Tree of Happiness Award

Catslye passed the baton of Happiness to me, giving me the opportunity to tell you 6 things that make me happy (and giving me the opportunity to stop and think about it, thank you Cat!)

1. Meaningful Work. This is so important to my sense of well being. My meaningful work this summer has been primarily taking care of my kids and it's been a terrific summer. However the fall will bring me back to the ranks of the employed, and I couldn't be happier.

2. My kids. My kids are a blast. Mae is so clever and funny, and I love her sense of fashion and self expression. Leo is my little dear heart, and usually knows when to say something really nice to his mama :)

3. My husband Marc. He is very supportive. He knows how to deliver constructive criticism. He's also a big fan of musical theater, just like my Dad - a nice feature.

4. My gal pals. They mean the world to me.

5. My parents. (I just realized that I need a pic of my Dad on flickr!) They have always been there for me and continue to be an important part of my life (and the life of my kids). UPDATE - just posted a great pic of my dad!

6. Derby Lite. Meeting this group of women has been such a great experience. I'm in the best shape of my adult life, and I have a whole new network of friends - fantastic.

Well what about sewing and Practically Necessary? Let's file that under meaningful work. I love to design new aprons, and make useful things. But the truth is, when push comes to shove (which thankfully has not happened!) I would choose graphic design over sewing. I really like to sew, I really LOVE to design.

That being said, here's my latest order - Florence. I got the vintage 70s fabric at the thrift store (15 yards, a bolts worth!) for about $10. It was my first experience buying fabric that I knew other people would like, that I didn't really like myself. Well, it's grown on me actually, but I wouldn't have bought it to make anything for myself.

I like the disappearing pocket on the bib:



I like the way the label goes with the fabric:



And I like the pretty orange button on the inner bib:



I'm passing the Tree of Happiness baton onto Sew Bettie at Craft Yourself Rich, she's a terrific crafter/blogger I met at the Constructor Craft Fair in Berwyn this spring. Run with it Bettie!