Category: crafting

June – Completed Projects

Katie1 Comment


I did a lot of crafting this month, but I only finished a couple of things.  I have so many things that are really close to completion though, and I’m excited to finish them up.  After a little break from knitting, I’ve been on a huge knitting kick lately….which makes no sense considering it’s pretty much 100 degrees outside.  But for whatever reason, every night after I put Jude in bed, I pick up the needles again.  I am this.close to finishing a slew of stuff for a mama-to-be I know, but I won’t reveal that until after I give it to her. I did manage to complete a summer cowl for my mom’s birthday though.  I modeled it for a moment so that I could get a photo of it, and I’ve decided I have to make one for myself.

dewdrop cowl

I just learned to knit a few months ago, and I’m not that efficient yet, and this was still the fastest, easiest project imaginable.  The yarn is light and lovely, and I kind of thought “summer weight cowl” meant September or October cowl in Georgia, but this is so light that it could even be worn now, and I think it’s a perfect accessory for over-air conditioned places around here when you just want a little something on your shoulders.  It was a fun project, and my mom loved it.  [And this is so not a knitting blog, so I won’t describe details too much, but if you are interested it is this pattern and this yarn.]  Knitting kept me sane in those weeks I played hall monitor.  I’d keep guard in the hallway as early as 5:30 am with a mug of hot coffee and some yarn trying to get Jude used to the idea of staying in his room again.  [That situation is much much better now, by the way.  It just took a few weeks.]

I also completed a handful of scrapbook pages.  One for Mother’s Day / Father’s Day.

And one for our trip to the strawberry patch.

It’s hard to believe we are closing in on the end of his second year, so I’ll be wrapping up this book in the next few months.  I’ve said it before, but if you’re out there thinking you wish you could do something with the ton of photos you have  but you don’t have the time or craft skills, digital scrapbooking is the way to go.  These pages usually take about 20 minutes or less to complete, and in twelve months time, a little work here and there adds up to a lovely hardbound book.  It’s so easy!

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I can’t believe I’m halfway through the year, and I’ve kept my New Year’s Resolution of being sure to actually finish at least one project a month.  It’s refreshing to let go of “perfect” and just focus on completion with some of these things, and it’s really rewarding to look back and see what I’ve made already in 2011.  I have a few things in the works that I definitely want to finish before the year’s end.

So it’s off to the Pacific for a few days’ time.  I’ll hope to check in with a photo or two when we’re away.  Happy weekend! Go make something.  It feels good.

May – Finished Projects

Katie2 Comments

Thanks for the kind emails and thoughts on family business, you guys.  I’m just going day by day and doing what I can to focus on bright spots as well.  ….Which is why I’m posting on some crafting even though I guess the month isn’t quite over yet.

I’m really happy with the way this little car cozy turned out.

I used this tutorial at Homemade by Jill to make this for Jude.  We already used it the other day at the pediatrician’s office as we waited for our well-check appointment, and I know it’ll be useful in all kinds of waiting situations like restaurants or appointments.  It rolls up compactly to be thrown in a purse or diaper bag.

Halfway through the project I discovered I was out of black thread, but I wanted to press on so I just continued with what I have since it’s made from an old cut-up pair of Scott’s jeans and contains a few mistakes anyhow.  It definitely looks homemade, but I love it, and Jude adores his tiny Hot Wheels cars, so it’s nice to make a cozy little home for them.  On a side note, I think it would make a perfect birthday gift for boys of all ages, so it will be tempting not to make this for every little boy I know!

I also worked on Jude’s second year album, and I decided to focus on his increasing interest in all things “boy” – bugs, dirt, tractors, motors, wheels……

I can’t deny that I loved the opportunity to use a favorite Mark Twain quote, and Jude has been obsessed with tractors and basically any moving vehicles lately, so I included some photos of him with my uncle’s four wheeler and my grandad’s tractor.  The Gender Studies minor in me hates to say things like this, but he really is “all boy” in the traditional sense.  It’s so funny to watch in contrast to all my frilly nieces.

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Lastly, there’s also another BIG project that I finished this month.  A long time ago, I told you about the year-long photo project I was in the midst of, and May 18 marked the date I began.  Unfortunately, my Project 365 morphed in to a Project 313 since I left out a few days, but I essentially took a simple photo almost everyday to document my first year home with Jude.  I’m happy I did it, but I’m also happy it’s over. I found that taking the photo was the easy part, but remembering to upload it, label it, etc. was a pain at times and didn’t always happen.  Nevertheless, we began one year ago with this shot

365.1.1

And finished with an attempted replication that went a little differently with a wiggly toddler, so this was all I got

365 ?? Full Circle!

Even though this was tedious at times, I’m really happy to have one year documented like this.  Most importantly, I think it inspired me to experiment with my camera and get snapshots of everyday life.  And of course just to keep taking pictures and know that every once in a while, something good pops up if you keep snapping the camera.  The traditional “rules” of the project were to include yourself in the photos, set the camera on your own, and upload to a Flickr group.  In the beginning, I tried to follow the those rules, but as usual, I threw out the rules eventually and just focused on finishing – hopefully with some creativity every now and then.  I’m not kidding that one year ago, I didn’t even know where the self-timer button was on my camera, and I always just shot in “auto” mode!  I’m not a perfect photographer, but I can surely say I learned a lot by doing this.  Here are a few of my favorites from the project.

365.3 - Sleepy Head
6:00 am wake-up for a 7 month old baby. My old working routine.
365.1.11 Making Baby Food
making baby food last summer
365.1.32 library day
trip to the library with my then 8-month-old and my niece
365.49 tofu success
the first time I attempted tofu!
365.57 nap time
a rare still moment in Seattle last summer
365.123 stuffing diapers
mundane chores. stuffing cloth diapers as I watch a curious kid.
365.156 early, quiet breakfast
early breakfast.
365 ??? Saturday morning lounging
Saturday morning lounging with the dog
365.??
playing with a Viewmaster as we waited for an oil change. Taken with my phone.

I think I’ll take a break from an organized photo project, but I might start a photo-a-day attempt again for next year in January of 2012. We’ll see. Either way, I’ll be snapping pictures even if I never upload.  So that’s my crafting round-up for the month.  Somehow stress makes me craft and cook more.  Does that happen to anyone else?  It feels good to be busy.  June will bring more knitting (almost complete on a secret project!) and more sewing and some scrapbooking.

Happy weekend!

April Crafting

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Another month come and gone, and it’s summer in Atlanta really soon.  I loved flipping the calendar to May when I was a teacher because that meant summer vacation was around the corner.  It’s still exciting because I look forward to flowers and swimming pools and outside grilling and all the other great things about this time of year.  This is a short post, but I’m checking in quickly about my crafting accomplishments for April before it slips from my mind.

It was a slow crafting month, as I knew it would be because it was a busy month otherwise, and Costa Rica kept us away as well.  All I really have to show for it is a few pages on Jude’s second year album.

I find that the most difficult thing about working on these albums for him is that I tend to want to write far too much, and I have to limit myself to make things interesting for him one day rather than just interesting to me – which typically means I need to ramble less.  These pages were especially challenging though because there was so much I could have said about our trip, but I tried to keep it pretty simple.  The yellow is also out of character for my usual choices on the book, but I wanted something different and sunny, so I decided to go for it.  Hopefully it will print looking bright and happy and not blinding.

I also threw an Easter page together as well.

Other than those quick projects, I don’t have much to show.  I am making some progress on a knitting feat, but I can’t reveal too much because its eventual recipient is a reader of this blog.  The yarn is so delicious though.

And that’s about it for April’s finished work.  In news unrelated to crafting, I did manage to set up a Facebook page for this blog.  I’d been really resistant to connecting the two despite advice from blogger friends.  I gave in this week though because I’m realizing that it’s another way to subscribe for those of you who use Facebook rather than a feed reader or email subscriptions.  Plus, to be honest, I am sure all of my personal contacts were not interested in what was happening on this site, so I would sometimes want to share a link to here or to an article related to things I talk about here, but I assume my friend from third grade or a former student might not be interested.  Creating a separate page seemed like the best thing to do.

So hop on over and join us (or “Like” us) because I just got this started so nobody really knows yet.  (If you are an RSS or email subscriber, I appreciate you dearly, but I’d also love for you to join us there.)


Happy weekending, everyone.  I plan to catch up with friends and babies and maybe plant an herb garden.  What are your sunny weekend plans?

March’s Finished Projects

Katie2 Comments

I can’t believe another month has passed.  It’ll be summer in Atlanta before long, and I’m ready for some steady warm weather!  I’ve written before about my crafting resolutions this year, and essentially – to catch you up if you missed it – I just want to actually finish things instead of having all of these unfinished craft endeavors lying around my house all the time. The hardest part about this monthly committment is accepting some mistakes along the way and realizing that complete and imperfect is better than any kind of incomplete.  At this point in my life anyway.

On that note, check out my yarn and needles hanging out in their new home.

I cast on for a felted cable bag way back at the first of February, and I am just now wrapping it up.  I am really practicing the art of embracing imperfections though.  Behold.  The eye sore.

IMG_3634

The problem with this pattern (or, ahem, the user of this pattern ) is that it’s repetitive enough that you feel like you can knit it from memory once you get the rhythm and watch television rather than stare at the written pattern.  Then again, it’s not so repetitive that a newbie knitter like me should do that — hence the funky problem on the cable where I went the same direction twice.  I know how to backtrack and fix a mistake if it’s simple in nature, but I got all twisted (no pun intended) in whatever was happening with the cables, and I was too lost to fix it at that point.  But the good news is that it’s done, and the old me might have given up, but instead I said it’s almost the end of the month and I want to finish this, so imperfect or not, here we are. It’s my second completed knitted project ever, so I’m thinking one day that ugly mistake will be sentimental.  Awwww, look at my mess-up before I was any good at knitting.  …..Probably not, but whatever.  It’s done.

It holds a lot actually, and it is designated for the important job of holding my knitting gear because if my yarn is overflowing that bag, it’s a sign I need to buy less and knit more.  I got a shelf for my little craft area, and it fits nicely atop the shoebox of paints and next to the file of patterns.

I also finally put together a sewing machine cover for the same craft area.  I’ve been needing to do this for a while because my machine tends to sit for weeks between use and get a little dusty.  It’s a sweet little cover with a large pocket for scissors or a current pattern or scraps or whatever.  I got the pattern from this book, and I want to make one of everything as I flip through the glossy pages.  So many awesome ideas!

 

Last but not least, I completed some of Jude’s second year book as well. We had no real major events this month and no big holidays, so I decided to do something fun and casual and telling of where we are right now.

 

The program I use is far from professional, so the text wrap doesn’t really work that well.  I’m still trying to tweak the captions to look better, but for now, it’s complete!  So those are March’s crafty projects, and when I look back, it actually makes me feel like I got a lot done this month.  I was afraid my less-internet rule would cut in to crafting time since I’d want to get online at night or during the occasional free naptime, but that hasn’t really been the case. On the whole, being online less seems to make me want to be online even more less. (Is that even a logical phrase?)  And I usually spend evenings checking in for a minute, sharing an idea or link I’ve run across, browsing what others have shared that day, and logging off until the next day.  The rhythm is developing so well that I think I’ll leave those apps off my phone even after Lent.

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Crafting is on hold for a little while, and April’s project will have to be something super quick and easy because I’m heading for Costa Rica in a few days.  Did I mention that yet?

 

That's the actual resort we're visiting!

 

I’ve been busy checking off lists and will soon be packing our bags.  We’re cashing in the husband’s travel points for a big 30th birthday bash (5 weeks later) for me!  I’m super excited, and I’m pretty sure taking a toddler to Central America means I’m either adventurous or insane; it’s a close call. But Seattle last year was pretty smooth sailing, so I’m super excited.  We’ll be reading and relaxing indoors everyday during naptime, so I’ll post likely post a photo or quick hello from there next week.  (If there’s one thing I’ve learned about traveling with a baby or toddler, it’s don’t skip naptime.) The resort offers all sorts of cool day trips to some rainforest areas and some really cool volcanoes, but with a toddler in tow, I’m thinking it might be easier to hang around the resort  or only venture to the couple of closer neighboring towns.  We’ll see. I have a feeling my gratitude list will be pretty long next time I post.

 

I hope you’ve had a lovely March and welcome the warmer days of spring ahead.  Until then, pura vida, friends!

 

 

 

 

February’s Finished Project

Katie4 Comments

It’s month two of my 2011 resolution to complete at least one crafty/creative endeavor a month.  January’s was my first-ever knitted project, and I’ve been working on another knit this month.  It’s taking a while though, and I took some time away from it last week, so I’m thinking that will be March’s completion.

This month wasn’t great on the crafty side, especially with the pseudo-summer weather we’ve been having lately that calls me outdoors.  I did get a few things done, though.  The first one is a great homemade gift idea for any kid.

homemade play-dough!

Jude is pretty much a play-dough fanatic these days, so I thought I’d use the same recipe we make for his stash and give his little cousin some of her own for her second birthday this past weekend.  I had Jude “help” me a little so I could make the card from him to her and give him a little ownership.  The recipe can be found here, but I’ll walk you through it.

Gather your materials: flour, salt, cream of tartar, vegetable oil, water, food coloring. First mix about 1 cup of flour, 1/4 cup of salt, and 2 tsp of cream of tartar in a pot on the stove.  Add 1 cup of water, 2 tablespoons of oil, and about 1 tsp of food coloring.  Cook this over medium heat, and just keep stirring and stirring until it makes a ball-ish form in the pot.  Then turn your dough out of the pot onto a floured surface, which for me is the leftover 1980’s countertop in my lovely kitchen.

Then you just knead, knead, knead until it begins to firm up, and you’ll be adding some flour along the way to be sure that happens.  (This is when I had Jude’s help “kneading” but didn’t have a free hand for the camera.)  This is easy-peasy and done in less than ten minutes! You can also use kool-aid to color it, but I haven’t tried that yet.  In my experience, the homemade version lasts way longer than store-bought play dough which tends to dry out in just a week or two.  We’ve had the same stash since December and play with it daily.  Plus if you add a homemade card, it makes for a sweet little gift from one cousin to another.

 

Other than that, I haven’t finished much except a few scrapbook pages that are long overdue.  My 2011 once-a-month resolution was the push I needed to finish then though.  (For more details on how I print this, see my previous post on last year’s book.  For other details, see this previous explanation.)

Here are a few from the holidays, and you can get a larger view by clicking on the picture.

 

I also worked on one about our snow days, but I really was holding off on it because I expected another round of winter weather in February or March.  I don’t know though; with these freakishly spring temperatures lately, I might not have to edit after all.

So there you have it – February’s few completed crafts.  I hope to have more in March with a finished knitted bag and maybe a sewing endeavor.

Dry Spell

Katie5 Comments

Usually I have a million things swirling in my head and no time to sit and write them down, but it’s been just the opposite lately.  Things are good.  Life is progressing.  But I can’t seem to find any worthy way to put much in to words. This page is really little more than my own journal, but lately I can’t seem to think of much that I would even want to read, much less all of you.

So let’s see.  It was incredibly warm and sunny in Atlanta this weekend. Yesterday brought us well in to the 60s here, and the sun was glorious.  If we have a day like this every couple of weeks, I just might make it to spring.  It was also Scott’s birthday, and we headed out for some bubble blowing and vitamin-D soaking.  I snapped a photo or two, and when I uploaded them this morning, I found this.

Can someone tell me who that is?  Because, ouch, that cannot be my baby.  I know everyone says this, but it goes so fast.  He still needs me for lots of things of course, but he’s showing his independence a lot these days as well, and it makes my heart simultaneously swell and break at the same time.  My only solace is knowing that I will have another child one day and there will be more newborn and baby time to come, but inside I wonder what women do without that crutch to fall back on.  I just might have a dozen babies.

Except not really; I’m as exhausted as I am happy.

I tend to think, oh I should do [insert necessary household chore here] or maybe this week I can finish [insert important unfinished task here]. And then he’s asleep at night, and all I want to do is somehow recover from chasing him all day which usually means reading some semi-trashy historical fiction or knitting some more.  I just cast on this handy bag, but it’s quite large in scale, so all I have is this so far.

Really it’s a little more than this now, but I’ve yet to upload a more recent photo.  It’s odd that I disliked knitting so much before and now I like it, but for now, I’ll just go with it.  It’s soothing and repetitive in away that relaxes me, and with a project like this, $20 will probably get me a month of entertainment because it’ll take me a while to finish.

So that’s about all I have to say today.  I chase a toddler by day who is just as tiring as he is delightful, and I cook and knit and read at night. I think I just summarized my life’s work in one very boring sentence.

On the bright side, girls’ night on Friday at what used to be our beloved weekly margarita spot and then a fabulous facial scheduled for Saturday!  This time of year, it’s the little things that get me through.

good week

Katie2 Comments

It’s been a good week around here, and it feels good to get back to normal after last week.  It seems like every single week day brings some kind of milestone lately. This week was no exception with someone’s 15 month check-up.

365.227 15 month check up!

He was mobile as ever and all over the pediatrician’s office, but he also got super shy and buried his little face in my chest when she came in.  It’s this new behavior he does a lot lately, and it really makes him seem older.  How does he know to be shy around strangers?  It’s evidence that the baby is drifting away and the toddler is here for sure. He’s almost 25 pounds and just over 32 inches which puts his weight right in the middle and his height at the 90th percentile.   Next month also marks one whole year since we’ve visited the pediatrician for anything other than a well-visit!  There hasn’t been an antibiotic in this house at all, and I know that is part luck, but he does love his green veggies and had mama’s milk for a long time, so I know that helps us, too.  God knows we’ve passed various bugs around the house and he’s played with some sick playmates and cousins without getting anything, and I really hope this health streak continues through the cold months.

Another milestone?  Guess who finished her first ever knitting project?

365.229 first finished knit EVER

Luckily some patterns out there are super fast and hide newbie mistakes. All in all, I actually enjoyed it. A history of knitting and me:  I taught myself from a book just as I was starting graduate school eight years ago.  It probably wasn’t the best time to start something that requires patience, and I began with a scarf which took soooooooo long, so I decided I hated knitting.  I wanted to give it another try though, so this year for Christmas, I have knitting classes as a gift.  (First and foremost, it’s nice to be out of the house and on my own and learning something new.)  As it turns out, I am liking it for other reasons, too.  Sewing is abandoned lately since I have to banish myself to another room for it, but I love that I can sit next to Scott and knit away while still hanging out with my boys.  Bonus:  I think I will actually wear this cowl.  I’m excited to try some other projects soon.

On the food front, I’ve tried some new things, too.  I got a really great cookbook recently that I love.  There’s a whole chapter on breakfast-for-dinner, and it suggested pairing garlicky swiss chard with eggs and grits.  And y’all it is the perfect dinner with the husband is away and I am on my own.
<untitled> 827This is sort of a crappy photo, but I couldn’t manage to try another one and wanted to dive in.  It’s becoming a favorite of mine, and of course I add a dollop of heavy cream and a pat of butter to the grits because, I confess, I like my food as sinful as possible.

Speaking of confessions, I sort of like hamburger helper, too.  I know it’s low-brow and out-of-fashion, but for real, I do.  It’s done in one skillet, it’s inexpensive, and sometimes it just hits the spot.  When we gave up all processed foods and packaged seasonings a year ago, I really started to want some quick comfort food back in my life, and I found a few beef and noodle skillet recipes online that were so-so, and I’ve adapted it over time.

<untitled> 829

Beef & Mushroom Noodles (“real food” Hamburger Helper)

1/2 pound ground beef (We use grass-fed ground sirloin, but you could use ground chuck or even ground turkey.)

1 large onion, sliced

2 cloves of garlic (less if you are not as garlic-crazed as I am)

8 oz sliced mushrooms

3 tablespoons butter

3 cups of egg noodles

beef broth – I start with about 2 cups and add more as it needs it and the noodles are cooking.  You can add a little water as well.

Brown the ground beef until done add onions and garlic and cook until the onions are done as well.  Drain it, and set it aside.   Using the already dirty pan, (less dishes, yay!) melt butter and add flour to stir until you have a roux.  Now pour in the the beef broth and use a whisk to get rid of the lumps.  Put the beef mixture back in the pan, and add mushrooms and noodles.  Simmer until the noodles are done, and keep checking to see if you need to add more water / broth.  It usually takes about 15 minutes to finish this up.  Add salt and pepper as you want, and you’re done!

When it’s cold outside, it’s exactly what I want.  I know someone else who likes it, too.

So that’s pretty much what I’ve been up to.  A little crafting, a little cooking, and also a lot of reading.  (Why am I so late to get on the train for Philippa Gregory?)  I hope your week has been great, and you’re staying warm.

fresh start

Katie1 Comment

Quiet house this morning.  Husband is gone to work.  Baby sleeping.  I’ve enjoyed a shower and coffee already.

I love new pages. Whether it’s an unwritten journal, a new book, a new day, or a new year.  Beginnings are good things.

2010 was such a good year for me. Looking back from about 2004 onward, it really seems like each year gets better and better.  I hope know that trend will continue, and I’m genuinely excited to see what 2011 brings.  So now the decorations are put away, the Christmas cakes and candies are [almost] gone from the kitchen, and it’s time to get back to real life after the holiday rush.  I love the holidays, but real life feels good too sometimes.

Regardless of my difficulty keeping them, I make resolutions every year.  I like that the fresh calendar inspires all of us to do better and be better in the coming months, and – this year especially – I have a lot to work on.

I love my job as a full-time mom, and I cherish 2010 as the year I was able to let go of professional responsibilities and focus on motherhood as my most important occupation.  That said, it’s a job like any other in that there is a learning curve and it can take time to discover what works for you and what your home and family needs.  I’ve spent the past 6 months flirting with a ot of different routines and ideas and not really committing to any of them for any length of time.  To add to the challenge, at this age, Jude changes every single day and what we are able to do together changes as  a result.  Much of my 2011 resolutions have to do with this.  I want to be an intentional and purposeful mother and create a home that is really a place of shelter – both figuratively and literally – from the world outside my family.  It’s so hard to look at the big picture and not get overwhelmed and bogged-down with the everyday things, but here’s what I have realized:  Those everyday tasks add up to the big picture I’m trying to create. The little things ARE the big thing.

As a feminist, I run from phrases like “make your home a haven” and anything that encourages me to be  good homemaker for the sake of my husband who should never see the hard parts of my day, only the vacuumed carpets and the freshly-set dinner table.  But in all seriousness and honesty, one of my New Year’s resolutions last year was to become more reliably organized and I feel as though my life now is more chaotic and unorganized than ever.  And now my home is not just somewhere I sleep and eat.  It’s somewhere I live.  Somewhere I raise my son.  In a sense, it is now somewhere I work.  So this year?  This year I resolve once again to get organized, but this time it’s more than that.  I hope to make monthly resolutions that become habits and make my home one I love to be in, one my family loves as well.  For now, I am trying out The Fly Lady, and her humorous little tips and reminders are making me laugh.  For the month of January, I’m resolving 2 household things:  scrub and shine my sink every night and complete one load of laundry a day (not including diapers) put up and wrinkle-free.  I’m hoping to create some habits around here and my spastic household cleaning schedule is no longer working for me.

I can't help but laugh at this photo. NOT MY LIFE right now. Not at all.

Life would be pretty boring if household chores were my only resolutions though, so I’ve got some other things I want to work on, too!  I LOVE creating things – all sorts of things.  I’ve made cards, both paper and digital scrapbooks, crocheted, cross-stitched, sewn, etc. etc.  Now I never seem to finish a project though and end up feeling like a mess with half a dozen undone things around here.  And I love the “me” time of crafting and love a finished project, so why are there so many undone things in my life?  I’m resolving to create one thing a month from start to finish.  Just one.  It might be something little (probably will be tiny more often than not), but creating something feel so good, and I miss it.

In addition to those two, there are a few other things floating around in my head – to read more (which is easier now with my new Kindle!!), continue on our “real food” journey with more whole nourishment and less processed junk, make connections and stay connected with mama friends, continue last year’s resolution that actually stuck and keep on with the budgeting, simplifying, and saving.  All in all, I’ve got lots to work on.

There’s an Anne Frank passage from her diary where she says, “”How noble and good everyone could be if, every evening before falling asleep, they were to recall to their minds the events of the whole day and consider exactly what has been good and bad. Then without realizing it, you try to improve yourself at the start of each new day.”  God knows the events of her day were so much heavier than the events of mine, but as always, her positivity and ability to simplify things are so inspiring.

I want to be a better me.

What are your resolutions this year?

Surviving and Thriving. Crafting not Cleaning.

Katie1 Comment

The husband is still in Paris, and I am surviving – despite detailed accounts of his decadent chocolate dessert or play-by-play explanations of buttery breakfast pastries.  Or that gorgeous photo he emailed of the Notre Dame Cathedral all decked out for Christmas.  But Jude and I? We’re getting by on this side of the ocean.

I’m staying busy which helps a lot. On Monday evening, I attended a community meeting about the very real possibility of a birth center here in Atlanta. Woohoo!  Not sure what that VBAC status will be with the issues surrounding liability insurance, but even if I am never lucky enough to deliver there, I am truly excited about the possibilities for Atlanta women.  …. On a side note, as I sat in that meeting surrounded by lots of faces I’ve come to know in the past year or more of my life, I feel really grateful that my path has led me to so many strong women.  The “earthy birthy” movement in Atlanta is so active, and I love having these women as sounding boards and mentors for all sorts of parenting issues that extend far beyond labor and delivery.

So the rest of this week has included a birthday dinner on my husband’s side of the family and some visiting and playing and lunching with friends, and tonight I get to visit a tiny little baby and catch up with girlfriends over hot chocolate and doughnuts, so really Paris, you and your fine wines and beautiful architecture can suck it.  [I don’t really mean that, but I’m trying here.]

God knows there is plenty to do around the house, but it’s Christmas time and I’d rather make bigger messes crafting or cooking than clean up the existing ones, you know?

Exhibit A: Jude’s new flannel board. It turns out that $6 at Hobby Lobby and a little work can buy you a super fun and easy way to learn shapes and colors.

365.191 happy things #4

I simply wrapped black flannel around some foam board, hot glued it in place, and cut colorful shapes to go on it.  The felt easily clings to the flannel, and Jude really likes rearranging them.  Kinesthetic learning, as my teacher colleagues would call it.  Perfect entertainment for a cold day.

Then there’s been the baking, the browsing cookie recipes, the last minute gift buying on Etsy, the drinking too much coffee.  Effectively staying distracted and having a good time in the process.

Nothing else to share here, really.  Except maybe some finished scrapbook pages for Jude’s SECOND year book.  It seems so weird to say second year.  We’ve waved goodbye to babyland for sure.  Toddlerville, here we are.

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So that’s pretty much it for us this week.  Surviving in the cold on this side of the Atlantic. Crafting but surely not cleaning.  Husband returns tomorrow and lots of cozy slow cooker meals and general laziness planned for the weekend.  Happy weekending to you, too.

It’s the holidays.  Go bake something.

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