the little things

In the hustle and bustle of these days, it is easy to lose sight. It is easy to let the stresses out number the greatness of love and life and days spent together. It is at these points where I count my blessings and remember to look at the little things in life that bring me so much joy.

Gratitude is a constant lesson I am learning. Be grateful not because you are popular, not because every wish has been granted or because your house is huge. Be thrilled when you rise in the morning knowing that you have been gifted another day. Be tickled pink when your kids demand your attention as they perform their latest new dance or explain their latest creation; this won't always be the case and one day you might be begging to see what they no longer care to share. Embrace the dirty house that has let you have an extra hour to craft, play, or relax. And do not allow yourself to feel guilty that the dishes are not clean they will be there when you are ready to do them. Love these days filled with so many little glorious things filling them to overflowing. As for me, I can think of no better way to spend my days!

::Sunday, Sunday::

Today is a day where much must get done. 

A day of extreme busy to counter the days of leisure. 

I wish you all a glorious day!

W.I.P...

Right now i'm in Ninja mode so most of what I am making is "Top Secret". However, I can give a glimpse of what I am making. Sorry for being so covert but I would hate to accidentally give away what people are getting for Christmas. Here are a couple of things I have been working on. Can you guess what they are?

{this moment}

{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 of us to see. (Inspired by Amanda Soule of Soule Mama)

::Right Now::

 His newest fascination Rocks...my newest fascination him saying Rocks...too cute!

 A camera shy tree spider

A leaf that was eaten by an apparently excited bug! 

I Am...

::playing with the kids which seems the most important activity of the day::

::adoring the glorious warm sunny weather::

::sewing and crocheting and sketching down ideas for our Christmas/ Winter Solstice Celebration::

::searching for the perfect rocks and sticks to build faery houses::

::getting the yard, house, and family ready for the coming Winter::

::loving these precious moments spent with family::

Some Patchwork a Pillowcase and a Pack

I love patchwork. It has always been a sign to me of someones hard work and patience. A sign that someone took the time to make something intricate; sometimes basic, sometimes elaborate, always lovely. When my son was 5, I started a sack for him; a hand sewn patchwork rainbow that I knew he would love. But as sometimes happens, life became crazy and I lost track of this sweet little crafting project. I found it when he was 6 and swore it would be finished but again it got lost (this time to moving and packing) before I could be done with its creation. Now, though, there is much peace in my world and I have found this sweet little project, a gift of the heart intended for so long ago (ok 2 years but in kid time that's forever!). And so to finish this project today is my task. And it is one I truly look forward to doing.

 The shell of the bag...love these rainbow colors!

 The flap of the bag.

 The pillowcase that will soon be the lining of the bag.

Now Reading...

There are times when my appetite for new knowledge, or old knowledge revisited, is insatiable. I fill up my basket and my cloth bags with book after book after book until I have reached the limit of my library card. Some of these reads are just passing glances, books that appeared more than what they truly offered. Some of them , though, I find fascinating. Books that really get my attention, shift my view, or teach me something new and useful are books I believe I should share with you. Since in California I am unable to have an Amazon Associates Account which would allow me to share these books with you in an easy to access format, I will do my best to make this a helpful medium for finding good things to read!

The Tale of Despereaux by Kate diCamillo
Labor Pain by Nicky Wesson
The Well-Adjusted Child by Rachel Gathercole
Parenting From the Inside Out by Daniel J Siegel M.D. and Mary Hartzell M. Ed
Handmade Home by Amanda Soule
Teach Yourself Visually Handspinning by Judith MacKenzie McCuin
Teach  Yourself Visually Knitting by Sharon Turner
Beyond Time Out by Beth A. Grosshans PhD
Half Magic by Edward Eager
Magic or Not? by Edward Eager
Start Spinning by Maggie Casey
The Bread Bible by Beth Hensperger
Gaia's Garden by Toby Hemenway


This is just a small list of what I am currently reading. I hope you find these books as interesting to read as I have. If you find that there is a book in one of the pictures which I did not mention leave me a comment and I will do my best to return a comment with that information in it. Happy Reading and a Happy Tuesday!

On and Off the Hook...

On my hooks a chunky winter sweater sat being worked here and there when mama had the time. For a month this sweet little sweater waited patiently as I worked a row here and a row there. But this cute little sweater has finally reached its' finish line and I am very proud of it. It is crocheted using a front post, back post trade off every three crochets. The yarn used is Cascade 128 Superwash and the colors are 1918, 821, and 872. I used antiqued wooden toggle buttons to give this sweater a more classic look and created a cowlesque collar for that cozy yummy feeling. My sweet 7 year old was kind enough to roll our of bed and model it for me and in a few days this little sweater made full of love will be off to its new home. 

So much more crafting to do it's hard to decide where to start. I may just do eeny meeny miney mo and go with the one that wins! Happy crafting and I hope your holiday was delightful!

And the Winner Is...

Congratulations to Alanna who was selected through Random Number Generation as the winner of a copy of "The Organic Family Cookbook" by Anni Daulter. Please email me your mailing information and your book will be sent to you right away! To everyone else, thank you so much for participating. I hope you all had a great time. I will be doing more cook alongs so stay tuned!

ten little thanks...

...for hands that craft and a mind that creates beautiful things to share

...for family who will be here to visit, sharing love and yummy meals for 3 days

...for healthy loving children who reflect the good that I do in the world

...for the dry cool weather that is perfect for a bundled up hike

...for the kindness of friends when you need them the most

...for a man who loves me especially on my bad days

...for hugs and kisses and giggles in spades

...for baskets full of treasures collected from the wonderful wide world

...for good books that feed my imagination 

...for every breath that I am blessed with