Bluebirdbaby

A Little Vintage Love

So our kitchen has kind of been stuck in this "prepped to paint" stage forever. One crazy weekend last winter, we tore down all the wallpaper. The plaster walls underneath were so bad that they kind of scared us to go any further. They sit unpainted and kind of "crumbly" now. I'm waiting for the day we save up enough to have someone come in and prep and paint (any locals up for a trade?!) and turn our kitchen into something I'm really proud of.

For now, I've learned to deal by adding color in other ways. I'm going for a 40's and 50's retro look in our kitchen. I'm on the hunt for a salvaged (or repro) diner counter top with that metal edge. I've got the cupboard paint color picked out and can't wait to dive in and make it all happen. But...time is an issue. So the kitchen sits unpainted and for now I use my crazy obsession with colorful Pyrex and Fire King to make the room shine.

So Saturday, my friend Mandi and I headed on an impromptu thrifting trip and ended up finding some great flea markets and little antique places to stop at. We both scored a bunch of dishes for a crazy cheap price. We were pretty much giddy with excitement (okay, so Mandi chooses to keep her giddiness inside, but I know it's there...) and she even insisted on snapping a picture of my giddiness. It's pretty obvious, eh?

So for now our kitchen sits as is, but I think if I fill it up enough with crazy colored vintage goodies, we might forget it needs to be painted anyway!

And just so you all know, I am still working on the things for my shop update. Hopefully by the end of the week they will be ready. I will announce it here before I update the shop!

A Rain Break

The rain stopped yesterday. Yes, I did say stopped! The sun came out in the afternoon and the humidity followed. Before the sun emerged, we wanted to take advantage of the lack of rain and went for our favorite walk with friends. The girls were so cute....giggling together as they ran barefoot on the sidewalk, stopping to pick up rocks and to inspect worms, while us mamas rejoiced to finally be outside, yet grumbled about the humidity and our frizzy hair.

We made the best of our rainless afternoon and evening by taking many walks, playing out in the muddy yard, and enjoying several games of frisbee. The humidity was so relentless that the little one was easily coerced into the tub with some cool water for some "swimming" ("like a fish!" she says) and ended with a soapy hairdo that had her giggling and requesting "take my picture, mama!" So, naturally, I obliged.

I hope you all enjoy your weekend. Let's hope it's a sunny, dry one!

Rainy Days

I don't know about where you all are, but here it's been raining for days. Or maybe weeks? But it feels like months. And it's not that light drizzle with warm weather either. Oh no...it's on and off pouring with cool temperatures.

Here's a little glimpse of our rainy days and the little things that help us stay entertained ::

New flip flops (two sizes too big!) that are just begging for hot weather and trips to the beach.



The little one has been fascinated by rings recently, so we took her to a funky little store to pick out her own. She chose this blue stone and was so thrilled to have a ring that fit her perfectly!

Coffee :: hippie style. We've  been looking for a cheap French press for ages, but haven't been able to find one. This reusable "coffee sock" works great and produces just enough coffee to keep Sasa and I going until we get our daily lattes a bit later.



The chickens are getting bigger and bigger. Penelope and Bernard are really getting along and are pretty close, but Roxanne tends to get herself in trouble with Bernard a lot. They're quite entertaining to watch and the little one and I go to visit them in the barn during the day to say hello.



And finally, what all of us feel like doing (except the little one!)...

I hope you're not dealing with as much rain as we are! Enjoy the rest of the week. I hope to have a shop update next week. Yay!

Happy Swing (?!) Monday!

It's raining.
Been raining for, like...ever.
Looking forward to seeing the little one tomorrow morning.
Salad and fish tonight for dinner.
Yes, I have my glass of wine already.
Sasa is working late again. I miss him.
I woke up to bacon and a latte. He rocks.
I'm looking forward to some sewing before dinner.
I have a date with my dude, a good movie, and some chocolate on the couch later tonight.

Does a swing count for Bench Monday? I hope so...

My New Dress

Sasa's sister took a trip to New York recently and brought me back this wonderful book. I was so overwhelmed with the number of things I marked to make out of it. Every page is full of beautiful and simple styles. The one problem? It's in Japanese. All Japanese. I know I tackled this shirt, but that was out of a book with step by step instructions in full colored pictures. This book has a few drawings, and that's about it.

So I picked one of the easiest (looking) dresses and after some initial confusion on how to find the actual pattern pieces amongst the jumbled pattern pages, I turned this dress out in a little under two hours.

I used some light-weight denim chambray I had been saving since last summer for myself, and an Amy Butler print I received in a fabric swap from Ella for the bias and ruffle. I've found that I really like Japanese patterns. Just two winters ago, I found myself using one of my very first patterns (in English!) and had so many problems that I enlisted the help of many experienced sewers. But in Japanese? Well, you have the basics and a template to work from, and you get to make up the steps yourself. And for me, that's way easier!

And the vintage boots? Well, let's just say that somebody loves me...a lot!

Thrifting :: A New Season

June in Maine means sunny days, ice cream, walks by the water, and yard sales! Sasa's mom and I headed out one Saturday for a day of yard sales, and boy...did I have good luck. I walked away with a bag of vintage lace, a vintage children's poster, vintage tins, and the above bowl. The above bowl had me completely giddy. You see, I found one (that Jade-ite Fire King) at a junk shop two summers ago for a mere ten cents. I had no idea it was worth so much. I found two more bowls at an antique store for the hefty price of $80. The bowl above did not break the bank and now Sasa and I can each have our own. (It's our favorite bowl for everything.)

A couple of weeks ago I stopped at a little antique store just outside of town. It looked a bit run down from the outside, but once I got inside I couldn't stop drooling. There seemed to be plenty of goodies from my favorite eras (40s and 50s) and I swear I would have taken just about everything home. But yesterday I stopped again with a friend, and we scored this awesome hamper for the little one's room. I've been looking for a big basket for ages, trying to avoid the plastic hamper ugliness, but I couldn't find one. So this hamper made my day and I think it looks pretty swell in her room.

I also got some great trays for our kitchen walls. After we get the walls painted, these will go up on display. I love the colors. (These are the colors we plan on painting our kitchen!)

And last but not least, there was this basket. This basket was shoved in a corner, buried under tons of stuff. I saw a bit of the red gingham and had to uncover it. I squeeled with delight as I pulled it up from the pile and promptly told my friend it was coming home with me. I mean, not only can I dress up like Dorothy next Halloween now, but we also have the perfect picnic basket to go with our picnic blanket!

So yea...there was a whole lot of squeeling going on, a whole lot of "ooohs" and "aaahs", and a whole lot of really good deals. Let's hope the rest of the summer is just as succesful!

Love Is Real

So now let all the light that collects on your plants keep you warm, make you
smile
And I will be there with this pen in my hand to record all the while
You'll be laughing so loud that the house will shake with sound
And everything will be as new as the day it was found

And I'll send you all the world green and blue in a box through the mail
You can open it up, hold it right in your hand and be glad that it's there
And be glad that you're there

Catching up on my 365s while I have the chance. I've got some awesome vintage finds to show you all soon, and have a new dress in the works (with materials from my stash...yay!) that I can't wait to share!

Bench Monday :: All Alone

Another one, because it's just so darn addicting...

Bench Monday.
Sasa's working late.
The little one is away.
I have 2,000 photos to edit from 3 separate shoots. Gah!
I love red wine before dinner.
These red chairs make me happy.
This apron looks silly.
My slippers are so disgusting, but I love them.
Greek is what's for dinner tonight. Love that hummus.
I'm in a crafting rut. There isn't enough time in the day (or money to buy material) to sew more. But I have a load of projects to finish for other people (hemming, mending, etc.) just nothing worth mentioning here.
Another open mic night is in the works with this song.

That's all folks!

A Night At the Alley

Friday night we headed off to the bowling alley with some friends. I had found the little one some bowling shoes last fall at a thrift shop, and although she had no clue what bowling was, she loved the shoes. Friday night we finally put them to good use!

She is an expert bowler already. She carefully selects a ball, heaves it into the air and watches as it lands with a thump on the lane. All six of us would stare in bewilderment as the ball would slowly inch towards the pins, veering off to the gutters, then pulling through at the last moment and knocking down numerous pins on its way out. We would all clap and cheer and jump, and she would grin her biggest grin and grab another ball.

Then we discovered the jukebox and the disco music. Armed with a bag full of quarters, we loaded that baby up with enough songs to last an hour. We all got crazy and silly and by the time we were dancing the "Chicken Dance", we pretty much had the whole bowling alley staring at us and watching us dance. Then we hit the arcade for some air hockey, pinball, and pool.

I think we can expect more trips to the bowling alley. It seemed to be a hit with everyone. And just a note to parents...I think they charge by the number of times the button is pushed to clear the pins. So our "one string" turned into six somehow. I guess that's easy with a 2 year old who just happens to looooove buttons!

It's a Good Day for Everything

I wish I had more appropriate pictures for this story. But these photos were taken today after we decided it was a "good morning for a trip to the playground." Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera with me on our kite flying expedition. The last one is an oldie, but my favorite.

This afternoon we found our kites in the outdoor toy box. We decided a trip to the cemetery was in order for some kite flying. I put the little one in the Ergo and off we went. On our walk down, she squeezed me tight and said, "Mama, today is a good day for kite flying!" I felt the humidity creep under my clothes and was wishing there was more of a breeze. I said, "I hope so, sweetie. We will definitely try."

We got to the cemetery where the big field is and I tried so, so hard to get that kite up. It just wasn't windy enough. The little one was running all around trying to get her "baby kite" to fly. I think she was having just as much fun trying as she would flying. She looked over, out of breath and halfway across the field, and yelled, "Mama, it's a good day for flying kites, isn't it?"

Just then a cold front moved in. I was suddenly shivering in my sweater, jeans, and wool socks. The wind picked up and I could hardly keep that kite under control. It flew up and up and up. It kept going until it seemed like our entire little town could see it. The little one beamed and we took turns holding the string. I looked over at her and said, "Hey sweetie, it's a great day for flying kites."

We flew that kite for two hours. We rolled down the hill through the buttercups and daisies. We searched for four leaf clovers. We pretended we were dogs and ran on all fours. We stopped at the pond to throw rocks and look for frogs. And then I carried her back home, with her arms around my neck and her head nuzzled into my chest. As we approached the house she looked into my eyes and said, "Thanks for the good day" and kissed my lips.

No my little one, thank you for the good day.

Everyday she teaches me more and more about life, about living, about joy, and about myself. Everyday I get to spend with her is amazing and I am so very thankful for every second we are together. I am the person I am today because of her. Motherhood has pushed me out of my shell, it has made me more compassionate and loving, it has taught me how to be comfortable with myself, it has taught me to believe in myself, it has taught me what's important, and it's taught me how to live life to its fullest. How could anyone ask for more?

Surrounded By Nature

Before our move to town, I wondered what it would be like to leave the woods behind. I wanted the little one to grow up surrounded with the natural world around her. I wanted her to hear birds, see wildlife, dip her toes in ponds and rivers, and roll around in the grass.

We're in our first summer season in our new home, and I can honestly say I had absolutely nothing to worry about! Our home is surrounded by beautiful fields of buttercups and lupines. Our 3/4 acre yard is full of amazing flowers that attract butterflies, hummingbirds, and all sorts of wildlife. There are chipmunks and squirrels who visit daily.

We wake up to the sound of birds in the morning and go to sleep listening to mourning doves and owls. We take a daily morning walk and evening walk; both full of nature and a little bit of town life too. It's the perfect balance. We can walk five minutes and we're at the river, which is home to horseshoe crabs, oysters, and jellyfish. We walk five minutes in the other direction and we're in fields of flowers, listening to birds and crickets sing their songs.

I've never quite seen anything like this little town; so full of typical town busyness, but bursting with the wild things of nature. We are so fortunate to be here. I wake up every morning feeling so lucky, smiling as I lay in bed listening to the robins and finches. I'm so thrilled the little one can be a part of it all.

It's Monday...

Another installment for Bench Monday (HBM!!), this time en route on our nightly walk to "frow wocks in da wader" and on Sasa's "favorite ever bench."

Speaking of Sasa, he'd like to thank y'all for your lovely and sweet comments on his latest post. He says "you all are wonderful!"

This week is a busy one for us...hopefully I'll find time for this space here to share some bits and pieces. Enjoy the start to your week!

Words from Sasa :: Prescription for Joy

One of the highlights of my day is when we get up early and go off on an adventure.  Watching Elisabeth invent the world every morning is so amazing.  The other day we walked down to the river. The sun was barely up and the water was perfectly still. We stood on the shore in awe, it was like it was a new earth. The sky, the trees, the water, the birds, and us, all waking up together.

After awhile Elisabeth whispered "it's so quiet", so we found some ginourmous rocks and threw them in the river. And splash! The sound of water erupted and we burst into giggles. We found some sticks and pretended to go fishing. We saw horseshoe crabs doing what crabs do and a jellyfish floating by like a visitor from another world.  Then we climbed up the hill and said goodbye and thank you to our new world.  Everyday is a good day when it starts with such joy, and I am so grateful to Elisabeth for sharing her joy with me so freely.

So smile, bend, smell the flowers, put one in your hair,  make music, dance, giggle, take a chance, be a good friend, give a gift, be adventurous, whistle, skip, listen, twirl, feel, touch, snuggle, be still.

And like a child,  jump into the moment with all that you are, and share yourself with all that is. A whole world is waiting for us, gratefully and joyfully.

~Sasa

The Urban Homestead

What a week! It's flown by and this poor space has been a bit neglected more than I'd like. We've been enjoying sunshine, lots of picnics, a trip to the river or ocean at least once a day (where we found jellyfish and horseshoe crabs), making ice cream, having barbeque's, visiting with friends, riding bikes through town, playing music, and last but not least, gardening! As the little one would say, "holy moly!" that was quite a week.

We have been getting our little urban homestead up and running. Seedlings were started weeks ago, gardens were tilled recently, rock borders were put up, lettuce and basil were planted, fruit trees were picked out and finally put in the ground, and the little one is having such fun with it all.

She loves to water everything. This big watering can has provided endless amounts of entertainment. She is great at keeping her seedlings happy and well cared for. The fruit trees (pears, plums, blueberries, cherries, apple, elderberry, raspberries, blackberries) are a bit small this year, but hopefully next year we'll see some fruit. The little one is quite excited that the leaves are finally starting to bud on them all.

I helped Sasa till a special garden just for her. We took a trip to the greenhouse where she picked out her own flowers, and then a trip to the co-op for some bigger seedlings. She loves the tomatoes and lettuce. She's done a great job keeping it all watered, and even helped put them all in! She has quite the green thumb already.

And last but not least...I would like to introduce the newest members of our little family. The above would be "Penelope." She's a bit shy and the runt of the group, but her bigger sister Roxanne and big brother Bernard (pictured second) are very good to her. Our neighbor felt bad for the last three chicks left at the hardware store, so he brought them home. A month later, we ended up with them in our garden so they could "till" the rest of it for us and add some manure. They're meat birds, but have no plans to serve them for dinner. We hope to add some more to the flock soon.

Gosh, it's good to have our little "farm" up and running finally. Now if we could only get those goats...!

A New Shirt

I woke up Saturday morning and realized I didn't really have anything to wear to the wedding. Since I would be contorting myself into all different shapes trying to get the shots I wanted, I knew I needed a comfy shirt that was loose enough to allow lots of movement.

Enter this blue linen blend from here and this Japanese dress and tunic book from here. Two hours before I needed to be at the wedding, I sat down at my machine and started to work on it. The best thing about this book is that they have step by step pictorial instructions. The bad thing about the book is that everything (even the measurements) are in Japanese.

But after only a couple of moments of scratching my head in bewilderment, I dove in and produced this shirt less than two hours later. It was pretty easy (no joke!) and is so amazingly comfortable. I got loads of compliments on it at the wedding, and again yesterday when I wore it to work. It's just one of those cute shirts in a style that would suit anyone.

Now I'm getting ready to tackle another shirt out of some old sheer French fabric, and a dress out of more linen. Handmade summer wardrobe here I come!

Happy Bench Monday! (HBM)

Bench Monday is much more fun with the help of my two favorite people!

Thanks for all the photo love. You all sure know how to make a gal feel good!

I've got a pretty sweet project to share with you tomorrow, and later this week you'll be hearing from Sasa again. Yay!