big bubble maker at a children's museum

playhouse progress

We're baa-aack.

Actually, when I said the blog posts were going to be boring, I didn't mean they would be nonexistent.  While recovering from my two hysterectomies this summer (how's that for a good party question!), I was sort of knocked out from doing anything.  Everyone said that that would be the case, and it makes me mad that they were right.  Gah!  Anyway, while lollygagging on the couch and not feeling really tired one day in July, I discovered we couldn't get back into our account.  And it made me too tired to try and figure out why.  Karl eventually cracked the code, and today I followed the links that let us back in.  Woohoo!  So to celebrate our return, I give you the pictures of tonight's escapade--an evening with the Mallards:

Blog posts are going to be pretty boring for awhile.  I had a bit of planned surgery on Wednesday.  I came home last night, but I have ups and downs of energy levels, and a number of restrictions for several weeks.  I cleaned my room before I went in to the hospital, so I can't even post pictures of all the dust bunnies under the bed, or something.  (I'm not supposed to do stairs for awhile, so my bedroom is now my main area of residence.)  I've got knitting, books, and movies, but have to be careful.  I started reading With Malice Toward Some by Margaret Halsey, but it makes me laugh too much and then my stitches start to hurt.  It probably wasn't a good idea to watch The Daily Show and the Colbert Report the day of my surgery, but I just couldn't help myself--I never get to see them live...

But we are all doing well, and everyone is taking care of me and keeping me fed.  And it's finally nice out--the kids can go out and be one with nature.  But they'd better hurry before the mosquitoes catch up with the weather.

My dining room has been full of pink lately.  Elise's ballet studio needed some dresses altered for the upcoming Spring Showcase, but my beloved seamstress mentor and I agreed that the dresses were too small and could not withstand so much change.  So I designed and sewed these instead.  Two are completely done, and four more will soon follow.  Pink foufiness everywhere!  I'll try to take a picture of the whole bundle before I deliver them on Monday...

The Dress



Here is Emily's black silk Victorian ballgown that I've been obsessing about since February.  I made so many mistakes and learned so much with this project--all under the fabulous tutelage of Carola.  She is an amazing seamstress!  This dress would not exist without her, and her vast knowledge of fitting techniques.  So, now my part is done.  Emily is making beautiful flowers out of more black silk to decorate the bodice, and there might even be beading.  I can't wait to see her embellishments...

But on to the next sewing projects.  I have a muslin ready for fitting of one dress, and plans to make Karl a good shirt, and Elise a 50s dress.  Yesterday, those plans got waylaid when I happened to find
an original Diane Von Furstenberg wrap dress pattern in a thrift store--in my size!  And I had just been to the local designer consignment shop and tried one of those dresses on, the first I had ever seen, though I've heard about them for years.  What an amazing bit of luck!  So now I need to figure out how to make some pattern changes to my copy, and maybe I'll have something fashionable in my wardrobe this summer.

The easter bunny hid some treats on the game board--of course we had to play checkers with them!

dyeing eggs

dinner!

One of our friends is an artist with a screen printer--this is one of Karl's birthday gifts, with an extra for Albin.

Birthday!

Yesterday was Karl's birthday : ).  Elise picked flowers and was in charge of the triple layer mocha cake with whipped cream frosting.   (Note the large amount of chocolate espresso beans on top.)  Albin set up the candles in binary, and helped with sauces for the spring rolls.  I could never have fried all those spring rolls myself; Elise quickly taught herself a good method for rolling them up, and together we whipped up a good batch.  It was a lovely day for an early spring birthday--we wish you many more, my Dear!