Beattie Chicks!

Dreaming of my chicks while having coffee with my husband in Camden. So glad to have settled on sharing the name Beattie Chicks with my sister-in-law for my crafts. It just fits for me. I can sell and be an individual - Hannah C. Beattie or I can make it fun and use Beattie Chicks on labels, tags, and signs. To me having four daughters is a special thing and I will think of them as I use this label and tag. To Leslie she has her little chicks to think of. And to everyone else...who doesn't love a little chick? Now - to get the tax id number.

11 years!

Grammie Sue kept the girls on Saturday and Sunday so that Bart and I could finally get to celebrate our anniversary. It is amazing how much you can appreciate twenty-fours of couple time. We haven't been alone for that long in such a long time. The good news....I am still the luckiest woman around. I so love my husband and our relationship. I can only imagine how I would feel if we actually had more time together. That will come later. It is nice to think that we still have so much to learn about each other and so much to explore in life. Having Emelia, before we were married, in some ways was hard, but in others it is a blessing. We haven't had that time alone as a married couple before children. We will have that luxury later. For now a night here and there is treasured. And our lives as a family of six is what we are - and a great one we are.

Sideways Pig

She is just as cute on her side as she is standing up. She has found a new home, but still makes me smile. She is made out of cashmere and just so happy. Not often do you here the words cashmere and pig in the same sentence, but boy do they work together. In fact, I think tomorrow I need to make more pigs.

Sometimes life is hard

Trying to think of a quote that matches this pic. My title just does not cut it. My friend Joan took this pic this summer when she was using my camera. I of course was pleased that she enjoyed taking pics and playing with my camera, but it truly worked to my benefit when the memory card came home with me. I will not be sharing the pics she took of me in my bathing suit. She must have missed that rule - in the rule book.

Pretty in Pink

If I were a perfectionist....this is one of those moments that I would spend lots of time figuring out how to turn this picture upright. Much to my families dismay...I can't attend to such detail. I will wish it upright, but move on.

I have been sewing in bed lately. I will sew their main bodies during the day and bring them to bed with me to embroider. People say you shouldn't watch tv in bed. Do you think they would say the same thing about sewing? I guess it could be kind of painful. I have always been a bed person. That sounds funny. What I was trying to say, is that I would do homework in bed, hang out in my room on my bed, read in bed - I think I never outgrew that. Now that my bedroom is on the first floor, I tend to go to bed after the kids are in bed and sew. To think I have that great studio and I could finally be alone in it, but I just seek the comfort of my bed. Hmmm. My bedroom is even a mess, and I still gravitate to it. Don't get me wrong. I am spending good quality time with my husband. Well - as much as parents of four children do.

I have actually been doing a lot of thinking and talking about marriage lately. Some dear friends of mine are getting divorced and it has upset me so much. They are just a couple that I never would have thought would not make it. There is so much sadness and confusion for them. It has helped me to step back and to look at myself and my relationship. I am sooo thankful for my husband and the love that we have. In no way is it perfect, but I truly love him and feel loved by him. However, I never want to take it for granted. Sometimes I can see myself forgetting to give to him and forgetting to put him at the top of the list. We can get so wrapped up in raising our girls that we forget about each other. Not something I want to do. No way am I going to forget to love him....let's here it for loving our partners.

vision

Been feeling a lot like my little friend above. Things haven't been clear - and may need to borrow her glasses. Actually my mom offered me a new mantra --- Divine Guidance moves me to new heights of wisdom and success. Trying to repeat it over and over as we make decisions about what action to take against those that have caused us great stress involving our failed septic. It is so hard to know what to do when others don't take responsibility for their errors. Excited to put it all away tomorrow and enjoy my Frayed Edges friends.

Time for lobstah

Is that lobstah or lobster. I think the first is the Mainers version of lobster. I painted this fun lobster for one of my earlier fairs this summer and he was happy to go join a family that was Red Sox fans. I have been pr acting making lobsters. I have a fabric version on my design wall that I hope to turn into a pillow soon. I sure do feel more confident working with fabric.

It was a skirt, but now a bag!

Please notice my lovely friend and her new bag. Having company from away is so much fun, but even better when they like going to my favorite place.....Salvation Army. I know - sounds odd, but I love it. I think it is the same part of me that loves yard sales and sea glass hunting. It's the hunt, the surprise, and for sure the treasures. This lovely bag was once a mini skirt and the strap was once a belt. We had fun finding the skirt and even more fun turning it into a bag.

Loving my oldest daughter a lot tonight. She has been working on her first writing assignment at school - a letter to introduce herself to her teacher. It brought tears to my eyes to read how Emelia views herself, her family and to learn what she values. She is really funny and so lovely. She brought it to me with such pride in her work and you could see her pleasure in herself for having done such good work. This is the stuff that I love to see - my daughter feeling good about herself. Go 7 th grade!

Love Bug!

Bart and the girls had a wonderful weekend while I was at my craft fair and fun trip to Ikea. I also had a wonderful time, but boy did I miss my family. Of course, upon my return everyone needed to let me know that they missed me and would prefer I not leave. Today has been a bit harder, but still a great day. Napped with Nina, nachos for dinner, reading time and a clean garage.

Back to crafting and playing with Nina tomorrow. I sat and did some paperwork tonight. Trying to get my fall fair schedule firmed up. Money in, money out....