A Homemaker's Journal

quick onesie embellishment

2012-02-01T09:50:00.001-07:00

Okay, okay, yes, I was supposed to refrain from any more projects until I complete the ones that I already have begun. After twenty-some bibs, though, I'm starting to feel just a little crazy. Even with a visible light at the end of the tunnel (only seven more to go!), I needed a teeny tiny break.

I bought a package of plain white onesies for Sweet Pea to add some layering options to her wardrobe. Most of them I'll leave plain, but I couldn't resist embellishing one of them with a sassy pink flower. I layered scraps of fabric (solid pink cotton and some sort of pink sheer), and cut them into circles with pinking shears. I folded the circles, attached them to the shirt with a few stitches (I reinforced shirt with a small piece of fusible interfacing inside), and added a vintage button in the center. The stem is green rick-rack which I also hand stitched in place. It took me all of half an hour to complete.

I just love a quick, instant gratification project. Especially if the recipient is such a little happy cutie. (She did spit up on it right after these photos, though, which leaves me wondering if maybe she didn't like it...) : )

resolution

2012-01-26T13:33:00.002-07:00

Early this year I came across MCP Project 12, a photo challenge with one theme each month. I am excited to participate because I've been interested in doing something like this for a while, but most challenges like this seem to have weekly or daily assignments, which I just can't do at this point in my life. One a month is just perfect, though. January's theme is "resolution."

resolution

the act or an instance of resolving

The boys practiced good conflict resolution by
deciding to share the coveted coloring book.

resolution

the condition or quality of being resolute; firmness or determination

I made the resolution to finish all the the sewing projects

that I have already cut out before beginning any new ones.

resolution

The progression of a dissonant tone or chord to a consonant tone or chord.

Baroque music tends to have distinctive resolutions.

monday menu

2012-01-16T06:00:00.000-07:00

Well, I think we have finally settled down into our post-holiday, Narnia-like always-winter-never-Christmas stretch of the year (that's what we get for living in Montana...). Don't worry, though, we still have Valentine's Day to look forward to, and I have a magnificent stack of projects to prepare for summer vending. : ) On the food front, I'm thankful that everything seems to be returning to normalcy. Here's what I'm planning to make this week:

M-stew and bread (Seriously, try this bread recipe; it's revolutionary.)
T-linguine and meatballs (I'll make a giant batch of meatballs and freeze the leftovers to use in the future.) with green beans on the side
W-crock pot chili and bread (didn't get to it last week)
Th-sweet-n-sour chicken and rice
F-chicken cacciatore

What are you making this week?

custom

2012-01-13T06:00:00.000-07:00

Right before Christmas I received an order

for a custom I Corinthians 13 heart calligraphy

for a wedding gift for Erica and Joe.

I was able to finish and mail it off before the end of the year.

I hope the both the giver and the recipient will enjoy it!

(By the way, encouraged by the success of this, my best-selling piece, another custom love calligraphy is in the works. I'm so excited! It will be available for order soonish.)

five months

2012-01-11T06:00:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday was my Sweet Pea's five month birthday.

She brings us all so much delight;

we are so enjoying watching her grow and develop.

Right now Sweet Pea...

seems to be teething

is not being the good sleeper she was before the teething began
still likes to be swaddled while sleeping

has decided that around 4 a.m. is an excellent time to play

eats apple sauce (she loves it)
and has tried sweet potatoes (still trying to figure that one out)

is having an easier time adjusting to eating from a spoon
than her brothers did
sits in a booster chair with us at dinner time

loves sitting up in her Bumbo chair, observing the world

is pretty much obsessed with her toes
is getting much more finesse and control over her limbs
can pick up light toys with ease
likes to examine her swing and booster seat buckles
is fascinated with rattles
loves tags
can roll from her stomach to her back (tummy time is history)
and from her back to her side
has tried playing the piano with Daddy
listens intently to music

tries to get her hands on any cell phones or iPods she sees

sometimes talks in this funny, gargly voice

has distinctly said "Ma-ma" more than once

as well as "Da-eeee"

and something that sure sounds like Little Man's name

lights up when her brothers come into sight

loves it when Brother hugs her

finds Little Man's antics positively hilarious

is still my sweet snuggler

upcycled heart crayons

2012-01-10T06:00:00.000-07:00

We got new crayons for the boys for Christmas.

It was time

since their old ones were mostly broken and icky.

I didn't want to just throw them away, though,

so we upcycled.

First we (okay, mostly I) peeled them all.

Tip: If you slit the crayon paper with a paring knife,

you will save your fingers much pain.

(Unless, of course, the knife slips and you cut yourself...that would be painful.

I didn't have any problems,

but if you use my tip and have to get stitches I'm not liable, okay?)

Then we separated the crayons into color families,

broke/cut the crayons into little pieces,

and put them into this heart-shaped ice cube tray from Ikea

that I picked up for a few cents at our local Bargain Basement.

I improvised a double boiler type thing by

putting water into a frying pan,

placed three spoons in it (to lift the mold off the bottom of the pan),

set the mold on top of the spoons,

and heated the water on low.

Nothing like working with what you have on hand. ; )

Then we let the crayons melt, melt, melt.

When the wax was molten,

I took the mold out of the water

and popped it into the fridge

until the wax was cool and solid again.

Then we popped our new marbled heart crayons out of the mold,

and I compulsively took photos for the blog.

Last of all

we sat down and made some art.

monday menu

2012-01-09T06:00:00.000-07:00

[Brother's clementine segments, all lined up]

Here's what I'm planning to make this week:

M-macaroni-and-cheese with leftover, diced ham, broccoli

T-tacos (I'm going to try making my own refried beans this time! It doesn't look like it'll be too hard.)

W-grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup

Th-twice baked potatoes stuffed with ham, cheese, and broccoli (no recipe here; I'm just winging it)

F-crock pot chili and bread

What are you making this week?

my treasures

2012-01-08T20:36:00.004-07:00

I <3 them.

another tuesday menu

2011-12-27T13:00:00.000-07:00

[caramel sampling]

I feel decidedly "off" this week. My house, cooking, and menu planning are all suffering because in addition to the usual holiday craziness, I came down with a nasty, nasty stomach flu Christmas night. I spent all day yesterday in misery, feeling rather half-alive. I am thankful that today I've been able to eat a little bit and am hoping that no one else gets sick. I'm pretty sure that this week's menu will be more flexible than usual, but here's the tentative plan:

T-chicken, orzo with parmesan and basil, and green beans

W-breakfast burritos, fresh fruit

Th-scalloped potatoes with ham and green beans

F-crock pot stew and fresh bread (I'd like to try the no-knead 5-minutes-a-day bread.)

What are some of your favorite ways to use leftover ham? I have a lot. : )

handmade Christmas 2011

2011-12-24T06:00:00.000-07:00

I have a hard time figuring out what kind of gifts to make for Benjamin. He doesn't love cluttery, purposeless items, he is picky about his clothes, and hobby-related items can be hard to make. Happily for me, though, over the past few years he has added golf to his list of hobbies (music, gaming, writing, golf). I can't build a guitar, amp, or piano, code a computer game, or plant inspired phrases in his brain, but I can make golf towels! Perhaps the best thing about golf towels is that they'll look pretty grungy after one season of golf, so if he likes them, I can make some more next year! And the next, and the next, and maybe even the next. ; )

I found a tutorial (which I followed pretty exactly with the exception of the corner pocket which I left out), gathered supplies, and after less than an hour of sewing, I had two terry-cloth-and-corduroy golf towels. I even installed grommets in one of the corners of each towel, which was a first for me. They look nice, and I hope he'll enjoy using them next summer!

handmade Christmas 2011

2011-12-23T06:00:00.000-07:00

As one of my friends said: "Having a little girl is everything it's cracked up to be." It's true. Having a little girl is so much fun. I have so many pent up girly projects fermenting in my brain that I had an exceptionally difficult time deciding what to make for my little Sweet Pea for Christmas.

After much contemplation, I decided to make a little doll. One that (just for fun) would coordinate with her nursery nook and red knit cap girl art.

Honestly, I was a little disappointed with how she turned out and almost made a second one. However, upon further consideration, I decided that she's going to get drooled and chewed on and that peace (as in not cramming my schedule with unnecessary tasks) was more important than perfection. She did turn out pretty cute, and I don't regret my decision.

I also made a little dolly blanket to go with her. I used some of the last nursery-nook fabric scraps and the red fabric I had left over from the dolly to make a very simple top which I embelished with coordinating ribbon, rick-rack, and fancy machine stitching. For some inexplicable reason I get a faint Scandinavian vibe from it.

The back of the blanket is pale, buttery yellow flannel so that the dollies who use it will be extra warm and comfortable.

It's a bit of a gift for her to grow into, but then, at four months old, most gifts won't be fully appreciated for a while.

handmade Christmas 2011

2011-12-22T06:00:00.000-07:00

The boys' final handmade Christmas gifts this year are little backpacks for toting their treasures. (It's so nice that they're at a stage where I can make them the same thing, and they'll both enjoy it!) These little bags are the happy merging of various ideas: the road trip backpack pillow, cargo pants upcycled into a messenger bag, and the hobo sack, plus a little bit of Christina flair.

Little Man's backpack is made from one leg of a pair of enormous corduroy cargo pants (See the cargo pocket? It's so nice to have no-work-needed pockets for bags.) and a beautiful blue and brown plaid shirt. I got the pants for about $.050, and the shirt for about $1 at local thrift stores.

Brother's backpack is made from the second leg from the cargo pants and some red and brown plaid that I had in my stash.

I filled each of their bags with several more small gifts: a new book (Little Man is getting Walter the Baker by Eric Carle, and Brother is getting Machines at Work by Byron Barton), a blank notebook for drawings, a car pencil pouch full of twistable colored pencils, a new box of crayons, a beanie baby (regifted from my large collection of beanie babies that I collected in Jr. High and High School), a dinosaur pillow case, and something else that my mommy-brain can't remember. I know there were seven small gifts in each of their bags... Ha. I guess I'll be as surprised as they are when we open gifts on Christmas Eve. ; )

Bags are one of my favorite things to make, so I was happy to figure out this boyish variation. The boys will love having them for play and for more serious tasks like packing to spend the night at Grandma and Grandpa's.

handmade Christmas 2011

2011-12-21T06:00:00.000-07:00

When I saw a tutorial for pencil pouches emblished with little car appliques complete with button wheels, I knew I wanted to make a couple for my boys for Christmas. I upcycled a corduroy shirt and a blue plaid shirt and used some red plaid, zippers, and buttons from my stash to make these cute little bags.

Incidentally, in the process of making these, I discovered just how wonderful the zipper foot is! I've been conquering sewing fears right and left this Christmas: first sewing with knits, then making a stuffed animal, and now using a zipper foot! Hooray!

The blue and brown one is for Little Man.

And the red and brown one is for Brother.

(I accidentally put the "zoom lines" on at the front of the car

instead of the back. Ooops.

We'll say that it's reversing quickly.) ; )

Since crayons melt horrifyingly if they're left in the hot car,

traditional colored pencils are messy to sharpen,

and markers are not something I'm willing to use

anywhere other than at the table,

I filled the pencil pouches with twistable colored pencils.

I'm eager to see how they work for us.

I think the boys will be pleased.

tuesday menu

2011-12-20T13:42:00.000-07:00

grilled tuna-cheese sandwiches

Christmas style for the boys

Yesterday I had a flu. While it was short-lived (so thankful!), I didn't exactly feel like thinking about my menu planning or food in general. So here's my slightly late menu plan for this week.

M-depends on who you ask: ramen, cereal, left over pancakes or pizza

T-chicken noodle soup and homemade rolls (if I don't run out of steam by the time I'm supposed to make them.)

W-chicken pot pie

Th-pasta with chicken red sauce

F-chili and biscuits or corn bread

What are you making this week?

handmade Christmas 2011

2011-12-20T06:00:00.000-07:00

When people know that you sew, it seems like you end up being given fabric. I do, at least. Sometimes it's junk--itty bitty pieces that you could only use if you made miniature quilts (I don't) or hideous prints that were surely never in style. I only suffer minor qualms as I throw that stuff away. Sometimes it's something gorgeous that just takes my breath away--prints that are just my style, fabrics in exquisite colors, or flawless vintage pieces. But most of the time the fabrics I'm given are somewhere in the middle--reasonably sized pieces that have reasonable prints that can be made into something reasonably nice.

A couple of weeks ago a dear lady who is like a grandmother to me brought two bags full of fabric for me to use that her son-in-law's cousin was getting rid of. The son-in-law's cousin was a smoker, so my grandmother-friend washed all of the fabric, painstakingly ironed it, and folded it neatly for me--an act of love.

One of the pieces of fabric she brought for me was a print that I would have placed in the "reasonable" category but that my boys both placed in the breathtakingly amazing category. It was a little less than a yard of a deafeningly bright, large dinosaur print. (Can you say 90's?) Anyway, both of the boys adored it, and dragged it around the house until I threatened that it would become unusable unless they left it alone.

I knew that I had to make something out of it for both of them, but the small yardage and the large print had me stumped until my mom suggested pillow cases. Ah, ha. Yes. (My mom is pretty, brilliant, by the way.) I had just enough dinosaur fabric to make two pillowcase fronts to which I added solid navy blue backs and complimentary bands around the openings.

Little Man is still crazy about orange, so his pillow case's accent color was an orange print left over from his quilt. I can't help but feel badly for that poor decapitated brontosaurus, but there was really nothing I could do about it (yes, I tried...).

Brother's pillow case is accented with a more mellow blue band. That blue fabric actually has a nifty texture that doesn't show up very well in the photo.

I am not a huge fan of the dinosaur fabric, but I can't wait to see my boys' responses when they open these pillow cases on Christmas. Hehe...they'll be so delighted!

(If you want to make some of your own wild pillow cases or even some nice, mellow ones that match your decor, this is a good tutorial.)

newborn portraits and a family photo

2011-12-17T06:00:00.000-07:00

Some of our friends from church have a little girl who is just five weeks younger than Sweet Pea. I'm sure that someday they'll have a great time running around together but for now they pretty much sleep and eat their way through church oblivious of each other. We mommies enjoy chatting and comparing notes, though.

I had the opportunity recently to take these friends' Christmas family photos as well as so infant portraits of their little cutie. Below are some of my favorites:

This was her Christmas dress

from one of her grandmas.

little fingers

She wouldn't smile for me,

but she did chat away sweetly.

tiny toes

This was her Christmas dress

from the other grandma.

getting sleepy...

Since most of their family is from the east

and is not accustomed to the beautiful mountains

we so often take for granted,

they wanted their family picture

to have a Montana mountain scene as a backdrop.

father and daughter

This candid is, I think, my very favorite.

handmade Christmas 2011

2011-12-16T06:00:00.000-07:00

I had a hard time figuring out what to give to our baby niece for Christmas. An unreasonably hard time, really. I had many of ideas, but very few of them matched all of my criteria. I wanted to choose something that she'd use as well as something that wouldn't be too much of a production to make. And it couldn't be clothes because, well, at that age I find it rather pointless to sew clothes for them because they grow so quickly.

Finally I decided to buy the book A Friend For Boots by Satoshi Kitamura for her. (We have Duck is Dirty which both of our boys have both loved, and since her parents are cat lovers, I thought one about a cat would be perfect for them.) When the book arrived, I was not disappointed. It was charming. The boys enjoyed it so much that we had a hard time wrapping it and sending it away.

I wanted to make a little cat shaped dangle toy similar to the cat in the book so that it would be a cohesive gift set. I was planning to embroider the face details and use different colors of corduroy for the fur. However, reality set in, and I needed to get the Christmas packages in the mail, so I went with something simpler: a cross between a crinkly sun ray toy and a rainbow sunshine plushie, both of which I've been wanting to make for a while.

I used a variety of fabrics from my stash for lots of textures: terry cloth, seer sucker, satin, velvet, corduroy, cotton prints, and linen. It turned out pretty cute even if it is imperfect and a little wonky.

After the rush of trying to get the packages out of the door had subsided, I decided to make a couple more. (I already had my fabrics and sewing machine out, after all...) One is for Sweet Pea, and one is for a good friend whose baby is due in March.

I wish happy chewing and drooling and crinkling to all the young recipients.

ever grateful

2011-12-15T11:12:00.000-07:00

Each month the lovely folks at Dayspring offer what they call (in)spired deals along with the opportunity for bloggers to sign up to receive a free product to review. Last month I signed up, and I received the lovely Ever Grateful Apron to review. The deadline for submitting my review was right in the middle of my vacation, and as I mentioned before, I thought that I'd have all the time in the world to blog while travelling which ended up being a false hope. So the deadline came and went, and my neglected little review languished in my drafts.

The ever grateful apron is truly beautiful. It has such fun, feminine details--scallops, ruffles, and cute prints--as well as the encouraging message "ever blessed, ever grateful" embroidered on it. Plus it's comfortable. I have enjoyed wearing it as I work in my kitchen. Though this apron was inspired by the holiday of Thanksgiving in the month of November, the reminder of God's great blessings and my opportunity to worship Him through gratitude is certainly applicable all year long!

In fact, what better time of year to dwell on gratitude than at Christmas time, when we contemplate God's love, coming down to live among us in the form of the baby Jesus? It was the greatest sacrifice, the greatest proof of love of all.

(This month's (in)spired deals focus on that love.)

This Christmas, in the middle of the whirl of holiday festivities, I want to always remember the root of the whole celebration: gratitude for God's magnificent Gift.

(By the way, all of the stuff in this post is my own opinion; nobody's forcing me to say anything.) : )

flowers

2011-12-15T06:00:00.000-07:00

From him.

For me.

Just because. <3

handmade Christmas 2011

2011-12-14T06:00:00.000-07:00

Benjamin's oldest brother and his wife are expecting a little boy who is due to arrive in April. We are so happy for them. Of course I had to make a baby blanket for the new little nephew (my first nephew!), and sending it at Christmas time along with their other gifts just seemed like the logical thing to do.

Brother loved the quilt and helped me pin it together.

It took a bit of convincing before he understood

that this blanket was for his new cousin

and not for him.

As I worked on this quilt,

the bright colors, simple geometric shapes, and transportation prints

made me think of one of my boys' favorite board books:

Trucks by Byron Barton

So of course I had to get a copy

so that their cousin

can enjoy it

too.

sibling, child, and family portraits

2011-12-13T06:00:00.000-07:00

Yes, we covered a lot of ground very quickly in this hour session--we had to because it was cold, and the little ones would not have stood for much dawdling. This was my first photo session for people whom I had never met before stepping out of my car, camera in hand, to take their photos. It was, well, good but different than anything I've ever experienced.

Two sisters asked their mom to purchase photo sessions for them for their Christmas gifts, and then they were planning on using some of the photos to give the their mom as her gift. Pretty clever. They heard about me from a mutual friend. The following are a few of my favorite photos:

The older sister and her two adorable little ones.

I have to confess that I favor photographing little boys.

They're unpredictable and uninhibited,

they have such energy and zest for life,

and they usually have some excellent, creative ideas

of photos they would like for me to take.

They never fail to make me smile.

Little girls are fun too,

but I don't have as much experience photographing them yet...

The younger sister, her fiance, and their little son.

sisters

all three little ones

monday menu

2011-12-12T06:00:00.001-07:00

[farmers' market tomatoes--this seems so long ago now]

I am very much enjoying getting back into my routine. : ) The following are the dinners I'm planning on making this week:

M-macaroni and cheese

T-french toast

W-roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, squash

Th-black eyed pea soup (highly recommended by a friend) and fresh rolls (hopefully)

F-Benjamin's work Christmas party for the grown ups, grilled cheese for the children

I will probably also use the left over squash to try these interesting sounding squash pancakesfor lunch one day. They might be a horrible flop, but then again, they might not be. It's worth a try.

What's on your menu this week?

handmade Christmas 2011

2011-12-09T11:00:00.000-07:00

Benjamin's family draws names for Christmas. When I draw a girl's name, it's easy to figure out what to make, but last year I drew the oldest brother's name, and this year I drew the middle brother's name. Oy. Guys are harder to sew for.

When I looked at my brother-in-law's wish list this year, though, I was pleasantly surprised to see something that I thought I could make: a sock monkey golf club cover! I found a good tutorial and ordered some rockford red heel cotton monkey socks (yes, they're actually called that!). With some trepidation (I am much more comfortable making bags than monkeys, and I do not love sewing knit fabric), I began.

When I finished I was pleasantly surprised at just how well the little fellow turned out. He came together quickly (I finished him in a single afternoon/evening.), and I was relieved to discover that knit fabric is actually easier to work with in some ways.

Yes, I am very pleased with how this little sock monkey golf club cover turned out. I hope that my brother-in-law will enjoy him!

four months

2011-12-08T22:12:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was my little Sweet Pea's four month birthday!

I simultaneously dread and love writing these child-update posts.

I love documenting where they are, the new things they're doing.

I dread trying squish their lovely and charming,

many-faceted personalities into words.

Right now Sweet Pea...

has promoted from sleeping in her cradle to her crib in the Nook

lies in bed peacefully watching her mobile until she falls asleep

is beginning to have definite morning and afternoon naps

still likes to be swaddled to sleep

makes happy noises when she hears me coming to get her up

"launches" herself into being picked up by arching her back,

flailing her arms, and kicking her legs

is staying awake for longer periods of time

likes playing with a variety of toys

gets bored if she's in one position or playing with one toy too long

thinks it's hilarious when Little Man jumps

holds up her head with great stability

enjoys sitting up to play and look around

loves to stand with help

discovered and plays with her toes

is fascinated by studying hands

delights Brother by holding onto his fingers

still loves music

has been waking up at about 6 for the past few mornings and singing

has a sweet clear singing voice

(which is different than her talking voice)

as well as a funny little Louis Armstrong impression voice

has a charming dimple in her left cheek

loves to cuddle

hangs on tightly when held upright against someone's shoulder

has a way of charming us all

sibling photos

2011-12-07T09:42:00.000-07:00

Recently a friend from church (Who, incidentally, also is my hair stylist and my favorite barista at our local Starbucks and whose mother altered my friend Katie's wedding dress--living in a small town is so interesting.) asked me to take some pictures of her and her brother. They wanted to have some nice photos to give their parents for gifts.

It was my first sibling photoshoot, and let me tell you, it was a lot of fun! My friend and her younger brother are good friends and have such a fun dynamic. Plus they both had so many creative ideas that I hardly felt like I was working at all! We got an impressive 87 good photos from their not-quite-hour session. Below are a few of my favorites.

Snowboarding as a family is a special part of their lives,

so taking photos of them with their snowboards was important.

Too bad there was no snow on the ground...

the stockings were hung with care

2011-12-06T13:28:00.000-07:00

We are doing minimal Christmas decorating this year: our stockings, a tiny advent Christmas tree from my childhood, the nativity scene, and a couple of strings of white lights. Putting out any more seems so overwhelming, and taking it down seems even more so. I'm finding that the more I do simple decorations, the more I like them...

Two years ago I made coordinating stockings for our family from linens and fancy trims, but of course that was before we had Sweet Pea. So last week I pulled out my stash of stocking supplies and made a new girly stocking for her.

Our five stockings look quite nice hung in a line from our little mantle.

While I worked on the stocking, the boys kept me company. Brother pinned pieces of muslin together. Little Man cut, pinned, and hand stitched scraps of the linen together into his first sewing projects!

We we both delighted with the results. I love that the boys are getting coordinated and aware enough to enjoy observing me making things and to make their own projects alongside me, but it does make it more of a challenge to make their gifts... : ) More handmade Christmas coming soon.

monday menu

2011-12-05T06:00:00.000-07:00

[farmers' market onions]

After a couple of weeks of culinary chaos, it feels good to be organizing again. Here's what I'm planning to make this week:

M-chicken tacos

T-pancakes, eggs, bacon, and fruit

W-tuna melt sandwiches and carrot sticks

Th-some sort of mushroomy pasta to use up the mushrooms in my refridgerator

F-crock pot chili and hopefully fresh rolls

What's on your to-make list this week?

thanksgiving trip

2011-12-03T13:00:00.000-07:00

We spent the entire Thanksgiving week

with my in-laws

in Utah.

We had a wonderful

fun, relaxing trip.

I love my in-laws.

They are definitely near the top of my thankful list.

While we were there:

We feasted.

(But I was too busy eating to take photos.)

We sang.

We danced.

We wore our pretty clothes

and posed for pictures.

We libraried and read books.

We played.

We golfed.

(Benjamin fit in three games

and I went to the driving range twice

because I'm not good enough to really golf yet.)

We colored.

We were speechless

when my father-in-law who generally hates cats

announced his decision to get one

for my mother-in-law.

We recovered our power of speech

and got to help him choose the new kitty.

We visited the train yard

where my father-in-law works.

We gifted.

We shopped a little.

(But not on Black Friday

because we're not insane.)

We visited

The Living Planet Aquarium

where we had a ton of educational fun.

We visited

with long-lost friends.

We dated.

Yes,

it was a lovely trip indeed.

But I am oh, so glad to be back home.

handmade Christmas 2011

2011-12-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

As you may recall from last year, I really enjoy making hand made gifts for my family. I don't go quite so far that all of the gifts are handmade (for example, crayons are pretty hard to manufacture at home...), but I do like for everybody to have a handmade gift or two.

This year I began my Christmas craftiness with gifts for my three-year-old niece. A few months ago, her mom saw a tutorial for little ruffle backpacks, loved the idea, and sent it to me (I'm the only sister-in-law who sews), so my choice for her gift was easy. I deviated from the tutorial, but the idea is basically the same.

My little niece loves pink, so I went all out, using three different shades. I like how it turned out even though the effect is rather riotous.

Inspired by a Pinterest find, my second gift to her is a store bought turtle neck embellished with my own pink and green ribbon Christmas tree applique. This was my first applique onto knit fabric. I was delighted with the result and am sure I will be doing more of it!

I'm eagerly looking forward to packaging these up and sending them to bring Christmas cheer!

friends' family photos

2011-11-30T06:00:00.000-07:00

About two years ago, I took family photos for some good friends to use for their Christmas card. It was my first ever photoshoot with anyone other than my family. Since then they have been among my warmest supporters. Earlier this autumn I had the honor of once again photographing their beautiful family. The following are a few of my favorite shots.

patches

2011-11-29T21:34:00.000-07:00

We were out of town on vacation for the entire week last week. I thought to myself before we left: "Hooray! I'm going to use all the extra time that I have while we're hanging out at my in-laws' to catch up on my backlog of blog posts!" Did it happen? Nooooo, obviously not, so here I am back home again after a lovely trip with an even bigger list of stuff to write about. I'll probably eventually post some highlights from our trip, but for now I'm going to write about a little project I did a couple of weeks ago.

Little Man has suddenly began putting holes in the knees of his pants. Usually I just throw them away since most of his pants are second hand, but when one of his very favorite pairs of pants--some grey corduroys--wore through, I decided to patch them.

The boys are totally into dinosaurs right now, so I started by freehand sketching a little brontosaurus. Little Man was enchanted with the idea of drawing and cutting out shapes to applique onto his pants, so he carefully drew and painstakingly cut out quite a collection of his own applique templates.

He was so excited about his shapes that I decided to integrate some of them into my design even though it wasn't what I had originally planned. I used some fusible interfacing and green, tan, and dark orange corduroy from my stash to make the patches. I machine appliqued the designs onto the background patch color, then hand blanket stitched the patches onto the pants (his pants aren't big enough yet for me to do that part by machine).

He was so pleased with the finished product (especially about his own patch designs being used!) that he very cheerfully posed for me to take photos. He was not, however, inclined to change out of his beloved dalmatian shirt into one that matched better. I was okay with that; after all, it isn't every day that he's happy to have his picture taken with no coaxing whatsoever. ; )

He posed like this all by himself. I love his intense expression and the fact that he doesn't feel compelled to look at the camera with a grin every time his photo is taken.

I'm not going to complain about his sweet little smile either, though...

Ahem. Back to knee patches. I'm delighted with how these patches turned out. They are cute, they've held up well through several washings, and Little Man loves them. In fact, they were such a hit that I'm afraid I'll have to patch some of Brother's pants too so he won't feel left out. : )

three months-better late than never

2011-11-28T12:50:00.000-07:00

I began this post at the beginning of this month, and am finally getting around to putting on the finishing touches and publishing it. Ooops. Life has been crazy...

This month my sweet little Sweet Pea had her three month birthday!

It seems like I've known her for such a sort long time.

Even at the tender age of three months she has so much personality.

It is such a delight to watch her develop.

This month Sweet Pea...

often pulls herself into a half-sitting position

tried the Bumbo seat for the first time

(she likes it for a few minutes and then gets tired)

is really enjoying her play mat

can focus on, reach for, and grab things

(toys, hands, clothes, couch pillows, blankets...)

loves to push up with her legs and be held in a standing position

tried the johnny-jump-up

(she loved standing but is nowhere near jumping yet)

loves looking around and assessing her surroundings

isn't as happy about tummy time because she can't look around

still loves her swings

says multisylable "words" (as opposed to just "gooo!")

loves when Daddy sings to her and tries to sing along

charms us with her "capital D" smile

(like this kind of smiley face :D get it?)

is figuring out how to laugh when tickled

loves when her big brothers give her attention

delights them by holding onto their fingers

Little Man likes to share Sweet Pea's tummy time.

He'll imitate the way she's lying,

how her hands are,

the position of her head.

And they chat.

When I heard Brother's uproarious laughter,

I knew I needed to check on him.

I found him conspiring with Sweet Pea.

He explained:"This is silly, Mom!"

monday menu

2011-11-14T08:18:00.000-07:00

[seckel pears]

This week promises to be a crazy one with getting ready to travel for Thanksgiving, going to pick up my glasses (a one hour trip plus shopping time), and leaving for our trip on Friday. That being the case, I'm trying to plan some simpler meals.

M-fresh tomato sauce (I need to use up the tomatoes), grilled chicken, pasta

T-grilled chicken salad (didn't get to it last week)

W-grilled tuna sandwiches

Th-clean-out-the-fridge

F-traveling

What are you making this week?

little artists

2011-11-10T21:07:00.000-07:00

The boys got new paint from grandma last week.

New paint results in wildly excited boysies

who plead to paint until I let them

and in heartfelt prayers of gratitude from me

for washable art supplies.

Really, though, I am just as delighted as they are.

I love watching their creativity

and ability to communicate through visual art grow.

I love hearing Little Man's confident proclamation:

"I am an artist!"

I love watching their intent expressions

as they carefully dip, paint and rinse,

and I love keeping them supplied

with fresh papers and clean water.

I love spreading the beautiful wet paintings

to dry all the way across my counter.

I love displaying some on my fridge when dry

and mailing the rest away to brighten the day

of grandparents, aunts, uncles.

I don't even mind the clean up...

Brother's purples and oranges.

Little Man's experimentation with color mixing.

"A Radio" by Little Man

(Usually he prefers abstract painting,

so this one is extra special.)

"Giant Raspberries" by Brother

monday menu (on sunday again)

2011-11-06T06:00:00.001-07:00

[my share of delicious community harvest potluck food]

M-minestrone soup and french bread (We ended up going to some friends' house for dinner and didn't get to it last week.)

T-chicken pot pie (After an exhausting all-day shopping trip to the bigger town an hour away while battling a cold, I really didn't feel like cooking, so we didn't get to this last week either.)

W-tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches

Th-chicken alfredo with grilled chicken and steamed broccoli

F-grilled chicken salad and piadina (Italian flat bread)

What are you making this week?

a baby, a cradle, and an antique gown

2011-11-02T15:20:00.000-06:00

Before Little Man was born, Benjamin decided to make a cradle for him. He worked for hours, lovingly and meticulously refining the wooden details. It is a work of art. I have loved putting each of our children down to rest in such a lovely first bed. And with each child I have wanted to take some good photos of them in it.

However, disinclination to haul the heavy cradle out of our poorly lighted room, general fatigue, and the awkward foreshortening that's inevitable when photographing a tiny baby in a rather large, three-dimensional object, have prevented me. One recent morning, though, I woke up with the motivation to haul the cradle around as well as the inspiration to try capturing close-up details of the cradle instead of staying stuck in the rut of trying to photograph the entire thing at once.

In these photos Sweet Pea is wearing a beautiful baby dress hand sewn and embellished for my grandpa by his mother, Sweet Pea's great-great-grandmother. I can see things in these photos that I would like to improve, yet I am very pleased with how they turned out, both as a photography exercise of sorts as well as a portrait session of Sweet Pea in The Cradle.

leaf collages

2011-11-01T06:00:00.000-06:00

The third leaf project recently completed in our was was leaf collages. I had planned on making leaf people (something like these) with the boys. However, when push came to shove, I needed something for them to do quietly by themselves while I fixed dinner, so I gave them leaves, paper, and glue sticks and let them make collages virtually unsupervised.

Little Man was so excited when I told him he was going to make a collage. He's been playing a computer game where he gets to make a virtual collage, and being able to make a real, hands-on collage was way better than the game! The collage above was his first one. (See that big leaf? It was the largest one we were able find, and Little Man was excited to display it prominently in several leaf rubbings as well as in this collage.)

This is Little Man's second collage.

I think Brother enjoyed this project even more than Little Man did. In addition to making the lovely leaf collage pictured above, he did some delightful tactile experimentation with large globs of glue that broke off of the glue stick he was using. (You can see one of the glue globs above--it's that purple thing near the middle of the very bottom of the photo.)

This project was perfect for us this year. The boys enjoyed making beautiful art with the leaves they collected, and I was able to get dinner done in good time! As for the glue globs, they lived a short yet prosperous life before being easily cleaned up with a damp cloth.

leaf mobile

2011-10-31T06:00:00.003-06:00

The second leafy project I recently completed was

a wax-dipped autumn leaf mobile.

I dipped some of the leaves we collected into melted wax.

(It was parafin not beeswax. Shh...don't tell Martha.)

Then I strung them together

and hung them asymmetrically above my kitchen sink.

They look lovely with my yellow kitchen walls.

(Ahem...uh, why yes, I am a real person.

Those are real dishes untidily heaped in and around my real sink.

And that's my real sink sprayer nozzle thingy to the left of the sink

soaking in real vinegar to remove unfortunately real hard water deposits.

Real crafting takes a real toll on real housework...)

Since these photos were taken

the yellow leaves have turned decidedly brown,

but the red ones are still bright and beautiful.

They sway and turn so gracefully.

I enjoy observing them while I am washing my real dishes.

; )

monday menu...or should I say sunday menu?

2011-10-30T15:30:00.000-06:00

[zucchini pie photographed at the community harvest potluck]

Tangent: I am glad that I was raised to be willing, even eager, to try new foods. Having spent four of my childhood years in Brasil, I have had some interesting foods: all sorts of unusual tropical fruits and vegetables, fish eyes, and turtle meat, to name a few. I didn't like them all, but I enjoyed trying them. I still like trying new foods, whether it's sushi, an unidentifiable curry at an Indian buffet, zucchini pie at our local harvest potluck (it was surprisingly good, by the way), or the chayote that was on sale at our grocery store just last week. Experiencing food is a beautiful gift, and I hope that I can pass on some of the wonder and delight I feel in the colors, the smells, the textures, the balance of flavors to those around me. Maybe that's why I love taking pictures of the food I enjoy so much.

Anyway, on to menu planning. In one sense, last week's menu plan was a fiasco (not a single day's dinner was what I had planned it to be). However, since my grocery shopping and dinner making was still more organized that it would have been without a plan, and since we all enjoyed nourishing meals each night, I'll still consider it a success. I am hoping, though, that this week will proceed more nearly according to the plan:

M-pasta with grilled chicken and left over fresh tomato sauce

T-chili and fresh rolls

W-bagel sandwiches and fruit (Didn't get to it last week.)

Th-minestrone soup and leftover rolls (Didn't get to this last week either.)

F-chicken pot pie

I'd love to hear what culinary endeavors you have up your sleeves. (And I recommend the spot remover Zout for getting the stains out of the aforementioned sleeves.) What are you making this week?

2011-10-29T09:42:00.000-06:00

~The cinnamon rolls baking in the oven right now smell so good.

~Sweet Pea is wearing a little pink sleeper that has a print of teeny-tiny baskets of flowers, butterflies, fruits and veggies, and the cursive words "sweet pea" all over it. How appropriate.

~The feeling of little arms wrapped all the way around one's neck and shoulders for an affectionate squeeze is one of the best sensations ever.

~I made flourless fudge chocolate chip cookies last night. They were intense and delicious, perfect for killing a chocolate craving. While they were tasty, and I'll probably make them again, I don't foresee them becoming a top favorite.

~I bought a stained glass leaf necklace last week. I had been looking forward to getting it for so long that when it arrived on a day when I was already emotional, not looking quite like I had envisioned it, I was really disappointed. After a little adjustment, I decided that I do like it after all. Silly me.

~I intended to write posts on Thursday and Friday about the other two leaf projects the boys and I made last week. Ooops.

~On Thursday Benjamin and I played classical flute-and-piano music as background music at the fundraising banquet for our local crisis pregnancy center. We pulled it off amazingly well considering the amount of practice we had. I love making music with that man. : )

~Speaking of music, the other day Brother was playing the piano (he makes some beautiful incidental music!) and singing when he announced to me: "I singing a New Song, Mom!"

~Benjamin is out in the mountains getting firewood with a friend this morning. I'm so thankful. Having a fire in our wood stove will make the coldest days this winter much more bearable.

~The timer just beeped for the cinnamon rolls. Gotta run.

leaf rubbings

2011-10-26T10:52:00.001-06:00

Remember how I said that we collect lovely leaves during our autumnal meanderings? Well, last Friday we did three leaf projects with the specimens we gathered.

The first project we tackled was making leaf rubbings. Leaf rubbings are super-easy. All you do is arrange leaves vein side up on a piece of paper, place a second piece of paper on top of the leaves, and rub over the leaves with the side of a crayon with the paper peeled off.

Brother was interested and tried to make leaf rubbings, but he didn't quite get it. I made a few leaf rubbings on his paper for him, and then he was quite happy to draw his own designs with crayons and colored pencils.

Little Man, however, really enjoyed the project. He needed help holding the papers steady, but other than that, he had the process down.

I like his unconventional use of colors for autumn leaves.

Of all the leaf rubbings Little Man made, this is my favorite. We had so much fun with this project. I'm already planning to try to make it happen again next year!

leafy meanderings

2011-10-25T14:57:00.001-06:00

We have been enjoying

a late, warm autumn here in Montana.

The mornings are nippy-cold;

heavy frost turns our yard into a field of glinting diamonds.

But the afternoons have been clear and warm

with merely a hint of breeze.

It's the type of perfect weather

that results in brilliantly hued leaves.

It is also perfect for taking

meandering yet purposeful walks

on which we collect treasures.

We gather spruce cones, lovely leaves, photos,

and happy memories of time together.

our family photos

2011-10-24T14:55:00.000-06:00

Making sure we get a decent annual family photo is pretty important to me. I'm not quite willing to move earth and sky, but I'm afraid that I come close sometimes. This year I decided to do a simple photo session in our back yard (we really can't make too much of a photo-taking production with three children four and under in tow) on the first Saturday in October (you never know when it's going to snow here in Montana, and I'd rather not shiver through the session). The following are three of my very favorites.

Little Man's face in the photo above

is just like one I made for a family photo when I was small.

And Brother's moody cuteness

is, well, CUTE.

This picture makes me happy.

We look relaxed and cheerful, and the light is gorgeous!

my favorite

This event could not have taken place without the kind support of dedicated individuals. I'd like to begin by expressing thanks to my parents for taking the photos. I'd also like to extend my sincere gratitude to Little Man and Brother for pulling together their ragged emotions, wearing the clothes I dictated, and resisting the lure of the sand box. Last but not least, I'd like to thank my dear Benjamin who showed unwavering support for The Cause and without whom, the Family Photo Session of 2011 would have been a weepy disaster. ; )

monday menu

2011-10-24T14:40:00.000-06:00

[stew photographed at the community harvest potluck]

I've been blogging in such fits and starts lately. It frustrates me. I'd love to write perfectly spaced, predictably published blog posts, but guess what, I'm not perfect. I'm learning to be okay with that. : ) I can't believe that it's been a whole week since I've posted! Time flies when you're having fun. Anyway, here's what I'm planning on making this week.

M-roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, steamed broccoli

T-savory chicken leftover (a celery-rich chicken gravy over elbow pasta)

W-bagel sandwiches and fruit

Th-minestrone soup and fresh rolls

F-stir fry over brown rice

What are you mixing up this week?

monday menu

2011-10-17T09:42:00.000-06:00

[pasta salad photographed at the community harvest potluck]

M-It's my birthday today! So I get a nice little birthday dinner made by my Mum.

T-tacos (I didn't get to them last week; instead we had ramen one night because we had colds.)

W-tomato soup and grilled cheese

Th-chili with homemade rolls

F-pasta and chicken with red sauce

What are you making this week?

october calendars

2011-10-14T06:00:00.000-06:00

Last month I wrote about the August and September calendars I printed for the boys (especially Little Man) to help them count down to special events and learn calendar skills. They went over so well that I decided to make October calendars with them too.

They both colored their pages carefully in characteristic styles. Little Mans is rainbowy meticulous, while Brother's is splashy random. I love them both. : )

gift

2011-10-13T06:00:00.001-06:00

Back story: We have friends whose oldest arrived just two minutes after Little Man did. We were friends long before we had the boys. When we met we would never have imagined that someday we'd be laboring in next-door hospital rooms. Fortunately we had different doctors...

Anyway, Little Man's birthday-buddy's party was last week. I enjoyed whipping up a treasure bag (based on this hobo sack tutorial) which we gave to him with a monster truck tucked inside. This might be my favorite treasure bag that I've made so far (and I've made a lot of them!). I just love the rich red plaid and the perfectly coordinating khaki lining. I was almost a little bit sad to see it go, but the birthday boy liked it, so I was okay. : )

scarves

2011-10-12T06:00:00.000-06:00

Autumn has arrived with a vengeance in our corner of the world. Golden leaves flame against dripping grey or brilliant blue skies; the breeze is nippy-cool. Sweaters, warm tea, and hot soup are comfortingly welcome. Also welcome are new autumn accessories! Lucky for me, I have two fabulously fun new scarves that I made based on an idea I found on Pinterest.

[Please excuse the headless photo; it was't a good self-timer portrait day.]

My mom and I had a lovely variety of autumn colored yarns between us for making into pretty scarf strands. I got so carried away with all of the exciting textures and colors that I ended up having enough to make two scarves. (I tried them all in one scarf at first and the effect was...well..bulky. So bulky, in fact, that it looked like my scarf was wearing me instead of the other way around!)

Anyway, I ended up making two autumn-colored scarves. I bundled the extra one up with a pretty gift tag and mailed it to my friend Katie who lives in Idaho.

I couldn't stop at just those two scarves, though, and had to use my blue, grey, and white scraps to make a third. This one is even less bulky and is much more like an accessory than a piece of ward-of-the-cold-air gear. I like having the variety. : )

This project was perfect for using up all of those extra little bits of yarn that are too big to throw away but too small to complete a project. Plus I can pick it up and set it down as many times as my interruption-full life demands without losing stitches or needing to find my place again. I can easily foresee more of these chain-stitched scarves in my crafting future.

coloring

2011-10-11T06:00:00.001-06:00

a couple of weeks ago

i enjoyed

sitting down with the boys

and doing some coloring

[Brother's version-bright splashes of color]

[Little Man's version-careful rainbow petals]

[my version-whimsical additions]

as you can see

i got a little carried away

and had tons of fun

(the coloring pages came from made by joel)

two months

2011-10-10T15:51:00.006-06:00

Our baby girl's two month birthday was last Friday. She changes a little every day, just enough that it's noticeable but not enough to make it less of a shock when I stop to think and realize just how quickly the time is flying by.

Right now Sweet Pea...

is 10 pounds even

loves to eat

doesn't mind a bottle

likes her pacifier but can usually do without it

sleeps so well--at least 5 hours straight every night

still doesn't have a nap schedule

really loves to snuggle

likes to swing

enjoys tummy time

is holding her head up with ever-increasing stability

has focused on and reached for objects a few times

shows what might be the beginning of a preference for a little doll

is a social, chatty baby, cooing and gooing every time she makes eye contact

gets all excited, flapping her limbs and grinning, when she seems me coming

seems to be trying to sing along with Daddy

observes her brothers intently

smiles frequently and occasionally laughs
tolerates headbands for only a little while

looks extra-cute in purple

I love my boys and wouldn't change them for the world, but I have to admit that there's something special about having a little lady in the house. I'm so grateful to have Sweet Pea in our family!

monday menu

2011-10-10T06:00:00.000-06:00

[potato salad photographed at the community harvest potluck]

M-grilled chicken, orzo with parmesan and basil, grilled corn on the cob (Didn't get to this last week.)

T-stir fry over brown rice

W-grilled cheese, tomato soup, and fruit

Th-black bean burgers (Didn't get to this one last week either.)

F- tacos

I think I'll also sneak in an apple crisp. Plus I'm planning on making a batch of apple butter and a batch of plum jam with fruit that has been given to us. I should be a delicious week! What's cooking in your kitchen this week?

hats in progress

2011-10-07T14:12:00.000-06:00

I have about a dozen hats sitting around my dining room and kitchen right now in various stages of completion. I love making things, but making a whole bunch of the same thing at the same time tends to leave me frustrated and annoyed. I joke about how someday when I'm rich and famous I'll design stuff and hire other people to make and market it...

In the meantime, however, I am thankful for beautiful fabric and an abundance of things to keep me busy. (I dislike being bored more than I dislike production work.) I'm thankful that even though the hats are all basically the same, there are enough variations to keep them from becoming too wearisome. I'm thankful that when I'm done with these, I will have one more project crossed off my list. I'm thankful that I'll have a new hat or two for a very low cost and a few to sell. And last but certainly not least, I'm thankful for a friend who purchased the one hat I have actually finished so far this week!

[Doesn't Emily look cute sporting her new hat?]

Linking up with Jennifer's Studio Sneak Peek today.

all things bright and beautiful

2011-10-05T11:41:00.001-06:00

The boys received some rainbow scratch art sheets as a gift at their birthday party. I couldn't resist appropriating one. (Though, as Little Man told me, I really should have asked before using it. He's right. I should have.)

I had such fun scratching away the black to make brilliant flowers and curly-cues. As I scratched, the words of a hymn popped into my mind, and I added the first phrase since it fit with almost ironic perfection. (John Rutter's version is my favorite. Do give it a listen; it's worth your time.)

fun sized pears

2011-10-04T06:00:00.000-06:00

A couple of weeks ago, seckel pears were on sale. They were so little and cute that I just had to try some. I'm happy to report that they were as tasty as they were cute, so if you see some for a good price, snap them up! And while you're snapping, why not use them as subjects as you practice your photography skills?

monday menu

2011-10-03T09:25:00.001-06:00

[photographed at the community harvest potluck]

Happy October to you! I'm so happy about the arrival of my birthday month. And with the arrival of cooler weather I'm back in the familiar, comfortable territory of hot, comforting meal making. Here's what I'm planning on making this week:

M-farfalle with mushrooms and spinach

T-marinated steak, crispy smashed potatoes, and salad (didn't get to it last week)

W-chicken and orzo soup

Th-black bean burgers

F- grilled chicken, orzo with parmesan and basil, broccoli

Ooooohhh boy. Three (actually four if I make Great Harvest knock off pumpkin bread too) new recipes in one week could potentially be disastrous, but I think we'll pull through just fine. What is life without some adventure, right? If I remember to take photos, I'll probably have some good recipe reviews to write up. : )

What are you mixing up this week?

custom

2011-09-30T06:00:00.003-06:00

another I Corinthians 13:4-8a calligraphy

being told that someone

is "in love with [my] beautiful design"

and wants to give it to a best friend

to celebrate her wedding

is highly motivating to me

and i find myself willing

to comply with that same someone's

request for a rush order

even though I'm a sleep-deprived mother

of a newborn

: )

yesterday inspiration struck

and i'm very much hoping

to have a new customizable calligraphy design

for my shop

sooner rather than later

linking up with Jennifer's studio sneak peek

leaf garland

2011-09-30T06:00:00.002-06:00

I love Pintererst. It took me a while to jump on the bandwagon, but now that I'm on, I intend to hang around for a while. It's such a handy way of organizing all those lovely ideas I find that I don't want to forget. I have an entire board dedicated to Autumn projects, and as the days are cooling and the leaves are brightening, I have decided to try to tackle one of my Autumn projects a week.

The first project I decided to work on was one that the boys and I did together. It is a combination of an idea for making colorful autumn leaves with waxed paper, crayon shavings, and a warm iron with an idea for making a mantle decorating leaf garland.

We began by discussing which colors were autumn colors, and then I let Little Man choose which colors we would use from his crayon tin. Then we made lots of crayon shavings with pencil sharpeners. Both of the boys enjoyed it, but making crayon shavings takes a surprising amount of strength, so I ended up doing most of it.

[pointy-sharpened crayon stubs make me smile]

Little Man insisted that the periwinkle and teal colors were autumn colors too. : ) I can see his point; after all, the autumn sky is a brilliant blue.

Then the boys took turns arranging the crayon shavings on the waxed paper. After the crayon shavings were arranged, I ironed the waxed paper-crayon sandwiches between layers of towel and paper napkin, making lovely marbled patterns.

Then I traced and free handed leaf shapes, circles (I thought that periwinkle circles might be a little more appropriate than periwinkle leaves), squares, and even a couple of kites. Little Man, who is becoming quite handy with scissors, helped cut our shapes out.

We made maple leaves.

and oak leaves

And being good westerners, we had to make some aspen leaves too.

Then we strung them all together, draped them on our mantle, and admired the effect. Little Man told me this evening: "I liked finishing that project with you!"

Linking up with Jennifer's Studio Sneak Peek.

four

2011-09-29T17:20:00.002-06:00

My Little Man turned four on Wednesday,

the twenty-first of September.

He is growing so quickly.

I want to cherish

each day.

As I mentioned, we officially celebrated the boys' birthdays over Labor Day weekend. Little Man did, however, get a new birthday book (one about trains that came with a tiny train set), a birthday breakfast of banana muffins (complete with four candles and Happy Birthday song) along with pop corn and chocolate gold fish, and macaroni and cheese for dinner. Unfortunately, he also got a cold and was sadly unwell with fever and stuffy nose on his special day.

Little Man...

goes golfing with Daddy sometimes

enjoys riding his bike

is a very fast runner

ran over 1/4 mile without stopping

is really pushing the limits of what he can climb on

has some pretty sweet dance moves

plays a shaker along with music with pretty good rhythm

sings an ever-increasing number of songs

(his latest favorite is "Blessed be Your Name" by Matt Redman)

enjoys Psalm 150 and the story of the Good Samaritan

stacks incredible block structures

loves to "build" with his tools

is always coming home with new wood scraps from grandpa

loves, loves, loves trains

is asking lots of questions about traffic laws

is getting pretty good at holding meaningful conversations

remembers the information he receives in those conversations

is figuring out good ways of expressing his clever sense of humor

thoroughly enjoyed his daily allotment of computer games

"reads" books to himself but prefers to have them read to him

colors with meticulous care

likes using lots of colors

loves to paint

has started home preschool

draws fishing rods and fish

has suddenly become a much pickier eater

especially loves pancakes, macaroni and cheese, and pickles

(not together, thankfully)

enjoys helping in the kitchen

brings the small trashes and empties them into the large trash

still takes naps

is an early riser

tries to keep his brother in line

shows Brother new ways to play with things and put together puzzles

holds his sister gently

brings us much joy every day

I love you, Little Man, and have so enjoyed watching you develop into the big four-year-old boy you are! You are charming and smart, and I love interacting with you. May you continue to develop your many gifts and learn use them wisely.

autumn ritual

2011-09-27T20:48:00.004-06:00

as the days shorten

the morning air nips

and the harvest is gathered

something kicks into gear

and i know.

it's tomato soup time.

[washing and cutting]

[pureeing and cooking and stirring]

[measuring and whisking]

[straining and thickening, filling and sealing]

[heating]

[boiling and timing]

[cooling and admiring]

[labeling and storing]

today i made

approximately

25 pints of tomato soup.

i am tired

but am delighted with the knowledge

that golden harvest is preserved

to brighten the cold dreary

dead of winter.

my three guys

2011-09-27T06:00:00.000-06:00

I <3 them.

monday menu

2011-09-26T06:00:00.000-06:00

[pickles photographed at the community harvest potluck]

As you may have gathered from the above photo's caption, I recently had the opportunity to photograph our community harvest potluck organized by a friend. In addition to being able to photograph the people who attended and the fiddlers who provided entertainment, I got to take lots of pictures of one of my favorite subjects: food. You'll be seeing some food photos from the community harvest potluck at the agonizingly slow pace of one a week (with my monday menus) for the next couple of months. : )

It looks like we'll be returning to normalcy this week as far as menu planning goes. At least that's what I hope will be happening! Here's what I'm planning on mixing up this week:

M-tuna melt sandwiches, fresh fruit

T-grilled chicken, cilantro-lime chickpea salad (new recipe)

W-chicken caesar wraps (with left over grilled chicken)

Th-veggie-bean stir fry over rice

F-marinated beef kabobs, crispy smashed potatoes, salad

What are you making this week?

blogiversary

2011-09-24T11:00:00.003-06:00

i've been journaling

in this spot for

three years

tons of photos

thousands of words

nearly six hundred posts

crazy

but my

favorite part

are the friendships

precious new friends

old friends reconnected

unknown needs met

amazing

i would never have dreamed

thank you, thank you, dear readers

for reading

(sadly i have no giveaway this year...my heartfelt gratitude will have to suffice)

rachel's photos

2011-09-23T18:00:00.000-06:00

Benjamin's sister and I have the same problem. We're both photographers and spend much more time behind the camera than in front of it. Seeking to remedy this, last June she gifted me a maternity photo session, and a few weeks ago I returned the favor by taking some portraits of her. We had a lot of fun and shared some good laughs in addition to getting some good shots. Below are a few of my favorites.

Hooray for fun and sisters and nice camera lenses. : )

Linking up with Jennifer's Studio Sneak Peek.

a photoshoot conversation

2011-09-22T11:26:00.001-06:00

Written yesterday: It's Little Man's birthday, and we're outside. I give in to the lure of good lighting, and in spite of the fact that he has a cold and is wearing a rather worn T-rex pajama shirt, I decide to take some photos of him in honor of the fact that he's now four years old.

Me: [Little Man], will you come lie on your stomach in the grass so that I can take pictures of you?

Little Man: No. I don't want to.

Me: Okay. That's fine. [Brother], will you lie on your stomach in the grass for me?

Brother: Yep!

Little Man: Yes! Yes, I will do it!

Me: Good!

(He lies down on the grass, looking unimpressed.)

Little Man: But it's tickling me.

Me: Will you lie down over here with the shed behind you?

Little Man: No. It's too tickley.

(He sits up.)

Me: Okay. Can I take a picture of you sitting up like that then?

Little Man: Yes.

Little Man: Look! This is me turning like an owl! Can I see a picture of me turned like an owl?

Me: Sure.

Me: Now will you lean on the shed like this for me?

(I demonstrate how I'd like for him to pose.)

Little Man: No. I don't want to.

Me: Okay.

Little Man: Will you swing me five big swings?

Me: I'll swing you after you stand by the shed for me. Will you please go lean against the shed?

Little Man: Okay!

Me: [Little Man], you need to turn around. Can you please look at your brother?

(That's better.)

(Poor kid can't breathe through his nose and looks horribly uncomfortable. I've got to think of something to distract him.)

Me: Can you tell me about Thomas the Train?

Little Man (smiling at last): Thomas the Train.

Little Man: Percy the Train.

Little Man: Harvey the Train.

Little Man: Will you push me on the swing now?

Me: Yes!

Little Man: Five big swings?

Me. Five big swings.

monday menu

2011-09-19T15:42:00.000-06:00

[I have some lovely food photos, but they're on my external hard drive, and I don't feel like getting up. I guess I'll save them for future posts.]

This is a little bit of a crazy week. Little Man's birthday is on Wednesday. Benjamin is leaving for a three-day work conference early Wednesday, and coming back late on Friday. He'll be taking the van and leaving the tiny, not-so-dependable car for me to use in case of emergency. To top it off, my back-up adult interaction (a.k.a. my dear Mum and Papa) are out of town all week. It's a little overwhelming, but if the rest of the week goes as well as this morning's errand-expedition-with-three-children-in-tow went, I'll be just fine.

In light of the upheaval in our schedule, I've planned simple meals this week. I intend to be able to keep on top of things and still be sane when Benjamin returns, but I will have to cut a few corners. Simple meals are a great corner to cut.

M-farmer's market veggie stir fry over rice

T-garlic-fresh tomato-parmesan sauce over pasta

W-macaroni and cheese (Little Man requested a birthday dinner of something with pasta.)

Th-left over chili over baked potatoes and baby carrots

F-grilled cheese sandwiches or pancakes

What culinary adventures are you planning this week?

calendars with the boys

2011-09-14T15:30:00.000-06:00

Little Man is getting big enough that he can remember things from last year and look forward to them happening again this year. This is a very good thing. However, after being asked every day for the first two weeks of August if the fair, the parade, and his birthday were going to happen tomorrow, I decided he needed something to help him gain some concept of time.

My first idea was making a paper chain with him, a link for each day, and counting down by taking off one link per day. That was a bit too involved, though, and just didn't happen. My mom suggested printing up calendars instead. It was a brilliant idea. After a quick google search, I found these monthly printable calendars with coloring pictures at the top.

The boys loved coloring them.

Then we hung them on the fridge. I marked special events on Little Man's calendar with words and little pictures, and (almost) every day we talk about which day of the week it is, and put a sticker on the correct square. (Yes, I know those are August calendars. We have September ones up now; I'm just behind on my posting.)

It's wonderful. Little Man and Brother are learning about months and days of the week. Little Man can see for himself how many days are left until the events he's eagerly anticipating. And I don't have to try to explain every day how long weeks are or how many are between now and his birthday. It's a win-win-win situation! : )

three cuties

2011-09-13T06:00:00.000-06:00

It's easy to take good photos

with such a high concentration of cuteness

all in one place!

I mean, look at those little faces;

three adorable cuties

all in one chair!

At least it's easy to take good photos

of the three of them together if you redefine "good photos"

to exclude all looking at the camera at the same time,

all smiling, or lack of blurriness.

I don't mind redefining...

sand box fun

2011-09-12T06:00:00.000-06:00

Early this summer Benjamin and Little Man made a pact to make a sandbox before the end of the summer. Life was crazy, though, and Little Man waited patiently until a couple of weeks ago for his sand box.

Benjamin and my dad constructed a sturdy wooden box and lid (no neighborhood cats in our sand, please!) and filled it with sand (with some help from Little Man).

Little Man was so excited to finally have the sand box he'd been so eagerly anticipating that he could barely contain himself. He kept jumping up and down and making indescribable inarticulate happy noises. Brother was pretty excited too.

Once they had grabbed some sand toys and started digging, they calmed down a little bit. We've been enjoying it frequently ever since.

up to my old tricks

2011-09-08T06:00:00.001-06:00

baby-blanket-making tricks, that is. I have completed two simple flannel blankets in the last month. I had actually began them in the I-need-to-keep-myself-busy-and-distracted early stages of labor with Sweet Pea, but I only finished the second one last week.

The first one I finished was for a friend whose little girl is due to arrive any day now. It is just like the blanket I made for my little nice, except that I used yellow instead of the solid pink.

Have I mentioned that I love top stitching... (Sorry about the dark pictures. I finished the blanket about an hour before the baby shower, and I couldn't wait until the cloud blocking the sun moved away to take photos.)

The blanket, an owl, a crocheted baby hat, and a pacifier clip made quite a nice shower gift.

The second blanket is an even simpler two-layers-of-flannel-sandwiched-together blanket for Sweet Pea. I love the green print. I bought it when I was expecting Little Man just in case he was a girl. (Hey, it was on sale, and I loved it!). I'm happy to finally be able to use it. I had hoped to find the perfect color of pink for the back, but I just couldn't, so I settled for a lovely yellow print instead. After I bought it though, I began second guessing and wondering if I should have gotten purple...

Sweet Pea seems to like it just the way it is, though, so I reassure myself that yellow is indeed lovely and move on with life. : )

Linking up with Jennifer's Studio Sneak Peek.

one month

2011-09-07T19:27:00.003-06:00

Sweet Pea is one month old today.

I can't believe it!

Why does the first month after they're born

fly so much faster than the last one

before they arrive?

I want to know.

Right now Sweet Pea...

still spends an awful lot of time sleeping

has let me sleep for 5 1/2 and 6 hour stretches several nights

eats heartily and frequently

gets a lot of diaper and outfit changes

likes to be warm and wrapped in blankets

loves to cuddle

(she often holds on to whoever is holding her)

enjoys being carried in the baby sling

likes bath time very much

is spending more time awake

looks around inquisitively with wide, bright eyes

loves studying the line made by the dark valance and bright window

seems to be recognizing her immediate family

has in impressive array of expressive looks

smiles more and more frequently

(she smiled at me when I bent over her to pick her up this evening)

occasionally giggles

can yell loudly but usually doesn't

It's all pretty normal newborn stuff, but we are all charmed

and take in each new detail with great delight,

exclaiming over her beauty and cleverness

as if she was a super-model-genius-baby.

She brings us all such joy.

a build-your-own cupcake party

2011-09-06T20:15:00.006-06:00

Brother's birthday is August 15, Little Man's is September 21, and Labor Day weekend falls almost perfectly in the middle. So when Benjamin's parents decided to visit on Labor Day weekend, I thought it would be the perfect time to throw a small, simple joint party for the boys.

It ended up being very small (just our family, the two sets of grandparents, and our friends Jeff and Katie) and very simple (nothing but cupcakes and ice cream, candles and happy-birthday song, and presents). I was a little disappointed, but it ended up working out for the best. The last thing I needed on that crazy weekend was more to do, and the last thing the boys needed was too much excitement (the were close enough to excitement overdose as it was).

I made chocolate cupcakes and whipped ganache frosting and set out some toppings. Then each person got to eat their cake exactly how they liked it.

The cupcake toppings (clockwise from left):

crushed oreos, sprinkles, chocolate chips,

chocolate sprinkles, blue sugar

Little Man seriously and carefully decorated his cupcake

with a little bit of everything.

Brother got some help from Grandma.

Cutie birthday boys.

I planned on getting pictures of everyone with their cupcake,

but of course I got distracted and didn't.

This is my dad, posing goofy.

He doesn't like much frosting.

Benjamin's parents shared a cupcake.

Benjamin made frosting-oreo dip for his cake.

Katie's was artsy and cute like she is.

Jeff preferred his cupcake plain.

I stuck to brown and blue.

After the fun of decorating and eating our cupcakes (and ice cream), we had present time. The boys both enjoyed opening their gifts and playing with them afterward.

The more I think about it, the more I'm certain that it was the perfect amount of party.

labor day weekend

2011-09-06T19:58:00.003-06:00

"Montana's Biggest Weekend" was crazy.

And we didn't even do half

of the possible activities

in our town.

Here's what we did do:

Friday morning: Mum and I took the boys to the county fair.

Little Man and Brother loved all of the animals

and the kettle corn we ate

while watching the team branding competition.

They weren't very enthusiastic about

photography or quilts, though.

Friday evening: The five of us went to the carnival.

Benjamin and I each went on a couple of rides with the boys,

enjoyed chatting with friends and acquaintances,

and successfully resisted the tantalizing smells

of oh-so-bad-for-you carnival food. : )

Little Man went on as many rides as we let him,

but his favorite was the ferris wheel.

Brother tried one ride (the carousel) and kinda panicked.

Sweet Pea slept peacefully the entire time in her sling.

Saturday: We spent the day at home

and welcomed Benjamin's parents when they arrived

for a long-weekend visit.

Sunday: We went to church

then came home to make and eat a big lunch.

Benjamin and his dad went to the driving range.

We had Little Man and Brother's

combined birthday party.

(photos coming soon)

The guys went fishing.

We played games.

Monday: Parade day.

Benjamin took Little Man

to be on his company's float.

The rest of us walked downtown, enjoyed the parade,

and walked around the craft fair.

Benjamin and his dad played 18 holes of golf.

We made and ate another big meal

and ended the evening with a movie.

There have been late nights and short naps galore.

It was a ton of fun, but we're all worn out,

and I'm eagerly anticipating

return to normalcy...

wednesday menu

2011-08-31T09:27:00.002-06:00

We've had the flu. Little Man, Benjamin, and I have all had it rather severely, while thankfully Brother and Sweet Pea have escaped practically unscathed. We obviously haven't been doing a lot of eating, and I haven't made it to the store yet this week (I usually do errands on Mondays), so I am finally getting around to making a menu. Better late than never, right?

Partly because I'm behind schedule, partly because my in-laws are going to be visiting this weekend and I need to have a more firm plan than I usually do on weekends, and partly because it's a holiday weekend, I'll be doing my planning a little differently than usual.

W-frozen pizza, fruit

Th-pasta with red sauce, roasted chicken, salad

F-french toast, fruit

S-bean and cheese burritos, carrots

Su-brazilian marinated kebabs, rice, salad

M-hamburgers, hot dogs, grilled corn-on-the-cob

What is cooking in your kitchen this week?

newborn portraits

2011-08-25T15:30:00.001-06:00

Between sleep deprivation, juggling the responsibilities of now having three children, spending time with my husband, trying to keep the dishes and laundry in acceptably small piles, making it to appointments in a timely way, and baby snuggling, I really haven't had much time to indulge in making beautiful things for the fun of it like I usually do. I have, however, been enjoying spending more time behind my camera, resulting in lots of lovely photos and, if possible, a third-born who is more photographed than the first-born was. ; )

The following are my favorite shots from my newborn photo session of Sweet Pea when she was just six days old.

It's hard to get a good photo of newborn with their eyes open because they have a hard time focusing. I have Brother and his loud noises directly behind me to thank for this lovely shot.

This one makes me smile.

The bedspread in these photos was hand-crocheted by my great-grandmother for my grandpa while she was expecting him. I am so honored that she wanted me to have this precious heirloom.

I really love tiny baby toes.

We used this one for her birth announcements.

More baby feet...Couldn't resist.

She's so tiny!

Linking up with Jennifer's Studio Sneak Peek.

brothers and sister

2011-08-22T20:43:00.000-06:00

One of the questions we've been hearing the most lately is "How are the boys doing with their new sister?" The answer? Well, they adore her, and aside from a little more general emotion than usual, their transition to having a tiny sister has been very smooth.

Sweet Pea and Little Man already seem to have a special bond. She listens in a special, intent way when he talks, and he loves to carefully hold her. He rejoices in having a sister, marvels at her tiny fingers, toes, and nose, and enjoys narrating what she is doing "She's wiiiiide awake!" "She's faaaaast asleep!" or "She's very wiggly!"

"If a big boy puts his finger in a tiny baby's hand, she'll hold on to it tightly." ~Little Man

Brother doesn't have the whole little sibling thing figured out quite as well as Little Man does, but that's okay since he's never done it before. His times of holding Sweet Pea are brief, usually ending in the urgent request: "Take it! Take it!" He does, however, take great delight in bringing his sister toys and blankets and helping with wipe opening and diaper disposing when I change her.

"Hug an' kiss sister." ~Brother

[Brother even shared his beloved puppies with Sweet Pea]

monday menu

2011-08-22T06:00:00.000-06:00

[just a pretty picture]

As you can see, I'm still not up to full speed as far as meal preparation goes. And that's okay. I mean, I just had a baby two-weeks-plus-a-day ago. I'm slowly getting back into things, though, and I have high aspirations of actually making a real meal or two this week. So this is what I'm planning, but I'm not going to beat myself over it if it just doesn't happen.

M-casserole from one of Benjamin's kind coworkers

T-steak, rice-a-roni, asparagus

W-frozen pizza, salad

Th-roasted garlic lemon herb shrimp over pasta and probably more salad

F-pancakes and scrambled eggs

What are you making this week?

anniversary

2011-08-20T20:35:00.002-06:00

yesterday was our fifth wedding anniversary

five years of marriage

where has the time gone?

really

wasn't it more like five months ago

that I was planning and preparing

walking down the aisle

leaving on the honeymoon?

five years

they've been good years

and i'm looking forward to many, many more

because each year

just gets better

~~~~~~

we had fun

as we celebrated

he gave me flowers

and a new pair of earrings

i got my hair done by a professional

(because really, i'm pretty clueless about hair)

we left all three children in their grandparents' care

and dressed up and went to dinner

we ordered the fancy entrees

plus an appetizer and dessert

(something we never do)

we took in the sunset

and we talked and talked and talked

because

after all

five years

only comes around

once

two

2011-08-16T20:45:00.000-06:00

Yesterday Brother turned two. How time flies! He got a few special treats: a trip to our local bookstore and a new book he chose himself, a tiny happy birthday mylar balloon from Grandma, cards in the mail, and a piece of store bought carrot cake (I'm not, after all, Super-Mom) for our tiny, family celebration. We'll have an official celebration late, but for now what we did was just right: special yet not overwhelming.

Right now Brother...

just learned to turn somersaults

loves to jump

(off of raised surfaces as well as just bouncing on the floor)

is pushing (and learning) the limits of his crazy climbing skills

can swing in the big swings and go down the little slides at the park

can throw balls very far

enjoys pillow fights

loves to color--especially with markers

is left handed

is developing a decided preference for his favorite play-doh toys

cooks up all sorts of "food" with the kitchen toys

(the other day it was soup, and this morning it was pizza)

builds towers with blocks but prefers the toy animals

loves to "fix" things with his tools

can make impressive car sound effects

is figuring out the workings of simple puzzles

loves to strum the guitar and play notes on the piano

sings and hums throughout the day

has a few recognizable songs

is putting words into more sentences and phrases all the time

parrots all sorts of things we say

is very careful with his pronunciation

has begun having little conversations on the phone

helps unload the dishwasher

helps measure and mix when I bake

opens the wipe box and throws away diapers at the right times

is learning to put away toys

is learning self-control (no hitting, screaming, pinching, etc.)

is getting better at staying in his big boy bed

adores his blankets and stuffed puppies

is generous with hugs, kisses, and cuddles (to family, at least)

He is growing so quickly and is so full of life and personality that these words seem so bland and flat. Part of me wants to freeze time to enjoy this stage for longer (and perhaps that's what the words are for, bland though they may be), but the future is too exciting to freeze it permanently.

Brother, you bring us so much joy. I can't wait to see how you continue to grow! Happy Birthday.

monday menu

2011-08-15T06:00:00.000-06:00

Well, we are definitely still in the adjustment-to-having-a-tiny-baby-again phase, but things are beginning to fall into some sort of pattern. To help the routine continue to form, I've decided to start menu planning again. As you'll be able to tell, it's still not going to be regular meal making yet, but we'll get there again. : )

M-take out from a local restaurant thanks to a gift card from a friend. I'll probably get the mushroom burger.

T-bagel sandwiches, fresh fruit

W-pasta with sauce from a jar and some sort of vegetable

Th-dinner thanks to Benjamin's company after his work golf tournament

F-our wedding anniversary, dinner to be decided

What are you making this week?

welcome, little one

2011-08-09T15:00:00.003-06:00

We were thrilled to welcome Sweet Pea into the world on Sunday, August 7, 2011 at 3:45 a.m. after what was my quickest and least difficult labor yet! I'm still finding more new reasons for thanksgiving as I review the event in my memory.

She weighed 7 pounds 12 ounces and was 20 1/4 inches long.

We are all charmed and find her adorably delightful.

Little Man says:

"I'm glad I have a sister!"

"I love my sister, [Sweet Pea]"

"Look at her tiny toes!" (or nose, or fingernails...)

"Please may I hold my sister?"

Brother says:

"Touch! "Touch it!"

(He's still getting a grasp on pronouns.)

"She's movin'!"

"Pet head!"

"Hi! Hi! Hi!"

Since arriving home yesterday morning, we have been enjoying quiet time together as a family of five, beginning to become accustomed to a new way of life, and looking forward to the adventures ahead.

40 weeks and still counting

2011-08-04T09:08:00.002-06:00

(photo of Sweet Pea and I

by my sister-in-law

way back at about 35 weeks)

Little Man arrived 9 days before he was due.

Brother was 4 days early.

Sweet Pea has a mind of her own.

Her due date has come and gone,

leaving us all in suspense.

I've never been pregnant this long before

and it's a little surreal.

While I've had times of impatience,

nerves, already raw, rubbed sorer by careless remarks,

and the inevitable roller-coaster trips between optimism and despair,

I've found it much less agonizing to continue waiting

than I had expected.

Grace.

There is grace for each hour.

There are little boys to distract and delight,

routine duties and tasks to perform,

projects to craft, dreams to keep dreaming, and plans to make.

I am thankful.

I must admit, though,

that each day I long a little intensely

to hold my sweet baby in my arms...

2011-07-28T05:00:00.002-06:00

"Come to me,

all who labor and are heavy laden,

and I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me

for I am gentle and lowly in heart,

and you will find rest for your souls.

For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

Jesus' words take on a new

and very literal meaning

as baby time

approaches.

makes me smile

just how applicable

it is.

(Matthew 11:27-30)

nursery nook--complete

2011-07-27T06:00:00.002-06:00

As you know if you've been reading my blog for a while, I've been steadily working on Sweet Pea's nursery nook (it's not quite a full-blown nursery since it's not quite its own room). I was finally able to put the finishing touches on it last week! The prints Tomorrow No. 4, Oak Reading Room, and Through Cherry Tunnels by Naokosstoop were the inspiration around which I planned all the decor, and I couldn't be more pleased with how everything came together harmoniously.

The cedar chest under the prints was a high school graduation gift from my grandparents years ago. A vintage monogrammed handkerchief protects the surface from scratches from a lamp from Benjamin's bachelor days dressed up with a brand new shade. The vintage sage green chair is a garage sale find from several years ago. On it are the decorative pillows I made just for the nook.

The green and blue bumper pad and sheet go perfectly in the hand-me-down crib which rests underneath my hand made mobile, and the coordinating quilt finishes the ensemble. Late afternoon when the sun streams through the windows and ruffled curtains, tinting everything faintly golden, is my favorite time to be in the Nook, though I'll frequently find myself there dreaming sweet baby-related dreams at other times of the day too.

[finally a good photo of the mobile!]

Hurry up, little Sweet Pea, your own nook is ready, and we're eager to meet you!

Linking up with Studio Sneak Peek today even though this wasn't a Friday post...

the next installment of my personal owl fad

2011-07-26T06:00:00.000-06:00

I have had a mini personal owl fad going on starting in about November. I really have been enjoying the recent owl comeback (I think I've even squealed about an owl item or two, and I'm not usually a squealer). I've held myself in check about them, though, because (1) I don't want to conform so closely to a current fad that I end up completely dating myself and (2) moderation in all things (even cute lil' owls) is healthy.

After making and admiring owl baby shower invitations for my friend, though, and appreciating all of the positive feedback I received (even Benjamin proclaimed them to be "so cute!"), I started thinking about the adorable owl baby toys I've seen on several blogs and wanting to make some of my own. The idea fit in quite nicely with my need to keep busy so that I don't begin to fret about Sweet Pea's eminent arrival. I made two last Saturday--one for Sweet Pea and one as a gift.

After consulting several tutorials I found through a Google search, I made up my own pattern. I based it on a few favorite ideas in others' tutorials (I can't remember whose or I'd link up to them) and a few ideas all my own.

The wings flap and are crinkly, and two small jingle bells in each of the owls' bodies make a pleasant, soft noise. Plus I added little ribbon feet and tried to use various textures of fabric to add even more interest.

With links slipped into the top loop of ribbon, these two little owls are just waiting to entertain their new little playmates without slipping to the floor!

In the meantime, though, Brother finds them charmingly appealing and is more than willing to give them a test run...minus the drool and spit up, thankfully. : )

nursery nook--quilt

2011-07-25T06:00:00.000-06:00

My last piece of hand made decor for Sweet Pea's nursery-nook has been a small quilt (about 40 inches square) made from scraps left from the pillows, curtains, and bumper. Stress and time management made it imperative that I keep the design simple. It was so hard to keep myself from getting carried away, but in the end I stuck to simple, six-inch squares arranged randomly to accommodate the uneven number of squares in each print. Oh, and I couldn't resist one little bunny applique. : )

I'm pleased that I stuck to a simple design. Not only was it a wise, time-efficient choice, but it also really makes the most of the richness of the prints and the texture of the squiggly quilting.

It truly is a scrap quilt. I pieced the back from wide leftover strips and six inch wide pieces left over from cutting the squares. The binding is made from pieces of three different prints since there was simply not enough red to bind it entirely in red like I originally planned. Even the batting inside is in four different pieces! I can't help but feel pleased with the efficient way I'm using up my materials.

yard sale show and tell

2011-07-23T21:42:00.005-06:00

This morning I had a lot of fun going to a few yard sales and our local farmers' market with Mum. I'm delighted with my finds and thought that I'd like to play show and tell tonight.

vintage olive green lamp (yes, it works!)-estate sale-$1

I fell in love with the graceful olive green base and its delicate white designs but was planning on changing the lamp shade. When I brought it home, though, Benjamin expressed that the part he liked most was the shade, while the base made him think of an old lady casserole dish (not exactly his words, but that was the jist). It makes me laugh how our perceptions and tastes are different. He has very sweetly agreed to have it in his house since I like it so much, and I have decided not to change the shade after all. I love being able to work together!

two vintage frosted glass candle holders-estate sale-5¢ each

blue mug crafted by a local artist-farmers' market-$5

green mug-estate sale-50¢

vintage smuckers canister-estate sale-50¢

(not pictured)

like new Old Navy dress for Sweet Pea-yard sale-$1

soft moccasin shoes for Sweet Pea-yard sale-$1.50

vintage brown pyrex mixing bowl (like this one)-yard sale-$1

set of two tiny shovels and a tiny rake for the boys-yard sale-50¢

head of fresh butter lettuce-farmers' market-$2

chocolate covered cherry cupcakes for the boys-farmers' market-$1.50

total spent-$14.60

I'd say it was a great day for yard sales even though I didn't really find many of the things I've been specifically searching for!

parliament

2011-07-22T09:00:00.001-06:00

This week I worked on these cute little guys. Several ladies from our church are teaming up to throw a baby shower for a friend who is due in September. My contribution is making and mailing the invitations since that's the part I can easily do before Sweet Pea's life-altering arrival. I had a lot of fun using a borrowed owl punch to transform ordinary paper scraps into cute little feathered friends.

I made a whole parliament of owls, each one unique! I can't decide weather they looked cuter as a group or as individuals perched on the pink zig-zag stitches ornamenting each invitation.

Linking up with Studio Sneak Peek today.

Jeff and Katie's reception

2011-07-21T09:00:00.000-06:00

After their wedding, Jeff and Katie had a beautiful outdoor reception. There was a bountiful dessert buffet, wedding cake, dancing, and no rain!

cutting the cake

(they were sweet to each other;

I think the only bit of misplaced icing was a tiny dab on Jeff's nose.)

They toasted with Mountain Dew, Jeff's beverage of choice.

Little Man got to escort the bride to the dance floor.

lovely couple

Little Man loved blowing bubbles at the reception. I thought he looked like quite a dashing little gentleman in the vest I made for him (even better, he acted like one!).

It was such a beautiful, joyful day. As I said before, I was thrilled and honored be be able to be part of it and hope that it was just the first of many, many beautiful days Jeff and Katie share.

Jeff and Katie's wedding

2011-07-20T09:00:00.000-06:00

Once again it's hard to choose just a few photos to share from Jeff and Katie's lovely wedding, but posting the nearly hundred that I got of just the ceremony and decorations (not to mention all of the portraits) would definitely be overboard.

My dad performed the ceremony.

The wedding party

(That's Little Man looking a little confused on the front row.)

bride and bridesmaids

(there was another photographer in charge of taking the guy photos)

This is the first wedding I have ever been part of that the guys were as excited about getting photos of their shoes taken as the girls were. Of course, most guys' wedding shoes aren't this cool either.

Little Man with his adored friend, Jeff.

Mr. and Mrs.

Off the the reception!

Katie's bridal portraits

2011-07-19T09:00:00.000-06:00

Please bear with me as I indulge in a few days of somewhat belated wedding photos from my friend Katie's wedding on June 18. Today I'm going to share some of the bridal portraits we squeezed in at the very end of the day. I was going to share only one or two, but Katie is such a graceful and beautiful subject with such control over what she looks like that I manage to get tons of good photos in just minutes, resulting in far to many favorites to choose just two.

It was a windy day, and after battling the gusts for a while we decided instead to embrace it and make the most of some wind-blown veil shots.

I don't think there's anything quite like helping to capture and document a friends' joy on her wedding day. I feel so honored to have been included!

crabby pets

2011-07-18T09:00:00.000-06:00

We are not really pet people. We have allergies to pet dander. We don't like the time investment, smells, exertion, and expense associated with most pets. The benefits just don't seem worth it. However, on our last trip to Utah (where there are decent pet stores), I rather surprisingly and spontaneously decided to research and purchase hermit crabs for the boys.

Little Man was on cloud nine. He kept exclaiming, "I'm so glad we're getting a pet!" His eager excitement (and the crabs' lack of smelliness and low maintenance) make it all worth it. I'm finding the littler critters fascinating to observe, and I've been enjoying learning about and caring for them with the boys.

Did you know that hermit crabs breathe through hardened gills, so even though they live in the air, they get their oxygen from water? This makes it important to keep their environment humid. They love to climb and dig in the sand and bathe in salt and fresh water. One of their claws is bigger than the other. Hermit crabs, in spite of their name, are social little creatures and do best in groups of multiple crabs. And they chirp. Yes, I'm truly enjoying observing them.

This is Little Man's crab, Ortho. Little Man was very decided about naming his crab Ortho from the first time I asked him about it in the pet store. I'm not quite sure where he came up with it, but it's pretty cute. (The close up pictures of the crabbies are actually a little disturbing...sorry. They're much cuter at their actual 2 inches.)

And this is Brother's crab, Chica. That's the best we could make out when we asked him what he wanted to name his crab. He seemed pretty happy about it, though, so we must have guessed closely enough.

Little Man very conscientiously helps give the crabs fresh water and food.

I love this photo even though it's sadly blurry;

it just captures his joy and pride in being a crab owner so perfectly.

If you look closely in the front of the aquarium on the right side of this photo, you can see Chica. Brother was so excited that she was doing her daytime sleeping in a visible location. He was exclaiming "Hi, Chica! Hi, Chica!" over and over and pointing her out to me.

So far the only thing I regret about our new hermit crab pets is that they're nocturnal, so the boys don't get to enjoy them as much as I do. Hopefully this happy state of pet ownership continues!

bridal hair accessory

2011-07-15T08:30:00.000-06:00

My dear friend Katie got married on June 18th. I can't believe that I haven't blogged about it yet! After all, I was one of the photographers and have many beautiful images to share. Plus Little Man was the ring bearer, and I am very proud of how handsome he was and how well he behaved. I think it's one of those times that I have too much to share and don't know where to start.

About two hours before the rehearsal, Katie came to me with scraps from her wedding dress alteration, a rough sketch of a hair accessory that she had been dreaming of, and a request for advice on how to make it happen. I immediately envisioned exactly how it needed to be put together. After making sure she trusted me enough to just leave it in my hands, I sent her on her way to take care of all the other important details she was juggling.

I started with a base of white felt attached to a comb to which I added layers of bits of lace and tule from the dress as well as two white feathers. Then I added a satin flower and a sheer (organza?) flower also from dress scraps. A few antique buttons from my collection became the perfect finishing accents.

Much to my relief, her trust in me was not unfounded, and she was delighted with my creation. I have to admit that I was proud of how it turned out, perfectly coordinated with her entire "look."

Katie was a beautiful bride; I must share more photos soon...

linking up with Sneak Peek Friday today!

nursery nook--bedding

2011-07-14T09:00:00.000-06:00

I always thought that when I had a girl I'd decorate her room in green and pink since I love that combination. The art I fell in love with, though, mandated something more original. At first I thought I'd try to piece together a nursery set as I found items that coordinated with the colors I wanted. As I searched, however, it soon became obvious that if I was going to get what I really wanted I'd either have to spend hundreds of dollars or make it myself.

And so make it I did. One of my friends says that it's a very sweet thing for me to do for Sweet Pea. I don't know, though, if it's sweetness or merely stubborn determination to get what I want.

Over the last few weeks I have made a white crib skirt out of the same white fabric as the curtains, two flannel crib sheets, and a bumper. The crib skirt and sheets were pretty basic, but the bumper required a bit of planning. I ended up using a second-hand breathable bumper as a base which I covered with my preferred fabric.

I love how well the pretty green and blue prints work together. I'll truly enjoy decking Sweet Pea out in little pink outfits, but I'm so glad that her room is decorated in cool, soothing greens and blues. I'll enjoy being in it much better than I would have enjoyed being in a riotously pink room.

mostly scenery

2011-07-13T09:00:00.001-06:00

On the fourth-of-July we took a day trip to Helena. Benjamin and I, the boys, and my parents had a lovely time spending mellow time together as a family and sharing a festive dinner with long-time family friends.

While I didn't get any photos of our activities (though my dad snapped some good ones!), I did get some nice scenery photos on the two hour drive there and back. The following three photos are the best of my drive-by-shootings, as I like to jokingly call the the photos I snap through the window of a speeding vehicle, hoping some will turn out.

We have had an unusually rainy, wet spring and summer. I have been enjoying the cooler temperatures and extra green!

Some of the fields are overgrown with masses of yellow flowers, making a striking contrast with all the blues and greens. Aside from the allergies, this has to be one of my favorite times of year to live in Montana; it is so beautiful!

We enjoyed God's fireworks--a big sky sunset and some distant lightning--on our drive home, and made it into town just in time to watch the human fireworks display with friends who have an optimal view from their front porch. It was a wonderful day.