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Winter tells us little bulbs
To tuck our heads in so,
Then we will not need to shiver
When the cold winds blow.
Spring will come with sun and showers
Soon to raise our head.
Then we'll grow and grow and grow,
Right out of bed.
~From "Winter"
Paper whites...one of my favorite things about winter. A little glimpse of spring during the coldest months. The little one loves them too! She is just too sweet.
I hope your weekend was fantastic. I'll be back with my Monday list of links tomorrow!
I showed a sneak peak yesterday of this corner. It's been a corner of many things in the past year, but I think we're getting closer to something that might last. I had visions of antique wooden boxes stacked in every which way halfway up the wall, but it's not yard sale season, so that idea may have to wait. Enter an old confectionery box from Portland, an antique (but very awesomely painted) tool cupboard recently thrifted, stacked thrifted tins, artwork by all sorts, and a new paper banner the little one and I made today out of origami paper. I love it so far. It's a corner I think will stay for a while. I later added old wooden spools of thread. Yay for new corners!
And mail...what can I say about lovely mail? The little one and I were having a slow morning due to rather early waking. We trekked through town in below zero weather (okay...at least it felt like it with the wind chill!) and came home to a lovely package awaiting us. A vintage book for her, tea cups for us both, vintage fabric, two lovely prints....oh my! Were we spoiled! Thanks Julia...you ROCK! You totally made our day.
And oh, I can't forget this lovely, amazingly crafted snow queen and her baby. This was sent all the way from Europe. The little one has been playing with this non-stop and adores the baby so very much. Gosh, I have the best readers! Thank you all so much for everything!!
I hope you enjoy your weekend! We're looking forward to relaxing, nature walks, hosting a dinner, and just having fun!
I swear, there's never a dull moment around here. Between renovating, sunshine, snow (yes, we got more today after the 50 degree day yesterday...), semi-home schooling, tasty experiments in the kitchen, visiting friends, and making our rounds about town, we pretty much have our days packed full. Here's just a glimpse at one little bit of our day...
:: Letting the house breathe. It can get so stuffy in winter, and airing it out on a nice warm day works like magic. Doors are opened, fresh air flows freely from outside to in, and everything comes alive again. ::
:: Two little bakers. I had another little one under foot today. It was fun and so sweet to see how two little ones moved about their day together. We made another honey cake (adding blueberries this time) and I realized when I copied the recipe down for Sasa, I wrote "sugar" instead of honey. Um, yea...that would totally defeat the whole honey cake idea! ::
:: Dress-up! Two little ones, twelve tutus, two pairs of tap shoes, and crazy tights. What a sight! ::
:: First coat. It's up. It's blue. It doesn't look anything like this picture. But it's awesome. The perfect shade. Just like in my dreams. So much brighter and more alive than this photo shows. This is just the first step in a long line of major demolition to follow. Yay and eeks at the same time! ::
:: All my ducks in a row. We added some new things from a recent thrift, although the ducks belonged to my grandmother. The little one loves them! ::
:: And last, tacos! The little one was a "cat" last night, so we had to convince her that tacos were really cat food. She was totally into the idea of having her own taco and really enjoyed it. Maybe our once a year taco night should be monthly now...::
So, what are your days like? Are they as jam packed full of fun and craziness as ours?!
Wow...it's been a long time since I've written "Beach Day" as a title. But we did just that today. We just couldn't pass up the nearly 50 degree weather, sunshine, and smells of spring. We are far from spring, and I know this is a little tease, but it is so nice to smell grass and sunshine. The two feet of snow we got last week has already melted down to a couple of inches. In some places, green grass is showing and our plants have remained alive under the blanket of snow. We hung laundry on the line, aired out some blankets, played in the sandbox, and headed to the beach. The little one really tried to wear her swimsuit and bring her "beach towels" but with my persistent "Goober...it will be cold at the beach!!!" seemed to finally get through to her.
The beach proved to be warmer than expected. Her jacket was soon stripped off and the extra pair of pants I brought came in very handy. Sandcastles were made, heart rocks were found, dump trucks raced the beach, and one sunny day was thoroughly enjoyed. There's nothing better than that!
Happy Monday! It smelled like spring when I walked out the door this morning and it got close to 50 degrees! Although we've been experiencing downpours and gusting winds, so we can't quite enjoy the mild temperatures. I tried to snap a picture this morning before I left for work because it wasn't quite raining yet. I succeeded, but with a rather odd look on my face. I think I was thinking about coffee (which I had yet to get!). Ah well, on to the links!...
What can I say about last night? Dear friends, good food, mini chefs, so much fun and laughter my face still hurts, a smile on the little one's face that was so full of joy, staying up a wee bit past bedtime, hearing the little one say, "I had so much fun tonight mama," and feeling so fortunate for the friends we have. Gosh, we're lucky!
What was your favorite part of the weekend?
Things always tend to get a bit stale in late January/early February inside the house. We spend so much time inside now that it's winter that it's nice to add a bit of color or something fun to mix it up. I had to giggle when I looked up the last couch pillows I made. Take a look...on exactly a year ago today I felt the need to add something new to the couch. I guess January 22nd should be my annual pillow sewing day! So this morning, with the little one by my side doing her own bit of ironing and pretend sewing, we finished four pillows for the couch. I just love that echino!
We didn't stop there. Oh no, we decided to recover a pretty sad looking computer chair too. I thought I had tired of this Amy Butler print years ago, but when I found it again in this color, I fell in love all over. The chair covering was super easy, and my paper stapler gets an A+!
And last night the little one and I were working on something very special for a furry little friend. Kiwi had a birthday today! Her favorite spot is sleeping on top of the radiator (there's a handy shelf there!) and we thought it would be nice for her to have her very own bed. The little one helped me pick out the fabric (most of it is the organic Cloud Nine) and even helped me sew it together. Kiwi loves her new bed, almost as much as she loves the peacock feather Sasa and the little one surprised her with tonight. We had a birthday complete with balloons, cake (honey vanilla cake....recipe to follow) and coconut ice cream. Lucky cat!
Hope your day was just as exciting!! Happy Weekending!
We got almost two feet (maybe even more) of fluffy white stuff this week. I snowshoed to work on Wednesday and we've shoveled so many times I think my arms may fall off (although Sasa's done most of it!). Sasa's car is literally buried in snow...you can't even tell it's there.
So we've been hunkering down, enjoying the wintery wonderland just outside our door. Today it was finally sunny enough to go for a winter walk and stroll through town. And I think I see some more snowshoeing in our future!
Tomorrow I'll have some crafting updates! Yay! What are you all working on right now?!
Thanks to all who entered Mandy's giveaway!! It was so fun reading your favorite winter activities....snuggling up under a cozy blanket seemed to be the winner, but there were a few shoveling favs in there too! My random number generator chose #24 ::
So Leslie, please e-mail me and I'll get you in touch with Mandy to choose your print! Thanks again Mandy!!
Since learning to knit this fall, I've turned out three (and a half) scarves. A purple scarf for the little one, a purple scarf for Purple Violet, an attempted and ripped out a total of nine times brown alpaca scarf for me, and finally...this manly alpaca (and amazingly soft and cozy) scarf for my man. He adores it. He won't take it off. And it really wasn't that hard.
Knit 4, purl 4. Repeat for 4 rows. Switch (purl 4, knit 4) for 4 rows. Then switch back to knit 4, purl 4. Super easy. Super fun. And it created this super awesome checkerboard look that he absolutely loves.
And now? I'm addicted to knitting. And oh my, what an expensive hobby it is! Currently on the needles is a simple sweater for the little one (you guessed it...purple!). Thank goodness for having so many awesome knitter friends. It's like having personal knitting instructors everywhere I go!
And now I think I may just snuggle up on the couch with some leftovers and a good book. It's another snowy day out there...
I first stumbled across Mandy's work a couple of months ago when I fell in love with the above print. I love everything about it :: the colors, the little bubbles on the grass, the way the chimney smoke reminds me of a giant sheet flowing in a summer breeze.
Then I found this print. To me it just screams, "I want to hang in your sewing room!!" Because all of us seamstresses know that actual sewing is only a fraction of what it takes to sew something. I think I spend the majority of my time ironing (and eating chocolate...ahem).
And this? Well, let's just say I have become very fond friends with my beloved French press. I've even named her Emma. She is always there, gently easing me into the long day ahead. What a lovely tribute to my fond friend.
A little bit about Mandy ::
Growing up, I spent a lot of time with my grandma. She took me to museums and out on nature walks. Whether pointing out a decorative piece of woodwork on an old chair or an especially beautiful tree, I remember noticing things when I was with her. She showed me details waiting to be discovered everywhere around us.
As a home maker and mother of two small children, I find an incredible amount of nourishment from making art work. My work is inspired by the details and rhythm of daily life; these details move me and drive me to make works to enrich our family life as well as the lives of others.
Mandy is giving one reader any choice of artwork from her lovely
Etsy shop. Just enter a comment about your favorite winter activity, and the winner will be chosen on Tuesday at 4 p.m. EST.
Visit Mandy's blog here and Etsy shop here! Thanks Mandy! You rock.
If you have not heard of Craft Hope, I urge you to go visit their website here, and their Etsy shop here. Buy, donate, help out. Do whatever you can to lend a helping hand. I hope to get some photos up there soon. I put up this button in my sidebar yesterday, and if you click on it you will be directed to the Etsy shop.
Grace has a lovely blog post with more links and ways to help. So wander over there when you get a minute!
My heart goes out to all the families in Haiti. May peace and safety arrive soon. xoxo
Each year, since she turned one year old, I've taken her down to a special little place for a girl's day out. We did just that this week and I couldn't help but go through the archives to see just how much as changed. Visiting a place like this once a year really accentuates her maturity and how she has grown. It was fun to see her master new skills and still enjoying things she did at one year. This year we put on a little production in their "theater" (it involved a wizard, castle, and dinosaurs...ahhh!) and she was loving every minute of it. Gosh, we know how to have fun!
We are in full kitchen renovation mode now, so are days are busy and are nights are spent relaxing. Tomorrow, I'll make friends with sheetrock and will say goodbye to linoleum. Yay!
I hope you all have a great weekend. Stay tuned for an awesome giveaway this Sunday!!
The little one is getting so very big. And with the bigness comes maturity and a new level of understanding. She says some of the most remarkable things. This morning, after crawling in my lap and laying her head on my shoulder, she says, "Mama, I'm so glad you're my best friend." Aw, she rocks. I'm glad she's my best friend too. Couldn't have asked for a better one! We enjoyed our day together, playing, reading, cleaning, walking, and going on an outing to retrieve a special treat for dinner (organic salmon from our local fish market....yum!).
This morning she decided Purple Violet needed some matching clothes. We set to work making jeans and corduroys to match the little one's pants. Purple Violet was very excited and likes the corduroys best of all! The little one helped with her own little ironing board and pretend sewing machine. She did a fabulous job and we had a fun morning spent in the sewing room. It's so nice working side by side with my girl.
At lunch (leftover pizza), another sink bath was in order. She's really enjoying these and gives me some time to get lunch together. She even ate her grilled cheese in the sink. Silly girl...
There's something about laundry that is so meditative to me. I love folding. She's getting so good at folding. Our washer and dryer are getting ready to be replaced and moved to a different location in the kitchen, and a vintage Hoosier (found on Craigslist for a steal!) will be taking their place. I can't wait!
And we were so lucky to get a special surprise in the mail. Amy sent along some of her very talented husband's goodies. They are all over our living room now and I smile every time I look at them. Thanks Amy. You and your family are so kind!!
And the last photo for the night...Kiwi has just discovered the lambskin. It took her long enough to decide it was the coziest, warmest spot in the house. As I type this, she's lying on her back, curled up in a ball sleeping happily. If only we could all be so cozy!
After work today, Sasa's mom (we call her Poppy) and I headed to one of our favorite little antique shops for some fun. We're a great thrifting pair and she doesn't roll her eyes when I squeal at the sight of Pyrex or anything turquoise. She likes her Fiesta Ware and I like my Pyrex, so it all works out. I found some great deals (the above) including the table cloth that I've been wanting for over a year. Not only are all these thing functional, but they count as accessories for our new kitchen remodel. Woohoo!
And I posted the much asked for "almond butter thumbprint" cookie recipe over on Sasa's blog. I obviously changed it to be gluten-free, but you can use any flour. And get ready for a great pizza recipe later tonight!
Until next time...
So many people commented on "how well I was put together" today that I had to share. Apparently, the striped Smartwools over my mother's aerobics leggings from the 1980's (don't ask why I have them...), topped off with my favorite skirt, my favorite tunic, and my favorite little sweater vest was quite a statement. The boots so badly need to be polished. They're six years old but very comfortable. So there you go...Bluebirdbaby style dissected.
And onto the randomness ::
Once upon a time, in a land full of white, there lived a little girl and her Mama and Sasa. This little girl loved the snow more than anything. She was good friends with King Winter, and often asked him to make it snow "more and more!" every night before falling asleep. Even Jack Frost often visited her house, leaving behind frost flowers and icicles on the windows. One night, the little girl asked King Winter for a shiny new red sled. She knew that King Winter's gnomes and elves made sleds, ice skates, and skis for good little girls and boys. So the little one sat on her bed one night, looking out into the winter night sky, and said, "Please King Winter. Please bring me a shiny new red sled so I can go sledding."
And when she awoke the next morning, the little girl found a sled by the front door, covered in Jack Frost's flowers. The little girl quickly woke her Mama and Sasa and they all bundled up in their winter gear and headed outside.
Sasa pulled the little girl on her new red sled all the way to Snow Hill. Snow Hill was a magical hill behind their house where the winter fairies lived. When they reached the hill, Sasa and the little girl climbed onto the sled, and with a big push from the winter fairies, they went speeding down the hill faster and faster giggling all the way. They went so fast and so far that they almost went right into the stream, but the winter fairies stopped the sled just in time.
Sasa gave the winter fairies a break and pulled the little girl all the way back up the hill. And they went again and again and again! And Mama took many turns too.
When they were finally too tired and hungry to sled anymore, they thanked the winter fairies with some red berries. The winter fairies said goodbye and promised to help them out again on their next trip to Snow Hill.
The little girl stood on top of the hill and shouted, "Thank you King Winter!" King Winter smiled in his snow cave. Then Mama, Sasa, and the little girl went home and warmed up with some hot cocoa, buttered toast, and cozy blankets, still smiling at all the fun they had.
(We enjoyed a lovely morning full of sledding this past week. I hope you enjoyed my story of the day!)
We had another full day today. January and February are always the months where I take it easy, not taking on too much, slowing down, and just settling into home and sinking in to the small moments of our day which are so very ordinary, but so very special. These next two months are really going to be crazy. With house renovations officially in full swing (final kitchen color here), walls being knocked down, carpets and linoleum being ripped up, and finding myself in a crazy I really need to be out thrifting mood means that my normal down months will be packed tight. And that's okay! There's still time to enjoy the small moments, and between yesterday and today there have been so many!
Sunny days just warm enough to hang clothes on the line. Nothing makes me happier than hanging clothes on the line, especially when the colors just pop against the snow!
Morning baths in the sink. Gotta love it! I used to do this all the time as a kid. Add a tea set to the mix and you have entertainment for over an hour.
Trips to the yarn store. The Noro was chosen for that sweater vest I keep talking about, and the little one picked out the purple Peace Fleece for a sweater coat to match Purple Violet's. Too cute! I can't wait to get started.
And the little one has discovered a new passion. She has been loving the violin ever since we took her to a little string concert a couple of months ago. She turned her Ukulele and magic wand into a violin and bow today. She played the "violin" for hours, imitating perfectly the other musicians she saw playing. She even brought it in the car and into the co-op, performing for cans of tuna and the cheese case, humming a little tune as her bow gently passed over the strings. Too cute for words. It made me so happy to see her so passionate about something. She seemed in her element..like she had done this so many times before. I can't wait to see where this takes her!
I hope you all have a happy weekend! We're off on an adventure tomorrow. See you soon!
We had a little concert today. I was on keys, the little one on Ukulele, and Sasa sported an accordion (then we all switched!). We got dressed up, put on a show, and were pretty beat by the last number. The little one kept saying, "Look guys...we're rocket stars!!" And man, she's got the rocket star moves down PAT! She even taught Sasa and I an original move. Oh yea, we were looking mighty fine. Too bad we didn't charge for tickets...
And the rest of the day? Well, the below is only a little snippet. We've been enjoying our time together so much. Today was a lot of fun, and involved a lot of play, some baking and delivering of cookies (oh, almond butter thumbprint cookies, I love you!), piano playing, singing, some sledding, three walks, and a delicious dinner!
Take a look ::
:: morning play ::
:: learning new songs ::
:: playsilk animals (a rabbit and snail...literally resulted in hours of play) ::
:: dessert (millet pudding with agave nectar, fresh raspberries, and our cookies!) ::
Hope you all had a wonderful day too! See you tomorrow.
The only shot of the day...dinner.
The little one and I had dinner started at an early 2:30 p.m. We made homemade tomato soup with fresh basil and creme fraiche. Add to that some kale tossed with apple slivers, walnut pieces, tamari and apple juice, and you have a deeeelicious dinner!
And thank you, thank you, thank you for Sasa's grand welcome into the land of blogs. He is just tickled and all giggly over your comments. He kept saying, "People actually made my soup!" He is seriously very excited and has another yummy recipe for you all tonight. So don't forget to take a gander over to his little space. I've added the link up on my menu bar under the banner.
And tomorrow? Some baking, some ice skating, some visiting, and another amazing Sasa created dinner!
Sasa (the king of the kitchen) is celebrating a birthday tomorrow. Instead of bestowing him with more clothes, kitchen gadgets, and books right after Christmas, I decided it was high time he had a blog of his own. We've been talking about it for quite some time...especially after so many of you kept asking for his delicious (and all gluten-free!) recipes. So I spent the last few nights designing a simple little blog for him to share all of his culinary creations.
He truly is amazing and everything he makes is too good to be true! So please welcome Sasa into the blogging world and go say hello! You can find him at :: too good to be true
I've introduced him and got him started with his first posted recipe. So enjoy!
And happy birthday Sasa! I love you (and your food)!
We finally got a snowstorm! We waited all December for King Winter to send several inches of snow our way, but instead we got freak 60 degree days, rain storms, and a light dusting of that powdery white stuff the little one loves so much. But not this weekend. We were hit not once, not twice, but for three straight days. Sasa thinks there's about 18 inches of that magical white stuff covering our yard. The little one was in heaven catching snowflakes on her tongue (most tasted like chocolate she claimed), making snowmen in the yard, and heading to town for errands on her sled. The streets were perfect for pulling a toddler around in a sled, and from the amount of sleds leaning against the sides of store doors, I guess the other parents around town agreed!
And just a little something the little one and I were up to back in November that I am just now writing about :: shoe gnomes! After seeing Amy's shoe gnomes, I remembered that the little one and I had made a jar full for our mudroom. There's enough for her shoes (and yes...she has quite the collection!) and for other tiny footed guests. They keep all her little shoes together and add the right amount of magic to one of the dirtiest rooms in the house! And they are just so darn cute...
I finally got around to adding a winter banner to this space. Yay for snow! I'll be sick of it soon enough, but right now I'm really enjoying it. And the excuse to get all cozy and curl up with some knitting or a book on the couch is nothing to complain about!! Until tomorrow...
I woke up this morning with the intention of packing up all our Christmas decorations, taking the tree down, and just cleaning up a bit. But with the addition of new toys for the little one and a family room feeling just a tiny bit cramped prompted Sasa and I to decide it was time for our bi-annual switcheroo. So out went the art corner and in came the piano. I had purchased some bookplates off of Etsy for about a dollar a piece. I wanted some nice artwork that I could just clip onto the wall and switch out every now and then. These floral prints are perfect against the wallpaper!
The dollhouse and art corner were moved into the middle room. Sasa and I were thrilled to uncover that cute little alcove again. The middle room has always been a kind of "what on Earth could we use this for?!" kind of room because it's not only the entrance to the house, but to the kitchen, living room, and stairway. So it needs to stay pretty sparse and accommodating to lots of foot traffic. It's nice for it to finally have a purpose.
The dollhouse corner was replaced with shelving and baskets full of tree blocks, wooden people and animals, and her felted things. It's a sweet little set up and I hope invites lots of play!
Upstairs we added pegs for Purple Violet's clothing and above I put her new bookplate that I had matted and framed for Christmas.
These are just a few of the things we plan on doing this coming year to our home. A new kitchen, wood floors uncovered, ripping down wallpaper and painting, and a special little surprise for the little one in the backyard are just a few of the things on our list. Yes, I think 2010 will be very busy indeed!
Happy New Year! May 2010 bring you joy, happiness, and lots of giggles!!
Cool giveaway! My favorite winter activity is snuggling. Can't get enough of it.