Bluebirdbaby

Candle Making

We were running low on candles (we are always burning candles!), so the little one spent some time making more! We love this beeswax candle kit.

I love that she is old enough to do it all herself now. She takes such pride in doing it alone too!

Our days often start at the table in the mornings where we sketch, journal, paint, or bake. It's my favorite time of the day. Me with my eggs and coffee or tea, she with her orange juice and pancakes. We enjoy our lazy mornings full of creating.

What are you making?

butterflies!

So, Elisabeth requested last week to be a butterfly for Halloween. A monarch butterfly, to be precise. I was really happy about her choice. This seemed easy compared to previous years!

I made a cardboard cutout of the wings, covered it with felt, and decorated it monarch-style. We made antennae out of a headband and pipe cleaners, then found fancy black shoes and clothes for the rest! It was a super fun project for us both to work on.

We went around the neighborhood with one of her best buds (who was not a butterfly, but rather a fairy...) and collected some treats. Then it was back home for a pizza party and three hours of handing out candy!

It was so sweet to see these two running around the neighborhood at dusk. I swear I think I even saw them fly....

 

How was your Halloween?!

An Unusual Apple Picking Day

Well, each year about this time we head to the orchards for some apple picking. On this particular day, the temperatures were in the mid-80's, which surprised us all. We wondered through the orchards in our shorts and sandals, feeling like it should be fall, but knowing that it felt more like summer. We go to this orchard every year. I love the memories it brings back. I feel like somehow it marks the growth of the little one each and every year. The first year she was on Sasa's shoulders most of the time, reaching high for apples, but mostly just running as fast as she could down the hills, with one of us chasing after her. This year, she picked a whole basket, plus loaded up another bag. It always surprises me just how helpful she is.

At 2:

At 3:

At 4:

And today (at 5!):

After gathering our apples, we went home to drop them off and then headed out on a canoe ride and for the last swim of the season. It was the perfect day. I have so many pictures from that, but they are all on my film camera, along with the fair pictures and so much else. 3 rolls of 36 exposures...that's going to be good! Hence my absence here.

But after our canoe ride and swim, we headed home to make applesauce and apple pie. I see much canning in our future! (We also canned 36 jars of pesto, with many more to go...) The next morning I made my favorite apple pancake for breakfast. And even though the temperatures outside still hover in the high 70's, it now officially feels like fall to me!

And looking back, I'm not sure how we managed to squeeze all of this into one day, but we made a fall banner for the front door. I love coming home to it everyday. It's very cheery! No sewing required...just strips of fabric with raw edges, and some fabric markers! We had a blast making it...

 

How are you spending the start of the fall season?!

My Beach Bag

I have had an intense urge to sew for months now. Finding the time to do it has been impossible, although the little one and I have made our fair share of Purple Violet clothes recently. But I've been itching to make a gigantic beach bag for all our beach adventures this summer. I've had some leather scraps I wanted to use as handles and a bunch of leftover linen and ticking. The inside is a sheet I bought to make Sasa a meditiation cushion out of...I had lots extra and it was perfect.

So on the 4th of July, I finally got to it. It took me only about an hour. I was pretty excited about the results. It's HUGE! I tried it out today at the beach and fit two towels, a beach blanket, two books, containers of food, clothes, etc. and it could have fit so much more. Sasa said it's the "greatest bag ever" and I think I agree.

So yay for beach bags and many trips to the beach!!

Oh, and I got sucked into Pinterest big time. I love it. You can find me here. It's like all my Monday links in one handy dandy inspiration board!

On Wednesday

On Wednesday...

she twirled in her new mama made skirt! (This one was her favorite, with pockets big enough for all the crystals she's been finding everywhere!)

we made a delicious lunch.

we found a real horse saddle at the thrift shop. It, of course, came home with us and entertained a certain someone for the rest of the day. Now we need to make a horse! No problem...

I made sun tea. I can't wait for my morning iced tea tomorrow!

we found a bird's egg on the sidewalk on our walk. We both spotted it at the same time and squealed with delight!

we enjoyed the blooming clematis on the porch.

I checked on the garden, did a little weeding, wondered just how late the spring peas were going to be.

I did the third load of dishes under my summer window. I love how it shifts so organically with the seasons.

 

We are enjoying some relaxed days lately. I am loving just being home, gardening, sitting in the sun with my girl and a good book. It's oh so needed right now. Pretty soon I'll be in full swing with the wedding season, so I'm soaking all this relaxing in while I can!

What did you do this Wednesday?

For The Garden

It was a dreary, rainy day today. We spent the better half of it doing indoor things like violin lessons and a trip to the library for more books. But this afternoon the rain let up and we found ourselves outside on a mission: to find rocks for our garden. The raised beds are looking a little bleak right now and I wanted to add some color. Our wooden plant markers never make it through the season, so I wanted something that would last. So we went around the yard collecting the best rocks we could find.

We scrubbed them, dried them, and set them on the back porch. Then we collected the acrylics and paint brushes and set to work. The little one had such fun painting the rocks that we had to go back out three more times for more! We have enough to mark all the veggies in the raised beds and I love the fun and color they will add.

I'm so excited to get back outside and dig in the dirt. It's amazing to watch our yard transform every year. I never realized how much of my soul was connected to gardening. I have grand plans of sunflower huts, herb window boxes, potted plants all over the yard, succulents in the backyard, beds of flowers, creeping vines up and around her tree fort, a handmade stick fence, and more. So much more. I want to spend every second outside. Every single second with my hands in the dirt.

I'm loving finding garden inspiration out there in blogland. I love wild, crazy gardens that just look like magic. Would you care to share some with me?!

Here's some gardening music for you :)

Happy Tuesday everyone!!

Hers and a Heavenly Day

Well, I started the little one's cowl yesterday and finished it at the breakfast table this morning. I used leftovers from her sweaters. It came off the needles and she exclaimed, "Mama! It only took you two days to knit me this!" And she put it right on. She was very excited about the idea of having warm cheeks on our walks. So we headed right out to put it to good use.

Perhaps this wasn't the best day for cowl wearing because it warmed up to a marvelous 48 degrees! I was outside in my t-shirt shoveling snow for the chickens (who went on vacation and hopefully will be back really soon!) and cleaning up the back porch. It was amazing. Regardless of this warming trend, I'm still starting my cowl tomorrow...

We found a bird's next on our walk home. A teensy tiny one that I placed on our window sill looking out into the backyard. I like to think of it as a reminder that spring is on its way. Our seed order has been placed, our garden will expand slightly to accomodate more winter storage veggies, I'm looking into my bees (!!!!!! So excited and just wanted to thank you all again for the marvelous links you sent me last summer after my bee lust post. I really hope it happens this year!), and we're about ready to tap the trees. I can't wait to taste the cool, clear sap again. Spring tonic. This full moon (Friday!) will start the Sap Moon, which means spring is definitely on its way! (Check out this book...I adore it.)

I hung my first line of laundry in about four months. I'm pretty sure this is one of the first day in months above 30 degrees. And 30 degrees was a rarity this winter. We were mostly dealing with subzero temps. Killer. I can take the snow, but the cold I would rather leave behind.

The little one played outside all day. We went on bike rides, stomped in puddles, let Mr. Pickles (who decided today was much too nice to sleep away) explore the barn a little, and tried to teach Pepper to fetch. Then it was more walks, a little acupuncture, more soaking in the sunshine, and a lovely dinner full of greens.

And it looks like tomorrow might be a repeat which makes me very, very happy indeed.

What are you loving about late February??

A Cowl and a Cozy Cat

My friend's birthday was last week and I had the urge to make her something. She spends a lot of time outdoors with her goats and chickens and dogs, and I knew I had to knit her a little gift to help her stay warm. So I dropped my cowl to start hers! I used a brown super soft wool (I think it's alpaca) that a reader sent me long ago and it knit up so sweetly.

Basically I just cast on about 140 stitches and knit in the round until I had it at the desired width. I want it to curl at the top and bottom to add a bit of contrast. I decreased halfway up to make the top closer fitting.

I really love the end result and can't wait to get working on mine. Except now the little one is begging me for a cowl, so tomorrow I cast on with purple (she wants stripes too). Oh, and a big thanks to her for taking these pictures. She's really been loving my camera lately...

The cowl is up on Ravelry!

And I leave you with some cozy cat pictures. I kid you not, Mr. Pickles sleeps all day and all night curled up on the little one's bed. I'm currently trying to figure out how to write the laziest cat in the world into our "Super Cat" books. But he's a Super Cat in his own special way...mostly his cuddling and his beloved tummy rubs. He's the cutest!

A Fisherman Sweater for someone small

Well, I finished it. I finished it today in the midst of two dogs running around and a small child pretending to be a dog...so make that three. But in the midst of all that dogness, I finally completed the sweater I started in December. It's my second sweater and this one I made without any help! So that was very satisfying. The little one has been watching me make it from the very beginning and has been patiently (and sometimes not so patiently) waiting for it to be done.

It was a sweet moment when I finished it this afternoon and she came over and excitedly said, "It's really finished mama?! Really?!!! Can I wear it now?!" Oh man, so super sweet. So she put it right on. I didn't get any action shots of it, but I will soon enough. She picked out the yarn color...a "mermaid green" which was a refreshing choice after all the purple we've experienced the last two years.

I still have to block it, but for now it's still looking good and keeping her extra toasty in this crazy cold weather we've been having. Next up? A fancy scarf for mama from this book!

All notes on the sweater are here!

(Oh, and I'm SO not sore from spinning last night. BUT...I will be after the step aerobics class I took tonight with the same pal. Man, it kicked my butt!)

A Handmade Holiday

Wow. Thank you so much for your thoughts on my New Year's post. They meant so much. Each day this year, I have woken up and chosen to live with intention and gratitude. It's been lovely! I really believe 2011 will be a much easier year for us and I'm so looking forward to it!!

I've intended to get a handmade holiday post up here before now, but life was just crazy. Things are slowing down after all the festivities, parties (except for Sasa's birthday which is TOMORROW!), friends visiting, road trips, etc that come along with the holidays. So finally here's a glimpse of the handmade goodies...

Santa and his elves worked really hard this year. They even enlisted the help of Sasa and Grandpa! So together they all finished these magnificient playstands! Our budget is insanely tight, so thinking about buying presents was just out of the picture. I'd say 85% of them were handmade! Yay! These playstands are just amazing and the little one adores them. She saw them in a catalog (why, oh why must toy companies bombard our mailbox for weeks leading up to Christmas?!) and said she'd really like to have a cozy place of her own. So we made that happen.

The silk was the only thing I had to purchase. I collected mini baskets at thrift shops and filled them with acorns, acorn caps, chestnuts, pinecones, and other woodland treasures.  She LOVES these. She uses them to play store and cooks soup with them. I traded my amazing friend who raises sheep for the sheepskin. I just love it.

The playstands are used everyday, and are made into everything from a fort to a store to a stall. There is no end to what her imagination can do with them.

And remember the note she left for Santa? She really, really, reeeeeaaaallllly, wanted a horse. Well, Santa and his elves and Mama worked hard on one for her. His name is Woody. He even has a leather bridle and reins! She was so excited...she rides him all over the house.

Well, that was our handmade Christmas! Did you do any handmade holiday goodies? If so, I'd love to hear!!

One for Purple Violet

Purple Violet has been going with us everywhere lately. The little one seems to have formed a strong bond with her over the past few weeks. When her birthday started to approach, she asked me about a crown for Purple Violet (because apparently Purple Violet turned four on the same day as the little one!) and how could I say no?! Notice Purple Violet's tie dyed shirt? That was done at the little one's party. So fun.

So we set to work making Purple Violet a lovely little crown. As I was putting this wee crown together, I started realizing how much I missed making these. The little one ironed and pretended to sew right along side me, and she picked out the wool felt and ribbon for her sweet little friend.

I've been thinking about taking some custom orders this late fall/winter for things like crowns and matching doll crowns, pants for little ones, and some Waldorf goodies. If there is interest, please send me a message through my Etsy shop and we'll see if I can get some things ready in time for the holidays!

And...I've got an exciting adventure planned for next week which I'll share more about later. We'll be heading to New York City (my first time ever!) for a few days and would love to know if you have any suggestions on things to do or see with little ones. I told Sasa tonight that I wish someone would write "A Hippie's Guide to NYC." Oh yes...that would be nice.

Happy Equinox to you all! I'll share a fall post tomorrow in the spirit of Equinox, although I hear we're supposed to reach 80 degrees. Oh my!

 

Making

There has been lots of making going on here lately. Knitting, sewing, canning, cooking...it's all about creating. I love it. I got to thinking today how my personality seems to shift quite dramatically throughout the year. I am greatly affected by the moon's patterns, the seasons, and life around me. The seasonal change gets me every time. When I settle into fall (which is typically a good 3-4 weeks before fall is actually here...), I become more of a home body. I love being domestic. I love hanging laundry, cleaning up the dishes after lunch, and tending to the garden. It makes me feel so connected to myself. I also love to spend more time in the woods. The summer is all about the beach, but come fall I have a craving to get out into the woods and hike and explore. The little one seems to do this naturally too.

In addition to all these autumnal cravings, I also start creating more with my hands. I'm working on a secret present for the little one's birthday coming up next week (she'll be four...oh my!) and have settled into a nice rhythm of knitting after breakfast on the back porch, during quiet time after lunch, and after dinner with a glass of wine. I love it. I'm hooked on knitting and can't believe I only learned last winter. I was missing so much!

I've also gotten some sewing in lately. Two more pants for the little one and matching pants for Alex. I love, love, love this pattern I made up a couple of years ago. They are 3/4 length pants now, but will fit for a full three years and turn into shorts as she gets bigger. And Alex is pretty thrilled with his "new threads", as the little one likes to say.

And the skirts. Well, there's no denying that my girl loves layers. She definitely gets it from her mama. As it's getting cooler, she's adding more and more layers to her outfits. Undershirts, long-sleeved shirts, then a short-sleeved shirt over that. When she put on a pair of wide-legged jeans the other day, I thought she was all ready to go. But she quickly corrected me and said, "Mama...I haven't put my layer over my pants yet!" I tried to explain to her that teensy tiny skirts with shorts attached underneath were going to be very hard to put over wide leg jeans, but she managed somehow. We decided that morning to make a trip to my favorite little fabric shop to see Rhea-Rhea, and the little one got to pick out her own fabric for some skirts. So she did, then we came home and made them. They are long enough to fit for a few years. And they are much easier to put over jeans! Purple Violet got a skirt too, because I couldn't leave her out.

We've also been making pickles (14 jars of dill and confetti pickles) and pasta sauce for the winter. Yum! Between our jam, frozen berries, pickles, frozen zucchini, and pasta sauce, we are gearing up for a long winter ahead. I feel good about all the work we've done, both in the garden and in the kitchen. Next on the list is freezing some of the delicata squash we've been getting. Our kale and rainbow chard are still going strong and we're enjoying those daily. I can't wait until our winter lettuce comes up!

So...what are you making these days? Do you find that your intentions and attitude shift seasonally as well? I'd love to hear more about what you all think!

Bees and Summer Nature Table

The little one and I have noticed just how many bees are in our yard this summer. It seems like hundreds! I couldn't pick a flower without one flying out. It has indeed been an amazing year for bees (and honey!!) and we are learning more and more about them everyday.

We set to work making a bee mobile to hang above our new nature table. It's super easy. The wreath was made out of old grape vines, the flowers out of wool felt, and the bees were just black felt that we rolled between our hands to make it into an oblong shape. You then wrap it with some yellow embroidery floss and the wings I made out of tracing paper. I sewed the wings on (with one stitch) leaving a long thread to hang them from the wreath.

The little one and I also went to the library to get books about bees to learn more about them. We weren't exactly sure what happened after they brought the nectar back to the hive, and we were so surprised to read that they have quite the amazing system! I will never look at a bee the same way again. They are smart creatures. It's just fueling my love of beekeeping. I so want to keep bees and have been after Sasa this summer to let me do it. Anyone out there a beekeeper? I'd love to hear your experience!

The table our nature corner sits upon was found thrifting at my favorite little place. We have had a variety of nature tables, but with the rate this house gets changed around, the nature table was always getting pushed aside or taken down altogether. But this place? It won't budge. It's right in our mudroom for all to see. I love seeing it when we walk out the door.

The little one helped a lot putting this together, even finding her two summer picture books and placing them on the table. She's so sweet.

I am in love with this little corner. I think it's my new favorite!

What does your nature table look like right now?!

Pants for my Girl

Oh wow...it has been a long time since I've made her clothes! My little one has turned into quite the picky dresser. Only stripes and polka dots, or one or the other, and pink and purple! Layers and colorful accessories, funky shoes and hats, even jewelry! (I wonder where she gets this from?!) Now it's blue too. Oh my! It was hard to keep up. Add to that some special sensitivities to certain clothing and it was hard for mama to make her anything. But I was inspired to make her some beach pants that would carry well into the fall and maybe even winter with some tights underneath. I designed them so they could also be shorts in a few years...so they should fit for a while!

I'm working on 5 pairs of these. This was the first fabric combo to be finished. She requested the tree fabric, which I adore because I've used this same piece of fabric for pockets on her pants since she was a wee babe. The ticking was my idea, and while she wasn't so thrilled ("Mama...these are boy pants!!!") I just adore them.

I'm thrilled she wore them all day today! It's nice to see her in mama made clothing again. I'll be sure to take pictures of the rest of the pants after they're done...you can be sure that pink and purple are involved somehow...I mean, I wouldn't want her wearing "boy pants" all the time, would I?!

a day

We started the morning with prepping for tomorrow's raw hummus. Sasa and I love this part about eating raw. The prep, actual making, and eating usually span over the time of two days. We become really connected and invested in the food we are eating. Read Sasa's latest raw recipe here.

"Old broom sweep the floor, old broom sweep some more..." That was the song the little one and I sang lots today. She not only swept the kitchen four times today, but helped vacuum, pick herbs for our dinner, and cleaned the dishes. She rocks! My little helper...

We made Purple Violet a new wrap skirt, based on one the little one got in a package from Bella, and one that I was inspired to make myself. So the leftover scraps were used to make Purple Violet a matching one too! I'm certain Purple Violet really likes it.

Dinner time was sweet. A cozy table, newly found vintage linen that was hiding in my fabric pile, and fresh flowers made it all so special. We cooked "mushy brown rice" for the little one, fresh Ocean Perch from the local fish market (decorated with chive blossoms picked by the little one), and a local salad. Yum!

After dinner, we put on the iPod and danced and danced. The little one and I modeled for Sasa who is getting quite handy at the camera. I have about 50 pictures from tonight of us dancing. Oh my...we had FUN! The little one's favorite song? This! I started singing it after I told her today that we can't always get what we want, and she asked why. Great song to get that point across! My favorite? This! She's amazing. Sasa's? This! Love them...

And it is so very lovely to have a picture of the little one and I! Sasa does a good job, doesn't he?!

Hope your day was full of fun too! And yes, I am still taking a break from this space when my work load gets to be too much...

Paper Dolls...The Modern Way

The little one is really into playing with dolls. Mostly the dollhouse variety, but our clothespin dolls are still going strong. But after being inspired by this clever blogger, I decided it was time for a new kind of doll. A doll we could dress up!

The little one named off a list of people she just had to make a doll out of, starting off with our neighbor who has the cutest cats. We pulled out mama's ginormous bag of fabric scraps and set to work.

It was so much fun. Seriously. We made a crazy amount of dolls, including a Fly dog, a large Kiwi cat, and Belina (the chicken who just loves to be noticed). She's having so much fun with them, as am I!

For anyone who wants to try making them, we used heavy card stock, I just cut the clothes out freehand and glued the back with a glue stick, and taped popsicle sticks to the back. Super easy and the play you get out of them will last for hours!

I'll be back this weekend with some thrifty finds! Happy Weekend!!

Seasonal Crafts and Lots of Food

First off, I had the pleasure of chatting with Eileen of Little Acorn Learning last month. You may have noticed their button in my left hand sidebar I added recently. Little Acorn Learning offers monthly guides, full of information about seasonal crafts, poems, songs, activities, recipes, and gentle educational information for kids of all ages. I had the pleasure of reviewing the January guide and found it so helpful. It helped rhythmically guide the little one and I through our days with activities and songs. I highly recommend this program to parents of all ages! So please check out their website and blog for more information. We found it to be a wonderful help and I think you will too! Thanks Eileen!

Today was a lovely day full of crafting and lots of food. We started the day with a Valentine's craft. We plan on sharing the heart love with our family and friends. We started embroidering these hearts and sewed them up, filled with some flax seeds and lavender and topped off with a festive ribbon for hanging. Fun, cute, and thank goodness I have a big wool felt stash! (A "must-have"item on hand for crafts, if you ask me.)

Later we made banana bread. It's one of our favorite treats. We substituted agave nectar for sugar and added a wee bit more banana and it turned out perfectly! The little one loves to help bake and she is getting so good at it. We're working on leveling measuring cups and spoons before pouring them into the big bowl. She is getting good at picking out the correct ingredients too. But her favorite thing is greasing the bread pan. She does an amazing job, I might add!

We've also been enjoying a lot of these lately. Satsumas come into this house and are quickly devoured before the day is through. And the sunny orange color never fails to cheer me up on these winter days. Amount consumed today :: nine. I think that's our current record (for just the little one and I), but I have a feeling we'll beat it soon.

And lastly, a birthday present for a sweet friend. She is building her first home and I thought some new napkins for her new kitchen would be a great gift. Happy Birthday Kat! We love you!!

Living Room Make Over and a Birthday

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!

A Scarf of His Very Own

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 ::

Cool giveaway! My favorite winter activity is snuggling. Can't get enough of it.

Posted by: Leslie

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...

Snowstorm and Shoe Gnomes

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...

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 ::

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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?!

Ornaments and Snow

A couple of weeks ago we set to work making ornaments for our tree, friends and family. We used a simple recipe that I remembered doing when I was in preschool (I still have those ornaments and they still smell great!). I was reminded of the project when I saw my friend Heather had done them with her boys. The recipe is on her blog. We only used cinnamon in ours, as I had done as a child. The little one is beyond thrilled with the result. She takes her "horse" off the tree to play with it quite a bit, although she's still asking me when she can eat them!

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And today we enjoyed an afternoon outside, all bundled up in the cold, windy weather. We found a great sledding hill behind our house (mama had great fun!) and then we said hello to our chickens. They don't know what to think of the snow and often stay inside the barn all day. The little one checked for an egg, but we didn't have any luck today. Maybe tomorrow!

Hope your day was just as sweet!

Insert Big Sigh of Relief Here

Holiday shopping done (thank you, thank you, thank you Etsy). Photography work done. One sewing project out of five done. House cleaning done. Paperwork, flyers, and printed photographs for Saturday's show done. Packages to be mailed done. It was a good, productive, snow stormy day.

I worked a bit on the little one's Christmas present. Above is a sneak peak. I can't wait to show you more! It's been so much fun.

Sasa rocks. He got home from work early because of the storm and cleaned the entire refrigerator, shoveled, made soup, popped popcorn, and brought me wine while I was working away in my sewing room. Have I mentioned lately just how much I love this man? He constantly amazes me. He is the sweetest person I've ever met. I am so grateful that he is in my life. Now we're settling in, listening to Christmas music via Pandora (I admit, I love Christmas music...especially Duke Ellington's Nutcracker Suites), eating soup, and doing holiday crafts.

I hope you had a day just as productive and cozy. Stay warm!!

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!!

My First Project

So, I took all your advice and started on a scarf. I've always wanted to knit, but every time I've started I always run into some problem and haven't had anyone close by to help. But now? Now I seem to be surrounded by knitters! Many thanks to Ann, Melissa, and Ananda for all their help!

I bought some super soft alpaca from a local yarn shop and started a scarf for the little one. It was done in no time at all and I've already moved on to the next one. I think that wool sweater vest for the little one isn't too far off now!

And the little one likes it enough to keep it on, which is saying a lot. She got hot halfway through our walk and promptly handed the scarf to Sasa who, I might add, looks very handsome in purple. (Oh, and the piggy hat was mine as a kid. It's way too big for her little head, but she just adores it and it draws quite a bit of attention...)

I hope you had a lovely day! I'm happy to announce there will be a super great giveaway in this space on Friday. Stay tuned!!

Little Bits

Here are some little bits of our day today. It was rainy, windy, stormy, and cold. We slept, played, read, braved the storm for some lattes, painted, ate, thrifted, knitted (oh my...how I'm hooked!), visited friends, went on a horse carriage ride, ate dinner at a super cool place, came home to snuggle in for the night, and now Sasa and I are now relaxing and drinking wine, while looking up ways to attract fairies to your home in a rather interesting book. (I actually asked if they honestly meant "real fairies" and Sasa replied with, "Well, yea...!") Um...cool!

I hope you had a good Saturday as well. I have my first Sunday off tomorrow in almost a year and am really looking forward to it!!

Oh, and I am so asbolutely way behind on e-mails. So sorry! So please, please, please know that I will indeed reply to them all soon. Sorry to keep some of you waiting!

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!

What We Do on a Wednesday

Just a little peek into our day today ::

Craft for the morning :: felting bars of soap and two little "worms"

A little water play after the felting and some window washing.

Then it was off on our nature walk. (We took three today!) Of course, her baby and bunny had to go in her sling and accompanied us all over town today.

Back home to hang laundry on the line. It was so nice today!

A little snack inside. The goat cheese was mixed with a little honey and cranberries, and the raspberries were an extra special treat!

We finished up the late afternoon with some backyard play. It was warm enough to uncover the sandbox and get all the toys out again. So lovely!

What does your Wednesday typically look like?!

What a Good Day (again!)

Oh, what a fun day! And it's not even over. I sit here at 4 p.m., already having fixed dinner, the little one is completely engrossed in creative play, and I have a moment. I have a moment! I went through the photos of our day and couldn't help but feel so inspired. It was a good day. A really good day. The little one and I started off our day with the above :: a little snuggling in the morning sunlight with some good books and tea. What a great way to start the day!

After our snuggling it was time for our nature walk. We had a very special activity planned for this afternoon, so we were on a leaf collecting hunt. We wanted to find the prettiest leaves we could to dip in melted beeswax and preserve them for future crafts and our nature table. So we went all over town looking for the best leaves ever, and we found them! We also had to stop for a hot cocoa and a pink balloon (oh no...please tell me pink is not after purple!).

We got home and spread our loot out on the table. The beeswax was melted in a pot and placed on the table ready for dipping. The little one and I took turns dipping our leaves in the wax. The end result was so pretty! We also tried a couple of flowers which turned out lovely as well. We'll save these leaves for our nature table and maybe a leaf wreath too! Such a fun and easy activity. We plan on making candles with the extra beeswax to use at our meals.

And look what the fairies brought the little one today :: fences for her barn scene! We just love Zoo Loo Naturals! You can find their Etsy shop here! (The animals are from there too!)

What a good day, eh?! And coming up for Friday...a giveaway for the little ones! Yay!

Painting Day

Saturday is our official painting day. We start off our morning with some homemade pancakes (monkey-George style!) and the rest of the morning is filled with fun activities. By lunch, we are all ready for a quiet activity and painting seems to be just the ticket. We clean up, get our painting supplies, and set to work.

For anyone new to Waldorf education, I would highly recommended this book. It has a great section on painting with young children. Our painting board and watercolor paints came from here. We've had the watercolor paints since she was just a year old and they are only now running out! It's a good investment and they are very good quality.

We use the wet-on-wet method. Soak your watercolor paper for a few minutes prior to painting. When it's all ready to go, wipe off any excess water with a dry sponge. The wet paper really allows colors to mix and blend, remaining vibrant or muted depending on how your child paints. The little one paints vibrant paintings, while I tend to have a softer technique. Sasa is right in between!

I just love sitting down together and connecting through an activity we are all participating in. There's nothing like it. I am really looking forward to future painting days! And I just love Ella's idea of an "art installation" and think we will definitely have to try that with the little one soon!

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!!

A New Scarf and a Rose

Just a heads up...at a photo shoot yesterday, my camera suffered a "shutter death." Apparently at four years old, it's an antique and can only take so many clicks. I definitely over-clicked it! I was able to squeeze the below photos out of it today before it promptly freaked out and died again. Nikon is being very helpful and is repairing it for me, but it will take a couple of weeks. This pushed me to finally purchase a second camera to have as back-up (it will be my primary camera now) and it doesn't arrive until Thursday or Friday. So posting may be scarce...

One night last week while the little one was up coughing, I found that after being awakened repeatedly I could no longer fall back asleep! So I took the extra late night hours and decided to at least do something exciting. I went to my sewing room and took out all my Japanese crafting books. This is one of my favorites, and I knew the scarf was top on my list.

So after scoring some great plaid flannel at the rummage sale, I set to work making this sweet little scarf. I used linen for the other side and some decorative buttons from my friend Ann (thanks Ann!), and that antique lace? Oh, I love it so much. I left a frayed edge on each end using the plaid, and decoratively stitched the ends closed.

I'm really pleased with the fit, although I think I would make it narrower next time. It kept me warm and cozy at work today and I can tell it will get a lot of use this winter!

And just something that made me so very happy...

I decided at work today that I would go buy a single rose at the florist and surprise Sasa at work, just to tell him how much I love him. Well, by the end of my work shift I had a horrible migraine and couldn't imagine stopping at the florist anymore. I walked out to the parking lot and there on the ground was a single pink rose. So pretty! I picked it up and stuck it in some water in an empty pill bottle in the car. Perfect! The universe can be pretty awesome sometimes!

Happy Monday! Enjoy the start to your week!

The 411 :: Our Style

I get a lot of people asking me about my clothes, or rather my look. I buy mostly thrifted items, but staples usually are bought new like jeans and tank tops. So here's a little glimpse into my style and how to achieve the Bluebirdbaby look ::

• layer, layer, layer
• leggings are very handy
• skirts (the comfier the better) over leggings or jeans
• long tank tops under all shirts
• comfy top over tank top
• finish off with a sweater
• scarves (knit for colder weather or silk/cotton for inside)
• long necklaces
• funky earrings (for locals...try Mexicali Blues)
• hats, hats, and more hats (I am a wicked hat gal. The one above is from Kindred)
• my "leggings" above were made from an old shirt. I just hacked off the arms and put them on my legs. Cozy, upcycled, and funky at the same time. Yay!
• shoes (I prefer Keens, my vintage cowboy boots, and Simple. They are all super comfy and last forever and can be worn with anything.)
• long jersey or sweater dresses over leggings or jeans is another fav of mine
• short style sweaters over long shirts, or short sleeve sweaters over long sleeved shirts is something I often adorn
• I really want to add these and these to my wardrobe

To achieve the mini Bluebirdbaby style ::

• anything purple
• anything striped
• anything polka-dotted
• preferably all three together

I guess the little one has an easier time getting dressed in the morning. But at least I'm guaranteed to be warmer with all those layers!

Our Day

We spent the day taking it easy. A croupy toddler prompted this "wellness tray" that could be carried from room to room. It was packed with everything to make croup a little more tolerable, lots of miso soup, and some chamomile tea with honey.

Lots of laundry. I always get a kick out of folding the little one's clothes...one pile of purple, another of stripes and polka-dots.

Working on the little one's costume during some quiet time. Any guesses as to what she requested to be?! And finally, the book I've had on pre-order for months has finally arrived! Yay! Now if I can figure out a way to re-size all the patterns to fit me!

Taking pictures of the little one while she takes pictures of me. I bought her this very cheap digital camera to see how she liked having her own. It's definitely a hit, although I'm not too thrilled with the quality. She sure is a budding photographer despite lack of megapixels!

And lastly, Kiwi stole the little one's laundry basket, so she naturally had to steal mine.

We ended the day with a yummy spaghetti supper. Have you ever tried this sauce? It has whole cloves of garlic in it! Yum! After supper was a new favorite game, designed by Sasa's sister. Have you ever checked out eeboo? I just adore this. It's on my wish list for the little one.

Have a happy rest of the week!!

30 Days of Happiness :: Felted Acorns

The little one and I plunked down on the back porch this afternoon for a little tea and some wool felting. With fall fast approaching, I needed to gather some new materials for our nature table. I saw Ella's acorns recently on flickr and was so inspired. They are just too cute!

So we set to work after some tea (anise and peppermint with honey...yum!) and put our new enamel pots to good use. The little one felted a couple of acorns, but after that she made "felt people" who liked to "swim." It was much fun to watch and I was thoroughly entertained for the rest of my felting project.

Once that last drop of tea had vanished (and trust me, I mean the very last drop!), we had finished up the majority of the acorns. The little one helped picked all the colors and I glued the acorn tops on once they were dry. The end result is rather sweet, and I'm excited to add them to our nature table.

I would love to know any tricks to wet felting. I always seem to get "seams" in it. Does anyone have any tips?! They would be much appreciated!!

30 Days of Happiness :: Making

We all spent the day making. It was a wonderful, wonderful making day. The sun was shining, the sky was blue, the air was warm with a tinge of fall, and we started the day with a great breakfast on the porch complete with a latte delivered by my two loves. How perfect!

We started the morning with a stone for Roxanne. We wanted to paint a special rock for her for the spot she was buried. Sasa found this nice flat rock in our backyard, and the little one and I painted it this morning. I really like the finished result and it was a great way to add something special to our goodbye.

I've been working on pants for the little one. She's grown a good two or three inches since last fall and all of her pants are much too short. So she helped me pick out fabric, told me what she wanted, and I set to work. Her favorite color is purple (as of this summer), so now everything has to not only have stripes or polka dots, but it also has to be purple! So that kind of narrows down our choices. She gladly opted for purple elephants when I told her no purple polka dots could be found, and I turned out these "jammy pants" in about an hour. I drafted my own pattern and was pretty pleased with how it turned out. I made a test pair and altered the rise from the original, but finally worked out a great pattern I think will last until next spring! Yay!

While we were working away on pants and rocks, Sasa was making a sweet little tea table for our yard. He had this put together in no time at all, and it was perfect for play, snack, and dinner! Add some buckwheat cushions, a couple of yards of oil cloth, and it is just the perfect little dining spot! I foresee many tea parties in our future...

And the final "making" of the day was some homemade pizza. Sasa (the baker of the household) has finally perfected his gluten-free pizza crust. And oh my...was it delicious!!! The best pizza I've had in my entire life! And the little one (who can be pretty picky) ate two pieces! It was amazing and we are so thankful for such a fabulous baker in our household.

We hope you're enjoying the weekend!

30 Days of Happiness :: Sewing With My Girl

It was a rainy day today. I guess we're getting the tail end of a hurricane. It's been dark, gloomy, and wet all day long. But after a birthday party, some errands, and a yummy lunch, the little one and I headed to my sewing room for a bit of quiet time while Sasa baked in the kitchen.

I had made two floor pillows for the birthday boy and girl. The little one was completely involved in the process, from picking the fabrics to filling the pillows with buckwheat hulls and lavender flowers, to wrapping them up with pretty ribbon. She's becoming quite the little crafty gal herself! So we set up her little "quiet, cozy corner" that we started doing after lunch everyday and set to work.

She likes to take the fabric scraps and make something out of them. Yesterday it was bows for my chair, today it was a little scene taped to a piece of wool felt. (Scotch-tape and scissors are huge hits over here!)

She chose her fabrics well and in less than 45 minutes, she had her own little play pillow. She even chose a ribbon to use as a handle for carrying the pillow around. Clever girl! The buckwheat hulls give it a lot of height, so it also doubles as a "booster" for our kitchen chairs.

I'm so happy to have memories like these of our time spent together. It fills me with such warmth and joy!

And I'm really enjoying all of your happiness posts too! Keep them coming! I fixed the list on the sidebar, so everyone who e-mailed me should see their blog added now. Thanks so much for joining me in this journey!

For Us :: A Little Bit of Sunshine

Our room was in desperate need of a little pick-me-up. We've been lacking pillowcases, and after flipping through Weekend Sewing, I knew the pillowcases would be on the top of my list.

I chose some of the very breathable and soft flour sack material for the bulk of the pillowcases. Matched with a sunny yellow strip and some leftover material from an old sheet, I had two very cheerful pillowcases in less than an hour. Gotta love instant gratification!

I'm sure the little one will be wanting her own, so I think that's next on my list. And after that? A skirt, shirt, dress, birthday presents for the little one, party favors for her friends, and a new tablecloth for our outside table. Oh my! I may be reaching for the stars here, but it's nice to have goals, isn't it?

What have you all been making lately?! I'd love to hear!

Etsy Update :: Sweet Dreams

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

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

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

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

My New Dress

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

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

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

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

A New Shirt

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

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

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

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

A Garden Apron

Recently, a very loyal customer requested a garden apron. I told her it might be a couple of weeks until I got to it because I'm bogged down with requests from co-workers and photography gigs. But by Sunday night, I just couldn't wait any longer. I was inspired after a day full of gardening and knew exactly how I wanted it to be.

I chose some simple linen for the main section and tie piece, then used various fabrics to make the pockets. There are four pockets in all, and I bordered the top with some vintage trim.

It's super comfortable to wear and fits small gardening tools in the pockets quite nicely. The top can fold down if you like it to sit low on your hips, or can be worn slightly higher.

So I guess I'm going to have to make another one. After this little photo shoot, I realized gardening would be much more fun (and stylish) with an apron on!

Teepee

First off...thank you for all the recent bag and photo love! You guys rock and I love, love, love reading your comments. I wish I had time to reply to everyone, but just know that I adore reading what you have to say and this is my big, massive THANK YOU!

What do three big sticks, some green twine, an old thrifted sheet, and an hour spent outside in the sunshine get you? A teepee and the best little playhouse for a toddler!

We literally made this in less than an hour (even with a trip to the hardware store thrown in for some twine) and by dinner time, we were eating in the teepee!

I have grand visions of fairy gardens, fun little outdoor play spaces created from old sticks and twigs, and a kid-sized veggie and herb garden. I think this teepee is just the jump start I needed!

I hope you are enjoying some beautiful sunshine today!

One For the Guys

Do you know a guy who tends to grab any kind of bag he can find before leaving the house? Does he stuff books in plastic shopping bags, bring his lunch to work in a canvas bag big enough to fit a small child, or just lug everything in his bare arms?  If you do, then this tutorial is for you! My guy was in desperate need of a "lug anything anywhere and look good while doing it" bag, so one morning I got down to business and came up with this.

It's a messenger style bag, complete with pockets to hold mason jars full of tea and a key ring, so the keys will never be lost at the bottom of the bag again. It can hold a few books because of its depth and the front flap keeps everything nice and secure. You'll find the tutorial on the left hand sidebar. I hope the steps are easy to follow, but if you have any questions, just e-mail me!

This would make a lovely Father's Day gift as well! If you attempt it, I'd love to see the finished results!

In other news, I've been whipping out these like crazy. Most for gifts. They are super fun to make and I'm working on some for our kitchen now. I've always wanted fun pot holders!

I hope you enjoy the start to your week!

The Winner *and* Oh-my-gosh-it's-finally-DONE!

Thank you all for your lovely comments on the giveaway. Mandi is so awesome and her products are too! I read through lots of great ideas, so we both want to send out a big "thank you" for entering!

Well, random.org picked number 99. So that would be:

Oooo, everything looks so good. And that packaging is so pretty I would have a hard time tearing into anything!

How about a body cream for the little ones?

Posted by: Jennie F. | May 10, 2009 at 12:39 PM

So Jennie...please contact me and we'll get your goodies sent out to you!

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Oh my gosh it's finally done. There. I said it. The picnic blanket that I've been talking about sewing since last spring finally made it on the to-do list. I had the top pieced together for ages, but was so intimated by batting and having a massive hunk of fabric I had to edge, that I just let it sit around. But last Friday I enlisted the help of Sasa's mom, an experienced quilter, and together we managed to get it done.



I just made the quilt top up myself. It's 60"x60", the perfect size for three or four people to sit on for a picnic. I backed it with a vintage table cloth, added rock pockets in the corners using Erin's tutorial and pieced it all together using her recommendations as well. It was a really fun project and I feel like I might finally be ready to tackle a quilt for the little one's bed.



Quilting is definitely not for the kind of people who like instant gratification. Kind of like me... Oh, getting those pieces lined up and painstakingly pinning and measuring and double-checking, only to find out that they really don't line up after all?!! But it was so worth every little mistake and stitch rip. I mean, this thing will be around forever! I kind of picture toting it around to have picnics with my grandchildren one day.

So I am very pleased it is done and finished just in time for a season of picnics by the river, lunches at the beach, and laying on the hill watching the sun go down. Thank you all for being a huge motivation. Enjoy the start to your week!

Flour Sack Skirt

A couple of weeks ago I was walking around our local "department store" and noticed a pack of flour sacks on the shelf. The sheer, white cotton immediately drew me in and I suddenly began picturing summery blouses and flowing skirts. I ended up buying three packs and tucked them away until the warmer weather inspired me to make something out of them.

Last weekend I was inspired. The sacks washed up nicely and I began messing around with a couple to make a blouse. I was halfway through the blouse making when I realized the pattern I had made up was the same as two shirts I already own. So I decided perhaps a skirt would be better.

Two flour sacks, a few mismatched vintage buttons, and one hour later, I had a new skirt. And it was easy. So easy, in fact, that I wanted to share it with you! So you'll notice a new tutorial in the upper left hand sidebar. Hopefully you'll be able to find flour sacks near you, but if not, just use the flour sack measurements for any fabric you'd like to use! This skirt has just the right about of twirl to it, and is perfect layered over leggings, jeans, or a longer skirt. It has definitely become a staple in my wardrobe.

I hope you enjoy the tutorial. I will try to answer questions as best as I can if something is not clear. And if you make it, let me know. I'd love to see it! Oh, and thanks for all the bag love. You guys are so sweet!

A New Bag

You probably all know I have a thing for sewing bags. Lots of them. So many that I can't possibly use them all. Then there's the part about really enjoying the process, but the end result? Not so much... I think I've only made one bag I've really gotten a lot of use out of. Somehow when the bags are finished, they just don't feel like me anymore, so I pass them along or store them in a closet. But after seeing the above bag in the book Linen, Wool, Cotton, I knew I wanted to attempt my own version.

And this bag? Well, this bag rocks my world. It is so completely me in every way imaginable. The colors, the feel, the style...all scream "This is Erin's perfect bag!!" I was given a large amount of plain linen and ended up dying a portion of it that pumpkin orange color. It was fun and super easy. I used the iDye by Jacquard. I paired that with an old table cloth I'd been carrying around forever.

The bag itself varies slightly from the book pattern. I shortened it by 8 inches, lengthened the straps, and made it reversible. The other side is the pumpkin orange linen, for those days I'm feeling a bit more plain. The pattern was very easy to follow, although I think somewhere in the translation from Japanese to English, a few steps were left out. But this is a very beginner pattern and I would recommend it for someone just starting out. (Okay, the gathering thing would have thrown me off in my beginner days, but other than that, it's really easy!)

It's fun to finally make a bag I love; one that I would have grabbed right away in a thrift shop or store. And the fact that I was able to make something I love so much just adds to my giddiness for this bag. And do you recognize that brown dress I'm wearing? It finally made its way out of the closet...

Stay tuned for a great little tutorial I'll share later this week! Happy Monday!

Rainy Days Are Good For Making

After a long stretch of gorgeous weather, we welcomed this rainy day and the break it gave us from our normal inside-outside, inside-outside, (and on and on) routine. We were stuck inside. And being stuck inside can be a marvelous thing.

First there was the breakfast making, which resulted in a lot of really yummy food. But it's breakfast, and breakfast is the most important meal of the day. So why not go overboard?!

Then there was the slow, but sure, progress on the picnic blanket I keep mentioning. It felt so good to actually start it. I'm still debating on whether or not I should use any type of batting. But the above is a sneak peak at the finished top. I'm backing it with a vintage table cloth and hopefully I'll have action shots to show you soon.

And I've been absolutely loving this book lately. The fruit bags were first on my list. Our counter top space is so limited, and with our massive consumption of fruit, the fruit bowl was taking up an enormous amount of space. So I knew these bags would really come in handy and eliminate a lot of clutter.

The cheese cloth I used was from the natural foods co-op I work at. It's unbleached cotton and a pack was enough to make three bags. It's a horror to work with, I tell you. And this stuff unravels with a mere touch of a finger, so trying to sew through 4 layers of the stuff was a bit tricky.

But I'm pretty excited about the end result. I cut a piece of scrap linen and stamped "fruit" on it to add a unique touch to the bags. I've got three more in the works, which will probably accompany me to the co-op when I buy more fruit.

So rainy days can be blessings in disguise. We've got homemade graham crackers, chicken soup bubbling away on the stove, a good movie for tonight, and lots of books to keep the little one entertained until bedtime. Yes, I think I kind of like rainy days. They are most definitely good for making.

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!