Caldwell Co.

making things

2011-10-26T13:36:00.004-04:00

I made this fabric scrap banner at our girls night "making party" last weekend. It was so much fun and this looks so perfect in my living room.

I mixed newer and vintage fabrics in shades of pink, orange, yellow, white, blue and peach. The colors really pull together my pink couch (with blue polka dots), blue recliner and tan wood furniture. Now all I have to do is hang my sheer white curtains behind the banner.

I'm hoping to crochet a rag rug for this room too....but that's a whole other project.

I almost forgot....this photo was my inspiration for this project. (original source.)

right now

2011-10-20T23:14:00.004-04:00

i'm looking forward to...

girls night! making crafts, swapping clothes and eating goodies. oh yes.

a weekend away with just my husband and our best friends.

making myself actually take pictures on this trip!

my life to slow down again, in just a couple more weeks.

school at home

2011-10-12T18:57:00.004-04:00

Well that was an interesting unplanned break.

Hopefully i can get back to business around here.

Things have busy and all over the place the past month or so.

I've been wanting to post about our school at home progress...but we haven't had much space for school lately. oops.

I want our home school experience to be very laid back and give Louella the freedom to learn what interests her. My vision is a bit more like the unschooling approach. But I'm realizing that I need to be slightly more intentional. I've been browsing the internet for some ideas on how to add a bit more structure to our days at home. I'd like to make a 'daily rhythm chart' like this one. Something that I can put up to keep me accountable and that allows Louella to see what's available for her to work on that day or week. I'm thinking our list will look something like this...

breakfast

read books or watch a show

tidy house

spelling and writing

free play time

outdoor play or walk

lunch

project work

nap

snack

language or math

have fun for the rest of the day!

Project work would be painting, cut & paste work, play dough, building, coloring or some other planned craft. And for language we're going to work on Spanish. I'm not sure about how we will tackle math yet.

How do you keep yourself productive at home all day?

um...hi.

2011-10-06T23:15:00.003-04:00

it's kind of been a month and a half.

oops.

instagram weekend

2011-08-22T16:02:00.002-04:00

we had a wonderful weekend.

kitchen scratch : the owl cake

2011-08-17T13:27:00.005-04:00

i told you there would be a few new things popping up on the blog.
we'd like to share some of our tasty makings in the kitchen from time to time. and let me just say right up front...i do not pride myself in the kitchen. but i do make some pretty tasty things worth sharing every now and then.
like this owl cake! i made this for my sisters 18th birthday.

Carrot, Raisin, Pineapple Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

i will not fool you into thinking i actually made this cake from scratch. i used a box mix.
but my mom let me in on a little secret way to pump up a box mix cake and fool anyone into thinking you made it from scratch. we poured a layer of crushed pineapple into the bottom of the pan and then poured the batter over top. it made the cake more moist and added a little extra something to an otherwise ordinary boxed mix.
the frosting was your basic cream cheese frosting but what really made this cake special was the almonds. yep. they not only added just the right missing flavor...they turned a round cake into an owl! right?! seriously this was super easy.
i cannot believe i didn't make an owl cake sooner.

is it just me

2011-08-02T17:49:00.003-04:00

summer is flying by. it's almost over already.
how did this happen?
i had so much i wanted to do this summer and i hardly got to any of it.
and somehow we've been so busy that we have hardly had time to stop a day.

i did have some time to do something on our summer list.
make popsicles.
we made these delicious strawberry lemonade pops.
we've also made some tasty mango pops.
i don't know why people don't make their own popsicles all the time...they're ten times better than any store bought popsicle i've ever had.
i might never go back to a boxed popsicle again.

2011-07-29T21:22:00.003-04:00

ahem....well, i was away for a little longer than i planned.
but that's alright. because i spent my extra time away brainstorming some new ideas and things to share in this space.
i have a couple new 'lists' in the works (you'll like them) and a brand new feature to share with you!! i've also got some other plans for the blog...you might notice some changes to the pages section (underneath the header) that is currently a work in progress. i'm excited to finish that up in the next week or so.
hope you are all having a lovely summertime. i know i am.

image from weheartit.com. source unknown.

flower crown

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

how clever is this dandelion crown?!
i'm thinking this could be done with all kinds of different flowers.
the design is so simple and it looks so pretty.
i think louella and i are going to try this out with some wildflowers soon.

click image for source.

right now...

2011-07-08T17:38:00.004-04:00

i've been packing all day.
soon we'll be on our way to Peru.
i just cannot wait to be there again.

i'm still debating bringing my Nikon or just using my ipod camera the whole time.

i fit all of louella and my clothes in one little suitcase. i'm happy because that means i can bring three pairs of shoes instead of two....it's the little things.

See you all when we're back.
(if i get a chance tonight i might put together a couple scheduled posts for while i'm gone)

today

2011-07-06T15:14:00.002-04:00

i wish there were more days like today.

i heart sunglasses

2011-06-30T14:21:00.004-04:00

i keep spotting heart shaped sunglasses. i'd really love to find a cute pair myself.

(all images from weheartit.com, original sources unknown)

pictured rocks

2011-06-29T19:12:00.001-04:00

munising, mi.

2011-06-27T19:53:00.003-04:00

i don't know here my head has been for the last week or two.
somewhere else.
i feel like i have so much going on and not enough time in my days for everything.

i cannot wait for life to settle again.
i don't think it will be soon. at all.

munising, mi

2011-06-16T14:07:00.003-04:00

i wish i could remember the names of all the waterfalls we visited while we were there. but we saw so many that i just don't remember anymore.
this was the first waterfall we saw and the walk there was so beautiful. there were so many fragrant flowers and we could actually hear all the bees buzzing around because there were so many of them.
once we actually got to the falls there were so many mosquitos we practically got eaten alive. yikes. we stayed just long enough to snap a few photos.

mondays

2011-06-13T15:09:00.004-04:00

i wanted to let you all know that i was featured on this sweet blog as part of the 'in her shoes' series. take a minute and click over there to read about a day in my shoes.

my photos have also been featured quite a few times on the these moments blog...along with several other amazing images. have a look over there too.

i'm getting ready to head outside and play in the backyard with louella. later today i'm going to start putting together posts about our beautiful camping trip to share with you all.

Hey, Mama :: Brooke

2011-06-13T14:40:00.004-04:00

hey mamas! you're in for a treat. i'm super excited to introduce you all to Brooke, the lovely blogging mama of Bright Wishes. she's a really sweet gal with an really inspiring mama story. i hope you have fun getting to know her. be sure to pop over to her blog and say hello.

Tell us about you. (anything you want...name, where you're from, age, interests, likes/dislikes, etc.)

My name is Brooke. I am nineteen years old originally from Minnesota, but currently live in NC. I have an almost two year old daughter who I love more than anything in the world. She's my life as well as my fiance, Mr. Charming. He is in the U.S. Navy and I am so proud to soon call him my husband. I love web design and blog design which I am currently going to school for. It's tough, but I should be graduating around next Spring. I am also planning my wedding and since Mr. Charming lives in another state, I'm doing it mostly on my own, but that's what I have blog friends for!

And you're a mama to...(yep, blab all you want about the adorable kiddo)
Yes :) I was seventeen when I had her two weeks after graduating high school (cutting it close.. I know!). Her biological father was in our lives for about 10 days and then I decided it would be better to break up. Here's the real long story about that! I have been a single mom ever since even though I have Mr. Charming, we're in a long distance relationship because of the Navy. I really don't mind it. You get used to what you have and my parents are a huge help. I would not be here and as happy as I am without them guiding me and helping me. My daughter who I call Little One basically looks exactly like me except for her tan skin. Her personality is adorable, she's going to be so well liked by others when she becomes older. She is very outgoing and loves people. She's also starting to talk more and it's very bittersweet. I can remember like it was yesterday that she was learning how to crawl and just starting to make noises. I don't think until you have a child you understand how fast that time goes.

Alright so you're a blogging mama. Balancing mommyhood, time with your man, work, cooking, cleaning, blogging and still having time to shower everyday...how do you do it?
Well I have an excuse for work, cooking, and cleaning...I live with my parents. I don't have a job. I obviously do cook and clean, but not to the extent if I would be living by myself. I can't wait to do all those things though. I'm ready to get out and live with my new family and start out lives. I'm determined to be the best wife and mother. Also, I used to work as a teacher's assistant two months after Little One was born, but I didn't like having to leave my daughter at daycare just so that I could go to another daycare and spend time with other kids who weren't my daughter.All my money was also going towards daycare anyways. I'm currently looking for a job, but the market for jobs is so bad that I am having no such luck. I do offer blog design though which helps a little bit. Back to the question though. I take care of my daughter all day, plan a wedding, maintain long distance relationship, and do homework during nap time so balancing my life is a little hard. Just last month I had a revelation that I needed to start working on my priorities and I almost quit blogging because I thought it was just something extra that was stressing me out. Blogging shouldn't be stressful though, it should be fun because you love it which I did and still do. So, I made a point to only blog when my daughter wants to play by herself, if I get done with school work early, and at night when she's in bed. This way, my daughter and I spend more time together and I can also get more errands done throughout the day. It's hard to balance your life sometimes, but you just have to sit down and really think what can you spend less time doing and more time doing and what's more important to you. This helped me a lot and I'm much happier with my life (and thank goodness for scheduled posts!)

So how did you start blogging anyways? What do you like about blogging?
I started blogging as a young adult book reviewer right after Mr. Charming left for bootcamp in July 2010. I was reading so many books to keep my mind off him being gone and I wanted to share with everyone how I felt and I discovered the book blogging world. A little while after Mr. Charming graduated, I stopped reading so many books because I didn't have the money for them. I then found this world of blogging which is my absolute favorite. I then decided that I wanted to take this seriously and inspire others and maybe even help by giving advice. I love the friends that you make blogging. I just wish we all didn't live so far away from another. I also love being able to write posts that others can relate to, so you don't feel so alone in that area or just to share how you feel and have so many people give great feedback is amazing. Another thing I like is all the neat ideas people post. I have never wanted to be so crafty before. It's also helped me with wedding planning. I didn't know what kind of wedding I really wanted before I started blogging, but with everything I see online, it's helped me plan better.

Tell us about your blog friends and how you met/got to know them. And if you've met some of your blog friends in person we'd LOVE to hear about that.
I haven't met any blog friends in person. I know Melissa from Perfect Peace through high school. I wish I could go to all the neat meet ups, but I've only ever seen 2 or 3 bloggers that live in NC. Hopefully I one day can meet all of my readers! Some blog friends I love though would be Stephanie from Polos, Pearls, and Pacifiers, Amanda from Amanda's Daily Obsessions, and Rhi from Hey Gorgeous. I have so many more, but I usually talk to these girls on a daily basis through Twitter. Stephanie and Amanda both have husband's in the Navy and Rhi is pretty much the coolest wedding blogger!

We've all gotten those "you met someone online? they're probably scamming you" or "you can't share personal info online, you'll get scammed" lines when we talk about blogging. So do you tell your friends and family about blogging and such? What do they think?
I have a link to my blog on my Facebook and a lot of friends have seen my blog and they tell me they love it! My mom reads my blog a lot too, she actually bought me one of the books I listed on my Wednesday Wishes. A lot of good can come from blogging ;) I am sure to be really careful though. I always put my blog name and link on my pictures. I know people can probably remove them, but you can never be too careful. Also, I signed up for the free copyright. Every little bit helps. Of course I don't share information about Mr. Charming and his work. You can usually tell very easily who is real and who is not by just looking at their blog. Especially on twitter, I be sure to block people right away if it's obvious I don't know them or I'm not familiar with their blog.

Any words of advice to someone who's new to the blog scene and is looking to make friends? Maybe something you wish you knew when you started blogging.
Making friends through the blog scene just has to come natural. I only really just started making friends and all really through Twitter. If someone wrote something I can relate to, then I'll reply with a similar experience or just let them know you are there for them. It's all about relating and sharing similar interests with each other.

home again.

2011-06-11T11:15:00.003-04:00

we're back from our trip.
we spent the week in the woods.
it was amazing!
i have so many amazing photos and stories to share. soon.

hello there.

2011-06-03T20:45:00.003-04:00

i will be away from this space until wednesday or thursday.
i hope you all have a really lovely weekend.

and if you're looking for some good reading...check my 'blog love' section. there's so much goodness there.

see you soon!

right now...

2011-05-31T11:50:00.001-04:00

my sister and her husband are coming home from England for a visit!
we're off to spend time with our family all day long.
enjoy this beautiful tuesday. it's so warm and sunny here!

Hey, Mama : Emily

2011-05-30T22:55:00.005-04:00

this is the fourth post in our hey,mama series! i'm so excited to intoduce another awesome blogging mama. i met Emily through flickr and i instantly fell for all her sweet photos of her kiddos. i hope you enjoy getting to know Emily.

what is hey,mama?

Tell us about you. (Anything you want...name, where you're from, age, interests, likes/dislikes, etc.)

Hi! I’m Emily I live in a little house in a village in England with my two busy little boys and my lovely husband.
Err now I am stuck, this is a hard question; I normally just talk about my family?
I am 30 (eek!) and have been married for 6 years to my wonderful husband, Luke. My main hobby is photography; I always have my camera with me and drive the boys mad with my constant photo taking. I seriously photograph everything! I also enjoy practicing yoga regularly, I love Earl grey tea, baking, freshly washed bed sheets, the sound of a blackbird singing, the odd glass of red wine, stripy t-shirts and being brought flowers for no reason...I can’t stand smoked salmon, horror films, bad fake tan and standing on tiny metal cars (it’s a new level of pain!).
But I think the thing I love most is watching my boys playing little games together especially when they don’t know I am watching, they have very funny conversations (I know that sounds really cheesy but its true).

And you're a mama to...(yep, blab all you want about the adorable kiddos)

Yep a Mama to two gorgeous little boys, Harry is 3 and a half and Ollie is almost 2. They keep me very busy; it is nonstop action all day long but lots fun, plenty of scraped knees and a very dirty bath tub at the end of the day.
They are both beautiful although Harry tells me to say ‘handsome’ as they are boys! Both have big blue eyes and sparkly smiles, Harry has a thick head of brown hair and Ollie is all blonde curls and that is just where the differences begin. Harry is very sensitive, gentle with a passion for cars and bug hunting. Ollie is very boisterous, busy; he loves motorbikes and copying his big brother. I am very lucky as my boys get on really well, playing together and sharing the same room, and they miss each other when they are ever apart.

Alright so you're a blogging mama. Balancing mommyhood, time with your man, work, cooking, cleaning, blogging and still having time to shower everyday...how do you do it?

My boys (all 3 of them) are my priority, then the running of the house, then some me time which is mainly yoga and photography. I am a bit of a lazy blogger, no I mean an occasional blogger (that sounds far better), I tend to use my flickr site as a sort of mini blog as sharing pictures is my favourite part of blogging and as I take pictures everyday it is not too hard for me to tell my stories that way.

So how did you start blogging anyways?

I am not really sure how I started as when I did started blogging was not that popular in the UK. I think I was probably inspired my some awesome American bloggers like the Nie Nie Dialogues, The Vintage Pearl, Soule Mama but it was mainly a good way of keeping an on-line diary of my family’s adventures, especially so that our friends overseas could see what we are up to.

Tell us about your blog friends and how you met/got to know them. And if you've met some of your blog friends in person we'd LOVE to hear about that.

I have found some great women through blogging although if I am honest I have not always left comments but followed them from a far, as even with the safety of being behind a laptop I sometime feel a bit shy, like ‘why would anyone read my blog?’, which is why projects like Hey Mama are great. But I did find the wonderful Lindsay and company and after commenting on each other’s blogs we have become good friends. We both have boys of similar ages and I will email her to ask questions, especially if Lindsay has blogged about something she is going through with her boys and I am having a similar issue. We have now become friends on Face book which is really nice as we share things there that we might not share on our blogs.

Any words of advice to someone who's new to the blog scene and is looking to make friends? Maybe something you wish you knew when you started blogging.

In the UK there is a network called British Mummy Bloggers which is a great place to meet other mummy bloggers and share ideas etc.

Thank you for reading about me. If you fancy visiting my ‘occasional blog’ you can at Notes from Emily and I always up date my flickr site called ‘The Little Leaf’ with pictures and text.

today in instagrams

2011-05-30T14:06:00.004-04:00

this morning we played in the backyard, had a stuffed animal sleepover and folded laundry. now we are watching tinkerbell and the lost treasure.
today i plan to clean my whole house. i'm going to start just as soon as it's naptime. what are you doing today?

this is what we dream about

2011-05-27T16:08:00.009-04:00

i once saw a woman at a campground who was camping out of the back of her van. she was barefoot and wispy haired and washed her dishes in the camp stream. she fished with a pole off the dock and cooked over the open fire. i remember my mom saying something about her being dirty, or maybe a redneck. but i thought her life seemed magical.

somewhere in my life i lost that sense of wonder with a simple life. and then i met my husband Nate. and over the last few years he has inspired me with these ideas and dreams. dreams of living a more simple life, knowing how to grow, preserve, cook and raise our own food. mending what we have and making something new out of something old. being more off the grid than on it. i daydream about growing gardens, raising chickens and livestock and bees, harvesting and foraging, thrifting and reusing & living in a cabin in the woods.

but our biggest dream, our longterm 'someday' dream is living within a community of people that want these same things and working together to make them reality. honestly we believe that is how we were meant to live. not having our house, our stuff, our jobs, our money, ours ours ours...but sharing what God has blessed us with in our lives with those around us. supporting, providing, encouraging and living with eachother.

i was unsure about posting this because i know not many people think this way. and i know that alot of people don't understand this way of thinking and living. but i also know that alot of people do understand and do want these same things. and i want to encourage you not give up on your dream. we are not giving up on ours.

don't forget to vote for us on the sidebar for picketfenceblogs.com! all you have to do is click the 'we're on the fence' button. we really appreciate all the votes we've gotten so far. we love you all so much.

braids

2011-05-25T13:22:00.003-04:00

i never tire of looking at this adorable face. she's the best.
alright gushing over.
what i really wanted to talk about are these braids.
do you know how to braid a fishtail braid?
i've admired them from afar for a long time, thinking they were much to complicated for a gal like me. well i was so wrong. if you don't know how to braid this style i suggest watching some youtube tutorials. it's seriously so easy.
but don't try this on your kiddo unless they are super patient and can sit still for at least 10-15 minutes. it does take a bit more time and patience than a normal braid but i think it's so worth it.

backyard tree

2011-05-25T11:04:00.004-04:00

the tree in our little backyard is gigantic. these photos don't even really show you the true size of this tree. it's huge and so beautiful. i love it. i'm not going to love it in a few months when the leaves start falling and i have to rake like crazy. but for now we'll enjoy the summertime under the cool shade that covers our entire backyard.

please & thank you

2011-05-24T15:09:00.004-04:00

hey friends! Caldwell Co. is on picketfenceblogs.com and we'd love it if you voted for us. every vote we gets brings us closer to the top of the list and brings Caldwell Co. more exposure. you can vote for us once everyday by clicking the "we're on the fence!" button on our sidebar.

isn't nate's face scary in this photo?! it cracks me up!
(btw you can follow us on bloglovin too!)

our family

2011-05-24T14:26:00.010-04:00

today we took family photos in our backyard.
we made lots of silly faces.
and got one really great shot.

and in case you're wondering louella is wearing a thrifted Kiks tank and thrifted cherokee capris. I'm wearing forever 21 cutoffs and an old navy tank. Nates wearing a target shirt , an extremely worn pair of steve and barry's shorts and puma shoes. louella and i like to go out in bare feet because it's almost summertime!

dream

2011-05-23T23:49:00.004-04:00

i love it when i stumble across really lovely shops i've never seen before. like tonight i discovered bohemian backbone. cute right? i'm digging this vintage embroidered top.

i think i'm on some kind of dream internet shopping kick. i wish i could buy half the pretty things i've posted lately...or even one. alas, i'm saving my pennies for other things.

such a doll

2011-05-23T20:09:00.003-04:00

how cute is this doll family?! i was browsing local etsy shops today and i found this adorable shop. wouldn't it be cute to buy a custom couple for a bride & groom as a wedding present? or how much would your kiddo love a doll that looked like them! i'd treasure a set like this forever. so sweet.
go check out the shop...maybe you'll find a doll that looks just like you.

Hey, Mama : Stephanie

2011-05-23T12:35:00.002-04:00

so i decided to do my Hey, Mama in video form. i think i look strange and i hardly look at the camera. but it's real. also, it chose the weirdest screen shot, nice. :) you should see all the videos i took before i got this good one...they are so random and funny.

hey mama video from stephanie caldwell on Vimeo.

what is hey, mama? click here to find out.

perfect

2011-05-22T15:16:00.003-04:00

yesterday was nate's birthday! happy birthday baby! even though i was feeling crummy we had our friends over and stayed up late. this morning i slept in late and i'm still feeling sick. it's some kind of chest cold/cough thing...which is terrible because it's so warm and beautiful out and all i want to do is sleep. blah.
i'm still snuggled on the couch with my computer. i've been clicking around on etsy all morning and i found this turquoise chain bracelet from rillrill, so pretty. i'd love to wear it with this beautiful floral dress from janeyclothing and some brown strappy wedges. perfect.

2011-05-21T14:00:00.003-04:00

i just wanted to tell all of you who read my blog that i appreciate you. i've met some amazingly lovely people in this online blogging community. and for those of you who've been reading and don't comment...please don't be shy, say hello. i'd love to pop over to your blog/flickr/whatever and say hi back because that's how this whole thing works!

right now i'm not feeling very well so i'm sitting down with my cup of jasmine tea and getting ready to visit all my favorite blogs to say hello. then catch up on back episodes of gossip girl and glee. because when i don't feel good i snuggle on the couch with my computer.

good morning

2011-05-21T10:06:00.003-04:00

i still have bedhead and i'm in my comfy clothes but...
i got feathers in my hair yesterday!!
and i couldn't wait to show them off.
i've already got plans to order some bigger feathers and put them in myself...it's super easy. I'm so excited about it.

today

2011-05-20T02:25:00.003-04:00

i spent the day with my baby sister. we're so silly together.
we ate nachos, talked about blogs, laid in the grass, took silly pictures and laughed so hard. i love her.

rain rain

2011-05-18T19:27:00.003-04:00

it's been cold and rainy for days and i'm dreaming of some very pretty rain coats for myself and louella. i found these pretties on etsy.
click images for source.

our kitchen

2011-05-18T13:28:00.002-04:00

i've been meaning to share photos our new home, but we haven't really decorated at all. but i figured i should show you the place even without the pictures and pretties on the walls and such. so this is our kitchen. i love the white, cream, wood palette we've going on in this room. it's very clean and simple. I'd like to incorporate some pale blue and some mustard gold into this space. (you can see my blue rug and mustard dish towel in the first photo) we're considering a curtain in front of the pantry shelves and some window treatments. after that all we'll need is a few pretty things hanging on the walls and this space should be complete! oh yes...we hope to refinish our table and chairs this summer too.

backyard onions

2011-05-18T01:41:00.005-04:00

a couple days ago i moved some plants in the backyard and found a patch of these wild onions behind our garage! i dug up a handful, washed and trimmed them up and got a tasty handful of onions. i'm thinking about cooking them with some fish for dinner later this week.

2011-05-16T21:27:00.005-04:00

Summer is coming!! and we're offering super affordable sponsor options.

check out our rates and snag a spot for the month of June.

June is the perfect month to advertise on Caldwell Co. because i've got lots of goodies planned for June including peeks at our new home, videos!!, some really great new hey,mama posts and of course lots of photos and posts of our everyday life. We're so excited to get outside and play in the summer sun.

click over to our sponsor page to check out our advertising options.

eating dandelions

2011-05-16T17:03:00.003-04:00

the other day on flickr i talked about eating dandelions and i decided i should post about it here too. have you ever tried dandelions?
we're not super big dandelion eaters. i know some people make fritters, syrup, wine, infused oils, tea and even more with the flowers, roots and leaves. we just like to nibble...mostly in the springtime before they mature and get bitter.
if you're going to try dandelions for the first time i suggest finding flowers that have a nice little group of petals that are tight in the middle. i like them better because they're less fuzzy than the larger petals. and if you want to try the leaves, choose baby ones because they're sweeter than the older leaves and then mix them into salad greens...it'll be so tasty.

playday

2011-05-12T00:11:00.000-04:00

i got to chase these two cuties all around the park with my camera this morning. and louella was so excited to have some playtime with her sweet cousin molly.
molly's daddy brought her over so a i could snap some photos of her...she's quite the little model.
since we just moved, we live only a couple minutes apart now. hopefully that means some more fun days like today.

and after our fun filled morning at the park we walked back home (we live across the street!!) and louella took a nice long nap. that meant i had lots of time to chat with my sister emmah and our friend kelsey who both stopped in a visited in the afternoon.

today was a wonderful day. i love springtime.

2011-05-11T09:43:00.002-04:00

today is going to be a busy day full of exciting happenings.
i woke up early and cleaned my bathroom. and did some dishes.
it's sunny. i am happy.

2011-05-08T11:01:00.003-04:00

happy mother's day to my beautiful mom. i appreciate you mom. you're wonderful.

(this is my mom on her honeymoon! isn't she so cool. :)

summertime

2011-05-06T21:48:00.002-04:00

i'm so ready to wear shorts and be barefoot! a friend of mine was wearing 'barefoot sandals' the other day and they were so cool. i found a few pairs on etsy that i just love. i think i might just get a pair or two before summertime is here.

click images for sources.

thrift store goodies

2011-05-06T01:57:00.005-04:00

picked up this cute little coaster (20cents) and this vintage 1972 sewing pattern (30cents) at the thrift shop the other day. Yep, I only spent 50cents. Sometimes it's all about quality over quantity.
i'm hoping to get started on a dress from the pattern next week/weekend. I think I'm going to try version B minus the sleeves in a hot pink plaid fabric i've got stashed away. it'll look so sweet on louella.

if you really like this sewing pattern, you can get the same one on etsy and ebay.

sharing

2011-05-05T23:00:00.002-04:00

there's something about capturing an image with film that digital photography will never have for me. maybe it's because my first experiences with photography were with a film camera. it's my artistic roots.
shooting with film is what really made me first believe i was some kind of artist. it was those dreamy hours spent walking outdoors and shooting anything i saw beauty in that has always been the fuel of my creativity.
i have made alot of artistic and creative mistakes. some that have really turned me off to a certain craft, some that have damaged my creative ideas and passions. but film...i think i've always gotten that just right.

Project 31 : Day 5

2011-05-05T13:58:00.000-04:00

Day 5. Write a blog thanking someone who has made your heart come alive.

Dear Louella Irene,
you make my heart come alive every single day.
you are loving, kindhearted, clever, funny, playful, genuine, honest, compassionate, smart, goofy, faithful, sweet and joy filled.
you've taught me about love and about sacrifice.
you've taught me about imagination and wonder.
i am going to love you for the rest of my life, no matter what. you taught me how to love unconditionally.
you helped me open my mind and heart to God. how did you do that, you're three years old?
being your mommy is the most fulfilling thing i have ever experienced.
i love you.

what is project 31? click here to find out.

mystery film

2011-05-04T23:40:00.002-04:00

i love it when i forget about rolls of film and then they get rediscovered. and i don't know what to expect when i open the photo package.
i really love it when photos of my mom and i blueberry picking are inside those mystery packages.

Hey, Mama : Melissa

2011-05-02T21:32:00.007-04:00

I'm so happy that the lovely Melissa agreed to be our second mama in the hey, mama series. I've known melissa in this blogging world for...well, my flickr page says over 2 years but i think i've been reading her blog for even longer! She's a total sweetheart and she shares bits of her beautiful life and work at her blog, flickr and etsy shop. Oh yes...I'm also in love with her pinterest page. I hope you adore her as much as I do. Oh and be sure to leave her a lovely comment.

Tell us about you. (anything you want...name, where you're from, age, interests, likes/dislikes, etc.)
I'm Melissa, I turned 30 last year, and I live in a small town in the South Island of New Zealand. There are so many things I love about life: reading and writing, having dinner parties, going to the movies, walking in the bush/forest, spending time at the beach. There aren't many things I dislike, come to think of it, except eating raw tomatoes (i've never been able to eat them, much to family's disappointment.)

And you're a mama to...

my son Arlo, who will soon be 8 years old, and Keira who turned 6 last month.

Alright so you're a blogging mama. Balancing mommyhood, time with your man, work, cooking, cleaning, blogging and still having time to shower everyday...how do you do it?
I don't do it! There are days when I can't seem to achieve anything, and other days when I feel quite efficient... it all just depends on what is going on around me. Both of my children are at school from 9 to 3pm now each day, so I work on my small business while they're there. I spend the rest of the day with them, and then after they go to bed, I do a little more work. Every now and then I have a big clean-up, which, if i'm honest, doesn't happen as often as it probably should. My partner and I are lucky enough to live in the same city as our parents, so fairly often we're able to go out together in the evenings (movies and concerts are our favourite outings) while the children hang out with the grandparents. I think they enjoy the break away from us more than we enjoy the break away from them!

So how did you start blogging anyways?
I started blogging when my daughter was a baby, because I had accidently stumbled on the world of craft-blogs and loved what i had found. I thought it would inspire me to make things for my little family, be more creative, and motivate me.

Tell us about your blog friends and how you met/got to know them. And if you've met some of your blog friends in person we'd LOVE to hear about that.
I'm lucky enough to have made some friends through on my blogging journey. Some are fellow NZers, and I've met many of them in person at craft shows, fairs, etc. That is always quite exciting for me. I would love to meet more someday and often dream about a magical mystery world blog tour.

We've all gotten that "you met someone online? they're probably scamming you" line when we talk about making blog friends. So do you tell your friends and family about blogging, your blog friends and such? What do they think?
I don't think that my blog is any secret to my friends and family. They're all accepting and encouraging of it and many have started blogs in the past few years themselves! I think that now we live in a different world to the one five years ago- it's much more acceptable to meet like-minded souls over the internet and I believe our 'real' and online lives have many cross-overs. If we are all honest and open-minded and careful with what we put across, I don't think that is something to fear.

Any words of advice to someone who's new to the blog scene and is looking to make friends? Maybe something you wish you knew when you started blogging.
I think it's important to decide what it is you'd like from your blog before you get started. Are you hoping to connect with fellow crafters and mothers on a personal level, or do you want to put less of yourself 'out there'? Are you hoping to sell your work or do you want a place to practice your creative writing skills? It helps, I think, to have a focus and purpose. Other than that, be open-minded, creative and have fun!

rainy day

2011-04-27T15:23:00.001-04:00

reminder to myself.

2011-04-26T15:56:00.002-04:00

hello.

2011-04-21T13:46:00.003-04:00

sometimes i take silly photos while i drink tea. :)

this weekend i'd like to...
decorate eggs
eat some treats
get dressed up
curl louella's hair
take family pictures
snuggle with my loves

what are you doing this lovely easter weekend?

2011-04-21T11:12:00.000-04:00

this is so pretty.

finally we have a laptop.

2011-04-17T12:38:00.008-04:00

And I'm daydreaming about pretty springtime fashion.
(click images for source.)

alphabet owls

2011-04-08T18:06:00.001-04:00

I just saw this adorable owl alphabet poster from gingiber. It's on my wishlist for Louella's room. So cute!

inspiration

2011-04-07T13:40:00.001-04:00

This is sort of my inspiration for the new house. These colors are just so pretty. I'm excited to start slowly working my way through the house and making it beautiful! I know it will always be an ever changing work in progress...but I hope to have it "finished" in July. We will see.

2011-04-04T19:51:00.001-04:00

It's been warming up a little bit here and I have been thinking about springtime. I've been daydreaming about warm weather and gardening and Louella has been daydreaming about splashing in puddles. She already has a cute pink raincoat but I couldn't resist sharing this adorable rain gear. Kiddos always get the cutest stuff.

Hey, Mama : Naomi

2011-04-04T10:22:00.001-04:00

I'm so excited to share the first lovely mama in the Hey, Mama series. Naomi is funny, genuine and a really great friend. I look forward to the day when we'll meet face to face! I know you're going to love getting to know a little about her. :)

Tell us about you. (anything you want...name, where you're from, age, interests, likes/dislikes, etc.)

About me? Hm…That’s a hard one. Honestly, like most other women I know, I have trouble talking about me. Isn’t that our curse? I can go on all day about my daughter, my family, heck even my dogs but when it comes to myself, I lose focus. My mind wanders into things less frightening to think about. For the sake of trying though, here goes.

Me. I’m Naomi Martin. I’m a stay at home mom for a bit over two years now. I’m twenty eight. I always forget how old I am and how many years I’ve been married. Eight, by the way. My family is originally from Missouri but in the last year and a half we’ve moved from MO to CA to TX. We chose to make the move originally for an opportunity with my husband’s job. We felt it was the right thing for our family at the time. Plus, it was an adventure, so why not, right? Living in CA (specifically the San Francisco area) made us realize so much about the life we had that we’d previously taken for granted and it lit a fire under us to start making the life we wanted for ourselves. One of my favorite quotes of all time is “Don’t just live the life you’ve been given, make the life you want.” I, of course, am too forgetful to remember who said that but it’s awesome! So we pulled up stakes and moved ourselves to Texas. It’s always been my dream since childhood to live in this wonderful state. It’s not for everyone, I know, but it’s so very much for me and my family. Times ahead will be challenging. We moved without jobs, without a place of our own to live (we are currently living with very gracious family) and without much of a plan past getting here but we know that God is faithful. My faith is something that is very important to me. I try to learn more and be the right kind of example for my daughter every day. That sometimes is hard but I think it’s important for our kids to see their parents as people too. They need to see us make mistakes and then deal with whatever comes from those, just like they do in their lives and will have to in the future. Being a parent is the hardest job I’ve ever had but it’s also the most rewarding at times.

Ok, likes. Hm…I like the beach, cupcakes, reading, crafting, cooking, hot coffee, fresh flowers, early morning quiet before the house comes alive, impractical shoes, my husband’s smile, my daughters hugs, tattoos and a clean house. Also this year I think I’ll be getting into gardening. At our new home in Texas we’ve got tons of neglected flower beds. I become addicted to weeding and have to keep myself from going out there all together. Otherwise it’s the entire day, gone.

Dislikes… Wow. Banana flavored things, gossiping, when my computer doesn’t work, cold feet. I’m a freak about texture in food. So I can’t stand any kind of melon, or fresh tomatoes. YUCK! Pretty much stuff like that. Strange but true.

One of my favorite places in all the world is the beach. It’s the only thing I will miss about being in CA. We were five minutes tops away from sand and ocean at any given time. It was heaven. I also end up taking way more pictures of feet than I mean to.

And you're a mama to...(yep, blab all you want about the adorable kiddos)

We have a two year old girl named Hazel. She’s amazing! I know, everyone thinks their kid is amazing. Which I’m sure is absolutely true. I never ever thought I wanted to be a mother. I thought I’d be terrible at it, so I wrote it off as something for other people. I’ve got to tell you though; Hazel is the missing piece of our life we never knew we were missing. She is so full of life and energy. We say at least once a day “what the heck did we do before you came along?”. She has the funniest sense of humor and we enjoy each day getting to see what crazy joke or song she’ll come up with. I’ve been so blessed to be able to stay home with her and not only teach her about this crazy world we live in but learn from her as well. Most days are good. Some days are hard. Living in CA was really hard for her. We lived in an apartment where we were not able to get outside a lot. We spent most days inside reading books, making up songs and playing in her tent “clubhouse”. This move has been so amazing for her already. We’ve got a fenced in yard, room to run, tons of nature to explore and plenty of mischief to get into. I’m so excited for the coming summer!

Alright so you're a blogging mama. Balancing mommyhood, time with your man, work, cooking, cleaning, blogging and still having time to shower everyday...how do you do it?

Well, I’m going to just tell you straight away that I make it up as I go. Before getting pregnant I worked for a very large computer software company. I handled executive administrative work every day. Calendars, meetings, travel plans, etc. All of that really helped me be more prepared for having a child. I know that sounds goofy, but it’s so true; at least for me. It helped me realize that being prepared is always important, it helped me learn how to think ahead and anticipate future needs and it helped me to realize that all that planning can go to hell in a moment’s notice and to just be flexible. Welcome to Mommy hood! The plan around our house is ever changing. I’m big on routine. For myself as well as how we live our lives. I like to try and do things around the same time everyday but you know what, half the time it never goes as planned and that’s ok. So, as I mentioned before, I make it up as I go along. As Hazel has gotten older my routine has changed over and over but that’s life. I wouldn’t have it any other way. Oh and I shower at night.

Me, on a typical day. I almost always end up with something goofy on my head, wearing layers of clothing and tons of different patterns and it would be that the best picture out of ten was in front of the ugly fuse box. Again, just another typical day in the life of me.

So how did you start blogging anyways?

I really don’t even remember what prompted me to start a blog. I think it was for my parents who both lived a few hours away in different directions from me. I guess I wanted a way for them to read about whatever random was floating around in my head at that time. I’ve tried to be honest with myself about blogging. I’m never going to be some super blogger that does it for a living. That’s not me. The last few years I’ve been really hot and cold about my blog all together but I keep it alive in the hopes that someday I’ll have something more interesting to share. I tend to fall into the trap of comparing myself and what I do or don’t do with other bloggers. This is where having other bloggers as friends come in handy. I think everyone at one time or another has had those same feelings and it’s great to have someone who can understand that and help pull you out. Blogging is a hard business, as far as I’m concerned. It’s meant to bring freedom to your voice and thoughts but can easily become yet one more thing to be self-conscious about. Also it’s unfortunate to realize that not all bloggers are nice and or friendly people. I think, however that is the point of this wonderful thing Steph has set up. Connecting cool and helpful people with other cool and helpful people. We’re all on the same team people. Sheesh!

Us. This was our Christmas card photo this year. It was the first year of our lives without snow or cold weather for Christmas. We were miserable! It did force us to be more creative about getting into the spirit of the season though.

Tell us about your blog friends and how you met/got to know them. And if you've met some of your blog friends in person we'd LOVE to hear about that.

Well Stephanie is my first blog friend. Our story is a funny one. I actually discovered her through Flickr. I saw a comment she had made on someone else’s page. I looked at her photostream and commented about her lovely daughter, Louella. I think that might have been way back when I still lived in Mo. Anyways, when we moved out to CA I was lonely. We didn’t have any friends there or people we knew. We had trouble finding a church to attend, let alone some people to be friends with. I was really struggling. I prayed that God would help me find a friend that was a mother and had similar interests as myself. About a month later, after a few more posted pictures and comments between us, I sent her a message on Flickr mail. I took a leap. “I’m not a stalker” I said “but I was wondering if you’d like to get to know one another”. From there it was history. We have so much in common and scary enough as it is, our daughters have even more in common. They both loved to see the others photos online and talk about them like they are buddies. I hope to get to meet Steph and Lu in person someday.

Since then I’ve gone on to make other friends online. Even a few that are overseas. It’s always so interesting to learn about people’s lives, families, habits, likes, dislikes. That’s why I’m so excited for this Hey Mama project. I’m so thankful for this online community because it’s refreshing to know that at the end of the day there are other mothers and women out there willing to admit that they don’t have it all together, that they didn’t have time for a shower today or that sometimes they need time alone. Our quirks and imperfections make up who we are and that in itself is a beautiful thing. We’re all unique yet similar. I love that thought.

Thanks for taking time to read about me! Feel free to visit me over at Randomly Wonderful Things, check out my Flickr or send me a message. I’d love to get to know you better!

Naomi

Right Now...

2011-03-31T13:55:00.006-04:00

doing laundry.
packing for a weekend trip.
dusting off my camera.
listening to Adele on repeat.
seeing flower buds peek through the snow.
spending my birthday money.
daydreaming about springtime.
i am so happy.

Hello.

2011-03-28T17:03:00.003-04:00

Between moving and a sinus cold that just won't quit I've had zero time to pop over here and say hello. And I've been extra lazy about taking photos. My poor camera has been sitting on the shelf for two weeks straight. oops.
But my unpacking is going good and we're finally settling after a little over a week in the new place. We're so happy to have a space to call our own.

a new home

2011-03-18T19:54:00.002-04:00

we're moving!

to a little house one town over.

much closer to everything.
we're so happy and excited.

tomorrow is the big moving day.

birthday cake

2011-03-14T12:45:00.001-04:00

Thursday is my 23rd birthday.

My mom is making me a nutella cake.

I am so excited! I've never had one before.

Growing up I would always get angel food cake with strawberries.

It was my favorite.

I've been daydreaming about making an adorable owl cake.

Maybe for one of my sisters birthday's this summer.

Maybe for all of my sisters birthday's this summer...yum. :)

click images for sources.

Project 31 : Day 4

2011-03-07T22:34:00.005-05:00

Style 31. Blog about clothing that makes you feel beautiful.

I want to be honest here...I am a stay at home mom. There are day's that I wear a t-shirt and sweats all day long. But I really try to make an effort to 'get dressed' everyday. I usually only allow myself two t-shirt and sweats days every week. If you're a stay at home mom you understand how easy it can be to not 'get dressed'. I think it's important to look nice not just for myself but for my husband and little one. Now when I say 'get dressed' sometimes it just means putting on a pair of jeans and cardigan.

So what kind of clothing makes me feel beautiful? Something comfortable and just "me". Like a pair of skinny jeans, a flowy tank, belted cardigan, big funky scarf, and my favorite gray slouchy high heel boots. I like to keep everything else pretty simple. But I've been curling my hair lately...it only takes 5 extra minutes and it really makes me feel just pretty.

I can't wait till springtime so I can wear cute stuff like this and this. I'm going to try wearing tights under jean shorts this year. I think i'm gonna like it, it looks so funky.

And Naomi just reminded me that I will always feel blissful and beautiful in a pair of very unpractical heels. I might not get to wear them very often but when I do I'm over the moon. :)

What is Project 31? Click here to find out.

2011-03-07T11:36:00.005-05:00

Need for some new music goodness?

I've been listening to this band on repeat for the last week. I highly suggest them if you're into indie alternative folk music. Check them out here and here. My favorite songs are Last Love and The Storm & The Eye.

"Matrimony is Ashlee Hardee, Jimmy Brown, Jordan Hardee & Shae Wooten. The band formed in December 09 out of a common desire to make good, honest music. Their goal is to write songs about things that actually matter and to play them with as much heart as they can." - matrimonyband.com

Project 31 : Day 3

2011-03-07T10:43:00.002-05:00

What is Project 31? Click here to find out.

Who is someone you know who inspires beauty?

my sisters.
they inspire me to be myself.
and not be fake.
they encourage my inner beauty and spirit.
and they love me for who I am. always.

Project 31 : Day 2

2011-03-04T12:48:00.004-05:00

What makes you uniquely you?

When I first think of being unique I think of something that makes me different than everyone else. But after I've really thought about this I'm not sure that's really what being unique means to me. I think the things that make me unique are just the things that make me who I am.

What makes me who I am?

my husband & being a mommy.

my crazy loud family, my best friends & love for Christ.

my laugh, sense of humor, taste in music, taste in clothing & blogging.

taking photos of everything & my artsy craftsy-ness.

love of the outdoors & camping.

my heart for missions & ministry.

being myself.

What is Project 31? Click here to find out.

Project 31 : Day 1

2011-03-03T18:23:00.003-05:00

What does beauty mean to you?

There's a difference between outward and inward beauty.
Outward beauty is something that pleases our senses.
Something we see, hear, touch, smell, or taste that pleases us.
It makes us happy to indulge our senses in the beauty of that thing.
Inward beauty is harder to recognize.
It's something that satisfies our spirit, our heart, our mind.
It doesn't have to please our senses.
But it stirs something in our spirit, touches our heart or pleases our thoughts.
We can easily and quickly recognize that a person has physical, outward beauty.
But we can't easily see inward beauty. It's a part of their personality and spirit.
It is who they are.

What does it mean to me?
Goodness, Gentleness, Faithfulness, Patience, Unconditional Love...
It's the qualities I desire to have in my own life. In my spirit.
It's something I seek after to bring me closer to Christ.
Not because having beauty will bring me closer to Him.
But because He is the greatest beauty there is.
And seeking after inward beauty is seeking after a life in Christ.
Beauty to me is to be Christ-like.

What is Project 31? Click here to find out.

2011-03-03T15:02:00.004-05:00

I've decided to do a really cool project here on the blog called Project 31.
You can read all about the project over here.
And I'd love to know if any of you decide to join me and do the project too!
I'm really excited about it.

2011-02-28T20:07:00.000-05:00

Sometimes this blog world can seem pretty competitive, like we have to have a better blog than so-and-so, but most of us bloggers are here because we want to share our lives with other people and make new friends who like the stuff we like. Right?

Starting in April 2011 Caldwell Co. is hosting Hey, Mama. A twice a month feature where you can get to know awesome mamas from around the blogging world. These blogging mamas want to be a part of Hey, Mama to show you all that they are normal everyday mamas just like you. And that they are just an email away. Seriously!

We're all here (in the blog world) because we're looking for what you're looking for. Friends, kindred spirits, people to share life with. And we want to get to know you just as much as you want to get to know us. That's what Hey, Mama is all about. I've met some of my best mama friends in this blog world! And I love them all dearly.

My hope is that Hey, Mama cuts out those awkward "hey, let's be friends, you don't know me" emails and take us right to "Hey, Mama I read your feature on Caldwell Co...my kiddo is the same age as yours and I like chai lattes too!" Tada! No more creepy stalker emails. hehe. And seriously, I just want to get to know my cool mama friends better and meet some new ones too.

Hey, Mama (yes you) we want to know you too! Contact me for more info on how you can be featured. Or recommend your best mama blog friend for a feature.

Spring Cleaning and Redecorating

2011-02-27T10:13:00.002-05:00

I've sure missed you!!
After a months absence from this space I have a clear head.
And a growing collection of new ideas.
But I need some more time.
To get the ball rolling in the right direction.

I'm super excited.
And about to get started on things today.
So for the month of March you might notice this place looking something like a construction zone.
Don't worry.
Things will be up and running come April.

I cannot wait!!!

Recharging

2011-02-09T23:34:00.003-05:00

I need to unplug my brain from this place for a little while.

For the rest of February my presence here will be sparse.

I need to focus on other things for a bit.

And I'm already looking forward to returning here.

Recharged.

february

2011-02-04T21:10:00.005-05:00

tonight we start night time potty training.
i've got alarms set for midnight, 3am and 6am.
hopefully that's enough.
and hopefully she won't be a zombie tomorrow.
but soon enough we'll be diaper free.
i cannot wait.

this weekend
there is meetings, parties and work.
along with homework, reading, writing and watching.
house painting, family visits and grocery shopping.
and of course conflicting schedules.
it will be a whirl.
like usual.
it's alright though.

i'm just not a fan of february so far.
it might be my least favorite month.
even though we're only on day four.
just saying...
the fact that i am posting without a photo says everything.

january 29

2011-01-29T19:59:00.003-05:00

we bundled ourselves and braved the cold.

walked the sidewalks and watched ice sculpting.

trekked through snow and weaved through crowds.

got rosy cheeks and runny noses.

ate until we were very full and sat in traffic the whole way home.

today was so good and i am tired.

Good

2011-01-26T14:25:00.003-05:00

Some really great things happened yesterday.
Plans for the future are coming together.
We are moving forward with people we really love.
And it's good.

if you'd like to make 'crayon cookies' like ours...you'll find directions here.

i can't even think of a title.

2011-01-25T00:56:00.004-05:00

it was one of those weekends.
that spilled over into monday.
and has left me feeling off.
it's not just me.
everyone seemed in a funk today.
i don't like it.
tomorrow i want a cup of joy.
but it chipped and i tossed it.
i feel like it was symbolic.
but it probably wasn't.
i'm just babbling.

learning & choices

2011-01-23T13:16:00.003-05:00

we made a choice.
to school at home.

we made a choice.
to approach school from a very different perspective.
project learning. (inquiry-based, child-directed, reggio inspired)

this week :
she showed me she knew things i thought she didn't.
and she learned about things i didn't even know about.

she learned things because she wanted to...not because she had to.
we made a good choice.

we learned about mixing colors, hot & cold, matching like things, matching similar things, coral reefs, aquariums, colors of tropical fish and lots more.

just by following her interests and discoveries this week.

good morning

2011-01-21T11:11:00.003-05:00

stayed up very late last night.
woke up a little early this morning.
lost a bit of sleep.
but the sunshine made up for it.

Soup

2011-01-20T19:47:00.008-05:00

Leek and Potato Cream Soup

recipe adapted from 'apples for jam by tessa kiros'

6 leeks

3 tbsp. butter

2 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole

5 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

6 cups hot water

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

salt

nutmeg

Trim the leeks and cut off hard ends, wash them thoroughly. Slice leeks finely, you'll want around 4 cups.

Melt butter in large cooking pot. Add garlic and leeks and saute over medium-low heat until leeks are soft and golden.

Add potatoes and season well with salt. Add 6 cups hot water and bring to boil.

Slightly turn down heat and cover with lid. Let simmer for about 45 minutes. Until potatoes are very soft.

Add a little nutmeg and puree soup until smooth. I usually use an electric hand mixer for this.

Add the cream and heat through.

Serve with desired toppings.

Topping suggestions:

parmesean cheese, dried chives and pepper

cheddar and salsa

chicken and fresh leeks

proof

2011-01-20T14:14:00.003-05:00

january 19

a few moments of peace.

to enjoy the winter light.

and prepare my mind for the busy day.

january 20

proof that not every morning is peaceful and calm.

and not every cup of tea is enjoyed at the window.

i still love these crazy mornings just as much.

sometimes more.

Slippers

2011-01-18T14:05:00.004-05:00

I've been getting a lot of questions about my slipper socks lately.
So I decided to share my 'slipper wishlist' with you.
These are all on my list and everything is under $40!

one, two, three, four, five, six.

And if you're looking to buy slippers in-store I suggest Target, Kohl's, Meijer, Walmart, Sears, Macy's or maybe even handmade slippers at your local craft market.

goodness

2011-01-18T12:25:00.003-05:00

morning time at the window.
hot cocoa with a huge handful of mini marshmallows.
the snow has been pouring down all morning long.
i feel like i've been living in a snow globe these past days.
everything is calm, quiet, at peace.

the perfect kind of day for a mug of chocolate goodness.

i love this season. so much.

a good morning

2011-01-15T12:25:00.003-05:00

sitting by the window
drinking chai tea
watching the snow fall
reading about gardening
and daydreaming
it's a good morning.

made a crochet heart last night
from this pattern by molly.
i've got plans for more.

the tea scarf

2011-01-14T12:30:00.006-05:00

I'm slowly getting better.
I've been spending my couch time crocheting.
I found this scarf pattern on ravelry. It's from here.
It was pretty simple and I only made a few tweaks, like making the scarf wider by a few rows.

If I made this again I would make it a bit longer.

Although I'm still very happy with this one.

It took me a few days but I think it was only about 6 hours of work.

calm

2011-01-13T17:38:00.003-05:00

I've been working all this month to 'clean up' and 'clean out' my online spaces. I have spent just too much time and energy on this world. And not enough in other places that needed me.
So I've made my online presence a little less and I've made the things and people that influence me here much much less. I only want the good things. It's taken me many years to figure that out.

etsy shop - closed, for now

twitter - deleted

flickr contacts - sorted through, deleted many

favorite folders - sorted, cleaned out

blog reading list - everything deleted, redone

I feel a quiet calm in these spaces now. I like it.

There's still more too do...but i'm happy with these changes.

january 12

2011-01-12T15:08:00.004-05:00

i still haven't gotten rid of this nasty cold.

everywhere i turn in this house there is mess.

i do not enjoy days like these.

but i will choose to be happy

even in sickness and mess.

i am blessed.

weekend

2011-01-10T17:26:00.002-05:00

I spent the whole weekend napping and watching movies in my pajamas.
Drinking hot tea and gatorade.
And not feeling well at all.
Tonight I'll be going to bed early and trying to get ahead of this nasty cold.

a good winter

2011-01-08T15:22:00.000-05:00

how does winter inspire me?

layers

a soft blanket of snow

snuggling under warm quilts

hearty food

evergreen trees

mugs of hot tea

handmade knits

hibernation

January 7

2011-01-07T21:40:00.006-05:00

home away from home.

realization

2011-01-07T21:32:00.003-05:00

I thought she would cry when we took down the lights on her tree.

She didn't cry.

I thought...when we put these lights up again she will be another year older.

I almost cried.

Life is moving. We are growing.

I've always known it.

But this moment I realized it.

finding peace

2011-01-06T19:58:00.002-05:00

my feet on the window sill with a hot mug of tea.
watching through the foggy glass while they sled outside.
snowflakes coming down from the sky and covering the ground.
this is what i've been waiting for all week long.
i am happy.

i have an entire book to read, homework to do, class work to start reading, house work, laundry, chapters to read and a speaking message to put together. i am trying not to be overwhelmed. i am looking for peace in the little things.

something new

2011-01-05T14:12:00.002-05:00

just a tiny bedroom corner makeover.
makes me feel refreshed and happy to see something new on my walls.

BEFORE :

AFTER :

bread

2011-01-03T17:53:00.004-05:00

whole wheat beer bread

total time: 1 hour

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour

1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour

4 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup brown sugar, packed

one 12oz. bottle of beer

half stick of butter

preheat oven to 350.

combine all dry ingredients together in large bowl.

slowly pour in bottle of beer.

stir until well blended and sticky.

transfer into well greased 9x5 loaf pan.

completely melt butter and pour over batter in pan.

bake about 50-60 minutes. (until toothpick comes out clean. don't let the top get too crunchy.)

we like to serve ours warm with butter and honey.

store leftovers wrapped tightly in a bread bag or foil.

the most important part of this bread is the beer choice. it strongly influences the flavor of the bread. I like to go for more nutty or fruity beer choices.

my favorites for this recipe:

leinenkugel fireside nut brown
leinenkugel berry weiss

leinenkugel honey weiss

leinenkugel sunset wheat

this morning

2011-01-03T16:49:00.002-05:00

at the window :
hot tea
a crochet project
daydreaming about snow

on the wall:

old inspiration wire

collection of vintage embroideries

daydreaming about redecorating

january 2

2011-01-02T12:08:00.002-05:00

this morning my little girl got up all by herself.
walked upstairs.
opened the fridge. got out yogurt.
opened the yogurt. got out a spoon.
sat at the table and ate breakfast.
all alone.
went back down the stairs.
came into mama and daddy's room.
and woke us up.

SERIOUSLY!!!!
she's three.
needless to say we may have to re-install the baby gate on the stairs.

oh yes...meet my new pair of slippers. they are oh so cozy. and i am oh so happy about them. i think an entire collection of comfy slippers and socks would be just perfect...someday.

also i got this adorable fat penguin mug for christmas. and i just think he's the cutest thing.

january 1

2011-01-01T17:39:00.003-05:00

soaking up the bits of sunlight at the window.

enjoying my tea. in my raggy old slippers.

finding comfort in the first day of a new year.

december 31

2010-12-31T12:15:00.002-05:00

the last morning of the year.

sitting in front of the window.

drinking hot tea.

watching the last of our snow melt away in the rain.

it's gloomy out. as i say goodbye to 2010.

it's been a year of shifting, changing, learning,

growing and yet staying the same.

maybe every year is that way...

25 before I'm 25

2010-12-21T00:06:00.004-05:00

I've been thinking that with the new year just a week and a half away, instead of a "new years resolution" I wanted to make a list of things I want to do in the next couple years. My 23rd birthday is only a few months away so I've got two whole years to complete the things on my list of 25 before I'm 25.

1. go back to ‘school’, take a class
2. ride on a train
3. camp out in a teepee or yurt
4. spend 1 month in another country
5. be consistent in reading my bible
6. pray with a stranger
7. start or be a part of a women’s bible study
8. sell things at a craft market
9. take louella to an aquarium
10. take louella to the zoo
11. have lemon fizz ice cream wrapped in a napkin (just find some lemon fizz ice cream)
12. take more pictures of nate, louella and myself together
13. finish a crochet blanket (granny squares blanket)
14. take pictures in a photo booth with nate
15. live in our own house, even if we’re just renting
16. go on another cruise
17. connect with my small group and be invested in their lives
18. have nana teach me to make/weave baskets
19. learn book binding and make my own book/journal
20. grow my own garden
21. learn another language
22. get a tattoo
23. get glasses so I can actually see
24. go shooting just me and nate
25. ride bicycles on Mackinac island

I wanted to take a minute to explain a few of the things on my list....
#11 - when I was younger my favorite book was called beach day. in the book the little girl had lemon fizz ice cream wrapped in a napkin. I spent a good portion of my childhood seeking out lemon fizz ice cream and have yet to find any.
#18 - my grandmother (we call her nana, and lulu calls her gg) used to make the most lovely handwoven baskets. I've always wanted to learn how to make them. I hope she'll be willing to teach me.
#19 - the learning part of this is already in the works. I've been reading tutorials and such online and I'm getting excited to finally try making my own.
#21 - I'm thinking Spanish. I know bits and pieces and it's the language I think I'd use the most besides English.
#22 - I have no clue what I want yet.
#23 - I've needed glasses for sooooo long. I'm getting my eyes checked as soon as the holidays are over.

if you want to know more about anything on my list just ask. :) and if you have your own list I'd love to read it! I love lists.
P.S. did you know that starting this blog was my new years resolution in 2008!! I never knew I'd still be at it 4 years later.

change

2010-12-16T11:25:00.001-05:00

i honestly wear these slippers every single day.
and i drink tea every single day.
and i stand by this window every single day.
i find comfort in the things that do not change.

the snow outside looks different every morning.
pretty paper snowflakes are taped to the windows.
my morning mug says "JOY, this is the day that
the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."
I find excitement in the things that continually change.

what she wore : silly outfit

2010-12-15T14:51:00.005-05:00

i've been wanting to document some of louella's silly outfit creations. she likes to get dressed "all by herself". sometimes that results in crazy combinations that make me giggle all day. yesterdays outfit was quite crazy but by the time i got a shot of it she had removed a few layers and tamed it down a little bit...i'll have to be quicker next time.

Striped Ruffle Tank

Red Velvet Skirt

Navy & Pink Polka-dot Capris

Black Mary Janes

very creative. :)

bed on the floor, bed on the floor...

2010-12-14T17:32:00.004-05:00

i like beds on the floor.

louellas bed is on the floor. and i'm thinking about keeping it that way. at least until she's a little bigger and won't roll out of bed and onto the tile floor. ouch. i actually think beds on the floor look really pretty and simple.

if you surround yourself with things you love, your home will make you happy.

one, two.

Sunday

2010-12-12T16:38:00.003-05:00

A dreamy canopy.
Morning tea by the window in my pj's and slippers.
Spinach, egg and bacon casserole with buttered toast.
Our first big snow covering everything all day long.