Bluebirdbaby

A Day at the Farm

So, I think summer is officially here. We spent the day soaking wet from the sun and humidity, watching tractors down the street while fanning ourselves off, cooling down with quick dips in the kiddie pool, drinking lots of cold water, and basically just trying not to move. By late afternoon we had had enough of lazing around and decided a trip to our friend's farm was in order to see her new goats.

So we met my friend at her sweet little house in the woods. The little one had a blast with the goats. I had a blast drooling over her beautiful garden. The little one kept requesting "the goats!" even when we went to show her the pigs and horses. I guess goats are a definite addition in our future!

We saw a butterfly in the road with a broken leg. The little one wanted to save it, so we carefully moved it to the side of the road.

We picked bee balm and calendula to bring home for Sasa.

We did some more lazing on the hammock.

Fed the goats some yummy maple leaves.

And brought home a bag full of veggies from the garden. Yum!

I guess you could say we had another "very good day!" We hope you did too!

It's A Good Day

Well, I just got over a flu. A summer flu? Really?! So I'm a little behind on catching up here. Okay...I'm a little behind on just about everything. Life is crazy busy right now. Good, but busy. I'm sure you've all noticed that nothing has been sewn lately. My creative energy is going into photography and writing at the moment. Oh, and parenting. Let's not forget that!

But I wanted to just share with you some little bits from our day today. Our "very good day," as the little one would say. There was some walking, biking, flea marketing, swimming, porch play, chicken bonding (oh yes...we have baby chicks!), visits from neighbor cats, and some good eatin' (cheese with truffles, rice crackers, artichokes with dip, gazpacho with pesto...yum!).

Top it all off with a yummy dinner, lots of play time after, some good reading before bed, and actually getting the little one to sleep without a three hour bedtime routine, and well...you have a recipe for a very good day!

Winner (!!) and Train Rides!

So, my random number generator (Sasa) picked #109. So that would be ::

Love the bags, the prints make them look so unique

Posted by: Thimbleina | July 26, 2009 at 11:03 AM

So Thimbleina, e-mail me and your new bags will be on their way! Thanks to all who entered. Look for more giveaways in the future. Or interested in participating in a giveaway on Bluebirdbaby? Just e-mail me!

This weekend we had a visit by Baba (the little one requested it...or perhaps I should say demanded it!) and we all took a trip to the train station. It was a blast, and Sasa (who is getting very handy with the camera lately) snapped some great family photos. So here's a little glimpse of our day...

Enjoy the start to your week!

Giveaway :: Wonder Thunder's Happy Veggie Bags

Yay for giveaways! Yay for green living! Yay for anything cute!

This classy duo draws the pictures, screen prints, sews, and ships all by themselves! I eyed these produce bags on Etsy a while back and thought they were too cute for words. I mean, wouldn't you love putting your bulk beans and rice in a bag like that?!

A bit more about them ::

Wonder Thunder is Meagan Claire Hall and Sasha Barr, two Tennessee transplants living and making in Seattle Washington. We care a lot about lots of things, mainly cooking great food, seeing pretty places, and making things for people to love and enjoy. We like make reusable things for people with a nice sense of humor and a penchant for food with faces.

So support green living and these two lovely crafters and leave a comment here. The winner will be drawn on Sunday at 8 p.m. EST and be the lucky owner of a fantabulous set of "Happy Veggie Bags"!

Find there shop here.
Blog here.
Website here.

Things That Make Me Happy

It's a busy week for us here. Lots of work, lots of play time with the little one, and then more work. I'm exhausted already! But I didn't want to let a few days pass by without checking in here. So this is my happy post. All these things make me so very happy. When the little one is gone for days at a time, I pull out these photos and her energy comes shining through. She is such an amazing little one. I hope these photos bring a smile to your face too!

::That face ::

:: Late afternoon jumping on the bed during a thunderstorm (we turned on really loud music and danced around so the thunder wouldn't be so scary) ::

:: Indoor rainy day play. Gotta love the down winter coat! ::

:: Afternoon baking. Lots of cookie eating. Delivering cookies to neighbors and friends down the road ::

So what makes you all happy?

Bench Monday :: Farm Style

What a day.
Work was rough.
We are moving into a big, new building, and there is so much to be done.
I worked all day today shelving, putting up tags, and stocking.
Worked all day yesterday too.
I may go in tomorrow night and early Wednesday as well.
My feet are sore.
My back is sore.
But I finally, FINALLY got Photoshop! Yay!!!!
So that means I can finally edit some 300-odd photos that have been waiting for this day.
I have three photo gigs tomorrow. Yay, but wow.
Bernard (our rooster) really likes the sound of his voice.
He woke me up at 4:45 a.m.
I think my mono is finally gone. I feel so much better!
I can't wait to see the little one. Two more days.
I love her so. I keep looking at pictures of her to make me smile.
She rocks.
Sasa rocks.
Chocolate and red wine and a good movie always rock too.

G'night folks.
Until next Monday...

Winners (and some cuteness!)

Thanks for all the Bearkat love! Gosh, I had no idea just how many people were on the search for some good music. I'm so glad I could put Katy's work out there. She's really amazing! So...without further ado, my random number generator (Sasa) picked three winners. He chose numbers 16, 69, and 148 ::

# 16 ::

I'm always looking for new indie folk/rock!

Posted by: Ms.Cleaver | July 17, 2009 at 10:37 AM

#69

My goodness! She's excellent! I would LOVE her CD.

Posted by: Kelly | July 17, 2009 at 04:59 PM

#148

Ooh, fun! I could use some new summer tunes. Fun give-away!

Posted by: megbrothers | July 19, 2009 at 01:08 PM

So ladies...please send me an e-mail and I'll get your Bearkat goodness in the mail to you! Thanks to all who entered. Stay tuned for next Friday's super awesome giveaway!

And because I couldn't let myself post without photos, here is my little fish, enjoying the cool lake on a warm day. She is quite the swimmer and loves to be in the water. Luckily, we're five minutes from a beautiful lake with a great little beach. So enjoy my little fish/model, doing what she does best: enjoying life.

Enjoy the start to your week!

Giveaway :: Bearkat

A few months ago we attended a concert in town. The featured performer was Bearkat: a one gal band who plays just about every instrument imaginable, with some great back-up by her significant other, who just happened to be the other featured performer. They really were a dynamic duo and Katy (Bearkat) completely had Sasa and I hooked. Her tunes are so catchy, mixing indie folk and rock, and creating tunes that you literally just don't want to stop listening to.

So we grabbed her c.d. and brought it home. The little one was hooked in a matter of minutes and now walks all over town singing "trying to be the one" and "hand a heart" over and over at the top of her lungs. She was especially interested in the fact that Katy was staying in our town for a while before heading back to the west coast, so we would occasionally bump into her. The little one always asks "is this Katy singing? Can we listen to Katy, mama?"

Not only is Katy an amazing singer/songwriter, but she's the sweetest person too. She gladly gave me three of her full-length c.d.'s to give away to you! So I'm doing my part to spread the Bearkat love. Trust me, you'll love it! Just enter a comment (make sure to include your e-mail!!) and the winner will be drawn Sunday at 8 p.m. EST.

Be sure to check out Katy's website here!

Flea Marketing....Again

Tuesday morning I woke up and turned to Sasa and said, "I'm being called to thrift. I can tell there's something amazing out there." He takes me very seriously now, so he looked at me and exclaimed, "well, go to it then!" But Tuesday was a work day, filled with deadlines and other things and I never actually made it out to the thrift shops. Disappointed, and knowing there was still something great out there, Sasa suggested we all go to the flea market the very next morning. Yay!

So we took off quite early, with a little one intent on finding a car for her "fairy dolls" and myself intent on finding just something really neat, and Sasa just happily tagging along. The first thing I scored was this vintage Fisher-Price schoolhouse. The little one saw it about the same time I did and we both went rushing over. It's been the focus of her play ever since.

At the same booth, Sasa discovered this 1930's patchwork quilt for an amazing price. He really loved it and walked away a happy man, lugging it in his arms. (It weighs more than the little one does!)

Next was a visit to my favorite booth, where I gave in to more pyrex and a cute maple syrup holder with a turquoise handle.

Then, on our way out, we saw this chair/step stool combo. It matches our table and chairs in the kitchen and we are forever climbing up on our wobbly chairs to reach the top cabinets. So this will come in really handy. And I won't even tell you what I paid for it...let's just say it was too good to be true!

Happy thrifting!!

A Very Yummy Bench Monday

Who says you need someplace to go to dress up?
A dinner with my sweetie is all I need to put on a fancy dress and heels.
I made pasta with white wine sauce, fresh tomatoes, basil, Greek olives, sheep feta, and prosciutto.
Sasa brought home a super fancy bottle of red wine.
Listening to Ella Fitzergerald while dining rocks.
An after dinner walk is what's next.
Then a movie and some chocolate (again).
Tomorrow the little one comes home.Yay!
Our rooster is officially crowing. He kind of sounds like a dog squeaky toy, but you can tell he's so proud.
Does anyone have any sources for very funky, retro wallpaper? I think we're going to have to re-paper our kitchen.

The farmer's market just started coming to our parking lot where I work on Monday afternoons. It's so nice to walk out of work and stop by all the stands of fresh veggies, cheese, and flowers on the way home. I can always count on a yummy meal coming out of the ingredients for our Monday dinners.

So tonight's dinner was a made-up recipe by yours truly. I discovered that I really, really love prosciutto. Especially wrapped around fresh figs. Oh my. And fresh basil? Can't beat it!

Stay tuned for a great giveaway this Friday. Yay!

Salt Pond

The sun was out, the little one and I were anxious for a day outside, and we were both in the mood for some treasure hunting. Yay for Salt Ponds! After a lovely morning of hanging around town, the little one and I decided to go on an adventure. While at the Salt Pond, we ran into our friends (one of which is an almost eight year old that the little one adores!) who taught us all about hermit crabs, fairy shrimp, Eider ducks, and periwinkles. And boy, we have the bucket of treasures to prove it! (Nothing living...I promise.)

Follow a couple of hours of that with a trip to the ice cream shop, and you have one fantabulous afternoon! Yay for sun. Yay for friends. Yay for salt ponds. And double yay for really good chocolate ice cream!

Words From Sasa :: You and I

Sasa wrote this post after a lovely fourth of July. It is just now getting on here because of our hectic week! And I'm thrilled to say that he took ALL the pictures!

Last night was wonderful.  We went to a friends house to watch the fireworks over the river.  It was the perfect spot, on a second floor balcony high above street, overlooking the harbor. We could look down and watch the crowd milling about and listen to the music coming from the wharf.  The sky was clear and the air was sweet and we had each other to hold onto. Then the nearly full moon came up, and it felt as though the whole world stopped and it was just me and Erin smiling like kids at how perfect summer can be.

The weather has been so wild: so much rain and fog and then ferocious thunderstorms.  Yesterday the sun came out for the first time in a month, just long enough for us to go to the beach and drink in the light and the warmth. And then a wall of dark clouds appeared to the north and the wind became fierce. For a while we just laid there and watched the clouds getting bigger and darker and closer.  And then there was a pure animal understanding that it was going to pour, and as one, everyone on the beach packed up and fled. 

By the time we got home the sky was light and by the time we rinsed off the sand and salt, it was sunny again.  It is amazing to me how quickly things can change. How sun follows storm,  how clouds follow clarity,  how time follows eternity. And yet there is something always there, aware and present to notice every thing. From the simple joy of seeing the moon again for the first time, to the frenzy of fireworks filling the sky,  it is all there for us. And for me,  I am so grateful that it is always Erin there, sharing the joy of being here together. Through everything that happens the real fireworks is being able to turn to her and see a huge smile of amazement light up our world.  No matter what is going on outside,  it feels like the sun is always shining.

Etsy Update :: Sweet Dreams

Remember that pillow I made ages ago for the little one? Well, many of you requested some for the shop and I made a mental note to make that happen some day. I got the urge to put a few together using different color combos, and really adore the end result.

The little one uses her pillow every night. It's become a security object for her, so it gets a lot of use. The original pillow was stuffed with organic cotton, but after a couple of months of use, the cotton was squished down and flattened out. And after a stomach bug we survived a couple of weeks ago, the pillow was subjected to six washes in two days! So for these shop pillows, I opted for something a bit more washable and a desired fluffiness. After much debating, I used poly fill. The end result is great and they are so comfy!

I embroidered "sweet dreams" on each pillow and used coordinating cotton prints and vintage or Japanese trim on the fronts. I really love how they came out and whether they're used for decoration or for sleeping, they will add some color and fun to any room!

So go check them out in my shop! And stay tuned this week for some words from Sasa and a giveaway this Friday. Yay!

Bench Monday....again!

Sorry about the lack of updates! It's been a busy, busy weekend and looks like an even busier week. Expect a shop update at 2 p.m. EST tomorrow (7/7) afternoon.Yay!

It's Monday again.
All alone, but that's okay.
Sasa is working late on Mondays now.
The little one comes back on Wednesday.
I worked today and have much, much more work to do at home.
I'm thrilled this photography thing is taking off, but now I need to find the time to do it!
Lots of sewing tonight for my shop update tomorrow. I hope I can get it all done.
Birthday party tonight for our friend too.
And, of course, some cuddle time on the couch with wine, chocolate, my dude, and a movie.

I hope you're all able to enjoy some sunshine today. Gosh, it's so very nice. I swear, us Mainer's will never take the sun for granted again!!!

Making Do

Thanks for all your great suggestions on my last post. Rainy days can be cozy and fun when spread out throughout the summer, but day after day of rain can put you in a rut! So out came more crafty things, a little "switcheroo" in the living room (moving toys around always inspires play!), and lots of doll play. She loves these little clothespin dolls we made with her months ago.

And here's a sneak peak at my next shop update. I'm getting there...I promise! I will be updating on Tuesday of next week. Yay!

Enjoy the holiday weekend. I hope the sun finds you wherever you are...!

More Rainy Days

So, I guess we're dealing with some seriously rainy weather. I think we last saw the sun for a full day in early June. That seems forever ago! There have been no trips to the beach, no picnics by the river, and no bike rides through town. It's cold, wet, and dark. So what's to do when you're dealing with day after day of this stuff? Well, head down to the big city for a trip to the museum! We had lots of fun and even forgot it was raining outside.

Here's hoping the sun will come out soon. I'd love to know what you all do for rainy day activities??! We're running out of ideas!

Oh, and stay tuned for an Etsy update. Woohoo!