Adirondack Mama

Simplify....

2010-02-03T08:42:00.003-05:00

I've been looking for ways to streamline my days. To decrease the stress and to increase the joy. Less fretting over things that are nonsense. I'm trying to re-organize myself. Before that I had Eben, I was a fairly organized person. I kept LISTS and actually did what was on them, I paid BILLS on time, I went to the grocery store and left with EVERYTHING that I wanted WITHOUT writing it down.

It was amazing.

And do you know the worst part.

I took it for granted.

It was all a tease....an organizational, super girl, handle anything TEASE.

And it was all blown to smithereens as soon as my brain evacuated my body that warm October day.
In the form of a squeaking, wiggling 7pound 2oz baby boy.

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In true Julia fashion, I am on one of my *kicks*

A kick to simplify my life.

(I might be turning it into a weekly thing, who knows.)

Would you like to join me?

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For today I am going to focus on learning how to gain a 25th hour in my day.

Wouldn't that be nice?

A whole hour extra.

Here are 10 tips.... Maybe they are things that you have done for years, and maybe they are things that never even crossed your mind. In any case, they are things that I do now, or that I want to try to do.

I'll keep you posted on my progress.

The tips

Tip 1. Set out your clothes (and your kids clothes) for the next day before you go to bed.

*There have been many times that I have let Eben fend for himself to get dressed in the morning...only to find him without a stitch of underwear on when I go to give him his bath that night.

Tip 2. Write a TO-DO list the night before.

*And by TO-DO...I mean the necessities... the if-I-don't-do-this-today-I-will-kick-myself-tomorrow-kind-of-things.

Tip 3. Run the dishwasher over night. Then use the dishes out of it to make breakfast in the morning.

*There is nothing worse than making breakfast and realizing that you are out of clean spoons.

Tip 4. Group errands for one trip into town...

*I live a few miles out of town and I HATE getting back to my house only to realize that I forgot to go to the post office.

Tip 5. Wash your face in the shower in the morning...and while you're at it, brush your teeth too.

*Don't EVEN say "GROSS"! It totally saves time.

Tip 6. Set up for automatic bill pay and deposits through your bank.

*Laura introduced me to this a bit ago and I have about half of my bills paid using it. It is such a godsend.

Tip 7. Push back bedtime.

*I know that this sounds counter productive, but when I go to bed earlier I'm not so exhausted in the morning....I don't waste time lounging away in bed just praying for the clock to stop ticking.

Tip 8. Make lunch the night before, that way you just have to grab the juice box out of the freezer to use as a ice pack and you're good to go.

*I am embarrassed to tell you how many times I have had to drop Eben off at school and then go to the store to get sandwich supplies, then go home and make him lunch, and then go to the school to drop it off for him.

Tip 9. Turn the TV OFF.

*I watch TV while I do my laundry, but I realized the other day that I was so engrossed in what was happening on the screen that I had been holding the same t-shirt ready to fold for the past 5 minutes.

Tip 10. Keep a sink full of soapy water.

*This is another Laura trick. That way when you go to wash the dishes, you aren't dealing with a need to scrub off anything....and especially having to RE-RUN the dishwasher full of dishes.

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And with the extra hour that I gained by making these simple changes, I would treat myself to an extra long bath spent flipping feverishly through a stack of magazines as tall as I am.
(that would eat up an hour, don't you think?)

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So, tell me.

What is a trick that gives you an extra hour in the day.

What would you do with that extra hour that you were granted.

Walk....

2009-10-16T18:26:00.001-04:00

The other day I drove down a long dirt road to one of my favorite spots.

The trail that I have walked so many times with the boys, felt different this time.

It felt.....Dare I say......

even a bit better.

The trees were shedding their summer canopy of shade.

Letting the ellusive sun toast me on my walk.

A walk that I enjoyed so fully....Just me and my friends.....the crunching, crackling leaves underfoot.

Complete silence is a treasure in those hours that occupy my boy with school.

A treasure that I am slowly growing very accustomed to.

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"Eben, how do you like school?" I asked him as we were brushing our teeth for bed.

" Oh Mommy, school is the BEST. School is my favorite, my favorite- favorite!!!!!" He sputtered through a mouthful of foam.

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The next day I got his interim report from his teacher in the mail.

Mixed in with the rest of his glowing report of his progess in Kindergarten

was written....

" He has a smile that lights up his entire face."

and

" Keep doing what you are doing at home, it is working so well"

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And suddenly, I was hit with the realization that he was telling me the absolute truth.

Fall hues and crafting slumps averted....

2009-11-17T21:59:00.003-05:00

Yesterday morning I was feeling restless, the beginning of the week was already shaping up to be a busy one. I decided to calm my mind with a walk down to the river. Just me and my camera, scouting out my Perfect Shot Monday, I walked a ways up the trail and back. The hiker trampled trail that is flanked on one side by the river, a perfect beginning and ending to my walk.

The river was steaming in the chill morning air and I was struck by how much more moss is on the rocks where I sat so many hours in the summer, watching the foam form around the little mossy eggs.

As my camera shutter spoke to me in the silence of my secret spot, I tried to capture the vibrancy of the greens and browns and grays. Delighted with the watercolor like images that filled the camera screen. (A product of getting too close to the rocks mixed with the sun and my unsteady hands and footing on moss covered rocks)

I had time to reflect on the current state of my head.

A large part of my restlessness stems from the wall that I seem to have hit in regards to deciding what to crafts to do in anticipation of the Holidays. My head and inspiration folder are just filled to the brim with projects.... alas, my indecisiveness had gotten the best of me.

I realized that all of these photos clicking away onto a memory card were the perfect inspiration for a new project. Then I remembered a recent post of Heather's. A wreath was just the project to capture the hues of this day and to end my crafting slump.

PERFECT.

Unfortunately, I only got halfway done with the wreath before I joined Laura to replenish our dwindling Adirondack Mama's supply before this weekend's Fair.

I know!

How could I pass up a Sewing Bee in the delicate condition that I was in?????

I couldn't!!!!

It was like a sewing smorgasbord and I was a starved crafter.

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So, I leave you today with a sneak peak at the progress of my project.

Tomorrow though, definitely done.

See you all then.....with a tutorial to boot!

Renovations and the making of an heirloom....

2009-12-21T22:45:00.000-05:00

Well, the flooring is here!!!! It is knotty and white and wide and dreamy. Everything that I hoped it would be.

Fran stacked it by the chimney with care, just like a stocking.

It has to dry out and cure to an 8% humidity by the wood stove for a few weeks. Then Fran and some friends of his will be installing it.

It's nice to be married to someone so handy.

In other...It's-only-the-busiest-time-of-year-Julia-why-don't-you-think-of-another-project-to-stress-you-out news.....

I've decided to do some painting.

You see, our living room still has the white primer covered sheet rock walls that we never bothered to paint when we built the house.... because I happen to love white walls and heck, I was 7 months pregnant when we moved in and I really was in no shape to be inhaling fumes off of a paint roller.

But it is time. We can only stare are crayon squiggled walls for so long.

We decided that while we were tearing up our living quarters, we might as well shine up the walls while we are at it.

We didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings.

So, Fran and I sat down leafing through a stack of paint color pamphlets with our new friends. The whole gang was there....Benjamin Moore, Sherwin Williams, Glidden, Valspar, and even Ralph Lauren (who knew that he had a paint line?!?!?)

The color that Fran wanted was one called "Bunker Hill Green"..... or as I like to call it..."Hunting Camp Green"

It was way too dark.

The color that I liked is called "Bath Salts". Heavenly.

But Fran decided that it was "too gray AND too white AND too blue AND not enough green."

Other than that....he really loved it.

We ended up coming to an agreement somewhere in the middle. It's called "Foliage" and we bought a quart of it to try out. We painted our hallway leading to the guest bathroom and Eben's bedroom.

I really think I like it.

This renovation is really proving to be an exercise in compromise.

In a good way.

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I leave you with a teaser of what my sewing machine and I did today.

See, I wasn't kidding when I said that my sewing room explodes when I have a project underway.

All that I will tell you is that there were sequins involved and some super glue and a few swear words mixed in for good measure when my fingers clung to each other.

The finished project will be dry by tomorrow and I will show you then.

Hugs to you all.

Capability Lessons .....

2009-10-09T23:42:00.005-04:00

My father is the MOST handy man that I know ( ASIDE from my handy Husband that is!) You name it..... Carpentry, plumbing, excavating, roofing, construction, painting,etc. He can do it all, and do it well (I might add)

Eben is no exception to this trait of tradesmen.

Handy-ness is in his genes.

On the eve of his birthday, My Dad presented Eben with the gift that outshone every other gift....

in ALL the land.

"The BEST BIRF-DAY PRESENT EVER Mommy!"

An original Handy Andy tool chest

Complete with a rusted gnarly saw, a hammer, and many other tools that are banned from today's toy shelves.

Toys and tools that are original and common to a generation of boys that have now grown into MEN.

Capable MEN.

*****************************WARNING*****************************

Alarm and shock are sure to run through even the most liberal of parents looking at the following photos, I'm sure.

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After watching patiently as their Poppy demonstrated the finer points of technique.

It was time for return demonstration.

And the birthday kid and his cousin were NOT about to disappoint him.

Their Poppy- who knew exactly what his grandsons would love.

Because he, himself is re-living his own boy-hood, seeing it through the eyes of his two Apprentices.

I tell you, these boys and their Poppy are a match made in Heaven.

Tools, sharp saws, REAL metal. Not even a truck full of video games and Bakugans can top that.

As much worry as it causes me to know that he is THAT interested in tools, I can't deny the obvious. It is the results of diluted testosterone that has been passed down through the generations.

Capability that is seeping into our boys.... as if through osmosis.

And I am the lucky one; to be a witness to the light bulbs that are flickering every second of the day.

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.

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?

A Tisket, A Tasket....

2009-10-25T19:19:00.002-04:00

I don't know it I have ever shown you my beautiful sewing basket.

I know that it's been in photos of my sewing room. But it was never given the justice of a post all by it's lonesome.

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Before Laura and I got married and had our boys, we were heavily into making quilts. We would go over to each other's apartments and sit together, needle and thread in our hands, laughing and hand sewing little quilt squares together that were perched in our laps .

As a gift for being her maid of honor, Laura gave me this gorgeous sewing basket.

Over the years it has held whatever craft is currently occupying my time..... knitting supplies, felting supplies, paint and brushes, yarn, etc.

Last week, I decided to empty it of all non sewing nonsense and just use it for it's original purpose.

Sewing.

And so now, it is my trusty sidekick. Right under my sewing table.... ready to assist in any way that it can.

Needles....Check.

Thread.....Check.

Bobbins...Check.

Pins........Check.

I really love it. I am so thankful to have such a thoughtful twin sister who knows and loves me as much as I do her.

Learning....

2010-01-07T18:45:00.001-05:00

Do you see all of these sweet crocheted baby bonnets and booties and sweaters.

They are all in Adirondack Mama's Etsy Store

and they are ALL NOT MADE BY ME.....

They are the handiwork of my UBER-talented twin.... Laura.

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A few weeks ago Laura bought a learn to crochet kit and some yarn at the craft store. The rest is history.

She is a natural and she is G-O-O-D.

You see, I always wanted to learn to crochet, but being left handed, I never could find instructions that I could understand. So, I stuck to knitting and never looked back. UNTIL the other night when Laura spent the night. Right there sitting Indian style on the floor of my sewing room I got my first-patiently-taught-and-easy-to-understand-lesson...from my master.

And so, over the course of a few days, I bought myself a really beautiful book and taught myself how to make little flowers.

And after I felt good enough at the flowers I got a bit ahead of myself and ambitiously picked a pattern for really beautiful mittens out of the book. I got right to working on them a week ago while the boys were skiing. I was visiting with my mom, drinking coffee and laughing in the lodge.

But in truth, I really wasn't ready for it. I mean....I could barely do the stitches, let alone read a pattern!

What was I thinking?!?!?!

The cuff came out looking nothing like the picture and for some reason I used the kids pattern and it fit ME....so I knew that something was definitely WRONG.

And a thumb....are you kidding me?!?!?!

I just scratched that whole thumb warming concept in favor of a fingerless pair of mitts....that looked like crap.

And that, my friends, was almost the end of my crocheting career.....Almost.

That is, until my twin talked me through adding the thumb and helped me to decipher my pattern trip ups, etc.

And so today...while my poor house let out a huge sigh of relief at the sight of one of it's owners... actually sitting down and NOT coming at it's walls or cupboards or carpet.....

wielding a saw, a hammer, or a paint roller.

I sat on my couch with a cup of hot cider at the ready and started a BRAND NEW PAIR.

A pair with a perfectly shelled cuff.

And the makings of an honest-to-goodness thumb.

I'll let you see the finished pair when I am done, but I am really feeling good about it. And it is all thanks to my sister.

Thank you Laura for your patience and love. Oh yea, and for helping me to learn.

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

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.

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.

The "What-cha-ma-call-it" Room

2010-01-30T08:53:00.001-05:00

Before (during the remodel)

I never know what to call this space.

Usually I refer to it as my guest room. Or "Laura's room", since she is my only guest.

Other times it is called "My" room.

Then there are times that I call it the sewing room.

But lately, I have read of people calling their own spaces a studio.

And to be honest, I don't know how I feel about that. It conjurs up images of a missing ear, paint splattering, brush weilding, an honest to God artist.

That is not me.

But, it is my space where I do absolutely anything crafty.. ANYTHING. It is the only room where I have complete and utter control over the style.

Flowers galore... you bet-cha

Pinks to beat the bands....bring it on.

Lace and blues and pretty trinkets...yes PLEASE.

They are all there....And there isn't a thing that my husband can say about it.

That's the deal. It's all mine.

In true since-the-rest-of-the-house-got-a-facelift-I-can't-leave-out-my-most-favorite-room fashion, I decided to re-organize (yes, I know that I've done this before) my "What-cha-ma-call-it" room.

Last week I found a cute bookshelf for $7.00 at the thrift store. I was already in the sanding groove, helping Fran to sand all of the pine for the molding and window frames, so I decided to sand the new bookshelf.

And then I hated it.

So I found the 4 year old can of blue paint that I painted the room in and used it to paint the bookshelf. I then sanded it again to distress it.

And then I loved it.

The room shined up like a new penny.

Bookshelves purged of three quarters of it's books ( donated to the library ). I kept only the ones that I had not read yet, or absolutely loved.

Granny chair back in it's rightful place, What little boy wants a flowery chair in their room?

And the fabric...did I tell you that I got more of it?

I did!

So much more, that it all wouldn't even fit on the hutch that used to be it's home.

After

And now, the room is primed for creating. Whatever crafting strikes my fancy.

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So now, after wishing you all a fabulously relaxing and fun weekend.

I ask you, my crafty friends.

What is it that you call your space?

To remember it by....

2010-01-06T14:05:00.001-05:00

Maybe it has something to do with the Christmas tree coming down.

Maybe it has to do with the freshly painted walls and imminent placement of new flooring in a few of our house's rooms.

Maybe it has to do with the single digit degree temperature.

It is probably a mixture of it all.

All that I am sure of is that I can't keep my fingers busy enough! There is so much that I want to do....Now that the holidays are officially over there is a lull in the air that has stirred my desire to craft.

On the top of the list was our Advent pillow.

I had ironed the stack of quilting square satchels once that the Advent tree was taken down and they stared at me for a few days while I considered what to do with them. I knew, of course, that they would become a pillow, but I definitely wanted to jazz it up a bit.

For the pillow construction, I had sewn the 25 squares together into a square as the front of the pillow.

Then for the back if the pillow, I used some of the lovely blue flannel that I had received from Heather of Blooming Heather from the Vintage Swap back in October.

I then stuffed it plump with this stuffing called "Cluster Stuff".

Have you ever used this stuff? What a NIGHTMARE....it is all of these little balls of fluff that didn't want to cooperate with me and then ended up flying all over the room when I tried to pack it into the too small hole that I had made in the pillow!

Seriously, unless you like a struggle....avoid this stuff....-I-N-G.

About an hour later, I was able to sew the hole shut with a whip stitch.

Then I had to decide on a little detail.
I had all of that amazing yarn and a stack of gorgeous doilies from Heather's care package that was just burning a hole in my pocket.

Surely, I could spare one little doily and some yarn.

I placed the doily at the center of the front of the pillow and then, using a large needle and 2 strands of the fingerling yarn, I stitched the doily into place.

(Sharpie....so it won't wash off)

When all was said and done, I wrote a reminder on the back of the pillow.

A reminder of the year that my boy was five.

A reminder of the year that his Great Grandma Bam passed away.

A reminder of the year that I rekindled my love of crafting.

A reminder of the year that I found my place in the land of Blog.

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A pillow to remember it all by.

Display....

2009-10-27T10:46:00.001-04:00

Yesterday, after visiting my grandmother in-law at the hospital, I stopped by the Antique store in town to see what they had. I had been there before, but always on a time restraint. I had found it a bit overwhelming in it's shear volume; and surprised at how many beautiful things that were hidden in such a huge space. Nicknacks, kitchenwares, silver, a large amount of furniture, tables, and paintings, etc..

Have you ever come across something and then realized that it was exactly what you were looking for, all along?

My eyes gravitated to a propped up piece of wood leaning with a stack of framed prints on the left side of the store. I walked by it a few times and then finally moved the few large prints that were in front of the piece of wood.

To see what it was, exactly.

When I turned it around, I grinned from ear to ear.

I looked the piece over twice, but could not find a price listed. I had been eying similar type setting drawers at other antique stores but was really not up for spending fourty-plus dollars for it.

I was afraid to ask how much this one was, since it was in such great condition.

I scooped up the drawer and brought it to the counter where the proprietor was sitting.

I asked him (with my nicest....if-it-isn't-obvious-enough-to-you-already-I'm-not-here-to-spend-a-ton-of-money smile,) "How much does this drawer cost?"

He smiled back at me and said.."Oh that. Hmmm, does twelve dollars sound reasonable?"

And I smiled back and asked him if he accepted local checks.

I stopped at the hardware store on my way home to pick up some spray paint in a beautiful shade of purple.

When I got home I set the drawer on a boulder and blew off the cobwebs and dust that had accumulated in each little crevice.

It is pretty as is, don't get me wrong....I love wood on it's own.

But I had plans for this little drawer and I wanted it to pop when I was done with it.

I spray painted the drawer and let it dry in the cool Fall air for an hour. After a few more touch ups and another drying, it was ready to hang in the sewing room.

And fill with the assortment of lovely wooden spools that I scored last week at another antique store. Now, I know that I had told you all that I'd keep my eyes peeled for more spools for you...but really, I just couldn't part with these.

They were the absolute perfect mix of hues for my sewing room.

I put one spool in every spot.

Moving them from square to square

Until I had found the combination that made me happy.

And it does.

Make me very happy.

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What is making you happy right now?

A place of his own....

2010-01-27T17:06:00.001-05:00

Eben's room is the room that I always dreamed for him. A room all to himself except for when he comes to recruit me for snuggles in the middle of the night.

There is a double sided easel with oodles of art supplies given to him by his Poppy.

A little playroom closet off to the side to contain his toys.

A beautiful window staring right into the gardens with a view of Heaven Hill as a backdrop.

A big cozy bed to snuggle in.

A beautiful ceiling, painted for him when he was just a few months old by his father.

And the sweetest illustrations torn from story books.

Each page that I framed and put on his walls when he was a baby.

That all sounds really nice doesn't it?

You wouldn't mind living with me would you?

Hmmm?

Why then, with such a nice room does he continually leave it in a state of disarray. Several times a week I return it to it's rightful state of order, only to have Eben and Sam make another mess of it.

I think that it has something to do with the Testosterone surging through their veins.

At any rate, I tell you...I was about at wits end.

In hopes of helping him to become a tidy little person, I set about my first project from Homemade Home. (Thanks again Imene!) The Art and Hooks Rack.

Amanda's instructions for the rack (and the jist behind the whole book in fact) is to use what you have in the house to make it. I asked Fran, our resident carpenter if he had any supplies that we could use for what I had in mind. He found me some old hooks, a smooth piece of leftover pine flooring from the renovation, and a piece of barn board wood left over from a picture frame that he had built for our big vintage deer photo.

PERFECT!

I still needed the art work though.

I was going to use a few drawings that Eben had made at school, but I don't own any Decoupage glue and I couldn't find it anywhere in town. I was stumped and just about to staple the drawings onto the wood when Fran suggested drawing the artwork right onto the white pine.

Using some watercolor pencils, Eben and I decided on drawing some mountains on the wood since green is his favorite color.

I outlined the scene and he colored in the lines using every shade of green for the mountains and blues, pinks and purples for the water.

Once the coloring was completed I got out the sponges and let him wet down the drawing as he would on watercolor paper.

We let it dry by the window.

The next day after school Eben helped Fran and I to clean out the toy closet and get things together for donating. Then we moved Eben's dresser into the closet to free up the wall in his actual bedroom where we planned to put the rack.

Fran screwed the hooks to the piece of barn board.

They then screwed both the barn board and the drawing onto the wall.

And even though it's not exactly what Amanda had in mind, we all liked it very much. A very fun project. One that we can remove from the wall when Eben is grown and in a home of his own. Maybe even to be used by his own little one.

After that we tackled the cleaning of his actual room. While we were doing that, we talked about how lucky Eben is to have all of the things that he has. And how that he should take care of the things that he has so that they will last. We also talked about helping around the house.

In the end Eben seemed to grasp his part in taking responsibility...especially for his own things.

Excited to have a place of his own.

What a weekend...

2010-01-09T17:09:00.001-05:00

Our house is currently in a state of shambles.

But the end is near....within a week's reach.

The walls are taped, mudded, sanded and painted in the most glorious shade of greenish gray.

The stain has been chosen. (can you guess which one?)

The new breakfast bar footprint had been laid out.

And as you read this, my fabulously talented husband and a few buddies are laying down the wide planks of pine that have taken over our workshop and our minds for the past few weeks.

And you know what? I don't even care about all of that. Because, the only thing that I can concentrate on is my new computer.

Yes, you read that right.

A NEW laptop courtesy of my ridiculously generous and utterly sweet twin. I came home from work late last night to find a hidden box sitting on the guest room bed and a sister grinning from ear to ear in anticipation of my reaction.

She told me that she had gotten me a present.

I guess so!

So, here I sit in her guest room typing away on it's super smooth keys and scratch-less screen. Attempting not to get drool on the keyboard. It is just amazing.

I am without a camera right now, but I promise a photo of it in all of it's glory on Monday.

I've decided that they really should have called it a "love"top instead of a "lap"top.

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I hope that you are all having a wonderful weekend and loving your families as much as I am.

Hugs, Julia

From Suzanne... and some other things.

2010-01-25T12:16:00.000-05:00

What a nice day. I am finally home....for the long haul. And my house is almost completely done with the remodel.

Yippee.

Skippee.

I had a PILE of mail waiting for me when I got here. And the only thing that I opened was a large package from Canada.

YEA!!!!!

It was my book package from the sweet Suzanne, my other partner for the Creative Book Exchange.

She did not disappoint! I loved them all.

It is neat to look through books from another country. It's so funny to think of Canada that way, but really, even though I can cross it's border from where I live in about 2 hours, it is in fact ANOTHER COUNTRY.

Passport and all.

I just loved reading through the books that she included.

"Colour", "Flavour", and "Neighbour"

to my

"color","flavor", and "neighbor"

The Material World is like 3 books in one. A TON of wonderful projects and ideas brimming in each page. The colors are so vibrant and the ideas are so practical, I fell in love on the spot.

Then there was a wonderful old book on Watercoloring. I was excited to go through it and was so happy with the great instructions that each page held. I am definitely going to be putting it to some good use for my next painting project.

The magazine that she included was my favorite though. I absolutely LOVE reading home magazines. Country Living, Martha Stewart, Real Simple, Better Homes and Gardens. I get sticky fingers in the waiting room of the any doctors office. Slipping one into my purse before leaving. I know, I'm BAD. Any way, this Canadian Home and Country just jumped up to the top of that list. Such goodness. Such great home idea.

So, thank you Suzanne. Thank you for thinking of what I would like and thank you for being my partner. I can't wait to put them all to good use.

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In other news of the day....

I mailed out a little something to Erin of Bluebirdbaby this morning. Erin is one of those girls that I just love to visit. Her pictures, her taste in her home decor, her thoughts, all of it draws me back to her site. It all makes me smile.

Gush.

Anyway, she has a weakness for vintage pyrex-ish sort of dishes and chickens. I just happened upon a few tea cups the other day at the Thrift store which fit the bill for both of theses weaknesses. I was going to keep them for myself, but then I thought of Erin having a tea party with her little girl....and well, you know.

I had to get her address.

So now they are on their way to Maine to a new home after a brief stay at mine. Along with a few other goodies that I couldn't resist passing along.

AND.

Have you seen Gina's newest site..Solstice Letters. I tell you....that girl is Wonderful Ideas in human form. I love the idea behind the site. I love the honesty. I love the community. I love it all.

After my last post regarding the issues of keeping it real, I plan on joining her for SURE. I need a place to let my hair down.

Thank you Gina. Your timing is perfect.

There, that completes my thoughts for the day.

Now, if you will excuse me, I am off to unload bags and bags of groceries to fill my Mother Hubbards cupboards.

I hope you all have a wonderful day. I'll be back on Wednesday with a new project that I just finished.

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

Thrifty decorating.....and by thrifty......I mean cheap

2009-12-12T13:07:00.001-05:00

I'm cheap...I admit it.

I shop discount racks, regularly shop at Walmart and I buy my boy toys from the dollar store to fill up his stocking. I also get a big kick out of making something nice out of something that I got for a steal.

Do you remember my Winter Wreath?

You guessed it.....made entirely out of goods from the Dollar store. Four dollars total.

This time of year is a nightmare for prices...they are usually gouged through the roof because the stores know that we are all panicking with the holiday looming in the wings.

But AFTER Christmas is when the real deals can be found. When the purging of shelves begins.

Target is a really good source for after Christmas steals. Last year I hit the mother-load of all decorations right there at the back of the store on a single shelf. I swear that I could hear it screaming my name from the parking lot. I could have left with 2 full carts of goodies...everything was marked down to one tenth of the price on the tag.

But I limited myself to the ones that I couldn't live without.

Mainly...anything involving a deer or being silver in color made it's way into my cart. Oh, and some really pretty glittery ornaments. Those too.

I know....wonders never cease, do they?

You see, my mom started me on this trend of Christmas deer. She bought me my first snow globe a few years ago. Full of water, trees, silver glitter, and precious little deer faces. It set the trend and I never went back.

I do love it to bits....even with the snapped off antlers.

I got this silver fellow for a whole $2.00.

and this shiny fellow for $1.50

And this shiny little bird is actually supposed to be an ornament. A steal at $2.00. I snipped the ribbon though....it's really too heavy and delicate to trust to hang from a branch.

All three sit side by side on my windowsill behind the tree. Shimmering in the glow of the lights.

And then there is the Dollar store. It is where I find alot of wonderful things to inspire creativity. It is also where I found these sweet deer ornaments a few weeks ago. They had fishing line loops to hang them from a tree. I really didn't need any more tree decorations, but I did have a Santa sleigh with no reindeer to pull it. I cut the loops from their backs then I glue-gunned their little feet onto some painted tongue depressors in pairs of two.

Voila...a stylin' AND synchronized team of deer for Santa's big night.

Thrifty is, as thrifty does.

And I, my friends, am thrifty.

Are you?

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.

Finders Keepers....

2009-10-05T13:09:00.001-04:00

On our way back home yesterday, my sweet twin asked if I would like to stop by the Red Barn Antiques in Upper Jay.

Hmmm, let me think about that for a minute.

Um, yes PLEASE!

She was so sweet to humor me by looking through the rooms filled with all sorts of goodies with me.

The sign did not lie, there was a whole room FILLED with vintage books, all leather bound and old. Their pages tattered and worn, absorbed of so many years of smells from the many places that they had been.

But as sweet and lovely as those books were, they were nothing in comparison with the finds that filled my arms as I walked out the door.

Deer are a theme in our house, and not just because we live in the Adirondacks. I just could not pass by this pewter plate sitting on a glass case in the barn.

The detail is amazing. There is a hook on it's back and my mind's eye knows just the spot for it in our bedroom, once we have redone our walls.

And then this little lovey caught my eye. All hand painted and rosey.

How could it not come home with me

to join my collection of pink and green painted dessert dishes that found me a few weeks ago.

I have a wall in mind for this collection as well. In my sewing room, opposite the bookcase.

And just as I was leaving, I saw 2 teeny Atlas jars filled with buttons waving frantically in my direction.

How did I miss those on my way in?

They each had a tag.... "Buttons-$2.00".

And so I asked the clerk " How much would you sell just the jars that are holding the buttons for?"

And she replied " The price is for the jar AND the buttons."

So I scooped them up; walked over to the counter; set them down and said "Sold."

When I got home, I emptied the buttons onto my sewing table.

And while all of my jars (new and old) got all sudsy from a much needed bath.

I looked through the buttons...Since I didn't buy the jars for the buttons, and I rarely use them in my sewing.

I had an idea.

Giveaway time....

I am going to split these buttons into 5 piles and send them off to 5 random people who comment.

I will let you know the winners on Thursday.... a present for you on my boy's Fifth birthday.

Best Shot Monday...

2009-11-09T14:36:00.002-05:00

My entry into Tracey's Best Shot Monday.

The wedding gift from my Father-in-law. In desperate need of a good polishing, it is filled with glittery silver painted pine cones and cranberries... in anticipation of the upcoming Holidays.

Always smack-dab in the center of our table, it is my favorite of all centerpieces, any time of year.

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Happy Monday everyone!

I need a heaping dose of happiness right about now....

Tell me please.

What was the best part of your weekend?

How lovely are your branches....

2009-12-08T18:55:00.004-05:00

This past Sunday (before my boy got sick), after a glorious first day of skiing at the mountain, the boys asked to decorate our tree. So, the bin came down from the attic...and the sentiment "It's just like Christmas" popped into my head as I pulled off the plastic lid to reveal our ornaments.

A sea of blues, greens, silvers and golds.

Heavenly.

While Fran cut us down the perfect tree, the boys helped by gently taking out each ornament and laying them on the rug.

When Fran and I built our house, my mom gave me all of my ornaments from my childhood. It took a lot for her to part with them, but I think that deep down she knew how much that they would mean to me when I had my own tree.

She was right.

I really love every ornament that I have.

They each tell their own story.

A heart that Mom gave to me when Fran and I were first married.

A little pony that I remember petting the tail and mane of every year when I put it on the tree.

My Gram always gave the best ornaments. Every year one would be tied to a present under the tree. Personalized and adorable. She really had an eye. She gave me this little horse when I was the same age as Eben is now.

A silver Rudolph from when I was 4.

And a little baby in the most beautiful leather papoose. Peeking out from around her fur bunting. The sweetest little souvenir from one of my Gram's many trips to Alaska.

Of them all, SHE is my most treasured.

Then there are the ones that I have accumulated on my own over the years.

Big beaded globes.

2 dozen glitter dusted balls in shades of blue, silver and green.

And delicate glass bulbs painted with the prettiest snow flakes.

They are the ornaments that Fran and I decorated our first apartment tree with.

It is finally topped off with a wooden star, the whitest lights that I could find, and some silver garland.

Our Christmas tree never fails to jump start the holiday spirit in the whole family.

And it really does have lovely branches.

Water Coloring...

2009-12-06T18:11:00.004-05:00

There are some really gorgeous paintings sprinkled around my grandparent's house. I remember when I was very little asking my Gram who painted them.

Her answer was... "Your Pa."

I can remember sitting at his drawing table with him a while after I found this out. I asked him if I could "color like he could". He simply opened up the dresser drawer next to the table, grinned at me and watched my face for an expression.

I stared at the exploding drawer of art supplies.

He just gave us free reign. Laura and I. Hands, surfaces, and paper covered with any and every media that he had. That's just the kind of person that he is.

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Now, I will tell you this....I am so far from the caliber of an artist that my grandfather is, that it isn't even funny. But about 6 years ago I bought myself a whole arsenal of art supplies. A paint set, pastel set, oil paints, acrylics, as well as several pads of paper, a ton of brushes and some books. I did a few small paintings, giving one to my parents and keeping a few tucked away in the back of the pad behind the fresh sheets of paper. But then I got pregnant and then I had a baby and my creative life went into a dormancy of sorts.

A 5 year hibernation that I've been stretching from over the past few months.

Inspired to go through my book collection leading up to the Creative Book Exchange, I found my book on watercolor tucked away with all of my paints and pads in a plastic bin in the closet.

I had gotten some prints made of some of my photos and while sifting through them, I found one scene that I decided that I wanted to try to paint.

And so I set to work...in a few days I will show you the progress that I've made in my project.

This is a secret..... but Pa is turning 90 on December 20th and if this painting turns out like I hope it does, I am going to be giving in to him as a present.

Shhh.

But do cross your fingers!

*Have you seen the citrus wreath that my twin made?

It smells like heaven.

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Do you paint?

And if you do, what do you like to paint with?