breaking news

apparently it only works when his pants are off. but as uncle jj says, pants are overrated anyway.

last week i was really hungry for pioneer bread. saturday we actually bought eggs (oringinally mike had intended to make sam eggs for breakfast, but that never happened), so i decided i would finally try this recipe (which, unless you couldn't guess, calls for an egg). the first time, the bread didn't rise up and fill the whole pan, which was weird, but it tasted alright. mom sent me the recipe again yesterday, and i was WAY off in what i copied down. so off, in fact, that i'm wondering what i was reading, because it clearly was NOT the right recipe. anywho, this was my second attempt today. it still didn't turn out quite right (i left it to rise both times, and it still didn't fill the pan--maybe i need to add more yeast?) but it sure tasted good. maybe i'll give it another go next week.

the stats @ 1 year

weight @ 1 year: 20lbs, 9oz -- 16th percentile

height @ 1 year: 30.25 inches -- 63rd percentile

the nurse said he was a great first patient of the day.

i think he's great every part of every day.

i'm a world traveller. well, sort of.

i found out that the british publisher that's reprinting deep stuff is designing their own interior, but they wanted to use my cover and cover illustration. neat, huh? (toot toot)

the laugh that could charm the scales off a dragon

missed it

somehow there was a mix-up with the timing of sam's 1 year check-up and we missed the appointment. we were rescheduled for next thursday, so now we have to wait another week to find out the stats for the peanut. it will be interesting to find out just how big he's gotten (sometimes my arms could swear that he weighs about 300 lbs).

sam's party

i think sam's party went pretty well. i probably should've planned more food and less cake (considering we still have a big hunk on the kitchen table), but live and learn. at least sammy had a good time. i know he loves being around all those people, especially when he gets to be the center of attention. it was great to see all the family. i hope we can have everyone over again soon.

after we finished up, and the boy had a nap, we went over to doug and karen's house to celebrate allison's birthday that evening. needless to say, sammy was pooped and partied out.

12

there just aren't words to tell you how fabulous this boy is or how much i love him, but if i was pressed, i'd say "really" and "lots."

jumping ahead

i'm hoping to post about sam's party soon, but have been busy working on a few other things.

this postcard design is for the pestival event to benefit the nature center at shaker lakes. they asked me to design their invitations this year (which will be received by more than 3500 households--not bad for a non-paying gig). i've got the draft in for review and am waiting to hear back on a couple things. *fingers crossed that they like what i've come up with*

party planning and a peanut

there's a little peanut here that will be turning 1 in less than a week. because we love this little peanut, we've decided to host a party in his honor. however, because i'm not my sister (as in, not a super-duper-party-planning-goddess and someone who enjoys getting some sleep), we're keeping everything super simple. i'm doing a little decorating, but not going nuts. the food will be easy-peasy so that we'll all have a chance to visit with the family (rather than bustling around the kitchen and making myself crazy(er)).

the thing i'm spending the most time on is the cake. well, not the cake as such. i decided to do an angelfood cake and make some yummy fruit toppings (for my fruit-lovin' boy). so i'm making some strawberry-rhubarb sauce, some raspberry sauce, and some yummy cooked peaches. i know this means no icing-covered-baby photos, but i'm willing to forgo those for something i hope will be much tastier. i hope it turns out alright.

stay tuned to find out how it goes (unless you're attending, in which case, we'll see you tomorrow!)

bedrooms

i recently happened on this post, which reminded me of the above image. i just adore this room and would love to re-create something like this if i happened to have two boys (not that we're working on a #2 - so don't start getting ideas).
and if you're like me, and in the mood to drool over other people's fabulous houses, check out this kitchen. to. die. for. (found via here.)

think spring

i'm loving these tops from anthropologie. they make me think of spring and short sleeves. as much as i luuuurve my warm, cozy sweaters, i'm looking forward to feeling warm sun and yummy breezes (not arctic blasts) on my arms again.