The problem of a Princess

Let me just say flat out....I really HATE (Oh wait. We don't say that word at our house) ...Try again...Disney Princesses are NOT MY FAVORITE.

I have a problem though. I have a princess of a daughter. Do I love it? YES! Do I love that she prances around the house with that dreamy look in her eyes when she hears romantic music, YES! Do I love the way she sings as if she is in the middle of a staged opera, YES! Do I love that dress-ups magically turn her into royalty, YES! Do I love that ANY store I go into we can't get out of without her begging for that DISNEY princess book display in the front entry, NO!!!!!!!

Why can't you be a princess anymore without trying to be Belle, or Ariel, or Jasmine or Cinderella? Why???? Why can't girls just be their OWN kind of princess, instead of being someone with a 16 in waistline with perfectly curled blond hair? (I could keep going, but I won't). I really love the movies...I mean, Cinderella really is the only cartoon character I know of who can get away with saying "Oh! Killjoy!" upon rising too early. It's all the merchandise I get annoyed with.

I wasn't that 'girly' of a girl. I pretended "princess" but I also pretended "school" and "mommy". Addie's first choice of pretend is Princess. She was BORN with it! And I LOVE LOVE LOVE IT! I just don't love that most tools that you need to have princess play are dominated by "Disney's BIG 6"

SO: Addie's third birthday is on Saturday, and I am trying to come up with a fun party theme that she will just love. As a mother, I just want to give her a princess party. As Sarah, I want to give her a tea party with dolls, or a Dress up party...the good old standards. But, being a good mommy, we are having a PRINCESS party. No Aurora plastic cups, No Belle table cloths...none of that. Just good "kiss the frog" "dance with wands" princess party.

I came up with these invitations in like 5 minutes tonight. I think that I might want to start doing Children's invites. So much in the kid's industry right now is dominated by mass marketing...Disney being the front runner. To me, once you get a mass market like that, it just takes all the imagination out of the pretend play. This invite is really simple. But I want to really learn more about Graphic design and layout.

Anyone know how to make a scalloped edge or dotted lines in Photoshop/Illustrator?

So, with that said, I have to share some AWESOME trades that I did for my kid's Christmas presents. I am telling you...the internet (ETSY being my FAVORITE) is really my answer to keeping my children from narrowing their imaginations to what Disney has to offer. My kid's FAVORITE toys are the good handmade wooden toys and handmade dolls.

Take a look at what I traded this Christmas with GEMMIE LOU HANDMADE:

Aren't these so sweet? Addie and Ian play with these for HOURS!!! Handpainted wooden pegs (and BEAUTIFULLY painted nonetheless). I also grabbed these clips too. Can't get enough of them.

And from Rachel at DARLY BIRD, I traded a few prints for these BLA BLA dolls that I have been eying for a year now.

On Christmas morning, Addie's eyes grew SO big when she saw "Sheesha" (her Addie-given name). Sheesha hasn't left her side yet. They are SO soft, handmade in peru...but the simple pattern and colors are my favorite.

Horray for handmade and handcrafted toys! Word from a mother: keep your kids away from the BLING BLING of the kids industry, and let them imagine again. Keep it handmade. Keep it simple. Keep them children.

Any of you mom's have any fun (non-disney) Princess activities you have tried with your 3 year old princesses? Do share.

The boys are charging in!!

OK...so like I have been promising...here come the little boys. I really have so much in my head, and in my sketch book right now of little boys, little boys, little boys. I just love MY little boy, and I can't wait to show you more of what is coming. This is just a taste.

But isn't he cute in his homemade newspaper hat, and over sized button down shirt from dad's closet? I just love having a little boy in my life. Ian is REALLY into BOY things...and already love to dress the part. Let's here it for the BOY!

My Little Cupcake



They are here! New ABC's for your little baker. I have ALWAYS loved ABC's and this is my first one. ABC's for little boys will be here this week too....as well as a few other's I have up my sleeve...so be watching! In the mean time, keep checking the shop. 2008 brings in a lot of NEW stuff!

B is for getting Bolder.


When I draw, I find myself drawing from my own childhood as well as my children's. I was a soft colors child...yet Addie is my bright colors child. I want to put more color in my artwork because it reminds me more of my own children. Here is the B in ABC. (I always seem to want to start in the middle). We love to cook in our family, and this will be an ABC for fun, vintage, red and pink little cooks. Don't worry. Boys are in the works too. I was just 'in the mood' for this tonight.

Mommies are fast. My children are faster.

Have you ever had ONE OF THOSE DAYS?

It is 9 pm, and my children are finally asleep, and I can almost give a little chuckle in my fatigued state of mind.

The day:

6 am: ADDIE: "mommy, I can't go back to sleep. My ear hurts." Addie was also up in the night several times with a terrible cough. Ear infection I am sure.

6:30 am: Kenneth leaves for the airport to California.

7 am: Ian awake

8 am: make 9am appt for the kids to see the Dr.

8:15: Try to feed two toddlers with no appetite

8:20-8:45: attempt dressing them and bundling them up for the cold. They thrive in their new-found stage of independence they think they have by saying "no" as much as they can and running away from me as much as they can.

8:45: leave for the Dr. I close and lock the front door and realize I left my house key on the kitchen counter.

9 am-10am: Dr.'s office: Addie has two ear infections and a sinus infection.

10-11am: scramble trying to find a willing boy to climb my balcony and break into my bedroom. THANKS WARNER!!!!!

11am-11:45: unsuccessful getting Addie to take any medicine. It ends up all over her and all over my floor. AS I get her ready for naptime, Ian is shoving raisin bran in the humidifyer he took apart on my living room floor. While I am getting Ian ready, Addie attempts to get a better look at my christmas cards and ends up ripping half of them up in the process (sorry guys!) While I put Addie in her bed, Ian is tearing up all my folded laundry. Oh, and pulled the bag of brown sugar out of the cupboard and was attempting to spread it on the couch when I fortunately caught him.

11:45-1:30: Ian learned how to climb out of his crib this week, and he is proud of it. Just when I thought he was finally asleep, I hear a pounding on the door. He naps in our bedroom, and managed to pull out all the DVDs from their cases and spread them all over the floor. No wonder he was so quiet! Addie won't go to bed because she can here me attempting to keep Ian in his crib unsuccessfully. Neither one of them nap.

1:30pm: I give up. I sneakily put Addie's medicine in her milk, and she drinks it...mostly. While I am taking Addie to the potty, Ian spills the rest of it on my bed sheets. They are pink now.

1:45pm: A realtor calls wanting to show our condo. "TOMORROW!?!?!" I plead.

2 pm: Kenneth calls. He missed the second leg of his flight and now has 6 more hours of travel on top of the 6 he has already had.

2: 30: lunch. I am not paying attention to Ian who has opened up his PBJ and is painting the table and himself with the peanut butter side because I am trying to get Addie to eat something!

3pm-7pm: Before my apt explodes, I get the kids in the car and we spend the rest of the day at IKEA...just let them run around and ware themselves out. I let them play in the children's showroom section...just barely keeping them together. If you've been to IKEA with kids, you know the sheer physical energy it takes to work the isles. By the end, they were screaming in unison thinking it was funny that they could do it together. Much more fun than screaming by yourself. I even took them out to eat in the restaurant. Why do they put Cranberry sauce on the kids meal plate?!? I will never know.

7:30 pm: HOME! BEDTIME! CRASH!

THE END. We'll start again tomorrow!

'Tis the season.

Whew! I have gotten through my Christmas shipping, and I am on a break to enjoy my family. It has been a really fun two months, but I am really looking forward to having more time to add some things to my shop. I am not shipping anything out until Jan 2nd, which will give me some fun family time and fun drawing time! Thanks for all of you who commented on the last post! That was so fun to read...I can't wait to see what comes next!

Since I blogged last, Kenneth and I celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary. I have to say ( and this is saying a lot) it was our best yet. We opted out of a hotel overnight and a fancy dinner, and ate in. We (well, Kenneth), made chipino...true San Francisco Style. WOW! it was the BEST I have ever had. Muscles, clams, shrimp, scallops, halibut, monk fish all stewed together in a killer broth served with sourdough bread. Ladies...if you haven't married yet...marry a cook. It's a great set up! We also managed to spend the morning with the King Singers performing their Christmas tour with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Laughter and tears...wow!!! The best day ever!

These past few days have been delightful! Addie and Ian are catching on for the first time as to what Christmas is all about. Addie says in her bedtime prayers: "Please bless Jesus to have a good birthday". It is so cute.

We have been making snowflakes, Christmas ornaments, gingerbread houses, playing in the snow, reading Christmas stories (Addie was a little worried about the Grinch and his awful behavior, until the end when Cindy Lou-who was very happy that all the presents were back). Christmas movies have been a hit...Addie, upon watching the musical numbers on White Christmas for the first time, turned to Kenneth who was snuggling next to her and exclaimed "OH! Daddy, I love you so much!" (with the tone of "thanks so much for buying this movie for me...I am a complete person now!") Addie is the born dancer in the family (well, not counting Kenneth).


We have been doing a lot more crafts this month. Ian painted for the first time, and lets just say...He found a new way to express his artistic side.

Addie, being the "follow the rules" type, never knew that you could paint on more than just paper! After looking over at Ian, she immediately began to copy. Who would have thought that body painting was so much more fun! The tub experience following was even more of a riot. BLUE bath time.

Head to toe, wall to floor. It was so worth it!


They learned about Santa Clause this month also. We live in a condo which doesn't have a chimney of course. We told the kids that Santa comes through the front door to bring us presents on Christmas Eve. Well, Addie, not knowing when Christmas Eve is, told Ian the other day (who loves to play on the mat in front of the front door) "HURRY!!! MOVE AWAY!! you are going to get hurt and bonked on the head! Santa is coming!!!" Ian hasn't played in front of the door since.

Christmas Songs: Oh, this is a fun one. They know them all by heart. Even Ian, our little low-pitched (is he on pitch?) singer LOVE to sing "angels we have heard on high" with the runs and everything. Today in church, Kenneth was leading the music. I was having a little wrestle with Ian, and Addie escaped up to the stand where Kenneth was conducting the congregation. Well, Addie stood right beside him, opened up her little hymn book and starting singing "Glory to God in the highest!!! Peace on earth good will to men!!!!" It was all just too darling, until He picked her up to take her back to her seat, upon which she started screaming. He was ruining her performance! Come on now!

Well, I am vowing to blog more. I will post pics of our Christmas events. Let the festivities begin! This actually will be the most quiet Christmas we have had since we were married 7 years ago. We are staying home for Christmas...no travel (our parents live on opposite sides of the country), no school deadlines (Kenneth graduated with his masters in the spring), no performances (I played "Mary" in the musical production "Savior of the World" for three Christmases in a row), and no pregnancies (I was in pre-term labor with both Addie and Ian over the Christmas holiday in 2004 and 2005). Yay! We are looking forward to a cozy Christmas.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!