New Peasant Style Top

There are inexpensive patterns and free tutorials bouncing around the web for the peasant top I've been making since I first bought my sewing machine last fall.  It's got to be the easiest thing ever to make but the payoff is great. I get tons of compliments and even suggestions to sell them on Etsy.  This summer I made them for birthday gifts using fat quarters from coordinating bundles: one each for the back, front and sleeves.  I wanted to keep them all for Coco!  This is the first one I did.



Here's one I made yesterday from fabric I bought at Marden's in Maine. Marden's is a super discount everything store I want to live in whenever we visit my husband's family near Bangor.  All the fabric is $2.99 a yard or less. Tulle, which I uses TONS of for tutus and princess dresses was fifty cents a yard.  This top cost less than $3.00 to make and I love it!


Can you tell how much my daughter loves to pose for photos?

Strawberry Shortcake Skirt

Months ago I picked up a remnant of a satiny Strawberry Shortcake fabric at Joann's. Originally I thought I'd make little napkins for Coco's tea set but then I came across this free pattern at Oliver + S.

This took me no time at all to complete, even though I changed the bottom to add a ruffle and some ribbon. I had no idea what I was doing but it worked out okay. See?

[caption id="attachment_62" align="alignnone" width="609" caption="Lazy Days Skirt pattern"][/caption]

I think she'll be wearing lots of cute little skirts like this with wool tights in the fall.

Dinner tonight. And breakfast tomorrow. And lunch...

Stephane and I are embarking on a seven day juice detox to shake off the fat we put on this past month eating Grandmama's glorious cooking.  Of course all the snacking and the mussels in butter and garlic we consumed in Bar Harbor also contributed to our gains.

The detox was inspired by this book.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="7 lbs in 7 days"][/caption]

I've done it before but never with as much success as Stephane experienced last February when we returned from a three month visit to the West Coast. Over the detox week and following month he lost 24 lbs and has managed to keep it off, all because he came to understand portion size.  Well, that and because nothing succeeds like success.  He is my inspiration.

Climbing in Acadia National Park

[caption id="attachment_50" align="alignnone" width="1024" caption="South Wall at Acadia National Park"][/caption]

Yesterday Stephane, Scott and I headed back up to Acadia National Park to climb a last time before the end of our vacation in Maine.  Our friend and often guide Jeremy couldn't make it out with us but we met up with Own and Boof (!) and had a great time.  Finished out the day in Bar Harbor with a "scorned woman" (my favorite shot of Habanero infused vodka with passionfruit juice) and then dinner at the Lompoc.  Until next year, Mt. Dessert Island.  Cannot wait.

Dinner tonight

Roasted beet salad with barley and feta from thekitchn.com.  This is one of our regular favorites.  If you're not already reading Apartmenttherapy.com and Thekitchn.com, get over there quick!  Click on the photo for the recipe.

Last week in Maine

[caption id="attachment_10" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Coco paddling on Chemo Pond"][/caption]

A beautiful, sunny day on Chemo Pond about 40 minutes outside of Bangor.  The last of a five week visit to spend quality time with the grandparents, climb large walls of rock in Acadia National Park, cycle, paddle and make new friends.  I was afraid of mosquitos and a bored three year old and instead fell in love with country life.

Peace

Coco is a little over eight months old and it feels like she’s suddenly making all sorts of progress in her development. She’s down to two naps at reliable times. That’s HUGE. She eats at roughly the same times every day. Another massive step. And then last night… she slept through the night. Not for the first time, oh no. Last night marked the third night in a row that she has slept from 7 pm to at least 6:30 am. This is beyond huge, this is a walk on the moon kind of monumental. I’m watching my tiny baby grow into a tiny human. She’s so… interesting! To me.

And there’s the rub. Aside from assorted grandparents, no one else is really fascinated with the exact details of how she can only scoot backwards or the consistency of avocado she’s willing to swallow versus gnaw on and then spit up. But it’s all I’ve got. I’m a stay at home mom. I am raising a child. Is that enough? What about my development?

I could volunteer. I could walk dogs for the humane society or help out at the local soup kitchen. Or I could do something political – I could support Barack Obama. Or maybe I could organize recycling in the neighborhood. Yeah. And on Friday, I could achieve world peace.

I think baby steps are in order, at least for one of us.