new beginnings, endings and a little in between*

the past few weeks have presented my family with many changes - a new school for the kids, exciting employment opportunities,  a change in summer plans, just to name a few. transformation is hard, but so is stagnant living. so i am currently rolling with the tide, trying to keep my head above water and just waiting anxiously to see where life leads us.

i recently made the huge decision to close up my little handmade and organic shops. this was not an easy choice to make and i am still very sad to let it all go but i am also breathing a sigh of relief. i am participating in one last event this fall with some friends, so if you are local please come visit me at my last Hyde Park Street Fair appearance! i am hoping i can spend my creative time sewing and knitting items for my family and tending to my garden and my animals and canning, baking, cooking... all those lovely homestead-y things i truly enjoy doing but often do not have time for!

i have also decided to start a brand new journey and i recently joined the Barefoot Books company - my family has loved these books for years! i bought a couple at a children's fair several years ago and then had a book party in my home a couple years after that. last month i wanted to purchase a barefoot book for each of my kids for their birthdays and i discovered that this wonderful company was sadly under-represented in my neck of the woods. after a whole lot of discussion with my hubby and some friends i decided to sign up and bring these amazing stories and gifts to my valley! i will be honest, i had a somewhat hard time talking myself into this - multi-level marketing has never been my cup of tea, but i adore these books so much - the diversity, the art, the magical tales - i am proud and very excited to share them with others!

so there you have it. wish me luck, sweet friends! here we grow again...

inspired mama MAKES! just a little update*

 hello friends! here i am, back to blogging, simply because i can. and i want to. the truth is i have been missing this space and my blog friends and my readers terribly, so here goes, a little show and tell ::

i made these sweet girlies for a market last weekend. my original plan was to also sew some little boy dolls with super hero masks and capes. and some beautiful dark skinned dolls. and maybe some crowns and pixie hats for them all. but, as often happens, my dreams were much more grand than my real life allows and the five little ladies in the photos are what i was able to complete.

 i also made these sweet little gift tags to give away with purchases. i have a tag shaped punch and cut these from card stock then glued the wool felt leaves and buttons in the corner and added a piece of bakers twine (i hadn't added the twine when i snapped the pic above) and that's it! adorable gift tags!

here is my table display at the hip holiday market. i sold crowns, dolls, pixie hats, coloring wallets and other miscellany. i participate in this market every year and it is always a wonderful time!

yours in the handmade holiday spirit,

erika

wild birds, baby birds and giveaway winners!

 the kids and i put this out a few days ago.

that is handspun rainbow merino there on top - spoiled birdies!

 a fiber scraps, yarn and dryer lint for nest building birds. we do this every year and the birds happily take our offerings but we have never, ever spotted a brightly colored nest with yarn and fiber bits. we will be on the look-out again this year and please believe, if we spy one you will hear all about it!

 and look! we have baby chicks at our house! six sweet little bundles of fluff. we picked them up and settled them in yesterday.

 this was kind of funny - after they each had sips of water and explored their new home they all settled down in pairs - the two araucanas together, the two barred rocks and the two sex links. they are still doing it this morning when they sleep. so far they are happy and healthy and getting along fine. i plan to take and post lots of photos as the girls grow - get ready!

and lastly , i have two winners for the smell better butter weekend giveaway (this giveaway post completely disappeared yesterday! so weird! but the comments are all there so no worries!)

the randomly selected comments were #6 and #18

meggie and pepperberry knits! yay! i will contact you both this afternoon and get your smell better butter mini tin trios to you!

huge thanks to everyone who entered! xo

weekend giveaway*smell better butter

welcoming the weekend*

 today ::

* rain * coffee, glorious coffee * the last load of vacation laundry washed, folded and put away * a movie and snuggles with my sweet kiddos * chicken coop building by the mister * mama made soap carefully poured into wooden whiskey box molds * mac n' cheese dinner * warm bathes and early tuck in *

a proper welcome to the weekend!

well friends, we are home from our little spring break mountain get away. we came home yesterday afternoon and reluctantly abandoned our vacation schedules and got right back into the daily rhythm of our home.

oh, and i thought i would share with you the big, huge mess my little luca made the day before we left for our mountain trip.

 this is my oven door just seconds after a pretty rock from esme's collection went through it (you can see the point of entry over there on the bottom-right corner) the safety glass splintered into millions of tiny little cracks and barely held up long enough for us to get something (our shower curtain) under it. immediately after the plastic shower liner was placed on the floor the whole glass door fell out.

 leaving me with this. it looks like it will be a pretty penny to replace the glass and i could barely sleep that night because i was so upset. but my patient husband and sweet friends pointed out that it really could have been a whole lot worse, like the new sliding glass door or our huge front picture window or the new television screen. so i am currently {trying desperately} to look at the bright side of things and not obsessing about things like the hard earned funds i was saving for a brand new camera going right into my oven door instead... sigh.

on a brighter note, i have finally stocked my organics shop with wonderful smell better butter and tiny heiny diaper balm and foaming wipe wash! and lovely hand made, organic soap is on it's way to the shop later this spring! to celebrate i am going to have a little inspired mama giveaway, so check back tomorrow for details!

happiest friday, friends!

xoxo

i am here. come visit!

hey, local friends - this weekend you can find inspired mama MAKES! at the oh, so good hyde park street fair. i am tucked away in the idaho indie works booth with 20 talented and super fun artists. seriously folks, you don't want to miss it! 

here is a little of what i have to offer this weekend ::

 eco mitts made from recycled wool, cashmere and angora.

wool dress up crowns and headbands knit from soft, hand dyed wool.

handmade buttons for all of your crafty projects.

 

lots of whimsical coloring wallets.

i also have wool flower hair clips, and fabric button bookmarks, earrings and rings and the sweetest eco pixie hats, available in every size!

as if the handmade goodness wasn't enough there is also live music and entertainment, loads of activities for the kids {bouncy houses, face painting, games, hula hooping...}, and yummy food and beer.

i hope to see you there! chop, chop lollipop!

oh hey, it's GiVeAwAy DaY!!!

welcome friends! here is what i have to offer you this fine giveaway day ::

so, i have blogged about the super rad new yarn subscriptions in the inspired mama MAKES! shop in recent weeks. have you checked them out yet? if not go take a quick peek.

first it was the inspired wooly yarn subscription with brand new colorways every month all on wool bases suitable for cloth diaper covers - these yarns are also fabulous for hats, mittens, scarves and other cold weather knits.

then, just last week, the inspired luxe yarn subscription made it's debut. with this club you can expect luxury fibers including merino, cashmere blends, silk and the like. this subscription was created with self indulgence in mind - go ahead, knit something and then KEEP IT FOR YOURSELF!

for this giveaway i am offering one lucky person a sample month from one of these wonderful yarn subscriptions - either 4 ounces of variegated wool and 2 ounces of a coordinating solid from the inspired wooly club or one luxury skein from the inspired luxe club.
to enter simply leave me a comment letting me know which subscription you would like to sample. and if you feel inclined i would love to hear what features you love or would love to see in a yarn subscription.

comments will close on the evening of friday december 17th and a winner will be chosen at random the following morning.

i will contact the winner via e-mail (so make sure you leave a way to contact you, okay?)

your yarn will be dyed after the giveaway ends and will ship the following week.

this giveaway is open to everyone - i am happy to ship internationally.

now that was fun, yes? so why let the good times end here? visit sew, mama, sew for a whole bunch more lovely giveaways!

good luck and happy day wishes to you!

the comments are now closed - i will be back tomorrow afternoon to announce the lucky winner! yayay!!

handmade workshop :: market and shop

the market was a whole lot of fun - great company, talented artists, exciting trades, the best coffee ever (not even kidding) and wonderful customers.

and, imM! shop news :: INSPIRED LUXE yarn subscriptions have just been listed! please stop by for a peek. the idea behind this yarn club is simple - knit something fabulous and keep it for yourself. just because you totally deserve it, yes?

september 2010 happenings

brand new month, brand new happenings to post about ::

new kettle dyed colorway. i plan to knit something for luca. pants probably. i have been undeniably drawn to aqua blue lately.

new bag listed in the shop today. i really love this one.

new craving for an old favorite. this chai concentrate is so, so good. in my tea, in my coffee, on pancakes and even ice cream. i just made a fresh batch yesterday but don't expect it to last long.

and lastly new and wonderful inspiration in the autumn issue of rhythm of the home.

all of the above is sure to keep us busy for weeks. very*happy*busy.

welcome september!

current offerings

{shop talk alert}

i added some fun things to the inspired mama MAKES! shop this week.

kettle dyed yarn, spinning fibers, and a couple project bags.
(there is a third project bag that i have fallen in love with and i am having a hard time letting it go... i dunno, i might list it monday and see what happens)

i am currently working on a series of gradient and self stripping colorways and hope to have them ready to list next week.
autumn is near... time to kNiT!

spin, spin, stitch and love

alternately titled "this is a shameless plug, folks!"

i listed a few goodies in the shop this afternoon. lovely spinning/ felting fibers, hand painted yarns, a few wool crowns, and a couple lonely little monsters that need someone to love on them. please stop by and take a peek!
inspired mama MAKES!

kindly yours,
erika

butter and balm!

i promise, this will be the very last post about my shop for a long, long time! thank you for being patient with me!

i stocked lip balms and lip tints this afternoon as well as another new product~ Breathe Better Butter! it is an all natural and organic vapor balm that is perfect for little ones as we approach cold season. so please check it out!


in other news, i am just trying to get ready for the holiday that is upon us. i battled the grocery store with four kids yesterday... not fun! but i am looking forward to a yummy feast and a relaxing day with my family this thursday. i really do have so much to be thankful for!

counting my blessings,

erika

that's all...

today i am washing diapers, sewing a new bag for myself (i cut all the fabric yesterday)and choosing a name for my new inspired mama ORGANICS product, with plenty of kissing, hugging, tickling, snuggling, nursing, giggling, reading, snacking, singing, and playing, all randomly thrown in.

so that is what i am doing today. that's all... but that is plenty!

yours in everyday blessings,

erika

inspired mama ORGANICS GiVeAwAy!!

this month i have been busy creating something wonderful... i am excited to introduce inspired mama organics LIP BALM! just in time for the holidays!

i will be offering lip balm in lemon, peppermint, sweet orange and cinnamon~clove. and, something i am super proud of, tinted lip balm! as with all of my products they are totally natural, totally organic and totally safe.

the tinted lip balm is a pretty shade of red and goes on sheer and glossy. i have handed them out to several friends and the color is truly flattering on everyone! the pretty tint comes from a powdered root that is infused into organic sweet almond oil. it will be available in unscented and peppermint.


so, there they are, all ready to go. they are only missing one thing... that's right, a pretty label! i need a little assistance coming up with a name for these little lovelies! please help!! stop by my shop and take a peek at my other products. i am looking for a name that fits in with what i already have going on. something sweet and simple, just like the product!

leave me a comment with your name suggestion. this thursday, sometime after lunch, i will choose 2 names~ one will be chosen randomly and the other will be my favorite name suggestion~ and i will send both people a lemon lip balm and a tinted lip balm! oh, and please make sure i am able to e-mail you in case you win!

then i will spend the weekend labeling and listing them in my shop so everyone can have lip balm! i think every christmas stocking should contain one or two...

*comments have been closed~ i will post the winners in the morning! THANKS!!*

it's a harvest party....

at inspired mama creations!

my shop is freshly stocked with some brand new, harvest inspired colorways! so stop by and pick up some warm wool before the first frost arrives! maybe you need some pumpkin soup socks, or a haunted kettle hat to keep you and your little ones cozy this season.

happy knitting!

not so bad after all!

i have to admit i was not at all ready for this week to begin. it started out pretty sluggish to put it mildly. back to our get-where-we-need-to-be-on-time routine. back to shuffling kids from here to there and back again. and back to football... oh, football how i have loathed you! riley has practice every single afternoon and does not get home until dinner time. then he does homework and goes to bed. i miss spending the evenings with my oldest child. i miss hearing all the funny things that happened throughout his day, as he is just to exhausted to share the stories with me now. he had a game last week and never even got to play. we silently drove home after the game, him disappointed and near tears. it broke my mama heart.

anyway, after the initial hesitation this week has actually been pretty great.

• the kids have a short school week, no school on thursday or friday. yippee!
• i won something!!
• my friend kim wrote a wonderful blog post about me and my organic products!

and, riley had a football game last night. amazingly, harper slept through the entire game so i could actually sit down and watch instead of chasing him around the bleacher area, keeping him from approaching strange dogs, grabbing garbage out his little hands seconds before it reaches his mouth... riley was finally sent out with 5 minutes left in the game to play center (NOT a position for a little guy like riley!) and in the 30 seconds that the play lasted he broke through the line of huge guys and nearly sacked the quarterback! he was about 5 seconds too late getting to him. and that was it, the game was over a few minutes later. they won, 34-14. he emerged from the locker room and jumped in the van and immediately started talking about his great play. all he needed was that 30 seconds on the field to feel like a real part of the team. he was involved in their win.

and that was all that was needed to make my mama heart swell!

swap magic!

every few months my crafty girlfriends and i plan little swaps, usually involving yarn or fabric. this time we did another magic yarn ball swap. i randomly paired everyone up and we swapped hand dyed yarn adorned with sweets and fun little items chosen especially for our recipients.

i made this MYB (okay, i acknowledge that it is not an actual "ball"... i ran out of time!) for my friend, chelsea. i included some organic hot cocoa, vanilla syrup, an organic dark chocolate bar, some cute little stitch markers, some autumn-y fabric, a travel candle and one of my little fabric button rings. it was all wrapped up with 8 ounces of hand dyed wool. this is a newly created colorway that i named freya after her sweet baby girl.

this is the gorgeous wool yarn that i received from my friend becca. it is the most beautiful autumn colors and i cannot wait to see how it knits up. i am still trying to decide what it should become. i think i have enough of it that i can knit a wool diaper cover and hat for harper. but the colors are so amazing i might just knit it up for myself...

in addition to the hand dyed wool i also received some dark chocolate, chocolate covered coffee beans, lip gloss, a couple cute little necklace kits and a $10 gift card to starbucks (cinnamon dolce latte moola!!)

and, here is what kept me busy most of the afternoon on friday. i had local orders to fill as well as a few orders to send out for the shop. diaper balms, nipple balms, foaming wipe wash, smell better butters, body butters, and foaming baby wash in all it's organic glory!

nothing left to do now but sit and knit... i love this season!

shop talk

NEW at inspired mama creations,

smell better butter

natural cream deodorant!

this is a wonderful alternative to commercial anti-perspirants/ deodorants~ it is lovingly made with organic ingredients and scented with essential oils. i think it is the best stuff ever, but you will just have to see for yourself!

i also stocked some pretty hand dyed wool and these fun fabric covered button rings!

*disclaimer* i am NOT a hand model and after seeing these pics me thinks i will never be...

i would also like to invite you to join my yahoo group to receive special messages and updates about my shop~

and lastly, leave a little comment on this post and i will randomly choose a name on friday, august 22nd and send that person a tin of smell better butter in any scent they choose!

organically yours, erika~ the inspired mama

and the winner is...

prairie mama who wrote:

Well, if I don't win, I think I'll be buying some smell better butter anyway! I have wanted to make some and try it, but just don't have the time. So, yipee for my friend Erika!

summertime... i'm already missing you

i am afraid our easy livin' summertime days have come to an end. a screeching halt more like it.

i spent 2 hours at the new jr. high (yes, i have jr high aged children!!) registering riley on tuesday and another 4 hours there registering niko this morning. monday evening was parent orientation at esme's school and this coming monday we get to go and see her classroom and she will meet her kindergarten teacher for the first time. tomorrow is riley's first football practice and i will need to have him dropped off at 8 am and picked up at 1:30 pm. school starts on august 25th for all of them so i am trying to get all of us back on schedule. i have also been working very hard to get things ready for my shop. i have some very fun things in the works and am hoping to stock tomorrow so be sure to check in!

yes, i am already mourning those lazy, sleep in way too late, living for the moment summer days.

i didn't post any garden updates or photos this year. everything grew big and fast and we have been enjoying fresh veggies for a couple months. we have had tons of cucumbers and even more zucchini. as soon as our tomatoes started turning red a little squirell started stealing them. just when i thought he was going to eat every single one he stopped. we have several pumpkins including one that is already big and bright orange.

here is the last bunch of rainbow carrots. we usually do not plant carrots because i find them hard to grow and they are actually pretty cheap to buy. but we couldn't resist these colorful carrots and they really were alot of fun. and we had the prettiest summer dinner salads ever!

inspired to party!!

it's party time over at 5 Minutes For Mom! i simply can't pass up a good party, so here i am!

this is my little corner of the web where i write about my life as a home birthing, breastfeeding, cloth diapering, baby wearing mommy to 4 great kids. i knit a lot, i sew a little and i love showing off my projects!

i have a little online shop called inspired mama creations where i sell organic baby and mama care products as well as hand painted and kettle dyed yarn. i just bought my first drop spindle so i can start spinning my own yarn too! whee!

so, how about a party game? i am always looking for inspiration for new yarn colorways, so please leave a comment with your wonderful idea~ something fun like Bert and Ernie or The Cat in the Hat, and it just might be the newest colorway at inspired mama creations!

there are many great prizes to be won at this blog party, but a few that i am especially excited about are:

~a kleen kanteen sippy cup from non toxic tots

~ a blog makeover from shauna at see my designs

~ "I make milk, what's your super power?" tee shirt from crunchy domestic goddess

and of course a $25 amazon.com gift certificate from welcome to my world of dreams would be great too!

thank you for visiting my little blog, and don't forget to leave a comment so i can come visit you!