Grown Up Toys

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The kids got out the ancient Marbleworks set the other day.  They needed a little help at first because they’d never really seen it before. It’s been stored away with all the other toys that “Mom” can’t seem to part with. Yeah, I know. I have a problem letting go.

The kids played with the set for about an hour–a very noisy hour of marbles clanking and crashing and spilling and shooting all over the room–and kid laughing. Lots and lots of kids laughing. That was the best part.

Of course, after a while, the big guys had to get involved to show them how it really works.  Almost as much noise from the marbles, but not quite so much laughing. What can you expect? This is serious business.

Apparently.

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Giant Treats

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We got in the mood for a few “after the holidays” type treats…

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so we whipped up some speedy little “Pretzel Turtles.”

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What else are we suppose to do when we have a 27,000 pound bag of Rolos?

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Perhaps, we could slice into the 1000 pound Snickers.

Things are out of control over here.

Send help quick.

Wellllll…not too quick. Maybe, like…next week.

Heh, heh.

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Pretty Baby~

Before quilt market, April and I hit on a fantastic idea.

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Since she would have a booth at the Moda area, why not use that cute baby as a living mannequin–so to speak. We could dress her up in pretty little ruffly things made with the prettiest fabric on the planet. SUCH a good idea!

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I scoured the internet and found just the right patterns–four to be exact–for the entire event. That baby would have a new outfit from her mama’s fabric for all three days at the conference and one special dress to wear to the fancy-schmancy black and white formal dinner.

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The teensy tiny catch was that I only had 6 days to make the 4 outfits.

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The race was on!

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1~ The first thing was the easiest. I made the little pants to go with a sweet little red shirt. Sadly, because I made the top last, I don’t have a picture of it.

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2~ Next, was this little summer dress. It was autumn weather her in Utah, but it was warmer in Texas, so this outfit would still work.

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I was nervous that this one would be too wide for this tiny baby girl so I sewed a tie on the front…

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that cinched it up just enough, with a little bow in the back.

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Completed.

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3~ This sweet flowery top…

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with the double tiered, ruffly bloomers. So dang cute!!

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4~ And last of all, the “formal” dress for the Black and White dinner.

I finished the last stitch on the last top–the red one–about an hour before taking April and Jacob and the baby to the airport. Yeah, that’s pushing it, I know.

But it worked…

in the nick of time!

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Phew!

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And The Wall~

came tumbling down!

So as it happens in projects such as these, we started talking about how much more open the kitchen would feel if it were…ummm… you know, open. So one thing led to another and before we knew it, the wall was down. Just like that.

Crow bars and sledge hammers seem to be these guys’ best friends.

Kind of exciting to see things just wished for one moment…

and coming true the next.

This place is awesome. This disappearing wall is awesome.

These guys are awesome!

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The Shop Is Now~ OPEN!

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Oh, my goodness–how long it’s been since I’ve had the time to put anything new…or let’s face it, anything at all in my pretty little Gracious Rain Shop.

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But the day has come, and now, after weeks of prep and focus, I finally have enough items to stock the digital shelves.

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There’s still not a bazillion items, just enough I’d say. But you can be sure that what is in there, was hand made with all the love and care I could muster.

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Perhaps you’ll see it in the stitches, somehow. Perhaps you feel it in the pretty little models that turned up magically and posed so politely.

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At any rate, I do hope you’ll stop by the Gracious Rain Shop and check it out. Maybe something will just leap out at you and call your name. I do hope so!

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If you’re so inclined, please leave a kind word or two, a tweet, a pin or a Facebook “like.” All of it helps to spread the word.

We’re baaack!

And…I’ll love you forever.