SouleMama

Snip, Snip

I have a (ridiculously) large bag of vintage linens that are meant for 'cutting'--meaning they are stained, or shrunk or the like. I usually can never bring myself to actually cut them up. But for some reason, I've been wielding the scisors like mad on that bag lately.

First up were these chair cushions from an old, old quilt that I picked up that was in a sorry state of disrepair, and not well put together to begin with (blogged here). I used that thick foam stuff at JoAnn's as the padding inside.

And, again. Closer up. (Oh, the blue and yellow chairs and table. Ack. I have such a hard time with color--I've been staring at these for two years now going back and forth between hating and loving my color choice. A new can of paint--white--currently awaits my next moment of painting time to do it once again.)

Same cutting strategy applied here to these table place mats. I cut up pieces of old napkins, and pieced them together for the top layer. Added some interfacing (non fusible), and backed it. I used a stitch in the ditch to quilt it all together.

And the back--isn't such a lovely pattern? It was a beautiful vintage dress, until it made it's way into the washing machine by accident and shrivelled all up to bits. So now I'll be happy to eat off it. ;)

Snip, snip. It's kind of dangerous...and immensly satisfying.

Self Portrait Tuesday: Personal History

Five.
I remember being five. I remember my yougest sister being born and what that meant being the oldest of four siblings already. I remember going to kindergarten and being too scared to speak. I remember dressing up in silk 'nighties' and having tea parties with my grandmother.

Five.
Five years ago. Those first moments, and that first year of parenting. How it was all so new and unfamiliar, and how we stumbled along--sometimes falling and sometimes with grace, until we all found our way together. And how, still, with the oldest, it's always 'new' at each age--we'll always be figuring it out together, as we go.

Five.
Five Years Old. With Cal turning five last week, I've been on a bit of an emotional ride. Five feels so old--so not a toddler, but a full-on kid. A kid! There's a certain amount of flight that I feel like is taking place right now--I mean, really, I've been feeling it since his birth--the stretch towards some kind of independence and autonomy, and then the retreat back. The cycle keeps repeating. But at the moment I'm feeling the stretch, and it's so bittersweet. His first 'drop off' class (theater, naturally)--experiences and memories that are so totally his, and I'm not a part of. The seperation. And then the need for the retreat 'home'.

Self Portrait Tuesday bloggers here and here.

eleven o'clock

Wearing snow boots over our pajamas, and armed with the camera (a few more pictures on Flickr), a tripod, and the baby monitor, Steve and I had a date in the snow at 11 o'clock last night. There had been a mellow, but lovely snow fall during the evening. It was surprisingly warm, and bright--they sky was as pink as the photo above shows. There's something so magical and mystical about the world right after the snow stops falling--especially, I think, in the middle of the night. When I was single and living in a city-ish neighborhood, I loved heading out into the streets with my pup at night after a storm. There was something so surreal about wading my way through the untouched snow in the middle of streets that would otherwise be bustling with traffic. The quiet was amazing. Last night--with woods instead of city streets as our environment--everything around us seemed other-worldly. It felt perfectly natural that there would be no sounds except the crunching of the snow, and that the sky would be a brilliant pink, and in a place that seemed like it would be all 'white,' there was really an amazing array of color.

Whip Up

With only a little break to celebrate Chinese New Year, my weekend 'creating' time was spent impulsively (as in, 10 minutes from initial idea to action time) moving my living room (and playroom) into my dining room and vice versa. And then dealing with the huge ripple of moving furniture and things that this set off throughout the house. At one point, when the TV didn't fit into my new 'design' plan, I directed it into the attic (because steve is ever so indulgent of me and my furniture-moving impulses), and we promptly cancelled cable and netflix. What have I done? Besides the sanity that Mr Rogers brings me, what about PROJECT RUNWAY??!!

Anyway, while I get my house back in order (and find a place to hang out on Wednesday nights at 10), you've gotta head on over to Whip Up--a project spearheaded by Kath of Red Current. I've been anxiously awaiting the unfolding of this project and while the official launch isn't until next week--the design is lovely, and just browing around with what's there is a treat. Can't wait to see what comes of it.

woof.

A doggie bag.

Lyn (whose site I'm sometimes afraid to visit, knowing with all her great finds and links that I'll be lost on the computer for far too long!) recently posted photos from a Japanese craft book which had a dog bag like this one. I didn't quite get the shape just right, and in fact, this morning when I showed the boys Calvin thought it was a horse and Ezra thought it was a moose (and then went to get the scissors, asking if he could cut the legs off. Hmn.). But I think it's kind of cute. I didn't have the patience for a zipper, so it has a magnetic snap closure instead. I'm planning to use this as a bag for toys to hang on a rack. Hmnn...maybe with some other animal bags beside it.

Many Thanks

In all the strep throat (three rounds of antibiotics later, it's finally going away) and birthday craziness of January, some lovely things have arrived in the mail. And I can't believe that I haven't posted them, and even worse--haven't even emailed a thank you to these people yet. Ack! A few more hours in my day would be great right now.

First up, Karen at Phi Beta Baby clearly knows me and my obsessions well, as she sent along these sweet vintage baby patterns. Oh my. I've already got great plans for putting them to use. THANK YOU Karen!!

Here's a picture of our nature table in it's current winter state. After publicly drooling over the cute crocheted mushrooms at Sweet, she kindly offered to send one along to me. I adore it! It makes me want to crochet--I just love how it looks. And the mushroom is perfectly at home in our nature table. Yay!

And a closeup, because I want you to also see the gorgeous new doll that my friend Karine made--the one in the green. Can you see the baby strapped on her back? And the sweet kerchief, hair and belt? It's quite lovely, and I'm pleased to add it to our table. (For anyone looking for more info on Nature Tables, I'd recommend this book, and this one for more instructions on doll making with wool.)

Ah, mav. I get so excited about her work and new designs. They're not only lovely to look at, but also lovely to FEEL and touch. Gorgeous. I must admit that the fish card actually belongs to Calvin, but fortunately, he lets me look at it once in a while. A big joy in having these cards is that they're not sent through the mail, but *handed* to me by mav herself. Which is one of the beauties of this blog for me--the real life connections made. I feel blessed to have 'found' mav--right in my town. Might I say again that she is every bit as open and bright as you'd imagine from her words and art?

This was a gift for, um, myself. I spend a lot of time (really, a lot) over on Etsy--just browsing and gaping and being so impressed with the beauty I see there. I could use that "shop by color" tool for hours. But this lovely tea mug I saw from Nebo Peklo. It's by Little Flower Designs, whose esty shop can be found here. The ceramics are just gorgeous, and I was thrilled when I saw this in person. It's perfectly sized, and lovely to hold, and it makes my tea taste so much better.

Corners of my Home

A favorite little spot in my home. This is in our kitchen (and before I post one more picture of WHITE walls I must tell you that we rent. And even though we've been here for so long, I have zero desire to paint *someone elses* house. So white it is.). Anyway...the top picture is mine from kindergarden, and is quite telling of my temperment as a child--as precise as can be, and as 'normal' and happy as I could muster. Interesting. Calvin's, below is one of my favorites. It's a drawing he did when he was 3, of me on Christmas morning (when we host a brunch). You can see I'm wearing a chef's hat and apron (I didn't wear the hat, by the way), and flying all around me are kitchen utensils. There's a crazed look in my eye. I love, love, love this--so accurately captured! And above the two pictures is a bottle opener in the shape of a woman. I know, it's a bit strange, but a friend of ours bought it for Steve in Bulgaria, and somehow it's become a bit of a taliswoman of wherever we live--it's literally one of the first things that go into a house when we move in, and gets hung in this  bizarre fashion. Don't ask--it doesn't make sense.

More Corners of My Home photographs on the Flickr group.

(Oh, and last week, a few of you asked about the giraffe drawing in the back of the photograph of the kids on the bed--it's from I'm Smitten  . I posted about it a while back here.)

The Big Birthday Post

A fabulous birthday was had here this week--play and snow time with a dear friend; gingerbread cupcakes with whipped cream (thanks for the recipe, Amy!); yummy indian food for dinner; and lots of fun family treats and play. Here are a few 'crafty' related photos (forgive the flash, it was not a bright day!).

He awoke to these on the floor of his bedroom (where he lays out at night the clothes he'll start the next day with)....which upon opening were:

Gretl and Fredrick, of course.

And then there was the desk. Oh my. The desk. Steve was a hero working on this warped, chipped, piece of a mess every night in the cold basement (with only a break for Project Runway. You should have heard him cackle during the ice skating costume challenge. I think he's hooked.). And let me say 'thank you' to all of you for the painting/sanding/stripping tips in the comments last week! Quite helpful AND humorous ("strip!" "no! sand!"). To make a long story short, he stripped, sanded, painted and stained, and this is what we got. You'll see the rolltop is missing, and the chair too--they both need some more, um, work. But Calvin was nonetheless pleased with his new desk, and in particular, pleased with the new automatic pencil sharpener--which won the coolest gift of the day award by him:

Can you see the joy in his face (dressed as a chimney sweep, by the way) as he discovers how truly SHARP this thing makes the pencils? Ah, the important things....

And my favorite photo to emerge from the day. His only two birthday gift 'requests' -- a Gretl costume, and a hockey stick and puck. Oh my. I love this kid.

I cannot believe my baby is five. Five! But that's a whole long thing that I think I'll save for a letter just to him. Amazing.

Self Portrait Tuesday

Self Portrait Tuesday: Personal History.

The ocean is a constant in my personal history. Growing up right on the ocean, I could hear the waves from my bedroom at night, along with all the harbor traffic sounds that I find so comforting now. I've 'tried' living farther inland, but it's never really worked out. And so, I'm here--close enough still that I can get to an ocean in just a few minutes drive. It feels imperative--my breathing changes at the beach, and things usually become quite clear to me there--it's where I go when I'm feeling 'lost'. I used to ride my bike to the lighthouse above, walk out the ledge (which of course, seemed like such a long journey to a kid), and just sit or sometimes read. It was always gorgeous, and usually windy--so windy that all you can hear is the wind. Many years later, I visited those same shores with a certain someone--watching him surf in his own harmony with the ocean, while I played with our dogs. And once again at the ocean, clarity came my way as I realized that this was the man I wanted to spend my life with.
In the left of the photo is an old fort that's quite fun to kayak out to and explore. And in the forefront of the photo is my sweet five year old, who seems to be growing his own deep love for the ocean.

Self Portrait Tuesday bloggers here and here.

Five!

Handknit Holidays

So, picture this: Last week, armed with a moment alone and a gift card (thank you, Katie!), I headed on over to my local independent bookstore. I had a list of 6 books, because more often than not in this tiny bookstore, they don't have just what I'm looking for. So I had my list of backups-- books that have been sitting at the top of my wishlist for a while now*. And wouldn't you know it....they had ALL six. All Six! And my gift card was for ONE. (Must not spend beyond the budget. Must not spend beyond the budget!!). I was a mess....I picked one up, put another down, held on to two, put those down and picked up another, walked up to the counter, then turned around, and on and on and on until I had all six books in my hand and sat down with a near nervous breakdown. Trying to breathe, I closed my eyes and shuffled them around and picked Handkit Holidays. And I slowly released my grip on the others and walked out of the store (after I paid for it, of course). I think I made the right decision. This book rocks. (I do think it's a poorly chosen title that might deter people, though...there are sooo many things in the book beyond the 'holidays'.) And like the other Melanie Falick books I have, I just can't decide what to knit first.

I'm totally digging these over the knee socks! Amazing, no?!! But my history of sock making is not so fab. (More on THAT saga coming soon.)

And so, this was the second project that struck me. A knit dog, and I just happened to have enough Patagonia Nature Cotton yarn in my stash to make it. Yes, a blue dog (c'mon, haven't you read Go, Dog, Go?). It's coming along nicely, and such a treat to knit on size 6 needles for a change (I have three projects on hold right now--all on size twos. Oy.)

(*In case you were wondering, the other five that didn't make the cut were: The New Crewel, Julie and Julia, Nikon D50 Field Guide , Loop-D-Loop, and Living Out Loud. I hope I made the right choice! Ah, book buyer's remorse!)

But, Wait! Corners of My Home

The sun has made an appearance today, and so I do have a Corner to share. This is a corner-of-sorts in my bathroom. For some reason, I've always loved bathrooms with room enough for a chair, and while this one certainly doesn't have the 'room', I put one in anyway. My babes love taking baths, and I was always kneeling on the floor. Ouch. And I love baths even more, and was always looking for a place to 'set' things. So, a chair! It's an old one from my grandmothers family. And on it is a clary sage candle (my favorite scent), and an old wire basket full of my favorite vintage towels. Usually there's either a glass or wine or ice cream here too (or even better--both!). Below the chair is my current bath reading--a back issue of Hip Mama, the current Bust, The Miracle of Mindfulness by Thich Naht Hahn, and two old zines--Fertile Ground and the local Hausfrau. I'm religious about my nightly bath, and have grand plans for a home with a 'serious' bathtub. Someday Soon.

Lots of fabulous Corners on the Flickr group today.

My Corners are Too Dark

That sounds a bit more sinister than it really is. But it's true that my corners are too dark to photograph right now! We've had lots of rain the past few days. So I encourage you to head on over to the Flickr group and see some other corners--perhaps there's some sun out there somewhere making for great photographs! I'm so inspired by all I'm seeing on the pool--so many things that have put a smile on my face, or really made me think, or given me ideas for my own home. Thanks to all for sharing. Keep 'em coming!

We did have an appearance of the sun earlier this week, and instead of snapping shots of my corners, I was snapping shots of my babes. It's a loooong winter here, and we can really only play outside for a few hours of the day, meaning there's a lot of inside time to spend. So...in a moment of 'needing something new' to do, I put the boys on the bed, Adelaide in a bouncy to watch, dumped out my entire box of ribbons (which was a knotted mess anyway), and said, "go for it!". And they did.

More pictures on Flickr, of course.

Pants for All

Sewing pajama pants for the boys has been on my crafting to do list since, um, September.  But you know, I had a baby, and then the holidays (excuses, excuses), and well, it's okay that they're still wearing summer short pj's in January, right? Um, no. They're COLD! So, I started on round one last night, making a pair for each of them (while Steve was swearing away in the basement working on that desk--oh my, what a project).

(click on the image to go to a Flickr photo, complete with heads). Like the summer version of the same project, these are all from old clothing, except this time I tried to be mindful of not having all stripes. Adelaide's pants are an old tank top of mine that shrunk (or more likely, I grew. but let's pretend it shrunk), and Ezra's are from a pair of flannel pants that I wore for far too many years. For some reason (because I'm a Yankee? I don't know), I get a disturbing amount of pleasure out of this kind of recycling--especially when I can use the bottom of the clothing as the 'new' hems, saving even more time. I'm weird, I know.

And some for Calvin too (couldn't seem to get six legs in one shot today--they're all on the go). He picked this from an old flannel shirt of Steve's, and of course, to his nature, they're not pajama pants, they're 'jungle hunting' pants. You know, for tracking lions and the like. Unfortunately, I think if Calvin grows another inch (I hear they keep growing), I don't think I'll be making many pants for him in the future from old clothing so easily--even Steve's XL shirts are getting too small for his leg length. Gotta get a bit more creative, I suppose.

Oh, and for those of you who will want to know, I made these by tracing a pair of each of their pants. Kath, of Red Current made a wonderful tutorial on making kids pants a while back for anyone looking for some tips.

Self Portrait Tuesday

Self Portrait Tuesday: Personal History theme.
This photo is of my mom and I, just a week old. I've always been fascinated by this picture. She looks young (she was 21). She looks tired. She looks a little scared. I know I was all of those things when my first babe was one week old too. No matter what the life circumstances are (and mine were quite different from my mothers), I think some of the emotions from those early days of mothering are universal--the fear, the anxiety, the worry. Not to mention lack of sleep and hormones. For me, this photo really captures some of those feelings.

This was my interpretation of the photo, I painted and gave to her many years ago. I wasn't a mother at the time, and so I think the photo meant something different to me then. Now I wonder how she really feels about looking at this image everyday.

Self Portrait Tuesday bloggers here and here. Check out the SPT site--there's new content and contributors helping Kath out. Wonderful stuff!

Miraculous

(Calvin, demonstrating the difference between a blink and a wink. This is a wink. Not a blink. Very important distinction.)

Some might say it's a miracle we *haven't* had any broken bones or stitches, given the amount of backflips done around here. Well, we made it nearly five years. Our streak ended this weekend, when a backflip off the end of the couch landed Calvin's head on the hearth, a few scary moments and then a trip to the ER. Blessedly, it all went well--he was enamoured with the nurses and doctors (thank heavens for a seperate pediatric ER, by the way), and in particular with the johnny he got to wear (oh, yes, a request has been made for one). And so, with a few staples ("Ha! You can call me staple-head now!"), we were on our merry way, counting our blessings that it wasn't worse. And trying to figure out how we're going to keep him from hitting his head on anything for the next 10 days. Oh my.

Also in the asking-for-a-miracle department, Steve and I have a serious project ahead of us this week. As we thought about getting Calvin a desk for his birthday, I longingly remembered my own childhood desk--which belonged to my mother before me. I loved that desk--the swivel chair, the rolltop, and wanted desperately for Calvin to have the same one. My parents managed to dig it up and out of the basement and gladly parted with it. And then I got it home. Oh my.

The desk itself is fairly sturdy, but otherwise, it's a mess. And the paint (in that crazy french provincial color scheme that my *entire* bedroom was in) is seriously caked on, and I can't tell what's underneath. Here's where I usually get in over my head in furniture projects--to strip or not to strip? Or just paint over? And what color? Oh my. We've got 7 days to pull this thing together. Yikes.

Check out the sticker on the drawer. Hee hee.

It's a needle thingy

I made this wrist 'needle cushion' at the request of my acupuncturist. And I love it so much that I must now make one for myself for as a pin cushion for sewing (and Calvin's requested one 'just for wearing because it's so pretty, and who can turn down a request like that?). I used black elastic for the band part, and two circles of wool felt for the cushion. There are buttonholes on the bottom circle for the elastic to go through. Then I embroidered and added some felt to the top circle. Stuffed it all with cotton, and used a blanket stitch to close up the circles. I think next time, I'll put a circle of leather on the bottom too--because OUCH, that would hurt if you put the needle all the way through to your wrist. Not good.

Try Something New

One of my New Years goals--both in the crafting realm and beyond; and for that matter, one of my "goals for my thirties" (I'm not there yet! Months to go still!)...is to try new things. I'm not all that great at jumping into something new--especially when there's a damn good likeliehood that I'm going to fall flat on my ass. Literally, in this case. But alas, I'm completely inspired (yet again) by watching my children try, fall, and get back up again. All of this becomes quite literal when talking about ice skating, which I'm attempting to conquer this winter.

This is my preferred method of getting around on the ice (my sister and I being pulled by my mom, circa 1979). We went skating a lot as kids (growing up in Maine, it's a requirement for sanity to find *something* to do outside in the winter--ski, skate, sled--whatever), but I mostly remember it being cold, bumpy, and painful. I think I spent a lot of time reading in the car while everyone else skated.

But now, I've got some serious motivation for giving it another shot. Fall on my ass or not, my kids love it. (And yes,the chair in the photo above not only gives Ezra the ride of his life, but it's also HOLDING ME UP). Calvin even wants a hockey stick and puck for his birthday now. Oh god, Ice Hockey? Kids really are good for stretching your comfort zone, aren't they?!

A few more picture of our ice skating escapades here on Flickr. The next time you see me on ice, I'm going to be doing some crazy Dorothy Hamill move, I swear. (The last time I pulled a 'dorothy hamill' on Steve in the house--running from across the room, jumping onto him, I knocked us both over and broke his new Armani glasses, which have been duct taped ever since.) Oh, I've got grace. I'm headed for the ice capades, baby.

Corners of my Home

Corners of my Home, week two. (For more details on this project, see week one here). This is another favorite corner in my home. It's in our bedroom, and our rocker occupies this corner. Our rocker that sees much use every day and even more at night. In this spot there are many moments of love, adoration, comforting, nursing, singing, sleeping and snuggling. The moments of parenting that I want to hold, savor and never let go of--you know the ones. It seems miles away from the busy-ness, the craziness, the chaoticness of the day.  Above the rocker, on the shelf hang many of my favorite old linens--some thrifted, and some from my family. And on top are a few treasures. More details on the Flickr picture.

I'm absolutely thrilled that so many people are drawn to this project and want to share their own favorite 'corners'. The Flickr group had 62 people last time I checked, all with a different and unique perspective on what this idea means to them. Go here to join, or to see the pool of photographs. Very inspiring! (Oh, and I changed the name from house to home--home seems more inclusive to me.)

Tie One On - Apron from Clothes

I've been all jazzed about this month's Tie One On.  I pulled some clothes together that were too small (see the clothes before here), and started cutting. I think this was my favorite apron to make so far--I looove recreating something new from something old. I feel thrifty, connected to the past, and environmentally in-tune, all at the same time. Ha! So the apron...it's from two old shirts--I used the back of the white eyelet shirt for the main fabric of the apron, and then used the other shirt for the waistband, trim, ties, and pockets (the pockets are the underarms--can you see it?). Great fun. Thanks for a great theme, Amy!

Self Portrait Tuesday

Not so sure I'm feeling the vibe this week for the January theme of Self Portrait Tuesday (Personal History), though I do still have 24 hours to change my mind. But for now, I offer these self portraits taken today. The lighting, sadly, was not perfect, but I love them anyway. They're of a very common view of mine these days (as in the past five years!)--nursing.

View from the top.

And view from my eye.

Self Portrait Tuesday bloggers here and here.

A Party Dress

I almost forgot about posting this pre-holiday creation. (There's another pic on Flickr, because you might have noticed I'm a bit Flickr obsessed these days). A matching dress and skirt for Mama and Adelaide.  Matching bowties have been requested from Sir Calvin for he, Ezra and Papa, but I ran out of time (they'll come soon!). Yes, a family of matching clothing....I'm like that. I can't stop myself.
So, this dress for Adelaide was free-form, without a pattern--not always the best idea, but it seemed to work okay this time, even though it's a bit large. You can't really see, but I used some sweet black vintage buttons at the top, and grossgrain ribbon over the gathers at the middle, and then rick rack of course at the bottom. My skirt is from the "Cute Skirts" pattern by Favorite Things, with an elastic waist back and a waistband on the front. The pattern was great, but I think this might be the last skirt I make with elastic--I don't like the way it puckers and enlarges the hips. Ahem.
All in all, a very fun project to work on, especially as I was completely in love with this fabric, and of course, the young model for whom the dress was being made.

some grump, some joy

I've been existing entirely on the likes of the above photo for two weeks now. Orange juice and ice cream blended together, with a straw! The strep is back, or more accurately, I suppose it never went away. Damn. I've been sick each day of this new year.  I've left the house twice in the past 12 days--once for the doctors (wahoo! I got dressed!) and once for a much needed walk (stayed in my pajamas for that one). I've been a couch bound mama who's put on the Sound of Music nearly every day this week (with no complaints from 'Fredrick', mind you). I don't even have the energy to knit! Wah!  whine, whine, whine. I'm not a pleasant sick person, as you can see. It seems to be when my dramatic flair appears (Hmnn...wonder where HE got it.)

What I am feeling joyful about, however (I'm not all grump!), is the enthusiasm I see for the Corners of My Home group. I'm so glad the idea resonated with others, and that people are sharing their photos on the Flickr group. I'll do another photo on Thursdays, but invite people to do so whenever they want. It's so inspiring to see all these spaces that people treasure so much.

My children and husband are for the most part being dears to my grumpy sick self. Yesterday, in an attempt to muster some play energy, I asked Ezra if he wanted to play a game. He replied, "Let's look into each others eyes on the couch, Mama."

Joy does abound.

Corners of my House

I'm often disappointed after I've lived somewhere and then can't remember the details of the space, or how we used it--I hardly ever photograph the nooks and crannies of a home. Not this time...in order to preserve some of my favorite spots and the flood of memories I treasure with them, I'm trying to photograph those spaces now, while we're still really 'living' in them. I'll share them here on Thursdays for a bit.
I'd invite anyone else to do the same--share the favorite little spots in your home--the spots that make you feel...something--joy, peace, whatever it may be. It doesn't need to be a literal corner--perhaps just a nook or cranny or object. If you do, please let me know! I'll be happy to start a list here, or a flickr group if there's enough interest.

This is perhaps my favorite corner in our house. (If you click on the image, it will take you to the Flickr page, which has plenty of notes on the details in the photo.) When I first saw these wooden play kitchens (this one made by a Maine homeschooling family company, Elves and Angels), I balked at the price. But nevertheless, convinced my parents to help buy one for Calvin's first birthday. And I'm so glad I did. Sooooo many hours have been logged cooking in that kitchen. And climbing on that kitchen. We've had many a feast prepared there by our children and others (this morning it was potato apple soup. yum.), and I do hope for many more in the years to come. This corner is also home to our calendar, the chalkboard of lists (I do love my lists), and a board of favorite current photos. In the morning, the sun shines the brightest right into that corner, and it's oh-so-warm. I can sit at the nearby kitchen counter, drink tea, and watch the bakers in action while they prepare my breakfast. Or sometimes, they'll be cooking there alongside my own baking. It feels like a big part of the pulse of our family resides right in this corner.

Updated: Thanks for all the enthusiasm! I set up a flickr group here. Anyone's welcome to join and share. For now it's called 'Corners in My House" because I'm feeling terribly uncreative today, so I'd love suggestions for a different name if you're so motivated. I can't wait to see the special spots you all share! I find it so inspiring.

Winter Ensemble, part one

I introduce you to Part One of my soon-to-be completed winter ensemble of choice.

Pattern: Neck Warmer from Knitscene (generously gifted to me by The Crafty Modster--thank you!)
Yarn: Nashua Handknits, Creative Focus Worsted, which is a wool/alpaca blend. In oatmeal color. I just love that as a color. oatmeal. oatmeal. Ordered from Jimmy Beans Wool, 'cause they're just so fast and accomodating (especially for annoying after-ordering mind changers like myself).
Notes: Very easy, very fun to knit. (Two movies, tops.) I wasn't sure how functional this contraption would be, but I think I'm going to like it--it's not as bulky as a scarf, and it's kinda cute.

And now, for a sneak preview of part two. A delectable treat that Steve bought for me for Solstice. It's Khorma, by The Fibre Company, a Portland fiber arts company. I will happily marry these two colors (oatmeal and melon, oatmeal and melon!) to complete the 'ensemble' with mittens and a hat. (sorry--bad light photo).

And yes, Steve bought me YARN for Solstice. YARN. GORGEOUS yarn. I love that man.

Self Portrait Tuesday

for the January Theme: Personal History.

This is my very very favoritest picture that I have. It came from a big old trunk of photographs in my grandfathers' family. When they married, my grandmother framed this one, and it always hung on their walls. No one seems to know who the child is in the picture. I like to think it's my grandfather, but I can't be sure. When I was a child, everyone said I looked just like this little one. As I grew older, I always admired this photo, just as I admired many of the 'old things' that were special to my grandmother. When we moved into our first 'home,' Meme brought this down for me to have. And I adore it. It makes me so joyful--the child so happy, and his/her sweet dog on what appears to be farmland (my grandfather grew up on a family farm). I especially love how you can see the sillhouette of the photographer in the picture. Lovely.

Self Portrait Bloggers here and here.

Thank You!

Kate (and Zora) from SistersInStitches sent along this sweet, sweet doll for Adelaide as a Solstice gift. It's so beautifully made, Kate! And so perfectly timed--I had just brought out the basket of 'baby' toys, and it all seemed so 'hard'...so this will go lovely in Adelaide's mouth. ;) Thank you, Thank you!

Oh and these silly pencils came for the boys, though I tried to sneak them away for myself first. No luck. They love them.

Thanks, Kate! So, so sweet of you. And I've loved looking at all of your other creations too....I personally think the cowl is *perfect* for the little one. ;)

A New Year

I love the reflection that a New Year brings. 2006 was a year of many things for us--lots of big surprises. The biggest of all being sweet Miss Adelaide, of course. Crazy how in one year a whole pregnancy and birth can happen, isn't it? Seems like it should take longer. But the other big surprise has been this here lil' blog. I started blogging in February of last year, and had no idea of the impact it would have on me, and how I would grow to love it so much. So today I say a very special thank you to all of you for reading, commenting, inspiring, and sharing with me. I'm grateful. Really, really grateful.

I'm not a resolution maker--atleast of the 'lose 10 pounds' variety (though heavenly that would be!), but being a list lover, I've been writing my fair share of 'goals' in the past few days. I'll share the boring and personal ones for myself (mostly all revolving around THIS being the year we buy the home we love...it will happen.), but thought I'd share the crafty goals.

• Take better photographs. With the D50, some courage, and Jessie's help, I think I can do this. With this one comes conquering my fear of Photoshop.
• Knit a sweater that I'll actually love to wear. I'm 0 for 5 on this one so far. Not good.
• Use the resources that I have, or that are within my budget. In other words, the fabric and yarn buying has got to stop! (ha!, I said they were 'goals')
• Go out and visit and play in our local arts scene. Because while so much inspiration is gained on the internet, nothing beats *really* seeing art and the artist behind it, especially when there's great stuff right outside your door.
• Try something new. Even when, and perhaps especially if, it's frustrating, difficult, and uncomfortable. Pushing through that will find the best work and growth.
• Create from and for my heart only. Put some heart into it, gal. Don't go for the easy stuff. Ask with each and every thing that I make, 'how does it feel', and 'what does it mean'. The answer only need be as simple as 'joy,' but the intent needs to be there.

Cheers to 2006!