"F" is for Fabulous Functional Flannel

I'm playing along with Katy from No Big Dill

as she Sews all 26

letters of the alphabet.

Today I'm posting on "F"

 Funky,

Fabulous

Fashion Forward

(ok I'm pushing it a little)

Functional

Flowered



Flannel!!!

The Blur

would not stop for snaps today.

We did a little gardening in the brand new poo.

2.7 cubic yards of fresh compost

that I shoveled into our new garden.

Apparently I smell bad enough to make

Nu's hair fly up.

But aren't these babies worth it?

Although I loved Nu's last pants for cuteness,

she has very sensitive skin

and the IKEA canvas fabric I used

was too rough for this wiggler.

I mean if she's not doing this:

she's definitely doing this:

So what could be softer than

sweet

sweet

flannel?

The fabric is LOU LOU

by Anna Maria Horner

and called "In The Clearing"

Since Tangles and I were clearing

out the garden,

and we continue to clear out the

neighbours with our

odoriferous compost,

it seemed apt.

Now back to twinkle toes,

and the next chase scene

called: With the Hope of  Brushing Teeth.



 

Dream on.

No Slackin' in these Slacks

Back with a KA-POW!

 

 

 

I made some pants for the middle one

(Nu)

Using Rae's Parsley Pants Pattern

 

 

It's still swing time in these parts.

 

And never before was there a kid

who needed knee pads on her pants...

 

before she even puts them on.

 

 

 

Because with swinging comes

MUCH

flopping.

 

 

 

And,

never before was there a girl

who loved pink more.

 

So pink knee patches for Nu.

 

 

(Here she is paused for less than a second

 thinking reverentially about the greatness of pink)

 

 

These knees have been taking a beating lately.



 

And as always with Nu's raison d'etre

racing into the world

involves lots of wipe outs.

 

So too have treasure pockets become vital

for this Magpie.

 

Everything is maximum volume now

she is 4.

 

She's always way ahead racing into the future.

 

 

Happily she still pauses at life's crossings

to let her sister catch up.

 

 

And boy, is Yu game to try!

 

 

Now that Pu is back at school

this gruesome twosome have more time together.

 

 

Their cahoots are pretty cute.

 

 

Suddenly the newly 4 year old

is trying leadership.

 

 

And although the tiny one thinks she's

always in charge.

She snuggles in for an invented story

 

 

Or takes time to learn the nuance in the scribble.

 

 

If I were to source the Magic Eight Ball

for a prediction on this 3rd girl in the 3 pack:

 

I'd say she's being well tutored at the knee of

the wildest one

 

And riding off

 in her own unique way

with a similar take-a-bite-out-of-life

verve

 

Oh 3-pack.

You're swell!!

And,
if you are looking for something awesome to do
check out www.nobigdill.com as Katy
sews through the alphabet.

I might try a letter or two...



 

These are very important in my life.

 

 

 

What?!?

Fair question.

 

They are trigger point massage balls.

My Osteopath swore by them,

and I love/hate/love her for it.

 

You lie on them,

it's a little Ouchy, I confess.

But they are also a little bit of magic.

 

 

So,

 I lie on them almost every night.

Either side of the spine,

thigh, back, neck...

I have yet to try eyeballs,

but it's only a matter of time.

 

Nonetheless, admit it:

If you saw these on someone's

bedside table...

wouldn't you raise an eyebrow?

 

And so:

 

(worst photo ever taken)

 

I made this!

 

(Second worst photo ever taken)

 

It's a little pocket sack that tucks

under your mattress.

It could hold a book,

an Ipad, whatever you want right there.

 

Or in my case,

it could discreetly store my

curiosity provoking orbs of glee.

 

...well there's no getting away from

that line.

 

(Imagine the other ones I spared

you from).

 

 

 

 

Hey! I have a blog!!

It's not like I forgot about you sweet reader.

So faithful, so true.

It's really not you...

It's me.

 

And although that sounds like

the worst break up line...

 

I'm doing the opposite.

I'd like to renew our vows.

 

You see,

I didn't forget about YOU,

but I did forget a little about me.

 

And how important doing something,

even something tiny,

possibly meaningless

in the creative realm,

is essential to my "ME-ness".

 

Since our big move,

and sorting 3 Little's out with

school and getting off one board

and onto another, and, and...

 

I've been having a rough patch.

 

My creative space has been fortified with boxes

and my inner space his been screaming

loudly.

 

 Every window of time I have

 I've been filling

with "important stuff"

(Snarf)

 

Well, that sucked.

 

So, even though these silly little

table shower caps are

seemingly insignificant...

 

 

And, they involved very little skill

or creativity:

 

They got my inner MacGyver,

My deep seeded MacGyver's Lovechild self

smiling again.

 

They solved a little problem

with a little funk.

And, that feels gooood.

 

They also got me coming back

to you to say "Hi"

 

Let's never fight like this again!

 

 

 



What's important, is important

 

 Oh summer,

 

 

I love you and all your Popsicle ways.

 

I love you Summer in all your...

tree climbing, rainbow Band-Aid,

swimming lessons, rope swing,

lazy days at the park ways.

 

 

This summer, our littlest has launched herself.

A friend recently pointed out that if

we put all our kids in a cage fight-

the littlest would likely win.

 

Oh she might share her Popsicle,

but if I had to pick a bunk mate for prison time,

she'd be the best bet

 to shiv anyone giving us grief.

 

(I may have just finished binge watching

Orange is the new Black)

 

 

 

Yu is definitely a love machine.

Until recently she has been very devoted to

the two stuffies on the end.

Abbott: the Rabbit and ME-OW the feline.

 

 

And this girl, Nu?

 

 

Her devotion has always been unwavering

for this character:

 

 

Nu named her Sho-Sho

and she is so important to our family

system, that we had 3 in rotation.

Just in case there was an accident.

And there were.

She was missing for awhile

(thus the extra purchase).

 

 

And no, I have no explanation for the dirt Bindi

she sports. And no it won't come off.

I think it's a permanent kiss mark.

 

All the Sho-Sho's look slightly different.

We say she 'changes clothes'.

 

In fact, because the love for Sho Sho

was so strong,

 the cage fighter got the memo

and started swiping it.

ALL the time.

 

So we put one of the back ups in rotation for her.

And I made her a little shirt

to put on the Yu Sho Sho of the moment.

 

There's a time for sharing

and a time for turn taking.

 

But this little person needs something

that is all hers,

no one swipes,

and her mommy defends for her.

It's Sho Sho.

 

And now, both Sho Sho's

are very important in our family.

 

(p.s. made the dress long ago and blogged it

here)