Yup. This is the Gist of it.

Last week, I visited Joyce's blog and just ooh'd and ahh'd over her studio. There are so many studios out there in blog land I have seen...I love that crafters love to share their space and center of their creativity and work.

I really gravitated to Joyce's studio because it both inspiration-filled and practical...it was a definite beautiful workspace. Though I have known here only through years in message boards and online presence, I can see Joyce working in there.

I commented and she replied that I should share my space, and ummm....no. lol .



I have been a crafter for a while but have only had a space to myself these last 1 1/2 years when we moved to this house. In the past I have worked on the kitchen table and didn't think of decorating it to my crafty liking per se. So, this space that I have now, only reflects the business that I do, filled with fabric, machines and lots of mess.


Life is slowly showing and teaching me however, that business is not just business. It is about nurturing that side of me that doesn't have the bottom line as its agenda. 2007 for me is all about finding that part of me again. I think that we all get caught up doing this thing or other, especially when there is success, and well, I am ready for a little change.


So, after posting these pictures I am making a plan to make this space really my own. Not just a practical space, but a space that can whisper my name to those that walk in. A space that I associate with my love of craft, not just the art of making business.

I do believe I just gave myself a challenge.

A litte Zen Garden

...made by Alison, that is.



I cannot describe the excitement I feel when I get "fluff" (soft yummy stuff) in the mail. And I am especially most thrilled when the "fluff" is made by another Mama.

Soon after I found that I had a love for crafting, I realized that there were so many Mothers who are just like me. While they come from all walks of life and from all corners of many countries, I share their love of creating, of challenging ourselves to push our talent, and to value craft as a process.

I have found such a bond with some of these women. Our conversations revolve around the fabrics and fibers we covet, or what patterns and methods to achieve success. While we eventually talk of our families and lives, we are brought together under the premise that we respect each other's want to make something beautiful, useful, and cherished.

I suppose that blog readers are not surprised that we meet through message boards. Mother/Crafters are brought together at all hours of the day with a few clicks of the mouse. I have trusted colleagues I have never met, and I rely on them for friendship as I nurse my babe, or when I am holding her as she naps.

But folks I know IRL (in real life) are a little perplexed that not only do these communities exist, but that true friendships can come from it. How can one possibly create and maintain friendships with those one has never seen?

There are so many stories of friendships gone stalker-ish, or about perverted lurkers and sick individuals on the net. And I do believe that there are these people, but there are those who are sincere, just like I am, and I have found communities are are private, respectful, and resourceful.

We send each other well wishes on our special days, we share our journey in pregnancy, motherhood, and we buy/sell/trade the fruits of our talents.

And these friendships are substantial, and though they do not take away from the friendships we have IRL (though these friendships certainly are real-do not let this acronym fool you), these friendships add depth to the relationships we form in our lifetime.

...and for this I am grateful.

Just stocked....

...at the Shop

I thought it be appropriate for the season coming ;)





(can be used as reusable trick or treat bags ;) )



Waterproof bags :)

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

I really need to think over my schedule...

Here in our county, public schools have a special Monday schedule; teachers have inservices and students are given half the day off. When I arrived at Greggy's afternoon class line I was excited that we got there so early...after a few minutes of standing and smiling, I realized that there would be no line because his class had already started, and was in fact almost about to end.

Poor Greggy was so disappointed...he loves Kindergarten and his teacher, and with show and tell project in hand I led him back to the van (with the other 2 in tow), apologizing profusely.

While it doesn't seem much of a big deal, it was just another reminder that achieving balance doesn't necessarily mean just compartamentalizing tasks, or multitasking, or lists. It means taking care of yourself and your basic needs of food/water/sleep.

It is with that last component that I lack, really. I have placed a hard time of midnight for shutting down, but in my excitement to complete whatever task I am in, I push the envelope just a little bit. Then midnight turns to 1 am and Rafaella is up to nurse...and by the time things settle it is about 2 am.

All day I obsessed about tonight's timeline, and I am deciding to drink coffee in a few minutes, and will promptly shut off the computer at 11 pm.

There. I will be held accountable by cyberspace.

And in case you were wondering what was on the table to be finished last night:

When the smallest things matter.

Rafaella is at that grand age of over 1. Over 1 going on 3. You know what I'm getting at right? With 2 older male siblings, she is probably the most rambunctious 14 month old I know, and I say that in the most Mother Bear sort of way. Watch out future suitors, because Rafaella won't need her brothers or Daddy taking care of her; she will in fact take care of herself. (mama says proudly)

This sweet and smart over 1 yr old has mastered the art of removing her cloth diapers. Hurray, I thought initially...she has been doing so when she is wet, and this is a good sign, no?

No...not when mama is not ready and she happens to not be "finished". To make this story short, her poor nursing pillow (the curved kind) was drenched with her kindness.

I washed the pillow first, and then reached for a new pillowcase, handmade by Holly. The pillowcase is made of flannel, super soft with the sweetest print.

Ahhh, it made me smile.

And Rafaella, well, she took to it quickly...

...and for now, things are quiet, and I can drink my coffee before the long night ahead...

Goodbye my sweet...*sniff*

I had to let you go. I know that I could have kept you, and I know that I can get more of you...but the fact of the matter is that you have been by my side for quite some time now. I had mini daydreams of you draping over my sweet Rafaella, or even made into something *gasp* for me...

But the time is right; it is fall and it is your prime...

Natural Suds = Love

I made it through my adolescent and young adult life with just wonderful skin. Face and Body...but at the advent of pregnancy and the my child-full life thereafter I found myself with not just dry scaly skin, but an acne prone face. And my once almost overconfident self came to a crashing realization that I would need to find a way to pamper and treat my skin.

I have found that the perfect combination for my face is Proactiv and Mineral Makeup (bare minerals and the like)...but for my body, I have learned to kick Bath & Body Works to the curb.

Over the years I have become quite a soap snob :). I crave uneven special bars made by hand with lye and oils and herbs. In the last five years, I cannot pass a soapmaker at a craft show/store without buying at least one bar.

Just to try. I say
More Soap? Greg always comments. You're such a girl. (he says this with much respect of course)

A special package came in the mail last week...soaps made by Amorette of the best ingredients. Soaps that were heavy, scent-ful and almost good enough to eat. They were rough cut, and I envisioned her kitchen table filled with magical bars.




They are absolutely delicious. They lather beautifully, and for this mama who loves her showers because it is one of her only times on her own...it is a luxury.

And my sensitive skin just adores them....yummm....

A picture is worth a thousand words.

This year begins my first of being the family taxi-driver. The One Who Bringeth the Children Everywhere. I think I get in the car to drive a minimum of four times a day, from having Greggy and Cooper in different schools...with opposite class schedules! Dear goodness, I have a long year ahead of me.

But just when I am about to hang my keys and curse this entire phase of our lives - and to think this is only the beginning! - something sweet and fulfilling comes about, and I am renewed.

A couple of weeks ago, I finally met dear Julia...a mama friend I only knew through Xanga...and with her budding, wonderful new Photography Business, we found a reason to get together. And she blessed us with her magic, sprinkled some pixie dust using her gracious eye and her fabulous camera...and an afternoon spent at a local farm turned into a lifetime of memories.

She sent me all of my proofs today, and what I saw was exactly what I needed to witness: a family growing, together.

These kids are mine. Good. Beautiful. Children. They came from God, and I carried, labored and bore them. And now they are their own personalities, they are all unique. But in their eyes, I see me, and I see Greg.

What an absolute honor.