I dare you not to scratch your head after reading this.

Top six necessities for delousing your child:

6. Several gallons of expensive, extra-virgin cold-pressed olive oil.

5. Several tablespoons of expensive, organic Tea Tree oil.

4. Several tablespoons of expensive, organic Rosemary oil.

3. Two special "lice combs" and at least 2 hours each evening for one to two weeks.

2. As much ice-cream as it takes to ply your child while spending 2 hours removing nits.

1. Alcohol. Lots of it. Not for her. For me.

Oh, and several yards of Cling-Wrap to create a turban (to cook the little fuckers.)

Welcome to Lice Fest 2007!

Let me tell you, this is the most fun we've had all summer.

Here's what you do, DAILY, until they vacate the premisis:

*Strip every single bed in the house and wash all bedding! And pillows!

*Vacuum every square inch of the house!

*Wash ALL your child's clothes because of that one shirt she put on for ten minutes, decided not to wear and then put it back in her dresser!

*Wash most of your clothes because sometimes she likes to wear your t-shirts because they "smell like mommy"! (aawwww...)

*Wash your child's hair with the above concoction, wait half an hour, spend the next two hours diligently combing out nits!

*Quarantine all stuffed animals in large garbage bags for up to two weeks! Yeah, you want to have your heart broken? Do ya? Just get a load of the look on your child's face as she forlornly watches you put all her animals in said bags and realizes that "Tiger can't breathe in there! He'll be lonely! He'll be SCARED!"

*Use every ounce of will-power not to follow your kid around saying "Don't touch that! NO! don't lay on our bed!! Do NOT let your hair touch my pillow!!"

And when, despite all your efforts, the babysitter calls the next day to say that all the kids STILL have lice,

*Try really, really hard not to place your child in a large plastic bag for two weeks.

Misadventures in craft

Birthday present for a special curly-headed cutie; my first attempt at applique. Good thing she's too young to inspect my work closely!

If I ever have labels made up, I think they'll say "No one will mistake this for store-bought."

Cuz it's Wednesday

This makes me laugh my ass off every time I see it.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=WGOohBytKTU

Preparing for her big Art Sale

The Bug has decided that she's going to hold an "Art Sale" this weekend. She's been busy creating one-of-a-kind masterpieces, which she intends to sell for $6 each. Why $6? Because she's 6, of course! She's going to set up a table in her dad's front yard and rake in the cash, or so goes her plan. She's saving up for her "very own puppy". She really really really really really really really wants a Rhodesian Ridge-back. Or a Bernese Mountain dog. Or a Chihuahua. Or a Golden Retriever. Or a Corgi. Or a Miniature Doberman. Or a Long-haired "Dutch-und". (and don't even try to tell her it's called a "Dachshund" because you don't know what you're talking about.) Can you tell this kid watches WAY too much Animal Planet??



PS. I made that dress she's wearing. It turned out pretty well...until you look at the zipper. But we won't talk about that. OK??



Here's a photo I took the other evening as the most wonderful summer thunder-storm rolled in. I have no idea what that tower-thing is, but this is exactly as it looked from our front yard.

Oh Gypsy, soon you shall be mine.

The love of my life has bought for me the bike of my dreams!! It's not in my posession yet because he had to order it, but how freakin' sweet is he? Yeah, I guess I'll keep him.

Do we look like we are capable of wreaking havoc on small Idaho town??

i NEED this:

Imagine, if you will, the coolest freakin' bike EVER. Gorgeous deep forest-green paint with brown fenders all painted with sweet orange flower details and the occasional white polka-dot? Check. White Leather seat with red (red!) whip-stitch detail and matching handle-bar grips? Check. Wicker basket attached with leather straps and lined with lovely red & white Scandinavian-flower-print fabric? Check. Bell for scaring the bejeesus out of old ladies up ahead of you? Check.

Behold the Electra Gypsy:


This picture doesn't really do it justice, so....are you ready? Here's the glamour shot:





Still, you just can't get just how GORGEOUS this bike is until you see it in person, which we did in Sun Valley. The details are just unbelievable. It totally reminds me of something you'd ride through a small Swiss village (which anyone who knows me can understand the attraction there) with a bottle of wine and baguette in the basket, while wearing a 1940s sundress, big sunglasses and a scarf around your neck. I seriously can not stop thinking about this bike. Practical? No. But really? What could be cooler than peddling around town on this?? Nothing, that's what. I'm plotting how to justify its purchase..... I need your help.

If you want a closer look, it's here: http://www.electrabike.com/ (it's a ladies' cruiser, the Gypsy model.) There has never been a more "Kate-like" bike in the world.