The Unbearable Vapidity of Hipness

I just read another article about hip parents today. Such articles always feature people who proclaim that they did not lose their hipness when they became parents! Their baby furniture is inspired by mid-century modern classics! They dress their babies in t-shirts with hip, knowing references!

They doth protest too much.

I drive a minivan and I am not one bit embarrassed about it. In fact, my husband tried to convince me to buy one before we had a baby. It seems, in his bicycle racing circles, minivans are de rigeur for several practical reasons. "Oh, come on. All the other guys have one."

The aforementioned article disses two very functional items that I used a great deal. The changing table is a real backsaver. (I used plastic bins on its shelves in lieu of a dresser so it took no extra floorspace at all.) The diaper warmer is one of those devices that we didn't ever imagine we would use. Some more experienced parents bought us one and we laughed when we opened the package. But, if you have ever put a cold wipe on a winter baby's bottom in the middle of the night, you know the worth of a wipe warmer. With a warm wipe, you can actually change a baby while keeping her half asleep. Try putting a cold wipe to a baby's bottom in the middle of the winter and leave me a comment about how well you slept that night.

Sure, the type of parents in the article "would rather take their vacations in Costa Rica than Orlando." I was horribly disappointed that my husband and daughter were not able to accompany me to Costa Rica this November. A Costa Rican family vacation does appeal to us. But, my kid has been bugging me to see a satellite launch and my husband has professed a curiousity about Epcot center. Hip or not, Orlando is in our future.

keyword: modern motherhood

Tie-dye playdate

We held a tie-dye playdate in our garage during winter break. I am not sure if the kids or the parents had more fun.


I made a few things for my SIL's newborn girl. She is a very long newborn and I bought a size that leaves her room for growth. The bibs from Dharma Trading Co. are the best cloth bibs around. They are large and thick so spills don't soak through. I threw socks into the ziploc baggies with the onesies for the full matchy-poo effect.


Two years ago, I made some bibs for my neighbor's newborn daughter. She liked them so much, she joined us to make some more bibs. The matching swirl t-shirt, socks and bucket hat ensemble is adorable.

Happy New Year

I promised myself that I would end 2005 with fewer WIPs than at the beginning. So, on New Year's eve, I was seaming up the blue sweater I started in Italy. The notes on how I made them with do it yourself instructions are on my sister's fiber arts blog.

While I am at it, here are two shop windows for some of my favorite italian products, yarn and cheese.





The town of Volterra really does look as pretty as a postcard. Even the satellite dishes look more stylish in Italy.