handmade workshop :: market eve

inspired mama MAKES! will be making an appearance at the hip holiday craft market tomorrow. local friends, please do stop by and say hello! here are some of the sweet little goodies i have loving hand crafted just for this event ::

whimsical coloring wallets

learn to knit kits that include a handy little tote, a mini skein of hand painted wool yarn and a set of handmade knitting needles with fabric button caps to match the totes *swoon*.

so many adorable prints to choose from.

i have lots of super fun stocking stuffers too - book marks, rings, hair ties and wool felt flower headbands...

and how fun are these eye spy bags?! everyone in my house has enjoyed playing with them including my husband and my 20 year old brother.

i can't wait to send all of this handmade goodness off to loving homes.
handmade workshop ::2010 has begun!
happy weekend, friends.

oaky-oaks for luca

luca's adventures with food officially began this past thursday, thanksgiving day.
his first solid meal was organic, scrambled egg yokes - aka 'oaks' if you are hearing the story from harper. he completely and thoroughly enjoyed self feeding and may have even got a teaspoon or two of egg into his belly.

just look at this sweet little mess maker of mine *swoon*

i am a bit late with the well wishes but i do hope that you all had a lovely thanksgiving celebration!
from our table to yours, happiest holidays, friends. ♥

time flies

we love-ah, love-ah, LOVE you, baby brother ♥

bundled

luca has a new mama knit sweater to go with his new mama knit hat.

this is the caelum sweater knit with marr haven wool yarn in light gray with a wee bit of rainbow trim on the cuffs and waistband. the leftover rainbow yarn from his gnome hat.

up next... tiny mittens!

shelf life

new books... LoVe!!

i have had food on my mind quite a lot lately. first there is this challenge that inspired me in a big way. on november 1st, with the company of some local friends, i started my own food challenge based on what i read on the real food website. i have stumbled a couple times - i ate birthday cake at a friends house a week ago and then again when niko turned 15 on friday. i also ate homemade pizza that had white flour in the crust, again an offering from a friend. and i am having a heck of a time giving up the sweet, sugary peppermint syrup that peps up my morning coffee. but overall it is going well.

in addition to the wonderful real food my body has been enjoying i have also been drinking a quart of green smoothie a day. it isn't hard really, since i love them!! here are my current favorite green combinations ::

1 bunch of kale
1.5 cups strawberries
1.5 cups peaches
pinch of cinnamon
dash of vanilla
2 cups water

and

1 cup strawberries
2 frozen bananas
2 handfuls of spinach
2 cups of water

lately i have been buying frozen fruit, i am just very careful to avoid the varieties with liquid sugar added. each shopping day i peel a big bunch of bananas, cut them into to chunks and freeze them in a zip lock bag. they add just a bit more frostiness to our creations. harper likes a little splash of grape juice in his. i suspect it is the color of the juice that he likes more than anything.

local food is also consuming my thoughts recently. we have tossed the idea of backyard chickens around in the past but now the discussion is becoming more of a plan. i have been reading the backyard homestead while i sit and nurse the baby and am getting quite excited about our future egg bearing flock. there is also a chapter about bee keeping (tony said "no!") and how to raise goats (tony said "expletive NO!")

in the midst of all of my thinking and reading and blending and eating our little luca is ready to sample his very first solid food! i am still trying to decide what to start him on. it will likely be avocado or egg yolk and we will wait until later in the week to make sure daddy is home to join the fun. here are a few more fun luca stats ::
♥ he is now 6 months and 1 week old
♥ he just cut his 3rd tooth and the 4th is almost here
♥ he can sit unassisted and play with his toys

until next time...
life is delicious! go enjoy it, friends!

november one. er, two.

i started this post last night but after homework and dinner and bath time and bed it was forgotten and then remembered today, november two. here is what we've been up to ::

he went to his first homecoming dance and we learned the half winsor knot together thanks to youtube. no clip on ties for us thankyouverymuch!

they had a daddy-daughter date to the rain gutter regatta with her girl scout troop and lunch at mongolian bbq (her choice) after.

while they were at the regatta we attended the philharmonsters performance and had a whole lot of fun even though it was a bit crowded for harper's comfort.

niko attempted to play the trumpet at the instrument petting zoo.

luca didn't have a halloween costume but he was pretty festive anyway.

harper and esme were ready for tricks and treats at "ghouls at school".

and, i finished luca's little hat just in time for sunday evening, so he went out dressed as a rainbow gnome. you can find the adorable pattern here.

we had a wonderful october with lovely weather and plenty of fun with friends and family. now we are eagerly looking forward to whatever november has in store for us.

happy monday/tuesday, friends!

harvest festival

we visited the north end organic nursery today for some family friendly harvest celebrating.
the festivities included bouncy houses, swings and slides, cotton candy, hot cocoa, live music and local produce.

he started out in costume

but once we discovered pumpkin painting he shed his furry coat and went to work. i talked him into choosing this green and orange pumpkin because i thought it looked so cool but it was soon covered completely with a rainbow of thick, gooey paint. and it looks even better than before.

esme went with a classic jack o lantern look for her pumpkin. she also let some teenagers paint a small pumpkin on her cheek while harper respectfully declined.

we tried so hard to get luca to smile for the camera but all we ended up with are about a dozen photos that look just like this. he was sleeping sound just moments after this photo was taken.

just look at all of the locally grown pumpkins and that great big chair!

happy harvest season, friends!

pondering, planning, daydreaming

hey, remember the seasonal celebrations swaps? i think i hosted three seasons... spring, summer and autumn. a winter swap didn't happen. what did happen is life and i was pregnant and tired, then i had a tiny baby and big kids to care for and we were busy, busy, busy... so no surprise that the swaps were forgotten.

ah yes, those swaps sure were a whole lot of fun.

you can view all of my swap posts here- scroll down and you will see the seasonal celebrations posts. and there is a flickr photo pool where we shared our creations.

what do you think, friends? should we start planning a swap to celebrate winter and give our upcoming season a proper welcome? if there is interest let me know as i would love to put this idea in motion once again.

yours in renewed and rediscovered inspiration (!),
erika

new

new {to him} toys.
we joke that this is his command center. he is already pretty handy with all the little controls and knobs and levers like he knows just what they are for. now, to take over the world...

new {to me} studio.
i recently took possession of this spare bedroom in our home and we are in the process of transforming it into a sweet little sewing-crafting-creative-happy-mama space. the walls are no longer pale green. you will have to wait for my next batch of photos to see what color i chose. this project is far from over but already the change is quite amazing and it is feeling like mine. paint is magic.

happy weekending, friends!

keep them close

2 year old esme in a mei tai, winter 2005

5 month old harper in the beco, autumn 2007

brand new baby luca in a pouch carrier, spring 2010

please join steph and the baby carrier industry alliance and show your support for safe babywearing!

the un-inspired mama

i know the calender says it is october but the weather tells another story, therefore i have been completely un-inspired to do anything autumn related. our nature table has not been updated with all of my favorite decorations that represent my favorite season. my tee shirts have not yet been replaced by fall-weight sweaters. and hats... i really want to start wearing soft, hand knit hats! my inspiration for this space has also been missing lately. hopefully it will return soon, perhaps when the thermostat dips below 80 degrees and i feel on track again... we will see.

in my last post i shared a couple photos that were taken by a new friend, erin, a few weeks ago. if you go peek at her blog and scroll down a bit you can see a few more of our family's photos.

here are some other favorites from that afternoon ::

and, just for fun, a sweet little video of baby luca being entertained by his brother and sister. harper makes a couple appearances as well...
luca was very drooly that afternoon and a few days later we found out why when his very first tooth peeked through his gums. right now he has two tiny teeth. and he is still drooly.
enjoy!

ten and one

yesterday was much like our special september afternoon 10 years ago. warm and sunny with a subtle hint of fall in the air. the autumnal equinox.

he is still amazing. loving me even when i am unlovable.

and loving our babies. oh, my heart swoons.

today is the first day of our next ten years. and i am more excited than ever to see what they will bring.
living.loving.life.

♥

lust for life

rainbows on hips.
iggy pop in speakers.
singing out loud.
laughing at everything and nothing at all.
getting our silly on.

happy sunday, friends.

cables and cashmere are my favorite.

i want to tell you all about that hat i was wearing in my last post. my new favorite hat.
both the pattern and the yarn are from pepperberry knits. it is the hannah hat knit in 100% recycled cashmere. hat wearing bliss, my friends.

the pattern is really cool and gives you the option to customize the hat and the hat band. i choose the slouchy hat with cabled band. it didn't come out quite as slouchy as i expected but it turns out that i like a slight slouch.

i received both the pattern and yarn as a christmas gift last year from a sweet friend. when someone gives you cashmere in your favorite color you know they pretty much love you.

i have actually had the chance to meet and get to know heidi from pepperberry knits over the summer. she is so sweet and super fun and i can't wait to knit more of her patterns (like those mitts!) and that yarn.... there will be more cashmere knitting in my future, for certain.

as of right now

i am finally getting excited for autumn. it took me a while to get there but mostly because i had a crazy summer and feel like i missed out.

i have a mad sweet tooth. i generally try to keep it in control.

i am often unsuccessful in keeping my sweet tooth in control.

i have bruises on my hips from hula hooping.

i am really quite proud to be a home birthing, breastfeeding, cloth diapering mama. but i am even more proud of the fantastic little people these kiddos are becoming.

i am thirty six years old and still am not at all uncomfortable telling people my age. every once in a while it freaks me out that i am closer to 40 than i am to 30. but i get over it pretty quick.

i am self conscious of my crooked teeth. it used to be my long, skinny nose, but now days i could care less about that. i bet i will someday not care about my crooked teeth, but then it will be something else, i suppose.

i haven't read a book in an embarrassingly long time. i spend my free time (ha!) knitting and sewing these days.

i used to love to wear make up and cute clothes. now it is considered a good day if i am able to shower. and brush my teeth.

i find it funny that back when i wore make up all of the time i probably didn't need it much. but now that i am older and sleep deprived and not quite as cute and perky there is just simply not time.

and one more thing. i love the people who read my blog. like seriously, i love the kind folks that i seem to attract to this space. i love the sweet comments you leave me and the stories you share. i love reading your blogs about your families and your homes and your amazing creativity. and just simple day to day living, often the most beautiful of all.
for this, my friends, i thank you.