birdsandtrees

Thirty years old.

Today is James's birthday.  And not just any birthday, but the big 3-0!  We're having a little shin-dig later this week with friends and family, but I wanted to have something festive up for the actual day.  So using Posie's book, Stitched in Time (I can look through this book over and over and never get tired of it), I made the birthday banner.  I tried to pick fabrics that weren't too girly (notice that there is not one calico print here, thank you very much) and I think it came out pretty well!  To make it, you basically just cut out the pairs of fabric for each each letter, and then use freezer paper to make stencils and then paint each one with fabric paint.  But I do recommend getting the book if you don't have it - this project is worth it alone!

I love the idea of having this from now on, hanging it on his birthday for years to come.  Growing up, whenever there was a birthday in our house, you could always count on the Muppet paper cut outs (that fold out as birthday cakes and other weird things) to be on the kitchen table that morning.  And my mom still put those out for my last birthday this past summer.  And even though I don't really watch the Muppets anymore, there's something really fun about having them there.  It's a small tradition that I'm starting today with this lil' banner. 

Now that this is done, it's time to move onto some other preparations (and lots and lots of cleaning) for this weekend that I'll share soon! 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAMES!!

The Garden and a Butterfly

This week at school (which  meets at my house, or in my basement to be exact) we've begun planting our vegetable garden (tomatoes, beans, lots of different kinds of peppers) and flower garden (from the zinnia and cosmo seeds we started weeks ago).  I have been waiting and waiting for the "safe" time to plant, and it was really hard to wait.  But it's been great to get in the soil and get just get dirty. 

 

We also read the book, The Gardener, by Sarah Stewart (which is weird because I have a friend named Sarah Stewart, but unfortunately she didn't write this book).  If you haven't read this book, you need to.  It's that simple.  It's one of my favorite children's books (along with one of her other books, The Library).  It's the story of girl, Lydia Grace, who moves in with her Uncle Jim and begins planting a garden in a secret place that she found, hoping she can make her uncle smile.  So, so good. 

Since this is basically a post about things we've been doing at school this week, I also wanted to share a couple of pictures from yesterday.  I ordered a caterpillar kit from this website a month or so ago (you can order them anytime of the year).  We've been watching them grow into caterpillars, make their chrysalis, and then emerge as a butterfly.  It was something I think I'll do every year from now on, with school kids and with my own kids one day.  Yesterday was the day we let them free.  And it was awesome.  Such a fun thing to see them fly out of the net and begin their journey outside of our classroom.  The last butterfly was a little stubborn, but he gave everyone in the class a chance to hold him, which was just icing on the cake. 

Love!

I know they say not to judge a book by its cover, but I saw some really cool editions of classic children's books (published by puffin books) at the bookstore.  And, they're only 5 bucks each!  Score! 
Here are some of my favorites:

(I especially love this first one because it's illustrated by Lauren Child, who writes/illustrates the Charlie and Lola books!)

A Homemade Life

One of the books I read this past week was A Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes from My Kitchen Table by Molly Wizenberg, the author of my favorite food blog, Orangette.  Saying that I read this book seems a little like a lie...I didn't read it, I practically devoured that thing.  I read it cover to cover- I didn't miss a single word.  I savored every story (excuse the pun) and enjoyed every minute of it. 

If you've ever read her blog (and if you haven't, seriously shame on you), you know that she doesn't just post a recipe.  Every recipe comes with a story, a memory, an event in her life.  And she always manages to write them so beautifully.  In a way that I only wish I could write.  

It's like she invited you into her life, but she didn't just give you a quick tour of the house and ask you to politely leave- she made you a drink, fixed some dinner, and asked you to stay for hours.  And you didn't mind because you didn't want to leave.  Because she's that cool.  She tells you her life story(quite vulnerably, I might add) starting from memories of her parents and her childhood, to her various boyfriends and the love story of her and her husband (which is amazing).  And at the end of every story, there's a recipe that goes with it.   

I can't tell you how much I loved this book.  Because I wouldn't do it justice.  I found myself crying on a couple different occasions (no big shocker there), and then laughing in the next chapter.  The recipes she shares are ones that, for the most part, I've never tried or even heard of before.  But now I want to try them all. 

The only bad thing about it is that now I really want to know her personally and hang out with her.  My friend Azurae once saw her in Seattle and didn't quite have the courage to introduce herself. And I would have been the exact same way.  But now after reading her book, if I saw her, I feel like I would have to say something.  The way she opened up about her life and the recipes she shared with the world deserves at least a hug, or a high-five, or something.  So until I meet her and can do one of those things, I'll just give her the good 'ole A+ book review and share it with as many people as I can.   

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P.S. - We made the Sliced Spring Salad with Avocado and Feta last night (one her recipes from the book) and it was SO good- you can find the recipe here.  It's a perfect light dinner for the start of spring!       

"This is now."

Last Friday we finished reading Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder.  I can't say enough about this book.  I hope it's one that the kids remember for a long time, and I think it will be.  Like A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, it just sticks with you.  Parts of the book come popping up in my mind everyday. 
One part that I wanted to share was the very end of the book (don't worry, it doesn't give anything away!). 
But let me set the scene first: It was raining on Friday (with the back door open so we could hear it), the kids were snuggled under blankets, and we were all ready to listen and finish the story of this sweet family.  
So now to the end of the book...
Pa was playing his fiddle and singing "Auld Lang Syne" to Laura and Mary, which he did almost every night as they were laying in bed. So then...

"What are the days of auld lang syne, Pa?"

"They are the days of a long time ago, Laura," Pa said. "Go to sleep, now."

But Laura lay awake a little while, listening to Pa's fiddle softly playing and to the lonely sound of the wind in the Big Woods. She looked at Pa sitting on the bench by the hearth, the fire-light gleaming on his brown hair and beard and glistening on the honey-brown fiddle. She looked at Ma, gently rocking and knitting.

She thought to herself, "This is now."

She was glad that the cozy house, and Pa and Ma and the firelight and the music, were now. They could not be forgotten, she thought, because now is now. It can never be a long time ago.

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"This is now."  That quote (and the lines after it) gave me chills.  Aren't there those moments in your life where you just want to savor every second?  Where you're so thankful and you feel a sense of contentment?  You're not thinking of the future, or things to look forward to, or things in the past,  but you're savoring the "now."  I feel like we had one of those moments just reading the passage- I think I will always remember that moment at school.  And I know there are more of those moments in life to come! 

Quilted Coasters

One of my favorite books from Christmas is Last-Minute Patchwork + Quilted Gifts by Joelle Hoverson (of Purl).  I don't know if I've mentioned it yet this year, but I feel like I need to becuase it's a lovely book.  Ever since I got it, I've looked through it countless times and have wanted to pick one of the projects.  If you've never seen the book, it's organized by the amount of time you have (less than 2 hours, 2-4 hours, 4-8 hours, 8-12 hours, and more than 12 hour gifts).  I obviously went for the less than 2 hour section to make a project. I decided on the "quilted coasters," which are really easy to make (I think James could even make these) and (other than my dang sewing machine messing up) they hardly took me any time at all.  If you know how to use your sewing machine and cut fabric, you're good to go.  And another great thing about them is that you can just use those leftover scraps of  fabric that you've got lying around (or old sheets, tablecloths, etc.). 
Bascially what you do is make a small "pillow" from fabric, stuff it with batting that fits in the inside, fold up the open end, and then quilt it shut (going in a continuous line all the way to the center of the coaster).   See? 

I think these would make wonderful housewarming gifts, Christmas presents, you name it!  So get your sewing machine out, find a scrap of fabric, and make your glasses something cushy to rest on!

"The world was hers for the reading."

 

My friend Lauren once told me how one of her friends has a bookshelf in her house that is just for books that have changed her life in some way.  When she told me that, I immediately started thinking about the books that I would put on that same sort of shelf in my home.
This past week I finished a book that would find a spot on that shelf- A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith.  I don't know how I missed reading this book growing up (my mom read it in the 6th grade!), but I'm so glad I finally pulled it off my bookshelf and started reading it. 
The story follows the life of Frances ("Francie") Nolan and her family in the early 1900's in Brooklyn,  New York.  And I really don't want to tell you more than that, because if you haven't read it, I want you to experience it for yourself. 
It's hard to explain why I've been so moved by this book, but one thing I can say is that I can't stop thinking about it.  Certain pages, lines, characters keep coming back to my mind.  Needless to say, the writing is beautiful.  I was right along-side Francie the entire journey. 
 

Here are some of my favorite quotes: 

"There had to be the dark and muddy waters so that the sun could have something to background its flashing glory."

(I love this part where Francie is trying to figure out her mother Katie...)
"Suddenly the right word about Mama came to Francie.  'Mama never fumbles.'  "No, Katie never fumbled.  When she used her beautifully shaped but worn-looking hands, she used them with surety, whether it was to put a broken flower into a tumbler of water with one true gesture, or to wring out a scrub cloth with one decisive motion- the right hand turning in, and the left out, simultaneously.  When she spoke, she spoke truly with the plain right words.  And her thoughts walked in a clear uncompromising line." 

"From that time on, the world was hers for the reading." 

"People always think that happiness is a faraway thing," thought Francie, "something complicated and hard to get.  Yet, what little things can make it up; a place of shelter when it rains- a cup of strong hot coffee when you're blue; for a man, a cigarette for contentment; a book to read when you're alone- just to be with someone you love.  Those things make happiness." 

I love this book.  I'm so glad I read it.  If you haven't, I strongly urge you to read it.   I hope it will have an impact on you like it did to me! 

So one last thing, if anyone's still reading this long post- what book(s) would you put on your "life-changing bookshelf?"  Please comment and share! 

My idea of a perfect Sunday morning...

Bring it. 

Stitched in Time

 

I have been waiting for this book and today, it finally came!  I seriously contemplated giving our mailman a high-five.
Stitched in Time: Memory-Keeping Projects to Sew and Share is written by Alicia Paulson, the creator of Posie Gets Cozy.  I know I've said many times how her blog has been one of my favorites- I started reading it a couple of years ago, and have not missed a post since.  She really is what inspired me to start my own and even to try my hand at photography - and not to mention her endless inspiration in the world of crafting.  Through her writing, I feel like I know her and she's one of my best friends.  Now, I've never met her, but that doesn't seem to matter.  Reading through the book gives you another glimpse into her beautiful life.  
More specifically, she brings you through simple and charming projects that help capture a moment in your life (or someone else's) - from really special times to simple, everyday moments.  She even gives tips on how she approaches photography and tips she uses to make her crafting life easier. 
The book is broken down into three different sections- projects for little ones, for the everyday, and for special occasions.  Some of the projects are Christmas stockings, a baby quilt, a photo pillow, a stuffed doll, a birthday banner, a sleepover pillowcase, and really too many good ones to mention.  You just need to get the book!  It's already given me an idea for the perfect present to make the kids at school- and it's something I wouldn't have thought of on my own.  That is reason #896 why I love the craft blogging world.  Sigh.
Love.  This.  Book. 

Tasha Tudor

As fall approaches (less than two weeks people!), I've found myself gravitating towards books about and written by Tasha Tudor.  There is something about her that makes me want it to be cold outside and have a cup of tea in my hand.  I've been reading through The Private World of Tasha Tudor, which is broken down by seasons.   If you're not familiar with her, this is a great book to start with.  She's written many other books, including many children's books that are so beautiful (I ordered her Christmas book last year which I can't wait to use!).    
In The Private World of Tasha Tudor, she tells of her daily routines in her life and home...from her garden and drawings, to her corgis and the china she uses.  One thing I love about her is her honesty and bluntness- at one point she's describing the animals and creatures in her home and garden, and then the next page she's telling you how she used to kill rats that came into her kitchen with a .22 rifle. Where else can you find that? 
But her main point is simple- surround yourself with things of beauty and live life simply.  She includes this quote from Fra Giovanni, which I need to repeat to myself everyday:
"The gloom of the world is but a shadow. Behind it, yet within our reach, is joy. Take joy!"

ps...wouldn't Tasha and Albert be so cute together??