tracks

The kids and I have been working hard to keep the feeders full this snowy winter.  We have quite the array of song birds around our home and many of them stay through the winter.   I've been trying to get a good shot of this one particular male cardinal that looks almost orange against all the white snow but have had no luck.  By the time I'm ready with my little phone/camera he is on to me and long gone...I do wonder where his nest is. 

This morning Greg called me out to see some sweet little tracks he had noticed on his way out the door to work this morning, I got my phone. 

little birdie, little cat and Greg tracks

 There is almost always a scattering of birdseed on the front porch from feeder fillings and I'm sure someone was having a little snack long before anyone in the house was stirring.  My little cardinal friend I wonder, or one of the many black capped chickadees.  Whoever it was thanks for cleaning up our mess, watch out for the cats and we will do our best to keep your feeders full. 

The first wool project

What an amazing weekend!  We had another huge snowstorm at the end of last week then we were blessed with a beautiful weekend!  We spent so much of it outside sledding and building snow forts.  There was even night sledding with the help of headlamps.

I know, get a camera!

Greg and Molly laying at the "jump" before Corey goes down

 Of course I did manage to find a little time to start working with all that great wool we got.  Molly and I decided what she needed was a wool vest.  It's not quit finished as I can't seem to decided what to do with the edging, but it's great so far. The Owls that Molly has been cutting out  became perfect appliques.  As is the usual method for me I was "winging it" with this pattern.  I took some rough measurements on Miss Molly and came up with a simple little plan:

the "pattern"

arms

getting just the right length

Hoot

What's a vest without a pocket

 I must say I'm pleased it is absolutely adorable.  However, I'm a bit perplexed with the edging,  Being felted wool technically it doesn't need anything, but...It looks well, unfinished.  I'm considering a simple blanket stitch, but perhaps some sort of fabric binding or ribbon is more appropriate...hmmmmm.

the vest (minus some edging)

a little mama signature

If you've got any suggestions I'd love to hear them as I am a bit stumped.  In the meantime we start our school week (tune in for some valentines crafts) and I have a goal of finally taking some pictures to start posting on an etsy shop that I've been putting off for quite a while now.  Enjoy your Monday.

New wool and a Saturday off!

Yesterday the kids and I went to Goodwill and scored a bunch of wool sweaters to felt and create with.  It's been a while since we stocked up on wool and after making the mittens for Evelyn earlier this week I've been all inspired and geared up to work with recylcled wool!  Funny how these things happen...
We brought the sweaters home and got ready for felting while getting ready for a little fondue party with the neighbors.

Tuck asking to snuggle in to all the wool

removing buttons

into the hot wash they go

 We had a great evening with our lovely friends without much thought about the sweaters.  The kids and I made ice lanterns Thursday, we got the idea from this great tutorial I'm sorry to say we didn't get any good pictures last night in the dark (the iPhone is not always the best camera).  But in life they were simply lovely and lit the way so well.  Miss Molly placed them along the walk in little caves she carved out of the snowbanks on both sides, it was magical.

ice lanterns lighting the way to our house

 Greg's fondue was a huge hit as always and went to fast for me to get pictures.  I'll have to post about hosting a fondue party in the near future because it's so fun and yummy and people don't do it nearly enough. 

going in for the last bits of fondue

 Finally before our lovely evening ended Greg pulled out his guitar (we are so lucky) and played some music.  It was great to see the kids dancing like they did when they were toddlers and to have our little toddler friends having more fun than you can imagine.  A perfect way to end a perfect evening. 

a little music

 And I woke this morning to a lovely new stash of felted wool just begging me to get creative!  I'm not sure what will come of it just yet but I am extremely excited!  We have a Saturday off together as a family!  No hospital, no office, no gigs, no basketball game and no gymnastics meet, a total day off!

ready for whatever!

  Any ideas for my wool???

This Moment

I join Soulemama today for this Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

keeping little fingers warm

Just a quick post today as we are planning on venturing out past the snow banks to go to the library as well as a few other pit stops before basketball and gymnastics.  As you've heard me mention we've been playing lot's with our next door neighbors this week.  Lot's of snow=lot's of fun!  The big concern with their littlest who is just barely one has been keeping little mittens on her sweet little hands.  So yesterday after playing in the snow I made it my mission to come up with something that would suit her better.  After having finished all I can think is "where was I with these nifty ideas when my kids where this little?"  I was inspired recently by a blog I frequent often housefullofjays and her fantastic "rocket man" hat and dug into some recycled sweater wool.  

I cut out a basic and long mitten pattern and cut out two in fleece and in felted wool.  I should have done a whole tutorial, but at the time I was "winging it" as usual.  I have a feeling I'll make more and I will give more details then.

wool mittens lined with fleece

toggles at the wrist to adjust and keep on little hands

toggles at the top as well

threw in a hat to match this morning based on rocket man

 So there it is, what I'm hoping will be a great way to keep some really cute little fingers really warm.  We are giving them to her later today so maybe I'll get to find out soon!  

Enjoy your day.

a valentine skirt and learing to sew

Molly has been busily working on some owl and heart appliques as of late and really wanting to try her hand at the big bad sewing machine.  She has been hand stitching for a few years and enjoyed a short stint with one of those little plastic kids sewing machines, but she has been ready for the "real" machine for a while and she finally got a chance last night.

a little practice first

the owl pillow she made

pillow back

 The pride she had making this was too cute for words.  So darned pleased with herself!  Next she wanted to know what we should do with the heart applique she had just cut out and sewed. hmmmmmm...I thought, I remembered having stumbled across the Lazy Days SkirtI think I used it to make a doll dress for her years ago. The appliques she's been making are also from stash, either simple cottons I've picked up and a few lovely fat quarters from an etsy seller I've recently discovered Fresh Squeezed Fabric (I'm a sucker for the fat quarter...so many uses).    I love when we can get creative with things we already have around the house in one of the many bins.  Of course a trip to Alewives fabric is always most fun!  I feel very fortunate to live close to this amazing fabric store.  Anyway, here is the lovely skirt, not on as we are currently being buried in very large amounts of snow, but soon she'll be twirling all around in it I'm sure! from Oliver & S recently and suggested we put it on a valentines day skirt!  What a great idea, she loves it SO much and is planning several more (next will be an owl applique like the pillow).  The fabric for the skirt was perfect, something I've had hanging around in my fabric stash for years. 

so darling

look at that sweet heart

It is such a blast to create and collaborate with my children.  We're off to do more appliques, stay tuned! 

What are you making now?

Feeling Blue

Berries that is...So this morning I got up and made a delicious banana blueberry bread.  I tend to play around with recipes, changing them, changing them back and doing a lot of "winging it" as my husband likes to say (it drives him crazy).  Most of the time it works, occasionally not (just ask anyone in my family about biscuits). 

yummy!

 This time it worked quite well if I do say so myself.  One of the things I like to do with baking is find ways to use less refined sugar and more whole wheat and still have my children think I've made them a yummy tasty treat.  Here is the recipe I came up with a little from a cooks.com recipe, a little from my good old King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion and a lot of you guessed it "winging it".

pre-heat the oven to 325, grease and flour 2 regular sized loaf pans.

ingredients:
1 stick butter, melted (I never said low in fat, just sugar)
2/3 C brown rice syrup
2 eggs
1/2 C buttermilk (regular milk would work too)
3-4 over-ripe bananas
2 C all-purpose flour
1 1/4 C whole wheat flour
1 3/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 C frozen Maine blueberries (unless it's July)

Mix the first four liquid ingredients well. Mash bananas and add to liquid mix.  In a separate bowl whisk together flours, baking soda and salt, add to banana mixture.  Fold in blueberries just until combined.

Pour the sticky batter into the pans and bake for 75ish minutes.  Cool in pans for 10 minutes before putting on wire racks to further cool.  (you could sprinkle a little raw sugar on the top before baking to really sweeten up if you feel the need).

For those of you not familiar with brown rice syrup it is a liquid sweetener made by fermenting brown rice with certain enzymes.  It's not as sweet as sugar and has a much lower glycemic index. Rice syrup is much healthier and contains several nutrients that our bodies require without that rise and fall we get from sugar.  I often substitute rice syrup for sugar in baking recipes where there are already sweet ingredients such as bananas.

The bread was a huge hit and nearly a loaf is gone.  Energy was needed for sewing and digging a bigger snow fort.  Molly has been very busy with some appliques that she has come up with involving hearts and owls.  Corey couldn't finish is school work fast enough to get outside and work on the mega-fort that is being created in our own and our neighbors yards.

Mol working on some valentine ideas...

happy boys

a swim in the snow

continued fort digging

Enjoy the snow...it just keeps coming!