[one fish, two fish...]

I was delighted to find the current summer Garnet Hill catalog in the mail this past week. Back in November I worked on several fish softies that would be used as props to accompany the Garnet Hill kid's summer 2010 collection and I've been dying to see them in action ever since.

The lovely and talented Kendra Smoot (an old New York acquaintance and recent referral from Brooke) contacted me shortly after the nautical Halloween post where I had thrown together some very basic, primitive looking fish for Little A's goodie bag. To my delight she asked me if I could do something similar for an upcoming shoot she would be styling. I of course readily agreed.

While residing in NY, some years ago, I had worked here and there as a stylist assistant to the fabulous Jane Fife for Garnet Hill and was excited to be working for this company again. In another lifetime I would love to do what these fantastic ladies do.

Kendra picked out the darling vintage inspired fabrics from Mood and I came up with the various fish patterns based on what she needed for the shoot. Kendra styled the absolutely adorable on-location shoots and I believe the incredible Amy Chin styled the still life shots (aren't those waves so cute?! Not to mention the cons! Little A just might have to sport the gray ones).

It felt great to be working away on a deadline that involved the sewing machine and not the drawing table or computer. Very refreshing and very fulfilling. I just might have found a new niche. Thanks ladies for letting me be a part of your wonderful work!

[hunter]

Despite all my pre-planning we seemed to have another up-to-the-last-minute Easter this year. Thank goodness I did in fact do all my Easter candy shopping weeks ago and that I started Little A's suit last week, or we might not have had much of an Easter egg hunt at all (Easter itself still would have been wonderful of course). Some how or other (burning the midnight oil, cranking out illustration after illustration had nothing to do with it I'm sure...) I managed to come down with the worst case of strep throat ever. I seriously woke up one morning feeling like a ferocious cat had clawed out the back or my throat (and it sort of looks like it too...but enough of the gruesome details...).

By using a few of our favorite creations (bunny nesting dolls, chalkboard painted pails, etc.) and candy traditions (Lindt chocolate carrots, Trader Joe's malted eggs, etc.) we managed to pull it off...in the nick of time.

I made Little A's suit from a vintage simplicity pattern, picked up last summer at a thrift store and threw together a plaid scarf (fabric from Joann's). It ended up a being a bit windy and nippy so I'm glad the scarf came in handy.

I had great visions of making a companion ensemble for Baby O but there just wasn't any way I was getting up off the couch. I do think however that he looked adorable in Little's A outgrown "jolly holiday" attire even if it didn't so much "match" his brother's look. I also loved that he was able to take part in the festivities this year. He kept going back to places where he found eggs previously to see if they were there again (such as the leaf above). So adorable, I just about died from his cuteness.

The hunt was splendid. Little A was seriously into this year and most definitely ate one too many chocolate carrots.

Baby O was all about the loot as well. Wow. The first year of candy overload ever...Not even Halloween was this bad. "Cranky kids" at bed time doesn't even come close to describing it.

But we had fun, chocolate overload and all. And now it's finished, and I'm off to recover so I can get back to the drawing board.

[wishing you all a...]

Yes it's late in the day but I hope you all had (and still are having) a wonderful Easter Sunday. Aside from the cat scratching strep throat I've got going on I think things worked out pretty well for us this year (I was afraid I wouldn't be able to make it off the couch).

We made our own dye this year out of food coloring and vinegar and are totally converted (no more store bought dyes for us!). The coloring is so great and sticks to the eggs immediately. We used a few basic letter decals for decoration, dipped away and called it good.


Pretty happy with the results and just might have to do this every year.


More pics of the day to come! Hope you are all munching away on delicious chocolates and scheming up new and creative ways to prepare and eat hard boiled eggs. Happy Easter!