SouleMama

make, make, make

Now that it's nearly December, I've been feeling the little twitchy holiday elf bug. You know, where you enjoy the little flurry buzz of make, make, make for a (short) bit of time. Since I had already started a few things destined for craft fairs (that I thankfully backed out of a few months ago. Phew.), I hustled this week to get them all wrapped up, with a few new things too. I've fully enjoyed walking around for two weeks with my vintage blue Samsonite vanity case full of projects-on-the-go. Love it. And tomorrow, the results of all of that will land in the Etsy Shop for you to peruse if you wish. I'll have the placemats and coaster sets that you see above - both holiday and regular fun ones, and hopefully a few other treats as well. I'll update around 10am, and will add a few things through the weekend as I can. I'll close up shop on Wednesday, though, as I have super fears of the Post Office in December (picture standing in a long line with a tote full of packages and three holiday-amped up kids wearing costumes. It's not my idea of a good holiday time).

So there you have it! 10am tomorrow in the Shop! And thank you, dear readers, for your support!

Oh, and some of you have asked about this. I updated our book list over there on the right with our favorite holiday books! What are your favorites?

doubly blogged

You've seen this dress before. But I figured it was worthy of a double posting to see it on her. I nearly forgot about it, but thankfully noticed it in the back of Adelaide's closet last week, amongst a slew of dresses that were too big at the moment of sewing (I do that. make things too big). This one fits now, though just as I predicted I would, I put it away in the closet without completing the handsewing. Lucky for me, I have a new machine since then, and so, voila, a 'fancy stitch' (as Ezra calls them) was added, saving me from the dreaded handsewing (I want to love handsewing, I really do!). She wore this dress to our Post-Thanksgiving Thanksgiving (got that?) with Steve's family. As is the case with many a toddler's stimulation levels, I'm sure, we spent most of the time chilling out away from the crowd. Add a cool old telephone, wallpaper that matches the dress, and hey - mama's got herself an instant photo shoot.

My favorite. Check out that hand. I wish you could hear the scrumptious "Ah! Ah?" telephone chatter that she had going on too.

remember: pinch pots

I'm so grateful for this blog for the way in which it's changed what I photograph. Before blogging, I don't think I would have been so mindful of 'documenting' the tiny details of our home, and our lives. Now (and even without the blog at this point) there are lots of photos like the one above. Years from now I'm sure these little pinch pots will all be broken, lost, and otherwise erased from my memory of all the many things that happen each day in our family life. One of those many little things that I think I could never possibly forget, but then, of course, we naturally just do. But now I've got this little bit of a photo to jog my memory, and to remind me of the sweet fervor that Calvin has at this small little moment in time for making pinch pots - out of any and all forms of clay, and to hold any and all small objects. They're throughout the house, and I love them while they're here, and I'll also love remembering them when they're gone. The tiny little mundane snippets of a childhood that are precious in my mind. Like these pinch pots.

For Autumn

Today we celebrated the first birthday of my niece Autumn. I made her a birthday crown, an appliqued tee, and this doll quilt. She's a lover of purple (rather, my sister is a lover of purple), which I had no idea that I had so little of in my stash until I went to put this gift together - I used every scrap of purple anything that I had. I must say that the doll quilt was such a treat to work on in spite of all that purple, and it got me all twitchy for quilting. Soon, soon...

Being the oldest in my family, and starting my family young myself, I never anticipated that my babes would have cousins close in age. So it's been a very pleasant treat indeed, to have Autumn in our lives. Just two months younger than Adelaide, they already have such a sweet relationship - though, I must say that Autumn is often at the receiving end of the, um, assertiveness with which this youngest child of three operates. You'll notice in the photo that Adelaide has already removed Autumn's crown from her head for herself, and is about to make off with her new stuffed toy too. That's kind of the way older cousins work, right? It's love.

It's also been a special treat to witness my little sister on her own journey in this first year of her mothering. Michelle's deep and patient love for her babe is a very beautiful thing. And for that, Autumn is one very lucky little girl. Happy Birthday, sweet one!

scattered thoughts from the day after

If you were celebrating the holiday yesterday, I hope you were surrounded by yummy food, good company, and lots of joy. We had a wonderfully mellow, but perfectly complete Thanksgiving dinner here with just the five of us which I adored - lots of little helpers, our own old/new traditions, and lots of laughter. And then today, we had another Thanksgiving dinner with a large crowd of family gathered in town. There's plenty of full bellies, sleepy children, and leftovers to be had. I'm happy. And feeling very, very grateful.

And so now, it really IS time, which is of course, so very exciting for everyone. The decorations are at the ready, and the Advent Stocking Garland is going up tomorrow. Speaking of, I have a post over at Kiddley right now about the very thing - ideas for filling the stockings. The timing for writing that post was perfect, as I am just gathering all the goods to fill a months worth of stockings for three babes. Oh my. Lots of the ideas for non-monetarial 'treats' are from your comments in this post from last year, so thank you once again! And thank you to Claire for the invitation to Kiddley!

I kind of snuck it up there in my inspiration list all stealth-like last week, but have you seen who's blogging? My dear friend Bellablue has returned to blogging, and I'm thrilled about that. I get the benefit of gabbing on the phone to her, um, everyday, but now you can peek at her gorgeous photos and hear her insightful words too. And ALSO...Steve! Yay! SoulePapa returns. I'm not sure what he's got up his sleeve for the future (nor is he), but it's completely his own gig, and I can't wait to see what appears there! Hooray for new bloggers!

And since I'm already long down the road of a scattered, random sort of post, I'll use this chance to tell you that I've put a few things up in the Etsy shop. Just a few little bits of things I'd forgotten about and unearthed while cleaning my studio (we don't need to talk about what that means for the state of the rest of the house...or my mind, for that matter) - ordered that were cancelled, the start of craft fairs that were never signed up for, etc. They're all listed at 'sale' prices. I'm hoping to do just one more big update next week (of holiday items for the wee ones!), but will let you know before (and if) that happens.

Okay my little ones are all asleep and so I'm headed back to the couch. and the wine. and the leftover cranberry sauce and stuffing. Ah...

Getting Ready...

First, we gathered.

Then we crafted.

And tidied.

And now we'll feast.

Now, join your hands,
and with your hands your hearts.
- Shakespeare

Wishing you a beautiful day full of feeling, getting and giving much gratitude and joy.

Yo Yo's in the kitchen

(Have you ever tried photographing a curtain? Tricky, I tell you.)
I found a home for at least some of the yo-yo's I've been making of late. After complaining that I didn't like most of the applications of yo-yos (but am nonethless obsessed with making them), a friend sent me a link to this page, thus filling my head with ideas. This curtain quickly made it's way to the top of my priority list - above upcoming birthday gifts, holiday prep, book photography to finish up, or, um, all that laundry. Priorities, you know. Like this kitchen curtain. I followed the photo pretty closely (since I don't read Japanese, a skill I never thought I would want as much as I do these days). I like the look of the selvedge 'raw' edge of the linen, so I left that untouched at the bottom hem, and I think my pleats are a bit different than the photo as well (I pleated on both sides of the ribbon, versus just one). I must say that I'm impressed with the use of my (fair to poor) math skills on this one, as it actually fits the window just right - pleats, seams and all. Small miracles.

I might be a little quiet around here over the next few days as we take some time to gorge on fresh turkey (our second at-home, 'just the five of us' holiday. Ahh...), and then to visit with family in town. Oh, and speaking of turkey, while it sure is entertaining to watch my site stats more than triple in the past week because of this post, I'm sorry that you're not finding much help on defrosting your turkey. Try here.

Happy Thanksgiving, and safe travels to those of your celebrating this week!

"Is it time yet?"

I'm hearing that question near-hourly at this point. "Is it time? Can we bring out the Solstice decorations? Please? Just ONE reindeer???", and really, it's gotten me all excited and festive far earlier than I ever have before. The holiday books have been in rotation now for a week or so, along with the imaginative play that follows (oh, how I've missed you Mig and Tig!). And while I haven't brought up the boxes of decorations from the basement yet, little bits are making their way in. A new felted bird ornament from our local Waldorf school faire, a wee wooden gnome girl that somehow never got put away last year, and our newest addition - the soft and lovely Saint Nicholas, bought from a dear friend's craft table this weekend. Ever so slowly, signs of the holidays are seeping in, and the excitement is building.

So, what about at your house? Is it time yet?! Just ONE reindeer? Pleeeeease??

found

I walked into my studio room this afternoon, and was a bit startled at first to find this in the middle of the floor. I'm not sure exactly what it means. Might there be a revival taking place? I think the hills might just be alive around here once again.

Wool Blanket Projects

Before you think I whipped these up in the past 24 hours, I should tell you that I actually dyed those blankets back in October. It was the week before the deadline, and I sat in the basement (of our very old house, mind you - it isn't pretty down there), with the manuscript and a red pen (it had to be red), and dyed wool, and edited the book late into the evening. It was a little bizarre, but a little fun, too.

October 31st was the deadline for lots of things around here, and these Halloween/Harvest totes were one. I made all three, even though Adelaide didn't do any Trick-or-Treating. But I had visions of myself running around next year (or the next?) on October 30th trying to find the same fabric. I thought this was rather fine thinking ahead on my part (pat, pat.). It's funny that the dye colors I choose were intended to be winter holiday colors of reds, browns, and chartruese, but what came out of the wash was very clearly 'autumnal' -orange, red, yellow and brown.

And this is the throw. I cut up random strips of the blanket, and zig-zag stitched them together to create a sort of patchwork wool throw. My intention was (is?) to bind it with a patchwork style binding of different brown fabrics, but I wanted to see how the zig zagging held up before I committed too much time to binding it (the jury's still out on that).

And if you can see them through the background of muddy shoes, a toy-littered floor, and drying wool diaper covers, these are the holiday stockings I made. I don't know where these are going yet (is it strange that I made stockings with no intended purpose? I don't know.)

These barely made a dent in my mountainous pile of dyed wool. I'm sure there will be plenty of projects more to come. In the style of Turkey Feathers' The Blanket Statement (I adore everything she's made with her blanket!), I think I'll set these up in a Flickr photoset of their own, to be added to as projects are complete.

for the love of wool

I get a lot of emails asking about the felt I use (birthday crown, for example). I don't like to work with the polyester felt that I remember from my own childhood days of arts and crafts - the feeling of it drives me batty, and it doesn't stand up well at all on the projects I want felt for. I don't mind the 60/40 wool/polyester blend felt that is more readily available now at fabric stores. But what I really love to work with is plant dyed, 100% wool felt. It's sturdy, able to stand up on it's own for craft projects, feels soo good to touch, and the natural colors are just yummy. It does cost a bit more, but I think it's worth it, and I'm pretty frugal about the pieces I do buy - saving every little bit. Plant dyed felt can be found at your local Waldorf school store, if you have one, or if buying online, I get mine from A Child's Dream.

More on wool. A friend of mine recently gave me a gigantic pile (no, really) of old 100% wool blankets. I snagged them as they were headed to Goodwill, half wondering if I was crazy to be taking on an enormous pile of yellow wool. They sat and sat and sat for a bit, with me not-so-loving that color (or at least, so much of that color), until I thought of dyeing them. One Dharma Trading order and a night hanging out by the washing machine later, and I had this:

The dyeing was an experiment - easy to do (using this stuff), but funky to get the color I wanted, since I was starting with yellow as a base (not helping was the fact that I have no concept of making and mixing color). Each strip of wool was a surprise -but a pleasant surprise, with the exception of that neon yellow that was supposed to be chartruese (and has been redyed since this photo). Since the blankets were free (thanks again, Jean!), the cost of the dye was minimal considering the yards and yards (and yards and yards) of wool that I got out of it. Not to mention the entertainment value - I take a child-like amout of pleasure in putting something into the washing machine and having something different come out. Or, perhaps it's just a nice change to be so excited about what comes out of the washing machine.

cooling down, drying out, and keeping it real

Well, my goodness. I had no idea how much comfort you would all take in my pain (wink, wink). Really, it wasn't a bad day, just an um, highly energized rhythm to the day. Moki described her rhythm as 'experimental jazz funk'. love that. Once I can let go of the idea of getting *anything* done on days like that and just go with the chaotic flow, it usually works out just fine. Most importantly, though, the pie was made (priorities, you know). And when Steve arrived home (early, thank god), I had a moment of peace to gorge on pie, wine, and holiday craft eye candy.

And then this morning the sun appeared, and this afternoon we hit the beach (barefoot, because our shoes are all thoroughly soaked), and now all is right with the world once again. Ah. I can feel us all breathing differently tonight.

Speaking of breathing easy and keeping it cool, I'm trying to do just that with the holidays this year. As our family has grown, we've made a real effort to keep our holiday activity level as mellow as we can - we say no to lots; have many simple, but important traditions with our family of five; and keep the gifts and parties to a meaningful, enjoyable few. I feel really good about that. But this year, my goal is to keep my crafter's head just as mellow. It usually starts racing about now with crafting things I want to do - gifts, decorating, baking, kid crafts. Everywhere I look, I get more ideas, and the wheels start spinning faster and faster, and before I know it, I'm up at 2am, stressed out and jacked up on coffee, and sewing ponpoms onto a garland that I really don't need anyway. I picked up my usual holiday craft magazines this week, and have been making a conscious effort to just enjoy and marvel in the seasonal beauty in them, rather than get all frantic and 'must make!" about it all.

In that vein, I've been trying to keep my 'holiday crafting goals' clear in my mind. Saving the things that are most important to me to make -- one handmade special gift for each babe, one 'new' family holiday decoration (the beginnings of which you see above)-- and to think of any crafting that happens beyond that as just a bonus - icing on the holiday cake. Low (realistic) expectations.  It's meant no craft fairs for me this year. And it's also going to mean buying (handmade by others) gifts for some people on our list when in the past, I would have made them. But I think it's going to make for a much calmer head, which can only translate into more calm and peace around me, right? Right.

Do tell. What helps you 'keep it real' during the holidays?

the makings of a day

::had breakfast. an hour later, had breakfast #2. an hour after that? snack.

::played checkers. until the board was tipped upside down by a frustrated little one.

::put away two baskets of clean, folded laudry (thanks honey). Filled the empty baskets with dirty laundry. The cycle continues.

::sharpened every pencil in the house, which required dumping them out on the table (where they then rolled all over the floor).

::cleaned said pencil off the wall. Adelaide?

::helped Ezra build an impromptu, emergency home out of blocks for Dunk, whose own home has apparently been flooded.

::read the entire basket full of our holiday books. Can I really continue to read only these everday until December 25th? I don't know.

::made a solar system mobile, after discovering that we had no pictures of the solar system anywhere in our house. (bad, bad, homeschoolers.)

::changed three diapers, the third time there were no clean cloth diapers in the house. Used a dishtowel.

::tried to put Adelaide down for a nap. Four times. Only fell asleep after walking around in the sling for 45 minutes.

::started making an apple pie. burned out the motor in the food processor. set off the smoke detectors. woke the babe up from her 10 minute nap. came back downstairs to an upside down bag of flour. nice.

::called Steve at work with desperation in my voice. Twice.

::called a friend for a sanity check, but I couldn't hear her because the craziness at her house combined with the craziness at my house to make a constant noise of static over which we could not speak.

::injected a pot of coffee.

It's 10'clock in the morning.
I try for rhythm. But some days, this just is the rhythm. When we're all headed in four different directions, and I'm not sure I'm going to make it to the end of the day (which seems like a very long time away). But I'm learning (trying) from these three little teachers of mine, to laugh a lot and just let it 'be'. Even - and especially - on days like today.

happy feet

Oh, how good it feels to knit. There had been little to no knitting while the manuscript was in progress (of course, that didn't stop me from carrying it around everwhere). But just last week, I finished up these socks for the babe - you know, to get my knitting feet (nice pun) wet again, and with a quick and happy result.

And then working my way up the family ladder, some matching socks for Ez (four socks with one skein? rock on.)

And together! Calvin made it abundantly clear when I was taking this photo that there is NO way I'm going to get away with just two pair. And so, I will now be ordering more of the Lang sock yarn in this colorway, apparently. Oh and the pattern - it's my standby of the Yankee Knitter Designs Classic Socks. I continue to  print out and think about moving to a toe-up pattern, but at the moment of cast-on, I always chicken out and head for the safety of the Classic Sock pattern. I'm a toe-up wimp.

And one more, just because. Do you have any idea what kind of party ensued when I asked them to get naked, put on their socks, and stand on the table? Yup, a party to be sure. Which is good, because what else are you going to do with all this rain?

for you!

It's a cold and rainy gray afternoon here in Maine. I'd love to offer you all a cup of tea, but since I can't do that, how about some fabric? I've got 12 'scrap packs' all bundled up and ready to be mailed. Each pack has a bakers dozen pieces of fabric, all approximately 8 inches square in a variety of prints and colors - both vintage and new. Mostly cotton, they'll be great if you use scraps for quilting or applique or whathaveyou. If you'd like one, send your name and address to me atsoulemama@gmail.com, and I'll pop them in the mail to the first 12. (Sorry just US addresses this time!)    All Gone!! If you were one of the 12, an email is on it's way to you!

right through the middle of it

The river we often visit was really high this week after a big rainstorm. The kids love it when this happens, as the trail turns into a big ole river itself. We had a lovely, messy, muddy walk there the other day, and while I surely could go on (and on and on - oh, you know I could) about kids and nature, I'll spare you that chat (just for today) and show you my favorite snaps from the day. Enjoy!

in the mail

Karla has been waiting so patiently to see these pictures, I'm sure! We received this lovely outfit during my blog break several weeks ago, from Miss Pinky. I didn't know what she was sending me, so it was such a surprise! She said she was inspired by Lyn's scrap patchwork (that I adore as well) to make this outfit for Adelaide. It's so thoughtfully made in so very many ways - the 'buttons' that are made just for picking, pulling and playing with; and the cozy, soft flannel lining on the inside to keep her warm.

She posted a few more photos of the outfit on her blog here. I'm so touched at the amount of time that went into this sweet outfit and so grateful it was shared with us! Thank you so very much, Karla!

what I love:: the 70's?

 
Apparently, I'm having a little love affair with the 70's right now. Or, atleast that's what my most recently thrifted finds are telling me. I really didn't know. First, there's Adelaide's jacket, which I love beyond belief, and am pretty sure I had one just like it. Then came my own jacket - the brown completely polyester piece of goodness that it is. LOVE that jacket. And then it all got topped off at a recent church rummage sale when I stumbled across one of my dreams turning into reality (I am truly a dork). There were boxes of brand new vintage clothes from a clothing store that had closed, presumably in the early 8o's (late 70's, early 80's - it's all the same to me. I was, only like four, you know). Where have they been all this time? I do not know - fodder for another dream, perhaps. Anyway...corduroy heaven. That's where I got the tan wide-whale corduroy wrap around skirt above (also here). And um, five more just like it in all sorts of colors and fabrics. I know, it was so terribly greedy and selfish of me (sorry fellow Portland thrifters! I'm sorry!), but I could not stop myself from snatching them all up at 25cents a piece. And I kid you not that they have been in rotation in my wardrobe ever since. All of them. Every Day. (Along with my newfound contemporary love of Smartwool knee highs.)

So, apparently. I love the 70's. Oh my. Who knew.

Corners of my Home

Siri posted a few weeks ago about her family's "Closing of the Door" - the first day on which the home door stays closed all day, and thus begins the mark of a season of doing so. I've been thinking about that a lot since I read her thoughtful words. At our home, the season is similarly marked by the closing of our sunporch. For a month or so, we've been closing it when the sun goes down. And then slowly, it's been closed on cooler days, and now - just this week, looking out there it appears as though it's time this season is officially over - the floor is cluttered with hats and mittens, rain boots, and other cool weather gear - signs of the season. We won't really 'live' in that space again until late spring. The photo above is from one day last week when it was still warm enough to be out there - even though the space is small, we were all drawn to be there, feeling the warm sun from inside. I always get a little sad saying goodbye to that cozy space, but I also love the feeling of it being officially 'closed', and of hunkering inside in the warmth, clad in slippers and wool socks and the warmth of the fireplace and each other.

Corners of My Home on Flickr here.

just a little bag

This bag is making me very happy this week (but looking at this photo right now I think I'd gladly trade it for another one of those cookies and some of that coffee. Yum). I've been carrying this other bag around since I made it, and it was high time for a new one. I wanted to use these round handles I got at JoAnn's when they were on sale a bit ago (did you know they sell bag handles now? Not so bad, really.), but it took me a while to wrap my head around how to actually sew them on.

The delicious fabric is from Lisa, and the yummy yellow vintage buttons are from Sally (nice adjectives. i'm still thinking about the cookie). And the photo is from my Calvin.

finding a rhythm

I think if there were one driving energy I've had since becoming a parent, it's been a search for rhythm. Rhythm in our yearly, seasonal and daily lives. Rhythm in our home and in our hearts. Sometimes - when we're struggling to find our groove - this challenge is more present in my mind. Then at other times - I don't even think about it until I realize we *are* in rhythm, and it feels just right. I don't mean rigidity or a schedule, but a flow and rhythm. You know that feeling - whether you have children or not - the feeling when your day has a natural flow, when there's a comforting inner awareness of 'what comes next,' and when there are moments of peace and quiet, activity and noise,a bit of both the inside and the outside world - everything we need. In my parenting heart, I believe this rhythm is the strong, core, nurturing base from which we're all able to grow and flourish safely from.

Anytime there's a big change - a babe is born, the season changes, a developmental leap is taken, or, a manuscript is complete - things get a bit jumbled up in the rhythm, which is all okay, too, of course. But it feels so good to get back. We're getting 'back' right now. Figuring out ways to make sure everyone's mind-body-soul needs are met (as well as they can be with one mama and three babes during the day), that there are moments of peace and quiet for everyone, as well as moments of noise and joy, plenty of feasting, and being 'out' in the beautiful fall around us each and every day. I'm finding myself doing what I do when searching for rhythm - thinking often about the things that aren't working, and trying to find ways to include more of those things that are. I hold onto the little snippets of our day that feel just right - Steve taking the kids for a walk in the woods when he gets home from work while I have a few moments to tidy, and breathe; and then meeting them for the end of a family walk before heading home where we'll begin the next piece of our day. That feels right. Let's do that again tomorrow. The rhythm begins.

for berry picking

We're a long way from berry picking here according to the calendar. But berry picking - especially blueberry picking - is never very far from Ezra's mind. One of his favorite books is Peter in Blueberry Land by Elsa Beskow. It's just the book he wanted to give to his friend Alice, whose fourth birthday we celebrated this weekend.

Even though she'll have to wait a bit for berry picking too, I made her this linen berry - picking pinafore (or should it be called a smock? an apron? I don't know - I just like the word pinafore). Perhaps in the meantime, it could be used for cooking or twirling. Ezra thoroughly enjoyed testing it out first, making sure it would 'work' under each of said circumstances. It passed the Ezra test (and he's put in a request for his own).

The smock is based on a vintage pattern I have, sized 6 months. Yeah. There was a bit of working it to make it the right size and shape for a bigger babe. If I had been smart about it (I wasn't), I would have traced this one so I won't have to jump through the same hoops next time. I do think it's rather sweet, and have added it to my holiday list for at least a few of the little ones on our list.

We arrived home from the lovely party with these treats - fabulous gorilla appliqued shirts (Alice has a very crafty mama). How cute are the shirts? And how jacked up are my kids after a party and one itty cupcake (or 'pupcake' as they both call them)? Um, a lot. Bedtime was, let's just say, entertaining.

{Oh, and this reminds me that I'm nearing the end of my yummy vintage and thrifted linen stash. Does anyone have a source for good, quality 100% linen?}

I think I'll just lay down right here

Apparently, it's not just Steve's favorite corner. Note the tight grip on 'doll-doll,' snuggled up beside her for a nap. Ezra covered her with the silk for a blanket, and Calvin tip-toed around her dimming the lights. Be still, my heart. I'm pretty sure this has never happened before, and quite likely will never happen again, but I'll happily take it, even just once.

I hope you're having a cozy weekend!

Thank you!!

Wow. I am touched and humbled. I was choked up more than a few times reading your comments yesterday. Thank you SO much. At each of the steps along the way in this process have been many amazing moments of realization and then rejoicing (Steve asks 'how many celebratory dinners exactly does one book require?' Um, a few more, honey.). Sharing the news here with you is one of those steps that I've been excited about. Thanks for meeting it with such energy! Yay! I will keep you posted as things move along.

Before I get too far ahead of myself, I must back up to give a big 'Three Cheers for Steve' for guest blogging for the past two weeks. After he agreed to be SoulePapa (he's such a good sport), I had a moment of panic, realizing that usually the first time someone blogs there's time to get a bit of a voice, or 'practice' before anyone generally even reads it (which is generally a good thing.I cringe when I read my first few posts). And there I was essentially throwing him out to the wolves on his first try. But you were all very nice wolves, so thank you. And he stepped up to the plate in a big way, so thank YOU, Steve! And oh, how much fun it was to see him become a blogger  - taking bizarre photos, writing posts in his head, reading comments and visiting your blogs, etc. And he promises that he'll come back for guest appearances from time to time. hooray!

He told you about our little house heartbreak, didn't he? I must admit that it still stings a bit (Calvin told me to stop driving by it the other day. Oops. Did I go that way again?).  Oh, I had big, big dreams about that house - and the 'studio' space? Oh my, oh my.  But now, we're finding some peace with it all, and settling into staying here a bit longer. And now that I've got a bit more time to play, I've been puttering around in my studio - getting organized, and just generally sinking back in. (It may appear to you that I've been sewing with regularity, but it's all been small projects snuck in frantically so I didn't get too withdrawal/twitchy!) I'm sooo eager to sink into something slow and big. I'll leave you with a few snapshots of around the room as I've been tidying. (A few notes on the Flickr pages.) Enjoy! {Phew! Shorter posts coming soon!}

The Whole Story (or most of it, anyway)

Hello, Hello!! Oh my, there is so much to say. But you've all waited so patiently for my promised 'reveal' and so I'll get right to that, and save the rest for tomorrow. Go ahead and grab yourself some tea/wine (you choose), as this is destined to be a long, rambly, spewy sort of post. My apologies.

This has been a frequent scene in my life in the past six months. I've been spending far less time in my studio, and more time in my local library and favorite coffee shops. I've been spending less time with my Bernina love, and more time with my Mac love. Have you figured it out yet? Yes, my friends, I've been writing a book.

The story begins like this (you did know you were getting the whole story, right?): Last February, Steve and I were having one of those 'where are we going?' kind of life discussions. You know the ones. Dreams. Plans. Goals. And we hatched this idea of a project geared towards families wanting to live a more creative, connected life with their children. Like us, and all of you, and so many more people out there doing the best we can and wanting to do more. We made a plan and set aside some time for me to figure out where to go with this idea - another blog? a zine? newsletter? a book? And then amazingly, as life seems to do, just two days later I received an inquiry from an editor about a book project on creative family living, asking if I had any interest. Um, yes. Yes, yes, yes.

So the spring was spent working on a book proposal, getting an agent, and a contract with Shambhala Publications (a perfect fit for me if there ever was one). Then, the summer was spent writing, creating and photographing projects for the book, and writing some more (all in between many a trip to the beach. But you already knew that part). My deadline for the manuscript was, well, yesterday. Yesterday! This whole experience has been a huge long-time dream come true, and at the same time, surely one of the hardest things I've ever done. I've still got a bit of photography and editing ahead of me, but I'm really really relieved to have this big part done. A lot of things in our lives have had to slide to the back burner to make this happen, and I'm very very happy to return my attention there. And speaking of things that have had to 'slide', I must say now (and I'll say it again and again), as completely dorky as this sounds, this would never have happened without the help of sooo very many people. Helpful Friends. Loving Family. Patient and Forgiving Children. And most of all an amazing husband, partner and friend all rolled into one (seriously. he's kick-ass).

But I'm getting ahead of myself. You want to know about the book! The book! Which has yet to have a confirmed title (you'll be among the first to know), is about creative and inspired family living. It's full of over 50 projects, activities and ideas for leading a more full and creative life with our children. Not just 'another kids craft book', I hope it goes deeper - to emphasize the meaningful connections that happen when we create together as a family; and the importance of nurturing the creative spirits of our children and ourselves. There's a focus on nature and celebrating the seasons, resourceful living, and mindfulness as a parent, as well as creating beyond our homes and into our communities. There will be my full-color photography throughout the book, as well as illustrations by a wonderful Portland (Maine) artist, Betsy Thompson. The book will be published in January '08 (yes, '08, it's really not that far away).

To wrap this up, I want to say Thank You to YOU. This book partly came about because of this little blog, and so I have yet another reason to be grateful for it, and for you, for reading each and every day. I'll be glad to share here some of the more exciting steps towards the publication of the book.  But I also hope you know that nothing will really change around here - this blog isn't going to suddenly be about selling my book. It's just another piece of my life at the moment that I'm honored to now be able to share with you!

SoulePapa Blogs: Bring on the Clowns

Ezra ended up with three times as much candy as Calvin by perfecting a brilliant maneuver where he would get as close as possible to the candy giver at the door.  While they were chatting and handing treats to the other masked marauders, Ezra was simply loading his sack on the sly.  More than once he would get the, "oh, that's enough dear".  He's quite the rig.
The kids, all decked out in Soulemama custom apparel(Ezra in a retrofit of his Grampie's old costume from the 50's!), had a blast in some of South Portland's oldest neighborhoods where trick or treating is still alive and well and safe.  They hit the fire station to see Grampie, too.

Amanda will be back tomorrow morning to give you a full report on what's been keeping her so busy.  Thank you all so very much for checking the SoulePapa Blogs while she was out.  I now have even more respect for the dedication it takes and for the strong community you all have formed across the world.  Simply... Beautiful.