While The Water Boils

Crafting On ~ Longies and Lovies

2012-02-14T09:55:00.000-05:00

My first needle felting project, just some simple little lovies for my two oldest. Bobby adores all things rainbow-stripey so I had a little extra fun with his. I have to say that needle felting is much simpler than I expected, I can see that it will become a new favorite for sure!!

Working on some longies for Nomi (Dominic), we are trying to switch over to wool covers as our next "adventure in cloth diapering". The pattern is Picky Pants, the yarn is Malabrigo worsted. I am LOVING these colors, they are so perfectly "him" to this synesthete mama.

And because it's St. Valentine's day I can say that knit stitches always make me think of hearts...so "knit with love" seems rather appropriate, yes? More on our Valentine's day tomorrow!

Head over to Frontier Dreams for more {Crafting On} posts!

In the Kitchen

2012-02-13T07:00:00.000-05:00

Apple Berry Crumble from the Whole Food Kitchen workshop...so good!

Saturday...

2012-02-11T20:18:00.000-05:00

Watching the snow, sharing a blanket, snuggled in jammies.

{this moment}

2012-02-10T08:04:00.000-05:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. ~Inspired by SouleMama

Crafting On

2012-02-07T07:21:00.002-05:00

A week or two ago I got a phone call from (one of) my lovely sister. She was at Target looking for a beret, but the only one they had was a sort of "eh" color. Now naturally she was calling to see if I thought the color mattered, or would it be over shadowed by the cute slouchyness? What was a knitting sister to do? As I stood there, up to my chin in painting my foyer/hallway in stripes (pictures soon!), I heard myself saying something like "Oh, well if it isn't pretty don't get it, I can make you one in like, two evenings!" It was agreed upon and I got back to my painting. I totally forgot about the hat, until a few days before my sister got into town. A quick trip to the yarn store yielded some yummy Rowan tweed in the perfect shade of purple... and it turns out I was right, you can totally make a beret in two evenings. ;-)

{Ravelry details Here}

(see? Totally Lovely Sister)

(Picture credit goes to my sister...or as she is the subject, I suspect my brother-in-law)

Linking up with Nicole at Frontier Dreams today for Crafting On, head over to see some other great crafty goodness!

One last bad picture ;)

2012-02-01T07:47:00.000-05:00

My little Lovey in his new hat...playing with the drill. ;) Have you ever seen such squishy cheeks?? Or fluffy hands? Don't get me started on the belly...and the legs!!!! {Ravelry link HERE}

Until Further Notice...

2012-01-31T09:09:00.000-05:00

So I'm not doing the usual craft post today, really I'm not doing much of any post today. I just wanted to say that at long last I have ordered a camera so I will be posting all sorts of exciting things...once it gets here. You see, I'm very much over trying to get decent pictures with my camera phone so until the nice UPS man gets here I'm taking a little bloggy break. But I promise I'll be back soon with all sorts of wonderful posts. I have big plans...just not any pictures. A hint of what's waiting in the wings? Well, lots of knitting of course, some delicious new recipes to share, a giveaway, some hopefully helpful homemaking ideas, a tutorial or two, and of course lots of ramblings about our every day life.

Until next time!

A Happy Hat {Crafting On}

2012-01-24T11:15:00.002-05:00

Linking up with Nicole over at Frontier Dreams today, go look at all of the crafty goodness!

This hat happened because sometimes when you're sick you just need a new hat...in all of your favorite colors, in a very particular order. It really does help, if you haven't tried it, you should the next time you're sick! ;)

In the background there you can see a glimpse of how my weekend was spent....more to come on that once it's finished!

(I have no idea why this picture will only load sideways...but I trust you can still enjoy it...) This is perhaps, my most favorite knitting project ever. It's just a made-up hat pattern, striped in the order he chose, in a way that kept it fun for me...because a feel-better hat should make everyone happy.

And one more because, as Jenny pointed out, she was wearing her hat that I made her too. Her's is on ravelry Here, made from This book. :)

Happy Thought

2012-01-20T08:35:00.003-05:00

This is from October I think, if you can believe he is far more "plump" now! The beautiful background was my birthday gift from my amazingly talented grandmother...it just doesn't get better than a homemade quilt!!

{Crafting On}

2012-01-17T10:36:00.002-05:00

Joining up with Nicole from Frontier Dreams today for her new crafty show 'n' tell series...head over to see some more amazing projects and can you believe her son's gnome hat?? I'm in love! So, please excuse my cruddy pictures, I should (FINALLY) be getting my camera next week and then you'll have to endure my immersion from withdrawal...consider yourselves warned.

First up, we have a pair of legwarmers for my adorably roly-poly baby. He spends a ton of time on my back in our ergo and his legs are always cold, whether because his pants have ridden up or (more likely) because he's just chillin' in his shirt and socks. He's at that point where he hates having stuff covering his legs and slowing him down. I'm all for it, but he's also erm...much rounder than longer at this stage of his life, so it's hard to find pants that fit both his ~~equator~~ tummy and aren't two inches too long. I used This free pattern, but I used some stash odds and ends, the grey is cascade 220 and the red and blue are lamb's pride worsted (maybe my favorite work horse yarn?) The best part is that I can snag them in a pinch for arm warmers!

This is my current WIP (work in progress), the much requested Phoebe Sweater for my Jenny-bug. She got the book two Christmases ago and has been waiting so patiently for me to find the right yarn and get started. At long last it is well underway. She's so excited about it, often offering to play with her baby brother in exchange for me knitting...well okay if you insist... *wink* I'm using Lamb's Pride Bulky and LOVING it...about half way through it now! It's a delightful project, with lots of instant gratification on size 10-1/2 needles, and oh that yarn...it's understated but dreamy...I'll spare you my gushing...for now.

Can you hear my excitement here? I found this yarn AT MY COFFEE SHOP. Yarn. at a coffee shop!! Oh boy. I've been trying to find this yarn locally for a few years now, and there it was...calling to me and my peppermint mocha to bring it home...I just couldn't disappoint these beauties! And this is also a sneak peak at something give away related...details to come in the next week or so! What are you crafting?

Monday in the Kitchen

2012-01-16T08:06:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I had a visit from one of my oldest and dearest friends...always the best kind, don't you think? Well I was thinking what to have out for a bit of snacking, and I realized that all of my usual ideas are going to be a problem... over the last few months I have eliminated corn (in all of its forms), wheat and chocolate, add to that reducing my dairy intake and baking can become quite a tricky thing! Enter (one of) my totally amazing sister--when I first realized I needed to make the changes ~ due to nursing my sweet baby-with-a-tender-tummy ~ she got me the best cookbook EVER, Cooking for Isaiah. Most dairy free things these days are simply made with soy, which is something I'm not interested in...but this book suggests using either rice or coconut milk instead and you can't tell even the tiniest bit of difference in your baking! She also has come up with a great "gluten-free all purpose flour" that yields the nicest, fluffiest things I've ever baked. If you are interested in the gluten-free flour recipe, you can see it in the "Look Inside" feature on Amazon, other wise you can just substitute regular all purpose flour... why is that relevant? Because trust me, you want to make these...

These are THE BEST strawberry cupcakes ever!! Best cupcake ever? I don't want to sound like I'm bragging, so I'm going to just stick with best strawberry cupcake ever...REALLY!

Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Frosting

For cupcakes...

1-1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup strawberry puree (about 5 ounces of strawberries, I just tossed them in the blender with a little strawberry jam because I was a bit short...if you don't need the jam just add a bit of sugar)

1/2 cup rice milk (or regular milk)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 drops red food coloring (I left this out)

1/2 cup shortening at room temp.

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs at room temp. (Mine were not room temp)

1) Preheat the oven to 350* and line your muffin pan with papers.

2) In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.

In another small bowl, combine the strawberry puree, milk, vanilla and food coloring.

3) In a large bowl and using an electric mixer, beat the shortening on medium-high speed until fluffy, about one minute. Add the sugar and beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes (scrape the sides as needed).

On medium speed, beat in the eggs, one at a time, until combined. Alternately add the flour mixture and the strawberry mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture and beating until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared muffin pan until each cup is two-thirds full (ahem...I am a chronic over-filler). Bake until the cupcakes are springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 18-20 minutes. Let cool completely In The Pan set on a wire rack.

For frosting...

1 cup shortening, at room temperature

(I used butter...because I'm French, and shortening is not my thing in frostings)

2-3/4 cups powdered sugar *

1/2 cup strawberry puree

1/4 teaspoon salt

sprinkles for the top, should you happen to have them handy

To make the frosting, in a large bowl and using an electric mixer, beat together the shortening (butter), powdered sugar, strawberry puree and salt on medium-high speed until fluffy, pipe or spread over the cooled cupcakes; top with sprinkles. Enjoy!!

*A note for anyone who is also corn-free (although I might be the only person in the universe...), or if you use organic sugar and want to turn it into organic powdered sugar... most powdered sugar has cornstarch in it. Lame. I recently learned that I can make my own however, in the blender. Just substitute equal amounts of regular sugar and pulse until it's powdered. I've heard it can scratch up plastic though, so consider that before you use a plastic food processor or blender...

What is happening in your kitchen today? Please leave a comment, or if you would like to share on your blog, please leave us a link so we can see! (And a link back to here is great too...)

{Operation Care Package}

2012-01-11T07:35:00.001-05:00

So good morning there! I'm popping in with a request here...

I could explain it, but instead I'm going to send you over to my sister Eliza's (amazing) blog, specifically THIS post. Go read it, it's okay...I'll wait. :)

So. I'm joining forces with Eliza and spreading the word! You can email me at quiverfullmama@gmail.com for the address to send things too, and we will be sure to get them out to our cousin. We will all be incredibly grateful for your help!!

Thanks and love,

~Tilly

Monday in the Kitchen

2012-01-09T08:44:00.002-05:00

This morning I wanted to share a favorite new snack around here. I've seen the idea all over pinterest, and after looking over a few variations I came up with these. The kids are calling them "snack balls" and are scarfing them down at every opportunity, which is great because between the two of them it can be hard to find healthy snacks they will both eat! This is the first time we've made them, but I expect they will become a staple around here...there are so many variations they will never get old! They have the added bonus of being something Jenny can learn to make very soon, which is great.

Peanut Butter Snack Balls

1 cup peanut butter

1 cup honey

1 cup powdered milk

1 cup rolled or quick oats

(I think you could just use 2 cups oats instead of powdered milk for a dairy free option, but I haven't tried it yet)

about 3/4 of a cup whatever yummy thing you want

(here I did cinnamon chips, but you could do chopped nuts, raisins, mini chocolate chips, coconut etc.)

Combine all ingredients and roll into 1" balls, refrigerate for at least 2 hours, and store in an air tight container. I got about three dozen out of them and two satisfy my kids at snack time, bringing a blessed break from the constant refrain of "I'm hungry!" ;-)

What is happening in your kitchen today? Please leave a comment, or if you would like to share on your blog, please leave us a link so we can see! (And a link back to here is great too...)

January 8, 2012

2012-01-08T11:12:00.000-05:00

Home from Mass this morning, nursing various illnesses...at this point we've had so many different things over the past two months I'm starting to loose track. And to add to the list, I'm suspicious that my boys (who pretty much share a pillow) have pink eye....oh joy. We've had a hard enough time making it to Mass with Joe being gone (for work, long term, it sucks but we've mostly adjusted), but with so many germs in our house already I made the command decision to just stay home this week. No one wants us to share, and we can't risk catching anything else!! So, a nice quite day at home it is...we started with me making some of the sorriest pancakes I've made in my life...no pictures of those (on purpose). The rest of the day holds lots of laundry, perhaps a bit of baking, lots of potty training, and hopefully much more of this....

Too sick for church (viral bronchitis anyone?), but never too sick to wear a tutu!

A wee bit of knitting for a wee new baby, finished pictures coming soon!

Fifth Day of Christmas...

2011-12-29T09:02:00.003-05:00

As I'm sure you can see, we are busy behind the scenes here gearing up for my re-immersion in the blogging world. Much (like, 95%) of the skill and hard work from this went to my super awesome sister Eliza...she blogs about her newly married life over at Creme de la Creme, take a minute to stop by! I am still working out the camera thing, but hopefully I will have a new one in the next few weeks, when the regular blogging will begin! In the mean time, here are a few iphone pictures of our Christmas...because I can't post without pictures!

Can you believe how big they are?? This is as we got home from Mass, Dominic was...er, not willing to smile. ;) You can expect to see more about both the new sweater I made Bobby and Jenny's dress when I share some pictures of my (aforementioned) sister's wedding!

Sweet Baby Nomi (yeah, I know-another nick-name) Santa was thoughtful enough to bring him a giant "Puppy Bear" (as Bobby calls it), and that is *ahem* a Mama-made wooden bowl!!!!!!! You'll being seeing more of that too.

Check out those cheeks!! At eight months he is weighing in at 25lbs, and is proudly sporting three teeth. I can't believe that he's closer to one than to "new"...sigh...moving on.

Cruddy picture, but I love it so here you go. I'm justifying it by saying that you can see a glimpse of their Christmas jammies in it, another Mama-made! We were completely finished opening presents at 6:00...which sounds dreadful, but they actually slept in on Christmas. Which actually is dreadful...and reminds me....time for more coffee!

~ Fall ~

2011-09-23T10:25:00.003-04:00

Just wanted to share a few pictures on this rainy first day of fall...lots of knitting happening here lately! This is our first year of homeschooling, with Miss Jenny in kindergarten and Mr. Bobby busy doing preschoolish things...trying to find some sort of rhythm but soaking up the craziness at the same time. :)

booties for my Little Lovey

My first color work! (a kangaroo vest for Dominic)

Who has become very rolly-poly (5 months tomorrow!!!)

something for me, with yarn my sister dyed...

Mr. Incredible himself, sporting his pixie hat <3

I haven't forgotten I swear!

2011-09-21T21:21:00.002-04:00

No, I haven't forgotten this little blog...just still working out computer/camera/life issues right now. While my sister was home last weekend she got new portraits of my older two Doodles...I thought I would share a couple really quickly! And you should peek at her adorable blog while you're at it!

: teething :

2011-08-12T09:26:00.003-04:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

p.s.) I've been gone for a while because we still haven't replaced our camera and I'm very uninspired to write posts without pictures. We've been marching through a busy, crazy summer and I'm hoping to work out our computer and camera problems soon! Hoping to be back in this space before fall :)

It's A BOY!!

2011-04-27T22:00:00.004-04:00

Dominic Karol was born on Saturday the 23rd!!!! After a very long week of trying every natural option (most of them several times over...) we decided this one just wasn't going to be born at home and it was time for the big guns... Two nights later we headed into the hospital for my old friend pitocin. Just shy of 12 hours of labor, and with only 12 minutes of pushing later, he was born into the hands of the person who is really The MIDWIFE for my family...having delivered several of my siblings and one of my nieces. (how cool is that??) I am surprisingly at peace with the change of plans...my wonderful midwives and I tried everything to get this little one to be born at home and it didn't work...I'm just trusting that for a reason unknown to me, this is just how it was supposed to be. I'm so lucky to have been able to transfer so last minute; I feel very blessed to have had such excellent care...and I can't wait to introduce this little guy to my other midwives! They have after all known him for 9 months now :)

Just an hour or two old here...just barely squeezed into the hat I made him!

He was another big boy, at 10lbs. 3.7oz. and 21" long. His head wasn't quite as big as his brother's though, measuring a "mere" 14 3/4" ;) Of the three though, his labor and delivery were by far the easiest! Joe and my mom were fantastic support and I made it all the way through without any pain meds!

I was delighted to find that my baby dreams were right on the mark when he was born with a full head of dark hair...however I have never been more surprised than when Joe announced it was a boy! This is the first time I've been able to hold one of my babies right away and it is a moment I will never forget. It took me about 4 seconds to name him and about 4 seconds less than that to fall completely in love with him. :)

My Mama was there all through my labor and delivery this time! She remembered I had wanted roses for while I was in labor and brought this beautiful yellow bloom in a tiny little bud vase for me...it made such a difference!

We are all home now, just starting to figure out what life with three kids will be like...the older two love him, and I think they will adjust well. My milk is coming in and with it the brain zapping hormones, so I'm sorry for how disjointed this all is...off to try to get some sleep and love on this sweet little BOY!! :)

Birdie Friends

2011-04-03T16:49:00.002-04:00

We hung it up yesterday...they have checked 4 times to see if it still has enough food... I think the trick will be keeping them away from it long enough for the birdies to find it... ;)

{this moment}

2011-03-25T10:19:00.002-04:00

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

Monday he dressed himself for the first time! (Love the rainbow leg warmers!!)

Baby & Me...

2011-03-22T18:56:00.002-04:00

My darling sister took some pregnancy photos of me over her spring break. So perfect to be seeing these (from just a week and a half ago!) right now while I'm feeling exhausted and puffy and READY. ;) She took several, but these three are my favorites...

Baby at 37 weeks

Baby has dropped even lower since then...we are officially at the "any day now" stage! Really we are ready any time now, but there are a few little things that I've been putting off that need to be dealt with. Like seeing if we can actually squeeze three kids in the back seat...!

A bit last minute...

2011-03-22T00:29:00.002-04:00

But just in case anyone sees this and feels like throwing their name in the hat I thought I'd share...(and it gets me another entry, lol) Imagine Childhood is giving away a $75.00 gift card to a very lucky winner...but I'm way behind in seeing about it! Enter quickly if you're interested, it closes at 8:00am MST Tuesday the 22nd. This is a lovely company with beautiful toys! Good luck!

Center Piece for Lent

2011-03-10T21:30:00.002-05:00

Simple but so peaceful and lovely :) I covered the canning jars with tissue paper and slightly watered down elmer's glue. They're two of the ones we use for our Advent wreath. ;) The split peas idea is from another blog that I can't for the life of me find again...but they look so pretty in the bowl with the candle, don't they?

Nesting Meets Spring Cleaning

2011-03-08T23:17:00.002-05:00

I did not get the classic nesting bug with the first two pregnancies. The closest I came was making a nest of pillows on the sofa and curling up in it...thus my homes were never submitted to the whims of pregnancy hormones, and I never got the satisfaction of knowing every square inch of "xyz" was *PRISTINE*. Until this time around...Almost every room in the house has been scrubbed, de-junked (we're talking 20+ large black trash bags and several good will runs), and shoved around. A bit odd considering that Baby will not know, notice, care or remember, but somehow it's still important!! I say "almost every room" not because I'm not doing certain rooms, but because I'm just not finished yet. What will I do if I finish before Baby arrives???

I thought I would share a few pictures of our living room which my sister (who has helped me with everything!!) helped me overhaul today... this is sort of a season table, fitting our season of life right now, more than a nature table that would be specifically geared towards the outdoors. It has our spring books, our new baby books, and a few Easter books underneath, next to a wooden bowl of river rocks. (The top photo shows a collection of a few of the birds we have been seeing return, Jenny's bunny toy, a beautifully illustrated book and a Montessori-esque tray with a folding icon and small- for little hands- crucifix.)

This is one CLEAN sofa...underneath and inside were completely vacuumed...I want to make some pillow covers for the throw pillows but I'm not sure what fabrics to use yet...a survey of the stash is in order once I finish a few baby related items! Above is the beginnings of our family art wall; Jenny's water color of a peacock is on the left, and Bobby's water color of "Daddy in him's bathrobe" is on the right ;)

Their play area~ I need to fix that handle on the "oven" this week! I'm also getting ready to rotate some toys, I think Bobby is really hitting a point where he would like blocks, instead of just throwing them like he was a few months ago!

I am SO proud of these two plants...I am notorious for killing plants. I decided last fall that I would give it one more try and asked my grandmother to start a few plants for me. I figured starting with something "un-killable" was a must, and these baby plants coming from a plant that has been alive about as long as I have couldn't hurt either. ;) I am very pleased to say that I got them in early October (I think) and they are still alive!! There were a few close calls, but they always spring back... once I remember to start watering them again...

Baby's first

2011-03-04T15:23:00.001-05:00

Baby's first outfit...and a peak at Baby ;)

A glimpse of right now

2011-03-02T13:55:00.003-05:00

This post could also be called "lots of random pictures from my iphone" but I'm hoping you will forgive the grainy pictures for now...I'm hoping to get a new camera shortly after (or maybe right before?) Baby arrives...

Jenny's picture of herself (right) and Mommy (left)...cousin Zoey in the background ;)

Baby's blanket in the works...an unplanned stash busting knit that I'm completely in love with!

Reading, "CHEESE", Reading, Reading, Reading...

"Bob is the easiest of all!"

My sister helped me paint our room a lovely shade of green...after about a week of intense

de-junking and rearranging I'm completely in love with my room, and looking forward to curling up with a sweet little armful of baby! :)

With only a few weeks to go, it is already time to get everything washed and organized...it feels so much more real now that everything is unpacked!!

Me and my baby belly as Jenny sees it....

Me and my belly as my mom's bathroom mirror sees it :-p

Bob, the nice dragon

100th Post!!

2011-02-14T17:42:00.002-05:00

It seems that despite being a slacker blogger I have reached my 100th post!! In honor of that I wanted to share my first knitting pattern! This is a very simple little pattern for toddler sized fingerless gloves. I would say they would fit from about age 2-6, but it would be easy to add or subtract stitches (in multiples of 2) if your child has skinny or extra pudgy hands. ;) If you have any questions about any techniques used in the pattern feel free to ask questions!

You will need:

a set of 4 size 2 dpn's

a set of 4 size 3 dpn's

a stitch marker

A small amount of light worsted weight yarn (I knit this in Cascade 220 Superwash, which is almost a dk weight really)

Quick Fingerless Gloves for Toddlers

With size 3's CO 10 sts onto each of three needles, join for working in the round being careful not to twist stitches! Place marker for beginning of round. (30 sts total)

Rows 1-7: Work in k1p1 ribbing

Row 8: k all sts

Row 9: (increase row) *k2, k1fb- repeat from * to end of row (40 sts total)

Row 10-20: k all sts (this should be about 2" from CO edge)

Row 21: BO 5 sts loosely at begging of row, k to end of row (35 sts total)

Row 22: CO 5 sts with backwards loop method, k to end of row--make sure to replace marker once the sts are back on! (40 sts total)

Row 23-26: k all sts

Row 27-30: switch to size 2 dpn's and work in k1p1 ribbing

BO all sts loosely in pattern (I like to use a size 4 needle for the bind off), weave in ends and add any desired embellishment. Present to an adorable toddler!

(I'm happy to offer this pattern for free, but please do not reproduce this pattern or sell items made from this pattern without first talking to me!)

Nightgowns for Miss Jenny

2011-01-29T16:01:00.002-05:00

Jenny has been (when she isn't giving people haircuts ;) growing like a weed this season, and the 4's and 5's that I thought would fit her through the winter simply wont last much longer! Warm pj's were the first thing on the list, and I couldn't resist making a few more things out of my favorite Simplicity 9968--she's at the biggest size now!

So, over the last week I've whipped up these two sweet nighties with some flannel from my stash.

I have been sewing for many, many years now, but this was the first time I was able stretch and sew the elastic for a cute ruffle! I've been trying for years, but it always ends with evil noises and gobs of thread being spit out of my machine and much tearful seam ripping. ;) Hurray for a new skill!

These sweet bears was actually from a stash hand-me-down from my mom!

Next up are a few warm tunic/jumpers for her with some simple warm pants for underneath! However my sewing machine took a tumble off of the table today so I have to find one more piece before I can see how much damage was (or was not!!) done to the inner workings.

Hair

2011-01-26T15:09:00.002-05:00

Yep, Jenny had a self inflicted run in with scissors this morning, turning her recently cut bob into a sort of "lost boys"/birds nest look...not cute. So this is my very best attempt at salvaging what was left. You will notice that the back left is rather more "layered" than the right...which is thanks to a desperate attempt to conceal a bald spot or two! Unfortunately I don't know that any lessons were learned today...clearly they weren't after she cut Bobby's hair yesterday! (ahem) And while I will admit that this turned out reasonably cute (especially once it dried!), I really, truly hope that I wont have to cut *anyone's* hair tomorrow!!

Sneak Peak:: Baby sweater

2011-01-11T17:07:00.000-05:00

I'm slugging through some sort of unpleasant cold like thing right now...spending as much time as possible curled up in my flannel sheets with this tiny knitting project for the little one who is so decidedly *not resting*. ;) Although certainly just a sneak peak for now, it's such a tiny thing that I'm sure it will be finished in no time. The variegated yarn shown is the collar portion of this sweater (free pattern!). The pictures show the hooded version, but I'm not sure I have enough yarn for that...and this way I can make a tiny matching bonnet if I do have extras.

Off to crawl back in and knit a few more rows before dinner...

A tiny bit of knitting...

2011-01-10T17:39:00.005-05:00

A few days a go I learned that my niece Zoey (who has a 3rd birthday coming up) had requested a giraffe for her big day...what perfect timing!! I get to look cool *and* break in my new book...perfect. :) A quick rumage through my stash turned up some lovely gold and brown yarns that will be perfect for a giraffe, and instantly prompted visions of a blue necktie. So, a nice gentlemen giraffe it is...for now anyway, Miss Zoey may turn him into whatever she likes!

This lovely book was a Christmas gift via a gift card from my parents. I love Susan B. Anderson's patterns, actually her hat book was the first knitting book I ever purchased! I can't wait to try out several of the others, but there is an adorable little hippo with Baby Three's name all over it! ;) Speaking of Baby Three, I started his or her Easter sweater! (because while I'm skeptical about March 31st showing any signs of this baby's birth, I am determined that they will be here by Easter!!) I will share more of that once I can get better pictures...a task that requires both daylight and me remembering to take them, which might not happen for a few days! ;)

First Baby Knit!

2011-01-04T18:46:00.002-05:00

I was planning on waiting until I had the whole set finished, but this turned out so cute I couldn't resist. :) The diagonal stripes aren't nearly as obvious in person, and I really liked working with this yarn (color 808). The pattern is free HERE; I changed it a little bit, working it on size 6 needles (I can't find my 7's), and I only worked it for 4" before starting the decreases instead of 6...I think that will be plenty of room for any baby's head, and if he/she is small then I might still have to cuff it up. I like that it will fit longer than the first few hours though!! ;)

Christmas gifts:: Lots (and lots) of rice bags :)

2011-01-02T10:51:00.005-05:00

This was pretty much the go-to Christmas gift this year...fast, really inexpensive and super easy to make, these might become my go-to gift for everything! Simply make an inner bag to whatever size you like, fill about 3/4 full with rice and whatever you're using for scent (I experimented with dried lavender, tea bags (2/cup of rice), and essential oils) sew "bag" shut and you're done! I like to also make a cover to, a)make them pretty and b) keep the inner bag cleaner longer. I did all of these with a little over 10lbs. of rice and stash fabric so the cost per bag is really, really low for a really wonderful gift. Win! :)

For the 2 I made to lay around the neck of the recipient I stitched a few channels once it was stuffed so it didn't all fall to the ends...

(Rosemary essential oil for Joe's grandmother)

Once finished I sealed each in a plastic bag so the scent would be nice and fresh, but it was also a convenient way to label the scent and add instructions for the user. :) (Above is lavender for my bil's 8th b'day)

Bobby's (lavender)

Jenny's (lavender)

To go with my brother Max's pj's (apple cinnamon spice)

I did a simple overlapping back on most of them, quick and easy to make and use!

For my bil-to-be Thomas (the long one is peppermint ess. oil and the square one is a fruity tea)

Jenny helped to make one for my youngest sister Zelie to match her pj pants, but I'm not seeing the picture right now...but we made her's with chai tea and it smells delightful! I also made my midwives each a lavender scented one...again I'll try to find pictures of those! We like to toss ours (without the cover) in the microwave for about 3 minutes...they are very hot when they come out, but that gives you time to stuff them back into the cover and get to wherever you're going to use it. Jenny and Bobby call them their "warmers" and like to tuck them down under their feet at night, much like a hot water bottle. :)

Merry Christmas!!

2010-12-23T14:33:00.002-05:00

I'm officially signing off here for a few days,but first I wanted to share the lovely picture above. I love the progression of faces on the angels, anticipation, marveling and then off into the Heavens singing...and Joseph looks so (appropriately!) tired! I've always had issues with shiny Nativity pictures with well rested, blonde people...ahem...most unlikely. ;) This painting is done by Brian Kershnik and might be my new favorite!

I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas, and enjoy the entire season!!

Love,

Tilly

Christmas Crafting:: Pajamas

2010-12-20T09:49:00.007-05:00

Every year new flannel pajama pants are at the top of my Christmas sewing list...I have been making them for my little brothers-in-law for several years, and my kids always adore the ones they get. Who wouldn't want to curl up in cozy flannel pants?? This year I also made some for my youngest brother and sister, who my kids had in our family gift exchange.

For all of the pants I used Simplicity's It's So Easy #3554. It really is "so easy", I actually lost the instruction page, but if you've sewn any sort of pants before the construction is very basic. I really like the cuff at the bottom, as I sort of loath hemming. :) Above are my siblings' pants--Max's on the left, Zelie's on the right. I didn't get a picture, but I like to put a ribbon loop at the center back so that they can identify the front and back, since there aren't really any other indicators, but it does matter!

And these are for Joe's youngest brothers, Thomas, Matthew and John (from left to right)...fingers crossed that they all fit!! I have to make some more for my own kiddos but those have to wait for when they are sleeping! ;) (Oh, and see the baby bump peeking into the shot?Almost to the third trimester!!)

Knitting Update part 3

2010-12-17T11:08:00.002-05:00

In an effort to get slightly caught up before the swarm of Christmas gifts I will be sharing over the next weeks, I wanted to put up a few more knits that have been off of the needles for a while! First is Miss Jenny again, (really, I do knit for Anthony too, it's just harder to get pictures of him wearing it!!) in a modified version of the adorable Pebble Vest.

I used Lamb's Pride worsted in "Tormented Teal" and it was really nice to work with, after allot of wear it needs a shave/sweater stone to clean up some pilling but I don't mind that, and she LOVES the color! For notes on how I changed the pattern to make it fit my size 6 wearing girl, HERE is the Ravelry link. (BTW the fantastic skirt is made from the Oliver & S Lazy Days Skirt pattern!)

Then to prove that I really do knit for Bobby, here is his winter hat. ;) I made it out of Malabrigo worsted held double. The green is "Olive" and the blue/green multi is "Nostalgia". The pattern is the lovely "Thorpe" (rav link), and although it was kind of a pain to get started up at the top, it turned out just fine and over all was very fun to make. It's big on him now, so we should get a few years out of it, which is always nice! For my notes, it's HERE on Ravelry.

I hope you are all enjoying this Advent season, I can't believe that Christmas is a week away! I will be spending the weekend with my coffee and a huge sewing list, but I think I can still get everything done in time...ah the things we tell ourselves! ;) Happy last minute sewing/crafting/wrapping/decorating etc!!

~Tilly

Knitting Update part 2

2010-12-08T19:11:00.005-05:00

My camera died, so until I get some better pictures of other projects with my iphone's camera the knitting posts are being delayed slightly. :) However, I did finish this project last night (or this morning really), and wanted to share it since they go with the hat in the last post.

These were such a quick, simple knit! The mittens are knit on two needles (although there is an option for in the round on dpn's) and the pattern has tons of sizes, which is fun, since I want to make them for all four of us. :) Since these pictures I have joined them with a crocheted chain, that runs inside her coat so she can't loose one. The "L" and "R" were because she is trying very hard to learn her left and right, and the mittens are made with a front and back so this made it easier than remembering which was which. The thumbs did turn out to long though, so I will be more aware of that while I make Bobby's pair. I asked her if she wanted me to fix them, but she said they were "good enough" like this. ;)

The Details

Pattern: Classic Mittens from Free Vintage Knitting Patterns

Size: Child's Medium, made a bit shorter than called for, and I should have shortened the thumbs too, so if your kids have pudgy hands sort of check as you go!

Yarn: Noro Kureyon colorway 270

Raveled here

I've already started on Bobby's, since he wasn't exactly thrilled that these were for Jenny! His are Cascade 220 Heathers and I'm making them navy and a spruce-y green striped! I SO SO want a pair too! ;)

Knitting Update part 1

2010-11-14T10:37:00.003-05:00

It's that time of year...things are finally getting cold(er) here in Virginia and it's time to take stock of who needs some new hand-knits to stay warm. I'm a bit crazy about insisting that if it is below 65 my kids wear hats outside. My only delay was finding a pattern I liked for Miss Jenny this year, it needed to be quick and easy, but not just a super plain beanie. Kyrie, from one of my very favorite blogs, "Are So Happy", designed this wonderful pattern and is offering it on Ravelry. I knew instantly I had to make it, and a short trip to the yarn store later, Jenny had chosen this yarn for it...I think the colors are very "her", although not what I would have chosen...she has such a solid idea of what she likes, it's really fun for me to watch what she picks, knowing that never in a million years would I have chosen the same thing. It was very fun to work with and I got enough yarn to try some matching mittens next!

The Details

Pattern: Little Pip's Acorn Hat (rav link)

Yarn: Noro Kureyon in colorway 270

(I got mine at our LYS but this is a good online yarn resource)

Raveled here

This hat definitely benefited from a good blocking, right off the needles I was worried it would be to small, but after blocking it might even have a bit of growing room! Very fun pattern, don't be intimidated by the bobbles, once you start them they are very easy and SO fun to do!

{this moment}

2010-11-12T13:02:00.002-05:00

In the words of Soulemama...

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo -capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

Wishing you a lovely weekend!

I finally finished Anthony's sweater... It still needs buttons, which will be sewn on as soon is it finishes blocking!! (In the background is Jenny's purple sweater from last year, I think I was able to stretch the sleeves a bit while washing so it might fit a bit better now!)

Action shots to come ;)

GASP A post!!

2010-10-05T16:45:00.004-04:00

I feel like I should have to dust off the blog or something! :) I'm not really feeling very inspired to do a big post, but I did finish a little knitting project and thought I would share...

Bug needed a new hat for fall and this seemed like the perfect choice. I wish I had added a few more rows of the plain knitting so it covered her ears a bit better, but I think she likes it fairly well as is...I might crochet a scalloped edge around it or something for a bit more length, but we'll see. :) The pattern is Soulemama's Hat of Choice (linked a bit down this page), and the yarn is Brown Sheep Company's "Lanaloft" in Razzmatazz. It's a lovely yarn, but the colors proved to be a bit tricky to photograph...the first picture is closest. You can see my pattern mods HERE. It feels good to show a finished project again! I have a few other that need blocking and buttons, but they will make it up over the next few weeks.

In other news, you might have (or might not) noticed the new ticker in my right sidebar...yup, we're expecting Baby 3! I'm officially due on March 31st (lol) so that puts me at 15 weeks on Thursday. :) We wont be finding out the gender this time and that's really exciting! I figure we have had one of each around the same time so clothing will overlap nicely either way. I'm convinced it's a girl though, and I've been right with the first two...but we'll just have to wait and see!

August 14

2010-08-14T08:41:00.001-04:00

I just wanted to let everyone know that I haven't abandoned this poor blog, but it's been a crazy summer for our family, with some big shifts in "normal". Once Joe's new work schedule starts up in a week or two I'll be back to regular posting again- I have lots to share and can't wait!

A quilt for my boy

2010-07-27T08:27:00.003-04:00

About 1,000,000 months ago I started this quilt for Anthony. I don't exactly remember when...it might have been for his first Christmas, or maybe his second. Either way I started it and didn't finish it. (It needed to age for an appropriate amount of time in my WIP basket...)

Now that's he's sleeping in his own bed it's actually rather small. A little more than a yard square; which is a great snuggle size or baby quilt, but I do need to get moving on his actual toddler bed quilt. All of that being said, I LOVE this quilt. I doubt any other quilt will ever top it. It turned out exactly like I had hoped, sweet and snuggly, but still very sturdy and rustic...just like my boy! It's a very simple pattern, the khaki squares are from an old pair of Joe's corduroy pants, I alternated the "nap" so that the cord. rows go up and down in one block, then side to side in the next etc.

I did simple freehand quilting on it with embroidery floss. Big stitches, sort of straight rows, I didn't want anything fussy or to precise...it just didn't suit the project. I had it spread out and held together with basting pins (like bent safety pins) and I would work on one side and he would sit and watch on the other, then we swapped. ;) The quilt is full of memories like that...I pieced it in my grandmother's Loom Room (her studio for quilting, stained glass and weaving...bliss!) where I pieced my first quilt with my sisters; pants I got Joe for our first Christmas, and lots of time working on it with him "helping" me.

I finally sewed on the binding right before his birthday in May and he has been using it ever since. I wish I'd gotten pictures right away, because it has been through the wash at least a dozen times already and is getting a pleasantly "used" look to it. He drags it around everywhere and I know he's not ready to really start his day until he puts it down in the morning. So yes, I love it, but not as much as him! :)

Grrrrr

2010-07-23T07:40:00.001-04:00

July 14

2010-07-14T10:34:00.002-04:00

Hello! I just wanted to pop on here to say that I haven't given up this space, I'm just enjoying a bit of a summer break. I will be back here soon with lots to say and share (there's been some major knitting/crocheting/sewing happening here), and if all goes to plan (hahahahaha!) a give away is in the works. Okay, back to the house work. :)

Homemade Bread

2010-06-14T15:13:00.002-04:00

Lately I've been trying to establish a weekly rhythm to help us get everything done. One thing I noticed was that I would plan to bake a few things (including bread) as part of our weekly menus, for sandwiches and the like, but then when it wouldn't happen I would have to scramble for an alternate lunch plan. Well...no more! I think Monday is the perfect day for baking around here. I'm always in the kitchen anyway, since there are usually some dishes to catch up on after the weekend, and since I'm still feeling a wee bit lethargic after two days of quietER to do lists, baking seems to be just the thing. This week I tested a new bread recipe that I really love! I have one other I would like to test, but I'm about 95% sold on this one...I just want to check the other out because well...you never know! ;) So...found on all recipes, here is my current favorite...

Ingredients

1/2 cup warm water
3 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
1/4 cup bread flour
1 tablespoon white sugar
2 cups quick cooking oats
2 cups whole wheat flour
4 1/2 cups warm water
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
2/3 cup brown sugar (I used turbinado)
2/3 cup vegetable oil
10 cups bread flour

In the mixing bowl of an electric mixer, stir together 1/2 cup warm water, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1/4 cup bread flour, and yeast. Let grow for about 5 minutes. It will bubble almost immediately.

Measure oats, 4 1/2 cups warm water, whole wheat flour, salt, 2/3 cup sugar, and 2/3 cup oil into the mixing bowl. Mix on low speed with a dough hook for 1 to 2 minutes. Increase speed slightly, and begin adding bread flour 1/2 to 1 cup at a time until dough pulls away from sides of bowl. Humidity determines how much flour you need before the bread pulls away from the edge of the bowl. It is normal for the dough to be sticky.

Place dough in an greased bowl (*note* I had to use my two largest mixing bowls, and it really really filled them once it had risen! One bowl is certainly not large enough unless you have a Really Really mammoth fit-a-two-year-old-in-it bowl), and turn to coat the surface. Cover with a damp cloth. Let rise in a warm spot for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

Divide dough into 6 pieces. Shape loaves, and place in greased 8 x 4 inch pans. Let rise until dough is 1 inch above rim of pans, usually 1 hour. (*note* clearly, I did this a bit differently, since I only have 2 loaf pans...I would really love to get some of these to expand my collection, but that's just currently not an option...so we have a variety to chose from!)

Bake at 350 degrees F ( 175 degrees C) for 30-35 minutes, or until tops are browned. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes, and then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.

WIP Wednesday:: Better late than never!

2010-06-09T22:32:00.002-04:00

How cute is that foot?? My third ever sock, from this pattern. I'm really loving it... hopefully I'll have the pair finished by the end of the week!

Jenny's New Dress

2010-06-08T10:18:00.004-04:00

Okay, so since the pictures uploaded backwards, you get the peak at my current project first instead of last...no time to fight with blogger today! I'm sure you'll understand?

I completely love my rotary cutter and mat! Pink is definitely one of the best colors out there!

(organic vanilla chai in my favorite mug ~*yum*~)

Exciting stuff that! Hopefully I'll have more progress to share with you soon! Back to the regularly scheduled programing...

This has to be my favorite sewing project for a while now; it was such a sweet pattern and fits just exactly like I wanted it too. Isn't it nice when everything works?? I used an older pattern from my mom's stash; McCalls P465 from their 130th anniversary collection. For those interested, if you Google it there are lots of patterns available from small shops and on etsy; there is one with sizes 3-6 and one with 8-14. I made her a size 3, with the size 4 skirt length and it's the perfect length on her...she's not especially tall, I just like to start a dress with as much growing room as possible! The only other change I made was to eliminate the neck facings (hate them) and replace them with single fold bias tape that hand sewed down. The lace you can see at the neck is from the slip I made her with McCall's 4505, view A, (which I loved btw, very sweet and easy!). I'm excited to make her a few more dresses like this once I make some more progress on a few other projects. This should hold her for now though! Now for more pictures of my beautiful girl in her blue dress...

I just love that girl!

Little girls, in little dress that I made...

2010-06-06T18:42:00.003-04:00

My niece's birthday is on Tuesday, so in honor of her fourth year I made her this dress. :) It was Simplicity 5695, in the size 4, with a pattern envelope worth of width added at the bottom (where IS my measuring tape??). I really love how it turned out, and I'm hoping to make several more dresses with this pattern. No buttons or zippers to catch on braids, I completely love the ruffle. :)

Miss Charlotte in her new dress...she's just the cutest thing ever! (8 braids for her octopus party)

Of course they were never standing still, but I realized that all three of the girls were in dresses I have made. !! Little Zoey's was Charlotte's Easter dress two years ago, Jenny's is her new dress (pictures coming tomorrow), and of course Charlotte was trying on her new dress right away.

Check back tomorrow for some new pictures of Miss Jenny and better pictures (and details) of her new dress. Enjoy what's left of your Sunday!

Plans for this weekend...

2010-06-05T10:29:00.002-04:00

It's going to be a very pleasant afternoon around here, I'm making the above pattern (view D) for my niece's fourth birthday, and I have a slip to make for under Jenny's new dress...maybe I'll even get to the bloomers. :) Pictures of both dresses will be coming this week, so be sure to check back!

This morning it's off to the farmer's market to get our CSA share, then to go visit Joe's family while they're still in town. Then the sewing and gardening will begin...homemade pizza for dinner tonight! Oh, and I'm testing out a new bread recipe so if it's good I'll be sharing that this week as well.

Happy weekend!

~Tilly

WIP Wednesday:: My Home Management Guide

2010-06-01T17:12:00.004-04:00

(the above picture has nothing to do with this post, but it was just so pretty I wanted to share!)

Lately things around here have gotten...well, chaotic. In the untidy sense! I hate it when the house gets like this (which lately has been most of the time), but always feel at a loss for what to do about it. I have toyed with the idea of a home binder before (FLYlady calls them control journals) but have never really taken the time to pull together even the basic steps. Mostly because I wasn't sure what they were! Enter this wonderful blog: Want What You Have, particularly This section. My friend shared the link with me and I've been working slowly but surely on it since that night. I have a long way to go, but I think that with the daily schedule and cleaning lists in place I have enough to start putting it into action! So I thought I'd give you a little peak inside what I'm working on... pictures should all be clickable if you want to read what I have.

For starters, my binder is a 3" wide Avery conference D-ring binder, with a one hand ring opener, front and back interior pockets and clear vinyl pockets on the outside. (sounds like a car, huh?)

(the section papers I have are from a system called the Maidservant, I never could get going with this one, but I do love the pages! The booklet that comes with it is helpful too) My first section is "Prayer", but right now it only has a layout of what to read each day to complete the Bible in a year. So I'll show that later when it's more useful. Today is about the "Cleaning" section.

Let me start by saying that I think the key to this thing working is the pretty paper. I got mine at Staples, and for about $14.00 I got 200 sheets and I L-O-V-E it! Opening up to see this really makes a big difference! I put all of my pages into clear page protectors, so they stay nice and neat and tidy. (And if I have changes to make I can either stick a tabby with my notes right onto it, or just write it on with a dry erase marker to be wiped off later.) Okay, where was I....

First I have our new daily schedule. New. Like, I just finished it. We start tomorrow, trying for a half day, and the after dinner part, we'll work our way up from there! It's simple and straight forward, and takes the thinking out of my day. Because really, I'm terribly scatter brained these days and I just can't count on my brain to be there when I need it!

Then I have my day-of-the-week jobs. When you're making up your lists, she actually has you make your daily tasks list first, (which I did) but for a two page layout, I liked having this next. A simple break down of what has to happen each day of the week to avoid a really big cleaning day. That works for some people I realize, but with two small children each day is too much of a variable to be able to say "Friday I scrub my whole house", where as I can plan an hour or two's worth of work and spread it out as I can over the day.

Flip the page and you will see my Daily Tasks. These are those jobs that absolutely must happen or you will be embarrassed to open the door all the way type things. Bare bones, "get these things done and you will be able to sleep at night" type things. I have planned 40 minutes in the morning, and 40 minutes in the afternoon, along with a few reminders of things I should be doing throughout the day.

Thursday is my Kitchen Deep cleaning day, so here I have all of my tasks listed out for that day.

Almost every day, in addition to the day-of-the-week jobs, I have a spot for one monthly/quarterly or bi-annual job. I can just choose which one I feel like doing/have the time for (etc.) and knock it off of my list so that I don't have to have just one giant day to take care of them all. An exciting idea, don't you think?

Now, this isn't in my binder, but it is helpful to me. I have another copy of my daily schedule printed up and in a clear page protector on my fridge. This allows for quick referencing, and serves as a visual reminder to stay on target throughout the day. (Jenny was thrilled that she got a piece of special paper lol)

And this little $5.00 magnetic white board is the best marriage tool ever! Joe likes me to just write what I need him to do/have on his radar down, but we were always loosing the list and it just wasn't working well. Neither was me "reminding" him. So this is great. :) I found it and the day of the week magnets at WalMart. I just jot down what I need him to do that day (a big job on the weekend or something like that), and when he gets home from work he checks it and most days he can get right to it. I don't have to remember (or forget) anything and he doesn't have to be "reminded" whenever I see him. ;)

Look out for some finished project posts coming soon!

Me, my four amazing sisters and my perfectly splendid Mommy

2010-05-30T12:26:00.002-04:00

(Left to right) Me, Elaine, Mommy, Eliza, Zelie, Olivia....I think we're a pretty cute bunch. ;-)

Birthday Gifts:: A boy and his hat...

2010-05-28T07:56:00.003-04:00

Anthony l-o-v-e-s this hat. He put it one when he opened it, and hasn't taken it off since...to the extent that he slept in it all night!
I made up the pattern for this one too, an improvement on the last hat (fit wise at least), and I think I have the pattern worked out now! I'll be sure to let you know when I get it posted! The yarn is Jelli Beenz, I normally wouldn't have gone for the acrylic yarn, but I got this yarn a few years ago when I was still scared of wool. It is pretty soft though, and he loves it, so it's all good. I'm considering making him socks with the rest of it, since I got 3 skeins and this only used most of one.
My doodle bugs reading new birthday books this morning. Aren't they just the cutest things? Oh, and in case you couldn't tell, my camera is MIA, so these are from my iphone...I need to get a better camera app!

Birthday Gifts:: Part 1

2010-05-27T08:29:00.002-04:00

My little boy is two today! So hard to believe that it has been two years already... Over the next few days (I hope!) I'll be sharing the little gifts I made for him. I also have several little dresses for my Jenny-loo in the works, so there should be finished objects all over this blog within the next week! Okay, so onto the first hat...

I love, Love, LOVE this hat. It's a bit wonky in a few of it's design features but since I made up the pattern (!!!) I was expecting to need a bit of tweaking. He chose the yarns and I am so glad I went for the stripes. I'm not a huge fan of knitting stripes, but they are one of my very favorite things so I knew it would be completely worth it. The pattern makes a simple beanie that fits a head between 20" and 21"; now that I've worked out the kinks I'm hoping to make up a pattern for it, so keep your eye out for that!

He was busy watching me make this, so he got it as soon as it was finished. :)

This is while we were at my sister-in-law's the other day...I think he was making eggs. ;)

Thanks for looking; more to come in the next few days...

Love,

Tilly

Cinnamon Rolls

2010-05-25T09:21:00.003-04:00

A few weeks ago I had decided that my personal mission for the summer was to find a go-to, simply amazing, cinnamon roll recipe. Two recipes in and I've already got it! :) My friend Sarah Jane over at Romantic History shared this recipe here, and they are every bit as good as she makes them sound! I made them whole wheat, and they did beautifully. My only advice is to not skimp on the 10 minutes of kneading (although my arms sure wished I would!!), the dough becomes magically soft and elastic when you're approaching the ten minute point, it completely effects the whole process. :) Since my Grammy asked, I'm re-posting my own cook book's version here...

Sarah Jane's Maple Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients:

1 and 1/3 c. milk

2/3 c. maple syrup

2/3 c. soft butter

2 eggs

1 1/2 tsp. salt

6 c. flour (I used white whole wheat)

2 pkg. yeast

Filling:

1 c. packed brown sugar

4 TB flour

3 TB cinnamon

1 stick cold butter

In a saucepan, warm milk, syrup and butter til butter is melted - do NOT boil. Cool to a warm temperature beneficent to yeast. When nicely warm to the touch, put in yeast. Stir in eggs and salt. Mix in 3 cups of flour. Add enough remaining flour to make a stiff dough. Turn out onto board or floured counter and knead for 10 minutes. Pat dough into ball, place in greased bowl and cover with a towel.

Let rise for 1 hour.

Punch dough down and divide into two. Roll each ball into a rectangle, appx. 12" x 18". Combine filling ingredients in bowl, cut in butter to make a crumbly mixture. Spread filling evenly over rectangles of dough. Roll up each rectangle into a fat log. Cut each log in half, then cut each half into 5 rolls. Place 15 rolls on a baking sheet. The remaining 5 rolls put into a separate baking sheet. Cover and let rise for forty minutes.

Preheat oven to 375. Bake rolls for 25-35 minutes or until golden brown on top. Remove from oven and top with a clean towel. (if you don't do this the rolls will get hard on top). Let rolls cool beneath towel while you make the icing.

Icing:

1 cup powdered sugar

3 TB butter, melted

3 TB maple syrup

1 to 2 TB milk

Combine the powdered sugar, melted butter and syrup in a bowl. Add in enough milk for desired consistency. Spread over warm rolls and let rolls cool, uncovered, completely. When cool put into an air tight container.

These have been a HUGE hit over here, so I think they will become our Saturday breakfast. I can make them up on Friday afternoon, so there's not any coin flipping for who has to make breakfast (vs. sleeping until b'fast is done), which I'm sure Joseph will like, since *somehow* he always draws the short straw on that one... ;-)

WIP Wednesday:: A special hat

2010-05-19T19:36:00.003-04:00

This is my current WIP (work in progress), a hat for my Bobby's birthday next week. He is out growing his current favorite, and since he about wont go outside without his hat on, I thought I'd make another before we had a problem. :) The colors are showing up allot lighter in this shot than they actually are, but you get the idea. What looks to be a light spruce green is actually quite dark, and the navy and plum fall into the same boat. I'll get better pictures once it's finished! I'm making the pattern up since I had some difficulty finding a plain, simple beanie pattern on ravelry that used worsted yarn and was free. I'm hoping to turn it into a pdf. file when it's done so that it's available should anyone else want to try it. Other things you should see finished for his birthday include a teddy bear, and his quilt. :)

Sisters

2010-05-18T11:28:00.002-04:00

This is a picture my mom took of my sister Eliza and I...it might be my most favorite picture ever. Well...at least top ten. :)

Our May Crowning

2010-05-01T20:15:00.003-04:00

Before we lit the candles (there are twelve for the stars in Our Lady's crown)

Jenny crowning Our Lady

I'm not sure if I have ever seen a May crowning that didn't first have the crown backwards ;)

One side...

And the other...

April 30

2010-04-30T11:52:00.002-04:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

(text from Soulemama, which I hope is ok, it seems to be how people are participating)

A Recent Good Day (an out of order post with no words because today isn't quite one of these days!)

2010-04-26T08:46:00.005-04:00

April 23

2010-04-23T11:21:00.003-04:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. {Inspired by SouleMama} A single photo capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

A scene from our table after a fun day of projects and crafting from everyone. :)

A little bit of progress...

2010-04-17T11:42:00.002-04:00

3 more place-mats to go! It's a simple everyday set, I decided to for-go the lace and did a bit of zig-zag instead, I have no idea what is the standard size, but I cut these at about 16x20 and they are just right for my (slightly large) plates. They are reversible with one layer of cotton quilt batting in between the layers. The napkins are approx. 14" square, and I love that they are pretty from both sides. :) I have tons more of the blue so I'm going to make the blue place-mat set with the same fabric.

WIP Wednesday:: Sort of :)

2010-04-07T14:56:00.002-04:00

With all of the sickness in this house I haven't had much time for crafting the last few months. Add to that a complete lack of interest, and you get a WIP post without any Works In Progress. :) However, whether from spring fever, or all of my de-cluttering, or maybe just taking a creative break, the bug is back and I've come up with a fresh new list of projects, to be started at the first available minute. I thought I'd share the list, and then we can see how the items compare once I've finished them. These aren't exactly in a prioritized order, but they are in the order that I'm the most excited about. ;) (BTW the place-mat love is inspired from Here and Here.)

Set of place-mats-- tan striped ticking, with a pieced scrap fabric border
Set of place-mats-- green gingham with brilliant placement of cluny lace ;)
Set of place-mats-- light blue, with navy blue running stitch border
3 sets of cloth napkins (unclear on the details until I check my stash) inspired by this post (I like all three kinds)
Curtains for Jenny's room (she's requested green)
Curtains for Anthony's room (I'm using either blue or red ticking)
Snack bags like these...
Bread bags like these...
New bathmats made out of old towels like this...(from the book Handmade Home by the wonderfully brilliant Amanda Soule) as a side note, look at the inspiration Here!

I feel like that will keep me busy for a while at least. :) Now, with any luck by next Wednesday I'll actually have something post about! I'll leave you with This really great idea for recipe storage from Stitching Under Oaks, I want to make myself some as soon as I can get to staples!

Happy crafting everyone,

Tilly

You might have wait on that bread recipe...

2010-04-06T10:34:00.001-04:00

'cause I have sick babies and they need allot of lovin'

(photos from right now)

A little bit at a time

2010-04-05T11:53:00.004-04:00

That's my motto right now. I've been struggling the past few months with our family having seemingly endless rotations through flus, colds, viruses, and all things stuffy, which has led to A-LOT of backed up housework, and a complete stand still with anything even remotely under the umbrella of "creativity". Giving up buying yarn for Lent didn't help with that much, although I did take advantage of the break in incoming yarn to organize what I already had. However over the last few weeks I have been making progress, most of the rooms in my house are allot better than they were a few weeks before that, and I'm continuing to make forward progress there. Dishes are getting done more regularly (although it's only about once a day, it's still an improvement!), what toys we've kept are getting picked up at least twice a day, and bags of donations are still being filled and dropped off.

^ Right Now v

Establishing simplicity and order in our home is my first goal, it's not really very fun, but it is rewarding to see more and more clear, clean surfaces, and my kids (and husband!) are really happy about this new arrangement. Next I will be focusing on our daily and weekly rhythms, which I expect to be much more fun. I want to start documenting my goals and progress here, partly for a bit of accountability, maybe to inspire someone else, and certainly to look back on later and enjoy. So here are my goals for April...

April

Paint hallway & foyer

Finish painting in Jenny's room

Re-paint markered wall in Anthony's room (nothing else worked so that's just going to have to happen lol)

Finish decorating Jenny's room

Plan our garden

Sew a selection of place mats and napkins

Set up back porch for Spring and Summer (involves mending the screen in several places as it is a screened in porch)

There are about a million other things that I want to work on too, but these are the Big Things, I have to do about two things a week to get it done, but that will be a good rate I think. I have next weekend cleared for painting, so that will cover three of the things right there. And some of the things (making place mats & napkins) will be so much fun they wont feel like chores at all. I leave you with a yummy picture, recipe will be coming tomorrow!

Easter Sunday

2010-04-04T15:30:00.003-04:00

For whatever reason Blogger wont let me rearrange the pictures today, so you will be getting them in reverse order. :) So first, thanks to the great free pattern at Wee Wonderfuls, I was able to make these two cute little guys for the kids. I used scraps and they turned out so very cute! I made Anthony's like they said too, but I thought that Jenny's was cuter with the "back seam" as a "nose". I stitched them by hand so that they wouldn't be woken up by the sewing machine...I certainly need to practice more, but I had a fun time working on them.

(Jenny has named her bunny "Snack")

My sweet babies all ready to go to Mass. I actually kept Anthony home (I went to the Vigil) because of his cold/cough but Jenny went with Joe. She was very excited to get to wear a necklace that was given to me for my baptism (when I was about her age). Just a teeny tiny gold cross, but she felt very fancy! Anthony sat so nice and still for his haircut yesterday! He likes doing everything "just like Daddy" so he was very excited to show me how nicely he could sit. These two are just the best. :)

Fun project...

2010-03-06T19:48:00.002-05:00

I know that this is a dreadful photo, but I had to share my find right away! I am working in my kitchen this month, which means restocking the necessary linens. I have some how made it nearly five years with just one pair of potholders. They (at best) look well loved. So I've been spending some of my nursing time browsing ravelry for a good pattern. The criteria was; cute, thick, made with already-in-my-stash cotton yarn. I found this pattern and I l-o-v-e it! (Rav link here) The one picture above is for a swap I'm in, made as a tester. It's so cute, and so very quick that I'm having fun making them for my own kitchen now. I have an ample stash of cotton "peaches and cream" yarn that I'm trying to use up so restocking my pot holders and washcloths is perfect timing wise. I will share better pictures soon; I want to finish my current work in my kitchen and then take you on a little tour. :)

Okay, back to browsing ideas for place-mats.....so far I like the ideas of this one and this one (etsy links). I'm working on the atmosphere of our meals, and I thought that a variety of place-mats would be a fun way of doing that!

February 28 Self Portrait

2010-02-28T13:53:00.001-05:00

My lap right now...and most of this month, plus or minus an almost-two-year-old. (BTW, good book so far, I LOVED the first one, and I'm about 1/3 of the way into this one.)

February 26

2010-02-26T20:20:00.004-05:00

This is from a week or so ago...taken during that brief time of day when he isn't being....well, an almost two year old boy! ;)

This is Jenny from the first night she slept in her big girl bed. I'm working on a quilt, and I'm planning on making several throw pillows so that she can use it like a day-bed (it's the top of a bunk bed). I'm having fun choosing art for her walls. When we rearranged the room to fit the bed we had to clear the walls for the new layout anyway so I thought it would be a good time to choose some art prints. :) I'm thinking of some Monet for sure, I just have to decide on the size, and how many pieces to get. (I plan on getting them from allposters.com, but I want to check the website of the National Gallery.)

I love those chocolatey brown eyes!! :) This is the Little Miss from a few weeks ago, in her new-ish hat. She asked for another one today, in red, to "help her get feeling better." ;) How could I say no to that?? The pattern is here. (BTW Caroline, this pattern is really easy, and worked back and forth/flat instead of in the round, so I think you could def. do it! And the super bulky yarn makes it go really fast.)

This is a knit for me! It's a wide headband (next time I'll make it a bit narrower), and I love that it's designed to cover the wearers ears! :) Livie died the yarn for me as a Christmas gift using this tutorial, and I love how it worked up for this. The pattern can be found here. I was a bit worried at first, but once you're actually working on it the directions are perfect. :) I want to make Jenny a smaller one with the rest of the yarn!

My life in art...

2010-02-19T15:37:00.002-05:00

Not much of this has been happening...

or this...

You see, Mr. Anthony is sick, so the past two days I've been doing allot of this... (although not dressed nearly so nicely!)

And a great deal of this....

Trying to squeak in bits of this... Jenny and I have been playing at www.starfall.com, working on letter sounds and the beginning of putting them together into words. :)

But before long it's back to this again...I've been spending large amounts of time in this exact cuddling position. :)

Daydreaming of a bit of all-alone shopping to be done tomorrow (I LOVE this picture! heehee)

I think this might be a picture that was actually taken in my house this week.... ;)

Have a lovely weekend!

WIP Wednesday:: Knitting

2010-02-10T13:07:00.003-05:00

Socks!! That's right ladies and gentlemen, I can knit socks! I'm so excited, and even better, Jenny loves them. As you can see, I have the second one nearly finished; I'm hoping to get it finished today. I can't wait to cast on a pair for Anthony! I have a great self-striping yarn that I hope he will like. :)

A rather late Christmas gift...it's coming along though! (I promise, Caroline!)

And a yummy hat for myself! I'll share details on each when I post finished pictures, but if you have any questions let me know. :)

Another lovely giveaway!

2010-02-08T21:07:00.002-05:00

I promise I will resume regular posting here soon! We have been sick, and the feet upon feet of snow we have been getting here in Virginia has kept me busy. I wanted to pop on here though, to share a lovely Waldorf book giveaway that the lovely Hillary is doing over on her blog Healing Hillary. So go have a look, and if you're so inclined put your name in the hat!

New Blog Love & A Giveaway

2010-01-23T12:21:00.002-05:00

I just wanted to let you know that I've recently found a lovely new blog "A Journey to a Simple Happy Life", by the lovely Imene. I've added her to my blogroll, but wanted to specifically mention this post, with a giveaway for Living Crafts magazine.

Have a great weekend!

~Tilly

Portraits ~ January

2010-01-22T18:46:00.003-05:00

This year I want to post a (normally self) portrait of myself each month. I've seen some really fun versions on other blogs and I think it would be a fun project. This month I'm cheating a wee bit, and using pictures from last month that my sister-in-law Bitty took, but I just adore them, so I think it's okay. :)

Where is my baby, and who is this boy?!?!

2010-01-18T18:55:00.003-05:00

Today was the inevitable first haircut.... for both children! Jenny just got a gentle trim to remove tangly ends of baby hair, but Anthony's was a bit more drastic. Having not one but two hair swirls, causing not one but two parts, long(er) hair just isn't an option for him. I thought about putting it off until Easter, or his 2nd birthday, but then I realized that I would just spend the next few months dreading it, so I decided to just get it all done on one day. I'm glad I did. I think. It wouldn't be so bad if he hadn't instantly turned into such a little boy!! I do love how much more animated his face appears though, such a sweet, adventurous little guy! I'll try to get a good picture of Jenny's hair. It's so cute, still past her shoulders, and now it flips out at the bottom. :-D

A few more finished items...

2010-01-15T15:26:00.003-05:00

Wow, three finished knitting items in one week! To be sure I didn't start them all this week or anything, but it's very exciting! :) These gloves are my very first knit project for myself, (!!) thanks to the motivation of the "One For Me" ravelry group (read more about it at Hillary's blog HERE). I used Malabrigo yarn in the "Emerald Green" colorway, and THIS simple pattern. I think they took a little less than four hours to knit. Ravelry link HERE. I'd like to use the rest of the yarn to make THIS cowl (find it on Rav. as the Gloria Cowl) to go with them, doesn't it look cozy?
Next up we have Jenny's new fingerless gloves, made with leftover yarn from her sweater. These were simple and quick, and are my first attempt at cables!! I don't have any pictures of her wearing them yet, but I'm hoping to get some soon. I used THIS pattern (that fit her 3/4 year old hands perfectly, but I'll definitely add 3 or 6 more stitches next time for a little bit of growing room. Ravelry link HERE.

Well thank you all for looking! I have a bit of birthday knitting for Joseph to get finished up next, but I wont post pictures until his after his birthday, so that's probably it for a while, but you never know, I might do a little extra knitting on the side. ;) I have several sewing projects that I need to get started (and finished) though, so I'm sure I'll be able to share more finished projects soon! Have a great weekend...

~Tilly

WIP Wednesday:: Recently Finished

2010-01-13T19:27:00.004-05:00

Yay!! I finally got this sweater finished. :) It is my first, and would have gone quickly if I hadn't taken so much time off to work on Christmas gifts. ;-) It is a simple top down raglan sleeve out of bulky yarn. She wore it all day and declared how much she loved it. I love having kids who appreciate their mama-mades! The pictures aren't the best, but the good light is all outside and it's too cold to take pictures without coats which rather defeats the purpose, doesn't it?

Ravelry link HERE

I am hoping to get pictures of a few more items to share soon, but I'm having a hard time finding a free moment when the sun is still up. ;-)

It's that time of year...

2010-01-12T07:10:00.003-05:00

You know, when you've been running the heat for a few months, and the air is dry. The last few weeks here have been crazy, it feels like we're drinking water constantly (I drink my entire water bottle at night and wake up thirsty!), dry skin, static-y hair, you know the drill. In addition to a humidifier in one of the bedrooms (at one end of the house), I've been running my stove top potpourri from sun up 'til bedtime. Not only does it help get water into the air, but it smells lovely too (even Anthony says so!). Unfortunately it doesn't exactly photograph well, but that's okay. It's pretty flexible, I've listed the whole "recipe", but I've been known to skip the apples, use orange essential oils, and lemon juice. ;)

Stove Top Potpourri

Into a 2qt. sauce pan place, one sliced lemon (or generous splash of lemon juice), peals of about two oranges (or about 8 drops of essential oil), and either apple peals and cores or you can use up those "dead" (but not rotten or moldy) apples, just chunk up- core and all- and toss in (Granny Smith looks especially pretty), then you want to add some cloves, some cinnamon, and I like to add some nutmeg and allspice too, but that's up to what you like. Whole cloves or ground are fine (check your local bulk food store for these, since they tend to be way WAY cheaper there), and you can use ground cinnamon, or cinnamon sticks that have been broken up. Fill pan to about 3/4" from the top with water once everything is in the pan and put onto a back burner at about a "4", or just onto the low side of medium. Once it starts boiling keep an eye on it, and add water throughout the day. You will need to refresh the spices every 24 hours or so, but you can just add to what you've got for about a week at a time. Just continue to add fruit peals or whatever as you notice the scents weakening. Just don't forget to watch it, you don't want to loose a pan! I find I have to add to mine every hour and a half or so. I have added a note to my front door to remind myself to turn it off before we leave, since it's so easy to just get used to it when you have it going for days. Tinker with it, make it smell like you would like, and enjoy!

ETA~ I have all sorts of knitting to show you, but I haven't had the chance to get any pictures yet; hopefully today! So I think you'll be getting to see some FO's (finished objects, as opposed to UFO's, which would be un-finished objects) for WIP Wednesday!

Sunday Rest

2010-01-10T09:00:00.000-05:00

"Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."

~William Morris

This is my motto right now, and I'm having such fun! My house looks like a tornado has struck, but I know it will all start to fall into place soon. I've been getting rid of so much stuff; I'm not exactly a minimalist, but I am determined to cut things down until there is only what there is room for. Empty spaces might even be a good thing for a while. ;) I'll be sharing pictures in a week or two as things get finished up. I'm very excited to get to show off the pretty and practical spaces that I'm clearing and creating. So many good, positive, and necessary changes are being put into action around here these days...a new schedule is about finalized, complete with new routines and household management plans. Oh, it will be wonderful! I am one of those people who really do best with just the right amount of structure, not so much that I never get to be creative, but enough that all of the regular things are built into a fixed rhythm. My kids do too, and I have really been dropping the ball in this area lately. I think that the new rhythms will help with some of the sleeping problems going around here these days (Jenny and myself), I always sleep better when my mind and body can learn to depend on routines. I have allot of "OCD" and "ADHD" tendencies, so being able to count on the events of the next day really helps me. All the more reason to create a comfy cocoon of rhythm and order. :)

Chunky Crayon Tutorial

2010-01-09T06:30:00.001-05:00

Every so often I reach a point in my mothering journey where I get *so*tired* of picking up little bits of crayon from all over the place. I hate to throw the pieces away, but I know if I just keep them then I'll just be picking them up again the next day. This is my solution. My kids love the big multi colored crayons, and I love having so few items to pick up! I thought I'd share my method, as my very first tutorial!

Start by making sure that all of the paper has been removed from the crayons, (in our house they always peel the crayons before they even start coloring with them, lol) and sort them into whatever combinations you like. I did reds/pinks/white; yellow/orange/brown/grey; and blues/greens/purples. I have a regularly sized muffin tin, so that's what I used. I just filled the other spaces with papers, not sure if you have to, but somehow it seemed to make sense. :) Preheat oven to 275*F, and pop them in on a middle rack.

It took me about 8-10 minutes to get everything nicely melted. I have found that smaller pieces melt faster so you may want to be sure they're all about even when you split them up. Once about 90% is melted you can poke at them with a tooth pick. Not everything has to be melted, so long as you can push anything solid down into the liquid. Try not to stir it to much, or you will mix the colors up into a rather nasty shade. Once they are done, remove them from the oven and let the pan cool. I like to then pop it into the freezer for 10-15 minutes, you can tell if they're ready to remove from the pan when there is a hairline crack around the entire edge.

Just flip the pan over onto a towel and smack each of the cups three or four-ish times. They'll be a bit funny looking on the top, but a few coloring sessions and they'll be fine. :)

And the colors are so pretty!

Let me know if you try it, and what you think!! I'm thinking of just doing this from the start from now on...like fresh out of the box. I'm thinking it would be fun to make some in rainbow colors, or holiday themed ones. The possibilities are endless!

Gratitude Friday

2010-01-08T14:10:00.002-05:00

This week I am grateful for...

Warm sweaters

Good soups

New recipes

Clean(er) corners

Fresh homemaking plans

Successes that balance out the short comings

Care to join me? What are you grateful for this week?

A Random Collage of Recent Pictures

2010-01-07T20:22:00.007-05:00

My sweet boy, with his funny new teeth. He loves the yarn winder that I got for Christmas, you see,what could be better than something that makes balls?? The yarn is Malabrigo and oh so yummy. I will be using it to make myself these gloves, and this cowl. I joined a Ravelry group that's theme is knitting something for yourself every month. It looks like I'm not the only knitter who is always putting off our own projects. :) I'm so excited! I'm starting small, with just a few days worth of actual knitting, because I'm also working on some birthday gifts for Joseph. :)

There's also sewing in my future! I will be making the green and black prints into skirts, and I'm still deciding about the pink, it's so pale I might save it for Easter. I have a length of white on white print for a petticoat too...I'm in such bad need of skirts, I'm so excited to finally be getting some! :)

These next few are of our tree and of some of the ornaments I made this and last year... the cinnamon and applesauce ones are from this year, and the stained glass ones I made last year. The other stars I've gotten from Ten Thousand Villages.

In this one you can see a bit of the fabric strips I tied to the tree, I love how it turned out, so cute and cozy!

The cuties. :) Their great-grandmother got them both rain coats and rain boots, which will be perfect as soon as the snow switches to rain in a few months! We are making a major effort this year to spend between 30 minutes and an hour, at least, outside everyday...These will let us go out and play even when it's wet. :) I'm excited because I was even able to find a source (Land's End) that doesn't line their raincoats with fleece, so I don't have to worry about little Anthony's face. :) And aren't they just too cute?? :-D

This was taken on Christmas Eve, after they got their special Mama-made pj's. The pants are made from the flannel that is on their shirts. I am so pleased with how the appliqués turned out! I used a double sided iron on adhesive, and then zig-zaged around the edges. I LOVE this picture of them, especially because it captures Anthony's "Cheese" face. ;) As does this one, lol...

We put Jenny's hair in rag curls for Christmas. They worked so beautifully, but on our way to dinner it was raining so heavily that between the car and my in-law's porch her incredible curls completely deflated. It was fun though, and I think we're going to do it again soon-ish.

Then on the crafting front, this is the hat I made for my dad's birthday gift. The men in my family have um, rather large heads, so finding ready made hats can be a bit tricky. This was a fun, quick knit with bulky yarn on size 10-1/2 needles. And it fits and is loved! :-D

And these are just two silly pictures taken during desert tonight. :) I made vegetable soup for dinner, with brownies for desert. Anthony ate two bowls (and every last bean!) of the soup, and devoured his brownie. :-D I love it when he likes what I make! Jenny is rather harder to please. She is so good, and tries everything, but she has a very strong gag reflex, so if I make her eat more than a taste of something she doesn't like she throws up....SO NOT WORTH IT! She did try everything though, (*ahem* and only threw up a little bit...sigh, she just can't do chunky soups or potatoes of any kind. Odd isn't it?) and she loved her brownie. :)

She's so silly, it's absurdly hard to get a picture of her these days, since she's so eager to see the picture that she moves before the shutter closes. ;) The knot on her head was the prize for nose diving down the stairs at my parent's house...one more reason I'm grateful for a one level house!!

Knitting Goals for 2010

2009-12-30T21:50:00.003-05:00

I think that knitting goals are about as close to New Years resolutions as I get. :) I am *so* enjoying this week between Christmas and New Year; Joe has been home every day, and we have had lots of fun family time. I look forward to picking this blog back up once the new year rolls in, but for now I just wanted to share my annual knitting goals. Of course I will very from the list a bit, but I mostly want to try a few new techniques. :)

Knit socks--this has been on my list for the last two years, and while I started a pair, I didn't get very far before Anthony pulled all of those tiny needles out. So I will be starting fresh, first with a pair for my Jenny in a pretty purple yarn that she chose herself.
Something with some color work in it. I have lots of pretty things in my favorites on Ravelry, so I know I'll have an easy time choosing something. The trick will be getting my mom to drop everything and walk me through the process over and over and over and over....
Knit for Joseph-- I have been working on a scarf for him for ages, and he has put in a request for half finger gloves and a hat as well. I'm going to try to make them for his birthday but we'll see. I figure I can at least get two of the three things done,with a promise for the third!
Knit for myself! Okay, I realize this isn't a technique, but of all of the things I have knit, I've never made anything that I've kept as my own. My mother in law gave me some beautiful yarn for Christmas and I can't wait to make myself a hat and scarf. (The colors are bright raspberry pink, and a soft dove grey; one of my favorite, girly combinations!)
Knit for charity-- There are so many cool knitting and crocheting based charities that I really would love to contribute too. This one in particular has always stood out to me as a cool thing to be a part of.

So...here's to knitting in 2010! :) Do you have any goals?

~ Merry Christmas! ~

2009-12-24T10:19:00.002-05:00

I'm sorry to have been so absent lately! The auto posting didn't work as I had hoped, and things have just been to busy here to figure it all out. :) I look forward to resuming my blogging once things settle back down though! I hope all of you have a wonderful, love filled Christmas season!

An Irish Christmas Blessing

The light of the Christmas star to you
The warmth of home and hearth to you
The cheer and good will of friends to you
The hope of a childlike heart to you
The joy of a thousand angels to you
The love of the Son and God's peace to you.

Just popping in...

2009-12-10T14:47:00.002-05:00

I just wanted to say hello, so you know I haven't dropped off of the face of the earth. We've just been busy around here getting ready for the Christmas season. Lots of knitting, cleaning and every day life. :) I'm going to be gone all of next week to my grandmother's house for the famous cookie week, but I'm planning on setting up a series of auto posts for while I'm gone. Sort of a tour of our Advent. :) I will spend the weekend taking pictures and setting everything up for you all...I hope you will enjoy it!

A New Favorite

2009-12-02T08:34:00.000-05:00

(picture from here)

I made this for dinner last night while on the phone with my very best friend. :) This means two things, 1) I got to talk to Anne for 1-1/2 hours! -and 2) This is so easy that you can do it while paying no attention at all. ;) This is definitely one of my favorite recipes now!

Chicken and Rice Pot Pie

1 sheet of frozen puff pastry (you buy it pre-made, and I just defrosted one sheet in the microwave for about 1.5-2 minutes at 50% power, just until it unfolds without breaking)

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (I had them pre-baked in the freezer, so I just cut those up into cubes) cut crosswise into 1/2" pieces

salt and pepper

4 Tablespoons unsalted butter

2 teaspoons flour

1 cup instant rice (they say white, but I used brown and really loved it)

1 3/4 c. chicken broth

1/2 c. heavy cream

1 cup frozen veggie mix

(They say 3 scallions, but I forgot them and liked it without)

Okay, here is the actual recipe, and I'll just add what I changed in parenthesis.

1) Cut puff pastry sheet into 6 evenly sized pieces, and bake on lined (parchment or a non stick mat etc.) baking sheet until golden brown and crisp, about 15 minutes.

2) Meanwhile, pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Melt 1 Tablespoon of the butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook half of chicken until no longer pink, 1 to 2 minutes per side; cut into cubes and transfer to medium bowl. Repeat with additional 1 Tablespoon butter and remaining chicken. (I already had cooked chicken, so I just cubed and and set it aside.)

3) Add flour and remaining butter to (now) empty skillet and cook until golden, 1 to 2 minutes. (I just used a bit over 2 Tblsp. of the butter since I didn't need to cook the chicken). Stir in rice, broth and cream and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, covered, until rice is nearly tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in frozen veggies (and scallions), and chicken along with any accumulated juices. Simmer until sauce is thickened, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Top with puff pastry and serve.

So quick and easy! I really loved it. ALLOT. I might try tossing in an egg or two, for more of a stir-fried rice feel, because, well, I just love it! I like this so much in fact that I might just make up a double recipe on the weekend and eat if for lunch all week. Love it!! Funny fact: I used to hate rice, like, I just couldn't eat it. E.V.E.R. Then, when I was pregnant with Jenny I started having this weird craving for pork fried rice...which turned into anything involving rice. Now it is my side dish of choice and I can't stop eating it! Weird, huh?

Something to share

2009-12-01T16:43:00.000-05:00

Today I wanted to share a bit about a book I'm reading, I'm not very far into it yet, but I can already tell that it is one I will be rereading and referencing all through my parenting journey. It is "Simplicity Parenting ~Using the Extrordinary Power of Less to Raise Calmer, Happier and More Secure Kids" by Kim John Payne and Lisa M. Ross. (You can find it on amazon, but I got mine from half). First I heard about it on Grace's blog, then Kyrie's and I decided I needed to read it for myself. I can't say enough good things about this book, and I'm only into the second chapter! I think this might become my new parent gift it's so good. I'll give a proper review, along with the changes and their effects that we will be making as soon as I finish this book, but I just had to share about it...check your libraries, splurge a bit on half or amazon...this book is a must read! :)

Monday Christmas Corners

2009-11-30T16:03:00.000-05:00

This afternoon Jenny and I set up our nativity set. The "cave" is just a cardboard box covered with one of our play silks, and the star is one from my ornament collection. We will put baby Jesus away until Christmas, and the three kings will wander around the house until Epiphany, but we wanted to see what it will look like all set up. :)

ps) Now that we are home I should be back to blogging as normal!

I didn't stop blogging, I'm just knitting!

2009-11-19T17:58:00.000-05:00

Nothing quite ready for pictures yet, but I'm hoping in the next few days to have completed a few things to share. Lots of business going on here, but due to a major lack of sleep, not much thinking about blogging. :) But I did want to share my menus...it is such fun to do this! I'm thinking of doing a series of posts on the follow through of the menu. With pictures of the food each day along with recipes, what do you think?

Well, for now, here's what's coming up on our plates.....

Breakfasts: Oatmeal with brown sugar, raisins and milk

Lunch: PB&J or leftovers

Snacks: Yogurt, string cheese, cookies, crackers (Mommy- trail mix, yogurt)

Dinners:

Mac'n'cheese with green beans

Creamy garlic chicken pizza

Chili & cornbread

Sweet and sour meatballs (new make ahead recipe)

Crock pot roast, roasted vegetables, rolls, broccoli "Wellesley Fudge Cake" (new recipe)

Spaghetti & meat sauce, garlic bread, green beans

Chicken & rice pot pie (new recipe)

Oven baked Chicken Chimichangas (new recipe)

I'm doing more new recipes than usual, but I am feeling the need for some fresh inspiration, and my latest "Cooks Country" magazine arrived just in time! :) Also, since we will be gone for a few days over Thanksgiving, there are a few days planned simply as "left overs" so that we can clean out the fridge before we go. I hate coming home to nasty food!

As for special Thanksgiving things, I'm planning on making two loaves of THIS Cranberry Orange Bread, and a batch of spiced nuts (new recipe). I'll be sure to share recipes and details for the good new things! Saturday will be a busy day of cleaning, cooking and crafting, (and Joe's going to put our Christmas lights up, because we like to turn them on the first Sunday of Advent) then Sunday Joe and I have a date to finish up the last of our Christmas shopping. After that I will just have to get busy with my crafting! I can't wait to pull out our Christmas bins! I have some new plans for Advent this year, and I am so excited to share!

What yummy things are you making??

Technical Difficulties

2009-11-17T07:55:00.000-05:00

Hi- I know I'm supposed to be posting, but due to some strange technical difficulties, my camera will not upload pictures for me...... so I need to have Joe look at it and make it work for me. :) Sounds easy enough, but of the last 8 days, he's only been home before 9 twice, and I haven't wanted to pester him with it that late. So...either tonight or tomorrow you will have some good picture-filled posts!

Sunday Rest

2009-11-15T08:38:00.000-05:00

The only place where housework comes before needlework is in the dictionary. ~Mary Kurtz

(P.S. I will be back this week! Last week was very long and very tired, but I have lots for this week! Thanks for understanding.)

WIP Wednesday:: A Variation...

2009-11-11T10:06:00.000-05:00

The weather here is dark grey and rainy....and I don't have any good pictures for today. I've moved all over the house, turned lights on, turned lights off, flash on, flash off...on and on and on, and not one good picture. :( So, I thought I would just share some of the things that are on my to do list. I have some fun crafting plans for Christmas (aside from gifts) that I can't wait to get started on!

I found this super cute mini mitten ornament pattern (free) that I really want to make...they are super super tiny, I've seen pictures that compare them to a quarter and I'd say that they're probably only twice as big! I'm thinking I might up the yarn and needle size so that they're a wee bit bigger. Or maybe make a little family of them?

I also have a few more gnomes to make, I want to do one with a "light" theme for our nature table, and Bitty wants one just like this one that I made a few weeks ago.

While I was growing up we had a really fun Advent calender that was my mom's growing up. It was a big felt tree and each day you added a new felt ornament, placing the star on the top on the last day. Well, I was thinking of doing something like that, and was looking for free tutorials online when I found this one. I *love* the idea of a garland, and I could fill it with all sorts of tiny things... I really really Really want to make a small nativity set out of my horde of scraps, and I would love to put one piece into each pouch. Nothing too fancy, just something small and friendly to little hands... I think it will be fun! Oh, and I want to make the garland out of fabric on hand too, as wonderful as wool felt would be, I don't think it's in the budget this year.

I collect star ornaments. I love them. I think they are the most beautiful kind of ornaments. Each year I pick out two or three to add to my collection, and our tree just looks so happy! :) When I saw this tutorial, I knew I had to make some! (Although I'll probably use flannel scraps instead of felt.)

I just saw these beautiful mason jar candle holders this morning over at Frontier Dreams, and I can't wait to make them! I'm considering doing three purple and one pink instead of the more traditional taper candles for our Advent wreath this year... I foresee making many of them in different color combinations...they looks so pretty!!

And last but not least, are these Waldorf star lanterns. I really love just about everything Waldorf related, but I really love these lanterns. I'm so excited to make them!

Thanks for looking! What special crafts are on your to do list?

My Fall/Winter Collection:: Part One

2009-11-09T23:10:00.000-05:00

I've been working on a little project that I thought I'd share with you all. (And yes, I know how late it is, but it is still Monday!) So, I've been re-inspired recently to work on some sewing for myself. I haven't been doing much sewing lately, so I'm really excited to get to work on this. I've come up with my plan, and I believe, chosen my patterns. Next I will fit mock ups and then I can start! So today I thought I'd share the outline and patterns, and over the next few weeks I will continue to share updates as things develop.

Colors: Browns, pinks/berries (I will firm this up once I find the fabric!), blues, and white/grey

Item list: (everyday clothing)

4 skirts: 1 long khaki skirt, 1 long navy skirt, dk brown print tiered skirt, pink/berry print skirt

3 dresses: 1 brown w/ pink floral, 1 blue floral, 1 pink/berry

4 blouses: 1 white, 1 chocolate brown, 1 navy, 1 pink/berry

4 knit tops: 1 white, 1 chocolate brown, 1 navy, 1 pink/berry

3 cardigans: 1 chocolate brown, 1 berry, 1 navy

Sunday: khaki plaid skirt, white blouse, navy cardigan

Okay, for the patterns...

Skirts- I'm going to see how far I can go with Simplicity 5914, probably views A and D. For the tiered skirt I'm going to copy a favorite one that is worn out.

Dresses- for the dresses, I'm going to be using McCalls 4769 view F. I think the seams will let me alter it easily, and I might tweak the sleeves a bit, depending on the fit of the mock up.

Blouses- The Sense & Sensibility romantic blouse

I think I will probably purchase the knit tops since those are easy to find in lots of colors and styles. Then for the cardigans I have the chocolate brown one, and haven't decided where exactly I'll be getting the other two.

Well that's what I've come up with, I'd love to hear what you think!

Sunday Rest

2009-11-08T12:27:00.001-05:00

(photo taken by Bitty)

"Leaves"

- Elsie N. Brady

How silently they tumble down

And come to rest upon the ground
To lay a carpet, rich and rare,
Beneath the trees without a care,
Content to sleep, their work well done,
Colors gleaming in the sun.

At other times, they wildly fly

Until they nearly reach the sky.

Twisting, turning through the air
Till all the trees stand stark and bare.
Exhausted, drop to earth below
To wait, like children, for the snow.

Family Night

2009-11-07T20:13:00.000-05:00

So coming up with brilliant things to blog about today proved to be somewhat difficult. Joe spent the day working on a rather huge project (more on that in another post soon), so the kids and I had the day free to go play. We spent a few hours at my mom's; now that everyone is healthy again we can finally start visiting again. :) After that we went down to WalMart to look at fabric. I'm working on a fall/winter wardrobe "collection" (again, more on that soon!) and I was looking for some pretty fabrics...you see the only problem is that WalMart has several lines of fabric that they stock and rarely do they get anything new. So, since I've been buying fabric from them for the last oh, 10 years, I feel like at some point I have worn every version of calico they sell. :) So in order to not completely let the kids down, I started talking about the new and exciting concept of "Family Night" that we were going to start this evening. Of course Jenny wanted to know all about it, so I told her that she and Daddy would be making pizza and that after we could watch a special movie or play a game or something else fun. She really liked the game idea and asked what we would play...at that point I quickly realized that I had miscalculated one thing... we only had big people games. So after a quick browsing of of the game isle, we found that there is a line of games by one of their favorite illustrators, Eric Carle. They just had one of them (The Very Hungry Caterpillar), but it looks like Target has several more that I think we might start "collecting"...maybe a few as family Christmas gifts? We really had fun with the Caterpillar game, Jenny especially. :)

Here are links for anyone interested...

Brown Bear-Panda Bear

Animals Bingo

The Very Busy Spider

The Grouchy Ladybug

Other Games (not Eric Carle)

Goodnight Moon Game

I Never Forget A Face

And this pizza dough is really good, really easy, and doesn't need any time to rise!

Pizza Crust

1 cup of warm water

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons of yeast (one package)

2 1/2-3 cups of flour

Preheat oven to 425*. Put all of the ingredients into a bowl and mix well. Pat out onto a greased pizza pan and add your toppings of choice. Bake for 20 minutes until the crust is golden brown. Yield 1 large pizza. Enjoy!!

ps) A blog I love, Sew Liberated (side bar link) will be hosting an exchange that looks like lots of fun, so go over and take a look!

Gratitude Friday

2009-11-06T09:12:00.001-05:00

Jenny's hands

Anthony's hands

This week I am grateful for...

~ A husband who will take the day off so I can have a sick day

~ Beautiful fall weather

~ My dear friend Sommer who celebrates her birthday today!

~ A successful first week of my new blogging routine!

Menu Plan:: November 6-19

2009-11-05T12:27:00.000-05:00

I'm trying to use what we have in the freezer and pantry this time so that I can do a bit of fabric shopping. (Those of you have seen my sewing room please stop laughing, I need a few things for my wardrobe!!) So without further ado...

All breakfasts: Fried egg sandwiches (two pieces toast, 1 fried egg, 1 piece bacon)

Morning snack: Doodles- "mix up", Mommy- yogurt

Lunches: Vegetable soup with pepperoni rolls (the Doodles might just eat the rolls)

After nap snack: Doodles- Applesauce and muffin, Mommy- Trail mix

Dinners:

Friday- Homemade mac'n'cheese, green beans

Saturday- Homemade pizza (family night)

Sunday- Crockpot roast, roasted vegetables, mashed potatoes and pie for dessert (have to choose a kind!)

Monday- Lasagna, salad, and garlic bread

Tuesday- Chicken pot pie

Wednesday- Pancake night (at my sister-in-law's--I bring eggs and or bacon)

Thursday- Leftover night/or PB&J (Joe almost always works late Thursday, so I like to keep it easy)

This time I'm trying a new way of writing this out. I normally just put it in my notebook, but this week I'm also trying writing each day out and posting it on my fridge. I think it will help things go smoother to have it right there in front of me! What's on your menu?

WIP Wednesday: A few firsts

2009-11-04T12:29:00.000-05:00

I could probably split this into two posts, but I figured you wouldn't mind me showing off my finished project too? It just so happens to by my first felting project...

Jenny's slippers

At first they looked nothing like slippers and I really had my doubts, despite all of the cute finished project pictures on Ravelry...

But I continued on and after lots of (bad) seaming, I was rewarded with two BIG slippers. I made the children's size, and they were much bigger than my hand before felting. Then came three or four trips through the washer and dryer....

and *poof* they were slippers! :-D I'm not sure who loves them more, Jenny or myself. :)

Her toes go right up to the start of the pointy bit, so there is still some growing room, but they fit her nicely around, and honestly, now that she has them I'm not sure I could get them away for any more felting. :)

I used this pattern: Felted Slippers child sized

With Cascade 220 wool (pink is 7802 and grey is 8400)

They are raveled here

Jenny's Mittens

Now for the WIP's, first up are my first mittens! The pattern is a vintage one my mom found that is like the one her mom used to use. A nice, basic two needle mitten. They are to go with Jenny's hat. The lighting isn't great in this shot, but the yarn is the same as her hat. I am not thrilled with this first thumb, but I'm not sure what I did wrong...if I don't figure it out soon I'll just leave it wonky and fix it for the next one. I d like the pattern over all though, but I think I'll try the version that is knit in the round next time. After I finish this pair, I will be making these brilliant ones for Anthony (maybe with this hat?).

I'm using this pattern: Classic Mittens (two needle version)

With yarn from See Jayne Knit Yarns (Apple of My Sky)

and Knit Picks Shine Shine Worsted in Harbor (discontinued color)

They are raveled here

My 1st Shawl

I'm So excited about this project! I first saw it back in February when SouleMama made hers, and I thought "that looks easy enough for me to do!" I finally got the yarn a few weeks ago, but just got the chance to start it yesterday. The pattern says to split the yarn in to two balls and then you alternate between them for stripes, but I just adore the gradual color changes, so I left mine as one ball. I. Love. It. It is SO easy, and the colors are so magical that it's hard to work on anything else. :) The yarn changes from pinks to browns, to greens, to oranges... <3

I'm using this pattern (rav. link): Simple Yet Effective Shawl (fingering weight)

With this yarn- (not purchased from this link): Noro Silk Garden Sock (color S84)

And it's raveled here

Thank you all for looking! I have a few other things going, but I think that's good for today. :)

A give away!

2009-11-03T15:53:00.000-05:00

I was just over at one of the blogs I read (Blessed Femina), and Jenny has reached her 1 year bloggiversary! In celebration, she is hosting a give away for a beautiful apron, as well as a woven pot holder set. Her work is so lovely, you should go look! You just have to comment on This Post (link) for a chance- the drawing is November 23.

My favorite chili

2009-11-03T08:07:00.000-05:00

This morning I woke up feeling more than a wee bit under the weather. Not at all what I had been planning on, but I guess with everyone else in the world being sick right now, we were bound to get our turn at some point. There are two kinds of flu, and rumors of strep in our area...I hope it's none of those, but if it is, I find myself hoping for flu instead of strep... I guess we'll know in a few days! Maybe it's just a fluke. So anyway, I wanted to share my favorite chili recipe with you all today. It is my fall back meal, because it is so easy and fast. If you brown hamburger and freeze it ahead of time then it is also one of those one pan meals. :) Between the grocery store, and taking advantage of a food co-op sale, I can find most of these things organically, so don't see cans and despair (if you eat organically that is!).

My Mom's Chili

2 cans dark red kidney beans

2 cans black beans

2 cans corn

2 large cans diced tomatoes

1 (small) can green chilies (I think they come diced?)

2-3 Tbsp chili powder

1-2 tsp cumin

1 lb. cooked ground beef

Mix all ingredients together in a large pot and bring to a boil. Turn down and allow to simmer for an hour or two. I always serve this over cornbread. I haven't found a very good recipe yet, so I use my favorite mix, the blue Jiffy box. If you have a good recipe let me know!! This is also really good with sour cream or shredded cheese on top.

I'm off to go pull together the coffee before Bitty gets up (btw, Bitty is Joe's sister who is currently living with us while she goes to school). Then I think the day will be one of those days when you have to just go into survival mode before breakfast. :) Fresh sheets, tidy a room or two to be sick in, read lots of stories (especially those new ones, Thank you Grammie!! Bob hasn't put his new dog book down!) and try to get healthy before we get sicker.

While The Water Boils

Crafting On ~ Longies and Lovies

In the Kitchen

Saturday...

{this moment}

Crafting On

One last bad picture ;)

Until Further Notice...

A Happy Hat {Crafting On}

Happy Thought

{Crafting On}

Monday in the Kitchen

{Operation Care Package}

Monday in the Kitchen

January 8, 2012

Fifth Day of Christmas...

~ Fall ~

I haven't forgotten I swear!

: teething :

It's A BOY!!

Birdie Friends

{this moment}

Baby & Me...

A bit last minute...

Center Piece for Lent

Nesting Meets Spring Cleaning

Baby's first

A glimpse of right now

100th Post!!

Nightgowns for Miss Jenny

Hair

Sneak Peak:: Baby sweater

A tiny bit of knitting...

First Baby Knit!

Christmas gifts:: Lots (and lots) of rice bags :)

Merry Christmas!!

Christmas Crafting:: Pajamas

Knitting Update part 3

Knitting Update part 2

Knitting Update part 1

{this moment}

*GASP* A post!!

August 14

A quilt for my boy

Grrrrr

July 14

Homemade Bread

Ingredients

WIP Wednesday:: Better late than never!

Jenny's New Dress

Little girls, in little dress that I made...

Plans for this weekend...

WIP Wednesday:: My Home Management Guide

Me, my four amazing sisters and my perfectly splendid Mommy

Birthday Gifts:: A boy and his hat...

Birthday Gifts:: Part 1

Cinnamon Rolls

WIP Wednesday:: A special hat

Sisters

Our May Crowning

April 30

A Recent Good Day (an out of order post with no words because today isn't quite one of these days!)

April 23

A little bit of progress...

WIP Wednesday:: Sort of :)

You might have wait on that bread recipe...

A little bit at a time

Easter Sunday

Fun project...

February 28 Self Portrait

February 26

My life in art...

WIP Wednesday:: Knitting

Another lovely giveaway!

New Blog Love & A Giveaway

Portraits ~ January

Where is my baby, and who is this boy?!?!

A few more finished items...

WIP Wednesday:: Recently Finished

It's that time of year...

GASP A post!!

~ Merry Christmas! ~