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