The Lady Dino

i told you i had some girly dinos in the works...here is my first pink dino made for a friend.

these pics are fu-hun-ney...we have already established that i have probably scarred my son with all the girl dresses i put on him...in fact just today when i exclaimed, "bryson i need you to try this on" he said, "what is it, a tutu? hahahahahahaha" he is such a good sport though and tried it on and asked me to make him one also.

and his poses are amazing...i like the hand in the air pose - yes - waiter - check please...and the shielding the eyes like my mom makes me wear girl stuff all the time and takes pictures of it...and the side kiss...and he was still wearing his ninja leggings on his skinny little legs...so cute! he is going to hate me when he goes through puberty isn't he?

my kids' sorry excuse for a costume...

i find it rather ironic...funny...sad...that here i am spending all this time making these "costumes"...(i dont look at them like costumes...but i realize a lot of people do...i just hope that the kiddos wear them more than 1 day a year!) anyway...here i am doing this...and my son has the lamest halloween costume ever. people are going to be like, "aren't you carlee's son? why didn't she make you something?" okay...here is why...in bullet points:

1. bryson changes his mind every day minute about his costume...this is what he wanted to be this week: batman, spiderman, stormtrooper, santa claus, easter bunny, mike wazowski, skeleton, pirate, a magician and a ninja. the ninja sword was really what he wanted. plus it was $5...bam...easy costume...
2. whenever i make something for bryson he ultimately HATES it. and pinches a fit if he has to wear it...like that tie...and the pirate costume i made for him and the ghost costume i made for him and several pairs of pants...so that makes it a little hard to want to spend a lot of effort making him something he might very much not prefer to wear thankyouverymuch.
3. i really dont like the idea of spending extra time and money on a costume he'll wear once. i think that is why i like the zoodies idea...you can get it on and off easy...you can take the hood off and its not so in your face...i dont know...i wish he could just wear his bat zoodie and his bat mask i made for him and be done...but since he has worn it like every day since i made it - its not that special i guess :)
4. most everything he wants to wear is some trademarked character that would look so hokey if i tried to create...

so....i spent $5 on the ninja set and i spent $2.50 (clearance) each on the leggings and $1.50 on each beanie...buying the leggings was a little rough...it went something like this..."mom why are you buying girl pants?" "i'm not...these are NINJA pants!" "oh...then why are they in the girl section?" "i dont know...isnt that wierd? we should tell them they have NINJA pants in the girls section." "yeah...we should tell them". i am thinking that its really safe to have an all black costume - they could be ninjas...karate kid...robbers...spiders if i attach some "legs" - that way if when bryson changes his mind...we will have a base to work with : )

PS - Also i have LOVED ninjas since i first saw this site...its amazing...have fun! totally sweet...

Zoodies on Mamaista and a Give-Away!!!

goodness...it seems like every post lately is about zoodies popping up in fun places...i was told this might happen...and you were right, honey...again.

so this site is so fun - have you been there yet? Mamaista.com - they also have a daily email that highlights different kid stuff - clothes, toys, even mama stuff! very cool stuff...check it out!

Also check out their facebook page - if you leave a comment on their wall saying what kind of zoodie you like, or what you like about zoodies, you will be entered to win one! a kitty for the girls and dino for the boys...or if your girl wants to be a dino...(i have been getting quite a few girly dino orders!) and your boy a kitty...whatever, right? i just did an order for a mama in south africa whose 2 year old son wanted to be a ladybug for halloween so he and his little sister will be ladybugs...it made me think of this guy...

okay so this is not a post about cross-dressing children...its about the mamaista give-away! so please go visit their page and enter to win...it would make me so happy to see one of you win!

Zoodies on MSN.com

let me tell you how proud bryan is of this bat...he is stupidly proud. he keeps saying..."just wait...once little boys start wearing this around you are gunna get a ton of orders. its that cool"

whatever...i personally don't think its the "coolest", but...i trust him and his "boy taste"...and they do seem to be trickling in - i've done about 6 of them since i have put it up in the shop.

So i was approached by an editor for Glo and they were doing a feature for Halloween kids stuff - Zoodies was a good fit. Thanks again for the sweet write up!

Check out the article, here.

They Love us in Germany too!

I found another write-up for zoodies through my Big Cartel dashboard...amazing! found here: Goldstuckchen

Trick or Treat?

Scary costumes to make yourself

The well-known tradition from the United States faced from house to house to wander and "Trick out, or haunted house" to demand, is getting through in this country more and more. If an adult permit to have nothing for the kids in the house, he must expect him to play a trick on little ghosts and devils.
Ghosts
For a ghost costume, you dont need much. For two children old enough, a white bed sheet that is divided into two halves. The cloth you stülpst about children and the rest to the eyes and nose. Then cut holes there. The soft cloth with a rope around the waist of the little fix. In cold weather a warm jacket under the costume, the little ghost.
Problem Child
Basic for this costume is a red or black hoodie (can be from the parents, then there is room for a warm jacket underneath). To the hood you sew small cone out of heavy paper or felt. Black pants to a red-painted face - that is the little devil
Bat
Most important tool is the black cape with the typical Batman silhouette. The gray and purple hair with hair spray wildly teased. A black hairband with bat ears bear (black construction paper) and a bat mask makeup face.
Mummies
Here you uncoil the small ones with just a toilet paper. Then the white face makeup and black eye rings. Of course you can use white boards or a large white cloth, for example, an old bed sheets, cut into strips and wrap around the body, head, arms and legs. The ends of the bands you should check with tape or safety pins fix.

For more inspiration visit:
www.zoodies.com
www.kinder-stadt.de

crafting shirts

i havent sewn much other than zoodies for the past while...like a long while...like...too long. i have a lot of sewing projects that have been piling up that i would love to get to...someday :)

but today i had to pick some stuff up at target and needed to get Bodie some long sleeve shirts since he only has 2 right now (i guess bryson wasn't wearing 2T during the winter months) and they were all so blah and boring.

i usually only think to add embellishments to plain shirts, but recently am liking the idea of graphics on striped shirts so i picked up a couple and had some free time - free as in bryson was playing outside, bodie was in his high chair with markers and paper and bobby was in the bouncy chair next to me (i love what my free time now consists of)





if you look at my notes in high school and college you will find all sorts of doodles in the margins...my hand have constantly always needed something to do, which is why i think knitting is so fun for me...anyway - i just relied on my doodles to make some shirts for bodie today and am quite pleased with how they turned out - so much more fun than the plain ol' striped shirts, no?

so i decided to take some of my doodles and doodle a shirt or two.

they are so so simple...and not even blog-worthy other than to encourage you to just add a little home-made to something store bought and make it a little more special!

we're famous in russia...

this is too funny...so...i all of the sudden have been getting a lot of orders for doggie zoodies this week...which is weird because before this week i had only sold 1 ever. so i checked my shop's analytics to see if maybe a blog featured the doggie or something...and i couldn't find anything...but i did find this blog: called 4 Joy...its in russian...and what is even funnier is that i had google translate the page for me and this is what it said:

Funny costumes from «Zoodies»

I hasten to share the news of a fresh collection of fun! This is probably one of the most unusual line of children's clothes, which I have ever told! If you're tired of fancy costumes à la the police and the pirates, then maybe you will win some of the fun clothes brand "Zoodies"?

Lead designer «Zoodies» Carly herself is the mother of two adorable kids, and so is well aware of who also want to dress up our urchins on Halloween! For Halloween parties Carly came up with amusing line of clothing with animalistic motives. You can pick up her baby almost any costume: a horse, a dinosaur, skunk and even a koala!

The web site www.zoodies.com of all children's sizes for boys aged up to about 10-11 years.

Source: http://www.brotherstrimm.com/

 Hilarious! i love dressing up our urchins...and i hope people don't think they could pick up MY baby any costume...although i guess that would be nice, no?

Cooking for Boys

So...ever since finding out Bobby was a boy...i guess finding out our baby was a Bobby :) i realized...i am in the MOBO club (mothers of boys only) and decided to fully invest in that. several people have commented to me that i need to start my Costco membership...ugh...confession: i HATE Costco.

it goes against my Swedish heritage...the ingrained sense of Lagom, (which quickly translates to "just enough") it is too much for me - the parking, the lines, the 1 gallon tubs of mayonnaise....i dunno...too much! but...i suppose...at some point with 3 boys...or more accurately 3 boys and 1 man...i will eventually need to buy in bulk. from what i hear of other moms with boys...its not just your boys you feed...but their FRIENDS...their BOY friends...i always repeat what my aunt (who has 3 boys) told me..."you throw some meat on the table and RUN!)

so when i heard about this book...i jumped! everything looks amazing in here. i mean it...a-maze-ing. The author is a mother of 3 boys also, and i believe she has been a contributor to Martha Stewart Living recipes as well.

i want for my boys to have a wide range of food they enjoy. i can say that my oldest is more than a picky eater...but we have enforced a "try it" rule with everything we cook. he has to try it before he says he doesn't like it. i also am a fan of what Dr. Laura preaches... which is, "food disorders happen when you mix stress with food" - so we don't make him clear his plate...we just calmly tell him -this is what is for dinner...if you don't eat it, fine - you go to bed hungry...and you'll eat tomorrow.

BUT...that doesn't mean that i want to get into a "food rut". i remember seeing an article once in a magazne (i forget which) where this mom, despondent on her kids noodle diet, decides to cook a different type of meal every night for a month to discover different foods her kids would eat. granted, her kids were older than mine, but i thought that it was such a good idea.

so enter this cookbook. the other night we cooked her sesame wing chicken and some asian noodles as a side dish. a total diversion from our usual fare, but we ended up finding out that Bodie LOVED the noodles. (bryson didn't...his complaint being they were cold) but it made me want to try out more that the author suggested...mix it up a bit.

So...i am curious...how do YOU not get in a rut? do you develop a meal plan? do you cook a separate meal for your toddler? do you let your child go hungry? are we cruel? i am still working this out...

Zoodies on Stella Holiday

I got a wonderful email today from Tiffany from Stella Holiday - she was the winner of the give-away from when Zoodies was on the radio contacted me to let me know she got the koala zoodie and that she loved it! yeah! its nice to hear from people...i start getting worried, like, maybe no one likes them...so to get a little email and a blog shout-out makes my day! Thanks again Tiffany!






Check out her cute blog here:

http://stellaholiday.blogspot.com/2010/10/hoodies.html

My Su-Su-Studio

The Studio Corner

i get super jealous when other bloggers post pics of their studio...its like...look we have all this space for ME and MY THINGS...and isn't it great how i can fit all of my enormous fabulous collection of vintage fabrics and amazing buttons and yarn in this super cool Scandinavian hutch? and i have all this SPACE where kids dont come and fabulous music is playing and the sunlight hits everything so well and its so modern and AWESOME!!! a big Harrumph to you and your studio...




warning: i am feeling a little feisty...

Pull-Out Drawers

but seriously...i am a *new-ish* crafter and i think whenever you find yourself diving into a hobby like sewing - you tend to collect, or more realistically speaking, horde things and fabrics related to your craft...and if you are like me...you only do something about it when everyone is getting into stuff they shouldn't or yelling at you for leaving piles of stuff around...or frustrated from having to go into the garage every time you need to start a project.





so...enter my new space...my very much shared space. shared with the kitchen...shared with the litter box...(i know, gross...but now that our cats prefer the outside to the in...not much litter happening inside anyway - sorry neighborhood) and shared with the door leading to the outside.

The Brilliant Bodie-Proof Sewing Cabinet

i do believe this cabinet to be a stroke of brilliance. i dont like to boast...but let me just say again how brilliant i am...this is brilliance...pure genius...kind of kidding...but really...this just so works for me. i can pull out my machine for a project so fast...and typically whip out a zoodie during lunch time. 

i share this not to make you super jealous and bitter like myself...but to hopefully tell you to try to carve out a corner...because that is all some of us get...a corner...but how much do i love this corner...its amazing and makes me smile every time i see it...and i MUST tell you the story of this corner...its too good not to...

Hampers, which store my sweatshirts

this last weekend bryan wanted to golf on a saturday (which thankfully he does not do very often) and i told him if he put some shelves up for me in the kitchen for some of my bins than i wouldn't mind so much if he golfed...more or less...so in my head i am thinking 2 shelves...like 2x4 pieces nailed in the wall or something...and after golfing he comes home with this LOAD of closet stuff...i may or may not have had a negative reaction (due to money spent and the time it would take to put up said stuff which meant me taking all the boys away from said stuff) and my alleged negative reaction may or may not have led to a disagreement of adult sorts...so flash forward to sunday afternoon and me walking into the kitchen to see this! lets just say i am very thankful to be married to a spatially competent person...a very HOT spatially competent person.

The Plastic Bins that Need to be PERTY

this following paragraph does not negate the fact that my husband is brilliant (nor hot..that is a fact and therefore indisputable) but the plastic bins he bought me to house my ever-growing collection of STUFF is not the prettiest...which is where you come in, dear reader...i desperately need to PERTY-fy them...i need your help!!! do i cover them, or replace them? if i cover them - how? if i replace them...with what? i like that they are see-through...that helps a lot with inspiration and also knowing your supply of whatever...but i hate plastic bins...so temporary feeling and cheap...HELP!!!

A Place to Hang Finished pieces

I Figured It Out!!

okay...after thinking about it for approximately 10 minutes total today...i have started our family blog - The Barnes Yard...get it...like a barnyard...ha...get it? no? that's okay...you can follow it here:

http://barneshousehold.blogspot.com/

and this space will continue to show all things home-made - cooking, sewing, knitting (if i ever get around to knitting again) and some things kids...product reviews...stuff like that...and of course a space to share zoodie updates...i am excited that my blogging is getting organized!

why i've been silent...

you probably didnt notice...maybe you did...i never do when other bloggers apologize for being gone...but the truth is that i love writing - i love journaling - i love the community of *most* creative blogging women. it gives people a chance to be their own columnist...and that is very satisfying to me....so the fact that i havent felt any desire to do so for a week or so is very unlike me. i have been re-thinking this here blog - what it is - what it should not be...

you see...this last week the unthinkable horror happened to a fellow friend...a fellow mama...in our MOPs group - her 3 week old baby passed away unexpectedly and it feels like the whole world stopped rotating for a day or so. our babies were only a week apart. my heart has been breaking for her and her family and i never thought in my life that i would have to attend a memorial service for a baby. i can not imagine the grief she is experiencing right now - the emotional...and very physical grief...but, what has been amazing to watch is the community of women rising up and surrounding her family with support and love. i have never been prouder to be a part of something in my life, than i have with my church and this community. We had Sue Beeney (an amazing person and she happens to attend our church as well) facilitate our last MOPs meeting and she spoke on grief and how we can allow the family to grieve naturally and beneficially. it was intense and powerful and healing and i am so glad that the mama and her family were there to receive that communal grieving.

so it seems silly to me right now to post pictures of my kids or things i make...i think this baby...this precious soul...has had such a strong impact on a lot of people and re-arranging values and priorities, etc. - in a good way...in a necessary way...in a shake-able way. a layer of vulnerability has been exposed on just about every person i have spoken with.

with my friend devon passing...writing about it has been so so helpful in processing it...and i think just speaking about things like this helps not only the person writing, but perhaps others who can't find words and need to. it also helps speak unspeakable things....it brings community...i have been throwing that word around like its nothing, but it means everything to me right now...it is a heart word...for sure.

as far as this here space...i do love this process - this journaling about life using pictures and links. it is somewhat silly, but i think it has had a very positive impact in my little life. i love the sharing of ideas...the motivation to create and the space to show-and-tell. i love meeting new people and being inspired and of course, recognition is always nice to any mom who *rarely* receives it from well-meaning little ones.

so, perhaps a new space is needed. a way to separate "Sweet B" from my kids and our crazy life...i think this space is good to keep track of the process of a home-made life. i was inspired by a grandma who told me to take pictures of the things i make before i give them away because everything you make "is a little piece of you".

but perhaps some people don't care to see my kids and their grubby faces...which i get...i do...i dont like other blogs about people's kids i dont know....and i think my kids are cute, but that is because i produced them...so of course i do...but they are super cute...i'm not making that up...

once i get it all figured out - i'll of course let you know. until then...

Custom Zoodie - The White Tiger

i have gotten probably 6 different requests for tigers, but American Apparel doesn't make orange sweatshirts so i haven't been very proactive about making one...but recently a mama emailed to ask if i would make a white tiger...and well, yes, of course!





a lot of my zoodies have come about because of other people's ideas, which is one thing i love about it. i would have never done a koala...but, because one daddy called his little girl their koala bear, now there is one...same with the butterfly and the mouse and the shark (ala bryson)







currently, though...i have to say...this one is my favorite! i had a lot of fun sewing it and bryan helped design it, which is always fun...to work with bryan on a creative project...because our processes are SO different.

so - here you go - the white tiger - it is undecided whether or not this will be up in the shop...it took me quite a while and i can't see myself sewing 60 of these like the dino...i can't believe i have made that many dinos...but i do believe bobby will need one of these in a bit (no way would i put the bigger booger boys in these...they would get DEstroyed in seconds!)


 i am thinking of zebra next...wouldn't that be fun?

Bobby at 1 Month

bryan and i left the bigger boys with my brother and sister-in-law this weekend and headed to ojai for a wedding of a college friend. we took bobby with us and it was so much fun to have bobby alone for a little bit. he smiled at me for the first time friday and he seems to be starting to grow into a little human.

we weighed him today and he is 7lbs 9oz...almost 2 pounds heavier than when he was born! he doesn't fit the premie clothes and is almost too big for newborn...and newborn diapers...he is also crying a lot less, which i hope to mean that all his indigestion issues are getting better too.

but poor baby is all kinds of jacked up right now...he's got acne on his face, cradle cap on his head, thrush in his mouth, he is getting over a little cold (had his first fever already...thank you Bodie Booger Man!) so he sounds like a little piggie...just before he got sick i was thinking we were turning a corner as far as the no-sleep thing was going, but that is back on...baby is awake! a lot!

i can not believe it has only been a month. it feels like forever ago that he was born. we are so thankful for our baby bobby...for all of our boys...we are looking forward to seeing what kind of personality this little guy is going to bring to the *already crazy* mix. my only concern is that i am so sleep-deprived-zombie-mom right now that i will not remember any of this...