Celebrating Michaelmas

We enjoyed a lovely celebration of Michaelmas this weekend.

The children awoke to the annual surprise of our new Michaelmas candle. We burn the candle at dinner every night until it burns out (if well-timed, this is usually around the beginning of advent). My husband sculpts the dragons every year. He's gotten quite good! (He uses beeswax candles and this.)

We spent the afternoon cooking -- my husband and the children made our dragon bread (using a regular white bread dough), while I made our dinner and dessert.

At suppertime, I told a version of the tale of St. Michael and the Dragon.

For dinner, there was the dragon bread, and dragon soup (recipe below).

And for dessert, we had a delicious Michaelmas pie. This was the first year we'd made it (I found the recipe here -- scroll down). It was really good! The flavor was so surprising -- spicy with all the cloves and nutmeg -- and so yummy. The only thing I did differently was that I just used my usual pie crust recipe (from my grandmother), but added the 1/2 tsp. cinnamon to it. We will definitely make this again next year.

After dinner, there was just enough time for some dragon and knight dress up and play before our little heroes slipped into bed to dream about Michaelmas until next year.

Michaelmas has been one of the harder festivals for me to "grasp" -- at least the "meaning" behind it. But every year, we follow our traditions, and it works its way into our hearts. I am beginning to see how fortifying it is, this first festival of the autumn and winter, and the way that it celebrates the excitement at new beginnings that we naturally feel at this time of year. How grateful I am for the forms that our family has put into place. These forms offer predictability and strength to us, even during times that are busy and hard. And how amazed I am, as each holiday or celebration greets us, that our traditions carry us. They are so familiar and so much easier now, requiring a little less fumbling and work each year. What a gift we are giving to one another -- our children, their father, and I.

If there is one thing that I would like to share with any young family just finding its way, it's this: seek celebration, and embrace it. You will be blessed many times over.

Dragon Soup

(this recipe is adapted from one I saw on a homeschooling Yahoo group a few years ago)

Finely chop one onion and two cloves of garlic. In a stockpot, melt 4 Tbsp. butter. Saute the onions and garlic until soft.

Add:

1 qt. vegetable or chicken stock (we used about 6 cups)
1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 large beet, scrubbed and diced (we used two smaller beets, from our garden, and we peeled them first)
1 small jar roasted red peppers, chopped well and added with the juices from the jar
3 Tbsp. orzo pasta or other small pasta (we used much more -- about 1/3 cup)
Salt and pepper to taste

Simmer until vegetables are tender.

Add 1/2 cup frozen green peas and serve at once. (We added more like a cup of peas.)

Optional garnishes: sour cream and sweet chili sauce or salsa. Enjoy with your dragon bread!

Autumn: at last!

Welcome, autumn! Words cannot express how much I love you.

This week it's cold, rainy (I've even seen a few snowflakes today -- but not enough to accumulate), and there is that crispness in the air. I'm so very happy to be coming into my favorite time of year.

More photos of the sundresses (oh, yes, there is more than one!) are on hold until a sunnier day!

But for now, I'm back to my tea, my comfort foods in the oven, and revelling in autumn.

Happy autumn to you all!

A little bit of Vanilla

Some of you on a feed reader may have already seen an earlier version of this post, pre-pictures, thanks to one of my little helpers. Hopefully it looks better now!

Here is our newest diaper cover. OK, at this point, it's not very new. I cast it on in May and finished it in June. It's the Vanilla diaper soaker (sorry, apparently only a Ravelry link on this) by Kelly Brooker.

I'd had this little diaper cover and dress duo in mind since about the middle of March (more on the dress in another post), and I'm glad I finally executed it! Cuteness abounds!

{edited to add: the blanket here was a gift from sarah, and the ball was a gift from another sarah! you blogging ladies have touched our lives in so many ways that your presence is everywhere. xoxo}

The pattern was easy and well-written (and so very clever!). I made the size Medium (which is a little bit big, but she'll definitely grow into it!) using Malabrigo worsted in the Tiger Lily colorway. This particular skein of Malabrigo seemed to be on the lighter side (meaning a bit "thinner" than usual), so the ribbing on the legs and waist, despite being worked on a size 5 needle, has stretched out more than I would have liked. The next time I wash it, I will probably try to reshape it a bit better.

Even with the slightly lighter feel of this skein, Malabrigo has become my diaper cover standby yarn. It's so soft, and since diaper covers generally use one skein or less (Malabrigo comes with around 210 yards per skein), it's a nice way to try out different colorways and keep my itchy fingers going on a project which doesn't cost an arm and a leg.

And, well, we really use them! I get so many questions from so many of you about diapering. Why do we use cloth? Why do we use wool in particular? Is that scratchy/hot? How do we get it clean? So I thought I'd answer a few of those questions here.

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{these were actually James's diapers until fairly recently. they're still a size too big for Miss Fiona.}

Why do we use cloth? There are so many reasons to use cloth. The long-term cost and the environmental impact of cloth are both less than with disposables. I'm not going to get all preachy here, because we have used some disposables, too, in our time. If you would like more information on the environmental impact of cloth vs. disposables, I thought this was a good source. Of course, there's a third option, too, which is even less costly and even more environmentally conscious -- the elimination communication ("EC") or diaper-free method, which Meg is using happily with her little one. Obviously EC takes some commitment, as well as a bit of a paradigm shift about babies and diapering. However, the reason I've never tried EC -- and one of my personal reasons for cloth diapering -- is that I just can't resist the entire cloth diapering aesthetic. I know that sounds funny -- it's a recepticle for waste! -- but I really, really love our cloth diapers. There's nothing in the world (to me) like that big cloth-diapered baby bum. And the wool diaper covers. They make me swoon. Which brings me to...

Why do we use wool? When we were making the decision to cloth diaper, it was very clear to me that if I was going to commit to it, I would need to "go all the way" -- using only natural fibers. I have known lots of cloth-diapering mamas who can't stand wool covers and really love their PUL and other synthetic ones. But for me, that's just it. They're synthetic. Since I only wear natural fibers, and since my children only wear natural fibers, it never made sense to me to put something synthetic in the diaper area. Wool diaper covers do take a bit of extra work -- handwashing -- but they are breathable and most often very soft. (It's also good to note that many cloth diapering companies suggest handwashing synthetic covers as well, in order to keep them from wearing out as fast.) Wool really is the wonder fiber -- soft and amazingly absorbent. It can absorb 35% of its own weight before feeling damp. Once a wool diaper cover is broken in, I find that we never get any leaks at all. It's also naturally antibacterial, and breathable -- unlike the synthetic fibers used in other types of diaper covers, or even disposable diapers.

{baby James -- in LANACare -- way back when}

Isn't it scratchy, irritating, or hot? The types of wool generally used for diaper covers are not as scratchy as some commercial wools. The owner of Green Mountain Diapers says that she used to consider herself to be allergic to wool before she encountered "diaper wool". My children -- even James, who had many allergies and sensitivities as a baby, and the horrible eczema to go with them -- have never had problems with irritation or sensitivity to their diaper covers. Also, the actual cotton diaper is between them and the majority of the cover. Wool is definitely an insulating fiber. However, it's breathable, and so less hot than other diapering options. We haven't noticed our babies being particularly hot or sweaty! On the contrary, I have noticed their skin remaining quite cool under their diapers. One thing to keep in mind is that wool is breathable, unlike other diapering options (either PUL or other synthetic covers for cloth diapers, or disposables), so it's actually less hot than those options.

Are wool covers a pain to clean? No. In the rare occasion that poop gets on them, I just take care of it right away (or as soon as possible), rinsing it and using a bit of mild olive-oil bar soap on the spot. Otherwise, we wash (and re-lanolize) them about once a month. Because of wool's antibacterial properties, they really don't get stinky! Here are the washing instructions I have been using for many years.

Do handknit covers work as well as commercially-knit covers? They do take a bit more breaking in. But I like them a lot! There is a forum on Ravelry that discusses different kinds of yarn that are suitable to diaper covers, and I've found that very helpful.

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Don't hesitate to ask if you have further questions! You can check back for my answers in the comments to this post.

Summer continues....

I'm still in summer mode. Even though summer is probably my least favorite season (I'll just duck as you all throw virtual tomatoes at me) -- because, I think, as a friend recently said, I'm more at peace with contraction than with expansion -- I'm not quite ready for it to be over this year. I keep waiting, excitedly, for my usual autumn turning inward, and the working energy that accompanies this shift. It hasn't come yet. However, I am just stepping back and allowing myself to be open to wherever I am right now. Still in a place of expansion? OK. The comfortable autumn shift will come when it's time.

For now, I'm allowing myself to love this last little bit of summertime. Late-ish bedtimes, the last few trips to the pool. (My eldest girl got a racing suit towards the end of this summer. Oh, how big she's gotten!)

{You'll notice that I've been experimenting with a new look here. I know it's unfamiliar -- which can feel a bit jarring as a blog reader -- but I was ready for a little something new. I'll be working on it here and there -- I'm experimenting with the reading list a little bit. So, we'll see how it comes along! Thank you all once again for continuing to check in and for your many loving comments and emails. Really and truly. They are so uplifting to me.}

Speeding

Last week I got a speeding ticket for driving 10 miles an hour over the posted speed limit. Beyond being vexed about the fine and disappointed in myself both for speeding and being caught, it has made me consider some things.

Mostly, the concept of speeding itself. Speeding while driving -- and speeding through life. Like so many people, I have a tendency to rush, and to feel rushed. At the pool after swimming lessons, I feel a vague pressure to get everyone dry and dressed and out to the car in a hurry. While sewing or knitting, I find myself fixating on the finished object rather than the process of its creation. I'll hurry through a job, like pulling weeds in the garden, just to get it over with, rather than stopping to really experience the job with all of my senses.

I've written a little bit about this in the past, and it's something I've been aware of, thinking about, and working on for a number of years. It's easy for me to feel like I haven't made much progress, but when I stop to think about it, I realize that I have. I've made a lot of small changes. The scenarios I listed above do happen, but not as frequently as they might have two or three years ago. I have learned to ask myself "What's the rush?" "What do I have to do that is more important than what I'm doing right now?" and "Do I really have somewhere better to be?" Often the answer to these questions is, surprisingly and honestly, Nothing. It turns out that there really is nowhere better to be, no reason to rush from here to there, to hurry through my life.

What is the rush? If I hurry through today, and I race through tomorrow, then I'm really only speeding toward the end of my life. That could come when I'm 92, or 50, or tomorrow. But I don't want the measure of my life, when it finally has ended, to have been one that was sped through. I want it to be one that was actually lived.

So, I can afford an extra 25 minutes to dawdle at the pool. I can learn to appreciate the fact that my current knitting project takes 2000 stitches to yield one inch of work, and the quality of my sewing when I take my time. I can do one thing at a time, and do those things well and with great love. I can afford myself the time to live this life.

So Many Reasons to Love Pink

Pink is my favorite color. I really love a lot of colors, and I love the way colors play with one another. But I am devoted to pink. And there have been such a lot of good reasons to love pink around here over the last few weeks.

Peonies in our yard! (Now faded, but I'm still reveling in their memory.)

This amazing sweater gifted to us by Kyrie. If you're one of the more than 400 people who have viewed it (or the more than 80 who have faved it!) over on her Ravelry page, or if you've been following along at near:far almost from the beginning, you'll certainly recognize it. She knitted it during her pregnancy for her own baby, and I loved it so much that she sent it to me. I am so, so grateful for this gift for so many reasons.

Roses from our garden.

Washcloths. I've knitted four of these (in pink) recently and love them for wiping little hands and faces.

And most especially, this wee pink girl.

Seasons Round

Our family has had a nature table (or "seasonal table", as we call it) in our home -- in some form or other -- since Elisabeth was a baby. Although I've never quite accomplished the seasonal tableaux that some more ambitious people have, its presence, however great or small, has been so important to us. I like to inspire a feeling of reverence in our home, and to keep a physical reminder of the rhythm of the year: the seasons, the festivals we celebrate.

However, these days, I'd have to say that its presence has begun to inspire more of a feeling of "ugh" and less of a feeling of "ahh". It's dusty. I haven't been changing it out with much frequency. I'm bored with the same few objects in rotation all the time.

So, when Kyrie announced this week that she would be organizing a nature table exchange (the Seasons Round Exchange), I knew that the remedy for our sad little seasonal table was in sight! I am so excited to participate in the swap (sign-ups begin July 1 -- all the details here), and I hope that many of you will join in, as well!

You needn't already have a nature table in your home to participate -- this could be the beginning of a new tradition in your family! And you needn't have children in your home to join, either. Who couldn't use a little bit more inspiration, reverence, and reminders of the beauty of the natural world in their life? Edited to add: You don't even need your own blog to participate! Just an email address. The Seasons Round blog has a lot of wonderful links in its sidebar -- so much inspiration and information on nature tables. I think it's going to be my go-to resource for ideas.

I'm really excited about the new inspiration that participating in the exchange will no doubt bring to all the participants. I already have some ideas swirling in my head. I'm even feeling inspired to do a bit more for our seasonal table in the meantime. I hope you'll join me!

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PS: I think I have officially become the worst blogger in the neighborhood. I don't know why I feel compelled to even draw attention to that fact, or to apologize for it, but I guess it's just because I feel a little embarrassed about it. I literally have SEVEN posts begun, and saved as drafts, and I just haven't gotten them published. Anyway, thank you for continuing to visit and leave comments here. Also, I'm still at near:far every Tuesday and Friday, so you can check in there if you're missing me in this space!

Funny but true, and what's been going on

First the "funny but true", and then the "what's been going on":

Last night I dreamt that I was taking some sort of class with a priest. I got the feeling that it was a cello lesson of some kind. But I was paying for the class with a little bit of cash and a lot of very nice yarn! I remember thinking that there was no way I'd be able to keep it up with the yarn because it was too expensive.

Then when I woke up, I realized that the priest was actually Jared Flood.

The priest of knitting.

I finally cast on my February Lady this week after a lot of hemming and hawing about what yarn to use, and lots of yarn lusting on Jared's Ravelry page. (By the way, I'm on Ravelry and I think it's about the best thing in the universe. You ravelers can find me under the user name "uncommongrace".) Anyway, I think that explains my dream, which I'm definitely filing under "funny but true".

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And as to what's been going on, well, it seems that there have been lots of things happening around here, and I have about seven posts waiting in the wings, but I haven't had (or wanted to have, honestly) much computer time lately. I've been wanting to focus on finding our footing in our new summer rhythm, and all that it is:

::swimming lessons

::the new bike-riding prowess of a certain seven-year-old girl (and, oh my goodness, the tears that I cried tonight when I realized that we'd somehow deleted 30 photos from the day she learned to ride!)

::new knitting projects

::dreams of sewing

::rainy days

::dissertation widowhood

::a baby shower and blessingway to be planned for my sister (and the arrival of my first baby niece this fall!)

::some projects around the house (like, um, finally unpacking -- remember, my long, long, long pregnancy followed right on the heels of our move last year)

::peonies!

::birthday parties

::a bit of gardening

::several new cello students

::and, wow, just basking in the still-new babyness that's happening around here.

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So, it's been good. Exhausting, but good. I still have so much to learn. So much! But I am -- we are -- finding the way.

(And thank you to all who have written to check in during my two weeks of silence here in this space. I am constantly both uplifted and humbled by this community. Really and truly.)

Giving up~Giving in~Just Giving

Yesterday was one of those days. You know the kind. The ones where it feels as though the baby hasn't slept for more than 20 minutes at a time in a week, where the three-year-old falls through the cracks of the day, leaving me wondering if I even know him, where the seven-year-old and I find ourselves butting heads until it spirals into a full-blown stand-off. Those days where the choices are to either allow yourself to fall into the abyss of grumpiness, self-pity, and bad choices, or to pull yourself up with the sheer strength of your will and turn things around. And you choose the former.

Yeah, one of those days.

And then, family and love work their magic. 

The baby charms you with a smile and a giggle. The three-year-old introduces you to the Butterfly-Pirate. You offer to collaborate on a new skirt for the seven-year-old, and her admiration of its spinniness tells you that you're forgiven.

And today is always a new day.

Awakening to Spring

Here's a branch of snowy May, a branch the fairies gave me.

-English May song

Right now, I'm loving the opportunity to experience this springtime as though it were my first. Living in our house, with its yard and gardens, has opened my senses to spring in so many new ways.

So many things to be thankful for this lovely May:

::Gifts of posies from my children almost every day

::The slow warmth of the spring sun on my back and face

::Fragrant wafts from our neighbor's spicy-sweet linden tree

::The pleasure of having spent a morning working in the yard

What about you? What are you enjoying and feeling thankful for this mid-May?

Tomato help?

This year will mark our first year to attempt any kind of gardening. My husband and I have been married for 10 years, and we've lived in apartments or condos for about 8.5 of those years. So, we are very excited.

We planted tomato, pepper, and cucumber seeds in late March and they've been in our large kitchen window since then. They seem to have germinated right on schedule (our seeds came from here, for those of you who are wondering), but now some of our tomato seedlings are wilting a little. Overwatering is the only thing I can think of that might be the culprit, but I have no experience.

Here are some pictures of what's been going on:

One or two of them have some splotchy discoloration on the leaves, like this:

What do you think? Input would be very greatly appreciated by these beginning gardeners!

Edited to add: This seems to be only happening to the original seed leaves, at least so far.

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By the way, thanks for your kind words about Fiona's baptism! For those of you who were wondering, the gown was neither handmade nor a family heirloom, as much as I wish it were. It was purchased new for Elisabeth (when she was baptized seven years ago) at a little boutique-y shop. I did like that both of my daughters were able to wear the same gown. So maybe it's on its way to becoming a family heirloom!

As spring arrives...

...I'm loving:

Little signs of spring in our lawn.

Mama-made woolies on the babe. (Proper photoshoot still needed....)

Seedlings in our kitchen window.

Tulips. So close.

Snow-melt. Aaah.

Surprise gifts. Always.

A bit of springtime sewing.

Our little Cupcake.

Hoping that your springtime is promising as much beauty and joy as mine is!

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My firstborn has a big (seven-year-old) birthday tomorrow, and I've never missed a birthday post yet, so I hope to pop in later tomorrow. Two posts in two days?! Crazy, I know. ;)

Onesie printed by Emily.

Nearly a month

Hello, everyone! Thank you all so much for your sweet and supportive comments lately. There is just so much kindness around the blogging neighborhood, it really touches me. Thank you.

Our sweet wee girl turns a month old this week. One month? I can hardly believe it. Many things have happened in that time, including my newborn baby slowly transforming into what is apparently going to be a chunky infant, and I can hardly account for all that time. But one thing I can tell you is, it doesn't feel like it's been a whole month.

Lots of gazing at tiny hands and feet has transpired, as well as lots of holding and singing, and lots and lots of nursing. And we've been feeling growing pains -- all five of us. Balancing the needs of a newborn with the needs of my two older children, and a husband who works a lot, has been hard. I'd forgotten what a challenge it is even to get a shower sometimes.

However, I wouldn't trade anything, not even a million showers by myself with the door shut, for one moment staring at this sweet baby.

I feel like there's a lot to share with you all, and that'll come. But I'm working hard at not making a lot of commitments, even to this blog, for now. Right now, in this moment, getting to know Fiona, finding our footing as a family of five, celebrating 4 birthdays and Easter within 6 weeks, and caring for and protecting myself (against PPD) feel like the most important "jobs" to be focusing on.

That said, so many of you have asked to hear a birth story, and I'm working on one, including just a few photos of those precious and intimate first moments of Fiona's life (nothing explicit, however) to share here. This is the first one of my children's births to be documented in this way, and I'm excited to put the words with the images. Hopefully it will be ready to share in a few days.

Until then, I'm back to cuddling on the couch with my sweet girl, her lambskin, and some knitting.

love,
Grace

One week

One week. As slowly as the previous three weeks -- the previous nine months, really -- went, this week has been the fastest of my entire life, I think. So much joy and adjustment are happening at our house.

~Trying to recover from childbirth (and the months of pregnancy that came before) -- still feeling a little achey and sore.

~The arrival of the Milk. And the tears that flow right along with it. (Not that I'm feeling very down, but emotional in that new-mama way.)

~Falling in love with this little lady. How can a one-week-old newborn seem so very dainty and feminine? I don't know, but baby Fiona certainly seems to be very much the essence of ladylike.

~Thinking so much about the birth. I need to get a birth story written down before I forget too many details.

~The laundry. The laundry! Luckily my husband has been handling that.

~Marveling at how much alike and still how very different she looks from her sister and brother.

~Witnessing the birth of these older siblings, their absolute adoration for their new sister. And having to come up with many, many new and creative ways to keep them busy and happy and getting along while mama is resting.

~Feeling so grateful for the generosity of friends, and the meals that have been brought to us.

~Wondering how next week -- my first week home alone with three children -- will go. (I'll have some help on some of those days, thankfully.)

~Taking lots of photos and trying to memorize these moments with my littlest babe.

~Just loving.

And thank you all so much for your many congratulations and blessings over the last week. It has been so special to read all of your warm and lovely comments as they've come in.  

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PS: The hat in this post was made by Shelley, it is 100% silk, and so soft and so beautiful. Oh, my. I am I mean, Fiona is very lucky to have it.

Today

...I'm feeling tired, and a little bit frustrated. I'm so ready to have this baby.

...And still, I'm wondering if I've savored this pregnancy as I should have.

...We are on day 6 of stomach bugs going around our family.

...I wanted all week to participate in Yellow Week, and haven't found a single yellow thing to photograph in my house. (Is that possible? Probably not. I'm probably just not looking closely enough.)

...I'm finishing up a pair of booties for baby.

...I have what I hope will be my final midwife's appointment.

...I'm still thinking about my little boy's final words to me last night before drifting off to sleep: "I'm really happy."

Wintertime

Hi everyone. Sorry I haven't been in this space in so long! I haven't had the baby; just feeling quiet and a bit tired.

So, it's February again. It seems that every year the anti-February contingent gets a little bit louder. I have to say that I am not among them. As a child, I enjoyed February because my birthday falls in this month. And as an adult, I've learned that, in my part of the world, it's really March that's the long last month of winter. Next month when you are all snapping photos of the first tiny buds and other early appearances of spring, remember that I'll be exactly where you're at right now. Finally tired of winter and its drabness.

But for right now, I'm enjoying every bit of wintertime. The slant of the sunlight, frost in a window, evenings spent curled up reading with my wee ones under fluffy comforters.

Feeling grateful for the gifts of this season, however quiet they may be. Perhaps just a bit like me at the moment.

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I expect to continue light posting here until the baby is born, and we will definitely put a post up as soon as baby arrives!

Daily Creativity

Thank you all so much for your sweet response to my last post. I enjoyed going through my photos for the year and looking for projects that I'd made but had never shared here.

I've been more quiet in this space than I've intended. I think Leslie said it best in this post -- it seems that I've just been busy "doing what I do." For me, right now, that's a little bit of catching up on sewing projects, a little bit of nesting in anticipation of the new baby (which I'm sure will kick in with a cleaning-the-baseboards-with-my-own-toothbrush-at-midnight fervor in another couple of weeks), some knitting for baby, clearing up from -- and bidding a wistful goodbye to -- the gaiety of Christmastime, adjusting to Daddy being back to work full-time in the last week, and planning some projects -- like trying to get a bit prepared for the birthdays that will fall in the days and weeks around when I give birth, a collaboration with a friend (more details on that to come!). So, as Leslie said, the daily grind is good. It's just left me with a little bit less to say.

But our days are still filled with bits of creativity. I'm inspired as I see James begin to have a "purpose" to his drawing, and as Elisabeth expands her knitting skills to include decreases and double-pointed needles. Small moments open themselves to exploration and wonder when we leave a bit of space for that in our days.

So here's to moments of quiet creativity in our daily lives. Wishing for much of it in my own life and in all of yours!

PS: I hope you've all discovered habit! It's my favorite new project of the year!

2008

Before I completely bid farewell to 2008, a year full of blessings as well as struggles, I wanted to share a few of the handmade goods and highlights of the year with you all here. And then, I am so very ready to say hello to this new year, a year which promises to be full of excitment as we welcome the newest member of our family!

In 2008...

...we moved. A move which was complicated by the fact that our previous landlady had been forced to foreclose upon the property in which we lived, and then that the previous tenants in the house that we moved into left behind all of their furniture and food. It was a long couple of weeks.

...the first seven months of pregnancy went by. I'd say, from my perspective, that it's going somewhat slowly -- but quickly, all at the same time. I certainly cannot wait to meet our new wee one!

...I went into the recording studio to record a few tracks on a CD project, which has since been temporarily shelved. :(

...my firstborn turned six, transitioning from being a very little child at the beginning of the year to a big, capable, reading, writing, knitting, confident girl of almost seven by the end of the year.

...my wee one turned two, transitioning from what was really still a baby boy to a little fellow who is beginning to feel ready for his new role as big brother, and who is seeming so very three already.

...I had some very fun meet-ups with other bloggers. The first was with Kristin, who I don't have a picture of, who was such a sweet, sweet person and so generous with her time and recommendations for our trip.

Alicia and her entire family are the types of friends you only get to meet a few times in a lifetime. We all loved them.

While we were staying with Alicia, I had the chance to attend one of the famous KC blogger get-togethers. It was just as much fun as I expected it to be, and I laughed until I cried. It was at Rachel's house, and the eleven women there that night were each so funny and open and kind. I'm sorry that it is only out of sheer laziness that I'm linking to Rachel's post about the evening instead of to each of these awesome women's blogs individually. But seriously, they are all awesome, and I'm so glad I had the chance to meet them all!

Erin is every bit as fun, inspiring, and real as all of you might guess from her blog. She described our meeting and time together as "easy", and that's just the way I would describe it, too.

(I wish I'd had more time with all of you!)

...And then, I made some stuff (click the mosaics to get flickr links to the individual photos if you'd like a closer look at any of these):

The Mischievous Gnome Messenger Bag. The pattern was so easy to understand and I loved having this bag with me in New York. It did have a lot of pieces to cut out -- in fact, the cutting took several hours -- and I even had help!

I also lined it with fusible fleece to make it more protective for my camera, which made sewing through all the layers very difficult at times. But I love the finished product, and the very morning we flew to New York, a woman in the airport asked me where I got it, so I think it was a pretty great project!

James's birthday gifts. He loves dogs very, very much, so I made him a doggy cape and a doggy t-shirt. The cape was made of a fat quarter of velour that I had on hand -- I would have liked to have had a bit more for it, but this was sort of a last-minute gift. It's lined with some Heather Ross dog fabric.

Elisabeth made this little dolly for him all by herself. She drew the pattern onto paper, cut it out, embroidered the facial features, and sewed it on the machine. It was a really fun project for her!

Elisabeth's birthday gifts. I had grand plans for this little baby doll, who has been named Little Butterfly by her little mama: A full wardrobe, diapers, towels, a diaper bag with changing pad, and so on. I ended up completing the doll, diaper bag, changing pad, and a sling, but her wardrobe hasn't been added to at all so far. I used a pattern for a 12" button-joint doll from here, and although it was a pretty clear pattern, I'd do it differently if I were to do it over again. I would probably just use the pattern from my favorite dollmaking book, instead. (Which I had misplaced at the time and no one had a copy I could buy -- it was on backorder from the publisher at the time! -- so I ended up buying a pattern for the doll instead. Of course I found my book about a month later.) {Edited to add: What I didn't like about the pattern I used was that the head and body are one piece. I generally make my dolls with separate heads and sew them together. Since that's what I'm used to, I'd probably do it that way if I were to make another button-joint doll.}

Baby gifts for the new daughter of a good friend of mine (she already has two boys, and they were excited for some pink!)

Birthday presents for some other little ones we know:

I adapted the pattern for this rucksack from this book.

A froggy beanbag (pattern also based on one from this book) and t-shirt for a little two-year-old boy.

A spider t-shirt and silly string (to make spider webs) for a six-year-old.

And this super cute bonnet from Amy's pattern for one of Elisabeth's friends. This was a super quick and satisfying project! (I should make more of these!)

2008 was a year full of changes, new things, adjustments, and real life. It was also full of so much sweetness, family togetherness, and most of all, love. All I can wish is that 2009 will be just as surprising, awe-inspiring, fun, simple, and joyful -- for my family, and all of yours.

Happy New Year!

I'm Thankful

Happy Saturday, everyone!

Even though it's two days late, I wanted to post some things I'm thankful for in honor of the Thanksgiving holiday. (Though it's never too late too be thankful, right?)

So, I'm thankful ...

~For two happy, funny, sweet, healthy wee ones, and the new baby who continues to grow just fine despite my constant rottenness.

~For Heather's fantastic pumpkin muffin recipe. So moist and delicious ... absolutely perfect for Thanksgiving breakfast.

~For sweet, sweet friends who give me presents just because. (And if you love this scarf as much as I do, Claudia has some in her shop!)

~For lovely, fantastic friends in general -- here in my hometown, and all of you around the world.

~For Christmas cards that are ready to go into the mail today.

~For boys who love dollies.

~For puppies, especially those who live with my brother. ;)

~For the winter and holiday books that are sneaking their way into our daily rotation. (And into my right-hand sidebar!)

~For happy family silliness.

~For a certain girl who is so very, very excited to share her new writing prowess with the world. (And for sweet potato pie!)

~And for snowy sunrises.

Hoping that all of you have much for which to be thankful, as well.

Autumn Is:

Hi, friends! I'm trying to be gentle with myself about my lack of posting around here, but of course I'm feeling guilty about being so absent. I'm still having more yucky days than not, but when I feel well, we're busy trying to take advantage of autumn -- my favorite season -- by:

~Making multiple batches of popcorn balls.

~Visiting a pumpkin patch.

~Costume making.

~Baking some apples. (Recipe here.)

~Basking in the autumn sunshine.

~Spending a day with homeschooling friends at a small local living history museum.

~Climbing trees.

~Preparing for tonight's revelry! (I promise photos!)

Happy Halloween, everyone!