simplesparrow

corners of the moment

Just popping in with a few corners. Haven't posted on this topic in quite a while, nice change of pace.

Micah's party was soooo fun. It was everything we wanted it to be--a simple and meaningful ceremony, close friends and family, food + cake and a dance party in the living room at the end of the evening! And you know what? I didn't take one picture!! Horrors I know. I was to busy with with all the hub-bub. Micah took a small handful and I know one of my friends did so I'm banking that those will suffice. They will have to actually.

On to some favorite corners at the moment...

:above the kitchen sink. heart rocks and Hannah's avocado seed. she is always sprouting avocados:

:capiz shell chimes:

:the chartreuse blooms of a new garden plant:

Hope everyone's week gets off to a great start*

T.

Done

Ten totes done. So happy about this. It was my goal to finish them today and a goal reached is very good indeed. Now I can get ready for my mom and pop who arrive in less then twenty-four hours and focus on Micah's graduation party coming up this Sunday. By the middle of next week it's getting ready for Felt Club all the way which means a few late-nighters I'm sure. Time to get out the super woman cape and see if helps any :)

Oh yeah, another goal reached was learning to use the self timer on my camera. A-la photo above. It took all of 2 seconds to look it up in the user's manual, yet I had put it off for over a year. gee-whiz, what a slacker.

Back next week!

T.

they're home!

Way back in Nov., I posted  here about a little secret involving these guys--my cactus pincushions. Now I can let the cat out of the bag because my small friends arrived back home yesterday.

I was asked by Lark Books if I would submit these for consideration for a pincushion book they were putting together. I told them that they were really soft toys I made for my son and much too big to be pincushions. They really liked the idea of a cactus pincushion, so I agreed to modify my soft toys and see what I could come up with. This is the result! I was quite pleased as it was a big challenge for me. Not only did I have to redesign them in pincushion form, but also provide step by step instructions, a pattern (which meant precise measurements! My brain doesn't work precisely, it's more comfortable in "just eye-ball it mode" ) and simple drawings describing each step. It was a tall order for little ole me but I'm glad I stepped up to the plate. I have another simple cushion design that will be in the book also. You will see other familiar bloggers featured as well, but I'll let them share that :)

You can pre-order the book from Amazon here . I believe it's due out in November. Yay!

So, progress has been made in preparing for Felt Club and I feel a ton more optimistic then I did in my last post! The pincushions are all done and I have cut out 10 totes, 10 liners, and 20 straps! I never thought I could ever make so much at once and this has come as a pleasant surprise. Not that I'm signing up to do this again any time soon mind you..ahem.

Look, my first hydrangea bloom of the season. I spotted it this morning through my living room window.

If I'm lucky, this bush will be prolific as in years past and fill my front window with poufs of beautiful color. What a treat.

Thank you so much (again!) for your sweet comments on my last post. You guys are all so sweet, and several of you know what I'm talking about or will very soon. I appreciate you sharing with me as well.

driving down that road again

I didn't plan to be away from my blog for quite so long. It's been a week..eesh. I foresee my blog getting the back burner in the weeks to come, I'm afraid. I'm a bit sad about that because I so enjoy coming here to visit with all of you. As you know I'll be doing the Felt Club on July 15th and would you like to know just how much I've made in prep for that? 20 pincushions. And they are not even all finished. That's it. I can't even believe it. I'm so behind. But not because I've been a couch potato. The list of other things going on is long. It has all been good stuff, and I knew when I applied for Felt Club that I was taking on a lot, knowing how busy my summer was looking already.

Coming up at the end of the week we will be celebrating my second son's graduation with a ceremony and party at our home. This is our second graduate from our home school. Yet again I'm going through the bitter-sweet emotions of realizing that another child has grown up. I don't like this part of being a parent. I don't like letting go. 

Please don't misunderstand me, I'm not a controlling mom hanging on to the ankles of my kids begging them to just stay home for the rest of their lives. Not at all. Mark and I stand on the edge of our nest, watching with pride and support as our adult children fly off to start their own lives. And then when they're not looking, we shed our tears.

For so long we were a family with babies, then with babies and young children, then all young children but always together. And then one of them was grown. And now a second one is. We aren't always together. It's a new season for us as we watch what was the picture of our family change and take new shape. It's an adjustment, a shifting that comes with some heartache, that of letting go.

Before this becomes a real downer of a post, let me say that there is so very much to celebrate, to reflect on with joy, to simply just smile big about--in seeing your children become adults. By God's grace Mark and I have poured our lives into our kids and one by one we are reaping the fruit of a job well done. Did we do things perfectly? Not even. So many mistakes along the way. But our heart was right, and we always tried to make sure our kids new that. That we loved them more then anything. That they were our life.

I certainly didn't expect to get into all this when I sat down to write. My thoughts just took a turn down that road I guess and I decided to keep driving. The blue sky above is a view from my patio. I had a quiet moment to do one of my very favorite things in the midst of all the business and emotions of the past weeks, and that was to just sit and stare at that gorgeous sky---and to take a photo of my feet. If you have been reading here for a while, you know I have a special fondness for feet. Too bad I leave ratty nail polish on them for waaaaay too long.

Thank you for listening to me share my heart today. xo.

 

sock and glove cuteness

Melissa from Penguin Publishing Group asked me a while back if I would be interested in reviewing this book, Sock and Glove by Miyako Kanamori. Getting to this has taken much longer then I ever intended as I've had the book for a few weeks now. Just too much going on around here! Plus, I really wanted to post my review after I had made the adorable little elephant that charmed my socks off!! (yep, right off and into a wee sock ele)

This book was originally published in Japanese and is now in English. Oh please tell me this is a sign of things to come---Japanese craft books in English!! The book is full of adorable creatures to make from socks and gloves. How clever the author was to think of the different ways you can cut up socks and gloves and then fashion such cute critters! The animals are all charming in their simplicity and the directions clear and easy. Although I do need much practice in hand sewing limbs and heads on! That's not easy if you want it to look tidy.

Along with the elephant, I was quite smitten with this fish. It's crazy simple and makes me laugh. Not to mention that chair it's sitting on is rad.

The book has several animals to make (I've given you just a tiny peek) plus patterns for some simple clothing to outfit them in. Too cute.

I finished up this little guy this morning and then asked Noah what name we should give it. I suggested making it a girl this time and calling her Elenore (I'm so prosaic sometimes) He just looked at me with a look that said "get real, mom" and told me that it will be a boy and his name will be Fred.

Meet Fred.

I secretly call her Elenore.

(many thanks for the birthday wishes for Hannah (she loved them!) and for the Felt Club support! xo.)

sewing like crazy

It was a long shot I was sure, but still, I applied. And HOLY SMOKES they accepted me! When I got the email I think I must have just stared at it with my mouth gaping open for about 30 seconds. The very best part is that my dear friend Emily got in too, and we will be sharing a table together! We have both been questioning our sanity over this deal, wondering what in the heck got into us to think we could pull this off---neither of us have any inventory to speak of and very little time to sew in between regular life and taking care of our families. But, we have already paid our vendor fee and there's nothing like cash already spent to help motivate you to MAKE IT WORK! Really though, we are super excited and in the end I know we will both have a nice little pile of offerings for the shoppers. You can go to Felt Club here and check it out. If you live in the LA area come and say hi! I would love to meet you.

Before I head back to the corner I will be living in for the next 6 weeks (and believe me, it is not so nice and tidy now!) let me show you something that gave me a big smile. Noah has suddenly fallen in love with this tail. Remember, there was a time when he didn't feel such devotion.

she turns 13

Happy brithday my little love, keep spreading sunshine where ever you go. xox.