oh, we also drew these

so happy the forsythia is in bloom. yay for spring!

do you remember...

this list? **look down below too** I've been working hard, both intentionally and unintentionally, to make things happen. So in an effort to stay on track for number 9, I've created a link list in the sidebar of the books I am currently reading, plus some that the boys and I read.

Number 14 has been modified a bit in an effort to make it more feasible, we have instituted "date night." Quite simply we put the boys to be a little earlier and we eat a later dinner by ourselves. It has turned into an almost weekly thing, which has been really nice. The boys enjoy getting their own special date night dinner, and we get to enjoy some grown-up conversation. Really nice.

26 has been happening on a regular basis, so much so that I sewed up the bread bag a week or so ago. Now that we have been using it more often it does work quite well, as long as the bread is eaten with 3-4 days. After that things get a little crispy and crunchy.

I'm pretty excited, the farmer's market starts this weekend (number 6) - for those of you in the area a small one is supposed to happen in Washington Square this weekend and next, then it will be moving to the normal spot. I promise pictures this year, because it really is absolutely fantastic.

And at the moment I've managed to make it to number 18 twice (it is a monthly thing, so twice is good). I really have a lot of fun there. Although I am probably 20 years younger than most of the women that go, it is insanely fun, and they are really lovely, intelligent women.

It is really nice to have some goals for the year, and they have made things a bit more interesting around here!

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Okay, I decided it might just be easier to post the list again down here:

1. Take a trip to Nashville

2. Buy a good pair of leather boots

3. Write more poetry

4. Learn to take better photos

5. Eat locally as much as possible

6. Not miss a week of the farmer’s market

7. Start exercising again

8. Specifically set aside time to spend playing with the boys. Playing games, doing puzzles, drawing, reading, whatever. To not let other things get in front of them.

9. Read at least one real book a month (not how-to books which seem to get most of my time these days)

10. Try new foods rather than sticking to the favorites

11. Play the piano again

12. Plant a garden

13. Go to the beach a lot

14. Take time with E at least once a month to spend by ourselves (out of our house)

15. Make a picnic quilt

16. Learn more sewing techniques

17. Learn more knitting techniques

18. Go to knit club

19. Make nature packs for the family

20. Take more family walks

21. Go up north at least four times

22. Sew a purse/ large bag for me

23. Knit a sweater

24. Go to Virginia again

25. Brush up on my French

26. Get back in the habit of making bread each week

27. Fix the vintage sewing machine that is sitting in the basement

i lost my pen

Yes, I really did lose my pen and I am so bummed about it. It was nothing fancy, but it had nice sentimental value to me. A parker fountain pen I had bought when I went to England 10 years ago (how can it be 10 years and I haven't been back?!?). I think it cost £6. I've written so many things with it, more poems than I can count and now I've lost it. How can something so silly mean so much? Oh dear, enough griping. Does anyone know where I can find a replacement?

beauty in the backyard

The way they find joy in the small things reminds me to do the same. Their happiness with "fishing" in the stream rivals the excitement of pulling on rubber boots - stomping about in the puddles just as Alfie does in a favorite book. I love watching them bobbing their willow poles in the water or helping Papa do some outside chores, while I wander taking photos of the trees. The flowers opening and the shades of green varying from tree to tree, the spring green striking against the emerald of the grass. Even in the dim light from overcast skies the greens are vibrant.

ahhh.....

Loveliness all around. Enjoy your weekend!

few things i love more

than sunshine and sewing in the morning.

This embroidery hoop was my grandma's and I love that my aunts felt that I should have it. I love feeling the well worn smooth wood in my hands, the same way that her hands would have held it. It gives me such happiness to use it.

I used it when I embroidered this bread bag. I had toyed with the idea of a fabric bag to store our bread in, but wasn't sure which fabric would be best. I saw SouleMama's post and voila - a linen bag was made. I'm not thrilled with the dimensions on this one, so there may be more tweaking of the next bag I make.

And a super quick project I whipped up the other day when I bought new sunglasses. My other ones were always scratched up immediately, so I put together this little pouch for my purse. The inside is a lawn fabric that I have used on many small projects and I used flannel sandwiched between the layers so that it would be a soft case.

I've really enjoyed reading your memories, please keep them coming! I will try my best to respond to each of you today, but for now I'm off to enjoy the sunshine!

the sound of their childhood

What brings you back to your childhood? Is there a sight or smell or sound that brings a forgotten memory to mind? Yesterday I was sewing a little book cover for my mom and she said that is something the boys will always remember - the sound of the sewing machine running and playing underneath the table while I sew; the small scraps of fabric keeping them occupied for hours. It was rather ironic that she thought of the boys' memories since my sisters and I were discussing the same thing last week. We discovered that my older sister and I love the smell of freshly printed paper, but our younger sister has no particular fondness for it. When I was little my dad was the editor of our local paper and we loved to go to work with him. But by the time my younger sister was born he no longer worked there (I wonder if she has any special attachment to Herman Miller furniture...) and so that smell of warm paper and ink holds no special link for her.

What will my boys remember? The sound of the sewing machine? The smell of wool yarn or freshly baked whole wheat bread? The way Papa smells when he comes home from work, that odd mixture of oils that lingers on his clothes? I wonder...

easter

Just a few shots of yesterday's bright, sunny Easter.


I hope your Easter was just as lovely!

oh! oh!

I forgot to mention yesterday that one of my fave musicians is on tour right now and she may be coming to a town near you - that is if you live east of the Mississippi. Okay, so I may be a bit biased because my cousin plays with her. But....I promise you won't be disappointed. Here is her music and here is the show schedule.

The pic has nothing to do with this little post. I'm just so happy the crocus have bloomed!

weekends are nice

Spending a quiet weekend with my family is so incredibly nice. I am always reminded how much I love to be with them, even though we tend to do quiet, at-home things.

We spent more time drawing (these pictures are from Wednesday - a barefoot, smiling girl/kind of like a bird, like a crow and grandma's dog Zady), cutting, and painting. Nothing special for Easter, just some fun art time.

Papa, A, and I watched the red fox that lives behind the neighbor's house. So cool. I have never seen a red fox before, just so beautiful. Unfortunately it was too far away for my small camera to pick up, but I'm hoping to spot it again soon.

I went to the fabric store and got some excellent deals. $23 for this whole lot. The black fabric is 100% wool pinstripe that was marked 80% off. I am so excited. There was a dress at Anthropologie that I had loved and now using this fabric and pattern I can make one that is similar.

And I finished off the weekend reading this interesting book and wearing my favorite earrings, and getting some nice news from a blogging/flickr friend. Truly, the simplest things make me the happiest.