Bluebirdbaby

The Eve and Christmas Day

A-swinging, a-ringing,

The bells at Christmas say:

A merry Christmas to you all

And happiness for great and small,

With joy we sing and plenty bring,

This happy Christmas Day!

 

What a magical past two days we've had! The little one insisted over and over again that Father Christmas not come to our house. Instead, she wanted the sleepy fairies to deliver the presents. So they did, and boy...did they do a good job! They filled her stocking right up and left her a very special new friend that will accompany the little one on many trips in the future. Her name is "Purple Violet." She came with her own little presents :: handmade jammies, a dress and pinafore, a purple scarf just like the little one has, a hat (thanks Ann!), a beautiful purple sweater coat (thanks Poppy!), and many vintage doll clothing (thanks Melissa!). So Purple Violet will be well dressed. And she's already been warmly welcomed into the family.

We ate, we laughed, we enjoyed two walks outside, we opened such thoughtful, lovely presents...it was a beautiful day and everyone made it so very special.

The little one went to sleep saying "Maybe Father Christmas will come tonight again and fill our stockings all up!" Oh, and we couldn't forget to ask King Winter for some snow. I definitely think she'll be anxiously awaiting next Christmas, and I know I will too!

I hope your Christmas was just as magical!!

Merry Christmas!!

I'm signing off until after the holidays! I hope you all have a very merry Christmas full of warmth, love, and peace.

See you soon!

Winter Solstice Celebration

Lighting a candle:

Deep in the ground of the human soul,

Of victory assured,

The Spirit-Sun is living.

All through the winter of the inner life

The faithful heart divines it.

-Steiner

Sasa and I decided last winter that we wanted to celebrate the shortest day of the year :: the Winter Solstice. We wanted to honor the shortest day, the slow return of light, and the eventual return of spring. In the midst of a holiday season that often focuses on people, gifts, and objects, we wanted a celebration that was deeply connected to our Earth. We started our day making treats for the birds and squirrels. We wanted to honor them on the darkest day of the year with some homemade treats. We collected pine cones and spread peanut butter onto them, then sprinkled sunflower seeds on top. We had a huge plateful and were excited to share them with our woodland friends! We took a walk around the neighborhood, ending up in our favorite spot (the beautiful cemetery full of the oldest, loveliest maple trees ever) where we spread our loot out.

We did some shadow measuring (shadows will be the longest on Solstice!), to which the little one kept saying, "I am getting big, big, big Mama! Look at how tall I am!" as she pointed to her shadow. She was so proud.

After lunch, we all finished up our sun cake. Sasa had made a delicious honey cake, which we spread with lemon pudding, and topped off with some homemade whipped cream made by the little one herself. I drew a bare tree to symbolize the winter with some leftover whipped cream.

We spent the afternoon hand stamping our homemade wrapping paper. We wrapped and wrapped, stamped, colored, and topped off with pretty ribbons. The tree is looking quite festive at the moment!

And lastly, we ended our night with a candle lit party. (Don't worry...she's drinking sparkling cranberry juice!) We celebrated the light we are so grateful to have, had a terrific dinner (yam and coconut milk soup), followed by the delicious sun cake. Our house was full of candles, and we were full of gratitude for the slow return of the sun.

Below is a little verse I sang to the little one ::

The gift of light

We thankfully take,

But nothing may be

Just alone for our sake.

The more we give light

To one and another

It shines and spreads life

Growing still further,

Till every spark is set aflame.

Till every heart,

Joy shall proclaim!

-M. Tittman

A very happy Solstice to you! May you enjoy this dark day and welcome the return of light!

Advent Week Four

The fourth light of Advent is the light of humankind.

The light of love, the light of thought, to give and to understand.

The little one was super excited about lighting the fourth candle this week. She could barely contain her excitement when I announced it was time to light our wreath. We added people to our Advent table to celebrate humankind. It was a wonderful night full of celebration and gratitude.

Sasa had to set up an event at work yesterday, so the little one and I spent some time setting up a little Winter Wonderland on top of the piano. We moved our Advent wreath to the center of the scene, and I think the result is quite magical. She was very thrilled about it. I spent some nights making fabric trees via this tutorial I've been eying for far too many holiday seasons. I'm so glad I finally got around to it!

When Sasa returned, it was time for some baking and holiday reading. The little one loves reading about Father Christmas. It was such a sweet scene to see them curled up together on the floor reading book after book on a cold, wintry afternoon while the smell of soup on the stove filled the room.

And after a long day at work, Sasa and I hit the kitchen for some holiday baking. Nothing beats melted dark chocolate. Especially when mint is added. Oh yea, and a glass of Malbec doesn't hurt either. Gosh, I love this season. I love food. And boy, oh boy, do I love this man.

And thank you all so very, very much for all your thoughtful, amazing, and touching comments. You seriously make my day. You have no idea how special your words are to me. I wish I had time to respond to everyone, but my computer time is so limited these days. I do read every one. So here's a collective thank you!!

I didn't get around to posting our Solstice celebration yesterday, so I'll save it for tomorrow (on the actual Solstice). For those of you who asked, the Winter Solstice celebrates the return of light. On December 21st, the sun will rise later and set earlier than any other day this year. It marks the shortest day of the year, yet the slow return of light and eventually the return of spring. So yay for Solstice! We give thanks to the Earth, the Sun, and all the wild animals out there surviving through a long, cold, dark season. More tomorrow!

A(nother) Day in Photos

:: Early morning reading ::

:: Christmas crafting ::

:: Jack Frost has been bringing us lots of frost flowers! ::

:: Afternoon play on the couch. I put my glasses on to read and she looked over and said, "Mama, take those glasses off!" I asked her why and she replied with, "Because you look so mysteeerious!" Then she asked me to take her picture. What a silly goose! ::

:: Apple crisp in the works. We wanted to surprise Sasa when he got home from work. I also had homemade vegetable pasta sauce on the stove. The kitchen smelled delicious! ::

:: Early Solstice/winter gifts ::

:: A spark of Father Sun's light ::

:: Finally, finally asleep ::

.........................................................................................................................................................................

Our day started at a bright and early (who am I kidding??....dark and waaay too early!) 4:30 a.m. It's dark, it's cold, it's nice and cozy in bed, but I awake to the pitter-patter of little feet running down the hall. The door creaks open and a little voice whispers, "Mama? Sasa? You awake?"

Um...we played the whole "sound asleep" card for a good five minutes, but that was clearly getting us nowhere. So it was a long day. A day I wasn't sure I would quite make it through. (I'm one of those "I could conquer the world if I sleep in until 8 a.m." kinda gals.) But regardless of the early wake up, we did indeed have a rather lovely day. It was full of more coffee than I care to admit, some Christmas crafting, three delicious meals with the two I adore most, and ended with a not-so-early bedtime (darn!) and plenty of snuggles.

Jack Frost has certainly been good to us. King Winter hasn't been sending any snow, but Jack Frost is making sure it's frigid out there. Almost every window in our house has frost flowers on it! So pretty, but I can't wait to see the yard again!

Stay warm! We're gearing up for a Solstice celebration this weekend. What do you do on Solstice?!

Wine

Well, the wine tasting was a hit. I swear, I've never sipped so many kinds of wine in one night in my entire life, and I really wish to never again. Ten kinds of wine is much too much for one palette to handle! But it was a night filled with good wine, good people, 8 year aged cheddar (seriously...what could be better?!), and followed by some relaxing on the couch with my love before bed. It was a perfect evening!

I hope you all are well. The little one returns tomorrow morning and I just can't wait!!

Advent :: Week Three

The third light of Advent is the light of the beasts.

Animals of farm, field, forest, air and sea.

All await the birth in the greatest and in least.

We celebrated the beginning of the third week of Advent this weekend. This week celebrates all animals, so we added some of our favorite wooden animals (most from here) to our Advent table. We also had been collecting fallen feathers from our chickens these past few weeks to add to our table. The little one was very excited to light another candle this week.

The signing/show went great! Artful Blogging completely sold out (30 copies...oh my!), I sold many prints, and I met many wonderful people. Thank you all who traveled to stop by! I really appreciate it.

And tomorrow night we are hosting a wine and cheese tasting (yum!), so you may not hear from me until Tuesday. Enjoy your start to the week!

St. Nicholas and Advent

Thank you all for entering the giveaway! Sasa (my random number generator) picked number 101 ::

beautiful! heres to hoping...

Posted by: Blayne | December 06, 2009 at 03:37 PM 

So Blayne...e-mail me and your patterns will be on their way!

Upon his snow white steed

With wind and lightning speed

St. Nicholas leaves the sky

And comes a-riding by

The little hare hops nigh

And lifts his nose up high

The stag with pointing horn

Leaps over bush and thorn

And all the creatures dear

Are drawing quickly near

Before St. Nicholas bow

Their little heads so low

And we will learn a tune

Of sun and star and moon

And sing our happy lay

Sing on St. Nicholas Day!

The little one got a visit from St. Nicholas this morning. We prepared for the visit the night before by polishing her shoes (or scrubbing off the dirt!), baking gingerbread cookies to leave for St. Nicholas, a carrot for his horse, and a special note and drawing. St. Nicholas was nice enough to leave a small piece of chocolate, a satsuma, and three special wooden figures (a squirrel, a chicken, and mouse), and an amazing pair of knitted mittens (thanks Ann for teaching the elves how to knit...wink, wink!) in her shoes, and a Solstice book.

This morning we woke up to a winter wonderland. The day before, the little one and I spent some time outside asking King Winter to please send snow. And he did! The little one crawled into bed with us this morning, and we all opened the shade to see a street filled with snow. She ran downstairs, put on her snowsuit, and she and Sasa spent an hour outside shoveling, making snow angels, and literally rolling in the snow. I stayed cozy and warm inside preparing some banana bread for the three of us. It was a morning I wish could have lasted forever.

And today was the start of another week of Advent. We added greens and berries to our table this week and lit our second Advent candle.

The second light of Advent is the light of the plants.

Roots, stem, leaf, flower, and fruit by whom we live and grow.

I'm battling another cold (Sasa is too), so you may or may not hear from me tomorrow! I hope you enjoyed the weekend. Stay warm!

Winter and Holiday Decorating

Hoping your day was full of peace, joy, and coziness. We spent the day preparing for the holidays. Many of you might remember that I'm usually not a fan of the holidays, but this year is different. Sasa and I have found a way to weave so many traditions into our lifestyle. It feels good. We are excited and anticipating so many new and lasting traditions.

And the first snow fell today. It started towards dusk. After a lovely dinner with family, we headed out for a special before bedtime walk. The little one was so excited. She put on her little "gnome suit" and gathered a bowl for snow collecting, and we walked around the block. We literally skipped, sang, jumped for joy, and giggled through the neighborhood with our tongues hanging out trying to catch some snowflakes. It was a night I'll remember forever.

I hope you are enjoying (or getting ready to enjoy) this holiday season! Stay tuned tomorrow for the winner of the giveaway!

An Advent Candle Decoration

Wednesday is our craft day. I try to have everything set up beforehand. Today we were making Advent candle decorations. We use this candle at every meal and before bedtime, so it was nice to have something festive to add to it.

The little one is really into drawing letters lately. She likes to trace my letters, so I had written "ADVENT" in big letters for her to trace underneath. She had such fun! We cut out leaves, felted some "berries," and gathered some bells to string together. When it was all finished, we put it around our candle. Such an easy, fun little project!

And just something the little one wanted to share with everyone today...she has shoes "just like mama!" Found at a thrift shop, these Hanna Andersson clogs were almost brand new and super cheap. Oh my! They're a bit big for her, but that didn't stop her from wearing them all over town. She is just too cute!

Oh, and have you seen Grace's amazing shop? She just opened it up. Go check out her lovely dolls!!

The Best Ever

It's our 1 year "housiversary".

We've lived in our quirky little home for a year to this date.

We've lived a life of gratitude and joy for a year to this date.

We've woken up each morning more thankful than the day before for a year to this date.

I woke up to a special breakfast of fresh fruit with crème fraîche and waffles this morning.

I went to work and had a bouquet of beautiful sunflowers delivered to me. (I totally blushed.)

I came home to find a big sign waiting for me in the kitchen that said "I love you forever and always."

I took the sweetest guy ever out to eat at our favorite restaurant where we enjoyed good food and company.

Now we're home, reflecting on our past year together. It was wonderful, it was amazing, it was full of love, joy, and laughter. And we are looking forward to another year. And another. I am a very, very lucky person. Not a day goes by that I don't thank the universe for everything I have.

Sasa...you're amazing. I couldn't have asked for more! You're the best ever. I love you.

Advent and Winter Books

Thanks for all the knitting love! I'm so very addicted already. I'm working on two more scarves. Oh my! And I wanted to let you all know that my "archives" link is fixed. Many people have pointed out that it wasn't working, but it's all set now. Thanks!

Advent, Advent, a candle burns.

I light the night, my candle burns.

First one, then two, then three, then four.

My heart is shining like a star.

Last night we celebrated our first night of Advent. We're keeping things simple here, because the little one is still, well...little! I don't want her to be too overwhelmed with it all and at this age it is still so hard to explain exactly why we're doing what we're doing.

Our Advent wreath is actually her birthday ring. Every week we will add something new to it.

"The first light of Advent is the light of the stones. Stones that live in crystals, seashsells, and bones."

So this week we added some favorite rocks we've found recently on our walks and some seashells from a trip to the beach this past summer. Next week will be some evergreen sprigs and red berries.

We're also baking something special when we light a new candle each week, to celebrate the coming of Solstice. This week Sasa and the little one baked bread sticks while I made a yummy pasta dish. We sang our candle lighting Advent song (above), read the poem about Advent by Steiner, and Sasa and I had a special gift (a winter book) for the little one to open. And, of course, there's the Advent calendar made by Sasa's sister which you can find here! What are your Advent traditions?

And speaking of winter books, here are a few of our favs ::

• Winter by Gerda Muller (a fav!! and it always goes on our nature table too)
• The Mitten by Jan Brett (I've been reading this to her since she was 6 weeks old! She calls my mother "Baba" because of this book)
• The Story of the Snow Children by Sibylle Von Olfers (she has Sasa and I read this to her almost every night, year round!)
• Annie and The Wild Animals by Jan Brett
• The Gingerbread Baby by Jan Brett
• Over the River and Through the Woods by Lydia Maria Child
• Winter by Eva-Maria Ott-Heidmann
• Stopping By Woods on A Snowy Evening by Robert Frost

What are your favorites?!

Gratitude

Here's a little glimpse into our Thanksgiving. It was filled with yummy food (all gluten-free!), my favorite people, a nice walk, and the best pumpkin pie ever. (Sasa is the BEST!)

I hope your day was filled with as much goodness! Happy Thanksgiving!

A Gratitude Tree

After all the suggestions to my post inquiring about seasonal crafts, I decided the "Gratitude Tree" was going to be at the top of our list. Just in time for Thanksgiving! The little one and I searched our backyard yesterday for the perfect branch, and today we cut out the leaves (I save all her watercolor paintings because they come in handy for so many things!!) to put on our tree.

We talked a little bit about Thanksgiving and how it's a good time to be thankful for all that we have. I asked her what people do on Thanksgiving and she said, "They have lots of snacks!" When asked what she was thankful for, she listed Kiwi and Doggie Fly at the top of her list, then went on to name every single person who worked at the local bookshop, and every single person who I work with at the co-op. Super cute!

We decided to draw pictures of what we are thankful for, which was much easier for the little one than words and so fun to look at! When it was all done, we put it on a little table by our front door to see every time we come in and out. The little one wanted to add a "name tag" for the tree, so we wrote "Gratitude Tree" on a piece of paper to place in front of the vase. Thank you all so much for this wonderful idea!! It was so much fun!

And just a little peek at a corner of our bedroom. This room is turning into the "bird room" and is so much fun to decorate! Tweet, tweet!

I hope you all enjoyed your Thursday too!

Martinmas Lanterns

We celebrated Martinmas a day late. The little one returned this morning and after our baking was done (molasses-honey cookies!), we set to work on our lanterns. We tried the paper-mache way, which was super messy, but super fun.

To make paper-mache lanterns (I got the instructions from here, but I'll write them out so I remember next year) blow up a balloon and place the tied end in a small bowl (to keep it steady). Make a mixture of half glue (we used regular old Elmer's) and half warm water. "Paint" the mixture onto the balloon and stick strips of tissue paper on until the whole balloon is covered down to the top of the bowl. Allow to dry and repeat several times. When the whole balloon is dry, pop it, and you'll have a hollow lantern to stick a candle in! We still have to punch holes in the top and loop a piece of yarn through for our evening walk.

We also started the tradition (inspired by Grace here) of setting out a tray with an orange and small piece of chocolate to share between the three of us, in honor of St. Martin. You can read the story of St. Martin here (scroll down!) which I told an abridged version of to the little one. We're still trying to weave our way in and around the religious aspects of Waldorf to help it fit with our family.

The little one and I sang our lantern song while we worked (her preschool teacher sent me this link to hear what it sounds like!) ::

I go outside with my lantern, my lantern goes with me
Above the stars are shining bright, down here on Earth shine we.
The cock does crow, the cat meows, la bimmel, la bammel, la boom.
‘Neath heaven’s dome till we go home, la bimmel, la bammel, la boom.

I go outside with my lantern, my lantern goes with me
Above the stars are shining bright, down here on Earth shine we.
So shine your light through the still dark night, la bimmel, la bammel, la boom
‘Neath heaven’s dome till we go home, la bimmel, la bammel, la boom.

And just some cute photos from today. Sasa requested a bike picture. He was headed to an event for work and had loaded up the bike trailer full of books. The little one was fascinated by this and as Sasa started to ride off she said, "Stop Sasa! Wait! I have to give you a kiss!" Those two are pretty darn sweet!

A Happy Halloween

Over the summer, the little one requested to be a "purple flower fairy" for Halloween. I ordered the wool felt for her skirt and crown back in August and started working on the whole thing in September. The tutu was so easy and required no sewing at all! The flower petal skirt took the longest because of the hand embroidery, but the crown went together rather quickly too. All in all, it was an easy costume! She had no wings because she didn't want them. The costume didn't stay on too long. For a little one with sensory issues, the "itchy" fabrics and extra layers were just not something she was into. But that's okay. It will fit for years and into the dress up box it goes!

Early this evening we headed up to the annual All Hallow's Eve walk that the local Waldorf school puts on. It was a magical evening, full of forest fairies, knights and dragons, and ended with a story about jack-o-lanterns. The children walked quietly for a quarter of a mile through the woods, completely enchanted by the magical creatures. It was just beautiful. I snapped some photos from the walk so you could "join in" too! Enjoy!

Happy Halloween!!

Artful Blogging and a Day of Leaves

I'm super excited to announce that I was contacted by the editor of Artful Blogging this past summer about submitting an article about Bluebirdbaby. I had stumbled across Artful Blogging this past spring when Sasa brought it home for me. I was immediately inspired by the beautiful photos, articles, and just plain amazing quality of the magazine.

So I wrote my article in July, submitted my photos, and waited and waited for the winter issue to come out. I approached the article like I was writing a blog post. Writing comes so naturally to me. I was one of those kids who turned in 20 pages fictional stories to my fourth grade teacher. I love to write. I love to take pictures. And I love spreading the happiness love. So I was thrilled to write a little blurb about Bluebirdbaby for Artful Blogging.

I definitely focused on the happiness I've found through blogging; the amazing amount of support from readers like you, the unexpected and so very sweet e-mails I receive from readers on a daily basis that just make me happy to be alive. Blogging has provided me with a way to focus on the positivity of my days. And the longer I focus on that, write about it and share it with all of you, the more positivity each day seems to hold. It's like some crazy magic spell...blogging makes me happy. You all make me happy. So thank you, thank you, thank you. And please, pick up a copy of Artful Blogging at your local bookstore. It's an amazingly inspiring magazine and you won't be disappointed.

For all you locals, you can purchase it at the Maine Coast Bookshop! (And say hi to Sasa when you do!)

In other news...the little one and I had an amazing day today just chilling at home. More to come tomorrow, but for now I'll share some leaf raking photos. We raked the entire backyard, she and I. And we did a fantastic job, if I do say so myself. She is an expert little raker, and loves to shoo the chickens away from our leaf piles. She is also an expert little leaf pile diver. So much fun. I remember this being my favorite time of year as a kid. Looks like she's following in my shoes...!

Happy Fall! Happy almost Halloween! (Oh gosh... I need to finish a costume!) And Happy Thursday!

Birthday Parties, Craftiness, and Something for You!

My mother celebrated a birthday over a week ago, although we really didn't get a chance to celebrate. So we had her up for a birthday dinner, party, and sleepover. The little one just adores her Baba. The two of them are so similar and just watching them is amazing. So everyone was super excited when Baba arrived at the door and was greeted with a handmade birthday banner and a table full of goodies!

I made her an eye pillow filled with flax seeds and lavender. I added a bottle of lavender essential oil too. It can be heated up or frozen for a cold pack. These things are so handy and so easy to make! I got the eye pillow pattern from here. I downsized it a tad because it was huge. It was a hit with the little one. I'm just waiting for the request to make a purple one...

We enjoyed a yummy dinner made by the amazing Sasa. It was followed by the most delicious apple pie ever! (Should I mention I'm eating another piece as I type this? Yum. He is just so crazy awesome.) And Sasa finally wrote down that gluten-free pie crust recipe and wanted to share it with all of you!

So here it is. Enjoy!...

Sasa's Famous Gluten-free Pie Crust

Sift together ::

• 1 1/4c white rice flour
• 4/3c potato starch
• 1/2 tapioca flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp xantham gum

Blend in until it resembles cornmeal::

• 1 1/2 sticks butter (cold)

Mix ::

• 1 large egg
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3 tbs ice water

Mix liquid into dry with fingers until soft dough that can be formed into a ball. Chill 1 hour. Enjoy!

Happy Birthday Mom!! You deserve the best one ever. xoxo

The Pumpkin Festival

Over the weekend our little town was flooded with guests for our annual Pumpkin Festival. Gigantic pumpkins are rolled in, which are then carved, painted, and made into all kinds of different things. There's a parade, games, face painting, special treats, and so many fun things to celebrate the arrival of fall. So our weekend was full of celebrating!

I hope to have some wedding photos to share with you soon! It was a fabulous wedding, with an extra fabulous couple, on a pretty darn fabulous farm. Doesn't get any better than that!!

Enjoy the start to your week!

Fall Nature Table

Our fall nature table has been in the works for a while. The little one and I have been collecting acorns and fallen leaves for over a week now. I was just waiting until I got the chance to dye some fall-colored playsilks. Yesterday, I finally set to work dyeing a couple of playsilks (using the Kool-Aid stove top method) and it took me all of five minutes! So satisfying.

The book was a birthday present the little one got from Sasa and the pine cone person was something I got for the little one at her first Common Ground Fair trip. The leaf garland was an idea I found on this blog. I found leaf templates online (Martha Stewart's website has them) then cut the shapes out of wool felt, hole punched the top and strung a piece of yarn through. And of course, our felted acorns and two mini stumps the little one found recently exclaiming, "Mama, these would be perfect for fairy houses!!" I just love the teensy bit of moss growing on the top of the smaller one.

Rhythm is a huge component to how we live. Rhythm in daily life, monthly life, and yearly cycles. It's all important because it grounds us and keeps us close to nature. It's important to me that the little one be reminded of this rhythm; especially the seasonal rhythm. Having a nature table is the first step. Other things we do that seem to be our natural rhythm to celebrate the arrival of autumn are :: nature walks and discussing the turning leaves and other fall happenings, apple picking, lots of baking, creating a new indoor space for cozying up, getting out craft supplies (wool felt, yarn, embroidery supplies, paints), soups, soups, and more soups, the changing of our local produce and eating more greens and root veggies, hikes, and evenings spent curled up on the couch under a blanket, reading books and drinking hot apple cider.

What do you do to prepare for the changing seasons? And...I know there are knitters out there. Sasa and I have made a winter goal of each learning how to knit (hopefully a hat each!). Any beginner patterns we should be aware of? We'd love any tips!!

Somebody Loves Me

I woke up yesterday a year older.
I woke up yesterday to 100 of my favorite flowers on the table.
I woke up yesterday to new stripey wool socks, a bird vase from Etsy I adored, and a poem written just for me.
I woke up yesterday to the best breakfast ever.

I woke up yesterday feeling so grateful to spend another year with the ones I love. Thanks Sasa, for making a sick gal feel so special on her birthday. You rock!

Common Ground Fair

We spent two days at the Common Ground Fair this weekend, and boy did we have fun! The animals, the handmade goodies, the food, the farmer's market...it was all so amazing. The little one particularly enjoyed the horse carriage rides, cardboard hill, and the hay jump. She and Sasa spent an hour jumping into the hay. Sasa actually beat the record for the farthest jump after some kid triple dog dared him. It was quite a sight! I took so many pictures over the course of two days that I had hundreds to choose from!

We had such a great time and I can't think of a better way to welcome autumn. We managed to camp out with some friends on Friday night and woke up to ice on our sleeping bags, but we were all toasty warm inside them, thank goodness! I can hardly wait for next year!! A big thanks to Kat for being such a great host and fair buddy!

For now I'm battling yet another flu and am stuck inside for the next couple of days. I've been doing lots of crafting while laying on the couch. Does anyone have ideas for easy hand crafts? (Sewing, felting, etc.) I'd love any ideas!!

30 Days of Happiness :: She's 3

My sweet little baby officially turned three years old today. We planted her butterfly bush, we had an autumn-inspired dinner (take a look at this), some special guests, and the most delicious brownie sundaes made by Sasa. It was a sweet evening.

It's amazing to think about the past three years. She's grown and changed so much, yet I still look into her eyes and see that just-born baby I held on my chest long ago. She will always be my baby. I will always look at her and see my sweet little newborn. I will forever feel her feet kicking my ribs, her hiccups every night at 8 p.m., and how her little bum stuck out the right side of my belly. I'll remember her entrance into the world, her sweet little eyes staring into my soul as she nursed, and her first giggle. I will remember those first steps, her unrelenting determination in everything, her love of smooshed peas (cold!), her silly fake cough to get attention (she's a clever one!) , and her favorite songs and games.
And I am so glad I have these memories. I am so glad we had that time together. I am so glad we know each other so truly and deeply. And I am so glad she is a part of my life. She is amazing and I am very lucky to be her mama.

Happy three years, my sweet little one. May this coming year bring peace, happiness, and joy. I love you.

30 Days of Happiness :: Fairy Parties

What can I say about today? It was amazing, wonderful, magical, and just sweet (and I took too many pictures!!). The little one will turn three years old on Wednesday, and since I will not see her until Wednesday night, we decided to honor her today instead. We started the day with a breakfast celebration, complete with her new birthday outfit, crown, a small gift, and her three year birthday ring. Sasa made a terrific breakfast, and Baba (my mother) was there to celebrate too.

The outfit fabrics were chosen by the little one and we worked on it together over the last three weeks. The shirt is an Oliver + S pattern, slightly modified. I was surprised she picked out these colors, but she was very excited about the Little Red Riding Hood fabric and somehow we made it all work. The best part was she was excited to wear it today!

The theme for our small celebration were fairies. Fairy houses, fairy tea, fairy dolls and books, and fairy snacks. We set up the little table in the yard with pumpkins and bags I had made for the children with fairy dolls inside. The little one helped me make each fairy doll: gluing on their hats, felting the wool, and picking a fairy name for each one. She also told me the colors her friends like the best, and we made bags and fairies to suit each child's favorites.

The little one received many loving gifts including a basket filled with embroidery goodies perfect for little hands, a hand-painted tea cup, a necklace made by a special friend, and so much more. Really, it could not have been a more magical party!

After tea, we set off to make our fairy houses around the yard. Sasa had collected many perfect fairy house building materials on a recent kayaking trip and we had a wagon full of things to choose from. The kids made beautiful houses and I think the fairies who live in our yard will be so excited!

Elisabeth has recently learned how to take pictures using my camera (gulp!) and she is quite good indeed. In the next week I will be setting up a flickr account for her and you can view all her photos there. Really, they are very good!! The above are just a sample...

Then it was cake, which was a gluten-free chocolate cake the little one requested with "stripes and polka-dots" on it. Sasa made up the recipe and it was absolutely delicious. The little one has been talking about this birthday cake for months now, and it was so special to finally see her with it. She had a "ginormous" piece and loved every bit of it.

And last but not least, her special present. Sasa's Pop has been working on it for a while now, and his mother has been busy furnishing it. The dollhouse was a big hit (with all the kids!!) and I'm sure you will see many more pictures of it in the future!

Sasa and I are completely wiped after a day full of fun, fairies, celebrating, and friends. It was so very magical and amazing. I'm glad we will have this memory for ever and always. Happy Birthday, my sweet little one. You bring so much magic to my life! I love you. xoxo

Parades and Trampolines

:: Parade Fun ::



:: Favorite part of the day...the trampoline ::

:: Just something pretty ::

:: And the pie! ::

We hope your day was filled with fun too!

Hippity Hoppity

As a child, Easter was my favorite holiday. Way better than Christmas in my book. I mean, you've got the warm weather, the family gathering, flowers sprouting up all over, a special egg hunt, the anticipation of a basket filled with goodies, and a new, fancy dress. It was no surprise that the little one enjoyed it just as much as I remember enjoying it too.

The favorite part? The trail the Easter bunny left from her bed to the hidden basket, complete with new books along the way.

Her basket was filled with some homemade goodies (wool felt balls filled with organic cotton stuffing), some Bento boxes from here (a local store), organic jelly beans, and super soft stuffed animals.

Then there was the Easter dress I decided to make the night before. Only after telling her the Easter bunny made it would she try it on. I used a vintage pattern, modified the fit just a bit, and added the front pocket. It's a simple style and is great for layering. The apple print corduroy has been sitting in my stash for over a year and I was thrilled to finally use it.

Then there was the great egg hunt. Only challenging for the knee-high group. Twenty eggs were hidden, and thankfully, all recovered.

After a late lunch of sushi (platters and platters full!) we headed out for a walk and ended up at a favorite place for some hide and seek.

And what could beat this perfect Easter sunset? I hope you all enjoyed the day too. Stay tuned for a giveaway tomorrow!

A New Year

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!

Ringing in the 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!

Happy Holidays!

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!

Giving Thanks

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!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

From your local turkey...

It's My Turn

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!

She's Two! (and the winners...)

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!

Happy 4th!

Happy Birthday Papa!

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!

Fit For a King and Queen

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.

A New Year

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!

Christmas Day

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.

Merry Christmas

Happy Holidays

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!

Girls' Night Out

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.

A little holiday celebrating

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.

A Skirt For Me, A Skirt For the Tree

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! 

And the stockings were hung...

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.

Deck the Halls

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!

Winter Nature Table

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!

The Aftermath

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!

Giving Thanks

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.

Boo!

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!

Making

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??!