Passing on the Award(s).............

Okay, so now I have time to pass on the Lemonade Award that I received from Tammy. Thank you again, Tammy, it was exciting to receive my first award! I am still quite new to blogging and already have my regulars that I enjoy, many of which have received the Lemonade Award.

Here are the rules:

1. Put the logo on your blog or post.

2. Nominate blogs which show great Attitude and/or Gratitude

3. Link to your nominees within your post.

4. Let them know they have received this award by commenting on their blog.

5. Share the love and link this post to the person from whom you received your award.

The Lemonade Award is passed to bloggers for showing great Attitude and/or Gratitude. The bloggers that I would like to pass the award to is:

Hege at Heges Hobbykrok - Her blog is wonderful, I especially love her most recent knitting project and her Friday Favourites are always great picks.

Beth at WeePereas - Beth was my very first swap partner and will always hold a special place in my blogging swapping heart!

Jeanette at Temporary Insanity - more on Jeanette below.

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I also received my 2nd award - The Tree of Happiness Award from Lisa at 5 Orange Potatoes. Two awards in one week, thank you all so much.



I also nominate Jeanette at Temporary Insanity for this award. Jeanette is a teacher (gotta support the teachers), mom and avid crafter. The pictures of her kids and wild stash of crafting goodies amke me smile. Jeanette was also one of my first swap partners.

I've Been Tagged.............

I've been tagged by Lisa over at 5 Orange Potatoes to post the 6th picture in my 6th photo folder. Love this pic, it's a great action shot, you can almost hear him yelling Whoooo Hoooo!

This picture of Max was taken in Tahoe Easter '08 on his first real trip to the snow. The trip was a wonderful experience for Max, the house that we stayed at was amazing and had the perfect sledding hill right out the back door. We spent nearly a week with my family and he still talks about collecting easter eggs in the snow. It was especially memorable for me because my dad took Max on his first adventure on skis - my dad taught me how to ski when I was 8, the same age as Max.

Now that I've been tagged, I now tag:

Angela at My Favorite Things

Tammy at Laugh, Live, Learn, Love

Laura at Dropstitch

Hege at Heges Hobbykrok

My First Award........

An Award: So, I received my very first award! The Lemonade Award is passed to bloggers for showing great Attitude and/or Gratitude. Thank you Tammy so very much. Tammy's blog was one of the very first that I found when I discovered the world of blogging. I love that her posts are incredibly honest and inspiring - it can be difficult to be so honest with yourself let alone to a world of strangers (at least some are). I am awed by her daughters and all of the exploring that they do together.






I know that there are some rules to the award - it's getting late here so I will complete with the follow through in tomorrow's post.


Fun: In other news, Max had a playdate today with a great buddy from school. We have a mutual agreement with fellow parents that there will be no media (TV, music, computers) involved in playdates. When you let children use their own imaginations it's amazing where they will go. Max and his friend spent two inspired hours building a wonderful gnome treehouse out of every block and building thingy that they could find. I wish that I could have taken a picture before they proceeded to demolish it!


Crafting: My creative space aka my "Treehouse" is a mess. I am committed to getting it organized and cleaned up. The hard part is that it's a tiny room that is used for an office/storage/crafting/Max's art space and my husband's sports paraphernalia dumping ground. Yikes?! Where do I start? First I think that I have to clear my bedroom closet. This will give me space to box up and store my husbands junk, oops, I mean treasures :) Second............ hmm.


Dinner: My husband is out of town so we had our family favourite - Breakfast for Dinner and fruit salad for dessert. Does anyone else do breakfast for dinner?

I treasure the winter, but look forward to days like this.............

A Day of Rest.................

The rain has started again, the house is warm and dry - the perfect combination for a restful day at home. Max and I have had a wonderful week off school and tomorrow our routine begins again. We had planned for more day trips but instead spent more time around home - playing and being crafty together.

I finally caved and bought the book, Softies Only a Mother Could Love. There were several softies that we liked. Max loved the Albert Monkey - a pattern from Fiona Dalton her blog is here. Here is a picture of Max with his new monkey buddy. They seem to be getting on famously well!

It's hard to tell from the picture but the monkey is wearing a pair of overall pants. He is made from a pair of wool trousers bought from the local thrift shop for 50 cents. I enjoy recycling items to make something new.

I find that my craftiness goes in cycles. One month I'll work solely on Waldorf Crafts doing a lot of needle felting etc, the next month I'll do a lot of work on the sewing machine and the next it will be something else. I would love to try quilting but will I become obsessed with that too? Maybe I should concentrate on using the supplies that I have before diving into a new pool!

Watching the rain............

In gratitude and inspiration,

A Break From the Rain.........

Today is beautiful, blue skies and an ocean breeze.

Time for some outdoor exploration before the rain comes..........

In gratitude.

Two New Additions!

Congratulations to my uncle and his wife on their new arrival - a baby girl named Grace weighing 6lb 5oz. They live in Greece so an in person meeting any time soon is doubtful but with the wonders of email, Facebook and Skpe I'm sure we'll be seeing her soon!

Another new addition to my house is:

Bella Bunny!

I think that she is quite wonderful. My sewing machine and I were getting on fabulously so I was able to make quick work of her - just 1 day. She is made using a mix of Amy Butler and Marimmekko fabrics. I'll probably make a few more of these before I move on to the next project. Maybe next time I'll try a boy version of the pattern but with shorts.

Check out todays great post from Sew Liberated, she makes some great points about child safety and development. Although we are a Waldorf family many of the Montessori principles do coincide with ours and as parents in the end we all just want what is best for our children.

Introducing.............

Introducing the new addition to my sewing room!



Isn't she wonderful?! I found the pattern here. The pattern included the Mary Janes and a beret, but I may just make a bow for her. instead

It's still raining here which is great for California but Max is on Ski Week and is already getting antsy. We just took a rain walk, every puddle was fair game for Max and the dog. I put a coat on Rosie, she ran out of the gate and promptly jumped into a muddy ditch :) This is what happens when you have a Retriever!

Happy President's Day.................

Happy Presidents Day, I hope this post finds you all well. Life around here has been slow this past weekend. The rain has kept us all from top speed which has been a relief.

I worked on a few projects this past week, one of which was making balls from wool felt. In the past I have bought these at Waldorf Faires but now wanted to try my hand at making them. I made quite a few in a variety of colors, and put a small pouch of rice in two of them to make them more weighty. You could also put a bell inside for a baby..... hmm.....

I was sitting back admiring a job well done when a lightbulb went off in my head. With two strategically placed buttons the ball could become a great pincushion! So, here you see the ball/pincushion before and after! I will definitely be making these for future crafts faires and as gifts.

This past Friday while with my Grandma we stumbled across the most amazing Thrift Shop. When I walked in it looked like any other thrift store but upon closer inspection I saw 'The Annex" tucked in the back corner. The Annex is a separate room overflowing with vintage items. Boy did I hit the motherlode. You name it, they had it - shelves of vintage linens, clothes from the 40's - '70's, old games, books, pictures - it was all there. To top it all of it was all additional 50% off already insanely affordable prices! Here are some of the treasures that I uncovered..............

This amazing framed embroidery panel. The frame is trimmed with green velvet - it is now hung with pride of place in my little sewing room.

The picture up close - great detail.

A cushion embroidered with a farm scene. The foam is horrible, one day I'll change it out.

An embroidered tea towel. Could this deer be any more precious?

I am currently working on a "Mollie Monkey", I found her at mmmcrafts. Take a look at her blog, she has tons of wonderful ideas. I am making the monkey for my uncle's new baby Grace - she is expected any day now. ;)

Moving Through Life .................

Happy Valentine's Day

I hope that this day has been a lovely one for you and yours. This morning for Valentine's Day I let my husband sleep in and Max and I went adventuring. We found many wonderful treasures - more about that tomorrow. Max and the husband cooked dinner for me AND did the dishes.



In a recent post I mentioned my Great Aunt Sis. About a year ago she broke her hip and since that time her general health has deteriorated. My Grandma has become her advocate and has taken over her financial responsibilities etc. Considering that my grandmother is younger at 82 years old, the new reponsibilities have taken a toll on her also.

Since last year I have done all that I can to help them both, it has NOT been easy. After a lot screening and visits to dozens of homes we found what we hope will be the prefect place for her. On Friday afternoon we moved her to her new home. We wheeled her in, held our breath and - SHE LOVED IT! Thank goodness.

This issue has weighed very heavily on both my grandmother and I. There have been many days where I just wanted to cry in frustration - frustrated with the hospital, doctors, care home, lawyers - basically the system. My great aunt has always been like a third mom to me (my grandma is my second) and I just want her to be happy in her twilight years.

On Monday I am going to visit her - per her request Max will be coming also :) Through all of this I have learned a lot about my grandmother and my aunt. When we moved her into her new home they asked for a bio about her life - and after all the stories my grandmother has told me about her, after all these years I feel like I am really seeing her for the first time.

I write about this because this issue has been a huge part of my life recently. As the seniors in our lives move on we have to learn their stories and remember their memories and pasts because one day they may lose those. I am grateful for the time I have spent with my aunt, I regret that I did not spend more time with her in the past - but she needs me now and I can give her that. Embrace the people in your life.

Blessings

Fun in the Mail.........

Whoo hoo! Went to the Post Office today and I had a package awaiting me. It was from my Simple Thyme Primitives swap partner Sharon and I LOVE IT! I opened the box to find a wonderful Valentine's gift cone and inside was a fabulous mouse! Love it, love it, love it, thank you thank you thank you. After looking at both more closely I believe that she crafted both of them. I am amazed at how wonderful they are. They are so fab that now I am having jitters about the package I sent her..............

On another swap note, I finished my five mushrooms for the Handmade Mushroom Swap. I'm quite pleased with them. I hope the recipients enjoy them.

Max has been making up new verses for dinner time. Here is his latest try:

I Love Food
The World is Nice Food
I Love Food
Food is Nice
The World Food

Can you tell what he has been thinking about lately? At age 8 I can't fill him up fast enough. At first I thought that he was just looking for junk food, but I've realized that he's just a hungry little guy. Luckily for us he'll eat just about anything we offer him - sushi, indian food, ripe funky cheeses, veggies, fruits - he eats it all!

Love the colours. Love my Pyrex.

The Rainy Season.............

Mother Earth
Mother earth, mother earth,
Take our seed and give it birth.
Father sun, gleam and glow
Until the roots begin to grow.
Sister rain, sister rain
Shed thy tears to swell the grain;
Brother wind, breathe and blow
Then the blade green will grow.
Earth and sun and wind and rain
Turn to gold the living grain

Introducing My Cat

This is my #2 (meaning younger) cat Eric. He is almost 11 years old but still looks like a kitten. He is a Polydactyl cat which means that he has extra toes. He has a big extra toe on each front paw, it makes them look like boxing gloves. The picture came out all blurry, but it catches his personality. He's always chasing Max around with the hope of being picked up.

The Weekend & Crafting for a Cause................

This weekend was great! Saturday I took my 'mom day off'. I sauntered around to all of my favourite thrift shops (spent $0) and then went and saw a movie. I saw a chick flick - He's Just Not That Into You (I love Greg Behrendt) and ate the wonderfully awful Kettle Korn. Sometimes you just need a few hours to yourself when you can do whatever you want in your own time. Coming home feeling just that little bit refreshed can make a big difference. :)

On Sunday, Max, my mom and I went to visit my great aunt at her care home. She loves it when we visit her, especially Max. The truth is that my great aunt is 86 years old, is very frail and thin, and looks a little scary. It's amazing that Max has never seemed to notice. He walks right in, gives her hugs and kisses and talks to her just as if she looks like everyone else. Maybe that's why she loves to see him - he looks past the facad to the person that she really is inside. Seeing him with her always brings tears to my eyes.

This weekend I also finished this Felt Wee Folk kit that I found in my stash.

Monday

A fellow Waldorf mom and I got together this morning to discuss starting regular crafts mornings for our school parents. In the world we live in today gathering to share knowledge and build new relationships is more important than ever. We feel that starting these mornings will benefit our community in many ways, three of which are:

#1: By meeting together outside of school parents are given the opportunity to build new and stronger relationships.

#2: Gathering and sharing a common skill or craft.

#3: An additional goal for these mornings is to help parents to contribute more to the Crafts Faire(s) that we participate in. In our community our 'Waldorf' crafts using all natural fibers are unique and have sold very well. It is our hope that parents will learn new skills/crafts and participate more in our Faire(s). By putting our skills '0ut there' it is a great way to 'advertise' our school and reach out to our greater community.

Of course there are many additional benefits to these mornings, we are excited to find out what they may be! Our hope is that periodically the group would concentrate on one theme or project such as: a group knitting project, making ornaments/items for our Holiday Faire........... Have any great project ideas? Please let me know, this is new for us and we can use all the help we can get!

My husband and I bought this gnome house from Bill at Heartwood Arts many years ago. These are some of our most chrished items. See the tiny gnome? He's about 1/3" tall.

Another week gone by..........

It's still raining here in N. California but I wouldn't have it any other way. After a lovely few days of rain it feels as if the world is refreshed, the air smells cleaner and I get a free car wash!

Ack! This week I've joined four new swaps:

Swap #1: The Winning Hand Swap which is through Sweet Goodness Swaps. This is a fun one that is themed for the four suits - Spades, Clubs, Heart and Diamonds. You have to make four items each incorporating one of the four suits. I have to say that I'm having crafters block on this one but I'll keep thinking about it. Sign up deadline is today, February 6th.

Swap #2: Vintage Spring Sweetness Swap through A Swap for All Seasons. Make or find a lovely 'Vintage' item for your swap partner. Sign ups for this one is through February 7th.

Swap #3: A swap through Simple Thyme Primitives. This one is nice because it is more open ended. You can send a craft item or a fun trinket, just something nice for your partner. Deadline for sign ups is February 7th.

Swap #4: Reading to Know Book Swap this a great swap that kids and adults will love. You send a copy of your favorite book to your swap partner. Max was excited to find which book was his favourite - although he was relieved when I told him that we were not going to give our copy!

Here's a pic of the wool that Max and I hand dyed a few weeks ago.

Surprises................

Surprise #1: Finally, it has started to rain. Yippee!

Surprise #2: We love getting packages in the mail. Thank you Beth for the fabulous Handmade Swap items. The memory game is awesome, Max tore the package open as soon as he got home from school. Once I'm done with this post we are going to have our first game. I am so impressed with the bag and all of the pieces inside. Thank you for the soap too!Great job, maybe one day my sewing skills will be so neat and clean. My sewing machine and I need to have a heart to heart.

Surprise #3: Went to a Thrift Shop that I don't usually frequent and found these fab items. I could not resist this salt and pepper set. They are handpainted and named Salty and Peppy, love them! I also found these small spools of thread. I always pick up the ones that are on wooden spools, problem is, I never use them, I just love the way they look. Also picked up some Gutermann thread, 10 cents ea - SCORE!

Surprise #4: Waldorf Doll #2 is now finished. Love the colour but the velvet is probably too stiff. But he's soft and cuddly so you can't go wrong.

My First Waldorf Doll !!!

Unfortunately, my local store was all out of the fabric I needed to finish my very first Waldorf Doll. This minor point did not stop me so I bought some lovely skin fabric in a brown tone, went home and promptly started my second doll. He is officially finished! So I suppose that he may be considered the second doll that I started but the first one finished. For this one I decided to sew him and his clothes completely by hand, no machine. Yes, he does look like a linebacker and he looks like he's wearing a diaper, but isn’t he great?! For a first/second try I am very pleased with how he turned out.

Trying not to spend money on additional supplies, I made his suit and hat from a chopped up a pair of velour pants that I no longer used. It was nice to know that I was remaking an old item into something new. For the next doll that I make I am going to try to perfect the face and add a nose. Maybe I’ll even make proper arms and legs.

Now I can cross one item off of my 2009 Craft To Do List.

Now knitting. Although my sister showed me how to knit, I have now forgotten. Oops. When asked Max for help, he rolled his eyes at me, sighed, and told me that he was busy purling a gnome and he’d help me later. Ha! We love to make things together and he’s often frustrated by my neat, small stitches vs. his big crooked ones. It’s fun for Max that there is something that he can do well, that I can’t. :)

Yippee!

Just a quick post to say that I have finally tackled making a Waldorf Doll! I sat down and did it, finally. After many years of good intentions I have finally done it. It is 90% finished, I need to buy some more flesh coloured material for the hands and then, voila! As soon as it's 100%, hopefully tomorrow I'l post a pic.

I cannot tell you how good it feels to have finally done tackled this project. When Max was a baby (he's 8 years old now) I had bought a kit from Magic Cabin to make a Waldorf Doll. The poor pieces sat in its packaging until I gave it to a mom at Max's school last year. Actually it turned out well, I gave her the kit, she made the doll and then the doll was donated to the school for a silent auction.

Max was very impressed - he's my biggest crafts fan.

Treasures.........

I have been trying very hard lately to keep my 'fun' spending to a minimum. Clothes shopping is a big NO NO and I haven't been to the craft store for over a week (that's a long time for me). Yesterday, while the guys ran errands and I had some 'me' time I treated myself to a quick trip to our local consignment shop. My budget was $10. My first find was a hand painted red mushrooms tea towel for only $3. Next I found three pairs of vintage(?) knitting needles, $1/pair. I love the colours. So, for $6 I had a good time. Yes, retail therapy does work form me and it's even better when I don't walk away with buyers remorse. I have tried really hard lately to look for fun stuff in thrift and consignment stores. My favourite is the Marin Community Food Bank Thrift Store in San Rafael, CA. I like know ing that the money I spend in there goes to help people in my community - and I get a great bargain! There is another thrift store not too far from me, they have a 50 cent rack, I found a purple wool sweater there the other day. I plan to felt it and then make something..........................

I love old things. As a little girl I remember riding around with my grandma and great-aunt to antique stores, thrift shops and garage sales. I suppose that's where my appreciation for all things old comes from.

Maybe I'm a collector. What do I like? Pyrex, I have several old pieces, my favourite colour is aqua, I'll only spend up to $5 per piece. Heath Ceramics - LOVE IT! The Heath factory and store are in Sausalito, CA - not too far from me. Every so often I'll stop by and find a bargain. Hey, in this economy who can afford not to be frugal?