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Just back from a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants trip to meet up with family in Indiana, just the girls and I.

We are smoked.

The girls were in bed at 6:30.

We all feel about like this.

(Her left eyelid droops when she's tired. Just like mine.)

Thanks for all the love on the Pretty Blouse. I feel so special!

I have so much to share with you. New ideas, new projects, lots of gooey family pictures (mua ha ha).

See you soon!

pretty blouse pattern available today

Yee haw! The Pretty Blouse pattern is available for download today at Sew, Mama, Sew! Also check out their nice intro here. If you're new around here, welcome! Poke around, check stuff out, and have a good time. More tutorials and patterns are in the works, so I hope you'll stick around!

Smooch smooch!

Nadia Izruna via Colette Patterns

pinterest, print edition

Thanks for the sweet comments + e-mails yesterday. I'm doing a lot better today, thanks to lots of rest + blessings over the weekend. Good thing, too, because my little chickies need their mama! They have been so sweet the past few days. Little kids are so amazing in their capacity to just roll with it. Most of the time.

So I like to keep a design idea notebook handy here at home. Here's a few recent pages that I keep going back to for inspiration (sometimes it helps me visualize what a pattern might look like when I actually draw it on paper).

If you're interested in pattern design, try Built by Wendy Dresses. It is my go-to book for a starting point when I'm drafting any kind of pattern, dress or no. I think it is a totally worthwhile purchase!

Speaking of which, the Pretty Blouse pattern will be available on the Sew, Mama, Sew blog on June 16th! I'm super excited/nervous. I still have a little list of kinks to work out, though, and they need to be done in 2 days! Eek! Better get to it...

Smoochies!

here's to a happy week

Rough weekend.

ER Friday. Burst ovarian cyst (apparently). Plus a bad cold.

Took 3 naps Saturday, then slept 8 hours that night. (that part was kinda nice. thanks, love.)

Stumbled out of bed Sunday feeling rather better.

Very happy to be up and doing today.

Highlight of the weekend -- see what I found by our mailbox??!

Asparagus!! Most of it has already gone to seed (drat), but I'll be ready to pounce next spring.

Here's to a better week. I've got some exciting stuff going on this week -- today I'm excited about a couple of new pieces in the shop that I made from regular vintage fabric (as opposed to bed linens). I have so many design ideas floating around in my head -- more on that later this week!

Hope you are well. Smooch smooch!

easy saturday lunch: leftovers omelet

If I were going to be stranded on a desert island and could take one cookbook with me, it'd be Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything. (Provided that desert island has a kitchen. And a grocery store.)

Not so much because his recipes are great (though they are), but because the man is a food-idea MACHINE. Especially when it comes to ideas about how to use leftovers.

My leftovers, in this case: grilled sweet potatoes and roasted onions/garlic/peppers. And some arugula for good measure. I wasn't sure that all those things together would taste good in an omelet. But they did. Oohhh, they did.

The girls were not interested, but this was good, because there was more for me. I'm feeling some omelet adventures coming on.

pie face

We were at an Army meeting the other night where the guys had the chance to bid on pies to throw at their leadership. They'd been out in the field (i.e. camping + blowing stuff up) for a few days, so they were greasy and needed showers anyway.

(Fundraising with men. It works.)

My man was one of the first to go, which was a good thing, because it got ugly a little bit later. His pie (a plate full of whipped cream and chocolate syrup) was worth $35 to this particular soldier. Not bad, love!

Good follow-through, Shelby. See the whipped cream still flying in that last one?

This guy was towards the end, poor soul. That's when they started mixing in condiments/leftovers from the BBQ dinner. Like I said. Men.

Also, I made the Utah Salad Special for the BBQ pot luck and the single soldiers completely flipped their wigs. 

Single girls, if you wanna win a dude, make him this, stat.

Or just make it for yourself and forget the guy. 

Either way works.

little gifts for quality friends

Getting packages in the mail is the best. This little number is for my old friend Nicole, who is quite possibly the classiest lady I know. She a) has a classy job at Pottery Barn's corporate office, b) lives in a classy apartment in SF, c) is classy.

The apron is based on this Grosgrain tutorial from forever ago. Nicole & I made a trade deal back at Christmastime where she made a (uh-huh) classy certificate on deliciously thick paper, certifying that my man could pick out a fancy man-watch as his Christmas present, in return for which I would make her an apron to match her new kitchen. I'm just a leeeeetle bit late (covers eyes).

That got me to thinking of other possible housewarming/just because gifts to make or buy and send to friends. Some ideas (because who doesn't love getting happy mail?) --

doily table runner

butterfly garland

pistachio-apricot granola (peeps. you should make this anyway, right. now. uber props to my rad sister in law)

bunting! (duh, silly.)

I always hesitate a little to randomly send someone home decor stuff (what if they hate it?) -- but these ideas are so cute and non-threatening that hey, if nothing else, they'll know you love 'em.

What do you think? Do you give home dec stuff as gifts? What's your go-to?