6 Months Later...

No excuses, it's six months later and I'm back - hopefully with more regularity!

We had a great summer! A total STAY-CATION, but really nice to be home with the kids, in the woods, at the lake, playing in the yard, making, gluing, catching bugs - no schedule, no scheduled activities. Relatives from Belgium came to visit and we did take a weekend trip to Washington DC that was quite nice.

Fall (it's technically still fall...) came and went too fast. It was long pants and jackets by the first week in September and we had a foot and a half of snow Oct 27th. No I'm not kidding. It melted to messy slush before the Halloween trek, but it's been January cold all November including fairly constant snow and several lovely ice storms - like the one we're having today that landed me with 4 kids home from school most of the day. We've had 3 snow days so far - 3! The way this is going the kids won't be out of school til JULY!

Tessa started Kindergarten! She's so excited to be going to school like her brother and I've never seen anyone so happy to have and do homework! It's been a huge transition for me - it's so quiet during the day and I'm still not used to being by myself most of the time. It's a little sad. But the positive is I have time to concentrate on projects I've been putting off & hopefully this will blossom into something after the Holidays - stay tuned...

Sewing Again!!

I've been sewing again!! YEAH!! This time it was a dress for Tessa - such a cute pattern from Oliver and S. I was turned on to it by Angrychicken awhile ago and I'm nearly done with another dress from their patterns and I've got a third I'm just itching to try! The patterns were brilliant - well done, great directions and FUN!! And best yet - she likes it - really really likes it!


Yes, girlfriend has attitude.



"This will look great if I do an arabesque!" Thank goodness I made the bloomers that go under this!


"I'm done now!" And she played all day in the dirt, in the grass, and on her bike - and she looked great doing it!

Spring was a LOOONG Time Coming

Spring took forever to arrive on this mountain. (Have I mentioned that?) But it's here now and the windows are open and the birds are singing (at 5AM!) and I even have flowers. Exhale! It just feels so good.





And the lilacs smell like heaven!

Spring (and Fishing) in the Poconos

Even with only half the leaves out and the temps close to freezing - I knew it was Spring when the fishing poles came out! And when Tessa found out she was old enough to fish too - STAND BACK! Emergency run to get her own pole IMMEDIATELY, followed by hours of practice off the deck! Rowan really stepped up to show her how and when it was time for the actual fishing the most amazing thing happened:

Quiet, peace and happiness. An end to bickering between these two and a deep breath for my family. Exhale. Relax. Six more months of rustling leaves on trees, outdoor adventures, fresh air in & out of the house, and all those unknown possibilities that come with Spring.

Like big brothers that show kindness to little sisters...

And little sisters who are finally big enough.

Little Somethings...

After nearly 4 years without quilting (YIKES! I can't believe it's been that long!) I set out to make - and accomplished - this little number! It's from Joelle Hoverson's Last Minute Patchwork and Quilted Gifts. It was just the right project to get me back in the game! Easy, fun, SO cute! Tessa helped me pick out the fabrics - something she has become quite good at and very serious about! She was just as thrilled as I was that I finished it!





I really enjoyed doing the quilting on this & just let myself freeform, something I never do, and it went surprising well. So, after a little drama with the screw that holds the presser foot to the shank of my sewing machine (yeah it broke –BROKE! who else would that happen to!) I'm happy to report it's in the hands of Mama Kara and her incredibly beautiful new daughter! And I feel like I could maybe just finish all those quilts in my head and the quilt tops lurking in drawers...

ByeBye Christmas...Yeah I know it's Jan 17th

I love Christmas! I love decorating & making crafts and all the build up and songs and ALL of it! (The condition to all this love is that it is contained in the month of December - not a moment before!) But there is one part of Christmas I truly hate, procrastinate about & despise: taking it all down. Oh you know what I mean & I'm sure there are many many people who have left their tree up through Valentine's day simply because they couldn't face putting it all away! I don't regret seeing Christmas go (one month is definately enough!) it's just such a chore!

But the tree was so sad, so droopy, and I couldn't ignore it anymore! So today it is gone. The decorations and ornaments are boxed and waiting for the freezing cold attic. The relief I feel is almost overwhelming! 10 1/2 months to forget & then anticipate all that Christmas goodness!



One thing I did get to do at Christmas that I've wanted to do FOREVER — I made an edible gingerbread house! It's from a Martha Stewart magazine and it looks so cool! But unfortunately it tasted gross. Gingerbread should be warm and served with wipped cream, not cold covered in frosting. But it was something I always wanted to do & now it's done!

Bye Bye Christmas...

2008

The beginning of the year is always intimidating for me. Either I've loaded myself down with resolutions that can't possibly happen or I've made none at all - either way I start the year off feeling like I'm not going to be able to do what I need/want to do. OK OK, I need a shrink for this, but truly it just seems like a doomed situation. But it stops now.

This year my "resolution" (singular!) is to revel in the ordinary and to post about what gets done around here and what doesn't get done around here!

You'll see lots of craft stuff, lots of kid stuff, beautiful pics of the Pocono mountains, books, and whatever else passes my way.

So Happy New Year! I hope yours is full of the extraordinary ordinary and much happiness!