widgets and grandparents

We've had a busy few weeks. I keep thinking I can't possibly come up with new jewelry designs and then as I am trying to fall asleep at night I start thinking about spirals and swirls and designs we already have and new versions start forming in my sleepy mind. This is a take on our celtic spirals and swirls with some iolite dangling. It kind of looks like an angel if you are in the mood.

We call these Aluminum Widget Earrings. I was climbing through our carport full of Nick's crap- I mean really important things he's found and bought throughout the years that we are storing until they find their proper home - and I noticed a bin of aluminum scrap that yelled to me- Hey idiot, look here! Earring parts!

So I dug through and cleaned them up ,stuck an earwire on them and wa la.

The dreary overcast weather was perfect for photographing jewelry and I got this ideal shot. I listed the earrings and they sold in a few hours on Etsy. But don't worry. We have lots more.

Here is Henry our almost 5 year old drilling the lego pieces with Nick. Hey pay attention to the drill!

Now he's focusing on the handle that he pulls down to drill the holes. Those earrings have been astoundingly successful at the Saturday Market.

My parents came to visit this week from Albuquerque. It was a relaxing visit filled with lots of reading and sitting and mayhem.

Max and Grandpa Joe in a quiet moment.

Grandma Fran in a not so peaceful moment

Henry goofing around with Grandpa.

More reading. Notice Grandma Fran's Lego earrings and the book is Lego book too. Such synchronicity!

Brothers

Attempting to get a good group picture. This was the best one out of about 20. (And frankly, not so flattering. )

Tomorrow I go to the Saturday Market. Hopefully I shall return home with a pile of money and interesting stories to share with the boys.

Designer,inventor,human mop and more

We have been having a full yet simple summer. Lot's of playdates, a birthday party, the annual adoptive families picnic held by the nicest people, the annual Brooks Steam Up that Nick blogged about and more swimming classes involving me getting both kids and myself dressed ,then undressed ,then dressed with swimdiaper, then briefly showered ,then swim for half hour, then showered ,then undressed,then dressed then repeat the next day for two week intervals.
Henry has been very busy creating and showing off his designing skills in all areas. His Lego earrings sold last saturday at the market and one of the pendants I made based on his design sold as well. I made about 4 pendants that I hung on our pendant display next to each other. Throughout the day I would have to detach them from each other. I guess it is just irresistable for random customers to not stick lego's together.
A couple of nights ago when I was really hoping we would be getting ready for bed he insisted that he wanted me to help him make a "sweet little jacket". Not being one to stifle my son's creativity and because I am the most lenient and lame parent when it comes to enforcing bed time I became his "factory" worker (his words, not mine). He told me to cut off the cuffs and neckline of his camoflage longsleeve T-shirt. He then instructed me to cut down the front of it to make a jacket. Then he picked out specific buttons and placed them where I was to sew them on. I did a quick simple job of it and then cut little button holes on the other side to match up.

Here is the serious model and designer:

A jubilant designer in his sweet little jacket.


And this is the tag that he insisted that I cut off the collar and sew a button to and then sew to the back bottom of the jacket. He has always been fascinated by the spare button that often comes with new sweaters , coats and shirts that is sewed on the inside and out of view. This is his hommage to the spare button.

Here he is unbuttoning his coat. I think the moose T shirt underneath works really pulls the whole outfit together with the camo jacket.

As long as I'm going on about the creative impulses of my child ...

He insisted that I tie sponges to his feet to make sponge shoes so that he could clean the floor for me.

And these are the towel shoes I came up with so that he could dry the floor. Frankly, that was the cleanest my kitchen floor has been in years.

And so this isn't just one of those annoying "Look How Smart and Cute My Kid Is " blogs-

Here is one of my latest listings on Etsy. It is the Light Weight Big Aluminum Celtic Budding Spiral Pendant . It is a simple easy inexpensive item that has been selling really well at the market and I sold two of this week.

We discovered an amusing Cheeto this week. We think it looks like Squidward from Spongebob. Right after I took the picture Henry devoured it.