Pretty Please?

My amazing cousin, Meredith, (http://www.piecedonearth.blogspot.com/) was the only one of my family to inherit some of my amazing Granny Nelle's artistic talent.  She designs invitations, birth announcements (Shelby's was adorable!), and even some really impressive quilts.  She was recently cattle-prodded by me and my other cousin Wendy to enter a fabric design contest.  Needless to say, she was chosen as a finalist!!  My plea is for anyone out there in blogland to go vote for her NOW!  Here is her design, titled "On the Move":

And here is where you go vote: 

http://www.spoonflower.com/contest_voters/new?contest_id=78#conpage1

You may have to scroll through the pages to find hers, but PLEASE vote!! Again, it's the one that says "on the move by meredithok".  Since I am the one that pushed her to do this, I feel obligated to do some campaigning.  Just click her design and then skip to the end and hit "submit".  After she wins, you can say, "I knew her when..."  

Party Girls!

Shelby was invited to a Princess Tea Party for her friend Arden's third birthday.  I think I might have been more excited than she was.  If you have girls and are ever near Let's Pretend Tea Parties in Grapevine, you MUST check it out!  Not only do they host the most fabulous parties EVER, they have some of the cutest, most girly trinkets around.  Most of the items for sale were handmade, so I walked around getting lots of sewing projects ideas.

First, eight little two- and three-year-old girls got to play dress up.  Shelby couldn't get enough of herself in the mirror.  Her friend Avery was the funniest, insisting on a mermaid costume that was about 2 sizes too small.  Her mom kept joking that she looked like "Ariel with a beer belly".

Mirror, mirror, on the wall...

After getting all dressed, it was time for MAKEUP!  I thought Shelby was going to pee in her tutu at the thought of getting a full face of the stuff.  They even put glitter on the girls' cheeks to finish it off.

"Pucker up like you are about to kiss Prince Charming"

Look at meeeee!

After getting completely prepped, it was time for a fashion show.  Each girl had to whisper into the hostess's ear what they were going to be when they grew up.  Six of the eight girls said "princess".  I was jealous of the mom whose little girl said "librarian".  She was the only pre-schooler that had her head on straight!

"Little Miss Shelby is sporting a pink ensemble.  When she grows up, she wants to be a pretty princess."

Next, it was time for tea and snacks, which really translated to sugar, sugar, and more sugar.  I was cracking up at the little girl asked her mom, "Oh, did you get some wine?" after spotting her tea goblet.   I want to be that mom's BFF if her daughter is already familiar with mom's need for wine!

Sipping tea like a princess.

Shelby and cupcakes...a match made in heaven!

Since they were all hyped up on sugar, the hostess then took the girls princesses on a parade around the town square.  The girls were instructed to wave "Elbow, elbow, wrist, wrist.  Flip your hair, and blow a kiss."

All the pretty princesses waving to the paparazzi (and poor bystanders on Main Street) 

Don't you just want to give them all a big squeeze?

Happy birthday, Miss Arden!  You had a fabulous party that Shelby will never forget.

Green Thumbs?

The ONE* time I disobeyed my mother, she made me pull weeds and dig holes for bushes.  Little did she know, she was throwing me into the briar patch by making me do something that I learned to love.  To this day, pulling weeds is therapy for me.  "Playing the dirt," as Jeff, my step-dad, would say, runs in our family.  

On my dad's side, there was a history of farming.  I remember running through barley and cotton fields as a kid.  I just look back on those times and hope my cousins and I didn't damage the crops too much!

It was the highlight of my day when the girls' grandmother sent them pumpkin and sunflower seedling kits.  

Adding a little water

There is such a thing as over-watering!

Yum, this looks like brownies....

Planting the seeds

Why aren't they growing yet??

I hope I've "planted the seed" in nurturing their love of gardening.  After all, it's in their genes!

*Okay, so it was more like five times....or TEN!!

The REAL Head of our Household

Meet Mr. Ducky, the newest member of our family.   He may be small, but he means business.  

My mother-in-law actually passed the "brilliance of the timer" secret to me.  Mr. Ducky has done nothing but charm me with his control over my children since the day he came home with us from the grocery store (Market Street--love them!).  Here are some of his best perfomances:

Ring, Ring..."I'm sorry you have to get out of the bathtub, but Mr. Ducky just said time was up."

Ring, Ring..."Shucks,  Mr. Ducky is making us go inside.  Mommy really wanted to chalk with you all day."

Ring, Ring..."Oh, goody, Mr. Ducky said you can get out of time-out now."

Ring, Ring..."I would let you stay up until midnight, but Mr. Ducky just rang letting you know it's time for bed."

 I've been absolutely amazed at how both kids obey his commands and can only hope Shelby respects Mr. Ducky's announcements for many years to come.  Ring, Ring...."I am so sorry you have to stop talking on the phone, but you-know-who just rang."

Need another great parenting secret?  Check out Rita's advice on how to scare away the monsters.

Knitting, '70's Style

Recently, I came across these two knitting magazines from the 1970's at my mother-in-law's house.  They belonged to Charlotte Pfaff, Bryon's paternal grandmother.   Just let the captions speak for themselves.  (click on any picture to enlarge it)

First off, the poses:

"You are a giraffe, dressed in braids!  Stretch that neck high up in the trees!"

Work it, Girl!  Pop those toes!

Look, high up in the sky!  It's a bird, it's a plane, it's  Superman Knitted Neck-Brace Man to the rescue!

Just waiting for my eggs to hatch....

Next, some oddities:

Candle busts, lanterns, odd naked statues, and tiki heads all cast in wax are in!  

What do I make of Aunt Lydia?  I make that she is wearing ice cream cones for a bra.

Okay, so this one is no joke.  You submit an afghan shawl, and you win an actual GOLDEN AFGHAN PUPPY.  All that knitting and following 8 very specific rules, and you get stuck with a prize that will shed all over your lovely creation??  I just wonder how many entrants they had....

Yep, every heroine dreams of two pre-pubescent boys giddy to just be touching a female...

I was shocked to see something actually very modern and wearable in this century!

Saving the best for last, the knitted clothing:  

Makes you wonder how many times those tights got worn.  White itchy yarn and little girls don't mix well.

She's actually cute.  He, on the other hand, needs a haircut, a shave, and a decent pair of shoes.  

Taking a cue from Scarlett O'Hara, Carol fashioned some lovely skirts from doilies she salvaged from the tablecloth.

Rainbow sweater, pants, scarf, belt, and hat?  Check, check, check, check, and check.  

The perfect "Let me slip into something more comfortable" outfit!

Wow. Just wow.

I just hope she doesn't get too hot.  Sweating in this outfit could turn out to be a disaster.

You can tell they're in love by the spark in their eyes on their sweaters.

Even the model is thinking, "Seriously?"