summer! summer! summer!

is the chant around the house during this, the last week of school for the boys and my last week of daily quiet until the end of august. they're all ready for long lazy days of do-nothing-ness, while i frantically try to get as much done as i can before the inevitable chaos begins.

but summertime is a happy time for me too, it means hot days spent in the sun, warm evenings dancing to my favorite band, the adventure of driving to new cities and spending time with old friends. i love the unexpected patterns that naturally arise out of our days at home, spending time with the boys doing whatever we please, and forgetting what time it is. the first few weeks are always an adjustment, but once i give in to it and take a few deep breaths, i realize how sublime it all really is.

i've been playing around with my serger the lately and have found a fun way to piece together scraps of cotton fabric (think old and gently used t-shirts) to create striped skirts and dresses. they're so soft and comfortable, i could practically sleep in my favorite one, if the nights weren't already so hot.  

so, without further ado...... the Up-Cycled T-shirt collection:

shhhhh... all is quiet in the forest

silence

i never realized how much i would miss it until i had kids and then for last 10 yrs, finding a moment of stillness was something that i mostly dreamed about... well, at least when i stole a minute to dream, which wasn't very often either. now that all the kids are in school i cherish my quiet time alone in the house and most days i don't even turn on my itunes, instead reveling in the absolute lack of noise. 

now, you may think that with all this quietness, i would be super productive, the soft whir of my sewing machine or click-clack of the knitting needles softly breaking the monotony but being alone in the house brings with it a new set of distrctions, i.e. all the things i should be doing but don't really feel like doing, otherwise known as housework.  the list is ridiculously long and i find it so daunting that i try to ignore most of it and only focus on the things that need my immediate attention for survival.

soooooo, i have found myself making lists and taping them up on the walls of the studio in an effort to be somewhat organized and i'm not talking about little post-it size notes, i mean big-freaking-couldn't-miss-seeing-them-even-with-my-eyes-closed lists. hopefully it will help me stay on track.

i have managed to get a few projects finished though, commissioned pieces for friends and a new baby present for my oldest friend in the whole world who i have literally known since we were babies. i've also been working on getting groups signed up for our Earth Day festival in April and trying to get to Happy Healthy Cooks class between taking the kids to the dr's for strep throat, enlarged tonsils, ear aches, intestinal viruses, and now a heart murmur. between the 3 of them, i think i've spent more time in waiting rooms the last month and a half than i have in the last year, good thing knitting is portable!


so, without further ado, a few pictures of some of those projects:
(drumroll not necessary)

me want worms

this little phishy hat went to a new phan in Florida :)

welcome Michael!

 present for baby Ella  :)

inspiration comes in many forms, this time it came from a beautiful pop-up book

full view of nona's basketweave blanket

the original Strega Nona book 

by Tomie dePaola

Strega Nona pop-up book

(simply gorgeous) 

2 little pairs of matching pants

ah! love those bummy ruffles!

knitted basket weave stitch for the main body with crochet edging

 now that those are all finished and sent off i can start working on Ashton's birthday blanket (his request). gotta love a kid that wants mommy to make him a blanket for his birthday rather than buy some plastic action figure!

love and hugs to all of you on this Valentine's Day :)
xoxoxoxoxoxo

backwards down the number line...

happy, happy, oh my friend
making a best-of list once again
leave the presents all inside
take my hand and let's take a ride

backwards down the number line


(creative liberty taken with that second line, sorry trey)
alright, here's my top 10 things that made me happy in 2010:
10. new hello kitty sewing machine. i know it looks like it's for a 12 yr old, but who am i kidding, i'm very much still a 12 yr old at heart. it's turquoise and has a fair amt of nice settings on it, how could i go wrong! (thanks to mickey and michelle for the gift)


9. this killer banksy-inspired phish tank top! originally only offered as a silkscreen on men's style t-shirts, i begged Sanberdino (aka Josh, my favorite Montana mountain man and fellow phan) to print one up for me on something a little more girly and flattering. he even let me choose what color i wanted for the hand dying :)



8. little girl birthday parties. i love that my boys have friends who are sweet little girls and they get invited to pink parties. trying to figure out what to get for a 7 yr old is hard enough, but when i found out she loved piggies, it gave me the courage to try my hand at making a plushie. i wouldn't have had the confidence to make one otherwise.



7. Star Crossed Slouchy Beret pattern from Natalie Larson. it took me some fanangaling to get the gauge right for my little head but once i did, i went on to make this pattern in 3 different colors: red, violet, and lime green! i love this pattern, it compliments my personality and wardrobe perfectly!!!

6. John Butler Trio's Paleo Festival Nyon on Dailymotion. it has been the soundtrack to most of my summer and fall kitchen baking projects. huge thank you to AnEerieFeeling for sending me a link to not only this show, but also a few others and some albums too.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xe59ox_john-butler-trio-paleo-festival-nyo_music#from=embed




5. visiting Washington DC for Keegan's birthday. we invaded the capitol for a couple of days, exploring the Smithsonian and National Zoo and wandering through the city.





4. Hershey Park with the family. mike and i went to the Phish show on Sunday night (6/13/10) and monday was spent with the family riding rides, eating deep-fried food, and picnic-ing with mom, dave, kim, nathan, and almost all the nieces and nephews. running into old and new friends was just icing on the cake.


3. speaking of Phish shows.... i was very lucky to hit up 7 shows this summer, including taking Keegs to MPP for his very first show (well, that he can remember, anyway). the summer started with Blossom, then Hershey, MPP, Raleigh, Charlotte, and finally 2 nights at Jones Beach. it's always so much fun to go to shows and boogie all night, esp when you know that friends will be there too! even getting lost on the way there or home can make it fun :)



2. Piper's birthday weekend (10/15, 16, 17) in Charleston, SC. i was really dreading spending her birthday at home again this year, so when the opportunity presented itself for us to travel to carolina instead, we thought long and hard about it and in the end chose to go. it was a beautiful weekend, back in the beautiful city of chucktown. the beach was a little chilly but we braved the wind and cooler temps.




1. well, this is kinda a no-brainer... my boys, all of them, including mike, the cat tigger, and new puppy gryphin. i'm completely surrounded by males and although sometimes i wish for more female company, i fell very blessed to have each one of them in my life. (special thanks to all my female friends for keeping me sane) i'm lucky to be married to my best friend and we've had 12 wonderful years together, have 3 healthy, smart little boys, and i know he'll stick by me through the tough times (he's proven his worth many times over). what more could i really ask for?

they provide endless entertainment, making me laugh, dancing in the kitchen with me, helping me bake... they are the literal reason i get up in the morning, but also the metaphorical one too. i can't imagine how lonely and sad i would be without them and hope i never have to live in a world of which they aren't apart.



so, that's about it. my year of lovely things in review :)