sweetest littles

a little haitus

2011-01-14T09:23:00.000-08:00

Oh I do love this little blog... & I really miss coming here, but I'm just a wee bit busy at the moment and will return here when I have more time after April. You are so sweet to keep coming back to visit. I'll miss you!

p.s. I'll leave you with my favorite picture of myself (um.... ever!) from my 4 year old. : )

xo

goodbye 2010 & hello 2011!

2010-12-30T14:25:00.000-08:00

Another year gone by... why do they seem to go faster & faster? I always look forward to the beginning of the year. It feels so good to think about a fresh start, how you want to do things differently, and how to make this year better than the last. I've been thinking a lot the past few weeks about this and resolutions I'd like to make, and there are so many things I want to do (like usual!).

If I were to make my '2011 list', here are some of the things it would include (some carried over from last year!):

be mindful, thoughtful & present

eat less sugar

learn to crochet

embrace imperfection

learn to live with less

finish a book (I can't remember the last time I have!)

incorporate a tiny bit of meditation into my day

find a volunteer opportunity for our family

hike more with the kids

live in gratitude

set better limits

laugh more

use less packaging/buy more bulk (in reusable bags that I'd love to make myself)

work on not taking things so personally

finding balance (a constant journey!)

clean out every room in the house (including closets!) to get rid of unnecessary things

surround myself with positive people & energy

slow down!

try not to be overwhelmed by 'to do lists' (like this one!)

I think about all of these things on this list... A LOT, especially being overwhelmed. I tend to put way more on my plate than I can do by myself, and so even though I would love to do everything on this list above for 2011 (and will try), what I truly want to do is find ways to simplify my life. I believe more and more that true happiness lies in the simplest of things, and when you can make life simpler all around, it makes time for the more meaningful things, which gives way to more space and freedom. I'm also learning that the more quiet space you have in your life, the easier it is to listen to your heart. If I can find ways to live more simply and follow my heart, I think 2011 will be one heck of a year!

Happiest New Year to all of you!

XO

dear oh dear...

2010-12-15T21:16:00.000-08:00

Oh this poor little blog is being neglected... I think I have just adopted a third child that has stolen my heart ~ The Makerie. I still can't quite believe it has become such a reality, a dream come true to get this off the ground, and a huge amount of work to go along with that! So that's where I've been, and I will try to get back here as often as I can, but I'm also trying really hard to simplify where possible and honor my time with my family. It's not always easy to find the right balance with all of this, but I'm trying really hard!

I hope this makes you smile. It certainly does me... every single time! (Sorry about the bad color on the video. Eek!)

LOVE this!

2010-12-08T17:55:00.000-08:00

I just discovered this new blog. And I love it. SO MUCH. How happy was I to discover that they translate it into English. YEAH! I am now in search of wool felted balls so I can squeeze this wreath in for one last holiday project. Isn't in darling?!?

photo via pickles

we're back

2010-11-29T21:34:00.000-08:00

And this photo makes me smile... a whole lot. We had the most incredible Thanksgiving in the woods of North Carolina ~ full of amazing friends and family, homemade EVERYTHING, walks along the leaf-covered trails, fresh herbs from the garden, chopping wood (I even hacked a few!) and a bonfire with smores. Yes, it was like being back at camp and we loved every single minute of it. One day... just maybe one day our home will be surrounded by trees galore too. Wishes CAN come true!

the big 6!

2010-11-22T20:57:00.000-08:00

My little guy turned 6 today, and yes, we survived the fort party with 14 kindergartners!:)

Birthdays are such a wonderful time to reflect on time passing, what was and what is yet to be... When I close my eyes, this is how I picture my Owen right here and now... snuggled up with his animals, climbing all over our house (including scaling the cabinet walls, seriously!), confidently riding his two-wheeler, explaining everything with his hands, drawing elaborate pictures ~ all with such detailed explanations, the sheer pride that lasted a few weeks when he scored his one & only goal in soccer (on a penalty kick), talking about how he wants to be an engineer, making sculptures, loving sushi, feisty, writing lots of stories & telling everyone it was his birthday today.

Happiest 6th Birthday to my sweet, spunky, creative & always keeps me on my toes not-so-little boy. My greatest wish for you on your special day is that you remain simply beautiful, perfect you. I love you more than you will ever know Owen!

almost the big 6

2010-11-17T20:11:00.001-08:00

My Owen is turning 6 on Monday, and we're celebrating this weekend with 13 kindergartners at our small house. He wanted to have a 'build-a-fort' party so that's what we're doing ~ gathering boxes, tents, sheets & blankets to make this little boy's fantasy come to life. We are quite used to this activity, as our couch is rarely (okay... almost NEVER) in one piece because making forts out of our cushions is all my kids want to do! Who needs toys? The party is going to be just a wee bit nuts, so keep your fingers crossed we are all in one piece after Saturday! Oh and by the way, this is the birthday invite Owen designed himself. I love it.

the launch

2010-11-11T05:14:00.000-08:00

I am quite thrilled (okay... giddy!) that the Makerie web site is launching today! It has been such a fantastic ride so far and I can't wait to share with you what it's all about. The Makerie is evolving all the time and I am incredibly excited to see how it all unfolds. I do promise you this ~ it will be full ~ SO FULL ~ of creative goodness. Please do come take a peek!

my favorite request of the day...

2010-11-10T09:04:00.000-08:00

from my 4 year old... "Mom, it's so much fun to laugh. Can you please tickle me more?"

photo by my fabulous mom

compliments

2010-11-03T20:27:00.000-07:00

I had to share this sweet story... I was at Whole Foods this evening with my two kiddos in tow. They ate dinner in the grocery cart while I did a bit of grocery shopping, which happens to be one of my favorite events. It really is. They are happy little clams eating and steering the wheels of the 'driving cart' while I get to happily shop for goodies and hang out with them at the same time. It seriously makes grocery shopping FUN, & I get to come to a clean house without having to cook or clean. Gotta love it! And what is it about Whole Foods anyway? I just love being in that grocery store full of yummy, healthy goodness. They are certainly doing something right!

So back to my story... as we were shopping, this woman was wearing a super cute cardigan so I complimented her and told her how much I liked it. Well little Mia must have been listening to me, and proceeded to compliment at least 4 more people during our grocery shopping expedition. 'I like your sparkly headband'... 'I like your necklace'... 'That's a nice shirt' & 'I love your sweatshirt' to a sweet man wearing a simple 'Cape Cod' sweatshirt. Well this man smiled a smile that came right out of his heart & said to me. 'That just made my day.' And it did. The simplest compliment made this man so very happy, and I couldn't tell Mia enough how proud she should be for making someone else feel so good. It made me feel so grateful and honored, once again, to call myself her mom.

the bday cake

2010-10-29T09:24:00.001-07:00

We had the best time making Mia's birthday cake this year! I was so inspired by this post that I had to give it a try. I thought it turned out so sweet. I mean, aren't polka dots always happy? So much for sugar-free Friday! :)

kids applique placemats

2010-10-26T07:26:00.000-07:00

Well I have a thing for eating on soft placemats. There is just something so comforting about having a cushy place to park your plate. I wanted my kiddos to have this comfort too... so I decided to make them their own. Being a Montessori mom, I love the idea of self-sufficiency and having the kiddos help set the table. I wanted to make it fun and easy for them to do, so I appliqued a spoon, fork, plate and cup onto a soft cotton, used a sweet polka dot fabric on the back so we could use both sides, and sandwiched a super soft, natural cotton batting in between them. Of course I had to make a napkin to match! I like that they are reusable, and it really does look cute to have the table set with the mix and match fabrics. The best part is you can just throw them in the wash, and they get even softer over time. Meals can be such a special sharing time and I love that we have a handmade touch to go with them.

p.s. Thanks so much Ohdeedoh for featuring our placemats on your always-inspiring site!

the sweetest project

2010-10-21T20:10:00.000-07:00

I've been working on this little project for quite some time now, mostly in my mind for the past year, until recently, and I can't really explain how, that one thing started to gently lead to another in such a natural way that it is now becoming much more of a reality.

I attended Squam Art Workshops in June 2009 and it seriously was one the best experiences I have ever had. I went by myself ~ didn't know a soul ~ and had the time of my life. Not only did I take the most amazing creative classes designed for anyone, but came home with the most genuine friends, a huge amount of inspiration and a renewed spirit. This was the first thing I had truly done for myself since having my two little ones. At first I felt guilty and selfish for taking a few days out of our busy lives to go, but then I realized how terribly important it was to have a little time and space to just be me again ~ something I had lost along the way with the intensity and beauty of being a full-time mom. I learned so many things that weekend ~ so many things:

* how important it is to honor who you are and what you love to do

* the power of being in a like-minded community

* that you can have your own thing and still be a great mom (in fact, I found I was a better mom because of that!)

* how honoring and exploring your creative side brings out the best in everyone

* to listen to your heart and those little voices that speak to you ever so softly

When I came home from Squam, I shared this magical experience with all my friends and family, and they all wanted to go. So I told them I would find a place in Colorado a little closer to home and we would all go. I searched and searched for something similar and couldn't believe that there was nothing like this in our majestic Rocky Mountains. How could that be? There must be a place like this here! And maybe I should start one? In my heart, I knew that I wanted to create a place to give people the opportunity to experience what I did, but in my own backyard that I love so much. I wanted to provide a place where people could step out of their fast-paced, everyday lives, leave technology behind for a few days and reconnect with themselves ~ a space to simply play and feel like a kid again. It does wonders, let me tell you! I still carry the magic I felt at Squam around with me, and am eternally grateful to Elizabeth and the courage she had to create Squam Art Workshops. It truly changed my life.

As I approach this endeavor, I am doing so with an open mind and heart, and trust that it will evolve as it should. I have cherished the input and support from so many amazing people already and feel the greatest power in creating this is how it already feels like the most warm and wonderful community. My greatest hope for the Makerie is that it provides a beautiful energy to all it touches, and that it might inspire someone to go after their dreams too. Creating the Makerie is most certainly a dream come true for me. So here we go! Hold on... it's going to be one wonderful, wild ride!

meaning

2010-10-20T19:41:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness... I can't wait to take a peak at this book. The title alone describes everything I believe in ~ crafting, meaning and home. These three things, in addition to nurturing food and those that you love who are in it, would create the happiest home on the planet. Such simple, loving things really...

happily ever after...

2010-10-19T19:40:00.000-07:00

Well we're back from the most wonderful weekend! My brother is a happily married man and I simply adore my new sister-in-law. What a fabulous few days we all spent together ~ celebrating this beautiful new couple, hanging out at the beach with family and friends, sipping pina coladas, eating fresh salsa and guacamole for lunch every day, sneaking in a massage, sleeping through the night (for four nights in a row!), and yes... my husband and I even got to finish a conversation. A most heartfelt congratulations to my brother and his new wife on the start of their new life together. I can't wait for many more adventures with the two of you and I love you.

kids applique placemats

2010-10-12T08:09:00.000-07:00

adios!

2010-10-12T08:01:00.000-07:00

Off to the beach... My brother is getting married in Mexico this weekend! Weddings are just such happy occasions and it will be a wonderful celebration. My brother is marrying a gem. I have never seen him so happy and content and it makes my heart smile. I'm also very excited to have a little escape with my husband, as the kiddos are going to be home with Nanna and Poppa. I'm looking forward to sleeping through the night (a rarity with my little ones), having lazy mornings and maybe even finishing a conversation. I can't wait! See you next week!

sweet spoonflowering

2010-10-12T07:52:00.000-07:00

I'm adoring this project. Is this the cutest ever? I'm always on the lookout for creative gift ideas for teachers. I heart spoonflower.

image credit to freshly pieced

such a treat for sugar-free friday

2010-10-08T08:22:00.000-07:00

Have you ever tried 'grilled' zucchini bread? Well let me tell you it's quite a fabulous way to start the morning! I used this recipe (sans refined sugar which I love) and it has become a personal favorite. All you do is put a small pat of your favorite butter in a pan (cast iron gives it a wonderful flavor if you have one) and grill it on both sides. Oh my goodness... it's the best. What is it about any warm bread? I do think it's one of my all time favorite things to eat, anytime, anywhere. This little technique works great with banana bread, muffins, and really any and all breads for that matter. Give it a whirl and let me know how it turns out! I guarantee you'll love it.

photo courtesy of the lemonbasil blog

4 years old

2010-10-06T20:51:00.000-07:00

How can it be that my littlest one is 4 years old already? Today was her birthday and we celebrated in just her style. Mac & cheese twice, loving her celebration of life ceremony at school, getting to lead the class in her favorite games, going out to lunch with mom & dad (I was SO excited when she chose my favorite place!), painting, and loading her cupcake with sprinkles. We put the candles in her cupcake, and in her thoughtful, brother-loving way, wanted to make sure Owen had candles in his cupcake too so they could blow them out together. Mia, your huge heart constantly inspires me to be a better person, and your giving spirit shines so brightly. You simply light up this world and you absolutely light up my life. I love you more than you will ever know. Happy Birthday sweetheart.

this quote

2010-10-05T19:54:00.000-07:00

"Don't ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive."
Howard Thurman (1900-1981), Educator, Minister, Civil Rights Activist

I found these amazing words on this blog. They speak to me so loudly. I love Nicola's thoughts on Squam. I was so lucky to attend Squam Art Workshops last summer and truly, it changed my life too. I will forever be grateful to Elizabeth creating such a magical place.

a birthday butterfly

2010-09-30T13:54:00.000-07:00

We have a big birthday coming up in our family. The big 4 years old for my little Mia! Oh how I wish I could just stop time with her. Most things that come out of her mouth are quite adorable, she's still so snuggly, and I marvel at her determined spirit. She wakes up every single morning, stands up as tall as she possibly can and says, "Mom, look how big I am!" My petite little girl says this with such gusto that it makes me smile every single time. She has been into trying on my rings, so I decided to make her one of her own for her special day. This knitted butterfly ring pattern is from the super adorable knitting blog spud & chloe. The site is full of wonderful free patterns and the spud & chloe yarn is simply delicious. Happy early birthday to my sweetest girl. I can't wait to celebrate being 4 with you!

i SO wish i could go to this...

2010-09-27T12:14:00.001-07:00

I know... I know! Another video but I just couldn't resist. I came across the finale event to one of my all-time favorite things that lives on my lovely little links and I just had to share it. If any of you are in Chicago, I think you should try and go. It would be really incredible to be a small, beautiful part of something so big and just SO LOVELY!!!

my commitment to kindess

2010-09-26T20:23:00.000-07:00

sugar free friday ~ mustards last stand

2010-09-24T20:06:00.000-07:00

I had a lunch date with my girl today. We ate at the very fancy, schmancy Mustard's Last Stand. This girl of mine loves hot dogs, so much so that occasionally she asks for one for dessert. (Not a joke!) Being the picky eater I am, I somewhat doubted I would find something on the menu I would be excited about but lo and behold, they had a vegetarian section and on it was a tofu ruben. Only in Boulder, right? Tofu at a hot dog joint? And let me tell you, it was totally delicious. I couldn't wait to tell you about it for my sugar-free friday post. And to top off our experience at Mustard's, there was a sign in the restaurant that read, "Do you want to picnic by the river? Just ask us for a blanket." Don't you love that?

time for twine?

2010-09-22T19:20:00.000-07:00

It's been on my list! I love twine ~ the way it adds a dainty charm to just about everything. This picture makes me want to place an order right here and now. What color would you choose?

our hometown heroes!

2010-09-22T16:50:00.000-07:00

This fire we had a few weeks ago was one of the worst Colorado has seen. As much devastation as it caused and as horrible as it was to witness, it was also a wonderful coming together of our small town and an energizing sense of community. The kiddos were also very aware of what was going on, and wanted to do their part to thank the firefighters too! We baked homemade chocolate chip cookies, made some special pictures for the firemen, and hand delivered the goodies to the fire house. I loved seeing how much this meant to the little ones and how proud they were to help in their own way. Oh I wish I could just bottle up the pure goodness in their hearts! The hometown parade celebrating the firefighters was the sweetest... brought tears to my eyes really ~ watching the firefighters marching and the loud cheers from the crowds, reading all of the 'thank you' signs from the children and the signs that read 'thank you for saving my home.'

Perhaps one of the most touching moments was this rescued puppy marching in the parade. I mean how amazing is that?!?

this quote

2010-09-22T09:56:00.000-07:00

where is creativity going?

2010-09-19T16:06:00.000-07:00

Oh this is such a testament to how important creativity is for our children, and all of us really! This Newsweek article talks about how our children in America are just not creative as they used to be, and why, and how we can start to turn this around. Creativity is vital, and our world simply needs creative solutions. Period. It's a fascinating article and makes me want to be even more creative with my kiddos ~ every single day!

sugar free friday ~ fig jam!

2010-09-17T14:06:00.000-07:00

Okay! I'm on time this week. :) We made this super yummy jam from you guessed it ~ Super Natural Cooking. I'm working my way through the whole cookbook, and am always so pleased with how the recipes turn out. This one was so incredibly simple, using only five ingredients ~ fresh organic figs, honey, lemon juice, toasted sesame seeds & freshly ground pepper. It seriously took me at the most, 10 minutes of work. I love having this little treat waiting in the fridge, ready to just slap onto a thick piece of yummy toast for breakfast. Mmmmmm good!

2010-09-16T20:51:00.000-07:00

I'm dreaming about these decals for my little girl's walls. I think they are absolutely adorable and love that they are made with fabric instead of vinyl. And the most fun part, it's totally reusable so you can redesign your walls (especially good for someone like me who likes to change things up every now & then). Brilliant.

sweet natural stamps

2010-09-15T20:11:00.001-07:00

Won't these make the best stamps? Can you guess what they are? I'll give you a hint... they are yummy to eat. Yep, you guessed it. Bok Choy (the stems). Thank you Red Wagon for the delish veggies this week, and for creating these stamping beauties.

please keep...

2010-09-09T15:22:00.000-07:00

our beautiful little city of Boulder in your thoughts. This fire in our foothills has been incredibly devastating... over 169 homes have been lost, thousands of people have been evacuated, and word on the street is our neighborhood may be next on the list for evacuations. Please keep everyone effected by this fire close to your heart.

for a sweet new year (& belated sugar-free friday)

2010-09-09T12:17:00.001-07:00

I'm a little late with this post, as I had intended on posting it Friday, but with the uncertainty of the fire still looming and hosting a Rosh Hashanah dinner, well here I am a few days later! Our Jewish New Year celebration was terrific. I always love the meaning and feelings around this holiday ~ new beginnings and the promise of a good new year ~ all sentiments wonderfully represented by food! We dip apples in honey to symbolize a sweet new year, which is a favorite treat for all, and one that I also thought would be a perfect sugar-free Friday goodie to share. Our Rosh Hashanah dinner tables were filled with our wonderful friends and family and children. It was such a lovely night and we couldn't have asked for a better way to bring in the new year. As we say on this holiday... Shana Tova (good year)! May this be a beautiful one for everyone!

this photo...

2010-09-06T19:15:00.000-07:00

simply makes me smile. Happy Labor Day!

sugar free friday!

2010-09-03T21:49:00.000-07:00

I've been on this kick of trying to reduce the amount of refined sugar in our lives. After a pretty rough winter health-wise, I totally lost my sugar craving for the first time ever in my life, and I truly never felt better. I mean, I was the girl who loved an extra vat of frosting to dip my already frosted cinnamon rolls in and always had to have something sweet after dinner. So after that sugar craving disappeared, I've been on a mission to keep it at bay. I have always been a pretty healthy eater (besides my love of all things sweet) and am always interested in exploring and trying new healthy ways to cook and bake. When you start really checking and reading labels on packaged and processed foods, well refined sugar is in everything, and I mean everything, and has hundreds of code names. Now not to say that all sweet things have been removed from our house, but I've been replacing our pantry with natural sweeteners (brown rice syrup, raw honey, agave nectar) and now carefully choose what ends up in our grocery cart. It feels so great to me to be feeding our family the most natural foods I can and finding fun ways to incorporate yummy treats without the added sugar.

So all that being said, I thought I would start a Friday ritual (sugar free friday) featuring recipes I find and love that don't involve refined sugar. So here we go!

Leave it to my favorite go to gal, Heidi Swanson, to come up with a fantastic caramel popcorn recipe using brown rice & maple syrup, along with a lovely smattering of toasted nuts. It's out of Super Natural Cooking (which I've mentioned quite a few times on this blog and I'm on round 6 of checking it out from our library) and it was just too good to be true. It was my first time making caramel popcorn from scratch and boy, I can't wait to do it again! I made it for a fishing picnic dinner we had along side one of our beautiful Colorado rivers and I have to say, it was quite a lovely evening. My husband (a most avid fisherman who would fish everyday of his life if he could) and the kids were busy reeling them in, while I sat in a camping chair, knitting, handing out caramel popcorn to my munchkins, and snacking on the popcorn myself. Oh that was a such a terrific way to end a week!

my flower girl

2010-08-29T09:31:00.000-07:00

We just returned from my sister-in-law's wonderful wedding on the east coast, and Mia was the flower girl. Oh a little girl in a white dress... pretty ethereal, oh so sweet, and incredibly easily dirtied! Within 5 minutes of being at the wedding site, Mia tripped and fell into the grass. Well what's a few grass stains, right? About two minutes later someone was holding her and had a leaky blue pen, so not only did her brand new dress have green grass stains on it, but now there were lovely bright blue stains all over the front of it, and all even before she walked down the aisle. At this point all we could do was laugh. What else can you expect from a toddler in all white! It took a little coaxing to get her down the aisle (aka taffy), but she did the sweetest job scattering rose petals. She looked so grown up in her flower girl dress (thanks J. Crew Cuts) and pigtail buns.

And the shoes, the shoes, I mean have you ever seen such totally adorable shoes? They came from the most amazing, unique, most stylish shoe company I've ever seen. Yes, it's my huge new crush. Jessica, the owner of Joyfolie, simply couldn't be more darling herself. You MUST check out everything on her site.

And if you're wondering, we just got Mia's dress back from the dry cleaners and miraculously, everything came out! :)

cricket

2010-08-25T09:07:00.000-07:00

This summer we met Cricket, the baby giraffe born at the Denver Zoo. Is she not the sweetest thing ever? Owen just loved her, and decided to draw a picture of her, which I adored so much that I embroidered it onto a new pillowcase for his toddler-sized pillow.

It was a great personalized project and here's a brief description how I did it:

* Using the existing pillowcase as my template, I found a super soft hemp/organic fabric at my favorite local craft boutique

* Cut two pieces for each side of the pillowcase and chose chocolate brown (one of my very favorite colors) embroidery thread

* Drew the artwork onto one of the right sides of the fabric (I first tried to use carbon paper to trace the design onto the fabric but the material was a bit too stretchy and didn't work so well. Instead I free-handed his drawing using a water-soluble pen)

* Placed the drawing in an embroidery hoop and embroidered the design onto one side

* Hemmed the raw edges and sewed the two pieces together (right sides together) around three sides

* Stuffed the pillow form inside and voila!

I was so excited it turned out just the way I envisioned ~ cozy, simple and most of all, something Owen loves. Giraffes have now been declared one of our family's favorite animals!

p.s. Thank you so very much to ohdeedoh (one of my very favorite blogs) for posting this project. I'm truly honored!

the sketchbook project

2010-08-24T08:33:00.000-07:00

LOVE this!!!

happy thoughts

2010-08-22T11:28:00.000-07:00

I had such a fun meeting last week and wanted to share why. I am inching towards a pretty amazing project, and had a wonderful meeting with the adorable graphic designer I'm working with. Instead of getting down to 'business', I wanted to start out the meeting doing something a little out of the box that I had been thinking about. I began the meeting by asking her to share a happy thought or something that makes her happy and I did the same. I did feel a bit silly at first, but she was so happily taken a back by the request that it made me smile and realize that maybe it wasn't so silly after all. She completely embraced the idea and shared a wonderful story, which set the tone for such a warm, fun, and lovely session. She even asked if she could borrow this idea for her meetings, like a 'pay it forward'. I love the thought of simply spreading happiness. We are not asked enough about what really makes us happy, and it's such a fun thing to think and talk about. What if we could start a 'happy meeting' movement? What if the President did this at his meetings? Hmmmm... could we start to change the world?

kindergarten here we come!

2010-08-17T19:24:00.000-07:00

I am the proud mama to a kindergartener now! Today was Owen's first day of school and it was a great one. I loved watching him sprint out of his classroom with a huge smile on his face (which I was so happy we caught on video even though my husband was a bit embarrassed by his paparazzi wife) and that will certainly become such a sweet memory for me of his first day of kindergarten. We are so excited about the kids' new school and I loved celebrating Owen today. I think the highlight of his day was the adorable cookie bouquet from his yaya and baba waiting for him when he got home. He just couldn't believe that a cookie had his name on it. Too too cute!

a collaboration

2010-08-03T06:53:00.000-07:00

My mom and I just finished our first project together! I had seen a similar idea somewhere on the web and fell in love with it. And please forgive me... I just can't remember (nor find!) where this inspiration came from. (oh if by a needle in a haystack chance the person who provided this inspiration comes across this post, please do say hello so i can thank you properly and personally! But for now, thank you whoever you are for the wonderful idea!) My mom, our talented resident photographer, took the photos, I came up with the copy and then we worked together in Photoshop to place the words on their shirts. We were both so excited about how they turned out, and I love that fact that we could capture exactly who they are at this very moment not only through their expressions, but through the words too. I cherish everything this project represents, especially creating something together with my mom. I can't wait to have these fun pieces hanging on our walls!

a most peaceful little place

2010-08-03T06:40:00.001-07:00

We just returned from several weeks in the mountains and wow, was it rejuvenating! Being surrounded by nature, the fresh mountain air, lots of hikes with the kiddos, making rock nests, using pine cones for tiny wildflower vases (Mia's idea which I thought was so clever and sweet), finding the very best sticks and simply being free. My mom and I even snuck out for a few early morning hikes before everyone was awake! She's such a whipper snapper and so full of energy. I love it and love the wonderful talks we have while on our walks. On our last day in the mountains, the two of us were hiking and just stumbled upon this most peaceful little sitting spot. Don't you just love the flowers peaking through the bench? I wished we had two warm cups of tea to just plop ourselves on that welcoming little spot. Here's to you finding some peaceful little places too!

csa farm tour

2010-07-26T13:33:00.000-07:00

We are loving our csa this summer! Such a variety, all the veggies are super clean (gotta love that!), it's run by the sweetest young couple & they even send out a weekly newsletter with great recipes for the produce that week (tried the tangy cauliflower salad & it was delish). Our little family is embracing the idea of eating more seasonally & I love this path we are on. It just makes so much sense to me! Our csa recently had a farm tour, which was so cool & the kids had a ball. Check out the views from the farm! Combine a huge bag of fresh peas with a hay ride & well... this was all we needed to make for a fantastic afternoon. It's so neat to truly see where our food comes from, and such a beautiful lesson for the kids to learn as well. I do have memories of picking strawberries & carrots from my grandparents sweet tiny garden, but was not really something I grew up with. I proudly admit, I'm loving learning about farming too!

p.s. My Owen is SO hard to photograph, as he is constantly on the move & makes lots of funny faces. I was really excited when I finally captured a good one at the farm tour so I wanted to share. It's now one of my very favorites of my little guy.

still here!

2010-07-19T20:34:00.000-07:00

We're playing in the mountains, but thought I'd pop in for a quick hello and to share this sweet cake bunting. I just love it.

hope wish prayer flags

2010-07-06T21:51:00.000-07:00

Oh is summer great ... being free, spontaneous, eating an abundance of super sweet fresh fruit and veggies, being in our pj's for half the day, soaking up the warmth of the sun and getting absolutely nothing done. (hence why I have yet to create a blog post in 10 days!) But here I am, back for a visit and wanted to share this gift we recently made for my dad's birthday. Gift giving is so much fun, and even more so when a gift is created by hand and right from the heart. We wanted to do something special and unique, so as I was gathering inspiration and ideas from blogland, I remembered this wonderful site and equally amazing tutorial that would make the most precious gift and also involved the kiddos (something very important to me). My dad loves his garden so we thought creating prayer flags for it would be the perfect gift. We followed the basics of this fantastic tutorial, but added a bit of our own touches. We found an old white sheet, cut multiple rectangles and mounted and taped them onto small pieces of cardboard, which really helped them write on the fabric. I then let my kiddos have at it with a rainbow of colored sharpies. They drew the sweetest pictures with the cutest meanings (i.e. Owen drew a peach tree with he & my dad sitting on a branch eating peaches). We chose fun fabrics as backings to complement each piece, sewed just the tops of the artwork onto the backing, then sewed pockets across the tops so we could hang them. We strung them together with a natural hemp twine and I loved how well this fit with our banners. It was a really a fabulous project to create together as a family. I think banners for our little family may just be next on our list. I mean, don't you just love the name of the project: hope wish prayer flags? Simply so perfect for just about every occasion I know.

seriously scrumptious

2010-06-27T16:38:00.001-07:00

I have become such a library fan as of late... and I seriously get giddy when I get an email from the library telling me the book(s) I put on hold are waiting for me. (it's the same kind of excitement I get when the post office comes out with new stamps!) I know ~ it's a bit silly. So I just checked out this fabulous cookbook from the library last week and I think I want to make practically every recipe in it! It's all gluten-free, vegan and even soy-free to boot. I love exploring healthy recipes of all types and this book is an absolute gem! I love how Jennifer uses all organic ingredients, whole grain flours, alternative natural sweeteners (which I'm really into these days) and pure-cold pressed oils. I made the Berry Oat Wonder(ful) Bars and they were truly out of this world! The recipe was filled with fresh berries (I used blueberries & raspberries), oats (gluten free), a bit of brown rice syrup & pure maple syrup for the natural sweetness, olive oil, vanilla, salt & corn flour. It came out of the oven with the most perfectly crispy topping and if my mom were here, we'd probably pick off the entire top layer just for ourselves (my mom is known for eating the crust off of pies). If you were here, I'd serve you up a simply scrumptious berry bar on a cute little dessert plate. If I am ever in Seattle, the Flying Apron bakery will be the first stop on my list. YUM!

reinvention

2010-06-24T21:07:00.001-07:00

Just as we (meaning adults) get bored with some of our things, kids do as well, and quite a bit more often. Our sweet little playhouse had been a bit lonely lately, so we gave it some TLC, a new home on our main floor & a new purpose. It's now our Art House, complete with a mini art cabinet, small work table and bean bag chairs. (We plan on making some hanging pockets too!) The kids helped create the banner by decorating the bubble letters I drew on a paper bag, which were then cut out and sewn together. Owen & our sweetest neighbor friend Luna stamped away in their new creative oasis. It's so cozy in there and I love that the kiddos now have their own space in which to create... Can't they make these for adults?

happy summer solstice!

2010-06-22T08:24:00.001-07:00

Here's to a summer of splashing, soaking up the sun, adventures, spontaneity, playing, dreaming, creating, eating abundant local fresh produce, farmers markets and celebrating being exactly who you are!

little dancer

2010-06-21T21:59:00.000-07:00

This has to be one of the cutest scenes ever ~ a bunch of precious little girls dancing and twirling in their tiny tutu's and itsy bitsy ballet shoes. Mia just started her first ballet class and I seriously don't think I've seen anything this adorable. But equally as sweet has been Owen so proudly walking Mia into her class and being just as excited for her as she is. Too too cute.

sweet wreath

2010-06-15T16:40:00.000-07:00

Just loving this wreath... wouldn't this make the happiest door? I'm just saying.

our summer list

2010-06-09T21:17:00.000-07:00

Sunny days, pj days, creative days, swim days and free days. This is how our summer is shaping up and I love it. The other night we made our 'summer list', a family project we did last year and loved so much, we did it again this year. We each add things we want to do this summer and in no time at all, we have days of activities and thoughtful excursions to choose from. Balance that with days of planning nothing at all and we have one super summer ahead of us! The chalkboard looks so cheery and bright, especially with the little kiddo art accents. I highly recommend trying this for your family!

p.s. This chalkboard was handmade from an old window frame (literally $3 at our local recycled resource shop), simply painted cream with wood chalkboard painted panel added to it. Thanks to my hubby for making it1

school is out!

2010-06-09T15:27:00.000-07:00

Ahhh summer! It's here... and the kids had their very last day at their Montessori school. They are heading to a new school next year (which we are very excited about) but when I walked in to pick them up and say our goodbyes, I felt really sad. Tears welled up in my eyes and I felt on the verge of sobbing. Both kids have had the most wonderful, loving, gentle teachers with a gift for the most magnificent way and words with the children. Mia had her very first pre-school experience here... and Owen was completely embraced for being just who he was. Both kids ran into school everyday. What more could a mom ask for? I am certainly going to miss this sweet little school. My O is now a kindergartener. And AHEM... how did that happen?!?

P.S. Here are our kiddos with the amazing Chad ~ who taught their 'movement' class. Don't you just love the name of that class? And how adorable is he?!? :) When we said goodbye, I will not soon forget how he bent down to Owen's level, looked him right in the eyes and said in the most meaningful way, 'YOU are a very cool kid.' It seems like such a small thing really, but I am certain Owen will remember those words coming from the coolest guy at school for quite awhile, if not his whole life. Oh words can be so powerful and don't we all need a dose of someone very cool thinking we are pretty cool too?

doily garland: a tutorial

2010-06-09T13:46:00.000-07:00

Garland is such a happy decoration. I love all kinds and the way they dress up a room in the sweetest, cheery way. I created this vintage, delicate, lacy bunting for a bridal shower we held in a barn, but I see many more uses for it in the future (i.e. holiday snowflake decorations). The soft colors of the doilies combined with a taupe linen bias tape provided a wonderful, warm accent against the wooded walls and ceiling. Here is the tutorial I promised. Do give it a whirl!

Materials:

* crochet doilies
* bias tape ~ 1/2" extra wide double fold (or create your own)
* rotary cutter or scissors
* sewing machine

How to:

1. Collect doilies and cut in half. Grandparents hand-me-downs, local antique shops or even ebay are great resources. For the quantities, it depends on how long your garland will be and how close together you like the doilies.

2. Make your bias tape if you want to choose your own fabric, which makes for a really fun way to create your own look. Otherwise the ready made versions work great too!

3. Pin the cut doilies to your bias tape. I spaced mine out 4" from end-to-end.

4. Sew along the bottom part of the bias tape edge.

5. That's it! Easy peasy. Hang 'em up!

container gardening

2010-06-03T15:22:00.000-07:00

Summer is seriously here and I'm seriously smitten with Terrain, the new shop by Anthropologie owners. Oh how would I ever choose which garden container to plant some herbs in?

bridal shower in a barn

2010-05-31T20:45:00.000-07:00

We threw my sister-in-law a shower for her upcoming wedding. Being the huge horse lover she is, we surprised her by having it in an old barn. The theme was vintage and despite a few unexpected 'things' in the barn that needed to be cleared out, it went off without a hitch and the bride-to-be was beaming. Here are a few details of our sweet little shower.

The barn was inside this farmhouse

and this hand-written sign greeted the guests...

We hung picture garland in between the old stalls...

and made vintage garland out of crocheted doilies (thank you ebay!) and linen bias tape. (tutorial coming!)

And instead of using disposable plates, we had everyone bring a vintage plate that the bride would keep after the shower. The guests loved this idea and we loved the eco-friendliness of it. The bride now has an amazing array of unique plates to not only remember the day, but to set her table in a variety of ways. We used fun fabrics (just cut into squares with pinking shears) with a sewn crocheted ribbon as a napkin tie. The table settings were so very colorful and quite darling if I do say so myself. : )

We made wine charms from fabric flowers & jewelry hoops

and even monogrammed the bathroom towels with some hand embroidery.

Buffets were accented with more photos of the bride & groom.

It was a wonderful way to celebrate my sister-in-law and I loved the laughter we all shared throughout the weekend. And one of the best parts of the weekend you ask.... was coming home to this.

\

eat your greens

2010-05-24T20:30:00.000-07:00

Can you even believe the color of this rainbow chard?!? I have been super into eating greens this winter and spring, as I've been reading and learning more about the healing power of food and macrobiotic cooking. This tops of the list of very good-for-you foods. Here is my favorite way to cook them, and the kids love them too!

{Ingredients}

swiss chard (any kind)
olive oil (the yummier the better)
tamari (or soy sauce)
lemon (meyer if in season)
garlic (fresh if possible, and also optional)

{What to do}

Heat oil in the pan over medium heat. (We use our cast iron pan and it gives the dish a wonderfully roasted flavor) Add fresh garlic if using. Remove thick stems from chard and chop stems & leaves separately. Saute the stems first and add a splash of tamari & lemon juice. Brown just a bit and add leaves. Add a bit more tamari & lemon juice to taste. Stir occasionally and voila ~ super simple, really yummy, and total healthy green goodness! Give it a whirl!

P.S. Our csa starts tomorrow. I can't wait to see what's in our first lot!

awesome diy reclaimed wood bench

2010-05-18T08:36:00.000-07:00

Ooooooohhh me too, me too! I would love to give this a go! It's so simple, rustic & clean, and completely useful to boot. The hairpin legs give it such a lovely modern touch. Love the fact that it's made from a recycled piece of beautiful wood. It just makes so much sense to me to find new uses for old things, and figuring out how to repurpose them is more than half the fun! Thanks Angela Ferdig for the brilliant idea and wonderful photo.

crazy hair day

2010-05-17T19:59:00.001-07:00

The last month of school is full of fun activities at our sweet Montessori school. Mia recently had 'Crazy Hair Day' and this is what we came up with. Even her brother got in on the action and had the idea of putting a barrette in each of her five ponytails. So fun! Can I have a crazy hair day too?

chapter book success

2010-05-17T19:48:00.000-07:00

We did it! We read Owen his first chapter book and he LOVED it. It was so much fun to look forward to each night (& a few mornings too) and this book was just perfect for our dinosaur loving boy. Because this was his first experience reading a book with very few photos, it was magical to watch his big, beautiful brown eyes imagining the story in his head and see a new world opening up right before his sweet little eyes. Way to go O! And it's only the beginning of oh so many more wonderful things to come.

sweet paul

2010-05-12T21:35:00.001-07:00

Well I'm a huge fan of polka dots. They are just so darn cheery! I am adoring this cake featured in the very first issue of sweet paul magazine (photography by Alexandra Grablewski)... and those fun little flags on top... doesn't it make you happy? Thanks sweet Paul for the happiness, and have you ever seen such a lovely online zine?

recipes illustrated

2010-05-10T07:51:00.000-07:00

Don't you adore this? What a cool blog and what a fabulous idea they had to have artists illustrate their favorite recipes! Here is one of my faves by artist Abz Hakim, but there are so many other fun ones to check out too. I have this little bug in my ear to give it a try myself (as I do love to draw)... I'll let you know if I do! Happy Monday!

a most thoughtful gift

2010-05-06T09:31:00.000-07:00

During a run this morning, I was thinking about how great it feels to finally feel good again, to have the stamina to get through a run and actually feel energized afterwards, instead of wanting to take a nap! It was such a beautiful morning, and the view of the mountains from the trail just never gets old. As we sit in the middle of much uncertainty and stress, I started thinking about how I was going to get through all of this... and the answer came to me so gently, so simply ~ one step at a time, one foot in front of the other. This is how I ran today, just feeling my feet on the ground, the rhythm of my footsteps, and each of the words in the songs I was listening to ~ not thinking about all I needed to get done at home, or what errands needed to happen, but rather just being present. I'm finding that in those moments of being right here, right now, everything feels okay and everything feels like it WILL be okay. The bottom line is this ~ I have a choice ~ succumb to feeling like a victim in this mess we're in or choose to look at all the wonderful things in my life because when all is said and done, I have my healthy family and beautiful friends, which are truly all I ever wanted out of life. When I came back home from my run, there was the most splendid bouquet of flowers waiting on my doorstep. Oh the timing of this gift was strangely perfect. It was from the most thoughtful friend with a note reminding me to focus on something beautiful. It brought tears to my eyes, not only from her kindhearted gesture, but because it was just so simply true. Thank you dear Anne for completely making my week!

granola goodness

2010-05-04T16:17:00.000-07:00

As I've mentioned, I love this cooking blog and Heidi's cookbooks too... I recently made the granola in Super Natural Cooking and it was seriously out of this world. I love, love, love it and have honestly made it three times in the last three weeks. I added my own mixture of nuts and the orange zest just makes the whole thing, not to mention the house smells so incredibly yummy while its baking and the roasted citrus smell lingers long after it's been taken out of the oven. Oh do give it a whirl!

this boy can sew!

2010-05-03T12:41:00.000-07:00

oh my goodness... why does time go so fast? i have missed being here! life is certainly in full swing and there are times it feels more balanced than others, but here i am and so glad to get back to this happy place! i love how both my kiddos have taken an interest in sewing. not too long ago, o thought of and created this project all by his little 'ole self. i put the sewing machine on a floor table so he could see every part & reach the pedal. he's such a curious little cat that i think the most fun for him was being able to check out how every part worked. his project was oh so sweet... he called it a pouch (aka apron) for omi, the stuffed dragon he sleeps with most every night. i wanted to share, because he was so proud and these photos simply make me smile.

so grateful!

2010-04-23T09:57:00.000-07:00

As a follow-up to my post a few days ago, I came across this amazing project about being grateful. Take a peak at her flickr slideshow. What an awesome thing to do! Wouldn't this be a fun thing to start on a birthday? (I have one coming up this summer!) And create a big piece of artwork out of it so you are constantly reminded about the truly important things in life? Hmmm... Now all I need is to find an old polaroid before then! I just may have to try this.

my sweetest angel

2010-04-22T11:12:00.000-07:00

I am still somewhat new to blogging, and am trying to navigate what I want to put out there and what I'd like to keep closer to home. When I have these conversations in my head, what I always come back to is this: put out there what is truly in your heart. You can never go wrong with that, can you? So here goes. We are in the midst of an extremely stressful time. Many, many things lie uncertain and as much as I try to hold onto those things in my life that I am grateful for (& there are many!), I do have my days. Yesterday morning was a particularly upsetting time, and I just started to cry. My daughter came in our room and saw me, and I bent down to tell her I was okay, and she just wrapped her arms around me and hugged me... and didn't let go for what seemed like forever. Well this made me cry even harder. She knew, at 3-1/2, exactly what I needed. How does she know? How does this little three year old already know how to comfort her mother in a way like no one else does? And why am I so lucky to be her mom? Oh I do hope that I can always know what her little soul needs and be able comfort her in the way she does me. I will hold onto that hug and that memory forever, and can barely write this without tears brimming in my eyes. The lyrics to this song so beautifully tell her what she means to me. It's by the wonderful Jonatha Brooke called Sweetest Angel:

Every night about eight o'clock
I wind the stem of my little clock
And when I look in the crystal glass
I see a lot of faces pass
Of those I knew
And those I know
And you now coming
And you to go

Here's a word I'd like to whisper
And I'd like to have you listen

All this world is made of love
You are fresh from heaven above
You're the sweetest angel in this world
You're the sweetest angel in this world
You're the sweetest angel in this world
You're the sweetest angel

When I hold you by your hand
I'm in my happy promised land
When I kiss you in the dark
I'm just happy as a lark
So let me come as close as I can
And lay me down beside you

Here's a word I'd like to whisper
And I'd like to have you listen

All this world is made of love
You are fresh from heaven above
You're the sweetest angel in this world
You're the sweetest angel in this world
You're the sweetest angel in this world
You're the sweetest angel

So let me come as close as I can
Let me bring my scattered pages
Let me lay down here beside you
Tonight, and I will whisper

All this world is made of love
You are fresh from heaven above
You're the sweetest angel in this world
You're the sweetest angel in this world
You're the sweetest angel in this world
You're the sweetest angel

nurtured heart approach

2010-04-20T19:39:00.000-07:00

I have been going to parenting classes to learn about the Nurtured Heart Approach, a very progressive and refreshing parenting theory that focuses on the positive and beautiful qualities all children possess. It's about celebrating children's greatness and instilling inner wealth. The champion of this theory, Howard Glasser, defines inner wealth as "the ability to feel successful, cope, be happy, and grow within ourselves and with other people. It is a multifaceted inner experience of our greatness and deeply connected to our feeling that we have meaning, that we are important just by virtue of being alive." I love this. And the class has been such a refreshing way to think about how to be in the world and a wonderful reminder to not only celebrate our children, but our family, friends and even strangers we come in contact with every single day. Just see what happens the next time you truly stop to thank a bus driver, or tell the cashier at the grocery store what a fabulous job they are doing. This was part of our homework, and what a simple, powerful assignment it was! It baffles me why we don't all stop for one minute to make someone else's day. Go ahead... give it a try! I'll bet it will make you feel even more wonderful than the person receiving the compliment! It certainly did me, and it was amazing how the simplest little act could feel so empowering for both people. This method is definitely a learning curve and a wonderful way to grow as a person and a parent. I'm far from perfect at it, but I'm working on it and if there is anything in my power that I can do as a mom to instill inner wealth and raise children who feel great about who they are, exactly as they are, well I would be one thrilled mama.

recipes on cabinets?

2010-04-13T20:45:00.001-07:00

and how! I am LOVING this idea, and adore the lettering and small illustrations to go with it. (photo courtesy of dinner a love story) I can't wait to be able to write some family favorites on our cabinets once we are settled in a more permanent home. What recipes would I write? Hmmmm..... What recipes would you write?

me too!

2010-04-12T19:32:00.001-07:00

This little one tries so hard to keep up with that big brother of hers, and I have to say she does a heck-of-a job of it! When O started riding his 'pedal' bike, M wouldn't stop asking when she was going to get a pedal bike too. We did a bike trade with our cousins and ended up with the perfect little pipsqueak pedal bike for her. It came with training wheels and took all of one ride to the park and back to tell us she wanted them off. A couple of rides up and down the sidewalk with dad holding on from the back and she was off! She was so excited & so proud, and what a special moment for our family to cheer her on, especially her big brother whom she adores like crazy. Another special milestone, yet at the same time, another reminder that my little girl is growing up. (stop please!) I often tease her and tell her to stop growing, and she just laughs and laughs and tells me she has to grow. But I really mean it... I really want time to stop because I love having little ones. Their pure innocence and ability to always be in the present is simply one of the greatest joys to be part of. I'm so proud of my girl not only for learning to ride a bike without pedals, but for having the most loving heart. I love her fiery determination, her unwavering spirit and the fact that she makes me smile countless times in a day. This girl has gusto... and I feel so incredibly blessed to be her mom every single day.

mini quilts

2010-04-06T20:17:00.000-07:00

I just saw the cover of this book at my very favorite local boutique craft shop Fancy Tiger and I love it... already. I have never made a quilt, but it's been on my list, and this sweet little number just might have moved quilting to the top of my ever-growing list of crafting projects I must try!

art in underwear

2010-04-03T19:37:00.000-07:00

We just had spring break and on our last day, I asked the kids what they wanted to do ~ a picnic at the park, an adventurous bike ride, bake something special? Well none of the above was the answer, and all they really wanted to do was stay home - in their underwear - and do art (and dance a bit too!). I learn more & more that it really is the simplest, sweetest little things in life that bring the most joy. Oh my kiddos are the BEST reminder of this every single day. Just the greatest blessing of all. Here's to having an art in underwear day too!

healthy cookies

2010-04-01T20:23:00.000-07:00

Since my rough February, I have really been focused on putting very healthy foods in my body. Not that I didn't eat healthy before, but I do love my sweets! On my road to recovery, I lost that sugar craving and haven't looked back. I started reading this book and have become more & more convinced about how foods in their most natural state can heal your body and keep you feeling your best self. So to discover this cookie recipe that was butter-less, flour-less, egg-less, and sugar-less (sans the chocolate) was right up my alley! It's from my go-to natural cooking blog that I adore. Eat 'em up, eat 'em up, yum, yum, yum!

spring bookmark tutorial

2010-03-28T19:27:00.000-07:00

I co-hosted a book-themed baby shower for our sweetest new cousin this past weekend. Everyone was asked to bring a book to help start a library for the little guy. It was such a clever theme to work with, which included darling cupcakes with children's book character toppers and the gifts were so very thoughtful and personal. Each guest gave books that had meaning to them in some way or perhaps passed along a childhood favorite of theirs. It was so neat to see what each person gave!

To go along with our theme, I made these bookmarks for the favors. They were so much fun to make, that I thought I would pass along a little tutorial as to how I made them. Here goes!

Materials:

* cardstock for bookmark
* color printer (or a black & white printer would work as well)
* scissors or paper cutter
* hole punch (I prefer the smaller hole punches)
* pinking shears (to cut the fabric for the bookmark topper, but you can also use string, yarn or ribbon)
* fabric or paper glue
* fun fabric or paper scraps

.............................

1. print out this template

2. cut out bookmark shapes

3. cut out the 2 flower & 1 leaf shape

4. trace those shapes onto your fabric or paper and cut out

5. glue the flower & leaf into place (mixing & matching colors & patterns is the most fun part!)

6. punch a hole at the top inside the circles

7. measure how long you want the length of your bookmark topper to be and double it; use pinking shears to cut a narrow strip of fabric the doubled length (or just use string, yarn or ribbon)

8. fold the fabric in half and thread the folded part through the hole in the top of the bookmark just enough to pull the two ends through your loop

9. pull gently and voila!

.............................

For our shower, I used the word 'grow' on all of them, and then we customized the back with a little 'welcome to the world' message to the baby. But I love the word 'grow' for so many things, and perfect for spring! The bookmarks are just happy and they are such a sweet little treat to pop in the mail to someone you love. I mean anything via snail mail is special nowadays, so why not make someone's reading pleasure even more enjoyable.

And while we're on the topic of reading, I do have to confess my addiction to the library and putting books on hold. I have rediscovered how great the library is since having children, and I think I check out more books than my kiddos do. Rarely do I actually ever finish a book before it's due (okay... maybe never), but the art of checking them out is seriously exciting for me. The crafty and cooking books top my list... and it's a fabulous way to test out a book to see if it needs to be added to your collection or it's just better to borrow it. Talk about saving a few buckaroos! Anyhow, here's to reading about what you love, visiting your local library and enjoying early spring!

reprodepot

2010-03-26T20:47:00.000-07:00

This online shop has such an amazing array of crafty goodness. I just happened along their fabulous new book of vintage patterns and just knew I had to add it to my budding crafty, artsy library collection. The book is just filled with charming patterns, each in several various color schemes, and the best part ~ it includes a cd so you can use the patterns for your own projects. Lovely? Inspiring? And how! It just so happened that I'm co-hosting a baby shower this weekend so I was able to put the patterns to use right away. I created the placecards and menu cards using complimentary designs. Don't you think they turned out cute?

Talk about sharing the wealth! I just love when artists and designers operate in such an open way. Thank you Djerba Goldfinger!

my flower girl

2010-03-22T19:49:00.000-07:00

We received the flower girl dress for my sister-in-law's wedding this summer in the mail over the weekend, and my girl twirled and twirled when she tried it on. She loves it and it looks really precious on her. I love this photo because it is so ethereal and angelic... and so many thoughts come to mind when I look at this picture. Children are so pure, so honest, so genuine, truly carefree and know how to just be in the moment... without trying at all. It just comes so naturally to them and that is the gift of children we all try and capture, and why we want to rediscover the world through their eyes all over again. Oh to be a child again ~ to be carefree, free from worries, to have no preconceived ideas about anything and to be so easily forgiving. I wish we could bottle this magic up and hand it out. Imagine how this would change our world...

bread!

2010-03-18T19:46:00.000-07:00

Did I mention how much I love to bake? I received this lovely, useful book as a holiday gift and it has become my bread bible. I had no interest in baking really until I had kids, and now I can't stop! Yeast has always been intimidating to me and I still get so excited when any dough I make actually rises! One of my goals for 2010 was to bake our own bread and so I've been making a batch of dough at the start of the week, and bake several loaves (or buns or naan) throughout the week. Brilliant I say! I love knowing exactly what goes into it and the way it makes our house smell on baking day. And honestly, what is better than warm bread right out of the oven? My pre-schoolers can eat half a loaf in one sitting, provided there's a little honey to go along with it. If you have ever thought about baking bread, take a peak at this blog and give it a try! The book is filled with great recipes, healthy ingredients and honestly requires very little work. Right up my alley! YUM!

an ordinary day

2010-03-12T05:17:00.000-08:00

so appropo to my post yesterday...

where i've been...

2010-03-11T20:06:00.000-08:00

:: riding trains at the zoo

:: taking the kids to & from school & activities

:: having lots of snuggle time (my favorite place in the world to be)

:: learning about the healing power of food

:: being so thankful I feel like myself again!

:: making bread dough (that can be used for so many cool things other than bread)

:: going to bed very early

:: researching summer activities for o & m

:: planning & making dinners

:: finding a dance class for mia (her first one!)

:: hiking with dear friends

:: planning baby & bridal showers

:: celebrating my cousin's birthday at an awesome restaurant root down

:: starting at-home date nights with my husband

:: feeling my energy return

:: researching a csa to join (I think we'll join this one)

:: enrolling o for kindergarten (yikes!!!!)

:: spending time with my mom

:: making plans with friends

:: starting a knitting group

:: getting back into our family rhythm

...what a blessing in disguise to appreciate all of these beautiful little things again!

he's off!

2010-03-07T19:11:00.001-08:00

It was such an exciting weekend for us! Owen learned how to ride his bike with pedals! He was seriously proud and announced to everyone we passed, 'I can ride my bike with pedals now.' It was a magical day, and a wonderful memory to see the sparkle in Owen's eye. Of course we had to celebrate by having ice cream for lunch. Yum yum!

yummy treats

2010-03-04T14:18:00.001-08:00

Baking is therapeutic! We do it at least several times a week and I love trying healthy recipes or substituting healthy ingredients for not-so-healthy ones. We recently made these yummy peanut butter krispy treats from one of my very favorite food blogs 101 cookbooks. I combined almond butter with the peanut butter and used only a little maple syrup combined with lots of yummy raw honey. I'm determined to get my kids to eat anything in the peanut butter family because it's such and easy source of protein for their little growing bodies and truly, life would be so easy if we could just make peanut butter & jelly sandwiches for lunches & picnics. Like the recipe called for, I put in a few pistachio nuts (also hoping the kids wouldn't really notice the nuts smothered in honey-flavored goodness) but to no avail. They both picked out every nut. So it goes... Owen did like them and has brought them to school the whole week, and a few extra to share with friends. I want to make every recipe Heidi features on her blog. I mean the photos alone make you want to grab a fork and take a bite right out of the screen! Her recipes are divine and full of healthy, natural, whole food vegetarian goodness, and she is working on her third book Super Natural Every Day. I can't wait!

little guardian

2010-03-04T10:14:00.001-08:00

I believe we all have one, a guardian angel to watch over us and guide us... and this little one is as sweet as she can be. I am smitten with this artist's style and aesthetic, and love how she has created these guardian angel dolls (she has a boy version too!) that are so simple, warm, adorable and have such an enchanting meaning. What a wonderful gift this would be for someone you adore! Happy Thursday!

oh spring...

2010-03-03T20:32:00.000-08:00

...definitely puts me the mood for a sweet little dress like this! Leave it to Anthropologie, the store I love to wander through from time to time not only to see their latest and greatest and hunt the sale rack, but just to be inspired by all of the colors, patterns and textures they use in their merchandising and home accessories. Have you ever noticed how many things they repurpose and recycle into fabulous decor?!? I am in awe of their ideas and yes, I would love to just move right in!

hello march!

2010-03-02T19:13:00.000-08:00

Oh I am so glad March is here! Doesn't this sweet little pot make you want to plant something special in it just in time for spring? I feel like I disappeared the entire month of February and am so happy to put it behind me and start a fresh month with spring just around the corner. I am slowly getting my energy and strength back, with the amazing help of my family, especially my mom and my mother-in-law, who between the two of them, have been with us this entire past month to help get me back on my feet! I am so blessed, so thankful and feel so lucky to have that kind of support. It's been such a good lesson to accept help (why is it so hard?!?) and try to practice self-care without it feeling selfish. I've also been encouraged to take a step back and figure out what led me to become so sick. Trying to do too much? Not enough sleep? Stress? All of the above? I've come to the conclusion that trying to simplify things may be a good place to start. With two little ones running around, well that's a full time job in and of itself. A job that I love more than anything in the world and I give my very all to. I'm realizing that for now, this is enough ~ wonderfully enough to get back to being an energetic mom that is always available instead of being sick in bed. I have so many things I want to do, dreams I want to follow, a gazillion crafting projects on my list, but for now, it's okay to just be enough. Here's to a lovely March!

edible centerpiece

2010-02-25T08:27:00.000-08:00

My husband treated to me to such a sweet Valentine ~ a beautiful herb pot filled with basil and oregano! We had been talking about how it would be fun (& economical!) to grow our own herbs so now we are! When we buy them at the store, at least half of them go bad before we have the chance to use them, the packaging seems so unnecessary, and I have a thing for wasting food. Inspired by the recent post winter greens on one of my very favorite blogs maya*made, we placed our herbs in the center of our table and walla! ~ we have our own edible centerpiece. It really is such a fun idea and makes for such a lovely focus on the table, and the kids are LOVING eating the fresh basil leaves (probably my favorite herb of all) right out of the pot. Owen likes to carefully place each basil leaf atop his pizza, then dip it in a little bowl of pure balsamic vinegar. Makes my lips pucker just thinking about it, but this five year old is turning out to be quite the adventurous little eater!

I am for sure a snow lover and seriously adore winter time ~ crackling wood burning fires, hot tea with honey, soups and warm bread, bundling up, the amazement that every single snowflake is unique, and just being cozied up in the house during the darkness of winter are some of my very favorite things. But for some reason this year, winter seems long and I'm really ready for the warmth of the sun to return. Our new centerpiece surely makes me feel that spring is just around the corner. Pretty Please!

check this out!

2010-02-21T14:00:00.000-08:00

I came across this amazing pop-up school in New York City, Trade School. Trade School = 30 days of classes, co-working and bartering. As their site explains, take a class every night with a range of specialized teachers in exchange for basic items and services. Secure a spot in a Trade School class by meeting one of the teacher’s barter needs. Really? Something like this exists?!? I'm definitely in love! It is just so amazing to witness all of the creative things people are doing to deal with the recession, and a beautiful example of figuring out a positive response to our flailing economy. I mean check out the diversity in their class offerings...brilliant I say! There is everything from crochet classes to daydreaming, making butter to drawing for relaxation or pleasure, workshops on composting and even one called 'eating class. moving appetities.' Seriously? Trade School here I come... if I only lived in NYC!

silliness

2010-02-19T19:27:00.000-08:00

This is how I found my Mia a few weeks ago right before dinner time... she was such a big girl taking her 'own' bath with hand soap in our pedestal sink. The entire bathroom was a huge mess - water everywhere, soap all over the mirror, and all I could do was laugh. This little girl certainly keeps me on my toes, and ALWAYS makes me smile. Hope this makes you smile too!

handmade heart love

2010-02-17T13:20:00.001-08:00

For my two little loves on Valentine's Day, I wanted to give them a handmade gift. I found this adorable project in one of my favorite books, Handmade Home, and stuffed the pockets with hand knit finger puppets. I used patterns from this book. I loved creating them, but loved Owen's comment when I gave them their gifts even more. "That's a symbol of your love for me, right mom?" Oh honey, it is, and you have now idea how much!

i'm back!

2010-02-16T14:36:00.000-08:00

Hip Hip Hooray! I'm so happy to be back here! What we thought was the flu was actually a pretty bad case of pneumonia that landed me in the hospital for 6 days! WHEW - what was a crazy, scary ride this was, but I'm on the mend and feeling stronger everyday. I have felt so unbelievably blessed by my beautiful family and friends that have been so caring, loving and supportive through this, and continue to be. My mom (who flew into town at the drop of a hat)... well she deserves an entire post all to herself which I will write about a little later, but let's just say she took the most exquisite, tender care of me and I just don't know what in the world I would do without her. Thank you mom from the bottom of my heart mom for absolutely EVERYTHING and for being my hero. And Emily, my cousin who is like a sister, came to visit me in the hospital and brought me the sweetest care packages, called every single day to check in and and almost had O & M spend the night at her house on her birthday, when all she had wanted was to have a quiet birthday dinner with her sweet boys. And her dad, my Uncle Mark, picked the kids up from school and had a whole afternoon playdate that included playing at the park, ice cream and a movie! It was so special for the three of them to have that time together that they would probably never would have had the chance to have. A little blessing for being sick! I am just beyond touched by the generosity of everyone... gorgeous flowers...

the sweetest cards... yummy treats... and my cheery kids' artwork...

and if you're going to be in the hospital, Boulder, Colorado is not too shabby of a place to be. I mean take a look at these views...

A most heartfelt thank you to ALL of my family and friends for all of your sweet love!

a little break

2010-02-03T07:33:00.000-08:00

I have been bitten by a nasty flu bug and will be back as soon as I feel human again!

the white house garden

2010-01-31T06:38:00.000-08:00

I absolutely LOVE our first lady Michelle Obama. She is so wholesome, inspiring, healthy and real, among hundreds of other things. It is so easy to relate to her and I love the family values she exemplifies and inspires in others. This is such a fabulous story about the garden she created at the White House. I can't wait to own a home again so we can plant a garden too!

two-color embroidery

2010-01-29T12:19:00.000-08:00

I am loving embroidery lately. I love how delicate it looks and how vintage it feels. I found this pattern on the ever-inspiring purl bee. It was great fun choosing the colors and a delightful project to make. I used organic cream colored pillow cases because I love the soft color of cream and I truly believe in using organic materials whenever possible. I got the whole organic sheet set from Target for Mia's bed and thought the embroidery details gave it a bit of pizazz. One little bitty mistake I did make was using a yellow dressmakers chalk to mark my embroidery lines. Little did I know that this does not wash out. Oopsies. Over time, the yellow lines have faded, but they are still there. Oh well... good lesson in letting go of perfectionism. I still love them.

Now... I need to make a duvet cover. Going for an Anthropologie look (something like this). I want it to be all cream, with some type of texture or flowers. That way I can change up the look easily with different colored fun pillows or throws since I tend to get a bit bored with the same thing. And when Mia does have an opinion about what colors she wants in her room, it will be easy to incorporate. If you have any ideas for me, I would love for you to share!

cake topper

2010-01-26T19:32:00.000-08:00

I had to share this totally precious cake topper I found on little lovely. Note to self for future girly birthday parties!

potato printing

2010-01-25T10:15:00.000-08:00

We had a relaxing, slow weekend... very rare for us! It's been so chilly here that it's hard to get motivated to get outside so we've been busy finding inside projects. With Valentine's Day around the corner, we decided to put good use to an old little potato we had lying around and tried potato printing.

I cut out some little squares from paper bags for the kids to stamp on, glued them to some old notecards and voila, our valentine's cards are finished! Mia punched a sweet little butterfly stamp into hers (below). Happy early heart day!

art art

2010-01-22T09:23:00.000-08:00

LOVE this video I found on the wonderful blog whatever and wanted to share. So sweet, so fun, so cute, so true!

candlelight

2010-01-21T20:42:00.001-08:00

There is something about candlelight that is mesmerizing, relaxing and calming all at the same time. My son loves candlelight, so we've been having candlelight dinners and candlelight baths and it's quickly becoming part of our every day routine. Not too shabby of a habit to add to our lives, and even sweeter when it comes from a five year old! Owen apparently is into candlelight sleeping in the hallway too - battery powered that is! : )

magic

2010-01-20T21:01:00.000-08:00

This little girl of mine... she is an old soul. I just can't explain it, but she just gets it, and I feel like she's been here before. At the ripe old age of three, my Mia just knows. I was having a 'what am I going to do with my life' kind of day... and while I was snuggling with her at nap time, she started brushing my hair out of my eyes. It was such a tender, sweet moment. I think that in her own special little way, she was telling me everything was going to be okay. I am just amazed by her, not only in these precious moments, but by her thoughtfulness in the every day. She never accepts just one sticker offer at the grocery store, but always makes sure to ask for one for her brother. How in the world am I so blessed to be her mom? She is truly my magic little Mia...

p.s. This wonderful photo was taken by our resident in-house photograher... my mom! She is the most beautiful photographer and we are so lucky to have her documenting our lives. Her photographs adorn our walls at home!

smitten

2010-01-19T10:10:00.001-08:00

I love to bake. I love how it makes our home smell. And of course, love to eat a treat that is still warm, right out of the oven. We made this banana bread from one of my favorite cooking blogs, smitten kitchen. I changed the recipe just a bit, by roasting the bananas, which made for a lovely caramelly flavor. My kids loved mashing the bananas by hand, and I loved that I didn't have a mixer to clean! Yum!

for Haiti

2010-01-14T20:06:00.001-08:00

Craft Hope opened up an Etsy shop to benefit Doctors Without Borders. They are looking for crafters to donate products that allow people to purchase them with 100% of the proceeds going to charity. This is a call for all things handmade! I donated a few items from my Etsy shop to this effort and thought maybe you'd be interested to? It's a little thing really in the scope of the help Haiti needs, but if we all did just one little thing, in our own little way, we could make one big difference. If you would like to participate by donating an item, please click here. If making things isn't your cup of tea, no worries at all. You could still support Craft Hope's wonderful efforts by purchasing a beautifully handmade item from the Craft Hope Etsy shop, and feel great that your money will go directly to the charity. It’s that simple!

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

Note: As of today, Tuesday, February 16, Craft Hope for Haiti had raised over $30,000 for Doctors without Borders! Isn't that AMAZING!?! What a difference we can all make by doing it together!

a cozy little space

2010-01-12T19:57:00.001-08:00

I love small, cozy spaces, and have been dreaming about creating one for my kiddos. I have had this vision in my head for a handmade playhouse made out of fabric, and here it is! I talked my husband into building a frame, which he did out of pvc piping, and after a few adjustments to the size, (yes, he was a sport!) it was just right. What's neat about this house we created is that you can take the piping apart, just like big tinker toys, which my son loves to do. The house is sewn as one big piece so it's really easy to get on & off, and washable if necessary. I am new to sewing so piecing it all together was a bit of challenge for me, but I am so excited about the results! Here's a little peak...

I'm not sure who is having more fun playing in it... I just might like to move in!