You’re OK.

Take a deep breath.

Go outside.

Hug your husband.

Tell your babes you love them.

Look around.

It’s not as bad as you thought.

Thank you, friend, I really needed you today.

Fantasy Shopping

I know you do it, too. Right? Right?

This week’s fantasy shopping for Bee/me:

• This bag. Clearly the perfect diaper bag. I’m obssessed, even though I have plenty of perfectly usable bags already.
• A new lamby (unshorn) for her very own.
• This wrap. Again, not that I need another wrap- but after a few kids, this is my absolute favorite one. Pink, I think :)
• A silk bonnet. I wish I could have a half dozen. You know, spit up and stuff. But realistically, I will probably get one.
• Woolies, woolies, woolies, woolies, woolies, woolies, woolies… Oh, wool I love you. 
• Some silk to make blankets for her.
• Remarkably, I have hardly any tiny baby clothes left over from the girls. I’m thinking some of these and these would be good. 
• In the non-fantasy but still shopping genre, how about some more diapers? We’re trying the 100% cotton this time. I have a few size 0 Kissaluvs left, but we mostly used FuzziBunz the last two times and let me tell you, I cannot get the stink out. They were so great- until they were in use continuously for several years. Now I’m all about the pure cotton and pure wool combo. Speaking of wool and diapering, did you see Grace’s longies? The cuteness is undeniable. Obviously I’m going to have to knit up a pair or two.

Is that really it? The entire extent of my fantasy shopping? Surely there’s something I’m missing. Fill me in, people!

I think that today’s happy minutiae photo might be my favorite yet. Do take a look.

A New Hobby

Remember when I had that day to myself and I got this book?

That was really just one in a string of thoughts obsessed with needlefelting. Actually, getting the book was a good idea, because it meant I was finally moving in the direction of actually doing some needlefelting of my own. I showed my mom the book and she was on the bandwagon faster than you can say “cute little animals”- before I knew it, I was the proud possessor of two needlefelting kits and a bunch of other supplies.

I decided to try the kit first. Just to test the waters, see how I’d do. The pony you see above is the result of this kit, four hours of jabbing wool with a tiny, extra sharp needle, and much excitement around these parts. Honestly, he could be a little smoother and a little denser, but the girls were so excited to get their hands on him, I went ahead and let him go. Isn’t he cute? It really was easier than it first appears.

Lessons learned:

• EVERYTHING I’ve ever read about needlefelting will tell you how sharp the needle is. They are not kidding. When you poke yourself with a barbed needle, it really, really hurts. 
• You need good lighting to work on this, or you will be experiencing a lot of the above.
• The poking and jabbing is strangely satisfying, and a little addictive.

There was enough wool in the kit to actually make TWO ponies, so I’m working on another one now. Then maybe a fox, since I have that kit, too. And I so very much want to make mousies for Valentine’s Day, and some little spring animals for our nature table, and for Easter baskets. 

Knitting, clearly, has fallen by the wayside whilst I am in the throes of my new love :)

A little linkage

Stuff that should have been linked yesterday but was not:

• Camden Rose double playstand set in “Fire” from here.
• Tree blocks (should have gotten the bigger set, for sure!) from here.
• Cake decorating supplies from here (and I’m already dreaming of the next cupcakes to make- Valentine’s Day, anyone?). Also, I have been mistakenly calling this Bake So Happy, which is an awesome name, but not theirs.
• Divine cupcake recipe here, originating from here (obviously, made gluten free). Yes, I added the chocolate chips. None of us could finish one, they were so rich, even the birthday girl. Except for Bunny, who ate two at a sitting. Ha!

Also, a word to the wise, or anyway, those making fairy skirts. That first skirt had three different colors of tulle, one yard each, doubled over. The second one had 6 yards of one color of tulle, cut in half lengthwise, doubled over. That’s 12 yards of tulle for a 22″ piece of elastic, people. Serious fluff. So, so much better. I sewed the lengths of ribbon on so by hand so that they wouldn’t come undone, or off. Perfect.

Birdie’s Birthday

You won’t hold it against me if this post is nearly all pictures and no words, right? This mama has been up since 4:30 am and I am just wiped out.

All the cupcakes, frosted (by mama) and decorated (by the girls). Grace, look away now, because I’m going to show the 

Playstands. Oh, such a huge, huge hit with everyone, and they are so incredibly beautiful. Yes, that’s a big, stuffed, rideable pony that you see there. A gift from Nana a long time back that they both adore (Bunny especially, as she plans to be a cowgirl and farmer when she grows up). His name is Alex.

Tree blocks, also a big hit. These people are having a birthday party, don’tcha know.

I made these flags for Bunny’s birthday last year- so festive, especially on the grey, grey day we had today. Now that I’m looking, I see that these could have been ironed. Oops.

Cupcake closeup, baby (thank you Bake so Happy!)

She got a little shy when it came to the singing, and the people (just us, my mom and dad, and an Aunty).

But recovered for the eating portion of the party.

Bunny, we realized at some point, actually ate two. Ha.

Birdie quickly decided that picking up the cupcake was too, too messy. This was clearly much tidier.

A happy, dancing fairy!

As you may notice, the skirt pictured above is different than the one pictured previously. I decided that other skirt was JUST NOT FLUFFY ENOUGH. I’ll tell you more about that in the next post.

The rest of the Bird’s birthday included events of her choice:

A little warm soymilk treat at the coffeeshop,

and a little trip to our local toy store. 

Birdie, you are one year older! You are amazing; my fierce, passionate child. You feel everything so much more strongly than everyone else- the joy, the pain, the comedy, the heartache. You are strong, and smart, and have a heart full of song- always full of song. Thank you for choosing me to be your mama! I love you “in all my ‘eart.”

Let’s Stay Together

On a rare day when I had the car to do a couple of errands and I was by myself in said car and I was listening to radio that was NOT the classical station, I happened to hear Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together” on the radio. And maybe it was just the pregnancy hormones, but I thought about my dear sweet husband, who is so amazing, who is my soulmate and friend (it’s “our song”) and I couldn’t help crying a little, and turning the radio up, and singing along.

Let’s Stay Together

I- I’m so in love with you

Whatever you want to do

Is alright with me 

‘Cause you make me feel so brand new

I want to spend my life with you

Since (baby), since we been together 

Ooh, lovin’ you forever

Is what I need

Let me be the one you come runnin’ to

I’ll never be untrue

 

Ooh, baby 

Let’s, let’s stay together

Loving you whether, whether 

Times are good or bad, baby

Happy or sad

 

Why- somebody- why people break up

Then turn around and make up

I just can’t see

You’d never do that to me

(Would you, baby?)

‘Cause bein’ around you is all I see

It’s why I want us to

 

Let’s- we oughta stay together

Lovin’ you whether, whether 

Times are good or bad, baby

Happy or sad

 

I love you, sweetie. Let’s stay together, huh?

If you want to know more about my husband, he’s an International Mixtaper- you can see some articles he’s written for them here, here, and here. I thought it might be nice for you to see the man behind the mystery at his most unfatherly, unteacherly SELF self. I’m hoping that sometime I can get him to do a little guest posting here.

A Little Mini Love

Just got a peek at the new Mini Boden- I think their stuff is so cute, but also very simple to make. Lots of great inspiration.

Some of my favorites (all photo credits go to Mini Boden):

Such a simple dress on the left, but great allover print, and a petticoat underneath! Love the full skirt on the right paired with the swing sweater. That swing sweater shape is so great- I think it’s coming up again here in a moment.

Okay, three things here: stripes, and seed-stitch, raglan sleeve, cropped cardigan. Could easily be knitted from the top down with no seaming. Love the wide button bands on that. Also- yellow, blue, and white? Love.

I’m just loving all the crisp, primary colors. Here’s the yellow sweater in blue. How cute is that bag? And so simple to make. I also love the idea of the tunic/shirt/dress with a long short or bloomers. Any elastic waist pants pattern cropped to the knee would be perfect with those little summer dresses. I’ve always dressed my girls in dresses and pants together- I feel like it’s kind of a modesty thing and kind of a warmth thing- so they get a little weirded out by wearing dresses alone. The long short/bloomers thing could be perfect for summer.

Again with the stripes- and the boatneck! Also, the swing sweater shape. And I love this color combo, the lavender and green.

More love for the swing sweater! I think this would be a really easy shape to achieve making up your own top-down pattern. Right after you finish the raglan you could just do a bunch of evenly shaped increases to get that gather/fullness. Cute. I love the pinafore-type dress- one of my favorite things I’ve ever made for the girls was a dress similar in style. I made it for Bunny, but now Birdie’s wearing it! It’s great to mix up the fabrics and play with scale on the top and bottom, too. This kind of dress is really something you can wear all year. Birdie’s wearing it today with her woolen shirt underneath, tights, and knit pants.

I hope that you’re just as inspired as I was! I love seeing what inspires others.

Sneak Peek

Because I just can’t help myself. My dear husband took the girls out yesterday so that I could whip up a little fairy magic while the birthday girl was gone, and this is the result:

The crown. Because I didn’t make her one last year. She chose the fabric during one of our trips to the quilt shop downtown- I covered the elastic in the back with the same fabric. 

And the skirt. Which Birdie pronounces “kirt-” she hasn’t quite figured out her initial S or H yet, and I will be so sad when she stops asking for ‘nuggles! It’s quite a challenge to photograph a big heap of tulle not on a small person.

I think the wings will have to wait, which is ok, because Bunny really wants some as well, so I’ll just make them both some for Valentine’s Day! 

Now for those fairy cakes…

Almost Two

First, thank you so much for your warm response to near:far. It’s a project and a subject that is very close to my heart, one for which I feel such passion. And welcome to the new readers here from Grace’s lovely blog- it’s nice to see you!

A very small person that I know has a very big birthday coming up. The big TWO.

As I sit here writing this post, I overhear the girls talking in the other room: 

Bunny: Are you a grownup?

Birdie: No, I’m but a wee tiny girl.

This wee tiny girl was my little one, my baby, the one I thought might be my last (but you didn’t really believe that, did you?). She’s since grown into a strong, capable, passionate girl, ready to take on the world…and her big sister. And soon to be the baby no longer, soon to be a big sister herself.

Some sneak peeks of things that mama’s making for her birthday:

A birthday crown

A fairy skirt

The perfect wrappers for fairy cakes

She’s requested a “fairy birthday,” my little lover of pink and purple and dresses and FANCY THINGS. Some wings might be in the works, too. I’d better get working! The big day is just five days away. Nana is getting her this for her birthday- I’ve been clearing out and rearranging the playroom to include this wonderful gift. 

I am such a sucker for birthdays! We make a big deal of them around here. It always feels to me that it is a day when anything could happen, and any dream could come true.

near:far

I don’t think that many of you know that I struggled with manic depression throughout my twenties, or that I experienced postpartum depression after Birdie’s birth. I felt like it was something to be ashamed of, like it was something that I had to hide. Then I saw Grace’s blog, and heard her story, and I knew, finally, it was not something that I had to feel badly about. It felt like such a gift- here was someone amazing, smart, beautiful, talented. Here was someone who crafted and sewed and did so many of the things I did, and she had dug herself out of postpartum depression, too. 

Then Grace and I found out that we were pregnant, and due within months of one another! We started talking about photography, how it changed us, what it meant. We talked about how to deal with postpartum depression. We talked about bringing light to the darkness.

And we talked about a project. Something to help us, to help each other- maybe even help other women. That’s how near:far was born.

Like this blog, near:far is not about the struggle, it’s about the joy, and keeping our eyes to the light. Please read our stories, and go visit the blog. We’re so happy to share this with all of you.