For Shameful, Shameful Shame on Me

There are in my life a handful of people to whom I owe a great deal, who have given me much more physical stuff than I've passed back (yes, Titi and Mom O. and A&W and others, I'm looking at you!).  They are on a special list (which continually grows in length but only seldom gets a satisfying, dark, cross-off mark) of "I really, really, REALLY need to make this person something before they give me anything else!!!!"

I know having the grace to graciously receive is an area in which I continue to improve (I know this, because I used to be even worse at it than I am now!), and I know that every gift doesn't need a return gift of equal or greater value, but there are some folks who pile so much good on us that not doing anything in return is just plain rude and ungrateful.  

So I finally made Molly the table runner I've had on The List for two years now.

 Aidan liked it, but he isn't on The List for one yet, so he'll just have to wait a decade or two.







I recently learned she likes blue and white, so I resurrected Mopsy's teapot in fresh print.

And since she sent me a link to this tutorial on ornament painting, I tried my hand at it.  My poor, frustrated hand.  I had to make this three times before mailing what I had, and in the process, I learned a few things.  One-- drawing straight lines on a sphere is super-duper difficult and will make you softly mutter black words because your children are nearby.  Two-- porcelain paint pens are way too thick for detail work, so you might as well just skip the paint pen and start with the Sharpie.  Three-- Mod Podge will smear and ruin your finished work, even if you've pre-baked it.  Four-- SO WILL ACRYLIC SPRAY SEALER!  Five-- Just bake the next ornament twice and mail it unsealed, hoping for the best.

Six: Baking turns that beautiful, brilliant blue above to the dull, grayish blue below.  (Any tips?  Anyone?  I have a few more of these to decorate, but I have no clue how to seal them.  Is there a special sealer that won't make the color run?  What kind of brush-paint should one use to decorate these things, instead of using a Sharpie?  Better yet, are there paint pens for sale somewhere with super-fine tips?  Please help.)

 Oh.  And when I took the pictures of the ornament, Zeke said, "ME! ME!"  Since he can't articulate much of anything yet, I honor those requests I can understand.


My son, Ezekiel Walker, also known as "Me-Me."