Saturday, November 29, 2008

Happy Holiday Season!

Hello there!

I hope you all had a very nice Thanksgiving this year. We had a wonderful day at my friends Erin & Dan's house. There were around 20 of us there, and since she doesn't have any siblings I was her surrogate sister. She has a great family & the kids all get along so well. It was just like being at home. I hope we continue this new tradition in the future!

Well, now that Bobby's working at Target we've been doing our Christmas shopping. The kids want everything they see on TV and I want to buy them everything that I think is cute or cool. Unfortunately we don't usually see eye to eye. I guess we'll all just have to wait & see what Santa ends up bringing.

So I hope everyone has a fun and safe holiday season. Eventually I'll get some pictures on here. Emma lost her first tooth last weekend and another is loose now. I need to get some of her funny tooth pics on.

Ok, off to Beer Fest!

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Off to NJ!

Well, we're heading to NJ for a whirlwind weekend trip to visit Bobby's Pop Pop as he has been sick. We'll be leaving after lunch tomorrow (Friday) & returning Monday. We'll be tired & cranky, I'm sure, but it needs to be done.

And I've been trying to get sewing lately. I made the top to a queen-sized quilt for Bobby & myself, as well as a new purse for Michelle, and a few others that I've started. I also know a few babies who will be born in the next 7 months, so I need to get cracking on some gifts.

Anyway, that's all for now. Bye!

Friday, October 31, 2008

Happy Halloween!!

Just wanted to say hello to all my fellow bloggers & Happy Halloween to those of you who "celebrate."

I need to get on here more often, but work has been getting in the way. Bobby starts his new job next week & I've been working on a few projects on the weekends to hopefully make some money at craft fairs this year.

Emma has her first loose tooth, so we're very excited about that. It won't fall out in time for her to be a jack o'lantern for Halloween, but I'll try to post a picture as soon as it comes out.

Well, I really should clock in here at work if I want to get paid. Have a great weekend!

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Happy Birthday, Little Man!

Today is Jakey's 4th birthday!!!! I just can't believe he's already 4. He got lots of Monster Trucks this morning and now we're waiting for cake & ice cream at Ma & Bumpa's house. Here's a pic of his Pumpkin Patch Cake. And here's 2 more of Jake & Emma this morning.

And here's a pic of all of us on Emma's first day of school almost a month ago.

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Major Changes

Hey there everyone!

I know I've been MIA for over a month now, but a lot has been happening around here. Within the past 3 weeks I started working full-time again, Emma started Kindergarten, we moved in with my parents, and Bobby is now staying at home with the kids for the time being.
I'm back at my old job at Village Candle® in Topsham, ME. Before Emma was born I worked there as a customer service rep, but quit to stay home with Emma. I was offered my job back in August and decided that it was time to start working again. I really like my job, I just wish I had more time for all the things I'm used to doing on a regular basis.

Emma is loving Kindergarten! She has the same teacher that I had (as well as my younger brother & sister). Mrs. Scala is wonderful!

Jake & Bobby are having fun hanging out together at home every morning. They bike ride with Emma to & from school and then they all spend the afternoon doing things around the house. This is definitely a good change for everyone.

So that's about it in a nutshell. I hope you all are doing well out there in blog-land. I'll try to post on a more consistent basis again, but I can't guarantee any pictures for a while. Have a great day!

Monday, August 11, 2008

Wedding Pics



Sheri got married! Friday afternoon/evening we celebrated her marriage to Will, in the usual style of course. It was a lovely ceremony and the reception was fun, full of laughter & tears. Here are some of the pics. Bobby and I coordinated in our outfits (of course) & I think we looked pretty sassy together. He's so cute!



And then there's me and the girls. I love weddings & dance recitals because those are the only times we are all together to pose for pictures. Unfortunately there are no more weddings to be had for the 6 of us. But there will be more recitals.
Oh, and I made this really cute clutch purse on Friday morning to go with my new dress (I bought the dress, by the way). I think I have another new style to work on for the website, if I ever get around to starting it. Thanks so much for looking!

Friday, August 1, 2008

Happy August!

Yay! 3 weeks til my birthday! (hint hint)

Things are a little crazy & stressful around here right now. Not sure how the rest of the month and the rest of the year will pan out for us. I won't go into details right now, but could those of who are reading this please keep us in your thoughts? Hopefully we'll be ok very soon. Thanks!

It's been a little rainy & cool here for the past couple days. It's so damp & sticky. I just wish the sun would stay out all day & then we could have a few showers at night. I hate keeping the kids inside. Of course, they'd rather be playing in the puddles anyway..... I'll have to get some pictures of that.

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Summer Yum!

This has been the summer of fresh produce for us. Working for my aunt Cathy has proven very beneficial to our health. First we had lots of yummy strawberries. Now her farm is producing an amazing array of vegetables. I've been working at the Farmers' Market in Bowdoinham for her for the past few weekends and I took these pics of the perfect salad ingredients. Mmmmm..... good!

Also, last week we had some rain which provided us with a lot of raspberries right in our front yard. Yes, in the middle of Bath we have raspberries. These particular berries only made it as far as my cereal bowl & the kids' mouths.
And I just couldn't resist taking this picture last Thursday. This is our "Beer Can Chicken." There is actually a can of beer up its you-know-what. I coated the chicken with olive oil & a garlic-rosemary seasoning, then baked it for almost 2 hours. It was delicious & so moist, albeit a little funny to look at in the oven. Man I love food!

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Thanks, BriTT!

AWW! Thanks, BriTT, for the awesome nomination! I love your scraPPing style and aLL your beautiful pics.

BriTT nominated me on her blog for this cute liTTle award. Like her, I check many blogs and fEEL like I know so many of you, even though we have never personaLLy met. It's nice to know that I have friends out there aLL over the world! (note the BriTT-style typing in this post!)

Monday, July 21, 2008

Hot Summer Days

Aahhh, we finally made it to the beach as a family last Thursday. Bobby & I went to Fort Popham while the kids were at camp last weekend, but taking the kids is so much more fun. We went to Reid State Park in Georgetown, which is very kid friendly. We walked on the rocks & checked out tide pools for crabs & periwinkles. Then we hung out on the main beach for some wave action & frisbee. Unfortunately Hurricane Bertha made it difficult to enjoy the ocean that day. The rip tides were unreal & the lifeguards said the swells were unusually unpredictable. In fact 14 people had to be rescued from Old Orchard Beach about 45 minutes south of us. So after lunch, and a little more tide pool searching, we headed for the lagoon for some swimming. All in all, we had such a fabulous day. The kids were so good! (And the lifeguards gave me something extra to look at! LOL!)Also, it's lily season in the garden. All the neighbors have lilies too. It's like a little lily-fest around here. Unfortunately, I think that's the last of our flowers in the garden this year. I didn't plant anything as I wanted to see what was already there. Now I know & I'll be more prepared for next year.

Monday, July 7, 2008

Maine Summer

Wow, 3 posts in one morning! I must be on a roll, or perhaps I should say I'm on a biscuit, just like these yummy strawberries.
As many of you know, my aunt Cathy owns Fairwinds Farm with her friend Pete, in Topsham. In Bowdoinham they have several acres of lush vegetable & berry fields. For the past 2 weeks I have been working for them at the strawberry fields. No, I do not pick them, at least not for money. My job is to welcome customers, tell them where to pick, then weigh their berries & take their money. Luckily, at $1.25 a pound, this is always a pleasant experience. I do get to pick berries for myself, however. Or should I say, I pick them for Emma. She has eaten her weight in strawberries lately. Jake likes them too, but not quite as much.
Yesterday, when I got home, I prepared about 9 quarts of berries for Strawberry Shortcake & my future attempt at making jam. The Shortcake was delicious as our dessert last night. Now I need to freeze the rest for a not-so-humid, less-than-ninety-degree day. I don't foresee that happening in the near future. Maybe this fall.... by then I'll be able to make Pumpkin Pie to go along with it!

#2 Is Two-Wheelin'



Well, we finally convinced Jake that he no longer needed training wheels on his bike. Last Monday I noticed that he rarely had either training wheel on the ground, thanks to the fact that they had bent upwards. I couldn't believe it when he actually agreed to let me take them off!
He got right on that bike and started riding it across the lawn. In no time he was taking off all by himself. Now we can't get him to stop riding. I guess 2008 is now officially the year of NO training wheels!

Wedding Purse


Here's the little purse & matching wallet I made for attending Hannah's wedding last month. Of course, the camera battery died right before we left the house, so we have no pictures of how cute Bobby & I looked together that day. Maybe Hannah has one she can email me........

Sunday, June 29, 2008

Sorry,

I didn't realize that I hadn't posted in over 2 weeks. I haven't been sewing much, except for a purse & wallet for myself to go to a wedding last weekend. But alas, my camera battery is dead again, so no pics today.
I worked 4 days this past week at my aunt's strawberry field, about 25 hours. I'm having a really great time working there & meeting some great people. I've also seen some old friends that I haven't seen in a few years. And I've eaten way too many strawberries! Only 2 weeks left of the strawberrry season & then it's back to the old routine.
Well, I guess that's about all for today. There really hasn't been anything else exciting going on around here lately. I'll be back again soon, hopefully with some new completed projects.

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Finally, Pictures of Purses

Yay! I had a spare battery in my camera case & didn't know it. I charged it & was finally able to take more pics & upload them all to my computer. So here are some of the recent purses I have made. These first three are available for purchase. I am using the following email address temporarily as a business email: MissieLindOriginals@yahoo.com
If you're interested in purchasing, please email me for details. The muted paisley & bird bags both have 8.5 inch openings & a vintage button closure, and the teal/floral bag has a 6.5 inch opening with no button.





















These next 2 are gifts for friends.





















And these last 2 were special orders. The teal one has a zipper closure....


So that's all I have for now. I have a few other in the works but you'll have to wait til another day for those. Thanks for looking!

Sunday, June 8, 2008

Ugh...

I have to yet to buy a new camera battery, so please bear with me while I post with no pictures. Especially since I have some purses to show you & no way to get them on this dang computer.
So, what can I blog about?
My mom & I had a yard sale yesterday. We didn't make out too badly, but we still have a lot of stuff to sell, so looks like next weekend I'll be running the show at my house with a few of my neighbors.
Ooh! I have a new favorite dessert! My cousin, Cally, introduced me to a new place on Maine Street in Brunswick called "The Gelato Fiasco." Mmmmm..... So Delish! I tried a few flavors before deciding on the Brownie Batter flavor. All you need is the "treat" size, as it is so rich & chocolatey. I have found a new guilty pleasure. Thanks, Cal! Next time I'll get a combo of a few flavors. I'm really anxious to try the Cake Batter flavor. And the S'Mores flavor. And the Dulce Leche. And the Mint Chocolate Chip. Aahhh, looks like I'll be spending some money & getting really chubby this summer. Plus they have a corner with big soft arm chairs where I can sit & read or crochet while enjoying yummy gelato & coffee. They're open from like 7:30am til almost midnight. Who wants to watch the kids while I take a little break today?

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

It's Official, I Think

Thank you so much to all of you for your input on my business name. I'm quite sure (as of 8:33 am Tuesday morning) that it will be: Dum da da dum! Drum roll please.........

MISSIE LIND ORIGINALS

Yay! I think this is the one I've personally been leaning toward all along. I know that many of you liked Grace Robert Designs, but I found a Robert Grace Designs on Google & wasn't crazy about possibly being confused with him.

So now comes the really hard part- starting the business. I have some work to do, both on the business end & also on the sewing end. But I'll get there. Just keep your eyes on the lookout for me. And yay! I have a new printer! Thanks, Grammy! Now I can actually print business-related "stuff."

Oh, and I'd love to post a few new bags, but my camera battery died, so that'll have to wait. I will leave you with these 2 pics of my mom's new purse. It was her Mother's Day gift (even though she bought her own fabric). She has a cute fold-over bag that I made her for Christmas, but this is her new Spring/Summer purse. I can't wait to start on the Betty Boop Christmas purse, Mom!

Thursday, May 29, 2008

I Need A Home

Haha! Just kidding! Did I get ya that time, Jenn?

Anyway, I still need input on the business name, please! It's between "Grace Robert Designs" (which sounds a little more classy and Old Hollywood to me), and "Missie Lind Originals" (which, according to Jenni in OR, sounds more trendy & funky).

Which one do YOU like better?

Saturday, May 24, 2008

I Need A Name

Ok, here's the scoop. I'm seriously considering starting an online website/store to sell my bags. I've had a great offer to have someone design & host a site for me, but I need a business name. So here are a few of my ideas: Missie Lind Originals; Dancing Mom Designs; Grace Robert Designs (those of you who know me personally should know where that one came from). Ok, so that's just a few, but I will take any input that anyone out there has. Please let me know through comments on this post if any of those stand out to you, or if you have another idea (serious ideas only, please). I just need a little kick in the butt to get this going. I never thought that coming up with a business name could be so difficult! Thanks in advance!

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Three In Three

Three bags in three hours, that is.

Jenn called me at 10:30am yesterday to see if I remembered to do teacher gifts for Emma & Margaret's dance teachers. Oops! That one slipped my mind! Yesterday was the last class of the year, so I knew I had to do something. So here's what I came up with.



This is my cute little gathered pouch design. I reconfigured the dimensions so it's not quite so much like a chef's hat (the kids like to wear the one I made on Saturday). They're a little smaller, but so much cuter! I started these at 11:30 & was done by 2:30. Whew!

So Miss Cheryl, Miss Rhiannon & Miss Vicki (bags left to right) all got new bags from Emma for their end-of-the-year gifts. Hope they like them!

Monday, May 19, 2008

Hannah's Tote & Another Design

My good friend Hannah is getting married next month. After she saw Sheri's tote bag she decided that she also wanted one. So here it is! Her shower was on Saturday so of course she already has it in hand. This bag has side & bottom gussets as well as a gusseted top for the zipper.




Also, on Saturday morning I had a brainstorm to do a gathered pouch-style bag. Here is my proto-type (or "my bag"). It's reversible, but I think it needs a button closure. And I already have an order for one (with a zipper)! Thanks, Sheri! I'll get it to you ASAP!








Oh, and here's the newest surprise in the garden! Since we moved here in July, we weren't sure what kind of surprises the garden would have for us this spring. The azaleas have been beautiful, but I am loving the deep purple irises! They remind me of my mom's garden, which, by the way, has yet to bloom anything other than her Lilies of the Valley.

Friday, May 16, 2008

I Like Pink

but not when it's followed by the word "eye." Sheesh. When it rains it pours around here. Emma got pink-eye Sunday night, then Bobby got it on Tuesday, then Jake got it Wednesday. So far so good for me (knock on wood!). Emma's is now gone, Jake's is getting better, and I think Bobby's feeling a little better too. Of course, now at least one of our neighbors has it too. Oops! I feel really bad about that, but she says she's fine. Crazy spring!

Monday, May 12, 2008

What's the True Meaning of Mother's Day?

Spending time with your kids, right? Yeah, I don't think so. Not if that means spending time over the toilet and/or buckets. But that's how Jake & I spent much of Mother's Day. It started just before midnight Saturday night/Sunday morning, and didn't end til around lunchtime. Oh well, at least we got to snuggle on the couch, even if we were both slightly green and trying to sleep. By the afternoon we were well enough to go outside & get some fresh air & sunshine, & then I was able to do a little shopping after all, although I didn't get much for myself. For the most part, though, the kids were fine all day and that's all I can ask for (Oh wait! Emma spent the whole afternoon with Gramma! No wonder she was fine, she wasn't even here!)

Saturday, May 10, 2008

New Bags of the Week



Last weekend I was able to sit and sew while it rained like crazy outside. My very good friend Susie (aka Pookie, or Auntie Pookie to the kids) has 2 daughters in dance classes (they're almost 11 and 14). They desperately needed/wanted new dance bags, so they picked out the fabric and I made these cute and personalized bags for them. (Surprisingly, the one with Elmo belongs to the 14 year old!)

I also had some inspiration for a new bag style. So I went at it and just cut & sewed some fabric and this lovely little blue & green bag is the result. I am now in love with this bag, and with the style. It actually is very quick to put together, but the appliques & satin stitching are what took me the longest. I don't know, I think I may have a new "signature bag." What do you think? (Oh, and the little matching book next to the bag is my coveted sketch & idea book.)

April Showers Brought.....





May Azaleas!

And green leaves on the trees! This is my most favorite time of the year. I love the look of fresh, new nature in all its glory. The trees are green. The flowers are blooming. The world seems colorful again. We've been very lucky to have already had a few days in the 70s & several in the 60s. We spend so much time outside now that it's really hard to keep the kids in when it's chilly and/or raining. Although the rainy days are good for sewing!

We have even had several visitors this week in the form of hummingbirds, an osprey, a groundhog, many fat bumblebees, and our usual array of chickadees, cardinals & bluejays. Whoever thought moving to the middle of the city would also find us in the middle of so much nature?

Saturday, May 3, 2008

Sophie's Books

I have discovered yet another fabulous author. Sophie Kinsella has an amazing writing style and wonderful story lines. I just finished 2 of her books, "The Undomestic Goddess" and "Can You Keep a Secret." Next I'm going to check out her "Shopaholic" series. I can't wait til Monday to get to the library! I've added her link to the sidebar, so if you're looking for someone new to read be sure to check her out!

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Rain, Rain.....

Go Away. Come again at nighttime only!
Don't get me wrong, I don't mind the rain at all. Especially this time of year when the flowers need it. I just wish it would rain at night & be sunny during the day. After weeks of nice weather & playing outside every day, the kids are now forced to be cooped up inside. Maybe I'll let them splash in the puddles later today, like before bathtime. Maybe. If they're lucky. Or if I go crazy enough. Yep, I'm pretty sure it will happen.

Sunday, April 27, 2008

Sheri's Tote

I did my first ZIPPER! Woohoo! It really wasn't that hard. Deni helped me figure out how to do it with the lining in the bag and I think it turned out pretty well. Sheri seemed to be ok with it. I made her this huge tote bag as a bridal shower gift.


I hope you really like it and are able to use it, Sheri!



Well, we're finally expecting some rain this week, so looks like we'll be inside a lot more. I have a lot of cleaning to do & a lot more sewing. I guess I'll be busy getting back to the normal routine. Boy, I can't wait for summer!