transported.

i've been feeling stuck for awhile now....but today i learned something. raising little girls does not mean that i have to confine myself to the house and do laundry, sweep, wipe pee off the floor and yell because they are keeping me from doing all of the above. i CAN break free from the routine.

we went on a drive.(in the buick with all it's cracks, rips and rust and the new 'no farms no food' sticker).

all day long.

stopped when we got tired, hungry, etc. etc. and on more than one occasion i was someplace that i'd never been before...and that felt SO good. it's incredible what a change of scenery can do and i'm certain there are a number of still frames in my mind that will stay forever in my memory. have you ever been to peterson? or on deep river rd? 221st ave., wykoff? i recommend any and all of the above.

currently listening to....

....Craft Sanity ...and loving it! This is Jennifer Ackerman-Haywood's podcast/blog, and is full of inspiration, humor and sincerity. A great way to pass the time while folding laundry in a home with no television.

I've also been listening to the birds a lot, while fighting with the overgrown bushes in front of the house. I've suceeded in pulling them all out now, and am so anxious to get some native plants in the ground that will add some beauty to our home.

On a further gardening note, I've decided to turn a large area of the front yard into my vegetable garden. After spending too much time contemplating which part of the backyard play space I was willing to sacrifice for this venture, it struck me that we don't use the front yard for anything, and it's the ideal sunny spot to grow our food!

What's going on in your gardens?

whole food

check out my little 'i heart natural food' addition! this engine makes it so much easier to find recipes that use local, organic, and whole foods, and is my new best friend when dinner time rolls around.

in regards to food, have you heard of this amazing book? Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day it's true. it really only takes five mintues, and the results are amazing. we have had fresh bread on our dinner table all week long! yum.

a space to call my own.

a friend recently gave me some really good advice. 'do something that can't be undone every day.' it really got me to thinking that it's a bit of a tragedy that i live in this house and don't have a square foot that's just for me....for the things that i don't want undone. i spend so much time reorganizing thelma's art supplies, why don't i do this for myself?

so, i did. and i am thrilled with what i came up with. this is the little nook at the top of our stairs. most of the floor is thelma's bedroom, but i have now claimed this little space. our activity yesterday (in lieu of chit chat club!)...was painting the walls! i found a pint of paint in the shop that i had picked out for the kitchen, and delip thought it was too blue. so, i used it here. thelma did (most of) the rolling all by herself!



i love yarn...the colors, textures, all of the fibers working together to create something beautiful. OK, not always beautiful, but not easily undone! i couldn't resist the urge to arrange my stash into this rainbow of wool.



this sewing machine was given to me by my grandma florence, who passed away last spring. i think it probably dates to the 1960's, and still works like a charm. i've only recently begun to take sewing seriously, but am looking forward to the day when the built-in cupboards in my space will be home to piles and piles of fabric.



only thing missing? YOU. come over anytime and we can drink coffee and tea and create something together...