happy

see all this? this is good.

4-16 in a flash

How is it possible that she went from 4 months to 4 years so fast... and then how is it possible that in the time it takes for her to get her ears pierced, she goes from 4 to 16? Can this just slow down a little so I can catch my breath and bath in the beauty of her little girl self?

more altered clothing: "three little birds"

"vintage (ish)" bird fabric found at Savers for $2 + jeans skirt found at consignment shop for $5+


three little birds=


laughable machine embroidery... go ahead... laugh... it's horrible, I'm laughing too=


new (ish) denim skirt!
GOD!!! someone needs to clean that mirror!

the problem with being short

the problem with being short is that pants are always too long. Especially when you are not only short but you are slightly, a wee bit um... wide as well.
Yes- there are "petite" pants, but I have never identified as being "petite"... it sounds too much like being a poodle... or my Nana Priscilla... who was so very tiny and little and fragile like a little bird.
So. The solution for me is to buy the pants I like, and then hack the bottoms off... leaving them frayed... like a punk rocker. Ya!
Except the one time that I buy jeans that are just out of reach in my budget but I buy them anyways because I try them on and they make my tush look a little bit Kardashian instead of its usual extra plump self. And I reduce our bank account by at least 20% because as Stacy and Clinton often says "every girl should have a pair of perfect jeans". And who am I to ignore their advice?
Anyways I hacked the bottoms off of those too... and totally misfired. So I was left with awesomely awesome, hieny flattering flood pants. Not cool... not cool. I shoved them in the back of my closet and made myself feel guilty for violating their length for about 5 months. And then I grew a brain and decided to fix them... the following photos tell the story of their resurrection:


mistake mistake mistake... don't ever do this if you paid more than $30 for jeans.


I hope this works... the pins are telling me that this might just work


there's no turning back... the needle has made the decisions and the apples are standing by that.


oh! what do we have here?


looks good but the final test is...


it worked! it worked! it WORKED! Now, this is no excuse for anyone to go hacking the length off their pricey jeans but if, by chance you do... I can help you. SHORTIES UNITE!

Never too old

what is the universal language of fun?





HULA




HOOP

Away

This almost never happens


idle games with diet drinks and beer


basking in the rays of the sunset together


hula hooping on cliffs


sun setting like never before


watching friends use magic to raise a fire


rock hopping on sharp jagged cliffs


chillaxin


sun


sun


campfire

this almost never happens, that Alex and I and a gang of lifelong friends camp for a few days at the seashore of Maine

big/little

These are our people. We've been friends since college, and a few of us since we were 5. Some of us are still hangin' on to that young life and some of us are barreling toward a more serious adult one. Some of us married, some did not, a few are even divorced by now, some have kids, some have dogs, some are happy with little, some just have it all. And yet, here we all are, the big and the little... connecting... racing together... yes, on scooters and big wheels, but together with all our hearts. Big and Little.

snakes and rainbows

there are times in our lives
where every step we take feels like
we are walking on snakes
who coil themselves
and bite
and hiss
and try to stop us
when we want to just keep going


but if we can make it though
if we can just step over them
immune to their venom
and unafraid of their strikes
well then my friend,
we get to wear rainbow knee socks in celebration.

Grand Tour

I always think about the crap in my house. The dirty sock, flattened like a pancake and kicked into the corner next to the bathroom door. The uncapped dried out orange marker that has rolled under a chair filled with cracker crumbs and a sticky dollop of yogurt. The wires upon wires upon tangled wires that are STILL under the desk after being disconnected from at least 4 different computers in 5 years (aHEM husband... will you please get ON THAT!) and the pair of little boy boxers, an unclothed babydoll, a hanger and an empty jewelry box that have been dumped on the landing at the bottom of the stairs along with half crumples grocery receipts and at least 3 hair elastics.
Crap.
But then like before, there are these funny little treasures all around. Things that make me stop and love all the bits and peices around the minefield of litter in our home. Here is a grand tour of the favorite, the bizarre and the precious little corners of our house:




one of my favorite little walls, the one in my studio with my inspiration board and my three project folders: CRAFT, SEW, QUILT



treasures



chalice city. (We're UU's... our home without a chalice is like a Catholic front yard without a Mary ) and that photo is of Dellie... Alex's mom who has been gone for 12 years.


overflow parking



the "all seasons" shelf. It was suppose to be cleared out and refilled with whatever was needed for that season but they all got confused. So we have sun block swimming among the ice scrapers and shell guides and sea shore encyclopedias wedged between mittens and halloween pumpkins and jump ropes and scarves.

Amazing

it's amazing what we do for change (like pink hair)



it's more amazing that no matter if I have pink hair, no hair, big hair- I have these two to keep inspiring me to change (for better that is)

sing it sisters:

Come on now baby please
Just look around
Look around it's there
It's good to feel alive
Feel alive, feel alive
This amazing life

It's good to feel alive
Feel alive, feel alive
This amazing life
This amazing life
Relax it's easy, relax it's easy
This amazing life

Come on now baby please
This amazing life
Come on, come on, come on with me
Relax it's easy, relax it's easy
Look around, look around

~Jem