SouleMama

SouleMama Sponsor ~ Craft South

Today, we bring you a giveaway from SouleMama Sponsor, Craft South. In Anna Maria's words:

"Craft South is the creation of designer Anna Maria Horner in her hometown of Nashville to provide a supportive environment for learning, sharing and creating. Until Craft South lands in its permanent location later in the year or early 2015, this Summer it will exist as pop-up shops, one-day workshops, kids workshops, and weekend workshops. All classes will be led by Anna Maria, and joined by a rotating list of designers including Amy Butler, Liesl Gibson, Natalie Chanin and Heather Ross.

Visit Anna Maria's personal blog and website."

SouleMama: Tell us what you envision and dream for the future of your business.

Anna Maria: After years of sharing the love of making through a screen, I foresee Craft South to be a place where any one can walk in, any time, for any reason, and share what they are working on, learn something, knit, sew, stitch, talk, buy beautiful materials for all of it and be an important part of a community of crafters. I am giddy about offering a tangible experience for myself and others.

SouleMama: What inspired you to start your business?

Anna Maria: Craft South was born out of my desire to pool all of my resources together as a designer, maker, writer and teacher. It is an opportunity to grow my home-based business beyond the capacity of my attic studio to a place where we can inspire our community on a daily basis and provide a destination for folks from all over the world to come and have a creative adventure with us. I am especially keen to provide an ever-growing Nashville with a beautiful source for well-curated sewing, patchwork, knitting and needlework supplies along with top of the line sewing machines and exciting workshops for all ages and abilities.

SouleMama: What's your favorite part of your job?

Anna Maria: I think the best part of my job is getting the chance to be artistically inspired in my own hand work or sewing and then having the opportunity to pass along that thrill to others who are interested in my process. Witnessing the joy of creativity in the work of others is so very gratifying, and especially humbling if I was able to help that along for someone.

SouleMama: The most challenging?

Anna Maria: The most challenging circumstance in my work is something that has not changed for me since I was a kid. And that is the process of narrowing down the options of what to do first when I am confronted with multiple ideas and limited time. I sort of have to start down several roads and see what shakes out and is the most desirable process of design to continue with. Other times I choose the one that is most easily translatable in a teaching or instructing scenario. Other times I choose a direction based on what I have all the needed materials for on hand with out having to buy, or wait for something. So I try to be practical when approaching my projects, but a girl can get carried away in this studio!

 

For today's giveaway, Craft South is generously offering the following gift to ONE winner:

~ The AMH creative studio bundle which includes quilting fabrics, sewing patterns, cross stitch kits and embroidery supplies.

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In addition, Craft South is offering all Soulemama readers 30% off any one-day Craft South workshop this summer!  Please enter code "soulemama" by June 14, 2014.

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To enter today's giveaway, please leave a comment (one entry per person, please) in today's post. I'll close comments by 8:30 am EST on Sunday, and announce the winner, chosen via Random Number Generator, shortly after. Comments closed! The winner is...

My favorite designer, my favorite fabric... thank you!
Posted by: Jacqueline Jones-Blacker

Thank you, Craft South!

{this moment}

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{this moment} ~ A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

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in the garden :: May 29

 

It's been a rainy week here, but with frequent enough pockets of sun that we managed to get a great deal done in the garden. Most things I want in the ground now are planted...though I do keep asking for 'just one more bed' as I forget something else that didn't make it in yet, or discover something new that I want to grow this year. 

As I look around at my garden, there are so many different things going on, particularly in terms of mulch, that it every bit the experimental garden that it is (isn't every garden an experimental one?). We have wood chips in the perennial beds and filling up the permanent walkways. There is lasagna layering with cardboard and compost under the tomatoes and other more delicate plants. Leaves (my favorite) fill many beds. Just a bit of straw is here and there. And then there is plastic. Plastic! Not something I ever thought I'd see in my garden, but something I'm giving a go with this year, just for my squash plants, to see how it goes (those squash bugs get me every year!). I hope we'll be able to reuse it for several years, as they say is possible. Also new this year are the logs around our bed/mounds. Full-on raised beds with wooden sides would be a bit too permanent for how we use the garden, plus a bit elaborate for how many beds we have in here. But the logs are, so far, helping to keep the line between path and bed a bit clearer, and resulting in a little bit less loss of soil from the beds into the path.

The sun is shining this morning and promises to all day long. I best get out there to lend a hand if I'm going to want Steve's help in making me just one more bed. I forgot the parsnips! How could I forget those? There's always a little more room we can find...

. . . 

If you're keeping garden notes and photographs and want to share it with the rest of us, do leave a comment with a link so that we may take a stroll through your garden too! It's a delight to see what and how things are growing all over, and to read the comments with such great gardening wisdom! Thank you all for continuing to share in this little project.

 

three things

A short, sweet and sincere gratitude list on this rainy May morning. Three things bringing me great joy and peace in this very moment....

One.

The sound of last night's beautiful music by Ray Lamontagne still sounding in my head and heart.

. . . . .

Two.

The pleasure of working with this dreamy fabric on a little dress for my little girl.

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Three.

The sight and smell of these lovelies scattered all around the house, to be fully enjoyed for the short window of time in which the lilacs bloom.

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And you? If you'd like, add your three things - your joys of this very moment - to the comments today. Wishing you a lovely one.
 

 

green in may

It was four years ago this month that we found this house and land. After a long summer filled with all that fun and mostly not-so-fun house-buying drama, it was finally ours in the fall of that year. There was no time then to pay attention to the gardens, as our days were filled with the rushed work of moving and renovating the house. I'd been given the advice to let the perennial gardens sit untouched for a year, to see a full season cycle through before making any changes. And that's just what I did that following spring and summer - there was no time to do anything differently had I even wanted to. We were busy with hip surgery and a new baby and readying the pasture for all the critters that were scheduled to arrive. The flower gardens had to wait. But I watched, observed, tried to take some notes here and there about what came up where, and noticed. Noticed the things I liked, the things I didn't and (an even greater percentage) the things I didn't know at all. 

Vegetables, berry bushes, fruit trees even - seemed practical, easy and safe to dive into planting right away. A vegetable garden can move easily from one year to the next. Berry bushes aren't forever, and the home for all the fruit trees seemed obvious. But I've been so much slower in getting to the perennial garden beds. Both those that were here before me - long established - and those that I wanted to create elsewhere around our land. Hesitant to commit before really knowing the land, reluctant to undo the work that was done before us, and uncertain about what I even wanted. 

But this year, this month of May, I'm finding a comfort with those corners that I've previously left untouched. Partly because the structural work to be done elsewhere on our property is under control (don't let Steve hear that - he'll pull me back to fence repair faster than I can find a shovel!). Partly because I've seen a few seasons come and go, and have a better sense of what grows where. And mostly because I am finding some comfort with these kinds of plants I know so little about, and my footing with this land that I know more with each passing season. Hostas, I have finally admitted, I do not love. There is a place for them, but only in small bits and only in certain places. And so I pull some now, without hesitation or guilt. The bee balm that I've been scattering for three seasons now has finally taken hold and lives a little bit everywhere around here - pleasing me more than what was there before. The lavender I've added more of each year now make a whole pathway instead of just a single plant. My magnolia grows outside my studio window and waits for its pair to arrive, a spot already chosen for it. The peonies tucked here and there are doing well, the forsythia tamed, the old and new lilacs thriving. The tansy grows by my kitchen door. I know just where I want to put the weeping cherry now. The lily of valley is spreading. And on and on.

The house, the pasture, the vegetable garden, the growing orchard - they all feel quite reflective of us and our hopes here. But it is just now that I feel I am beginning to see that in our perennial beds too, in some of these plants and trees that will likely be here long after I am. It feels like the beginning, really, of what I hope will be a life long affair. We're still getting to know each other, these gardens and I, but oh...it's a slow dance I am loving.

three

My baby girl turned three last week. (I know. Three!) Third birthdays are so fun, aren't they? It might be the first time they really understand that the day is all about them...and my little Annabel Edrie soaked every last bit of that special love and attention up. Not that she doesn't get it everyday, she certainly does. After all, this youngest one has seven people in the house to dote up on her. Anytime someone says no, surely one of the six remaining will say yes, right? Oh, it's a dangerous and wonderful thing, the youngest babe and all her fans in the house!

I came home from New York to a 'top secret' project in the works. Under the woodshed, and under some tarps, with saws and screws and drills and hammers everywhere, Adelaide had begun a birthday gift for her sister. A House For Annabel. Made out of leftover barn shingles, a pallet, and scraps of wood from last fall's construction project, she pieced together this little getaway for Annabel, complete with window trim, benches and chairs. We've hardly seen her for days for all the work she's been up to - fabric strips for the window, potted pink flowers for the entrance. After construction, it was moved to a corner of the garden, tucked under the trees, and presented to the little miss, who of course loves this little house that's all her own. 

Oh this gifting they do for each other sure does make a Mama's heart swell with pride and joy. And so do growing, funny, confident, and loving babies turning three. I suppose I really do need to stop calling her a baby. Oh, but must I really? Right now she is still happy to declare herself Mama's Baby, and so I'll roll with that as long as I can. Oh my girl. S'mores, apple pie, tadpole catching, lamb snuggling, pink bathing suits, cousins, a house of her own, and sunshine? I'd say we've officially greeted 'three' in a way just right for our Annabel.

SouleMama Sponsor ~ Monaluna

Today, we bring you a giveaway from SouleMama Sponsor, Monaluna. In Jennifer's words:

"Monaluna offers modern prints on premium organic fabric for quilting, crafting, apparel and the home.

 Our blog is monaluna.com/blog, and your can also find us on facebook, pinterest and instagram."

SouleMama: How long have you been in business?

Jennifer: In two weeks we'll hit our 4-year anniversary!

SouleMama: How do you come up with new designs and ideas?

Jennifer: For me, designing is a very visual process, but I always come up with my best ideas when I'm pulling inspiration from a wide variety of sources. I like to make sure I'm "filling the well" of visual stimulation and inspiration by traveling, paying attention to the natural world around me, and taking in a lot of beautiful imagery, whether from magazines, viewing art and photography or Pinterest. But I also really like to read the newspaper (the Sunday NY TImes is my treat) and keep track of what's going on in the world. The best ideas usually come when I have a lot whirling around in my brain.

SouleMama: How are children incorporated into your business?

Jennifer: My daughter was just 3 weeks old when my business launched, so she's been a part since the beginning, but as she grows she is starting to really want to be an active participant. She just turned 4 last week, and she's been loving to play with my fabric scraps and arrange them into quilt designs, and she likes to get out the crayons and colored pencils and draw when I'm working on artwork. She's always been our primary model, but more recently we've gotten the whole neighborhood involved, so our photo shoots are more like little block parties.

SouleMama: What does "being creative" mean to you?

Jennifer: I love coming up with ideas. I feel the most inspired and "creative" when I'm brainstorming and visualizing things I want to create. The actual making of the thing tends to be harder, and doesn't always go as planned, but it is all part of the process. When it does all come together and I'm able to realize that initial idea, it's a truly wonderful feeling.

 

For today's giveaway, Monaluna is generously offering the following gifts to TWO winners:

~ Winner #1: Our new Solstice sewing pattern plus 3 yards of knit fabric (winner's choice)

(caveat: will be shipping in 3 weeks)

 

 ~ Winner #2: One fat quarter bundles of each of our two new collections: Haven and Under the Sea

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In addition, Monaluna is offering all Soulemama readers 15% off all orders by entering coupon code "SOULEMAMA514" through the end of May.

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To enter today's giveaway, please leave a comment (one entry per person, please) in today's post. I'll close comments by 8:00 am EST on Monday, and announce the winners, chosen via Random Number Generator, shortly after. Comments closed! The winners are...

Beautiful! Beautiful fabric and interesting behind the scenes stories!
Posted by: Barbara19

Wow, these fabrics are gorgeous! I think I'm in love!
Posted by: Lara

Thank you, Monaluna!

SouleMama Sponsor ~ Mata Traders

Today, we bring you a giveaway from SouleMama Sponsor, Mata Traders. In Katie's words:

"Mata Traders is a Chicago-based fair trade fashion company. We partner with women's cooperatives in India and Nepal to launch two vintage inspired collections each year.

 On our blog, we post about the background of the company, the lives of the women in the artisan groups in India, the design process behind our pieces, and lots more."

SouleMama: What role does 'handmade' play in our society?

Katie: It seems like handmade products lost their importance when consistency and speed became a priority, but in the last decade there's been a resurgence of care and consideration for where we get our products from. With the garment factory collapse in Bangladesh last year, people are paying special attention to where their clothes are coming from in particular, and we're happy to say our products are all handmade; hand block printed, screen printed, and hand embroidered and sewn by the incredibly talented women we partner with.

SouleMama: What does a typical day at work look like for you?

Katie: A typical day in our office can involve any number of things. We're designing and researching styles and prints for next season's collection, corresponding with the groups, quality checking a new collection, working on jewelry designs, shipping and packing orders, taking photographs of the clothing for the website and the catalog, and the list goes on. We're a small team with lots to do, but it keeps the day-to-day very interesting.

SouleMama: Is there a special place that inspires you?

Katie: Perhaps it's not one specific location, but traveling to any new place usually prompts motivation. Even without the intention to "be inspired," surrounding yourself with a new, invigorating environment provides just the creative itch you need to do something great. For us, India has this wonderful embracement of color and prints that can't be matched. Check out our Technicolor India posts to see what we mean.

For today's giveaway, Mata Traders is generously offering the following gift to ONE winner:

~ $50 gift certificate to our online shop!

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In addition, Mata Traders is offering all Soulemama readers 10% off by entering coupon code "SOULEMAMA" through May 31, 2014. 

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To enter today's giveaway, please leave a comment (one entry per person, please) in today's post. I'll close comments by 8:00 am EST on Sunday, and announce the winner, chosen via Random Number Generator, shortly after. Comments closed! The winner is...

This is a new company to me, I will be checking them out for sure.
Posted by: Jeanmarie

Thank you, Mata Traders!

{this moment}

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{this moment} ~ A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

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(one last) postcard from NYC

]

We popped back into Manhattan for just a bit. To visit one of our Taproot stockists (McNally Jackson - what a wonderful bookstore!), but let's be real, there was a very strong magnetic pull to Purl Soho. How could I come all this way and not go there? That wall of Liberty needed to be seen with my very own eyes. Oh my. I think I'll be dreaming about that wall for weeks (and admiring the treasures I brought home, dreaming up just what to make with them). Then back into Brooklyn, where we visited a farmers market, some gardens, strolled the streets, scouted out great shops, and did plenty more eating (our last yummy dinner at Saraghina) as our trip came to a close. 

This country mouse has quite enjoyed my stay in New York City. It's been many many years since I've been here, and perhaps with the passing of years, confidence and maturity have given me new eyes with which to see it, and most importantly - to not fear getting lost! Not surprisingly, I fell in love with the bits of wild that creep into the city, the backyard, rooftop and public gardens, and the ways in which people beautify their space (is it strange that I want a stoop to decorate/garden on now?). I'm eager to visit again soon - to share the energy of the place especially with two not-so-little boys of mine who would certainly fall in love with it all.

But now...home. Where I hear the black flies are out in full force, and the lilacs are just about ready to bloom. I can't wait.

postcards from Brooklyn

When a day starts with pie and ends with bacon in your cocktail...well, what more is there to say than that? Brooklyn, I love you. We always enjoy our Taproot team meetings gathered around my kitchen table in Maine, or in our office in charming Hardwick, Vermont, but gathered around a table full of pies at Four and Twenty Blackbirds was a very different and lovely treat for us all. But the goodness didn't stop there - there was also delightful yarn and fabric when we stopped by Taproot stockist, Brooklyn General Store where we were made to feel right at home amidst all the wool and handmade goods. Lunch at Brooklyn Farmacy and then dinner at Lola BKLYN were both wonderful places to fill us up after all the bookstores, greenstores (Green in BKLYN had such a great selection!), vintage shops, and walking we did for the rest of the day (all that walking balances out all that bacon, right?). 

Though eager to get home to my babes and my garden, I am fully soaking up all the visual and gastrological delights this corner of the world exudes. And I am realizing - with not any great surprise, I know - that my favorite moments are those spent gathered around a table sharing stories, dreaming dreams, laughing, and making new friends. 

Have a lovely day, all!

postcards from New York

Ah, New York City! Brooklyn! I am here with some of the Taproot team, walking the aisles of the National Stationary Show (and being wowed by all the talent), visiting our stockists and a few of our contributors, and exploring the city. Everything is so much greener here than at home! It's a treat to see so much blooming - and we have plans to head to even greener spots later in our stay. Though I am by no means a city girl and can easily become overwhelmed by the pace and the magnitude of such a place, on this trip I am happily being led around by those know where we're going, and enjoying sinking right on into the energy of this special place with so many beautiful people. Okay, and eating a lot. Like a whole lot. SCRATCHbread grits for breakfast, a visit to Doughnut Plant along the way, and neighborhood dinner at Peaches - with a whole long list of food stops we have yet to make. And on that note, more grits and a walk in the park are calling me now...

w e e k e n d i n g

 

(Saturday afternoon)

 

(Saturday night)

From watching my Broadway-hopefuls dance their hearts out in their spring recital, to arriving in the bright lights, big city of New York (sadly without those dancers this time, though they've been promised a visit soon) ...this weekend has already been an exciting adventure. And it's only half over! More to come from NYC this week.

Until then, I wish you a very Happy Weekend! 

SouleMama Sponsor ~ Woolen Moss Farm and Studio

Today, we bring you a giveaway from SouleMama Sponsor, Woolen Moss Farm and Studio. In Kate's words:

"My Etsy shop is dedicated to quality handmade clothing made from all natural, low impact dyed, and organic materials. Every body is beautiful and unique and should move freely and with ease. My hope is that my custom made clothing can help bring that to you.

Please send me an email at [email protected] if you’d like to join my new mailing list for occasional shop updates, sales, and events. I promise, your information will be kept only for me and you can remove yourself from the list at any time."

SouleMama: Tell us about the beginnings of your business.

Kate: When I first began Woolen Moss, I was making coasters, pillows, skirts, and handbags. Originally, I had thought I needed to decide exactly what I was going to do before I got started, but at that rate I was never going to get anywhere. I didn’t really discover what I wanted to focus on until after things were under way. And it turned out that I loved making clothing for others, but I had no idea that that was true until my first few customers responded so well. I love making things that fit others so well, and discovering that about myself has made my product better and better as time goes by. I am grateful for my learning curve and for my loyal customers that have helped me to grow over the years.

SouleMama: Do you have a favorite inspirational quote?

Kate: “Let yourself be drawn by the strange pull of what you love, it will not lead you astray.” ~Rumi

SouleMama: If you could spend a day with any crafter/artist who would it be and why?

Kate: Right now I love to peruse the work of India Flint. She makes clothing and she makes beautiful art, so she really pulls together my sculptural past with my clothing making present, and she makes me wonder what the future of my work will be. I wouldn’t mind having a chat with her over some tea some day, to discuss her evolution, and to think about my own.

SouleMama: What advice do you have for people wanting to be more creative?

Kate: Don’t wait for the right moment. It’s never the right moment. The right moment is like a soul mate, it doesn’t find you, you create it. I made a millions things with a million people before making clothing opened up to me. And it really just happened in the midst of trying to do something else. Creativity is a journey that may or may not lead you on the path you expected, so keep your head up and your mind open! My husband would laugh at me right now because I’ve just used almost all of my very favorite words to describe life in just one sentence :)

 

For today's giveaway, Woolen Moss Farm and Studio is generously offering the following gift to ONE winner:

~ I’ve been living in my new tunic Tshirt for the past few weeks, so I thought I’d share that with you today. One winner will receive this top in short sleeves or long sleeves, your color choice, and your size. It's light and airy, and made from my organic cotton bamboo jersey. Just what you need for a warm spring day or a cool summer eve.

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In addition, Woolen Moss Farm and Studio is offering all Soulemama readers 15% off their order by entering coupon code "SOULE14" when checking out through the end of May 2014.

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To enter today's giveaway, please leave a comment (one entry per person, please) in today's post. I'll close comments by 9:00 am EST on Sunday, and announce the winner, chosen via Random Number Generator, shortly after. Comments closed! The winner is...

Such lovely, comfy looking stuff!
Posted by: Nora

Thank you, Woolen Moss Farm and Studio!

{this moment}

. . . . . . . . .

{this moment} ~ A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

. . . . . . . . . .

 

Brimfield

Ah, Brimfield! A much anticipated adventure for me this time of year, yesterday was full of all the things I'm coming to expect from Brimfield. Beautiful, amazing, odd, strange, fascinating and sometimes sad objects; a whole lot of interesting people; tired bones (from walking and hefting all day) and tired eyes (from looking at so much stuff); a lot of quick decision making and haggling (neither of which are skills I excel at); and what I love most of all - an entire day of uninterrupted conversation, laughter, food, and stories with a dear friend.

I feel full of all of that this morning. But my car? Not so full! I didn't come home with a lot - there isn't a lot that I need, nor a lot that caught my eye (well, there was that vintage velvet sofa, but really how many vintage velvet sofas can one house full of children and animals handle?). But a few little things - this and that - did make it home with me. Utilitarian seems to always be the theme upon examining my goods once I'm home, and that's certainly true of this year too. Some new cocktail glasses, my annual stock of up of pillowcases and handkerchiefs, some piano music, new porch chairs, sweet little bird cards. Oh...and a little bit of fun too - do think my house can handle a little bit of farmhouse kitsch with that light fixture there? Fingers crossed we all love it.

Until next year, Brimfield!

in the garden :: may 14

 This week in the garden, I am....

feeling a wee bit jealous of Annabel's style.

cursing the burdock and (simultaneously) thinking Steve is right, maybe we should be burdock farmers. Use what you've got, right?

planting peas, bush beans, chard, kale, brocolli, cauliflower, beets and spinach.

admiring my growing garlic.

wishing I had time in the fall to have planted more.

rejoicing that the asparagus is growing!

building beds back up, and cleaning up the debris not cleaned up in the fall.

plotting my cut flower garden bed - my first of the kind - that I am so excited about.

drinking my favorite garden cocktail of the season (so far) - gin, lemon juice, cointreau and egg white over ice in a salted rim glass (a White Lady, I believe). 

loving - absolutely - having my hands (and feet) in the dirt.

. . . 

If you're keeping garden notes and photographs and want to share it with the rest of us, do leave a comment with a link so that we may take a stroll through your garden too! It's a delight to see what and how things are growing all over, and to read the comments with such great gardening wisdom! Thank you all for continuing to share in this little project.

chicken talk

A sure sign of the season - that early morning phone call from the post office declaring, "Your chicks are here!" Or more accurately, "Please, oh please, come get these chicks out of our office before all this chirping drives us all batty!" Something like that is I think what they usually say, and we get right to it. 

Sixty-five broiler birds joined us in that way a few days ago. Though we're still figuring out the numbers that work best for us, and that keeps growing as these kids of ours keep growing, this is about the number we had last year and it's worked out perfectly. I generally cook two chickens at a time when I do so, and we eat a lot less meat in the summer, so all of that works out to about a once a week cooking (with enough leftovers for a second meal). We've gone with Freedom Rangers again - this is our third year raising this breed and we're very happy with them. They're always healthy, great foragers, and reach their peak weight - about 5 to 6 pounds - in eleven weeks or so. We'll move these out to pasture in the portable pen in a week or two so they can get to all that ranging and foraging...but for now they still need a bit of warmth in the brooder of the barn. It's there that they're visited many times a day, by children eager to feed, water, hold, and watch these little fluff balls. They get taken on 'field trips' to the garden, to the fairy houses in the woods and to the swings. Adelaide is always there to make sure the trips are short ones, gentle on the birds, and that they're returned 'home' to the brooder promptly.

A lot of you have asked and are wondering about what it's like, particularly for the children, to raise and connect with the animals that eventually are on the dinner table. I've wanted to address that here, but for one, it isn't fully my story to tell. It is theirs, and one that won't be ready for telling, I would imagine, until they're much older, having had more life experience when they're able to reflect back. Sometimes we talk a lot about the whole picture, and sometimes we don't. More often, lately, it feels very normal for us all, even more so for those who don't remember a life before we raised our own meat. It all feels natural, even. I'm not saying that's good or bad - it just is. I do know that for the choice that we've made as a family, to eat meat (and yes, everyone is aware that's a choice, and is free to make their own), that what we do - from beginning to end - feels honest. So there's that. The kids are as involved - or not - as they want to be with the daily care, and ultimately the harvesting. Some are more interested than others, and that changes from year to year. But for all of us ... I can say that we enjoy so much sharing our days with these little critters, we are grateful to them for the work they do on our land while they are with us, and most definitely appreciative and pleased with the nourishment we receive from them as we gather around the table.

But for now...we are all focused on the adorableness of baby chicks. They're hard to resist.

this weekend

I haven't always felt the way that I do now about Mother's Day. I remember my first few years as a mother just feeling a little puzzled about the day - it was, for all the years prior, meant for MY mother. It felt strange to have it be mine, and I was hesitant to claim it as such, and put my own spin on it different than the one I'd grown up with. Then for a few years, I really struggled with the commercialization of it all, and the pressure and expectation that it put upon everyone involved. But somewhere along the way, all of that went away and was replaced by comfort and ease. That comfort arrived in the form of handmade cards, and bead necklaces, and single daffodils in large mason jars. In my morning tea (extra sweetened) being delivered by five excited children and one loving husband. And more hugs in a day than I can count. In a day spent in the garden with the whole lot of us. And the yearly video they all collaborate to make for me (a project taken over entirely by the kids this year). Yes, I suppose our own traditions have taken strong enough root to make this day feel like mine, and this weekend now one of my favorite weekends of the year. It was a full one - with all the ingredients that make up a happy mama, most of all being the love and time that we share together as a family.

Wishing all of you - in all the many different ways that every one of us 'mothers' in our lives - a beautiful start to your week!

{this moment}

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{this moment} ~ A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

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In the Garden

There is nothing glamorous about what's going on in the garden this week. Except, of course, Annabel's wardrobe and the personality that goes with it (she's got a little thing right now for swimsuits and tights. It's a look she wears well, I must say).  We are just getting into the garden, really, and still only preparing it. It feels so much later than last year, but this was a different winter and spring, to be sure.

The garden wasn't put to bed in the fall quite as I would have liked, and so there's a lot to be done. We are building the beds back up, adding some compost, and preparing for planting. We are battling burdock with a fury - though there is less than last year, there is still so much and it's everywhere (I know it has its uses, but I have no need for a half acre of it). And Steve and I spent two full days wrestling with the rambling rose (multiflora rose) that was growing along every side of the garden fence, encroaching on the fencing and the garden itself. We are running the pigs through that area too, and they'll do a bit more of the digging up of roots that we couldn't get. 

There are some new garden spots around the house too. Where we ran the pigs last year is all cleared out now and ready for planting. I'm reading a lot about dye gardens and thinking about what plants I might like to use for that. The pigs did the hard work of clearing out all the brambles, we cleared what remained, and the kids kindly removed all the rocks (oh, the rocks here!) for us. A dollar for a five gallon bucket full of rocks added motivation.

I have yet to sketch out what goes where, and the peas aren't even in yet! But all of that will come. It looks as though I'm going to have some serious helpers in the garden this year - the four youngest have all been out there with me asking for something to do. It makes a Mama happy, that kind of thing. My Mother's Day wish was for all of us to spend some time in the garden, and I'm so looking forward to that.

Oh, it feels so good to be back in the garden.

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I enjoyed so much last year, the weekly In The Garden posts - the comments full of suggestions and ideas, and the links you all left to your own garden updates. I'm looking forward to doing the same this year, and hope you'll join me when you're able! 

If you're keeping garden notes and photographs and want to share it with the rest of us, do leave a comment with a link so that we may take a stroll through your garden too! It's a delight to see what and how things are growing all over, and to read the comments with such great gardening wisdom! Thank you all for continuing to share in this little project.

bee day

 

The bees are here! 

We tucked our bees in last fall with a lot of warmth and a good deal of hope. We didn't do a honey harvest last year, wanting to leave everything for the bees. Neither hive was incredibly strong, and in retrospect, I should have probably combined them. I don't know. I'm not sure it would have mattered...for as the winter dragged on and on, that hope of the bees making in through the season faded. And as I talked to the other beekeepers around me, I realized that I was hardly alone. I've heard of so few people around here who had their bees make it to spring. There's little comfort in that...

But a new season has begun. Our two packages of bees arrived in Portland earlier this week, and were promptly installed in the bee yard, tucked into a corner of the 'orchard'. It was our smoothest install yet - quiet, mellow, easy, fluid even. They're beautiful, these Italian honeybees...and I have so much hope about how they'll do. It is a brand new season, after all.

for the table

Why yes, I did just share with you four photographs of perhaps the simplest sewing project ever. I took even more. I couldn't help it - this is exactly the kind of useful sewing that gets me especially excited. Practical, utilitarian, and everyday useful. Yes.

I used practically every last bit of linen on my fabric shelves, pieces of this or that left over from other projects - anything big enough to make an 18 inch square from. A simple hem on each side, and a 'fancy' sewing machine stitch along the hems. Easy peasy. Especially with a quiet studio to myself, a good book in my ears (Flight Behaviour by Barbara Kingsolver), and a glass of wine at my side. It was easy to get lost in the rhythmic motion of simply cutting, pressing, stitching. Cut. Press. Stitch. And before I knew it, I had a stack of thirty brand new mama-made napkins to join us at the table. A simple pleasure to make and use. 

SouleMama Sponsor ~ Oak Meadow

Today, we bring you a giveaway from SouleMama Sponsor, Oak Meadow. In their words:

"Oak Meadow crafts engaging, experiential homeschooling curriculum for grades K-12, providing options to fit students' interests, talents, needs, and style; the flexibility to create a self-paced, joyful education at home (or on the road!); and beautiful, affordable materials. Oak Meadow's curriculum can be used independently or by enrolling in its fully accredited distance learning school.

Visit our blog, In the Meadow. We are also on Facebook and Pinterest!

View curriculum samples and read the free educational journal, Living Education"

SouleMama: Do you have advice for families who are thinking about homeschooling, but they're not sure they can do it?

Oak Meadow: We get this question all the time! Homeschooling isn’t right for everyone, but for many families, it’s the perfect approach to providing a compassionate, child-centered, fulfilling educational experience for their children. In fact, the homeschooling trend is on an incredible upswing: According to a 2012 article in Education News, the number of children who are being homeschooled has increased by 75 percent in the last two decades (read more: Education News). Educational experts estimate that there are now over two million homeschooled children in the United States.

Amanda Witman, Oak Meadow’s social media coordinator and a homeschooling mom herself, recently wrote a blog post especially for parents who wonder if they can homeschool successfully. She explained: “There are many reasons that lead families to consider homeschooling. Often it comes up when a child’s school is not a good match for their needs. Sometimes it’s driven by a parent’s desire to guide their child’s learning in the context of their own values. Sometimes children need a more flexible schedule in order to pursue athletic or artistic training, and sometimes parents simply can’t imagine missing out on the excitement of educational discovery.”

Read Amanda’s post in our blog, In the Meadow, to learn more. She discusses topics from how to know if homeschooling is right for your child to legal considerations to how to get started.

We also have three friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable educational counselors on staff who are happy to answer any questions you may have. Give us a call Monday through Friday, 10am to 3pm, at 802-251-7250.

 

For today's giveaway, Oak Meadow is generously offering the following gifts to TWO winners:

~ Winner #1: $100 coupon to use in the Oak Meadow Bookstore

 

~ Winner #2: $50 coupon to use in the Oak Meadow Bookstore

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In addition, Oak Meadow is offering a Mother’s Day to Memorial Day discount! Enjoy 15% off their homeschooling curriculum and 5% off enrollment in their fully accredited distance learning school. Visit their site May 11 - 26 to take advantage of the discount.

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To enter today's giveaway, please leave a comment (one entry per person, please) in today's post. I'll close comments by 8:00 am EST on Monday, and announce the winners, chosen via Random Number Generator, shortly after.  Comments closed! The winners are...

I love the Oak Meadow curriculum. I used it when my kids were younger and have wanted to go back to it now that they're in 4th and 7th. I love your blog Soule Mama...thank you for sharing your life, beauty and wisdom....and recipes and animals...and creativity! xx
Posted by: Leslie Davis

This would be amazing! Thank you!
Posted by: MaryAnn

Thank you, Oak Meadow!

SouleMama Sponsor ~ Hunter Yoga.com

Today, we bring you a giveaway from SouleMama Sponsor, Hunter Yoga.com. In Hunter's words:

"The Daily Practice 28-day immersion is all about how to feel great in your body and have more peace each day. It combines the most anatomically-sound yoga instruction with mindfulness practices and deeper self-learning, making it a whole-you practice. If you are missing time for self-care, want to feel better in body, or want more mindfulness in your life, it may be perfect for you. We begin with a FREE trial week on May 19th!"

SouleMama: Tell us about your background. What path led you to the work you do today?

Hunter: I help mamas bring more peace and joy to life using the traditions of yoga & mindfulness, which have been completely transformational in my own life. When I was younger, living with anxiety and a roller coaster of emotions lead me to yoga and meditation in my teens, which have helped me much more peaceful and grounded. Now, I have over 18 years of experience in yoga practice and I've been a meditator and mindfulness practitioner for over a decade. In my mindfulness tradition I have  the dharma name, "Calm breath of the heart." 

SouleMama: Tell us about the beginnings of your business.

Hunter: I am also a painter and while I'd been having recognition and shows, there was little hope of it becoming a sustaining income for my family. I realized that I really thrive teaching yoga and sharing mindfulness practices with my students and that I could reach more people through online offerings. So I started sharing with a blog and then started a podcast (Yoga Stories Project) - both aimed at inspired others to embrace mindful, conscious living and becoming the change we want to see. I want my business to be able to spread yoga  and mindfulness practices while allowing me to earn a living doing what I love.

My parenting journey also had a lot to do with it. In my sustained efforts to be a more conscious parent, I realized that the tools of mindfulness and self-care are essential for this path. We can know how we want to be with our children, but if we don't have the space to respond, or old habit-reactions just pop up. How we live our lives - modelling - is the best teaching for our children.

SouleMama: What inspires you?

Hunter: I get truly inspired by seeing my clients finding more peace in their lives - and when they start to "get it" that this whole mindfulness thing is really a life-long, daily practice. I love seeing them feeling amazing after a wonderful yoga flow and starting to incorporate the anatomical principles of Core-Strength into their practice. I get super-inspired by their questions, as well as talking about our struggles and wins living and parenting mindfully. I want my business to truly serve women and to help spread the peace of mindful living to the next generation - through the modeling of their mindful mamas.

 

For today's giveaway, Hunter Yoga.com is generously offering the following gift to TWO winners:

~ A spot in the full Daily Practice program!

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In addition, Hunter Yoga.com is offering the first week of the Daily Practice program for FREE. You can enjoy it as a 7-day home yoga retreat! Sign up here.

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To enter today's giveaway, please leave a comment (one entry per person, please) in today's post. I'll close comments by 8:00 am EST on Sunday, and announce the winners, chosen via Random Number Generator, shortly after. Comments closed! The winners are...

Oh! I need this!!!
Posted by: Carme

What a fantastic giveaway! Thank you for sharing this program. :) xo
Posted by: Meghann

Thank you, Hunter Yoga.com!

{this moment}

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{this moment} ~ A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

. . . . . . . . . .

  

warm eggs

As a new season of outdoor work begins in earnest, with so much to be done that we are excited about, it is tempting at times to make a big to do list and dive deep into it. With energy, swiftly, and efficiently. Not just because I want to get the work done, but  because I enjoy doing the work itself. I have quite fallen in love with the work that this land requires of us. My garden. The animals. The woods.

But with a small child at my side (or two or three or more), it is so important that especially now, I quiet that voice of efficiency in my head that occasionally whispers "it would be easier/faster/tidier if you just did it yourself!" 

Yes, perhaps it would be easier/faster/tidier if I just did it myself. But "easier" and "faster," I remind myself and that distracting voice, are not exactly the goals I've set out to master in this little life of ours. And so I lean on "of course you can help me!" and "why don't you try it yourself!" Because I know with certainty that they will not always be at my side, in this pasture, in this home. That soon they will be surpassing me in height and strength and the speed at which the work is done. That when we work in this way, they grow capable and confident before my eyes. For this moment in time, things might get done just a bit slower. There may be a broken egg or two. The seeds might get a little too much watering. But I don't want them to be rushed through this fleeting age of eagerness curiousity and wonder, nor do I want to miss experiencing it alongside them. 

Do you know how warm an egg is just after the moment it comes out of the chicken? If you watch and wait for it and grab it the very moment it emerges? It is so very warm - so warm that it is best felt by rubbing it on your cheeks, and turning your face to the sun. I had never done that last part before until yesterday when Annabel showed me. Oh thank you, my little ones. I have so much to learn.

May 1

Hello, May! 

Welcome to the newest Sponsors here at SouleMama. I'm so pleased to introduce them to you this morning...

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44 Clovers

44Clovers creates handspun yarns, embroidered wall art and knitwear using locally sourced fibers, homegrown and foraged plant dyes, and vintage linens.

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ELF

Living on the island of Bali, here at ELF we design and create high quality leather bags, purses, flats, wedges, and accessories. All our unique products are created by hand with genuine love, passion and care. 

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Vermont Grand View Farm

The Farmhouse Suite at Vermont Grand View Farm lures families away from their hectic lives, inviting them to slow down and experience the peacefulness of rural farm life. Guests enjoy breakfasts featuring locally grown foods, lend a hand at chore time, and explore the countryside. Private fiber art classes encourage families to bond through the work of their hands, as they learn to weave, felt, or spin wool into yarn.  

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Check out all of their handmade, natural, and creative offerings - and those of our other Sponsors - in the days and weeks to come. I thank them and you both for your presence and support here. And if Sponsorship is something you're interested in for your own business, do be in touch.