Belated Happy New Year

We had such a nice break.  This was the first winter break in a long time that we didn't travel, and it was just so much simpler.  Some good hikes, a couple field trips, lots of time just playing at home, and the most perfect Christmas morning.  Simple.  The goal and the word that just keeps coming to mind.

And now somehow it is already January 9th, 2012.  2012!

 December was good.  And, looking back at that list of goals, pretty successful.  I cleared a bunch of extraneous crap stuff out of the house. Not all of it yet, but it just feels so much cleaner already.  The 100% plant-based diet kind of flew out the window mid-month, but it did make a big difference in how I felt so I haven't given up on that.  It may not be sustainable, but it is worth the effort.

I did sew a present or two for each of the kids.  Ollie's sheep pajamas and a Shirley (giant sheep) stuffed animal/cushion that is actually with him in school today for 'S' Share Day.  I made Ella a little bedding set for her doll bed and got most of the way through a silk velvet-y skirt (with one for her doll to match) before we realized that I had made the waistband too small.  That one needs to be revisited and finally finished.

And eieio?  Besides a couple custom orders last month I haven't even touched it.  But I've thought a lot about it and am getting ready to move forward again.  The first thing I need to do is some kind of lighting setup.  Soon...

And the goals for January?  They are already in full swing.  The house is getting picked up and cleaned on a more regular (even daily!) basis and I am getting ready to go downstairs to empty out my bedroom in preparation for painting.  There's more that I'll put into a list before the month is over.  I promise.

Looking for the Quiet

 In November, I had grand plans for December.  I was going to bake and sew and string cranberries and popcorn.  There were going to be handmade teacher gifts and mama-made clothes under the tree.  The house was going to be peaceful, joyful, and holiday-laden.

 And somehow, life happened.  And my last free days while O was in school were suddenly so overscheduled I felt like I was being pulled in ten different directions and getting nothing done.

And I searched for the quiet where I could find it and promised myself it would come.

And you know what?  Today is December 22nd.  I was up (happily) at 6am making pumpkin muffins for Ella to take in for the teachers and staff at her school.  It is just after 10 and I have sat and read with O, needle felted my first little ladybug, and sewn cloth Christmas bags to put some gifts under the tree.

O is playing quietly by himself with a fusion of Playmobil, blocks, and The Dad's old GI Joe vehicles.  The house is quiet.  And all is good.  It's a little late, but it is here.  And I am oh. so. content...

Somehow I Missed November

Somehow, I missed November.  Life got busy around here.  I did a big show at our local Waldorf School the weekend before Thanksgiving and at the last minute we ended up traveling for the holiday.  I told myself that things would quiet down after that, but they haven't really.  And somehow I am feeling even busier and overscheduled now than I was before.  And now it is December.

We have begun the tradition since moving here (this will be our fourth Christmas back on the East Coast!) of cutting down our own Christmas tree at a local orchard.  It's not quite the taking-a-sled-out-into-the-woods-on-a-snowy-day-and-dragging-home-a-tree that I had envisioned, but it has become its own family tradition for us.

At O's nursery school yesterday, they began talking about holiday traditions and things we all do that could be shared with the school.  Kids spoke about lighting the menorah or the advent wreath, sledding, and getting a Christmas Tree.  They also talked about Advent Calendars (which I am a little behind on this year and need to hang this morning!).  O raised his hand and said that one of our traditions is roasting marshmallows...  What?

But really, it is.  The orchard where we cut down our tree has a small bonfire where you wait to get on the hayride out to the trees.  They have benches, hot chocolate, and marshmallows for roasting.  So, in that little 4 year old brain of his, it is a tradition because every year, when we go to cut down our tree, they get to roast marshmallows. It may not be as heartfelt or reverent as lighting the menorah or an advent wreath but, evidently, it is tradition.

What is your favorite tradition of this holiday season?

The Halloween Costumes - The Snow Queen

Growing up, my mom made all our our Halloween costumes.  Every year, I think about what I can make but more often than not have ended up buying.  I think it's always a struggle finding the balance between cost and time...  and cost.

Last year, O wanted to be a puppy dog.  I figured I could easily build a costume off of a hoodie and sweatpants.  That I could find pretty cheap.  So we walked into Old Navy and right into their Halloween display.  Hmmm...  $20 for a super cute (and warm) monkey costume?  Or that much for the sweats plus whatever the rest of the materials would cost plus my time.  Honestly?  I bought the monkey costume but over a year later still kind of wished I had made what he wanted.

This year, E wanted to be a Snow Queen.  Complete with cape.  I told her we could put it together from most of what we had.  Plus some not-too-expensive extras and a handmade cape.  She really got into it.  The Snow Queen had to have long brown hair, though.  And tap shoes.

I was able to talk her out of the tap shoes and we went with standard Target silver glitter flats (like the ruby red slippers).  I also found an 'alluring' long brown wig that once worn looked a little more Lil' Abner than fancy fairy tale character, but...

And I made her a cape.  Which was much more expensive than I had planned but which I loved making and which we will have for a long time.

And while she looked nothing like the original costume she spied in a catalog, she loved it.  And I will always remember this one.

Introducing the Itty Bitty Tote Bag (That Needs A New Name)

So I wanted a couple new things for The Highlands this weekend.  My hope had been to have a design for a larger girl's dress (size 4-8) but it just wasn't ready in time.  So instead, I bring you the Itty Bitty Tote Bag.  Reversible like the Roundabouts.  Some match dresses, some don't.

O saw them in my studio and immediately said "I want one!"  He calls it a "Church Bag", as in bring it to church stuffed with little things to keep him occupied.  I made a couple in non-girly prints, too.  I know first hand that the desire to carry around a little bag stuffed with treasures (that some may call a purse) is certainly not gender specific.

One ended up green with orange handles.  I looked at it.  And looked at it again  It screamed Halloween at me.  So off to the fabric store I went for some Alexander Henry Halloween fabric.  While The Dad had the kids up in NY for the weekend, I whipped up some little Trick or Treat Totes.  Hooray for new ideas!

The only issue I have is with the name.  While Itty Bitty Tote Bag is what popped into my head while I finished the first batch, it has evidently popped into lots of other people's heads, too.  So I need another name.  I thought of The Reversible Out-and-about (sounds cooler when said with a Canadian accent) but it doesn't quite roll of the tongue.  Or the Kiddo Tote.  I'm kind of leaning toward that one.  Any ideas?  What do you think?

Belated May Day

O's nursery school had it's May Day celebration on Tuesday.

Complete with handmade flower crowns, lots of little kids in white, and a maypole festooned with ribbons.

I realized as the kids were circling that each ribbon had a popsicle stick attached to the end of it.  Brilliant in helping them hold on and keeping the ribbon from slipping out of their hands.  Even cooler, at the end of the celebration, each child was told to 'plant' their ribbon.  They stuck the popsicle sticks into the ground all around the pole, leaving the ribbons splayed out and anchored.

Beautiful.

Valentine's Day 2010

 

 With all of the snow days, Valentine's Day seems to be lasting forever around here.

 

O's valentines for school have been ready and waiting since Friday, while E still has to finish decorating her hearts.  I have a feeling I will be attaching pipe cleaners to pencils after she is cozy in bed tonight.

It's A Crafty Advent - Day 20: The Christmas Eve Bags

Things have gotten a little too crafty around here lately.  I had a couple last minute custom orders on top of everything else and have been spending what little free time I've had lately in the studio.  So while I haven't been writing about what I've been making, I've actually been making a lot!

And yet there's so much that could me done!  I told The Dad this morning what else I wanted to make/do and his response was "I think you and I have different meanings for "A Simple Christmas".

But really, we are trying (and I think succeeding) at keeping things pretty low key this year.

One of the things I had on my list to do (and one of the things The Dad scoffed at) was some Christmas gift bags to take the place of all the wrapping paper.  While more work right now (though really not that much more), I hope that they will be reused for years to come.  Especially these first bigger ones.

We have a tradition, brought to our family by my family of origin, of giving pajamas and books on Christmas Eve.  Open one Christmas Eve Present, put on the new PJs, and curl up in bed with some good books.  These bags in the picture each contain new jammies and about half a dozen new books.  I kind of want to fill a bag for myself, too!

Oh how I could shop for books forever.  My Christmas shopping has been done for weeks (really, we are keeping it simple this year) but I just can't stop finding books.  They're important, though.  And I'm so particular about which ones I buy.  But I love finding great ones that just grab me.  Like the Sound of Music Pop Up book I didn't even know existed!  Oh my.

It's A Crafty Advent - Day 8 : Noel Gnomes

Besides the tree and the advent pockets, we don't do a whole lot of Christmas decorating around here.  One thing I added this year, though, is these little Noel Gnomes I fell in love with at the Waldorf Holiday Fair a couple weeks ago.

Every once in a while they get pulled down and played with  - especially the "O" one.  For the most part, though, the kids have been good with my explanation that these are mine.  They're not always happy about it, but they're learning...

"The Felt Lady", as I call her, was talking about all the ways these could be modified - including birthday ones that spell out a child's name.  I look forward to seeing what else she comes up with!

It's A Crafty Advent - Day 6

For about 15 minutes yesterday, the beginnings of our little Christmas Village looked like this.  That's a little felt squirrel, if you can't tell.  I found the two little woodland creatures at Wonderment when we were in Minneapolis.  And in the background - my first attempt at a felt tree (which I love, but which won't stand up on its own) and, of course, our impromptu cardboard-box-manger.

More to be added every day.  Stay Tuned!

It's A Crafty Advent - Day 1

 We hung our Advent Garlands last week and filled them last night.  My mom made these for the kids last year and I love them.  Last year they were filled with trinkets and a little candy.  While I loved a lot of the little things, some were really just filler - little pieces of plastic that ended up floating around our house until they made their way into the trash.  And really?  Who wants to feed their child a hershey kiss before they've had breakfast?

This year I wanted to do things a little differently.  I was inspired by Mary Beth over here last year and decided that we would follow suit and do some kind of "Christmas Village" with a mix of things that are new and things that we already had.

I actually bought a Playmobil advent calendar last summer and have had it stashed away to make up the bulk of the pockets.  Mixed in are some new play silks, a new ornament for each kid, a little necklace kit for each, and the pieces of a great hand carved nativity set that my parents bought for me in Holland(?) way back before I had kids.  I'm really excited to see what the kids think.

 

 Today, in their first pockets, they each received a new ornament.  I especially love the one for O - a great wool felted snowman I bought from Melissa Frueh (of Sqrl & Bee) at the local Waldorf School Holiday Fair before Thanksgiving.  I've known of her for a while and was super excited to be able to see her things in person.  Check out her husband's cool video Wellington Dreams - an amazingly creative couple!

 

So, I'm excited to watch the little Christmas Village unfold over the next 23 days.  We'll see what the kids decide to do with it all.  I have a feeling it is going to end up looking nothing like I imagine...