Friday, March 16, 2007

Random Thoughts and a Shameless Plug.

I have a crafty itch to scratch. You see, I cannot knit anymore due to the fact that pregnancy has unleashed my Carpal Tunnel Syndrome with a vengeance. I am wearing splints as I type this.

I have been turning my thoughts back to sewing. I came across what I think is an old Victorian idea: the pillowcase dress. So simple, so comfortable for summer, and will be so adorable on Char. I even have an old Laura Ashley pillowcase in my linen closet with ruffled eyelet lace and pastel flowers (does Laura Ashley do anything but??) that will be the first one for my girl. I will be using the instructions I found here. See how easy it is? I am also going to try my hand at tie-dyeing a pillowcase dress for Char as well. At this blog is also instructions for a dress that involves sewing a pleated (or gathered) rectangle of fabric to an existing t-shirt. I can do these things!!! Stop me when I take a set of sheets to make a pillowcase dress for myself--at least don't let me out of the house while wearing it!

Last night our lovely respite worker came over for her usual Thursday evening. I met Richard at his office and we ordered Chinese and watched Casino Royale. What a fantastic movie! It had me riveted from the moment it started. My flannel-wearing inner Grunge Girl loved the opening song done by Chris Cornell (lead singer of Soundgarden) and the special effects and stunts were amazing. I don't care what anyone else says about Daniel Craig, but I think he was a great Bond. Yes, he is a little rougher around the edges, but it really sets him apart from the others that came before him. He fills out the Bond tux extremely well!! I found this movie didn't objectify women as much as previous Bond movies have. A lot of the gratuitous cheesecake shots were of a glistening Craig coming out of the ocean in a small bathing suit, not of a Bond girl. Quite refreshing. The various locations the film was set in were breathtaking--I want to visit Italy more than ever now.

Yesterday was a big day for Emmett as well. We have started making plans to add more therapy to our routine in the form of Developmental Therapy. Since we are not entirely sure where all of Emmett's delays lie I am open to taking all the help I can get. A therapist will be coming to our house starting next month for play-based sessions that will focus on motor, social, and speech skills. She is starting out by meeting us at speech therapy so she can see how our Speech Pathologist interacts with Emmett and carries out her sessions. Therapy will also continue at his preschool in the fall. Wow, therapy twice a week and school twice a week. We are going to be very, very busy this fall. (I am trying not to hyperventilate.)

Ok, shameless plug time. Remember last summer when I stood up in my dear friend's wedding? Well, a couple of blog posts about that came to the attention of one Siri Agrell, a journalist who works at a national newspaper and was writing columns about wedding culture and bridesmaids. She emailed me to ask if she could use a couple of my stories in a book she was writing. Well, one phone interview and several months later, the book is in stores. Names were changed in the stories to protect the innocent, but my real name is in the acknowledgements . I got quite a thrill from seeing my name in an actual book that is available everywhere. It is quite an amusing read. My career as a bridesmaid is over, but I still found it interesting. In addition to funny/scary stories from bridesmaids all over North America, Siri writes about the origins of the wedding party and how it has evolved over the centuries. Did you know that bridesmaids originally wore white and were expected to fight off potential kidnappers and dowery thieves?? How things have changed!!

1 comment:

April said...

Hey Jen,
Hope you had a good weekend. I love the pillowcase dress idea. So cute, and would look great on your sweet little girl. I love your office dates. Great idea...if only Alf didn't work at Canadian Tire...lol. Somehow its not so romantic to go there after hours, with the tire aroma in the air, and all the tools. ;-)
~April