new house project

Here we are, when we looked so young, before we became parents.  Happy anniversary Junji.  I love you.

**I am going to take some photos tomorrow, and try to get some children’s pottery into my etsy shop, so please check back!

Things have been very busy around here lately.  We have a lot on our plates right now, and a lot coming up.  As I have been trying to manage everything, I am keeping in mind my new favorite word, unitasking.

I read a short article on unitasking a few weeks ago, and the word stuck with me.  I reject the idea that mothers have to multitask and juggle.  That just doesn’t work well for me.  I like to take things one at a time, so I can be more present and less frazzled.

When I am with my daughter, I want to be fully available to listen and play and answer all of her questions.  (She has a lot of questions.) And when I am working I want to be present in that as well.

When I have so much to do it can be hard to resist the urge to try to sneak in a few minutes of work here and there when my daughter seems to be occupied with something.  I try not to do this because it always leads me to feeling stressed out and not being able to enjoy my time with my daughter or my work.

So during the day I spend time with my daughter.  When we take a walk it doesn’t matter how slowly we go or how many times we stop to notice things.  There is no rush.  When she naps I nap with her.  Then when she goes to sleep at night, I go into my studio, listen to music, and work without interruptions.  I can stay up late and get a lot done.

Maybe some people can multitask well, but I am learning that I am not one of those people and that’s ok.

I have been working on special edition Christmas apron made for holiday baking.  This is just a little preview–the pocket.

…just a simple quilted coaster that I made from fabric that I received from the vintage swap. Thanks Hannah!

I should have taken a picture of the fabrics that Hannah sent before I started cutting them up. I always forget to take before pictures.

Isn’t this floral print so sweet? I made a few sets of these quilted coasters for a new shop that opened in my neighborhood called Wildcard. It’s my new favorite place to buy gifts because there is so much good stuff, and a lot of it is handmade locally. Junji and I both have some of our work for sale there. I hope they have a lot of success!

Saturday – We were getting ready to go to a party.  Saya told me she wanted to wear a “princess dress”, two clips in her hair, and a ponytail “on the left side, not backwards.”  She also told me she was planning to kiss her (boy)friend.  Wow.  I am thinking she is getting this out of her system now, so that when she’s a teenager she will be happy hanging out at home with her parents.  Right?

Sunday – Junji and Saya were making lunch, but they needed milk and we didn’t have any, so I had a chance to have a walk by myself to the store in the beautiful sunshine.  I don’t usually find myself alone for a walk.  I didn’t even have a bag, just a couple of dollars in my pocket.  I felt so light and happy.  While I was gone Junji and Saya were doing this.  Funny.

Happy Halloween!