I can't think of a better way to ring in the new year than with an amazing group of people, lots of laughter, and delicious food and drinks, all in our new home. It was a beautiful night, full of fun and joy. I am excited to start this new year and can't wait to see what it will bring.
Happy New Year!
Just because I might not have the time to post this closer to the actual day, I wanted to say happy new year! We had a little photo shoot for our invitations, and came up with this funny picture. If any of you readers are in the area, stop by on the 31st for some good food and drinks. E-mail me for more info. Enjoy the last days of 2008!
Scenes from Christmas Eve and Christmas Day...
Sasa and I had the little one for Christmas Eve and we hosted a big dinner party. It was so much fun! The little one got a new wagon for riding around town, and I managed to fill her stocking with mostly handmade things from a great new shop in town (more on that later...). Then she was off to Papa's. It was hard not having her on Christmas Day, but it was nice to have an entire day to relax. Sasa and I slept in and basically did nothing all day. I'm still trying to kick this sinus infection, so I'm quite exhausted. We managed to get out for a nice, long walk and watched the sun set. It was a great day. I hope yours was too!
I don't typically get that excited about holidays, and have never really focused on "giving thanks" for anything in a serious manner around Thanksgiving. But this year, I feel thankful for so many things. I woke up yesterday morning feeling like it was Christmas. I felt that same excitement I did as a little child as I ran to the Christmas tree. We woke up to a yard full of frost that almost looked like snow, and there was such a feeling of festivity in the air. I went the whole day thinking how lucky I was and how thankful I am for everything and everyone in my life. There is just so much to be thankful for...
The little one's first television viewing. I haven't had television in 6 years, so the little one has never seen a show on t.v. or a commercial for that matter. But there is cable where we are staying, and we turned it on for the first time to view the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. The little one thoroughly enjoyed the dancing and singing before the parade started. She kept getting annoyed by the commercials and requested "more people!!!" every two minutes.
A Thanksgiving Day morning walk. We hiked over 3 miles with two friends while the little one stayed unusually content in her backpack. The weather was mild and the rain held off. We enjoyed some gorgeous views and it felt great to get some exercise.
Thanksgiving dinner at the sweetest little house ever, with some lovely company. It was a very low-key, relaxed day and we all had a lot of fun. One of the nicest parts was the fact that the pies, stuffing, and side dishes were gluten-free! So I had my first complete Thanksgiving meal without a lot of pain afterward!
An after dinner walk down to the ocean where the little one found a "choo-choo train". The walk seemed to finally tire her out, so she slept on the car ride home and remarkably fell asleep once placed in her bed at home.
And I am thankful for a new place to live, which will hopefully happen this coming week! The little one and I are so excited. We'll be sharing the house with a friend, and I promise to update you with all the renovations/redecorating that goes on. The little one has requested a "green and purple" room...any ideas on how I could make that work?! And you know...there will be a new sewing studio to put together and I am very excited about a new color/theme for that! And soon there will be some craftiness happening on this blog again. I am just itching to get back to sewing! There is just so much to be thankful for!
I hope your Thanksgiving was a good one. Enjoy the weekend!
From your local turkey...
So I turned 25 today. I thought about keeping my age a mystery, because nobody can ever guess how old I am and I love that. But I knew I would get asked. So there you go. I'm a wee 25. I was born on my brother's 14th birthday, so we tend to celebrate together. (Which means two cakes!!) We had a great lasagna dinner down at my mother's house. The day was much enjoyed.
And yesterday I had the pleasure of doing something I've always been too afraid to do: singing into a microphone, in front of a crowd of people. That's right. I've recently hooked up with a talented guitar player in the area who writes most of his own music. I am writing harmony parts to his songs, as well as singing a couple of my own solos. I've also been writing some music too. It's great to not only be singing again, but also playing the piano and trumpet, and composing too! Maybe someday I'll get a video up...
I hope you enjoyed your weekend!
Boy, what a morning! We had a little, laid-back party at her favorite hang out (the bookshop) after toddler time at the library. We just announced that there would be yummy cake and had quite a few toddlers that came to check it out.
So we officially have a two year old on our hands. The last year went by so quickly. She woke up to a table full of goodies, her birthday banner, and her Papa and I went in to her room this morning to sing "happy birthday" which she loved.
Her party at the bookshop was much fun! She got some great gifts, including a handmade wooden chair (thanks Lisa!) that I'll have to snap a picture of later today. The cake was amazing. Thanks to a fabulous co-worker at the co-op, we had a delicious gluten/dairy/sugar/egg-free cake. And quite possibly the best chocolate cake I've ever had.
And because there isn't enough to announce, there is a cute pair of pants in the shop today. I made the above pair for her on Sunday and completed a second pair for the shop. You can find them here!
And the winners...
The random number generator picked numbers 27, 26, 20, 11, 38, 13, and 22. So that's Mary-sue, Michelle, Pam, Torie, Kate, Tara, and Lee-Ann. The first three numbers will get the full-length c.d.'s and the last four will get the shorter selections. Please e-mail me with your addresses and I will mail them out to you!
It was Stephen's birthday today. I'm a little late posting pictures, but the celebrating began around 7 p.m. The birthday banner was up (the little one loved that), the chocolate torte was made (gluten-free, of course), and the gifts were wrapped. I think he enjoyed the evening. Happy Birthday Stephen!
Some of my favorite things to make are the wool felt birthday crowns. There are a few that slipped by without being mentioned here, so I'd like to give them their debut. I don't know why I love making them so. Perhaps it's because with every stitch I imagine the years it will be worn, the parties it will be a part of, and the memories it will instill throughout a little one's childhood. It's quite magical and I feel honored to be the maker of each special crown.
I've gone back and forth with the idea to add them to my shop. I guess because each one is so unique and is often designed by the future wearer itself, that I have decided I would only take custom orders for them.
My goal is to make each one different. Kind of like my motto for clothing. Each child is different, so each crown should be too! Just by the colors the child picks out, I can often sense a style that would suit the wearer. It's fun to choose the stitching and trim that will compliment the wool felt.
Although I typically love accepting custom orders, I have to stop for the next month. I'm getting ready to order fabric for my spring line of clothing and am really concentrating on designs. But if you would like to place a custom order with me, I will gladly put you on a list to get started on after my next big shop update.
And don't forget... this afternoon at 2 p.m. EST, the shop will be updated with two lovely bags! Enjoy your Wednesday.
It feels as though ages have passed since I sat down to write for you all. Holidays can really keep a person busy (as well as other secretive projects going on...) and although I've managed to turn out a few picture heavy posts, my head is near explosion with the amount of ideas and inspiration spinning around. I know it will take me a few days to get back into the groove, and what better time to start than the first day of the new year?
Yesterday, after finally finishing that big "secretive project" I've been hinting at, I had a moment to stop and breathe. These past two weeks (okay, really it's been two months) have seemed like a race to a finish line that was barely visible. Now it's been crossed and it feels better than I imagined. Expect a nice, long post about this big project on Wednesday. Sorry to keep you waiting, but trust me, it's worth it.
When I finally had the chance to breathe, it seemed only fitting to do that breathing in the great outdoors; where each inhale of the cold winter air refreshes my body and spirit. Jack Frost has been no stranger around these parts. Another eight inches added to the already snow covered ground.
I strapped on my snow shoes just to get the mail. I was under the impression that snow shoes helped keep your feet dry and made trudging through the thick blanket of snow a little easier. My only thought was "I must be doing something wrong."
My constant companion bounded through the snow with ease. My only defense is he has four legs, while I only have two. That must make it easier somehow.
Although the garden is covered, little bits of dormant plants peek above the snow, waiting for spring and a chance for new life.
While I much prefer the cold, crisp air of winter to the humid air of summer, I look at these photos and remember that not too long ago the scene was so very different. And yes, those are my knees being covered by snow. I was frantically trying to get the following picture before it was too late:
The winter sun, blaring orange and setting below the hill. Beautiful. The last sunset of 2007.
Happy New Year!
We had a very laid-back Christmas day here. We opened stockings, Stephen surprised me with a gorgeous hand woven basket (I'm all about baskets) which the little one wanted for herself. I found a great vintage doll highchair at a flea market and saved it for Christmas morning to surprise the little one. Alex was well fed today...
We ate, we napped, we took a Christmas morning walk, we had a delicious supper, and enjoyed our time together. Here are some pictures of the fun. Find more here.
(She really wants it. Don't worry...I'm sharing.)
I hope your day was just as joyful! See you back here soon.
The packages have been mailed,
the tree has been decorated,
the music is playing,
and the candles are lit.
Wishing you a Happy Solstice, Merry Christmas, and Joyous New Year. Expect some light posting from me until after the holidays. Enjoy your celebrations!
For a couple of months now, some local crafty ladies and I have been getting together for a girl's night out. I've always found it difficult to find people I can truly connect with, but since moving to this area I have found the greatest bunch of very talented, intelligent, and fun-loving women. We always have a blast and there's never a shortage of good food and laughter.
Saturday night was our holiday party. The boys were invited too, although they spent most of the time warming up by the bonfire outside. (Did you know you could buy a burn permit online with your debit card, just minutes before lighting the fire?! Very cool.) We exchanged gag gifts, the ladies did a holiday ornament swap, and we just hung out chatting and eating the night away.
We warmed ourselves by the wood stove. It was a particularly chilly winter night and a bad storm was expected to hit any hour. I kept peeking outside expecting to see snowflakes falling, but they held off until early morning.
We discussed sewing, life in general, babies, houses, and Maine winter gear. Above is the marvelous Rhea sporting her leg warmers. If I knew how to knit anything other than a scarf I'd make myself a pair. I can see these becoming a must-have accessory in my wardrobe this season.
And introducing our littlest member of the group. He's always sleeping and we joke about never seeing him actually awake. It's so calming to glance over and see a sleeping baby in the midst of all the talking and laughter.
I really feel honored to have found these wonderful ladies. The welcomed break from parenting and life's stresses is always much needed and much remedied by the fun we have together. I look forward to many more nights like these in the future. Thanks gals.
On Saturday we drove down to my mother-in-law's house to do a little holiday celebrating. Mare is the greatest mother-in-law, the best hostess, and we always leave smiling and with full bellies. Her house is gorgeous, overlooking Casco Bay, and tucked right into the big city where all the action is going on.
The little one "helped" me wrap up the gifts before we headed out. I've used simple brown packing paper to wrap gifts for a few years now. I love the simplicity of it and you can dress the package up with ribbons and other things. I used scrap fabric for this tie and made a little fabric gift tag to match.
When we arrived, Mare was waiting with hor'dourvers and drinks.
Shortly after, it was time to open gifts. I made Mare a patchwork linen scarf and a tote bag. When she asked me what I would like, I told her I'd rather have her get some toys for Elisabeth that would keep her entertained. This stroller? A big hit! The little one just adores it. (We'll talk about who's in the stroller later this week.)
Then there was the food. It was all so delicious. This is actually one of my favorite parts about the holidays. Food seems to be everywhere and very plentiful this time of year. My mother joined us and brought the little one a special gluten-free (as well as many other things...) blueberry cake, because blueberries are her favorite food. It was delicious and she couldn't get enough of it. It also came in mighty handy on the long car drive home.
I couldn't resist taking some photographs of the lovely artwork Mare has in her home. And, of course, I had to get a shot of the view. It's just perfect. My flickr page has many more pictures of our day.
After supper there was a bit of relaxing, then came the goodbyes and hugs, and the long car drive home. I think this is just how I like the holidays: low-key, relaxing, full of good food and family, and just having fun.
After my dismal skirt failure last month, and a summer skirt that will probably always be a little too big, I decided a new skirt for the holiday season was in order; and it must fit! After being inspired by this, I came up with the above in an amazing 30 minutes. Yes, thirty. I see a lot more of these in the future.
To avoid any waist measurement issues, I went with a wide elastic. Oh my, is it comfortable. The fabric was one of the remaining corduroy prints at the store. Who would have thought corduroy season was over?! The pocket idea is brilliant, which was one of the reasons I really loved the skirt when I saw it. I always find it awkward when I don't have pockets for my hands. I tend to panic when I'm out in public and realize I have no pockets.
After finishing the skirt I decided the tree was looking rather naked, so when the little one went to bed much earlier than usual (up at 5 a.m., one short nap in the morning, and one long afternoon...) I got in a little extra sewing. I used the holiday prints leftover from the stockings and linen, measured the space around the tree, came up with this simple design, dipped into my bias-tape stash, and it was done in about an hour.
I even got to use my favorite stitch on my new machine (still swooning, by the way) which Stephen has affectionately dubbed "the computer." Overall, I'm really pleased with how it came out and I'm excited that it might last through the little one's childhood and passed onto her when she's grown.
And I just wanted to add that there will be no shop updates until the new year. I am working on a new pant design, as well as some other things, getting ready to paint my new sewing space, and just enjoying the time to do a bit of sewing for our family. So I will not be taking any custom orders until after the holidays. There are still two holiday outfits up in the shop if anyone is interested!
Our family has decided to celebrate Solstice instead of Christmas. What exactly that means for us will develop over the coming years as our family grows and learns. We already have some traditions in place that seem to suit our family's style, like a special ornament for the little one each year. This year's ornament came from the Etsy shop called My Little Acorn. A bird ornament! How could I resist?!
It's so well made and I just adore the colors. I bought two, one for an ornament swap at a party next weekend and one for us. The little one just loved it and felt very special finding the perfect spot for her new ornament on the tree.
I finally found the time to finish our new stockings. We plan on doing just stockings on Christmas with little, practical, and fun gifts inside. We are really trying to stay away from the commercialization of Christmas and all the gifts it entails. The stress and greediness, the expectations and commitments all seem to drive our family further and further away from our culture's biggest holiday. But we still want to honor the special day in a few unique ways.
The stockings' fabrics were carefully selected to fit each of our personalities.
Stephen is very fond of his and asked how I wrote our names on each one. (Well dear, remember the other night when we were sitting on the couch together, me with a needle, embroidery floss, and fabric in hoop?)
Elisabeth was ecstatic about hers. She insisted on taking it down and carrying it around with her. She kept pointing to the bunnies hiding behind the trees and giggling.
Three hours of stocking making for just one short time of the year? Definitely worth it after seeing my family's appreciation. Nothing beats handmade.
I admit, I'm really not into Christmas. Gosh, that sounds horrible, doesn't it?! But with all the Christmas decorating and crafting going on around here in Blogland, I somehow got in the spirit to do a few things...
A tree was first on our list. I really wanted to get a live tree this year, but our budget wouldn't allow it. So we got a small tree from in town, decorated it with any ornaments I could find that weren't breakable, and placed it in our living room where it would be in constant view. My little helper was actually very helpful. She placed more ornaments than I did on the tree and likes to take them off to do it all over again. And I was pleasantly surprised to find myself ordering holiday fabric from Superbuzzy to make a tree skirt and matching stockings.
I put a few decorations that belonged to Stephen's mother around the house. Our home is very hard to decorate for any type of holiday. There is limited wall space (being that our kitchen, dining room, living room, and music room are all one room) and not too many tables around. So finding places to put things is challenging.
I am particularly pleased about our Christmas cards. I found these letterpress holiday cards at a local store and immediately snatched them up. A fun picture of the little one will be included, and hopefully mailed out before the holidays.
So you see? I don't really earn the "ba humbug" title. All you festive bloggers out there saved me this year. Enjoy your weekend!
As I mentioned before, our temporary nature table was on top of the little one's play kitchen. It was kind of in that "end of fall, not quite winter" mode. After being buried by 11 inches of snow (yes, eleven) I decided it was time for the real winter table to begin.
We've been moving furniture around, trying tables in different spots, and switching rugs from room to room. This area behind the couch was previously taken up by the harpsichord Stephen built. It has since been moved to another room and all of a sudden the back of the couch looked rather bare.
An antique table belonging to Stephen's great aunt took the harpsichord's place, and on it went our wintry things: acorns, pine cones, favorite bowls, a bare tree branch, pine needles, felted gnomes, a white silk to represent the snow, and little wooden pine trees.
Okay, I will admit the arranging was more for mama's enjoyment, but the little one just loves to come over and peek at everything. Sometimes she takes off with a gnome, but always puts it back a bit later. The bowls were thrifted finds and in them contain winter's treasures.
I really adore seeing how other people put together their nature tables. If you've posted about one on your own blog, leave a comment because I'd love to check it out!
Have a wonderful Wednesday!
Three stuffed bellies.
Lots of dishes.
One very sleepy and worn out babe.
More than enough leftovers.
Feeling pretty darn good about making a gluten-free Thanksgiving dinner.
Did I mention lots of dishes?!
I hope your Thanksgiving was wonderful and that your weekend be filled with fun!
I'm grateful for little moments of quiet play,
a package from a friend containing the most beautiful hat I've ever seen,
a cozy fire on a chilly night,
a gluten-free pumpkin pie,
and Stephen remembering dish soap (we've been out for two days!) so I could finally tackle all the dishes. Ah, there's nothing like baking in a clean kitchen.
And I'm most certainly grateful for all of you; for those of you who take the time out of your days to stop by and say hello. Here's wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving, from our family to yours.
A little late night, last minute sewing turned into an entire fairy tale inspired outfit for the little one. I didn't have a pattern, so the entire project was a big guess with everything being in my head. I must admit, I didn't even measure her first because she was sleeping when I made it. I got lucky...real lucky.
The cape was so easy and I really think it's cute enough to wear more often. The jumper underneath started as a long skirt to keep her warm, then some straps and a front panel with pocket. The red linen had been sitting in my stash forever and I never had a clue what I was going to use it for. The print was a $2 clearance cotton I picked up last summer. And who couldn't resist the chance to use a little rickrack?!
So here she is..Red Riding Hood. Please forgive the massive amount of pictures. I had way too much fun, and only slightly wished it were me in the costume instead.
Her beloved basket was the inspiration for the whole outfit.
I love the pointy hood. It reminds me of a little elf and she actually keeps it on.
We even ran into the big bad wolf! (He decided not to eat us.)
She absolutely loved being in the costume and was a bit upset when we came inside to take it off.
We are headed into Damariscotta for some Halloween fun this evening, and a stop at Alewives to see the marvelous Rhea on our way back home.
Enjoy your Halloween!
My time to create has been so limited lately. Between being away, missed naps and getting ready for the long, cold season ahead, there hasn't been much time for me to spend behind the sewing machine. It's very frustrating at times because it's the one thing that tends to energize me, and that allows me to be a much happier mama. So there have been some not quite proud parenting moments, as I try to struggle with the fact that the little time I had to myself, is slowly disappearing.
But over the last couple of days, I've managed to finish two birthday gifts for my friend's little ones. Their birthdays are two weeks apart and I wanted to make them something personal that would last through the years.
The wool felt came from here and the ribbons are from a vintage selection I found online.
I embroidered the letter of their first name on each crown. I would love to sell these in my Etsy shop because I have such a fun time making them. Knowing that this is something a little one can treasure throughout their childhood makes them so special.
And something else I started before our trip last week...it will be up in the shop someday, I promise. I hope to add at least four outfits in the coming month. Anyone know a good mother's helper in the area??!
We returned home one day short because of some sniffles and a runny nose. This is the first time the little one has been sick, so I'm not sure what to expect. I'm also not certain that it's actually anything but teething. The drool fountain, which stopped around month seven, has returned with full force and will soak a shirt in about 30 seconds.
Regardless of the above, we had a marvelous time with Grammie. We tried to stay sane with a week full of rainy weather and an antsy toddler waiting to go outdoors and ride her bike. We played a lot, read a lot and ate a lot. That seemed to do the trick, but we were ever so pleased when the sun arrived on Saturday.
While in Portland, I ventured into Edith and Edna for some Sublime Stitching patterns. I am always amazed by the things in that store. Such talented artists and oh so inspiring. I wanted to fill a bag with goodies to take home, but our budget just won't allow it. So a stitching pattern was my only purchase and I enjoyed the time walking around Portland (in the pouring rain) without the little one on my hip.
On Saturday we had a joint celebration of three birthdays: my mother's, and the birthday that my brother and I share. I made a gluten and dairy free cake and I must say that it was delicious. Even the gluten eating among us enjoyed every bite. It was my first bit of sugar after a two week diet of only agave nectar and maple syrup, and the fact that I had three pieces in one day sent my body into sugar shock. So now I am on the hunt for baking recipes where natural sweeteners work well. Any ideas?
That project I showed you a sneak peak of the other day will have to be revealed at a later date. I actually forgot to take a picture of the entire thing, and I can only say that it was a bag I made for my mother. My own design and definitely something I will be making more of for the shop. I also included this little zippered pouch that I made with the help of Amy's book. I wish I could have gotten the embroidery hoop marks off the corduroy, but even with much ironing, they didn't budge. If you're familiar with the book, I obviously altered the pattern a bit. I was surprised that the lining had to be hand sewn inside along the zipper. There has to be an easier way! Overall, it was a simple, quick project and made a very practical and stylish gift.
Much more tomorrow. I hope you all enjoyed your weekend!
On Friday I left a cranky baby, darling husband and messy house behind to join lovely Rhea over at Alewives for a little sewing fun. Or, I should say a lot of sewing fun.
With a pizza, some Green and Blacks, good music and a new project to work on, we chatted and sewed, and then did some more chatting and sewing. The only thing that didn't make me happy was the fact that my sewing machine broke. Off to the shop it goes.
Saturday we headed down to my mother-in-law's house to celebrate my birthday. She had a table full of delicious food and gave me the gift of a shopping "spree" in downtown Portland. So, so sweet and very fun! My mother joined us and made a heavenly chocolate gluten-free cake.
Then it was off shopping. We started on Exchange St. where I stopped into Awear and bought a gorgeous hemp and wool sweater. My favorite color too! This was just a slice of the goodness I came home with on Saturday. Mare is so very sweet and generous.
On the way home, we stopped at my mother's house where she surprised me with a new sewing machine! I couldn't believe it! Perfect timing, eh? It feels so great to have my very own sewing machine, instead of borrowing my mother's. I'm excited to get working tonight. I have so many new things for the shop, but that's all for a later post. Stay tuned!
I'm officially a year older today. After giving Stephen hints of the gift I had my eyes on, (like sending him the link and saying "my feet would look really great in these") I was pleasantly surprised when last night he came up toting a shoe-sized box. I was giddy with excitement as I tore through the tissue paper and threw open the cover to discover these precious things:
There couldn't be a more perfect shoe. Made with bamboo, organic cotton, a recycled tire for the outsoles, coconut and jute, these shoes are just my style. And they are beyond comfortable. I love the color (Stephen decided on it all by himself) and am excited to wear them out and about. Thanks sweetie!!
And, what would a birthday be without a little creativity? I am getting ready to introduce something new for the shop. I have one completed, so you get a sneak peak.
I'm off to enjoy more chocolate mousse pie for breakfast. Have a great weekend!
