Happy Weekend

From Buby's garden today. Have a fantastical weekend!

Playdate Friday

Today's playdate at Lillian's house was more comedy than anything. Gillian was away at the beach, so the main players here were Buby, Grace, and Lillian. We also had two moms, two dads, and neighbor Dave there to witness the highs and lows of three two-year-olds at the end of the week. It was a sensitive, emotional morning of sharing red capes, stealing sippy cups, and bouncing balls off each other's heads. Oops. Buby did not like when Lillian slipped on his new shoes and parading around the room. Lillian did not like when Grace did anything with the little red doll blankie except drape it over the castle. It had to be just so. But there were such tender moments, too. At one point Grace climbed into the baby doll cradle and Lillian tucked her in and kissed her nighty. We had all three smushed into the recliner at one point... giggling away. By the end, Buby was so exhausted he made a bed for himself near the front door. Was he telling me it was time to go home? Lillian joined him. Then Grace {until she realized I had a camera.} Jon asked, "Okay, who's going to host the first slumber party?" I do think we could plan a campout before it gets cold... all sleep in tents under the stars. A first bonfire. A first marshmallow. A first hike together through the woods to collect sticks and rocks and bugs. These guys would LOVE it. Thanks to Erika and Mike for hosting and cleaning up sprinkles of banana bread in every room.


FAKE NAPS!


WAKE UP!


SLEEPY HEADS!

BIG EYES!

RECLINER PARTY!

Old Photo Friday

Buby's Graga is the little tushy on the left next to Great Grammy V. I love snapshots from the '50s. My mom was probably just getting her jammies on. I wonder what in the night sky brought them to that window, and I wish I knew what they were saying.

Always Next Time

Remember the wide open smile on Buby's face when he took his first solo amusement ride? Well, we were shooting for that same reaction last Sunday at the fair. I thought we should mix things up a bit and show him something other than the red and yellow Jeep. The plan backfired. Daddy buckled him in and did the kisses. As soon as the ride took off, Buby's face scrunched up with worry. I knew the scrunch. It wasn't good. By turn two, he was balling hysterical. A desperate "SAVE ME" like cry that nobody in the park could ignore. I looked at Buby and started crying out... "It's Okay, Buby!!" I know, so dramatic. Tears started rolling and then it was "We're Coming, We're Coming!" The operator stopped the ride immediately to let Daddy take him off. Poor Buby. There's always next time. Ha!

Fine Art

Woods Deer print

Coming this October, Amenity will be launching an organic nursery collection which includes these lovely green and brown canvas-stretched nature prints. Started by two art-school grads, Amenity has really proven themselves a modern source for cool. We also like the design of their totes and the large-scale nature motifs on their 400 tc line of adult bedding. Pre-orders are accepted now. As an added bonus, there's free shipping on everything.


Woods Turtle print, $99 for 24x24


Woods Flat print, $110 for 36x50

Meadow Hiding Bunny print, $99 for 24x24

The Letter B

i go by the name of: buby
i am such a: brilliant boy
i like to eat: bagels
i have lots of fun with: bikes, baths, bubbles
i love saying the word: babies
i prefer this meal: breakfast
i always have my: books, balls, blankies
i can be fearful of: bees and bugs
i am learning to master: basketball and baseball
i would someday like to be a: big brother and best bud
i get in trouble when i: bounce on beds
i can't wait to go back to the: beach

photo: flickr
inspiration: marta writes and blue house on a hill

Hometown Heroes

Meet Mike & John. On most days, they go where Buby goes. They ride his mini dirt bikes, cuddle up next to him in bed, and join us on car trips short and long. John's name is John... the bottom of his foot even says so. But the policeman's given name is Patrick... Buby has decided to call him Mike, because Uncle Mike is a policeman. And luckily, Uncle Mike's middle name is Patrick, so it all works out. These guys are to Buby as Biddy Baby is to his galpals.

Which makes last weekend all the sweeter. Buby was honored by a real-life Mike and John. On Saturday we were walking down a small-town main street in the scorching heat to catch a blueberry festival and score some pie. A firefighter stopped Buby in his tracks and made him an honorary Jr. Fireman with a badge and everything. That made Buby's day. The next morning we were walking down our own street on our way to church when a village cop pulled up beside us to greet Buby. He gave him a Jr. Policeman sticker for his shirt and sealed the deal with a firm handshake. Officer Buby was on cloud 9.

Buby's New Treads

The Crocs are all but packed away for the summer. I expected some drama going back to socks and heavy shoes, but Buby is LOVING these Ecco Kids Jack Journey boots we picked up last week. Would you believe he's in size 9 1/2 already? The shoe lady said that's what a 4-year-old wears. They slip on easily, stay Velcroed, and provide Buby with the extra support he's been missing all summer. We do a lot of hiking on rocks near water, so this style is perfect for Buby. They retail for $80 at Zappos, but you can find Ecco for much cheaper at little boutiques. I snagged these for only $54 plus tax. Fingers crossed his feet don't hit another spurt.

Zebi Baby

What a cute alternative to baby bibs. These Zebi Baby Kerchief Bibs are oozing what I call the "duh factor." That's when a basic good idea takes way too long to reach the masses. And this is a fantastical idea. Your baby can stay clean AND runway chic even with a plate of saucy chow in front of him. The colors and patterns on these soft cotton kerchiefs are fetching, and there's an adjustable snap closure in back. As of yet, the company doesn't sell direct online. I found them at the gift show. But click here for a list of retailers.

Update: Zebi tells me they'll have an online shopping cart up in a week or two. In the meantime, you can shop at myretrobaby.com.

Van and Fido

Chocolate and Lemonade

Guppy and Kitchy Rose

Lucky Puppy Goes Haute

Buby's Daddy has a pillow doll from his childhood called Lucky Puppy. See below. Grammy DJ made it for him. He still remembers going to JoAnn Fabrics and picking out the pattern with her. It only cost a few dollars to make. Lots of good times with Lucky Puppy. So when Buby was born, Daddy snagged the pillow from the farm and brought it here to Buby Land. I washed it, and now Buby sleeps with it every night. He simply calls it "PUPPY."

At the gift show I found out that Areaware is debuting a Fauna collection that looks just like our handmade Lucky Puppy for $105 a pop. Smaller pillows run between $60 and $75. They are made of 100% organic cotton and poly fill in Brooklyn, NY. Turns out Grammy DJ could have made a killing.

Les Fleurs, Part Deux

Another shot of my flower boy, this one taken last night at the park. We go at odd hours so we have the run of the place. Often it's 6:30pm or 7pm when most people are home eating dinner. But Buby and I are on summer hours. Daddy commutes, so we all eat late and go to bed late and take advantage of every ounce of daylight. Buby ran up to me with this pretty weed as I was videotaping him flying an imaginary helicopter {or "HELICLOPPER" as he says}. He stopped suddenly and took in the biggest whiff ever. Then put it under my nose to do the same. I'm happy he stops to smell the flowers. Daddy met us after work. When he arrived, Buby and I were sitting on a stone path nowhere near the playground picking out rocks for our collection. Really, it was gravel, but we love all rocks the same here in Buby Land.

Les Fleurs

He's the sweetest honey bub around. He picks a flower for me almost everywhere we go and then softly whispers, "Mama?" as he runs to present it to me. I am forever searching for creative little vessels to hold all of these exquisite weed varietals. The other day Buby collected 5 trumpet vine blossoms that had fallen onto the garden pathway. He handed them to me with such pride... and expectation. So I quick dumped out the candles in three petite votive holders and filled them with water. Buby arranged the blossoms to his liking and let out a gleeful cheer upon completion. Floral artistry, I say. That was four days ago. The blossoms have brought oodles of charm to my table.

Boho Chic

We fancy pretty fabrics, old-fashioned florals with a modern spin, and bold color pairings around here! So this Go sling I found at the gift show, $48, from Puj Baby appeals on many levels. Designed to hold babies 3-24 months, the sling is a must-have for the on-the-go bohemian set. It works for quick trips to the market and stroller-free walks in crowded street fairs and flea markets. Unlike most of the big-name carriers, you can fold this fabric into your purse last-minute and it can be thrown in the washer.


Paige and Gloria


Ginger and Chloe


Heather and Kate

Buby's Blankies

We were gifted several lovely handmade blankets at my baby shower, and Buby kept on receiving after he was born. So we have a gorgeous collection of crocheted, knitted, and quilted coverups in Buby's room. It blows my mind whenever I think about the work that went into making each blanket, and how nobody else in the world has one exactly like ours. We keep a bin of "blankies" {as Buby calls them} next to his dresser and switch them out often. Only in the last several months has Buby become super attached to his blankie at bedtime. Right now he is hooked on the baby blue one at the top of the pile. The white, green and yellow one right below it is our rocker blankie, used to cozy up during book time. The light green one is our road-tripping blankie {perfect for the car}. The purple one is so decadently soft I often throw it over my own shoulders and curl up in the chair.

The companion book to all of our blankies is "I Love You This Much" by Lynn Hodges, Sue Buchanan, and John Bendall-Brunello. I first read the book to Buby under the dim glow of a night light when he was having trouble sleeping one night. I set it next to the rocker, and he has asked me for it every day since. Usually first thing in the morning or when he wakes from his nap. We go right into the rocker, he cuddles in my arms and turns the pages as I read. I cherish this routine of ours, and I pray he doesn't suddenly decide he's too big for it.

Love Notes

this weekend...

i love the scent of: a purple rose at a blueberry festival, sausage and peppers grilling on the street, fresh-cut grass, the cool night breeze whipping across my face at the end of a scorching day

i love the sound of: a friday night jazz performance at our fave java joint, buby cheering on the musicians between sets, a resounding "yummm" from buby after his first spoonful of gelato, classic Guns -N- Roses tune "Paradise City" blaring in the jeep, oldies music at the county fair, neighbors mowing their lawns, painting their porches and planting flowers

i love the sight of: buby eating shrimp, dancing with his friend Grace, swimming on his belly in the bathtub and reading books in his bed, blue balloons in the sky, inflatable elephant games {with Hannah, Cooper, Emma, and Gregory}, buby asking to go potty on the toilet all weekend, the moon mingling with the dark purple sky as we rode home late sunday night

i love the taste of: leftover double crunch ice cream cake, a homemade linzer tart, raspberry cheesecake courtesy of jason & heidi, blueberry pie with fresh blueberries piled on top, and milk chocolate peanut clusters from my village guy {i swear i ate more than sweets this weekend!}

i love the feel of: my head hitting the pillow after an exhausting week, knowing that buby KNOWS how much he is loved, just the three of us in the house {no guests}, buby grabbing my cheeks and kissing me, buby's daddy kissing my forehead on his way out of the house this morning

A Place to Dwell

Groovy new textiles for a bebe's boudoir over at Dwell. I performed my touch test on them at the gift show... and the result was ULTRA luxe, super smooth, and silky soft. Also, check out the reversible bibs in the Dwell Baby line. They come two and a burp cloth for $37 and make a wonderful shower gift for any new mod mum-to-be.

A Fair Sunday

Our favorite part of every county fair is the 4-H tent with all the cows, chickens, pigs, goats, and sheep. Imagine being a kid with countless animal books which you read and study and get excited over all the time. That is, in the comfort of your little playroom. And then on weekends you get to see the animals come to life! We love county fairs for their simplicity, their predictability {we actually recognize the traveling ride conductors now}, and the beautiful mountain scenery that comes with. There's at least one or two happening every weekend around here. Small towns celebrating big. Tradition is everything to them, and that's one of the reasons we hightailed it out of the big city to raise Buby. Little Dude approaches slowly and dares himself to pet these animals. As soon as one oinks or baas, he giggles like mad.

Ducks quack, baby goats jump, and a calf is so patient with Buby as he musters the courage to touch

Nosy little cow

Buby's first pony ride {he cried a second later}

Buby checks out the wheels

As we were leaving we ran into Buby's good friend Grace.

They were like groupies dancing in front of the band's stage