{this moment} – A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Since Wednesday of last week, posting has been sporadic and  we have been in go go go mode. Why? I’ve got family in town! It has been a lot of fun catching up, hanging out and showing them around but oh so tiring as well. Not to mention the copious amount of food we’ve inhaled. I think I’ve eaten enough to hibernate for the winter!

We’re still go go going into this week so I just wanted to pop in to say hi and share a few photos since my blogging schedule is going to be off again.

So without further ado, here’s what we’ve been up to… (ohh I made a rhyme!)

From top to bottom, left to right: The beach – The races. Ok not really but doesn’t it look like Little Peanut is dressed for it? – feeding ducks that never came to shore. I think the army of kids scared em off – family picnic. That’s my little nephew showing the corn whose the boss!

Over the past few days the Little Peanut has been spending a lot of time with a little toy dog. Feeding it, giving it water, hugs and kisses… I started thinking about building a small collapse-able cardboard dog house so that it could be put away when she wasn’t playing with it.

While trying to construct one in my head my mind wondered again to this fabric house from UK Lass In US and I go to thinking, could I turn it into a doghouse?! My mind is churning with ideas but nothing solid yet! I did find some of these other amazing houses in the Flickr pool that have really inspired me to get something on paper and get sewing. See for yourself!

Just this past weekend the Little Peanut discovered that she too can wear daddy’s baseball cap. She doesn’t just wear it any way though. She has to wear it backwards!

She’ll put it on say “hat” and then carry on with whatever activity she was doing… reading, playing with the iPad or her train set. It’s so adorable and I’m so happy I was able to get some photos while she was in a good mood and before she grew out of the phase.

Don’t forget to check out i heart faces for more!

Wow, I can’t believe our “baby” is turning 1! I remember vividly the day that Cathy and I launched embe. We were so nervous and excited–we  received our first sale within hours of the launch. Our first order was a pair of leg/arm warmers!

A very heartfelt thanks to our family, friends and customers for their support. And thanks to all of you who have an appreciation for the handmade craft. It’s been an awesome ride so far, and we hope you continue to join us on our creative journey.

To mark embe’s first birthday, we’re throwing a special event:

Free shipping applies to US/Canada only. Orders placed between July 15 and July 22, 2010 will not be charged for shipping. embe reserves the right to place any of its items on hold during this promotional period. Due to potential volume, processing may take an additional 1-2 weeks. We will confirm via email if it takes longer than the normal 2-3 weeks.

This weekend (July 16-18) Target is sponsoring arts and cultural events all over the US for their Arts & Wonder Free Family Event. If you don’t already have plans I think these would be a lot of fun!

We’re planning on hitting up the Walker Art Center on Friday and the Guthrie Theater open house on Saturday since they seem the most toddler friendly. There’s also the Minnesota Orchestra concert and the Minnesota Children’s Museum.

A little tip: If you head to the Guthrie you can make it an all day outing and stop by the Mill City Market then make your way to the Stone Arch Bridge to see the lock & dam.

Our mission at the toy store last weekend was to pick up a set of Legos for the Little Peanut. While browsing the aisles we came upon a Thomas & Friends train table and had a hard time prying her away from it. She really enjoyed pushing the trains around the track, going up and down the hills and making the bridge move. So in the end we abandoned the Legos and went with a train set.

She just adores it and wants to play with it first thing in the morning. I really like that its wooden and built to last. Inspired by the quality of our new toy (I say our because sometimes I think we enjoy it more then she does! We’re already thinking about buying more tracks to expand…) I found these amazing items on Etsy.

How fun is this week’s theme? While I’ve visited many wonderful cities of the US I know there are many hidden treasures that I will never get to. I think this theme is a great way to discover new places.

Born and raised in the suburbs of Minneapolis, MN has made me a city girl. I only discovered this when I went a few hours north for college only to return to The Cities after the end of my freshman year. Here are some favorites of the many photos I’ve taken in and around Minneapolis.

These first three are from various walks I take with my girl along the Mississippi River front.

This next one is of the Minneapolis light rail on a chilly winter day.

{this moment} – A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

A few words…. this burger is topped with watercress, tomato, pepperjack cheese, and an avocado relish. The recipe is Bobby Flay’s LA Burger. Try it. It’s oh so good. I made them as sliders instead of regular sized burgers.

We had a rainy July 4th morning and every once in awhile we get to see the most gorgeous rainbows (like this one). There wasn’t one for us to see that morning so I’ve made my own! Here is my rainbow….

I may have to change the theme to treasuries because now that I’ve made one I see what the love is about!