Fairies are the Best

Well, the fairy costume was a big hit with the little one. I woke her up when it was finished, late at night, and made her try it on - just so there would be no emergency fitting issues in the middle of the morning rush. Talk about the 11th hour! This is the last day she could give her book report without getting a late grade. I did not have time for mistakes.
(sorry for the flash photography - wanted you to see the hemline)

It fit her just fine and I was pleased with the overall effect, but I felt it needed a little something. So I took apart some of the flowers that we used for her crown and sewed them onto the glitter organza tunic in random places. We put some sort of silk wisteria thing on one shoulder.

That gave a nice, asymmetrical effect, in my opinion. She gasped in the morning when she picked it up. In a good way. She kept exclaiming, "It's even better than I imagined!" The thing is, I had imagined it being so much better - french seams and actually-hemmed sleeves and stuff. I have got to stop setting these ridiculous standards for myself.
Every moment put into it (which weren't many, by any account - more moments were spent on procrastinating) was worthwhile when we came to school. Her friend Cassidy stopped in her tracks on the sidewalk, rolling backpack and all, and breathlessly exclaimed, "Oh, Emma! You're so beautiful!" And my little girl, who is shy and hangs in the background as much as possible, but still craves such praise with every fiber of her being, beamed from top of her be-crowned head to the tip of her pink organza peep-toe wedges-clad feet.

Oh yes, I remembered. This is why I do these things. And this is why I set such high standards for myself. Because even when I miss my own mark, whatever I am doing still turns out to be impressive in the eyes of my children.
As for me, I found an hour for myself this afternoon. I came home, sat backward in my chair and watched the rain fall outside my window.

Thinking about things I don't want to think about and trying to make decisions about some things. It didn't go very far. I need long bits of time to really think. I'm sort of Winnie the Pooh-ish on that sort of thing. I have to sit down and concentrate very hard in order to think properly.
It didn't work out well, as I got a call from my son about 10 minutes into my hour-long think. Chess club had been cancelled for the day and I needed to pick him up. Now.
Oh well. Thinking will have to wait for another day. It always does.

Daily Bliss: I have a wee little pumpkin growing on my jack-be-little vine! so far the squash vine borers haven't gotten it!

Wake-up Playlist: Ray LaMontagne Let It Be Me...which was unfortunately and quickly edged out by You Are My Sunshine (yup. the Anne Murray rendition. ugh.)