J o e y & A l e e t h e a - super cool handmade monster clothing and more! :D

it's just a squall...

"It takes a real storm in the average person's life to make him realize how much worrying he has done over the squalls."

-author unknown

Etsy Day 2009

Have you heard?? Today is being declared Etsy Day!!

Read the Storque article here.
And then go tell someone about Etsy!

go shorty

ok so maybe these days you won't find me in da club, bottle full of bub...it's definitely not 2000 anymore. haha.

But bigger and so much better than all of that...look at who I'm spending the entire day with:

Last year on my birthday, Lily hadn't yet been born, and I was 8 mos pregnant. But now, I have this most incredible little pair of siblings. I find that so amazing.

The beautiful cards which say "Dear Mama" on them, were the best gifts ever.

And here's a little hint of cheer for me, from Etsy, in the below screen shot.
Can you see it just below this word?

 

I've already received some uber sweet birthday wishes from my wonderful bloggy and Facebook friends, thanks guys!! And my eMail cards were hilarious!!!!!!

And to Michelle, thank you for this thoughtful birthday poem! What a beautiful surprise!

************************************************

A birthday is a special day
that comes but once each year.
I'm sure you can’t believe it
but that day’s already here!
I hope your day is awesome
and your projects all are fine;
your gifts just what you wanted
and you’re taken out to dine.
But most of all, I wish for you
a day that’s fully blessed
With family, friends and memories
that truly are the best!

************************************************

And thanks also to a sweet blogger named Melody who pointed me to Isaiah 40:31:

       but those who hope in the LORD
       will renew their strength.
       They will soar on wings like eagles;
       they will run and not grow weary,
       they will walk and not be faint.

************************************************

Thanks Ma for this gorgeous bouquet of flowers that I received a couple of days ago. They started to bloom this morning!:

Thank you Nana and Tio Edwin and Lita (my Grandmother) for the thoughtful card! And to all of you who wished me a happy birthday already!!

And...a little birdie told me I'll be getting this little bit of awesomeness too:

Gosh I feel so completely extra super duper special here today in North Cackalacky. :)

All of that...and it's not even noon yet!! :D

Earth Day events...and crazy duck!

I had to explain to Lily that just because today is Earth Day it does not mean we actually need to eat the earth. She's only 10 months old, so not sure she really understood. But after munching on a few twigs and leaves at the playground today, she was done snacking on the earth anyway.

Joey and Lily both had sooooo much fun playing in the sand today! Thanks to Paxton and his smart Mama for bringing their sand toys to the playground:

Joey wore his very comfy new "Those 70's Pants Ankle Biters" outfit I designed and made for him. Gosh I love that outfit!! Joey's super cool little wide leg lounge pants and tee were a big hit today too, everywhere we went. How fun!!

As always, it is truly flattering when other Mamas like my boutique handmade designs - especially when I put my heart into the outfits, and they each become my favorites and the Hubbs Joe's favorites too...because then I know for sure that they will be another Mom's and Dad's favorites too!!

After all, I can't let my kids go outside looking like this everyday...even if this self-dressed outfit is completely adorable:

 

Some mornings there's nothing like furry monster slippers, dark sunglasses, and a retro red hat to add some extra fabness to a sunny 65 degree day...especially coupled with this amazing little face:

Back at the playground today...sweet little sister Lily made a cutie pirate-friend named Paxton. They sat down and ate snacks together on our favorite vintage Sesame Street sheet. It was really really cute!!

Here's Lily making the funniest little face, with her little dress tying with Japanese fabric featuring kawaii elephants, to match Joey's outfit:

And I was so proud of Joey - he even shared his banana-flavored Cheerios with Paxton! That was really big of him, since sharing is really not Joey's forte lately. But he's getting better everyday! Way to go kiddo. :)

This little bee was also enjoying the playground:

A very cool Ethan's Mama Lauren and her native New Yorker (yaay!) friend Heather gave us the scoop on HomeGoods - which I'd never heard of and must remember to check out!

Our new friends also mentioned a 2-mile walk around that park's lake, which is so very awesome. I absolutley must get my walk on! After having two babies in two years (Joey in 2006, and Lily in 2008)...I could definitely use some 2-mile walks, if you know what I mean. Especially since I've been nursing my little monsters for the past 3 years almost non-stop...with the exception being only 1 month of non-breastfeeding...that was the month before Lily was born, when Joey self-weaned.

According to the fab local Mamas, there are also come ducks at that park to feed, which Joey would love! Here is he near a duck in our old neighborhood in Orlando:

I actually took this picture on moving day, the day we moved out of Florida. We had wanted to feed the ducks before we moved...as if we wanted to fill their little bellies as much as we could, not knowing when they'd eat again. Aww. But man, that duck was really bold!

Before we fed it, it actually started to charge Joey! I had to pick Joey up and stomp my feet - in order to make the crazy duck walk away! I had forgotten all about that little incident until I found this picture moments ago. Yep, I'm a duck stomper! Here's how it all went down...

There we were, Joey giggling because I swooped him up and said "Hey crazy duck!" and then I stomped my feet twice, and the duck was in no way afraid! It barely backed down...it just looked at my feet and turned and walked away. And it walked away with an attitude, too! As fierce as that duck was acting, I didn't think it was some sort of crazy rabid-duck, I figured it was probably angry because it was hungry....and there it was training us to feed it! So what did we do? Yep, we went back in the house and got some bread and got a few (dozen) feet away from the duck and this time just threw the bread and ran away, instead of just standing there like "oh what a cute little (CRAZY) duck".

So that was our last day in Orlando, and that was our experience with feeding ducks.

And if you remember what I said in the beginning of this blog post...I mentioned we were planning on feeding ducks here in our new neighborhood in Durham, sometime soon. Yes, I am willing to give a new duck another chance. So...the day we go and feed the ducks, I shall take some photos...and I intend on thoroughly documenting my NC duck findings here. I know, you're on the edge of your seat. How could you not be?

BUT...if you do not hear from me again...call the authorities. You'll know what happened.

Anyways...so that's our duck chronicles, and that was our lovely Earth Day. 

Speaking of the lovely earth...please be sure to take a look at these lists for 10 things you can do to help save the earth and also 101 ways to heal the earth.

So how was your day? Hope it was as fun as ours!!

the handmade market in Raleigh, NC!

We are so caught up in getting settled into our new home...that we almost forgot about this fantastic event which I'm about to tell you about! So first let me say a very special thank you to an uber-cute pirate named Paxton's Mama, and also to Eloisa, for reminding me about The Handmade Market!

If you are in the Raleigh/Durham/RTP area on Sunday May 3rd, here's a super fun filled way to spend your Sunday and also do some local handmade shopping:

 

Even if you're not in the Raleigh/Durham/RTP area...this is definitely worth a Sunday drive!

Here's what you'll find there:

"Shop Raleigh NC’s The Handmade Market for fine art, apparel, jewelry, accessories, housewares, paper goods, and more from a selection of the best and brightest independent designers, artists, and crafters from NC and beyond. Whether you’re shopping for a friend or family member or looking to treat yourself to something special, you’re sure to find what you’re looking for (and more!) at The Handmade Market."

Doesn't that sound fun??!! Just in time for some Mother's Day shopping ...and Father's Day shopping too! Even if you don't plan on doing any shopping, come out for the day...you know you need to get out of the house more often! hehe. It cannot only be me! :)

You can visit the handmade market website at http://thehandmademarket.com where there tagline says it all: "Because MALL is a four-letter word."

Where is all this awesomeness located, you ask?
The Handmade Market is located at Marbles Museum (one of our favorites!) at 201 E. Hargett St. in downtown Raleigh, NC. That's at the corner of S. Blount and E. Hargett St.

Oh, and if you're putting the address in your GPS, be sure to enter "Hargett Street" and NOT "East Hargett Street" because...well...I did that, and it doesn't work. Just a little ol tip from me to you. Because we're cool like that. You know how I do. haha.

So go mark your calendars for Saturday, May 3, 2009 for The Handmade Market in Raleigh!

Oh! And just so you know, Joey & Aleethea is not affiliated with The Handmade Market, but we totally support it!! There's nothing better than supporting handmade...especially when the products are made by local artists and crafters!!

And maybe you'll see us there. So if you plan on going, let us know. We'll meet up!! :)

Kaloh Pasxa! Ankle Biters and Greek Easter!

The countdown to tomorrow's Greek dinner begins! Don't the kiddos look super excited? 

This is Lily's first Greek Easter. And she really likes making that face...it's like a smile and a teeth grind, all at the same time. Here it is up close, complete with bunny ears:

(For my siblings: Georgie and Melissa if you're reading this...this is Lily's "eeeh! sticky!" face. hehe.)

So up until midnight tonight, if you know any Greek people, tell them "Kaloh Pasxa!", which pretty much means Happy Easter in Greek. If you see them after midnight, you could say "Xristos Anesti" - and the response would be "Alithos o Kirios!". Or...you could just point them to my blog, and I'll say it. :)

For Greek Easter I decided to give Joey a haircut. I was originally going to take him to Snip-its in Raleigh, because after seeing the website Joey was all hyped about going. But then the day I wanted to go, Joey wasn't with it. So that was that. You know how it is...sometimes ya just gotta let them be the boss. But I do want to take him there someday - maybe when he turns 3 next month.

So here's the haircut I gave Joey:

 

You can see the before and after by looking at the first photo I posted above, where Joey is sitting next to Lily - his hair was just a few inches longer in that photo, taken yesterday.

How do you get an almost-3-year-old to sit still for a haircut? You don't. It's impossible. But, you can do a few things to make it difficult for them to go very far. Or for them to move much at all.

Other than strapping your child to the chair - which probably wouldn't go over very well because once you untie your husband and let him out of the closet, he is sure to ask about the kid.

Anyways, so here's what I did. Sit your kiddo up on the bathroom counter, in the corner if possible, and without clothing for an easy cleanup later. Oh but have him sit on a shirt or a towel, so his bottom won't stick to the counter. Hehe. Then give him a couple of containers such as a paper cup and a little pot or pan, and fill one with a bit of water. Then give him a guy such as an action figure or a wooden toy figurine, or whatever you have, so that he can play pirate or rescue with it.

Let me tell ya - pouring water from one container to the other and playing rescue the guy kept Joey busy for the whole haircut. I took a few inches of the back of his hair, layered it all around, and I cut his bangs too - so the whole thing took approximately 20 minutes...and if you know what preschoolers or toddlers are like...then you know...20 minutes can be a looooooooong time. Also during his haircut I kept telling him what a big boy he was being, and I was thanking him for being so patient while I cut his hair, and asking him how much fun was he having making a mess and playing with the water. Every few minutes he would tell me I was getting hair everywhere, and that I was making a mess. Haha! What a cutie he is. :)

How completely super cool will hJoey look in his new Greek Easter outfit?! These are my newest lounge pants design entitled "Those 70s Pants - Ankle Biters with Orange Elephants"

How fab is that plaid patchwork?? I'll let you in on a little secret. I had a pair just like those when I was a kid. Man, who didn't?? Please tell me I wasn't the only one. Haha! I have a picture somewhere of me sitting in the back of my mom's maroon and brown Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser, somewhere around 1975, wearing a pair just like those awesome goodies right there. I love those pants!! I think I need a pair for myself!!

And his baby sister Lily will be rockin this super sweet and gorgeous little dress:

 

"Mediterranean Blue Vines" with an orange elephant trim (to match her big brother), and a pair of coordinating bloomers! :D

Have a beautiful weekend, Kaloh Pasxa and Xristos Anesti!!

the hustle, the move, the monsters, the potty

Because I can't always respond to your convos or eMails individually, I thank you all for your concern -- we're doing great -- just so busy! Sorry for my lack of blog posts, tweets, etc. I've been thinking about you guys and wanting to open up my Etsy shop again, but I'm just not ready to do so yet. On top of the ridiculous CPSIA nonsense-law, there is also the custom orders for monster shirts, monster jeans, and my other handmade super coolness that I'm currently working on which have been keeping me super busy!! And I have more orders in the works for the coming weeks. So if you're awaiting your order - thanks again for your patience.  There have been unexpected delays, and you are so awesome for understanding. As always, my customers ROCK.

Other than sewing, our awesome little monster kiddos keep us on our toes daily, and we've also recently moved to a new home. Oh, you didn't know? Yes, yes! We've moved! It all happened so fast, really. In the event you haven't heard from me personally...I'm updating you right here, right now. So keep reading my blog and stay in the loop! haha.

Fair warning...this blog post is all over the place. It's fun stuff though...so read on. :)

Here's what's been going on around here lately:

In February I blogged about one super long week when we took a sudden road trip from FL to NC for a job interview which the Hubbs Joe had scheduled. Since then, there has been a continuos whirlwind of events for us!

First of all, my amazing uber-geek Hubbs Joe got the job!! Woohoo!! We could not be happier.

We've wanted to move out of Florida for what seemed like forever, but was actually more like a year and a half. No offense to any of you Florida-lovers, but visiting there and living there full time are two vastly different things. Besides, this New Yorker missed the seasonal changes, a cool summer breeze, and tall trees amongst other things that Florida just could not give me. Most importantly, we wanted to raise our babies with access to the outdoors...without having to worry about scary alligators or poisonous frogs in our backyard or at the playground! *mega-creepy!!* Think I'm kidding here? Take a look at this video from abcnews.com where an alligator creepily crawls out from underneath a car at a car dealership. Yep, just an average Orlando day!

Anyway...so where was I? Oh yes...the fab and geeky new job. So they wanted the awesome Hubbs Joe to begin working in his new job in Research Triangle Park (RTP) in 30 days.

*zoikes!* We had to hustle!

That meant we had only two short weeks to hire movers and find a house in North Carolina! We hit the ground running. Joe was still working full time so it meant I was the one who would be searching for a house and movers during the day, and we'd be discussing our options in the evenings when Joe got home. All of that while taking care of Joey, Lily, and Aleethea...and also starting to pack. Crazy, yes?

My mom immediately flew down from PA to help with the kiddos, cooking, cleaning, and packing. Huge help!

So my hunt for a house began. I knew it would be much more difficult and involved to find a house than a mover, so I wanted to be sure we first had a house, prior to finding a mover.

The very first house I inquired about directly with the owner - it was absolutely beautiful, but it didn't have a garage or a fenced-yard. So, we skipped it and moved on.

Then over the course of the next week, we looked at hundreds of houses online, spoke to several different realtors who were all working at finding and showing us homes in the Raleigh-Durham-RTP area. I spoke with the realtors via eMail and web portals, and oohed and ahhed over so many different houses. Some seemed so perfect for us - until we actually saw the neighborhood. Thank goodness for Google Maps. What a fantastic and immensely helpful tool that was for us to decide upon a house! Not that the neighborhoods we viewed weren't nice, but they just weren't exactly what we were looking for. We actually didn't even want to live within a community, because we wanted more of a country setting, with houses that each looked different, some old, some new, etc. A nice mixture is what we desired. And a short commute for the Hubbs Joe.

Doesn't sound like we were asking much, right? Then again...we only had a couple of weeks to find a house, so in all actuality...I was being reeeeeally picky. And rightfully so, for our family. :)

After a week long roller-coaster of house-hunting, viewing properties and neighborhoods, and taking virtual tours of dozens and dozens of houses, we actually ended up selecting the very first house I inquired about. Yes, the one without the garage. haha. Funny how things work out. The reason why there is no garage is because there is a lovely little creek which runs through the backyard, and the county would not allow the builder to build a garage and disrupt the creek. We couldn't ask for a better reason to not have a garage. Oh, and the fence is being built next month. :)

OK so once we signed the paperwork for the house, we breathed a sigh of relief for a few seconds...and then my search for a moving company began.

We had one week until moving day.

When I was twenty years old, I was an office manager for a moving company in Middle Village NY. (I had the funniest, and best bosses, Cheryl and Steve.) Anyway, so with that experience I began the process by jotting down our inventory of furniture in every room, the amount of hanging frames, an approximate amount of boxes, located some moving companies, requested packing estimates and also got online and on-site estimates for us. Whew! We also had my SUV to be moved, which may require a car-carrier, or would be moved inside of a larger truck.

As for boxes, I was sure to let the moving companies know that we would not be purchasing boxes from them because we had our own boxes. In the interest of time and money, we were getting recycled boxes from the local U-haul store. Moving companies sometimes charge almost double for their boxes, and sometimes they are not recycled. The only problem with using our own boxes was that we also needed packing services, and some moving companies will insist that if they are packing, then they must supply the boxes. Issue #1.

Anyway so after some estimates, we were on our way to select a mover. The downside to all of the moving companies I spoke to was that they were long-distance movers which meant they frequently moved people interstate via super big tractor trailer trucks. That also meant they would pick up other household goods along the way, and therefore deliver other household goods along the way too. So our items would not be going directly from FL to NC, but instead would probably arrive in approximately 5 to 7 days. This, we did not like so much. Issue #2.

I had initially wanted to go with a bigger company, because there would most likely be no issue with whether or not they had an active moving license, a US D.O.T. (Department of Transportation) number for an interstate move, and probably a really good record with Consumer Affairs and the B.B.B. (Better Business Bureau). Because those are the starting points which you should research prior to getting an estimate from or hiring any moving company.

Also, the bigger companies are reluctant to offer a not-to-exceed cost, which was issue #3.

So there we were, with a huge decision to make and some issues in the way...when along comes the Hubbs Joe who just happened to find a local moving company in Orlando who would be able to pack for us using our own boxes, they'd drive our items directly to NC with the exception of an overnight break - since the law states the drivers/movers cannot work for more than 12 hours straight, their moving credentials checked out, and they'd also give us a not-to-exceed cost.

So we went with the movers the Hubbs Joe found that day, All My Sons. And everything went smoothly.

So much for my moving company experience and research!!! If I had eaten a fortune cookie that day it would've read: "Your work in 90's very long time ago. Means poopoo now. Husband lucky."

Early morning on Thursday March 12th, we dropped our furry-baby Aleethea off at a Doggie Spa in Orlando for the day where she would swim and play for the day.

Later that morning, All My Sons showed up with two moving trucks...

 

and four awesome movers and packers:

The guys were busy for 7 hours of packing and loading!!

Joey had lots of fun watching all the furniture and boxes being carried away, and just being a part of all the excitement. Why was he having so much fun? Isn't moving supposed to be stressful for a toddler/pre-school-aged child? It could be...but it wasn't...because the week prior I had bought these books for Joey and so we had already read these books to him over and over again.

The Berenstain Bears' Moving Day by Stan Berenstain and Jan Berenstain, and Moving House by Anne Civardi, Michelle Bates, and Stephen Cartwright. I also picked up a guide for the Hubbs Joe and I entitled Moving with Kids: 25 Ways to Ease Your Family's Transition to a New Home by Lori Collins Burgan, which is loaded with helpful moving and transition tips which apply to kids of various ages.

     

I highly recommend each of those books, they taught Joey many things about moving, and he repeatedly asked us to read them to him.

In addition to the books we read to him, Joey was also kept informed of every aspect of our move, and why we were moving. We shared all of our plans with him from day one. He was always in the loop so there were no surprises, and therefore no anxiety about the move. Just adventures for him to look forward to! He helped me pack boxes, he looked at houses online with me, and he even packed up his own toys without being told to do so!! I had wanted to leave his toys for very last, so as to not rush him into anything...but before I knew it - all his stuff was in a box! It was really cute. (I was sure to keep just a few toys out for him, for the last few days prior to our move.)

That evening, after the movers did their thing - since our house was completely empty and my mom's flight wasn't until the next morning, we said farewell to the house our babies were born in, picked up Aleethea from the Doggie Spa, ordered a pizza, and stayed the night in a dog-friendly hotel.

The next morning, Friday March 13th, we wished my mom a happy flight home and then set out on a 12 hour drive. This was the third 12-hour drive we'd taken within one month!

Good-bye Orlando!!

And hello to our new home, and our new life in Durham, North Carolina!!

Where we are still unpacking, of course. But somedays I just pretend to not see the boxes. I am a firm believer that some days, denial is good for the soul. haha! Especially when these kiddos have more fun playing in the packing paper:

Where our 10 month old baby girl Lily - who is still off the charts in height - has begun to stand up on her own:

We happily put on jackets last month on 40 degree days or colder:

When frost was welcomed on my other baby, my tough little 4WD SUV:

Where the morning sun shines brightly thru the kitchen window...

and onto my baby girl's face:

...where I put a new little plant to celebrate:

...where Lily has found herself - haha:

...and she is more and more more of a sweet monster every day. Here she is in a monster shirt I made for her big brother Joey two years ago!:

 

OK so here's an oldie but goodie...I just had to find that picture of Joey...so here's Joey wearing the very same monster shirt above, when he was 15 months old:

And here is a super cutesie new "Wild Blue Safari Binky Blankie" all finished up for a very patient Staci's nephew baby Miller:

I hope he loves his new binky blanket a.k.a. security blanket! I absolutely love the way it turned out - and it is so super plush!:

And so our adventures within our new city have already begun:

 

(Wood giraffe and hedgehog teether handmade from wonderful artisians on Etsy.)

...where Joey loves loves loves to ride his trike indoors on the wood flooring:

 

...where new clubhouses are claimed:

...where lunches and dinners are being enjoyed on the back porch. Gosh we LOVE eating outside!:

 ...where the view and these trees are so very tall and amazing:

...where Joey loves his new view from his playroom (in his Road Trip Ankle Biters lounge set):

...where new lounge pants are being designed and sewn - these are my newest "Pink Elephants Ankle Biters":

...and where we're not sure what will bloom out front -- any guesses?:

...but there has already been growth - Joey is not only growing out of his size 3T monster jeans (and needs me to make him yet another pair!) but he can also now peddle his tricycle uphill:

while Lily enjoys making the most adorable faces in the sunlight:

...and...as of this weekend...Joey has started to use the potty!! Woohooooooo!!! To follow are our potty-chronicles.

Amazing what can happen when you entice an almost 3 year old, bright and early on a Saturday morning with this:

Me: "Joey, if you go use the potty right now like a big boy, and if you go pee-pee in the potty and not in your diaper, then Mama will let you paint some Easter eggs right there in the bathroom!!"

Joey: "yaaay yaaayyy yaaayyyyy!!!! come on Mama!!!" (as he ran down the hall and into the bathroom)

The next thing I knew...the kiddo used the potty! And of course...we had to take a picture:

We are so proud of him. And he was very proud of his accomplishment too!! We sat there and he painted an Easter egg, right there while on the potty. It was beautiful. haha.

A while later, when I thought it should be potty time again, I gave him another bribe. I mean, an incentive. I told Joey if he wanted to go use the potty again...that he could go right now to the potty if he wanted to...and when he was done he could eat one of the super yummy cookies his Yiayia (Grandma) sent him for Easter. And so...off and running we again went down the hall, and to the potty. Hooray for Yiayia's cookies!! :D

We read "One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish", the 1960 Dr. Seuss classic while we sat there.

Oh! And what was a great starter for the "action"? (if you know what I mean) The key to begin it all, right after my son sat down on the potty...was the little cup of water I kept next to the potty, which I told Joey to "put his hands into and splash a little bit for good luck". And that's when it started.

So how did potty-training a.k.a. potty-bribing go the remainder of the weekend?

Great on Saturday, with some accidents of course throughout the day...but they were all opportunities for learning, and now he knows that he doesn't like the feeling of the wetness. Which is so important! So he ultimately used the potty several times yesterday. Today, Easter Sunday, not so much. But we know it'll probably take two steps backward in order to go one step forward. And that's just fine by us. It's all good.

Big things are happening around here. Little by little.

Thanks for checking in on us. We miss you. :)

academic earth and copyright law

You must visit academicearth.org for "Thousands of video lectures from the world's top scholars."

Here's a video lecture on an Introduction to Copyright Law.

Spring chickens

Joey will be 3 years old next month. Here he is all happily riding his trike indoors. I think he looks so much like his Uncle Georgie in this picture. Especially with that semi-slanted smile, showing no teeth:

Is the Easter bunny coming yet?? He's been asking that alot lately, of course.

But he wasn't staring out the window looking for the Easter bunny in the photo below.

Even better. The mail man was putting mail in our mailbox at that moment...and we were expecting a package from Etsy. haha. Etsy trumps the Easter bunny around here.

And what little sweetness was in our Etsy package?
This completely cute little sweater chick from here.

Who happily went for many a trip down the slide:

A lovely day with Spring chickens. :)

Happy Easter!

CPSIA Rally on Capitol Hill

Are you watching the CPSIA RALLY on Capitol Hill? Watch it streaming LIVE, right now, 4/1/09. Because as you know, it's no joke! Stay informed. Help amend the CPSIA! (update: stay tuned for video footage)