ten finger workshop

from the north country : ten finger workshop

2011-02-08T16:22:00.000-08:00

Staying warm : a few crafts from the snowy north

This sweater mitten tutorial from five green acres changed my life this winter. I've made about 20 of them, for friends and family. They are satisfyingly quick, economical and most importantly warm. This set was for a family who has an annual camp out on a frozen lake, I have yet to participate but I thought their digits could use some extra protection.


Insulated Curtains , a must have for a drafty old house that sees 4 months of winter winds that come from the north.


These curtains were really simple to make too. Heavy Ikea fabric and a quilted mattress cover, that had been torn by the washing machine, made for an simple panel curtain. Made a bit longer than the windows so it can be tucked on the sill to keep drafts down. Not the fanciest thing I've ever made, but it has made the most difference.

Minor improvements every year keep us treading through winter namely a netflix membership and lots of wool. I hope you stay warm too.
Thank you meg for letting me guest post for you this week, come visit me at ten finger workshop.

details - long winter days pt 3

2011-02-05T07:08:00.000-08:00

We had epic winter storms this week that forced us to stay inside. Staying in our pj's, turned the oven on and enjoying another long winter day together.
We roasted the rest of our sqaush & pumpkins from the root cellar . Filling the depleted freezer with puree, and our shelves ready for empty canning jars, waiting for next year.
Welcome February, and one month closer to the growing season.

art table - long winter days pt.2

2011-02-01T14:50:00.000-08:00

It seems like soooo long ago when I moved in the art supplies from the front porch for the winter. What ended up being a vintage metal assemblage of furniture is our art table. A wide trough held paper, stickers, crayons etc. ready whenever the mood stuck the boys. I tried to clean it up, move supplies through every once in a while to keep it fresh but too often it just became another cluttered mess. SO, enter in another vintage piece of metal furniture.

This tall organizer has been in my studio for about 10 years, holding....who knows what. Time to give it up, haul it upstairs and give it over to the family's newest artists. It gave the table top more space, more supplies with less clutter and hopefully inspiration. With a blizzard on the way I'm hoping this updated art table get's some more use. sooo now what?

penguins - the long winter days pt 1

2011-01-27T18:53:00.000-08:00

I had stashed this cool wooden model from a recent craft store raid a few weeks back. When reading Casper the Ghost comics exhausted itself this afternoon I stumbled upon this. So while the little one was asleep, Felix & I dove into figuring this thing out. It was so fun, I felt like I had finally found a project that was at his level, fun and we stayed friends throughout building it. The result is a sweet pair of penguins. A mama and a little guy, how perfect.
score one for the tired mama......now what are we going to do???

the long winter days

2011-01-25T13:56:00.000-08:00

These days come every year, cold, still & snowy. The wonder has worn off, no celebrating or gift giving, now it's just a waiting game. It's too early to think about spring, but we can start to dream about the garden. We knit, bake and watch movies, try to make plans and only a few happen. It's the perfect space to be in my first trimester, with no energy to do much of anything, but dream about the summer. and a baby.

in the new year

2011-01-09T07:02:00.000-08:00

hello friends. I don't have much happening on my end at the moment besides cleaning up, purging & making my 2011 list. Here's how it stands:
- get lenses for my awesome new wooden glasses
- take a page from elsie marley, simple, organized & cool.
- give this midwife some business
- organize my studio, again.
- do more yoga
- make homemade cheese somehow
- give these children some breakfast.

happy new year all of you.
Lily

making a bit of christmas magic for a friend.

2010-12-21T19:16:00.000-08:00

Hello all you holiday makers, we're gearing up just like you are for all the festivities later in the week. While my lists are done, I got a chance to help a good friend this week by making her boys some stockings to hang for Santa. I had been making mittens using old felted sweaters and this fantastic free tutorial from Five Green Acres ( and Mary Jo's old sweaters too! ) . These stockings were simple to make using the scraps from the sweaters. I used an old stocking as a pattern and than cut it into 5 pieces. Using the pattern I tried to make a white, blue & green stocking each embroidered with the sweet boy's name. I like the cozy handmade look of them, maybe I'll make some for my boys next year. there's always next year rite?!
Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays to you all.

Cheers, Lily

homemade cocoa

2010-12-10T17:46:00.000-08:00

Here's a simple homemade gift for your neighbors & friends.

Hot Cocoa mix:

1 cup cocoa + 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

or if you like it a little bittersweet reduce the sugar to 1 1/4 cup.

We mixed them together with a whisk and carefully packaged them into jars as gifts.

Add one tsp cocoa mix for every cup of milk, heat, serve & smile.

here's to getting a bit of the holiday spirit,

lily & oscar

after the first snow

2010-12-05T13:20:00.000-08:00

knitting for my dear sisters

Advent candles, one for each boy, found them .here

recycled sweater tree garland inspired by meg

We Wisconsinites got our first snowfall yesterday. It was perfect, only 4 inches or so and on a Saturday. I had been thinking about starting to unearth the Christmas box and this snow storm completely got me into the holiday spirit. Here's some views from around our house this weekend.


Simple snowflake ribbon wrapped around a wreath.

I found this amazing vintage felt appliques thrift shopping, I'm happy I got to finally use them.


Finally a tree for the boys room. I think this is the year they will reallllly get into the holidays.

and he is 5

2010-11-21T17:31:00.000-08:00

This once tiny boy is 5. We had a very full week with new work and preparations for a celebration. For sanity's sake ( yes, she flew over the house for a moment last week) I did NOT do the crown, the hobo lunches, the t shirt or a extravagant cake. Without intending on having a theme it turned into a circle party.

Vanilla cupcakes with vanilla frosting and sprinkles, I was told that is what kids have at their birthdays, not cakes. I did make hobo gift bags filled with dollar store gifts. They were simple and fun, a simple place mat construction with loops on 3 sides and a long rope on the 4th. Polka-dots were on the outsides of all, in case they take them to ride the rails.

We made pizza's, ate a ton of veggie sticks and cantaloupe. The kids ran wild & the adults drank too much coffee, it was a nice party for a Saturday afternoon. To finish off the birthday weekend we all went to 'Strega Nona the Musical' today, a favorite book.

When I get a moment to reflect on it all I am astounded at this past 5 years, I can't even fathom what is next.

( felix 2 months old & me 26)

a musical break

2010-11-09T06:20:00.000-08:00

Our good friend Steffan Jonsson from Sweden. He came this spring to pick up a guitar made by another friend Devin. As always in our home, a safe haven for musicians, a shop party in their honor made for some amazing music. Here's a taste. Have a great week.

tiny acorn hat

2010-11-04T18:43:00.000-07:00

Ta Da!!
my first try at a hat, a teeny tiny hat. I modified this free pattern on ravelry called swell. Since my kids arn't surfers I thought an acorn pattern would be cute. Even though they look more like Chinese lanterns than acorns I'm happy with the result. And while there's no one in our home to fit this tiny hat I'm sure I can find a little person to give this too before the winds blow.

Now to cast on for one double this size for my guys.

acorns again? we'll see.

stone cowl

2010-10-30T13:27:00.000-07:00

hello

here's the quick update:

-made this cake for my mom & LOVED IT!!
-got a new job at my old job, hopefully leading to a less hectic life
-the show was a great success.
- I wrapped myself into a bunk bed frenzy but now it's up & I can move on to sewing new curtains.
- I've got the knitting bug, badddddd. But not in that sweater or sock kind of way, I'm going for the simpler quicky kind of way. My first project is this cowl last week, and I absolutely adore it. I made it using a cheapo cotton & acrylic yarn I got from Michaels because I liked the color so much. On the needles now are some hats for the boys.

I hope to be back sooner rather than later, oh & I've missed you too.

until next time

2010-09-23T07:54:00.000-07:00

whoa. getting ready for my opening next week, tending to the tomatoes that need to be canned, laundry, apple butter, building forts & working FT, let's just say I'm totally overwhelmed.
Be back soon with links, updates, photo's of squaredances & the like.

ta ta
L

deck to landing : before & after

2010-08-16T12:55:00.000-07:00

It's always been in the back of our minds to redo the back porch/deck/jail cell one day. So we designed, talked to friends and started to hoard materials. A few bricks here, some flagstone there, and what seemed like a snails pace project now is DONE!!! Take a look see.

The old, thankfully rotting, deck. With it's high railing and small stairway oriented not to the yard but the driveway instead. Sure we had fun out here, and it was functional but it always seemed apart from the yard rather than an extension of it.

This is the new patio & deck ( sorry for the dappled light, it's just been so damned sunny lately) We built a cedar landing with wide large steps, going to a brick & flagstone patio. We wanted it to act as a space where kids & friends could come & go. Eat, play music & shuck corn or have coffee on those steps. Be in the yard. Here are a few more in shots of the progress

designing the shape & size the materials we had would allow.

Another reason I love my handy & patient husband, he built the stairs on the nights that I worked. That means these two were happily helping out too.

summer treasures

2010-08-06T15:00:00.000-07:00

Some simple shots of what's happening in our neck of the (vary mosquitto'y) world.

I have a piece in a group show that is at our local botanical gardens, we went to see it this last weekend with my mother in law. It it a magical place every season of the year, especially this one.

Growing, picking, eating, preserving, storing. We asked for it and we got it. I just heard a 'clink' from a jar of pickles sealing in the kitchen, sigh of satisfaction.

Treasure hunting today led me & Oscar to a crazy place we would go before we had kids ( because it is FILLED with junk.) But within that junk there were treasures. A handmade quilt, a wooden tricycle, leather log carrier, black metal lunchbox, large tin serving platter ( seen under those green tomatoes) and ....

this awesome awesome basket. all for $60. can't beat that

Heading to a dance tonight and camping after , crossing my fingers that we don't get eaten alive. No twirly skirts for this dancing gal, long pants and socks I'm afraid. ta ta for now.

a quiet day

2010-07-30T11:30:00.000-07:00

Found myself by myself today, odd. It is amazing how alive your house can be one day and how quiet it can be the next, still, almost waiting for them to come home. While I do miss them I have been using this time to work on some paintings for an upcoming show in October. Here's a sneak peak.

projects, always projects

2010-07-26T05:55:00.000-07:00

the camera was working on vacation

2010-07-09T05:21:00.000-07:00

We're back. A great time had by all. We swam, ran, ate & slept a lot, I think we call came back very aired out, which is all I ask from a family vacation. I only brought 2 projects to work on, one is a knitting project ( post later it's almost done!) and the other was my camera. I finally had time, and such beautiful scenery to fiddle with it, move dials, get low down, try the same photo again and again. I had some successes, here are a few. I hope to have more posts soon about all the folks we hung with wayyyy up there in the north woods.

Headed North

2010-06-29T12:42:00.000-07:00

We're off, once again to our cabin up north. A great time for our family to leave the tv and toys ( and computer, phone, electricity & plumbing ) behind and reconnect with each other. Here are some photos of last years trip, en epic one where our cross-continental cousins joined us. It was a wonderful week together. This year it's just my little family, but we're meeting some friends up there & hope to have as much fun as last year.

See you all in a week or so, happy summer to you.

tiny wooden shoes

2010-06-15T13:21:00.000-07:00

It's the middle of my new work schedule so no garden shots, crafts or art. So I thought I would share the newest addition to our growing dress-up collection, tiny wooden shoes. My mother in law found them at our thrift shop & they fit Oscar perfectly. He clomps in & out of the house, half dressed or to the babysitters in these.
so enjoy the rest of your week, I hope these photo's made you smile, they sure make me.
L

Red Bird Farm update - june edition

2010-06-10T13:03:00.000-07:00

Do I look like a small time farmer??? Is that the determined face of someone heading out to land to work for her food? Weeeeellllll, sort of. Here's the update.
#1 hassle : thistles
#2 hassle : wandering children looking for the tractor.

We spent 2 evenings out at our little farm recently and left it ankle deep under straw. Potatoes, Onions, Cabbage, Brussel sprouts are all looking fantastic. Our strong plants even seem to bounce back from a small child ( or adult trying to get a small child) trampling them ALL down. The Beets, corn & squash are still pretty small but hopefully we gave them a fighting chance my, again, weeding. We mulched using 17 bales of straw so hopefully the walkways & weeds will give us a break. We still have one 10x10 patch that needs turning & tilling, hoping to fill it with pinto beans. Our experiment is to let the beans grow & dry on the vine, giving us our dried beans for the winter, we'll see.

While the initial thought was to make it a family affair, that idealistic scene where the children are helping and learning from getting their hands dirty. When in reality, my children anyway, are pretty uninterested. Felix goes and plays pretend on a large pile of rocks yelling " someone come play with me!!!!" And Oscar, when not falling down or fighting over the shovel, just wants to be on my back, just hanging there. Sounds sweet but this child is 30 pounds! So this weekend we remembered ,a duh moment, is how fun it is to play in the bed of a truck. Our farm partners brought out toys, coloring books and crayons, filled the back of the truck with snacky food and we all got some work done with the kiddo's played. For a while anyway.

I also have to put in a huge plug for the gentlemen on our farm, they came out on their own a week back and did some major clearing, so we wouldn't be nearly this far if they weren't such good thistle fighters.

So that's all folks, more updates in july I hope. By then the corn & squash will hopefully be knee high. How's your garden growing??

mr big stuff

2010-05-28T06:28:00.000-07:00

Our little Oscar is getting so big now I thought he deserved a new backpack for his summer fun. Oscar not only is going to start a little nursery school but also is old enough to take part in our summer camp swap we've got goin' ( more details in a later post I hope). I've been planning to do a backpck for a while and found an hour to whip this one out. I used a simple tote bag shape, adding shoulder straps that are also the drawstrings for the top. It fits great & hopefully will hold all the towels, swim diapers & toys he needs to have fun this summer.

a skirt for sunday

2010-05-23T06:32:00.000-07:00

Can you tell I had a little time to myself this weekend?? Havn't seen these basement studio shots for a while huh.
I must have gotten through the pile of to do's for everyone else and found mine.
First up: a paisley skirt redo.
I found a oddly attractive Polly bled elastic waisted skirt at the thrift store a while back. You know the type your aunts would wear in the summers high up on their real waists, billowing about hanging rite above the ankle? (And she always had a stash of tissues in that hidden pocket. )
Sorry no before photo's, I cut the entire waist off so I had a rectangle of fabric. In haste I tried to put some shape in it by lopping off fabric on either end, duh, all I got was another awkward skirt .

FINE, I'll measure & pin !

Added trim

The worst mirror photo ever but I couldn't find another way, darn antique mirrors. So I'm off , in my new skirt, to volunteer at a local block-party, hopefully looking more young mom than 80's aunt, verdict is still out.

linen closet

2010-05-21T10:46:00.000-07:00

We have been blessed with a beautiful home and yard except it has NO storage. When I saw this white enameled cabinet at an estate sale a few weeks ago ( $5!!!!) I knew I could put it to good use. I toiled with an art supply cabinet, sewing or office cabinet, but settled on using it as our linen closet. It sits at the top of the stairs ( in a dark spot can you tell?) so the bright white makes the space seem bigger. PLUS it was a perfect opportunity to try out these awesome chicken decals my mom got me a while back, just waiting to be used in the rite spot. Really like how it all came together, a nice tidy spot for all our linens and whimsical little chickens running a mock inside ( and out ).

I was looking at these as options too, and the best part is I can change it up whenever I want. Oh, I love decals!

lace
birdies
dalias?
or this flower

Pie or Cobbler? both of course

2010-05-19T13:08:00.000-07:00

Let's make cookies mama! hmmmmm, Scones???? weeeelllllll..... Pie! YES!

During quiet time yesterday felix & I wandered arcross the street to the gardens to raid a friends Rhubarb patch that was going to seed ( I got permission ;). Felix wanted to bake something and we settled on Rhubarb Pie, one of my all time favorite desserts. It had been a while since just he & I cooked together. Rather than 4 little hands knocking, moving, and fighting over tasks, felix got to do all of them. It was so calm, while I had to hustle to prep he just chattered away, telling stories of his dreams, friends or telling jokes. Oh, the 4 year old. In the middle of our sweet time Todd comes in and starts lobbying for rhubarb cobbler not rhubarb pie. what the?!@#$ I had a plan. So felix decided on both, we'd make cobbler for desert and pie filling for the freezer. how smart.

I'm feeling like my little blog is becoming all cooking latley, and while I suppose it is true I'm really missing being in my studio. Is it unrealistic to think I can do it all??? when there are obviously no more naps?

probably not, but we still can have rhubarb pie this winter and be very very thankful.

mothers day flea market

2010-05-10T05:12:00.000-07:00

Before I was a mom, T & I had this great weekend routine. We would go to brunch & than junk shop, flea markets, antique stores & garage sales, ohhhh what treasures we would find. My wonderful husband had this same idea for a mothers day outing. The Jefferson Speedway Bargain Fair. Chalk full of veggies, sports equipment ( guns- not a fan but a warning for your little ones questions if you go) animals, plants, antiques and lots of junk.

Felix and Oscar tagged along, rode on shoulders and my back winding our way through the stands. Todd found a 1920's german fiddle, I bought some buttons, asparagus, and vintage tins. Oscar bought a little car and a lunch box. Felix bought a bubble wand sword and a VHS tape. We ended the adventrue with a hotdog break on the bleachers.
After a few days inside because of rain this was a great outing for all of us, especially this junk hunting mama.

Homemade Vanilla Pudding with Rhubarb Compote

2010-05-07T09:23:00.000-07:00

    Sometimes when the boys take an extra long nap in the afternoon I find myself in the kitchen, with dinner prepped and looking for something else to make. This Wednesday afternoon I found a recipe for Homemade Vanilla Pudding and thought, I can make that. Now for no big self-righteous reason my kids have never had pudding, so I thought they would love it, as I do.

And it is surprisingly easy, but it takes attention, so it's best to do it while the kids are sleeping, rather than when they are under your feet.
Serves 4:

1 cup sugar ( I would reduce this next time to 3/4 c.)
1/4 c. all purpose flour
1/2 t. salt
      - whisk together in a bowl and set aside
2 c. milk ( not skim)
vanilla bean, halved lengthwise & scrape seeds out.
      ** my vanilla beans have been soaking in cheap rum for 2 years, making their own vanilla extract & killer rum flavored beans, try it!!
       - Heat milk & vanilla seeds over medium heat for about 7 min. don't scald, just heat until you see tiny bubbles form on the edges of the pan.
   - Pour heated milk into the sugar mixture and mix into a light batter. Pour back into the pan and heat for 5 min. on low heat.
4 egg yolks, slightly beaten
      - pour a small (3/4 c) amount of hot milk/sugar mixture into egg yolks, whisking constantly ( you're tempering the yolks ). Than add the heated egg yolk mixture back into the milk/sugar mixture, whisking constantly over medium heat, until it is thickened & bubbly, 10 more minutes.
4 T butter, cut into small pieces.
       - once pudding this thick & bubbly, pour it into a bowl through a fine sieve, to get out any pods or egg schmutz, add butter and mix until it is melted & incorporated.

I then poured the vanilla pudding into prepared bowls with Rhubarb compote on the bottom for a little drama. Chill and serve your adoring family who will think you are magic.

Bravo to desert on a Wednesday.

library bag for summer

2010-05-05T13:09:00.000-07:00

Garage sales and estate sale season again, thank god. A time to refashion and recycle others things to suit our needs. This is the first in a series of projects for the boys for summer, a la elsie marley's kids clothes project for the month of may. While I would have loved to sew a bag, when this heavy duty canvas bag presented itself for $1 I thought I can do something with that. A simple freezer paper stencil over the printed logo made it a great library bag. I was inspired by this fabric by Anna Maria Horner. Now onto getting a library card for Felix, I think he's ready for the responsibility, and a new bag to put all of his books in.

fresh from the woods

2010-04-29T13:46:00.000-07:00

We've been on the hunt for a week now. This weekend we were finally rewarded for our constant forest floor watching. We found about a pound of morels , in fact Felix was the first one to spot them. They present themselves to you and all of a sudden pop pop pop, you start seeing them all over, it's like magic. And so is the woods, we are soaking up all of the outdoors we can this spring, because we know, like the morels, it's fleeting.

thanks for all the great feedback about Red Bird Farm, we're going to plant those onions this weekend, and we'll probably bring the fiddle too.

Red Bird Farm

2010-04-24T12:19:00.000-07:00

In what seems like a crazy step towards growing and feeding our family with our own hands this year we are renting a small plot of farmland, we named it Red Bird Farm.

Knowing our family's limitations we are happily sharing the space with friends, another able family that is taking a leap too. Storage vegetables is the idea, dried beans, squash, onions, pumpkins, beets, carrots and potatoes.
We're renting the space, 1/4 acre, from another waaayyyyy able friends who've bought 80 acres outside of Madison.
We met out there last night to plant & plot out the garden, play a few tunes and chase after the children. We got the 7 rows of potatoes in before the rain, leaving the onions for another day.

I love the collaborative nature of this project. Feeling like it's totally ok if we fail but what a great way to spend one evening a week out in the country, on our tiny farm. I just hope the kids remember this.
updates all summer I hope.

Addicted to annuals

2010-04-20T14:52:00.000-07:00

Spring this year in Wisconsin is absolutely the most perfect spring we've ever had. That perfect sunny 60's weather that begs you to have your coffee outside. It's so nice in fact that I am terrified by the idea 40 degree weather again. How quickly I get spoiled. We've planted our kale, beets, potatoes, spinach etc. and are eager to get more into the ground. And I caught the annual bug last weekend, from my mother. I arrived at her house & saw flats of annuals ready to put into window boxes. Already??
So I did the same. I know I know we're risking it, it's April 20th for gods sakes ! But I'm rollin' the dice.
More garden photo's coming once things come up, we have a whopping 4 going this year ( in different locations) I guess this early start was a good thing.

I love this season.

( meg that dirty feet photo is for you ;)

New inspiration

2010-04-16T14:25:00.000-07:00

Restless cleaning up energy made me see all these things today, lots of red huh. I'm paring down the inside from toys, books & piles of projects, trying to get to a clean, fresh ( spring ) feel. Moving our life outside is so pleasent but it does take a toll on our floors. Random thoughts on a sunny windy friday afternoon. Hopeing to have a productive gardening weekend, cross your fingers for me.
Happy weekend everyone.

photos:
1) a print I bought here, finally found a good spot for it this afternoon, great words to live by.
2) these fantastic red boots that have been though so many little feet, finally made their way back to Oscar just in time for mucky gardening.
3) Another piece acquired this winter from Adam, a great musician & artist.
4) The first tulips bloomed this morning. Our house guests are horse folks, so I thought this bottle would be perfect.
5)This crazy book with fantastic illustrations.

farm & forest buttons

2010-04-08T12:25:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the most recent ( and finished) handwork projects I've done. I think I'll call them the farm & forest buttons. My interest in these started when I couldn't for the life of me embroider a chicken head, not super happy with this one either really, and I thought these buttons would be good practice. I looked in vintage story books nabbed from my mom's place ( sorry mom ) wanting the portraits to look like old illustrations. I really love the way the sheep turned out and the bear. I have a goose, wolf, fox & a mouse in the works. Now what should these go on? esty or hoard?
some embroidery books I used for this project:
Kyuuto : Japanese Crafts! Wooly Embroidery
&
The complete book of embroidery stitches

homemade ricotta

2010-04-06T19:01:00.000-07:00

I have these fantasy's sometimes of making my own butter, cheese, bread, clothes, bean bags & toys, and any other item that seems within my reach of abilities but aren't equipped yet with the rite stuff. While I do do some of these things on that small list I don't claim that they are very good or anything to brag about. ( A recent 6 year old guest said during lunch " I wish you had some regular bread" it hurt a little I admit. )
But I made ricotta today that f'n rocked !! At my workplace there is a free bin & there on sunday night were 4 quarts of spoiled whole milk, perfect for making ricotta. So after lunch today, I found this recipe and made some while hanging out in the kitchen with Felix. I have made ricotta before, but I remembered sitting over the pot for 45 min. waiting waiting waiting, but this seemed so easy. Maybe it was because I didn't have any $ in it or that I'm finally beginning to trust myself. We had it for dinner with fish, capers, tomatoes & couscous. And will have it tomorrow with maple syrup drizzled and maybe maybe I'll try a custard recipe I found. Or what else should I do????

April

2010-04-01T14:00:00.000-07:00

A few views from the morning.
This electric blue is wonderful isn't it?

A shelf in the kitchen, which is collecting yellow pretty things. While cleaning up I realized this was oscar's birthday candle, thought I would save it. A good friend has her children's birthday candles in little jars, which I think is the sweetest thing. I think this vintage duck banjo tea cup is perfect to hold oscar's wish.

A beautiful piece of maple veneer Todd dyed a while back. I planted sweet peas under this little structure last week in he herb garden, I hope they come up soon.

We're making some changes around our house so I may not see everyone for a while, back to work for this mama. I feel so thankful that I've gotten to sped 4 years with my guys. When I get a moment I'll post what's new in our neck of the woods. Be sure I'll be looking at what you all post everyday.
Happy April everyone.

2

2010-03-31T11:59:00.000-07:00

Oscar turned 2 today. He woke up to a house full of balloons, which he is still obsessed with. We had a sweet little party for him outside, unbelievable 70' weather for March 31 in Wisconsin. While I usually try to get a few handmade gits for my kiddo's nothing this year really jumped out at me. Thankfully I have extremely loving and creative friends who gave him the most thoughtful presents, including an Oscar Hotdog shirt ( the party theme) and a felt book where he play his very own mr. potato head. I did make hats using that weird foam sheets, our buddy Cyrus is modeling the viking version. A bean bag toss & cupcakes rounded out the morning. An exhausted little boy is napping now and will wake to a new balance bike. Oh the places he will go.

cook book organization

2010-03-25T15:37:00.000-07:00

We tend to cook three meals a day in our kitchen, so our cookbooks got a lot of use. My Joy of Cooking is looking a lot like my mom's, broken binding and sugared pages. But they were getting a little overwhelming lately, normally piled on top of the fridge looking as if they might fall at any moment. So this is my little fix up. I like that we can still access our books when needed but the clean space above the fridge makes me calm.

in the morning

2010-03-25T05:38:00.000-07:00

A quiet moment, before the cereal and lost socks, boots & a sword, no one is awake.

liquid gold - homemade maple syrup

2010-03-21T07:46:00.000-07:00

A few weeks back I posted about taping the trees in our yard, another experiment in our urban homesteading.
I'll be damned, it worked ! Now credit is givin where credit is due, Todd did about everything, except digging the buckets out of the dumpster at my work. A friend had the taps, after the initial tapping of 3 trees in our yard & 8 across the street we yielded 35 gallons of sap. Which boiled down to about 1 gallon of syrup.
here's a good link if you want to do it too!

A bunch went to the maple syrup festival yesterday, where families could come and see the whole process.

Besides having pancakes I also made a Maple Cheesecake for guests last week. Ironically I forgot the sugar but the maple syrup provided enough sweetness for everyone.
After giving pints of homemade syrup to those who helped we have about 10 left over, now we have to make that last until next year. Do you have any favorite things to eat with maple syrup?

Snippits v.2

2010-03-18T13:31:00.000-07:00

I'm participating in a collaborative art piece put together by my good friend Elizabeth, and you can too!

Here's my response to her words.

Tin Pail by Elizabeth @ clarity-chaos.com

And when she finally spoke, her words dropped like pebbles in a tin pail.

You may need an explanation for this one. When I read Elizabeth's second snippit I first thought of the buckets hanging on our trees outside collecting sap, an easy response to her collaborative project. But than I saw my husbands shoes, the shoes he bought for our wedding, the nicest ones he has ( no judging ! ) These have been worn a lot lately because of the losses our family has had recently. Elizabeth's words made me remember that early morning phone call, a quiet voice saying those heavy words ' he's gone.'
a somber response I know, but it's real for me.

back on the porch

2010-03-17T12:11:00.000-07:00

It's that time again, to get these two rambunctious kids out of my living room and onto the front porch. I'm realizing this is an annual event. A great time to purge, tidy up and give new energy to old toys. It's also a perfect opportunity to gather toys to sell at this event. So out with the old and hopefully not too much new. This year I've added a larger folding table so we can have meals out here and I can work while they play (yeah rite! ). I've also added an art box, I've seen them at friends houses and loved them. My two are not the most art orientated guys, but maybe this will be a good way for them to explore on their own because I realize that I am the one who ruins art time. ahhhhh, anyway.

More art from me coming soon I hope. I have some embroidered covered buttons I'm finishing and I'm taking a screenprinting workshop this weekend and I have high hopes it will result in a whole new direction.

I hope to post about Elizabeth's 'Snippits' project this week too. Check it out, a great idea to get the creative juices flowing.

a quick project

2010-03-11T11:44:00.000-08:00

I bought this old cheese mold last summer in hopes of using it to store root vegetables. As it turned out this was not a very good potato bucket. So it sat, like so many other items, in our basement, a treasure trove of cool old things. Well, it just got elevated to first floor status, as my knitting box. The overflowing basket of yarn & needles in the wardrobe was getting to be too much. So I made a quick cloth lining, organized all my yarn into one place and popped the top on. Now I can knit in my favorite chair and have a place to put my coffee.

ahhh, if only all projects could be this quick & satisfying.

spring-ish

2010-03-09T12:13:00.000-08:00

Carhartt coveralls, a spring must. Found this pair on accident at a thrift shop, I'm not sure what we would have done without them. The boys have been outside much much more these days. I'm starting to feel OK with the fact that we're not that into winter outdoor play, so we're making up for lost time.

Spotted the first snowdrops in my yard today, thrilling.

At my in-laws place, a majestic crumbly old barn. I feel like a kid again exploring each corner, looking for treasure but finding a surly barn cat.

Sap, hoping to get lots of it. It's our first try at collecting maple sap from our yard & across the street. Feeling very optimistic that we may get 1 gallon of our own syrup.

but that would mean that we would need 30 gallons to boil down. maybe we should change it to a 12 oz. jar?

chickens scratching up the yard, unearthing our spring for us. Hope you're having a good spring-ish week.

rite now

2010-03-04T11:33:00.000-08:00

I'm doodling

finally finished with the february lady

2010-03-01T19:34:00.000-08:00

whoa ! finished, and in February no less. I am shocked and thrilled that I actaully knit this! As many of you know this is the February Lady Sweater found on Ravelry and on flint knit's blog. I found the instructions well written and once I got that gull-lace pattern down I could probably knit it in my sleep. I used peace fleece and thanks to Beth and Molly for helping me select this perfect color. Ohh, what's next???? But I think my knitting season is over, and onto other projects. Maybe homemade maple syrup???? A gnome collecting apples?? stay tuned folks

back on track : updated shop

2010-02-25T13:12:00.000-08:00

I carved out some time today ( thanks MOM!!!) to update my etsy shop, which hasn't had anything in it for almost a year, gulp. So here are a few pieces you will find at tenfingerworshop on etsy. More to come.

reaffirmation: write an artist statement

2010-02-23T13:33:00.000-08:00

We're slowly getting back into the swing of things here at my house. A new computer is on the way, husband is on the mend and while still grieving for a loved one I am feeling hopeful about the future. Since I really don't have much creatively to show you, I wanted to share this great tool for all of you crafty friends.
Write an artist statement!
Don't think that title applies to you??? well it does! So we make our kids Halloween costumes and gifts for friends, it still counts YOU ARE AN ARTIST. Every choice you make from the material, the color, the construction or how you frame your photograph is a mark of your aesthetic. So why not?? Go here & follow this wonderful writing exercise and see what you come up with. You don't have to show it to anyone, but this simple act is the best thing you can do to plant both feet on the ground and call yourself an artist. Reference back to it whenever you need a reaffirmation to what you do and why.

This is my artist statement I wrote for a show I had last year using the link.
.....ahhheeeghm...

I paint, I sew, I bake, knit, print, stencil, cut, paste and on and on as a reaction to my everyday life. Not feeling it necessary now to make a large statement about the affairs of the world, but to instead find beauty on my kitchen counter. I am satisfied by my practice of making art by doing, working, collecting, experimenting and sharing every bit. Many of you know that I am much like my three year old, often saying “ look what I made!” I revel everyday knowing that I am working in the space where I live and my practice of creating is near me always.

My life as an 'artist' has changed greatly in the last 4 years since I committed to focus on my growing family. While for some this change slows them down, the pace of children has helped me immensely. An hour has never meant so much. The material that I use has grown too, fabric, bits of trim, a small shovel, buttons, a soft curve, rusty nails, outdated playground equipment or a new book. All of these added to my typical art supplies surround me in my studio waiting to be noticed and thrown in the mix. The online community of artisans, crafters and other mothers, letting their lives and art be seen by everyone has opened my eyes to the possibility of creating art with the simple truth of my life.

The Ball Jar series of paintings and prints, titled “ Spring Collection” came out of recognizing that inspiration is all around me. In an attempt to be more self-sufficient, like so many others, canning and preserving is a part of my yearly work now. These jars, old and new became an obvious image for me. They are keepers of the past and the intention for the future. Memento's of a walk or a simple storage solution for your junk. The Jars themselves as relics of the past, labels, volume amounts, shapes and sizes all unique to my kitchen yet universal to many. The collections that live inside each jar are independent, that is each composition was arrived at through different means. The egg shells, for example, are from a story my brother told me of his travels. The beach finds, a collection sent to us from dear family friends. They all come together, uniting as a series because of the vessel, the holder, a piece of glass used by so many, but really looked at only by a few.

Lily Hoyer-Winfield 2009

so you're turn. let me know how it goes! good luck, you won't be disappointed.

see ya

2010-02-17T14:30:00.000-08:00

Computer crash, family in flux. I have a studio filled with ideas but all of that will just have to wait. I trust that happy days are around the corner, the chickens started laying again. I'll be back when I can.

squeel ... freebee stencil

2010-02-09T20:13:00.000-08:00

ohhhhhweeee, I can't believe these turned out so well. I saw a pillow recently with this love graphic, and immediately fell in love with it. I modified the E a bit and made T's for the boys for Valentines day using freezer paper stencils. 10 minutes, seriously, I want to put this on their underwear, but I haven't yet.

My Valenines gift for you too. Since I don't know how to create a PDF, the last photo should be printer paper size, hopefully you can print it out & use it for your loved one. Or if it is as easy as a freezer paper stencil, which I can handle, help me out!

the boys room

2010-02-09T11:12:00.000-08:00

I have been loving using the phrase ' boys, lets...... get dressed, go to bed, get coats on etc. With the two of them getting closer in ability & interest it was necessary to change their room around a bit. They've been sharing a room for a year now, except with a huge crib taking up more space than it needed to. So a little mid-winter shake up, crib taken down with the help of my little guys and a new toddler bed installed. A dresser switcheroo and we have the boys room. With my tendencies it will probably be moved a hundred times over but I actually like this configuration of toys ( or lack of ), mementos & cozy animals to make their room soft & warm. I tend to keep toys our of their room but keep plenty of books around. I like the idea that this space can be used as a play area if needed but when it's time to rest there's little else to do but look at a book in your bed , or your brothers. I had a vintage shower curtain in my stash that I hung as a winter curtain, it's a pastoral scene with large birch trees & arborvitaes ( you can see a bit in the last photo) . I love it, one of those hot damn! moments, it brings spring into the room during these cold days. Felix's corner looks positively 50's with his quilt & dark wood bed & dresser, both are family heirlooms which we treasure. I know these boys won't be able to fit in a room together for long, literally they will be too tall, so I'm tickled that they love to share one now and each has a space of their own.

Feburary inspiration : pt 2

2010-02-05T11:51:00.000-08:00

Everyday I go to a bunch of blogs to see what's happening. One that I particularly love is fine little day . I love Elisabeth's aesthetic, posting beautiful photographs of intreging books, dishware, her artwork as well as others and the nature around her. Yesterday I tried to see things as she would, looking closer at my surroundings. I realized that I had all these precious tokens scattered around my dining room. I've always wanted a life there art was all around me, maybe I have it already. A few more items to put on the inspiration shelf.

have a good weekend everyone.

Oscar's Vest

2010-02-04T10:45:00.000-08:00

This was a quick homemade holiday gift for my youngest son Oscar. I had some great polka dot polar fleece in my stash. I doubled the fabric & used a a shirt as a pattern. Accounting for a large head ( my kids noggin's are huge! ) I made a deep V on the front piece. Sewing the shoulder seams first & than the sides. I hemmed the neck line & the bottom to give it a finished look but stopped short of the arm holes. I love this vest & will make more as soon as this one is too small for this fast growing toddler.

This second child always is wearing hand me downs, so it feels great that this vest is all his.

Candlemas

2010-02-03T06:42:00.000-08:00

Last night was our annual women's new year celebration, Candlemas. A quiet tradition for the women in my community, a time to gather and reflect on the previous year and to think about the next. Every year the energy is different depending on the women who can come. This year was a silly one, but the laughter was much needed. In the 70's my mothers community of new moms & dear friends started there version of candlemas.

We write our worries on paper, using as many as we need. My goal this year was to be specific, to try to identify exactly what keeps me up at night or knots my stomach.

We tie them to a communal branch. All the while chatting and laughing creating a safe & warm energy in the space between us.

We take a tarot card, if you choose, to help lead you into the new year. I really like Medicine Cards. I picked the Salmon.

We slip & slide onto the frozen lake and burn our worries. Sing rebirth songs and look at the incredible night sky. Letting go of all that we need to in order to move forward.

Cheeks burning we return to the warmth of inside, leaving the fire to smolder on the ice. Our final duty is to eat flaming raisins, a thrilling treat.
We laugh & feel uplifted, thankful for the time together and the opportunity to start again.

feburary inspiration : europe

2010-02-02T12:29:00.000-08:00

For me, inspiration comes in small amounts. Than in a flash I see how they all fit together. Connected by a color, a pattern, a medium or a line. I sometimes get a glimpse of a finished piece and I start the process of getting there. Other times images & feelings have to sit together on a shelf for a while until they can be plucked down & put in the rite place.
I realized today that the shelf is filling up. We'll see how & where these will show up.....

photo's:
1:clogs I saw a pair this weekend & LOVED!! found them here
2:A poster of stamps that was leftover from a swap.
3. Vintage painted wooden figures thrifted.
4. A gorgeous embroidered Mary & Baby J, thrifted by my mom, awesome!

a weekend away

2010-01-31T09:52:00.000-08:00

We traveled this weekend. Stayed warm inside cooking, laughing & reading books. I'm almost finished with a knitting project, update later I promise. On the way home we stopped at a open house jam at chirps & dots place. Wish we could have stayed the whole evening, but 2 toddlers in a house full of instruments is an accident waiting to happen. Still, it was a grounding, great-full & sweet weekend.

snacky treat from my childhood

2010-01-27T15:23:00.001-08:00

I found a recipe recently for Peanut Butter Balls, and I flashed back to my childhood. I don't know who started it, maybe juniper, but we would make these treats all the time. A great little snack to take on an afternoon adventure or if you need a little dessert. It only takes a few things from your pantry, no baking and are wonderfully delicious.

1 c. peanut butter or almond butter
1 c. wheat germ
1/2 c. raisins
1.4 c. honey
1.2 c. coconut flakes

mix

Roll into bite size balls & coat with coconut. Vary the recipe & add any nuts, chocolate chips, other dried fruit, ferina or even dried milk powder. My own little version of 'chunks of energy'.

Felix's quilt

2010-01-22T13:33:00.001-08:00

finally, it's sooo close I can't wait to tuck Felix in under his big boy quilt. This was my first attempt to make a quilt, and without a lot of help I wouldn't have made it. I had all the fabric, some vintage bark-cloth with all it's nubby texture and a very large repeat which I didn't want to cut up. I added some wood grain fabric, some orange corduroy, hounds-tooth, vintage napkins, denim and some ikea fabric to give it a boost. I thought it would be a nice big boy quilt, to replace the one he received as a baby.
I got some great design advice from Meg, Beth and others from our awesome craft group. And quilting help from the wonderful ladies at this shop ( a treasure!!) . So in the frenzy of pre-Christmas crafting I shoved this baby through my sewing machine but stopped short of adding the trim.
I'm really pleased with the way it turned out, even with the wrinkles, warps and fudges, it's just like a mothers love rite? So now with a rainy weekend forecast, I'm hoping to finish it up while watching the Lion King again.

optimism

2010-01-20T14:07:00.000-08:00

Inside again. Trains sprawled, clothes in baskets, books in a pile on our reading chair. It's fine, no surprise, it's January. All of the closets are half-cleaned out, the fridge clean but the fridge door isn't, who cares. What I love about this part of winter is the laziness of it all. Quiet nights of reading, playing music and netflix. Happy not to be running into the studio every time I can make a break for it. The studio is also half organized, but I can find what I need in a pinch ( I think.)

And then there are the plans. For lettuce all year round, they say it's easy. Soup & Salsa ingredients, made from the ground up. I think this is the year, no I'm sure of it. This is the year that I will READ the entire book and not just look at the pictures. This is the year that the soil has been amended enough to produce something, we can take to the table besides garlic.

One great tip I read, see I'm doing it already, is to plant your squash seeds rite into your compost pile! Here are the books I'm looking at... I mean reading rite now:
Organic Kitchen Gardens, 12 Month Gardener, Wisconsin Garden Guide, The Encyclopedia of County Living and Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs and The Farmer's Wife Guide to fabulous fruits & berries. Cross your fingers for me. Have any favorite seed varieties??

learning to skate

2010-01-16T07:17:00.000-08:00

It's like a rites of passage here in the frozen north, learning to ice skate. When I learned to skate, on this same pond, my dad would bring a chair to steady us as we learned and mom would bring popcorn in a big ol paper bag. Now they have these great walkers for kids, we had to share them but it was really fun. The warming house had that same smell of hot chocolate, socks & melting ice.

I remembered to bring popcorn.

monday night music

2010-01-12T11:38:00.000-08:00

I work on monday nights, home by 9pm usually. Last night I came home to this. How wonderful, the kids were fed & happily playing in the other room. Friends passing through town stopped by for a meal and to play music. Other friends were called to join in. Sometimes ( most of the time) being a guitar makers wife is really really cool.

foxes & cake

2010-01-10T09:02:00.001-08:00

It's still winter here, and for me anyway I always want to have the oven on around 2pm. I remember my mom would make us ginger cake on cold winter afternoons. I did the same this week & the boys who were napping and the men in the shop loved it.

While the cake was baking I started this project, not sure where it will lead but there may be chickens dancing with that nicely dressed fox.

Ginger Cake 350 25 min.
1 stick unsalted butter , cream with
1 cup brown sugar, add
2 eggs, one at a time, add alternately
1/2 c molasses ( or sorghum & honey)
3/4 c hot water
and dry
2 1/3 c total flour (mixed WW & AllP)
1/4 t salt
1 t b. powder
1/4 t b. soda
1 t ginger
1/2 t mace or cardamom
1 t cinn
1/2 t nutmeg
1/2 t allspice

I made 2 small cakes with this, one for the shop & one for the house. Great with powdered sugar on top.

week in shapes : organic and natural shapes

2010-01-07T19:04:00.000-08:00

Final Day

Sorry family stuff kept me from the computer yesterday. Thanks Melissa at tigerlily tinkering and Beth at the end of this row for keeping this week of shapes going.

thanks everyone, I think I may be away for a bit, family first. I hope to be more present here on my blog this year. I'd like to do a week exploring line, shadow & maybe color too.

cao for now

week in shapes : squares and rectangles

2010-01-05T18:50:00.000-08:00

Wednesday, squares & rectangles.
join us :
tigerlily tinkering

once I started looking critically they are literally all over my house ( and everyone elses I bet.)

No I didn't make him do this, but was amazed at his timing on making his own drum set yesterday.

Thursday is ( if you want ) a natural or organic shape
Friday is your favorite one

thanks for tuning in, see you tomorrow.

week of shapes : circles & ellipses

2010-01-04T19:25:00.000-08:00

What I am realizing while doing this week of shapes is that repetition of the same shape makes the object or space more dynamic, sculptural even. Perhaps that's why I'm so drawn to pattern & fabric. Here's my offerings for circle day.

this stack of bowls in my kitchen, these get used more than our dishwasher. There's a lovely clang & shift when the rite sized one is pulled out from under & over the others.

Our sideboard in the dining room, a treasured piece. Crossing my fingers it makes it through the child-rearing stage of this house.

please join me in this week of shapes, a conscious look around our everyday to try to notice what shapes our world. ( cheezy it just works!! ) Leave a comment & I'll link to your blog here.
tigerlily tinkering

Thanks to those who are participating, I love seeing your critical eye.

week in shapes, official opening day & rules to play allong

2010-01-04T05:28:00.001-08:00

oh yippee, I'm so glad some of you want to join me. Leave me a comment & I'll link to your blog here.

tigerlily tinkering

at the end of this row

Look for shapes that inspire you in & around your home. This means obvious shapes, like a beautiful vase or a piece of furniture. But also look for shape within negative space, how 2 edges relate to each other, (like this photo). While I don't really want to tell you what to look for we can use these jumping off points.

Monday-triangles

Tuesday-circles, ellipses

Wednesday-squares / rectangles

Thursday - a natural or organic shape

Friday - your choice ( well they are all up to you really)

week in shapes

2010-01-03T05:41:00.001-08:00

preview

week of shapes

2010-01-02T06:25:00.000-08:00

Inspired by these posts, I thought a week of shapes would be good to start off this new year. Since us in the frozen north are inside a lot I feel like the objects around me need to be dynamic & inspiring. I took a little walk around my home, do you want to do it too? Leave a comment & we'll link together for this week of shapes.

2010

2010-01-01T11:06:00.001-08:00

it's a fun year to write, 2010, 2010.
in my mid-new years day haze here are my resolutions.

to edit
to forgive

I'll be checking all of your blogs for your resolutions. all my best for this year.

thanks for the great feedback on the last post. It gave me the confidence I needed to wear my shirt with pride last night. I'll keep it up if you will;)

shirt dress placket for the new year

2009-12-30T13:55:00.001-08:00

I wanted a new dress/shirt for the new year and since I didn't get anything from Anthropology for Christmas I was inspired to just make my own.
At Target yesterday I saw this shirt dress ( pj's!) & grabbed it, vowing to figure it out as I went.

I looked in my stash & found I had a remnant of this amazing Japanese fabric. I cut a rectangle of fabric & cut it in half. Placed it on either side of the opening & turned under edges. I shaped the top angle, nearest the collar using iron, it's not very precise because I knew the collar would cover it. Top stitched around each piece. I wanted to soften the edges so I added this antique trim & top stitched it.

This is about as sassy as I get at 3 in the afternoon.

balloons

2009-12-30T13:00:00.001-08:00

oscar is obsessed, absolutely obsessed with balloons. Morning, noon & night he talks about them 'pop ballooooon ?' I admit that we encouraged it for a while because it is his first real sentence but now, come ON ALREADY.
what can I do???

where I've been

2009-12-23T13:23:00.001-08:00

the pile in my studio of the finished & the unfinished gifts.
my SIL's knitting tote, filled with 2 skeins of wool ( pink of course) & a simple tutorial from here.
this was the last last last minute gift, I saw here & immediately ordered the supplies. I wrapped an embroidery hoop with extra batting trimmings ( from the next project) and wrapped more felt around it so it would be fatter. It worked well, without having to go to JoAnne's again.
(sorry about the orientation ) This year for some reason I made my first quilt, for Felix, I'll have another post about the whole process later, with better photo's.
A knitted penguin for Oscar, another one is on the needles for Felix. I saw the pattern here & had the perfect yarn. An easy pattern I would recomend to any amateur knitter ( like myself.)
Quick little vest for Oscar in this cute polar fleece. Felix is getting some pj pants made from the same material. Couldn't help it.
And a few totes for my other SIL's & in-laws, inspired by at the end of this row.

I didn't mean to make so much or to make myself crazy ( or my husband). And all in all I'm feeling very satisfied. Maybe it's because I won't be with my family for christmas, or maybe I'm trying to prove something but I hope all of this shows that I enjoy making functional art. And like everyone, we have no money to spend this year, so it was a good challenge. Most of the material & yarn was from my stash, yeahhhh! Most of the inspiration was from my com-padres here at home or online, and all was doable. Maybe after all of this Christmasing I'll get back into CCsking again with my extra time. or maybe not.

hope you & yours have a great holiday, I think it's time to make cookies!

christmas magic is here

2009-12-19T06:51:00.000-08:00

(Sorry it's been so long, I won't dwell on it, all of us are crazy busy rite, just how it is.)

When I was little my mom ( in top photo) made us feel that winter was the most magical season of all. With St. Nick arriving early in December and St. Lucia Day beginning on the night of December twelfth.
As a family we would bake the sacred saffron cream rolls on the eve of the twelfth, recipe here. We would make wreaths of juniper boughs and make ready all of our white dresses for our early morning journey. Even though it was hard to sleep that night our mother would wake us by candlelight at 5am to begin our tradition. We would put our white embroidered dresses on top of our pjs, put a wreath on our sleepy heads and grab a large basket of rolls or orange slices.
We would make our way, by candlelight, to many neighbors homes, good friends who knew we were coming too. We would wake them by their bedside, in a halo of candlelight giving them a few rolls and oranges. And than we would quietly walk out and onto the next home. The five children and one weary mother would tromp back home rite around daybreak, where my father would make hot chocolate, scrambled eggs and we would all choke down a few more rolls. We would nap on couches until it was ready to go to school. It brought magic to us, bring back the light to our neighbors and good friends, that Christmas was coming.
This year we switched things round a bit. My mom came over during nap time and woke my boys by candlelight to help us make St. Lucia rolls. Sleepy boys at the table making aliens and bears and the traditional shapes out of the dough. We spent time together in front of the Christmas tree, eating our prizes. Thinking about my siblings(1,2,3,4) and my mom and what a perfect way to begin the Christmas magic.

a big kid

2009-11-22T06:52:00.000-08:00

early labor
year one
year two
year three
another year gone by in this parenting adventure. Happy fourth birthday felix.

the hill

2009-11-17T08:28:00.000-08:00

This fall the boys & I have found ourselves, many times, on top of this hill. It is near our house, an easy stop on our way to or from anywhere. What I love about being there with my boys, and many others in tow, is the freedom they have to run, throw and explore this great park. This year is so different now that Oscar can run & keep up with Felix. I'm more relaxed because I'm not either pregnant or toting around a baby. I just pack a few apples & we either throw them or eat them, most likely both. Felix & Oscar are really really acting like brothers now. sigh........
( Notice that felix has his hill sweater on for the occasion. )
more holiday crafts coming up soon, if I can get it together.

craft night prep & potty training update

2009-11-11T14:28:00.000-08:00

Felix has finally decided that big boy underwear are worth the effort. Now it's like I get my kid back, no frustration, no pressure, no more diapers, it was a long long long long road for us. I started to really resent those who are fortunate enough to have a child who 'decides' to go in toilet. Maybe I'll get lucky with Oscar.
on to a lighter subject ....... craft night,
Tonight I'm making onion & garlic bags for my siblings, here's the prototype.

On the menu: Pear Cheesecake Bars

Chocolate biscotti, from this recipe.

I have missed some of our meetings because of work but normally we meet monthly except for December when its almost weekly. These are a few of the fine talented ladies who will hopefully be joining me this evening, Meg, Beth & Mary Jo. The others are equally talented & we keep encouraging them to start a blog, but than you'll see who I copy from. I feel very fortuante to have such talented friends.

wait...I take it back

2009-11-04T11:28:00.000-08:00

so.....I seemed to have gone through the finding inspiration process pretty fast by the looks of it. But maybe I'm just loosening up. Here are some shots from the studio today. The thing I noticed today, that I still have objects that I collected in college ( 10 years ago) that inspire me. Hmm, stuck in the mud or just good taste?

wild thing

2009-11-03T12:49:00.000-08:00

Can you tell I'm into plaid? Felix, that lucky little boy & because he was sick, this year for Halloween 2 handmade costumes. The first was a detective, which lost favor once he saw another kid welding a weapon. Sooooo we compromised on this Wild Thing Costume. The hat ( a little small but who cares) was made from this pattern. I really like the way it came out, and he looked darling. And to show that I haven't been been neglecting myself I made a new scarf, made from recycled suit wool that came my way via Five Green Acres.

I'm feeling a little restless in my art/craft making these days. So as not to waste too much material & precious studio time I'm taking a craft hiatus. Every few years I need a break, once I realize that I'm making the same things over & over. Need a refresher on what inspires me. I've started to carry a sketchbook around with me instead of a knitting project. Looking at the world around waiting for inspiration may seem a little silly, but rite when you think your searching something like this appears.
This video was taken before I even had kids, a quiet lunch in our little kitchen in the old house. I noticed this reflection on the wall and was mesmerized.
( don't mind the sound, it's just our community radio station. )

views from the day

2009-10-27T15:27:00.000-07:00

Today felt like the days when I was a new mom, only a few years ago. All day at home, quiet music on, small tasks, lots of books, nap times a must. I tried to stay off of the computer & out of the kitchen. A vintage puzzle was unearthed from who knows where, a drawer maybe. A coloring station, a tent. I know that with the boys getting bigger I tend to run them more. Going on more errands & adventures, which is fun. But today was a good reminder that to be home all day, again, can be simple & fun.

counting coins

2009-10-26T10:55:00.000-07:00

Like many others we're sick around here. The little guys have fevers but are lively & have a good appetite, T & I are waiting for the other shoe to drop, we'll see how the next week goes. So, home bound. Felix has been wanting to count out his owl bank lately ( his birthday IS coming up) so I came up with this little teaching moment. No counting, values or anything too complicated ( yet). I found a nice coin chart here, took a sheet tray & uncorked the owl bank**. We matched, stacked & talked about all of them for....about 5 min. Maybe your children will last longer, but I bet we will come back to this during our sick spell.

**Oh, I didn't take ALLLL the coins out, only a good variety.

hope you all are well.

missing riley

2009-10-20T11:10:00.001-07:00

some of you close to us know that we had to let our dog go up into the clouds last week.

I'm reallly missing him today. During nap time he would accompany me in the kitchen, making a sweet treat for later. I'm off to bake a little without him. I know everyone in my house is missing Riley. He was one of those great dogs.

weekend in the north woods

2009-10-18T17:19:00.000-07:00

Headed up north this weekend to a old family spot my husband used to go. It was lovely, grandparents & aunts & uncles to hang with the kids. I knit a few projects, and picked up some fresh cranberries ( $1/lb!!). We saw fall and loved it.
hope you had a good weekend too.

sitting down?

2009-10-14T14:32:00.001-07:00

Been too long. Life's a whirlwind here at my house, as I'm sure yours is too. 2 season's worth of clothing everywhere, moving toys inside from here, and the general juggling of home.
I think the last time I sat down with the boys was to do this button sorting project. Now nicley displayed in our living room. I was surprised at how many different shades of gray, black, white & off white there were. I'll have to do a color chart with buttons when I have a free week or so.
hope this seasonal transition is treating you well, best of intentions to get back here soon.
Lily

thirty

2009-09-08T07:56:00.001-07:00

My little Oscar is a scratcher. Since I knew I couldn't be around him at the party I tagged him so all other parents would know. Pick up your kids when he's around.
Dancing in the shop after hours. Thanks T for putting in that new floor !
Todd on the guitar, Tim on fiddle, Karl on Base, Peter on banjo, and others made up the band for the evening.
After the potluck and a happy birthday song we started to dance. Jessie was the caller, a farmer & fine fiddler himself, he got everyone moving.
Flower prep the night before.

Thanks to everyone for coming and thanks to my family for helping me put on the party that I had in my mind. " wouldn't it be great if we could square-dance in the backyard!? " If this is what Thirty looks like I'm so in. Babies at our feet asking for another piece of watermelon. Friends picking up any child who needs help while maintaining a spirited conversation with a neighbor. Musicians who can grill chicken, and Family who will pick things up where you left off.
I think we'll do this again.

Orton Park Festival

2009-09-01T20:51:00.000-07:00

it's hard to choose.
maybe a little of everything.
the hardworking bakers, taking a well deserved break.
(photo taken by my dad) Oscar & I rearranging the bakery on the table.

In my town, Madison, Wi, on the east side of that town there are 4 + festivals a summer. All held in a beautiful neighborhood park. Local restaurants provide food, the boy-scouts provide the games and the best lineup of music you can hear north of Chicago. The Waterfront festival, Le Fet de Marquette and The Orton Park Festival, to name a few.

I grew up next to Orton Park and have volunteered for these events since I was 5. The best, the best best best of these events ( in my bakerly opinion ) is the Jazz Brunch. Held Sunday morning, on the last day of the orton park fextival this little bake sale is the best one you have EVER been to. Neighborhood folks donate dozens of bakery, like red velvet cupcakes, feta & phylo torte, scones, muffins, grits, quiches, macaroons, I could go on & on. Everything is $1 each. All the money is donated to the neighborhood association for free summer camp for kids.

For me it's about being at home again, a good sleepover at Grandma's. Baking late into the night, the healthy competition between mother & daughter as to who will bake what. In the morning dragging the vintage tablecloths & fresh flowers down the tent. And transforming the bingo tent into a proper outdoor brunch spot. The ladies who have been doing this for years all deserve a break ( MOM! ) but I am sure they love it so much they never will.

back again

2009-08-29T08:08:00.000-07:00

We made it ( barely). The boys explored every inch of mimi's farm, from the large stones to the sunflowers. While I had convinced myself that I would get a rest, I soon realized that it's the same amount of work, just in a different place. We did have a major breakthrough with Felix tho, in the potty department. So for all the running around & picking up after them it was worth it.
Now that we're back there's much to do, we're having a party here on friday night. My thirtieth to be exact, a perfect time to invite the whole town over for a potluck.
hope you have a good week & I'll have updates on the goings on over here soon. But I need a nap.

trying hard

2009-08-24T08:37:00.000-07:00

I'm trying hard to be silly, present & kind with them.
To not pay attention to what's next, who's coming and what's expected.
But this one is hard.

I'm taking the boys to a friends house in the country for a few days in hopes of reconnecting with them ( and not yelling so much). Wish me luck.

squaredancing

2009-08-18T08:33:00.000-07:00

What could be our last bit of summer spontaneity, we went to a square-dance up in the driftless area of Wisconsin last night. Like a new kid at school, our little family has started to meet folks who live & play music in this part of Wisconsin. We heard there was to be a dance & at 4 pm we took the 2 hour drive. We seem to be experts now at packing pj's, a bottle, potluck items and snacks for our little journeys. It was totally worth it.

More squaredances closer to home next time I think.

a new commitment to home

2009-08-13T09:16:00.001-07:00

I have taken a hiatus from the computer not because I had to but because my attention needed to be on my house. I find the best reward of a vacation is to come home feeling refreshed and ready to be home again. Making little changes to make things work better & feel better. The kids love their toys again, mama loves her dirty kitchen again and papa yearns for his shop. Everyone gets what they want. So here are some of my favorite views recently. I illuminated some artwork and hung this old straw hat in our hallway. I really like this simple calm moment before we head downstairs for our day.
Our newly furnished guest room ( no more futons!) Since we have people staying quite often this room needed a good bed. Its a great space to read tin tin before nap time too. I hope to re-upholster that chair this summer too.
Felix's tussled bed. I made this new cork board for the beginning of his school year, in hopes of hanging up his artwork & photo's. We're in heavy "big boy" phase these days.
The start of tomato's tomato's tomato's. Roast, De-seed, cook, puree, can & freeze, repeat.
Here are our new girls, 5 hens giving us 5 egg's /day. I love to just watch them. Oscar & I have a good post nap routine where we feed them the kitchen scraps for the day and wake up slowly.
This is the best part about my house & why I want to commit to being here fully. These gardens are so unbelievable, every hour of the day people are coming & going, growing, harvesting, visiting etc. The energy that is alive across the street is immense, it wafts over into our house all day long. So we get up and do something good, everyday.

Hiawatha Music Festival

2009-07-25T20:12:00.001-07:00

Our first family trip to Hiawatha Music Festival, in Marquette MI, happened last weekend. Usually I send T off to the woods to play but we thought we'd give this a try. It worked well because we were on our way to our cabin for a week vacation. It was a great experience, great crowd and the music was wonderful. What we did not expect is how hard it would be to play and camp with a 16 month old Oscar, who as it turns out is FEARLESS!. The festival was so well organized and carried out, the kids tent was amazing! Homemade instruments, kids parade and guess who weaseled his way on stage?? Dances, workshops, funnel cakes, a great first family festival. Cabin entry to follow soon. Oh, new camera too!

Stitch Coach

2009-07-01T10:05:00.000-07:00

Onto number 2: Sewing
I had a few goals set for this year, 1: to have a show of my paintings ( check) 2: to sew more clothes for my family. As luck would have it a friend asked me if I would be interested in attending a private fitting class with her a few weeks back. Taught by a stitch coach, Steffani. So literally the morning after my opening I packed up my sewing machine and headed over to my friends house for this unexpected class. It was amazing, three of us ( my mom came too) all had projects, and Steffani jumped rite in. Helping us fit clothes, make patterns, tips upon endless tips on how to sew garments that actually look good on your body.
The second session was at my house this past weekend and was equally inspiring. It's like doors are becoming unlocked into the secrets of sewing. And the first key is to have someone measure you, here's a good form I found for you to jot the numbers down. Knowing your measurements is key to looking at patterns and adjusting them to properly fit you.

So in the que are boxer shorts for Mr. T and a shirt for me. Now back to it, I'm leaving the laundry & dishes rite where they are!

Constant

2009-06-25T13:42:00.000-07:00

No, I didn't move or crawl under a rock, even if I wanted to. Summer life has wrapped around my ankles and pulled me in all directions. Here's a little taste.
The little one has proved to be very adventurous this summer. Keeping up with the big guy. No matter what is in or on my hands, Oscar seems to think that they are only for him.
Constantly little toys everywhere. A new sculpture game for the summer that is EXCELLENT!
Constant laundry,
Constant dishes
Constant shoes on & off, bathing suits wet & dry.
Constant ball play, sandbox fights and bug spray.
Constant thought of " when are the chickens coming again?" and secretly "when will this be finished??!"
Constant garden neglect. I know, you all have of this too but I wanted to explain my absence.

My last 2 months in a nutshell. The show went great ! The opening was attended by family & great friends, I was all smiles and I finally wore a shirt that I made last summer. OH OH, before that I went to new york to visit 3 ( out of 4) of my siblings. Not being the cell phone or camera type of person I don't have anything to show for it. But it was an amazing break, time to talk uninterrupted with my maturing brothers and ever silly sister.
I try to give myself a month off after a big project to focus back on my family, and I suppose I am doing just that. So not much creative stuff except for some pants for the little guys. I do have the rearranging bug back so hopefully I'll have some house photo's soon. thanks for checking in.

Now I'm going to check back out.

final lap

2009-05-22T12:58:00.000-07:00

I'm in the home stretch for the show. The paintings are finished, but a few more up my sleeve so stay tuned! Here's most of the source material for the ball jar series. I am so excited, this is the first concrete series that I've done, from conception & sketches all the way to the gallery wall. I suppose that I could insert a part about my kids into that last sentence but this rite here is about me. I can finally say without a shrug of the shoulders that I'm an artist ( which used to mean, I have a degree in something that I can't make money at nor do I have the time or inspiration ) but now I can. sigh.
so now that I can see the light at the end of this tunnel here's what I'm thinking about next.

Sewing some clothes. I reorganized the sewing area a little bit, I hope it's easier to use & clean up now.
I need to spend more time with him, playing music.
and get out of this cold & dirty basement and out into the sunshine. It's summer !

spring trash finds

2009-05-17T08:01:00.001-07:00

Look at these gems!!! For those who don't have a minivan yet, here's your incentive, my favorite trash picks of the spring. Both found in my neighborhood albeit on opposite sides of the tracks. The chainsawed childrens' armchair came with a horse that will show up in another post ( if I can take a few good pics with the boys on it fully clothed. ) And the oak bench has a armchair with it too, I can't believe people throw this stuff away!
Thank you all for your kind comments on the last post, I should ask for your advise more often!

mama time

2009-05-08T14:11:00.000-07:00

the findings from this morning, the morel gods were shining on T apparently. He giggled.
Working on a chicken coop, I know it's been on my mind but this progress is not due to my nagging.
The dash around the table is his favorite game.

But that was a few days ago and now, it's just me. They're gone, all three of them, as a early mothers day present I suppose, off to oma & opa's house for the night. Big, deep sigh. What to do?? Well plenty of course, I'm able to blog & change things around a bit here and in my real physical house. Here's my list:
house stuff
- weed & mulch front garden
- change sheets
- finishing that huge pile of laundry down there
- figure out where that smell is coming from
- tidy up
me stuff
- have some good friends over for a rowdy " my parents are out of town party"
- sleep it off
- go to the market w/o lugging kids
- paint
- print
- sit
- listen
Indulge me:
It's been on my mind lately the limbo of this little family. Well, not the boys just me. It stems from the big question all families face , is this my whole family? Is there any one out there who's missing? maybe 2 ? Or is this US, our unit? Other families we know who are sure that they're done having kids seem so settled, moving forward. Saving special outfits and handing over the rest, sure that they won't need them anymore. Now I should make it clear, I am not planning on getting pregnant any time soon, but it just popped in my head. Who else is out there for us? I'm not the most patient mother, nor am I the calmest so adding another little one may just tip me over but I can't help but thinking that it's in the cards. And what does that mean? hmmm, I think I need my first cocktail to think it over.
Happy Mothers Day all of you
love, Lily

forcing rhubarb

2009-05-01T06:28:00.001-07:00

April 1 : My patch of rhubarb just barely poking out of the ground.
Covered with a broken pot to block out the light and make the shoots reeeeach up.
April 30th : Forced Sweet Rhubarb.
I have always wanted to try this, ever since I saw these beautiful rhubarb forcers in England. Since I can't seem to get enough Rhubarb I started a second patch in our herb garden so that I could experiment with forcing this year ( I never plan ahead!) The theory is that the leaves of the rhubarb don't open up as large leaving the stalks to grow tall & slim but very very sweet, and you can harvest a little earlier in the season. Ohhh what to make what to make, maybe just a little compote on plain yoghart to see how sweet it is!

finally a gift

2009-04-28T20:35:00.000-07:00

My first piece of jewelry made by Felix, I swooon. Is this because I took him on a date this weekend ( camera batteries were dead! of course. ) I arrived at school early today, another errand would have surly cost me in between $10 - $25 depending on where I stopped. Felix took my hand immediately & lead me into the classroom and gave me this bracelet, isn't it perfect!
I'm starting a new job tomorrow ( a little PT thing making muffins ) and I am having a little separation anxiety from the boys, so this token is just the rite thing. At dinner we were talking about it again & felix said " mama, you and I are artists and papa makes the music. "
proud proud mama.

spring things

2009-04-18T13:50:00.000-07:00

Spring has begun in our house this weekend. The gardens opened today across the street and the hustle & bustle of optimistic gardeners is hard to ignore. T & I found a little time to plant some seeds outside too, peas, beets, spinach, carrots & potatoes. It's hard to be inside on days like this, but if there's a drum session we linger.

peter and the wolf

2009-04-16T13:06:00.001-07:00

If you have visited my house lately Felix will undoubtedly be humming, pretending or playing Peter & the Wolf. His latest musical obsession is pretty sweet so I made him a set of dolls and a felt board so he could play along with the music. A lot of my gifts get lost in the midst of an hour or so but this one hit the spot. It's thrilling to see him play along and even mimic the English accent of the narrator on the CD. " what kind of bird are you if you can't even swim?? ...." This activity has replaced the pre-quiet time TV shows that we used to do, so I hope this obsession lasts.

bridge t's

2009-04-10T13:47:00.001-07:00

a quick note before the weekend starts. here are a few t's that I made for my dear nephews, who give all their hand-me-downs to my boys. Because they think I'm probably from another planet I thought I'd make them some far out t's for Easter. I really like the way they came out, the oxfords are really cool too. anyway, we'll see if they actually wear them.