Finished some UFO's

What I've been working on this past week. I had 12 diaper/wipe holders in the works from MANY months ago. last year actually. I'm just not into making them right now so I put them aside. I got them out and finished them! yay!

Two are not pictured (one is a repeat of the blue/brown flower butterfly) and the other one I couldn't remember where I put it! I brought it home from the store and hung it on my door handle. behind my robe. I searched for that thing for ever! I thought I was going crazy! Anyway, found it. but after I took the photo.

I used two different woven tags because I finally used up the "mommy's little monster" tags and had to use something else. I can't wait for my new tags (not ordered yet) with my new logo so everything matches. See my new hang tag below?

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Jon visited Dublin with friends two weeks ago.

Here's a picture from his visit of St. Peter's Church. We visited Dublin about 4 years ago when Emily had just started walking. She did pretty good there. The only time she cried on the plane was when I smacked her head into the over head bin while trying to get in our seats. nice way to start off your vacation. But we don't travel together much now (we've both taken separate vacations since Ava was born) because of Ava. Maybe someday we'll travel again as a family...sigh...

And these next two are from Morocco. Jon was there this past week. That's in AFRICA people! So cool he can say he's been to Africa. Although not what you'd automatically think when you thought Africa.

Apparently this area is not touristy at all therefore a little rundown looking (think war-torn). The beach is pretty but if he were to turn around and take a picture of the city and all the run down buildings it wouldn't be so pretty. He actually did show me pictures and it's not pretty. Jon said that the stuff that looks like rocks right on the beach (before that wall and before the buildings ) is a cemetery! those are thousands of headstones.

And below is video proving we are bad parents. I took this video knowing she would stagger and fall. Jon twirled her around knowing she would stagger and fall. But it's OK because she asked him to do it knowing she would stagger and fall. She loves it! Try and ignore my horrid laugh though :) It almost ruins it!

Logo

If you love my new logo as much as I do, raise your hand! I commissioned the very talented Jessica over at JMC Creations to put together something that represented me, my blog, my creations. As you may know, platz is German for place, room, space, etc. I'm a Parrish and this is my place. get it?
I threw together some examples of tags I can make for the store. I need to play around with them more. I was hurrying with these. Cute though, huh? look at the house below! I want to wear it! I can't explain what I mean by that..like I want a stripped shirt and teal leggings. So 80's.

And because every element is separate I can do all kinds of things with them. Like when someone buys something from my etsy store and I wrap it really pretty I can slap a cute thank you sticker like above on it. or I can insert them in my photos below as a kind of watermark.

Again, all of these were done hastily as I just wanted to post the new logo!

The one below of me and Jon is one of my favorites of us. I don't know why..it might be because we had only been in Germany about 3 months. It was just us two (not a lot of friends to take up our time) and I wasn't working till about a month after this was taken. I'm not sure what kind of water mark I want to do. What do you like? Keep in mind they aren't to keep soemone from taking them (I'd have to actually move the logo over more of the picture). I just want to "stamp" my photos so you know they are mine.

Hohenzollern castle. Just trying out different watermarks..

Lichtenstien castle.

Rothenburg ob der Tauber torture museum

Frank biting my butt.

Thank you Jessica! I am so impressed by these. I can't wait to order woven labels and to just play around with them more!

Booster

A booster seat for Emily made from Hello Kitty vinyl.

The pattern is from the One Yard Wonders book that i also made this from.

I used 3 layers of 2" Nufoam (cut to 12x12). nufoam is super light but dense. It called for only one layer of 2" foam and fill the rest with buck wheat hulls.

Thanks Corinnea and Kelly for your help today:)

On our way home from the babysitters today.

This is when I gave it to her and she was SO excited!!

Yes she's wearing plaid pants and a purple stripped hoodie. I happen to like those pants.

Jon said they were clown pants. I didn't choose the hoodie though.

Jon arrived home at the same time we did so I got a picture of him in uniform. Ava still cries out "DADDDDDYYY!!!" when she sees another uniformed person (black, asian, female...doesn't matter. All she sees is the uniform). it's adorable to a point. Not adorable when I can't convince her that the person walking in the distance is not daddy.


Emily showing everyone how it works. I mainly made it because she has to sit on a booster when we go to the movies and the ones they have there are ratty and if it's a full house, there won't be any left.


I added the handle. It doesn't call for one but I wanted Emily to be able to carry it herself.
The pattern would have been easy but I must have cut wrong or the pattern was wrong. I need to check for errata on the Internet.

I also added a Velcro closure when it was not called for. You were supposed to hand sew the opening closed. I'll do anything including more work to not hand sew:)

I feel the same way about cooking. I'd rather go get something than cook I don't care if it would have taken less time to cook something than to go get it. And that is how I feel no matter if I'm sick or tired. I could have the yuk yuks and I'd still get in the car to get dinner from a restaurant rather than cook.
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I abandoned The Constant Princess to start reading the new Sookie book. I love it! The constant princess is really good though. It's by Phillipa Gregory. Her books are mostly centered around the English monarch with whom I am obsessed. This one is about Queen Catherine of Aragon and her side of the story from when she was a little girl up till her marriage to Henry the 8th.
Fascinating! I'll pick it back up when I'm done with Sookie:) I'm listening to Middlesex on audio book. Still fascinating the 2nd time.

Eloise and Calzones

Eloise made from this pattern by Indygo Junction. Flannel is Robert Kaufman "cozy cotton".

Why are all elephants named Eloise, Ellie, Effie, etc? I know why, what I mean is, lets step outside the box and name them something else that doesn't start with an E.
Like Kitty. That's Emily's choice.

With her hair pinned back or simulating riding in a car with her head out the window.

I think she's adorable but not as cute as the one on the pattern. It's the fabric and maybe the way it was stuffed. I think I put her ears to close together too. Oh well, I know what to do next time if I make it.

Ava making Kitty trumpet her trunk.

The pattern was easy. There are two sizes and this one at 18" is the largest.

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On to Calzones!!! I bet you didn't know that I LOVE pizza. Actually I think every one knows how I can eat it 2 times a day every day.
I got this calzone maker from Williams Sonoma and I love it! Of course I could have made do without an official calzone maker but I like for things to be done for me. Spelled out.

The dough I use is on my recipe page (located under header).
You have to add the garlic salt and Mrs. dash mixture (or your own mixture) or it will be blah.
I also love this cheese I never noticed before at the commissary. This means that they'll now stop carrying it...

ready to go in the oven..

and out of the oven. Yum:)

Up

Some of you may know that my brother Jeff is a sky diver as well as a ski-diving photographer (that's his hands holding the two people on the ends).

His pictures have been featured in Starbucks, many magazines and he's won some awards.

He took the above picture an entered in a contest.

If you like the photo (you can check out the others and see if you like them better but you don't, need to tell me if you like the others:)

then you can vote for it at this link.

Thanks:)

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I cut out several patterns and pulled fabrics but I just can't seem to make the commitment. that is a huge problem for me! I have some cotton plaid with a slight stretch that I've had since my Yardage City days and a floral batiste that I made a really cute shirt out of a couple of years ago and have left-overs but I just stare at them. I feel unmotivated even though I have so much I want to do. I want to make my Aunt Karen a kindle cover but I can't seem to get started. I have to feel motivated to do something. I have to want to. And just to clarify: I feel unmotivated to do stuff not uninspired! There is too much I want to do. Maybe that is the problem..hmm...