Full

This week has been full!  Full of cousins to play with.  Full of snow games and adventures.  Full of sisters and popcorn munching and Olympics.  It has been (and will be for a while yet) very full.  But it is a very good full!!!

Do know what is always full?  My project wish list!  Sometimes I feel that I will burst with all the things I want to be stitching, sewing, carving, painting, etc.  It takes a lot of will power to remember to simplify…pare back…and remember that for everything there is a season. 

That being said….I saw this today and believe I lack the will power to resist making it.  Maybe I’ll cut down on the “munching popcorn during the Olympics” and vamp up the “stitching during the Olympics”!!  Yup…I think some deep blue yarn will be cast on soon…!  First I have to finish a vest for the man cub! 

Wishing you full and happy winter days.   

Love

Wow! The love is spilling over quite a ways this year! We had a lot of fun one afternoon experimenting with paint and card designs. It was wonderful. I love making art with my children. I love seeing their ideas and creativity and expression take form. It is truly amazing to see. Oh, the love!

A New Ride!

In the effort to live a financially pared back life, issues of practicality sometimes trump issues of aesthetics.  But not always.  In fact, I work very hard to mesh the two in all I do.  My recent successful merger of practicality and aesthetics: the “new” high back booster!  It was practical all right…but lacked pizzazz!  My girl needed a bit of pizzazz!  I think she got it!!!

I took apart the cover at the seams and used the pieces as a pattern and sewed the whole thing back together with the new fabric laying directly over the original pieces.  To ensure the safety and integrity of the seat you must keep all original padding and construction.

 (Warning!: Take pictures of the “before”, once those pieces are all taken apart it all of a sudden is quite a mystery of how they go back together…and I’ve put together quite a few things before.  I’ll admit a had (two!) sit-down-on-floor and ask “what-have-I-done” moments in the midst of this project!) 

We are all very happy with the end result! 

 

Valentines

I caught a glimpse of this fantastic tutorial a while back and just had to give it a go for my own little loves. They were a lot of fun to make. Very straight forward tutorial. (I’ll admit it requires exactness…but a bit of OCD sewing is good once in a while!!) I’ll also admit that I had my eye on one or two (okay…let’s face it they were all great prizes!) of the prizes! No such luck this time…but I think I have found a bit of a new love! Making these cards is a lot of fun! And the possibilities are literally endless!

Here are a few photos of the card I made for my little man!!

My daughter loves the softest of fabrics. (It really goes back to a truly beloved blanket (“soft-blanket”) that she received from an inspired aunt when she was born. It has been an essential sleeping companion and comforter since then, and has spurred a deep love of all things soft.) With this in mind I designed her valentine to suit. It is made of the softest fleeces and is…of course…heavily weighted in pinks and purples!

It truly is wonderful to know just what they will love!

Valentine Gingerbread Houses

We were in the right place at the right time recently and received two Gingerbread house kits from a friend.  Nothing beats a fresh project for to quiet a restless afternoon!  I would say that we had a blast working together on this project…but in fact little hands were quite particular about each detail, and really all that I was used for was structural support!  It was a great project though and it was a lot of fun. 

We were given royal icing to work with.  I have a gingerbread building trick that I rely on…but knowing that many love to use royal icing I gave it a try.  It really did work great for the decorating…and I’ll admit the icing wasn’t fresh when we used it.  For construction though…I’ll stick with my trick!  The icing works…but it was touch and go at times.  With little ones a sure-fire quick as a wink building technique is a real life saver.  So…the trick?!?!!

Pour 1/4 – 1/2 cup granulated sugar into a wide shallow dish.   You will be dipping the sides of your house into the dish so make sure they fit! 

Melt the sugar slowly on low-med heat.  Keep an eye on it and stir regularly.  It’s a real nasty mess if it burns…! 

When it has melted (keep the heat on low) dip the two sides of the gingerbread that you want to stick together in…then immediately join together and hold in place.  They will harden together very quickly….and very permanently!!!  Enjoy!

I like the idea of gingerbread houses finding their way into each of our seasonal celebrations.  I’m already thinking of spring houses!!  Oh…the possibilities!! 

Reading

I have noticed big changes in our little man cub recently.  Somehow 18 months is so much different than 17!  We have been reading a lot of books together lately…all the way through…again and again!  I really love this phase.  I love to sit and read with my children.  And I love to see them “reading” together! 

 

Here’s to a day reading with a little one!!

Toys to Love

Do you mind if I take a moment to tell just how good it feels to make toys for my children that inspire free, creative, imaginative play.  It is a beautiful thing.  I highly recommend it. 

The castle has seen some serious playtime the past few days.  The location changes, the story changes, the players change, sometimes they’re not in pajamas even!  But it is always so good to see. 

Have a wonderful day of creative play.  It is the best way to learn after all!