goodbye february

remember this blanket ?

well after many movies and knitting-filled conversations, it now looks like this:

and jason has to nightly answer the question: "is it long enough now?"

and he looks back at me with these half-pitying eyes that tell me i have more work to do.

but as the days get warmer and the spring breeze blows through our house later and later, i have less of a desire to be covered by a very warm blanket as i sit, knit, and sit some more. so it just has to be long enough soon. we'll get there.

got to go on a walk this morning without any little explorers slowing my gait. ipod full of loud worship and spring budding around each corner. beautiful.

there is such hope in each green leaf pushing its way toward the light. a little glad to say goodbye to february today. i'm reaching toward new, warmer days.

well, my french press is calling, along with some new fabric and an open window. here's to march.

making flowers

spring is coming. it is. really and truly.

but it's not coming fast enough for me. never been the most patient of women. so i'm making flowers. while trying to change up the ever-present and many-personalitied wreath on my front door i tried something new and it turned out well. i thought you might like to try it too.

i just love this flower.

i took left over strips of fabric i had cut for these runners

and cut 30 smallish petals out of them. 15 in one fabric and then some in a few different fabrics.

got out my needle and upholstery thread (you could use regular thread) and threaded one petal on

tied a knot on the end so it was all squished on the bottom, leaving a tail of thread an inch or two long.

then strung all the petals on in the manner of the first. with every other petal being my base periwinkle paisley.

after all 30 petals were on there, i pushed them all to the bottom, found the tail of thread i'd left before and tied the two ends of thread together. snipped the stray end of thread. and badda-bing.

a flower

so now i have two on my wreath

maybe i'll add more. i'm still thinking of ways to use these little beauties. gift toppers... barrettes... pins...? not sure. would love to hear your thoughts on the matter.

happy spring, gang.

a lovely blue weekend

an old dear friend came to stay with us this weekend. oh what a time we had. nothing really went as planned, but we had a blast. salvage the days as best we could.

there was a very sick little girl:

one flat tire:

and a drive up to the blue ridge parkway, only to find it was closed. this was the best shot of the trip:

but we got to eat at asheville's best

and although the girl required a lot of carrying and cuddling, we talked the day away and took in the beginnings of spring.

we shared some sunny deck-lunches

and general outdoor festivities in the midst of the daughter's many naps.

lovely conversation and little people telling stories.

old friends are so fabulous. we all change so much as the years move us forward. and if we are able to have the same person beside us over 10 years ago (when i was a whole different kind of crazy) that we have today.... well... special. really special.

we had such lovely time just being together and enjoying all the joy and beauty we could handle. sharing our anxieties, fears and triumphs. awesome. community rocks. wish she could be here always.

thanks for the song, charissa. it's perfect.

stinkin love this stuff

i don't do breakfast very well. i love food about as much as you can- and i love breakfast food. but nothing sounds good to me at 7:30 in the morning.

but i've found my new favorite breakfast. may it always be so.



i stinkin love this stuff. baked oatmeal. all the nutty, fiber/protein filled yumminess of oatmeal without any of the nasty slime or 'glop' sound it makes as it hits your bowl. nope. none of it.

just fabulously nutty piece-y oatmeal with a few crispy edges. a little more protein- PLUS i can make a pan on monday, and reheat every day of the week with the same taste and awesomeness as Monday morning.

i told you--- love this stuff.

Baked Oatmeal

adapted from a recipe from a fabulous Aunt Barb. Aunt to my sister's friend Jamison. thank you for sharing!!!

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 egg

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 cups milk

2 T of sweetener (agave, maple syrup, honey, br. sugar, whatever you've got)

mix that all up and then add:

3 cups old fashioned oats

3/4 tsp. baking powder

put it all in an 8x8 pan, bake for 30 minutes at 350. viola. breakfast is happy again.

*** i put dried cherries on mine with milk after it is all ready to go. you could certainly add what you like to the original dish: frozen blueberries, dried fruit, walnuts, flax seed, whatever you can imagine. go for it.

an old friend is staying with us for the weekend and so, as is now tradition it seems, someone is sick. my little sunshine girl is all fevery and clingy. but my windows are open, and we'll get out there one of these days. hope there is some kind of sunshine where you are today.

we're back!!!

our computer was brought home to us. yay!

our days have been filled with so many little/big things these past weeks, as i'm sure yours have been. the sun is shining so beautifully today and my kitchen window is open (no. it's not really that warm, but i'm willing the thermometer to rise.).

we had a little 2-year birthday around here. can't believe she's getting so big.

and i've been doing a lot of sewing. this morning, kate woke up at 6:30, jason nudged her back to sleep and then returned to sleep himself. and i laid there, looking at the ceiling and thinking of all the things i had to accomplish today. so i got up. put some breakfast in the oven and started sewing.

it was so lovely. what a beautiful way to greet my kids as they made their way into the soft sunlit morning. pj'd and sewing. i so often run headlong into busy/worry/frustration/tension-- straight from under the covers, it seems i seek it out. why do i do this.....?

so this morning was different. for once. and i'm so glad. and i got some beautiful product to show for it.

new etsy items for sale. and a happier momma. love the gifts God has given me. thankful for the joy He gives when i slow my pace and try being still for a few minutes.

missed being here with you, friends.

long books and such

it is stinkin' hard to have a blog while not having a computer. thank you all for hanging in there with me. my basically-brand-new computer arrives early next week and i can't wait. until then, my dear friend beth has loaned me her laptop. these things are pretty awesome. i'm sitting in my son's bed, sun streaming through the slats in the shutters, typing away.

spring is right around our street corner over here and i'm so glad. my daffodils are reaching teeny green hands into the sunlight (insert imaginary picture here). i can't help but feel refreshed when thinking about a new season- growth, change, fresh green and more sunlight.

my back has been bothering me this week and prohibiting me from a lot of activity. and it turned out to be just what i needed. i find my weeks so full. bringing the kids here, buckling and unbuckling from car seats, going to this house, that store, etc. and the week ends and i feel far from these little hearts. why is it so hard for me to sit and really chat with them for awhile? i was forced, this week, to sit on the couch and watch them twirl around about me. we read books, the ones i usually roll my eyes at because they are SO long. we didn't have anything better to do (in my eyes) so we read them. and i got to receive random comments from a little boy who is more and more taking in the world around him and trying to make sense of it all.

and even seeing this beauty He has given me, i'm still struggling today to be patient. i want all of my problems (physical and otherwise) fixed right now. THEN i could really be a blessing to my kids.

oh i've got so much to learn, friends.

thank you bri for guest posting. i just love you. and i'll never ever give up on you.

a guest

As Jo's sister, Bri, I want to join the club. I really really do.

You know, the crafting club. So many women around me

seem to have a craft of some kind. Knitting, sewing, decoupaging, scrap-booking, the list goes on. I've tried to get into knitting and Lord knows that

I'm still trying and am fairly determined to make it stick. But, Jo has had to teach me how to knit at least five times. She and I were starting to wonder if I had a problem.

>

And, that's my usual experience with crafting of any kind. Take these hearts for example. Sure, they're fine, but not as cute as Jo's and she had to walk me through each small step. It's just not intuitive for me like it is for other people.

There's something wonderful about creating something with your own hands, isn't there? And, then looking at the finished product with satisfaction- that your creativity has been unleashed and there's something to show for it! We have a hugely creative God- just look outside- and He created us in His image. Therefore, we all have creativity somewhere in our make-up, even if it's just in our little baby finger.

So, as I was spending my Saturday morning making cinnamon rolls (I should have taken a picture of them before I ate them all) and a swiss chard tart, I realized something. I realized that we all need to use the creativity that God gave us, but we all do it in different ways. My husband creatively problem-solves. My sister Erica is an excellent story teller. My Dad writes. And, I love to create in the kitchen. Trying new recipes and creating dishes is my outlet. So, I won't beat myself for not doing this or that. I will embrace the creativity that God gave me and use it where He leads me. But, I am still determined to knit. Don't give up on me Jo.