Gwen September 17, 2009

Hello to all!

This is mainly a way for me to let all of my wonderful customers know why I’ve fallen a bit behind in my work, but is also welcome to any comments on the subject…

My 6 year old daughter, Gwen began showing signs of early development towards the end of her 5th year. At first, she began complaining of pain in her breast (it’s so hard for me to say that about my then 5 year old). There was a lump. We were in the pediatrician’s office for her little brother’s annual well check so we had Dr. Joe take a peek. He did confirm that she was starting to form breast tissue, but that it does sometimes happen, so we kept an eye on it for the next 6 months or so.

Before we knew it, she had grown over 2 inches in height. Then, while applying a heavy load of sunscreen for a day at the beach, I noticed that she had grown quite a bit of pubic hair as well. We took her back to see Dr. Joe and he referred us to Dr. Donahue, a pediatric endocrinologist at Children’s Hospital. After many tests, including a four hour hormone stimulation test with hourly blood draws, Gwen was officially diagnosed with central (stemming from her brain) precocious (early) puberty.

So now she will have to begin taking monthly injections to suppress the surges of hormones that are causing this before she begins to menstruate. Can you imagine having to deal with that at 6?? She already has the emotions of a pre-teen, caused by the changes going on in her little body.

We also have to schedule an MRI because it is coming from an imbalance in her brain. Worst case scenario is a tumor. The doctors are pretty sure this is not the case as Gwen does not have any vision problems, headaches, dizziness, nausea, etc…

We’re working on getting it set up to have the injections at her pediatrician’s office so I don’t have to drive her to Children’s Hospital every 4 weeks. I am so thankful for her doc. I still remember meeting him while I was pregnant with Gwen, and again when he first came to see her in the hospital the day after her birth. He always personally returns my phone calls, even if he’s out of the office for the day. He is truly one of a kind.

So anyways, I hate to be behind in my work. I know how irritating it is when I order something and it takes longer than expected to arrive! I assure you all that I am literally working day and night to catch up…

Thank you all so much for your patience and support during this difficult time for my daughter, myself, and my entire family!

xo ~ Claire

just a sahm rant… July 12, 2009

Hey ladies (and hopefully some gentlemen)…

Just a quick post to see if there were any more SAHMs that felt like they’re not the super-Mom they “should be”! In my world, it seems the more I do the more I feel like I don’t do enough. My therapist (don’t be shocked, everyone who wants to stay sane has one) asked me what I would say to a friend in my position. I said that I would give her so much credit for all she does and wonder why I wasn’t as motivated… And then, of course, she asked me why I put so much pressure on myself.

Simple, but not really. Women have a tremendous amount of pressure to live up to every stereotype. 50’s housewife, full-time worker, entertainer, emotional supporter, skinny bitch, millennium powerhouse…

My husband does bring home the “dependable” income. My income has been classified as hit-or-miss. At first, it was. One sale here, one sale there. Now it’s becoming a reality and I have the whole package. Butt wiper, money maker. The problem is that I am still seen as a hobbyist. I hate that. My husband has always gone back and forth; when I don’t work I’m not contributing financially. Now that I am working, I’m not spending enough time with him & the kids… I’m not the only one that should be in therapy!! In fact, I might need a bit less if I had less pressure placed upon me.

Guess I had better try to get my 4-6 hours of sleep in!

Thanks for reading!

xoxo ~ Claire

The Weighting Game July 2, 2009

Yes, I did mean to misspell the key word in the title.  Let’s dive into the topic that nearly every Mother on the planet wants to vent about but is too embarrassed to admit it (myself included)!

Here comes the honesty part… This is extremely painful for me to advertise but in the last 7 years I have gained 55 pounds.  I gained 45 during each of my 2 pregnancies and currently weigh 10 more than I did when I was full term with my daughter! Deep breath.

Here we go… It’s photo time.  Here is a photo of me when I was childless, husbandless, stressless. 125 lbs.

Seriously, we are all guilty of feeling chubby at one point in our lives. The sad thing is that I was so self-conscious about my un-toned tummy back then. I think present me needs to go slap a 55 pound spare tire on past me and show her what it’s really all about!

Time for the after kids shot. This is gonna hurt. This is 180. Pounds, that is, although it could be considered a 180 degree flip from that beach bunny above!

Here I am in all of my glory. It was hard to find a photo of me since I avoid the evidence side of the camera like the plague! Notice there is no bikini involved here. I can hardly stomach (no pun intended) a one piece these days!

Here’s my take on why I ended up bordering on the plus size section… Losing baby weight is possible but difficult. Or any weight for that matter. But take a person who could eat whatever she wanted, never had to exercise, and had all the time in the world and then suck out her metabolism, energy and give her a husband, a house and 2 children to look after. I think we all know where this is going!

When it comes to food, I have little control. I know when I’m jamming it in that it’s so wrong. But it feels so right! Nothing is off limits. I can easily over eat a salad. Just give me a giant bowl and I’m good to go.  If I even think about cutting back (a.k.a. depriving myself), I begin to sound like my children in my head. “But why? I want it! No fair!” etc…

Exercise. If it truly is the thought that counts, I should be thin. I think about exercising all of the time. While I’m doing dishes, laundry, wiping little bottoms, giving baths, working……. Okay, I could skip the blog but it’s pretty obvious I don’t have much time for this since my last post was in May. Or April. Not sure which.

Now that my son is 2 and a half, it is time for me to stop using the “I just had a baby” excuse! I’ve started with portion control and will be trying desperately to work even 30 minutes a day in so I can do some pilates. It’s the only exercise I have ever done that is tolerable and brings results. I did manage to do it after my first pregnancy while my daughter napped. And I had no job. And my husband still helped out around the house. It’s going to be a long ride!

The Layoff Part 2 May 13, 2009

Whew! Tony has been laid off one week now and it’s been …interesting… I kind of made myself believe that it would be easier having him here to help out with the kids but, more often than not, it’s like I have a third child now. An overgrown, hyperactive, ADD, grumpy, extremely needy child!

I do understand that it has been hard for him to be thrown from the speeding gravy train. They didn’t even come to a complete stop. It was like, “Tuck and roll, buddy. We’ll call you if we need you.” He’s one of those old school guys. The ones that have to have things just so or their worlds will fall apart. I could never, and probably won’t ever, figure out if it’s important what people think of him or if he’s just too hard on himself.

Once my Mom stopped over and there was a big pile of unfolded laundry on the couch. Tony got all anxious and apologetic and began frantically folding (which he sucks at, BTW). To understand the absurdity of this, you have to know my Mom. Let’s just say I got my laid-back personality from both of my parents. She was more freaked out that he thought she would actually notice, much less care, if there was laundry strewn about.

So imagine having him around all day having panic attacks about small things like that. *e-g-g-s-h-e-l-l-s* Yup, I’m walking on ‘em.

I have to say, on the flip side, it’s been nice having him home for dinner every night! He’s been a second shifter since the day we met so the only time family dinners happen is on the weekends. Plus, the kids want Daddy at bedtime since it’s fun & new… Makes my day end sooner! Sucka.

Visit my website and buy something. Mama needs COBRA.

xoxo ~ Claire

Milestone Birthday April 23, 2009

I turned 30 on Tuesday! While many people dread each decade shift, I am so happy to be out of my 20’s! I got all of these crazy facebook messages asking me how I’m holding up and silly things of that nature… Where were these concerns when I was a teenage wild-child or adjusting to married life, motherhood and homeownership? Seriously, I’m just glad I made it through the last 10+ years without losing every last marble!

I have to share this awesome necklace my “Seester” sent to me for the big day. Her friend Amy makes beautiful jewelry and my Sis had this one made to represent my birth year!

Visit Amy’s website to see all of her lovelies! She also makes necklaces from ceramic, stained glass, scrabble tiles, & sea glass.

Well, I have tons of work to do, so I must get to it while the babes slumber…

Have a great weekend!!!

Pinwheels April 16, 2009

As promised, I’m going to take you through the process of all I put into my lovely pinwheel mobiles… Here we go!

First, I’ll start with the base of the mobile. I cut 36″ x 1/4″ square dowels into 3 12″ sections with my trusty X-acto knife. I’ve tried using different methods like saws and such but this is the best way to get a clean cut without losing any wood.

After the dowels have been cut the sanding begins. Each dowel is triple sanded, medium, fine and lastly very fine. I’m a perfectionist. You might even think I’m a bit OCD by the time you’ve read this whole post! The ends of the dowels are then beveled on sandpaper to give them a nice soft edge.

Finally, grooves are cut to hold the thread that will eventually dangle the lovely little wheels! Holes are drilled, screw eyes are inserted along with wood glue, and voila!

And when I get really crazy, the dowels are painted before assembly for maximum eye candy appeal.

Onto the fun part, the wheels!

It all starts with paper. I’m not much of a scrapbooker but ever since I entered a paper store to make my first mobile 6.5 years ago I have become obsessed with paper! The possibilities are endless and I usually end up coming out of my favorite scrapbooking store with dozens of sheets filled with inspiring patterns, textures and colors.

Each 12″ x 12″ sheet is cut into 16 3″ squares using my Cutterpede (by EK Success) rotary trimmer. Again, I’ve tried tons of fancy guillotine cutters with lasers and my $20 rotary trimmer has never failed me!

Just like every story, there are 2 sides to each pinwheel. Once the squares have been cut it’s time to glue them together. I use a rub-on tool to make sure they stick for good with no air bubbles or creases and so that the glue is evenly distributed throughout the square.

After the glue sets, but before it gets too stiff (craft glue is supposed to be flexible when it dries, but I’ve found that there is a sweet spot when curling must take place) I trim the edges of each square so there’s no extra glue or uneven paper hanging around.

Cuts are made from each tip towards the center and then the formation begins. I’ve tried using different objects to curl the wheels around, but have found that a thumb and forefinger always work the best! Handmade at it’s finest!

Each wheel gets it’s very own threaded bead at a different length. First I cut the threads, then tie a bead on with a mighty knot, trim the excess and bust out the glue again. When the glue dries, we’re ready to thread!

Using a regular old sewing needle, the pinwheels are threaded through each point that meets at the center and then into the top. Then another bead is threaded onto the top and, with help from a double french knot, seals the deal on the wheel! It’s taken me quite a while to perfect this trick to be sure that the knot is tight and there’s no open space between the threaded points and the inside of the wheel.

Once all of the pinwheels have been created it’s time to hang them on the base. Now, this may seem like we’re in the home stretch, but it’s actually the most difficult part of the whole process! Due to the nature of the wood base and how it wants to hang coupled with varying paper weights, it can be extremely difficult to make the mobile level. Also, the beauty of the different lengths is seen when the pinwheels are properly placed. You don’t want one side to be shorter than the other, it just looks strange.

Once everyone is in their right place, knots are tied, excess is trimmed and more glue is applied to the knots at the base as well as into the top bead (even though that double french knot isn’t going anywhere it gives me peace of mind). Clear craft glue is the key to stability without ugly blobs of glue in sight.

*Last, but certainly not least, I apply some Dritz Fray Check to the threads. It smooths any fuzzies that were created in the process and ensures that no more will pop up in the future!

That’s all for today, there are mobiles to be made, packaged and shipped!

Claire

The Layoff… March 27, 2009

Yesterday we found out that Tony (the hubby) will be laid off starting May 4th and there has been no returning date specified yet… I sent out an email to all of our friends and family to pass on my Etsy site and joked that maybe I could hire Tony to sand dowels for me!

It’s been rough ever since the gas prices increased. Even though it’s less than half of what it was 6 months ago, the price of everything else seems to remain the same. I picked up a 5-pack of razor cartridges for Tony the other day and it was over $13! A far cry from the $8 it used to be not long ago. Good thing he only shaves once a week! We’ll see what happens depending on what kind of job he gets next. That is, if he can find one at all. Yikes!

So enough of the bummer side; let’s focus on the good! Since the beginning of the year my sales on Etsy have increased each month. As long as that trend continues I can stay away from going back to Starbucks making $7.50/hr! Oh, plus tips. Not that it really matters because nobody tips on a $5 latte these days…

So I’m going to keep doing what I love to do until I absolutely have to get a “real” job! Here’s a little eye candy for your viewing enjoyment. My next blog will have detailed photos and descriptions of the process I go through to create my lovely mobiles!

My first blog. Ready…GO! March 23, 2009

First let me say that I chose this layout because it is called “almost spring” and, if you know anything about Wisconsin, you understand that it’s a huge deal when the temperature reaches the 40’s! No more winter coats for me!

Now onto explaining my 3 jobs. I’ll start with the most demanding: Mama.

I have 2 lovely little sprouts. Our firstborn is our darling dear Gwenivere, who just turned 6 in January. She is outgoing, cautiously confident & stubborn. She proved that she was determined to be the boss from the start. Threatening preterm labor and putting me on bed rest, she decided to show up 4 days late. Labor kicked in at 1 a.m. 1/29/03 just as I and my second-shift husband were about to hit the sack. Labor was quick, but she changed her mind about entering the world and I ended up pushing for 3 hours before she made her grand entrance!

4 years & 3 weeks later our handsome Henry Hirtz was born. I was bed ridden with him as well, but he proved to be our early bird 2 weeks & 2 days before expected! I was at a friend’s house having a caramel latte while sitting on her leather couch when my water broke. 4 hours later I was giving it the old heave-ho when Henry’s heart rate dropped and I was rushed for a c-section. After I was drugged and prepped for surgery the doctor decided it was safe for me to have another go at pushing. He was born the good old-fashioned way in the O.R. even though I was numb from the neck down!

I spend much of the day squelching the big drama that comes from these itty-bitty people while trying to keep the house clean enough to keep my husband Tony from questioning what it is I do all day (you know, the whole bon-bons on the couch idea)…

Which leads me to job #2: “Happy” Homemaker

I don’t want to make it seem like Tony is some sort of crazy husband like Julia Roberts had in Sleeping with the Enemy, but he was raised in a house where everything was perfect (although from how his Dad explains it I think Tony’s memories are a bit sugar-coated)! It seems that he believes it’s easy to take care of and play with 2 opinionated children while keeping a pristine, organized home right down to the storage area in the basement… Oh, did I mention I had a third job? That’s right, I did!

Job 3: http://mamax2.etsy.com

Here’s where I get to be Claire and not Wife/Mama. I make mobiles and art for nurseries and it’s truly the best paying job I could ever imagine! Although it’s only been a year and a half of slowly-but-surely increasing sales it has been the best working experience. I get to communicate with grown-ups on a daily basis, even if it’s only via the www. Nothing is more rewarding than creating a custom piece for someone that will bring their baby hours of entertainment, coos, and smiles! I have to post this message I recently received, as it pretty much sums it up:

“This is kinda random, but I was looking at my son’s photos on the Tinywater Photography blog and saw your comment that you made his mobile! It was a baby shower gift from a good friend and I just wanted to let you know that we LOVE it. It’s beautiful and now that he’s so easily distracted from nursing it’s a lifesaver to have it above the glider in the nursery. Actually, on Sunday I walked in and my husband was laying back in the chair with Dane, blowing the mobile to make it move while singing and just holding him…it’s one of those moments I think I’ll remember forever.”

So, speaking of my jobs, I must get back to them. I hope you enjoyed my first attempt at blogging and that you’ll come back to read more! I’ll always be honest about the way things are going (like listening to Tony have a temper tantrum while trying to take care of the kids right now)… Maybe I should go upstairs and ask him why he hasn’t been keeping the house spotless while I’m making money!

Claire