A very long and exciting road trip!

About the time of my last post on here in March I started planning out our family road trip out west to visit some of our country's beautiful National Parks and my siser's family living in Utah. This basically took up much of my free time during March and April and once May and June came along I was swamped with the children's activities and recitals. This year seem particularly busy with each of three girls old enough to have and abundant schedule of school and after school activities.

So on July 17 we started on our journey out west with my husband and I and 3 girls. The girls had insisted on a road trip having the idea that this would be a fun way to see the country. Our first major destination was the Grand Canyon and this was about 2400 miles from home. I'm not sure they quite comprehended the amount of driving this would involve.

Some notable events on our travels....

Our burnt toast (unbeknown to us) sets off a hotel wide alarm waking everyone in the hotel. We escape with our breakfast and coffee in hand and hit the road while everyone gathers in the lobby to the deafening alarm.

Hydroplaning on a highway in Arizona is not a recommended sport.

Don't even go into Flagstaff, AZ -- you may never get out. The walmart you see in the distance is only a mirage.

Sunrise on the Grand Canyon is well worth the early rise and more fun in pajamas.

Letting the kids climb on the rocks and in trees is a lesson in prayer. Thankfully they returned in one piece.


Luray Caverns







Acoma Peublo









Grand Canyon, South Rim














Grand Canyon, North Rim

Zion National Park












Bryce Canyon National Park












Capital Reef National Park














Arches National Park











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My three trees

I listed my three trees sculpture in ceramic yesterday on Etsy. I've made a few sets in needle felting and had made a few sets for myself in December. Anyway it made it to the front page of Etsy with many hearts.





A few recent cake toppers...

Where does the time go?

OK a whole month has flown by and I've neglected this little blog. I promise to catch up with a few interesting photos. But in the mean time let me share this Etsy treasury put together by MA Naturally Inspired ...



By the end of this week I promise I will update everyone on the goings on at our little home.

February a month of hearts

Good morning! Yes it is despite the extreme cold. My youngest (still 7 for another week) was up early busy getting ready for school and brushing her teeth and doing all her morning chores before I even woke up! She even had a cup of coffee waiting for me with a bunch of hugs on the couch (morning cuddles). Yes this is a good morning. We had plenty of time to play "ice hockey" on the driveway while waiting for the bus. She was so cute. Usually her plan is to win but today she had to work very hard because she wanted a tie. I wonder what goes on in their little heads to make them want to be so agreeable sometimes and at others so impossible.

I'm in love with this cute little hen sent on a card from one of my customer's seamstress. Its a blue polish frizzle and the photograph is by Stephen Green-Armytage. He has an awesome collection of photos of beautiful chickens. My friend and I have been eyeing the McMurray Hatchery website too thinking of a spring order of chicks.




I peeked into the Etsy forums and found a way to see if I had been on the front page of Etsy. As much as I love their front pages I have very little time to look at them frequently enough to check. But over on Flickr I was able to find out from a collection of front page pictures. I just typed my username into the search option at the top right portion of the page. Wow. I never knew. Not that its a big deal or anything but still nice to know.

Winter is racing by at a snails pace... and obsessing about CPSIA

I can't say that January has been my favorite month of this year (though it has been the first). It seemed to be consumed by all the colds that our little family has suffered through. Somewhere in that time Christmas was packed up and put away for another year.



And somewhere in that time between trips to the doctors there was time for creative endeavors too...









Any free time I've had I have spent reading up on the new CPSIA laws. Though I don't make toys or clothing for children I have wondered if my ring pillows and flower girl baskets would be covered under these laws. And though I don't sell children's toys my husband and I have been avid creators of toys for our children. I would hate to see all the lovely small businesses dedicated to making beautiful and creative toys put out of business by this law.

I think the initial intention of the law is correct because our children should be protected from lead and pthalates in their toys and clothing. In the interests of making a profit large companies purchase cheaply made toys overseas without any regards to safety. In response to this small businesses have sprung up making lovely handmade toys with natural materials. But its these small businesses that will now be forced to close with the stringent CPSIA testing requirements. I do think that small businesses should be held accountable to certifying that the components they use to make their toys are safe. We can't just assume that they are safe. We need to demand supplies and materials that are safe and have the certification from the manufacturers to prove it. Any way I hope the CPSIA stay goes into effect and that during this time the laws are better worked out so that small businesses can be allowed to continue.