Bluebirdbaby

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...

This and That

Here's a little of this and that from our day today. I'm battling a 24 hour migraine and am feeling a bit wiped out, but here's a little glimpse of the happenings from our fabulous Wednesday. Oh, and listen to this. I just love it! Apparently I'm now on a French music kick. What could be better?!

:: Laundry. The little one is becoming an expert folder, as well as laundry basket diver. ::

:: New cookbook. I love it. I did a little dinner planning while the little one played. ::

:: Sasa's Christmas gifts. He adores them, as do I! ::

:: Gnome forest made by the little one and I. I just adore these blocks. ::

:: The kitchen is awaiting a mass remodel that will start this weekend. Oh my, oh my, oh my. Anyone have some color recommendations? I'm all ears. Throw some interior design blogs/websites at me, will ya?! ::

:: Candles for darkness. We light them all over the house. So cozy. Somehow they make such a frigid night feel a little warmer. ::

:: Books before bed. ::

And now, I'm off to rest my weary head. If I don't make it back to this space tomorrow, I wish you all a very Happy New Year!!!

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!

Yawn and Brrrr!

Home we are walking as down sinks the sun.

Day's work is ended, tasks are all done.

The wood is all chopped for the fire so bright.

Now we'll be snug in our house tonight.

A little scene above from the end of our day. Friday is one of our bath nights, and I can usually count on getting a little knitting done while she plays. It's warming up just a tad here (we're not in the single digits anymore) and we're excited for our Solstice celebration tomorrow. We spent the afternoon preparing for it. I just loved hearing about your celebrations! They sound so lovely. I'm excited to show you what we have planned and hopefully tomorrow night (if I don't fall asleep first!) I can share.

Oh, you'll notice that our book list on the side bar has changed a bit. The new categories definitely help organize them better.

Stay warm and Happy Friday! Yay!

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?!

A Day in Photos

:: Finally have a French press...thanks to Tara (you rock)! Morning coffee with my eggs is heavenly! ::

:: Learning numbers and how to dial. We've been working on phone numbers in case of an emergency and we made up a little song to remember them. I drew this gigantic phone so we could apply number learning to our everyday life. ::

:: Wool is wonderful. All dressed up for our nature walk. It was a cold and windy day today! ::

:: Lunch (cheese, carrots, apples, and rice cakes with almond butter), while planning for dinner. I adore this cookbook. It was a gift from Sasa. He has great taste! ::

:: I think Father Christmas is going to be very good to the little one and Sasa this year! ::

:: Dinner prep. Chicken breasts (we haven't had meat in months!) in white wine and tamari, with whole mushrooms and butter. Sides of brussel sprouts and rice. Yum! ::

:: Her felt people were walking to a field of buttercups (a yellow playsilk) and the animals were all following. Later they stumbled across a strawberry patch, a blueberry field, and the ocean! How fun! ::

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I thought it would be fun to document our day in photos. The little one and I are in full holiday mode. There is gift wrapping, some shopping to finish up, decorations to be made, and of course...the everyday life kinda stuff. So our days are full!

Top the above day off with getting the little one to bed at a reasonable time, which allowed me to join some gals down the road for a knitting night full of wine and chocolate, and you have a recipe for a very good day.

Now Sasa and I are relaxing on the couch, with our latest book, and looking forward to ending the evening on a quiet note.

I hope your Wendesday ends on a peaceful note too! Are any of you doing some holiday crafting? I'd love to hear about it!!

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!

An Out Take

We shot a bunch of photos for our Christmas cards over the weekend. Apparently, my remote battery is just about dead, so many of the pictures resulted in me being not quite where I should have been. I'll share our finished card closer to the holidays. It was a fun project to put together. Above is one of the crazy out takes... at least my front half is in this one!

We're expecting a big snowstorm tomorrow (my one day off for the next two weeks) and I was planning on doing all my Christmas shopping. Oh well. Etsy to the rescue I guess! What are you currently loving on Etsy?! I've got a lot of sewing planned for tomorrow as well for the little one's big Christmas surprise (I'll share details later!) and I'm getting ready for my photography show/signing this Saturday. So it will be a busy, productive day regardless of a snowstorm!

Sasa and I are looking forward to a night spent on the couch, taking turns reading from Her Fearful Symmetry (we just started it), while I knit. I hope to have a finished knitting project to show you soon!

Enjoy your Wednesday!

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!

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?!

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!

Our Weekend

From Friday to today...

It was full of beautiful sunsets,

fun playing games (a ritual after dinner lately!),

awaiting Saturday morning pancakes,

farm play,

couch jumping with an audience,

a very clean kitchen thanks to Sasa (he totally rocks...he organized the cupboards!) and a very clean rest of the house,

and dinner prepared by the little one complete with her little one in a sling on her back (we had pasta with tomatoes, followed by star cookies for dessert...yum!).

Follow that with a yummy dinner with some great people; a relaxing evening full of good books, a glass of wine, and a little Chet Baker; and a nice, long sleep and you have a recipe for one great weekend!

How was yours? What was your favorite part?!

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!

Like This

Our day kinda looked like this ::

The morning started with seeing what the sleepy fairies brought the little one. Sasa went to work super early for our town's yearly "Early Bird Sale" which meant whoever could wake up and go shopping in your pajamas at 6 a.m. got quite a deal. The little one and I were semi-early birds, but we still had to get through our morning routine before we left. Sasa? He was up at 4:30 today! Poor guy!

We had a visit from one of our favorite friends who joined us for painting day. We introduced purple today (guess who requested that?!) and painted quite a few pictures. We had applesauce bubbling away on the stove and all sat down for a nice snack after. The little one loves to "turn" the sauce in the mouli mill.

We were headed to the big city tonight for a special family dinner at my mother's house. The little one got nice and clean before we left and ended up spending an hour and a half in the tub! Just long enough for me to read through my new camera manual and figure out that silly video recording feature. I had no idea it would be so  much fun!! Maybe you'll be seeing videos soon...

And we enjoyed a lovely evening at Baba's. Now we're home, ready for bed, and off I head to work tomorrow bright and early.

I hope you are all enjoying your weekend!

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!

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

Morning, Noon, and Night

It's been a hectic week here. The little one is still battling croup. I came down with my seventeenth flu since last September. And Sasa is beyond tired and a little sniffly too. So, my apologies for my absence. I do hope it won't be long until we're all back on our feet, well rested, and ready for fun! For now, here's a little glimpse of our day today...

:: Morning ::

:: Noon ::

:: Night ::

What have you all been up to this week? And what kinds of activities do you do to keep sick little ones (with tons of energy) still and entertained?!

Oh, and a big thank you to Juliana and Joel for the yummy soup! It really saved us these last two nights...!

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!!

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 :: Apple Picking

It was a beautiful day. We woke up this morning and said, "today is the perfect apple picking day!" And so off to the orchards we headed.

Because Sasa has a friend in the orchards, we were able to collect the "drops" for free! So we loaded up as many baskets and bags as we could.

The little one liked to find all the baby apples for her tiny basket. She also had much fun trying out all the apples before putting them in! Sasa and I heard her announce many times quite excitedly, "We're apple picking!!"

In the end, we got quite a load to take home. Sasa has already made an apple pie (an absolutely amazing one!) and I can tell tomorrow will be spent canning applesauce. Yum! The little one and I spent the afternoon today on the back porch washing each apple, polishing it dry, and of course there was the apple testing...

I think we'll head to the orchards one more time this fall for another round. One can never have enough apple pie or applesauce around, right?!

30 Days of Happiness :: Things That Bring Me Joy

Sometimes I go thrifting by myself, and other times the little one tags along. It's always a fun adventure either way. With yard sales and flea markets closing for the season, I made a mad dash these last couple of weeks to see what remaining treasures there were to be found. The above were things I've been hunting for all year, and you can bet I was super pleased to score them all at amazing prices. The large enamel pots are for felting, washing up our napkins after meals (the little one adores this...one for soapy water, one for rinsing, and then the drying rack to hang them dry), and for any other household task. I love, love, love them. The silverware (a whole set) is so very perfect for our retro kitchen, and the Amish print Pyrex butter dish was something I have been hunting for for well over a year. Yay!!

The little one is always a source of joy. Today on our morning rounds through town, she chose to travel via stroller. Usually it's walking, followed by the bike, followed by the Ergo or sling, but today it was the stroller. So we loaded it up with our various bits of errand paraphernalia and headed out. Our last stop was the food co-op, where she always gets a "honey pop." But they were out and she chose the fudge pop instead. It wasn't until we returned home and I went to get her out of the stroller that I noticed her face. Oh my! No wonder we were getting some giggles from passersby!

My girl has curls, but it's always amazing to realize just how curly it is. After a bath and a good combing, her hair looks so very long. Sasa and I always get a kick out of it. Once it dries, it will be above shoulder length again with "Shirley Temple curls" in the back (as she likes to call them).

Our late afternoon is always spent doing something "chill." It's a very crazy time of the day for little ones (or at least this little one!) and after our quiet time, we try to carry on that calmness throughout the rest of the day's activities. Today was spent playing quietly with her dollhouse while I did some sewing on the floor next to her. She always needs me close to her these days, so having a project to keep my hands busy helps tremendously :: hand sewing, embroidery, drawing, writing letters, a good book, to name a few...

These were some things that brought joy to my heart today. There's always so many and it's hard to chose! Now please share...where did you find joy today?

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

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!

A Tea Party in a Flowery Yard

It's been a summer of very wet, very rainy, and at times, very cold weather. So when the sun comes out we make the best of it, whether it's swimming at the lake, jumping waves at the beach, or simply staying home and having a tea party on the back porch.

This seems to be the little one's favorite activity as of late. I bought her this sweet little tea set a week ago and she loves it. Sasa and I have had so many cups of delicious tea. It's served morning, noon, and night.

Sometimes there are popsicles, cookies, grapes, apples, cheese and crackers, or a pretend cake to go along with the tea. It's always served with a smile, and usually we can't leave the table without having numerous cups. It's just that good!

There's always a vase of fresh flowers from our ever-flowering yard. Sasa, the little one, and I spend a lot of time out there picking flowers for the house. These yellow flowers are my new favorite. It's like having a little bit of sunshine in every room of the house.

Enjoy the rest of your day!

It's A Good Day

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

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

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

Winner (!!) and Train Rides!

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

Love the bags, the prints make them look so unique

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

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

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

Enjoy the start to your week!

A Rain Break

The rain stopped yesterday. Yes, I did say stopped! The sun came out in the afternoon and the humidity followed. Before the sun emerged, we wanted to take advantage of the lack of rain and went for our favorite walk with friends. The girls were so cute....giggling together as they ran barefoot on the sidewalk, stopping to pick up rocks and to inspect worms, while us mamas rejoiced to finally be outside, yet grumbled about the humidity and our frizzy hair.

We made the best of our rainless afternoon and evening by taking many walks, playing out in the muddy yard, and enjoying several games of frisbee. The humidity was so relentless that the little one was easily coerced into the tub with some cool water for some "swimming" ("like a fish!" she says) and ended with a soapy hairdo that had her giggling and requesting "take my picture, mama!" So, naturally, I obliged.

I hope you all enjoy your weekend. Let's hope it's a sunny, dry one!

Surrounded By Nature

Before our move to town, I wondered what it would be like to leave the woods behind. I wanted the little one to grow up surrounded with the natural world around her. I wanted her to hear birds, see wildlife, dip her toes in ponds and rivers, and roll around in the grass.

We're in our first summer season in our new home, and I can honestly say I had absolutely nothing to worry about! Our home is surrounded by beautiful fields of buttercups and lupines. Our 3/4 acre yard is full of amazing flowers that attract butterflies, hummingbirds, and all sorts of wildlife. There are chipmunks and squirrels who visit daily.

We wake up to the sound of birds in the morning and go to sleep listening to mourning doves and owls. We take a daily morning walk and evening walk; both full of nature and a little bit of town life too. It's the perfect balance. We can walk five minutes and we're at the river, which is home to horseshoe crabs, oysters, and jellyfish. We walk five minutes in the other direction and we're in fields of flowers, listening to birds and crickets sing their songs.

I've never quite seen anything like this little town; so full of typical town busyness, but bursting with the wild things of nature. We are so fortunate to be here. I wake up every morning feeling so lucky, smiling as I lay in bed listening to the robins and finches. I'm so thrilled the little one can be a part of it all.

Happy Bench Monday! (HBM)

Bench Monday is much more fun with the help of my two favorite people!

Thanks for all the photo love. You all sure know how to make a gal feel good!

I've got a pretty sweet project to share with you tomorrow, and later this week you'll be hearing from Sasa again. Yay!

Another One...

Another post bragging about the glorious weather. 80+ degrees?! In April?!! Why yes, and I'll take it. Nothing beats an unexpected summer day, stuck smack dab in the middle of spring.
It's cooled off since earlier, the wind is howling outside, and we're anticipating a chillier day tomorrow. But today was all about sunscreen, dipping toes in the water, skipping rocks, picnic baskets filled with goodies, ice cream, and spending every.single.second outside.

So indulge me one more time...just one. And I promise I'll write something soon that doesn't have to do with the sun or ice cream. Promise.

All In a Weekend

The first lawn mowing, flowers blooming everywhere, a high of 70 degrees, tank tops, shorts, bare feet in the grass, playing the guitar on the back porch while soaking in the sun, swinging and sandbox playing after dinner, long walks, a bit of sewing, lots of spring cleaning, writing some new tunes, taking lots of pictures, another trip to the big city for a great concert, homemade coconut milk ice cream, the first sunburn of the season, waking up early to get to work, pumping up the bike tires for the seasons first ride, smelling that freshly-cut-grass smell, creating a new c.d. mix perfect for summer days, and just enjoying every little bit of sun and warmth this weekend had to offer.

The Farm and a Good Salad

As we start getting ready to dive into urban homesteading, it's always inspirational to visit a small farm for ideas. We spent this overcast, chilly morning at one of the many homesteads surrounding our little town. We were told there was just about every animal you could imagine there, and it was true!

There were the biggest turkeys you ever did see. I have never seen a turkey quite so big. This lovely gal followed us around the entire time we were there. So cute. I really wanted to bring her home.

There were rare baby goats from New Zealand who lived inside the house, but came out for a visit and a walk through the woods.

There was a "ginormous" (as the little one likes to say) tractor, complete with two buckets, all accessible for a small child to sit on and pretend to drive.

There were geese,

and bigger goats,

and pot-bellied pigs in the greatest little pig pen ever.

We got some gardening ideas, some chicken tractor ideas, some fencing ideas, and a whole lot of urges to just dive in right this second and get a little half-acre farm going in town. Should I mention I almost (almost...) bought a goat yesterday for ten dollars?! With the amount of goat milk the little one drinks, a goat in the backyard would sure be handy! It was ever so tempting...

And I came up with a chicken Waldorf salad recipe today. It's one of my favorite lunches, and after spending a fortune on them at the local co-op, I finally decided to make my own. I never measure ingredients, so you'll have to use your own judgment because I'm totally guessing here...

-chicken (I buy organic chicken breast strips and cook them in a shallow pan with water and olive oil. Put the lid on and in about 5 minutes they are nice and tender.)
-1/2 red onion diced
-1/2 apple chopped with skin on
-2 celery sticks chopped
-1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper (I love this stuff)
-1 teaspoon thyme
-1/2 to 3/4 cup of mayonnaise (I use too much of this stuff on everything. I think it's a food from the Gods...)
-2 cloves raw garlic chopped (or 6 cloves if you're garlic nuts like us)

Mix all together and serve over lettuce. It's really the perfect lunch (or dinner, or even breakfast!). Enjoy!
-

Almost Time...

Almost time...

For daily trips to the beach.

For sunset picnics full of yummy food, sand, and a bit of chocolate.

For trying to catch the waves and laughing when they catch us instead.

For watching the beautiful sunsets while packing up the gear and heading home.

For finally starting that picnic blanket I keep talking about.

Yes, indeed. It's almost, almost time for summer. There's nothing like watching the last bit of snow melting from the yard, feeling the warm sun on your face, packing away the winter clothes, and knowing that just around the corner warmer weather will be here for good. It's amazing how much joy can be packed into one day.

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!

Warm Weather Crafting

The weather is getting warmer. The porch is turning out to be our favorite spot. Meals are being eaten in the sun, interrupted by frequent trips to the swing. I had grand plans of making a picnic blanket last summer. Exactly how many times did I mention that in this space?! But the blanket never did make it into production. Maybe this summer. Now place mats...those are a little more manageable.

I started with three for everyday use. I think more will be in order for trips to the beach this summer with friends. The little one is very pleased with her new place mat. Meal times are a very important part of the day to me. They are a time for connecting and checking in with each other. Having a ritual for each meal time helps tremendously with focusing everyone after a hectic day. Setting the table (the little one has help from a picture diagram of a place setting I made her), arranging the place cards, lighting the candle, saying our blessing while holding hands, and cheering by clinking our glasses (the little one's favorite thing!) to another sweet day that has passed makes meal time very special.

I got the idea to add a little ribbon from Ella's marvelous creations. Rolling them up is the perfect way to fit them neatly into the picnic basket. And you know what? Just by writing this for you all, I am super inspired to make a matching picnic blanket! So thank you for being here. I love how this little space inspires and motivates me. What a gift!

Have you all seen the Sew, Mama, Sew! Easter tutorials? Can you guess what I'll be busy doing this weekend?!

A Beautiful Day

I am continuously inspired by Meredith's writing. We are both going through very similar things and sometimes I am amazed by how her writing about her little one and the transitions they are going through, seem to be coming straight from my heart. She gets it, and that's so comforting. She's felt that mama bear start roaring. She's been at the bottom looking up, trying to catch some glimmer of light to hold on to. And she's done it. We are both doing it. Every day we wake up, hold our little ones a bit longer, give them a little more love, and try to protect their innocence another day.

I don't try to hide what's going in my life. It's a bit messy and I tend to share the positive things with you all. I've found complete and total happiness. It's deep down inside me, never to disappear. I can never lose it. I will always be able to go to that place where the littlest things can bring such joy to my days.

The little one has always brought me the greatest joy. I know her inside and out. I know when she's struggling. I know when she's thriving. When she's struggling, my whole world seems to stop. My mind becomes completely fixed on helping her. It must be that mama bear thing. And when I can't do anything, it only becomes stronger. And all I want to do is help her. I want to hold her and wipe away the pain and tell her "it's all going to be okay sweetie. Mama will make it better." And I try. Oh boy, do I try.

So you will have noticed my blogging has slowed down a bit. Our weeks are a bit crazy. Not having that consistent rhythm that is so essential to parenting can really be challenging.  It's exhausting, and I can only imagine what it is like for a two year old!

But this week has been a bit better. That sparkle in her eyes returned a little sooner than usual, she is all cuddles and kisses, requesting shoulder rides and trips around the neighborhood on her tricycle. My baby is back. And it feels so good. Meredith's post "how to have a beautiful day" really resonated with me this particular week. We had one of those days today, and yesterday too! I felt myself reaching for my camera more to capture that smile on her face, saying more than once to myself, "this is so lovely", and just feeling grateful for it all.

I'm grateful for the giggles in the bathtub this morning; the big, sticky kiss on my cheek at breakfast; the impromptu hugs throughout the day; a walk around the neighborhood while the little one pedals her tricycle; the stops to taste the sap from the maple trees up the street; the homemade pizza we enjoyed for dinner after saying our blessing holding hands and lighting our special candle; the dozens of books we read all curled up on the couch together; the 40 or so pictures the little one took with the camera remote of the three of us; singing her bedtime songs while she repeatedly interrupted to whisper, "mama, I loooove you."

Seriously, it doesn't get any more beautiful than that. And no matter how messy life gets, I will always have these things to hold onto. I could not be any more thankful for my life and what I have right now, in this moment. I want to always see the beauty in people and the world, like I have my entire life. And when I am strong, I know in my heart that no one will ever be able to take that away from me.

Thank you for all being here. Thank you for your kind, supportive words. On those days when it's hard to pick myself up, one sweet, simple comment I receive in my inbox can turn it all around. And I hope you all realize how amazingly grateful I am for you.

I'm Here

Sorry I've been a bit absent. The weeks are going by so quickly, a certain toddler is keeping us very busy, and between working at our regular jobs and doing house projects, I've spent very little time on the computer! But I've received quite a bit of e-mails asking where I am and if I'm okay, so I wanted to let you all know everything is fine...just busy!

I've been searching for a yoga class for the little one and I ever since she was born. A local mama started one in a gorgeous studio nearby, and I was very excited to get a spot. The little one had a lot of fun, mostly running over to the big mirror to say "hello!" to herself, and she particularly liked showing off her favorite (and well practiced) pose: downward dog. We ended the class with some yummy tea and can't wait to go back next week!

The local YMCA started an open gym morning for toddlers. We head over there for some bike riding, rock climbing, and roller skating. The little one mastered pedaling all by herself and discovered her love for zooming around the room with wheels under her feet. Her balance is amazing.

I've had some good luck thrifting lately. The little one got a new doll crib and a house for her wooden figures. In the past few weeks she doesn't want to let Sasa or I out of her sight, so we usually end up involved in lots of imaginary play, complete with elaborate tents made from blankets and couches.

And the weather is finally warming up. After another big snowstorm, we were lucky enough to have some mild days where we spent most of the time on the porch. Today looks like more of the same, possibly with a trip to the big city thrown in for some fun.

I hope you are enjoying your weekend!

A Week in Pictures

A special book that Sasa and I put together for the little one.

She likes kombucha too.

Mama's old toys.

Going out to dinner.

The loot from the co-op.

Paper that I so wish was fabric.

Fixing the line outside to hang clothes. And enjoying the last (and warm!) day of February.

Happy March everyone! That means spring is right around the corner...right?!

A Trip to the Big City

Sasa and I took the little one down to the big city for some fun yesterday. We stopped at the toy store, visited Baba at work, ventured into our favorite little record store, and finally ended the day with a very long stay at the children's museum. The little one had a day full of laughs, smiles, good food, lots of love, and two people who were so very excited to spend the day with her. It's amazing how much she is growing and changing. We are having so much fun watching it all happen!

And thanks for your continued well wishes. I am indeed feeling better. I still have the same hacking cough I've had since early November, and I'm not sure exactly where I stand with this pesky mono. But Sasa and the little one have done a very good job taking care of me. And I am so very thankful for that!

I have some crafty posts coming, a little guest blogging action, and I'll finally be revealing what that photographer from the Salt Institute was all about. So stay tuned! Enjoy the weekend!

Scenes From Around the House

~Flowers from my two sweeties~

~Sally, the lady bug~

~New thrifted sheets~

~An afternoon spent in bed with a very energetic (yet completely amused) little one and some reading cuddled up in Sasa's lap~

I'm disappointed to say I'm not feeling much better. Since I've slowed down, I've realized just how much stress I was feeling. It's almost as if my body is saying "Enough!" and is slowly falling apart piece by piece. So, I'm determined to kick this. I'm determined to find some kind of stress relief (yoga, meditation, exercise?) and get back to my normal, healthy self! Thank you all for your continued well wishes! They mean a lot to me.

Sledding

We've got snow. Lots of it, in fact. Actually, according to the little one we have "too much snow" to even sled properly. So after about five minutes of being pulled around the yard, she made it loud and clear that the excessive amount of snow was too much to handle. So inside we went! But I did manage to snap a few pictures of our activities before my frozen fingers refused to press the shutter release. Ah, winter...

A Lazy Day

It seems as though most of the week is spent running here and there, rushing around getting meals prepared and the house cleaned up, squeezing in nap time and getting to bed at a reasonable hour, and all the things in between. It can be exhausting and it's not until Thursday comes around that I remember to breathe and slow down.

Thursday is our wide-open day: no plans, no play dates, no story time at the library. We simply do whatever we feel like. It may entail a trip to the big city, a lazy day at home, or hanging out in our little town. There's no telling what activity the little one will want to partake in, but it always starts at the bookshop cafe for some whip cream and hot chocolate.

With all the previous rushing about, we both seem to really appreciate the slowness of Thursdays. Falling into a rhythm of play and housework; of helping one another side by side or breaking off into our own activities. There's lots of dancing, music (we are loving this group lately), cooking and baking, and eating. And whatever we tend to do, it is much enjoyed.

We always end the day with a special meal and homemade ice cream for dessert. The little one gets extra cuddles and stories at night (she's really loving this book right now), and I sing songs while she settles into bed. Her favorite songs? Well, that would be "Lobsterman's Wife" and "Red Robin", of course!

I hope you are all enjoying this Thursday too!

Kiwi

Sasa and I took a little trip to the animal shelter over the weekend to surprise the little one with a cat. We walked in the room and Kiwi came right over to say hello. She was the fattest cat there (I love fat cats!) and we knew she had to come home with us.

She settled right in as soon as we brought her home. She loves to spend her time laying on her back in the sun or relaxing on our laps. The little one was thrilled to come home and find a new cat. The two of them have done a bit of bonding over the last couple of days.

Now if only we could convince doggy Fly that Kiwi can be a lot of fun...

Making Christmas Cookies

It's been a while since I've done any holiday baking (with the gluten-free challenge and all...nothing ever tastes the same) but living with a baker definitely has its perks! Tonight we decided to bake some sugar cookies. The little one was a great help and insisted on putting most of the sprinkles on herself. The end result? Definitely very yummy! Next week: gingerbread cookies!

Settled

I'm pleased to announce that we are all settled, the house is completely unpacked, we have found our new rhythm (yay!), and painting begins this weekend! We didn't buy anything new for the house, except for some essentials in the kitchen, and found some amazing vintage items. You'll catch a glimpse of them in the pictures above. It seemed like the universe was totally working with us on finding the perfect items to fill the house with. The little one's play area is filled with all thrifted items (I scored the wooden doll carriage and Waldorf doll, both practically brand new, for an amazing $38 at a junk shop. What it was doing there is beyond me...) except for her new train set. I took a few big pieces from the old house (a couch, dressers, and a bed), but mostly the house is filled with secondhand items. It feels so good buying used.

The little one adores this house. Living in town within walking distance to everything is beyond amazing. The best thing about finally being settled is that our rhythm is back. Bedtime is a piece of cake again, naps are going well, there's a lot less crankiness and more playing happening, and there's more time and energy for everything.

It was so fun to read through your house comments! I'm thrilled to hear that you are just as excited as I am to see the redecorating/painting process. Anyone in the area that would like to come over and help??! Stop by anytime this weekend!

The New Digs

So, the closing was today. The home is ours! We spent a couple of hours in the house tonight, just soaking it all in and unpacking the few boxes that my friend's parents had brought over while we were at work. It's the quirkiest little house ever and I'm so in love with it. I've never felt more at home than in this house. Even when it's empty, it feels remarkably similar to the home I grew up in. With the large windows overlooking town and the high ceilings, it brought back many memories of my childhood.
So much of this house was left untouched over the years. It was built in the 1850's. It has no light switches, so we need to fill it with lights. Unpacking in the dark was rather challenging! And it doesn't even have a shower...just a big clawfoot tub! The wallpaper and vinyl flooring will be all ripped up. The first thing I did was take down all the curtains.
The entire back yard will be converted to a veggie garden, with a small play area for the little one and a fenced in area for the chickens, goats, and ducks.
My friend and I spent three days last week traveling from thrift shop to flea market to antique store to Goodwill to Salvation Army, and found some absolutely amazing vintage finds that I can't wait to share with you! So stay tuned for redecorating and house updating info and some sewing too! I can't wait to get my machine out again...

Click on the photos for more information.

And thank you all so much for your continued support and sweet comments. I've never been so at peace before. I feel like my entire life has been spent in a tense state, and all of a sudden I am sighing a big sigh. And I think I will forever continue to do that. I am so content and so happy and so in love with my life. And I have a tremendous amount of faith in the universe and all the goodness in the world. I feel incredibly lucky. So thank you for joining me on this journey. I'm glad I can share it all with you!

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!