links to really nice things

no thoughts, no photos to share...so go see some nice stuff:

simply breakfast via soulemama
great valentines idea via shim and sons
cute lavendar baby sachet tutorial at molly chicken
reallllllly good knitting
angry chicken's email order #8. yes, i bought mine, haven't done it. go on, buy your own and beat me to it. rachel...this is SO up your alley! go buy it here.
papercraftworld and these great japanese paper house pdfs found here
great secret message soap making idea (for kids) at whip up
my hubby's photos
ok...that's all for now. i just got distracted looking at all the hourglass sweater photos on flickr. lots. i'm finished the bottom hem (again). off to knit.

handmade friday...

I HEART HANDMADE HOLIDAYS!!!

as you know, i have taken a pledge to give the gift of handmade this christmas. now, i do have a couple little exceptions, like books, and a couple good quality toys for the kiddos. (stella LOVES her american girl doll...and well, i love that she loves that!) but anyway, in response to my pledge, i am furthermore VOWING to NOT shop today, black friday. instead...i will spend my day creating some of those said gifts (and possibly ordering books online!) i wanted to participate in sewmamasew's handcrafter's holiday blog meme...so here goes. some of what i'm up to:



For starters:

Gifts I'm Giving...

i am so excited for stella on christmas morning! i already have a couple skirts in the works from The Merry Church Mouse's charm pack skirt tutorial, and the house on hill roads twirly skirt tutorial, these barrettes from angry chicken (which we've made before, but i am going to MASTER this time!)
(i will take photos next week when they are all done! check back!)

i think lots of kids on my list will be getting the crayon roll-ups from skip to my lou's tutorial...how great are they? perfect for taking along (no crushed boxes!) i am thinking of adding my own coloring pages to that (my own drawings made into a simple book...maybe).
i also plan on making some "cozy friends" pillows. simple creatures sewn out of soft cotton fabrics...either prints or maybe plain for them to draw on themselves???? hmmm...

some grown-ups will get some stocking stuffers of tissue holder's and key chains.
there are also plans and supplies purchased for a very nice scarf, lovely placemats, and more!

that's it for a start. check back for more info for the blog meme...i'll be posting more photos, projects, some details about traditions our family celebrates and more.

for now...hoping you enjoy a restful friday and somehow avoid the madness!

weekly update

so that blog malaise is lingering...

truth is, my mind has been overly occupied with not so creative, more contemplative thoughts that don't lend themselves to blogging, ya know?

so...i thought i'd let you in on the mundane in my life:
1. we did switch totally to gdiapers and i love it. feel good about flushing it away and not piling it up in the landfill...sigh of relief!
2. we got some klean kanteens and a sigg for chris (inspired by rachel and others out there in blogland) i plan on making some kanteen kozies to spruce up the look (stella wishes for a sigg now because they are so cute!)
3. just finished watching season one of curb your enthusiasm. pretty funny. not stellar though.
4. also just watched grizzly man. bizarre and disturbing.
5. happy to find routine these days. i need it to keep my mind from spinning.
6. i'll be posting some photos soon of the apron and tea for 2 set i made for the women's auction at my family's church...happy to say it brought in some good cash thanks to a devoted fan!
7. has anyone ever done sitemeter or the like? you can see who visits your site when and from where and how they found you. interesting at first, freaky after you think about it for too long...but interesting nonetheless.

and here's an idea...maybe y'all should leave a comment saying hi so i can "meet" the people visiting my little blog...that would be fun, wouldn't it??? and i don't think i'm being sarcastic...really...

okie doke. hopefully fall will arrive here soon with crisp cool air and refresh my brain and spirits...needing some rejuvenation these days...so send some light my way, think happy thoughts, pray for some inspiration...

so dramatic, aren't i!!???

thanks for keeping me going girls...i'm still loving the updates on your blogs!!! makes me happy!

lists

i'm a list girl and i'm in need of one...and i thought putting it here might make me a bit more accountable.

so here goes.
1. i must clean up the living room from the yard sale disaster. monday am. no ifs ands or buts.
2. gift for charis' shower...handmade?
3. sign up stella for swimming lessons
4. buttons for the hausfraukleid...finish it dangit!
5. send photo to tie-one-on
6. more t-shirts for the project of the month
7. stella's dress
8. doll quilt for swap
9. doll quilt for the doll quilt challenge
10. batteries for the camera
11. time to think...
12. walden stuff (aaaarrrggghhh!)

alright...enough for now.
check out the new flickr photos to the left here...

join project of the month. c'mon. do it. peer pressure. i want you all to do it now. if you need to, go buy a stinkin' iron-on and just do that. i don't care. the point is...we are doin' this together...like it or not.

wow. that was surprising.
alrighty....

i'm hittin' the hay. tired tired tired.

g'night.

a little mundane, but never dull.

well...i feel like i've neglected my blog...and how ridiculous is that? like this thing is now a being i need to tend to. nuh-uh. no way. not going to feel guilty. anyway...truth is, i'm really enjoying this blog stuff. i'm finding so many inspirational sites (see the link list on my other blog) my mind is reeling.

here are things i want to do next:
cozy friend pillow for mamma made
crocheted cardigan for mamma made
mini quilt for my wall
bigger quilt for stella's bed
embellished t-shirt for the project of the month
figure out printing onto fabric
um...that's all i can think of right now...

in the mean time, there is life.

monday was the visit to the nutritionist for eli's "failure to thrive". i was so stressed, feeling like just one more doctor telling me what's wrong with my kid...well, i was wrong. this woman was so wonderful and supportive. told me i was right for plotting him on the new WHO breastfed infant growth chart! (i felt so crazy before...now, vindicated!) she thinks he will be fine. she did encourage me to use butter (on things i'd normally butter), and heavy cream. just a tablespoon adds 50 calories. so i'm doing this to his yogurt and milk (if he'll drink it!) i figure, though, that as i add butter and cream to his stuff, i'll gain 10 pounds by eating his leftovers, which are always plentiful!

tuesday night, stella came down with a headache and woke up with a fever. still fevering on now. i took her in to the peds today because her neck hurt. i think she's gonna be ok. the peds think its just a basic old virus. they did test her for strep, though, and it was negative. however i must describe this process.
this is the 2nd time stella's been tested for strep. and they make you open up wide and swab the back of your throat with big long q-tips. the first time, stella threw up in a cup. yuck. so today, on our way to the peds, stel starts crying and saying, "i don't want them to take my germs out"...i'm confused and think her fever must be going nuts. then when the ped wants to test...she says no..."don't take my germs!"...i get it now. poor girl...they took her germs out...and lots of them, too.

today, we stayed put (after said ped visit). i did 5 loads of laundry. not a good sign. things were seriously backed up. feelin' clean now. we'll be putting it all away tomorrow (kids are asleep...can't put it away now!)...and taking it easy again tomorrow...gotta get this fever gone.

so...there is the update of my wacky week. a little mundane, but never dull. hoping for a restful and interesting weekend...will let you know!

things to be happy about today

1. eli gained 13 ounces in less than a month!
2. sunshine
3. stella singing praises in the park
4. stella painting pictures of trees with hammocks
5. eli's teeth peeking out
6. leftover cake with milk
7. lots of creative ideas

there's more...but thats a start.