Probably taking a couple weeks off

The lead paint is finally being removed from the house (well, most of it covered, but that's better than nothing I guess) so we are leaving for 2 weeks tomorrow. During that time, I will have *gasp* a dial up connection. After having dsl for years, I don't have the patience for dial up, so after emails, orders and the usual work related stuff, I don't expect to get to the blog. It's ok though, I have a lot of sewing to do. 36 diapers, 18 inserts, 36 wipes, a wrap sling, and numerous pouch slings. Plus orders that come in the meantime. Yeah, that'll keep me busy :)
Until then, here are a couple of my recent creations:

Duck Dots Boo Bear Buns Fitted Diaper
Clouds Boo Bear Buns Contoured Diaper

And my favorite Fieldstone pics:

Fieldstone Gardens Aiden Pictures

Jon, Aiden, my mother and I attended Fieldstone Gardens' Fairies in the Garden party on Saturday. Sales were unheard of, but we had fun. Aiden was a wood nymph for a couple minutes. I'll let the pictures and captions tell the rest of the story.

Trying to pull wings offPulling on a bead

Only pic with the crown, which blends in with the treesAiden and I next to our fairy houseClose-up of fairy house just before Aiden beat it with a corn stalk

He's so big now!

Pictures of Fieldstone to follow...

We've been skunked!

Most nights I watch part of a movie or tv show while Aiden nurses to sleep, then go to sleep myself, or get up and work. Tonight I watched a movie all the way through, then just as I curled up next to Aiden and cuddled him most lovingly, I started gagging on the worst smell ever, SKUNK! I don't know if it got one of the cats, or just sprayed the house, but the smell is awful! I have found some tips online to get rid of the smell such as apple cider vinegar, baking soda and coffee grounds. If you could see Aiden right now, you'd probably laugh (unless you could smell him too) as he is sleeping surrounded by bowls of the last of our vinegar (no apple cider though), the last of Jon's coffee grounds and baking soda. It does smell slightly less nasty, or at least more like coffee, near him. At least I know what the morning will bring, an early trip to the store for more anti-skunk supplies. Hopefully the smell will subside enough for me to sleep soon! This is ridiculous!

Fieldstone Gardens - A Day of Enchantment

The 10th annual Garden Party, "A Day of Enchantment" at Fieldstone Gardens in Vassalboro, Maine is this Saturday, June 16th. Special guest Tracy Kane, artist and author of "The Fairy House Series", will offer 2 two-hour workshops at 9:30am and at 1:00pm. Kane will read aloud from her book Fairy Houses and then accompany children and their adults into the pine forest at Fieldstone Gardens to help build a "Fairy House Village". Children are encouraged to dress as fairies, butterflies or dragonflies. Kane will be available for a book signing at mid day. Aiden (dressed as a wood nymph) and I will be there, so please stop by the Slings and Sacks/Blessed Baby booth and say hi! For more information on the event, visit www.hvwa.org/special-events.shtml .
Hope to see you there!

Getting ready for this event and completing orders has kept me busy lately. I will be sure to post pictures of my little wood nymph. His outfit is nearly done, I just need to sew the elastic into his pants, sew leaf jewels onto his shirt and pants, add a hanger to his wings for form and sew the wings to his shirt.

South Portlander's, Olivia Needs Your Help

For any readers in South Portland, Maine, please support Olivia Collins in her quest to raise a few hens as pets and for fresh organic eggs. South Portland's (hereafter called SoPo) zoning ordinance does not allow it. The following is from an email sent by Olivia's mother:

Here's Olivia's list of reasons why SoPo should amend the ordinance:

Why?

~Hens (no roosters!!) are quieter than dogs or parrots and as clean and non-smelly as any other pet when well-cared-for as urban pets, not barnyard animals.
~Fresh organic eggs are healthier than store-bought and better for the environment because fuel is not used trucking them to stores.
~My chickens will lead happy, healthy lives. They will be in an enclosed pen, though, and not roam onto anyone else's yard (like some dogs and cats do!)
~I will compost the droppings and use them in my vegetable garden: Reduce/Reuse/ Recycle!
~Pet chickens are fun and educational and bring the neighborhood together!
~Cities all over America encourage backyard chickens. Even Cape Elizabeth (Maine) allows them!

In the last few years, as the Green living, Eat Local, sustainable living, organic, recycle, etc movement has gained popularity, cities and towns all over America have been relaxing their chicken laws to allow 4-6 carefully tended, PET backyard hens for eggs. (Many cities offer classes in chicken care and organized coop tours, like garden tours!) We're talking about hens only, no roosters (no noise!) kept in a pretty, carefully-maintained enclosed coop; raised by hand as pets and for eggs. Chicken droppings make amazing compost for the garden and the hens recycle kitchen scraps! Heritage breed chickens are calm, docile, and when hand-raised they become affectionate pets that come then they are called. This "City Chicken" trend is primarily in upscale neighborhoods, where residents design lovely coops that look like nice garden sheds, certainly not "downscale". Kept as urban pets, and cleaned regularly, city chickens don't smell. In all, they make less noise and smell than many dogs kept in South Portland.

We have 100% support from our neighbors and support of our local councilor. There are one or two council members who we feel misunderstand what we're proposing and are envisioning a dirty,
noisy, barnyard scene. They are worried about property values. However, Cape Elizabeth allows chickens with NO restrictions, (even roosters!) and their Code Enforcement officer said he's had NO PROBLEMS. Residents keep their chickens in attractive coops and are conscientious neighbors, not having roosters in tight neighborhoods and keeping the pens clean. If Cape can do it (with no decrease in property values!) so can we.

Let's convince the city council that South Portland can be as progressive as cities all over America in allowing people to raise hens as pets and for fresh eggs in our backyards. It's fun, educational, healthy, and environmentally sound!

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP:

Please call or email your City Councilor and let them know you support this! You can find your contact by clicking here or by calling City Hall at 767-3201. You can also simply email or call Mayor Claude Morgan (contact info on the SoPo web site http://www.southportland.org/ . For maximum impact, a show of support at the City Council meeting of supportive citizens would surely tip the scales! Please email us if you'd like to know when the meeting is scheduled.

THANK YOU!!

5 Random Things About Me

I've been tagged by Linda Lu and Amber to post 5 random things about me. So here it goes:

1. Before Aiden, I used to kind of freak out whenever I 1. got sticky 2. got wet while wearing a sweater or fleece 3. got peed or pooped on (can you imagine that?) and 4. if I didn't use things in a certain order (I didn't really freak out but I did get a little twingey at times). It's amazing how much having a little person around changed all that for me. I guess that reality set in.?.

2. Jon thinks it's quite funny that I often make my own words. We tend to reference President Bush when I do this. The first paragraph includes one of my, not really a word but used often, words. I can't think of any other examples at this time, but I use them day to day. Which brings me to number...

3. I have the hardest time with articulation. I can sit here for minutes at a time trying to come up with the word or words I want to use to explain myself, to no avail. This seriously drives me nuts! I also have a hard time remembering words I intend to use. They are right there on the tip of my tongue but just won't come out. I sit there fighting myself internally because I know I have something great to say but just can't get it out. This is why I prefer to communicate over email. I have time to sit and think, write and rewrite, or use the thesaurus if needed. I've even forgotten words like cupboard. I have no idea why this happens. I hope no one takes me for an idiot. I'm not... Really.

4. It certainly doesn't come through in my writing as much, but I am very goofy. It mostly shows when I am around people who I am super close to. I make up songs, love to dance but have no talent for it!, and can come up with clever jokes.

5. I get totally into things, but have a hard time finishing anything without an impending deadline. I can sit and research a particular idea, and find the perfect way to follow through. Once I get started, if I can't finish in 1 or 2 sittings, I guess I just get over the excitement of it. I also go through phases in what I enjoy doing. Like with work, sometimes I like to get a whole bunch of slings done and other times I dread the idea of sewing.

Well, I really could go on but I am over the excitement of this little post already :) I'm not going to tag anyone else, but if anyone wants to tag themselves, please leave a comment for me. I'd love to read your 5 random things.

Toxic Plastics

Amber responded to my last post with a comment about dangerous plastics. Plastics in containers, bottles, disposable diapers and toys can all be very dangerous. To be sure they are not, look for products labeled "Phthalates free". I am certainly no expert, and I have a lot of work to do myself in the area of limiting plastic use in my home. This is a great article about PVC, the most harmful plastic.

On a side note, Aiden spilled juice on the keyboard the other day (just about 8 hours before he bent my glasses in ways that should have rendered them useless) so I am a day behind on responding to emails and conversations. I know I have been tagged, twice actually, and I do plan to respond! In the meantime, feel free to read a very old post, my first time being tagged.

Skin Deep

This site is really awesome: Skin Deep, the Environmental Working Group's cosmetics database . I initially found their link in Mothering Magazine maybe a year ago, and I am so very glad I did. You can search their site for specific products you use, ingredients, or for the safest products available. I sat down with all of the products my family uses and looked them up. Then I printed a list of the safest items (you can do that too), threw out a bunch, and headed to the local health food store to stock up on safer products. It's wonderful knowing that I am not bombarding Aiden with harsh, cancer causing, toxic chemicals! Before I buy any new products, I always check Skin Deep to see how it rates, and you really should too! You'll be surprised by how dangerous many of the products people use on their babies are.

A quick hint: never use Baby Magic products; they rank the highest in many categories.