SouleMama

An Art Party!

 

"Six" might be one of my favorite ages for birthday parties (remember the medieval party?). Six is such a great combination of imagination, innocence, and ability, I think - so great for doing fun things at parties.  Ezra decided - oh, back in November - that he wanted an Art Party for his birthday this year. An art party? Oh goodness. Yes, please! (said his Mama). Every surface in this little house was covered in some kind of art-making. There was space for collage onto wood boards, air-dry clay, and acrylic painting on canvas (including the big canvas that everyone worked on for the birthday guy). Merriment and making happened by the artists of all ages here.

The crafting you saw in progress yesterday were the apron gifts for our child guests, complete with an artist mannequin in the pocket (or a "Dude Man" as they're affectionately called around these parts). I used rubber stamps with a fabric-safe ink pad. I tried a few test rounds in the wash and it seemed to hold up okay. It was fun - and a great way for Ezra to be involved in the process with me.

He was overheard telling a friend while painting, "Oh! I'm so interested in making art, I almost forgot this was my birthday party!" It felt like the perfect way to celebrate this art-making, ukulele-loving, tap-dancing, comic book-reading sweet boy of ours.

My sink still looks exactly like it does in that last photo (with the addition of breakfast dishes), and we've got a few more days of good fullness in front of us. I'm guessing some of you do too with the holiday coming up, so I'm going to wish you well and sign off until Monday. See you then!

handmade hearts

 

 

There's been a tiny bit of heart-shaped crafting happening here this week. First, with the making of some Valentines for a swap with homeschooling friends. Guiding three little ones (with another strapped to my chest) through a craft project was an exercise in both coordination and patience. So we kept it simple - heart cutouts, cardstock, fabric, paper and glue. (The glitter? I must confess that it scares me.) The typed heart messages were the kids' idea - I love them.

 

I squeezed in a little Valentine crafting for the kids, too. Because isn't every gift-giving holiday just an excuse for new art supplies? I thought so. Using the Photo Journal Tutorial from Five and a Half, I made some simple little journals for the kids (and one for me!). These were ridiculously fun (and easy) to make, and a great way to use some of those piles upon piles of paper that I save for just this kind of thing. Scattered throughout the journal full of blank pages, I tucked a few little surprise love notes to them too.



There's been some heart-shaped knitting too. These little felted hearts (free pattern here) for each of the kids. Uh, yeah...so I have four kids, not two. Now you know what's on my needles today!

Happy Valentines - and Valentine's crafting - to you and those you love!

2008

What a year! 2008 has been so very full of living, dreams realized, plans fulfilled, and best of all - a new life! Already, 2009 promises to be another year full of so many more adventures. I'm excited to see what comes, and to share bits of it here with you.

I want to thank you for your presence here and in our lives in 2008. Your kindness, support, words of wisdom and encouragement have meant so very much to me, and I thank you for taking the moments out of your days to stop by this space. It's an honor and a joy to share the journey with you!

Wishing you and yours the coziest and merriest of celebrations as you reflect on what was, and look forward to what is yet to come!

the "nothing" in between

Even the 'simplest' of handmade, mellow holidays happens with a flurry. A beautiful, busy, full-of-family, good food, and lots of love kind of flurry that's wonderful.

Equally wonderful, I do think, is the rest that comes after the flurry. This week of 'in-between' holidays - when there are no more presents or things to make/bake/wrap/clean. When the house is full of leftovers and the kids (and Mama and Papa, too) are for the most part, happily engaged in their new treats, and 'full' from the love and attention of visiting and celebrating family.

These in between days feel as though they're one glorious excuse for a pause and reflection in this season of celebration. Surely there's lots that could/should/ought to be done. But really...the most important thing I think we should be doing is nothing. Keeping the dining room table clear enough for all the game-playing that's happening; keeping the sofa clear (thanks for all the love yesterday!) for all that lounging, reading, baby-gazing and non-holiday leisurely knitting around here. Everything else can wait.

I hope there's a bit of that wonderful nothing happening right now in your world, too.

into Winter

I stood beside a hill
Smooth with new-laid snow,
A single star looked out
From the cold evening glow.

There was no other creature
That saw what I could see--
I stood and watched the evening star
As long as it watched me.

- Sara Teasdale

In the midst of a blustery winter's storm blowing outside, we celebrated the Winter Solstice this weekend.  A celebration of light shining in darkness, of the return of the sun, and of the magic and wonder out there all around us. As the first big storm of the year, it made the contrast of light & dark, in & out, warm & cold all that more tangible and real and...well, quietly beautiful.

I thought - until this morning - that Christmas was on Friday (I don't know where I got that idea, but it was firmly lodged in my clearly sleep-deprived brain). But it's not on Friday. It's on Thursday (did you know?), which makes me a little behind. So today, I did a little baking and a little knitting. But the rest of the many things on The List? Well (as I was gently reminded by a wise Soule in this house), I think it's time to make that list magically disappear into the celebratory fire. And it's time to carry the strong & peaceful calm of that winter storm into the excitement and celebration of the days to come.

So in case you, too, needed a reminder, and haven't done it yet...it's getting near time to toss The List. Take a deep breath. and Enjoy.

Wishing you peace and joy as you celebrate with those you love in the coming days!

merry-making

The merry-making around here is heating up, as I suspect it is in your home too! We're about to begin our family Solstice celebration this weekend, to be followed by a week full of Christmas festivities with friends and family. I think I'll sign off here for the week, though I'm sure I'll pop in to share a photo or two.

Wishing you and yours the most blessed and merry of days!

xo,
all the Soules

the aprons are hung

Much later in the season than usual, I pulled out the box of holiday linens this week. A box full of holiday tablecloths and napkins, towels, and aprons of years past. A box full of memories and dreams, too.

I never showed you this sweet new one from last year. It was made by Meg (I believe it's based on her Emmeline pattern), and was part of our 2007 Holiday Traditions Exchange. Exchanging recipes, traditions, songs and books. I love hearing what other families do to celebrate this season - in all the many diverse ways we do so. Now this apron from a friend I've never 'met' has now been added to our own traditions and stories - in the family collection of aprons we'll be wearing this season and for many more to come.

Adelaide has taken a special fondness this year to this one, to no one's surprise. Those christmas cats, of course. It's never one I would have picked up on my own, but it was my grandmother's and so I treasure it dearly. Just seeing it and touching the worn cotton fabric - it all reminds me of walking into her warm house full of yummy smells and soft hugs on Christmas, and seeing this tied around her waist as she prepared a party full of food in her kitchen.

I nearly forgot what a flood of emotion would come with opening that box of holiday linens (no, it's not the post-baby hormones, I fully admit that an apron alone has the power to tug at my heart). But oh, those aprons - some handmade - by me and others, some passed down, some found - all carrying a special meaning of one kind or another. Each with it's own story; some with years worth of flour in spots so thick that the fabric is faded there; and some with stories I'll never know but always wonder about; and some with stories yet to happen in our family - that I can only dream about now. But all evoking a little bit of the spirit of the holidays - of time spent baking and making for those we love, of feasts prepared and shared, and of home and family.

right now :: december 10

right now, I am...

enjoying :: the 5-inch tall elfin snowpeeps my kids were so excited to make from the first fallings of snow-like precipitation this week

wondering :: how it got to be 10pm before I posted today?

marveling :: at the pile of packages on my porch waiting to be opened for the Mama to Mama project. You are all amazing.

dancing :: in front of the tree lights each night with Harper to sooth those 9pm new baby bellyaches

listening :: to Sufjan Stevens Songs for Christmas - and never tiring of it

anticipating :: the ice storm that's rolling in tonight - hoping that everyone and everything is safe, but also loving the cozy-hibernating feeling that comes with a storm

loving :: the way these two love each other

thinking :: I'd better go get that spit-up removing shower in before we lose power

signing :: off for the weekend

wishing :: you a beautiful December weekend!

sitting & staring

I hope you're all enjoying the Marathon of Giveaways! I'm loving checking in quickly with them each day (and I should have told you - I always, always read all of my comments, but this week - on these Giveaway posts - I'm not quite making my way through reading them all. So be sure to email if you have something I need to hear. And continue to play nicely amongst yourselves as if I were in there moderating. Hee.) I must say - I feel a tiny bit like a matchmaker and Santa Claus combined each time I head over to that Random Number Generator. Seriously fun. There are more to come in the next few days, but I thought I'd pause and say hello today.

So, hello! We're all very, very good. Someday soon that Papa above will have to return to work (which means Harper will lose that favorite sleeping spot for a few hours a day...thankfully I do have that hammock in the wings waiting for use! And oh so many slings...and big sibling arms always itching to hold...). But for now, we're all still home together and my main task is sitting & staring. We're relying heavily on the yummy food delivered by friends, and all that summertime goodness packed away on the pantry and freezer shelves. And letting the laundry pile up around us. I can't imagine doing anything else right now.

Except maybe opening a few of my favorite boxes. The tree arrived last night, and we got right to decorating it. (The child quote of the evening - repeated more than I care to count? "Ooops. That probably can't be fixed?" Oh well.) And now I'm pretty sure - with the baby and his entertaining brothers and sisters - and that tree - that I could sit and stare the entire month away.

Here's wishing that your December holiday month is off to a lovely start! And that in the busyness of it all, you're finding a few moments to sit and stare at the beautiful things in your world too.

a whole lot of celebrating

Three is so magical. With some of the physical challenge of growing - walking, running, communicating, using the potty, etc - behind them, they seem so ready to just sink on into who they are. When she was first born, I used to worry about what it would be like for her - the youngest girl to two strong spirited older brothers. But that's laughable now, given the personality that quickly emerged from this little one. She's amazing, and yesterday was spent in true honor of who she is. Oh, my love. I feel so lucky to know her.

And now, with time for only a small breath...onto some other celebrating. This weekend our extended family grows by one very special guy as my little sister gets married. My little sister who clearly knows how to throw a party - the weekend's festivities are of epic and seriously fun proportions. Now if only I could apply my skills at late-night-birthday-crafting for a three year old...to...walking down an aisle balancing my very pregnant body on a very skinny pair of heels. Oh, do wish me luck.

And you...I hope you have a lovely weekend!

five

Hello! Just popping in with a quick hello and a book event reminder (below). Yesterday, we celebrated Ezra's fifth birthday. Five? Oh my. Five feels like one of those big numbers to me - all day I looked at him and thought, "really? five? how can this be happening so fast?" and then in the next breath, of course, cannot remember my life before him, as if it's been years and years. One of those incredibly hard to explain, and yet so very real parenting feelings.

Anyway, it was a lovely day. A perfectly mellow kind of day, well-suited to my little guy. Bike rides (his birthday gift to himself? riding without training wheels!), lots and lots of music, a menu carefully planned out from breakfast to dessert, and a celebratory dinner with friends and family. Good times.

Part of his carefully planned out menu (food is very important to my little one - remember the mustard party?) included this request for a cake: "part strawberry cake and part blueberry cake, but not the parts mixed together. blueberry frosting, with strawberries on top." A little specific, yes. But I was feeling up for the challenge and it all worked out just right (starting with this recipe, but with some changes to make it lighter). A layer of strawberry, a layer of blueberry, with blueberry cream cheese frosting. Yum.

And a tiny moment from the day: Moments after Ezra opened his eyes in the morning Calvin ran to give him a little package he'd made and squirreled away nearly a month ago now - A set of handmade microphones. Ezra loved them .... and I nearly cried. Because these three little microphones just about sum up sibling relationships for me. They are inevitably the first to pound on each other (and they do - quite often); and yet, also the first to lovingly and quietly create and give a gift so absolutely perfect for the other that no other gift could possibly compare. Truly. Heart-swelling.

And last, a little reminder. I'll be popping out tonight for a book reading, Q&A, and signing at Books, Etc in Falmouth, Maine at 6:30 pm. (The postcard here). I'd love to see you there!

{Back to regular blogging soon...I have a few more days of 'vacationing at home' to do. And some cake to eat. And some microphone-singing to do. Oh, yes.}

traditions : old & new

I love watching our little family traditions grow - some of them quite without me realizing they're happening. On Saturday morning, I was getting ready for a journey to the grocery store (the epic experience that is the day before Easter), and walked into the living room to find Calvin, Ezra and Adelaide in the 'shanty' (aka - the couch cushions with quilts draped over them), playing "Laura, Carrie, and Mary Ingalls". But the tone was serious - and I strained to listen to just what was going on in there, worried we were reenacting Jack's (the Ingalls' dog) death again or something equally Little House on the Prairie-tragic.

But another very important kind of meeting was happening in there. Calvin and Ezra were having a little sit-down with Adelaide - filling her in on just what Spring is all about, and what exactly she could expect on Easter. They were explaining how the little animals of the forest leave out treats for them to find. They even impressed me with a few "some people are celebrating this....and some people believe this...." that has me believing they do actually hear me when I ramble on about such things. And then in great detail, the description of the 'really special and beautiful' chocolate bunny they would have in their basket from Mama and Papa. (Perfect, I thought, as I mentally added those yummy Lake Champlain bunnies to the grocery list.)

But before I could get too comfortable in my preparedness, I heard "...and Mama makes us all springtime pants!"  Wait, what? I do? A moment of panic set in as I racked my brain for just what was in the Easter baskets last year (a task more difficult than it should be for my 31 year old brain). Chocolate bunny, pencils, paper...yup, pants. And the year before? Hmn...wood animals, earth balls, watercolors....and oh yeah, pants. Oh gosh. That's a tradition. An accidental tradition, but a tradition nonetheless.

As the day went on, I think I slipped something subtly into conversation about how wonderful it is when things change, or how holidays can be different from year to year and new traditions are made. But of course, I was only trying to convince myself. It wasn't until later that night, with a house full of sleeping babes, and the last of the Easter preparations completed (including a massive search for the Easter baskets. Where could they go?), that I finally succumbed to the pant-making. I distinctly remember whining about it to Steve and a friend during that day...but as I started gathering the fabric, I snapped out of that. I mean, really now, how long will it be that my children are looking foward to handmade pants from Mama in their Easter basket? Not long, I am sure. I'll take it while I can. With joy.

Before you imagine the scene to be too idyllic, I should tell you that it wasn't as though they were jumping up and down excited about these little pants. I assure you, it was the candy first. Art supplies second. Mama - made pants a distant third. But they each did put them on, and sat down together like this - giggling and eating and playing. Soon the linen was covered in chocolate and sticky jelly bean slime, and in a few days, I am sure, they'll be handed to me covered in mud from outside spring play. A perfect tradition.

Oh, and the easter baskets? I couldn't find them. At all. So we 'made do' at the very last minute with some clementine boxes. I think we started a new tradition.

year no. 3

Of course, she got her dress. You knew she'd get the dress, right?  After her not-so-subtle plea, she never let up (such is the plight of the youngest child), asking each and every time she popped into my studio, "You makin' my Christmas dress, Mama?" followed by an incredulous "Why?!" whenever the answer was 'not yet'. When it was finally complete and I tried it on her, her immediate response was, 'My no like it. Take it off." Oh, yes, that's just what she did. Thankfully though, with the allure of new tights on Christmas morning (it's official that all my kids think tights are the most fabulous clothing article of all. And if I had tights with snowflakes on them I would have to agree), she happily wore the dress long enough for Christmas brunch, and even for one more party after that. Yay!

The fabric is by Maywood Studio. The pattern is a vintage one. I eliminated the lace, and added a little bit of baby rickrack instead. Because red baby rickrack belongs with the holidays as much as eggnog does, as far as I'm concerned. I can't resist these things.

And to continue our matchy holiday outfit tradition for the third year in a row, I made myself this apron. The pattern is the Apron Overlay from the Amy Butler Barcelona Skirt pattern. It's a great pattern - easy to follow and quick to whip up, and I was quite happy to wear it Christmas morning, but I'm not such a fan of how it fit - perhaps my sizing was off. Or perhaps my waist has moved. Surely it was the pattern. Ahem.

I know I swore a zillion times over before having children, that I would never do this matching clothes thing to my kids. But whatever, I'll happily eat those words now and continue sewing for just a few moments of fun, silly, and sweet with my baby girl. We like it.

stories

Fresh from a bath, snuggled up in her robe, and cozied under the tree in a quiet and sleepy house, she tells Banjo the story of the cat in The Tomten - one of her favorites right now. In that soft, yet squeaky sing-song two year old voice that fills an entire home and melts everything in it's presence.

Oh, let these moments move through us slowly, but linger forever in my heart.

last saturday

Thank goodness I have three fantastic helper bees who agree that the packaging and the delivery are equally as fun as the making and the giving parts of gifts. One of our Advent gifts was a pile of white fabric squares bundled with some fabric markers. The boys insisting we make an ornament to adorn each package that left the house (the ornaments are much like the simple Stuffed Art from my book - you can find the instructions in an excerpt here. Just add a length of ribbon at the top for hanging).

And then there was the baking. Who knew that when you start making holiday cookies before Thanksgiving, it is quite likely to be tired of making them by the end of December? Hmnn. Small bread loaves to the rescue. Banana Pecan, Pumpkin and Chocolate Chip, and Sweet Potato Cranberry. Yum, yum.

And then the wrapping of our gift. Yes, "gift' the singular. I had this little revelation in September to make something really special, and then kind of multiply it by everyone on our list. Vague - I know. I'll share it with you next week when more of them are in the right hands. But I will say that it made my holiday stress a little bit lighter, the kids had such joy in the making, and - I think - the recipients were pleased. Ah...

And finally, the delivery on Solstice Day. Warm cocoa, some 'fancy delivery clothes' (Ezra's thing) and signage (Calvin's thing), and a family drive around town to scatter packages at the doorstep of friends and family. My little ones had such fun playing Solstice Elves, as they dubbed themselves.

And I dare say, they were the cutest little Solstice Elves I've ever seen.

merry, merry

{a few more holiday photos on Flickr}

It's been such a 'full' week here with lots of Solstice and Christmas celebrating. The holidays go by so fast, don't they? So incredibly fast, and there have been many, many moments this month - despite keeping it all as simple and mellow as we can - where I've felt as though I'm running a marathon that might never end. Or one that ends, only to begin again. The lists, the food, the preparations, the making, the gifting, the wrapping, the driving, the cooking, the cleaning, the meltdowns (theirs and mine), the on and on and on.

But then - there are those little moments. These little oh-so-tiny moments that in reality amount to only minutes worth of time. But the weight of those little moments make them so much bigger - and fill up the whole of the holiday season with their essence. The marathon disappears and in it's place is the feeling of love, friendship, family and joy. The holidays. One little merry moment at a time.

On Solstice evening, as we all returned in from the setting sun and our little bonfire, we set about getting settled in front of the table of food and our tree with gifts. Calvin excitedly began scurrying about into all the corners of the house - under his mattress, in the basement, and everywhere in between - and returned with package after package of tucked away gifts he'd made for us. We knew nothing of these - each one was a surprise, and so perfectly suited for each of us - some he's had planned for months he told us later. Wrapped in cardboard, paper, and duct tape, with gift tags thumbtacked to to the package. They were - without a doubt - the most beautiful gifts I've ever seen. His joy in giving those gifts - and the love in which we were all showered with upon opening them...well, there really aren't words. It was one of those merry moments.

I know this is true of all of life - it goes by so fast and it really is always about the little moments. But I feel it to be particularly true at this time of year. Things are moving faster...and hand in hand with that, those little joys seem to be even more plentiful.

Wishing you many more merry moments as you continue celebrating...or as you move on to the wonder of the post-celebratory rest!

in celebration

{our feast for the birds, in preparation for Solstice}

Just Delicate Needles

It's so delicate, the light.
And there's so little of it. The dark
is huge.
Just delicate needles, the light,
in an endless night.
And it has such a long way to go
through such desolate space.
So let's be gentle with it.
Cherish it.
So it will come again in the morning.
We hope.

--Rolf Jacobsen
Translated by Robert Hedin

Into the holidays we go! I'll be back in this space later next week. I wish you all much joy and love for a Blessed Solstice, a Merry Christmas and a most Happy Holiday week!

much better

When the storm blew in this weekend, it sadly canceled all of our planned holiday parties and festivities. The bright side of that was a cozy, at-home weekend with some unexpected time to make things. I found myself working on this project had nearly written off for another year. On the year of each of the boys births, I knit them their stocking. And somewhere along the way, made one for Steve and I as well. But Adelaide - well, that first holiday season of hers she was just three months old. And the boys were 2 and 4, and I was one really tired Mama. That year I made a 'temporary' stocking, assuring myself that the following year I'd have more time and energy to make one I really loved. It didn't happen last year. I was a year off, but who cares - it finally happened this weekend. It came out just as I've imagined it to be in my head for a long time.

The embroidery is Hillary's Elf Stitchette. Adelaide says that it's her holding me. Oh, gosh - what those kids do to my heart is crazy. The base of the stocking is a worn and soft vintage matelasse bedspread that belonged to my grandmother. The other bits and pieces are all quilt pieces I've found, treasured and squirreled away for just the right project. Like this one.

I had no idea that a full set of family stockings complete could bring me such happiness. But it does. It really does.

decking the studio

I'm sorry, I should have warned you before posting a scary sight like that. Isn't my studio looking fabulous these days? Ha. To be fair - it doesn't generally stay like this for more than a day. It's too small of a space for me to keep it in this state for too long - I start knocking over jars of buttons and tripping over iron cords - and well, that's no good. Rather counterproductive in fact.

So it got a little tidying yesterday, and then a little sprucing up for the holidays. I'm spending many wee hours of the night in here these days, so I figured it might as well look like the holidays in here.  (The socks - I have a feeling you'll ask -  are a pair my great grandmother knit for one of her sons in the war, but he came home before he could use them. Though, I'm not entirely sure how accurate that story is - my grandmother had a wonderful imagination. Regardless, I've always pulled them out at holiday time - you can't see the pretty red striped trim from this angle, but they're very lovely.)

I've been greatly inspired by all the lovely wreaths out there. Just a few - Alicia's, Manda's, Betz's, Aprill's and  Jen's (which I saw in person last night at Shop-a-do - they are lovely, indeed). So this is my little version - strips of fabric, rickrack, buttons, felt and ribbon wrapped and pinned around a foam wreath base. The bird ornament in the middle is from Last Minute Patchwork and Quilted Gifts. I'm loving that book this season - I've been making lots of these birds to attach to gifts (oops - secret's out).

And now - back to the holiday crafting!

with a little help...

Oh, the gifts in progress around here are plenty now. They're in every room and bag and on every chair and table and bed (yes, bed). The kids, naturally, have their own work in progress piles of super fabulous gifting. There's lots of whispering and lots of missing tape and cardboard. We're having a lot of fun.

Each day something new gets ticked off the list - either from completion, or from a little bit of letting go of what I realistically want to make between now and next week. For the latter, I'm relying on some friends to finish the job. Local friends, at that.

I'm thrilled to tell you that my dearest friend Jessie Fields has opened up her first Etsy shop just this week, with prints and card sets of her work. Some of you know her photographs from Flickr or one of her previous blog incarnations or you may have seen her work in a calendar, magazine or the cover of a book (like this one! hee.). She's amazingly talented, and I'm so, so thrilled that we can now buy her work as prints. I'm ridiculously proud of her and doing my very best to curtail the gushing about her photography (and her). Go check it out yourselves.

Another talented friend is up to some new good in her own Etsy shop. I told you about my cabin door a few months ago, but now she's doing some new things with patchwork and linen and red and grey. Okay that last sentence just had four of my favorite things in it. And clearly hers, too - I swear I do not choose my friends based on their love of linen and patchwork - it's just a welcome coincidence.

Continuing the local shopping love, I cannot wait to attend Space Gallery's Shop-a-do Holiday Sale (with food, music and drink too!) this very evening. Some really wonderful local artists are on that list, and I cannot wait to see friends and find some new-to-me local crafters to shop from as well. I'm crossing my fingers Maria will still have three little candy cups by the time I arrive. Letterpress candy cups! It's perfect. As if that wasn't enough, tomorrow night is the Old Port's Merry Madness, where the shops stay open late with all sorts of treats and sales and such. We actually have a babysitter, and I think I might burst from the excitement of winter shopping in the Old Port with my love. Well, that and the anticipation of the cupcakes I've been promised at Edith & Edna.

I know, I know. Calm down. But really - with all this handmade goodness at the holidays - from my studio, my kids' 'studio', Etsy, crafty friends, and local shops -  I get a little excited. I really do believe that in the big picture it has the power to flip this holiday that can lean towards consumerism right on into a holiday full of goodness and heart. At least, that's what I think and feel and tell myself everytime I walk into my studio these days and spy the growing little corner of handmade love - made by all sorts of artists and crafters - that are about to go out into the world. I swear it's radiating. (and yes, I'm a little idealistic like that.)

sorta, kinda martha-like

When the December issue of Martha arrived, I was immediately hooked on this scene above - it's been on my inspiration board since it arrived. It must be all that Scandinavian goodness. Or the sleeping child under handknit blankets. Whatever the reason, I knew we had to make the gingerbread mobile.

Which is just what we did last Friday night. Or attempted to do last Friday night more precisely. We had some funky dough issues. And some funky children issues. And some funky oven issues. (And some funky camera flash issues, too. It was a funky night. Thank goodness it was a funny-funky kind of night.) I should have stuck with my stand-by Gingerbread recipe (also a la Martha), but I tried the one called for in the magazine. It was near impossible to work with - but I don't blame the recipe (yet) - it could have been any of the other 10 funky factors going on at the moment. I'm pretty sure I'll be cleaning that gingerbread dough off the floors (and ceilings and cabinets) for as long as we live here. But regardless - a fabulously good time was had by all. Really - a silly, fun and very good time.

Over the weekend we iced our gingerbread.

And then yesterday, we put our mobiles together. Or rather, Adelaide and I put this mobile together. All of Ezra's mobile-destined cookies (bats, by the way) ended up in his belly (and nearly all of Adelaide's ended up there, too...if you couldn't tell from the photo above).

Then Calvin completed his. When the funky dough issues made it impossible for him to make his planned deer, he quickly switched gears....to doughnuts. It's a Holiday Doughnut mobile. It hangs over his desk now, and I'm pretty sure it's the most fabulous holiday decoration I've ever seen. A Doughnut Mobile? Really now. I'm in love.

keeping it mellow

Oh, those December piles are gathering. You know - piles of waiting-to-be-finished gifts, piles of gifts that never will be finished, piles of decorations not yet hung, piles of cookie dough waiting to be made, piles of gifts to mail, piles of a manuscript in progress, piles of snow gear with no 'home' yet, piles of dust (a great month for my vacuum cleaner to die. and my tea kettle. and my coffee maker. Sigh.), piles of holiday cards to write and mail, and piles of laundry (oh, that massive pile of laundry). It's tempting to cave under the piles. Oh, and trust me - there are moments when I do. But you know...it's much more fun if I can find a way to tune out the piles for a while (and let a few go in the process. who says the clothes have to be folded?), put on my favorite holiday sound in front of the tree and the fire, share a new favorite - pomegranate martini (found via Ali) - with the one I love, and tackle just one pile - one little card at a time. Yes. That's how I want to spend my December.

On that note, I wish you all a lovely weekend with many moments of peace amidst it all.

Calvin Blogs :: twistie ties for my tree

{photo by calvin}

"First, you cut a really long string. Then you cut a really long string in another color. Or you can use the same color, but then it's hard to see. You put the two strings together, and one person holds one end and the other person holds the other end. And you start twisting, but in opposite directions. So if one person goes one way the other person goes the other way. And you twist for a really long time until it's tight. Then you very very carefully bring the two ends together, and the string will get all twisted up. Quick, you have to tie a knot on both ends of the string. And then it's done! A twistie tie! You can put it on your tree, or you can hang it on the walls, or you could keep it in your car for when you need rope to pull you out of the mud and snow and stuff. Just kidding. Bye!"

knitting for the tree

LuluBeans yarn has recently made it's way to Edith & Edna, and after seeing it in person and touching it I had to have some pretty much immediately. It's really fabulously yummy. I had no idea what it was going to become, but it's arrival coincided with the arrival of our tree last week. Hanging the skein on the tree to take a photo (of course!), I knew just exactly what it needed to be. But I had to hurry.

And so I started knitting. And that knitting went everywhere with me for days.

Really. Everywhere.

Somewhere along the way, I ran out of yarn. Got some more. Kept knitting.

And finally...last night...my dear sweet family's wait was over, as my really super long i-cord was finished. Long enough to wrap around the tree as our knitted 'garland', so that we could finally - finally - move onto the decorating of the tree.

They're really a very patient lot when it comes to Mama's silly little ideas. I thank them for that. 

There's a pattern in Handknit Holidays by Melanie Falick for a knitted garland that includes several i-cords together with pompoms. This was my original plan, but really, it's just not nice to string these little ones along (literally) longer than I already did. So I'll put that started cord away and enjoy the first of our winter storms today (it's still coming down! We're hoping for a foot), and cozy up with the finished tree too. Maybe next year the garland shall grow.

first of december

Part of a batch of holiday stockings that found their way this morning to Edith & Edna (where I can buy local and buy handmade. oh so good).

And Day One of our Advent Stockings. Originally posted here, with ideas for filling them on my post at Kiddley from last year. (The half finished tree? Ah, yes...the family work in progress. I'll tell you the tale on Monday).

Happy December to you!

Our Winter Reading Favorites

A note about Amazon: Since the start of this little blog, I've always used and linked to Amazon as a matter of ease and familiarity - Amazon as a website is one of the tools I use to organize my own book lists, seek out new books, and generally gather information. With that 'information' - I then head to either our library (when my fines aren't too high!), one of our favorite local independent bookstores, Powell's, or yes, sometimes Amazon, too. I want to let you know that I have recently begun participating in the Amazon Associates program, whereby I earn a small percentage of all sales made via links through this site. So, for example, if you follow any of these links below, or the Amazon links in my sidebar, I would earn based on anything you purchase in that shopping trip. I made this decision with the confidence that one - nothing in my content has changed or ever will change; two - my own personal buying habits will continue to remain as they always have; and three - that the earnings will - in a small but helpful way - contribute to my family. If you have questions about any of this, I'll do my best to answer them in the comments. I am not, however, up for debate. I trust that you will make the best decisions for your family, and  ask that you respect the ones I make for mine. Thank you!

And now let's talk about books...

There are a lot of books in this house - thrifted books, vintage books, purchased books, hand-me-down books, library books. They're on shelves, in baskets, under tables and chairs and in drawers. Really. While sometimes that feels absolutely magical and limitless when choosing a book, sometimes I know it can feel overwhelming too. So, for us - a system that's turned out to be really helpful is to pull them into 'themed' baskets - some that stay the same and some that change frequently. (As a side note - the kids love labeling the book baskets, with little tags they make for them, "library books, winter books, etc".)

Around the transition of each season, I pull - from all the various spots - our favorite 'seasonal' books, and these stay in a basket close at hand for the duration of the season. So the books are always around - they're just pulled a little closer to view when they're something we're focusing on, or the appropriate time of year. (The exception to this would be the straight-up traditional "Holiday" books that do get packed away with holiday decorations, because I just cannot bring myself to read The Night Before Christmas in July. I just can't do it.)

I tried very hard to keep it to our Top Ten, but you can see I failed miserably at that. I couldn't imagine leaving any of these out - they're all quite treasured by my family. So without further adieu, I bring you the favorites of our Winter books.

Christmas Treasury - Jan Brett
I can't imagine winter reading without Jan Brett's stories and tales full of scandinavian traditions. The Mitten, The Hat, and Christmas Trolls are our favorites, but I just found this treasury with a few more pulled together as one holiday collection. (As a side note - if you don't know about Jan Brett's website, and you have little ones, you must pay it a visit. It will keep you busy all winter long.)

Snow - Uri Shulevitz
This classic is simple and sweet and beautiful. When the snow starts to fall around here, we find ourselves quoting this one to each other a lot. "'It's snowing' said boy with dog. 'It's nothing' said Man with hat." It's one that contains enough repetitive phrases and such that it's a perfect read for the very-beginning readers among us.

The Shortest Day: Celebrating the Winter Solstice - Wendy Pfeffer
A wonderful non-fiction picture book which explains the significance of Solstice, as well as some of the traditions and ways that cultures throughout history have celebrated it. There are activities and experiments as well, making this one a really wonderful homeschool or classroom resource.

The Little Fir Tree - Margaret Wise Brown
I found a vintage copy of this one illustrated by Barbara Cooney that we adore, which includes music for the carols. I haven't seen the illustrations in the new one I've just linked to, but the story is a lovely one of a living pine tree and it's presence in a family's holiday. Brown's rhymes are so sweet and the story is soothing.

The Return of the Light: Twelves Tales from Around The World for Winter Solstice - Carolyn McVickar Edwards
This collection contains traditional tales that tell how different cultures celebrate the magic of solstice. While the faiths and different cultures vary greatly, the connecting themes of 'renewal' and 'change' and 'light' connect us all, and this collection is a wonderful demonstration of that through story.

Ollie's Ski Trip and Peter and Lotta's Christmas - Elsa Beskow
Two wonderful stories by one of our favorite author/illustrators. Calvin claims Ollie's Ski Trip to be his very 'favorite book of all' - (and we have a little bit of Jack Frost  in our dress up rack). It's one of mine too - full of magic and wonder at the winter season. Peter and Lotta's Christmas is equally as beautiful as Beskow's other stories, and includes a few sweet Swedish Christmas traditions in the tale.

Owl Moon - Jane Yolen
Owl Moon is essential winter reading! Jane Yolen so perfectly captures the simplest of activities and the magic and wonder and beauty within it. A walk in the woods to look for owls turns out to be a beautiful tale of all the magic of parent & child, nature & animals. This book has inspired many a nighttime walk around here. They're definitely magical.

The Big Snow - Berta and Elmer Hader
A wonderful tale of the animals of the wood preparing for winter, with a little help from some human friends. The children love to identify the 'signs' of winter that the animals sense. "They just know winter is coming, Mama!"

Nutcracker and Swan Lake - Lizbeth Zwerger
I fell in love with Lizbeth Zwerger's illustrations after recieving The Wizard of Oz from Amy a couple of years ago. Since then, our books illustrated by her continues to grow, and theyr'e always some of our favorites. These two tales are no exception - her illustrations bring these classic tales to life in a new way. In putting this post together, I discovered her illustrated version of The Night Before Christmas. I had no idea this one was out there, but it will most definitely be on the top of our wish list this year.

Winter - Gerda Muller
Gerda Muller's four seasons board books are one of my favorite newborn gifts to give. Without words, the pictures tell the tales of the seasons - in nature, animals, and people. I always think my children will have 'outgrown' this book, but they continue to love it. (It seems to not be available on Amazon, but it is available here at Nova Natural, where you can find a lot of the books I have in this list).

The Story of the Snow Children - Sibylle Von Olfers
Is there anything more magical than the thought of staring out the window at the snowflakes and having them turn into little snow children that carry you away on a magical winter adventure? Oh my. So much delight and goodness. The illustrations in this are simply stunning. (Not available through Amazon, but I did find it here at Three Sisters Toys.)

Nutcracker - E.T.A. Hoffman, Pictures by Maurice Sendak
Yup, two versions of the Nutcracker. Who can resist Maurice Sendak? Not I. The boys and I actually really love finding different illustrated versions of the same book - it's so fascinating to them to see how differently artists can interpret the same words. And well, this Maurice Sendak Nutcracker is a lovely one, and it's with the original text so it's a hefty and wonderful read.

Christmas in Noisy Village - Astrid Lindgren
This tale of Christmas contains all that I hope my children will remember from their own childhood holiday seasons - handmade gifts, baking, singing, celebrations with friends and family, and much joy.

I know there are other wonderful Holiday/Seasonal Book Lists going on out there in BlogLand, so if you've made one on your own blog, be sure to leave a link in the comments so we can see it! Additionally, if you have a favorite that hasn't been mentioned, let us know that too!

Happy cozy winter reading to you and the little ones in your life!

'tis the season of outtakes

It's time! For the annual Holiday Card family photo attempts. I always like the outtakes best (past years' evidence here, here and here). The smiling family shots are always lovely and treasured, of course...but the realness of the out-of-focus, off-centered, silly and funny ones will tell me so much more about how we live our lives and who we are years from now. And right now, they make me smile.

Cheers to all of you attempting the big Holiday Photo - wishing you some fun outtakes, too!

and so it begins...

{Thank you all so much for your support with yesterday's Shop update! Really, Thank You!}

First...there were the tiny sprinklings of snow.

Two hours later, the children's Wintry Wonderland and tree were set up in their room with much excitement.

Followed by the much-anticipated opening of the box of 'Winter Books". (I'm thinking about putting together a blog post with a list our favorite Winter Books - I did this two years ago, but it could use some updating. Would that be helpful?)

And that was all before Thanksgiving.

Then, with many every-ten-minute-all-day-long requests, and since our tree was ready and waiting for us from our family land DownEast, we figured...why not now?

And now...the first holiday craft project. Calvin was browsing Flickr over my shoulder on Monday and spied Sarah's Stacking Fabric Tree tutorial. "I'm making that!" he said with absolute certainty and headed to the fabric scraps. And so he did (his first project with interfacing - he was quite excited about that), and then created this little table centerpiece for it that I'm pretty much in love with.

And so it has begun!

post-thanksgiving

{before}

{after}

The during was lovely, too, of course. Full of family excitement: starting off with a turkey that didn't fit in the pan (oh, yes); news of an engagement (yay!!); and much feasting and celebrating and noise and laughter.

Today I'm hoping for a little bit of that second photo. (and some pie.) Who knew all that cooking and feasting could be so tiring?

Enjoy your Friday, friends!

from the kitchen

Above: the (short) life of a brownie.

I had some rare and lovely solo cooking time earlier this week, and ended up at Martha's Super Fudgy Brownie recipe. It's a good one. I'm picky about brownies (I know I'm not alone in this) - and the chewiness factor on these are just to my liking. The particulars of mine (in addition the recipe) are 4 oz each of semisweet and bittersweet, as well as semisweet chocolate chips mixed into the batter at the end. Um...so good. I shared them at a little evening gathering of crafty gals, and saved a few for breakfast for my little ones. Because that's always a good idea - swapping out the oatmeal and yogurt for chocolate and sugar before 7 am. Yikes. But fun.

The kitchen is where I've already been this week, and it's where I'll happily plant myself (and all my helpers) for the next 48 hours. The lists are made, the bread is rising, and my apron is on. Tomorrow promises to be a lovely day and a yummy one, too. The kids have been talking about the gratitudes we share following our Thanksgiving meal blessing. "But how do you choose just one...or even two!?" one of them asked. Exactly. There is so very much to be grateful for.

For those celebrating Thanksgiving tomorrow...and for everyone else, too - I'm so grateful for each of you - the time you spend here and the many ways you contribute to my life. Thank you.  I hope your day is full of joy and goodness and many yummy things shared with those you love.