Sunday, July 19, 2009

Fun at the Library

Being a stay-at-home-mom is a wonderful thing in so many ways, but after working for 12 years, the sudden transition has been a little difficult. Life is funny that way: I remember when I was working I would sometimes wish I could just stay home. And now that I am staying home I find myself sometimes wishing I could just go back to work. I have a slight case of "the grass is always greener...". But in my heart I feel that being home with Cameron is the right thing for me to do. However, back in February I began to feel a little "socially isolated." Darby discovered that the library up the steeet from our house has several programs geared towards children, so I decided to venture out and see what it was all about. Cameron and I attended our first "Baby Lapsit" in February, and we have been going regularly ever since. Baby Lapsit is designed for babies up to the time they start walking. It consists of songs and a story and bubbles at the end of the session. Cameron and I have made some new friends and it has been so fascinating to watch Cameron "meet" other babies. The first time we went he did a lot of staring; I suppose he was amazed to see such tiny people when he had only seen adults. But he thoroughly enjoys himself and gets to clap, crawl around and be as social as babies this age can be. All the babies love the bubbles, and I must say it is my favorite part. They play 2 wonderful songs during the bubbles: "Catch a Falling Star" (and put it in your pocket...) and also "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star." Cameron is a little mesmerized by the bubbles at first, and then begins crawling after them, trying to grab them or smacking the ones that have landed on the floor. He gets so excited; I captured several "pure joy" photos that I am hapy to share with you all. He recently crawled through the tunnel as well! I do have to put him at one end and then run to the other end to get him to crawl through, but I was so proud of his first tunnel crawl! I met several ladies who belong to a stay-at-home mother's group, and I have joined that as well. Cameron and I are now able to attend play dates and other social events. Being able to watch Cameron experience life is a joy, and while it is hard to stay home at times, it is totally worth it.

So I would like to thank the public library for providing this outlet for parents and children...keep up the good work!

Saturday, July 11, 2009

Buttons! Buttons! Buttons!


There's just something about these things that I can't seem to shake. They're small. Some are glittery. Some are shiny. Some have rhinestones...let's face it. I would have made a GREAT raccoon. You know what I told Darby I wanted, more than anything else, for Christmas this past year? (keep in mind that I am a jewelry collector...). A BIG TIN OF MIXED BUTTONS TO SORT. And my sweetheart of a husband actually found one that hadn't been "picked" through. Finding beautiful antique buttons has become quite a challenge these days. It seems true antique buttons have become a major collector's item. Based on buttons found in museums in other countries, buttons have been collected since at least the 19th Century. For years, and still today, many people are "accidental" collectors. Think of that little box in your jewelry chest with buttons. Or your grandmother's button box. Those boxes many times turn into the beginnings of true collections. In 1938, the National Button Society was founded and recognized as an organized hobby. I personally have met people who have asked me if I have ever bought vintage clothing just to get the buttons. (ummm.....yes). I sell lots and lots of buttons to crafters and I love hearing their plans for the buttons. Everything from earrings, necklaces, mixed media, altered art...you name it. I actually have a large jar on the floor in my living room that I fill with buttons and it makes a great accent piece. You could group together 3 glass containers of different heights and fill them with vibrant buttons as a centerpiece. So many ways to use buttons with your daily life. (just keep them away from the babies!) If you are lucky, you might just find a beautiful, tiny treasure to display! The varieties of buttons you could find are almost limitless: glass, handpainted, ceramic, plastic, celluloid, rhinestone, enamel, silk, mother of pearl, fabric...happy hunting!