World, meet ginger.

She was born early the morning of August 23rd, a short 30 minutes after we arrived at the hospital- no epidural, hospital gown barely on, my Doctor making it in just in time for the final few pushes. It was ideal.
She has long eyelashes and dark dark hair. Sometimes she looks like her brother but most of the time she looks like Ginger. We spent our entire time in the hospital trying to pin down her middle name and hastily “decided” on darling when the birth certificate needed to be filled in- it is possible that we may change it.
She has long skinny toes and feet and heart shaped lips. She sleeps and eats and burps and yawns and messes her pants and then repeats that cycle. We are in love with her.

so. much. more to come

xoXXXOOOOxoxo
elle

*subject to change

Tags:   baby · birthday · ginger1 Comment

I love love love getting photos from brides and grooms for whom I’ve done custom work. And, lookie what I got in the mail this week! These were a set of teal ties that I made with the attendants’ names screenprinted in silver on the side, and compasses screenprinted going off the end. The tipping was this amazing orange suede-esque stuff with polka dot holes. Anyways, these dudes look stellar. It’s such an honor to be a teeny tiny part of such an important day!

And, check out this amazing wedding that I provided the grooms bow tie for- it is so dreamy that it made me ask Garth if we could get married all over again. He said yes.

Happy Friday everyone!
elle

Tags:   bow ties · neckties · xoelle2 Comments

Well, here it is- my estimated date of delivery. I was optimistic that I would be holding a little ginger girl by this time, but here I am waddling around the house, wishing that I could choose the time of her arrival. Tonight would be great. Ya hear that ging?

It’s a surreal thing, waiting for the arrival of a child. She has already been with us this whole time, I’ve taken her everywhere that I’ve gone and she’s eaten everything that I’ve eaten- but shortly she will be outside rather than inside. And, much more demanding than she is now.

Garth and I have been using the phrase, “the kids” when referencing our offspring since we learned that we were pregnant with a second child so we are prepared to use the right terminology, but I’m not sure that we are ready to double the amount of kids that we have to look after (is anyone?!). We’ve been lazing about the house, napping, cleaning, chasing Jack, and wondering what it’s going to be like to have a newborn again. Garth has been busy (and successful) teaching Jack how to “show ‘em who’s boss” (a quick couple of elbow blows to the palm followed by a flexing of the muscles and growling) in preparation for being an older brother. I am still trying to pick out a middle name and wonder if that’s what Ginger is waiting for. We are both trying to capture these days in our memory and slow down enough to appreciate them before this next gigantic life change.

Photos from this past week:

If you have any, please send some going-into-labor mojo this way- being able to attend my brother’s wedding next week depends on it.

xo
elle

Tags:   baby · family · jack3 Comments

Isn’t that ladybug amazing? Having been nicknamed Ladybug as a kid, I have quite a collection of these, but I was so amazed to find this little pressed tin one that is a pincushion and a tape measure (look at the little behind!) It’s missing one googly eye, but I’m gonna do my best to find another to replace it. Great 50 cent purchase.

The cape I found at Goodwill and is adorably handmade. It’ll probably take several years before my little one (who is still making us wait for her arrival) fits this cape, but it’ll be getting alot of use then, I hope. Can’t ya’ll just see it paired with a red dress and some rad knee-high stripey socks?! Rad!

Last weekend we went to a college surplus auction and I fell head over heels in love with a few items. A card catalog has been on my list of wants for a long time- wouldn’t it be great to store ribbons and markers and tiny little treasures in? And that table! It was this amazing shade of minty green with this sort of mid-century style legs. It would be perfect for my heavy paper cutter and book binding machine. And that mailbox!!!!! I don’t know what I would use it for (dirty laundry? books? gallons of chocolate sauce?)- but it would have been mine if there weren’t a move to Hawaii in our very immediate future. It sold for $25!

Amazing things can be found in your area at public surplus.

Love love friends! Hopefully the next news I share with you is about a little baby named ginger.
elle

Tags:   thrifted2 Comments

Dear Ginger,
Just in case we haven’t officially told you yet, we’re ready for you. We have washed and folded all your little dainty pink baby clothes (with a healthy dose of hand-me-downs from your brother).

We have a vintage Jenny Lind crib that we picked up for you at a garage sale, and even though it isn’t painted (red with a pinky or orangey hint?) and doesn’t have a mattress, it is tucked safely into a corner of the playroom for your use when you’re a couple of weeks old. We’ll certainly have it ready by that time. I’ll make sure that there are coordinating sheets and such and you’ll be upgraded to your very own room, as cool as your brothers, when we move in a few months (to Hawaii!).

There are ginger snaps in the kitchen. Jack likes to munch on them. Last night it was all he had for dinner.

I have mended a few things for your use- a pink blanket that I made needed some new bias tape and the bouncer cover I made for your older brother needed a patch. It is so fun to make girly things!

And, I couldn’t resist recovering the carseat since it was dark blue. I think that it took me longer to pick out the fabric than it did to recover it- even with the struggle that I had with the elastic.

We are all packed for the hospital, and Jack is all packed for a night or two away. We have a great selection of ensembles tucked away for you, and even a tiny dress, tights, and ballet slippers in case your arrival is close to a Sunday. The cameras are all charged and the data cards have plenty of room. The book we’ll write to you in has been made and it’s ready to filled.

The only thing that we are ill-prepared with is a middle name. We’ve polled family and friends and talked about it endlessly late at night, but we might just have to officially meet you before we decide. Is that ok? Will you come soon anyways? We promise to let you eat and sleep to your little heart’s content and bundle you as tight as you like.

Not to rush you, but this weekend would be perfect.

We love you already sweet little one,
Mom & Dad & big brother(!) Jack.

Tags:   baby5 Comments

love love love this kid.

Tags:   jack3 Comments

Dear mr. awesome,

Has it really been three years that I’ve been calling you that? More, really- since I gave you that nickname the first week we were dating. I remember you rambling on and on our first date about all of your amazing qualities- how great you were at money management (I didn’t volunteer my track record…uh-hum), how smart you were, how awesome being a submariner was, and how good you were at designing hammocks and loft beds. We were having ice cream at Seaport Village. Then we got on your bike and rode down Harbor on your Honda Rebel, just like Maverick and Charlie in Top Gun.

You used to take Bruno out for a walk with me after our dates and it is somewhere on one of these walks, standing on the corner of fir and 4th in Banker’s Hill, that I first started callling you by this nickname. You were again discussing one of your wonderful qualities and I remarked that you really must be mr. awesome.

And, you are. I knew that marrying you after only knowing you a few months meant that there was a lot to learn, but I felt like I was giving myself a gift that I could open for years to come. You are more than I thought I was getting.

We are so far away from those days in sunny San Diego, flying around town on your motorcycle, staying up way too late everynight playing Guitar Hero in your apartment, and writing each other love notes at church. I still think that you are just as charming and handsome (if not more) and am so grateful that you’re mine. All mine.

We’ve still only just begun dude.

love you, love you, love you.
elle

ps. If we are only three years out and have doubled our family (almost) what does the next three years have in store for us?
pps. thanks for killing that cockroach last night- I never knew that cockroach killing was a skill that I would need in a husband, and I am so glad that you possess it.

Tags:   anniversary · garth9 Comments

xoelle is included in Poppytalk’s Back to School market. Sweet.

Tags:   xoelle. business1 Comment

The last two nights I’ve had the opportunity to spend my evenings out of the house. This is rare. Garth and I have pretty much given in to the fact that having a toddler that goes to bed at 7pm means that our evenings now consist of watching movies in bed with ice cream (ok, let’s be real, even before we had Jack, most of our nights were spent in this manner, we just had the option of staying out past 6pm). Garth took on all three nighttime rituals with jack (feeding, bathing, storytime) each evening so that I could go to a craft club meeting on monday night and a relief society meeting (that was actually a little shower for me and the ginger baby) on tuesday night.

I was driving to one of these events in the setting sun, in my little blue convertable, top down, radio up and singing along, when I thought to myself, “ahhhh….I feel like me again”. And then I marveled that I hadn’t even known that I was feeling like someone else. I guess it’s not someone else, it’s just that I play so many other roles, there’s not much time for the me part of me. I am a wife, a mother, a cooker of dinners, a teacher of sunday schools, a maker of bow ties and journals, and a list-maker that always wants to check one more thing off the list. Even this blog post was on my list.

I miss being a taker of walks to Balboa Park, a dressmaker, and a Sunday afternoon test chef. I miss being a neighbor to my girlfriends and family. I miss having a mind so full of hope that it spilled over into my heart. I miss the weightlessness of a mind not heavy with the kind of worry that only a mom can know. These things have fallen away (or have been left behind as I moved away) as my life ran tumbling forward.

To every thing there is a season. This is the season of not me. It is the season of this new little family that Garth and I have created and the new delights that brings. I am the one who waddles, the receiver of precious Jack kisses, the keeper of the heart of the rarest of men, and a wise and patient mother-in-the-making (it’ll take me my lifetime, I’m sure). I am also still a girl who sings her heart out in her little blue convertable while the sun is setting. It is all me- and it is my brilliant always-in-motion life. Now it’s time to go listen to my favorite song on this subject.

All you’ll be you are today. Chris Cornell

Tags: 7 Comments

I really didn’t plan on this happening.

My last set of bow ties ended up being all matchy-matchy. I think it’s because several months ago I organized all of my “turn into bow ties someday” clothing into colors and so they happened to all be next to one another when it was time to make more. However it happened, it makes me smile. They are all in the shop right this very minute in large enough quantities to outfit your entire chess club!

I’ve been trying to get my inventory up to 100 ties but can’t seem to get over that 40 mark. This is due to the fact that bow ties are being purchased and shipped all over the world though, so I can’t really complain. The plan was to get up to 100 bow ties and then work on some limited-edition bow ties that I’ve been excited about since winter- so I might just need to skip the 100-in-inventory goal and get to the good part, or I might never get to those awesome ties! Totally. Thanks for thinking that through with me.

Hope all ya’ll are staying cool and soaking in the summer.

xo
elle

Tags:   bow ties · business · xoelle1 Comment