A Little Break

Blogging will be light here at Small Treasures over the next week or two. My mother is in town and I plan to enjoy every possible minute I have with her while she's here (we'll be taking care of my grandfather for some time, and going here and there and everywhere together on other days!). I hope to stop in once or twice to say hello, but if I don't, I wish grace and joyous summer days for each and every one of you! God bless.

Performance Night

Performance night was incredibly lovely (and four hours long!). The girls danced beautifully. I'm so happy Gianna got to experience the fruits of months of hard work and discipline that come from classical ballet. She was beaming the whole night, just as she is here heading to the car after the gala was over. So was I.


We love you, sweetheart!

She's a Girl

Anticipating her ballet performance tonight, Gianna checks in the mirror at the healing progress of scrapes from a bike accident earlier this week. (Looking a lot better!)

Spoonflower Update

I got my fabrics back from Spoonflower, and am very pleased with their service. The fabric really is high quality cotton, and turnaround time was great, about 7-10 days from date of order. The only problem I encountered was the printing quality of one of my fabrics - the scrolly surrounded rosette design (just below the bees here). Though you may not be able to tell from the photo, for some reason the colors printed very faintly on that one, the fabric felt less smooth than the other two samples, and the design was slightly warped, as though it were stretched out in one direction. I'm not sure what happened with that one, but based on the quality of the other two prints I'm thinking it was just a fluke.

The designs:
~

I added more detail to my pink bee. Here was the final design:

~ scroll with rosette center

Rosette - This was my very first attempt at Inkscape. Lots of flaws, but it was a fun first try and a great intro to vector graphics.
And here they are printed on cotton:

Though I have a folder full of pencil sketches, I haven't had time to draw them on the computer, and likely won't until August or so. But it really is a lot of fun, so if you're inclined to give it a try (and have a good chunk of time) you should go for it. And share - I love seeing other people's designs!

Electronic Gadget Advice

We're always so far behind the main stream when it comes to modern technology. Our cell phones are the pre-paid kind (my husband was the only attorney we knew without a cell, so after five years practicing we finally caved in!), we acquired our first printer just last year, our stereo system is...oh...more than 20 years old, and we don't have a television. So, I need your help....on iPods. I'm thinking of purchasing one to hook up to speakers and replace our old stereo, making the change over to digital music.

Do you have one? Which model did you buy, and do you like it? Why do you like it? And do you use it for purposes other than exercise? Would you recommend one for replacing a home stereo system?

Sell me. Please. :)

Four Great Dads

Happy, happy weekend. I spent Father's Day with four of my favorite men in the whole world - my husband, my eldest brother, my dad and my grandfather. What's so special about that? Well, my brother and his family of seven are moving out to Maryland. We've spent a lot of time and nearly every holiday together for the last four years, living so close, and yesterday was the last time I'll see them in a long while. The girls are seriously going to miss their cousins. My parents are in town, so being with my dad on Father's Day was completely wonderful. I don't even need to talk with him, just being in his presence is special. He was in every imaginable way, a Superdad to me growing up. My grandfather, wise and learned and fascinating, is aging gracefully for a man of 93 years. It's hard to imagine a time when he won't be here to share his great life-stories. And my husband, well, you know how I feel about him.

I was enjoying their company too much to think of taking pictures. The whole weekend was splendid, though if I had to pick a favorite moment it would have to be praying the rosary with these four great men in my life just before dinner at five o'clock (my grandfather's designated daily rosary time). In the same room, the generations of one family, still seeking grace, together.

Happy belated Father's Day to all fathers working to love and provide for your families. You are very much appreciated.

Blessed

Yesterday I found myself grateful. For my husband and for God's beautiful creation. That ocean captivates me....the grandest natural proof (other than man) of the existence of God. It says magnificent, infinite like nothing else I can imagine. My heart soars to higher things every time I see it.

Today I'm grateful for friends. This morning the girls and I went to rosary group, where all of us ladies enjoyed a baby shower for a close friend of mine after we prayed the rosary. Monica is one of those very special and rare friends a person can be blessed with in life. She is generous, self-sacrificing and holy, while carefree, spontaneous and fun all at the same time. Last night she endured heavy contractions all night long, very nearly fleeing to the hospital with her husband, and still made it to pray the rosary this morning, smiling all the while. Monica is younger than me, married after me and is expecting her seventh child. She is past her due date, I think for the seventh time, but was today, as always, in great spirits.

So I'm just recording, for memory's sake, how grateful I am that Providence saw to it that I should be blessed with such beautiful friendships.

(Oh, and proof that this woman is amazing? She's a tiny little thing and her smallest baby was eight pounds. Her largest, a son, was twelve. He arrived suddenly, without any notice, in her bathroom. Twelve pounds and she had no idea he was coming.)

Wordless Wednesday: Grateful

Sleep to Live

It's true, what they say, if you don't sleep well you don't live well. Our new mattress arrived last week after months of waking up with aching backs on our twelve year old bed-turned-kids-trampoline. I think we must have tested thirty mattresses in the store before we decided on the one we did, which felt like complete bliss to both of us....in the store. Today marks the third morning my poor husband has risen having enjoyed nearly no rest. Certainly no bliss.

I just ordered a 2" natural latex topper to soften the bed - something we anticipated we might have to do since we didn't buy a pillowtop. We loved the latex mattresses in the store, but they were all much too pricey. We're hoping this solves the problem so we don't have to exchange the mattress and pay a 20% restocking fee. Wish us luck, would you?

Summer Sunday

I love watching this man with his girls. My favorite people in the whole wide world, enjoying each other, and I get to observe every marvellous minute.

Well, okay then.

Strolling along the beach with my mother-in-law, Madeleine wipes her nose on Grandma's forearm.

"Eewww, yuck! That's not nice Madeleine," Grandma Carol responds.

Little shoulders shrugged, "It's not slobber! It's just sneeze!"

To Grow in Love

Recently while on the computer, one of my daughters approached and asked me to read her favorite story. "In a minute," I told her, knowing full well I'd be more than a minute in tending to her. More than an hour went by before I caught myself and set my laptop aside. By the time I'd realized my own selfishness it was too late. It was time to start dinner and the story would have to wait.

I quickly recalled the beautiful words someone shared with me a few weeks before, "The greater the self-giving, the greater the love", words I've been playing over and over again in my head these past several weeks while I've gone about my daily tasks of folding laundry or mopping floors, or when a child needs my attention. And the more I ponder them the more I realize a need for growth in an area I previously thought was one of my greatest strengths....love for my children.

Don't get me wrong, I know I love my daughters. I think I love them tremendously. I meant what I said a few days ago, that everything is special with children. I remember what life was like before children and know how much more rich and wonderful it is with my daughters. There's no comparison. And yet, still, moments have occurred in which I've chosen myself over those precious little ones. I've chosen to spend time on the computer over reading a story, or silenced them while listening to the car radio rather than encourage their dialogue. I've denied picking up a daughter because I didn't want to be "touched" at the end of a long day filled with lots of holding and clinging. I love my children. But these were not acts of love. Normal....understandable? Perhaps. But not loving. "The greater the self-giving, the greater the love." I can do better. I can give more.

There is no doubt in my mind, the mothers I admire most are those who give the most, those who readily sacrifice themselves for their children. And the more a mother relinquishes her own desires for the sake of her child, the more admiration I hold for her. I think this is true for most of us Christian women, because in our limited capacity we know what Love is, and we know the greatest act of love is laying down one's own life for another. We know Saint Paul's definition of love...that it is patient, kind, seeketh not its own, etc...and the closer a mother is to loving this way, the greater is her love.

Pondering all these thoughts recently hasn't made me feel down or despairing the way one might suspect when she realizes her inadequacy. I've simply been recognizing more clearly than ever a need in myself to increase the love I have for my children; and knowing what I have to do throughout each day to grow in love has been incredibly freeing, as knowing how to do the right thing always is. My best days, the days I feel the most accomplished are now and have always been those in which I've given the greatest of myself to make others happy, no matter the cost. So this relationship between self-sacrifice and love is not new to me, but that I can have greater love than I already do for my own children has been a revelation.

I won't ever get back the hour I spent on the computer that day. I'll never know what special moment may have occurred had I read my daughter her favorite story, or what grace I'd have gained from loving better. But I want to love greatly, selflessly, the way we are all called. So in my imperfect manner I'm learning, with simple words repeating themselves in my head, guiding my actions, helping me to grow in love.

Gratuitous Missing Tooth Picture

She's so proud!

Blight

These were my Sungolds a few weeks ago, lush with green foliage, vibrant with ripe, sweet fruit. I picked these tomatoes right after I took this photo (sungolds are orange tomatoes, so these were ripe), and they were so, so delicious.

This is the same plant today. We've been having a cooler, more moist May and June than usual, causing many plants around town to suffer from early blight. My local garden shop was even out of treatment supplies in stock. My plants are about 90% affected, and I've nearly stripped the foliage bare. I think I'm going to have to ditch them and start over.

Ah well. I can't say I'm disappointed. It's always exciting to learn something new even from failure, and I'm eager to try again. So if any of you have had experience with early blight and found a good solution....I'd love to hear about it!

When Pain is Fun

"I think today's my lucky day", Gianna says while I'm typing at this very moment. The three of us are still in our pajamas, huddled in a circle on my bed sharing an apple while we wait and hope for a tooth to come out. With each bite there's an "Ouch!", but she assures me it's worth it. Anticipation, excitement, and a few tears (mama's, of course).

Gianna got her first baby tooth at four months. I remember the moment I saw it. I remember jumping up and down and taking video footage. I know I'll remember this moment too, but this time three of us will be jumping up and down. Everything is special when you have children. Everything.

Finally, I can draw!

OK, so about the sketching. You might be wondering why I posted a close-up shot of such an ugl....oh I just can't write it....such an un-pretty drawing in the previous post. No, I've never been good at drawing. The images in my head of beautiful things I want to be able to draw, however, are endless. Lots of ideas + no skill with a pencil and paper would usually end just there....art inside someone's head.

But recently through our Virtual Quilting Bee, the lovely Michele introduced me to Spoonflower, a completely exciting up-and-coming new company that allows any-old-person, like little-old-me to design and print fabric from her own sketches (pretty or not!). But the best part is how easy it is to turn a poorly drawn image into an artistic rendition of the beautiful image in your head! Using vector graphics, all my awkward, crooked lines, bumps and other errors on paper become smooth and straight and curly and swirly in Inkscape (or Illustrator, but I use Inkscape because it's free!). I admit there's quite a learning curve when it comes to vector software, and my first attempts are far from perfect, but it really is so much fun, as learning something new always is.

I love that Spoonflower is another company, like Etsy, that is currently revolutionizing the world of crafts and clothing and fabrics - inspiring people to make things from their own homes, with their own hands, and to buy from others who do the same.

So, here's a close up of the design from my previous post:

Much better than my sketch....wouldn't you say? I've got about six other completed designs, but I'm waiting to see how they come out on cotton. I will show you this little bee (yes, a pink bee!) in progress right now. I still have to give him eyes and antennae and a few other details, but I just love him. I can't wait to see him printed on pink fabric!


If you'd like to try out Spoonflower yourself, go to Rachel's tutorial at the bottom of this page for creating your own designs. Rachel's instructions are simple and clear, and best of all, she'll help you when you get stuck! :)

Busy, Busy

These last couple weeks have been a whirlwind. Between preparing for the adoption with meetings and fingerprints and paperwork (lots and lots of paperwork....much due to CA bureaucracy), finishing up the school year, celebrating a birthday and adding shoe mouldings to the baseboards I installed last summer; not to mention daily bike rides, picnics, a trip down the southern coast....it's no wonder I haven't been here in a while.

Here are some recent photos. I'd post more but we're off to an end of the school year picnic with Gianna's charter school in a few minutes. I was asked to give her a grade for each subject she completed, and though I've never liked grading systems I'm pleased to say she got an "O" in every subject. :)

Aaahh, I could live right here with nothing

but a sleeping bag and a sandwich.

four

Mr. Ed let me borrow his pneumatic nail gun!

Oh, and last but not least I've been sketching like there's no tomorrow! (Something I'm really excited about. I'll share more about it later, I promise!)

Have a great day, everyone!