The Holiday Handmades: Part 1

I was a bit lackadaisical in my blog posting last year (shh...we're not going to talk about this year's efforts yet). I'm blaming this:



That's right. I'm blaming the graham crackers. (Go ahead, take a second look. I won't tell.) I have higher hopes for my efforts this year: that those graham crackers will stay in their pantry and sleep through the night, and get on a daily organized schedule that includes the slightest snippet of time (unbeknownst to busy graham crackers) for mama to sneak in some tiny tidbits of writing. But, before I go gangbusters on the writing of the new year, I feel the need to digress and catch up on some meant-to-write posts of the happenings last year - starting with the holiday handmades. I like to tuck a little something mama-made under the tree each year. This year, I found my I-must-make-for-the-children gift on the cover of Joelle Hoverson's More Last-Minute Knitted Gifts. It's her pointy elf hat. The moment I saw it, I knew we had to have a set. After all, what everyone really wants from Santa is their very own life-sized yard gnomes:




I made five, one for each child and nephew. We attempted a photo shoot at our holiday gathering with four toddlers/preschoolers sitting in a tree and one babe at the base of the trunk. Yes, it went just as you imagined it. Gotta love talking, walking, hanging, swinging, laughing yard art.

The hats are made from Lion Brand Wool Ease Thick & Quick Yarn (I forget the color).

Valentine's Day: A Recap

If Halloween weren't such a perfect fit for our little girl, between the costumes, candy, and birthday on its heels, I think Valentine's Day would be her holiday. She has a thing for telling others that she loves them, for wanting to make things for others to show them she loves them. She digs wearing pink and red and eating anything sweet (let alone heart-shaped). And, even though I don't remember ever being a Valentine's kind of girl (but who knows, maybe I was at four, ask my mom), it's hard not to catch some of that cupid's spirit watching her in action. A recap of how we spent our Valentine's Day:



Before the holiday, I made Audrey a couple heart-shaped barrettes based off of a design found here at Purl Bee. I didn't have the correct-sized barrettes on hand for their pattern, so I improvised. A little felt + a little embroidery floss + a couple of barrettes = some pint-sized holiday cheer. I have a feeling more of these little barrettes are in our future, maybe some stars or flowers.



Apparently, Valentine's Day at our house also means crust. Lots and lots of crust.




We began the evening with made-to-order calzones using the pizza dough recipe from Jamie Oliver's Jamie at Home.



After dinner, we busied our hands with a little more dough (some store-bought pie crust) and made these super simple heart-shaped cherry turnovers of sorts. We found the four-ingredient recipe here. We used the cookie cutters that we already owned but might have to get some bigger ones before we try this again.



We hope you had a wonderful Valentine's Day and were able to spread a little love, or eat a little crust. ;)

Catching Up

As long as my newly regained strength held up, today was going to be a catch-up day: groceries and a trip to the bank after Audrey's last winter library class. Nathan had other plans. Exhausted after the library class, he suggested (not so subtly) that we just head home. So we did, and did a different kind of catching up. As Nate napped, Audrey and I got caught up on our reading, reading our new library finds and new (to us) textbooks that I found for a couple dollars a piece on the Friends of the Library Sale shelves. Audrey was ecstatic at the thought of being allowed to keep some library books as her own (and tried to barter to keep some of the others we had checked out). She quickly rifled through the textbooks and chose Mercer Mayer's There's An Alligator Under My Bed as our first read. We followed it up with a little coloring session, a handmade sign, which she hung from the garage door to warn her father that there just might be an alligator out there waiting for him when he arrived home. The pictures shows her alligator before she added a tail (during a peanut butter break).



The library book pile successfully replenished and examined, we got to work on the next phase of our valentines. Audrey had already traced some large hearts out of old shopping bags (in convenient colors of the season) that I cut out. She drew a face on each heart and I punched small holes through which she laced small pieces of ribbon (knotted on one end to hold them in place). Today, we glued on red card stock hearts in the place of hands and feet and stamped some Valentine's Day messages on white card stock. I'll cut those out and we'll glue them on later. We found our idea for the valentines here (based on the "eye love you" valentine. I love that they've come together using scraps of things we had around the house, and that each one has a unique look due to the hand drawn face.


Sometimes, catching up is so good.

Avocado Blessings

Lately, we find ourselves a bit of a mixed bag. Christmas lights in 65-degree weather. Christmas lights on before Thanksgiving (the four-year-old, and four-year-old in the rest of us, can't help herself). Contemplating carving pumpkins the week of Thanksgiving (we never managed to work in that family pumpkin carving night before Halloween this year). And, avocados in late fall. Yes, it's not really the time for avocados. But we've been hoarding a little avocado at our house. Actually, I've been told he or she may be closer to the size of a turnip now, but we tend to grow our babies small (and we discovered in California that Nate likes avocados) so we have our minds set on avocados. And spring, when this little turnip will be joining us. (Right now, some of you are remembering all those days I missed writing posts in the last few months and things are becoming a little more clear - see, I did have an excuse).

We have been spending the last several months with one foot planted firmly in the present and the season, scents, tastes, and joys around us and one foot stepping forward, dreaming of spring and our family to come. But both feet are wearing shoes of gratitude, for the blessings of today and those of tomorrow. Happy Thanksgiving to all of you. I'll be back in a couple days.

Back Home and Back to School

Last weekend we took a little drive to Evansville to attend my youngest cousin's wedding. In my rush to get everything packed and everyone safely tucked into their car seats (and remember the gift, unlike the last wedding I attended), I forgot my camera. Which means, I failed to capture a little tiny dancer whirling around in her fancy dress or chasing my cousin and his beautiful daughter, Finley the Flower Girl.

What I did catch were some moments from later in our long weekend: Jason teaching Audrey how to make an easy breakfast he picked up from my mother and my makeshift "clothesline" for drying Audrey's backpack to prepare for another school year.

Of course, now looking at these photos, I can't help but notice how they summarize the weekend: a few moments to slow down in each others company enjoying the simple goodnesses around us and preparing for the new season and phase to come.

A Little Valentine's Glitz

I'm typically not that big on Valentine's Day. I don't dislike the holiday, I just never felt a real need for it, either. Blame it on a thoughtful husband. Valentine's Day could be one of a number of days at my house - days I get unjustly complimented or thanked for things I should do anyway, or a surprise gift comes walking in the door on Jason's arm. So, we never really got into celebrating February 14th: my wardrobe didn't take on splashes of red and pink, the house didn't mysteriously sprout heart-speckled hand towels and candy dishes. Then, enter a three-year-old, one who thinks hearts and pink are things to be celebrated of their own accord.

We still don't do Valentine's Day in the hallmark, dinner and roses fashion. My wardrobe is still a sea of blue, black, and brown. But hearts - and pink - have found a little bit of celebration here lately. Mostly, for the love they remind me that we're so blessed to have. In the closing scene of Under the Tuscan Sun, the main character (played by Diane Lane) asks, "What are four walls anyway? They are what they contain." Our house? It just might be Valentine's Day.

And, we could all use a little more Valentine's Day - a little more love, a little more appreciation, a little celebration of the heart (and even a bit of pink, if you must).

*We found the idea above at the Crafty Crow - so many great crafting ideas for kids. You might be seeing a few more heart projects around here. It seems to be a perfect antidote for endless snow.

My Yummy Valentine

A heart-shaped pancake mold from HomeGoods + a traditional buttermilk recipe, topped with a sprinkle of powdered sugar and splash of maple syrup = one yummy Valentine for our little pancake. I just love a sweet Valentine.

Sowing the Seeds of Love

Audrey came home with a note from school last week asking her to bring Valentines the following week for her classmates. So yesterday, we got down to the business of creating some Valentine's cheer. First, some coloring (of course, the real objective is to get as much green ink on one's hands as possible),

followed by taping (not always in the right place),

tapped off with an abundance of glue,

and those Valentines practically grew themselves. I love, love, love the ones she assembled with the hearts upside down (who's to say they aren't right-side up?). LOVE. She signed them with an "A" and I filled in the other letters for her.

Some toothpicks from the kitchen cabinet, an old grocery bag, scraps of pink felt, fake grass recycled from the Easter basket stash, and a handful of eight-year-old (seriously!) construction paper, and Audrey's ready to sow some Valentine's joy, as only a three-year-old can. I wish I could eavesdrop to watch her hand these small cards out to her friends, whose names she excitedly recited as she made each one - to see her pride in giving a little of herself to her friends - Valentine's Day uncontrived.

White Christmas: The After Party or How I Spent My Christmas Vacation

The snow arrived fashionably late: too late for Christmas, but early enough to be enjoyed by the occupants of our house, young and old. As Christmas wound down, we spent our days enjoying the pieces that remained:

Taking in a little white magic;

Trying out Christmas gifts (the little personal pizza pans were a gift from the grandparents and are made by Doughmakers);

Making tracks (Yes, she has on two hoods, two hats, two pairs of pants, two shirts, a snowsuit, a heavy coat, and two pairs of her gloves covered by a pair of mine. Excessive is a word that comes to mind);

And testing Dad's strength (Who needs hills with a Dad like that? Have I mentioned I love this man?).

So with a little pizza in our bellies, a few snow puddles on our floors, and a lot of Christmas magic in our hearts, we're ready to move forward into a new year full of adventure. Here's to the magic that was and the memories that will be. Happy New Year!

Drop-Dead Adorable

Yesterday, Audrey and I busied ourselves with a little Halloween crafting. This weekend we are taking part in a local Trunk-or-Treat. Most of these events are community or church-sponsored. The basic concept is that participants come with their cars decorated to a designated parking lot. They pop their trunks, which are filled with candy, and trick-or-treaters visit each car. The Trunk-or-Treat we're participating in is sponsored by my mom's group (and the church where we hold our meetings), with snacks, games, and a craft project for the kids. I've been brainstorming for easy ways to decorate the car. Bats seemed like an ideal choice, Audrey being the animal enthusiast she is, and recently asking me what bats are.

I had planned on using a stash of empty toilet paper rolls I've been collecting, but then ran across this post about clothespin bats. The bats were too cute to pass up (and we had almost everything on the list to make them). We made a few minor changes. The original design used construction paper to make the bats, but I noticed a comment by a reader who used felt. I thought this was a great idea for durability sake. This reader used iron-on jewels for the eyes since a hole-punch won't go through felt. I had some white sequin discs leftover from another project that worked just fine (and toddler fingers are the perfect size for this little detail work). I left the eye-gluing to Audrey and I tackled spray painting the clothespins. Together we glued the tips of the wings to form one piece. After the clothespins dried (which happened to be after Audrey had gone to bed) I glued the clothespins to the bats. This morning I attached some clear nylon jewelry cord to each bat.


Audrey grabbed 3 of the bats and very appropriately hung them from a doorknob, a kitchen window, and the stair banister. The other five I hung from the fireplace (and I think my little designer was right, 5 are all the fireplace needs). They will hang there until Saturday morning when we drape them from the top of the car for Trunk-or-Treat. I have thoughts of making black cardboard wings to attach to the sides of the car, but we'll see if I get that far. We have more important things to prepare for this week - like a certain someone turning three.

*While Audrey and I physically did this project, I must give credit where it's due. Crafting would not have happened yesterday had it not been for my friend, Elizabeth, who upon finding out in the morning that I was functioning on a mere four hours of sleep, whisked Audrey off for a play date so I could get some rest. Without her generosity, there would have been no afternoon creativity and no bats, just one zombie of a mama. (Thanks, Elizabeth)!


I suppose I should give some credit to Martha Stewart, too, since it is her design. But I'm sure she couldn't have made them, either, had it not been for enough sleep and good friends. There are some things (domestic goddess, or not) that we all need.

Easter on Its Way

We have been in Easter production mode this week. Easter season, like so many things this year (the first buds of Spring, our dog's annual round of shots, Preschool Registration!!!) has come steadily upon us in plain sight, and yet, taken me completely by surprise. My fingers can't move fast enough, the day doesn't move slow enough, and the laundry and clutter seem to magically be reproducing themselves.




Ironically, even as I adopt the mantra "less than one week, less than one week," it is the work - finding a quiet half hour in the morning to sew and use the washing machine as a quick-to-reach makeshift ironing board (not advised in the owner's manual, I'm sure) or cutting out pieces of paper to assemble Easter cards one-by-one - that allows me a moment to stop, to rest, to rewrite that mantra.





Luckily, my little one is happy to help this week, busying herself with her own artwork and even sleeping in an extra twenty minutes this morning. Even so, there is no guarantee that the gifts with be finished on time, or the cards written in by Easter (and, I'm sure that the next holiday will come on looking like a slow-moving steam engine from afar until it barrels by me, knocking the wind out of me again); but for now I am convincing myself that the best gifts are the late ones that extend the celebration just a little longer and I'm putting gifts on hold to go use the washing machine, you know, for it's intended purpose.