What a tiny, perfect, little world. Lounging on the beach, getting ready to swim back to the boat for dinner and drinks. Those tiny plastic people have got it good.

Do you think they worry about how much weight their children are gaining, whether the kid sitting next to them at the Dr. office had the flu or how they’re possibly going to get the next H1N1 vaccine?

Do you they ever think about heart attacks and cancer, chemo and quadruple bypass surgery? Making sure that the people they love, know they’re loved?

Do they worry about milk production and recurring duct infections? Balancing the needs of a child with the needs of yourself? Remembering why two people fell in love and had a child in the first place?

Do they lay awake at night worring about saving accounts and retirement? The food industry and lead paint? An ailing family dog’s liver and the upcoming holiday shopping season?

Nope. The only thing they have to worry about is whether to choose a pina colada or a beer.

Being a tiny plastic miniature sure does have it’s benefits.

Originally published at Indie Shopper. You can comment here or there.

One of my favorite places in the entire world got mentioned in Mothering! Way to go, Baby Cafe!

I bought a digital subscription just so I could read it and share with you guys (click on image for larger size). I’m really so proud of all the work the ladies behind the El Paso Baby Cafe do. They can’t begin to imagine the cascading effect their actions have started. It’s hard to remember now but breastfeeding Jackson was really difficult in the beginning. I had breast surgery 6 years ago and all the experts insisted that breastfeeding would be impossible. Because of the education and support I received immediately after leaving the hospital, I’m proud to say that Jackson is a happy and healthy (except for the little cold he has now!) 100% breastfeed baby.

Would he have been fine on formula? Absolutely. I am by no means knocking anyone’s parenting choices. Breastfeeding my son was a personal challenge that, like labor, hurt terribly at times and made me question just how much I could handle. As it turns out, I can handle quite a bit. I am a more confident and secure mother because I succeeded at something everyone told me just wouldn’t be possible.

Thank you, Libby, for bringing The Baby Cafe to El Paso. I will never forget the time spent in your chairs…laughing, crying, sharing. See you tomorrow!

Originally published at Indie Shopper. You can comment here or there.

Originally published at Indie Shopper. You can comment here or there.

The number one question we get these days is “When are you going to have another one?” Most of the time I just smile and make a joke about sleep or poop, they nod and the conversation moves forward. If he had more than just a few minutes to spare, I would tell “Mr. So-And-So” how I really felt about being pregnant again…

How it took almost 4 months before I felt like myself again, and that while I was falling in love with my new little boy, I wasn’t so sure about how motherhood was fitting.  Sure, Mr. So-And-So, everything worked out in the end but it was a tough road for a while there and quite frankly, I’m not sure if I’m ready quite so soon.

I would proudly pull out some of the pre-pregnancy jeans that finally fit again and defensively explain that while I luckily went down to my normal weight pretty quickly, my body had forever changed and muffin-topping out of my old skinny jeans was not my idea of sexy. Thank you very much.

The conversation would then go down the “Torn-Every-Direction” road where I would probably shed a few tears over wishing I had more hours in the day to devote to my business while never having to miss all those amazing early bedtime moments Jackson and Jim get to share.

And it wouldn’t be a normal dialog these days if I didn’t talk about my boobs. Heh, my boobs…I wish. And the thought of nursing another baby…more tears.

Finally, the conversation would end, as Mr. So-And-So desperately looked for someone to save him from this lunatic mother, with me lovingly remembering what it felt like to be pregnant. That it felt like holding the most beautiful little secret in your belly for 9 months. Sure, the heartburn and pelvic pain was no walk in the park but I, quite happily, would and will do it all over again. In due time.

You see, although I’m not a religious person, being pregnant was as close to sacred that I’ll ever get. And knowing that I’ll only experience this a few times in my life, I’m really not in any hurry.

Originally published at Indie Shopper. You can comment here or there.

“I don’t like myself, I’m crazy about myself.” - Mae West

Originally published at Indie Shopper. You can comment here or there.

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Originally published at Indie Shopper. You can comment here or there.

FYI: It’s a pretty good bet that there will be more Halloween pictures on Monday! Just thought I would warn you.

Originally published at Indie Shopper. You can comment here or there.

Jackson is going to be Nacho Libre for Halloween this year and since he’s folically challenged, I was in need of a baby wig. From the beginning, I was pretty sure that a beanie would work as a skull cap but I had no idea what to use for hair. At one point, while at Hobby Lobby, I had brown curling ribbon, doll curls and yarn in my basket. Terrible options, I know, but I was running out of time, people! And then, as if by divine intervention, I saw a little girl running around with a pink boa…a boa…of course! So, there you have it. Jackson is ready for his Lucha Libre debut and in celebration, I’ve prepared a super easy tutorial on how to make a fluffy wig for a baby.

Visit Tried & True for the tutorial!

Originally published at Indie Shopper. You can comment here or there.

Crowbar? Check.
Bloody machete? Check.
Two sharp new teeth? Check.
Dirty diaper? Check.
A scream to wake the dead? Check and check.

Undead beware…the Zombie Hunter is on the loose and he’s armed to the teeth!

Originally published at Indie Shopper. You can comment here or there.

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Originally published at Indie Shopper. You can comment here or there.

We’ve been in the market for a reasonably priced floor lamp for a while now but as most of you can recall, we’re a bit particular when it comes to home furnishings. We saw this lamp in the corner of one of our favorite antique stores and well, I had to have it! It’s a old medical examining lamp. Cool, huh? It takes your standard compact fluorescent light bulb and is sturdy enough that a certain 9 month old little boy can pull up and it won’t come crashing down. And I even like the color.

The fact that we can use if if we ever need to extract a tooth at home totally adds to my love of this lamp. Because, well, you never know.

Originally published at Indie Shopper. You can comment here or there.

Well, Little Boy, it’s been 9 months and cliche as it may sound, your Mama can’t imagine where all the time has gone. You are such a different baby from the last time I wrote one of these posts at 6 months. From sitting up to crawling everywhere to pulling up on all the furniture, what a difference three months can make! And that smile? You could melt snowcones with that smile. Oh the trouble you’re going to get out of with that grin!

Of course, Mama worries nonstop about you. Are you crawling enough? Are your legs bowed? Do you babble enough? Are you happy?

That last one gets me every time. Are you happy, my sweet little boy? Do you dream of sweet things like puppies licking your toes, Papa flying you around or endless cuddles with Mama? Those are just the beginning, Jackson. The world is filled with amazing sights to see and stories to be told. I hope you have dreams large enough to store them all.

You’re not the only one who has grown, you know. While you were learning how to crawl, I was right there with you, learning how to be a Mama. You think you fell all the time in the beginning? You should have seen me! Overwhelmed, exhausted and unsure. We’re having so much fun now, I have a hard time remembering how tough it used to be. I’m wonderfully grateful that you’re sleeping through the night and taking 2+ naps during the day but a part of me always wonders when you’ll wake up so that I can see your silly face.

I love to see that face. Sometimes, when you’re playing and the light is just right, I see the man you’re going to be. A good man, a happy man. A man with a smile large enough to light the world.

Originally published at Indie Shopper. You can comment here or there.

It’s gotten quite silly in the Brady household. Seriously silly, much more then ever before. I mean, who are we kidding? We’ve always been light-hearted and fun but at the same time, it’s always been in both our personalities to hold on, ever so slightly, to dignity and strength. Heh, those days have definitely gone out with the poop stained wash. Who needs elegance when you’re having so much fun?!

There is a whole list of things I thought would end as soon as we had a kid. Actually, they were some of the reasons we put off having kids for so long. Things like eatting nachos at midnight (ugh, this has got to stop), taking mid-day naps (a family that naps together?), watching movies or reading books (it might take a little longer) and just the over all silliness that comes when you don’t have a little one relying on you. I was so worried about all the silly things we wouldn’t be able to do anymore, I forgot to consider the fun new arsenal that accompanies childhood. It turns out that having Jackson has made us a little crazy!

I love that at any given moment you’ll find all three of us crawling around the house like elephants, that my feet often dance their own little jig and that I’ve discovered a language that only little boys seem to understand. I don’t take myself or anyone else so seriously anymore. Why worry about all the small things when you could be jumping around the room while clapping and dancing…waiting for one silly toothless grin.

(not for long…the two bottom teeth will be here any day now!)

Originally published at Indie Shopper. You can comment here or there.

What an amazing Summer it’s been. In what seems like a blink, Jackson has moved from an adorable helpless baby to a sweet mobile little boy. He’s all over the place now! More work for Mama, of course, but tons of fun as well. I’m really quite taken with this little boy.

In addition to all the fun things Jack Jack has been up to, we’ve had quite a few not-so-much-fun things happen. Our laptop crashed, our pipes were leaking and our hot water heater gave out…all within one week. Fun, huh?

That’s life, I guess.

Originally published at Indie Shopper. You can comment here or there.

I’ve taken to walking around thrift stores lately. Ok, ok, those of you who are my regular readers (my sisters and mom) know this is nothing new but now it’s really a necessity. Seriously.

As with most babies (I think?), Jackson does so much better when we spend a couple hours out and about. Has to be the extra stimulation, poops him out quite nicely. So, on days when I’m not at The Baby Cafe or meeting my Mom for lunch, I like to do something, anything, around town. Some days we visit the Museum of Art downtown, other days we walk to the Desert Botanical Gardens which are practically across the street.

Most of the time we end up walking around a store (Target, Marshall’s, ToysRUs), eying things we really don’t need and all too often, walking out with said unnecessary purchases. Consumerism at it’s best worst. Buying things you don’t really need nor do you have a place to put them is just silly.

So, lately we’ve enjoyed walking around thrift stores. I’m much less likely to purchase random things (unless I absolutely must have it, like the vintage “Celebration Glasses” above!) and even if I do, most purchases are only a couple bucks. Thereby, allowing me to save money for the really important things in life…like shoes. And I think that’s definitely something worth celebrating!

Originally published at Indie Shopper. You can comment here or there.

Zefram and The Tomatoes, August 2009, Cannon Rebel XT

Finally! For some reason, these tomatoes are taking forever to come in. Hurry up little ones…I want to eat you!

Originally published at Indie Shopper. You can comment here or there.

I went looking for some thrifted handkerchiefs to make little wash bags with for Jackson’s herbal bath and these are what I came home with! I’m sure. There’s no way I’m going to wash anything with these adorable handkerchiefs, much less a poopy bum (as cute as it may be.) My mother came over and was quite smitten with them as well. Hope you enjoy them, Mom!

The box was almost as cute as the kerchiefs so I just had to show you guys. They definitely don’t make packaging like this anymore. Although, I was quite taken with the Twist line of cleaning supplies at Sun Harvest yesterday. They already get points for their nice minimal approach to packaging but to include directions on how to turn the label into a bird feeder?! Brilliant.

Makes me want to do a complete overhaul of all things Gerbera!

Originally published at Indie Shopper. You can comment here or there.

First Visit to Art Museum, July 2009, Casio EX-S10

Disclaimer: I absolutely adore Jackson and I consider myself quite fortunate to be his mother but sometimes…

Yesterday was not the best “Mommy” day. Jackson was fussing, crying, teething and, what felt like, a million other bad “ing” words. He’s such an easy baby for the most part that when he’s not…well, it kinda hits me like a brick. My silly visions of having an adorable baby playing quitely at the feet of my sewing machine haven’t come true (except for the adorable part!) and my unfair efforts at trying to “do it all” only frustrate us more. Not fair to Jackson and a dangerous trap for me.

Yesterday I had plans. Things I wanted to get done. Jackson just had one thing on his agenda…get carried around. Unfortunately, his people didn’t communicate well with my people and we had a bit of a scheduling conflict. I tried hard to make it work in the morning but by noon (when Jim comes home for lunch), I was exhausted. Admitting defeat, we took off to explore downtown El Paso, Cafe Mayapan and El Paso Museum of Art (where Jackson was quite fond of modern art.)

I saw an episode of Oprah a couple months ago (heh, never thought I would be quoting the Oprah) where mothers were telling the dirty side of mothering and one woman said something like “You always love your children but you may not always love being a mother.” I heard that and it rang so clear and true that I couldn’t help the tears welling up in my eyes. It was so nice to hear someone say that it was ok to have off days and even though, at that moment, you’re not absolutely head over heels crazy about your wailing child…it’s ok.

I always thought, deep down inside, that I would be a great mother. I have a pretty strong nurturing instinct, get along great with kids and have had the greatest instructor on unconditional love, my mother. So when Jackson came along and I found myself in moments when I wasn’t being the best mother I knew I could be, I felt absolutely terrible. Jackson is just a sweet tiny little baby. He deserves a mother with endless patience, plentiful kisses and all the other great mothering traits everyone else seems to have. Definitely not one who sometimes rolls her eyes when he cries or purposely latches him on just so that she can update her blog. *shame*

So, yeah, sometimes there are bad days when I wonder what I’ve done to my life, if maybe this wasn’t what I was meant for. But then Jackson will reach out to me for the first time or giggle uncontrollably when I walk into a room and I know. I just know…

That this crazy, intense, eternal love I have for him is enough. It will carry me up and above the learning curve to being a good mother.

Originally published at Indie Shopper. You can comment here or there.

“I dreamed I was a butterfly, flitting around in the sky; then I awoke. Now I wonder: Am I a man who dreamt of being a butterfly, or am I a butterfly dreaming that I am a man?”
- Chuang Tzu

Originally published at Indie Shopper. You can comment here or there.

(My cousin was asking me some questions about starting up an online shop and what was going to be just a quick reply ended up being almost a novel. I thought I would post it here to just in case anyone is interested!)

Ok, here’s what I would do if I was starting a new shop today:

1. Open an Etsy account FIRST. You’ll get an idea if the products you make have a viable market and you’ll start making money quickly. Nice to have some dough to help with business stationary and website hosting. I know there are a tooooon of sites available to help make your Etsy shop a success. I really like this one: http://www.oneprettything.com/?page_id=3089

2. Go to The Switchboards. I started a forum for creative women in business and there are a million posts (ok, not a million. but alot still!) on how to start and run a website. You’ll also find info on how to get your legal stuff in order. You can make up to $300 (I think) before you have to start listing your hobby as a business. Uncle Sam will always get his money in the end. Best to do it before an audit.

3. Get business cards. Look around and find the best price. I would suggest staying away from free ones. Pass them out like crazy. Everytime someone even looks at your purse, give them a card. Everyone who gets a bag from you also gets a few business cards to pass out! It’s ok to direct them to your etsy site at first.

4. Work on website. Etsy is great but sometimes you’re not really taken seriously if you don’t have your own site. BUT if it’s between not having a site and having one that’s poorly done…I would go with no website. Take time to really work on your shop identity. You’re not really selling bags…you’re selling an image and identities are rarely successful if they’re all over the place. Work on your name and logo (Switchboards can be really helpful to bounce ideas off people!).

As for web designers, I began with FrontPage, upgraded to Dreamweaver (what I would suggest for you) and just a few years ago, graduated to hiring a web designer to work on all the shopping cart stuff. I designed my site and she made it functional. Not cheap but definitely an option in the future. Give yourself plenty of time to make it perfect. Your website needs to be an extension of your identity.

Definitely buy your own domain and hosting. And if you have the time, start learning html. (this kid’s site really helped me at the beginning: http://www.lissaexplains.com/) Use Mal’s Shopping Cart and PayPal to process orders. You can print labels to ship directly from PP.

Start practicing with taking good pictures. We have a great tutorial on TSB: http://www.theswitchboards.com/articles_professionalphotos.html. In fact, the whole articles section is pretty helpful: http://www.theswitchboards.com/switchboards_articles.html

BUT I would start with Etsy first. Who knows?! Maybe you’ll make so many sales that you’ll just hire someone to do your site eventually or you’ll be so happy with your customers, you’ll just stick to selling on etsy.

There are a million other things you’ll still have to figure out but this is a good beginning! Go to The Swichboards, you’ll get tons of information to help you start.

And as always, feel free to contact me ANYTIME if you need help!

All My Love, Vanessa

Originally published at Indie Shopper. You can comment here or there.