Pink Mohair

Whiskey Tea party

I know that we invited you to this wonderful tea party for Thursday. What I thought would be six or seven submissions turned into substantially more which caught me unprepared (but delighted - thank you!) I am working nights all week and falling into bed each morning with a squirming 4 month old. No way, no SIR - MY kid isn't in daycare. He may roll out of bed a few times a day (onto clean hardwood, I assure you) but he's quite resilient and he just LOVES his whiskey coated pacifier.

So friends, please forgive me for postponing this tea party. I promise it will be soon. Instead allow me to share with you one of my more pathetic mothering moments. It helps that you can't contact Child Protective Services because you don't know who I am. A comment to make me feel better might, uh, make me feel better. Tell me about the time your toddler ate the cannabis plants you were growing behind the couch. Trust me, I need it.

Hubs: Junior is still sick and fussy. Should we take him in?
Me: Take him IN?! For what - antibiotics he doesn't need? He's got a VIRUS.
Hubs: But he's just so fussy.
Me: I'm watching Top Design. SHHHHH.
Hubs: Honey - shouldn't someone should look in his ears?
Me: No - poke his ears. They don't hurt him. SHHHHH.
Hubs: You don't dianose an ear infection by poking ears.
Me: Honey....TOP DESIGN. Liquor him up with Tylenol and Benadryl. SHHHHH! OMG, Kelly Wearstler fell off a cliff into a crimping iron factory!!!

One hour later

Hubs: You're right - he's much better. I'm going to give him a bath.
Me: Smug smile

Five minutes later husband comes racing down the stairs

Hubs: LOOK!

This, my friends, means I win the Pathetic Mother Award yet again. This is why the Don't interrupt me unless you're bleeding school of mothering sometimes backfires. Medically speaking when baby is brought in with incessant crying (and they aren't ill with a fever or teething) there are three things one is supposed to look for:

1. Supraventricular tachycardia (excessively fast heart rate)
2. Corneal abrasion (scraped eyeball)
3. Hair tourniquet...when a string of hair becomes wrapped around a finger, toe or penis. I've hunted for them on babies before but never found one. MY KID HAD SIX. I am such a loser.

I'm submitting this to a medical journal but thought you might like a sneak preview. You know how after you have a baby you lose lots of hair? Well, my hair is everywhere, including, apparently, the bottom of Junior's sleeper. You'd be fussy, too.

Tea Party

You are cordially invited to attend a tea party hosted by Anna and me. I do notice that I have a number of people who do not frequent Casapinka but do visit me here. Please stop by and watch as Anna and I are redesigning my eighties house.

Please send us one photo of your most favorite china, be it a plate, a pitcher, your wedding china, or the Queen's dinner service, and say a few words about it's provenance as well as its source (it does not have to belong to you; magazines, Flickr etc. are fine.) We will post your photos on Thursday.

We shall be hosting weekly tea parties, alternating between Anna's home and mine. Next week you will be asked to bring your favorite kitchen. Here are some other tea parties we shall be hosting:

FAVORITE:
Formal dress
Foyer vignette
Studio space
Vacation home
Flower bouquet
Use of a glass jar or vessel
Coat
Curtains
Children's nursery item
Wallpaper
Frida Kahlo Painting (Ha! I guess I'll be the only one in attendance.)

We look forward to seeing you. Yes, we will ask you to leave your Manolos at the door and there will most certainly be light food served.

Poor Junior

Being the second-born after Juniorette, Junior gets to wear lots of pink bonnets and Hello Kitty dresses. I think I'll order him a few manly frocks so he doesn't tire of pink too early in his young life.

Buy here.

And here

And here but I think I'll get white. So retro to have white baby boots.

Oh gosh, Junior just LOOOOOOOVES polka dots.

Mid-Century Crisis

Limited edition prints (100) that are canvas wrapped and covered in beeswax or something like that, available here. Something must be wrong with me - I can't get enough of that first print.

Two Questions

1. Are people actually brave enough to drop $39,000 at Ebay on a Hermes Kelly Bag (or on an absolute dream car for that matter?) I guess I'm just old fashioned.

2. Does the owner of this bag (a mere $9750) get ostracized at Playgroup for having this cheap-assed Birkin? I bet she's left to hang her head and scuff her toe in the sand while the little pygmys whose moms carry the first bag throw the Birkin kid off the jungle gym and step on his head. Makes you not want to carry your bag to Playgroup.

I found this adorable doll stroller at the Portuguese store Feitoria, which Irene of the lovely blog Bloesem featured last week. I like the idea of a whimsical stroller which is really a piece of art on its own. Check out their store for other beautiful hand made goods.

An embroidered handkerchief which would look splendid framed.

Shoes at Etsy!

Isn't there something very Great Gatsbyesque about hand made shoes? Even if they aren't your style, you have to admire the careful craftmanship of the artist/crafter/cobbler: The heel is made from wooden wine boxes (!) and the sole from 9 iron leather. Very natty with a pocket watch and spats in an age where white socks and sneakers are the norm. Apparently the creators live in a tiny apartment in Portland, OR with "a lot of big sewing machines" and will do custom orders. Just too cool.

Bird Nerd

Bird Nerd has the neatest Etsy shop full of birds. This green one is a linocut print and is $15 here.

I just love how she describes this one:

"This 8" x 10" print of my original collage "mod Nuthatch" features a white-breasted nuthatch has somehow traveled through time to the future, where all plantlife has evolved into sleek, geometric shapes. He is a bit confused, but finds the berries to be plump and delicious."

You can buy it here for $15.

She also has a few of her original collages for sale and will do commissions.

Another typical day

Husband: Did you buy this food for the cats?
Me: No, for the baby.
H: Seriously, honey, it's dogfood.
Me: No it isn't.
H: Yes it is.
Me: Oh. Who cares - it's all the same, isn't it?
H: You'd be such a shitty vet.
M: You're the one who fed them Top Ramen when we were out of catfood.

Note to the Pedigree company: Please print DOG on your products or at least feature a PICTURE of one.
Note to perfectionist SAHMs: Yes my floor needs mopping and no that doesn't bother me.

Think duck egg

My little girl and I made a small cake for each of her teachers for Valentine's Day. Rather than going the predictable pink route, we made the frosting duck egg blue. I love that term: It's what those over-the-ponders say in place of "robin's egg."

Guess what this is?! (No, it's not an enema.) A little frosting machine I picked up at Target. This was my first try and it came out pretty well for being my usual self and not reading the directions.