Adirondack Mama

::Windfall Doll Giveaway:: Meet Holly

2011-11-28T06:31:00.001-05:00

Laura and I are so excited to hold our first Windfall Dolls Giveaway.

Please visit us there to meet Holly and get a chance to win her.

Something special...Windfall Dolls

2011-11-22T19:01:00.001-05:00

I am still very much under the spell of my scaitica, but laying in bed has given me the opportunity to get something up and running.
Something very special.

Please follow me over to a new space that is near and dear to Laura and my heart.

Windfall Dolls

Peace, Julia

Giveaway!

2011-10-29T09:36:00.001-04:00

My friend Ginny is holding a giveaway for Laura and my shop. There is a Waldorf baby doll up for grabs and 4 patterns! Stop on overthis weekend and comment, the winner will be announced on Monday.

Below you will find just a few examples of the over 60 patterns and tutorials that we have in the store.

Thanks for your support! We really love creating these patterns and tutorials.

He's here

2011-07-08T08:59:00.002-04:00

He’s here.
The birth was glorious and my twin was amazing, to say the least.
He is pure and light and love.
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I will be returning back to my other home at Happiness Comes.
Because with the birth of this stunning babe…. happiness DID indeed come.
See you there in the future.
Love Julia

MOVED for the last time!

2011-03-23T02:36:00.000-04:00

My new space....

Come on over and say Hi!

Moving Day...

2011-01-13T00:21:00.000-05:00

I won't be in this space any longer.
(Explained)

But.... I AM over here.

So...follow me over to my new pretty digs. It's calm, cool and collected.

It feels as good as the blog equivalent of....

Washed windows, fresh coffee, boxes of chocolate, little boy snuggles, and turned down flannel sheets.
All rolled into one.

Fresh starts = BIG love.

Come on over.

Knitting along...

2011-01-12T05:45:00.000-05:00

The lovely Ginny of Small Things has come up with a weekly Yarn Along and I have been playing along.

Any excuse to knit and read, I tell ya.

Reading~

I think that I have mentioned this before (or maybe I haven't) but I listen to books on tape in my car on the way to...
well...anywhere.

I can honestly tell you that 3/4 of the books I have "read" have been listened to. Dropping the boys off at school, going to the grocery store, driving to work. No commute is too short to get a bit of "reading" in.
And Chick lit...I looooooove chick lit. The funnier the better.

Right now I am "reading" two Sophie Kinsella books. Now, I have not always been a fan of her's. I never quite got the appeal of the Shopaholic series (I guess because I am not much of a shopper), but after I read The Undomestic Goddess, I was hooked. Her wit is impeccable.

~In the car I am listening to "Can you keep a secret?". I have to say that this is THE funniest book that I have heard in a long time. The narrator is this English girl with the most perfect narrative timing that I have ever heard. AND FUNNY! Oh my Lord is it good. I literally laugh at least 3 times a day thanks to this book.

~In the house/bath/bed I am reading "Sleeping Arrangements" by Sophie's other name in writing...Madeleine Wickham. This one has taken a bit to get into, and maybe it's just because I am enjoying the other one so completely, but it is still quite good.

On the needles~

Homespun yarn in a color called Mixed Berries...yummy.

A little sleep sack for my friend Bre's baby girl who is due in a few weeks. I will let you know how it turns out. I am cautiously optimistic about it's creation. It is basically just knitting in the round. Not exactly rocket science, but it's my knitting project of the moment and the yarn is so pretty to see as each new row knits up.

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So, I encourage you all to take a photo of whatever it is that you are knitting and reading... and stop by Ginny's space to share.

XO, Julia

Necessity of craft...

2011-01-11T12:32:00.000-05:00

Just shy of a year to the date, I am reflective yet again. Last year it was my friend Christina with her inspirational words.

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" Don't you know we can do anything we put our mind to?? ; ) Even if I fail, I still give it a try."

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This year it was Heather's words which brought about my realizations.

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" We are determined to not live quietly in the shadows, but to express ourselves in every way possible, to say that life as women, as mothers, as artists, as dreamers, is fulfilling and joyful."
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The importance of following dreams and our hearts. It made me realize that we are all responsible for our own happiness and I am no different.

January is always a month of renewed interest in living for me. Not so much in a resolution type of renewal, but a time of focusing on what it is that I enjoy. What it is that I NEED. What it is that I want to give to others.

This January is no exception.

After the past 6 months I have become acutely aware of the creative necessities in my life.

2010 was not an easy year for me, nor for many other women in this community.
Yet one of the common threads that pull each and every one of us through these hard times is the ability to call upon our artistic selves. To pull up and push out the beauty that we have with-in. To share it with others in our goods, our blogs, or shops.

I honestly have no clue what I would have done without my ability to create throughout this past year. So many moments spent in solitude, so many sad or bad thoughts pushed out of my consciousness by my excitement over a certain knitting project, wooden doll set, embroidery project, clay play, or other project. This combined with my job as Associate editor for Rhythm of The Home has fed my artistic self with so much nourishment that I feel full up. Bursting at the seams with contentment that no psychologist could fulfill.

I have tried so very many crafting avenues as evidenced by my bursting closet of crafting supplies, finished projects, and craft heavy posting here at Adirondack Mama. And even though I feel confident in my ability at doing many of them, there are still plenty of crafts to try. What I have explored is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg.

The world of craft is just brimming with inspiration and creative outlets.

2011 is a year that I plan on following many new roads.
I can't wait.

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Now, will you share with me something that you want to try this year. Be it Big/small/exciting/scary. Share it here, lets compare dreams, shall we?

Sorry

2011-01-09T07:29:00.000-05:00

I am sorry if you recieved a lacking post in an email notice. It was a post that I published prematurely. I have deleted the post and will be re posting it once I have it the way I wanted it.

XO, Julia

Long lost love...

2011-01-08T20:29:00.001-05:00

After my post for This Moment went up, I got several emails asking me where I got the silver bird nest charm that I was wearing in the photo. It actually surprised me that it was assumed by some of you that I had bought it. I though for sure that the wonky hoop at the top (connecting it to the chain) was a sure giveaway of it's handmade-ness.

By me.

I actually was very flattered by the inquiries and as I reflected on their words, I was inspired to write this post. A post that divulges a bit of the background into my love of bead wiring.

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Back when I was young and single and had a disposable income...I lived a life of the fancy free....A time when I did not knit, or sew, or paint, or play with clay, or embroider, or even blog. All of my creativity was harnessed and released in one form of artistry.

I enjoyed making jewelry.

I used to ride my bike around the lake at the heart of our small town (another treat I enjoyed of being unfettered). One day while riding down the main street, I noticed a new store with an "opening soon" sign called "Just Bead It". We had nothing like it in town and a few days after it opened I went there with my sister to see what it was all about. There were tables scattered all around the store covered in large compartmented trays of beads, gems, silver and gold findings, etc. There was a beading bar with a bunch of stools and the owner of the store could sit behind the bar and help the customers sitting at the stools put their jewelry together.

All we did was sit at the bar and make one set of earrings...and we were hooked. There were many days that Laura and I would sit on the floor of her apartment or poached at the bar in the bead store sorting through beads and combining them to form the perfect pair of earrings. In our prime, we were beading fiends and even made 30 pairs of earrings to give to guests at Laura's wedding shower . We tucked them into Easter eggs and gave them as favors. (She was married in the Spring).

Last week I bought 20 small tupperwares are the dollar store and set about organizing my sewing room into bins of goodness according to uses. On the top shelf, at the back of the closet I found a plastic shopping bag filled with ziplock bags of beads, my needle nose pliers, wire, headpins, and earring hoops.
My jewelry making stash! I literally hadn't even thought of it since I put it on that shelf 6 years ago when we moved in. That evening, I went back to the bead store that I haven't been in since that same time. As soon as I set foot inside I was greeted by the owner like an old friend. She couldn't believe that I had a 6 year old now and was very kind in helping me to find just the supplies that I needed to get back into the swing of things. I had a ton of beads left over at home, but I was lacking in the pins, crimping beads and earring hoops. She helped me to find them all.

She even let Eben make a necklace with some beads and charms of his choosing...I tell you...it is so nice to live in a small town.

When I left, I went straight home and organized the beads into little wooden trays that I had. I separating all of the findings into types and got ready to get back to work. Given my rustiness- I searched around on Etsy for inspiration for a design of what I wanted to attempt.

I began by making a few sets of earrings. I then got involved in the nest making. I made 4 in total and gave all but one away. It's kind of like riding a bike. The twisting of the wire, the threading of the beads. It all came back to me in a flash.

I don't know what I will be doing with all of this jewelry that I am making, I mean I only JUST started wearing earrings again. Luckily I have a bunch of sterling silver ear wires to make some for myself. All that I do know is that I found a little piece of myself in that bag of supplies.

And my love of wire beading was renewed.

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If you are looking for something similar to the nests that I made follow this link to Etsy where there are many talented artisans who make them.

This Moment...

2011-01-07T09:02:00.000-05:00

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. ~Soule Mama

A belated birthday gift to myself.
My single boy, all green and perfect.
Sitting in his nest.

A sweet gift and the day that pine needles took over my house...

2011-01-06T11:09:00.000-05:00

The year is in full swing and I feel like I am a million steps behind. Normally my house is de-Christmas-ed by New Year's Day. It helps me to start the year with a clean surface to live in. I have been in a bit of a funk this past week and this morning while I read my sister's post from yesterday on De-Christmas-ing...the light bulb went off.

Get to work.

I packed up the ornaments in layers of fabric.

Extracted the tree from it's stand and pretended the the birds under foot were singing me a song.

Tracked all of the needles through the living room so that I could set the tree on the porch for our visiting birds to make a home of.

I did leave up my window decorations because they are more winter than Christmas and we have a good 3+ months of winter left to enjoy.

I spent a good hour sweeping up the needles, packing away anything Santa related, cleaning the house, straightening my sewing room. Then I set out my crafting for the morning, and I sat on the couch with a fresh cup of coffee and a cat in my lap.

It honestly feels so much better already.

And then I took some pictures of my newest gift. A gift that took me by surprise...not because I didn't know that Heather was sending me something (I did), but surprising by how thoughtful it was. I had mentioned how much that I wanted a berry bowl when I posted about my honey pot from Melissa. Well, Heather just happened to pick the most precious, adorable, well-made berry bowl that I could have wished for.

The design is perfect and the glaze colors are just yummy.

I just know that I will be gathering and washing many handfuls of berries in the summer to come.

So thank you sweet friend. January just got a whole lot sweeter.

Simple soft baby booties

2011-01-02T12:09:00.000-05:00

I am sick sick sick and haven't really gotten off of the couch, let alone take photos. And I have nothing really thrilling to say... so I am posting my pattern for booties that I made. They are my own pattern and I made them to go with my first baby hat pattern that I came up with.

They are very easy and fun to knit up. Although this yarn is a real chameleon. I had a really hard time capturing the actual color with my camera. I made both of them in a few hours while I was at the hospital with my Father in Law.

Needles: Size 8 DPNS

Yarn: Bulky ( I used Bernat Roving)

Pattern:
CO 5 stitches
knit 20 rows of garter stitch (this will be the bottom of the bootie)

pick up 10 sts on each long side edge
pick up 5 stitches on the heel edge
join in round
knit up 5 rows(this will be the body of the bootie)

To shape the toe at one of the 5-st ends, knit short rows of garter stitch back and forth.
To join the top of the toe of the bootie to the sides of the bootie, simply slip the last stitch of each of the short rows onto the 10stitch needle closest to the end of the row. Knit this stitch together with the closest stitch on the 10 stitch needle.
Work back across the 5 toe stitch needle to the 10 stitch needle on the other side.
Do this back and forth, decreasing the number of stitches on the 10 stitch needles until that every one of the 4 needles is left with 5 stitches.

For the cuff of the bootie, knit or purl (your choice of pattern) in the round upwards 13 rows.
Cast off and weave in ends.

You can either leave the booties with a high cuff for a boot effect, or you can fold it over to reveal the inner pattern.

These booties are very stretchy and fit approximately a 0-6 month old babies foot. Lightly stuffed with tissue paper, the body of the bootie measures 3 inches long by 1/2 inch wide at full height, the bootie is 3 1/2 inches high.

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OK, well I hope to be back in a day or so for real. I hope that the new year is going well for you all.

This moment....

2010-12-31T07:06:00.000-05:00

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. ~Soule Mama

Snuggles with a my fellow Snuffle-ufagus.

Gifting...Part two

2010-12-30T13:37:00.000-05:00

Being born so close to Christmas, I have always had trouble remembering what was given for which occasion. Birthday, Christmas, Birthday/Christmas, Birthday/Christmas/joint gift with my twin.

You get the idea.

Now for the rest of the gifting as promised, a mixture of birthday and Christmas together.

A stunning and thoughtful bell from my parents. The deer, the twine, the delicate chime. It is so perfectly precious.

And another snow globe to add to my collection. This one might just be my most favorite yet. My mom has such an eye for details.

The first thing that I noticed was the little deer bedded down in the snow.

I was extra touched when I found an envelope full of fabric from my friend Bernadette. Bernadette is the co-creator of Rhythm of The Home and sent me this lovely package of turquoise yumminess. I have just the project in mind for it.

After a year of not wearing earrings due to having a SERIOUS allergic reaction to any pair that I put on I decided to try a pair of Sterling Silver ones by Jody Coyote. I am happy to report that they are not causing any inflammation and that they are still in my ears!

And keeping with the turquoise theme, I finally got around to getting one of the Honey Pots that I have coveted ever since seeing the first one made my friend Melissa Bridgman. She gave me a choice of four of them and I was smitten with this one from first glance when I first saw it's predecessor 4 months ago. This one was MINE though.

All mine.

Now all I need is one of her berry bowls and my wishes will be fulfilled.

What was the BEST gift you ever got for your Birthday? Let me know in the comments!

Gifting...Part one

2010-12-29T08:53:00.000-05:00

Christmas is never about grand gifts at our house. We are very modest in terms of gifting and have very much instilled the point of giving rather than receiving in our boy. It was how that I was raised and even though Fran's Christmases were pretty elaborate, it is what we have agreed upon when raising our own. We buy things through the year that he shows an interest in and that way, we are able to keep Christmas morning pretty low key in the gifting department.

This year was no exception. For our boy at least.

After setting out the milk, cookies, and carrots for Santa, Eben went right to bed and slept until the ripe hour of
5:15 am

At which point he rolled over on top of me (YES, I DO still sleep with my boy) and whispered..."Mommy, it's time for you and Daddy to open your present. I spent a lot of money on it and I really really really really want you to open it"(His school holds a gifting day every year where local stores bring in goods at super-discounted prices and allow the kids to shop in secret for their loved ones.) He has been BEGGING Fran and I to open them since he brought them home from school a week ago.

And so he ran into the living room and grabbed two tissue paper packages from under the tree. He placed one each in Fran and my hands and then stood there with his little hands clasped in anticipation. With a HUGE grin on his face, he watched our faces intently for our reactions to his gift giving.

And we were oh so touched at the gesture. Two delicate glass animal figures to go with the tiny penguin that he gave us last year. A little collection that I have a feeling he is going to make a tradition of in years to come.

Only then...after Fran and I had opened our gifts and were happily sitting in our respective chairs sipping on fresh coffee did Eben concede to open his own gifts...three from Santa and four from us...A budget of $50 successfully stayed within, not including the stocking stuffers.

There was a whole lot of "How did he know" and "I've always wanted one of these" and "Thank you so much Mommy and Daddy!"

After every gift was opened and Eben was playing in his room, Fran came upstairs holding a box and placed it in my lap. He sat down in the chair opposite me, hands clasped in front of him... and I couldn't help but laugh to myself at the resemblance he had to our boy. The look of anticipation at my reaction in his eyes.

And so I opened it.

And let out a "Oh my GOD."

He started telling me all about it, using terms like Depth of field, ISO, mega zoom, LCD, megapixels and Aperture. And even though in my head, I wanted to ask... "Ummmmm, did you take a photography class while I was in Vermont with your Dad?!?!?!?!"

I just sat there... half drooling-half panting at the thought of getting the battery charged up and using it.

He did good. So, so, so very good.

And so I went downstairs and got out my I-know-we-said-we-weren't-getting-gifts-for-each-other-but-in-case-he-does-I-don't-want-to-be-the-Shmuck-of-a-wife-caught-without-a-gift-for-Fran-but-if-he-doesn't-I-can-always-return-them stash of gifts. I brought the boxes upstairs and sat in my chair watching him open a pair of OR(outdoor research) mittens and gaiters to use for cross country/back country skiing, two pairs of wool socks, a hunter's cookbook, and a pair of fleece pajama pants. All of which were a hit as well.

Even though this Christmas was a lot more extravagant for Fran and I than we are used to, we are so happy that Eben continues to be inspired by the magic of Christmas. Like he told my dad yesterday at lunch. "Christmas isn't about getting presents it's about being with family....AND SANTA!"

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Turning 31 was as uneventful day as I dreamed that it would be.
I spent the whole day with my Father in law at his house and we had a grand old time just lounging around and visiting while being warmed by the two wood stoves. He is doing very well. Thank you all for not only my birthday wishes, but also for your wishes for him as well.

It will be a week or so until we are able to return to some semblance of normalcy in a rhythm of life, but we are oh so close to that point.

I will be back tomorrow to share some of my birthday gifts.

Shots of a week that went by in a blur...

2010-12-27T16:10:00.001-05:00

Tomorrow I turn 31.

I can only hope that the next year of my life goes by slower than this past week. It was a complete whirlwind.

A visit from a certain man in a red suit.

Paperwhites blooming just in time.

Handmade ornaments by my boy.

Wishes that it could always be Christmas so that I can keep my decorations up all year round.

One last gift left under the tree just waiting for it's recipient to get home from the hospital.

(Today!)

I will be spending time with my Father-in-law over the next week or so at his house. Helping him with whatever he needs and making sure that he isn't doing anything that he shouldn't. I won't have internet there, but if I don't get back into this space until next week, I wish you all a Happy New Year.

Lots of love.

Jules

This Moment...

2010-12-24T13:08:00.001-05:00

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. ~Soule Mama

Way better than my last This Moment.

Lots of sitting at the bedside, holding a hand, and dragging an IV pole as I push him to walk a bit further than the last jaunt in the hallway.
Lots of driving from state to state and riding across the lake on the Ferry.
His head is still jumbled with thoughts of present, past, and irrational.
But that will clear over time.

Physically...he is a rockstar.

Home to my boys and family tonight for the weekend. To celebrate Christmas Eve, wrap a few last minute gifts, and get ready for Santa.

Life is good.

So very good.

Merry Christmas to you all.

Seasonal Exchange

2010-12-23T12:37:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago, my friend Mary contacted me about participating in a Winter Exchange with some other girls in our community. With all that I have had going on, I was a bit hesitant to take on anything else. I ended up saying yes.

And I am so happy that I did.

I was paired with another Mama in my circle. Nicole Spring of Frontier Dreams.

Nicole is a wonderful friend and she has the most adorable little girls with a new little bundle on the way. I was so excited to be her partner in this exchange. Yesterday I received her package and was so thrilled when I opened the small box and saw it's contents. Her attention to detail is spectacular.

An adorable winter scene postcard and a gorgeous handmade angel in the softest roving. I added both of them to our Winter Table.

Two lovely beeswax ornaments that smell heavenly hung on our Christmas tree.

And Eben's most favorite part...A star lantern that we will be lighting and placing on a windowsill for Christmas Eve.

"So that Santa can find our house."

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A huge thanks to Nicole for her wonderful gift. I can only hope that she enjoys my handcrafting as much as I am enjoying hers.

And thanks to Mary and Cindy for orchestrating this wonderful exchange.

Knitting along...and a baby mitten pattern

2010-12-22T16:34:00.004-05:00

The lovely Ginny of Small Things has come up with a weekly Yarn Along and I have been playing along.

Any excuse to knit and read, I tell ya.

Reading~

Thrifted Better Homes and Gardens Treasury of Christmas Ideas from 1966 (out of print). It is one of my favorites and I have found so many wonderful ideas to decorate during the holidays.

On the needles~
Lamb's Pride Worsted in Rosy Velvet.

Some little thumbless mittens on a string for my new niece or nephew. Although I am pretty convinced that it is a girl...hence the rosy hue.

12 weeks cooked on Friday.

I am so excited, I can't even tell you.

There are many patterns for baby mittens and I have tried a bunch of them in the last week or so, with a so many winter babies due in the next few months, I am getting my gifts in order now while I have time.
After having some trouble with a few of them and finding them a bit too wide in the hand area, I decided to try my hand at making my own pattern that was a bit snugger in the hand area. Also, I like a quicker decrease at the top, it has a twirling effect that I love.

Pattern~ Newborn SUPER EASY Mittens

Needles: Size 5 double points

CO 24 stitches divided on 4 needles
Join in the round and k1 p1 for 9 rounds for a ribbed wrist cuff.
knit 14 rounds
Decreasing:
Round 15: knit 4 k2tog around
Round 16: knit 3 k2tog around
Round 17: knit 2 k2tog around
Round 18: knit 1 k2tog around
Round 19: k2tog around
Cast off and weave in ends.

For the string to keep them in place, I simply crocheted a two foot chain in the same yarn and knotted it to the top of the cuff of the mittens.

And there you have it, a quick little knitted gift to warm even the tiniest of hands.

PS... I added it to Ravelry as a pattern in case that you would like to cast them on or add them to your que.

An update and Christmas baby in a bunting...

2010-12-20T11:56:00.003-05:00

First off, I wanted to update you all with news of my Father in Law.

He pulled through the surgery very well and still has more tubes and IV's than he has rightful orifices, but he is doing well and a trooper. The doctors keep walking into the room and just staring at him. Amazed that he is doing so well after what he has been through. He is still in the ICU and will be there until he further improves, but for now we are just so impressed with not only him, but his phenomenal doctors and care that he is receiving.
I am home and working at the hospital, but I will be going to see him for the next 4 days.

Thank you all for your wishes and prayers, I am convinced that they were instrumental in his condition.

Now for the baby in a bunting....

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I made this doll for the Winter Edition of Rhythm of the Home, but with so many wonderful contributors to the issue, we didn't end up using it.

I have decided to share it with you here, rather thank save it for the next year's edition. Maybe it will be the answer to some last minute gift crafting.

What better holiday gift for a little one than something cuddly, soft and made entirely by hand. This felt baby is just the right size to fit in a stocking or in the arms of a happy child. Bundled up in an easily embellished bunting, this little one is sure to bring a smile to any child’s face.

Materials

2 pieces of desired felt with dimensions 9 inches x 12 inches for the front and back of the body
2 small pieces of desired skin tone felt for face and for liner of embellishment
Small piece of felt for hair
Small piece of cotton fabric
Embroidery floss
Stuffing

Instructions

To print out the pattern templates simply right click one of the images below (which each has all of the template pattern components in one image) and click “print picture”. Once you have printed it you can use a copier machine to increase or decrease the size of the pattern as desired. You will base your sizing for the doll solely on the body dimensions of the doll pattern.

As long as you increase the size of each of these two images by the same percentage, all of the separate components in the images will fit together perfectly.

Print out and cut the embellishments out of desired felt.

Cut out two body pieces.

To make the belly embellishment, cut out the circle pattern out of felt. Cut out a slightly larger circle from the desired cotton print fabric, so that you can envelop the felt with cotton.

Fold the cotton fabric over the edge of the felt and use a running stitch to sew the two layers together. This will leave a clean edge on the perimeter of the embellishment.

The front side will look like this.

Add the circle embellishment to the rest of your cut out felt and get ready for assembly.

Place the hair over the top of the face applique and the circle at the center of the doll’s belly.

Stitch the face, hair and circle into place using desired stitches. For added detail, you can mix up the stitches that you use. I used a mixture of a running stitch and blanket stitch. Once the embellishments are attached, you will do the final construction of the doll. Place the front body felt piece over the back body felt piece and use a blanket stitch all the way around the doll body, leaving the top of the head open for stuffing.

Stuff the doll, making sure not to overstuff, and that you fill the spaces at the tips of the hands and feet.

Once the doll is stuffed, close the opening used for stuffing with the blanket stitch.

For the eyes, simply stitch two straight stitches where the eyes will be and create lashes by making straight stitches vertically over the horizontal stitches.

Knot and trim your thread.

The mouth is also a personal preference. You can make a smile, a straight line, a little dot, or no mouth at all…whatever you like, just make sure that it is secured with a tight knot to prevent unraveling.

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Again, I am so very thankful for you all and your sweet comments.

I am beyond lucky to have you all.

This F-ing Moment....

2010-12-17T08:37:00.001-05:00

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~~. ~Soule Mama

Knitting bag.
Check.

Second Diet Mountain Dew of the day and it's only 8am.
Check.

Butterflies in stomach.
Check.

Large suitcases instead of my usual carry-on under-eyes-bags.
Check.

Hair tie on wrist for emergency.
Check.

Favorite hoodie.
Check.

Deep Breaths.
Check.

Double dose of Celexa.
Check.

He went in at 7:30 on the nose. His surgeons are amazing. I am full of hope and good thoughts and love.

I popped-a-squat in the cafeteria of this gorgeous hospital, but they have the most hideous walls and I feel all jaundice and stuff just sitting here.

But here I am and here I will be today.

Hope...

2010-12-16T00:22:00.001-05:00

From We Deserve This...

She was wrapped in tissue paper at the bottom of the ornament bin, almost a full year since I had held her last.

Made with love… many, many years ago by my wonderful Mama.

I held her to my chest, tears stinging my eyes and I said a little prayer.

A prayer for health and happiness to all that I love.

This week is going to be tough. 

I am thankful for moments like these that give me hope.

::::::::::::

Every year growing up, my mom would pick an ornament to make. A homemade gift for people who were important to us. She would make them in the weeks leading up to Christmas and then she would give it away along with a a tin of bon-bon cookies, and a loaf of the yummiest homemade oatmeal bread that you could ever imagine.

When Fran and I moved in together, my mom gave me a box of all of my ornaments that meant so much to me. (You can read a bit about my affinity for that box and it's contents here.) In that box was my angel and I loved her very much. Unfortunately, the first place where Fran and I lived together was lacking in ventilation and after one year in storage...moisture ruined her past the point of repair.

I was very upset over losing her and it took a long time for me to admit to my mom that I didn't have her anymore. All of that hard work. All of the precious details that she had paid in making her.

The doily dress.
The muslin body.
The wings.
The face.
The hair.

All of it.

All of it was gone.

Last year around this time I went up to my Grandparents for a visit. My Gram had gotten one of the angels all that time ago and since they had their own tradition of putting a snowman on top of their Christmas tree, they did not use their angel that my mom had given them. My mom had apparently told my Gram about how mine had been ruined and when I got to my Grams she surprised me by giving me her angel.

For keeps.

And I surprised her by bursting into tears.

Crying not only at the gesture, but at the second chance to take care with something so special to me.

I have named her Hope.

She is representing of something so necessary to me this year. Something out of my control, but something so strong that I am overtaken by it's power.

And she sits, perched at the top of our gorgeous Christmas tree and looks over us all.

:::::::::::::::

I thank you all for your wishes for my Father in law tomorrow.

You have no idea, the strength that I gain from you all.

Knitting along...

2010-12-15T13:11:00.000-05:00

The lovely Ginny of Small Things has come up with a weekly Yarn Along and I have been playing along.

Any excuse to knit and read, I tell ya.

Reading~

Lots and lots of Christmas stories. Eben has been having some trouble in reading at school and so we are taking time to share reading of books at all times of the day. Taking a bath is a favorite spot, but bed is always the most popular and comfortable. His reading is coming along.

On the needles~

Stitch Nation Full O' Sheep yarn in the color aptly called Little Lamb.

Another pair of booties. This time with my own pattern. I felted the first one, this one is on the agenda for tomorrow.

SO many babies, so little time.

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In non knitting related news....

The paperwhites are growing inches by the day.

The little babies of bloom sitting in their little cocoon of green until the time is just right to burst open. I have a feeling it will be just in time for Christmas morning.

Last night, Eben and I erected and decorated our gingerbread house. Not in the mood to struggle with the graham cracker houses of last year, we bought a kit. A kit complete with candy goodness and super sticky frosting "glue" to piece it together with.

It was a complete success and I am happy to report that it is still standing this morning. Which is more than I can say for the ones last year.

We leave tomorrow afternoon for Vermont.

If you are looking for me on Friday, I will be sitting in a surgical waiting room with my nails chewed to the quick.

Either that....or there will be a stack of booties knitted up at my side.

A 6 to 8 hour surgery. The near final step in his battle with the cancer.

I'll let you know which busy work option that I choose.

A place for everything...

2010-12-13T06:59:00.001-05:00

When Fran renovated our living space almost a year ago, one of the biggest improvements that he made was our windows. We were left with quite a few boards of pine from our floor renovation and instead of returning them, Fran used many of them to re-frame all of our windows in our living room, kitchen, and dining room. Honey in color, wide and durable...they soon trumped the floors in my most favorite part of the remodel.

We don't have many surfaces in our house that can be covered with decorative accents, between our cats and two rambunctious boys, the threat of something being swiped off is just too high. I have always been envious of people who had mantles over their fireplaces. How they could decorate them for a season. Trading out little trinkets and nick-knacks for new ones whenever the weather changed. With our wood stove in my husband's shop room downstairs, we enjoy the warmth of wood, but do not have the appeal of a mantle to go with it.

And that is where our windowsills come into play. There is nothing that I love more than a nice wide window sill. In past years, I have put my holiday decorations on our windowsills, but they never fit much, as they were not very wide and I always had to leave some of my favorites in the Christmas bin. When Fran was building the new window casings, I asked for an extra wide sill.

This year...I was able to fit everything that I love.

And then some.

All of Eben and my clay creations.

Painted and sealed in our favorite Christmas colors.

A nameplate of little stand up houses for our family.

Note: I actually had to move these clay pieces from the kitchen windowsill, as the plants that usually sit there were needing their sun back in a big way!

Our woolen tree. ( How to HERE )

My little clay gnome house and birdie.

Our Santa and King Winter.

A Santa figure (a gift for Eben from Santa last year) sitting right next to our silver reindeer.

And last and best of all is Eben's newest art class creation from school. A gift for Fran and I, made with love by our boy.

Everything has a place now. Every little thing that means a lot to us, triggers a memory, or brings a smile to my face is sitting there on our windowsills.

The windows to our world.
In the heart of our house.

This Moment...

2010-12-10T09:38:00.002-05:00

A Friday ritual. A single photo-capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. ~Soule Mama

It's a Playstation 2

My husband resurrected it from his bachelor days in 2000.
I have avoided it for 6 years.
But it somehow showed up sometime while I was in Vermont.

I have to be honest though, it's not as bad as I thought.
It occupies him while I knit.
And I've done a TON of knitting lately.

Thank you Sony.

Knitting along...

2010-12-08T07:48:00.002-05:00

The lovely Ginny of Small Things has come up with a weekly Yarn Along and I have been playing along.

Any excuse to knit and read, I tell ya.

Reading~

Way before I had established myself and grown comfortable in the world of Blog, I stumbled upon Artful Blogging in the magazine isle of Barnes and Noble. I remember just plopping my butt down right there there on the floor and flipping through each and every page.

I bought that first issue and I have bought almost every issue that came after it. They all sit on a shelf in my sewing room. They are flipped through frequently. They are earmarked and puckered from water damage from taking baths with me...but they are there and I can't bring myself to get rid of them. I draw inspiration from them and I have found so many wonderful blogs from their pages. Getting to know each of the writers, marveling at their skill in photography, learning new tricks of the trade of blog from the wonderful authors featured.

If ever there was a magazine to inspire the artist in the experience of blogging, this magazine is it.

On the needles~

Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Worsted...A precious pair of booties. My first successful attempt at picking up stitches. I am loving it! I'll be sure to share the finished project in a few days.
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So, I encourage you all to take a photo of whatever it is that you are knitting and reading... and stop by Ginny's space to share.

XO, Julia

Advent...

2010-12-07T17:52:00.000-05:00

Usually, right after Thanksgiving, I am all geared up for decorating for the Holidays. I get the boxes down from the attic and go to town with Eben and Sam, setting up all of the lovely decorations. Finding just the perfect spot to put a little tree or pinecone, or figurine.

This year we got off to a bit of a slow start, and I have no one to blame but myself.

To ease into the festivities, I only brought one box out of the attic.
My favorite.

Advent.

A new tree. (even better than last years tree! Fran found it this year.)

A new pillow.

Another bunch of little satchels filled with chocolate for my boy.

We put everything up on the second of December and just like last year, Eben hung each one with care.

To keep it stable, the vase was filled with glass stones from last year, spray painted pinecones and shelled nuts. The quilt squares are still leftover from last year and the yarn is some leftover Shivaya yarn that Heather gifted to me a while back (I love that stuff SOOOOOO much!). Inside of each satchel is a single hand picked Hershey Kiss. Last year we used M&Ms but Eben decided that he likes kisses better.

And this year, we added a bit more to the table. I placed some batting on the table and painted a little winter watercolor scene.

I painted some larger wooden people (a bit like my King Winter and Queen Winter finger puppets )and Eben added his little snowman that he had made out of clay and painted.

I put the Advent tree right in front of it and I was really surprised at how much personality that it added to the table. I can't believe that we didn't do this before.

I am sure that we will find some more little things to add to it over the next few weeks but for now I am just happy to see the stack of quilt squares get taller and the branches get more bare.

And tonight we are decorating our REAL Christmas tree.

I just love this time of year.

Revisiting an old place~

2010-12-06T08:02:00.000-05:00

Heather and I took a bit of a hiatus from We Deserve This over the past month. We have changed things up a bit, but as of today, we are back.

Tomorrow I will be back here at Adirondack Mama, but today, please visit Heather and I over at We Deserve This.

Weekend...

2010-12-05T07:54:00.000-05:00

Some more painting.

A yearly tradition.

Snuggles with a little friend.

Unwinding and getting tipsy on a half glass of red wine.

I hope that your weekend is as nice as mine has been.

This Moment.

2010-12-03T07:30:00.000-05:00

A Friday ritual. A single photo-capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. ~Soule Mama

Getting gifts made.

I call it Christmas Morning.

The Winter Rhythm...

2010-12-02T19:00:00.000-05:00

I know I am a day late in posting this, but wanted to share my projects that I came up with for this edition of Rhythm of The Home. The magazine is growing by leaps and bounds and I am so impressed with the content that fills the pages of the Winter issue.

I just love every bit of it.

I really enjoy working with Bernadette and Heather on the magazine. It is a creative outlet that I find super rewarding.

And now, here are my projects which I had so much fun working with and trying out.

First up is a fabric bag that I came up with design for after needing a bunch of pretty bags to bring to Vermont to hold my various crafts in. They are wicked easy and very handy to have around. The one that I made for the magazine tutorial is going to hold my gifts our friend's little baby girl.

My second project was the most fun. I had it in my mind to do something fun and super portable that I could do in the waiting room at the hospital since I was working on it in Vermont. I ended up making some really fun Winter folk finger puppets.

Which were happily greeted by a smiling boy once I got home and was able to show him what I had been working on while I had been away.

I encourage all of you to head over to Rhythm of The Home for even more fabulous fun for the holidays.

XO, Julia

Wishes...

2010-11-25T11:35:00.000-05:00

Wishing you all a very Happy Thanksgiving spent with the ones that you love.

XoXo, Julia

Today was spent...

2010-11-23T23:56:00.000-05:00

Sewing.... two more dolls for a little 9 month old girl that I know.

Baking and drinking....and baking and drinking some more.

Painting...they're finally dry enough.

Watching....birds fill their bellies from our feeders.

It was a lovely day.

Busy, but lovely.

And who would complain for that?

Pattern writing and sharing....

2010-11-21T20:00:00.002-05:00

So, I've been trying my hand at writing some knitting patterns. Not too difficult, just some hats, but man do they knit up into some precious hats for little ones. First up was the little hat above that I knitted up for a certain special little boy. I spent a few hours this week trying to type the pattern for it to share in Laura and my shop. It was a lot tougher than I anticipated (which surprised me) and I became determined to make the process easier, if it was something that I really wanted to master. So I decided to come up with another one, this time for a little girl.

So, it's done. And I love it even more than the first one. A little gift for my wonderful friend Bre. Her little girl is due in February and I can't wait to hold her in my arm.

I tell you, these babies are popping up everywhere!

So, I am sharing the pattern here.

Enjoy!

**************************************************
Eyelet Earflap Pixie Hat

This pattern is mostly knitting, but there is crochet used in the earflaps. Don't be intimidated though, it's SUPER EASY!

Needles: 10 1/2 dpns.

Yarn: A light bulky. I used Tweed Stripes by Lion Brand

Stitches:

Knitting :
Stockinette (knitting every row)
K2TOG ( Knit 2 stitches together)
K (knit)
YO ( yarn over )
SSK ( Slip slip knit)
K2 ( knit 2)

Crochet :
Single crochet (SC)
Chain ( C )

Pattern:
Cast on 15 stitches onto each of 3 dpns for a total of 45 stitches.

Place stitch marker and join into a round.

Knit in stockinette until piece measures 1.5 inches high.

Now, the next 4 rows will make up the very slight eyelet design.

Eyelet Pattern:
Round 1: * K1, YO, SSK, K2, K2TOG,YO, repeat from * for entire round.
Round 2: Knit for entire row.
Round 3: * K2, YO, SSK, K2TOG, YO, K1
Round 4: Knit for entire row.

Shaping the top by decreasing:

Round 1: * K8, K2tog, repeat from * for entire row.
Round 2: Knit for entire row
Round3: Knit for entire row
Round4: * K7, K2tog, repeat from * for entire row
Round5: Knit for entire row
Round6: Knit for entire row
Round7: * K6, K2tog, repeat from * for entire row
Round8: Knit for entire row
Round9: Knit for entire row

Repeat this pattern of decreasing every third row until you are left with 3 stitches.

Cast off and weave in tail.

If you want a baby hat without earflaps, you can stop right here.

For the earflaps you will use some basic crochet stitches.

Find the center of the side of the hat by measuring across the hat from left to right. The hat should measure 6 1/2 inches across, so the center of the hat is between the 2 and 4 1/2 inch mark.

Your ear flap will start at the 2 and end at the 4 1/2 inch mark.

To make the ear flap, simply, single crochet into nine stitches across the brim of the hat starting at the 2 and end at the 4 1/2 inch mark.
Chain one at the end of each of the rows to allow for the turning of your work to start the next row.
Single crochet 2 more rows.
Now the ear flap will begin to resemble a triangle by decreasing each of the following 2 rows by 3 stitches each.

Decrease them symmetrically until you are left with one stitch at the top of the ear flap triangle.

From this stitch at the apex of the triangle, you will crochet a chain to make the hat tie.

It will resemble a braid and should measure 9 inches long. Knot at end.

Weave in the initial tail from the start of the earflap at the brim of the hat.

Repeat on the opposite side to make a symmetrical earflap.

And there you have it!

******************************************************************

Happy knitting!

And if you're over on Ravelry, It's posted as a pattern there in case that you want to cast it on!

XoXo, Julia

This Moment...

2010-11-19T08:32:00.000-05:00

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. ~Soule Mama

Those trees are STILL drying.

Have a wonderful weekend.

XO, Jules

Knitting along...

2010-11-17T11:06:00.000-05:00

In the last 2 weeks I have knitted 2 baby hats, and am in the process of knitting a third. I am a very immediate gratification kind of knitter. I need to start it...work on it for a bit, and be done with it. Case in point is my sweater that I started a while back ( you know...July!) It still sits in a fabric bag on it's needles. A few extra inches added here and there, but still...nowhere near done.

I just don't have the patience for it.

It's like books. I get bored quickly and I usually have 3 books going at any given time.

Which brings me to today's photo.

The lovely Ginny of Small Things has come up with a weekly Yarn Along and I have been playing along.

Any excuse to knit and read, I tell ya.

Right now, I am re-reading Garden Spells. I scored it at a library lawn sale for a quarter a few years ago. It's kind of an off book...kind of quirky, but fun. Each page is filled with magic and whimsy, the sort with gardens and enchanted trees and apothecary. It is a quick read and not too hard to get drawn into.

On my needles is the current baby hat. A pattern that I am coming up with in my head as I go (sharing for sure, once I am done.) The yarn is Tweed Stripes by Lion Brand in the colorway Orchid (doesn't that sound dreamy?). It is lovely yarn and it knits up in such wonderful patterns.

It is left over from the set of Toasts that I made back in July. The pattern for those is by Leslie Friend and they are super easy.
(pattern here)

I am going to try to finish the hat today, and then I will be tackling the laundry that seemed to multiply by the hundreds in my absence, while I was at work the past few days.

I tell you...It never ends.

So, I encourage you all to take a photo of whatever it is that you are knitting and reading... and stop by Ginny's space to share.

XO, Julia

A day of clay...

2010-11-13T18:34:00.001-05:00

Today, Eben and I decided to open a package of clay that I had gotten in Vermont. We have played around with other types, modeling clay specifically...but today we ventured into the world of DAS clay. We covered the table with a contractor garbage bag and went crazy making little figures and shapes to go on all of our window sills in anticipation of Christmas.

I don't really know what this stuff is made of, but I'm pretty sure that it has some sort of paper in it. It reminded me a LOT of that paper pulp that I did the plantable paper with. When I cut out shapes with it, there was a rough edge that I had to smooth down with a sponge. But all in all, it is pretty easy to use and very pliable. It is non toxic and air-drying, which I appreciate....seeing how I don't own a kiln. It is much cheaper than Sculpey, which is oven dry, and it IS paintable. A big brick of it was only $6.

Eben took the task of making snowman personally and made each ball of the body VERY seriously. And he assembled them with even more precision.

While he did that, I was working on my own project. You see, I found these ridiculously precious clay houses, called petitehouses on etsy by Jessica Jane. Each one is just so sweet and..... well, as you can guess, I became pretty well obsessed with figuring out how they were made.

The first one was pretty much a big lump with lines drawn in for the layers. I did too much smoothing of the clay as I attached the petals and they all lumped together.

My second attempt went much better and I was able to place each layer without smooshing them together. Granted, it did not turn put anywhere near as perfectly as the one I was modeling it after, but in the end I was pretty happy with how close that I came to the one in my mind's eye.

I ended up making 2 more different types of trees and another snowman with a hat, as well as finishing the trunk of the tree for my own little petitehouse.

They are all drying overnight and I can't wait to paint them tomorrow. I forgot what fun it is to play with clay. I will certainly share how they turn out once I paint them.

I hope that you are all having a great weekend.

XO, Julia

And the Winner is...

2010-11-09T09:23:00.000-05:00

Thank you all so much for your sweet words and blessings for Laura. I know that this baby will be as wonderful and sweet as the nephew that she already granted me with.

The winner is...

Katherine: Congratulations and welcome back. we've missed you! would love to win this precious baby- wish I had the energy to sew one for my sweet 2 year old, but we are expecting number 2 any day now and it's all I can do to keep up with her and make sure we're all fed and healthy.... Again, so glad to see you back in this space.

Please email me your address Katherine and I will get this baby in the mail to you.

Jules

The girl with the hoops and needles...

2010-11-08T07:25:00.001-05:00

I am enjoying embroidery very much.

Like, a lot.

(Granola recipe here, if you're drooling.)

It was a constant companion with me in the doctor's offices and I was so glad to have found a few vintage embroidery books at the Thrift Store before that we began traveling. I learned a few tricks from them.

I am just doing simple stitches and mostly free handing as I go. I have a few blanket squares in progress right now, and I am really looking forward to piecing them all together into a quilt.

The bag on the right is one that I made for my holding all of my floss and hoops while I was in Vermont. It's super handy and that floral print of the pocket front was the very last bit of one of my most favorite vintage prints.

I guess I can always take down the hoop that holds the remainder of it, right?

And in the mail a week or so ago, I got a touching and SUPER generous gift from one of my first blog buddies. The insanely talented Christina.

And right away, I got to work finishing a square that I had been working on since September, but needed a few extra details.

OH!!!! And that fabric bundle labeled "bliss", (yea...I know it caught your eyes too!) I had just the project in mind for all of those gorgeous squares.

It's not finished quite yet, but here is a sneak peak.

So now...show me what you are working on. Tell me your own stories of needles and hoops.

PS! The giveaway for the Waldorf baby ends tomorrow!

A new baby...and a giveaway

2010-11-06T11:22:00.004-04:00

I had you at the baby part, didn't I?

Or was it the giveaway?

Anyway, it doesn't matter....I have to share some news!

I am going to be an Aunt!

Since my wonderful twin Laura has posted the news on her own blog, I felt that she wouldn't mind if I shared it here with all of you. ( Right Laura?!?!?!?)

YES! There is a new baby on the way. She is very early in the pregnancy, but things are so far going swimmingly! Full of morning sickness and the whole rest of what goes with growing a baby.

And even though, I still have no plans of expanding my own brood, I am giddy as a school girl at the thought of sharing this wee one with her. You see...you will be seeing an awful lot of this new babe here in this space, as I will be watching him/her when Laura is working, just as we have traded off caring for our wonderful boys.

So, in celebration of being an Aunt AGAIN!!!!

I am having a giveaway!

I have been sewing like crazy, I tend to do this when there are new little ones popping up around me.
I designed her two days ago and I completed the tutorial last night.

If you want to try your hand at making this simple and sweet baby, the pattern/tutorial is in the shop. It's a variation of the my ROTH baby, but WAY easier! WAY!!!

If you want a chance at winning this little Waldorf baby, please become a follower and leave me a comment here.

I will choose a winner on Tuesday morning.

Lots of love, Julia

Home...

2010-11-03T17:21:00.003-04:00

Six weeks turned to seven BUT we are finally home.

I am giddy as a school girl.

This post is going to be quick, as I have a little boy and a husband to visit with and a life that I need to get back into a rhythm with, but the important thing is that I am back.

In more ways than one.

I have decided that I am returning to my home here on the web as well.
I have missed you all so.
I have missed sharing the everyday.
I have missed reading about yours.

So, I am home.

I will still be over at We Deserve This with the sweet Heather a few days a week, but as much as I thought that I was finished with this space, I am not. It is a piece of me and a piece that I am glad to have back.

So, now I share a few photos of things that are making me happy.

Two seagulls that visited with us EVERY night that we went to the bay in Vermont.
I will miss them.

A final ferry ride on a chilly day.

Little wooden people that kept me occupied and company while I was in Vermont. ( More on them later.)

A reorganized and purged sewing room where I plan to lock myself away tomorrow.

A hat for a new little one that has single handed-ly renewed my love of knitting.

A new book that I want to make every single project in.

A grinning husband (who I missed dearly) checking out our newly tilled garden.

And of course, two of the most gorgeous little men that I have ever set eyes on. (Photo taken by my twin.)

Lots of love, and thanks for hanging in here with me.

XO, Julia

And so it begins...

2010-09-19T08:13:00.003-04:00

He starts radiation this week.
Five days a week for six weeks.
Chemo mixed in there too.
In another state.

I am going to be there for four days a week.

I can't think of any place that I would rather be during this time.

Well, maybe there is one place that I would rather be.
But that doesn't really count.... does it?

It's kind of a given, right?

I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't a bit panicky at the thought of being away from my home and all of my family for that much time.

But, I am glad to be able to be there with him.
He really has the best attitude. The attitude of a survivor.
And I love that about him.

So today is a day spent preparing myself...breathing deep and getting hugs and kisses where I can. I am trying to not make a BIG deal out of it. I mean, it's only a few days a week.

Right?

Right.

And the packing.

Ahhhh, the packing.

(yes, I haven't even done that yet.)

I am trying to figure out just what I want to bring with me. What will fit in the car.
What I will use.
And more importantly...what I won't.

Most people think about what clothes to pack...toiletries, etc.

Not me.

I am one of those people who constantly needs to have something to do. sew/read/knit/craft, etc.
So, I'm scavenging my magazines for ones that I haven't read in a bit and gathering up yarn and fabric and hoops and needles to occupy myself.

Sitting in hospitals isn't too conducive to my sort of crafting.

I'm told that they frown upon bringing your own sewing machine.

I know! The nerve.

So, I am going to bring what I can't live without.

Minus the little red headed boy (he has school after all).

And try not to sink the Ferry with the weight of it all on the way across the lake.

I work tomorrow.

And then I go.

What is in store for the readers of Rhythm of the Home.

2010-09-01T06:08:00.001-04:00

Below you will find a complete index of every project and article; interview and recipe that fills the virtual pages of Rhythm of the Home. I am so impressed with the caliber of submissions that we received this edition. It was a pleasure to be a part of it.

I shared a recipe for the yummiest scones that I have ever had.

And a pattern and tutorial for Laura and my original fleece baby booties.

Please enjoy perusing this issue of Rhythm of the Home and be sure to stop by the ROTH blog to take part in the largest and most wonderful giveaway that we have ever had!

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Inspiring projects to do with little ones

Learning in the kitchen

Martinmas celebration lanterns

Take apart science

Apple adoration

Oak leaf wreath

Cooking with children

Flower pounding

Granny apple dolls

Recycled crayons

Once upon a table

Kite

Autumn leaf soft book

Making a playscape

Lucetting a snail

Felted soap tutorial

Michaelmas dragon

Making a doll swing

Leaf placemat

Once upon a table

Sewing projects

Fleece baby booties tutorial and pattern

Oak leaf wreath

Thankfulness journal

Repurposed sweater into scarf

Harvest basket

Autumn leaf soft book

Michaelmas dragon

Making a doll swing

From Day to Night Bags

Felt Cat Pin

Inspiring Mama

Finding truth, beauty and goodness in the Autumn season

Making your house a home

Mother's circle

Moroccan baby-wearing

Finding balance and keeping rhythm

Simple living journey

Thankfulness journal

Love with intentions

Melancholic temperament

Mother roasting

Creating a waldorf home

Mommy art journaling

Knit, crochet, or fiber art projects

Autumn crochet capelet

Once upon a table

Making a playscape

Felted soap tutorial

Fleece wash

Recipes

Autumn spiced scones

Apple adoration

Herbed yogurt dip

First day of fall

Interviews and glimpses

Handmade Beginnings with Anna Maria Horner

Interview with Salley Mavor of Wee Folk Art

Interview with NoCo Nature Tribe

Articles to inspire the family

Learning in the kitchen

Martinmas celebration lanterns

Finding truth, beauty and goodness in the Autumn season

Making your house a home

Take apart science

Apple adoration

Mother's circle

Finding balance and keeping rhythm

Life uncommon

Simple living journey

Cooking with children

Once upon a table

Autumn, the season of letting go

Michaelmas dragon

Love with intentions

Melancholic temperament

Creating a waldorf home

From Day to Night Bags

Sugar Sprites Story

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Enjoy!

Heather and I will be back tomorrow over at We Deserve This.

XO, Julia

It's almost time!!!!

2010-08-26T09:10:00.001-04:00

Well, I must say thank you first for all of you staying with me and following me over to We Deserve This. That project is so special to me and I look forward to sharing so much more goodness with you all. So thanks, I appreciate it more than you will ever know.

Today though, I want to point you into the direction of my other home online....I know, it seems like I have so many!

We are in the final days of getting the Autumn issue of the magazine ready for viewing. I have to say that being present for an entire edition from start to finish has really given me a immense respect for Heather and Bernadette. It has become so very evident that their heart and soul goes into every edition. Each one of their hand picked projects or posts are a definite reflection of the love that they have for this wonderful and UNIQUE source for young families.

I am so very thrilled to be included in this effort.

SO, now I will point you in the direction of the Rhythm of the Home Blog where Heather is sharing a little sneak peek into what you can expect for this edition.

Tons of love and wishes for health to you and your families.

Love, Julia

Detour...

2010-08-12T09:00:00.002-04:00

I have received a few emails from friends asking me whether I was completely DONE with Adirondack Mama. So, I thought that I would just clear up any confusion.
I am not done here, it is only a detour in my blogging journey.
For the next several months I will be not be here, I will only be over at We Deserve This with Heather. I hope to return to Adirondack Mama after my life returns to a more normal rhythm.

But today...Heather and I are sharing a moment from our week that brought us great joy.

~::We Deserve This::~

2010-08-09T06:17:00.001-04:00

I remember the first time that I read Heather's post in her series of "We Deserve This". I was so in awe of her attention to details. To how she fully took the time to be present and to enjoy what it was that she was doing...when she was doing something for herself.

I wanted to do that too!

Well...with all of the things that have been going on in my life, I have taken positively NO time to nurture myself (not that people haven't offered to assist me in this...I am just a stubborn bird when it comes to things like that.)...and it caught up with me. Plus I had all but abandoned my blog here in favor of moping around.

I know...Awesome right?!?!?

Anyway, I knew that I was in some serious need of a gentle easing back into the world of BLOG...A new space where I could focus on the good. Plus, I needed to start taking better care of myself.

And then I thought of sharing a new space with a friend.

I asked Heather whether she might like to collaborate in a space with me...at first we tossed around a bunch of ideas for a theme or a point, or just picking a topic or a word or a moment and posting it in the form of a photo, maybe with a few words, maybe with a whole paragraph. Something random and life/blog oriented to bring us together in one place.

But the more that I thought about it, and the more that I sought inspiration from the blogging world...the more that I saw that those things had already been done (and DONE extremely WELL I might add... by the likes of some of my most favorite sites... 3191, habit, and many other collaborative spaces.)

You see...we didn't want to re-invent the wheel, we wanted to build our own space where we could collaborate on a project that was a perfect fit for the two of us. And as I thought about it, I realized that there was a common theme in our skype and phone conversations.

"Take some time."
"Let me know if you need anything."
"Take care of yourself."
"Are you sleeping OK?"
"Try not to stress yourself."

What was lacking in BOTH of our lives was self nurturing. The taking care of ourselves.

And so, We Deserve This was born of the mutual frustration of two mothers who are spread a bit too thin at the moment.

You can find more of our reasons behind needing to switch gears from this space to another one by following this link.

~::OUR REASONS::~

I truly hope that you will join us in this new place and share your own little glimpses into what it is that you chose to do to create your own happiness every day. Our wish is for this space to not only inspire but to become a nurturing community for us AND our friends.

I will always be here as well, but I want to take some time to just focus on this new place and see where it might lead me.

Lots of love and health to you all.

Julia

This Moment...

2010-08-06T16:49:00.000-04:00

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. ~Soule Mama

Taking time where I can get it.

I'll be back on Monday to share a special place.

Lots of love to those who still visit me here...thanks for staying with me.

Julia

Goodness...

2010-07-25T13:28:00.002-04:00

Life is stressful, but not unpleasant. We are settling into a rhythm of traveling, surgery, and the start of chemo this week. Everyone is handling it as well as can be expected.

Family is such a strong supplier of faith.

And so I share a few glimpses into my days. The summer is flying by and we find ourselves trying to enjoy the few hours of sun that we are granted every day this past week. It has rained every day, and I am just about tired of it. Never fear though, there is plenty of playing around and visiting with loved ones.

My freshly shorn haired boy... "helping" me water the garden.

(I was afraid that I had cut all the red out when the buzzer snipped off the last of his hair, thankfully though, it is growing back nice and carrot in color)

My first sweater that I think I might just complete...it (and I for that matter) have seen WAY too many waiting rooms lately.

Fresh plump berries on our blueberry bush...ripening for the picking.

A garden that is thriving...despite my lack of attention.

And finally, my thrift store score for the week...I know EXACTLY what I am going to do with them.

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I continue to visit you all on my off time (pulling my always popular peeping Tom act) and even if I don't let you know that I was there... please know that I was. I continue to draw great strength and inspiration from my dearest of friends.

THESE Moments...

2010-07-16T08:25:00.001-04:00

Today we drive 2 hours one way for the first surgery. I am anxious and finding a need to focus on the good in my life.

Hence....THESE moments.

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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. ~Soule Mama

Weeds that I remember pinching as a little girl.

Visits with family that I have missed tremendously.

Finding a funky egg in the carton from the farmstand.

The last of my peonies blooming.

Lots of fresh garden mint and raspberry tea.

Watching my boy and his newly SIX year old cousins (Happy birthday Sam and Aurora!) play in the boats at the pond at my Pa's house on the mountain.

Finishing the tutorials for my dolls and clothes to dress them in over at Rhythm of the Home.

Make the doll

Add the hair

Sew a dress

Make a bonnet

Go try them out, I'd love to see you create one of your own.

**********************************

Thanks again for all of your support. Lots of hugs and love to you all.

Jules

What I've been up to...

2010-07-11T09:05:00.002-04:00

Well, this past week or so has been quite a roller coaster. My days off were spent in Vermont at the Cancer Center with my family member. We have a meeting on Monday with a team of doctors to figure out a plan of attack.

I am feeling more hopeful than I had originally and a HUGE thanks goes out to all of you for all of your wishes and support. I am continuously surprised by this community and the friends that I have in this space.

I had some precious time to do a lot of crafting while we were in Vermont for a few days sitting in waiting rooms and such. I started knitting a new hat in the prettiest shade of purple only to find that I sized it wrong ( you may see it here as a giveaway once I finish it). AND I completed stitching up two of my dolls using the pattern and tutorial that I created for Rhythm of the Home.

Yep, that's them up there in my arms...Penelope and Calliope.

You wouldn't believe what a godsend it is to have such a fun distraction to occupy my thoughts.

I have spent a lot of time in the garden, it is such a rejuvenating place to be. Pulling up weeds and fluffing the soil. Fran and I take turns watering it every night.

Eben is wonderful as always.... simultaneously full of beans, a busy bee and a little love.

So, in short...my time away has been rough, but insightful. I will be back here once a week or so with updates on my life.

Not the woe-is-me sort of sharing, but the happy-good-things-in-life type of sharing.

I've missed you all tremendously.

Love, Julia

PS, if you want to see more of my gaggle of girls that I have created for Rhythm of the Home using the my tutorial... I direct you over to the Blog where I have posted more pictures and a little introduction to the Roth girls. I will be sharing the complete tutorial and instructions over on the ROTH blog on Tuesday.

Signing off...

2010-06-25T15:58:00.001-04:00

We've been literally sucker punched with the most devastating diagnosis that I could have imagined.

It is not about me or my husband, or my boy...but a man that we all love more than words can express. A man who has a heart of gold and the soul to go with it.

The next few days are going to bring a lot of answers (none of them good) and the next few months are going to be a trial of family and love and heart unlike anything that I have ever experienced.

Being a nurse is sometimes a curse... I have seen too much.

While I realize that focusing on the positives right now is optimal and I would love to share those times with you here.

I find that I am numb.

I just can't do it.

I can not find it in me to write about dolls and flowers and biscuits while tears stream down my face.

I can't.

And so, I am signing off.

I may be back here and there to share some of the good. But this space is a happy one, and I recognize in myself that I am not going to be much company in the foreseeable future.

Lots of love and wishes for health to you and your families.

XO, Julia

Scenes of a weekend...

2010-06-21T21:50:00.000-04:00

Do you see those flowers?

They are just a few of the ones that we have cut from the garden to bring the outdoors into our house.

And what better place to enjoy them, but in the space that I have been spending a majority of my free time lately.

It's funny, because I had 10 months or so of free time galore in which I could spend a full 6 hours in this space uninterrupted if I wished.....but I didn't.

And NOW...with my boy a graduate of Kindergarten, I am yearning to create.

WEIRD.

And confusing.

But, I will say that it has been nice to spend time with my boy. Entire days of getting back in the swing of perpetual togetherness.

We have spent a lot of time outside now that the sun has graced us with it's presence.

(My newest gardening uniform, sorry for the blur...Eben took this one)

The gardens are thriving and the seedlings of all of the plants that I planted are well on their way to growing into full fledged vegetables.

I can hardly wait.

A wonderful cause and summer fun...

2010-06-19T15:58:00.000-04:00

I was so happy to be able to contribute to Tonya and Nicole's wonderful tribute to Kelly and her family.

You can read more about my square and the wonderful cause that it is going towards over at the Wellness Tree.

***********************************************************

It is finally looking more like summer here and my boy and his cousin are enjoying the life of living on the mountain that I grew up on...I keep threatening to trade houses with my sister!

She lives right down the road from where we were raised.

LUCKY girl.

I hope that you are all having a splendid weekend.

This Moment...

2010-06-18T09:37:00.000-04:00

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. ~Soule Mama

Dolls number one and two... I am on another kick.

Have a great weekend!

My first quilt...

2010-06-17T10:48:00.000-04:00

Being an Associate editor for Rhythm of the Home has it's perks. Aside from growing even closer to my sweet friends, I had the distinct pleasure of getting a sneak peek at the projects that fill the pages of the magazine.

When I first opened the password protected page of Stephinie's patchwork quilt... I KNEW that it was going to be the first thing that I tackled in this edition.

And so I followed her directions and made myself a quilt. Although mine was smaller than her's (I only cut my squares to 10inX10in) because I wanted to be able to pack it in my backpack for going to the beach with the boys this summer.

It turned out perfectly and I can't believe how quick it stitched up!

Laying the squares out was a exercise in patience for me...I COULD not get the rows to have no repeated prints. It drove me nuts.

In the end I just grabbed stacks of five squares and stitched them together into strips and set them aside to figure out later.

Then I stitched the strips of five together into a big rectangle.

This project was perfect because it allowed me to use some of my most favorite fabric from my stash that is too small to do much else with.

I used a large piece of flannel for the liner and that blue and white sheet (that I STILL have left from other projects) for the backing.

I stitched them together just as Stephinie instructed....and Voila!

I brought it outside for the photo shoot once it was all stitched up and ironed.

Where it was oogled at by my son who was basking on a neighboring rock.

The son who happens to LOVE laying on blankets in the sun.

He promptly hopped off of his hard stone in favor of his Mama's newly created quilt covered boulder.

I must say, he has good taste.

**********************************************************

My boy is better, thank you all for your words.

Laying low and some projects inspired...

2010-06-15T08:42:00.001-04:00

It feels like we just went through this.

Didn't we?

Oh well...strep it is and strep we will overcome. My boy...he is a trooper when he is sick. You wouldn't even know it by how he acts. He is such a happy kid.

But we've been laying low. It's been raining and inside the house on the couch is THE place to be.

Forced to mellow out, we've both gotten some things that we have been meaning to do...done.

Like riffle through a stack of books that we got at the thrift store this past weekend.

Which led me to create my own variation of something that I have been meaning to make for quite some time now.

And they were delicious.

It also has given me some time to do some sewing with a stack of thrifted fabric! LOTS and LOTS of fun sewing that I will be showing over the next week or so.

It includes my first large quilt which I am tickled over.

TICKLED!!!

Now, I am off to visit my friends and ACTUALLY leave a comment or two (since I have the time!)

I know...wonders never cease.

XOXO, Jules

Butter & milk biscuits....

2010-06-13T07:51:00.001-04:00

Yesterday was a chilly one. My boy sick, Fran playing golf in the rain... and I was chilled to the bone with this unseasonal June that we've been gifted with.

I knew that we would all benefit from a hot and steamy dinner.

Into the crock went beef, potatoes, carrots, broth, and herbs.

Into my bowl went the ingredients for my first attempt at biscuits.

I had wanted to make buttermilk biscuits, but I only had whole milk...Heather talked me through making my own buttermilk (Thanks by the way!) but alas....All that I had was apple cider vinegar and I didn't want to try using it on my first go at biscuits so I decided to just go with the regular milk.

So, I pulled out my trusty Better Homes and Gardens cookbook and got to work.

Now, I will be honest here...there is like NINE ga-zillion calories in this recipe. Maybe even a ga-trillion calories.

1 and a half sticks of butter!

It only yields 12-16 biscuits!

HOLY MOLY!!!

And so was born my BUTTER AND MILK biscuits.

RECIPE

3 cups of flour

4 tsp baking powder

1 tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

3/4 tsp cream of tartar

1 cup cold milk
1 1/2 sticks of butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix all of the dry ingredients together with a whisk.

Cut in the butter until pea sized.

Make a well in the center of the mixture and pour in the butter, mix until combined and then pour it all onto a floured surface where you should knead it until fully combined. But DON'T handle it too much or else the dough gets tough.

Roll it out until 1/2 inch high and then cut out the biscuits using a cutter, or a glass as I did. Place them on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet 1 inch apart.

It was fun to watch them rise almost on their own due to all of that baking powder.

Bake them until the tops are golden brown and eat warm with even MORE butter, dipped in a big bowl of goodness from the crock.

In the end, I ate two of them and I realized something fabulous.

What else are rainy days for, if not to treat myself and my boys.

These also would be AMAZING with strawberries and cream, since there is sugar in them already. But I would go all out and probably DOUBLE the sugar in the recipe if that were the case.

***********************************************************

*************************************************************

Side note...

I wanted to poke you all in the direction of Heather, Bernadette, and my invitation over at ROTH. I know that this is a busy time of year for us all, but we really would LOVE to see you join us by submitting work to the Autumn edition of Rhythm of the Home.

You know what they say....The more the merrier!

XO, Jules

This Moment...

2010-06-11T10:00:00.000-04:00

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. ~Soule Mama

I'll be back on Sunday...have a wonderful weekend.

XO, Jules

Organized....now that feels better.

2010-06-07T07:40:00.001-04:00

Do you ever comment on someone's blog....

"Oh my GOD!!! I can't wait to try that!"

or

" I am totally going to make that! Great job!"

or

"Thank you, Thank you Heather!

I spent 2 hours the other day cleaning out my car, vacuuming, shampooing, garbage throwing....And now, I will be making this to keep me and my sweet car as beautiful as it is now.

Thanks Again!"

If you are like me, you say it a BUNCH...because lets face it, there is a TON of great ideas out there to try. But how many times do you actually follow through with TRYING it?

I call it INSPIRATION OVERLOAD and if you are like me, you probably don't follow through with your words as much as you would like.

Well, that all changed after I saw Heather's car organizer. I saw it and I just knew that if I made nothing else from inspiration for the whole year, this one I was GOING to try.

And so I did...it only took me nearly two months after I saw her original post on it, but I did it.

WAY back in April.

See, I am really behind in my blogging.

************************************************************

I happen to love my car...like really adore it. It's 3 years old and cute as a button, but I just am a slob when it comes to keeping it organized.

Like-my-twin-called-me-a-PIGLET-it-is-such-a-mess-type-of-slob.

You see, that same twin had been sweet enough to sew me up some kick mats for the boys and their messy-boy-feet a year ago... Doing her own little part in an effort to help in the keeping clean-ness of my car.

She sewed them up out of my most favorite heavy cotton (the same fabric that we she had also sewed me up a bag in.)

She's pretty darn fantastic, wouldn't you agree?

So, anyway, enough about me being a piglet....let's get on with it. I had a half yard of that ridiculously pretty fabric left in my stash, I found some small cuts of some complementary prints and I got to work.

I followed Heather's directions to a T.....minus the interfacing.

BIG MISTAKE!

BIG!

HUGE. ( I'm channeling Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman here, can you tell?)

Now, mind you...I do not own interfacing... I have never used interfacing... and in truth, I wouldn't know the first thing in how to use it. This project made me wish that I had some experience in using it. It really did...because I think that it was an instrumental piece in the construction of Heather's pattern.

C'est la vie. I'll know better next time.

Other than the interfacing, I think that I followed her instructions as written. It was a great tutorial and I was glad to be able to use up some of my bias tape from the apron kick that I was on for the ties instead of ribbon.

I made the small front pockets to fit my all of my the road necessities....One for my sunglasses, one for my notebook and pen and one for my phone. They all fit in so nicely!

And then I grabbed some magazines from my stash in my guest room and put then into the larger pocket. Because I NEED to have reading material with me at all times.

Now......do you see that awesome rolling effect on the sides there?

(It's ok....you can tell me)

THAT is where the interfacing would have come in handy....I bet Heather's doesn't roll in on the sides.

Anyway, I am in absolute love with it...rolling sides and all. It is handiness in it's most handy form.

A place for everything and everything in it's place.

AWESOME!

**************************************************

So NOW I encourage you to go dust off your own sewing machine and go MAKE something that you have been inspired to try here on the internet.

Because, I better not be the only one out here in inspiration overload.

This Moment...

2010-06-04T09:39:00.001-04:00

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. ~Soule Mama

She's just a lady...

2010-06-03T12:12:00.000-04:00

I did get upset with my girl over her using my seedlings as an all day and night buffet.

She really trashed them.

But today as I watched her nibble off the last remaining stalk of beans I realized something.

It's not her fault that she loves plants.

She's just a lady....and lady's love plants.

Flowers in particular.

And so, I went out to the garden.

Where her boyfriend helped me pick out a beautiful bouquet for the lovely Miss Gracie. I brought them inside and rinsed them and began placing them in my paper pieced vase.

All the while, I was under the watchful eye of my girl.

And then she used the rest of her senses to enjoy her gift from her Mama and boyfriend.

She sniffed...

She nibbled...

And she touched...

I give it 2 hours before there is a puddle on the floor.

But hey, us ladies have to stick together, right?

RIGHT.

Now, a little side note. I am so thankful for the support that I have received from not only Heather and Bernadette (which is immense) but from all of you in regards to my part in Rhythm of the Home.

I am lucky to have such wonderful human ladies as friends.

So, thanks.

Rhythm of the Home Summer....

2010-06-01T05:44:00.000-04:00

I had so much fun creating my projects to share with Rhythm of the Home. I mean, how could I not when paint, oranges, birdseed, and glue were involved?

I am excited to say that the new edition for summer has gone live. And I was so fortunate to be a part of it's creation.

So, here I leave you with little glimpses into my projects.

Tissue Paper butterflies

A wrapping paper vase

And a biodegradable birdfeeder

So, now....I am going to direct you over to the Rhythm of the Home Blog where there is the giveaway of all giveaways going on in celebration of the publishing of the summer edition.

Quick, go sign up! And I'll see you over at the magazine.

XOXO, Julia

Getting Close...

2010-05-31T07:17:00.001-04:00

(Whitie taste-testing homemade pie and ice cream that I made for a photo shoot for a recipe in the magazine)

Carpal tunnel setting in?

CHECK.

Butt asleep?

CHECK.

House a mess?

CHECK.

Garden still NOT planted?

CHECK.

Eben eating Sun Chips right out of the bag (for breakfast) because I am locked away typing?

CHECK.

But we are oh so close!

Around midnight tonight Bernadette, Heather, and I will all take a collective deep breath and hit publish on page after page of goodness.

And then we will collapse.

It is all going to feel so amazing.

So, thank you for still visiting me and my slacker-blogger ways. I've missed you.

I will be back if full effect at the end of this week.

XOXO,

Jules

The gardens and an apology...

2010-05-25T22:10:00.000-04:00

I know that I promised some shots of the garden progress.

(Like weeks ago)

I can hear you....

"Whatever Julia...You are hardly around anymore. You don't visit me, and if you do swing by, you are just a Peeping Tom....you never leave a comment anymore. You don't even snuggle me at night?"

I know.

I know.

Bad blogger, BAD.

I'm sorry.

You see, I have a good excuse.

My internet time is pretty soaked up for the next week or so by the magazine and then I promise that I will be back. I am just getting my footing over at Rhythm of the Home with the sweetheart duo, Heather and Bernadette.

They are being super slow and kind to me.... the magazine virgin that I am. But it is a lot and I don't want to mess up. I am learning so much.

In a big way.

So, anyway enough excuses....Here is the garden as promised.

This was over a month ago. I spent an entire day getting rid of the tall dead growth to make a clean slate for the perennials to breath in.

And of course, I wore my gardening uniform.

And I use the word uniform lightly here...

Translation....The most unflattering clothes that I can get my hands on.

Crocs, hideous cropped pants, floppy straw hat, ripped gardening gloves....and my most favorite thing to wear when I am home with no risk of being seen by anyone....

My white Hanes t-shirt sans bra.

Note to you all...don't come over without calling first.

I am NOT a pretty sight.

I was pretty happy with my progress, but I really am not a huge fan of brown.

Blah.

So, you can imagine my excitement when signs of life began sprouting from our perennial circle.

My peonies to remind me of my Gram.

Bachelor Buttons that remind me of pineapples.

Strawberry blossoms that intertwine with the mint that threatens to take over.

(I don't mind)

And when you nurture those signs with a bit of sun, a bit of snow, and a bit of water over the course of a month...you end up with something pretty darn green.

I can't wait until the flowers blossom, so that I can fill little vases with them to sniff in every room of the house.

Now, after that lovely story of progress in the outdoor growing season. I must report that the indoor greenhouse did not fare as well.

Thanks to these two innocent looking scally-wags.

Don't let the peaceful faces fool you....They have been up to NO GOOD.

Do you remember how much Gracie LOVED that seed paper that I made?

Well, apparently she happens to REALLY like how those seeds taste once they turn into healthy green sturdy seedlings.

Who knew that cats had such sophisticated palates?

Seedlings that were just about ready to transplant into our freshly tilled and weeded vegetable garden that wehad just filled with two truck loads of compost.

Why cats?

WHY?

So, now I ask. Won't you show me pictures of your garden?

And while you are at it.... why don't you regale me with your own stories of rotten kitties, or touchy-feely kids, or even deer who wrecked your own growing harvest.

I'm in the mood to commiserate.

Who's with me?

XO, Jules

This Moment...

2010-05-21T10:55:00.000-04:00

{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. ~Soule Mama

See you on Monday.

From our fabric stash....to your's!

2010-05-20T05:30:00.003-04:00

With the first local Farmer's Market happening this past week, Laura and I have been a bit reminiscent of the days of old. The days FULL of sewing like whirling dervishes in anticipation of an upcoming Market.

Every day Laura and I stare at our stacks of fabric... willing it to magically begin to organize itself into neat stacks of calm.

NO SUCH LUCK

Well, we finally decided to take matters into out own hands.

We filled the floor of my living room with fabric scraps and sat down on pillows and organized it all. We snipped and folded every decent size scrap into nice piles of colorful goodness.

And then we had an idea.

Get RID of it!

So, since neither of us are quilters, we decided to just sell off the scraps and make room for larger cuts of fabric to make things with.

Organized into colors and a mix of all sorts of cuts of sizes there are three in total.

The blues

The pinks

Kids prints

So, in celebration of having a summer to be with our kids instead of being slaves to our sewing machines, we are selling it off.

And in celebration of my Followers reaching 100! (WOW, how fun is that?) we would like to offer our readers of our blogs, (either her's or mine) free shipping ( US ONLY) if you would like any of the stacks.

All you have to do is leave a note saying who you follow in the note to seller over on Etsy!

So stop on over to the store, the details on the stacks are there but in general there are all sorts of wonky cuts, but it is all a mix of cotton, some vintage, and a whole lot of pretty prints.

PS, have you joined the SEWING CIRCLE yet? I'm there, and so are a bunch of my friends.

My dreams were answered with it's creation!

XO, Jules

Now that's more like it...

2010-05-16T18:37:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, my parents returned from a two week trip to Aruba and apparently they smuggled some sunshine in their carry on luggage.

I was surprised that they were able to get through Customs with it.

But, I AM thankful.

Today was heavenly.

Eben went for his maiden fishing trip with his Daddy this morning and left me to my own devices at home. Whatever will I do? Well, I spent it by going for a walk down to the river and then I went to get groceries. They returned a few hours later with reports of " a few nibbles, but no takers." Oh well, there is always next time and he had fun at any rate and was in a terrific mood for the rest of the day.

We went to a fundraiser pancake breakfast with my sister and our boys and filled my belly with syrupy waffles and sausage. Yum. While I was there Laura inspired me to start a new crochet project. Something quick and handy.... a cotton wash cloth.

We went back home and went inside long enough to grab my thrifted picnic blanket and some other supplies. With plans of staying out for the remainder of the day, I came prepared....my crocheting, a stack of sewing inspiration, and a Mason jar of water.

While Eben played knight and climbed trees with his sword.

I continued on with my crocheting, less than an hour.... I was done.

With a ton of time left in the day, I scoured through my stack and found just the inspiration that I was looking for.

Sewing funk averted, Thank you Stitch!

And just when I was ready to pack it all up, we were joined by my other boy.

And so we laid down together under the last little bit of warming sun and let our souls absorb the happiness that the sky had to offer.

See you this week with some of that sewing goodness!

This Moment...

2010-05-14T15:17:00.001-04:00

{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. ~Soule Mama

I found some blossoming trees.

Yes, I may have had to travel to a different town to find them.....

But, find them....I did!

Sorry, I've been M.I.A. I've been swamped with life. Not bad swamped, just busy swamped.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Gifts...

2010-05-10T09:20:00.000-04:00

The snow is really taking it's toll on our gardens...and my psyche come to think of it.

I swear, I don't remember a spring like this one...EVER.

Luckily, after a trying day with the boys, cooped up indoors, Fran came home and took over for a while, letting me do some things for me.

Ahhhh, so much better.

I was snuggled up in my big big bed listening to the wind whistle and watching the flurries coat every surface in sight, when a little boy suddenly appeared at my side, holding a bag full of goodness with a grin the size of a mountain plastered to his face.

" Happy Mother's Day, Mommy! I made you something."

And so I opened my gifts one by one.

First up was a beautiful portrait of me.

The resemblance really is uncanny, don't you think?

And then I opened my card.

Tear.

And then came the book of why he loves me and things that we do together.

Yes, he does.

and....

I guess our secret is out.

Oh, and I forgot, the entire time that I was opening things and reading them Eben was fanning me with this.

I felt like Cleopatra.

And as if all of that wasn't enough, there was more.

A pair of bejeweled flip flops, hand tied with fabric scraps...just my size.

And my most favorite gift of all.

A Mother's Day candle made by my boy with love.

I could just kiss his Kindergarten teachers.

They are so obviously mothers.

I hope that you all had as happy a Mother's Day as I did. You are all so special.

Happy Mother's Day...

2010-05-09T10:17:00.000-04:00

On a day when the boys are driving me a little more than batty, and the snow is flying again....I needed a reminder.

I found it.

Remember THAT moment.

Whether you lived it once or twenty times.

Remember it always.

The moment that you became who you were meant to be.

Happy Mothers Day my friends.

This Moment...

2010-05-07T09:50:00.000-04:00

{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. ~Soule Mama

Guess what I'm doing today?

Aprons are where it's at....

2010-05-04T18:11:00.005-04:00

I've had a hankering to sew myself an apron for a while now, but I just had no idea how to go about it. I knew that I didn't want it to have a ton of frills and lace and poof, but going about making it was something that I just couldn't figure out. Straps and ties and waist positioning, let alone getting the optimum length. It was a little daunting.

But the other day, I just went for it. I set about making my first apron...I knew that I wanted it to be reminiscent of Meg's gorgeous Emmeline Apron, but you know me and patterns. I just can't follow them. So, I grabbed an empire waist dress that I liked the cut of and decided to model the apron after that. Minus the sleeves and the back... Plus a waist strap. Completely haphazard and un-patterned .... just the way I like it.

See....it is daunting!

I had some extra sheets left over from my adventures in rug making and a few packages of bias tape. I knew that I wanted it to be reversible like Meg's and that I wanted the tie to be able to tie on either the front or the back.

Unfortunately, the first one that I made was a bit on the small tip.

I guess I misjudged my own girth.

You see, I am what you would call a "substantial" sized girl. I am 5ft 8inches and weigh (as my husband puts it)...."A BUCK FORTY" (translation for those of you not versed in REDNECK-ese is 140lbs give or take).. Complete with a butt and hips, my torso is on the long side and I have a really small chest.

I am woman, hear me ROAR!

So, my first apron pattern was an exercise in learning my shape.

I didn't give myself enough length on the waist ties so I was not able to tie it in the front as I had hoped.

And the chest was too big and low cut.

I wasn't too keen on the squared off bottom either.

But I LOVED the color combination and the length was perfect in the dress part.... It was a start, and at least I got the gist of what it all entailed.

So, the next day, I used the first apron as a template for the new one and tweaked what I needed to to get it just right.

And I did....almost.

I rounded out the dress curves and added a few inches to the width of the skirt to allow for my hips.

I really fell in love with the green sheet contrasted with the purple and the floral sheet on the other side.

I raised the empire waist to give myself more coverage for my ample barely-B-bosom.
(hee hee hee)!!!!

And, my most favorite part was the fact that I made the ties long enough this time, so that I could tie it in the front...OR the back.

I made one other one using a combination of the two patterns for my twinnie and I am working on a tutorial for yet another design using two pillowcases, but for now I am just happy to get out into the garden with my sweet apron now that all of that snow has finally left.

I'll show you more on the garden soon, It's changing day by day.

Lots of hugs, Julia.

This Moment...

2010-04-30T14:56:00.000-04:00

{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. ~Soule Mama

I spoke too soon....

2010-04-28T10:39:00.001-04:00

( No, you are not reading an old post, this was taken this morning.)

Well, Spring HAD sprung, but apparently Old (crotchety) Man Winter wasn't done with us.

FOOEY!

Luckily, on the suggestion of the fabulous book that I have been reading.

I decided to sow all of my seeds indoors this year.

Have you seen this book?

It really is the most comprehensive little diddy out there. There are recipes and planting plans including information on all plants as well as what to do with them after they have grown.
AND they pretty much give a lesson on anything related to homesteading right there in it's 368 pages.

So far, I have learned how to.....

Milk a goat.
Make wine and beer.
Mill flour.
Dry herbs.
Make Jam.
Raise Chickens....boo hoo( if only my husband would bend on that one.)
Make cheese.

It really is amazing. I highly recommend you getting yourself a copy.

Speaking of amazing.

While eating my most favorite crackers the other night I turned the box over and saw pretty much the smartest thing to ever come out of a box.

Cracker Jacks, eat your heart out. Triscuits are where it's at!!!!

And it gave me an idea to try something new.

Now I must leave you though, I have a foot of snow to shovel.

It makes me sad that I put all of my winter gear in the attic.

Flip flops + shoveling = purple toes.

While I was away...

2010-04-25T06:40:00.000-04:00

Well, that was intense!

I'm glad that it is over.

The way that I felt, you would have thought that my world was crumpling around me. I know that it sounds so melodramatic (and I am so NOT one for DRAMA!), but honestly....

I was a complete mess.

Case in point...

I was just standing there, relaying my excuses to my mom and Laura why I couldn't possibly go to the city with them.

"I have a lot of things to do. I have do laundry and get groceries and I want to go for a walk."

And, and, and...

My mom just looked at me skeptically....she knew.

(Of course she knew....Why is it that mothers are so intuitive? )

She asked me "What is the matter?" (She used that tone reserved only for use by mothers.. You know the one that I'm talking about, don't you....the tone of care, the tone so full of love that it drips compassion...That's my mom alright.)

I could feel the tears stinging at the back of my eyes, the tightening in my throat. I just shook my head, I turned away and pretended to adjust the seatbelt.

I bit my lip.

Don't...Don't do it. Pull it together. Breathe.

But I couldn't.

Suffocation.

"Tell me Julia." She said. (There was that tone again.)

And so, I did. I told her and my father and my twin. I told anyone that I loved. I told anyone who would listen in that moment. And I realized that with each new time that I opened up, something new came bubbling to the surface. Something else that was festering deep down inside escaped my lips. And each thing was something that I had been putting off, procrastinating on, or that had just been frustrating me.

It was self imposed and it was out of my control... it was big and it was little....and it was everything and it was nothing at all....all rolled into one.

Sometimes it just takes the ear of someone who cares to help you sort everything out.

And so that is what I have done...I got my act together (with the help of my family ). And then I did some things to help make the changes that I wanted to see in myself.

Every day I made the choice to...

Get out of bed.

Go for a walk...to my favorite place.

Do something that makes me smile (like buy a $3.00 bouquet of happiness.)

Get dirty ( I mean REALLY dirty)

Do some sewing. (I'll show you soon.)

Spend quality time with my boy.

Eat good food.

************************************************

And the treat of the week....the thing that really put a smile on my face and pulled me from the PIT of funk-dom-ness, was a surprise 2 hour phone call from a dear friend. I forgot three quarters of the important stuff that we talked about....but I do know that there was a LOT of chit chatting and giggles.

Her timing was perfection.

I feel ever so much better.

Planets aligned, brain decompressed. Humor and well being are renewed.

I am a lucky, lucky girl to have such a wonderful family and wonderful friends in all of you.

Thank you.

On the right path....

2010-04-23T16:47:00.000-04:00

{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. ~Soule Mama

Thank you all for your words....I've missed you, but this break was JUST what I needed.

See you on Sunday.

The neverending FUNK....

2010-04-18T11:12:00.001-04:00

I had a stretch of two days off this past week. The boys were back in school, the sun was shining, the breeze was blowing, the birds were chirping. It was gorgeous out.

And where, might you ask, was I?

I was in my office (aka, Eben's bed)

I couldn't get out of it.

I tried, really I did.... but every time that my feet hit the floor, my butt magnetized to the mattress. I was in a slump. While my sister regaled me with stories of how good it felt to jog down the mountain that we had grown up on and walk back up it to her house, I was tucked into a queen size bed with an electric blanket tucked snuggly around my neck.

I've had times like this in the past.

I do not enjoy.

And after my two days working, I thought that the end might be in sight.

But it's not.

I am in a funk of all funks.

FUNK.

I am trying to get out of it, but it seems to be hanging on longer than I had hoped.

And the worst part is that it is nothing that I can pin point. My family is happy and healthy, my house is good, my housework is caught up on, my work life is good.... it's just me....I'm irritable, anxious, I've been eating too much, I feel like I'm picking fights...

I am in need of a little self discovery right now.

I'll be back in a few days.

Hugs, Julia

Joining the crowd....This Moment

2010-04-16T10:15:00.000-04:00

{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. ~Soule Mama

See you on Sunday.

The real-men-don't-eat-quiche......Quiche

2010-04-14T10:39:00.001-04:00

Did you know that if you Google " real men don't eat quiche" you come up with 72,100 hits? Believe me, I tried it!

So, you can understand my trepidation at the thought of serving it up for dinner to my man (insert Tim Allen style Arrrr! Arrrr! Arrrr! here) of a husband.

Story and recipe as follows....

**************************************************************

I had a hankering for eggs around Easter and decided to try my hand at making quiche. I dove head first into the kitchen while visiting with my sweet mama and ended up making two separate batches. When Fran got home from work, he audibly sniffed and then asked me what I had made.

I stalled and asked him, "Why?"

He replied, "Well, it smells really good."

I told him that it is like a stratta, minus the bread.

And he said "Hmmm, it smells REALLY good."

Any way, long story short, he ate it. He ate MOST of it and kept asking me what was in it. So, I listed off the ingredients to him and mumbled under my breath that is was basically a quiche.

He heard me and said. "Quiche?!?!? That was quiche?"

I told him "Yes." glad that my secret was out.

He sat there silently and said after a minute "Hmmm, I've lived almost 34 years without eating quiche. I thought real men don't eat quiche?"

To which I replied..."Apparently, they do."

*************************************************************

So now, I share with you other Mamas out there who may just have your own persnickity manly man on your hands, the recipes for the two varieties of real-men-don't-eat-quiche....Quiche.

Of course, I went to my trusty Better Homes and Gardens Bible for a recipe.

Which in true Julia style, I butchered until it was barely recognizable. You can find the recipe that I altered here.

Ham and Cheese Quiche

Ingredients

1 package of Pillsbury ready pie crust

1/2 chopped onion

8 beaten eggs

1/2 cup half-and-half

1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper

1 1/4 cups shredded cheddar cheese

8 slices of deli ham

1. Line a 9-inch pie plate with the pastry. Trim; crimp edges as desired. Line the unpricked pastry shell with a double thickness of foil. Bake in a 450 degree F oven for 8 minutes. Remove foil. Bake for 4 to 5 minutes more or until pastry is set and dry. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F.
2. In a bowl stir together eggs, half-and-half, salt, pepper, cheese, and ham.
3. Pour egg mixture into the hot, baked pastry shell. Bake in the 325 degree F overn for 45 to 50 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. If necessary, cover edge of crust with foil to prevent over browning. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Anything-that-you-have-in-your-refrigerator-quiche,

(or in my case)

Sauteed broccoli, peppers, onions, ham and cheese quiche.

Ingredients

1 package of Pillsbury ready pie crust

1/2 chopped onion

2 cups of frozen broccoli florets

1 diced bell pepper

8 beaten eggs

1/2 cup half-and-half

1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper

1 1/4 cups shredded cheddar cheese

8 slices of deli ham

Directions

1. Line a 9-inch pie plate with the pastry. Trim; crimp edges as desired. Line the unpricked pastry shell with a double thickness of foil. Bake in a 450 degree F oven for 8 minutes. Remove foil. Bake for 4 to 5 minutes more or until pastry is set and dry. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F.

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet cook onion, peppers and broccoli until tender. Drain on paper towels.

3. In a bowl stir together eggs, half-and-half, salt, pepper, cheese and ham Stir in onions, peppers, and broccoli mixture.
4. Pour egg mixture into the hot, baked pastry shell. Bake in the 325 degree F overn for 45 to 50 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. If necessary, cover edge of crust with foil to prevent overbrowning. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

And there you have it.

***************************************************************

What do you think would go with the start of a sentence....

" Real ladies don't eat...."

I'm going to go with...

"Beef jerky"

Cleaning up...

2010-04-12T09:17:00.001-04:00

We've been cleaning up...around the SNOW that surprised us!

and climbing playhouse roofs....just because he's a "BIG boy", and Daddy is at work ( he gets nervous when Eben gets up there.....me -not so much.)

2 bags of debris.

The yard looks WAY better now.

Enjoying the Great Outdoor Challenge over the past couple of days, even with the snow.

How about you?

New Shop!!!!!

2010-04-10T14:29:00.003-04:00

I know that I usually share my tutorials for free with all of you, but after much consideration...I've decided to join Laura over at Adirondack Patterns on Etsy. All of my already listed and free tutorials are still listed here on the blog and are still free. (and I will be continuing to provide new FREE tutorials as I come up with patterns here on my blog) but four of my newer patterns are going to go over to Etsy.

Adirondack Patterns is a collaborative where Laura and I will be selling tutorials for some the most popular goods that we used to sell at the Farmer's Markets.

They aren't expensive, only $3.00 per pattern, but they will help me to rationalize the time that I spend taking the pictures and writing up the tutorials. PLUS!!! By buying the pattern we grant you, our friends FULL permission to use the pattern for creating goods for your own store!

Along with Laura's fabulous crocheting tutorials for sale already over there, this morning I listed 4 tutorials of my own.

The Coloring Case Wrap

The Diaper Case Clutch

The Stationery Wrap

And I did post the knitting needle wrap there too.

Thank you all for your support since we closed up Adirondack Mama's Gifts. This is a way for Laura and I to still stay creative and to keep one foot in the world of shop keeping which we miss terribly. So come on over and visit us at
Adirondack Patterns.

Have a fabulous weekend!

Jules

Waking up...

2010-04-09T06:25:00.000-04:00

The snow is gone and our garden is waking up.

Our mole-of-a-cat Whitie squints the day away, peaking at the unfamiliar sight of sun.

The exploring begins.

And fingernails are filled with dirt that even the most bubbly of baths won't erase.

It is there for the duration. Dirty fingernails and boys go hand in hand in this neck of the woods.

The tidying has begun. Remember those tomato cages from just a few weeks ago?

They now stand stacked, ready to support their new babies.

And it may not look like much from afar.

But there is a secret lying at our perennial garden's feet.

New little sprouts...reaching for the sun.

I can finally let myself believe it.

Spring has officially sprung.

******************************************

We've joined in on the Great Outdoor Challenge! Come and see me over at Rhythm of the Home for more info and a giveaway!

Scenes from our day...

2010-04-06T09:14:00.000-04:00

Eben isn't one for babies. He is more of an animal type of kid. If you give him the choice of holding a baby or a cat, he chooses the cat, hands down. So, my nerves were jumping when I was faced with a day of entertaining my boy and his little cousin.

In truth though, my fears were all for not I realized as I strapped Gary into his carseat and drove off watching the boys hand toys back and forth in the rearview mirror.

Eben showed Gary how to write his name, and told him that he did a "Great job!" even though all he drew was a squiggle.

There was a lot of hand holding....and introductions to all things boy.

And lessons in throwing a ball.

And the best part of the day was the synchronized naps sandwiched in between two little loves.

These boys are kindred.

It was a wonderful day.

The Winner....

2010-04-05T10:10:00.001-04:00

Thank you to everyone who commented on the giveaway. I wish that I had 38 bundles of scraps to give away, but alas...I have one.

The name pulled from the Easter Basket (fitting, don't you think) by Eben this morning was Nicole of Frontier Mama.

So Nicole, email me your address and I will get the bundle right out to you!

PS...

The babysitting is going swimmingly.

I've even changed a diaper!!!

Happy Easter...

2010-04-04T15:26:00.000-04:00

(If you are looking for the fabric giveaway, you have until tomorrow...4/5/10, the link is HERE.)

The boys dyed eggs with their wonderful Oma. We left them for the Easter Bunny to take to other kids....a trade for the chocolate filled eggs that the bunny left in return.

I think that the Bunny got the short end of the stick, wouldn't you say?

Anyway, what a great day. Skiing at the mountain, egg hunt at my grandparents for the boys, and tonight a dinner with my husband's family.

I hope that you all are having as lovely a Easter as we are.

Back in a few days, I'm watching my one year old nephew tomorrow.

ONE YEAR OLD....

It's been a while since I had to worry about babyproofing....I guess I should put the 10 or so pairs of scissors that I have strewn around the house for crocheting away, huh.

He's such a cutie, bu it's going to be a long day. I'm out of practice.

Sharing the wealth....A fabric Giveaway!!!

2010-04-01T19:48:00.000-04:00

Yesterday at the hospital, one of the girls that Laura and I work with brought a garbage bag FULL of fabric for us to HAVE to make baby goods for Adirondack Mama's Gifts.

And even though my head told me to tell her "Thanks anyway, but I don't need it any more, we closed up the shop."

My heart just wouldn't let the bag slip out of my hands. And so I ended up saying "Oh my God, Thank you SOOOOO much, it is beautiful!"

And she smiled and said "You're welcome."

I hauled the bag home after my long day and only this morning did I dare to go through it. I emptied the bag's contents onto the floor and marveled at her generosity.

I folded every piece and separated it into piles.

A stack of baby printed flannels, upwards of a yard of each!

And a bunch of large quilting scraps.....

Here is where the giveaway comes into play!

Each piece measures approximately 5in X 18 inches and are of really high quality quilting cotton.

In a lovely rainbow of colors.

So, to share the wealth, Laura and I are giving the whole stack of scraps away....but we're keeping the flannel for gifts for all of the new babies around us.

All that you have to do is leave a comment here AND become a follower of EITHER my blog OR Laura's blog OR BOTH....(if you feel so inclined).

See....easy!!!!

We will be announcing the winner on Monday morning.