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Threadless is having a $10 sale ($20 for American Apparel shirts). So I took some time from my own silk screening for Art Star to buy the family some shirts. Here is what I got. The first two for me, next one is Anya's and then Rachi's. The last one is the shirt that Jeff wanted, but is sold out. Remember if you are going to buy, use my link so that I get street team points! Everyone loves $10 tees and street team points! Don't spend all your cash, though, cause I have literally made over 100 shirts, skirts, underwear, etc. for Art Star!
Today, just now, my first post as a guest blogger for the Crafty Bastards blog at the Washington CityPaper site has been posted. I am super excited to have this opportunity! This reminds me, the Crafty Bastards application is now up and ready for you to apply. Good luck!
Check out my first blog post here.
And the nice intro here!
Do comment on the post if you dig it!
The best thing about Anya right now is that she is always asking, "What is this?" with the tiniest lisp at the end of 'this'. Opening the refrigerator is always fun because she asks it of everything. Last night while trying to go to sleep, she heard the dishwasher and said, "What is this sound?" I love sentences.
This morning, Rachi took off her clothes and diaper and sat on the potty and peed. All on her own. Amazing.
I am glad I didn't offend too many with my complaints about the playground yesterday. I try my best to always be as honest as possible in life and the dread of the daycare groups at the playground is part of my everyday. That said, the girls went to the daycare for the first 10 months of their life. This was invaluable. I had no idea how to take care of a baby, much less two. And the advice and strength that I got from their main teacher, Geneva was so wonderful. She was a mother to me when I needed one, everyday for that time. I believe that when we become new moms, we, as mothers, need a mother in our lives everyday. Someone to tell us how to deal with this amazing new responsibility. I find that often our own mothers are so far away from mothering babies that they aren't equipped to help us. They also have their own lives and jobs. But, Geneva's job wasn't just to keep my babies safe and happy all day while I wasted my time at work, her other job was to mother me when I came to pick them up, to call me when they were sick, to sit with me next to Anya's hospital bed on a cold Friday night in December. I respect and love her for this and our time at daycare was very valuable because I was not at all ready to be completely in charge of my children.
That said, the toddler age, I believe is an amazing time of learning and growing that really needs more nurturing than what I am seeing from the packs of wild children at the playground.
We all get to decide what kind of mother we will be. This is what is truly wonderful about being a woman in the modern world.
Here is a secret:
I dread the park because I don't like the girls to hang out with kids who go to daycare.
I hate to admit it because I have lots of friends who send their kids to daycare and totally don't mind hanging out with them when their kids are not part of a pack of other kids. But I feel this way and can't seem to get over it.
And by 11 am, the playgrounds are full of them. Toy stealing, no one to wipe their noses, swing hogs. Their teachers huddle together in chatty groups, looking like a group of university students discussing an exam. They are cold and barky and are happy to not be in charge for a bit. It is a free for all and I get stuck in the middle, managing their charges and trying to keep them from ruining our fun.
I hate it. What's more, so do the girls. "Go away, messy babies," says Rachel. Anya cries because she can't get on the slide. And I have to tell the sandbox weasels to not take my toys. "But I don't have any toys," whines one little boy. And this breaks my heart and I have to hang out with this kid, all the while I am thinking, I have enough kids.
I wonder if this doesn't bode well for our future with other children. But then I realize that I am totally fine with moms and their kids, it is just this aloof nanny, daycare class culture that I don't want to be around. I know that some people have to send their kids to daycare, but I would just like to enjoy being outside at the park with my girls without having to deal with these kids.
I hate that this is a conservative view. I consider myself a liberal on every topic, except this one. I hate that I am aligned with certain people on this topic. I look at the poor kid with no toys and think, "where is your mother? Does she know how sad you are right now? And why do I have to worry about it?"
And I feel the guilt of a liberated women who has decided to raise her own children.
At night when I work, I like to wear Jeff's socks. They are too big for my feet and this makes me feel very young and not too tired at all.
My May and June are fast fast with too much to do. Lots of web work and a pile of over 100 t-shirts to silk screen. My sad old Print Gocco machine is starting to worry me and I am thinking of replacing her. I have been doing battle with silk screen inks, and they are winning mostly. I have too many special orders, but I know they make people happy, so I plug along.
I am getting ready for Art Star Philly which is June 2 and 3. More details later, but I would love it if you read the blog and live in or near Philly would come and see me and say hi. I would dig this. That sentence was strange, but I am not sure how to fix it. I will also be at the Ballston Market in Virginia the next weekend (June 9?) along with the Craft Mutiny.
I have a new design. She is very pretty. Scottmotorbike is working on her now. She is very sleepy. She won't sell like the zombies do because she is more personal to me and thus slightly strange. You can see her at Art Star Philly for the first time.
I need to rest, but I don't see any in sight. I should not complain because it would be poopy if my life weren't this exciting and productive. I remember a me who never got anything done. She was lame, albeit well rested.
Today, I hit 400 sales on Etsy! I wanted to make 400 sales by the end of May, so the goal was met a little early. And the best thing, sale number 400 was for a pair of "Sometimes I Worry about Zombies" underwear!
This makes me the etsy featured seller for today!
The post office clerk said to me yesterday, "You are doing well," as I put 8 packages up on the counter. I try to avoid this conversation by helping Ani put her sun hat back on.
"8 packages today and 10 a few days ago," she says.
I know that she is going to want to know what is in them. And I dread this.
"I am doing ok," I say.
"Very good, I think," she says.
She really wants to know what is in the packages. "You are in here twice a week with this many packages," she says.
"Putting alot out into the world," she says.
"I silk screen t-shirts," I say. She is surprised by this.
"Mostly about, um... ghosts and zombies," I say.
"Mostly about ghosts and zombies?" she repeats with a question.
Yep.
***
Our seasonal allergies have turned into bad asthma attacks. I never even thought about this, but here we are. So now, asthma meds have been added to our day, which makes certain little girls a little more wild than usual. Ani hasn't felt well, so hasn't been eating much. A weigh in at the doctor this week shows that Ani is 24 pounds and 2 ounces while Rachi is 24 pounds even. The near same weight is making Ani look a lot like Rachi.
Here are the girls in the garden, pretending to be in a boat:
I love the dress with pants look. Tie dye dress was a gift from blog reader, Pagan Moon. She sent this a long time ago and it finally fits!
i want the weeble wooble ghost from the weeble wobble haunted house i had as a kid. this is my greatest dream. i will carry him in my pocket and marvel at how smooth he is. the cuteness of ghosts is often overlooked.
She always wants me to draw a snake. Then two snakes. Then rain. Always rain and snakes. This is strange to me. I never ever think of snakes or rain. I like the smell of rain, but am not sure what snakes smell like or if they have a smell at all. She loves to call me Tina, but only when she really means it. Only when she wants my attention for real. I love this. It seems more intimate than mamma or mommy. She and I are special because she knows my name and how to use it.
The other she wants to see sheep. And a mamma sheep and a baby sheep. And two sheep. Everything in twos in my house. One. Two.
Two snakes and two sheep. And baaa, sheep. And rain. "Tina. snakes. rain. Mamma Tina."
I want to know how they think and what makes them remember and why why why. All of it. I want to know their internal lives.
Today's Etsy featured seller is catiepillars.
I just could not resist these tree girls. I had to get them for my girls. I was going to save them for their birthday in July, but couldn't wait. They got here on Friday and I brought them in at nearly midnight when Jeff and I got home from seeing The Arcade Fire. They were still up and running loops around their Nana. They were so excited to open them. Now Anya runs around the house yelling,"tree baby, where are you?"
and
From catiepillars
Here are the girls with their tree babies:
We are all suffering from seasonal allergies right now. So we hug our tree babies and try to stay away from real trees. The weather is just too nice to stay in, though. So we go to the post office and the side garden anyway.
"Anya," I say, "What do you want for breakfast?"
"Meat," says Anya from her little perch at our kitchen table.
"No meat for breakfast, sorry. What would you like for breakfast?" I say again.
"Ribbies," says Anya. "Bar b Q ribbies."
To this I laugh and laugh.
"How about peaches?" I say.
"Blueberries?" Rachi asks.
"Yes, blueberries." I answer.
"I love blueberries," Anya chimes in.
"Me too," says Rachi.
And so we have breakfast.
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