Back again!

It's been quite a while, I know. I've been fairly busy with an arts camp, the farmers' market and preparing to head out of town for three weeks. Yikes! That's a lot of planning and packing. Some Fishy clothes will be traveling with me in the hopes they will stay behind in New England as friends and family fall in love with them. I rarely pass up an opportunity to let people see my clothes. The pieces sell much better when people can touch them.

We leave tomorrow. I may not have computer access for much of my time away, so it may be another dry spell. I know, I know. Some of you live for my blog and I am very sorry. But life must go on. Take up a hobby while I'm gone - it'll help to pass the time. Perhaps we can discuss the start of a support group...

I thought I'd post another couple of pics. I'm not the best photographer, but I had to show off this little blue number. I might need it in a larger size! It's a version of the "Rebecca". Every style I make is named after someone I know. Rebecca was my college roommate and is a dear friend of mine. The green skirt is a "Natasha" - named for another dear friend who resides in California and is funny, sincere and simply wonderful - all things I aspire to be. The purple and green skirt is a "Catherine" - for my niece and Godchild, Mary Catherine, 14 and delightful. And the pink, fluffy number is a "Jakki". Jakki is my co-teacher and an artsy, sassy, fantastic woman. She actually owns the very first "Jakki" skirt. And rocks it out!

Happy Summer!

-Fishy Mama

Market Day

The farmers' market was fun today if not terribly lucrative. Location, or more importantly the direction one's booth faces, determines the success of the day. I got to the market when I normally do, but was given a spot on the "dark side". Bummer for me. Good for a couple of the vendors who keep getting the short end of the stick and have been considering giving up on trying to sell their art. Hopefully they did well. I enjoyed the day, despite the lack of revenue. A few repeat Fishy customers stopped by to chat (and purchase!). Friends stopped by as well and the weather was great. Marla's marvelous market crepes always make me happy as well!

Here are some pictures for all six of you that read this. Info about them: The little grey dress is reclaimed silk. The little guys in the crate are the aliens my intern, Nathan, and I put together this Spring. As for the skirt I'm wearing - I threw it together yesterday as I experimented with different wrap skirt silhouettes. I liked this one the best. It's basically a circle skirt in wrap style. I'll be doing a tutorial in a couple of weeks for those who wish to check back in.

- Fishy Mama

Those darn kids!

I had planned to work in the sewing cave all morning and well into the afternoon. I have several monster pant orders to fill (hooray!) and I wanted to fill the holes in the ol' inventory. But did I get to do all of that? Oh no. I did not. And why, you might ask? Well, if you're at all observant, the title of this entry might clue you in. No? Well, I'll wait while you catch up...

Yes! That's right! The kids! I think the public schools need to address summer brain leak. It is a huge problem in this household. And I think the older they get, the larger the leak. We need to invest in corks or something. I need resources, people.

One would think the instructions "clean up the kitchen after breakfast" might include doing something about the entire box of Raisin Bran that somehow made its way to the kitchen floor. Jumped out of the box? Hmm... However, "clean up the kitchen after breakfast" appears to mean "just leave your bowl there on the table while you wander around the house, making sure to step on the pile of Raisin Bran while yelling bossy things at your brother." See, brain leak. The words went in and then they oozed out, leaving behind the default message built into most teenage boys - I'M INVINCIBLE! I SHOULD DO WHATEVER I WANT. I had to leave the sewing cave about three gazillion times due to the DO WHATEVER I WANT piece of all of that. Unfortunately, my youngest was wanting to assert his power over his brother by creating all sorts of trouble. And not the I-can-ignore-it-if-I-can't-see-it kind. Nope. The I-hope-the-house-isn't-on-fire-by -the-time-I-get-upstairs kind.

I escaped to the library by 10:30 and not much got done after that. Sigh... There are people out there who work in a studio outside their home. On days like this I have to stop to remind myself of the benefits of my in-home studio. And believe it or not, being home with my boys is on the top of the list. I must be insane.