When I was twelve, I sold my sewing machine to some missionaries who came to the garage sale we were having. It was a good little workhorse and I’d sewn many an item on it. Doll clothes – for my barbies and Cabbage patch dolls. Mostly made-up patterns because I couldn’t follow a pattern, I found them tedious and complicated, so I ‘winged’ it and made my own up, most of which worked out with reasonable success. But I sold that machine because there was no way I was going to be tied to a life of domesticity.

I was destined for more. Wife, mother – no. Those were not titles I was interested in. As I wrote about earlier, I figured other things may be in store, though I floundered some with exactly what that may be. I was going to rise like a shining star. I just knew it and I could not tie myself to this domestic chore. Sewing was so … so… pedestrian. Not that I thought about it in exactly that way, but something like that. I didn’t want to be trapped in a life of servitude and day to day cooking, cleaning, darning, and mending (not that my mother or grandmother darned anything).

So how did I turn into this domesticated Goddess?

I guess I did it for love. I mean, practically speaking, I didn’t strike it big in the music biz, and I didn’t become a fast-talkin’ lawyer. While I was a pretty successful designer, I learned pretty early on, I didn’t really want to focus on residential design. Not that I didn’t enjoy it (I don’t), but homeowners are kind of like brides. They don’t know what they want (they do) until you pick the wrong thing because you aren’t a mind reader. Don’t worry, I’m a homeowner too and I make terrible decisions when it comes to my own home, hence why my house was a powdery blue that I HATED for 14 years. I focused on institutional and laboratory design, and one does not make it on to HGTV designing and renovating university labs. Can you imagine? Next week on Renovate my Lab… No one would watch it! Where would the drama be, except for maybe the fighting for funding… Which would only be funny if you’ve ever had to compete for funding at the post-secondary level.

Back to love and why I chose domestic bliss. I guess it was the Baby Fever, which wasn’t so much a fever as a curiosity. I say I wanted a puppy, but my husband says I wanted a baby. But I distinctly remember asking for a puppy and he said (surprise, surprise) NO. He always says no when I ask for new pets. Like the pet polar bear I was going to name Mason. Or the Invisible Cat I had when I met him that was named Chuckles, he said no to her too because he thought it was weird that I had an invisible cat. I recently asked for a grizzly bear and while he did say yes, he said yes because he thought it would eat the cat we do have (who is named Crescent). So, I had to say “No.” to Bernard the Grizzly, which was just mean.

The things we do for love.

So back in 1999, he bought me my sewing machine and that’s how he got me. It’s a beauty! My Husqvarna Sew Easy 320 and after 25 years she still sews like a peach! I was hooked and with some help from his Mom, I learned how to read a pattern! I started off making a pair of pants. Which, turns out, I sewed together wrong, so guess I wasn’t totally cut out for domestic bliss, but I grew into it and could still wear the pants because sometimes you can sew the front to the back and the back to the front and things will still work. Since then, I’ve sewn all manner of things. Clothing of all types, for me, for friends, for my sister when she was pregnant. Baby clothes (which are the best!), baby bedding (most of what my kiddo had in his nursery), home decor, done alterations, dog clothes, dog furniture. If it can be sewn, I’ve probably tried it… With the exception of dance wear. Someone scared me off of that right at the beginning and I said “Ok” … Except for my own belly dancing costuming… I’ll screw up my own stuff, thank you very much, but not for anyone else. Turns out, I really like sewing (and crocheting, but not knitting, I am terrible at knitting, as my late mother-in-law could have attested to).

I am good at baking but would rather leave the cookie making to my kid. Laundry isn’t really my thing, so it’s a good thing my husband is good at that too. Turns out domestic bliss can be shared and that makes it much more fun! I recommend everyone try sharing the domestic duties… Though I do the lion’s share of the cooking, my husband does the lion’s share of the clean up… Though I do make a concerted effort to use as few pots and pans as possible to minimize the clean up! Tonight’s dinner used two pots and a pan, I vowed next time I made fettuccine alfredo, I’d try a ‘one pot’ approach for him… I’ll report back at a later day if I was successful!

So, while I started my life’s journey with the intent of not being trapped by a domestic collar, I must say, after having written this, I think my life is so much richer for having fallen into this little life of mine. I’ve smiled and laughed at the memory of some of the fun I’ve had getting here (Mason and Bernard, I think you’re probably better off in the wild). We sometimes joke and tease a lot in this house, sometimes, I don’t always know when my boys are teasing me, but they know and look at one another and laugh (that’s when I know). Being a wife and mom are a pretty good deal because I didn’t have to give up me either. I get to be me, especially as I’ve figured out over the past couple of years too as my role has changed and evolved as my kiddo has grown up! Life is ever changing, and our roles grow and change too!