Double U O M A N

Last night for dinner we had a great Smoked Salmon gnocchi with asparagus out on the deck. A nice Rose wine and some fresh bread rounded out a great meal. We were out on the desk sitting on the benches Beautiful made and eating off the table she made as well. There was an old door behind the house that she built a base for and put the two together for a long deck table. Cut roses from our front yard and a table cloth that was purchased for my birthday party, then lost, then found days later completed the presentation. Now we are all about tweaking traditional gender roles in our house what with a stay at home dad and shared cooking responsibilities but Beautiful seems to be taking it to whole new level. She is both the traditional man and the traditional woman leaving me wondering what she needs me around for. Before we got married she worried that I would make her wear long flowing dress and bake cookies for the bible studies in our basement but it seems much more likely that I will be clearing out that basement so her table saw and serger will fit with the welding machine and boxes of ribbons. The truth is I love it. I love the creativity that comes spilling out of every nook and cranny of that house. We are just as likely to have a new piece of furniture as we are to have a new painting in the guest room. The boys have the shirts Beautiful made them as they play with the parking garage she made out of left over wood scrap from the addition she put on the back of the house. She does so many things better then I do but sadly, in our kids eyes, there is one thing that Daddy just does better and it is a big one. When it comes to Saturday morning pancakes there is no competition. I have a gift for slap jacks as my little brother still calls them, and try as she might she can't get rid of me just yet. She wants those pancakes, she needs those pancakes. I'm safe.......for now.

Momma got a brand new bag

All of Kate's creative activity of the last couple of weeks is going up on Etsy for you to see, buy, or show to others so they will buy. Please click on the link and check out gear kate has been making out of reclaimed t-shirts and fabric samples.

A peek into the studio

As I have written, Kate has been busy working away in her studio just about each night this week. We had to schedule time for her to not work so that I would get a chance to hang out with her. She has been gathering fabric all around Portland from three different, but equally awesome fabric stores. She has also been going to a place called scrap to get leather samples for cheap and using those to make baby shoes. She has turned old t-shirt into new baby outfits and made a couple of birthday and baby shower gifts for friends and family. She has been a whirlwind of creativity and activity. I would like to thank all of those to contributed to her birthday present. She has used the serger and the fabric money literally every day since she got them. Your generousity is paying dividends in our home

Shirts by kate

Kate has been a creative machine lately making benches for the kitchen table. curtains for the boys room, gifts for expectant mothers and even her own underwear. It has been great to come home and see what new creation she has come up with and see the excitement she has for it. On Sunday night we were laying in bed, me almost asleep, Kate's mind racing with possibilities. I told her to get up and go do what ever she needed to do so I could at least get some sleep. I woke up in the morning to these shirts above. She had taken the shirts in the Goodwill pile and turned them into little mang mang shirts. They are so cool and look great on Finn. Our housemate Jesse was super jealous of the Vans shirt is particular. he wanted to know how she made them, I think planning his own shirts for baby Ian. You can see more of the pictures by clicking on Pictures up top, be sure to comment if you like them.