Many Skies Mama

6 years old

2012-02-10T22:26:00.000-08:00

My girl turned 6 years old today. She woke up and said to me,

"MOM! I grew last night! I'm sooooo much bigger now, cause I'm six!!

Rainbow Birthday

2012-02-03T21:52:00.000-08:00

My 2 girls have birthdays 3 weeks apart, and decided to share a birthday party this year. A very rainbowy birthday party ;) I had a lot of fun (and spent way too much time on pinterest) planning.

I didn't sew the dresses this year - I just knew I didn't have time or energy for it, so I went looking on etsy, thinking that if I couldn't sew them, then the next best thing would be to have another mama sew them. She did a wonderful job on them. Here's the link

A dear friend sewed this lovely rainbow banner for us :) Isn't it gorgeous? It's reversible - with different colors on the other side.....

Yes - I sewed the streamers ;) Instructions found here It's a really simple process, and it didn't take long to make a ton of them - maybe an hour altogether. The only issue was that they aren't as gathered as they were supposed to be because my machine didn't like the high tension, and if I got the tension up high enough for it to gather, then the thread would break. Very annoying. I did figure it out, they just aren't as gathered as they could be.

The cake.

6 layers of gluten-free almond flour cake.

In 6 different flavours.

I did try so hard to keep food coloring out of it. I'm really not a fan, but in the end, several of the colors would have been brown, and I'd have had some sad little girls, so I did use coloring for the blue, green, and purple layers. Not a lot - but it's there.

I went and photographed it with the colors the wrong way - oops!

Red was strawberry

Orange was mango orange.

yellow was lemon

(I coloured it with india tree natural food coloring that is tumeric based)

Green was lime

blue was blueberry

purple was blackberry

I sweetened the cake using coconut sap sugar, which is brown like brown sugar, and did make it somewhat harder to color the batter.

We're not done with rainbows yet around here - now I'm knitting little Miss A a rainbow pinafore !

Regina - the hat, not the singer ;)

2012-01-15T15:45:00.000-08:00

This is Regina, by Carina Spencer

Knit using leftover scraps of several different colorways of Noro Silk Garden from Aeowyn's Tiny Tea Leaves. This was an easy knit, thanks to Carina's excellent pattern - which didn't surprise me one bit, since she is just meticulous like that :) And of course I am a big fan over patterns that are easy, but produce a result that *looks* complicated ;)

Man Hat

2012-01-15T14:27:00.000-08:00

I've been knitting up a storm, but keep not getting around to taking photos.... Today is the day ;)

This is "Man Hat" by Haven Leavitt (click to see my notes on ravelry) I used Mirasol Sulka in "biscotti. It's a lovely blend of merino, silk, and alpaca and is absolutely dreamy to knit with. This was a really simple knit, and has a great fit. I will most definitely revisit this pattern again. There's something about mens' knits that is intimidating to me. I did attempt a hat for my man a couple of times, but both attempts were dismal failures ;) That's fine - we got there eventually. Perhaps it would have been sooner if I wasn't always knitting for my little cuties ;)

Stay tuned - I've got three more knit items to show you :)

Staying Real

2012-01-14T21:25:00.000-08:00

Staying real. With our kids, with our loved ones. Being honest, even when it's really hard - It's so important, and is so key if we want to stay in our hearts - and where better to be if we want to really connect with our children, in our marriages. And every time we take that leap and really take a hard look at ourselves and choose love - well our hearts just get closer, and there is a deeper intimacy all around. Even if it's something as simple as not quite reining in frustration, and letting some words slip out that we regret - we have the option to stop right there, and make it right, reconnect. Because really - it's not about being perfect. It's about growing and learning - and our kids watching that process, and seeing it as a normal part of life. Then they too can find the strength to take a good look at themselves, and see the bits they'd rather not see. Every time we say to them - "Wow - I really lost it there - my words came out sounding really harsh - I wasn't meaning to direct that at you. I'm just feeling really tired and overwhelmed right now. I apologize." and we look them in the eyes, and we let them feel really *feel* our love - well that's the real stuff. So often there is pressure for parents to be "right" - that they are undermining their power and authority to admit they were wrong. I just don't agree with that. Our society needs more people who can admit they have messed up. People who value connection over being right.

There is such a huge focus on the surface of kids - their outer manners, what they can and can't do. SO much pressure, that is rarely age appropriate. More important than any of that is what lies below the surface. *Why* is my child acting out ? What need isn't being met? Do they *feel* loved? We know we love our kids - but that's not enough. So often kids don't feel loved - have lost the connection, in our busy lives that leave so little room for connection. With 5 kids - it can be tricky to maintain a connection with each of my kids, but that is my number one goal, every day. Maybe my kids will swear. Maybe they'll.....pick their nose in public *gasp* or forget to say please once in a while. Heck - they might be downright mouthy at times, but that is the surface, and the more years pass, the more I realize that that is not the part that matters. That surface stuff - it matters, but it matters because it's there to signal us. To let us know that a child needs *connnection* and lots of it, more than anything else.

And really - doesn't it make it all so much simpler? Maintain that connection. And the rest will follow naturally, almost, *almost* effortlessly.

I heart faces - Pink

2011-10-16T23:46:00.000-07:00

I just noticed that this week's theme over at i heart faces is pink :) Since I just finished doing a very pink photo shoot project with my lovely friends Andrea at tapestri, and Becca at all-about-afternoon-tea.com/ well I figured I didn't really have a choice now did I ? So here it is - my entry for this week :)

Be sure to head on over and check out all the amazing entries...

Plain Vest - by Pickles :)

2011-09-17T19:54:00.000-07:00

This was one heck of a satisfying knit.

It was soooooooooo fast to knit. Done knitting in 5 days. Took me 2 more to work in the ends, and sew on the buttons - but that was ummm laziness ;)

The best part tho - was that because it was stranded, I was able to use up 2 balls of super thin, but lovely wool, that I would never have found a use for, and another equally lonely ball of wool that might have just sat sad in my knitting basket until ..... the end of time.

My favorite part tho (did I say that already? - hmm ok I have a best part and a favorite part ;)

My favorite part was that the lovely light purple wool, was left from one of her very first sweaters - the 2nd sweater I ever knit. The sweater that I knit in purple, in that very specific shade of purple, because it was *her* color. I hadn't met her yet, but I knew. It's still her color.

So this sweater had to be knitted, and I didn't care one bit that at the start I hadn't enough yarn, and wasn't sure if it would turn out - I just knew it had to be.

And so it was.

Here's the pattern

My ravelry page

A certain older girl wants one now - and she even picked out a bunch of other lonely balls of wool.......

Tho I must say I'm a wee bit nervous about her choice of colors, and whether or not there is enough, but since it all worked out with this one, I'll just have to have faith. It will be somewhat of a coat of many colors ;)

One Hundred Million Gillion Fun

2011-09-16T00:14:00.000-07:00

It was such a treat to photograph these little sweeties! I enjoyed our time together so much - and unlike my own kids - they looked at the camera! Don't get me wrong - I love taking pictures of my kids - but man I sure have to work for every shot I get ;) They think it's so funny to run away giggling.

These little guys' response when I asked if they were getting bored of having their picture taken was "NO! This fun fun! This is a hundred fun - no a hundred million gillion fun!"

That just made my day :)

Miss Veda Part 2

2011-09-10T10:23:00.000-07:00

The first session we did, this little sweetie was awake the whole time. Which was totally fine - I love eyes :) We had hoped to try some of those cute sleeping newborn shots tho, so we decided to give it another go asap. And then my whole family got sick :( There was a 2 week delay, during which time I knit a beautiful cocoon to take photos of her in - knowing that more than likely she'd be waaaaaay too big, but doing it anyway ;) Needless to say, I definitely see why photographers say you need to do these shots by 2 weeks of age. Little Miss did what any of my babies would have done - she woke up! I've always been a little skeptical of those newborn shots - none of my babes have been even remotely that sound of sleepers. Sooooooo yeah - none of those kinds of shots - and this little munchkin isn't so little anymore! Gosh they grow so fast in the first few weeks!

That would be the cocoon - which she definitely didn't fit ;) But that's ok. She's cute no matter what ;)

"Hey man - you woke me up!"

I snapped a few at the end of her sleeping - no way was I going to wake this little one again ;) Mama's arms do just fine. I think that famous rule "Don't wake a sleeping baby" is a wise one ;)

Newborn Bliss

2011-09-06T23:54:00.000-07:00

Anyone who knows me knows that I'm just cuckoo for babies :) I don't know why, but I was actually surprised at just how much I *love* photographing newborns. It's kind of a no-brainer if you think about it - but I guess i just never did. This little lady just rocked my world. I mean look at her! Everything about a newborn just screams to be photographed! And what a huge honour to create the photos that will be treasured for a lifetime. They grow so fast - you have to capture them quick, because sure enough, you blink, and there's a teenager sitting there in front of you. Miss Veda is just 2 weeks old in these photos. I've got another batch to share soon that are closer to 4 weeks.....

Coaxing the grumblies away

2011-09-06T07:00:00.000-07:00

I started writing this post in the spring and somehow forgot about it. I like it tho, so I'm sending it off now :) I know I've talked about much of this before - but I know for myself, I need to remind myself of it over and over again - even 16 years into parenting!

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I'm sure we're all familiar with cranky kids. In our house we call it the grumblies - these are little bugs that hide in people's ears and between their toes and even in their belly buttons! When a little one has the grumblies (definitely only fun for littles - the biggers would be offended lol ) we have to catch every last one of them and squish them, to make the grumblies go away. It's amazing really - the transformative effect that silliness can have. Really, so often when kids are acting out, if they aren't hungry, tired, or overstimulated, all they are really needing from us is love and attention.

It's so much simpler when they are littles tho. Easier to shift, easier to accept the love and attention once it's offered. Helping them shift requires a whole nother level of skill that I don't always seem to find in me. And yet it's so important, especially in a big family like ours, where there are 5 kids - needing all different levels of attention. It's so easy for the older kids needs to fall by the wayside - in our family - I've seen other families where the older kids' lives took up so much time and space that it was the littles that were needing more. One on one time is something we have always made a huge priority, and that is sooooo helpful. When I see one of my kids out of sorts, I always know that it's time for that mama (or papa) time.

Today tho - today was a little different than usual. A boy was desperately wanting to go to his friends, but it wasn't in the plans, and he was angry. Really really mad. In all honesty I had given up trying to help him shift, out of sheer frustration. We were heading out the door to go up the road to the local nursery for some herbs, and I assumed both my bigger boys would want to stay home. My older boy decided to come tho, and at first he was still mad, but slowly, slowly, as he found himself chasing around with his sisters, a shift happened. It certainly wasn't me. Being all together outside, choosing plants - that was quiet and relaxing, and the air smelled good. There was a request to stop at the river and check the temperature of the water, with high hopes of swimming. We humoured him. It didn't matter that the water was still too cold. He had gotten to a place of ease again. Maybe he's gotten a little bit older. Maybe being with family was what he was actually needing. Maybe..... I don't know. I do know tho that being a kid is harder than we adults would like to admit. Learning how to shift out of that yuck place and back into a pleasant place can be hard even as an adult, so however it happened. I was pleased for him.

Even better tho, was that when we got home, a certain boy followed us out to the garden and proceeded to help with digging and planting leeks!

I think that by far the biggest lesson that I try to remember as a parent, is look past the surface, and a little deeper to the why. Why are they angry, mouthing off, sad, ignoring our requests? It's certainly not because they are bad kids - there's no such thing. Look for unmet needs. That is where I try to direct my attention. Past the swearing. Past the yelling, to the often times hurt feeling that came first, and on to connection. That is where the learning is. Love.

air

2011-09-05T01:00:00.000-07:00

Our trip this summer involved *alot* of driving. I know I found it too much at times - and if I did then you can imagine 4 kids cooped up ;)

We found lots of ways to break it up tho and get them out and *moving*. We did do some big crowd activities (not my favorite thing, crowds) but really the beach is where it was at ;)

And really what can be more fun than hurling yourself off a sand dune into the soft waiting sand below? I loved the expressions on their faces - especially little Miss A ;) Such fierce determination. Big Miss A is not the sort (yet) to jump with wild abandon - she's a cautious one so far. I'm sure that as she gets older and gains confidence she'll find her way - maybe she'll jump with reckless abandon sometimes - or maybe she'll be cautious. Both are good in my books ;) A little of both perhaps ideal, tho is there really any such thing ? I mean we are all such a gorgeous blend of our various quirks and qualities. Acceptance can be hard at times as a mama tho - or a papa I'm sure. It's easy to accept the pleasant qualities - not so hard with the stuff that doesn't look so pretty, to know that they'll find their way - and we just need to be there, attentive, listening, and letting them. be. them. I need reminding of this at times. To allow this unfolding. To love and have faith that with the proper care these sweet rose buds will bloom in all their very own glory.

Just Like Grandma

2011-09-04T14:07:00.000-07:00

This baby girl of mine arrived just two short months before my much loved Grandma passed. What a lucky babe she was tho to share some of her Great-Grandma's last shining moments. I've always felt the two of them are very much connected and ever so much alike in looks and fiesty personality.

So much so that we added her name as a second middle name for this girl of mine.

This photo tho (above) ..... oh my. The likeness is striking, and pulls at my heart just a little, reminding me.

It's a good kind of pulling on that heart of mine tho. I loved her dearly.

G.G. - as she liked to call her great grandmother self - would have adored this one. All of them really - but I'm sure she would have seen herself in her. Recognized the twinkle in her eye perhaps.

This wide open lovey girl - she literally hurls herself at us - full of love - every day.

I just follow her rambunctious self, camera in hand. That smile - my camera wants to catch it!

I realized the other day that this is the first time in all my many years mothering all these loves, that I don't have a baby in the house, distracting me from really appreciating all that is 3.

Love.

Road Tested Leg Warmers

2011-09-01T13:59:00.000-07:00

Last December ..... ahem..... my oldest daughter asked me ever so sweetly to knit her some thigh high leg warmers - striped purple and turquoise to be exact ;)

In my lovey dovey but ever so unrealistic when it comes to being realistic about just how much sewing and knitting I can accomplish in a month moment, I said I would love to :)

Ever so many months later I finally finished them. It's not that I don't like to knit - I love to knit! It's more that I really really really dislike knitting on double pointed needles - and that's what was required.

This is really making me realize that I am a good candidate for learning to "magic loop" it - using 2 circular needles to be able to skip those awkward dbl pointed needles altogether.

So sometime in the next year I have promised myself that I will learn. Quick - someone assure me that it's not so hard ok ?

They look cute worn below the knees over jeans, but I think they will totally steal the show worn under a skirt or dress ;) I want some. Which of course means the whole magic loop thing.....hmm.....

I used the Road-Tested Legwarmers pattern by Lynn DT Hershberger, found on Ravelry

I used acrylic yarn for this project - which is a first for me, and I can't say I loved the experience. I used it to make the care super easy for my sweet girl. I wanted something both washer and dryer friendly, since I know that wool care isn't really at the top of her list of priorities ;)

She has grand plans to wear them with garters - ahem - tho it might be actually practically necessary, as I'm not 100% sure they will stay up - I suspect my gauge wasn't spot on - another thing I find with dbl pointed needles - I end up knitting really loosely.

The most important thing tho is that she loves them :)

Buttery Carrots and Green Beans with Dill and Parsley

2011-08-31T22:18:00.000-07:00

While we were away on holidays our garden just exploded with yumminess......

What a treat to come home to!

This dish came about as a result of a craving for butter and garlic, that coincided with dinner time ;) We've loved it so much that we have made it over and over again nearly every day since then! You can switch it up a little - I've since made it with leeks instead of garlic. Sometimes left out the carrots, or alternately the beans. It's pretty basic and simple, but not really a combination I'd made before, and I figure that if we love it so much then some of you might too :)

Gather up the freshest green beans and carrots you can find - as much as you need.

A whole head of garlic - less if you don't love garlic like I do ;)

a good handful of fresh parsley

another handful of dill.

butter.

Chicken stock if you have it - otherwise water is fine.

Chop your garlic. Heat up a frying pan, on medium heat, and add a nice big blob of butter - more or less depending on how much you love butter ;) I love butter - it was a good sized blob - maybe 2 tablespoons for a whole fry pan full. Add the garlic and cook just a little.

Toss in all the carrots, and pour in a little chicken stock, or water. Put on a lid and cook until they are about half done.

Then add the beans, and cook until tender.

Now all you have to do is stir in the dill and parsley, add salt to taste, and Voila! You're done.

Prepare to be delighted :)

2011-08-30T00:41:00.000-07:00

We stopped at many skate parks on our trip - this one was my favorite - Burnside Park in Portland Oregon. It was my favorite for the lovely light ;) It wasn't my husband's favorite, but guess where I took the most pictures?

Light like this makes me giddy. Really.

That would be the scientist slash climber ;) Right before I made him come down - he was just about to go higher!

The girls had mucho fun sliding down the not busy parts of the park :)

And well it was just so cool - Little Miss A was chillin ;)

OMG they are adorable!

I figure you can judge how much fun a kid has had by how dirty they end up ;)

My husband is such a dude.

Peek!

Liquid Gold

2011-08-27T15:59:00.000-07:00

I didn't just chase sunsets ;) I also chased the lovely warm golden glowy light that comes before ;) We just don't get quite the same kind of light in the mountains I find.

These were taken in Morro Bay California. *LOVED* this beach! It was big and beautiful and hardly anyone was there most of the times we went! Heavenly.

Oh just wait until you see how many shots I've got of my kids mid-air! Oh my! Jumping off of sand dunes was a fave of all except the more cautious Big Miss A ;) I wouldn't call little miss A cautious tho ;) On the contrary - she had a close call when she hurled herself off a rock into the water, expecting that I would read her mind and catch her from 10 feet away! That was one very scary moment for all involved! A reminder of just how quickly a fun activity like swimming can turn tragedy. Needless to say there is a firm eye glued to this little adventurer ;)

We're back!

2011-08-26T22:09:00.000-07:00

We just got back from our first family vacation in 5 years :) We drove to San Luis Obispo to take my scientist to the Super Charged Science Camp. It was amazing and I highly recommend taking a peek at their site - they offer some pretty amazing science offerings for kids of all ages. I'm pretty sure there is nothing like it anywhere.

I have several thousand photos to sort through and edit, and several grandparents that I know are dying to see photos, since I've been a terrible blogger lately and haven't put anything up! I'm going to ignore my urge to finish with all the sorting and editing and just start posting!

Today you get to see some sunset shots! I'm pretty sure that sunsets on the beach were the part I was most looking forward to, and my favorite part of the trip! We just don't get that kind of sunset where we live - too many mountains in the way. I definitely made the most of it, and being on the beach at sunset was high priority! I can't promise this is all of them either ;)

I found a wee fairy in my garden!

2011-07-21T23:22:00.000-07:00

Copycat

2011-06-29T12:37:00.000-07:00

My latest assignment for my photography course was to choose a photo I liked, and copy it as best I could. This held me up for ages, because I kept trying to find a photograph that was of children. Yeah right - my kids don't do posing ;) Finally I settled on a photograph by Herb Ritts. I can't post it here, but here's a link: I swear I didn't notice who it was at first - blech!

I think my sweet man might be my new favorite model ;) He's so darned cooperative :) And besides - it's actually quite nice to have some nice photos of him :)

Sunshine

2011-06-27T21:26:00.000-07:00

Really Seeing.

2011-06-22T23:18:00.000-07:00

I was laying in bed with my little girls this evening, waiting for them to drift off, and to pass the time I was reading - a book about photography - of course ;) It seems it's all I eat, drink, breathe, sleep these days. It's grand really, to feel such passion.

I was reading a book called "Photography and the Art of Seeing" by Freeman Patterson. I came across the following....

"Seeing in the finest and broadest sense means using your senses, your intellect, and your emotions. It means encountering your subject matter with your whole being. Good seeing doesn't ensure good photographs, but good photographic expression is impossible without it."

I found myself comparing this to parenting, in terms of how my best parenting comes when I really *see* my child. Not the surface behaviour, but their truest selves. Their vulnerable, sometimes hidden side. Not the anger, or the acting out, but what is hiding underneath that.

When I can get to that place - of seeing them, that is the heart of it all, because when I really *see* my child - I make the right parenting choices. I *know* what they need. Which is usually connection. Most times. So simple really, and yet in the heat of the moment it's so easy to forget.

My children challenge me to be my best. Every. Single. Day.

Some days I feel like I've got it.......others I'm quite sure that I've failed.

Good thing another day comes along, with another chance to get it. Perfection? No way. Learning? Always.

Pushing through the hard stuff, finding a new way to look at things.

And love. Always so much love.

Evening Sun + My Girls = Sweetness

2011-06-22T10:44:00.000-07:00

light

2011-06-08T13:43:00.000-07:00

I'm working on an assignment for my photography course..

More camera love....

2011-05-20T21:57:00.000-07:00

Pondering Leaf

2011-05-14T16:49:00.000-07:00

It's amazing to me just how different each of these three photos is. Taken within seconds of each other, girl barely moving, camera barely moving, and yet each is so different and holds a completely different mood.

I was showing my girl these photos of her beautiful self, and I said, "Looks like you're pondering...."

She replied, "Yeah! It's called...... "

Pondering Leaf

Finding it fascinating that she would name a photo of herself, like artwork (Ok - not just fascinating - I think it's awesome that she's still young enough to be completely matter of fact about her own beauty) I asked her what the next photo was called... this one?

Eye Smile

When we got to this last one, I said to her, "It looks like you've got a little smirk in this one..."

She quickly replied, "No! It's not a smirk, it's a ......."

Smurf Smile

A smurf smile! If I hadn't fully melted in the presence of such sweetness, that was it for me.

Mama delight.

Tunnel vision.....

2011-05-12T11:49:00.000-07:00

I haven't been posting much at all - and that is pretty much due to tunnel vision. I've gotten so focussed on learning photography, that it's pretty much all I think about these days. I keep not posting, thinking I might just be boring everyone with all my photos. I'm not going to post fluff for the sake of posting - if I have nothing to say than I have nothing to say...... but maybe I should just post the photos anyway, even if only to make the grandparents happy ;) I guess it's my blog, and I can post what I like, so I'm just going to go with that ;)

Miss Pink

2011-05-07T00:36:00.000-07:00

7 days. Just me.

2011-05-05T21:32:00.000-07:00

This past week I went on my first solo adventure in over a decade. It was about time, and so so good.

Easter disorganized

2011-04-24T08:48:00.000-07:00

So I think this year may very well take the cake for a last minute disorganized scramble. I was thinking I was on the ball remembering to buy the plastic eggs we were needing, well ahead of time, before they sold out in the stores (as they always seem to every year in our small town) We did remember to get the candy. I didn't remember to get the Easter books out, or to dye eggs with the kids for that matter ( tho I did think about it several times) I was, in my defence, sick with a cold in the couple days leading up to Easter. I was also better tho, and stayed up very late chatting with some lovely ladies when I went to pick up my boy from a sleepover last night... So the Easter bunny was running around outside in the dark with a head lamp (Yeah that rumour that the easter bunny can see in the dark, is just a myth lol!) You'd think that camera obsessed me would have gotten it together to get Easter baskets, but apparently I didn't, so really the only good photo (unless you like the look of eggs in plastic bags) is this one below.....

But as you can see - I'm the only one who cares ....

....because the *EASTER BUNNY* came.....

I mean really - it's all about the hunt..... and the candy right?

and the magic of the Easter Bunny -

it's about thinking of all the possible places the Easter bunny might have *hopped*

(in the dark with his head lamp no less)

and discovering some new flowers have just started to pop up is pretty cool too...

And the conversations....."Mom did you hide all the eggs inside or outside"

"I have no idea S - the *EASTER BUNNY* hid them remember? How the heck would I know - sheesh" Wink wink nudge nudge. The little girls don't seem to notice the enormous number of slip ups made by the big brother. I guess the magic of believing has clouded their little brains so that they can't hear any of those....

Maybe next year I'll remember the baskets, and the egg dying, and the books ;) But thank goodness kids are so easy to please.

laptop sleeve

2011-04-20T17:48:00.000-07:00

I've been planning to sew a laptop bag since Christmas - and it hasn't happened. Now I'm going off all by myself, as in alone, as in no kids with me, to the city, next week, and suddenly there was not time to sew a whole bag. Sooooo I borrowed back this bag I made for my daughter, and

sewed this laptop sleeve.

I waffled for days over which fabric to use - I wanted the oilcloth, but was more drawn to different, less practical fabrics. In the end I discovered that the leftovers from the bag were actually in almost exactly the same shape and size as I needed to make the sleeve, so it seemed like it was meant to be.

The pattern was easy to follow and quick to sew up. I made one change, and that was to use an old felted sweater instead of the fusible fleece lining. That made it take a little longer, as I had to sew the sweater onto the fabric before I could start sewing. And it also made it thicker to sew, which was a bit annoying and almost too much for my machine, even with the heavy fabric needle. I should have cut the pattern out a bit longer to accommodate the bulk of the sweater too - the end result is just a tad shorter than I'd like. All in all tho it's a success :) I love the oil cloth (Anna Maria Horner) it's soft and pliable - not thick and stiff like I'd imagined it would be - I can't wait to see which patterns she's chosen for the oil cloth in her new line that is coming out soon!

I haven't sewn much at all since Christmas - if at all actually - it felt really good to be back at it. I wonder if I have time to finish up that toiletry bag I started ages ago.....hmmm......;)

Sneaking out with my girl to catch the morning sun.....

2011-04-19T11:14:00.000-07:00

This morning as I was sneaking out the door for an early morning photoshoot, a certain sweet girl of mine decided to come along... so that she could show me the sweet spots to stop :)

snapshot

2011-04-17T21:55:00.000-07:00

A Rainbow of Tiny Tea Leaves

2011-04-11T18:33:00.000-07:00

My girl asked me to knit her a rainbow sweater.

Loving rainbows myself, I was happy to oblige.

The yarn - Noro Silk Garden, in several different colorways, that I moved back and forth from, choosing the color that called to me most :)

The pattern is "Tiny Tea Leaves" by Melissa LaBarre. I love love love this pattern. The yoke is gorgeous, and yet really not hard at all technically. I knit it in a size 6, so she'd have room to grow - which she definitely does. Looking at it, it might have been better to go with the size 4, and lengthen the body and sleeves. My girl is such a slim little gal - it's a bit wide. It's fine tho - she loves it, which is all that matters to me :)

The sun in this photo is making the colors look a little washed out, but I wanted to show the two different sleeves :) My girl picked out the buttons :) The whole time I was knitting it she kept asking me when we could sew the buttons on :) It's hard to tell in the photos, but the stars are sparkly :)

I suppose I should have fiddled with it so it actually laid straight hey?

I don't think I have ever enjoyed knitting a project as much as this one - it was so fun to watch the colors change :) Next I think I may need to knit myself one ;)

accidental smile capture

2011-04-10T14:22:00.000-07:00

I talked my boy into posing for a photography exercise. Don't worry, I said - I am not looking for smiles You can do what you want - it's just a technical exercise.......

I can not be held accountable for accidental smiles induced by silly little brothers who happen to choose that moment to pee on the old Christmas tree on the burn pile.......

*He tried so hard not to smile too......*

Maybe a bit opportunistic of me, but who could resist a smile like his? So rare when the camera is out at this age....

Yay for Sisterly Love....

2011-04-08T23:44:00.000-07:00

My sweet 5 year old told me that she really likes to go places - just mama and her and her little sis.

And so we went to the cafe´.

There were lots of big smiles...

And quiet contemplation of strawberry spritzers.

Warm glowing eyes.

a little yoga....

much giggling....

lovey dovey hugs.....

and ever so much dancing.

By the end they were plum tuckered out from all that lovin.

Photo shoot with my favorite teenager.....

2011-04-06T00:00:00.000-07:00

Today was a good day. The kind of day where you feel completely alive at the end.

My camera, my girl, the local yarn store, bubble tea, and a trip to the salon of course.

Bliss...

My favorite......what a smile :)

Her favorite.....

Spring Sunshine

2011-04-04T19:31:00.000-07:00

The playground isn't covered in snow anymore. The sun seems to jump out from behind the clouds whenever Big Miss A asks him nicely, and.....

the air just feels so fresh and new - spring is in the air!

My Scientist's Christmas Hoody

2011-04-02T20:35:00.000-07:00

Yes Christmas - it's taken me that long to remember to take a photo of him when he was wearing it - which is quite a lot actually, so I don't really have a good excuse. He's grown since then - I'm wishing that I'd made the sleeves about 3 inches longer. He loves it tho. I think he's my favorite person to knit for in a way, because he just loves anything I knit for him sooooooooooo much :) One of the things I love most about knitting things for my loves is that I feel like they are just all wrapped up in my love for them, quite literally. My Scientist definitely gets that.

The other day I happened to have my camera with me at piano lessons, and he happened to be wearing his hoody, and it just so happens that the light there is quite wonderful :) So here I am again finally.

The pattern is by Knitting Pure and Simple, the Children's Hooded Tunic #232

The yarn is an organic cotton that was such a good deal I just had to buy it - it's not available anymore tho, so I suppose it doesn't matter. I have some more of it actually, in a yellow, and also grey, so eventually there will be more projects showing up here.

It feels good to be back in this space. I spent much of the winter sick, catching one bug after another - it didn't much put me into the mood to blog - I mean what was I going to say? "I'm sick and bummed about it..."day after day lol! I definitely was feeling pretty discouraged by the end of it. I'm feeling so much better finally tho, spring has arrived, and the inspiration is starting to flow along with the sap in the trees.

I have another very rainbowy knitting project almost complete that I am very excited to share, so I will be back soon ......

2 whole nights.

2011-03-08T22:05:00.000-08:00

In 11 years together - my husband and I have only gone away together once, on our honeymoon, for one night. Crazy no? Well this weekend that changed :) My youngest is finally ready to be away from me overnight. This fact actually fully rocks my world.

And so, knowing that the kids were well cared for, off we went, for 2 whole nights at the Hotsprings.

Yummy food, wine, soaking, lounging around, going for walks.....with my camera in tow of course.... It was heavenly.

I'm at such a strange strange place right now - a little unsettling in some ways - but oh so exciting in others. After so many years of intense focus on nurturing attachments, and caring for wee ones, my littles have grown, and aren't quite so little. My mind is buzzing with ideas, interests, passions, that have been on the back burner for so long. Not that my kids are all grown up or anything, just not needing me quite so intensely as they did as babes. We are still homeschoolers through and through, so my time is still quite limited, but at least there's some. There's more. And promise of more to come.

How's this for symbolic ;) ?

Yes that is the camper roof they are jumping off of....

......but don't worry - there's so much snow underneathe, that it makes for a much smaller jump....

and a cushiony landing....

Yes they certainly do grow up fast.....

Butterflies in winter....

2011-02-28T21:49:00.000-08:00

For years we didn't have a full length mirror in the house. I didn't expect how much fun it would be! Mainly watching my sweet girls adore themselves - each in their own very different ways. Today we brought out the face paint and transformed them into butterflies........

See those painted nails? Yes we were busy today :) Guilt-free - or should I say non-toxic nail polish was discovered at our local health food store this past week. It has *no odour* seriously. I was so pleased! I wouldn't buy it for the longest time, and then I bought it, but wouldn't let anyone use it in the house, so it was a summertime only sort of thing - that still left me worrying about the chemicals I'd just painted directly onto their little bodies. This stuff is water based, easy to get off - it peels. It's called Suncoat Girl - I'm assuming that is the kids' version, tho I've got some on right now, and it's not so shabby ;) It seems to come off easier tho. The adult version is just called Suncoat. It appears to be made in Canada too :) There is something deeply satisfying about painting one's nails, with no stink!

This is my oldest girl who had me paint her face like a butterfly *every day* for months. I once met someone who remembered me from years before *because* of the butterfly paintings - and well the overall constant body art in general lol - that girl liked to decorate herself ;) Now she's 16 and wants a tattoo. Oh my!

She did the art work here, so I'm guessing that the butterfly girl tradition will be carried on...

this moment

2011-02-25T10:15:00.000-08:00

Inspired by Soulemama - {this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

A Tiny Tea Leaves Cardigan for Little Miss A

2011-02-23T13:40:00.000-08:00

This is Tiny Tea Leaves, by Melissa Labarre

I've been on a mission to use up my stash - which is a little ridiculous in size. I bought this wool (O-wool Classic in Thistle - I can't recall the color names for the stripes) when I first started knitting, with plans for a sweater for Little Miss A - that was 2 years ago ;) The pattern I'd intended it for is miles too small. I also didn't have quite enough of the pink, so I added in the stripes, just in case.

I love this pattern. It's very very easy, but still beautiful. The only part I don't care for is picking up stitches for the button panel. I like it when the panel is just knit at the end of the row as you go, but that's ok - I still love it ;)

Mainly tho this pattern is just interesting enough that I didn't get too bored, but not so complicated that I can't knit and chat, or knit and watch a movie ;) That's my favorite kind of knitting. Some day when my kids are grown, I'll knit the more complicated stuff for my grandchildren ;)

The painted wooden buttons are from Peace Fleece - another thing from my stash. These buttons are so beautiful - hand painted from Russia. I had to take the sweater off my lovely model to get a shot from the front - she got tired of posing and thought it much more fun to run away ;)

There's still some wool left in all the colors.......I'm thinking a hat?

Painting the snow

2011-02-19T18:43:00.000-08:00

Everyone is starting to get restless around here, as we tend to, come February. Surrounded by snow, the house is feeling small, and little bodies just need to get outside.

Yesterday I remembered the painting snow idea - we've done it in the past using koolaid, or food coloring. This year I used tempera paint and found it to be quite effective. I just fill a spray bottle with water, and add a good long squirt of tempera. Give it a good shake and you're good to go :)

It's actually really satisfying - I think we'll have to get out and do some more decorating soon. Look at that tongue tho! - The concentration ;) Our driveway is lonnnnnng and is plowed, so there is a perfect blank canvas for them to work on - no way will they be running out of painting space any time soon.

I think we'll have to add in some more colors soon - I think a rainbow would be nice :)

I heart faces - "Red"

2011-02-14T21:05:00.000-08:00

This is my entry for this week's challenge over at I heart faces. I hadn't planned to enter this week, but then this morning my little one just happened to be wearing her red dress, and the roses on the table... well it was an irresistible combination.

Be sure to head on over and check out all the amazing entries...

Someone is 5 years old!

2011-02-09T23:17:00.000-08:00

This baby girl used to make women spontaneously ovulate all over town. Seriously - I'm quite sure there were babies born as a result of hormonal mushiness over her sweet adorable face ;)

She's ever so proud to be turning 5 years old, and I'm wondering - as I *always* do on birthdays - where did the time go??????? You'd think that after 16 years of parenting, and 5 children, that I'd have gotten used to it, but I'm afraid the effect is getting stronger instead of lessening....

Things are pinkified, and I borrowed some hot air from the boys for the balloons....

The gifts have been adorned with their silk wrappings, and her special birthday crown is waiting next to the birthday throne.

Won't she be surprised when she finds out that mama was pulling her leg, and I was actually able to locate the toy store, and the coveted tea set after my long long search through every ridiculous store I could think of for it. I do love pulling little legs ;) I wish I'd had a recorder running while she tried her very best to explain to me where exactly the toy store was in town ;) Nope - no tea sets at the underwear store ;)

there's a birthday coming up.......

2011-02-05T21:13:00.000-08:00

Someone's getting a tutu.....

snapshot

2011-02-05T21:05:00.000-08:00

I heart faces - "Innocent Wonder"

2011-01-23T23:31:00.000-08:00

This is my entry for this week's challenge over at i heart faces.

The theme this week is " Innocent Wonder"

I'm thinking this one fits the bill and doesn't really need any explanation....

snapshot

2011-01-22T02:25:00.000-08:00

This Moment

2011-01-21T09:31:00.000-08:00

It just goes to show....

2011-01-18T08:04:00.000-08:00

Whenever one of my kids has a birthday, I have a list of plans as long as my arm. It always ends up being shortened, but often I spend a good bit of time agonizing over it first ;) This birthday was all about shortening it. I have been sick, and there was just not time or energy, for fancy. But the beautiful thing about kids, is that they get excited over everything! It's my birthday - YAYYYYYYYYYYYY That expression of pure delight is for the teddy bear that her brother pulled out of his room and wrapped up for her, the night before her birthday when he realized that he hadn't gotten her a present. Looks like it worked out just fine.

So I made the easy dress - it may not fit perfectly, but I don't think she cares.

I finished the most important gift on time. She named her new doll Violet.

Violet has already made friends with the other dolls in the house.

And the cake - well she was very clear that it was going to be chocolate - with sooger in it (Sugar). SHe may not like chocolate, but she knew what kind of cake she wanted. That made for easy cake making - I used a gluten-free mix. And tossing some gummy bears on top made her day. Seriously.

Would *I* have preferred a fancier cake? You bet. Does she care? Nope.

As long as there are candles to blow out - including that one in the middle that she insisted on putting on, and carried around the house all day long. It's the candle from her brother's birthday cake this summer - it has the number 8 on it - but that's ok - she doesn't know her numbers yet, and besides, her big brother scratched the side of the 8 of to make it a 3. It's a backwards 3, but I'm thinking it's the thought that counts.

Yes, I do think that simple is better. Not that there isn't a time and a place for fancy - but I'm coming to realize that what matters most is the time spent together. Not how many presents I've made with my hands, or how many layers and fillings the cake has (ok there are definite bonuses to yummy fillings lol!) - tho that is still a love of mine, but the enjoyment factor all around, well that sits at the top of the list. Letting go. Yup - that's a definite theme around here.

My Baby Turns Three Today

2011-01-16T23:08:00.000-08:00

My baby is three years old today. The time has flown by - as it always does. The baby years are over, and that feels pretty huge. Bare with me while I bombard you with pictures of my little lovely :)

Friends

Love

First Birthday Cake

First Steps

snapshot

2011-01-14T22:17:00.000-08:00

This Moment

2011-01-14T00:02:00.000-08:00

The Birthday Dress

2011-01-12T21:43:00.000-08:00

When I was a little girl, to say that I loved dresses would be a serious understatement.

I'm fairly sure that I went an entire year wearing nothing but dresses - by choice.

(one of the boys told me that only boys wore pants, and I believed him - I did really love dresses tho)

I still love dresses - tho I'll admit that the focus around here tends to be on little girl dresses ;)

I had to really cut down my list for Little Miss A's birthday, since I've been sick, so yesterday, when I had the full day to sew all by myself, I turned to my own tutorial and whipped up a birthday dress in no time. Seriously - I don't think it took longer than 30 minutes and that was while watching "Glee" at the same time. Wait - did I just admit to watching Glee? Ugh.

Without the birthday girl there, I had to guess at measurements - which pretty much just meant holding it up to a couple dresses after ;)

I'm pretty sure there's enough pink on there to make the girl happy - she's not quite as picky about the pink factor as her bigger sister is - not yet anyway.

I remember years ago, in a thrift store holding up something to show my oldest to see if she'd like it, and she looked at me with a most irritated expression, rolled her eyes, and said,

"Mom you *know* I only war pink and purple!"

She did eventually grow out of that - I believe the favorite color is blue now - tho she's not in exclusive ;)

My littlest birthday girl only wears dresses these days - tho I managed to convince her that leggings aren't pants - they're *almost* tights ;) I know this is really a summer dress, but my girls are so into dresses - she'll wear it indoors, or layered.

Not bad for a last minute rush job ;)

Can you keep a secret?

2011-01-12T12:16:00.000-08:00

This is the newest addition to our family - a playmate for Little Miss A.

Her birthday is coming up, and I figured it was time for her to have her own little friend.

She's been playing with Big Miss A's doll for ages - all the dolls actually. This photo doesn't do it justice, but the hair is just like Little Miss A's - a little bit curly, and many different colors of blonde, and light brown.

Little Miss A is out with her papa, so I snuck on here while Big Miss A was playing outside

(she's a little young yet for secrets ;) )

Taking some sick time

2010-12-31T15:43:00.000-08:00

Or I should say - getting well time. I've managed to get pneumonia - not a terribly bad case, but it's my first ever case. I'll be back as soon as I'm well again.

2010-12-29T23:35:00.000-08:00

Christmas this year was a lesson in letting go if ever I saw one.

We've all taken turns being sick - tho I skirted the edge of sickness mostly, until Christmas eve ;)

Many many plans were abandoned. Much less of a handmade component than I would have liked.

But these things happen right?

But Santa still came through with Miss Big A's sweet request for this cake - no way could I have made that - she was very specific - and ever so sweet on Santa's knee - shyness gone and a twinkle in her eye.

Little Miss A didn't really get the whole Santa concept enough this year to make a request, but I knew that this would be it -

My big project for the girls was a proper dressup box - no I didn't make the box ;) I planned to make quite a lot more things to go inside, but the time-factor collided with the sick factor...

This bench seat with the storage under the seat, fit the bill perfectly. Big Miss A is in the middle of an obsession with beds - she makes them all over the house and gets furious with anyone who dares to touch or move said bed. She immediately went to work turning the top into a bed of course.

Little Miss A didn't take this dress off until it had to come off for the wash. That girl loves dresses.

The dresses were a huge hit, which was great since she utterly rejected the Christmas pajamas ;)

The pictures are kind of terrible - due to the fact that a certain (youngest) child of mine had us awake at *4am* Christmas morning. I actually don't remember most of it - thank goodness I've got these pictures - terrible or not lol!

Now that Christmas is over, I'm on to the run of birthdays that follow Christmas rapid-fire.

Little Miss A is first up - I should have something to show soon.....

Reflection

2010-12-24T22:24:00.000-08:00

This moment

2010-12-24T12:59:00.000-08:00

The Scientist has been dying some gifts

2010-12-23T22:49:00.000-08:00

This year, I figured that the perfect gift for the scientist to make for his little sisters, was new playcloths, in a rainbow of colors. The boy *loves* food coloring - seriously folks you would not believe the vast quantities of food coloring that we buy. I ordered the scarves from Dharma Trading Company. In the past we always have used koolaid - not sure why. The colors are so much nicer with food coloring! And no yucky smells either.

I also ordered for the girls, from the same place, some silk triangle shawls with silk fringe - so cute, and a perfect addition to the dress up box I'm putting together for their main Christmas gift. I had planned to dye them ahead of time, but ran out of time - I'll have them dye them with me tho which will be way more fun :)

Dharma has so many gorgeous silk items - I couldn't help myself - I also got some gorgeous silk camisole night gowns for the ladies of the house - I dyed one for my oldest in her favorite shade of blue. It's a gorgeous thick satiny silk too. I was a bit disappointed in the silk long underwear I bought tho - not the greatest fit, and it snags really easily.

The play silks have gotten a lot of use around here, and I like to replace them now and then when they wear out. I've never had a whole rainbow at once tho! I love rainbows!

This photo just doesn't do the colors justice - I got a nice vibrant shade shade of each color.

I've described the process before - it couldn't be easier - for silk fabric I just get a small pot of hot water going on the stove, add a good glug of vinegar to help set the color, and then start adding the food coloring until I like the color. You can test on paper towels for the colors that need more mixing like purple. If the silk sucks up all of the color from the water and isn't as dark/permeated as you would like, just scoop out the scarf, add a little more color and put it back in for a few more minutes. Let them simmer on the stove for a good 20 minutes or so, rinse and dry. I like to iron them with a low heat iron when I'm done. I bought some long skinny scarves too and dyed them in watery colors - these work really nicely in setups as water. That's it :) I like to keep a few extras on hand for last minute birthday gifts. I love homemade gifts, and this one is so super kid friendly. If you don't want them working near the hot stove, you can mix them cold on the table, and then an adult can heat it on the stove later to set. I'm really comfortable with my kids being around the stove - they all are, pretty much as soon as they can stand - with adult supervision at first of course.

snapshot

2010-12-23T11:29:00.000-08:00

My Solstice Baby is Sixteen!

2010-12-21T23:01:00.000-08:00

My biggest girl turned 16 today. That feels huge.

There was cheesecake.

**sister giggles**

Our birthday mama daughter day in town - new hair, lunch and shopping.

She has changed in so many ways.....

but some things stay the same ;)

This moment

2010-12-17T00:22:00.000-08:00

Oh Christmas Tree

2010-12-14T13:57:00.000-08:00

Christmas is so sensual isn't it? Some of my most vivid childhood memories are from Christmas time - every smell and taste still in tact and ready to come back in an instant. I saw bags of german Christmas cookies a while back that were just like the ones my aunt used to hang on the Christmas tree, and as soon as I saw them, the memories just flooded in, smells, tastes, how beautiful the tree looked.....a rare moment when I was actually bummed that we can't eat any gluten - those cookies are definitely not gluten-free!

There's plenty more to get excited about tho...

The lights, family traditions, baking. Excited talk about Santa.....

Is it just me or are those two nearly identical? (with about a 12 year gap of course)

You can tell she has a teenaged sister - she loves to pose for photo shoots...

He certainly found his spot....

I have absolutely no idea where he got the whole prayer thing from (we are really not a religious family) - maybe he's trying to send Santa a psychic message????

My goodness this child is photogenic!

An ornament got dropped and broken while we were decorating, and my oldest said " Don't worry - it's not one we've had very long" This one tho - that was given to her for her very first Christmas

- she was only 4 days old.

I grew up with candles on the tree each year, and really a tree without candles doesn't feel right to me.

My mom always celebrated Christmas on Christmas Eve - and the routine every year was that after dinner, we'd light the candles (with lots of buckets of water /fire extinguishers etc on hand of course) then we'd sing Christmas carols......then, and only then it was time to open the presents.

Oh my goodness us kids were sooooooo aware of every one of those steps - urging people to just hurry up and eat already. All the same, I loved that it was always the same - it all felt so special and important.

I hope that one day my own kids look back on the Christmas's of their childhood and remember these times with the same vivid magical dreaminess.

December is the sewing month.

2010-12-11T00:03:00.000-08:00

I'm fairly certain there is no month in the year that I sew as much, as I do in December.

Today I finished Big Miss A's Christmas pajamas :)

McCall's 4283

The fabric is by Valeri Wells in her "Urban Flannels" line - I'm using another fabric in the same line for Little Miss A's pajamas - that is if the fabric ever gets here....

The scientist's pj fabric arrived today - except that it's not flannel - Oops. Not sure what I'm going to do with 3 yards of quilting weight fabric covered in icecream cones.... Tomorrow I'll see if I can find some flannel that he'll love that much locally - in fact I'm practicing creative visualization at this very moment (no I don't have a lot of faith in the local stores in this case lol ) And while I'm at it, I better imagine there being something there for my husband too, since I wrecked his the other day in a sewing disaster ;)

I'm still waiting for 2 more packages of fabric to arrive in the mail too.....

They will come, and I will somehow magically have all 6 pjs ready in time for Christmas eve. So there.

Progress

2010-12-10T00:00:00.000-08:00

I got a lot done today - goodness that feels good :)

I can't post one of the things I made - since eyes are everywhere, and secrets must be kept, but I can share...

this sweet dress - repurposed from a women's top that my 2 year old fell in love with at the thrift store....

It took less than an hour from start to finish.

I took it in along the top of the sleeves so it would fit her better, and then I just folded the tulle in half lengthwise, and sewed along the fold (that's 4 layers since it comes folded once already) then gathered it until it was roughly the same length as the shirt was around, and zigzagged to hold the gathers. Then I pinned it on the dress a few inches up, and sewed it on. A quick trim with the rotary cutter afterwards to tidy up the bottom, and the little bow at the neck and voila! Another dress for the dress up box I'm planning for the girls for Christmas :)

The race is on....

2010-12-09T15:06:00.000-08:00

I've not been around here much - I just haven't had any time - lots of challenges colliding in my life at the moment. I'm finally kicking into gear for Christmas sewing - tho my list is going to be cut waaaaaaaay back at this point. The idea of a completely handmade holiday - or even mostly handmade, had officially flown right out the window, but such is life - I'll do what I can. Fingers crossed that no one else gets sick around here in the mean time ;)

I've been making some progress today - tho I completely and utterly destroyed the pajama pants I was making for my husband - no idea how I managed that other than the fact that there was no wrong side and apparently I just got things entirely ass backwards to the point of no return. Not sure what I'll do about that since I've already got the top cut out, and I ordered the fabric by mail....... Moving on to the next project tho - at least this one has a right side and a wrong side, hopefully it'll go smoothly ;)

I've made the girls nightgowns for a couple of years now, but this year in a sentimental moment I realized that they will soon be too old / unwilling to wear the zip up one piece jammies, so this year I'm making those instead. Wish me luck on the zipper. I sew a fair bit, but pretty challenged with following a pattern, and I've not done a zipper from a pattern yet - ask me to wing it, and I'm usually fine, but patterns often seem to be written in a language I just don't get. SO far so good tho, so I'm hopeful ;)

OK - back to it!

This Moment

2010-12-03T13:24:00.000-08:00

I heart faces - Scenic Black and White

2010-11-30T19:04:00.000-08:00

This is my entry for this week's challenge at I heart faces challenge - "Scenic Black and White"

Edited to add that I just missed the cut off by literally seconds - oh well.

Be sure to head on over to the website to check out the other wonderful entries.

snapshot

2010-11-30T12:24:00.000-08:00

snapshot

2010-11-28T10:50:00.000-08:00

Finally Christmas crafting.....

2010-11-25T23:27:00.000-08:00

I've not been sewing at all since I moved my sewing things into the main living area - too much going on, and once everyone is in bed I'm too.....ZZZZZzzzzzZZZ...... to do anything requiring the use of my brain ;)

Today I had the whole day tho, so I finally got down to it. I used a women's tank top that I picked up the other day - it's quite shimmery/metallic looking which doesn't really show all that well in the photo.

I used shirring on the tank top, after cutting the top straight off. I saved the straps and sewed them back on at the end. The tulle was just folded in half and then again lengthwise (4 layers) and then gathered along the folded edge, and sewn onto the bottom of the shirt. I used a zig zag stitch for that and sewed twice - no idea if it will hold long term tho - I've not used tulle this way before.

It's pretty tho, and my girls will love to dance in it :)

I'm trying to pair down my list of things I'm wanting to make to something in the realm of reasonable ;)

I'm not having much luck tho ;)

The problem with Christmas, is that in my attempt to keep it from turning into a greedy consumer fest, I end up burning out trying to make everything. Every year we are scaling back a little more - but I'm also trying to make sure the kids experience is a magical one. Now if I could just start crafting earlier in the year - but there is something in me that just isn't the least bit interested in crafting for Christmas until November. Before then it's just too much for me to wait to give it to them I think ;) I do love making gifts.

Snapshot - honey love

2010-11-24T11:46:00.000-08:00

This moment - playing with glass

2010-11-18T23:40:00.000-08:00

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

Remembering.....

2010-11-17T20:50:00.000-08:00

I was driving along today and realized that my sweet husband and I met and fell in love 12 years ago this month. It's a lovely story, one that made me believe in love at first sight, so I thought I'd share it here.

A friend of mine had a crush on a man that worked at a store and wanted to show me who he was, so we went window shopping. I was immediately smitten and the chemistry was obvious. I was panicking tho! I didn't know if this was "her" man or not. I talked with him for ages, our eyes locked the entire time. Finally it was time to go, and as soon as we were out of ear shot I asked if that was him. She said no - thank god! and I said right away, "Good cause I could marry that man".

From that day on I've believed in "Love at first sight" with all of my smitten heart.

And recently my husband confessed that on that day - seconds before I was declaring my plans to marry him, he had peaked his head out the door to watch me walk away :)

This time of year - late fall - the feeling in the air will always remind me of the time when we were falling in love.

A day with my biggest girl

2010-11-17T00:26:00.000-08:00

I got to spend the whole day with my girl today - just me and her.

It seemed fitting that since I love taking pictures, and she loves posing for pictures (and taking them too), that we should get outside and go have a photo shoot!

*disclaimer - prepare to be bombarded with pics. I couldn't help myself.

There were too many that I loved. *

If you remember, I've been learning how to use the manual settings on my SLR - I've not had much chance to try at all - in fact this is only the 2nd time I've spent any time outside really playing around with it. I love the feeling tho, as over and over that light bulb in my head lights up and something is clear - or clearer. I feel as tho one could never stop learning where photography is concerned - I love that!

She still loves to hug trees after all these years

(she used to hug the sad lonely telephone poles when she was a little girl )

She's really fun to photograph! She is quite comfortable in front of the camera - as I'm sure most teens are these days with the explosion of photos on facebook....

Isn't she beautiful???

I really want her jacket. Badly. I might actually have to go searching for a similar pattern.

We had so much fun, being silly and giggling.

I love that I accidentally overexposed this! It's a bit tricky to get used to changing settings when you're used to just pointing and shooting - it's a good kind of tricky tho - makes my brain happy - even if it is at times frustrating. I was taking pictures of her in a hollow tree trunk, and completely forgot to check the exposure - they all turned out really dark. That's ok tho - the beauty of digital photography is that you can take as many shots as you like! I think I took around 250 shots today, so missing those wasn't such a big deal...

I'm fairly certain that I have an identical shot of Little Miss A running at this very spot with her nearly identical hair flying just like that....

The feet - an exercise I was trying from a photography book. I didn't have the book tho, and I'm not sure if I did it right! It was sooooo hard to get a shot that was focused clearly on the feet. The background is super fun tho - I'll be playing around with this more for sure.

I'm one of those people that loves to read really long novels - the longer the better - a whole series of long novels is even better. I love to be fully immersed in pretty much whatever I'm interested in. So instead of feeling overwhelmed by all there is to learn in photography, it just feels like my own personal playground! Always new, and always getting more interesting, more fun and rewarding.

I'm so in awe of this fairy girl of mine. Almost 16 now - she's matured so much and just continues to amaze me with her loveliness every single day.

It was a close call getting to this spot - she very nearly took a plunge !

Eventually she decided that it was my turn to have pretty pictures taken of me - if she got to have so many - then only fair if I had some too. And besides - she was just itching to get her hands on my camera ;)

Considering how few pictures there are of me - it was nice to be on the other side of the camera for a change....

tho I'll admit to being a bit nervous in front of the camera - coming from the film generation and all ;)

The day ended with mochas at the local coffee shop. With real whip cream on top :)

When we have a day together it's pretty much just assumed that coffee will be part of the picture.

She loves her coffee.....

2010-11-16T09:15:00.000-08:00

I feel snow coming. As the end of fall draws near, Christmas is on my mind - as it always is this time of year. I try to make as many gifts myself as possible - this is really my most favorite part of any holiday - the handmade part. I have a hard time getting excited about buying stuff for Christmas, especially as my current focus is decluttering, and organizing this little house of ours. The idea of more stuff, or even a break from that focus on decluttering has been hard to wrap my brain around this year. There's something about feeling the chill of snow on it's way that really kickstarts that Christmasy feeling for me (is that even a real word? - who cares ;) I like it ;) )

Last year I stumbled on a description of an old Christmas saying that people used to go by for gifts, in a time when gift giving was simpler - not so overblown.

Something you want,
Something you need,
Something to wear,
Something to read.

I really really like this. I followed this loosely last year, and I liked that it made it much easier to keep things reasonable. We've been talking a lot about scaling back a little more each year, focusing more on handmade, and more on spending time together as a family *outside*. Last year we decided that part of how we would do that was to ski this year as a family - as a Christmas present - season's passes for all and much less under the tree. Again - this feels so good! I don't want Christmas to be all about getting, and buying. Not really qualities I'm looking to nurture, in a world that desperately needs to see a scaling back of desires, and over consumption, it makes sense to nurture healthy attitudes / values now while they are young.

I'm brainstorming ideas to suggest to the kids for making gifts for each other. The scientist is quite keen to dye playsilks for the girls using blanks from Dharma Trading Company using food coloring. I always used koolaid in the past, and was often disappointed when we couldn't get all the colors in the rainbow. I'm excited to do a whole rainbow of scarves this year! I should really put up a tutorial - it's sooooo easy. Ridiculously so.

Today is my day off - my husband takes the kids to town, and I do whatever I need to do *all* *day* *long* it's heaven! It's so good for my introvert self to have quiet, the satisfaction of getting things done quickly, and recharging so that i can greet them when they come home ready to be fully present with my loves.

And so on that note, I'll be off to start my day. They've all just rushed out the door, and the house is quiet :)

I heart faces - Silhouette

2010-11-15T00:24:00.000-08:00

This is my entry for this week's challenge over at i heart faces. I think that probably my only complaint about this wonderful place I live is that we just don't get sunsets - rarely anyway, and never the stunning kind I just saw when checking out the entries over at i heart faces.

Be sure to head on over to i heart faces to check out the absolutely stunning shots this week.

Learning

2010-11-11T12:09:00.000-08:00

I've been slowly but surely learning how to use my SRL camera - it's quite the learning curve! Recently I've been trying to make the switch to using the manual setting for most of my shots. This has been really frustrating - and really rewarding. Yesterday I finally managed to get out with my girls, my camera, and sunshine, all at once :) I was very pleased to come home with these.....

studio condensed

2010-11-10T14:11:00.000-08:00

With a much needed shifting of rooms, to accomodate the changing needs of our very large family, (in a very small house no less) I've given up my studio space recently. This meant cramming a whole room full of yarn and fabric and all that goes with, onto a few shelves in our dining room.

Yesterday I had a quiet day alone to set things up. We had already cleared all of the shelves, and painted the room. I thought that painting might lift my spirits a little, as I try not to worry to much that my little ones will pull everything down, wander off, and either lose, or break everything (Ok I wasn't worrying, I was panicking ;) ) I'm not done with it yet - there is still quite a bit of stuff to sort through, but I got the basics set up, and I even sewed a curtain to contain it all a little.

Here's a couple shots of how it used to look - I can't find any with bigger shots of the whole room. We've never painted this room, and it was quite a mess. The ceiling was painted the same cantaloupe color as the walls which made the room feel a lot smaller than it is.

Here it is with the new curtain

The fabric is by Anna Maria Horner..... quite definitely my favorite fabric designer :)

You can see them here - just scroll down to the Drawing Room line.

There is something about her fabrics that just make me feel so good! I just love this curtain - it makes me smile in a big way every time I look at it :)

My hidden sewing nook...

This has worked perfectly actually, as I can leave the sewing machines set up.

The barest bones of all my fabric.... I actually love the look of stacks of fabric :)

snapshot

2010-11-08T22:40:00.000-08:00

I love the way this scientist of mine will repeat the same experiment over and over and over again, soaking up all sorts of subtleties that he would likely have missed if he'd only done it once. Over time he changes things - just a little - to find out what happens, until his understanding just blossoms. I'm in awe.

I heart faces - orange

2010-11-08T15:55:00.000-08:00

This week's them over at I heart faces is "orange". This my entry - it's pushing it a little, as even tho i know that the little hoody she's wearing is closer to orange than red, it looks a little red here in the photo. I can't for the life of me find any other orangey photos tho, so here it is :)

This moment

2010-11-05T10:58:00.000-07:00

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

Busy busy bee

2010-11-02T22:34:00.000-07:00

I haven't been around much the last week or so - I've been immersed in changing the house around some more. With 7 people crammed into a small (less than 1200 sq feet) house, it's an ongoing challenge to make it work. We have only owned this house for a year (tho we rented for 5 years before that) so we are still really fine tuning, painting, renovating, switching rooms around etc. With kids needing their own rooms, I'm about to give up my studio space, so I'm really really focussed on getting everything organized just right, as I'm going to have to incorporate all of my sewing and knitting materials into our already overflowing house. I've got a plan tho ;) And I'm going to paint - it's a tricky way of distracting myself from the loss of my space ;) I'll post photos when I'm done :) We're almost finished with the bathroom reno, so I'll have before and after pics of that soon too :)

We also have all the usual fall chores to get through, like the enormous wood pile.....

It's crazy huge.

I'll probably just post photos for a bit until I get things sorted out, but I'll be back soon - I've got to get working on Christmas and birthday gifts asap - we have 4 birthdays between December and February, so I've got birthday gifts to make too!

A little peek at Halloween....

2010-11-01T22:59:00.000-07:00

It's funny - with all the sewing I do the rest of the year, you'd think I'd be all over Halloween ...

Nope. I can't tell you why - I really have no idea other than it seems to sneak up on me each year.

Christmas, birthdays - I'm there. Halloween I seem to sleep through each year.

Oh well. I think it's pretty hard to not have fun on Halloween, so I'm not gonna sweat it ;)

Actually I'm looking at the little Raggamuffins and realizing that despite my lack of thought into costumes - they're still wearing a bunch of mama made items regardless ;) So there ;)

It's so easy as mamas to feel like we're not doing enough - or to overextend ourselves trying to do it all. I say we're enough. Period. No more guilt. We do our best, and that is

enough. Yep - I definitely have to talk myself into that one, but I'm hoping to make it stick. Seems like wise words to me.

This was my inspiration

( the link, not the sleeping cow ;) )

A certain wee cow slept all afternoon - much of the time on this piano stool - and actually waking, moving to the bed, waking, and moving back to the piano bench!

It was a long nap.

My sweet little cow greeted everyone at each door with "Trick or Treat! MOO!"

A certain little rainbow fairy went on strike and refused her wings ;)

I suppose she's a rainbow girl?

She absolutely amazed me by running full tilt almost the entire night! I was literally begging her to

slow down at the end *I* couldn't keep up!

And well the scientist was ..... a mad scientist - and acted the part beautifully.

I think this may be the first year that I really was able to relax about Halloween. I've struggled so much with the whole candy fest thing - and my kids really reacted badly to so much of the candy for so long. This year after some treatments to help with their allergies they did really well and it's been smooth sailing mostly ;)

It was nice tho - to just go with it - I remember Halloween so well - the magic and excitement of it. It wasn't until I really sat back and truly *felt* those memories that I realized it wasn't a fight I was up for. I don't want to fight with my kids anymore over ideals. I want to just let them be kids - my ideals are just that - ideals. Kids are so simple - you really do need to go with the flow - it's so much more enjoyable than trying to fight your way upstream. Over the years I've read soooooo many books on parenting, and education, and gotten caught up in this method or that method. No more. This mama has come to the conclusion that it's really a lot more simple than we all try to make it. Connect with those kids. Just love them up.

Remember that saying...

Don't sweat the small stuff. It's all small stuff.

It's so true.

snapshot

2010-10-31T22:42:00.001-07:00

snapshot - sister love

2010-10-26T17:29:00.000-07:00

There are times when Hot Chocolate is called for.....

2010-10-25T21:39:00.000-07:00

....and I don't mean just plain old hot chocolate - I mean the fancy kind that has absolutely every decadent addition that one has on hand.

And there doesn't have to be any sort of a fancy reason either - no reason required.

Yesterday I found myself with a small chunk of time alone with my little scientist. With 5 kids, alone time is precious, and very much a priority. I know, I've said that many times before, but I really believe that one on one - making time for it no matter what is one of the best things we can do as parents.

And so here we were alone, and I thought to myself - it's a day for hot chocolate. With whip cream. And the scientist pipes up with the fact that he knows where some marshmallows are hidden ;) Ahem.
Then I remembered that there was still a little jar of those maraschino cherries in the fridge. The ones that make me cringe at the amount of dye in them, but that as a special treat can seriously make a child's day ;)

Next thing you know we had a plan. Hot Chocolate Deluxe, Grilled Cheese sandwiches (still immensely satisfying after 3 years of no dairy in the house ) and a game of Goblet (kind of a complicated version of tic tac toe - sort of ...)

There is a certain smile, and air of contented calm that comes over my kids when we have alone time. Even a short little bit is enough to show a difference in the little ( or big) one.

I aim for a whole day with each child on a regular basis, but even a little bit of time is something I'm grateful for and will jump at an opportunity for. I've even been known to give up my own alone time when a little one gave me that puppy dog look and a "please can we have some alone time?"

I really love all the possible combinations in a large family - the dynamic is so different with each combination. We often will split up - with some kids going off with dad, and some with me. It's a little less busy, a little less chaotic- and well it's just different :) And now that my oldest babysits there are even more possible combinations - and even the possibility for a mom and dad solo expedition too ;)

And no - you don't have to have hot chocolate..... but it sure is fun :)

I heart faces - Pink

2010-10-25T00:08:00.000-07:00

This is my entry for this week's challenge over at i heart faces.

The theme this week, is "Pink"

When I took this photo, I was actually photographing her older sister in an outfit I'd sewn - I was so focussed on getting good shots (it was for a tutorial) that I plum forgot about Little Miss A here - until she walked up in front of the camera with this very sweet expression on her face, obviously having come to the conclusion that it must be her turn now :) Those eyes! What a stunner :)

Be sure to head on over to i heart faces to check out all the wonderful entries :)

Tutorial: I'd like some Rainbows on my Refashioned woolens if you please :)

2010-10-20T12:33:00.000-07:00

I've been dying things with koolaid, or food coloring for a while now - I did loads of silks, and then last Christmas I dyed some wool leg warmers. Then one day it hit me - and to be honest I don't know why it took so long ;) - I could dye the sweaters I've been repurposing! So of course I got right down to it and grabbed a boring pale pink sweater I'd found (see above) - terrible color, but nice and soft - and it quickly became this:

Not bad for straight red food coloring hey?

Perfect for a girl who believes that the best color ever is pink, who turns her little nose up in the air at the idea of wearing anything else -
(anyone know how I might turn the red snowsuit I've got for her pink ?? )

So this is very simple - all you do is choose your color(s) and add to water with a couple of glugs of vinegar. There ought to be enough water to fully cover the garment. So lots of drops will make a brighter more saturated color, less will make a paler color. If it's not dark enough, pull out the garment, add more color, and then put the garment back in - this will help to make sure the color is even.

This will work for all animal based fibres - silk, wool etc. It will just suck the color up like a sponge, until the water is almost clear again.

Note: This won't work on other fibres - cotton is a no go :(

When you've got it the way you want it, place it in a steamer and steam it for 35 minutes or so to set the color.

Rinse well in cold water, and you're done. The color holds up to washing quite well - I wash on cold, in the machine if it's a fabric that can take it, or by hand.

Now at this point my mind started spinning with all sorts of ideas and next thing I knew I had discovered this:

OMG! Can you believe that color? I swear it's food coloring.

And it was *easy*

I had found that with the previous project, the wool- being quite water resistant, didn't want to take the liquid in at first. So with this project, I got it fully wet, and squeezed the water out first. Then I laid it out on a towel. This did stain the towel just a bit, so use either a dark colored one, or one that you don't care about.

So this project is actually a men's wool undershirt. It's quite thin, which I find works nicely for kids' clothes, and it's not itchy - definitely a big requirement, or it will be all for naught when it doesn't get worn.

I laid it out flat on the towel and smoothed it nice and flat. Then I got my sewing ruler, and used that to sort of keep the color going where I wanted it. I found that it's actually quite easy, to keep the color contained - I think perhaps because it sucks the color up soooooo quickly. I only used red, yellow, and blue for this - overlapping the colors to get a rainbow effect.

I wanted this to soak right through to the second layer - and it did. I'm not sure how well that would work with a thicker sweater - you'd have to play around with it and just keep checking I think. You could place a barrier tho and do the front and back separately.

I also did the dying on this before sewing - I wasn't sure if it would work to be honest, and I didn't want to take the time to sew if there was a chance I would wreck it with the dye ;) I suppose it could have easily gone the other way too lol - I might have wrecked in in the sewing stage! Lucky for me I didn't tho ;)

I did go back at the end and touch up a few places - just making sure it was all fully saturated. The back side did end up with a few little white bits, but it still looks fine, as it's minimal.

I've been waiting and waiting to do this tutorial - I wanted to sew something with the finished piece!

So here's my little sweetie in her rainbow dress :) And what luck that it matches her rainbow leg warmers perfectly! Me thinks this little lady might just have to be something rainbowy for Halloween - hmmmm Rainbow Fairy Princess? Yes my girls are at that age where any costume choice has

"Fairy Princess" attached ;) Oh and Ballerina too ;)

The leg warmers were *not* dyed by me - it was just a brilliant coincidence that the colors match so darned well.

Is your mind spinning with all the possibilities??????

Mine sure it ;)

I'm thinking a turkey baster would be super helpful for color control.

I''m thinking cookie cutters would make it possible to make simple shapes like hearts.

You can go bright, or you can tone it way down with much less concentrated colors.

You never have to pass up a boring colored, but otherwise awesome sweater to cut up ever again!

Yes I'm giddy :)

My oldest daughter will see this and say something along the lines of
"See mom? I told you you're a hippy"

Nope, but I do love rainbows.....

If you try out this tutorial, or any others here, I'd really really love to see photos :)

Alone

2010-10-19T22:26:00.000-07:00

Today I walked a path all my own.

I had time to stop and smell the roses - ok they weren't roses - but beautiful in a fall sort of way...

especially when you take the time to *really* look....

which in my world means through a lens ;)

There was plenty of time for sewing, and a new tutorial will be up tomorrow if I can catch a certain little girl in her new rainbow dress.....that shouldn't be hard since she won't take it off ;)

Days alone leave me feeling new again. Refreshed and really glad to be with my kids.

And I even got to enjoy the sun disappearing right next to my favorite frog :)

What is your favorite way to spend your alone time?

What do you do to take care of you?

quiet peace

2010-10-18T23:26:00.000-07:00

Acid drop nailed

2010-10-17T23:45:00.000-07:00

Is there much more satisfying for a 10 year old boy than to nail a skateboard trick?

Well - for those who like skateboarding ;)

And no - I'm not talking about drugs ;) An acid drop in skateboarding is just what you see here...

rolling off a high bench onto flat ground.

It's tricky stuff - I know I can't do it ;)

and on to the next goal...... and hurry! The snow's gonna fly soon enough, or rain at the very least. The skateboarding season is almost at a close.......next up - skiing!

colder

2010-10-16T22:27:00.000-07:00

A hard frost, hurrying to dig the last of the potatoes. Bringing in the squash.

Always a moment with my camera, noticing every little change in a way I never have before.

Each season is brand new with an eye that has become enraptured with the thrill

of catching that soul satisfying shot.

It's chicken soup time, with chickens we raised ourselves, potatoes and carrots grown right here on our land, and made with loving hands to warm us right through.

And still the sun shines on.

I can feel winter approaching and I bet it's going to sneak up and pounce!

This Moment - helping

2010-10-14T23:34:00.000-07:00

Another First

2010-10-13T22:25:00.000-07:00

A certain little four year old girl started her first piano / recorder lesson this week. There were some worries on her part over possible shyness (this was a frustration for her with both dance and swimming) but this time.......

not a trace :)

As a homeschooling mama of 5, I've taken my kids to loads of lessons over the years. With our days free, there is plenty of time for lessons away from home while still leaving lots of quiet at home time as well. This is my girl's first year for lessons. She announced in the summer that she would be taking piano in the fall. And how perfect is it that her teacher is one of her favorite people?

Very perfect :)

With all concerns of shyness out of the way, she was free to dive in head first. It's such a relief to know without a doubt that my little girl is in the hands of someone who is just so gentle and kind, and ever so patient. She really *gets* kids in a way not many adults do. I like that. A lot. Thanks for that Marcia :)

morning noon and night

2010-10-13T11:30:00.000-07:00

snapshot

2010-10-12T00:02:00.000-07:00