Moth and Sparrow

Whew!

2012-01-17T21:58:00.001-08:00

It's been a hard fall off the new year's resolution wagon. Oh how the mighty... yada yada yada. It seems like I have to shoot for the moon just to accomplish the basics. The wedding show votive wraps were awesome, and highly appreciated by my sister and a few brides, but the etsy shop is in limbo (you'll be the first to know when that changes!). Zion was out of town for a week leaving me fully overwhelmed by simple things like walking the dog and brushing 3 sets of teeth. And finally, even though we're still digging out from the holiday toy, food and decoration avalanche, we threw a birthday party for our boy. Whew!

That right there is enough to make me step away from the x-acto and pick up some laundry, dishes, cooking, insert any number of neglected house chores here.

Then came snow... then more snow... then ice... then more ice. Then our power went out. Madness.

But we were safe and together, and lucky enough to flee the blackout zone before the refreeze made the roads too treacherous. We stayed with my parents and I watched Beckett come out of his (sometimes overly) cautious shell and become a sledding master on my own childhood sledding hill with a whole crew of neighborhood kids. Calder delighted at each snowball he threw,and giggled at the snowman's carrot nose. And Zion, because he works from home (or wherever he can plug in) didn't miss any of our adventures. He's a bit of a sledding master himself.

So despite the chaos and upheaval. The 4 of us homeless, snowbound vagabonds had a lovely week. Our power is back, we went to a beautiful wedding last night, and now we're in our pj's watching football. Life is good. And my x-acto is calling...

Happy 5th Birthday, Beckett!

2012-01-17T21:18:00.000-08:00

5 is a big one. I'm not as emotional as other years, but just filled with an awe in the person Beckett is. He's fascinating. We had a birthday party for him last weekend with robots, monsters, trucks, mustaches and a few good friends. Snow fell the following morning, and we've been rosy cheeked and frosty ever since. We're expecting more snow tonight and our sleds are waiting. School has been canceled and I'm looking forward to spending the day with my 5 year old. I had an alien changeling baby once upon a time - alert, responsive, flawless skin and huge, bottomless gray eyes. I blinked and he became a clever, sensitive, articulate and aware little boy. I'm so proud and so inspired. Happy Birthday Becks!

Exciting Stuff

2012-01-04T17:00:00.000-08:00

In my New Year well wishing, I neglected to mention that I've also been busy on a special project. My sister asked me to do a potentially lucrative favor for her; She's setting up the Woodland Park Zoo's booth at the upcoming Seattle Wedding Show and she's asked me to create some cut paper pieces to display! I know there will be tons of talent, all more professional than me, but I appreciate the chance for a little exposure.In order to make the best of this opportunity, I'll be finally setting up my etsy shop. I'm focusing on cut paper to start - cards and the like, but I'll welcome custom orders. Especially from my readers! So if you've seen anything on this here blog that piqued your interest, send me an email or an etsy convo and we'll see if we can work something out.

Thanks for your interest, and if you'll be at the Wedding Show, be sure to check out the Woodland Park Zoo's booth! They host beautiful weddings, and other corporate and private events, at a variety of unique venues within the park. Jubilate with jaguars or revel with river otters. What could be cooler than that?

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T17:20:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone. I hope the dawn of 2012 finds you cozy and well. This holiday season was drastically different for us, being the first Christmas since moving close to our families. More parties, less travel, new traditions and friends, and the lights and decorations of a whole new neighborhood. I must say it was the loveliest, sweetest Christmas ever. Somehow, despite the proximity to a horde of doting relatives, we had more cozy time, just the 4 of us, than ever before. Absolutely charming.
Our house is filled with such festive details, most of it handmade by the boys, especially Becks, who was my very own Christmas tomten, sneaking around leaving his childlike wonder in every corner of this apartment. There are gnomes and snowflakes, pine cones and boughs, garlands and displays and loads of pipe cleaners. The boys' even had their own tree this year. The only thing missing was the blogging. There have been times when I've neglected my blog because I hadn't made anything worth posting. Lately, though, I've had plenty to post and I just haven't taken the time. I miss the writing, I miss the community of inspiring bloggers and blog readers and I miss having this little piece of something all my own.

Thanks for putting up with me this past, lean year and I promise to be more present in 2012! I suppose this is my resolution. More posts, tutorials, patterns and all the good stuff I had in mind when I started this little blog. Happy New Year everyone! Here's to a beautiful, charming, creative year!

The Fire is so Delightful

2011-12-19T09:54:00.000-08:00

Our apartment has a cute little fireplace, a great place to hang stockings and a great mantel to decorate, but it's not super practical for actual fire. For one thing, it'd be way too warm in here, for another it'd be way to tempting for little fingers. Yesterday our advent activity was to make a cozy replica.

The logs are cardboard tubes, colored by an enthusiastic almost 5yo. We tore the edges to make them look more log-y, and because tearing things on purpose is fun. The fire is metallic origami paper and vellum, both in reds and yellows, cut into flame shapes, crumpled a bit and layered. We backed it with christmas lights, but I'm going to get some flameless candles so it'll flicker. It looks fantastic, and not just in the cheesy gag way I'd expected. It really feels cozier in here with it's warm glow. Of all the cookies, gnomes, ornaments and decorations we've made, this was the thing that B was the most giddy over. You could even say it lit a fire under him. Har de har.

Today we'll be making Santa's mustache pops. Like the ones from B's birthday, but with white chocolate and sprinkled with candy cane bits!

A Very Playmobil Christmas

2011-12-14T15:44:00.000-08:00

I suppose it was inevitable, but this is the first year that my lifelong love of Playmobil extended into our holiday decorating.B and I had settled in for a cozy night and I thought we'd make some elves or little houses to fill the mantel. I had some glittery snow blanket that I'd been using with the diorama ornaments, and a few bottle brush trees so that became our blank slate.B brainstormed about who and what should live in this snowy woods, he tossed out lots of great ideas, but at the end of the night he was gung ho! for using Playmobil. He's his mother's son, what can I say?I am a little disappointed that there aren't little boy-made bits of brilliance up there, but he's so proud. Isn't that what it's all about? Besides, the rest of our house is teeming with his handiwork. And I may still get my little glittery houses...

Diorama-rama

2011-12-08T09:04:00.000-08:00

I've had dioramas on the brain for weeks. Months, maybe. Who doesn't love self contained miniature worlds? As a kid I would get absolutely lost in them and as it turns out my adult self isn't much different. I'm a sucker through and through. Anyway, my sister (who has also had dioramas on the brain - go figure) and I brainstormed on how we could turn our diorama fever into a force of holiday joy spreading good. Here's one of our ideas.The beginnings of it anyway. I'm still up to my elbows in bottle brush trees and deer cake toppers and I have 6 more ornaments painted, glittered and ready for inhabitants. Not to mention the glitter that has bedazzled our entire apartment. And our persons. How do you combat that? I'm a novice, a glitter virgin really, so I have no idea how to contain the outbreak. Any sage advice out there?Now for the how. I got plain, brown craft ball ornaments from Micheal's and cut windows in them with a small hacksaw, or lady-saw as Beckett calls it. The insides were not paper, much to my dismay, but hard dark plastic. It took a few coats to cover it, but it accepted the paint fairly well. I found some pre-made all paper balls online here and here, but I didn't want to wait for shipping, so I made do.

Then I painted the insides and outs. I added metallic pipe cleaners or glitter to the openings, mostly to hide my shoddy saw skills, but also because it makes them look super vintage.I found bottle trees, mini wreaths, mini snowmen, glittery foliage and other bits at Micheal's. I scored some spun cotton mushrooms, those little German birds and I made a huge haul of vintage cake toppers at a wonderful, cluttered hole in the wall called Home Cake. If you're in Seattle, check it out. If not, etsy has all kinds of great deer, mushrooms and elves. The Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs set is definitely worth a look!We're in full scale holiday mode around here. The house looks, smells and feels great and our advent calendar (a mischievous gnome who hides each morning with our activity or adventure for the day in his pocket) has filled our days with fun. I just love December.

Little Birds

2011-12-01T13:29:00.000-08:00

You know those sweet little painted wood birds that perch on Nutcrackers and wonderful German ornaments? I have a few beat up ones that broke off of thrift store finds, and despite their chipped paint, I adore them. The other night I decided that I needed more. Lots more. To use in ornament making, and for who knows what other uses might pop up. What project wouldn't be improved by bright little wooden birds? So I scoured the internet and came up empty.

Yesterday, Calder and I were killing time while B was in school and we popped in to the Alpenland Delicatessen on Mercer Island for a pastry. It's a great little mom and pop deli with such delicious, tradition Swiss fare, and loads of imported chocolates and mustards etc. This time of year, they also have fantastic ornaments and every year I pick up a few. Never before, though, have they had these! The exact little birds I'd been searching for.I couldn't believe it. Still can't, but I can say I'm a very happy camper. They sold the small ones in little packages of 12 for $3.40. The larger birds were $3.80 for a package of 6. Amazing. Look for these to be showing up in much of my holiday playing this year. I'm sure they'll be showing up all over the house too.Man, it feels good to be blogging. I miss this, and I'm sorry that so many of our Fall adventures and projects went un-posted. It's a rich life, and it's easy to get swept up, especially with the amazing, but calendar filling, involvement with a coop preschool. But I love this, and I'd feel more fulfilled if I gave it more time.

Gnomes at Home

2011-11-15T14:21:00.000-08:00

At last, Calder's costume. Mine too, actually, but the pictures of him are (obviously) way cuter, so he'll get the bulk of the layout. The whole inspiration behind this was Beckett insisting that his baby brother wear some sort of facial hair for Halloween. Beards on babies are hilarious. Especially to 4 year olds.I made a basic cone hat from red felt, and then the beard from gray felt. I attached the beard directly to the hat, which was definitely a gamble. On the one hand, there was a slightly better chance that the beard would stay on at all. On the other, if he hated the beard, he'd pull off the hat too and be costumeless. Turns out, he liked it just fine. In fact he still wears it regularly (he loves hats) and runs laps around the kitchen island. Go figure. I've been hugely inspired by the brilliant beards by Erin of I Made You a Beard. I ordered some awesome stickers from her for B's mustache party favors. I LOVE her yarn beards and maybe someday I'll try my hand at one. But her felt beards are also fantastic and definitely informed my own. I hadn't planned on making myself a beard, I figured a gnome hat or maybe a toadstool hat would suffice, but Calder's was so quick and so awesome I couldn't help myself. I started to think of them as my "gingerbread beards." The scalloped edges and white contrasting stitching makes them look like they belong on gingerbread men. I'm in love. And as an added bonus, never before has a Halloween project left me so excited for Christmas. The rest of our costumes was farmed from our own woodsy closets. Turns out it's pretty easy to find gnome clothes around here. Frighteningly easy. Here I've been thinking I'm at least a little stylish, but all along I've just been dressing like a Scandinavian folktale. You know? I'm really ok with that. Maybe I'll even pass it along to the next generation.

Cotumes, Finally - The Robot Edition

2011-11-11T20:31:00.000-08:00

I've been sitting on this post, hoping that the Grandparent Paparazzi would come through with some better full costume pics of the boys. No luck, though, so you'll have to use your imagination to fill in the blanks.Beckett wanted to be a robot, actually a space police robot, so I had the chance to make a classic hardware store costume. Dryer duct arms, metallic duct tape striping down his sweat pants, baking sheet panels in front and back and reflectors everywhere. Unfortunately all of that metallic, reflective robot-y goodness made for difficult photography, especially at night. Exhibit A:And exhibit B:Actually, despite the blur, I love the one above. Look at all that reflection!
Zion got a robot head too, made from a utility lamp, and a duct taped sweatshirt with knobs and planets and other spacebot effects. They looked great together. My awesome big boys. Stay tuned for part 2: The Gnome Edition coming soon.

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T16:41:00.000-07:00

My parent's yard looks fantastic and we're ready for the trick or treaters to come-a-knocking.My dad and I usually come up with something(s) new each year. Sometimes it's big, over the top scares and sometimes it's the small, details that creep out the older kids. This year my dad had the idea to have a bowl full of human teeth. Gross. I made them from translucent sculpy and bloodied them with red food coloring. We put them, in all their horrible grossness, on the tray of our antique high chair. It's officially the worst things we've ever done. They're just awful. Ew.I'll post our costumes in the next few days, but for now I'm off to enjoy some hot cider and snickers bars with my boys. Happy Halloween everyone!!!

Another Kind of Pumpkin Head

2011-10-29T11:21:00.000-07:00

I picked up this wonderful, handmade squash hat at the produce stand at Fall City Farms a few days. Isn't is darling? I couldn't help myself, it was too sweet. The knitter herself wasn't there, but her son was there helping us load pumpkins, pick out local honey sticks and selling us fresh pressed cider. The whole place - the donkeys and friendly cows, the pumpkin patch and sunflowers, and especially the friendly people and their hand knit goods were just charming. I think it's my favorite pumpkin patch experience to date.

Halloween Has Gone to Our Heads

2011-10-26T21:28:00.000-07:00

Sorry about that post title. Sometimes I can't help myself. Anyway, as you can see, Old Helen, for the first time has a head. I thought she'd be happy about it, but she seems more indignant than ever. Silly old girl. No sense of humor. Here's a bit more Halloween fun from Chez Brewer.
On the mantel.
And in the entryway.
Beckett's drawings have become so refined in the last 12 months. I love looking back at these from years past, remembering a younger version of my boy, and celebrating how he's grown. Blah, blah blah. Sorry for gushing, but it's a sweet life I lead.

Grim, Grinning Ghosts

2011-10-25T21:25:00.001-07:00

Last year at this time, B was really into ghosts. Actually "ghosties" have been his Halloween spook of choice for a few years. Spiders had a good run, and bats were in there too. This year, though, it's all about the haunted house. He's obsessed. We couldn't enter any retail space without him spying (and then begging for) some cheaply made (often badly designed) haunted house. I was tempted too, after all I'm a pretty big fan myself. Instead I told him (and told him... and told him again) that we'd make our own.
So we did. His dad was out for the evening, and his little brother was in bed, so I had my big boy all to myself. He got to work making ghosts, monsters and "mean faced pumpkins". I worked on the house itself, under his direction. He wanted tall, skinny windows downstairs, round windows upstairs and a rickety fence. And, of course, a door that actually opens. Done and done. I meant to make a quick, simple home for B's creatures, but I got sucked in. It's a great way to spend an evening, lemme tell ya. The house is black cardstock, cut with an x-acto. I used small amounts of black electrical tape too, to attach the rickety fence and the base. Then B attached the haunters-in-residence with scotch tape. I love this thing so much. I hope it holds up as well as his original Halloween masterworks from previous years which are all up in the apartment and have been since October 1st. Yeah, we're those people. But only for Halloween.
I'll post more of our decorations tomorrow. It's a lot you've all seen before, but dear Old Helen, who has been so sorely neglected by my utter lack of grown up lady-sewing, is sporting a new festive holiday look. I think you'll like it.

KCWC Day 4,5,6,7 and Beyond

2011-10-16T20:29:00.000-07:00

I know I warned that I had a busy few days at the end of this KCWC, but things got ridiculous. Spontaneous house guest, gastric upset baby, a sickly pooch, a pumpkin patch trip, zoo trip, multiple classroom work shifts at B's school, etc etc etc. It's been nuts. I kept plugging away at my sewing list and I squeezed in my one hour a day, but I'll admit to being less than stellar during said hour. But hell, I kept at it and I proud of that. B, on the other hand is completely over it - to the point where he's compelled to interfere with anything sewing related, even photo taking.In addition to the finished things I posted last week, I have 3 pairs of pants and 3 tee shirts that are in various states of completion. I also spent a few of my hours working on this one exciting idea, only to have it all fall apart on me. It's still on my mind. Even as I was working on the above mentioned unfinished cords and tees, I was half pondering the one that got away. Maybe I'll get back to it after Halloween.
I could have cranked out a lot more had I focused on things for Calder, but I was really pulled toward clothes for Becks. I can find commercially made, stylish, age appropriate bits of cuteness in Calder's size. I find loads of them, even when I'm not looking. But B is so tall that at the ripe old age of 4, he's really limited to what much older boys are into. It's just so lame to put my vibrant kid in heather gray and khaki every day. So this week was really about him.

All in all, I had a phenomenal time, KCWC got me off the couch and back into myself, I love the things I did complete, and I'm happy to say that my unfinished pile is motivation in itself. I haven't taken a full hour a day, but I also haven't retreated to the couch. Thank you all for your kind words here and on flickr! It means the world to be complemented by such talented folks! And HUGE thanks to Meg at elsiemarley for hosting KCWC again. It's the best. I can't wait til next time!

KCWC Day 3 - Woodland Loungewear

2011-10-12T16:33:00.000-07:00

... You know, for all the woodland lounging we do. I'm a little short on words tonight. Too much sewing to think in verbal terms? Maybe. Too much Twin Peaks on Netflix calling me away from the computer? Definitely. But even with my vocabulary failing me I can tell you that I'm crazy happy with today's sewing. I spent a few hours more than the requisite one today, knowing that the back half of my week is a little full. I wanted to make the boys some matching around the house clothes. Cute enough to be worn in public, but cozy enough to sleep in. I had this wonderfully soft brown and cream stripe cotton knit, green interlock knit and matching ribbing.
I made Jonesie legging pants, which are surprisingly hard to find in his size in quality fall/winter weight fabric. And I made him a 3/4 sleeve tee with a little toadstool pocket. I'm a fan. Stripes, mushrooms, what else do you need?
For Becks I toned down the woodsy-ness a little. He didn't complain, in fact he loves what I made and wants to wear it to school pronto. Though there were some side remarks about foxes or acorns, in lieu of mushrooms. We'll see, kiddo.
His pants are wide leg trouser sweats. Is that a thing? Trouser sweats? I'm pretty sure I could live in trouser sweats. I'm pretty sure B could too. The waist is cinched pretty tight. He's a long, but pretty lean guy these days. It makes for a funny shape in the photo, but these pants fit him really nicely. Too bad my kids are such awful models. I guess you'll just have to take my word for it.
Finally, B's shirt. It's a slim fitting long sleeve tee with ribbing cuffs. Nothing too fussy, but it's cute and comfy. It's edges are all finished with ribbing or hemming. The edges of Jonesie's tee are mostly just serged. All of these are made from my own, homemade patterns. Don't let that fool you, though. There's nothing tricky about making this kind of homemade pattern. Particularly when working with oh so forgiving knits, and when drafting for kids - they're essentially just rectangles with limbs.

Please head on over to the flickr group and check out what everyone else has been making. There are some incredible things. I'm coveting much of the fabrics used and the pattern following skills displayed. Man, there are some awesome patterns out there. I really need to get over that hurdle and join the party!

KCWC - Day 2

2011-10-11T15:27:00.000-07:00

I almost called this post Little Brother Meets a Viking because I recently (very recently) bought a Husqvarna Viking serger. It's not fancy, neither bells nor whistles, but it's a real, quality, used- but well maintained, serger of my very own. I'm still learning how to not feel like an idiot when I sit down in front of it, but we're getting along quite well. As happy as I am, my little Brother sewing machine seems thrilled to get down to some good old fashioned top stitching and hemming.

Those of you who know me know that I never let my lack of a serger stop me from working with knits or attempting any imagined projects. Neither should you! I've gotten along fine with a zig zag stitch, and I never would have made the serger investment had I not put in many hours discovering what kind of sewing I'm passionate about - and what specific benefits a serger would have for me. But it's here now, so I made my first attempts on these simple corduroy pants for Jonesie.
And some legging pajamas for B. Nothing fancy, but perfect for a long, dark, rainy evening like this one. I think that big empty brown shirt is begging for a little something. Maybe a screen printed monster? Both the jammies and the little pants are patterns of my own. Which means they are first traced from existing garments, then altered for lanky Brewer boy frames.These aren't exactly feats of creativity, but I feel good about them. They're classic and comfy, they fit the boys nicely and they were just the kind of easy first hurdle to build my confidence for the rest of the week. There's nothing quite like the camaraderie of KCWC, though, to get you going. It's the best.

KCWC - Day 1

2011-10-10T13:36:00.000-07:00

Happy Kid's Clothes Week Challenge everyone! You'd think that since I jumped the gun by a week (I was fully convinced that KCWC started last Monday) that I'd have gotten a head start. No dice. The flickr group is already filling up with amazing things, but all I have is washed, dried and folded piles of fabric. Mountains, really, and such wonderful mountains they are.My project list might be a bit ambitious, as evidenced by the magnitude of my fabric piles. I'm so excited though, so why not shoot for the moon?

Moomin Mail

2011-10-06T10:53:00.000-07:00

My cousins Annie, Erik and Kimberley in Norway are easily some of my favorite people. There are few people on this great earth that I'd rather spend time with and I miss them like crazy. I've been thinking (and talking) about them so much these past 2 weeks. I've been telling Beckett stories of when we were kids, and using some supplies that Kimberley gave me and just generally feeling so lucky to have them in the world. Sappy, I know, but I can't help myself.So yesterday, out of the blue came this package. It was from Annie, her husband and her 2 boys (who are the same age as mine!) and it was filled with Moomin goodies. It's so sweet and so well timed I can hardly stand it! It made my day, and the boys' too.

Hitting the Ground...er... Walking

2011-10-03T16:36:00.000-07:00

While I did do some pattern drafting and cutting today, piles of pencil smudged dot paper don't make for the most charming KCWC photos. So here's this, which counts for the "kid's clothes" bit - but is from last friday - so misses the "week challenge" bit.A couple Christmases back, I took an original Beckett drawing and screen printed it onto t- shirts. These shirts are still pretty popular 'round these parts, but B's drawing style has become so incredibly expressive - such character and imagination - that for Tall, Dark and Husbandy's birthday I figured it was time for a B sketch tee redux.I used the drawing fluid method to prepare the stencil. It's not the most sophisticated way to screen print, but it's fantastic for children's drawings. I printed 2 grown up sized sweatshirts, a kid sized t shirt and a baby long sleeved tee. Then my parent's caught wind and quickly tossed another few shirts into the mix. Preparing the stencil took about an hour,then I left it to dry overnight. The printing took 30 minutes or so. Perfect. Quick, simple, perfect.

***I'm an idiot. I totally thought KCWC started today. Oops! It's next week! I guess I got a little head start on my pattern making, huh?***

Hello Fall!

2011-09-27T08:05:00.000-07:00

Last Spring my rain boots tore in some secret place in the seam, creating a one way valve whereby water sloshed in with every step, yet never sloshed out again. Here I am, many months later still without a pair of boots. So yesterday, when Fall flipped a switch and breezy warm became deluge, I rolled up to preschool in a rain coat and my saltwater sandals. Pathetic.

I had been saying to Tall, Dark and Husbandy that duck shoes might suit my purposes better, but where to find them for less than $80? So, while I stood at preschool in my saltwaters, in walked the new, fashionable mom at school sporting duck shoes. She said Marshall's. So to Marshall's I went. They're Sperry Top-sider brand, awesomely comfortable, and were on sale for $25. If you're looking for duck shoes - hit up Marshall'sSince Fall seems here in earnest we've been listening to a lot of this. An homage of sorts, I guess. Thanks for the great Summer, sunshine. Now onto leaves and sweaters, cinnamon and acorns. And, of course, Halloween!

Gnome Sweet Gnome

2011-09-20T10:02:00.000-07:00

Preschool started yesterday. I've been looking forward to settling into a cozier Fall routine, to earlier bedtimes, and indoor play. And of course I've been looking forward to the preschool hours off. Time for work and reading and sewing, and even posting a few completed projects that I haven't shared with you all yet. Well, yesterday was the big day, so here's one of those yet unposted works.It's a gnome hat! Sorry for the lame picture quality, but even blurry this was way cuter than any photo of Old Helen (or old me - even without a head Helen is a better hat model than I am! Ha!)

I made it from this great pattern, available for sale on Ravelry. I made in a weekend, but a faster (and less distracted) knitter could probably bust one out in a few hours. This is an adult size, but the shape of it is very open and it seems to essentially fit all 4 of us Brewers. I think I'll cast on fewer stitches to (maybe 4 fewer?) to make one for B. He says he doesn't want one though.

He wants this, and I don't blame him. But this gnome hat was so quick and fun to make, and so full of whimsy that he may get one whether he wants it or not. I'm thinking stripes. Maybe with a big button instead of ties? Maybe he'd be down if there were a knit mustache involved. Hmmm... not a bad idea...

Get Up and Go

2011-09-14T22:42:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! What a crazy few weeks we've had. I've stumbled my way through a series of crises and I'm sorry to say that my mind has been just about everywhere but here. But this afternoon, after a wonderful morning at the Northwest Trek Wildlife Park, I checked in over at elsiemarley and found this:Ah! I can't think of anything better to get me back into my old worker bee self than Kids' Clothes Week Challenge! I'm thrilled. It doesn't hurt that Beckett will be back in school by then, that Calder has started napping (mostly) regularly and that I'm finally feeling something like "at home" in our apartment. It's been a crazy Summer, but I've always loved Fall best anyway.

Huge thanks to Meg of elsiemarley for hosting KCWC. Click on over there and check it out!

Post Ocean Blues

2011-08-22T08:35:00.000-07:00

I came back from the ocean feeling a little brainless. Like if you held your ear up to my empty head you'd hear the sea? We just had the best time and I can't get myself back to landlubbing norm. Kites and sand dollars, dune grass adventures and driftwood hideouts are on my mind. And the waves. I swear standing knee deep in crashing waves is the best possible power source for my human battery. But more than any of this, I loved having my family (particularly that handsome, hard working guy I married a few years back) all to myself for a few days.
I could have stayed for a year. But we're home and I'm feeling bratty about sharing my boys with the world at large. I'm really not complaining. There are worse things than discovering that you rather enjoy your family! But as I said, I am feeling brainless and distracted, like some part of me is still beachcombing.

Off to the Beach

2011-08-11T01:14:00.000-07:00

We're heading out to the ocean for a few days. So if you'll be on the Washington coast this weekend, watch for sand Grokes!

Be back next week, folks.

Stitchless Summer

2011-08-08T08:27:00.000-07:00

My grandma always said that Summer was not for sewing. I thought she was crazy. With all that extra daylight there should be plenty of time for playing outdoors and sewing indoors, right? Yet here I am, run ragged from outings and adventures with nary a stitch to show for it.Our house is slowly coming together. Slowly. We're all sunkissed and bruised from swimming and climbing trees and playing at beaches and parks and exploring various shores. We've ridden ferries, seen dinosaurs, watched air shows and hydroplane races, but no sewing. I feel like I blinked and July was gone. To be fair, I am 4000+ pages into George R R Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series, so I've obviously found a few minutes to myself here and there. But my fabric piles, all washed and pressed, all summery and stripey and filled with boy picked prints, have sat for months.Wah wah. I'm not really complaining. How could I? My life is filled with wonder. It's just that sometimes it doesn't feel like my own. But if I have to live someone else's life for a few years who better than my two imaginative, playful boys?

Seedy

2011-08-02T08:45:00.000-07:00

I'm a little obsessed with vintage seed packets right now. I know I mentioned them before, but since then I've bought this book. Amazing. It's so inspiring just to look through, and the jpeg and TIFF files are nice, high quality images. My first little project was to print off a few small images onto adhesive paper and stick them onto canisters and jars etc in my work area. I love having all of my supplies organized in an inspiring way. Small space living makes it kind of a necessity. I need my supplies to be ready to go for when I find a minute to myself, but for the other 23 3/4 hours in a day it all has to look like part of the dining room. So a little charm goes a long way.There are some etsy vendors who sell digital downloads of similar images for a dollar or two, if you'd rather not buy the whole book (which is only $15 on amazon right now.) And there are free versions floating around the interwebs, perfect for smaller scale, but maybe not the best for enlarging.

OH! And I'm a big fan amazon's free shipping? It says 5-8 days, but my order got to me in 48 hours! Such a pleasant surprise.

Gooseneck Goodness

2011-07-27T09:05:00.000-07:00

I fell in love with a gooseneck lamp at an antique store the other week. It had a gorgeous Art Deco pressed base and an overall vintage industrial look. Can a lamp be sexy? This lamp was sexy. But it was also expensive. So I perused etsy and the like, hoping to find a better deal, but with shipping costs the prices were still prohibitive.Yesterday we found ourselves across town at rush hour, so we ducked into Goodwill to wait out the traffic. And there she was - my lamp - in better shape than at the antique store and at a fraction of the price. I'm such a happy camper (happy lamper?!)

There are some great reproduction Edison bulbs on etsy that I've had my eye on for a while. Like this one. My new lamp might be just the excuse I've been waiting for.

Nasturtiums

2011-07-25T09:08:00.000-07:00

I love nasturtiums. They're bee friendly, their foliage looks like landlubbing lilypads, and they remind me of my great grandmother who often put them in her salads. But this year, after my brash decision to garden in the least fertile section of my parents' yard, I now also love nasturtiums for their ability to thrive in the worst of soils. Mine are gorgeous and wild and otherwise my garden would be a sad, spindly thing.This big old nasturtium love fest has inspired me. After all, I love nasturtiums as design elements too. And with an internet full of marvelous vintage seed packet images, like the one above, and the few actual vintage packets I've picked up at antique stores, it's easy to let my imagination run wild. Jewelry? Pillows? Posters? Yes, please. And then some.

The State of Affairs

2011-07-21T15:11:00.001-07:00

I was working on a little paper project this morning, and thought I'd take a snapshot of the chaos I'd created on the dining room table. I hope no one was planning on eating today.

Modern Victorian? Victorian Modern? Oxy Moron?

2011-07-18T10:05:00.000-07:00

Way back before we moved I knew I wanted red, ivory and gray in the living room. I'd been scheming a graphic birds and floral theme. Lots of cut paper etc. But when the time came I wanted this room to reflect the whole family, our bent toward the vintage, our love of machinery and, of course, the overwhelming boy factor. I'm outnumbered 3 to 1, so my birds made way for mustaches and penny farthings.It pretty much all started with these wonderful reproduction Tadcaster Museum masks that we had from Beckett's birthday party. I can't find them online, but they were about $5 at our local costume store. The frames were from Michael's, also about $5. The proportions on that wall aren't quite right, I know. Too much negative space, but I love the start. Now I just need throw pillows, lamps, more wall art, shelves, a fireplace cover... you get the idea... its a work in progress.Fixing up our apartment has moved at a snail's pace. Maybe even slower than my sewing, if you can believe it. I've spent the beginnings of Summer getting these boys out for adventures, zoo trips and park trips, ferry boat rides, days at the beach and playdates. It's been great for all of us, as long as I ignore the accumulating layer of dust on my sewing machine, and the half-assed state of our home. Every time frustration and self loathing set in, I pack up and run for the nearest children's museum! Ha!

Sir Beckett the Brave

2011-07-13T10:32:00.001-07:00

What a crazy start to Summer I've had. But I finally managed to carve out a little time for myself. I read a book, an actual adult book, started a second and I made knightly costumes for our family. We joined Beckett's preschool and participated in the local summer festival parade which had a Renaissance Faire theme.He wanted to be a knight, and of course he wanted a fox to be his coat of arms. The tunic is made from corduroy, trimmed with gold bias tape (did you know they sell gold pre-packaged bias tape? I didn't.) The fox is felt and the moon and stars are gold pleather. Never in my life did I think I'd have occasion to buy gold pleather. Ha!The costume shop had no good knight's helmets, but they had silver construction hard hats. I bought 2 of them, cut the front half of the brim off of one, and used the other to cut out the visor. It's attached with brads, so B can flip it up and down. The feather was an afterthought, and an 11th hour errand, but it was just what the helmet needed to take away that last bit of hard-hat-ness.At almost 2am, the night (morning) before the parade, I had a sudden impulse to make him a noble steed. I attacked a box with some scissors, pulled out my felt stash and burned through many sticks of hot glue. Turns out, "Mony the Pony" (as he's now called) was the biggest hit. B loves this guy, lots of other kids looked at him enviously and a few parents asked which booth we had bought him from.
I made us parents simple costumes too, and even the baby had a little tunic, but I didn't get many pictures of them. Besides, ours were cobbled together with hot glue and not enough time, while Beckett's was legitimately sewn and finished. Either way we had a great time squiring for our noble knight.

Happy Fourth!

2011-07-04T14:46:00.000-07:00

Happy Independence Day! Nothing feels quite as American to me as a good old fashioned Iron Horse. So even though we technically took this historic train ride yesterday, on July 3rd, it still felt like an all American way to celebrate. Today we enjoyed our local community parade and heritage festival. Sack races and butter churns, a brass ensemble band and loads of red, white and blue. It was absolutely charming and very old fashioned. Here's hoping your Fourth is fun and bright and charming too!

BTW I was the only adult on the train in an engineer's cap. Let alone overalls and neckerchief. I'm becoming my dad, and my kids couldn't be happier. For now. We'll see how they feel when I show up to their middle school events in costume. HA!

Calder's First Birthday!

2011-06-27T10:30:00.001-07:00

Somehow, and without asking my permission (the nerve!) my baby turned 1 on Saturday. We had a family party for him, complete with balloons, balls and robots. I had a lot of help from a certain 4 year old co-host, which made the party that much sweeter, boyish and more lively. He even made custom original robot cups and tablecloths.We spent the bulk of the weekend playing and snuggling and celebrating our little Calder. So, basically it was like every other weekend, but with cupcakes and a heaping dose of nostalgia!It's been a busy few (or many) weeks. Crazy busy. I feel like we've been flying at warp speed since our Oregon trip. And it's not slowing down yet. My husband is in Philadelphia this week so the boys and I are flying solo at warp speed. But life is good. My boys are best friends, and great company for me. There isn't much "me" time, if any, but I'm trying to enjoy this incredible time. I doubt very much that on Calder's 18th birthday I'll be wishing I'd spent less time with him when he was young!

The Fairy Garden

2011-06-15T12:19:00.000-07:00

The fairy garden or miniature garden is complete! It's installed in a defunct seedling box over at my parents' house. It's so sweet, a whole world I could happily get lost in for a few hours.

I'm so glad I took the time to make all the little mushroom picks and little birds. They add so much whimsy to the landscape, which is planted with lobelia and marigolds and sweet peas. I can't wait to watch how it matures over the Summer.

I also added a moss "lawn" and moss around the potting bench and gazebo and cobblestone pathways connecting them all. They add a nice contrast to the natural wildness of the plants. It makes it seem like some tiny person has landscaped this garden - not just like some grown woman put a bunch of doll furniture in a planter box. Ha!

Mostly, for me, it's all about the details. I loved painting and arranging all of the tiny flower pots. I loved adding the wee bundt cake under the bell jar - like some miniature tea party is imminent. I love having the scale gardening tools strewn about, like they've been recently used. It'll be so fun to tend to this world, and see how the plants grow and how the other bits are weathered. Maybe I'll even add to it if I find the right things. I do think a pond would be lovely!

Fairy Garden Potting Bench

2011-06-13T10:26:00.000-07:00

We had a gray, wet morning here, the kids were mellow and we had nowhere to be, so I hung out in my pajamas and did some indoor work on the fairy garden.Michael's Crafts had miniature flowerpots ($2), a simple gazebo ($3) (intended as a birdfeeder?) and a miniature cabinet ($1), all in unfinished wood. They've been painted and varnished and the pots have been glued in place. I also found miniature chalkboards at Michael's. I used colored pencils to write on it, then used spray varnish to hopefully protect it a bit from the weather. No guarantees on this one, but I'll let you know if it works or is a stunning failure. Either way it's cute in the short term, and the colored pencils look just like chalk, but with more control for such a small scale.I got these great gardening tools, miniature bell jars and the white patio set from the last post from this charming garden shop in Burbank. Maybe your local nursery gift shop has something similar? And certainly etsy is a treasure trove for things like this.Lastly, this morning I pulled out some white polymer clay. I made some toadstools for the landscape, then a few birds, and finally an owl for a sort of finial or weathervane or something to top the gazebo. The gazebo needs help, but I'm a little stumped. Does it need shingles on the roof? Flooring? Any ideas would be much appreciated!At any rate, this project has been so fun. I love losing myself in miniature worlds. But who doesn't, right?

Working Hard or Hardly Working?

2011-06-09T17:54:00.001-07:00

We're home from Burbank and I've been spending every spare moment digging in the dirt.
I've been tasked with dressing up the oh so unsightly back fence area at my parents' house for an upcoming event.
Not a small challenge, but a welcome one. I miss my rooftop garden desperately as you can imagine. I've mixed in some containers with the flower beds. Plus windows and birdhouses and other bits and baubles.
This is just a little taste, I'll post again when there's less dirt showing. But you get the idea.
And here's a sneak peek of my extra little project. A miniature garden or fairy garden!

Hello from California!

2011-05-31T23:41:00.001-07:00

Hi all! We're spending the week in Southern California with my sister and her family. We're enjoying the sun and succulents after our endless Seattle winter. And spending lovely time with the brand new baby in the family!

I don't think I'll post again until I get home, so have a great week and I'll catch you soon!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

To Market, To Market

2011-05-25T17:11:00.001-07:00

I spent a rainy Wednesday at the Pike Place Market. Fresh produce and meats, local honey and delicious dried fruits. And to top it all off, we picked up this dark chocolate pasta.

I've only tasted it dry, but it was promising to say the least. With whipped cream and strawberries? Or ice cream? Yum.

*Update* Chocolate pasta is a lot better in theory. However, the berries and ice cream that went on top were plenty delicious. So, not a total loss.

KCWC Robot Hoodie

2011-05-16T15:07:00.000-07:00

I'm having a hard time writing this post. Brain. Not. Working. KCWC has kicked my arse. It was like project bootcamp and, let's face it, I've gotten pretty project flabby lately. But, though I'm a little worse for wear, I'm also feeling creative and productive and generally like my old self again. Anyway, here's something I squeezed into the closing hours of KCWC.
I've literally been daydreaming about this hoodie for months. Better late than never, right? I used red and yellow thread and the last of my favorite Japanese acrylic (washable!) felt. It's thinner than your standard craft felt, yet stronger, richer and more opaque. It's my secret weapon, if I find out where to get more I'll let you all know!B and I really collaborated on this. Not only did he sit at his usual sewing machine pedal pushing perch, but he helped cut felt pieces, make color choices and layout decisions. When it was finished he had his own sense of pride and ownership. He loves it more than I could have hoped for, and therefore so do I! But I just might love the robot dance he spontaneously broke into when he first put it on even more.

KCWC Highway Highwaters

2011-05-14T15:09:00.000-07:00

Hey, I made more pants! These have pockets and trim and top stitching and all sorts of goodies. Maybe this means I'm officially on a roll? They're made from soft, lightweight corduroy with printed cotton pockets and trim. As usual I used ribbing at the waist, this time with elastic encased within. And as usual I didn't use a pattern.I adore these. I love the bright colorful vehicles print, and the way it looks against the neutral gray. I love the length, just short enough to show off Calder's delicious chubby ankles. Beckett wants a pair, and rightfully so, but I'm trying to work through my project pile before heading back to the fabric store. How typical that I reach my stride with only a day left of KCWC? I hope to keep up the momentum, but maybe on some big people clothes. Maybe we can have a Mom Clothes Week Challenge next?

KCWC Baby Bottoms

2011-05-13T21:00:00.000-07:00

I've been having a hell of a time making this one hour a day business turn out any results. I have a stack of washed, ironed and cut pieces ready to go, but it's been a struggle to find 2 minutes put together to sit down at the sewing machine. But I really pushed myself today and have 2 things to show for it - both experimental - and now I don't feel like quite such a KCWC flunky.I've seen these high waisted baby leggings around, so why not try a pair myself? Well, I don't know if it's the stripes, the colors, or the little strong man muscles on the Jonesers, but he totally looks like a depression era circus performer, right? Which I'm really ok with.Lining up the stripes was pretty fussy, but I'm glad I took the time. I traced an existing pair of leggings to make up the pattern. The fabric is a lightweight cotton sweater knit, with orange ribbed knit trim.My second experiment was using ribbed knit as edging on a woven cotton. I used this DARLING whale print cotton. Made up a pattern, loosely based on an existing pair of pants, then used yellow ribbed knit round the legs and to form a waist band. I wish I had encased elastic inside the waistband - sheer laziness on my part- as it would have given it added stability, but the ribbing is pretty effective. I'm so happy with these shorts. This is why we do it right? The act of sewing itself is so thrilling to me, but so is having created something one of a kind. No retailer carries the kind of whimsy I've seen in the KCWC flickr group. It's well worth checking out, even if you're not into sewing.

KCWC Big Kid Cut-Off Shorts

2011-05-10T23:50:00.000-07:00

It's official, B is a big kid - over the course of the past few months he's worn holes into the knees of three pairs of pants. Three! I love it. And as it's KCWC, I thought I'd pull out these much abused pants, cut them short and add trim. After some vigorous quality control testing, the client has given his approval. Which is good, considering we have 2 more pairs of torn pants to tend to.
KCWC Lesson #1 - it's much easier to be prolific with a 3 month old baby than with a teething 10 month old. I'm struggling to get in the requisite 1 hour a day. I guess that's why it's called a challenge. I should have known last time was too easy!

Home Again, Home Again

2011-05-09T09:46:00.000-07:00

I'm just resettling into home after spending almost a week on the Oregon coast. I had loads to post, lighthouses and sand castles, salt water taffy and rowdy sea lions, but we had no internet connection. I hope you'll oblige me sneaking a few vacation pics in with my Kids Clothes Week posts (it's here! Yay!!!) We had a beautiful trip, filled with all kinds of Springy inspiration and I'm so excited to translate that into KCWC beach clothing for the boys, but this morning we're just a little tired.Thanks again to Meg for hosting the KCWC, and to all of you sewing along! Isn't it wonderful to be a part of such a lively, creative group? It's a bit electric. Even if you're not sewing along, check out the flickr group, it's already filling up with brilliance. Away we go!

A Little KCWC Shopping

2011-05-02T00:02:00.000-07:00

Isn't it amazing how accessible well designed textiles have become? Just a few short years ago I had to scour online fabric import shops (often paying shipping from Japan or the UK) to find charming children's prints. And even then the selection of unisex or boyish prints was pretty slim. But just look at the prints I picked up this weekend. Moda, Kokka, Alexander Henry all available at my local fabric shop. Yay! I can't wait til next week!

The Battle for Middle Ear

2011-04-27T16:58:00.000-07:00

What a week. After a full 7 days of head and chest colds, a raging fever and general misery, I woke up Easter morning with an earache. Seriously?!? I didn't even know adults got ear infections. They're awful! So I missed out on all the egg hunting and marshmallowey, chocolatey goodness and spent Sunday in an urgent care clinic. Lame. I'm happy to report I'm on the (slow) mend. But it's been a whole lot of comfort food and Doctor Who around here.

I miss you all. I still haven't found a comfortable groove in our new surroundings that allows for much time to myself. If any. It's getting old. But the weather is shifting and the days are lengthening. How can I be anything but optimistic?

Ancestry

2011-04-20T20:38:00.000-07:00

Hi friends! You know I'm one for losing myself in a hobby. There's little I cherish more than being so involved in something (a book, a project, a subject, a song) that I feel compelled by it. Lately, even when I've intended to sit down and blog, I just get pulled into my latest frenzy - online genealogical research.

So far I haven't signed up for ancestry.com or the like, nor have I visited any archives (you know, in all my free time) to see any evidence first hand, but the internet IS AMAZING. Apparently I have some very adept and dogged researchers for cousins, distant though they may be, who have constructed long family trees and posted them online.

The details are not yet verified to my satisfaction. But what a fun ride I've been on. I HIGHLY recommend it. My whole life I've identified with my relatives who immigrated directly to the Seattle area post 1900, and here I may have discovered ancestors living in Massachusetts in the 1690s!!! They had epic colonial names like Mercy, Zedekiah and Remembrance, and get this... they were weavers!

Like I said, I'm not 100% positive that these records properly link all the way to me, but the threads are there. It's fascinating, to say the least.

Kids Clothes Week Challenge!

2011-04-15T08:17:00.000-07:00

"It's one week (I'm sure you figured that out) where we commit to sew one hour a day for 7 days. Sewing clothes, of course, for our kids! Or other people's kids, but not your inner child and absolutely not your canine child." -Meg

Meg over at Elsie Marley is hosting the Kids Clothes Week Challenge again!!! It's the Spring edition, this go around. I loved participating last fall. While I don't count on being quite as prolific, at least I hope to get my sewing machine plugged in, for crying out loud. Besides, my little urchins could really use some Spring duds.

Unlikely Source for Decor Items

2011-04-13T15:43:00.000-07:00

The trend of littering craft and fabric stores with garbage $2 made in China toys is no doubt as obnoxious to you as it is to me. It's a cruel trick, and I'd imagine a profitable one. But I do love a good mother son project, so occasionally we'll pick up these little wooden puzzles/ models. B, of course, is partial to the old fashioned vehicles.As it turns out, they're pretty cute, especially with a coat of red paint. I've been trying to incorporate more boyness into our common living spaces (after all, I'm the only girl here) and this little red biplane started a whole vintage machinery kick in the living room. More on that later. For now we have this excellent roadster puzzle to put together.

Inspirado

2011-04-11T09:11:00.000-07:00

I Stumbled upon this while searching for Moomin goodies for the boys' room. It's created by a Russian designer, Maria Yasko. It's incredible! Of course now B wants something similar. Hmmm... gears turning...

The Brother Room WIP

2011-04-10T18:38:00.001-07:00

I wanted to post a few pictures of the Boys' room, which B calls "the brother room." Keep in mind this is nowhere near finished - the baby needs a mobile, the walls need art, the crib needs cuter bedding and I'm dreaming of a mural on the closet doors - but it's come so far that it's worth posting.Beckett has been my partner in crime in this. He's picked out his own bedding and storage bins. He decided where certain things should be placed or hung. He takes a lot of pride and ownership in his room. Poor Jonesie doesn't get much say in such matters, but he doesn't seem to mind.
I know it's absurd to think of this room, with its bright flags and stripes and kites, as a blank canvas, but that's how it feels. The walls are painted and the basic color scheme is set and now it's time for me to add more personal touches. It's a bit of an Ikea showroom right now. Don't get me wrong, I love it so far and so does B, but it needs more us.Like I said, it's work in progress, but the fact that I couldn't even take 5 minutes to snap these photos without the brothers feeling the urge to play is, in my humble opinion, a sign of success.

WPA Posters

2011-04-06T08:07:00.000-07:00

If I've posted this before, I apologize, but it's just too cool. The Library of Congress has a huge digital collection of WPA era posters online. They're all available for free download. So many wonderful images!

In other news, I'm feeling like my dry spell is coming to an end. I bought some new fabric and my pile of thrift store findings is ever growing. I still don't have a place to work, and all of my supplies are in boxes, but I'm optimistic. First though I'd like to post the boy's room. It's not done, but I'm not sure it'll ever be. You know how that goes.

"We'll Eat You Up. We Love You So!"

2011-03-31T11:07:00.001-07:00

Has anyone else out there discovered the treasure trove of $1 Wild Things goodies currently at Target?!? Good grief. Just when I've vowed to cut back on the amount of stuff we accumulate, Target draws be back into the consumer fray. But how could I resist? You know how we love the Wild Things around here.

Ferry Tales

2011-03-28T09:29:00.000-07:00

We spent the weekend with good friends up on Whidbey Island. Exploring the woods, charming waterfront towns and saltwater driftwood beaches. Perfect. So perfect that I largely forgot to take pictures. Except on the ferry. It always feels extra vacation-y when there's a ferry involved.The view from the back of the boat was lovely
but the front decks were a touch windy.

Rain Checks and Silver Linings

2011-03-24T16:21:00.000-07:00

Today I had plans for an adventure into new antiquing territory with a good friend, but the baby woke up this morning with a runny nose and a foul temperament. So disappointing. And typical. I was really looking forward to this trip and, as tomorrow is my birthday, I was hoping to treat myself to some new wonders and curiosities.

In an attempt to salvage the day, I took a half an hour while B was in school, left the little sicky with my dad and hit up the local thrift store. I swear the birthday fairy stopped in just ahead of me. Amazing vintage Dexter boots in my size! An antique Underwood typewriter that I've been been longing (and casing Craigslist) for and a lovely and unique armchair that is perfect for my living room. It's exactly what I've been looking for. There was also a darling side table included in my haul - not pictured due to its current horrible day-glo orange paint job. Oh! and a sweater. It was a pretty epic 30 minutes.
So now, even though the baby has been inconsolable all afternoon, and I'm largely covered in mucus, I feel a touch stylish nursing in my antique chair. Thanks retail... er... thrift therapy!

"I Feel Like There's Glass Between Us!"

2011-03-23T16:31:00.000-07:00

It's a rough life, Little Brother.

Co-op Crowns

2011-03-21T21:10:00.000-07:00

Whoever said that glitter is the herpes of the craft world was a genius. And quite possibly a co-op parent. My first official out of class assignment for Beckett's new co-op preschool was to make and decorate 10 birthday crowns. B helped or, more accurately, did most of the work. But the result, apart from the obvious whimsical masterpieces, is that there's glitter everywhere. Tiny bits of sparkle on my hands, my couch, my floor, my dog?!? Ridiculous.

But apart from the raging glitter outbreak in our home, I'm absolutely loving being a part of a co-op preschool. I love the community and sense of responsibility. I love having a hands on role in my child's education, and I love that the parent education side of it is slanted toward the very latest research into brain development etc. It's all around a very positive experience. So while I still very much miss Teacher Tina and our friends up North, I'm happy with our choice.

Fresh Cuts

2011-03-16T16:23:00.000-07:00

I know I haven't been a "gardener" for very long, but it never really feels like March til I've cut my first ranunculus. This year they're sharing a container with these lovely purple anemones. I only have a small deck now, a fraction of the size of my old rooftop, but even just a few containers go a long way to making this place feel like home.

Saddle Up! Saddle Shoes with Ribbon Shoelaces

2011-03-09T16:33:00.001-08:00

Remember last year Spring when I happily got some saltwater sandals straight out of my childhood? Well, enter thrift score #1 - saddle shoes - also straight out of my childhood. I'm generally not one to buy second hand shoes, but I couldn't walk away without these.However, as much as I immediately fell for these, there was something missing. Without the over the top patent leather detailing of other, fancier wingtips they lack the proper whimsy to make them seem fashionable. You know? So I added these ribbon shoelaces and it seemed to do the trick.Pretty obvious, I know, but it made a big difference. These are darling with my jeans or leggings - though I do have visions of poodle skirts in my future. Must... resist... the poodle...

Thrift Therapy

2011-03-07T10:16:00.000-08:00

Before the move, Beckett was going to school 3 times a week, 3 hours a day, less than a mile from our house. His new school, fantastic as it is, is only twice a week, 2 hours a day, and it's 15 miles from home. It's been tough. I don't even bother to trek home, let alone delve into any projects. Instead I've been spending my time at the local (excellent) thrift store. Dangerous and awesome. I'm hoping to do some alterations/ refashions to share with you all while I set up the new apartment for full blown sewing. I just have to carve out the time!

Two Great Vintage Patterns

2011-02-28T13:05:00.000-08:00

Hi all. While adjusting to the new surroundings has been less bumpy than anticipated, I've found it almost impossible to get any time to myself. I miss my sewing machine! I thought by now we'd be up to our old tricks, partners in crime once again. No such luck. But that hasn't stopped me from stealing a minute here and there to seek out online inspirado.
Recently I found these two awesome vintage wrap patterns. Simple construction, elegant result and style versatility. Who could ask for anything more? If you and your sewing machine are currently thick as theives maybe give one a try. I'd love to see one finished and on a real contemporary person. Get them here and here.

Ilsa's Alpine Adventure

2011-02-21T13:15:00.000-08:00

For someone who's spent most of her life (childhood and adulthood alike) dressed like some vintage Dale of Norway advert, it's pretty astounding that I've never set foot on a ski slope. Never. I love snow, I love mountains, but life and kids and cost prohibitive lift tickets make it extra daunting for an adult beginner. Yesterday my husband sprung me from my tower of housework (why does moving generate so much laundry?!?) and we took a drive to the mountains. No winter sports, as such, but we had snowball fights, built a snowman and had hot cocoa at the lodge. Take that doldrums! AND it had the added bonus of giving two of our recently thrifted sweaters picture perfect Nordic backgrounds. Next winter I'll get on a chairlift. I'd love to try it out, especially if Beckett and I can learn together. But for now it was worth the 30 minute drive just to get out of the house, spend a little time with my boys and to validate my recent thrift therapy sessions.This tall drink of water can take me home any time he likes. Though he says I should expect an official take-down notice for having posted his image on my blog. Ha!

Post-Valentine Romantic Tutorial Roundup

2011-02-16T12:12:00.000-08:00

Every year I get swept up in the paper and felt cuteness of Valentine's Day. Especially now that I have kids, I'm all about red hearts, pink treats and home made cards for grandparents (see above). Invariably, though, a few days later I'm hit with a wave of regret for having let an opportunity for a little romance slip by. So, I gathered a few tutorials filled with ruffles and lace and diaphanous materials, because isn't romance even more delightful when it's not calendar sanctioned?

Doily Drink Parasols from papermash

The Madeleine Mini Bloomers from Colette Patterns

Upcycled Ruffle Shirt from Tea Rose Home

The Layer Cake Crinoline from Gertie's New Blog for Better Sewing

Vintage Lace Necklace from Grosgrain

Enjoy!

Happy Valentine's Day

2011-02-13T11:39:00.000-08:00

Mexican Folk Art Bathroom

2011-02-10T15:10:00.000-08:00

Serendipity strikes at will. I have a small but growing collection of Mexican folk art that I've used as bathroom decor for years. It all started with a single coconut mask given to me by one of my favorite families, who also keep their coconut masks and dolls in the bathroom. Following suit just seemed like the thing to do. Fast forward to now, a new place with all kinds of very grown up tan walls. While we do have the freedom to paint, the bathroom is not a priority. So up went the bright and strange coconut masks, the muertos and sugar skulls.
And the coolest thing happened. This oh-so-neutral tan, which would have been swapped out for a lime or sage or marigold if I had a few hours and a large pot of coffee, ended up looking really nice. It made my funky stuff look like a grown up's folk art collection. Even as toilet decor, it looks kinda fancy. I love it.
Having lived in a white-walled rental for so long, we used all kinds of bright, colorful things to brighten up our space. Bright red couch, jalapeno green dresser, etc. The great irony is that now that I can paint the walls most colors would look ridiculous with our belongings. Suddenly neutral walls are my best friends. Or maybe I'm just becoming a grown up. Maybe.

Getting Settled

2011-02-07T08:10:00.000-08:00

Slow and steady, right? I had hoped that within a week we'd be well settled in an aesthetically pleasing home. A place for everything and everything in its place, or the like. NOT the case. I'll be lucky if we're all unpacked within a month. Not only is there still a giant box mound in our dining area, but now the laundry has piled up in, on and around it. Good grief.

Certain things are unpacked- our kitchen is fully functional, for example - and I keep chipping away at the piles, daydreaming of my upcoming Ikea trip. It's going to be glorious, my friends. Glorious.

Bellingham Preschool of the Arts

2011-02-01T16:21:00.000-08:00

"It's the best one and I DON'T WANT TO LEAVE IT. That's what you should write on the computer" -Beckett, when asked what I should say about his school.Our life in Bellingham is a lot to say goodbye to. We have amazing friends, favorite walks, restaurants and shops and bakeries that I'll miss and each is irreplaceable in its own way, but the one thing I'm the most reluctant (and the most emotional) to leave is the Bellingham Preschool of the Arts. I wish I could pack up the whole place with everyone in it and move them all with us. Especially after interviewing with many lackluster schools near our new home.

Teacher Tina is phenomenal. Almost supernatural with her abilities with children. She's that rare person who is passionate about both individual children and about early childhood education in general. She continues to learn and research and refine her own techniques and strives to create the best possible environment for growth. I just can't say enough about her and the program she's creating at BPOTA.She emanates calm and joy, has seemingly endless patience and a vibrant sense of humor. She has this wonderful way of emphasizing kindness and gentleness without demonizing occasional playful wildness. And she supports the unique quirks of each child. I would know, my kid has a lot of them.

For example, for Beckett's birthday celebration at school he said he wasn't into making a crown (the norm for the birthday kids.) So she had me work with him at home on his own special birthday hat and made it "Funny Hat Day" at school. All the kids made crowns and hats, Tina wore her own silly hat and she brought in books, songs and dances, all related to hats. She came up with the whole idea and threw it together in just a few hours. My boy felt special without feeling singled out and his 1st ever class birthday was hugely memorable. In fact it'll be pretty tough to beat.

The program emphasizes the Arts, which just means that in addition to circle time, books, playtime, puzzles and manipulatives, there's always access to a variety of art supplies as well as directed art projects and a special weekly music class. Teacher Johanna is the assistant teacher and she brings her vast knowledge as a working artist, art teacher and mother to the mix. She also speaks Spanish with the kids and has an infectious enthusiasm for visual art and expression. She's a little more fiery than Teacher Tina, and they make a great team.My only original hesitation about the school was the space. It's in an old downtown building with big windows and daylight galore, but it has no outdoor recreational area. This was a concern of mine when we first signed up, but I've hardly thought of it since. They've opened up the BAAY theater space for large motor activities for the preschoolers with trikes and slides etc. The class takes walks and has field trips to local businesses and honestly I haven't given the lack of a play yard a single thought since September.I'm happy to hear that BPOTA is expanding their program for the next academic year. I wish so much that we could be a part of it. It's been an overwhelmingly positive experience for our family and I am so grateful for our time there. Thanks to everyone for making my cautious, sensitive child's first school experience so lovely. I wish everyone the best! We will miss you!!!

On the Move

2011-01-31T18:22:00.001-08:00

Hi folks! The moving truck has come and gone, leaving a mountain of stuff in its wake. I came back to Bellingham for a last hurrah, only to have my car break down up here. So I'm a little busy, and a lot scattered. I can't wait to get going on my home decor projects and to share them with you. Plus any other fun things I come across or make, but it may be slow going here for a while. I promise to be back in full form in a few weeks.

Thanks for reading mothandsparrow, you motivate me more than you can know!

Gray is the New White - Overdyeing Heather Grey

2011-01-26T10:19:00.001-08:00

I'm up to my eyeballs in packing boxes and all I can think about is sewing. What's that about?!? My sewing machine is 100 miles away, and who knows when it'll be up and running again, but I just want to make myself new duds. New year+ new home + new town = new duds, right? Well, in the midst of packing and hauling, organizing and planning, I snuck in a little consolation dyeing.A few days ago I dyed a pair of gray leggings. Down and dirty, quick and easy, but I made a discovery. Overdyeing heather gray is amazing. It makes the color both rich and muted in a really cool way. Fortunately, the Target clearance racks are currently littered with heather gray- leggings for $4, sweaters for $4.50, etc. I picked up a few items and a couple of hours later I have new mid-winter clothes and a general feeling of satisfaction. Not too shabby, eh?

Check out these humble beginnings.And look at how rich and textural the heather looks afterwords!I know for some people dyeing can seem like an insurmountable ordeal, but it's really quite simple. I used RIT dyes, in royal blue, teal and tangerine, doubling the dye for both the teal and the tangerine. I highly recommend it, especially overdyeing a light gray or brown as it reduces the dreaded easter egg effect. Just keep in mind that fabric undergoes a certain amount of abuse when it's dyed so don't use anything precious or delicate and know that it could alter the finish of your fabric.In related news, I've finally joined the leggings revolution. I know I'm just about the last belle to the ball on this one, but I've always suspected that I'd look pretty much like Dieter from SNL's Sprockets in leggings. Turns out, that's exactly what I look like, but these things are so comfy I'm beyond caring. Now is the time on Sprockets when we dance!

Finally... the Decorations

2011-01-22T20:17:00.000-08:00

This probably goes without saying, but the decorations were all mustaches. We just stuck 'em to whatever we could get our hands on. They're mostly cut from black cardstock or black adhesive felt. Adhesive felt is crazy fun, I'd never used it before and I can't wait to play with it again.
My favorites are the bowler hat mobiles, I'm thinking these might end up hanging in the boys' room at the new place.

Birthday Photo Booth

2011-01-21T19:26:00.000-08:00

The best part of this party was the photo booth. It was just our Ikea curtains tacked to a wall with decent natural light, a chair and a vintage suitcase filled with dress up items. Hats, glasses, crowns, necklaces, masks, eye-patches and a variety of mustaches on sticks, of course. Remind me to do this at every party. Ever.I didn't get as many pictures as I wanted, and somehow my sneaky husband managed to escape the camera all together. The best ones, which I won't be posting for obvious privacy reasons, are of B and his friends, little somethings to remember Bellingham by. But I have some good ones of the birthday boy and me and a few great ones of my dad and his grandsons.Be advised if you attempt this at one of your get-togethers that you may end up with a painful urge to buy a crazy expensive camera or an iphone with shakeitphoto. Or both. Which is what has happened to me.

Favor Bags and Mustache Monsters

2011-01-20T17:13:00.000-08:00

Ok, I'm ashamed to admit that this was the first time I had it together enough to have favor bags at a party. In my defense, Beckett's really only had one friend at his parties til this year, but still. Little did I know how fun it is to put together thematic treat bags. Clearly right up my alley. Each kid went home with stationery and stickers, excellent beard stickers from imadeyouabeard, the classic Wooly Willy, who is hugely popular in this house, chocolate mustache lollipops and some other candies, mustaches on sticks and finally the Mustache Monsters.

I had a hard time figuring out how to entertain a group of 4 year olds without renting a bouncy house or hiring a clown (two things I'm irrationally uncomfortable with.) The first thing I came up with was the photo booth - more on that soon, please check back! - and after a long list of other ideas I finally landed on the Mustache Monsters.They are sneaky creatures with interchangeable 'staches and a pocket in back to store them. They're also excellent hiders so the kiddos teamed up to find them all. Perfect party game and surprisingly well received. I didn't expect the other kids to get such a kick out of these guys, but apparently brightly colored mustaches are universally funny.I made the bodies out of leftover fleece and the features and mustaches are felt. They attach to the face with little velcro bits. I had originally planned on making the mustaches all black, like the bulk of the decorations etc, but I'm so glad I went with rainbow colors. It just adds to the whimsy, not to mention the ridiculousness.

Treat Table

2011-01-18T12:37:00.000-08:00

Decorating with mustaches is pretty much the best. It automatically anthropomorphizes any object. We stuck them on bowls, cups, heaters, flags. I didn't find much that wasn't improved by a little well groomed facial hair. Take these cupcakes. By far the simplest cupcake decoration I've made, but also probably the most whimsical. The mustaches are black cardstock and the eyes are chocolate chips. Done and done. The kids got attached to all the different styles and chose their cupcakes very carefully (the "Magnum" was the least popular.)
The other goody we had with the cupcakes, which were an even bigger hit, were chocolate lollipops made from this mold. For the preschool party this morning I decorated the cupcakes with chocolate mustaches (from the same mold, but without the sticks) and chocolate chip eyes. Delicious and funny, but not as nearly as charming without the style variety.
It really was an excellent party theme. I'm so proud of my boy, his sweetness, his imagination and his sense of humor, to have come up with this whole idea. I'll post some of the decorations next.

The Mustache Bash

2011-01-16T19:53:00.000-08:00

The big party was today. And though some people couldn't make it, it was amazing. I may have to include a photo booth with a dress up box in all future parties, for either adults or children. The birthday boy was in mustache heaven, loving his birthday bowler hat and seeing his friends and loved ones with mustaches of varying styles. It was lovely, the kind of relaxed and happy gathering that you always hope for, but can never plan for. I love my friends, and Beckett's

I have to say, I have the world's most marvelous friends and without their generosity and willingness it never would have come together. Thank you Amelia!!! Thank you Heidi - though you've never read this blog!

I slacked on the picture taking, and my little camera wasn't quite up to the low light task, but I'll post what pictures I have of the details in the next few days.

Night at the Museum

2011-01-14T11:54:00.000-08:00

I had an honest to goodness date with my husband last night. We saw this show. Pretty amazing. I highly recommend it if it's coming to your town. Or even if it isn't. There are very few "masterpieces" in this exhibition, as the work came largely from Picasso's personal collection, but there are many incredible and insightful pieces, sketches and sculptures, spanning his long and prolific career.

Of course we overheard some jerk saying "I could have painted any one of these." Classic. First of all, I doubt that, sir. Secondly, if you truly can paint like this, could you infuse it with such raw and apparent emotion? And last, could you have invented any one of the distinct styles that Picasso spearheaded? Could you have created work like this when no one in the entire world had ever seen anything remotely like it? By all means, sir. Give it your best shot. Go out and wow us with groundbreaking new Art.

It's too easy to be a critic, you can feign (and convince others of) superiority while risking next to nothing. It's one of my biggest pet peeves. I'm not saying to be blindly appreciative of every artist and his or her work. Form opinions and have favorites, look at things with a critical eye, and certainly learn to recognize truly bad art. But also recognize innovation, feeling and talent - even if it's not your bag... baby. You only succeed in making your world and yourself a little smaller by being the consummate critic.

OK, I'm off my soapbox. In other news, moving has me pretty busy, so I won't be posting as often as I'd like. Hang in there, and I'll be back to my usual in a few weeks. Thanks!

Ruffles and Toadstools

2011-01-10T09:05:00.001-08:00

This is one of those reserve Christmas projects. I made it for my sister, Lola, the queen baker of our generation. Her kitchen colors are oranges and yellows, and she loves cutesy things. I had initially set out to find cupcake fabric, but this mushroom fabric wins. It's so perfect. A little girly, a little whimsical, and very much Lo's style.I had planned on a half apron, so I bought a scant half yard for the project. When she decided one day to expound on the utter uselessness of half aprons. Oops. Thus the apron became a skinny-ish full apron. No pocket, but plenty of frills.

Mustache Party Invitations

2011-01-05T13:12:00.000-08:00

Was this a tangent or what? When I last posted I had fully intended to make the invitations to Beckett's birthday party from the wonderful stationery I mentioned. Then this idea happened. First of all, this was the best photo shoot we've ever hosted here at Chez Brewer, hands down. Second, how could you not laugh at a walrus with a costume mustache? It's like the Department of Facial Hair Redundancy Department! Third, look at the expression on his face. Indignation. Pure and simple. Love it. I sincerely hope we never outgrow the walrus thing, it's just too good.

I had fun with the inside of the invitations too, and I thought you might enjoy them if any of you are having mustache bashes of your own. So here's a free printable write-in invitation for you. Click here to download the pdf.

Happy New Year

2011-01-03T14:58:00.000-08:00

Hello! I'm back from my unplanned blogging haidus. We came home last night, sans Daddus, and we're doing our best to readjust to the day to day. It's a little surreal - trying to get back to normal, but knowing that it's only a temporary "normal." It feels a bit oxymoronic, but I'm well rested and inspired, so I'll take it.

This weekend I'll be painting the new place, and I'm fixin' on a trip to Ikea. But for today I'm playing with ideas for my big boy's birthday. He'll be 4 (!) in a few weeks and he's asked for a mustache party. How fun is that? I'm thinking about bringing these guys back. And maybe a pin the mustache on the walrus game? Does anyone have any ideas? I picked up this awesome stationery today to play around with. So awesome.Anyway, I wish you all the best for the new year. Thank you so much for reading my blog, you make my small, housewife world feel wide open and inspiring. Here's to the many adventures and creative pursuits 2011 has in store for all of us!

Post Holiday Bliss

2010-12-26T11:53:00.000-08:00

Happy Boxing Day, folks! I hope you all had wonderful holidays filled with family and friends and general cheer. I certainly did and now we're enjoying the calm and lazy playfulness of the day after. It's windy and stormy outside. The fire is cozy. And Beckett's new play kitchen has been churning out world class fare all morning.
I'm sorry I went dark there in the days leading up to Christmas. I had, of course, planned on sharing all of my completed holiday projects, the cards and labels, the handmade gifts and wrapping, but as usual the holiday crunch caught up with me and mothandsparrow took a backseat.

My slacker posting schedule may end up for the best though, as now I have a few reserve projects stored up to share during this crazy month of packing and moving and excitement and nostalgic meltdowns. I'm officially leaving my sewing machine at the new place, so I'll be without it for most of January. I'm also officially leaving my husband at the new place. GULP. It'll be an interesting month, but probably not such a productive one.

For now I just want to say here's to you and yours. Wishing all the best the Winter holidays can bring and the best possible New Year.

Santa's Workshop

2010-12-20T10:41:00.000-08:00

My niece, Ella, is into the baby doll thing. Or "creepy babies" as my sister calls them. The seemingly requisite pinks and lavenders of baby doll loot really don't jive with the red and green apple decor of Ella's bedroom. So I made her this doll bedding. There's a mattress cover, a pillow and a blanket.The hedgehog is an iron-on transfer. It's based on a design I did for Ella's nursery before she was born. The apple print is a Minny Muu design from a few years ago (it's actually left over from the nursery's curtains) and the quilt backing and pillow are red corduroy. The corduroy gives it a nice cozy weight and feel. I had an abundance of unused white fleece, so I substituted two layers of that for the batting. It's a little dense, but I'm all about using whatever I have. Saves a few dollars, and means there's less junk to move next month. Actually I didn't spend a dime on this project - it all came out of my absurd stash.While I'm sure Ella will love this, and will use it plenty, it's really a gift for my sister - to give her a break from the pinkie babyland. I just wish I could do something about those uncanny rubber faces.

Peppermint Ribbon Corsage Tutorial

2010-12-19T21:37:00.000-08:00

Making this little sweetie takes a few minutes more than the necklace. Maybe 12 instead of 10. It's still quick and simple and super fun to wear.

Materials
- 7/8" ribbon
- Felt
- 3/4" cover button kit
- Coordinating fabric - I used corduroy
- Hot glue gun

1- Follow the instructions on your cover button kit to cover 2 buttons with your coordinating fabrics.

2- Cut 2 felt circles one with a 1 1/4" diameter and one with a 1 3/4" diameter.

3- Take one felt circle and begin hot gluing the ribbon starting at the outside edge and spiraling in, pleating as you to follow the curve. Tuck in the raw ends. Repeat for the second felt circle.

4- Hot glue the covered buttons to the centers of your two ribbon flowers.

5- Cut a small strip of felt - about 1" x 2". Arrange the 2 flowers and hot glue their backs to the new felt strip.

6- I had a pin back lying around that I glued to the back, but you could just pin it to your shirt like a real corsage, or even sew it to your shirt, though I wouldn't count on it to wash well.

I hope you all enjoy these quickie projects. Please give them a try, it's a low input- high yield kind of thing. They're quite cute together and of course they don't have to be holiday themed. Have fun!

Peppermint Holiday Necklace Tutorial

2010-12-19T20:16:00.000-08:00

This whole projects takes only a few minutes. It goes perfectly with a dress or a chic cardigan or any number of cheesy holiday accessories - think antlers and santa hats.

Materials Needed

-Red and white striped ribbon - 7/8" wide
-5 - 3/4" unfinished wood beads
-Red craft paint
-Bamboo skewers

1 - Paint the wood beads using craft paint. I like to string them on a bamboo skewer for this step so I don't leave finger prints all over them.

2- Cut a 52" length of ribbon. Trim one end at a sharp angle to thread through the beads.

3- String the first bead about 30" down the ribbon. Push the end of the ribbon into the hole in the bead, then use the bamboo skewer to push it the rest of the way through.

4- Tie a knot and push it right up against the bead. String the other 4 beads, tying knots in between. I didn't put knots on the outsides, so there are 5 beads and 4 knots.

5- Even up the ends and trim off any excess ribbon, cutting the ends at 45 degree angles.

There's still plenty of time to make this for any upcoming holiday festivities. I'll get the tutorial for the corsage up in a minute. I hope you enjoy!

Jingle Belles

2010-12-18T11:31:00.000-08:00

I went out with my girlfriends for a little holiday fun. We donned our gay apparel like nobody's business, and as usual managed to go through the entire evening without snapping a single photo. Oops. I whipped up these little accessories to go with my santa hat and my red belt and heels. It only took me a few minutes, some peppermint stripe ribbon and some crafty bits I had around the house (cover buttons, wood beads, felt and hot glue). I'll work on a tutorial for tomorrow!

There Are Places I Remember...

2010-12-14T19:02:00.000-08:00

So the big big news around here is that we're moving. We'll be leaving my beloved Bellingham for greener professional pastures at the end of next month. Even then they might have to drag me away. I'm picturing the new tenants peering wonderingly at the claw marks in the floor leading down the front stairs.

In all seriousness I'm excited for the adventure and reinvention of moving, not to mention the thrill of decorating a new place, but I've lived so much in this apartment. It was our first place together as a young couple. I became a wife while living here and a mother twice over. I became a gardener here. Started avidly sewing here. I mourned my Jasper cat here. My first born said his first words and took his first steps here. It's a lot to say goodbye to.

It's not as if these memories have irretrievably seeped into the walls, but I've already had a few weepy moments and I'm sure there will be more to come. Please pardon any sap that may ooze out over the next few weeks, I'm full of nostalgia and sentiment, and pardon any gaps in posting. I'll do my best to keep up, but apart from holiday festivities and gift making and packing and caring for my kids, I'm trying to really enjoy all that Bellingham has to offer.

Oh Christmas Tree

2010-12-13T09:38:00.000-08:00

I'm having the most marvelous Holiday season. This time last year I was dehydrated, couldn't keep anything down, rapidly losing weight, and medicated with some garbage that would knock me unconscious for hours at a time. Not exactly the merry little elf I like to be. This year though, I'm fully myself and filled with even more obnoxious joy over getting to play Santa for my 2 boys. I'm overflowing.

This weekend we got a perfectly imperfect tree at a place called Tom's U-Cut, up here in Bellingham. Wonderful people, beautiful trees, very reasonable prices. We decorated and drank hot cocoa, then rode the bus to go see Santa and take a lovely jingle bell laden carriage ride.

I try not to go in for the whole corny deal, and I certainly abstain from the ugly retail frenzy that Christmas usually brings, but I'm a sucker for the trees and the lights and the magic of it all.

Eat at Andy's

2010-12-09T08:12:00.000-08:00

My dad is a fantastic cook. Everything he makes is delicious but, as his daughters and sons-in-law can attest, his specialty is breakfast. Nobody fries an egg like my dad. And he loves nothing more than playing short order cook to friends and family who visit. He also loves crows. No matter how many humans he might be entertaining, his backyard friends are always fed first. And it shows, the crows in his trees are sleeker and shinier than any others I've seen.

For Christmas I wanted to make him a sign that said "Andy's Diner" or "Buddy's Bed & Breakfast" or something. I was going for a sort of old timey look and I wanted "crow" in the name. I had a ridiculously hard time thinking of something suitable. Andy's Eatin' Crow Cafe? Ew. No. But it all came together. I made it using this really cool wood transfer technique. Mine didn't come out as cleanly as I had expected, but I'm ok with it. It makes it look vintage. I can't wait to give this to my dad. He's going to love it.

Shawl Pins

2010-12-05T18:26:00.000-08:00

I did it! I actually made the shawl pins I mentioned in my previous post. I'm always looking for excuses to pull out my Sculpey stash. I get a ridiculous buzz from making these tiny figures. I always have. But how many wee statues does one house need? Luckily, tis the season for scarves and shawls. So I made these.Of course I made my go-to favorites, a fox and a couple of owls, but I played with some new things too, with certain people in mind. A bunny and a cat for my sisters. A lion and a toadstool for my good friends. A squirrel for my mom.
And, just for me (and for the look on Beckett's face) a stout little walrus, tusks and all. I'm going to put him through some quality control testing and if he withstands it, these will be the perfect little somethings extra to go with my holiday gifts.

Woven Scarf

2010-12-02T09:34:00.000-08:00

I finished a scarf on my little vintage play loom and I'm so happy with how it turned out. I haven't woven anything in about 5 years and never a scarf. The weave makes it less bouncy than a knit scarf (just like woven fabric vs knits) but it lends it a certain elegance. It's unique too, and right up my mom's alley. I love handmade holiday giving, especially when the supplies came from my wonderful local yarn shop. Take that Joann!I used 3 different blue yarns to give the color a little dimension, a solid blue worsted weight wool, a wool tweed and a navy lace weight alpaca. I used all 3 in the warp, and used just the solid blue for the weft. I'm so glad I took the time, it would have looked pretty flat in one solid yarn. For any of you interested in weaving but not so interested in investing in a loom, there are many tutorials for DIY looms on the web. Or you could just put some nails into 2 bits of wood, clamp them to the ends of a long table and go to town.I'm pretty fired up about this, it's much quicker than knitting, which suits my current life situation, and it could be just the thing to help me burn through my excessive yarn stash. Also I'm thinking about making some shawl pins. Don't you think this scarf would be nice paired with an owl shawl pin?

Long Weekend at the Beach

2010-11-29T07:40:00.000-08:00

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend. We spent it at the coast. I'm a little tired, but also that kind of rejuvenated that I only ever get from being near the ocean. So beautiful. Things have gone crazy in our little family, major changes ahead, so it promises to be an exciting but at times stressful holiday season. A few days of quiet walks and wave watching was just what I needed. Did anyone else have Thanksgiving weekend adventures?

Happy Turkey Day!!!

2010-11-24T13:47:00.000-08:00

Beckett's preschool had a potluck Thanksgiving feast today. You all know I'm a lousy cook. But for the preschoolers and their families I wanted to put together something fun, despite my utter lack of skills. This is what I came up with. Turkey tail fruit kebabs. These were a big hit with kids, parents and teachers alike. The kebabs were pineapple, strawberries, cantaloupe and grapes on bamboo skewers. The skewers were then pushed into half of an apple. The turkey head was cut from brown paper,then I added the wobble and beak with colored paper. Balance was an issue, but not a huge one. This really didn't take any time at all, so if you find yourselves with a little extra time and fruit in your preparations for tomorrow's festivities, maybe try one of these out. Just for fun.Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Have a great long weekend!

Winter Weaving

2010-11-22T09:33:00.000-08:00

Ever since I wrote my post about not knitting, yarn is all I have wanted to work with. Funny how that happens. And of course the chilly hot-cocoa-and-scarf weather hasn't helped. This weekend, while digging out winter clothes and decorations etc, I stumbled upon this great vintage children's loom I picked up at a thrift store last year. It's very basic, but it has a turner, which acts like a primitive heddle (for those of you not into weaving please disregard the preceding nerdiness.)

So hey, I started weaving. It's not knitting, I won't be able to weave any hats or sweaters, but I love the way these yarns are looking woven together. It's sort of elegant. It's a solid gray bamboo/ cotton blend and a fine mottled mohair in taupes and aqua. It completely satisfies my yarn cravings. And, as an added bonus, check out the awesome vintage packaging my mini loom came in.

...In the Lane Snow is Glistenin'...

2010-11-20T12:51:00.000-08:00

Winter in the Northwest is usually much more gray than white, but last night we were treated to an early snow. It's beautiful. Beckett and I crept out this morning while the biggest and littlest of our family were still sleeping. We had a snowball fight, found a perfect tree fort, made snow angels and fell a lot. Then we brought home donuts and hot drinks, warmed ourselves up and waited for our clothes to dry so we could go play again. Clearly the roof needed a snowman.More snow is predicted over the next few days, which means I better clear off my sewing table and make something uber warm and fleecy for little Jonesie. Though I have to admit that I loved having my big boy all to myself in the Winter wonderland today.

Pipe Dreams... or Needle Dreams

2010-11-15T17:19:00.000-08:00

Everything has come to a grinding halt around here. The baby has needed near constant walking and the big boy has decided that 3am is his new wake up time. It's frustrating to say the least. I'm almost jittery with an "idle hands" kind of feeling. This too shall pass, right? In the mean time I've been day dreaming of an alternate universe in which I am (and have time to be) an adept knitter. All of my yarns and needles are stored and untouched, but here are a few of the things that alternate Claire is working on this winter in front of her fireplace. Because she has a fireplace. Obviously.

Hat with Anime Character (Hello Totoro!)

Baby Sophisticate Sweater

Vine Yoke Cardigan

O W L S

Meret (Mystery Beret)

It's a lovely dream, anyway. The weather up here is providing enough excitement for now, I suppose. I was photographed by the local paper this morning. Most likely because I looked so ridiculous carting my 2 bundled up kids through the bluster. Happy Windsday everyone!

My Favorite Neighbor

2010-11-10T12:10:00.000-08:00

This handsome fellow was perched on the neighboring building's chimney this morning, just posing for my camera and completely ignoring the mob of angry crows around him. Pretty cool. I like to think that each of our hawk visitors has actually just been the same one - the one that came in the window- all grown up. He's reached near mythological status around here. But whether this is the same bird or not, he's lovely and I was happy to have his early morning visit.

I'm feeling that post-Halloween pre-holidays eye of the storm buzz. Like the tension is building. So I've been working on little things here and there, but it's nothing I can post without spoiling surprises. Weird. But I have to say that feeling girly and glamorous last weekend has made it a little harder to go back to my lounge pants and grandpa sweater norm. So I'm getting back to sewing this weekend. I'm wanting to make more of my much loved basics and maybe throw in a few statement pieces. Maybe even work from a pattern.

Music for Moderns

2010-11-07T12:38:00.000-08:00

Last night was the Music for Moderns benefit. What an incredible event. The American Museum of Radio and Electricity is a phenomenal place, full of gadgets and curiosities and technological history. Once a year they turn it into one swell scene. I got all ginned up, cut a rug and had a ball.
There was a live Big Band and a Tesla coil demo. A multi-generational crowd dressed to the nines in era garb and a polaroid photo booth. Champagne, dancing and a theremin for all to play. It was the cat's meow, kids. And I have to say my Goodwill revamp skirt was perfect. My tailoring skills are vastly improving. It fit like a glove and was comfortable to boot.
I had so much fun putting this whole look together. As much as I love costumes, I've never dressed up as a fashionable person from another decade. So hair and makeup have never been involved. So fun. I even called my grandma for advice, I hope I did her proud.I felt lovely and stylish and couldn't have asked for a better night out with friends. The fact that it benefited this phenomenal museum was icing. Can you believe it? More pictures of me on mothandsparrow! What's the world coming to?

As Time Goes By

2010-11-05T14:07:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow night I'm going to this party, in support of this crazy cool museum across the street that provides us with this, our favorite radio station. It's a 1940s theme USO style party. The timing is a little unfortunate, since I've been so busy with Halloween etc that I couldn't really devote myself to this costume.

Still, I had a number of era appropriate blouses in my closet, and I picked up this skirt at Goodwill last night. It was way too big and meant to be worn lower around the waist, but 2 quick seams up the sides (with some help from my french curve) turned it into a fairly good 40's daywear skirt. I'm excited about it. It's cute and flattering. Of course, styling is everything, so I'm off to go youtube some 40s hairstyle tutorials. Here's looking at you, kid.

Mr. Fox Takes a Walk

2010-11-02T23:25:00.000-07:00

After last year's glaring costume failure - B refused to wear the darn thing, after hours of frustrating, teary eyed and occasionally bloody sewing on my part, he ended up just wearing this- I wanted to make him a hoodie and separate pants for this year, figuring I could coax him into the hoodie at least if not both. Turns out, not a concern. He loves this costume so much that he asked to wear on our walk through the park yesterday. The weather was unseasonably beautiful so I thought I'd post these photos instead of the flash-heavy trick-or-treating ones.I'm thinking about making him a few more creature hoodies. Maybe for Christmas. He might need a walrus, but for now he's happy "foxing around" in the leaves.

Shadow Monsters

2010-11-02T10:31:00.000-07:00

My parent's house has been the big neighborhood haunted house for 30 years. My dad goes all out and I'm right there with him. We try to add new things here and there and this year Beckett wanted shadowy creatures like the ones in The Princess and the Frog. This is what I came up with for him.They're cardboard silhouettes spray painted black. So simple and pretty cool. Maybe more stylish than scary, but they were darn effective in the dark. I kinda wish I was a 14 year old goth girl so I could have these in my bedroom.

I still have to post the boy's costumes, and then it'll be on to more November appropriate posts. And a new header, because the old one was all kinds of tired.

... Gnashed Their Terrible Teeth and Rolled Their Terrible Eyes...

2010-11-01T11:38:00.000-07:00

I hate pictures of myself, hence my usual faceless mystique here on mothandsparrow, but I'm so proud of our Where the Wild Things Are costumes I was hoping you all would permit me to post a few more photos. Halloween has always been my favorite holiday and this year was particularly wonderful, so I think I'll drag it out for a few more days.My costume was a giant fleece hooded onesie. I traced the pattern pieces from a pair of pj pants and a hooded sweatshirt pinned together. Plus some claws, ears, tail and whiskers. Zion's Wild Thing was a big fur hood attached to a dyed, redyed and overdyed striped tee shirt. The mask is an illustration from the book blown up and tweaked a little. He also had claws, horns and big furry tail. We had plans for fur pants, but time, money and overheating concerns won out. Easily the coziest costumes we've ever worn, and they were perfectly appropriate for both Saturday night's grown up festivities and for Sunday night's trick or treating. Oh so fun. Beckett was more into it than ever and I think he was proud of his silly parents.

Let The Wild Rumpus Start

2010-10-31T10:08:00.001-07:00

Happy Halloween Everyone!!!