Urban Paisley

When April becomes Summer...

2010-04-08T10:47:00.001-07:00

For just a few beautiful days.
And we welcome it with open arms.
Because, right now, Fresh and Warm are the two loveliest words to our ears.

Sweets for Sweeties Wednesday... chocolate chip blueberry muffins

2010-04-01T08:27:00.001-07:00

Yes, on Thursday. :)
Happy April 1st.
It's a gorgeous day here full of sunshine and perfect temperatures and the best weather to run outside and play off any extra calories consumed by adding chocolate into a blueberry muffin. Really.

Easter tree

2010-03-25T10:01:00.000-07:00

Last week, during the weather gorgeousness that was spring break, Ethan and I carried a basket of yarn and eggs and coffee cans headed for the recycling bin to the back porch and made an Easter tree.

We wrapped the outside of the containers with jute and yarn. Ethan repurposed an old Halloween luminary by wrapping it with jute twine and covering the bat and star cut outs.

The fates of late winter winds and roofers working gave us the most perfect dogwood branch to use as the tree. We rescued it from the front yard and have been saving it for weeks.

We put it into floral foam and then filled the container with as many rocks and stones as we could. The more bottom heavy the container, the better.

The eggs are covered with tacky glue and wrapped with yarn just like the containers.
So far we have a dozen.

Sweets for Sweeties Wednesday

2010-03-17T06:19:00.001-07:00

What's at the end of your rainbow?
I hope that it's lots of sweetness and smiles and luck.

Fresh Air

2010-03-16T12:28:00.000-07:00

I have such a crush on this color combination this season.
Moss green, spring green, robin's egg blue.
So dreamy.
I'm celebrating by finally buying this sweet tea kettle that I have had my eye on for ages.
Speckles!
Fresh air, fresh color combinations for me, and fresh kettles for tea are happy.

Spring break

2010-03-15T11:06:00.001-07:00

It's Spring break this week.
Even though it doesn't look or feel like it quite yet.
I really want to netflix Gidget! :)
Hopefully later this week there will be lots of outdoor time.
I, for one, have been looking forward to it.

Until then, there has been lots of Lego building and imagining.
I love the pirates who grow awesome green apples!

And " green" holiday prep, complete with very specific and special meal plans and expectations. Which we love!

And even outside there's little bits of green that wintered over and is starting to peek through the ground to check out the upcoming change of season.
Hello, chives!

Baby's tears

2010-03-11T11:48:00.000-08:00

My mother always had a little pot of baby's tears that grew on the kitchen window sill. They need to be kept moist, so she also had this really fancy little (to little me anyway) mister with a glass jar bottom. It was kind of like the perfume atomizer of gardening tools. I loved it so much. And I loved when I was able to help and mist the baby's tears.
I found a little pot of them at one of the vendor stands at the Flower Show on Sunday.
Guess where the pot is.
Happy.

Sweets for Sweeties Wednesday... peanut butter and jelly cookies

2010-03-10T09:17:00.000-08:00

March is National Peanut Month.
In honor of the peanut, this week's sweets for sweeties lunch box dessert (and tea time snack) is peanut butter and jelly cookies.

Also, I made a few more traditional peanut butter cookies because I like those the best. :)

yo-yo flower wreath

2010-03-09T10:11:00.000-08:00

I made a new wreath to freshen up the front door.
I'm pleased with how the combination of yo-yo flowers and strips of homespun fabric for bows came together.
It isn't as pastel as the one I made a few years ago, but this one works well with the idea I have for the porch this season.

Philadelphia Flower Show Trip

2010-03-08T09:18:00.000-08:00

In the early morning hours of Sunday, we got in the car and drove into Philadelphia to see the Flower Show. I didn't think I would get a chance to see it this year and was so happy for the chance outing to one of my favorite events.

After the winter we've had here in southeastern Pennsylvania, it was literally a breath of Spring. Warm citrus colors and the bright settings of the garden displays, drew us all into a dreamy intoxication of future growing months. If only for a few lovely hours.
Still, those days for real are not that far away.
There were so many beautiful exhibits. A few of our favorites were the Soup and Salad: From Camden to the World, The Atlantic Highway from Maine to Florida with its alligators and lobsters, and We Love You Yeah, Yeah, Yeah with its super keen bike with a basket full of flowers (shown farther down) and nods to the Beatles.

This is one of the challenge class entries of front porch displays. They were all really beautiful, but I really want to live in the house that has a front porch like this. It really inspired me to concentrate on our front porch this year and make it a sweet little outdoor room as much as I am able.
There were so many interesting vendor displays as well. I think it's time to start making my outdoor inspiration notebook. I left the Convention Center with so many ideas of things I would like to do like making a green roof for the garage and rain barrels to collect rainwater. I saw a super sweet chicken coop too, but I'm not quite ready for that yet.
Maybe next year. :)

Perler designs for March

2010-03-05T10:00:00.000-08:00

Kid crafting inspiration for Friday.
Ethan modified the Santa design from Christmas to make a sweet leprechaun.
I love the chestnut red color of the beard and hair. It's just right. :)
There are shamrock and rainbow designs to be made over the weekend and I want to try and figure out a tiny perler toadstool too, but first, we need some bead supply replenishing.

Studio Thursday.

2010-03-04T18:28:00.000-08:00

Today's restock.
I love restocking the shipping corner of my studio and getting out the stamps, tissue paper, deco tape, and envelopes to refill the cubbies. All ready to pack and take to post.

This week and next I'll be listing lots of Easter and Springtime ornaments in the shop.

Sweets for Sweeties Wednesday... cupcakes!

2010-03-03T15:32:00.000-08:00

Springtime cupcakes.
I love the soft colors of these sprinkles.
Spring green and soft yellow and pale pink and white.
They are the Lets Do Sprinklez brand of vegan dessert toppings from Germany. I found them in the Nature's Marketplace section of our local Wegmans and I also think they have them at Whole Foods.
Pretty sweet.

needle felted eggs

2010-03-02T11:34:00.001-08:00

I've started experimenting with needle felting and I really love it.
These little bird eggs are only about an inch big.
So tiny and just perfect to fit in the little twig nests I found a few years ago.

colors for this spring

2010-03-01T07:21:00.001-08:00

I think that there is something about visiting a craft store that is so energizing and inspiring.
I love when I find fabric or ribbon or yarn in my favorite shades.
Sometimes I can't resist buying.
So excited for spring projects and incorporating these colors into my home and entertaining.
This month has lots to offer with all sorts of days to celebrate including National Craft month, National Peanut month, Springtime and Easter, and St. Patrick's Day. Also, a few other fun days which I have plans for.
Happy March!

drawer sachets

2010-02-26T10:52:00.000-08:00

Tiny sachet pillows stuffed with fiberfill and cotton square packets of lavender.
These will help to make the drawers smell sweet when I put big sweaters and heavy winter clothes away for a much anticipated and Very Long Nap.

tiny felted chick sneak peek

2010-02-25T08:16:00.000-08:00

Which came first..springtime or springtime craft?
Normally, for urban paisley handmade, I work three seasons ahead.
So it all gets a bit mixed up.
I'm very much looking forward to March and National Craft Month and sharing some spring ideas.
Stay tuned. :)
For a sneak peek...the sunshine yellow sweetness of this egg body chick makes me smile.

Oh there's more..

2010-02-24T17:16:00.001-08:00

Snow, that is.
So what do we do? We buy milk. Except I already have milk.
So I just make really hearty warm tum foods like lentil bbq with cornbread.
And we wait a little longer for clear streets and green yards.

menu planner refillable frame

2010-02-22T10:07:00.000-08:00

This is just a simple little project.
I made a frame using a remnant of fabric and a piece of thin cardboard.
It stays permanently on the bulletin board in the kitchen, allowing me to change the different menu plans for each 2 week period, just by slipping the paper corners into slots cut in the fabric covered cardboard.

Materials I used were:
Fabric
Thin cardboard
Paper backed fusible web
X-acto knife
Cutting mat
Quilting ruler
Dressmaker's pencil
Rotary cutter
Iron/ironing board

I traced the size of the cardboard rectangle I wanted onto the fusible web. Cut out the piece of fusible web.
Then, following the manufacturers directions, carefully adhered it to the fabric and then the fabric to the cardboard.
I trimmed the edges and straightened everything neatly by using a quilter's ruler and rotary cutter with a cutting mat.

Next, I put down a pattern of the size of paper I wanted for my menu to determine where to cut the slots in the cardboard.
I marked the placement with two dots.
Using an x-acto knife and quilter's ruler and cutting mat, I cut a line between the two dots to make the frame slots.

To hang it up on the bulletin board, I made co-ordinating tacks. These are similar to the felt flower tacks but are felt apple shapes that are assembled and glued onto thumbtacks with craft glue.

Garden Goals...

2010-02-19T10:45:00.001-08:00

The last loaf of last summer's zucchini bread out of the freezer. Those profusely producing plants did so well in providing delicious food for us, well into winter. Also, it was so sweet to hear Ethan say "Mom, you were so right! These zucchini breads do taste so good in the middle of winter time. " Because I did say that. A lot. As much for my benefit too in August when there are giant garden picked zucchini everywhere on counter tops and table tops and those sweet and cool morning hours are spent baking. Yes, baking.
"We cannot waste these vegetables and we will love this bread in the winter time."
True enough.
Can't sit on that success for very long though. It's time to swing into action and get seeds ordered for this summer. I really want to try and be an early season gardener this coming season. In previous years, I've never really gotten my act together in time to plant cooler weather crops like peas and different lettuces.
So, this weekend I will be ordering and planning and making a list of goals for the upcoming gardening season.

yo-yo mushrooms

2010-02-17T11:19:00.000-08:00

Technically are they still yo-yo's if they are stuffed? Maybe not.
Stuff a yo-yo, make a mushroom.
Be even more defiant and sew a felt flower on top.
It's what I've been doing today.
Maybe I'll make a whole faerie ring of stuffed calico mushrooms and toadstools.
This afternoon I heard birds out in the backyard for the first time in a long while.
It feels like the opposite of snow and, therefore, is making me so happy right now.
I love that the days are getting longer and bird songs have come back.
Looking out the window in the back stairwell, on the way to make breakfast, and seeing the pink sky of sunrise.
Oh springtime, this address is ready for you.

penny circle felt notebook cover

2010-02-16T09:18:00.001-08:00

I have been working on new organization for the house over the past year.
Having a pantry list and monthly menu planning have been two techniques that have worked really well for us.

I keep our pantry list and seasonal menu ideas with recipes using pantry items in a composition notebook. I seem to refer to it and use it a lot, so most of the time it is sitting out on a counter top or table. Therefore, make it look sweet.

I made one of the memo book covers in a size to fit a composition book.
And am now in the process of stitching the penny circles to the cover.

Happy hearts...

2010-02-14T10:43:00.000-08:00

Hope that your day is filled with lovely things.
Five senses and hearts full.
Happy.

heart shaped coconut macaroons

2010-02-12T09:19:00.000-08:00

Macaroons always remind me of Valentine's Day.
I think maybe it's because I love chocolate all the time, but I only really enjoy the super sweetness of coconut macaroons on rare occasions.
I made this gluten free and heart shaped version of macaroons this morning.
It makes a about dozen cookies. Just enough for a taste of sweetness to share.
Perfect for Valentine's weekend.

Coconut Macaroons
1 1/3 cup of shredded coconut
1/3 cup of sugar
2 tbsp Pamela's Baking Mix
2 egg whites
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

preheat oven to 325 degrees F
in a medium bowl combine the sugar and coconut and baking mix
add egg whites and vanilla extract
mix well
drop from a teaspoon onto a greased cookie sheet *
bake for 25 minutes until the edges are browned
remove from cookie sheets and cool on a rack.

*to make the hearts, I just flattened the tops of the cookie a little and pinched a point at the bottom and used the spoon to indent the top.

If you are gluten intolerant, please make sure all of your ingredients are gluten free.

snow in our hearts and hearts in our snow...

2010-02-10T10:48:00.000-08:00

Giving the snow some Love.
There is a lot of it these days, so it's pretty hard to ignore.

Our little piece of the world looks like this.
There's lots of shoveling and not so much crafting going on, but...

we do manage to add a little decoration here and there!

Angel hearts...

2010-02-09T17:47:00.001-08:00

I'm really happy with how this sweet little angel design turned out.
She is similar to the tiny witch ornament I made for October.
Neutral colors and heart wings.
A different perspective on February love.

perler daisy heart designs...

2010-02-08T08:10:00.000-08:00

When the weather got too cold and our mittens got too wet, we retreated inside to make perler bead valentines.

My absolute favorite thing to make with perler beads are tiny daisy flowers.
It is easy to make lots of them at once using the hexagon shaped pegboard.
Leave peg space in between so they don't stick together.

Perler beads, we love you! For brightening up our winter days with your sweetness.

Mother Nature shows us some Love...

2010-02-06T11:33:00.000-08:00

This morning we woke up to a big snowfall.
A bit of weather drama for this part of the country.
We'll be spending the weekend shoveling and snow blowing.
Side by side with our neighbors in adverse weather camaraderie.
Greatly appreciating our good fortune in having an abundance of handmade knits and the ability to always have fresh warm scarves or hats or mittens.
We are safe and sound and happy.
Hope that you are too!

I love melted chocolate

2010-02-04T08:28:00.001-08:00

Where our girl Kristin, who thinks shiny melted chocolate dripping from the back of a spoon is awfully pretty and deserving of Love, decides that swirling said chocolate over some tiny pretzels...

and then she decides embedding some chopped peanuts before it hardens would be a fun idea.

When it hardens she breaks the tiny pretzel chocolate peanut goodness up into small pieces, more pretzel than chocolate...

No chocolate should be wasted, of course.
Enter supporting cast of cashews and dried pineapple.

Love!

winter time

2010-02-03T11:07:00.001-08:00

On February days, when we wake to see tree branches frosted during the night by winter's expert hand...

Wee and wonderful snowmen are quickly constructed in the gift extra time that comes of a delayed school opening. They take center stage on the backyard deck. Their time in the spotlight is already waning as temperatures sit on the thin ledge of freezing.

The sun rises.
The snow melts.

Winter time grows short.
And elemental.

a felt flower freshen up...

2010-01-20T09:58:00.001-08:00

New school term means that the kitchen bulletin board is back on the job.
These days The Board, which is reference central for our house, is filling up with calendars and project sheets and practice lists.
A few felt flower pins add some cheery color to the scheduling space.
They are easily made from ordinary office supply thumbtacks and scraps of felt.

Cut flower shapes from circles of felt.
My circles measured about 1.25 inches in diameter.

The thumbtack becomes the center of the felt flower petals.
The tack can either be left bare, like I did with the yellow ones, or a small felt circle can be glued on top to make the center another color.

Light at the end of the tunnel...

2010-01-18T07:39:00.000-08:00

Yes, I know we've merely hit the tip of the iceberg on wintertime. But still, I love when the weather warms up on January days and gives us a memory refresher of what it is like not to have scarves wound 'round...or even coats zipped.
Saturday was one of those days and we spent the day outside on walking trails nearby. Celebrating the fresh air and lack of cumbersome layers.

I am always enchanted(and yes that really is the word for it) by the color of the water and how it changes through the year. And also the entanglement of trees and vines that mimic the way my mind sometimes feels in winter. This is a special trail walk for me and I visit it often and enjoy how each season contains areas that are easy and parts that are sometimes difficult to navigate. I can appreciate that.
I've spent the month organizing, cleaning, and implementing new routines and ideas into our household. Freshened the focus.
Just like the bare trees in afternoon sunlight, January homes have their own beauty in clean and simple ways.
I'm ready to add a little bit of pink and red and Love though, aren't you?

First Days...

2009-12-01T07:16:00.000-08:00

I'm not really a huge fan of January 1st, because I'm not really a "do over" sort of person who needs a fresh clean slate. In fact, I prefer to be smack in the middle and comfortable.
December 1st, though, is my best friend. It's a beginning in a middle. It's still technically autumn, but this is where all the pre-winter magic and sparkle begins.
Dark evenings need faerie sparkle and glow light warmth.
And lots of decoration.

This tree in the family room is my favorite this year.
It's very homespun, raffia, and tin stars looking.

Hello November...

2009-11-02T09:41:00.000-08:00

What a difference a week makes.
Last Friday's abundant leaves have fallen.
Halloween, with its wind and eerie warmth and wetness, is past.

November, with its fill of Scorpio birthdays (my favorite kind) and celebration, is underway.

Invitations for Ethan's Birthday Bowl-o-rama party.
Cool inspiration for using the CD sleeves here.
Changed up and embellished.

Halloween costumes: a retrospective

2009-10-31T12:01:00.001-07:00

These are some of my favorite Halloween costumes that we've made over the years.
Hope you are having more treats than tricks this weekend, however you choose to celebrate.

The fisherman. (which had lots of accessories!)

The pirate (take one) That lip is the preschool version of Arrrrrr attitude, matey!

King Arthur

Pirate (take two)

Luke Skywalker

witch craft...

2009-10-30T08:35:00.000-07:00

A little witch to fly in for the festivities.
She's so tiny! Just about 2 inches tall, but such cute fun.

We have summer planters on the front steps filled with impatiens that are still mostly happy due to all of the crazy rain and warm weather here. They've been kept out much longer into October than other years. I thought it would be cute to make big plant poke sort of ghosts to holidayify (yes spell check says I totally made up that word. use it in a sentence today. it'll make you smile) them a bit.

They are quick to make. Cut two ghost shapes out of felt or fleece. I used fleece for these. Also cut out eyes and a mouth, however you wish them to look. Sew or glue the eyes and mouth in the appropriate places. (or inappropriate, it's your ghost) Sew along the edges, leaving the bottom open. Then I used 12 gauge aluminum florist wire and bent it in the ghost shape and then put the ghost over the wire frame. The bottom of the wire pokes into the planter.

We definitely swept the porch afterwards.
There's only so much Seasonal Leaf Ambiance one can take.

snickerdoodle chex mix cereal treat

2009-10-29T10:46:00.001-07:00

It is end of term conference time, so I have lots of help at home preparing for Halloween.
Today, at the grocery, store we discovered cinnamon chex cereal. And also the recipe for Snickerdoodle Chex Mix on the back of the box.
I followed most of the directions as written, but ended up using only about half of the cinnamon sugar mixture and half the melted butter. That was enough for our family's tastes.

Also, the directions say to microwave the chex mix, but we don't use a microwave, so I put it in a 250 degree oven for about 40 minutes checking it in the middle and stirring it, similar to what we do with traditional roasted chex mix. It seemed to work for us that way.

We found these teeny tiny potatoes at the store. They are like the babies of the baby potatoes. The size of marbles. We couldn't help but say Awwh! when we saw them. And, of course, some made their way into the shopping cart. I'm going to make them tonight with tiny individual meatloaves, baby carrots, and baby greens. A tiny trick for the eye.

tiny wet felted spiders

2009-10-28T09:53:00.001-07:00

Itsy bitsy spider.
I want to make more of these sweet little spiders.
They are done with wool roving wet felted into a ball.
The legs are made from covered wire bent with round nose pliers to make the little feet.
I found that, if you wet felt the ball a little looser than normal, it makes it easier to tuck the wires underneath and gather the wool around them and then sew the bottom shut.

gluten free monster fingers for halloween

2009-10-27T07:14:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time, I used to make a version of these fun Halloween breadsticks. There was a recipe in one of the Martha Stewart Living magazine Halloween issues using bread dough or soft pretzel dough. They were so good. Being from the Philadelphia area, and now eating gluten free, I will admit that the thick warm doughy goodness and its ease of availability in these parts makes Philly soft pretzels the one thing that I do miss now. But hey, we all adapt to circumstances. So I'm trying another way.
This year I decided to try and make a gluten free version of the spooky fingers using this pizza dough mix made by chebe bread. It's no soft pretzel, but I think it's still pretty cool!
I followed the directions for mixing the dough with other ingredients on the back of the package and then, instead of rolling it out, I formed the dough into "snakes" about 4 inches long, put them on a baking sheet, scored them with knuckle type lines with the back of a knife, and used an almond pressed down into the tip for a fingernail. I used the same package baking temp and similar timing. I think these were in the oven for about 20 minutes until they started to brown. It makes about 18 fingers.

I was super pleased with how they turned out and they were so fun to serve along side the "chili con carnage" with dinner last night. I love the silly spooky week before Halloween. I found this to be a quick and easy way to add a bit of a not so tricky treat to our gluten free Halloween celebrating.

Autumn afternoon...

2009-10-26T05:57:00.001-07:00

I love living in this area in the Autumn.
So lucky to have this national park close by.
It's beautiful for sunny day walks and gorgeous views.
An afternoon filled with color and texture that always puts me in such a good mood.
A day following pathways and trails, wherever they may lead.

The last of October...

2009-10-23T13:43:00.000-07:00

Each year it feels as though it is just going to stay warm and green.
Here I remain. Suspended late summer, no matter what the calendar says.
Then, as if by magic, the cold snaps.
There is this feeling in the air that there's no going back.
The leaves color brilliant shades of orange and red.
The light in the sky is low and tight. My favorite sort of light.
The rain has a chill.
The kind of rain that even looks cold, even from the other side of the window pane.
Branches of wet leaf wind chimes. Swirling, falling sound.
The urge to start simmering concoctions of cloves and orange peel and cinnamon on the stove.
Hello, late October.
Pleased to see you...and feel you and smell and hear you...once again.

Apples...

2009-10-11T07:29:00.000-07:00

Picked.

Peeled.

Baked.

Served.

Simple and delicious apple crisp.
Easily adaptable to our gfree family by making a topping out of butter, brown sugar, and Trader Joe's gluten free maple walnut granola.
Soft tart apples and sweet topping with just a hint of crunch.
A mouthful of Autumn.

Perlerween tree... perler bead halloween ideas

2009-10-09T15:52:00.001-07:00

Windy Wednesday.
Branches fell.
We found the two Best Ones.
Put them in a repurposed tin luminary lined with black paper and weighted with rocks.
Made the cutest wee ornaments... candy corn, pumpkins, and apples... so far.
Hung them on the branches with homemade wire hooks.
Ethan has lots of ideas, so I'm sure there will be more Perlerween fun on the way.

Gree halloween... ghost garland made from newspaper...

2009-10-08T09:35:00.000-07:00

It's starting to slowly get spooky.
September and November are mostly Harvest,
but in October, a little spooky creeps in around the edges.
Especially this year with Halloween on a Saturday and school holiday just before, there are all sorts of big decorating plans brewing in the cauldron.

What's black and white and read all over?

This ghost garland for the library mantle using newspaper from the recycling box.
I think it turned out pretty great and it goes together really quickly.
I want to make longer strands to hang along the front porch.

Reusable lunch bags or snack bags

2009-09-30T16:03:00.000-07:00

A Tuesday in neutral. Ethan needed more reusable snack bags for lunches, so today I took a break from embroidery and sewed a few more to put into the rotation. The brown fabric is a heavy cotton that used to be pants. I kept the bags pretty neutral, even though I miss all the cute of little kid prints! He's eleven now, and it'll be a lot more years before he will get to that "cute as ironic" stage in his life.

Also, I'm so late to the party on this one, but we've recently discovered lentils. Why didn't someone tell me how awesome lentils were before? Okay, truth is I probably wouldn't have listened because it has taken me a really long time to even approach the whole bean bandwagon, but this year I approached it and pretty much jumped on for the long ride.
So, lentils, yes please.
We made a version of mujadarah. I sort of tricked it out, so I'm not sure it's authentic, but it was delicious.

felt autumn leaf pillow season changes

2009-09-29T04:31:00.000-07:00

The four seasons pillow has new accessories
Sweet little felt leaves in autumn colors.

Happy Autumn felt garland

2009-09-24T10:30:00.000-07:00

I'm never really finished.
Life is like that. Cycling through seasons, ever different.
I have a house like that too.
Always adding things, removing others.
I like when people come to visit and walk through to see what's new and what has changed.
I never want them to be disappointed.

turn around a blue day...

2009-09-23T10:42:00.000-07:00

I'm having a sort of blue day.
And so....oranges and reds and all sorts of colors.
Handmade, decorated, and gifted by those I love.
Happy reminders for a girl on a blue day.

pumpkins and pumpkin cookies...

2009-09-15T10:12:00.000-07:00

So the Great Pumpkin Cookie Experiment was a success. Skip the pie, make the cookies. That's my new motto. I started with the basic recipe I talked about in the previous post. Took out the flour and baking soda and powder and replaced those with my best friend, Pamela's Baking Mix. I also replaced the fresh cranberries with dried cranberries and added some chopped up organic dark chocolate. Tada. The recipe says it makes 3 dozen, but apparently I have the world's smallest spoons because my rounded spoons made 5 dozen. Lots of cookies. Moist, delicious, cake like, autumn cookies.

I know it's a smidge early, but... this pumpkin grew in the backyard and arrived on the scene way early and I'm not sure if it will last into the actual Halloween season looking or feeling its best. I thought he deserved his due decoration and seasonal accessories though, so I arranged some felt leaf garland and Waldorf and Astoria the crows came up to keep watch over the whole thing.

They talk of changing leaves and the whisper wind of autumn afternoons from their perch by the window. :)

September days...

2009-09-11T07:03:00.000-07:00

It's almost (officially) Autumn already? Time is flying. And there is so much going on behind the scenes that I'm so excited to share as soon as I can. If you read this blog and are in the Chester County area, there will be lots of fun new urban paisley handmade shopping opportunities coming up this season. Stay tuned! :)

One of my most favorite things about September is apples and going to the orchard to pick lots of apples and make apple crisp and applesauce. I love the smell of warm apples and cinnamon. So looking forward to apple picking one of these weekends.
Also, I love when the weather gets cooler and I can do lots more baking. This year, I seem to be craving pumpkin. I found this yummy sounding recipe for Pumpkin Cranberry cookies that I can't wait to try.

August afternoons...

2009-08-04T11:06:00.000-07:00

Hello August.
Mmmmmm August.
And tomatoes.
And, for another year, basil is reunited with its rightful partner in delicious crime and I can stop drying it and start eating it fresh.
I've been waiting all summer for heirloom tomato flatbread. (Also known as Bonnie and Clyde)
Every morning I peek out to see if there are any more.
The anticipation and patience and waiting for tasty tomato goodness theme really doesn't start with the ketchup like they tried to convince me of in the Heinz commercial from the 70's.
It really starts all the way back with those cheerful little deceptive yellow flowers in May that bloom and then proceed to take ages to turn into Actual Red Tomatoes. (or yellow or purple or striped!)
But they are here.
When I was little, the tomatoes were always lined up on the window sill, so I've just always done that too. I'm hoping for an abundant window sill.

these days...

2009-07-30T17:00:00.000-07:00

These days are long and hot and thick and still.
First sun of a storm filled week.
Set free in the promise of cooler evening temps, we stepped high over wildly growing plants and harvested what had grown in our absence.

Beans and edamame.

Zucchini that took advantage of being left unsupervised and decided to have a party and get huge!

Zucchini are the teens of the garden.
Feel free to corrupt the eggplants.

I'd like it if they grew in an untamed sort of manner as well.

Thanks.

We cut some zinnias so that more will grow.

And discovered that I actually can grow a sweetpea! And it might even flower!

(and yes, this does deserve two exclamation marks in a row. Really.)

The feverfew is everywhere.

We carefully step and make pathways around it.

So many flowers from my mother's garden watch over us.

It's the ten year old version of a flower crown. Eth likes to sneak up behind me and slip flowers into the tucks and twirls of my upswept anti-humidity hair. A little present. Then he laughs because, you know, he's ten.

Oh, the second half of summer.

These days are sweltering and sometimes I just want to rush through them and make a bee line for Autumn, but I know I need to stop and remember...

These days are filled with moments and smiles and tiny gestures that I don't want to forget.

Even if they are sweaty ones.

Senses working overtime...

2009-07-28T21:20:00.000-07:00

This garden project.

I'm so glad for that little voice inside me that told me I could do it and do it my own way.

Full and blooming and I love cutting flowers and picking vegetables and getting lost in an overload of senses.

I love all the colors and textures. I love that there are no rows and so many curves.

Simple and sweet and an abundance of food to fill our summer plates with color. We definitely eat our rainbows.

Green, yellow, and purple beans, zucchini, summer squash, tomatoes, hot peppers, green peppers, edamame, orange peppers, watermelon, pumpkins, and hopefully (it made flowers, I'm so excited!) eggplant. We've pickled, steamed, baked, frozen, grilled, chilled, and dehydrated.

Lessons learned. Plans made.

Busy days.

Grandma Pat came to dinner after a day in her gardens.

She arrived with armfuls of beautiful roses.

I am a most lucky girl.

The sweetest gift.

I spent Monday morning gathering vases and trimming stems.

Now there are roses everywhere in the house.

Wild days...

2009-07-16T10:50:00.000-07:00

July is wild and filled with surprises. The days move quickly from sun up to sundown and sometimes I feel like my list is far from complete. July is the edge of chaos in so many ways. It is an exhilarating feeling, July feels alive and elemental, but it is a careful dance for me to keep from feeling overwhelmed. Good thing I have awesome helpers and, of course, big eaters with me on my journey.
July mornings with blueberries. Definitely in my top 5 favorite things about summer. Blueberries on cereal, blueberries popped into muffins, blueberries in a bowl as a snack. Yum.

July birthday surprises for sweet Heather at my sister's house. My sister and I are 13 years apart. I was 9 the year that Heather arrived on the scene. I was super excited for her to be born. Definitely a July baby. Wild, exciting, and so much fun.
Every time I start to feel exhausted by July, I think of all of the great people I know and love who are born in July....about their personalities, their energy, that beautiful whirlwind that seems to surround them. They sort of just give into the whole thing.
The Wizard of Oz must be about July. Everyone in the know just gives in to the tornado and ends up in beautiful Oz wearing stripey tights and some fantastic sparkly shoes as their reward. They all get home eventually, just not 'til the end of July.
I am rolling with that theory for now. Who can say no to the Lollipop Guild?

My sister has this really gorgeous multilevel deck that is perfect for outdoor parties.
All the best summer foods were in attendance, including crabs. Ethan had a refresher course, since I think the last time he tasted crab, he was a preschooler.
It's an action food. He loves it.

He wants to eat crab and lobster every day. We may need to relocate. He's working on the accent so as to blend in immediately for the possibility of easier access to the foods he loves.
The great thing about summertime food, I think, is that it is so minimally processed. People are so close to their food. You see where it comes from. We try to eat this way as a family year round, but it is really easiest to to in the summertime. Ground to table. Water to table. We are the ones doing the processing.

The garden, in keeping with July style, is an Oz all its own.
Surprises under leaves and over tops of branches. Fighting bad bugs and cheering on good bugs. Hunting and gathering.
Happy abundance and lots and lots (and lots!) of processing.

Rewarded with lunches and dinners where so much of it came from less than 3 feet away from the table.

This is wild July. And while it is quite a ride, it will be gone before we know it. Breathe deep and learn all you can before you click your heels three times.

(Don't worry, they let you keep the shoes as a souvenir.)

Lemonade and a visit with Betty

2009-07-10T10:00:00.001-07:00

It's one of those beautiful Friday afternoons.
All the home keeping and baking is complete.
There is plenty of sunshine and a gentle breeze.
The sort of afternoon where tea might be replaced with
lemonade and a slice of chocolate chip zucchini bread.

Ethan already taste tested a slice before I got a photo taken.
The verdict was that it tasted amazing. However, I have a feeling that there is a very short list of the things that don't taste amazing when there are chocolate chips involved.
Don't tell, but the funny thing is that the chocolate chips are more for me. I don't like the taste of zucchini bread unless it has chocolate. Bonus for everyone else!
I love making zucchini bread because I get to visit with Betty. Betty Crocker cookbook Betty. My Mom had the version published in 1956 that my grandmother gave her. I remember reading the pages for cookies and cakes when I was little. My mother's notes penciled in the margins. There were certain recipes I knew only came from The Betty Book.
When I got married, my mom bought me the edition that came out in 1992. It was important to her and special to me. She inscribed the inside cover with the same small, neat handwriting of the margin notes from her book. My very own Betty Book. My first of many cookbooks, but always my favorite. Just like mom, I have certain recipes that only ever come from Betty.
Quick bread, like zucchini bread, is one of them.

okonomiyaki

2009-07-09T09:22:00.000-07:00

Summertime is all about vegetables in this house. We love cabbage for it's nutrition, but there is only so much coleslaw tolerance before your mouth is done with all the chewing, don't you think? So when a recipe like okonomiyaki is discovered, there is cause for celebrating, and making, and not wasting the rest of that head of cabbage. It's the perfect lunch to eat on the backporch.
We make a odd little version of it, of course. I skip the bacon/meat part and basically make it with cabbage and green onions or chives with the okonomiyaki sauce on the side and minus the mayo. If you are cringing out there, I understand, but I'm just going to own it this way, it works for us. Okonomi is "to one's liking", after all.
There are authentic lovely recipes out there like this one and, for a really awesome straight forward basic recipe, there is this one if you want to give it a try.

Felt Applique Key Chain Design... Ethan Style

2009-07-08T10:44:00.000-07:00

A key chain.
Pick out a combination of the brightest happy colors and then think of the idea of the picture you want to make.
Cut your felt free form. Artists are daring. You can use a ruler if you really like straight edges.

Start with a background square. Choose your favorite color. Mine is orange. Cut your picture shapes and lay them on the top.
Keep adding details until you like how it looks.

Pin the shapes to the square as you sew them.

Then take a break because it's 12:00 and time to eat lunch, no matter what. Hey, I'm ten. Ten year old boys get hungry!

After you have eaten, sew your appliqued square to another square the same size. Put the key chain loop in between the two layers. Mom calls this a sandwich. Good thing I just had lunch! Sew around the edges of the square.

Tada.

A key chain of a sandcastle and shells.

2009-07-07T10:03:00.000-07:00

The summer when Basil was eleven, he and Drusilla cut off the very bottoms of all their clothes and wore flip flops every single day.
Their toes got very dirty.
They would wash their feet each night, as the sun began to set, with the overturned watering can in the garden.

Blue is blue, red white and blue...

2009-07-06T10:17:00.000-07:00

Two favorite discoveries of the holiday weekend.

First, what we call blueberry bashful. A sort of riff on this super yummy blueberry buttermilk cake that I found on Culinerapy's blog

I added ginger because I love blueberries and ginger together. I also switched out the flour with Whole Foods 365 baking mix for our family's GFness and it worked really well. We've made two so far. Ethan might marry it, if he could.

Second discovery was hearing about this film.

I love Alice. I am so interested to see what Tim Burton does with the story. The photos themselves look amazing.

So that was a weekend of red, white, and oh so lovely blueness in discovery.

Holifriday...

2009-07-03T08:01:00.001-07:00

Family and friends have a long weekend and I'm excited to spend time with them

and this happy weather.

Today: more old school teapot brewed iced tea

and smiling at red geraniums.

(I don't know what it is about them, but I love them so much!)

A bit of reading on the back porch

and an evening full of festivities.

And front porch bunting.

This is summer.

fabric clothes pin tote diy

2009-07-02T10:52:00.000-07:00

Laundry lines need love too...
I have loved this sweet fabric for so long.

It was from my Dad's fabric store and found in my Mom's stash that I inherited. It has cheery little laundry items on it. soap, irons, clothes pins, and the most important air drying laundry item of all.... a bright smiling sunshine!

I never knew what to make with it though, until today.

My clothes lines need a happy place to live when they are off duty.

Also, they will eventually have roommates when I find some clothes pins.

This is why it's like a townhouse of a bag instead of a ranch style.

Clothes pinned hearts because fresh laundry is love.

backyard zucchini and recipes for dinner

2009-06-30T07:18:00.000-07:00

Looks like Mr. Zucchini, the summer squash, and his cousins will be first up on the menu at Table in the Backyard. Oh how I have been waiting and, therefore, preparing for this time to come. I've got the tried and true garden quesadilla and Squash Puppies recipes from last year.
Also, I can't wait to make this recipe for Squash 'n Spirals from Kathy and awesome blog site Healthy. Happy. Life.
And, this Lasagna Tart looks amazing! from the fabulous 101 Cookbooks. I'm going to have to work out the crust, but this one is worth it, I'm thinking, so it is time to put on my big girl apron.

Upcycle glass jar flower vase DIY

2009-06-29T10:23:00.000-07:00

It is life's job to throw you curve balls every once in a while. They keep you on your toes.
The universe does not like this family to get lazy or complacent.
We roll with it okay. We are strong and pretty good at the game of Life.
It sometimes takes a bit of adjusting.
The outcome? A better sense of what is really important. A clearer picture of who we are.
The fortitude of character to defend that against whatever comes our way.

Tend to your gardens, dear. Tend to your family.
Make your world.
Swing your best at those curves.

In other sweeter less ambiguous happenings.
We baked peanut butter cookies this morning. I used the traditional recipe and just swapped in a flour mix that works for our family and they turned out great.
All the time I was making the fork criss crosses, I kept thinking that they didn't look right. I couldn't figure out what it was. Then it dawned on me. The flatware set that my mom had when I was a child had narrower forks with three tines instead of the four tines that my forks have. My mom's forks made a totally different crisscross pattern... more like a tic tac toe board than the checker board.
Funny.

Also, laundry is the new fun.
This is due to the new awesome clothes drying lines installed across the back porch posts.
Hanging out laundry is a pretty cool game.
I love the idea of air dried clothes. However, I grew up in the suburbs in one of those sorts of neighborhoods where hanging clothes outside wasn't allowed.
So now, even though everyone hangs clothes out in this town, it still seems a bit rebellious and, therefore, kind of fun to me too.
We based our clothesline design off of one that was written about at the Enviromom blog.
I love that it gets taken down and disappears when we don't need it. Because really when it comes down to brass tacks, I'm up for practicality, but I'm an aesthetics girl first.

We are so thankful for these gorgeous breezy sunny summer days that are allowing for air dried clothes and no air conditioning.

When the rain washes you clean you'll know...

2009-06-12T09:43:00.000-07:00

Because one day is never like another.
Today is...
Sunshine
and fresh picked posies from my favorite boy.
(We repurpose old spice jars and tie little twine bows around them. So cute.)
and chai iced tea
(We add one Tazo organic chai tea bag to the rest when we brew a pot and it makes amazing iced tea. So yummy)
and Fleetwood Mac Rumours album while sewing fabric strawberry sweetness.
(Most kids want a magic set because they want to do tricks. When I was little, I asked for a magic set because it came with a top hat and I wanted to wear it and twirl in my room like Stevie Nicks. So funny.)

Small and simple...

2009-06-11T10:30:00.001-07:00

Lots of things to think about lately. Big decisions to make.
I spent the morning outside in the garden, a grounded place for me.
A place where simple repetitive tasks, like weeding and raking, allow head space for more complex thoughts.
I weeded and raked and tended the entire 20x41 foot space.
In the end, I have a somewhat clearer head and a happy pretty garden.
Just after I went inside, the forecasted rain showers started. Perfect timing.
I looked outside and saw these nasturtiums.
Their new lily pad like leaves with edges turned like saucers.
The first few drops of rain settling in the centers.
Simple and beautiful.
I need to remember life can be that, if we make it so.

Currently reading...

2009-06-09T10:04:00.000-07:00

There are a few things that make me fall in love with a bookstore. First, if the building is an old house, I know there's a certain sort of kindredness within those walls. (I'm just going to own that word, kindredness, even though it says it isn't a word. I like how it sounds in my mouth.) If the bookstore has pretty, creaky wood floors and wood shelves and if it is dark in that cozy sort of way, I am over the moon with happiness. Also, I personally think it's fun when there are shelves with hand written reviews and picks. We found that sort of place on holiday in North Carolina at Duck's Cottage Coffee and Bookshop.
I spent a sweet afternoon browsing the books and found this one, Little Heathens, which I am so pleased with. It's a great memoir. So smooth and well written and deep in its uncomplicated simplicity. I think, for me, it is this year's Animal Vegetable Miracle. I'm so happy that I have a really great special book from a really lovely bookstore that I found on the best vacation ever.

A morning at the Morris Arboretum...

2009-06-08T06:20:00.001-07:00

We had a beautiful day at Morris Arboretum on Sunday. The weather was perfect sort of sunny and we managed to beat the humidity, which is sometimes a feat to accomplish in Pennsylvania. I really love visiting Morris Arboretum because it is just the right balance of structured pathways and woodsy walking areas with plenty of shade. There are lots of little secret areas to discover, I'm so happy Eth is good with a map. These are some new things we discovered this year, along with an old favorite, the bullfrog statue, which we visited first thing.

rain, roses, and gardens...

2009-06-05T09:03:00.001-07:00

This weekend is the Philadelphia Rose Society's rose show at Morris Arboretum. We were gearing up to see the tree adventure too while we were there, but it looks like we will have to go back in July to visit that. Eth is all set to go to the gardens and take photos. The weather still sounds good, despite today's rain.

In other garden adventures, this is the front half of the backyard. Yes, that is pretty much an 11 foot high bamboo tepee tomato structure which we have endearingly named blair witch project. We have high hopes for our little tomatoes. And also, super lovely neighbors with a great sense of humor. I was a little bit "oh dear"-ish when it went up, but they thought it was awesome. I guess after 10 years they are used to my wild ideas.

Many thanks to Grandma Pat and her part in the backyard project for sourcing and procuring the bamboo and adding to the numbers of plants in the Tomato Army. Love! Oh and also for the zinnias to add a bit of color happiness when I look out the kitchen window. Double Love!

My favorite thing about mint is that it makes little mint babies.

Feverfew does the same thing.

Plant babies are my new crush.

the return...

2009-06-04T10:13:00.000-07:00

We walked up over the dunes one last time.

Took photos, walked the edges of waves, smiled at sunshine, and then climbed into the jeep for the drive home.

North, but with a little bit of the south still in our hearts. We loved our stay and look forward to returning. Enchanting. I can see why people put those stickers on their cars. If only to remind themselves of their visit and what it felt like to be there. I understand.

Home again, home again...

Coming home to June and June gardens makes the transition easier. I'm so happy with how the backyard project is coming along. All of those little sprouts of seeds are inching their way to actual "plants". That is the most exciting part. It's fun to plant gardens full of established plants and lay it out and dig holes and plant and at the end of the day have a big beautiful colorful space, but there's something to be said as well for the planting of seeds and those little green sprouts poking through (not always where you planted them) and watching their tenacity as they make their way in the garden world. For a little while I thought it was just going to be dirt. Thank you wee plants, for not letting me down!

I'm still reading and learning.

Always digging.

It isn't perfect.

I'm definitely having fun.

Carolina love story...

2009-05-20T04:12:00.000-07:00

It's official.
We love North Carolina.

happy on a day like today...

2009-05-13T08:06:00.000-07:00

Orange shoes.

Wee basil

Hair dried by sunshine and blue sky.

The MiDel company for making Arrowroot cookies that have two different kinds of elephant shapes that each face the opposite way so the elephants can have conversations and kisses.

If they want to.

garden lunch...

2009-05-12T11:24:00.001-07:00

Farmer's market lunch.
Watching the sparrows and their drama.
Sparrows are so dramatic.
Red potatoes roasted with rosemary on mixed lettuce with a tiny bit of balsamic drizzled over everything.
Sunshine on my face, Death Cab For Cutie in my ears.
(Sparrows need a soundtrack)
My favorite sort of lunchtime.

a mother's day, a daughter's day...

2009-05-11T10:15:00.000-07:00

When we last checked in it was raining. And this girl was way sad because, even though rain is good for flowers and gardens, too much of a good thing is ... too much.

Rivers of rain on garden pathways and sneakers that never seemed dry.

After ten days and a lot of positive thinking, the rain stopped.

Just in time to head westward. Back to the soil that was under the feet of my youth. The soil that grows beautiful flowers and plants and vegetables. The annual Landis Valley herb faire. It is a tradition I look forward to every year. My mother went, rain or shine, for as long as I can remember. I live over 60 miles away, but it is an event and a place well worth the drive.

I love to watch the people. Vendors and others attending. These are people who love growing plants. People with their hands in soil and an earthy disposition. They come from near and far... I don't know any of them, but these are my people. I was raised from this sort of genetic stock. It felt good to be there. I looked around at so many beautiful things and I chose my herbs and tomato plants. These are part of my mother's day gift every year.

I spend the morning of mother's day in the garden... planting the herbs and tomatoes and seeds. My mother always said that is was safe to plant after mother's day in our area. This year it will be three years since she died. I still miss her very much, but I am reminded of her constantly in all things garden and craft. She taught me so much. We spent a lot of hours together doing those two things. Making projects or planting and tending gardens. So, now on Mother's day, I celebrate her... in her favorite place, the garden. With dirt on my hands and a smile because I think she must be planting the most wonderful garden with her mother... out there...in the beautiful place where she watches over us.

I had a really nice day. As both a daughter and a mother. Generous sunshine and gorgeous weather all day. The sweet proud smile of a boy serving a breakfast that he made. Lots of love and the yummiest dinner with family. And the beginning of the growing and tending portion of the backyard grass to gardens project.

Each year is different... challenges and celebrations. Home and family. Always learning, sometimes teaching.

A mother's work... and even a daughter's... is never quite done.

goodbye grass, hello garden

2009-05-02T12:19:00.000-07:00

Backyard garden project, phase two.

It's done.

No more grass.

Last weekend, in the crazy heatwave of April, we tilled and plowed and raked...and applied sunscreen liberally.

It looks empty, but awesome.

I love the potential.

Waiting.

This afternoon, I took the seeds outside to visit where they'll be going next weekend.

Kind of how you take a preschooler to kindergarten for the first time. The seeds and I had a little talk about being in the dirt and greeting the sunshine and growing big and strong.

And about becoming beautiful vegetables and flowers.

I think they are cool with the whole concept.

Okay well, I hope so.

Thai heavenly pineapple fried rice...

2009-04-23T15:43:00.001-07:00

This meal lives up to its name.
We used the pineapple fried rice recipe from here.
There are no leftovers, but requests were voiced to make it again tomorrow.
New family favorite declared.

Summer Reading Lists

2009-04-21T07:00:00.000-07:00

I love a good list. There's something about putting it on paper and crossing it off that makes it real for me. It's a game of sorts. And after lists, my next love is games.

Summertime has lots of listing possibilities.

My favorite being the Summer Reading List.

Last year, I participated in the local library summer reading program. That didn't have very much structure and was more about reading a certain amount of books. I work well with parameters and so I decided to set my own theme for this years summer reading.

I'm going to read through the 1970's. A list made of the books that people were, most likely, reading while lounging in chairs at beach clubs and poolsides, while my friends and I splashed our childhoods away in the sunshine.

I found this really cool website of the New York Times Best Sellers by dates and worked my way through the 70's. I think it's a fun list. I better start soon. I'm a notoriously slow reader. I guess technically it would be a warm weather reading list.

Can't escape the hardscape...

2009-04-20T07:14:00.000-07:00

Me, and my big ideas.
Thank goodness for the patience and understanding of my family.
There always has to be a before. So this is the before.

Phase one... the hardscape. Cold frames and space for the recycling.

It's going to be so pretty....eventually.

I'm really excited about our backyard garden plans this year.

Right now, though? It's an awful lot of stone and mud and sod busting

(which is nothing like cloud busting but that song was in my head all day anyway.)

These days, Ethan wants to be a landscape architect, so he is right in his element and thoroughly enjoys these weekends. He's watched so many home improvement shows and landscaping shows on HGTV that he is oddly totally ramped up to the correct skill set level for most of this. In fact, I asked him a few times.. "what do they do on the show, Eth?" when he and I were smoothing and leveling. I'm really glad he enjoys this. I am pleased that he appreciates the time and energy and teamwork used and was really set on seeing it through to the completion.

This project is made of good memories.

Next weekend.... we plow!

(sort of)

By the end of June it will be lush.

Just keep thinking that!

April morning sun...

2009-04-16T09:33:00.001-07:00

April's morning sun.
Soft and quiet, with a promise on the curve of her lips.
A promise for a warm spring day.
The kind worth waiting for.
The edge of a smile.
That's what this hour felt like.

hair wear...

2009-04-15T09:17:00.000-07:00

a morning spent

a little rain

a little felt

a few stitches

a few barrettes

Felt and button flowers...

2009-04-13T11:15:00.001-07:00

I love these flowers.
So cheerful and really simple to make.

Just choose your buttons and cut a co-ordinating flower shape and a leaf shape from felt.
I sew around the edges of my shapes because I like that look.
You will also need a length of wire (this piece is about 12 inches) and green floral tape.

Bend the wire in half and thread though each button and then poke wire ends through the flower shape and then the leaf.
Twist wire ends together to make a stem.
Wrap with floral tape and bend the flower to the angle that you like.

B is for...

2009-04-11T13:38:00.001-07:00

A day of preparation brought to you by the letter B.

Bare banquet tables brought into the dining room. Step one.

Baby daffodils that bloom at the perfect time and the beach bucket used as a temporary home. And boys who think quickly. Thanks Ethan.

Baking. Lots of baking. Corn muffins, brownies, carrot and raisin spice babycakes. Yum.

Bunnies! Even one that is magic and looks like chocolate.

(but isn't)

There's still lots to do, but we are together and having fun with it.

Hope you are having a fun weekend too.

Pansies...

2009-04-09T15:25:00.000-07:00

Today was a gorgeous day spent outside in the sunshine. Warm faces and happy smiles that come from the outdoors, hard work and a job well done. My little helper was a huge help and the best company I could ask for. This was the first real chance to get outside and get the yard untucked from its winter hibernation. Removing quilts of leaves from around the hosta and the perennials in the gardens. So happy to see them every year. Reminded that things are cyclical. Warm weather is taking its time this year, but things will be beautiful and lush. Eventually.
In the mean time, there are my friends the pansies.
Those brightly painted ladies with delicate features and a strong constitution to withstand the cold night time temperatures that April still seems to want to give us.
We planted pansies here and there and everywhere today.
Well dressed guests for the Easter party.

blooming branches... with paper and felt

2009-04-08T11:01:00.000-07:00

There are ways to force blooms on branches of forsythia and other springtime shrubs or trees to use as centerpieces and in arrangements. I remember my grandmother doing this. They look so beautiful. However, just like the idea I have every year for growing the cute pots of grass, I always think of the branches too late to be done properly and on time.
(One of these years we will have those cute little pots of grass.)
Ethan and I found this branch on the sidewalk after a storm last week. We brought it to the back porch and today we decided to decorate it with a little bit of paper and felt flowering blossom love.

We used layers of our favorite flower paper punch and brown felt for the centers.

Yes, I know daisies don't grow on trees.

But they do grow on branches....in this house!

Easter Springtime garland

2009-04-07T11:33:00.000-07:00

We have fireplaces with mantles in the main rooms on the first floor. Decorating with seasonal garland adds another dimension to the space. Felt is very forgiving to work with and can be as detailed or as minimalist as you choose. This is a sort of folk art Easter garland for the dining room mantle this year.

Paper is another option. Ethan made this sweet garland out of card stock and ribbon using a flower paper punch and his own pattern templates. He likes to hang them across the door to his room

a four seasons pillow

2009-04-06T10:25:00.001-07:00

The first of the new handmade accessories for the front porch.

In early Spring, before all the flowers appear, the front porch always looks a little bare. Pillows for the rocking chairs are a sweet way to make the space a bit more inviting.

I had a dream about this pillow design last night. Then, I woke up and made it. I love when that happens. I'm so excited about it. The fun design of this pillow is that only the tree trunk and the buttons are permanent. The leaves and the flowers "button" on and can be changed with the seasons.

kite paper stars

2009-04-03T08:53:00.000-07:00

Heavy rain today.
The kind that hurries up pedestrians and slows down cars.
Ten year old boys, who are anxious to be outside riding bikes and running around, press their sweet faces against window panes in their best impression of Cat in the Hat.
I can totally relate.
I wish it was sunny too.
Sometimes we make our own sunshine. I like saying that. Today, I think we really did it.
We made kite paper stars.

These stars are made with a waxy colored paper called kite paper or transparency paper. It can be found in Waldorf supply stores or I found the paper we used in the Hearth Song catalog. They also sell a book, which we own, but I can't seem to locate at the moment. So, we found the basic star pattern online here. And there is also one here. It is a simple folding technique. They go together quickly and these stars become addictive to make.

Easter bunny napkin rings...

2009-04-02T08:47:00.001-07:00

It's spring break holiday at school. That means that I have lots of help getting ready for Easter dinner. Lots of crafty company. Today we made rabbit napkin rings using layers of newspaper that we repurposed, some strips of homespun fabric, and some chalk.

To make the newspaper thick and sturdy, Ethan glued together about 4 layers of newspaper squares, one on top of the other, using craft glue spread in a thin layer with a cardboard squeegee.

While that dried we went on a walk.

There are woodpeckers everywhere in the trees today, by the way.

Trace your rabbit onto the glued layers and cut out.
We added color with chalk and features with a sharpie marker.

Make two vertical slits on the neck area and thread the two ends of the fabric strip through leaving a loop in the back for the napkin to slide through.

Tie the rabbits "bow tie" when you've got the napkin in position.

how to make felt daffodils felt flower DIY

2009-04-01T08:05:00.001-07:00

April is the month of soft yellow. Delicate and beautiful, like daffodils, holding the secret of the coming sunshine during spring rain showers. Pretty perfect for the grey sort of morning we are having in Pennsylvania today. I made some felt daffodils. I thought I would share a how-to sort of tutorial. They go together quite easily.
Soft yellow, soft felt, soft rain... happy first day of April.

I started out with
1 rectangle shape 4 inches long by 2 inches high for the "cup" part of the daffodil, the corona
2 three petaled shapes for under the cup, the perianth
2 four inch lengths of twine or hemp string, knotted at the ends

you will also eventually need a large wooden skewer, 8 inch length of wire, and floral tape to make the stem.

Form the rectangle into a tube and sew where the ends meet, stopping about 1/8 of an inch from one end, This end will be the top of your daffodil. I also like to sew around the edges of the three petaled shapes.

Make little cuts along the top edge sort of like a fringe.

Fold hemp string/twine in half and slide inside the tube.

Make gathering stitches along the bottom edge of the tube and gather together leaving some of the hemp string loop sticking out. Knot tightly.

Cut small slits in the three petal shapes and poke the hemp string loops through the slits, joining the cup shape to the petals of the daffodil.

You can adjust the length of your hemp strings and make the the height that you want inside your daffodil.

Insert one end of the length of wire up through the bottom of the petals and the bottom of the cup and then back down through to the bottom.

Carefully insert the pointy end of the skewer through the center so that it just pokes through the inside.

Wrap the wire around the skewer.

And then wrap the skewer, loops of hemp string, and wire all with floral tape.

Tada. Now you have a felt daffodil.

non-pastel fabric eggs and cherry chocolate muffins...

2009-03-31T10:17:00.001-07:00

This past weekend, I found a pattern and tutorial for making super sweet fabric Easter eggs at Retro Mama's blog (via WhipUp).
I've been on a quest for a pattern to do these for a while. I was so happy. Decorating for Easter is such a sketchy thing for me. I do not have a pastel friendly house. Really. At all. I try to make decorations that are the Easter pastel alternative. This is why my eggs are brown and green and red. I suppose the beauty of it is, that you can make whatever color your heart desires.

Also, I baked another batch of the much requested by boys...lunch-box-mini-muffins. This time chocolate covered cherry.
I start with the plain gluten free muffin mix and add some coarsely chopped, dried Montmorency cherries and a few organic dark chocolate chips. They are really good. Blueberry ginger is still my favorite though.

the apple of my eye...

2009-01-14T07:51:00.001-08:00

A new twist on February and Valentine decorating this year. I am currently crushing on making these little apples. They are roundy goodness.

What looks like January on an ordinary day...

2009-01-13T07:08:00.000-08:00

Working on some new and fun ideas and putting the finishing touches on others. There should be all sorts of sweetness in Urban Paisley Handmade soon...hopefully by the end of the week. I'm waiting on special packaging to arrive.

The sun is shining but the sky is colorless. That is January. So I found a little color of my own.

And now, I am off to find a yums and spicy chili recipe for dinner. In the cold of winter, we make our own heat. :)

Rosemary for remembrance...

2009-01-10T16:09:00.000-08:00

Remembering sunny summer afternoons spent on this deck. Looking forward, in daydreams, to spending many more days there warm and happy. Oh Winter, each year I try to embrace you and give you your share of respect and outdoor love, I really do. However, I am a girl who is easily smitten by the wild carefree ways of warmer weather months. So, I tend to spend my time with you from a distance. Behind the doors and glass of window panes. The verbs, like the season, are quiet ones. Observing. Watching. Waiting. Remembering. Planning. These are January days.

Button Snowmen...

2008-12-22T15:36:00.000-08:00

A quick little mini ornament/gift decoration.
The tallest one is about an inch high.
They go together really quickly with a few buttons, felt scraps, and craft glue.
Oh, and very tiny scissors.

Happy Winter....

2008-12-21T16:42:00.000-08:00

This weekend marks the beginning of holiday season in full swing.

It's quite a ride with family and friends, so I thought I would take a few photos while things were calm and (somewhat) serene.

Saturday, my Dad treated all 17 of us in the extended family to a night of beautiful music at the annual Christmas Show at the American Music Theatre in Lancaster Pennsylvania. They did a really nice job with it. I have a new appreciation for holiday light shows and also lobby decor.

My favorite thing about traveling back to Lancaster during the holidays is the night time driving along route 30 and all the Christmas lights and decorated houses along the way. I've been traveling that road back and forth for a lot of years. Lots of things have changed in that time, but those holiday lights are so familiar and comforting.

These are photos of the dining room, it's my favorite room this year.

Soft and simple and natural.

For dinner tonight we made the most delicious winter meal together. It was slow cooked and filled the house with warmth and good smells all day long as all proper winter meals should, I think. I followed a recipe for Beef and Potatoes au Chocolat that I found on Karina's Kitchen blog. I've made chili with chocolate before and I was looking forward to trying a similar idea with beef and potatoes. Her blog is filled with so many amazing sounding recipes. I can't wait to try lots of them. The beef and potatoes au Chocolat was sooooo good. Deep, rich, and soul warming. We ate happily with candles lit and tree lights and talked about winter and our family plans for the next week and, in the larger scope of things, the next year.

We enjoyed our welcoming of Winter with a little close quiet comfort

Deck the halls...

2008-12-15T09:01:00.001-08:00

The Prince of Paper creates a festive holiday atmosphere with his new door decorations. They make me smile every time I reach the top of the front staircase. There's definitely a bit of wishful thinking, wouldn't you say? A wish shared by of lots of ten year old boys out there, I'm sure. Sometimes it can be a difficult one to make come true in the mid Atlantic states, but we will hope for the best....after the holiday traveling is complete and everyone is safe and sound and cozy where they are for a little while.

tiny button ornaments brighten a dreary day...

2008-12-11T13:25:00.000-08:00

A dreary day with no sign of sun means only one thing...make your own happy.
Gathering supplies: the button jars, wire, and round nose pliers.
Buttons are spilled out onto the table in puddles much brighter than the ones outside that share their name.
Sifting through, and that satisfactory slide and slip sound of buttons over skin and across surfaces.
Choosing.
Colors combined and stacked and threaded onto the wire.
My tiny twist on button ornaments.
Perfect for a table top tree.

December arrives...

2008-12-05T16:25:00.000-08:00

Three birthdays and two holiday dinners.

November was a whirlwind of happenings and happiness.
So much to be thankful for and so many exciting opportunities for the upcoming year.

I'm getting ahead of myself though.

I really want to enjoy this December.

The first week is always my favorite.

Life is still quiet and calm, but there's a festive sort of undercurrent that carries the days forward.

Decorations, traditions, ritual, and song.

These are December moments.

She lives on Silhouette Street...

2008-10-28T10:03:00.000-07:00

I spent this rainy morning cutting paper house silhouettes from black card stock. I'm making streets and neighborhoods all around the doorway tops in the dining room.
It is such an easy fun project to do. The funky style quirky Halloween look is very forgiving.

up above the world so high...

2008-10-23T10:02:00.001-07:00

This is my new favorite space. The transom above the front door. Three baby pumpkins are there now, getting a new world perspective. I hope they like the view. Are pumpkins afraid of heights? I wonder if the postman is wary of them and thinks they might fall on his head. They won't. I shut the door hard several times, just to make sure.

October is for Orange...

2008-10-15T19:18:00.000-07:00