The Male Perspective

Greetings and salutations! Today’s post is brought to you by the letter “J”, “J” for Jon. I’m Patty’s DH (Damn, oops I mean Dear Husband in Twitter shorthand) and I’ll be guest blogging for your reading pleasure. Patty is up to her neck in cut up fabric (literally!) as she is busting her butt to get the next set of MODKID patterns done. And lucky for me, I’ve been getting to preview them and trust me, you’re gonna like ‘em!

Let’s get down to business. We randomly selected the lucky winner of last week’s giveaway and without further ado its Elka who was #214:

Elka commented:

I LOVE your fabrics and patterns! I was just on your site to send the web address to a friend of mine who is looking for great fabric for some sewing projects she has in mind for her soon-to-arrive baby. Your stuff is fresh, cute, and beautiful. I am so thankful for designers like you that INSPIRE my generation to sew! - Elka, elka@vignettesphotography.com

A rotary cutter that looks like a compass, some grommets (that word makes me think of a character from Sesame Street), a Sun & Surf Tote pattern and 3 yards of Patty Young fabric are going out to Elka and thank you to all who entered and left such great comments. Elka, I would sew up the tote for you myself before sending but since I got a C- in Home Ec Sewing in junior high, I’ll be merciful and let you do the sewing yourself!

Now for some fun stuff. Back a few weeks ago at the conclusion of the WDT, we decided to do some R&R at the end of the trip. We settled on Ruby Falls as this was a favorite childhood destination of Patty’s family. It was a really cool place (and by that I mean cold, it was 50 degrees down there), so I’d like to share some pics with you.


Who wants a shower?


Call a plumber! The Earth sprung a leak!


Keep me warm Sydney. It’s freezing down here!


Cave Safety with The Buddy System - Family Style!


“All right Mr. De Mille, I’m ready for my close-up,”




That was fun! Is it time for lunch yet?

The tour guide told us that once we got back to the surface that we were deemed “survivors”. I think the hardest part of surviving was making it through Sydney’s complaints about being hungry for lunch. A tip for all of you: don’t take a 5 year old down a 1000 foot hole without snacks at 11 am. Do so at your own peril! All in all, it was a good time and something for us and the kids to remember.

I have just a couple more small items before I let you get on your way, so hang in there!

Our very popular pattern Frida has just gone into “out of stock” status but will be restocked in a couple of months when the next set of patterns get produced (Hurry up Patty!). We’ll let you know when we have them back in.

Also, I’ve updated the website with some new graphics and content reflecting Patty’s newest fabric collection, Playdate. Check out the new Home page and About page.

You’ve made it. You want a cookie (sorry I had to say it)? Well, I want one too but that’s not in my diet. I’m of the opinion that diets are self-inflicted torture, but I digress. Thanks for hanging out with me today and I promise Patty will be back for the next post.

Coincidence or...???



A few weeks ago I received a wonderful offer I just couldn't refuse (this deserves a whole blog post of its own, as soon as I am allowed to spill the beans) and if you follow me on Twitter you know that I was plagued with a mixture of excitement and trepidation. It is a great opportunity but it comes with a ton of work and time investment on my part. In order to "make it work" we had to make the biggest decision of our lives: Jon will leave his corporate job of 15 years and come join MODKID full time! I typed that above statement with trembling fingers because as you can imagine, the decision was not easy and it still makes us a bit nauseous. It is a huge monetary sacrifice -- and a psychological one too because this job has been part of his life for longer than we've been together -- but we feel it is the right time to catapult our business to the next level (hopefully!)

Last week we flew to Florida, mostly for Spring Break vacation but also to announce to our dear family that not only is Jon leaving his job and joining MODKID full time (still trembling) but we have decided to move back to FL to be closer to the family and grow our business there.

This has been such a crazy rollercoaster of emotions but I can honestly say that we would never be at this point if it wasn't for all of you out there. The support we've received from our dear distributors and the hundreds of retailers and the thousands of customers out there made this dream possible, not to mention my beloved blog readers and Twitter followers... what would I do without you?! Thank you, thank you, thank you! On the fabric front, I truly can't thank Kathy and Michael of Michael Miller Fabrics enough for taking a chance on me two years ago (can't believe it's been that long already!)

So, why the owl? Funny story actually. I am not a superstitious person by any stretch of the word but some of the events that happened last week in FL had me truly scratching my head.

Jon and I announced our big decision to the family, which of course was a cause for celebration. The next day we headed out to preview an empty office building that will eventually become my sister and brother-in-law's Chiropractic offices. Jon walked into one of the empty examination rooms and was greeted by this little fellow... he was just barely 5" tall and scared out of his mind. He had gotten in through an open skylight and who knows how long he'd been hanging out in there without his mommy, not to mention food or water.

My dad quickly came to the rescue. We released him just outside the door and the little fellow flew right to his nest at the top of a nearby tree.



The girls were thrilled to have come this close to such a sweet wild creature.



As fun as this experience was, the next one is not for the faint at heart. We went to lunch to a local restaurant. I had been sitting down at the table for about 10 minutes... had ordered my meal and was just chatting with the family when I felt something scratchy run down my back. You know how sometimes you can have a stray hair or a clothing tag or something scratch you and it sorta feels like a bug? Well, that's what I hoped it was, but nooooo. I swung my hand back there to feel around and was instantly horrified when I felt something BIG AND WIGGLY inside my dress!!! I had no idea what it was but I instantly grabbed on to it (through the fabric of my dress) jumped up and started yelling for someone to help. I had a firm hold of it through the fabric so it wasn't going anywhere. No one paid any attention to me except my mom (thanks, mom!!) Somehow in between screams and hyperventilation I managed to tell her I had a big something in my hand and she needed to reach inside my dress and grab it... right?! Bless her heart... she did just as I asked. She grabbed a paper napkin from the table, reached up and took the critter right out of my trembling hand. I was afraid to look when she pulled out her hand... it was a big brown grasshopper just like the one below!!! (not my photo)



Later that night, as the family slept soundly in their beds, I got a bad case of the heebie-jeebies (and the creepy-crawlies) so I turned to my Twitter friends for comfort. One of my tweeps told me about the symbolism behind owls and grasshoppers. I did a little research of my own, and check out what I found!!!

OWL
Active at dawn and dusk owls are sometimes referred to as the night eagle, a messenger from the darkness and a guide through all the mysteries that it contains. It teaches us how to embrace our personal darkness without fear. Owls are sometimes thought to come to those that are about to die. This does not mean a physical death as much as it means the letting go of some part of yourself that is not serving you. Owls with their spectral senses help guide us through the dark tunnels of fear, change and uncertainty to the brilliant light shining at the other end. If the owl appears in your life thank it for its willingness to guide you through its shadowy realm to the other side of promise and joy.

GRASSHOPPER/LOCUST
When the grasshopper-locust appears to us we are being asked to take a leap of faith and jump forward into a specific area of life without fear. Usually that specific area is one that we have avoided and is often connected to change on a larger scale. This can represent a change in location, relationships, career or just in the way we perceive ourselves.

Call it symbolism, coincidence or just plain irony but I just couldn't ignore the humor in all this... I mean... an owl and a grasshopper? What are the odds, considering our big changes ahead?!?

Soooo... good things come to those who wait, right? And we've waited a loooong time for this moment...

Would you all kindly join me in welcoming Jon to MODKID, where the dress code is always casual, loud music and impromptu dance parties are highly encouraged and every day is a "bring your kid to work" day!

(yes, that is a dress I made myself with one of my new knits... YUMMM... more on that next week... patience, patience!)

If you're into food, computers and movies (with the occasional fabric/pattern/quilting humor) follow Jon on Twitter.

To reach Jon directly via email: jjyoung@modkidboutique.com

Stay tuned for lots of cool stuff coming up in the next few days and weeks here on the blog... new fabric collection full reveal, new sewing pattern reveals and some cool giveaways!

Florida!

(WARNING: picture overload!)

Yes, we were gone for 9 days and like I said in my last post, we had something planned for each day. So here's a synopsis.

Day 1: Jungle Adventures
Sophie has had an obsession with alligators for as long as I remember so my mom wanted to take her to this funky little place. I guess it's more like a zoo than like a theme park. They don't have any rides, except for the one that takes you around this foul-smelling swamp on a pontoon boat to see where the gators dwell. Here's a view of a dilapidated Spanish fort we saw during the swamp ride:



Sophie & Jon smile for a picture during the swamp ride despite the foul sulfur smell emerging from the green waters...



They also have shows, the most popular of them being the one where a young *brave* girl gets IN THE WATER WITH THE ALLIGATORS and feeds them, practically shoving pieces of meat in their mouths. There is not enough money you could pay me to do this! Although I was more than willing to do this.



AH, and then there's the show where they tell you about the jungle critters and let you pet them. You already saw me get up close & personal with the Costa Rican Zebra Tarantula. She was so soft & gentle! Sydney petted her from afar...



Here are Sophie & Sydney with a rather large ball python (I was so proud of my brave girls!)





We also all got to hold a baby alligator but they wouldn't let us take our own pictures. If we wanted to record the moment we had to buy the pricey pictures they took with a far less awesome camera and far less experienced photographer (haha) so we opted against it.

All in all it was a great time... bit too hot, humid & smelly for my taste but just watching the girls' reactions was totally worth the sacrifice! ;)

DAY 2: The Beach
Can't go to Florida without visiting the beach at least once, can you? Here are some of my favorite shots from that day...









Day 3: Disney's Magic Kingdom

Again, we can't visit FL without at least one day with Mickey & friends. The girls had an absolute BLAST that day. They got to meet and chat with their favorite princesses, Cinderella, Belle and Aurora. Here they are with Belle:



Then they spent some quality time with Mickey & Minnie...



And even more quality time with grandma...



They explored the set after Pirates of The Caribbean ride...



And even did some modeling for one of my upcoming patterns, Isabel. Not sure if I can use these photos for the booklet, though. Her bangs were so sweaty! Did I mention it was crazy hot & humid in FL?!?



We even caught a glimpse of Cinderella's Castle at night on our way out...



It was so pretty the way it changes colors every few seconds...





Then decided at the last moment to stay a few minutes longer for the Parade of Lights...







We got home at midnight that night but the memories will be unforgettable!

Days 4, 5, 6 & 7: Port St. Lucie and South Beach

Jon & I left the kids with my parents and drove South for some grown up time with my sister and her husband. We had more fun than I could even describe and decided not to lug our big 'ole camera around so we could truly enjoy our time.

We had our waitress take this picture of us with my iPhone... not too shabby, eh? If you've ever had breakfast on Ocean Drive in South Beach, Miami, you are probably dying laughing at this typical picture. For those of you who have never been... they give you these GINORMOUS drinks, like the size of your head! Caty & Jason got the Mimosas, Jon got a Bloody Mary and I opted for the Sangria, which was delicious but I couldn't even finish it. Fun times!



We shopped, drank, ate like pigs and took in the sights, which really, in South Beach, it's enough to keep you entertained for 4 days!

Day 8: The Beach... again!

Yep, we had to squeeze in another trip to the beach before we left and this time we brought my sweet niece, Asja, with us. The girls had a blast!



Day 9 was travel back home day and it was a tough one. Our first flight was delayed, the we had a layover in Atlanta. That next flight was delayed too. It's funny how tiring it can be to just wait around in airports. Must be those uncomfortable seats. By the time we got home Sydney was sick to her tummy... she threw up on her bed almost immediately after coming home. As I was changing her bedding, she threw up on the couch. And as I was wiping down the leather on the couch she threw up on the stairs. I gave up on cleaning this time and just sat with her. She didn't want to talk or eat or sleep... just sit. So we did. For a while. She slept like a baby that night and woke up the next morning happy & hungry like nothing had happened. PHEW! I wish I was as resilient as my kids!

Anyway, thank you to anyone who sat through my Vacation Album. I know it was long and wordy. I am still going through all the names. Give me a little more time. I want to make sure I don't miss any... and the entries are still coming in. haha

Bye!

We're Baaaack!

We've been in Florida for the past 9 days and it was both wonderful and exhausting! We had activities planned for each and every day... not kidding! It was a blast but I'm glad to be back.

Did you guys know this is my 300th post? Of course not! I didn't even know until a few minutes ago. Seriously THANK YOU SO MUCH for all the sewing pattern name suggestions. I am not kidding you when I say that I was expecting a couple dozen suggestions but coming home to 260+ comments was truly shocking... in a good way! :) It's gonna take me a few days to read through all of them and pick my favorite 2 or 3 names. Most of you left multiple names under your comment so I'm estimating having to go through a couple thousand girlie names. Boy, maybe I should get busy and make more patterns so I can use up more of them.

I'll announce the winners as soon as I can! I did want to point out something... I noticed that the names Ava, Isabel and Julia kept popping up here & there in the comments so I am afraid I wasn't too clear in mentioning that those are names I am already using (see 4th paragraph down on the Name Game post). Just didn't want anyone to think I used their name without due credit! ;)

OK... I'd better get to work. I'll leave you with a little sneak peek from our FL vacay...

This one I call BLISS.



And this one I call FACING FEAR.



More pics (correction: TONS more pics!) coming in the very near future... brace yourselves! ;)

In the meantime, please check out my interview on TRUE UP. I talk about my inspiration for each and every design in Mezzanine. I also give a little non-visual sneak of my next fabric line.

Also, Quilt Home is featuring yours truly in their most recent e-newsletter... I'm SO flattered. (pssst, scroll down to the bottom of the newsletter to see a 15% coupon that expires this Sunday valid for my fabric & patterns!)

And last, but certainly NOT least, Better Homes & Gardens' Fall issue of Quilts & More magazine has a 6-page spread on how to make the 3 pillows I designed for my Andalucia fabric debut last Fall. On the last page, they even show you how they took the same designs and made them out of Mezzanine!! If you can't find a copy of this mag at your local bookstore, you can buy one at Fat Quarter Shop.

Be back soon...

The Name Game

WOW! Thanks so much for all your wonderful comments on my new studio. You guys are the BEST!!! We are heading out to Florida today for our annual vacay but I wanted to leave a little contest up on the blog. Just something fun for all to do while I'm away in the land of sand & sun for the next 9 days...

See, it seems I've run out of ideas for naming my sewing patterns. It's sorta like naming kids, except I only had to do that twice. And yes, I've actually brought out the "baby names" book a couple of times to help me out! The first 4 patterns came to me fairly easy. Lil' Chef was a no-brainer. Frida was named even before she was fully-drafted... really! Kyoko took a slight bit of Googling but once I saw it, that was it. Emma was just one of those pretty, feminine & delicate names that fit perfectly with a pretty, feminine & delicate dress.



Then came the Sophie and the Sydney... I'm sure by now I don't really need to explain where the inspiration came for those. (pssst... if you're new to my blog, those are my kiddos' names!)

For the Fall release I plan to have 4 - 6 new sewing patterns. I've already named Ava. The pattern is done and currently off to the testers. I've even shared some outtakes from the cover shoot. And I'll show you Isabel when we come back from vacation. I'm taking my Isabel sewn sample to FL to try to get some cool pics for the booklet. Then I have another one in the works that may or may not be called Julia. I'll share more details when I return.

So... that leaves me with needing 1 - 3 more names and I'm just running out of ideas and time. Here's where all you wonderful blog readers and creative types come in. Leave me a girlie-girl name suggestion in the comments below this post and if I choose your name you will receive a sweet little bundle of goodness. I don't know what it'll be yet (since this just occurred to me last night) but I promise it won't disappoint... and there will definitely be yummy fabric included! :)

Oh, and while you're leaving name suggestions, if you would like to give actual new sewing pattern suggestions -- anything that you'd like to see a pattern for? -- please, by all means speak up. After all, these are for YOU!

OK... we're off. I'll leave you with these two crazy girls...

Here's Sophie returning from day camp last Friday, toothless & painted.



CONFESSION: the tooth fairy completely forgot to leave money under the pillow that night. But the next morning I logged on to Twitter and found out she had a tough time the night before due to storms and was still working on collections (yes, the Tooth Fairy IS on Twitter) so as the kids were mesmerized reading her tweets, the tooth fairy snuck in and left the money. PHEW! Twitter saves the day again!

And here is Sydney, also returning from day camp a few weeks ago. A camp counselor had French-braided her hair and when we took the braids out it looked like Mermaid hair so I couldn't resisted a picture.



CONFESSION: I've never learned how to French braid but always wanted too. I've attempted it a few times and failed miserably!

Adios!

(P.S. Our Web Store will remain open while we are traveling but all orders will ship on the 19th or later. Thank you for your understanding!)

All work and no play...

...makes Patty a dull girl. So whenever I have a little lull in my workflow I plan spontaneous trips just to break up the monotony. It just so happened that this past weekend was one of those "I actually have nothing to do" kind of weekends and it also so happened that it was the 4th of July weekend and Jon had Friday off. So we booked an impromptu trip to St. Louis... one of my most favorite US cities! I know I've blabbed here & there about how much I love St. Louis. Not only does the city have incredible history & character but it also has some of the best attractions for kids... the City Museum, the St. Louis Zoo, the MO Botanical Gardens, to mention just a few! And every year, on the 4th of July they have Fair St. Louis... another fabulous attraction.

On Saturday morning we watched the Independence Day Parade just outside our hotel...



Yes, we all got beads and didn't even have to flash anyone! ;)



Then we met up with my sweet niece, Asja, and the girls had an absolute blast!!! After a round of hugs & kisses,





The girls did their best gangsta pose around the arch...







Some got into it a lot more than others...



And, well, I'm not quite sure what this pose was all about...



Then in the late afternoon, we headed out to the City Museum. What an incredibly fun place that is! I strongly recommend it if you are ever in the area. We went a couple of years ago and had such a blast that we decided it was time to go again...







I just couldn't resist this photo montage! How fun is this!?!



On Sunday we spent the day at the Botanical Gardens... seriously one of my favorite places in the whole world. This place is like a dream... so lush and wonderful!



And the Chihulys... oh, the Chihulys!!!



I got a chance to play with my new camera and get up close & personal with some of their exotic flowers & plants...









Sophie got up close & personal too...



Actually, the best pictures I got at the gardens were of the girls, but I can't show you too much right now because I'd be revealing my next sewing pattern collection (yes, I just can't stop working.... it's a sickness, I tell ya!) So here are just a few teenie-tiny sneak peeks:







My three most favorite people...