SouleMama

flipiness

Do you remember flip dolls? Did you have one? This Little Red Riding Hood flip doll was mine when I was little. I remember being quite enamored with her flipiness (my spell check is telling me that's not a word, but I so want it to be a word. Flippiness. Please can that be a word?).

So I loved it...except that the granny-wolf freaked me out. Seriously, look at that face! Adelaide, however, has taken a liking to it. I don't think I ever would have given it to her - for fear that the wolf would freak me out in the middle of the night - but my mother slipped it to her on a Grammie visit. (Grammie's get away with a lot, you know.) And anyway, Adelaide assures me that she thinks the wolf is funny.  (She's braver than her Mama was).

 

I thought it would be fun to make an updated flip doll for her.  So during one of our afternoon sewing sessions last week (hence - snow in these photos! snow that is no longer here today! Yay!), we put together this kit I've had. 

The pattern is a FlipDoll kit by Umbrella Prints. The kit makes two dolls, each in such sweet yummy fabric (hand screen printed on organic fabric), and get this - with sweet faces too! No scary granny-wolves here. Just sleeping, smiling and laughing little girls. (Oh, thank goodness.)

 

Adelaide is quite in love with this flip doll too, especially since she "made it herself," you know. Her name is Eloise - there's sleepy Eloise, smiling Eloise, and laughing Eloise.

I'm so loving our afternoons of sewing.

a good folks throw

A gorgeous stack of Anna Maria Horner's Good Folks fabric arrived here a few months back. It has since sat on my studio table - all bundled up as it arrived - because as much as I wanted to dive right on into each and every piece, I just couldn't bear to separate them. Silly, but true. And so...I put them all together. In large patchwork squares so I could really see the prints, and in the form of a simple throw blanket - no binding or quilting- because I wanted to have this one finished and enjoyed right away. (And...because those three two-year-old quilt tops in my studio keep staring at me, waiting patiently for their day to be made into quilts.)

The back is a soft organic cotton, and in the middle is some organic cotton batting. The patchwork squares are 16" each square, making the whole thing roughly 60" x 60" - a size I really love for throws. Not too huge and cumbersome, but big enough for wrapping around, and definitely big enough for sharing.

I was going for easy and comfortable with this blanket. Letting the gorgeous fabric do the talking, you know? I just showed up, sewed a few seams, and tied a few knots. And now I am quite happy to laze around (well, whenever I can, anyway) and soak up it's coziness...and all that color! And I'll gladly share it too, of course...

monday musings

 

I hope you all had a marvelous weekend! Ours included family & friends, snacks on the porch, walks in the woods, a little bit of crafting and a lot of chocolate. The good things in life, yes?

Also! Quite exciting weekend news: the very last bit of snow in our outside view has melted! (Well, if you're getting technical, there's still plenty in the woods.) We had a little family contest on the "melting day" for said last-pile of snow. Steve won (I was quite optimistic with my March 15th guess). Our April birthday, Easter, Equinox, the melting snow....all of this means that spring really is here - hooray!

Some spring-like things I'm looking forward to this week...

• seeds & soil, and getting started on spring garden work
• packing up the snowpants, ice skates, skiis, and boots. Yes!
• finishing one of the projects photographed above
• a forecast that appears to be full of sunshine
• four more days 'til Ani's in town!
• seeing what "new" birds might visit our feeders this week
• perhaps a trip to the beach? Oh yes. Surely a trip to the beach.

Wishing you a lovely start to your week! What are you most looking forward to from the days to come?

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!

right now

The next few days are shaping up to be quite "full" around here, which is always an important time for me to remember to stay present and grounded in the here and now. And so...

Right now, I am....

eating :: peanut butter and toast;

feeling :: quite tickled to "know" so many people who appreciate the fabulous-ness of peanut butter + bread + vintage linens the same way I do;

listening :: to the beautiful sound of Gregory Alan Isakov, whose music I just can't stop playing after seeing him open for Brandi Carlile last week;

watching :: the very last bits of white wintry snow be replaced by the first signs of a white flowery spring;

loving :: watching Harper discover the power of his reach, the sight of his toes, and the effect of his giggle;

plotting :: how I'm going to peacefully enter and most importantly - exit - the art store today with four children without buying anything except the mat I need cut (while simultaneously concealing from the birthday boy the print for which I need a mat) - hmmnn...;

thinking :: about six years ago tomorrow, when this magical, sweet, and loving little boy gently entered and forever changed our lives and hearts;

hoping :: I can get all the birthday party crafting/cooking/cleaning done in time for tonight's party.....and if not, that I can peacefully let it go in enough time to enjoy;

and, wishing :: you a lovely Wednesday!

more kitchen stitching

More kitchen-themed sewing today! Have I ever told you about my "new pen" life philosophy? I'm sure I'm not the only one who lives by it's principles. Whenever I had a writing deadline in school that I just wasn't very motivated about working on, I'd buy myself a new pen. I know. It's just a pen, right? But for some reason...'just a new pen' was enough excitement to get me started writing. I'm not ashamed to admit that I bought a few 'new pens' at various 'stuck' points in the process of finishing both of my manuscripts.

The "new pen" approach, though, can be applied in many situations. Like in a Maine kitchen at the end of a long winter. A kitchen - when you're trying to eat as local and organic as possible - that has seen far too much soup of late. (I swear, if I see another root vegetable, I might cry.) You know I love my kitchen, but even I struggle in it this time of year with a lack of motivation. It's the normal late-winter boredom thing - soon to be remedied by the first greens, I know very well. But until then...I'm keeping myself cooking and in my kitchen with "new pens," or as the case may be, new bread bags. And patchwork kitchen rugs!

I was motivated by the arrival of the soon-to-be-released (next week!) Patchwork Style and Linen, Wool, Cotton - both part of the Make Good: Crafts + Life series (I love that the word series implies there are more to come! And I should mention that we share a publisher in Trumpeter Books.)
{Update: I've just heard that the books are available now at the website makegoodbooks.com.}

Do they look familiar? They both made their way around the craft blog circuit a while ago now as Japanese craft books. But the difference is that these are in English! Oh yes. I can read them! And make the patterns with ease! You know how exciting this is, right? I'm excited.

I've poured through each of the books so completely re-inspired by their pages, now having the words and the instructions to know what's going on. This patchwork rug caught my eye - as the author writes that it's meant to be 'soiled' as all kitchen rugs are. And the solution to that? Just sew another patch on! Brilliant. Brilliant in it's simplicity. And super fun to make, too. I used a linen on the front 'base', with loads of different scrap fabrics "patched" on. The back is a mattress ticking.

 

When I was done with 'mine,' I made a slightly smaller - and with brighter prints - rug my girl and her kitchen. (I say 'my girl's kitchen', by the way, because she's the one mostly playing with it these days. The boys played with this everyday at her age too. And I'm sure Harper will too! I get excited thinking about my grandchildren playing kitchen with me someday too. Is that bizarre?)

Until that day, though...I've got some more bread to make and likely some more soup too. Having a fresh new pretty rug underfoot makes just a little bit more fun.

Bring on the parsnips!

bread love

Can one survive on just bread and peanut butter (and sometimes almond butter or cashew butter...yum)? I'm a little embarrassed to admit just how much I'm testing that theory these days. My peanut butter consumption gets a little nutty (ha!) when I'm nursing a babe. But peanut butter and fresh handmade bread is a kind of daily perfection I never tire of. Toss in some apple slices and maybe some cheddar, and well...we call that 'lunch' on a lot of days around here.

Thankfully - for all that bread consumption - I enjoy making bread as much as I enjoy eating it. I've been using the Tassajara Bread Book method for a while now, making two loaves every three days or so. There's something immensely comforting, meditative and rhythmic about making the same recipe over and over, week in and week out. How it takes a few minutes of my time spread out over a few hours - setting an underlying rhythm to that day. How every single time the heel of my hands meet the dough to begin kneading, I always, always have an instinctual instant of remembrance - thinking of those before me. Those I know of (my great grandmother, whose bread board I use), and more generally, the millions of women and Mamas before me. And as I continue kneading in a familiar rhythm, I find myself brought so fully into the present, with my feet planted firmly in my kitchen, with the sounds, smells and sights of my children and my life so clear. It's empowering, really...and as silly as it may sound, I get an enormous amount of strength from this little ritual that leaves me both mindful of my past, and aware of my present at the very same time.

The beauty, though, of making bread today - as opposed to the days of my great grandmother - is that on days when I don't have the energy, the inclination or the time...I can just as easily pop a loaf into the bread machine, or yes, even buy a loaf of bread (though it just never tastes as good!).

I've been puzzled for a while over the best storage of the precious bread. In the past, I've been using paper bags (from purchased loaves) over and over. But eventually, those wear and tear, and the size was never perfect. And I'm kind of a freak about plastic and food, so that was out.

So I did a little poking around to find out just how it used to be done. You know, before we had preservatives keeping our bread longer, or tupperware in which to store it. Actually, I sent the kids on an investigative bookshelf search, which they happily obliged me in. Who knew fabric was the answer?

 

With that, I made these bread bags. Quite simple, they're basically a drawstring bag out of linen fabric - breathable, but tight. The measurements worked out so that a vintage tea towel - with the sides trimmed off for using as a drawstring - was the perfect size. 

So far, I think it's really working. I put these inside my bread box, and they stay a little bit fresher, a little bit longer. I have plans to make a whole slew of them to have on hand. I'm pretty excited about handing off a gift of bread in one of these soon.

{And could I have illustrated today's post with something less than seven photographs? Perhaps. But where's the fun in that? I told you I love bread.}

Sponsor Giveaway :: The Paper Princess

This weekend's second Sponsor Giveaway comes from The Paper Princess - a vintage inspired paperie. 

 
 

From The Paper Princess:

"Stamp your stuff and make your claim! Little ones and grown ones will enjoy these personalized face stamps. Fun for stamping gift tags, books, labels, lunch bags, stationery! Simply stamp on a gift tag or card, and voila! You'll make a lasting impression! Stamp image measures 2" in diameter. Image/text is deeply etched into our clear polymer to give you sharp, crisp images every time."

The Paper Princess is offering four custom Little Pals Rubber Stamps for today's giveaway! Simply leave a comment in this post and you'll be entered to win. Comments will close and the winner will be announced by 8am EST on Monday.

In addition, The Paper Princess is offering 25% off ALL orders, valid until April 15th. Just enter "SOULEMAMA" as a coupon code.

Thanks to The Paper Princess! Good luck, everyone!

** ** **

Comments Closed! The winners are...

I love the Paper Princess! I have been looking for an excuse to get a stamp there... now I have one!
Posted by Brooke Gustafson

What a nice cute giveaway!
Posted by Mama Urchin

oh my goodness, how sweet are these. Here's hoping these find their way to me and my little girls.
Posted by Marlo

Hi! My kids would really enjoy these - thanks for the opportunity!
Posted by Carole

Thanks to everyone for playing along! The Paper Princess 25% discount (see above) continues through April 15th!

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Sponsor Giveaway :: Imagine Childhood

This weekend's Sponsor Giveaway comes from Imagine Childhood - "toys, tools and activities for growing minds." (This is where Adelaide's magical very real-looking bunny "Snowy" came from that so many of you ask me about!) Imagine Childhood also keeps a beautiful blog you should be sure to check out. 

From Imagine Childhood:

"Start your organic garden with a little help from the flower fairies! 

(first photograph) Two Hand Made Bluebell Flower Fairies (one boy and one girl) - Hand made on Bryn Du Farm in Colorado using wool from their own Jacob sheep herd.  We can even tell you the name of the sheep the wool came from! Fairy is 3 to 3.5 inches in height.
One pair of children’s cotton gardening gloves made in Sweden.

(second photograph) Three Organic Gardening Kits - Learn where your food comes from by growing your own!  Grow kits come with organic seeds, growing medium, a biodegradable plant pot, nutritious recipes and fun activities."

One winner will receive the above gathering of flower fairy gardening goodness! If you'd like to enter, leave a comment in this post. I'd love to hear something about your gardening-with-children plans or adventures, should you and your little ones be doing so. (Of course, you can just say 'hello', too!) I'll close the comments and announce the winner at 8am EST on Sunday.

In addition, Imagine Childhood is offering 15% site-wide discount for SouleMama readers, valid until April 11th. Just enter "soulemama" at checkout.

Thanks, Imagine Childhood! Good luck, everyone!

** ** ** 

Comments closed! The winner is....

We are planting today - mostly tomato. We can never have enough tomato around here. Tiny, small, big - ah! This would be a great addition to our garden. Thanks!
Posted by: Grace

** ** **

Thanks for playing! And remember that the 15% discount at Imagine Childhood is valid through April 11th!

SoulePapa Blogs :: Something Scary

We were traveling through the night to spend some weeks getting lost(and found) in the ancient, steep rivers of the Southeastern USofA.  Our paddling gear was worth more than my truck, which had a penchant for breaking down at the most inopportune of times, and we shook and rattled our way at top speed toward our destination.  Somehow we'd fashioned our itinerary to include putting in on our first river immediately following 16 hours of driving.  We stood there bleary eyed and exhausted and already calling into question, our own judgment.  As we geared up and shouldered our boats through the thick underbrush to find ourselves staring face to face with a thundering, rain swollen river, my old friend said, "Ya know...you should do something that scares you every day".

He said many quotable things over the years and remains a master at breaking up any tension that may reside in a situation but, the wisdom residing in these words, took me several years to comprehend.  Back then, the notion of "something scary" generally involved risking life and/or limb in search of a little taste of adrenaline.  Now, I realize that fear creeps into the nooks and crannies of my psyche and leaves me uneasy.  Unaware.  Sometimes it is subtle like the screening of a phone call.  Other times it is furiously obvious, like being caught in a lie.  Usually, I can't even put my finger on fear or recognize it's face enough to call it by name.  But, if I am sure of one thing about fear, it is that fear exists.  If you can't admit that, then you have little chance of doing something that scares you every day.

I've not found one endeavor more capable of producing fear and offering scary moments than that of raising children.  As they navigate through the trials of a day, I am given many opportunities to see my own shortcomings.  As a parent.  As a person.  Like staring into the mirror and studying my own eyes, I see, in them, the truth.  In them, I am confronted with the very best and the very worst of myself.  Every.  Single.  Day.  And there I am for my children to see, strengthened by trial and humbled by experience.  Crowned as a champion and exposed as a fraud.  The only thing I have to offer is myself and... I've got nowhere else to be. 

I still see my paddling buddy from time to time.  He's out there.  Spreading his words around.  I think about that first day of our trip and how those few simple words have stayed with me for a lifetime.  I chuckle a sort of nervous laugh when I think which words of mine these kids will remember.  Now that could be scary.  Maybe...  Hopefully, It will be something that serves them well.  Something that helps them face their fears with honesty.  Not perfection, just truth.  A quality I strive to see staring back at me, each time I look into that mirror.

If learning is living and the truth is a state of mind

You'll find it's better

At the end of the line                                                                                                   

                            ~ Farrar

a shout out

I've gained two special new blog readers in this past year - Calvin and Ezra.

"The blog" has certainly made it's way into our language and our lives these past few years. But it's just recently become slightly tangible for them when they suddenly wanted to start reading it themselves. They read the day's post with mild interest sometimes, but mostly, they're all about the archives (pronounced "ar-chives"). I'm kind of touched - each time they have any computer time, the second website they visit is mine. (It's after mlb.com, so they can check to see if any stats have changed overnight. Yes, I know it's off-season and the stats won't change. They just want to check in case. Oh! And did you know that we have exactly four days until opening day of the major league baseball season? That's what I've been told, approximately five times already this morning. I expect the countdown to switch to hours any time now.)

They've been reading the blog in a most unorganized fashion, but I just watch. Quietly entertained, humored, and pleased, I must admit.

First they read all of their birthday months. Naturally. And then a few days ago, Ezra explained to me the completely mind-blowing, totally exciting discovery he'd had. They had scrolled down past the months (on this page) and discovered...Categories! He had a crazy-awesome theory about how such a thing could even be possible - how the computer must decide what goes into what category and such. Somehow it involved tap dancing. Dang, I wish I could remember his theory. It was a good one. Well anyway, as poorly as my "categories" are arranged around here, it's entertained them endlessly. They see themselves, they find craft projects that they still love and use, they remember things we've done, they see more of themselves, and....they get more fodder for teasing their Mama (in a loving, gentle, silly way, of course).

The latest has been a litany of flack I've been listening to from these two about how much I move the furniture around. If you've been around here for a while, you might know that I have a bit of a furniture rearranging problem. I do it a lot. It already has an element of family lore around here...but for some reason, to the kids, seeing it all together in one long visual web page has Cracked. Them. Up.

"Mom, look! The dry sink is here, and then it's here, and then it's over there, and look! Now it's right back where it started!"

or

"What should we do today, Mom? Move furniture?!"

Cackle, cackle, cackle. (They send each other into hysterics.)

Yeah, yeah...

So in honor of those archives today, and as a shout out to my two silly new blog readers, I share with you my most recent furniture/rearranging moves, completed yesterday when Harper and I found ourselves at home alone for a bit. It was just a little rearranging - not one of my "let's put the living room in the dining room and the dining room in the kitchen! Today!" rearranging moments.

A new little reading corner, in this funky little space at the top of our stairs that has been oh-so-many different kinds of corners over the years (as the boys will tell you).

And some new prints and fresh art wire above the drawing table.

The fairy tale paper cut prints are by Elsa Mora (you might find some of them in her shop). Aren't they lovely?

Alright, friends. I'll be back on Monday! SoulePapa tomorrow, and then two (two!!) giveaways this weekend, so be sure to stop back.

Cheers!

Welcome, April Sponsors!

On this first day of April, I want to welcome and thank my newest Sponsors:

Bee Bee Mod
Wee Gallery
Fresh Squeezed Fabrics
Natural Kids Etsy Team
Sarah Jane Studios

Check out their handmade, crafty, natural, family goodness when you have a chance!

lamb-like

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

March - true to form - left us like a lamb. Or at least lamb-like. Somehow, while running a few quick errands alone yesterday, the car's magnetic pull (over which I had no control, of course) steered me in a direction other than home, and I found myself at the shore for a few moments. Perfect. Among my favorite colors and smells and textures in all of the world, I said a quiet springtime "hello."

Thank you for your words and kindness yesterday. And to clarify, I wasn't really responding to anything in particular - just something I hear often and something that had been on my mind and in my heart, and in the way of what I want to do here. I feel better now. Lighter. So, thank you.

Of course, that could be the magic of the ocean talking to me. The ocean always has so much to say.

snapshots

 

Yesterday was one of those days. If you're a parent, or even if you remember having a parent, I bet you know just how those kinds of days can go down. Some days there are a few bumps and then other days, for no apparent reason, the road is so bumpy with challenging moments that you just can't quite catch your breath.

There are lots of great writers - of blogs and books - for whom those kinds of days can spark a creative flurry. I totally get that for some writers, sometimes, that's where their Mama-writing-inspiration strikes, and the writing is what gets them through those very moments. I read their often-hysterical, usually-comforting words of the darker underbelly of parenting, and am grateful for the intimate stories they tell in the spirit of motherhood.

But for me, that's just never been what I'm inspired to write about. It's really as simple as that. It's not how or why I write. 

There are so many things that get us through the days of parenting (because sometimes it's about soaring and some days it's truly about 'getting through'). A reassuring phone call to a spouse or a friend. The arrival of the sun at just the right time in the day. The sweet teachers we have in our children. The promise of an evening of creating in peace. The mindful mantras taped to a mirror and repeated as necessary (while ignoring the dirty mirror around it). And yes, sometimes by eating a pint of ice cream, locked alone in the bathroom at 9 o'clock in the morning, breathing deeply and trying to restore some sanity with which to continue the day mindfully, and with patience. (What? You've never done that?)

This blog, you see, is one of those things for me. It's a meditation of sorts. It's one of the ways in which I remind myself of the joys, the beauty and the blessings around me each and every day. Writing here helps me to remember. And it helps me to see and look for those things, people and moments which do bring me joy. Writing about them helps me hold onto those moments. And I find myself wanting and making more space and opportunity for these kinds of moments to enter our days...and my heart. You see how that works? It's a silly little ridiculous joy-addiction that feeds itself.

I rather like it. It's one of the ways I get through my days.

I think I've tried to say all of this in many different ways over the years, and I still don't know as though I've been successful at doing so. I know the consequence to the particular 'style' of my writing could lead one to think there is nothing buy joy, and peace, love and knitting needles in my life - if you choose to read/see it that way.

What you see and read here are snapshots. Real, honest, true and sometimes deeply personal snapshots that capture parts of my life and how I see it.  But a snapshot is never complete or 'whole' of anything. I've never thought of my blog as a journal - this isn't the locked up diary at my bedside. Of course there are days when I'm just trying to get through. Of course. The thought that anyone could think/say that what I've got going on here isn't real or honest, or that what I write makes them feel inadequate - well, that just about breaks my heart. Because that's the last thing I've ever wanted from this space. My goodness...quite the opposite, my friends. I write for me, but I hit "publish" each day in the hopes that somehow - someway - these little ramblings of mine could inspire you to look for, to follow, to perhaps even create a moment of joy and beauty in your own day.

So what I was saying (I'm going for the record of Longest Blog Post ever here today)....Yesterday - one of those long and nutty days of mess and chaos - never really let up. It grew and snowballed all day long until bedtime, when I found myself slinging Harper and reading to the boys. Rocking back and forth amidst the mess on the floor that hadn't been cleaned up from the day, my mind was racing with discouraging thoughts of how the day had gone...and overwhelming lists of things I still had yet to do.  And just about then...well, just then I tripped on one of Ezra's colored pencils - banana peel style - and landed squarely on my butt on the floor.

And just as I was deciding whether I was going to cry (and give up) or laugh (and give in), Harper stopped crying. And the boys started laughing.

And then Calvin said this to me:

"Mom. Can you even believe he's here? Like, before he was born, we went more places and stuff. But now? Now we have the coolest person in the world right here! With us! Every day!"

I've never heard anything more true in my life. Except that it's multiplied times four. 

My days (and hands) are full in the truest sense of that word.

Thank you, friends, for joining me on this ride.

sewing with help

There's been a wonderful little pocket of time that's emerged in the rhythm of our afternoons lately. With Harper down for his long nap of the day, and the boys outside making Flip videos of each other crashing off their handmade jumps and into mud with their bikes (good times)...Adelaide and I have found ourselves "alone" together. Wanting that time to be special one-on-one connection with her, and doing my very best to ignore the clean up I could be doing (or the laundry, or the dinner that could be started), I ask her what she'd like to do.

"Mama, I want to sew."

Well, twist my arm, sweet baby girl. We can do that.

 

 

"Sewing" for Adelaide means any number of things. She's a big fan of moving pins from one pincushion to another. Sorting through buttons is always a favorite (as is just sticking your face in a bowl full of them. It's cool. I get it.). Measuring - with every single ruler and tape measure I have - is super fun. Lately, she's been digging tracing her own patterns onto tracing paper. And of course, there's always sorting safety pins by size into vintage teacups (ah, now there's my fellow Virgo girl).There's plenty to do in Mama's little sewing space.

While she's busy with her sewing, she stops periodically to give instruction on exactly what I should be doing. Namely, telling me what to make her and what, exactly, to make it with. Ahem. (The girl knows what she wants, I tell you.) On this day, she had found the newly arrived Weekend Sewing by Heather Ross on the coffee table and requested the Flower Girl Dress. A quick and easy pattern, it was perfect for one of our little sewing sessions. (Though, a word of warning: check the sizing/measurements on this one if you're going to make it! It runs quite small - I made the largest size for Adelaide, who's an average sized 3 and a half year old). She was quite clear about the fabric choice too - this print from Anna Maria Horner's Good Folks line (she has good taste - I loooove that fabric too!).

 

We both worked together, with a constant stream of fabulous chatter the whole time (oh, I do love the way three year olds think...and talk). And when her dress was finished, it was deemed quite suitable for twirling and dancing, which, of course, we all know is what dresses are all about. I still think so, anyway.

(Later that night, this Mama snuck out for a little peaceful sewing of my own and made this second dress - repurposed from an old dress of mine. And yes...she's wearing a headband from the same book and same fabric in one of the photos above - I just cut an inch off everything in the pattern to make it fit her head.)

Like any rhythm in a family of six, I fully expect that this special little pocket of time of ours might shift soon: Harper will soon be awake more; the weather will be warmer and we'll want to be outside then too; the boys might tire of the mud (what?) and want to join us; she might actually want to do something else. Whatever it may be, eventually this little afternoon sewing session with my girl will shift into something else. And that's okay too.

But for now...well, for now, I'm loving it (and her) up. And treasuring our little afternoon sewing sessions dearly.

Hausfrau!

Forgive the regional focus today, but I want to spread the word to the locals about a new work by fellow Maine writer-mama Nicole Chaison. The Passion of the Hausfrau - a solo comedy adapted from Hausfrau mutha-zine is on stage now at Portland Stage Company. 

I saw a performance this weekend and was blown away by the dynamic energy of the actress (Bess Welden), and how perfectly the familiar tales (some from the pages of Hausfrau) adapted to the stage. It so brilliantly illustrates both the craziness and the amazing-ness of the roller coaster ride of parenting. Not to mention the discovery and pursuit of one's own creative passions while being a Mama. It's good stuff. Really good, inspiring, funny stuff. My cheeks still hurt from laughing...and okay, my eyes were welling up a few times too. In Nicole's own words:

"There is a hausfrau amnesia - some magical mind-eraser that blots out the struggles we experience on a daily basis. I believe it's the only way we can get out of bed in the morning and do it all over again. It is also why our species survives. But those struggles are precisely what we need to keep in mind, because our voices are lost when we don't tell the stories that make up our days. Hausfrau is about these stories."

Be sure to check it out if you can! The show runs through April 11th, check out the website for tickets and more info.

And wherever you live...check out Hausfrau - the zine (along with her awesome description of what that word "Hausfrau" means to her here), and keep your eye out for Nicole Chaison's forthcoming book, The Passion of The Hausfrau. I can't wait to read it!

Enjoy what's left of your weekend, friends!

Sponsor Giveaway :: Baby Bear Shop

This weekend's Sponsor Giveaway comes from BABYBEARSHOP - makers of organic goods for Mama and baby (and everyone else, too! the cheeky baby butter has become a Soule family favorite this winter.)

From BABYBEARSHOP:

"BABYBEARSHOP® organic cotton tote bag includes:
- Organic Cheeky Baby Butter®
- Organic Mama Belly Oil
- All The Better To Kiss You With® Organic Eco Kiss Kit (lip balm in vintage tins)
- Hand-poured Lavender Vanilla soy wax candle (made with recycled glass) and teensy matchbook set
-Organic cotton fruit toy (not shown)
-Organic dark chocolate (not shown)"

Baby Bear Shop is offering three of the above featured tote bags full of goodness. Just leave a comment in today's post, and I'll randomly choose the winners at 11am EST on Sunday.

In addition, BABYBEARSHOP is offering free shipping in the USA for all orders over $35. Just enter "springsoule09" as a coupon code. Remember that they plant a tree for every order made? I love that.

Thanks, BABYBEARSHOP! Good luck, everyone!

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Coments Closed. And the winners are...

Wow, what a treat! I have a dear friend who I would love to gift this to... thanks for the giveaway!
Posted by : Boatbaby

so adorable! what a treat!
Posted by : Katy U

Sounds wonderful - I'd love to be entered. Jamie 
Posted by : Steadymom.com

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transitional

Yesterday, my children spent their day from morning till night outside. In sneakers and mud boots and short sleeves and hat-less. In the mud, in the snow, in the slush, in the sun.

Today, they'll spend one last day with skis on a mountain still covered in white.

They have both feet firmly planted in this time of seasonal transition. It's as if they're seeing it all for the very first time each day, and yet - at the very same time - it's as familiar to them as anything they know.

With bright, shining spirits, these little ones of ours seem to greet each day in the world full of sheer joy, true excitement, and genuine glory at the beauty of it all.

When I'm quiet and still enough to follow their lead, I see it too.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

a jacket for my babe

In all the piles of three older sibling's worth of baby clothes in this house, I can't seem to find a spring jacket that fits Harper. Granted, I haven't looked that hard. Because I couldn't get the idea of making him this jacket out of my head. And, you see, if I didn't find a jacket for him...well, then it became necessary for me to make this one for him. (Oh...the mind games we play with ourselves.)

A few years ago, I used to make and sell a similar style jacket, but I think I got a little burned out on them. I found my pattern pieces this winter, and was re-inspired by them to create something a little different - not to sell again (if only there were just one more hour in the day!) - but for my little guy. With overlapping front panels, buttons, and a bit more flare to the whole thing.

The elephant fabric is fun, isn't it? (It's from good-ness - she has it in a few colorways - and happens to be having a 30% off sale right now. rock on.), with some really soft organic cotton fleece (that I think I got to make diapers with at Very Baby) for the lining.

Soft, sweet, cozy and oh-so-cute, if you ask me. Oh, and I like the jacket an awful lot, too.

A Homemade Life

First up...about comments. Oh, there's so much goodness in there - always and everyday I read them all and am so grateful for what you share there. And now it's going to get even better - as Typepad has enabled threaded comments (and userpics if you so choose!). Yay! So now we can reply directly to individual comments, making the 'discussion' of blogging feel a bit more like a 'discussion' as it should be. Yes! So please feel free to chat amongst yourself (nicely, of course), and jump in if you think you can help someone else out with a reply!

Okay. Moving onto today's regular programming...

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By now, you've heard tell of the beautiful new book A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg, of Orangette. But I can't resist telling you of my own love for it too. Because it's really one of those very special books. Part cookbook, part memoir, Molly weaves her recipes seamlessly into the stories of her life. Stories of love, loss, friendship and laughter. (I did lots of laughing while reading Molly's stories.)

You know how there are those people who you meet (or in this case, "meet," as we've only laid emails - not eyes - on each other), who seem so in sync with what they should be doing in their lives? Those people who have clearly landed themselves in their 'thing', and therefore...their passion, their talent and their energy just shines and radiates and seems, well, catchy?

It's a silly way to describe it, but that's what I think of when I think of Molly and the way she can tell a story. Her passion for food, for friends, for love and life...well, it's catchy. Reading her words always inspires me to do something - whether it be head to the kitchen to try out one of her recipes (so many of the ones she's shared over the years have been added to our regular repertoire), or into my studio to make something I'm excited about, or just to run and tell my husband how much I love him. Her blog posts have always done that for me (I save them for last just for that reason!), but her style just feels so very right in a book I can hold in my hands and snuggle up to read.

Molly's been on a bit of a tour with the book release, and I saw that she made macaroons (recipe in her book) to share at one of her signings. (Um, how nice is that?) Since I couldn't attend, I figured I'd make some myself - to celebrate in spirit. Alright, so maybe it was just an excuse to drizzle chocolate over some coconut and sugar. Whatever the motivation...I think Molly would get it. (and the results were delicious.)

Cheers to you, Molly! And cheers to us, for now being able to hold these treasured tales and treats in our hands (and mouths)!

keeping it all together :: the family board

With the addition of The Family Board - our newest family craft project - this little corner in our dining room just got a little more cluttered with the "stuff" of our days. But hopefully, this is clutter of the peace-making, flow-producing kind. I think it is. 

It's a basic cork board, with linen fabric stapled tautly over it. I used a sweet bird fabric from good-ness for the pockets, and included some button tacks I made inspired by Button It Up.

It's purpose is...well, to help us keep a little more organized about our weekly tasks, goals and activities. We began by all talking about and writing up index cards with the household tasks that need attention and care on an everyday/weekly basis. The kids drew pictures and wrote the task, and then laminated the cards. (I have one of these for laminating. Certainly not a life necessity, but ridiculously fun.)

The pockets - one for each babe - are where the cards go. The fifth pocket is for "extra" chores - those above and beyond the everyday and weekly chores, than can be done to earn money if there's interest from the kids (and oh, is there interest in that). Above the pockets is space for tacking the weekly dinner plans and a grocery list - all things the kids really, really like to be a part of knowing and planning. It also seems to be a good place for putting our goals and hopes for the week. Cleaning the shed, going to the skate park - you know, priorities like that - all of equal importance when you put them on pen and paper.

Talking about it like this makes it sound a bit more structured and rigid than it really is. It actually flows quite nicely - starting with our Sunday dinner at which we switch the tasks around for the coming week, and talk about what might be happening in the week to come. This little board - so far - has eliminated a lot of confusion and discord by giving us all a bit of clarity and a visual reminder of what needs to be done to make the house run smoothly. It's resulted in a bit more peace, and rhythm to our work. And somehow - it makes it all just a little bit more fun.

in Mothering

I'm super honored to be in the most recent issue of Mothering magazine, in an article by the lovely Jean Van't Hul, alongside four fabulously crafty mamas - Amy Karol, Sally Shim, Stephanie Congdon Barnes and Eren San Pedro.

I have to confess that this particular piece of press was silly-exciting to me for reasons that go back, oh, about 9 years now. Learning that I was pregnant - at a relatively young 23 - with no one else around me with children, let alone parenting in a style that jived with how I was a wishin' and hopin' things were going to go for us...well, it was leaning towards a lonely start. Mothering magazine - both in print and the online forum - was an invaluable resource for me. One summer yard sale day - while first pregnant with my oldest - I found a huge box of Mothering magazine past issues - dating back to the early 1980's. I devoured them - pages and pages full of words that resonated with me so strongly. It gave me just the encouraging fuel I needed for my soon-to-be-parenting heart, and has continued to do so ever since.

So anyway...sparing you further sleepy-morning ramblings (we have a tooth coming in...nights are restless!), I just mean to say that the full-circle-ness of this particular issue fills me with much joy and gratitude. It's fun to see us on those pages.

In addition to the print article, Mothering has just released the first online sneak peak of my book Handmade Home! You can find the downloadable PDF instructions for making your own Family Portrait Bookmarks over on the Mothering website now.

They're such a simple little things, but the bookmarks have become so adored around here - with drawings that the kids made of each other and us embroidered on them and used everyday. I'm quite proud of my potato-spud figure that Adelaide drew last year, too. Waistlines are sooo overrated.

Happy Monday to you!

Sponsor Giveaway :: Bayan Hippo

This weekend's Sponsor giveaway comes from Bayan Hippo Handmade, maker of colorful, fun, unique and affordable goods for both Mama and children.

 

From Bayan Hippo:
"The Bayan Hippo's products are made from the finest and very carefully selected eco-friendly materials using colorful design, durable construction and fun unique features. For the giveaway...

(first photograph) Fora Handbag - double pleats, double straps. This new purse design has an extra secure double snaps closure with a pleasantly casual look. Two inside pockets, all stress points on the bag are manifold stitched. Made from a high quality cotton canvas and lined with a natural unbleached cotton. 

(second photograph) Girls Half-Sleeve Kimono Dress (in cuddly green cows) - no zipper! no button! Nothing to make her skin uncomfortable. Available in sizes 1-6T."

Bayan Hippo is offering one of each of the items above as a giveaway here this weekend. To enter, leave a comment in this post. Comments will close at 10am, EST on Sunday, with the winners announced shortly after. The fun, bright colors and prints of today's giveaway seem so fitting for the spring weekend we're celebrating here. In the comments, I'd love to hear how you're celebrating or noticing the season's change this weekend (whichever season that may be for you!)!

In addition to the giveaway, Bayan Hippo is offering a 10% discount until the end of March for SouleMama readers. Just enter 'soulemama' in the Etsy checkout form.

Thanks, Bayan Hippo...and good luck, everyone!

** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **

Comments Closed! And the winners are...

for the dress:

I've been searching for a new bag for spring...this one would beperfect!
AND my 5 year old would love to sport that dress with her green apple mud boots!

We are soaking in the sun and spending lots of time bringing the yard/garden back from winter's grip. Our chickens are so happy to scratch in the grass rather than snow!
posted by katrina | March 21st, 2:13pm

for the bag:

These are both so beautiful. The lighter evenings are making me very happy here in the UK.
posted by clare | March 21st, 8:18pm

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SoulePapa Blogs :: Here and There

 

They stare with a thick air of skepticism out over an expanse of ocean.  The wind bites, faces wince and burrow deeper into clothing.  The trail has melted, been blown smooth and frozen again and we tread with some care after a dozen or so swift crashes into its hard and unwelcoming surface.  Shaking it off, they push themselves back into an upright position and carry on.  Soon they are laughing and shouting defiantly as they get a running start to slide down the icy expanse.  The resulting tumble, while still bone jarring, is of their own accord.  Resilient.

 

They are not discouraged for long by a landscape which shifts beneath them.  Change presents possibility as old ideas are left behind or rendered impractical for the current conditions.  With so much to accomplish, failure is delegated a small seat in the back of the room.  Inspiring.

 

They're tuning into the frequency of a season that approaches while changing speeds and swerving.  Yet they are innately in tune.  Instinctual.

And still, freeze or thaw, you can always count on Mama to have the proper footwear.  Practical?

Wishing you all the best of weekends...whichever season you may be experiencing in your part of the world.

i love...

 

 

I love...

solo dates with my kids
our art museum
big quiet open rooms full of light and art
hearing his thoughts
his art
his heart
that boy.

Pushing spring

Yesterday it was brought to my attention by more than a few people around me that all my chattering on about 'spring' was a bit laughable. Maybe not so reality-based. Perhaps not a true reflection of the layers of capilene-wool-down still required out there in the elements. What? You don't call 40 degrees spring-like weather?

Well....maybe I'm pushing spring just a little bit. But look! There really are peeks of green happening out there. It's still mostly white. But oh, those peeks of green - I do love them.

The bits of warm weather - and the thought of spring to come - was just what I had in mind as I finished up this knitting project for Miss Adelaide. The pattern is the Girls Cap Sleeved Spring Top (available for free here). I used a glorious skein of DK merino from Shivaya Naturals. Such a pleasure to knit and beautiful in the way the hand dyed color knit up, I think. (it's laying on a piece of oilcloth from Anna Maria's Good Folks fabric collection.)

Adelaide likes it too, she says. For now, it's for wearing on the inside. But soon. Soon we'll be out there in the spring weather and this will be just the thing to have on amidst all that green out there. Green!

simple spring sewing

Some amazingly spring-like weather has come our way! We've found ourselves outside at each moment possible - standing in the warmth, soaking in the sun, and breathing in the fresh, fresh air of a soon-to-be spring. It feels so good to begin to stretch our legs - and our lungs - in the new way that spring asks of us.

With the sun sticking around a bit longer these days, my window of warmth on the sun porch (where I moved everything after moving out of my studio last fall) is opening up enough for me to get out there. And, oh, it feels so good. I'm starting in baby steps - making some gifts (above - working outside on a birthday crown, based on my pattern in The Creative Family), airing out some (2 year old) quilt tops-in-progress (seen in the background up there), and just generally reacquainting with it all. In small, simple, happy spring sewing projects.

With the bigger kids (Papa included) running in and out of the house on a recent sunny afternoon, Harper and I did a little bit of sewing. He's happy to play along in the sling or on a sheepskin at my feet - as long as I keep singing. (Because only a newborn baby can love a scratchy Mama's voice, right?)  I used the Buttercup Bag pattern - found for free on Made by Rae. It's such a great pattern - easy to follow and quick to whip up. (I thought about making a prettier photo of it than the one above....but perhaps it's best left photographed just where it will spend most of it's time in my house - atop my desk and a huge pile of knitting patterns and notebooks. And likely some important tax documents strewn in there ever-so-neglectfully, too. Oops.)

For the happy cooing and sitting and chatting that he did while I made my bag (and for not telling me that my singing is scary), I whipped up these elastic waist pants for the little guy (once again, using the "pattern" I outline in The Creative Family.) The fabric - sooo good, isn't it? It came from good-ness (it's this one, in a lighter color).

One more photo - with baby toes and deer on linen fabric. Just because.

Have I told you that my new sewing space - albeit much smaller and colder and funkier than my old studio (she says with great restraint in those slightly selfish moments)- has cardinals building a nest right outside - inches outside - my window, so that I can watch and listen to them as I make things?

Life really is quite sweet. In beautifully small and simple ways.

Sponsor Giveaway :: Little Alouette

This weekend's giveaway comes from Little Alouette - makers of "wood for wee ones." Based in Ohio, Little Alouette is a Mama & Papa shop (mama Amy blogs at doobleh-vay), started after the birth of their own wee ones. They use Ohio Maple and organic seed oil to create one-of-a-kind handcrafted goodness.

From Little Alouette:
"Harper the Hippo Maple Wood Teether - Harper is toy meets art! It is so smooth that you will not be able to control yrself from rubbing it across yr cheek. It is sanded silk.
Pine Play Blocks - 12 all natural unfinished wood 1.5 inch blocks. Blocks to build and learn with that were handcrafted with love in our backyard. Stack em/Love em/Don't worry if teething babes pick them up and explore!"

For the giveaway, Little Alouette is offering the set photographed above - Harper (yes, Harper!) the teether, and a set of wood blocks. To be entered, simply leave a comment in this post. Comments will be closed, with the winner announced at 10am EST on Sunday. 

In addition, SouleMama readers can receive free shipping on teethers through Sunday evening. (Enter soule in your 'message to seller', and your shipping will be refunded.)

Thanks, Little Alouette...and Good Luck, everyone!

** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **

Comments closed! And the winner (chosen by random number generator) is...

Oooh, I hope I win!!! Baby #4 arrives in August and he NEEDS these!! LOL
Posted by: Laurel Sauls

Congrats to the winner! Thanks to Little Alouette for the giveaway. And don't forget that the offer on free shipping for teethers continues through today!

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SoulePapa Blogs :: The Roll

As the thaw gains momentum, we roll.  The mercury ventures above freezing by a few degrees and the people rejoice and sit in silent revelry, faces trained on the nearing Sun.  A Sun to which we hold no grudge.  All is forgiven as the warmth circles. 

Undeterred by the earthy remnants of soil and leaf that are exposed as winter recedes, we stand and let our feet sink in.  Fists raised and arms bare we welcome this time of transition and all its' messy glory. The mess extends inside as children feel the shift and their minds race with all of the possibilities.  Books are opened, pictures drawn and dry clothes garnered as they head back outside for another dose of inspiration.  Disjointed branches lay strewn, lost in battle, across the landscape amidst the rotten leaves and stubborn snow.  We poke our noses from our holes and hold them high in the air to catch the shifting scent of transformation as the land prepares to usher in a time of unparalleled growth.  Evolving.

The same temps that had us running for wool hats and sweaters back in the fall, have us happily shedding them in the downhill race through March toward a season of rapid change.  Chilly winds that foreshadowed the coming of winter are diluted by the gentle warmth of encroaching spring.  A seasons worth of stored energy with all of its' potential is now transformed and kinetic and we roll.  The reflections of winters' calm solitude make way for the future and a time for life.  For being in the midst of it all.  And toward that, we happily roll.

the colors of a march day

outside ::

 

inside ::

 

What's that they say about making your own sunshine?

You could say that's what we've got going on here these days: enjoying the stark grey beauty of outside, but loving the color we can make on the inside...until our part of the world turns green again.