she makes hats

insta-life

i love to use instagram (i'm "shemakeshats") - it's the perfect way to capture little moments of life. some days i take tons of shots, some days i totally ignore it, but i always love to peek back at my feed and glance at those bits of life that would go unnoticed otherwise.

like after-bath hair, or Bon Jovi's car at the zoo. playing trivia with dad or some of the many Toms i saw strolling around Chicago.

my hope is to continue to take photos like these, and at the end of the year turn them into a photo book via Blurb - they've got a way to slurp your photos and make it super user-friendly and simple to create a book of your little memories!

owen and the drums

We just got back from five days in Chicago, visiting my family. So much fun, and so many photos!

I'll be sharing bits of our trip over the next week or two (amidst giveaways, hats, and more!) but for now, I had to share these.

Grandpa C took it upon himself to teach Owen how to play the drums, and he loved it! He's been wielding his drum sticks as weapons ever since, and we couldn't be happier. Seriously - we love that he loves to make music, and love how much he loves his family and everything they do with him.

Already missing our Chicago family bunches!

birthday wish-list

My birthday is coming up in just a few short weeks! I've had a few folks ask me what I'd like for my big day - I'll be 35! - and where I normally have a hard time coming up with things, this year I was able to head to my Wish List board on Pinterest and point a few things out with ease.

01 // Maasai Cuff in white.

02 // Star Wars tee (similar).

03 // Five-Second Baby Book.

04 // 12 month daily planner from Moleskine.

05 // Silver Glitter Toms, size 6.5.

06 // Karma Necklace in sterling silver.

07 // Blue color-bomb wristlet from Gussy Sews.

08 // address embosser!

09 // Black Leather Toms Ballet Flats, size 6.

in the grass

We went outside the other day to blow bubbles in the back yard. I set Owen down in the grass so he could grab at the bubbles while I sat in front of him ...

And this happened.

Apparently he doesn't like the feel of grass on his legs!

Have a great weekend!

Spring Game 2012 and Hat Dreams

This past weekend, we followed our annual tradition of heading out to Lincoln for the Nebraska Huskers Spring Game. Most college football teams open one spring practice up a year to the general public - it's a way for hardcore fans to check out some of the incoming talent, for the press to get a look at what's going on with the team, and for high school recruits to see what the team is all about.

Most schools average 5,000 - 15,000 fans in attendance. Nebraska averages 70,000 to 80,000.

This year we were all set to bring Owen down; it's a family-friendly event, and while we knew we wouldn't do as much (any) drinking, and we probably wouldn't see the entire game, it would be the beginning of a fun family tradition.

And then the rains came.

Thankfully, we knew they'd be coming before we headed to Lincoln, so we didn't bring Owen along. But we still thought we might get a few plays in before they had to call the game - not so. The rains poured down, then the lightning hit, and finally the game was cancelled.

While we waited for a break in the weather, we drank.

Ah, Elk Creek - last year I couldn't partake, and while I'm not the biggest drinker, I love to have an Elk Creek or two before a game. The bartenders won't tell you what's in it, but there's something orange (juice? Tang?) and there's Seven-Up we think. And every alcohol they can think of.

Once our pitchers of "juice" were done, we headed off to have a few wings. Traditionally we head to the Watering Hole, and this weekend was no exception. The boys ordered 60 wings, Wendy and I each ordered our own thing, and we hunkered in to eat our sadness at no Spring Game away.

And then it happened.Ndamukong Suh walked into the bar.

Legendary Husker defensive lineman, 2nd draft pick in the 2010 draft, current Detroit Lion. Suh is an amazing football player, and one of the few folks that can make my husband get star struck.

Oh, and he's on my Hat Dreams list.

I have a list of folks I'd love to knit hats for, mostly famous people (famous for a variety of things) that I have almost no chance of meeting. Ever. And there was Suh, eating some wings with some friends. And I chickened out!

Granted, I'm sure he wouldn't have appreciated some random gal walking up and asking if she could knit him a hat. Still ... I'm betting if Colin Wright had been me, he'd have done it!

I did manage to send a tweet into the universe about it, mentioning Suh on the off-chance he'll see it and think it would be fun. Either way, it was a fun day - good food, good friends, and a football celebrity sighting!

Would you have walked up to him, handed him your card, and offered to knit him a hat if you were me? I'd love to know!