I've been making these Lumpling applique pictures the past few days. I'm so nervous about Hans' tests next week that I haven't been able to concentrate on starting a new herd of Lumps, but these appliques have kept my hands busy.

Hans isn't feeling well... he's caught the same icks that I had a few days ago. He's home from work today and trying to sleep through this. He's desperate to catch a break; the shingles just stopped itching like mad a few days ago and now this awful cold.

I know Hans mentioned Robin on his journal the other day. We've been following Robin's story through his girlfriend's livejournal since last fall. I was blown away when I checked Melisa's livejournal on the 21st to learn that Robin had passed away. He was diagnosed with stomach cancer last August...the day after Hans' surgery. They had just found out that the cancer had returned at the end of July... it just all seems so sudden to me...so fast.

One time, Sonja's (Hans' sister) doctors told her parents that her time had come, to gather the family to say our final goodbye. I was pregnant with Ella at the time and Finn was two. We flew up to Chicago immediately; sad and scared. When we walked into that hospital room, Sonja looked gorgeous. Sonja stayed strong for about a year and a half after that, before we lost her.

So maybe I thought it would be longer for Robin... I'm just so sad for his family. Even though I don't really know them. I'm thinking of them.

Hans brought these beautiful roses to me the other day, and I'm so in love with them (him too!).

I'm not sure what I'm going to do with those Lumpling appliques. Should I frame them, or make them into little pillows?

It's been a big week around here. Yesterday, August 18th, marks the one year anniversary of Hans' first surgery to remove the stomach cancer. I can't even begin to say how much it means to me to reach this. Hans has been through so much this past year... so much pain. Days where we just hold our breath to get through it and hope that when we wake up in the morning that life will be better for him, and then realize that we are just grateful to wake up at all.

On a lighter...and crazier...note; yesterday Hans came home from work and handed a UPS box to me, claiming that the UPS man had delivered to our side door instead of the front. I was confused and told him that the UPS guy had delivered some mohair to me earlier and he definitely came to the front door. Hans shrugged and told me that he was pretty sure that this was something that he had ordered for my birthday, but that I had to open it now because it might spoil.

Oh crap, I thought, he's bought a fish for me. Or food...maybe I was lucky and it was chocolate. Anyway, I cut into the box and right there, nestled in bubble wrap, is a set of shiny keys. Shiny Keys. Shiny. Keys. My mind was totally blank. And then I started crying as it dawned on me that these shiny keys must belong to a shiny car.

Somehow he had managed to buy a new minivan for us. I really should have been suspicious when he said that he had made an appointment for the old car to get an oil change that morning. I always have to nag for weeks before that happens.

We've never had a new car. And seriously, I don't know how he managed to get this one. When I asked if we could afford this, he told me to hush and not worry about it. Worry is so my middle name. Amy Worry Rue. But I'm trying not to worry.

I do love this shiny mini. And it loves me too. The kids are so happy they can't see straight.

Ella in her beautiful dress that I found on Ebay. It's handmade with embroidery on the collar and puff sleeves. The best part is that it came with an organdy pinafore, just like my mom wore as a child. Ella looks like an angel in it. She was so proud, she sighed and said that when people tell her how pretty her dress is, because of course they will, she would tell them that it came straight out of the mail box.

When Finn was just a tiny boy we lived in a small community called Tate. We had a little white cottage with a picket fence and a riot of flowers. Our house was sweet, but very small, and we had to move on to a bigger shell. Our neighbor was an extra sweet widow, Mrs. Forrester, and she would come over to admire Finn on pleasant days. One day, Mrs. Forrester looked at Finn and said, "lord, when that little boy gets older you're going to have to beat the girls away from the door with a broom handle."

when Finn looks like this, I start polishing my broom handle.

The Lumpling adoption went well and everyone was adopted in about thirty minutes.

I was surprised at how popular Goober here was! I didn't know how he would be received, but he had the most requests and I think we'll have more Goober Lumps in the future.

A couple of people wrote and told me that they couldn't get the new page to load, even when refreshing. I really wish that I was more computer savvy to know what to tell them, but I'm not. All I can say is that the new guys were definitely there!

I'm looking into getting shopping cart software for the amy rue site. Where I could state that the quantity is just 1 and it would put a sold notice up as soon as someone purchased the Lumpling. Right now it's an email frenzy where people write to me asking if a Lumpling is still available and I'm writing back to everyone as fast as possible, while updating the site with adopted notices, and getting paypal invoices ready. I really hate telling someone that a Lumpling is already adopted. If there is a way to do this with the Paypal shopping cart, then I haven't figured it out yet!

Hello Everyone!

Do you hear the pitter patter of little Lumpling feet?

Here comes a new Lumpling herd!

http://www.amyrue.com

They will all go online on:Thursday, August 17th at 1pm Eastern Standard

If you see a Lumpling that you would like to adopt, please email me at amy@amyrue.com andI will send a Paypal invoice your way or a note letting you know the Lumpling was already snatched up.

Remember to ‘refresh’ the adopt page every few minutes, because I start putting up the ‘adopted’ notices as soon as I can!

I have more than just Lumplings in the shop now; there are little carryalls, pillows, soaps and other fun items. If there is something that you would like to add to your invoice, just let me know!

Sometimes Lumplings go very fast and I will be typing my little heart out replying to emails, but I do reply to every email. If you don’t hear back from me, please check your ‘spam’ folder… sometimes those emails are sneaky.

Adoption fees are Paypal only.

Shipping for one Lumpling $6.00 in North America and $8.00 International.

Please remember that Lumplings should be considered choking hazards with wee babies under age three.Or anyone who likes to gnaw on little animals. You know who you are.

Thank you!

Amy

New Pillows!

Hola!

There are four new pillows at amyrue.com!

If you see a pillow that you would like to adopt, email amy@amyrue.com

Shipping is $6.00 for one pillow in the US and usually a couple of dollars more for international.

Payments are through Paypal and I will send an invoice to you. Please let me know if there are other items in the shop that you would like for me to add to the invoice.

If the pillow has already been adopted, I will email you and explain. I update frequently, so hopefully that can be avoided!

xoxo

Amy

Here is a wee peek at some pillows that will go up at amyrue.com tomorrow morning!

No set time... It's the weekend and I have this ongoing fantasy that the children will let us sleep in. They never do. Too many important things for them to be doing; like tormenting each other and watching cartoons. One day they will realize just how great sleep is... and I will be there to laugh at them.

I've also got a pretty decent sized herd (good thing that didn't read 'turd') of Lumplings getting ready to launch next week. I will be emailing the Lumpling List with that update, so competition will be fierce! I'll update the blog with the date and time too.

Finn just finished his first full week of 1st grade! We are trying to find our rhythm with our new schedule... it always takes us a few weeks. My mind moves at sloth like speed and change screws it up every time. Finn's very excited about school, but a little let down that they won't be teaching chemistry to him this year. Eh? Finn is a fountain of strange knowledge and thirsty for more.

Ella spotted a bottle of wine on the counter and demanded to know just what that bottle is. I told her that it was wine, but not the kind of whine that she has perfected, but the kind of wine that her mama thinks of when she hears an Ella whine. By this time we were both confused, but Ella really wanted to try some. She was fed up with me when I told her that she had to wait until she grew up to have wine and stomped off muttering, "when I grow up, I'm gonna say bad words, drive and drink red wine!". I'll save the lecture about drinking and driving while swearing for when she gets her license. She's all impatient to grow up and I'm eager for her to stay tiny.

We will be heading to MD Anderson for Hans' one year checkup at the end of this month. this will be a big one with lots of scary tests for him to go through to make sure that the cancer is still gone.

There's a trashy novel calling my name... I'll post the pillow update in the morning!

Crayons are fine art.

The kids and I had a great time making these crayon cakes. We found the idea over at Kiddley.

We used the mini muffin tins so that the final product fits in my three year old's hand better.

Shop Update!

The small pressed paper holdalls are now in the amyrue.com shop!

And as many of you have already discovered, we have some wonderful giclees available too.

There are pieces from Brook Slane and Gus Fink right now and I really hope that I'll have more of their work to choose from soon. If I catch time off from making the Lumplings and Pillows, I'll be able to offer some of my little paintings again...they all sold out last summer!

I have two pillows that are about to go up and several more on the way, be sure to check back!