simplesparrow

giving away some goodness

edited: my international friends are welcome to put your name in, I don't think the shipping will be too much. also, it sounded like a few of you might have thought i wanted a book in return--no! just pass along a title of one you love--if you want :)

I came across another copy of this great book at the thrift store the other day so I nabbed it! Books like this are just too good to pass up, even if you own a copy already. I mean, there are always crafty friends who can appreciate these bound wonders so I want to pass this copy along to you! The title is: Pictures In Patchwork, by Marie-Janine Solvit. (oops! no cover photo!)

The colors and shapes on these pages really inspire me. I love the 2 in the right top and bottom corners. Here are a few more pics. of the inside...

The book is full of color and black and white photos + illustrations. It was hard to choose what to show you, there is a ton more that are great. The author covers such topics as: techniques, materials, tools, planning, choosing a color scheme and more. This copy is a soft cover, published in the US in 1977. It was first published in France under the title Le Patchwork in 1976.

I love how inspiration can work--it's not that you always want to reproduce exactly what you see--for myself, I always want to come up with my own thing--but inspiration conjures up excitement about shapes, colors, design, textures, new ideas etc... you know?  It's food for your own crafty soul. But you guys know that already I'm sure. I just wanted to type it out.

Leave me a comment if you would like to be included in the give-away, and I'll draw one name at random on Sunday evening. Hey--you could also pass along any vintage craft book titles that you like. I'm always up for discovering new-old books.

itty bitty

After my acorn accident that happily turned out to be a good thing, I wanted to try it again making a teeny-tiny one. I only wish there was a sweet newborn head around to try it out! I'll just have to send it to this precious, tiny head  across the pond. (that was really my intention all along ) I hope it fits, I'm not at all experienced in sizing for such tiny heads! With five kids of my own, you would think that I would have made hats for them. Up until 3-4 years ago, I wasn't really doing much any sewing/crafting/crocheting AT ALL. I think I still felt swamped with being a mom, home schooling, running the home etc...

About the house we were buying--we decided to pull out. A few days in to escrow we got some more information on the repairs that were needed and we felt we would be getting in over our heads. We weren't in love with the house--the added news of more renovations then we already expected seemed like a lot of stress we didn't need. So, on to the next beast! One that doesn't need quite so much work.

I've heard that some of you are trying the muffin recipe I posted! So far, I've gotten good feedback and can I just say, Whew!! I had only tested that recipe once before I posted it (fools rush in) and so it could have been a fluke that it worked. I will say that they definitely taste best warm from the oven. I had a cold one yesterday and...um...it was fine. It didn't inspire the same level of enthusiasm I had when I first posted about them, still good, but not fantastic. Please, don't be impressed that I made the recipe up. If you've been baking long enough coming up with your own thing isn't that hard--sometimes it's a lot easier then looking up a recipe! One less step for those prone to laziness..ahem.

an evening walk

Freezing fingers, but the cold air makes me feel alive. Are you ever thankful that you are able to breathe deeply? I am.

Walking fast to stay warm, but I keep stopping to take pictures.

Patient husband.

We talk about our day, of what bills need to be paid, just chatty stuff.

A little cottontail hops past.

Do we really live in such a beautiful place? We do. Forever grateful.

Back home to happy kids eating--a friend brought us dinner.

How very nice.

puffer-roos

Had to share this with you...an experiment that worked!

Me: I want some muffins.
Me: Do I want to look up a recipe? No.
Me: Lazy
Me: Look in the pantry, what do I have?
Me: Not much.
Me: Out of applesauce, darn. But I do have pumpkin, yay!
Me: Do I want to look up a recipe now? Nope.
Me: Still lazy.
Me: So you're going to make one up?
Me: Yep.

Pumpkin Puffs (cause they look all puffy in the oven)

Mix first:
1 C. pumpkin (organic)
2 eggs
1/3 C. oil
1/2 C. sugar (natural)
1 tsp. vanilla

Then add:
2 C. unbleached flour (or a combo of whole wheat)
1/4 C. sprouted flax seed meal (super high in omega 3's)
you could substitute wheat germ for this.
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg (I grate mine fresh, try it, it's so easy.)
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
Cinnamon sugar

Mix all together only until incorporated, don't over mix. Spoon into buttered muffin tins, almost filling to the top, sprinkle each muffin with cinnamon sugar. Bake at 375 for 25 min. Put the kettle on and have a cup of tea waiting for when they get out of the oven :)

acorn accident

I'm noticing a pattern here with my crocheting..um..I'm prolific when it comes to accidents. Some that work and some that definitely don't--this post is happily about one that did. I could see that this was getting a pointy top early on, but my optimistic attitude told me that maybe it would stretch out..ah, nope.  I started this hat for me and it was certainly not supposed to have a pointy peak. I was almost ready to pull it all out when I called Noah over (kind of like that old Life cereal commercial, "Get Mikey, he'll eat it" except I was thinking, "Get Noah, he'll wear it...") When I told him I wanted to size this on him he got very animated and said, "Oh yeah, I really like that hat! I tried it on earlier" You did? Oh wow, great--It's for you. I had to chuckle to myself because when he said he tried it on earlier that meant that it was only about the size of a saucer--with a pointy top--and..he..loved..it?

This was several rounds of SC, 3 rounds of DC, 3 rounds of DC with some skipping to bring it in tighter and then a finishing round of SC. I didn't use a pattern so I can't really pass this on to you in a concise way at the moment. If you have experience crocheting I bet you could figure it out close enough.

This photo makes me think that it's his thinking cap too... :)

venturing out

I mentioned a few posts back that I was working on postcards made from my images and here they are! I'm pretty darn excited about this project. I think because it is something so totally different than what I have been doing creatively over the last few years--primarily working with fabric. My love for photography goes way back to my high school days when I took a class in it with my dad's 35mm Nikon film camera--that makes me feel so old! I still have some of those black and white images that I developed in the dark room and I can still smell those chemicals in my mind like it was yesterday!

For the postcards I've started with two collections: Handmade and My Clothesline (both subjects dear to my heart) from images I've taken throughout the last year or so. If all goes well, I plan to add to these collections and start new ones--already in the works is Things That Grow. The first 2 sets are ready to go!

Staying on the subject of venturing out, I mentioned that I had some exciting news to share. We're in escrow with a new home! It really is pretty amazing how all this worked out. It started with a conversation I had with the guy that cuts my hair. Long story. There are still some hoops to jump through so I'm holding this home with an open hand, nothing is final yet. When we found out the seller had accepted our offer we were really kind of stunned for two reasons: one, it was a low-ball offer and two: the house is a beast!! It will need some major work before we can even live in it. Now we were wondering if we really wanted to take on the monster. We decided we do and it will be worth it in the end. It has some real potential. Besides, all we can afford are the beastie types.

If this all works out I'll be short on time when it comes to blogging--but man! Will I ever have some before and after pictures to show you. Good grief :)

trees + hearts

I don't think there is a whole lot much sweeter then children's artwork. Noah has been painting so much lately. He discovered my own special box of water color tubes that I had been saving just for me. Well, they have been hidden for a very long time and I still haven't touched them--so why not let the little man have at it? I handed him the tubes and look what he did--just gorgeous I say. I could gush on and on about the perfect simplicity of his compositions and the lovely subject matter but I'll spare you. After all I'm his mum and think he is just about perfect in every way, as are all my children :)

I'm going to frame them in to a little grouping--this one is my favorite. Oops, I said I would stop gushing. sorry. Moving on....

I got inspired by Amy after reading this post to mold some chocolate. It was so last minute as I grabbed the heart molds in Michael's the other day on my way to check out. They keep all the current holiday stuff in the center isle near the registers so as I approached I spied them out and snatched 2 pretty much without breaking my stride. It was impressive.

So yeah, I melted some natural semi-chocolate chips in my rigged double boiler (I don't own a real one) spooned it in to the molds, cooled them in the fridge--and ta da! Hearts. So easy. So cute. Fun to eat.

I can't believe tomorrow is Valentines day already. I always love to give my kids a little something and I'm totally late with making what I had in mind. It's kind of nice to be on time with these types of things.

On a totally random note--I was reading Blair's post today and loved the mental image I got of her dancing around the house because it reminded me of, well, me! If you must know, I'm a dancing fool if I get the chance. So here's my Euro pop link for the day--I've been known to pull some tricky dance moves to this tune.   

pancake picnic

Oh man, it was the most gorgeous day here today. The kind of day that makes you feel so lucky to be alive. It was warm, (unseasonably) the breeze was just the perfect little wisp, and the birds were singing up a storm. Noah and I had the morning alone together and the spontaneity of a picnic on the patio was the perfect thing. I almost sat us at the table before I realized that a day like today should not be wasted one little bit with being indoors! Later in the day I was thinking how good it is to be spontaneous. Some of life's sweetest memories are created because one was willing to seize the moment. My hope is that I will always be one to snatch a moment when it comes and make it a sweet memory. Like a pancake picnic.

bright and spontaneous

When I was in my local fabric shop a few days ago these fabrics totally caught my eye. Turquoise and orange are predominate--whoa. Not my usual choices unless in small amounts, but right now I think these brights are just what the doctor ordered for the middle of winter. I'm loving them. As soon as I saw them I had an instant project in mind. Not the norm for me--shop now, think of what to do with it later--is more how I operate. I am *super* happy with how this spontaneous project is turning out and even more so that it's coming together on the quick side. (Thanks Mark for taking Noah for the day! xo.)

I'm getting closer to updating my Etsy shop (see note in sidebar) and have just a few more things to work out then I can show you what I've been up to over here. One of the "new directions" I've been wanting to pursue is my photography--so I'm very excited (and a lot nervous) to be offering 2 postcard collections with my next update. The images are near and dear to my heart (ones you'll recognize if you've been reading here for long) and it feels a little scary to put something so personal out there because it could get rejected! yikes. But if you never take any risks in life you probably never go anywhere either. I'm also exploring the world of small art quilts and a couple of those will be in shop as well. Also totally scary to put out there--but I want to challenge my comfort zone and see what happens.

For better or for worse, I do.  :)

gardens in a glass

Em and I had a bad case of terrarium fever. It hit, oh, about 3 weeks ago. I'm told there is no recovering unless you make a terrarium--maybe 2 or 3. We each made 3--because like I said, we had it pretty bad.

This project was so fun! Actually, it wasn't just us--we involved our kids too. We wanted it to be kind of a science thing for the younger ones so as we all filled our bowls we talked about what plants need to grow, why plants in jars need special care and special ingredients--such as charcoal. I picked up this book from the library and found it to be a good choice. It has all you need to know to make your own glass gardens and a section on how to make your own terrarium tools from things you have around the house. We didn't get around to making some for ourselves, but quickly realized that the tools would be invaluable if you choose a container with a narrow neck. Ours just barely fit our hands and at times it was awkward. 

I love how Noah's fishbowl turned out. These adorable succulents are just broken off pieces from Em's yard (succulents will root just by sticking them in the ground) as well as the delicate ground cover in the bowl above. Look around, you don't need to buy all your plants from the nursery. We're not sure how the succulents will do long term in the jar, it's an experiment.

I can't tell you how much we love having these in the house, especially in the middle of winter when the garden outside is pretty blah. You can see all three here.