth Dole
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

Okay - who else wants to play?

Toddler Wardrobe Re-Fashion

Clearance holiday t-shirt from Target+ fabric from my stash + a few minutes of sewing=


An adorable dress for Ava!

I saw dresses made exactly like this in a local children's boutique. They were a little too spendy for my taste, plus I knew I'd be able to make one myself. This one is not hemmed yet; I have to wait for my model to wake up from her nap first. I'll post a few pictures of Ava modeling as soon as I can.

Cleaning Out (Again)

After all of my Christmas sewing, my sewing room is a disaster (I'd show you a photo, but it's too embarrassing). My scrap basket is overflowing. Every time I try to look for something, the contents of the basket end up all over the floor. I really can't stand to throw these little scraps away, though. They are just the thing to freshen up your fabric stash. I have several gallon-size bags that I'm packing up with scraps, and I'd like to share them with you!

How to enter:: Link back to this post on your own blog, and in your post write about your favorite things to do with your leftover fabric. Make sure I see your post (either leave a comment or email me: waldeckdrygoods@gmail.com). I'll pick a winner early this week.

Thanks for helping me clean up!

Save Handmade: Call For Action

The following was written by Jesseca at Quilt Baby:

If you are not familiar with the Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), you need to be. While I truly believe that the individuals who drafted and passed this legislation only had good intentions in mind, the consequences will be catastrophic for individuals, families, small and big businesses, consumers, and the economy as a whole. Not only will it effect all of us on a financial level, but it threatens the imagination and creativity that is vital to the children's industry.

I urge you to take a few minutes to read the excerpt below from Cool Mom Picks, this post on Mom-101, this Etsy open letter, to send out emails, letters to congress, post on your blogs, please sign this petition, visit Change.org and log your support- if it gets enough votes, it will be shown to President Obama in January.

Please do your part to insure that this law is amended so that we are not forced to surround our children with big box toys and clothing.

Per Cool Mom Picks:

We're all for strengthening the safety standards of mass-produced toys, clothes, and accessories made in China, and banning toxins like phthalates and lead. But this year, congress passed the ill-conceived Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act, a law which goes into effect in two months and will absolutely decimate the small toy manufacturers, independent artisans, and crafters who have already earned the public trust. The very same ones that we often feature here and in our yearly special edition gift guides.

With this act going into effect February 10 2009 so many people we love will be affected: Moms who sew beautiful handmade waldorf dolls out of home, artists who have spent decades hand-carving trucks and cars out of natural woods, that guy at the craft show who sold you the cute handmade puzzle--even larger US companies who employ local workers and have not once had any sort of safety issue will no longer be able to sell their goods. Not without investing tens of thousands of dollars into third-party testing and labeling, just to prove that toys that never had a single toxic chemical in them still don't have a single toxic chemical in them.

How to Get Involved -- it only takes 5 minutes of your time!

-Find your congress personand senators and write a letter like the sample here.
Particularly if they serve on the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection or theHouse Committee on Small Business.

-Send an email directly to the CPSC or contact chairperson Nancy Nord at 301-504-7923

-Vote for amending the law on Change.org, digg style: With enough votes it will be presented to President Obama in January!

-Place the Save Handmade! button on your blog or website to help spread the word to everyone you know who cares about protecting the little guy and preserving beautiful items made with love for our children.

Please take the time to get involved.

Love, Addie

101 Reasons to Buy Handmade

Like last year, I'm trying to make most of my gifts or buy them from crafters on Etsy. I found this list this morning:: 101 Reasons to Buy Handmade. What are you making this year?

How to Occupy Toddler and Daddy

I came home from teaching today and all Ava wanted was "Bup, bup, bup" (up, up, up). I held her for as long as I could (she is heavy), but I needed to get some things done. I set Ava up with her crayons and paper, but she scribbled on the wall instead. I remembered seeing a recipe for homemade playdough in one of my cookbooks, so I decided to give that a try. It was magical. Ava sat at the table and made cookies and snakes and even tried feeding some to Hank and to herself. Ava and Daddy played long enough for me to change my clothes, do some laundry, check email, and read a few blogs.


Playdough Recipe:

3 c. flour
1 1/2 c. salt
6 t. cream of tartar
3 1/4 c. water
3 T. vegetable oil

Whisk dry ingredients into a large pot. Whisk in wet ingredients. Cook on high 3-4 minutes until dough forms. Separate into portions and add food coloring if desired.

Note: This makes a huge batch. I only made half and we have plenty. I like this recipe because it is totally non-toxic. Your kids can eat it, but they won't take more than one bite!

Ava takes her first and only bite of playdough.

City Arts Market

City Arts Market is back in time for the Holiday Season.

Challenge yourself and your family to each buy something from a local artist for the holidays.
Unique gift giving ideas, live music, food, and best of all it's FREE to get in.
Spread the word!

Saturday, December 6th and Sunday, December 7th
10am-4pm

308 East King Street, Lancaster, PA

Click here for a list of vendors: http://www.historiceasternmarket.org/index.php?pID=28

Ways I Could Drain My PayPal Account, Part 2

If I don't win this giveaway on Simple Mom, I will have to go buy most of these things myself!

Ways I Could Drain My PayPal Account, Part 1

I was looking for some felt food to buy for Ava for Christmas, when I thought, "Why don't I make her some felt food?" Then I thought, "I have no idea how to make felt food." So I headed over to Etsy, where I found this great shop called Bugga Bugs. I can't decide between the homemade bread, the fruit, or the lunch. The nativity set and the Olivia doll are seriously cute as well. See what I mean? I want them all!

What are you making (or thinking about making) for your little ones for Christmas?

SimpleMom Blog Giveaway

I've been reading the SimpleMom blog for a couple of weeks, and it is full of great ideas for simplifying your life and home. Right now she's giving away this awesome printer. I am not much of a gadget person, but this is one thing I would LOVE to have.

Now, it's off to work. Yep, I am now working part-time as an ESL teacher.

The Cutest Trick-or-Treaters in Waldeck

Ava's Nana made her a Little Red Riding Hood costume for Halloween.


She trick-or-treated with her cousins.


And we went to visit Great-Grandad.

Marie-Therese Gown GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!

Marie-Therese Gown GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!

Akron Stop + Shop

I'm participating in a Stop + Shop event in a few weeks. This should be a great time. Here are the details::

Stop + Shop Christmas Show

Featuring
Pampered Chef
Creative Memories
Signature Home Styles
Mia Bella Candles
At Home Body Shop
Tastefully Simple
Stampin' Up
Waldeck Dry Goods
and lots more!

Friday, November 7th
6:00pm-9:00pm

Saturday, November 8th
8:00am-5:00pm

Free admission and parking

BCM International
309 Colonial Drive
Akron, PA 17501

Come get started on your Christmas shopping!!

I Love a Good Contest

JC Handmade is hosting an awesome contest. She made a great little quilt for a new baby, and she has generously offered to make one for one lucky reader of her blog. In order to enter, you've got to link from your blog to her blog, and state the main colors you'd like your quilt to be. If I win (and I really, really hope I do), I would love some browns and yellows in my quilt. For more details, see the post here.

Shop Update Today

Hi Everyone--

I've spent most of Ava's naptime today updating my Etsy shop. It won't be long before it's time to start thinking Christmas, so get over there and check some people off your list!

Love, Addie

Etsy Front Page 9/25/08

Etsy Front Page 9/25/08
Originally uploaded by Etsy Front Pagers

Hey! I made it to the front page of Etsy!! I've been getting ready for a craft show that is tomorrow, and I've listed a few of the things I've been making in my shop. I've sold several things, so now I'm hoping Ava takes a nice looooong nap so I can do lots of sewing this morning. This is a good problem to have, though. I'll be at the EcoFair tomorrow.

Welcome, Fall

It's beginning to feel a little like fall here in Waldeck. We're starting to need an extra blanket on the bed at night, I've had to put on socks, and there is that fall smell you can catch a whiff of once in a while. The trees are still green and you can still pick a few things out of the garden, but I have seen a few leaves on the ground out back. Fall's right around the corner.

When I went to college in North Carolina, the highlight of field hockey season was the trip we made to PA the beginning of each October. I loved coming home right in the middle of fall. No one does fall like Central Pennsylvania, I think.

Some things I love about Fall::

*Fair season
*Pumpkins and mums
*Longer runs in the woods with Hank
*Cider
*Coffee all day long
*Needing a sweater


And because I have no photos of what's happening so far this fall, here's one of me and my hubby taken two Octobers ago. See how others are celebrating fall at Polka Dot Cottage.

The Omnivore's 100

I saw this on jennifreckles crafts and was very interested. I am very curious about what others have tried, as well. I don't even know what some of these things are, but I'll have to look them up later. I've been a vegetarian for about 7 years now, so any of the meat dishes I've tried I definitely haven't had since then. I'm not a very adventurous eater, but I will try (almost) anything that is non-meat. I'm not going to tag anyone specifically, but if you read this blog, please participate and leave a comment so I can read your list!

Here’s what you do:
1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating. (I just put no in front of these because I can't figure out how to cross them out)
4) Optional extra: Post a comment at www.verygoodtaste.co.uk linking to your results.

1. Venison - but as a vegetarian I haven't had this in a verrrrry long time.
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding NO
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp NO
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari just once in my pre-vegetarian days. A friend told me I'd love it. That friend was wrong.
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns NO
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes mmmmm I love tomatoes.
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras NO! Never!
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese NO
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters NO
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl NO
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut one of my favorite foods
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar NO. Gross.
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo NO
40. Oxtail NO
41. Curried goat NO
42. Whole insects NO
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu - pufferfish? NO
47. Chicken tikka masala see #1
48. Eel NO
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin NO
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal NO
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs NO
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake mmmm funnel cake....
68. Haggis NO
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini NO
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill EW. NO
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail NO
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef NO
86. Hare NO
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse NO
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam NO
92. Soft shell crab NO
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish NO
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox NO
97. Lobster Thermidor NO
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake NO

It's That Time of Year...

Now that my hubby's second job isn't keeping him away from home as much, he's able to spend lots more time with Ava, which means more sewing time for me!

I've got a few craft fairs lined up for this fall/winter:

EcoFair (Parkesburg, PA) Sunday, September 28th

Fall ArtWalk (Lancaster, PA) October 18th and 19th

City Arts Market at Eastern Market (Lancaster, PA) December 6th and 7th

I'm also adding things to my Etsy shop nearly every day. Here are some of the things just added to my shop.

The Beach and a Birthday!

Ava has had a busy month so far: a trip to South Bethany Beach and her first birthday!


Checking out the birthday shirt from mama:

Cousin Luke checks out presents, too:

Cake!!
This year has gone so quickly. It is amazing how much Ava has changed. A few observations about Ava at one:

-She can walk really well, and has figured out how to move the playpen that blocks the doorway in the living room so she can escape (time to get a real gate).

-She says lots of words, including mama, dada, Hank, more, cracker, talk, ball, and no.

-She loves to give Hank hugs (even though he got sprayed by a skunk while we were away and is totally gross).

-She naps twice a day and sleeps all night long (about 8:00 pm to 6:30 am).

-She nurses four times a day, and eats lots of different foods.

Tomorrow we go to the doctor for some shots and a checkup. Happy Birthday, Sweet Bunny!

Apron Sent!

I recently sent my apron for the Sassy Apron Swap- Fall Edition to my partner, Magda. I hope she gets it soon, and I hope she likes it. We were also supposed to include a pot holder. I made one, but it's not in the picture. I think the pot holder took more time than the apron. Seriously. It was very simple: two squares of fabric, some re-purposed toweling in the middle, and some quilting. The tough part was attaching binding around the whole thing. Let's just say that this particular pot holder has lots of handmade charm.

I also received an awesome apron from Angelic. I will post pictures soon!

One Pretty Thing

Have you been to this site yet? If you haven't, go there now! The creators post "Daily DIY" projects and "Roundups" (here's my favorite so far). With all of these projects in one place, I can spend less time clicking from site to site and more time crafting, right??

I was looking through some old photos, and here's my extra-large baby just about one year ago:

I'm not sure what I'm doing with those telephone books....

Top 100 Books

I saw this on my buddy Lex's blog (read about his adventures here). I love booklists, and this list, according to the Big Read, is the "100 Best Books Ever". According to their site, the majority of adults have only read SIX of these books. I'd like to brag about the fact that I've read quite a few more than that, but probably not as many as Lex has.

Here's what to do:

1) Look at the list and bold those you have read.
2) Italicize those you intend to read.
3) Put a * beside the books you love.

1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling I started this series, but only read the first two.
5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee*
6 The Bible
7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare
15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks
18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
19 The Time Traveler’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20 Middlemarch - George Eliot
21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
26 Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis
34 Emma - Jane Austen
35 Persuasion - Jane Austen
36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis
37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne
41 Animal Farm - George Orwell
42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving
45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48 The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood
49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding
50 Atonement - Ian McEwan
51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel
52 Dune - Frank Herbert
53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68 Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding
69 Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie
70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville
71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
72 Dracula - Bram Stoker
73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
75 Ulysses - James Joyce
76 The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78 Germinal - Emile Zola
79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80 Possession - AS Byatt
81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87 Charlotte’s Web - EB White
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94 Watership Down - Richard Adams
95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

I actually have quite a few of my "intend to read" books already. What have you been reading this summer? I'm always looking for good books to read, so if you have any suggestions, let me know.

The $1 Skirt

Since I got Sew What! Skirts last summer, I've made a few a-line skirts with zippers, and none of them fit me quite right. I've also tried a few a-line skirts with an elastic waist, but those were horrible, unflattering disasters. I've had this yard sale denim (purchased for $1) sitting around, and I decided to try one more time. Instead of using the measurement suggestions in the book, I just used a skirt I have to make a pattern. The result:A skirt that fits well, has little "bunching" at the waist, and is super-comfy. I have worn this lots already, and it will be perfect with tights this fall and winter.

In non-sewing news, Ava is almost one now, and started walking about a month ago. She is so curious, and last week she did a little experiment with Hank's food and water.



She managed to eat a few pieces and dump both the food and water bowls in the few seconds my back was turned. That's paint on her knee, but that's another story.

Sweet Vintage Linen Baby Blanket

Sweet Vintage Linen Baby Blanket
Originally uploaded by WaldeckDryGoods

I added some new stuff to my Esty shop, including this sweet blanket. I have lots of that vintage sheet fabric left if anyone is interested in a little swap...

I've Been Tagged

I've been tagged by Trish! Trish is a friend of mine from high school, and she has a very cool blog all about saving money. Here's what you do:

1. Link back to the person who tagged you
2. Mention the rules on your blog
3. Tell about 6 unspectacular quirks of yours
4. Tag 6 following bloggers by linking them
5. Leave a comment on each of the tagged blogger’s blogs letting them know they’ve been tagged.

Six things:

1. I've been a vegetarian for about 7 years. My college boyfriend and I decided to try to not eat meat for a month, and I ended up sticking with it. The BF is long gone, though.

2. I actually enjoy doing laundry and almost never use a dryer.

3. I have hundreds of books all over our house. I rarely read books a second time, but I keep almost all of them.

4. We live within walking distance of my parents. They are probably the people we hang out with most often.

5. I love going to thrift stores and yard sales to find things for my family. I am trying to be more conscious of what I buy and where I buy it.

6. I have had the same three best friends since I was in elementary school.

I tag Melissa, Sarah, Valerie, Kathlyn, Becky, and AJ. Have fun!!

Winner

Thanks to everyone who commented about my blog birthday this week. The winner of my giveaway is Sarah!

Sarah S said...

Happy Birthday! Thanks for the generous giveaway!

July 21, 2008 9:59 AM

Sarah, send me your address, and I'll send you your prize soon!

Hurry! Sign Up Today!

Today is the last day to sign up for the fall version of the Sassy Apron Swap. This is a great swap, and in this round we're making full aprons and potholders. I'm already thinking about some ideas for my apron. Don't wait! Go sign up now!

Today's Thrift Store Scores

Today's Thrift Store Scores
Originally uploaded by WaldeckDryGoods

Ava and I took a trip to two of my favorite thrift stores this morning. We scored big time! Click on the photo for more info about what we found.

I'm thinking about putting some of those velvet painting/embroidery things (pictured under Christmas tablecloth) on etsy or ebay if anyone is interested.

Belated Blog Birthday!

The one-year birthday of my blog came and went, and I forgot all about it! I still want to celebrate, even though it's a little late. I've been cleaning out my sewing room and moving it into another room of our house. I seriously need to get rid of some stuff, so how about a little giveaway? I'm packing up 1/2 pound bags of scraps, and if you'd like to win one (plus some other goodies not pictured here), leave a comment by Wednesday, July 23rd. I'll pick a random winner from the comments then.
PS- Check out my ebay auctions for some other fabrics and notions!

Fun for Nothin'

Meg from Sew Liberated has started a new Flickr group called Fun for Nothin'. The group is for parents who want to get away from the consumer culture or who are on a tight budget. Kids seem to have the most fun when they are able to use their imaginations and create something out of what we might just cast off. My niece once played for hours in her "dog house" made out of a large cardboard box bound for the trash. Even though she has lots of toys, Ava has tons of fun shaking boxes of macaroni and banging pots and pans together. Get some ideas at Fun for Nothin', and be sure to share the fun things you do with your family.

New (to me) Embroidery

I've gotten my hands on some lovely finished pieces of embroidery lately.

Found in my Nan's sewing stuff after she passed away:


These are done on black linen, and the colors are so bright (hard to tell in these photos).

Another find from her basket:
This one is about 4 feet long, and I have no idea how to finish it.

I picked these up at a local antique shop:

Any suggestions for framing/finishing are greatly appreciated!

Sailor's Dream

Sailor's Dream Embroidery
Originally uploaded by WaldeckDryGoods

Last summer I did a bit of embroidery, and I had forgotten how much I enjoyed it. Here's one I finished up last night. It's based on a Sailor Jerry tattoo that I saw online.

Any tips for photographing embroidery??

The Game

The Game
Originally uploaded by WaldeckDryGoods

The name of the game:

a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
b. Using only the first page, pick an image.
c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd's mosaic maker).

The Questions:

1. What is your first name?
2. What is your favorite food?
3. What high school did you go to?
4. What is your favorite color?
5. Who is your celebrity crush?
6. Favorite drink?
7. Dream vacation?
8. Favorite dessert?
9. What you want to be when you grow up?
10. What do you love most in life?
11. One Word to describe you.
12. Your flickr name.

Having a 9-Month-Old is Hard Work! (And we also had a snapping turtle in our yard)

Ava and I have been home alone together a lot lately, as Mr. Bird's second summer job is in full swing. This kiddo is so, so busy. All. The. Time. She is still only when she's sleeping. If something is within her reach, she explores it. Every day she finds something new that I have to put up, secure, hide, etc. We're having a lot of fun, though. She is learning some signs (her favorite and most frequently used is the sign for "milk") and even says a few words: buh (bye), mama, and muh (more). And on a completely unrelated note, look at the big, ugly creature that Hank found in our yard the other morning:

This huge snapping turtle was laying eggs in a muddy spot by our creek. I assume that's what she was doing, anyway.

Summer Apron Swap:: Sent

Summer Apron Swap:: Sent
Originally uploaded by WaldeckDryGoods

Also titled "I Can't Believe I'm Posting This Photo on the Internet" This photo was taken in a hurry before Mr. Bird left for work the other morning. I'm in my jammies and my hair is unbrushed. And the baby is trying to eat the flowers.

Here is my Sassy Apron Swap- Summer apron for my partner. I haven't heard whether she's received it or not, so I won't tell who it is yet. I made this using the pattern recommended to me by my swap partner, Amy. It was so much fun to make-- I think this is my new favorite apron pattern.

Apron from Amy

Apron from Amy
Originally uploaded by WaldeckDryGoods

Finally! Here's a shot of my awesome apron from Amy for the Summer Apron Swap. I love this apron! I just bought the pattern book so I can sew up some of these myself. I guess I better get started on my apron for the swap....

Everyone Else is Doing It....

Simplicity 3835
Originally uploaded by WaldeckDryGoods

I've seen this shirt on just about every sewing blog that I read. This weekend Simplicity patterns were on sale at Joann's, so I thought I'd give it a try. I bought some inexpensive fabric (it's really cute, but the photo doesn't really show it) and went right home wash it. I finished up the neckline and hemming this morning. It was pretty easy, but making the casing for the neck elastic did cause some minor swearing.

Sorry for the wrinkles; I just finished nursing Ava.

... I sewed a little something...

During one of Ava's naps the other day I managed to put together two zippered pouches.


I am done with my part time tutoring job for the summer, so one would assume that I'd have more time for sewing. So far, that's not the case. We've been working hard on Ava's sleeping-- mainly getting her to fall asleep in her crib by herself. Last night was um, challenging, but tonight was smoooooth. I'm using lots of ideas from The No Cry Sleep Solution.


I received my apron from the Summer version of the Sassy Apron Swap. When we have a sunny day again, I'll take some photos and post them . I love it! Thanks, Amy! Better get started on the apron for my partner....

Cleaning Out

According to my hubby, I have too much stuff. Impossible, I say. But, after looking though some of my shelves and boxes, I decided that maybe he's right. I'm starting to list some of my stuff on ebay. Right now I have lots of cross stitch stuff listed. Take a look! :WaldeckDryGoods on Ebay:

Birthday Pillows

Last week my niece turned four. They recently moved to a new house, and my parents got her some new bedding. I made matching pillows:
I based these on the instructions in this book. They came together easily, and I'm really pleased with them. Stay tuned for my latest project-- naptime skirts! There are more photos from the par-tay here.

Received...

...this beauty from LauraJay:
I love it! It will eventually hang in Ava's room, but for now I have it downstairs on the bookshelf so I can admire it.

It's a Little Late...

So, back in December LauraJay and I decided to do a mini quilt swap. We were supposed to mail our quilts by the end of January, but both of us got bogged down with other projects. I've finally finished mine and mailed it off to Canada, along with some other surprises. I had fun making this quilt, and the binding and mitered corners actually look half decent. It's amazing what can happen when I s-l-o-w down! Here's a little peek:

It's made from all vintage fabrics (mostly bed linens). It's machine quilted, and the binding is hand sewn. I hope she likes it.

StumbleUpon

I read about a very cool new site on Stephanie's blog today. It's called StumbleUpon, and you can install it right on your toolbar. Whenever you need a break, just click stumble, and it will take you to a new website based on your preferences. I've been clicking and bookmarking for the past half hour (and I really should be vacuuming, folding clothes, sleeping, etc.). This is highly addictive. Enjoy!

I Won!

A couple of days ago, I found out about mod*mom. Mod*mom is a super-cool blog about being a mama, and Kristen has lots of fun giveaways. I entered a few of them, and I won! I will be getting $300 worth of Clorox GreenWorks cleaning products. Now I have my eye on the gDiapers she's giving away...

Go check out her blog. It's easy to enter... you just have to leave comments. Have fun!

Getting Ready for Easter

Here's my apron for the Sassy Apron Swap:
I don't think my partner has received it yet, but I hope she likes it!

Two Years Ago Today...

...we were doing this:

ModMom

I just heard about this blog.... tons of giveaways all the time, plus lots of fun stuff about being a mama. Check it out!

We Had a Date!

Today I only had one student to tutor, so hubby and I had our second date since Ava was born! My mom watched her, and we drove to Camp Hill for XPN's Free at Noon concert. We saw Ryan Bingham-- MEE-ow! Check him out. I wish all shows were like this one- in the middle of the day, seats for everyone, no smoking, and no one spilling beer on your shoes. I highly recommend this concert series. They offer a free concert every Friday.

It's been a busy day, and I need to get to bed. Good night.

They (are about to) pave paradise and put up a parking lot

This weekend my dad took me to see my family's dairy farm. It had been in our family since the 1700s, and the ancestor who built the farm actually purchased the land from William Penn. My great-grandfather sold the farm to some Amish in the 1960s, and they recently sold it to the Manheim Auto Auction. They will be knocking down all of the buildings and paving the fields to make more parking. My dad and his brother and sisters have a lot of memories of the farm, and I'm so glad I got to see it for myself before it is gone. I heard lots of stories and took lots of pictures. It is amazing that the farm had been in our family for so long, and in just a few weeks it will be completely gone. The farmhouse:

It looks totally different here than in did when my family owned it. The Amish family really let it fall into disrepair.

Many of my ancestors are buried on the farm. At one point, all of these headstones were breaking and falling down. My great-grandfather gathered them all up and arranged them like this. They date back to the 1700s, and some are written in German.