Adventuring... to the shore

Life's been moving quickly these last few months and I've been trying my level best to slow down whenever possible to reflect and be present. Finn is really a little boy now, a wandering discoverer, a goofy little gorilla, a balanced bike rider and a sweet snuggler. He's definite about his likes (the little blue bottle, skateboards, chainsaws, motorcycles, the chicken book, shoes, working with papa and banging) and dislikes (any bottle that isn't little and blue, polenta, the spider book.) Luckily the first list is a lot longer than the second.

I've been savoring these last weeks of being able to mother just Finn with every fiber of my body. As much as I look forward to the arrival of our little one, I'm already feeling nostalgic for these days of uninterrupted snuggling and playtime with just Finn and Mama. So we've been having some fun and creating a little store of memories to draw on when our little family of three becomes four (in just a few short weeks!)

We took the dogs and headed to the beach awhile back on a day when we were feeling cabin fever and forgetting to enjoy our time together. It was the perfect cure -- we played and discovered, practiced balancing and skipping, and let the sand dribble between our fingers. We came home, tired and sandy, with a bag of driftwood to play with and a stock of memories to savor.

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

Wishing you all a lovely weekend!

*** *** ***

this photo, like the pregnancy photo in yesterday's post, was taken by my talented and beautiful sister Megan

Adventuring

Finn and I have gotten to spend a little extra time with his big kid cousins while their parents are off at burning man (if you're there, say hello to my brother Satya and his wife Tiana, they're the ones wearing clothes.) So while their parents are at The Playa, my mom and I decided to take the kids on an adventure of our own at a playa -- and it was a perfect fall day on the northern California coast, sunny and warm and an unusually calm Pacific ocean.












Wishing you and yours a happy adventure on this holiday weekend!

Time flies

This little boy turned one last week. And not content with becoming a toddler in age only, he has since learned to walk and said his first word: "dog" (or his first word besides "uh-oh" and "wow" which don't seem to count.)
He's brought so much joy to my life and it's hard to remember the person I was just 12 short months ago. I've learned so much -- about patience and gratitude and flexibility. And I feel so lucky to know this happy, cuddly, outgoing, energetic, jolly, funny little person.
Happy Birthday, sweet boy. Many blessings and endless love.

Okay, I know I promised you a cocktail, but this procrastinator has to finish her mother's day presents, so drinking is going to have to wait. But don't worry, here's a nice easy project in case you (like me) waited until the last minute -- it won't take long, and afterward we'll get back to that cocktail!




Freezer Paper Stencil Silhouette
I'm not going to go into too much detail here about either the freezer paper stenciling because there are lots of other great tutorials out there on those subjects. I referenced this one and this one.

First, gather your materials: freezer paper, pencil, craft knife or small sharp scissors, iron, fabric paint, a digital or print photo of your subject in profile, and something fabric to print onto. I'm making reversible tote bags with Skip to my Lou's tutorial.

Because I'm a bit too lazy, I didn't want to print out my photo so I chose the easy way: I opened my photo in photoshop, cropped it and zoomed in until it was the size I wanted -- about 4" high. Then, using the Pioneer Woman's free photoshop actions, I hit "define and sharpen" a few times until I had a nice distinct profile.



Next I cut a square of freezer paper a few inches larger than my image, held it up to the screen, and very carefully and very lightly traced it in pencil. Hey, presto, you've got a light box! If you try this lazy woman's method, please don't press too hard with your pencil or you'll damage your screen.



Now clean up your tracing lines: simplify the hairdo, add details (eyelashes, hair bows, etc), and make a nice curved line below the neck.



Carefully cut out your design. I've found it's easier to move the paper rather than the knife when cutting curved lines and fine details. If you cut carefully, you'll be able to use both the positive and the negative pieces as stencils.



Next iron your stencils onto your fabric. It's also a good idea to iron a piece of freezer paper onto the back of the fabric to keep the paint from bleeding. Make sure your iron is set to a dry setting, but high heat is okay.

Paint using fabric paint. I like the Jacquard brand; I get it from my local art store but it's also available all over online. If you're painting on a dark background, it's worth searching out Jacquard's Neopaque line. Use a foam brush or sponge and dab the paint on. Now test your patience and let the paint dry to touch, recoat, and allow to dry completely overnight before peeling off the stencil.


here's the positive image...


and the negative image

After a bit of sewing, you've got a beautiful homemade gift, perfect for those doting grandmothers to show off at the market. Now if I could just figure out how to get one to Finn's Oma in the Netherlands today...

Dirt under our fingernails

Spring has already arrived in our blessed part of the world and today we finally got out into the garden to give it some much needed attention. Turns out Finn is a pretty natural gardener: he went right to work pulling some of the dinosaur-sized weeds that have been growing up all winter.







(It's a good thing these "weeds" are edible!)

Home sweet home.

It's early, still dark, and quiet in my little house. My boys are still sleeping but the jet lag got me up early this morning. I've got a cup of tea and the quiet night noises to keep me company: clock ticking like a heartbeat, water rushing by outside the window, fingers tapping on the keyboard. It's good to be home.

Our trip was a whirlwind, here are the highlights:

We saw old friends


And met new friends.



We soaked up the culture


And gobbled up the food.


But mostly this trip was about Family

photo by: Tante Tinie





And it was a big trip for Finn. He saw his other homeland (the Netherlands) for the first time in all its snowy, wintry glory.


He started eating


And grew his first little teeth.


He went skiing with Papa


And sledding too.



And now we're home with our sweet memories and joyful photos. And blessed internet access! Oh, how I missed you!

A Boy and His Dog

I have a Norman Rockwellian vision of their future: a barefoot boy with a homemade fishing rod walking down a country lane with his trusty red sidekick. Oh Motherhood, why do you make me so sentimental?

A is for Acorns and Autumn

This past winter, way back when I was still pregnant and had no idea what sleep deprivation was like, I knitted baby clothes to relax. Not having any babies around to measure or fit, I guessed on size a little bit. So I now have a collection of adorable baby knits in preemie sizes. The hats in particular are tiny (wishful thinking?) and useless for a baby born in July. I recently pulled out one I knitted way back in January with the idea of dressing up my babe as an acorn this Halloween. Unfortunately, it's a bit too small for my (admittedly huge) son.



And it doesn't suit Humphrey. Besides, whoever heard of a furry acorn...



Maybe I'll rework the pattern for pleasantly plump babies. In the meantime, I'll stick to simpler crafty projects, activities that an be completed during the 15 minutes Finn sleeps. Here's a quick project to bring autumn indoors:

I started by separating the acorns from their caps and then drilling two holes in each cap.



Next I threaded a piece of cotton yarn through the holes.



And glued the cap back onto the acorn.



I'll use them as hangers on presents. A gift tag of an oak leaf cut out of paper or felted wool from an old sweater is a sweet addition.



Or they could be tied to a piece of ribbon as a napkin ring.



For more acorn goodness, here's a collection of craft ideas. I hope you get some inspiration and find your autumn spirit too!


Printable Acorn Garland by Amy Atlas


Acorn Wreath at Scribbit


Felt Acorns by Betz White


Velvet Acorns by Heather Donohue


Acorn Napkin Rings at Martha Stewart

And there's this post at www.ehow.com about drying acorns properly to get rid of any insects that may have made your acorns their home.