a little inspiration

Emerson 6 months , originally uploaded by Mr & Mrs Speeed . You: Are practicing frowning. Love to splash water and test other things (like blankets and food) to see if they splash too. Like talking to the dog. Have stopped sleeping very much at night. Grab everything and try it out for taste. Can drink from your own glass and sometimes help me with mine. Love music. Just started 'dancing' by moving one foot while standing or bending both knees. Love the jumper. Love the ergo for naps, walks and house chores. Grab my face and latch onto my chin. Aren't really so interested in the food part of eating. Are sitting more and more. Roll and wiggle off the sheep skin. You are 27 inches long and 17lbs and 4 oz.

What a packed weekend we had! So full of all the lovely weekend-type things that we almost needed an extra day just to rest. On Friday Senor's mom (Mommom) came up for some business in town and we went out to eat at Clementine . Can I tell you how wonderful the food was??? So, so good. I must say it is one of the only meals I have eaten out in Baltimore recently that has wowed me. I did find some amazing places this summer while traveling but not here. I have kind of become snobby about food since working for the cafe. I want the food to be really good if we are going to have to pay for it. Clementine was perfect- inventive but approachable, rich but not heavy and oh, so yummy! It didn't hurt that we know the chef. Anyway, if you are in town- go there! Saturday after a haircut for me, dentist appointments for both of us and a quick trip to the store we met back up with Mommom at the aquarium . We all had a great time watching the Bug enjoy the fish and water. I am p...

This week I am grateful for: :finally feeling well. :the changing colors and light outside. :a chance for rest last night. :a new beginning percolating. :a wonderful, supportive family and circle of friends. :the chance to carry around my crochet, even if I don't have the chance to work on it.

Ah ha! I am back and still a little tired with a slight hangover like feeling but I think I am really on the mend. I walked all the way to Charles Village and back today so I must not be dying... I don't have any idea what I had. No fever but one afternoon and night of puking followed by a day of thinking I was better followed by a little more sick time. And then I thought I was better, and then I felt bad the next day... quite the roller coaster (ha- with similar results.) Right now I think I am better, again. So if it holds though tomorrow I'm declaring victory. Wish me luck. In other news I am approaching my 200th post on this blog. In honor of sticking with it for so long I am planning a giveaway. Stick around. I promise it will be fun. There are also some things I am trying to get going behind the scenes here and I hope to be able to unveil them at that time as well. There are also a few crafty things floating around that have yet to be photographed so I can sha...

These jar lanterns got finishing touches from Senor over the weekend while I was working. Jeremy was kind enough to use his fabulous camera to take dark pictures of them tonight. I used acrylic paints because I didn't have oils as suggested. I would have put another layer of orange on the inside but Senor liked them all drippy. Which isn't normally how I roll but he is really the arty one so I listened to him. And he said it added to the creepy factor... I do think they are cool. I kind of want to make them for every holiday. So easy, practically free, and endless options. Yay! Aren't Jeremy's pictures great?? It just blows my mind... Thanks man!

bico on , originally uploaded by Mr & Mrs Speeed . Here is the bico in action. So sweet, I am sure to make more of these as he grows.

I am always nervous about using the word "appreciation" because I hate the spelling. It never looks right. There are a quite a few words I feel that way about... Anyway, I had a couple of pictures from going to the BMA the other day that I wanted to share. This one I took for my mother. You should really click on it and look at it in the larger size. I love the shadow it makes and the stone is so beautiful in the light. We started out just going for our regular walk in the morning but then I needed a coffee. We sat outside and enjoyed the perfect temperature. We ran into some old friends and chatted. And when I was finished I wasn't ready to go home. So we wondered over to the Baltimore Museum of Art, a place I have been meaning to take E for some time now. We went in and right from the start everyone was so kind to us. Interested, helpful and engaging. I felt like we were the only people there (it isn't like it was terribly busy mid-morning on a weekday...

Some days I walk around with a running blog writer going in my head. This week seems to be one of those days, and yet- no blog has been written. But you know, it it the thought that counts. Right? This week the Bug has learned about yelling. And screaming more recently. Which is really funny and totally changes the experience of eating in a restaurant. Until now I have not gotten one evil look even if my boob is sitting on the table. Last night I am sure we got some. I was too absorbed in watching him to notice but I don't think it is ever happy for your fellow diners when your baby reaches that octave. Even if it is only for a moment. The table right next to us thankfully was already in love with him before he turned up the volume. I feel like we might have hi-jacked their evening. In other news he slept with us all last night because yesterday there was a mouse in his bed. That's right, in. his. bed. Ack! So, yeah, we are working on that... There are two parts ...

I got the itch to make some Halloween things for the house. Since the Bug and I spend so much time here I think that there is going to be much more decorating going on in general. I have to say that I really like what Martha Stewart does. She makes most of her designs available for download from her website at no cost. Even if she also has a commercial product using the same images. Which is cool because some people are willing/able to just go buy whatever it is and some people are willing/able to make it themselves. I am falling into the second category as we are trying to be a little more frugal around here. I think that it is impossible to take pictures of these bookcases without glare, so glare there is. Sorry about that. The black are just silhouettes I printed from marthastewart.com and then cut out with an exacto type knife. The orange and gold are felt pieces from the stash. I thought about ironing these but decided the wrinkles went with it and added some depth. The...

I finished Emerson's sweater a little bit ago and finally added the buttons. The buttons are wooden and I got them at Joann's. They were in a little basket of clearance buttons and I thought it was a quarter for the two of them but in fact then all of them were half off that. If the Bug hadn't been so ready to go I would have gone back and really gone through them. I never have buttons... The edging is actually a creamy white but it was bright outside and the contrast was too much for my little camera to imagine. The blue is the alpaca blend that I used to make my felt hat last year. Maybe I will make a white flower to go on my hat and we will be matchy, matchy. I imagine that the Bug will felt parts of the sleeves and the front of this sweater pretty fast. He does love to chew on his sweaters... :) The only thing I don't like about this pattern (ravelry link) is the arms are big all the way down the the wrist. Part of what makes it so quick to work up is that...