Lemonade Doll Quilt Swap

Gioia's birthday got me thinking back to my own childhood birthdays. I don't remember many of them, but two stand out. The first memory isn't really a memory at all, but a mental image of a picture that was taken on my first birthday. We were living in Pasadena, California at the time, and my parents took me to a park to celebrate. The one picture that survives that day is of me on a picnic blanket with some cake and my mom. At least, that is what I remember of the picture. I always thought that was such a great thing to do for a one year old's birthday. Low key, very personalized, and focused on family. Hippie cool.

The second birthday memory that stands out is one when I was in elementary school in Dhaka. I had a Hollie Hobbie themed birthday, and I remember that we had Hollie Hobbie sugar cookies that each guest got to decorate. Knowing what I know now about how hard it is to find certain baking stuff while living overseas, I have NO IDEA how my mom found Hollie Hobbie cookie cutters and made sugar cookies in Bangladesh in the early eighties. No idea. Little miracles aside, that stands out as a good, fun birthday memory for me.


So as I was contemplating the doll quilt design for the swap, I thought it would be fun to do something that incorporated an actual doll. And then I remembered the Hollie Hobbie birthday party, and that led me to Sunbonnet Sue, the original Hollie Hobbie. Sunbonnet Sue images were pretty popular quilt block designs around the turn of the last century.

The fabrics that I had selected from the stash also lent themselves to a folksy-type design. At the end of the day, I decided to make the applique design as a picture portrait of a little doll on a day out. A doll within a doll quilt, if you will.


The Sue pattern came from this site of dedicated Sunbonnet Sue applique patterns. I used Mimi's dryer sheet trick for the applique, and I used free motion quilting to trace around the two main design groups: the girl and the balloons. You cannot see it in the picture, but I also quilted some rolling hills and a sun in the upper left corner. The edges of the picture are framed in buttonhole stitch (aka mattress stitch), and the balloon strings are embroidered chain stitch.

The binding and some of the applique pieces are made from a very precious piece of Liberty fabric that one of my good friends brought back from London for me years ago (hey Liz). I love this fabric so much that I have been afraid to cut into it, but I made myself do it for this project. Now that it is "broken into," maybe I will feel more comfortable using bigger pieces now, maybe even make Gioia a dress or two.


I hope my swap buddy likes her quilt. It sure was fun to make.

Froggies

For MissG's birthday party, we needed a game to entertain the littlest guests and some favors for them to take home. We gathered some scrap fabric from the stash and lentils from the cupboard and made bean bag frogs. Chris found the pattern on the web - something similar to this one. The game was simple - toss the froggies into the hole in the lily pond. Harder than it looks, though.

It was a fun idea. Even the adults got into the game. Some of the froggies had to have surgery before the end of the party because they were thrown with extreme vigor and enthusiasm.


At the end of the party, each little guest took home their own bean bag frog. Game and favors in one, all by using materials we had on hand. Very good.

Almost There

Just three weeks ago she would cry when we put her hands on this push toy thingy. Now look at her go.

Say What?

We had a big day today filled with lots of appointments. First, I went to the dentist and then Chris. Finally, we took Gioia for her one year appointment and MMR shot.

We were all sitting in the dentist's office at the hospital (everything medical is done at hospitals here), and I picked up a book to read to Gioia, namely "Rumples and Tumbles Go to the Country." This was a book about two toy rabbits - a pink rabbit and a blue rabbit - who wondered what color REAL rabbits were. Rumples said they were pink, and Tumbles said they were blue (or was it the other way...) Anyway, they set off on a rural adventure to discover the answer to their question. But as they were urban rabbits, they kept getting distracted by all the nature. Trees, cows who said MOOOOOOO, sheep who said BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA. All of this was quite distracting for the bunny rabbits.

So Rumples and Tumbles got a little silly. Rumples said BAAAAA, like the sheep. And Tumbles said MOOOOOOO like the cow and then made Chinese eyes.

Ummmmm. Say What? I read it twice to be sure. Yes, indeed. The book said that the little blue toy rabbit was being silly and made Chinese eyes.

This was a book on display in a very ordinary doctor's office in a Taipei hospital. A book which was printed in Hong Kong, no less. One that I picked up to read to my daughter who has very beautiful Chinese eyes (and there are nothing silly about them at all).

You know, I wasn't angry about the experience. I just skipped over the words and said, well, I won't read that sentence. But it was VERY VERY odd.

Don't you think?

First Bday Party

A successful birthday party is one in which you have "happy birthday" sung to you in three different languages (English, Dutch and Mandarin). One where you have your first cupcake and suck the frosting all off. One where every person at the party wanted to hold you (but you only wanted mommy and daddy).

The cupcakes were good, the guests were so lovely, and you were adorable, dearest Miss G. We love you baby girl. More pictures here.


This was also a party where the dog swiped a cupcake off the coffee table and dropped it on your mom's boss' feet. Nice.

Birthday Welcome

Welcome to my party!



I turn one this week, and everyone is invited to celebrate with me. Come on in. Have a cupcake (or two).


Door hanging made from nursery fabric scraps (yes, I still have some), fabric stamps, and sitchettes made long ago from a WeeWonderfuls pattern.

You Know Me Well

According to the stamps in my passport, I have been to Hong Kong eight times in the last twelve months. And that does not even count the times that I transited through on my way to/from Taipei before moving here last October. Thank goodness that the new government has announced that direct flights to the mainland will start in July. Only on weekends at first, but that is certainly better than the current state of play.

On a related note, we applied for a China visa for Miss Gioia this week so she can come with us on our trips. The process requires that she surrender her China passport so the powers that be can invalidate it. Neither China nor the United States allow for dual citizenship in this particular case, so I suppose we made the citizenship decision for her a long time ago. But still, the surrendering of her China passport made me very sad.

Even my secretary came back into my office after I handed her all of the paperwork and said: "Are you SURE!? Do you really want to do this?" Umm, yes, I have contemplated the repercussions and am sure about the decision, but thank you for making me feel worse about it.

HK Frequent Visitor

I flew to Hong Kong yesterday for an afternoon meeting. As I waited in the long line, I enviously grumbled about the people passing through the HK Frequent Visitor line. Why are THOSE people special? Sheesh! Who do THEY know...

As it turns out, it is quite easy to apply for the card. There is only a quick, on-line form to complete. All you need to qualify is evidence that you have visited Hong Kong (cleared immigration, that is) more than three times in the last 12 months.

So, do I qualify? What do you think?

Mother's Day Outing

This has been a crazy week. We are at the peak of the peak season at work, and it is hard for me and my team. As a result, I am writing about our Mother's Day outing almost a whole week late.

While Mother's Day may be a bit of a commercial holiday, designed to get people to buy cards and flowers and things, it is nonetheless nice to have a whole day in which you are reminded every minute that is is a sweet and wonderful thing to be a momma.

People take Mother's Day very seriously in Taiwan. The restaurants and sidewalks were packed with families in their Sunday best. Everywhere we looked, we saw little girls in nice dresses and mothers - young and old - with flower bouquets.


Our family went on a walk to the flower market to buy a tree for the balcony. Then we stumbled upon Da'an park, which is a large and verdant space very close to our house. I was so excited by the farmers' market at the entrance. We bought seedless (!) grapes, corn and other delights. The corn turned out to be gross (fit for only pigs back home), but everything else we bought was yum.

I have always been puzzled why Chinese people eat chewy tasteless feed corn. Why not plant some sweet corn? Do they just not know how delicious a good ear of sweet corn is in the summer? Lately I have begun to wonder, though, if they really do prefer the non-sweet kind...But I digress.


All in all, it was a lovely Mother's Day. We walked around in the sunshine and breezes, bounced to the beat of a group of geriatric drummers marching in the park, and snacked on street food and stray grapes. Wonderful indeed.

More pictures here.

Invites

Come help us celebrate with
a cupcake or two…

Little Miss Gioia is
turning ONE!

Sunday, May 25
4:00 p.m.

The party invitations are finished! Phew.

I had a difficult time with these. First, the laser printer did not want to print my text without smudging. So my tech support (Chris) and I printed almost 20 of them to get to a useable number. Then, the cardstock I used for the invites was not really watercolor paper. So the paint tended to sit on top instead of soaking into the paper like normal.


But I wound up with eight passable invitations. They are pretty close to the idea I had in my head.

Chris asked what the party theme was, and I said "cupcakes"! He says - that's not a theme. That's a food. Hmmm. My position is that - for a one year old - I am not sure if I have the energy for anything more elaborate. Wine for the adults, juice for the kids and cupcakes for all. Good enough, I say!

On a related note, we have searched all over Taipei for cupcake baking pans and cannot find them ANYWHERE. We have conscripted my mother-in-law to bring some pans when she comes. That means no practice cupcakes, but at least it is something. Although, she did ask if we had been to IKEA yet. Stupid us, probably IKEA does have cupcake pans. If I get any spare time, maybe I will check there too.

Just So Wrong

We went to SOGO yesterday, which is a Japanese department store in Taipei. The first floor was crazy crowded, and it took a long time for us to push through the masses to get to the elevator. From far away, we saw that there was some sort of promotional event going on at the MAC makeup counter. Above the heads of the crowds, it seemed that the counter staff were wearing sailor hats. Oh cute we said. Some sort of makeup party. And then we got closer. And saw this guy.


I grabbed Chris and said "Holy ^##$%#@. Give me your camera phone."



True story. Behold the evidence.

Completing the Gift: Mattress

Gioia's birthday gift is nearly done. I made a mattress and little bitty pillow. The mattress is anchored in four points to simulate the indentations of a real one. It would have been cuter to use covered buttons in each of the four points. Perhaps I can add those later when choking is no longer a risk.


The pillow is cute too, but a little too small. Maybe I can make another, bigger one. Maybe not.


So much to do still this month. I have to:

-Make invitations for G's party (this weekend)
-Start on the doll quilt for the swap (this weekend)
-Find a cupcake pan (this weekend)
-Make dolly outfit, perhaps knit a little sweater (on my flight to/from Shanghai next week)
-Finish the swap quilt (next weekend)
-Make trial cupcakes for party (next weekend)
-Prepare for the party: shop, cook, decorate (whenever possible)

If I have extra time, maybe I can also make some party decorations, perhaps some bunting....Hmmmm. Better get started.

Hug Me

We have been teaching Gioia baby signs, and she has learned quite a few. She recognizes /makes signs for more, doggie, eat, stars, and others. This week, though, she made up her own sign for hug (shown above).

This sign derived from hugs with her stuffed bunny rabbits. We would say - give bunny a hug - and then wrap her arms around her bunny and encourage a hugging, rocking motion. After a few times of being directed, she now can hug any toy on her own after you say "give (insert toy name) a hug."

Anyway, one day she wrapped her arms around herself and looked at us. One of us (I can't remember if it was me or Chris) said - do you want a hug? And then we hugged her. She immediately made then sign again. So we hugged her again. The first session was such a fun surprise. I think we gave her four or five hugs in a row that first time. You can see Chris responding to her baby sign for hug below.


Yesterday, she was sitting in the middle of the floor after a crawling and exploring session. I caught her eye and she made the hug sign. So I went over and gave her some hugs, all on her command. Then Lisa came over and continued the hugging under Gioia's direction. After about eight hugs in a row, she suddenly made the sign for "all finished," so we stopped. All finished is a sign we make after eating, when it is time to get out of the bath, and when the bottle is done.

So she now has the ability to command a hug and to have the hugging stop, all under her own direction. At 11 months old, I think that is incredibly cool.

Jade Market

Some scenes from our quick jaunt to the Jade Market on Sunday.





More pictures here.

One Two KISS

We all trooped down to visit Frankie in quarantine on Friday. We had six adults and a baby in tow, all coming to love on our sweet puppy.

Frankie really likes to kiss Gioia, probably because she is just at his height. She tolerates him quite well, actually. She is not afraid of him at all. If he licks her too often, though, she gets a look on her face like - hey now...

More Frankie pictures here.

Gu Gu

Gioia's Aunt Lisa is here to visit this week. Gu Gu (sounds like goo goo) is the Chinese term for paternal Aunt. All day we have been saying - Gioia, where's your Gu Gu? There's your Gu Gu! It was such a fun day.

We are so glad you are here Lisa!