n o d d y b o o m

more finds and things

::  A vintage skeleton key tied with silk ribbon (I'm toying around with gift ideas).  These might be neat attached to a card or present or even dangling from a bag or something.  I don't know.  I'm drawn to them.  I want to share them.  I'm still figuring out how.

Secondhand treasure from Sidedish.  She reminds me a bit of little red cap.  I like having her around, for that reason alone.  It's as though she's suddenly realized she's tarried and needs to get back on the path, but is slightly trepidatious as to what might be awaiting her. 

More holiday decor.  This is a vintage tree I bought two years ago from a local store.  The store has since closed.  So sad.  They had lovely secondhand things.   

Knee deep in this book, at the moment.  What an incredibly inspirational resource this is (found on Soulemama's site, naturally).  I feel like I've been looking for something like this forever.  It has seriously unlocked parts of my brain I thought had disappeared.  I've always wanted to put books together...  I have a children's book 3/4's finished lying on a desk for years now.  This was just what I needed to dive back into that.  And there are tons of projects to do with kids!  Oooh, I love stuff like this.  I'm already collecting leaves to make leaf books (I have them drying, smashed in between pages of large art books as I type) and I've set out a pile of old toys to make a wreath book.  I'm sure I can spin tales in lengths of yarn as well!  This is exciting.  ::

flea market finds

::  Skeleton keys...

...spoons (and a fork).

Vintage deer in many guises...

 

...and an angel.

Thinking about making a diorama.  I was always inspired by this one, but never could find tiny skiers, so it'll be something about deer this year, I think.

By the way, went ice skating with the kids earlier.  What fun!  Can't recommend it enough.  ::

** One more thing.   I just found this and had to share. **

a little good cheer

::  I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday filled with good things to eat.  Next year, I'm thinking of trying the turkey fryer.  I've heard very good things about it (ie; the fried turkey is moist and perfectly cooked in a half hour and people are fighting over the fried turkey whilst the roast turkey just sits).  Sounds lovely.

A little Christmas cheer around here...

Look how serious they are!  Boy, were they intent on getting that tree decorated today.  It couldn't seem to happen fast enough. 

Our tree is a fake.  I've always liked the idea of a "real tree", but they dry out and sprinkle pine needles all over the floor, so we, one day decided to make the switch.  We named our tree "Herman", but I'm renaming it  "Pizzicato".  We've had it for nearly 7 years.  It lives in the basement all year long and immediately after Thanksgiving, we pull it out and cover everything with tinsel.  We love it.  It takes forever to put on the lights, or at least it feels like forever (when you have both kids clinging to your legs and arms screaming "Can we put the ornaments on now???").  You can buy pre-lit trees, which saves you an hour, but then you don't get to change your mind every year about what color lights you want to have on the tree (I like that part of the process).  This year, I didn't buy any new lights for the tree.  We decided to go with whatever we already had that worked, so it's a brilliant, ahem, rainbow of colors.  Blue, purple, multi.  The kids are pleased.  And I get to feel environmentally responsible for having a tree that can be used over and over for years.  At least, I think I'm being environmentally responsible.  I hope I am.  Don't get me wrong, I still like the idea of going to one of those tree farms in the snow with a sled and cutting down our very own real tree.  I like the romance of it.  I like the notion of the sled and the snow. But I think I'll plant trees instead with TreePeople (you can also purchase tree dedications through them.  Makes for a nice gift).  I'll stick with my plastic Christmas tree and take the kids to plant trees in the forest instead of cutting them down (we need more trees, particularly with these fires burning again in Malibu).  Plastic trees don't smell as good as "real trees", but you can leave them up longer and use them over and over.  And I'll take the kids ice skating this week at the rink they've set up in the center of town, to get our first winter fix.  Anyone care to join us?

happy*holiday (almost)

::  Oh my.  Whatever you do, do NOT update your system to "Leopard", just yet.  My husband ever so lovingly updated my computer to "Leopard" and I have been suffering through the kinks that have not yet been worked out on the program.  For example, I can no longer delete any emails (let that sink in for a moment) and I can not upload any photos to my "Flickr" account, amongst other things.  I'm sorry to complain, but it's been very frustrating and needless to say, I have not touched my blog (or my email or my computer) very much at all in the past two weeks.  I apologize.  Hopefully this will be resolved soon.  I'm sure it will.

In the meantime, a few tidbits before turkey day and then good*bye until next week (we are going out of town to be with family and I am not bringing my computer - just some knitting.  Joy).

I meant to post the chalkboards last week.  I put them out sometimes in the mornings (about once a week) and it keeps the kids busy through breakfast.  I love these chalkboards.  They're great for leaving notes on the table or pictures, etc.  Mine are vintage (ebay), but I've just discovered this site (thanks to soulemama - wow she's a great resource) that has wonderful chalkboards (they call them "blackboards") for almost nothing (like, $2.19 for one that's 6"  x 8")!  And they have a hundred other wonderful, inexpensive wooden toys and craft supplies, like wooden spools, wooden acorns, wooden fruits, cars, buckets, etc.  Very exciting resource.  Had to share.

This is a project the kids came up with.  It's a little felt clutch.  The kids took a rectangle of felt and sewed sequins on it.

Then we folded up one side 3/4 of the way up and blanket-stitched the edges together.

Then we sewed on a bell (as a button) and made a little button-hole in that remaining flap that wasn't blanket stitched down.  Voila, a clutch!  Can you sort of see how we did it?  I'm sorry I didn't get pictures as we were making it, but you can (kind of) see from the finished project that it's basically a piece of felt folded like an envelope to make the clutch.  Simple and cute.  I'm going to fill the bag with colored pencils and little paper books for our airplane ride today (that we depart for in two hours!  I really must finish this post and pop in the shower...).

And... just one of the perks of being in first grade in a Waldorf school (my heart is swelled to nearly bursting with pride on this one - can't help it)...  knitting!  Marley and I are planning to knit together on the plane.  Can you stand it?  We're going to knit together on the airplane.  In fact, this is what we've been doing more and more often here at home.  And lately, Mars has been knitting every time I plop down in the den to read a story to her and Griff.  I don't know what to do with myself, I'm so giddy.  My daughter is knitting. 

And yes, by the way, they learn many, many other things in the first grade of a Waldorf school besides knitting, but handwork has always been one of my favorite things, so this is what I choose to gush about.

A rare moment of peace between these two, lately.

Oops.  The moment is over.  I can hear them at it again.

For those of you not going out of town, there's an ice rink opening today in downtown Santa Monica!  I'm so excited.  We're definitely going straight there when we return. 
And they've been hanging the most beautiful lights all over the city!  It's definitely beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here.

I know our dolls have been getting ready.

See?  They already have their tree up!

Be well everyone, and enjoy the rest of your week.

 

wool

My latest handspun.  It's a hand-dyed merino from the Hello Yarn spinning fiber club.  I split the roving in half, spun both ends and then plied them together from opposite ends to get the contrasting colors.  It's very soft and yummy.  Perfect for a gnome hat.

Pinking shears.  That's right.  I love pinking shears.  Thank you Athena and Zoe.  I don't know why I couldn't remember the name of those things.

So, I've picked up the "Eat, Pray, Love" book again (inspired by Marie's comment).   I'm still in Italy and I can't stop eating while I'm reading the book.  There's nothing but description after description of delicious plates of food in there! I'll be in bed at 10:30 at night and open the book and before you know it I'm down in the kitchen with a plate of brie and crackers, pouring a glass of wine (???).  I tell ya...

My plan was to head up soon this evening (with a Green & Black's chocolate bar) and dive into another chapter, but my yarn is calling me.  I might have to knit first.  I want to start another gnome hat.  Or maybe I'll start a wolf hat (I don't have a pattern for that, I'll have to make one up).  But I've made a gnome hat for Marley, so now I have to make one for Griffin. 

And yes!  Addie, I've started a vest (for Griffin).  I'm ashamed to say that it's sitting in the corner.  I don't know what happened.  I think I got distracted mid-project and still haven't made my way back.  Thank you for reminding me (I'd better finish it fast, 'cause he's only growing taller every day).  I like the way it's coming out so far... 

Oh gosh, how embarrassing.  I just went and found the vest.  It wasn't in the corner, it was in the basement (on my projects-waiting-to-be-finished - ahem - table).  Do you know I'm nearly 3/4 of the way through?  Oh my.  I really must figure out where the heck I am in that pattern and just finish the darn thing.  It's a beautiful blue.  I'm knitting it out of that Koigu (sp?) yarn.  Love that stuff.  Anyway, it's a pattern in this book (quite a few cute patterns in that book).   The Knitting for Peace book has a vest in it that looks rather simple and cute (haven't tried it yet but am willing to) and is also full of all kinds of organizations that do good deeds all over the world.  I'm still looking for a good vest pattern for myself.  I love the idea of a vest.

 

happy (belated) st. martin's day

::  I'm moving very slow lately.  Can't shake the fatigue.  Could it have anything to do with the fact that the kids are each making their way into and out of our room several times a night for two weeks now?  Perhaps.  Yawn.

Celebrated St. Martin's yesterday at the school with a lantern walk in the evening.  The children made simple lanterns out of glass jars glued with images cut and torn out of tissue paper.  They wrapped them in copper and brass wire (to make a handle) and carried them on sticks they had found throughout the week and sang beautiful songs.  It was a lovely, lovely sight.  So simple and so beautiful.  We are now using the lanterns as our table candles for meals and each child has their own candle to blow out!  Why didn't I think of it before?  I was always taking turns; you blow it out for dinner, you for breakfast, etc.  Two candles.  Done.  One less thing to fight about.  For now.

Marie, here are a couple close-ups of the pillow:

See?  So simple!  It's just cut out with one of those scissors with the zigzag edge on it (what the heck are those called?) and then stitched together.  I let the unfinished edges all hang out.  Effortless and fun!  I like projects like this because they take, really, no time at all and I get to get in touch with that inner child part of myself that lets edges fray and markers draw on fabric without having to deal with that inner critic person. 

Addie, I'm about half way through "Living the Good Life" and I've put it down, I don't know why.  Repetition?  Language barrier?  I'm not sure.  Because I'm also half way through "Eat, Pray, Love" and I've dropped that as well.  And the bread book is in the bottom of the pile.  What's wrong with me?!  I need another good Harry Potter book, is what I need.  That was brilliant, that last one.  Ah well.  I'll come back to them.  For now, it's all knitting gnome hats and spinning yarn.  I have three skeins hanging dry at the moment (sooooo much fun) and all I want to do is spin more.  Perhaps I'm stocking up for that teepee... perhaps it will be wolf hats...  perhaps they will sell in the school store (that is yet to be created), not sure.  But I'm certainly enjoying the process.

saturday things

::  An old Martha Stewart "Kids" magazine-inspired project (please, will somebody bring that magazine back?!).  Fabric marker drawings on cloth, stuffed with wool and sewn into a pillow.  Griffin was thrilled.  He's sleeping with it right now (I hope the ink doesn't stain his face?).  He picked out the thread and fabric and sat on my lap while I sewed.  I've seen this done a few times by others, but this is the first time I've attempted it myself.  What a fun half hour we spent together working on this (Marley didn't want to make one, she was busy playing "Candy Land" with Dad).  Easy, shmeezy and so gratifying.  There it is nestled among other hand-made toys.  It's a portrait of two cats and a dog.  Sooo cute.

A lot has gone on in the news recently.  Something very close to home for us is the oil spill in San Francisco.  A tanker ran into the Bay Bridge in the fog.  58,000 gallons of fuel oil spilled into the Bay, spreading out toward the ocean.  At least 16 beaches are closed.  The wildlife has been devastated.  It's not something you can fix quickly.  They are doing their best.  We are incredibly saddened. 

In honor of those who are trying to help with the effort to clean this up and, on a lighter note, in honor of our nephew Brooks' birthday today, Marley, Griffin and I (Chris was working) drove to Angeles National Forest and worked with TreePeople planting native trees (a beautiful section of the forest recently lost many trees to drought and bark beetles).  It was an incredible experience, the planting.  M & G loved it.  They named their trees "Mango" and "Corn-nut".  I invite all of you to join me next time around.  It's totally worth it.  ::

swinging

::  Griffin has just learned how to swing all by himself.  Remember what a great feeling that was, discovering for the first time how to really move your legs back and forth and get your body high up in the air without any help at all?  Oh my.  My little muffin was all pride and giggles, showing me his new swinging abilities this afternoon, and I was all love.  ::

wool works

::  Birthday gift for a little gnome I know.  The color doesn't look at all right in this photo.  It's more of a plum, really.  The hat.  My workspace in the background, there.  Rather a lot going on.  See all the piles? 

Two skeins ready to be plied.  I really need to work on the photos I took for Griffin's nursery class, but I'm a little sniffly and don't feel up to it at the moment.  I think I'll ply yarn instead and drink tea with lots of chamomile in it and go to bed and then work on the photos tomorrow.  I hope you understand, Waldorf nursery parents.  Yes, of course they do.  ::

fourrr

::  Griffin looks at me this morning and says, "Listen to what I can say, Mom:  Fourrr."  Everyone in the room stops what they're doing and stares at him.  For as long as I can remember, he's always said, "Fo...", you know, in that adorable baby language sort of way.  "Fo".  4.

"Say it again!" we say.

"Fourrr". 

Oh my gosh.  It's the beginning of the end of the baby talk.  I don't think I can handle it.  He sounds like an entirely different person.  I've never heard that syllable come out of his mouth!  Rrr.  It's so beautiful, I just wanted to share that with all of you.  I love having children.  Have I mentioned that before?  I guess I have.  But I do.  I really, really do.

Black acorns from real live California Oaks.  Aren't they stunning?  There are hardly any of them left, (at the park we visit weekly), that are completely intact.  They're, most of them, missing their hats.  One of those on the left there was ever so generously given to me by a darling, darling friend who understands what it is to be the caretaker of a black California Oak acorn.  I am forever in your debt, Marie.  The rest of them, on the right, there, were found by Master Griffin himself, charming love.  I have them all on my desk at the moment.  I need to find a more sacred spot for them.  I had them in the den for a bit, but there were too many kids whirling around in there.  It got dangerous.  I had to move them.  Now they're next to my piles, on my desk.  Still dangerous, but slightly less.  Perhaps tomorrow I'll find a more suitable location. 

On another note, check this out.  My mom is writing a book about how society defines a woman's worth.  She talks a bit about it here.  Brilliant and scary.  A must read.  I love this article, Mama.  I can't wait to read the book.  What a tremendous undertaking, to write about this subject.

Love to all.