Busy

I have a 9 month old.
So I am sure you now understand why the title of this post is relevant.
But also I have been busy trying to complete some projects for my house and a few for my friends and a few for Christmas. But progress seems to be slow, and time seems to pass by more quickly-- and we have fruit flies? That's off topic, but irritating to me.
Anyway, I can't yet show off most of the things I have been working on (sigh) but here is a sneak peak:

Does the bicycle fabric just make your heart melt? I loved it.
And ohmygosh-- is that minky? Whatintheworld? Yes, I have a strange relationship with minky. I used to be all anti-minky because it wigs me out and I dislike synthetic fabrics. But then we go to the fabric store, and Sam reaches his little hands out to the minky LIKE HE KNOWS it's forbidden... and his eyes light up with wonder at the textured, furry, softness...
And I was convinced to reconsider.
Then I touched it. It really is soft. Mmmm... minky!
Anyway, Sam and I aren't the only ones who love it-- working on the minky project, I walked away for only a few seconds and came back to find Charlie rolling in the pile of minky scraps and nibbling that stuff like it was his job. Oh, Charlie. Z has been trying to convince me that Charlie needs a special quilt made from scraps of all the special fabrics I sew with but won't let him snuggle or chew. Haha. We'll see, Charlie. We'll see.

Something I love

This past weekend my family and I went to the Plaza Art Fair in KC. This will be the second year we have gone (last year I was quite pregnant!), and I always enjoy the artwork and just being surrounded by so much creativity.
This year, I came accross an artist who's work astounded and thrilled me. (wow, that sounded less cheesy before I typed it!) I was drawn into her booth by colors and lovely vintage silhouettes, and when I got closer I literally gasped in amazement and excitement!

Lisa Norris is the Artist behind Made By One Girl, and she creates collages of vintage objects out of vintage objects. Her booth was filled with lovely vintage fashion prints made out of vintage sewing pattern pieces. It was stunning, really.
I spoke with her for a few minutes at her booth. She was really lovely. I asked her how she got started with such a unique and cool concept, and she told me after design school she had a ton of vintage patterns and items and joked that she started cutting them up so she wouldn't have to learn to sew. ha! I admire her creativity.

I just kept staring and staring like a creeper, and loving the masterful way she pieced he work together. We went to the Art Fair on a strict window-shopping only policy, but oh, oh how I wanted to snatch up pieces from her collection!

So much fun! By far the coolest thing I saw at the art fair, combining things I love... vintage silhouettes, sewing patterns, fashion prints... all so lovely! I just had to share this with you! You should check out her website and some of her other fantastic work!

**All photos were taken from Made by One Girl's website. I am in no way affiliated with, or compensated to advertise for them, I was just a huge fan, thought this was a magnificent find, and wanted to share with all my friends!

Dear Grandmas, don't be mad.

I know you said-- don't you dare!
But I think a lot of grandmas must say that, which is why a lot of little kids end up with the baby mullet.

But you know how I feel about mullets. And the long hair that Sam could tuck behind his ears was getting silly. Too silly to keep around for a grandma's sake.

So this little gentleman got his first official haircut this weekend. Just to clean up the edges and reduce mullet happenings... and to keep him looking sharp and clean cut.

Isn't he dashing?

Rainy Day Grandma Cookies

I've recently been going through a bunch of my Grandma's old recipes. (there may or may not be a secret project involved there... but shhhh...) One thing we used to always give Grandma a hard time about was how impossible her handwriting was to read, but since she is gone that's one of the things I find I miss most. We always lived in different states so we saw each other only a few times a year, but grandma was great about sending letters and cards regularly... and I miss getting those envelopes with her uneven cursive scratched accross the front, and then giggling trying to decipher the text inside.

Anyway, it makes me happy sorting through and trying to decipher the writing on her recipe cards. So special remembering her and the yummy food she loved to serve her family.One of the things I loved and found so compelling about this one was the little note she scribbled in the corner that says "Good we like them" Well with that review, how could I say no?
Today was a rainy day. The pleasantly gloomy, growling kind. The kind that needs cold milk, warm cookies, and pleasant reminiscing. So I grabbed one of those recipes and got to work.

In classic Valerie form, I selected my recipe and dove right in before doing an ingredient check... only to get halfway through and discover I was going to have to stray from the plan. I only had about half the coconut the recipe called for... so I threw in some chocolate chips to fill the space. But the resulting edited cookie was so yummy I kinda think it was serendipitous.

 I also used half and half butter and shortening, instead of just shortening as the recipe calls for. I love the texture shortening gives, but you can't beat the flavor of butter in a cookie, amIright?

Anyway, these went together pretty fast, and we soon had cookie smell in our house as they were baking up beautifully. And Sam and I got some singing and dancing out of the way while waiting for them to bake.

 These turned out magnificently! Can you see the crispness of the outside and the chewy in the middle? Sigh. Yum. Thank you shortening/butter combo! They are just way tasty too! Grandma's assessment was solid. I never really doubted her judgement though.
Anyway... here's the recipe, in case you can't decipher Grandma's writing (and I won't judge you if you can't!) and in case you want my changes.

Rainy Day Cookies

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 1/4 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup flake coconut

1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Cream shortening, sugars, and egg. Sift in flour, salt, and soda. Stir in oats, coconut, and chips.

Scoop onto ungreased cookie sheet, and flatten slightly. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes (until barely golden on top)

Serve warm with a glass of milk. Share cookies and stories about Granny with your munchkin.

*Sam approved. Every last crumb.

Hang it up!

This is probably not a post that is going to change anyone's life... but it is one of those things that has been on my to do list for... almost 9 months now, and I finally got to it. [Internet highfive-ing myself]
Remember way back in the day when Sam was brand new and I promised you a nursery tour?  And then a couple weeks ago I shared some prints I made for Sam's room and told you I was finally finishing it up to get around to that?
WELL.
This is just one more thing.

When Sam was born we had some awesome newborn photos taken of him. Our photographer really got in there close with some detail shots... and I love the pink roundness of those tiny toes, his sweet little lips, and how long his fingers were! Oh, man! I am getting high from new baby smell just thinking about it all. Anyway, I meant for 8 months to get some canvases made with those little detail shots to hang on the blank wall of his room.

I finally got them.
And it was time to finally hang them.
Grabbed my tape measure, level, and a few nails (these things are pretty lightweight, so even though they are hanging above the crib... no special anchor or equipment was required to keep them in place.) and got them up on the wall.

 
And there you have it.
I also re-hung his mobile but (Ooh, foreshadowing!) more on that later...
I am so happy to check that off my to do list! Just a few more things and then I will clean the room and get you a proper nursery tour... hopefully before the kid turns 1. (but no promises.)

8 months

I get slower at these each month. Sigh. I still got it in before 9 though, right? Yay me! High five!

 

Sam @ 8 months

Weight:

at birth: 9lbs 2.7 oz

  at eight months: 21 lbs

Eating

Still enjoying solid foods three times a day with your family, and beginning to reduce formula feedings... which you enjoy before naps, bedtime, and once in the night usually between 3 and 4 a.m.

Sleeping

Can't commit to a napping schedule. You have been taking about three 1 hour naps every day- around noon around 4:00 p.m. and around 7 p.m. But not always, sometimes you'll throw in a morning nap and skip the noon nap-- or sometimes you drop the afternoon nap entirely and those days you're pretty grizzly.

Likes

Your sheep. Grandma bought you a big fleecy sheep for valentines day, and you have recently discovered you love him so much. He sleeps in your bed with you and he has traveled to IA and CO this month. You like to growl at him and bite his nose.

Daddy's ID ta. Your Daddy has an ID tag that he ahs to wear with his work uniform, and you are fascinated with it and always try to get to it as soon as he is home from work. He often puts it in his pocket or throws it over his shoulder, but you always find it.

Dislikes

Long car rides... a couple vacations this month and after about 5 hours... you are DONE with the car. (Mama doesn't blame you!)

Firsts

Your first words: you have really started vocalizing and trying out new sounds, so of course we have been prompting you to repeat names. Your first word? MAMA. (beam!) Of course you said it one day and havn't wanted to say it since, but I have a video of that one day. You said Dada the next day and that's definitely your favorite sound to make.

Family reunion. We traveled to IA to the Pogemiller family reunion, and all the 'Kissing Aunts' finally got their hands on you! All of the family loved you and you got to meet some of your (2nd) cousins, which was fun!

Your first Family Vacation. We spent the week in CO at Estes Park. It was such a wonderful, relaxing trip. And while you hated the drive-- you seemed to really take to the mountains. You especially loved hiking in the backpack Mama and Daddy bought for you. We can't wait to go back. 

Crawling! We got back from CO-- immediately after a 9.5 hr car ride we set you on the ground to unload the car... and you started crawling around! We were so excited! ...for about 10 seconds then we looked at each other and said-- 'OH CRAP! We need to baby proof!' You are on the move every second! 

Special talents.

If someone sticks their hand out and says 'Gimme five!' you smile and happily slap their hand multiple times. Then you are very proud of yourself for giving fives!

Things I don't want to forget

You sing/hum to yourself quietly in the car, and also while you were in the backpack while hiking.  I'm pretty sure it's a self soothing method, but your little voice is so sweet and it makes me smile to hear it.

Walks and summer picnics with you in the park. I love your barefoot toes, laying in the shade on great grandma's blanket, and you playing with sticks. Such sweet fun days with my boy!

I had a heck of a time getting footage of you this month! You did not want to stay still and talk... you are such a busy little man.

8 months from Valerie Pogemiller on Vimeo.

Samuel, we are so in love with you, and so proud of every way you are learning and growing!