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!

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!

Under the Sea

"Darling it's better, down where it's wetter, take it from me! Up on the shore they WORK ALL DAY, out in the sun they slave away, while we devotin' full time to floatin' UNDER THE SEA!" (Lyrics excerpt from The Little Mermaid from Disney). Are you singing the song? You know you are!!!! Ahhh.....the beach. The SEA. And the wonderful sea creatures it beholds. Over this past Memorial Day weekend, Darby and I took Cameron to the Aquaruim at Pine Knoll Shores...conveniently located within walking distance of my dad's beach house. We decided to go ahead and get a family memnership as we will also be able to use the other NC Aquariums as well as the NC Zoo. We figured Cameron would enjoy these destinations over and over, and we wanted to start exposing him to these wonders at a young age. Cameron looked very dapper in his stroller as we arrived...I get the sense that babies know when they are on an adventure! Our first stop was a beautiful waterfall and we discovered the most amazing thing! If we stood behind the water, our camera captured the droplets! The pictures look pretty cool and I have to share them! The one of Darby and Cameron is so sweet. Next we saw a gigantic frog...I was a bit amazed they allowed it to run loose! But I managed to control my urge to hop away for a quick photo with the large amphibian. Next, Darby decided to allow Cameron to experience the "hands on" tank. I was a little hesitant at first considering it was full of sting rays and skates...but once I saw how much Cameron was enjoying himself (and was reassured that all the dangerous aspects of the animals had been removed) I took a ton of photos. The best part was when a sting ray came up and stuck his tail straight out of the water and Cameron grabbed his tail...he was thrilled...and I began envisioning the tail becoming a new kind of teether/sushi...and our new membership being revoked. I removed the tantalizing sting ray tail and we moved on to the large shark tank! Wow! There were tons of fish in that tank and Cameron and Darby loved watching them! We bought Cameron a stuffed sting ray to commemorate the occasion...and took a very happy baby home to enjoy a bottle. What a fun day! I highly recommend escaping to the sea...discovering the creatures that live there...and relaxing.

Royal Doulton Black Labrador

This beautiful figurine is better known as "The Bumblikite of Mensergh". The black lab is one of the most beloved of all the dog species. Labs, in general are kind and loyal companions. And I would know...I had one for a wonderful 16 years...my sweet baby Breezy dog. This particular Royal Doulton figurine is hard to find and highly sought after. The Bumblikite was designed by John Bromley and measures 5" tall by 7" long. His color is glossy black...my camera gave a few of the pictures a brownish tint...there is NO BROWN in this lab! Just my camera acting up...or perhaps it was user error but it is so much easier to blame it on the camera! Like the Cocker Spaniel, the Black Lab is available locally at Antiques Emporium or online at Ruby Lane.

Royal Doulton Cocker Spaniel

Darby and I recently acquired a small collection of Royal Doulton dog figurines and I will be showing them off in my blog as I list them for sale in my Ruby Lane store. I listed the Cocker Spaniel first. He is truly gorgeous and does have a soulful expression...though I think they all do.

I am a HUGE dog fan. Have you ever noticed that DOG is GOD spelled backwards? I think there is something to that. But I digress. (I do that alot...) My main expereince with cocker spaniels stems from high school. My best friend, also named Laura, had a cocker spaniel who would...uhhh....lose control of her bladder everytime I came over. I am quite sure her mother was thrilled at my arrival. However, that aside, she was a sweet dog...very happy with a wiggly tail. Cockers have docked tails so when they are excited their whole bottom wags. SO cute. For those of you who are local, all 8 of the Doulton dogs (doesn't THAT sound hoity toity...) are available for your viewing (and purchasing...) pleasure at our booth at Antiques Emporium at Cameron Village. For our online readers, I plan to list them gradually over the next 2 weeks.