Homemade Holiday Christmas Idea #3

This morning my 7 year old son bounded down the stairs and announced that today he wanted to go Christmas shopping for his buddies. "Oh!" I said, and immediately launched into my favorite "blah blah blah how about we make something for them instead since it's so much more meaningful" speech.

Kind of a foolish thing for me to suggest, for I know very well that my 7 year old son is not the kind of 7 year old boy who loves making or receiving hand-madey things. He's more the kind of 7 year old boy who loves giving or receiving Legos. Or light-sabers. Or gift cards to go and purchase Legos or light-sabers.

He listened as politely as he could but seeing the expression on his face I ended real quick and sent him back to his room to count his money. He returned with his whole entire savings - $3.94. Oh dear, not quite enough to purchase 3 activated R2-D2s, bless your generous little heart.

ANYWAY, the point of all of this is that finally we decided that he would make a CD mix for his friends. Grand total, 99 cents (for the awesome Star Wars song we downloaded to complete his carefully chosen mix of favorite tunes). This idea stemmed from our family's traditional neighbor gift, the annual Merry Music Christmas mix. What can I say, I am totally stuck in the 80's and I love making mixes. And although his little CD is not quite from the Lego catalog he is so, so proud of it and can't wait to give it to his friends.

Here's what's on our CD this year:

The Wexford Carol - Yo Yo Ma + Alison Krauss
A Poorwayfaring Man of Grief - Peter Breinholt (this isn't traditionally christmas but it's really pretty)
Jingle Bells - The Brian Setzer Orchestra
O Come All Ye Faithful - Harry Connick, Jr.
Rock of Ages - Ben Kweller
Silent Night - Zach Gill
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer - Jack Johnson

What are your favorite Christmas songs?

it's here! the Wanderings Coat pattern!

Your girl feeling wanderlustig? Here's the perfect coat for her. Simple classic design on the outside, and a world of wandering possibilities on the inside... Original Sugar City Three Bears fabric and Wolfie fabric will be ready next week. You can get started on the outside of the coat, just in time to create an enchanting mind-wandering world inside. Visit our shop now!

muff lust

One of my biggest little girl desires was to own a muff. My best friend Lisa and I discussed this topic not infrequently. The reason for our fixation was perhaps partially nominal: for I insisted these soft tubular hand warmers were called "mufflers." She of course knew the correct term. No matter. My heart remained fixed in muff lust, never to be assuaged... How many of you were lucky enough to own a muff?

Homemade Holiday Gift Idea #2

Remember Melissa's Woodland Cap from last winter? The pattern is now published in Stitch Magazine's first edition. Congratulations, Melissa! I am so proud of you, and I can't wait to try this. I've been dying for this to come out - they don't have it at my B&N yet so I'm going to order it online here. Along with directions for this adorable hat, there are also patterns for loads of other wonderful things (beautiful skirt patterns from Wiksten and Uniform studio are two others I know of)...

Hooray Melissa! If I was in New Jersey today I would bake you a big cake with tons of frosting flowers all over it.

Homemade Holiday Gift Idea #1

Surprise Soap Balls!

These are super easy for little hands to make and somewhat of a novelty: a ball of soap with a surprise toy in the middle (you should choose a solidly-shaped waterproof surprise - something like a bouncy ball, perhaps, and not something like a mini-whoopie cushion. Speaking from experience).

I found the idea in this great book, The Ultimate Book of Kid Concoctions 2, by John E. & Danita Thomas (This book is a great parent investment. Many good birthday party/rainy day ideas).

It's so simple. Grate 1 cup of soap and add 1/4 cup of water. Use your small helper hands to knead it all together and shape into balls. Make a hole in your soap ball with your finger, stuff your waterproof surprise inside, and fill in the hole. Voila!

some Wanderings Coat works

We've got some wander-worthy characters for the Wanderings Coat in the works. Voici Wolfie, le gourmand, fat and content with his scrumptious meal of poor little Red and Grandmother. Watch for more to follow. And yes, the coat pattern will be ready within the next two weeks, just in time for the cold winter winds.

a little sisterly mefiance + a grey dress

Mefiance: French, 1. indifference, 2. mistrust, 3. cold nonchalance towards another--the perfect word to describe these sisterly moments. So far, at this age, the fighting is generally contained. Though I'm a bit panicky about the teenage years. I grew up with three sisters, as did Lynne. My sister two years older than me, was always stronger and quicker witted. As teenagers we used to fight a fair bit. After she lent out, then lost a pair of my shoes and pants and a sweater, I finally installed a lock on my door. Clothes were not the only point of debate. At other times, she would pin me to the ground and threaten me with a slow descending thread of spit. Ahhh! It's funny, but now we adore each other and enjoy each other's company immensely. Do you have any good sister stories to share? (Oh and yes that is a little pen sketch on big sister's cheek!)

Printing by Hand

Dear Melissa,

Hi, friend! Are you enjoying your children and their break from school this week? We are happy with ours. No one has gotten dressed (except my poor husband) from their pajamas until maybe after lunch, if at all. We did have one harrowing incident yesterday which involved me yelling at the baby "no, that's not apple juice!" and making a mad lunge (you can fill in the details with your imagination, and you would be right) but we seem to be settling into a less destructive routine.

I have become OBSESSED (the capital letters are required because if we were on the phone, I would yell that word) with Lena Corwin's excellent, beautiful, crazily-inspiring book Printing by Hand. I think I've had it now for about a month and I have consistently stared at it (cover, page, page, page) every day. When I finally have a minute to myself (the down side of children's holiday month) I have big plans. Here I made some trees (I think I need to invest in another ink color). The possibilities are endless. I think every inch of my life needs to be printed on.

Love,
Lynne

a village frock variation

I spent much of the weekend cleaning out my kid's rooms. Some of the interesting finds: a half-eaten can of mandarin oranges in my son's drawer, a rotten apple core under his bed, and lots and lots of whittling shavings under the sheets (I guess he's been whittling in bed at night by lamplight.) In the sister's room I found a huge stash of money, buried under some scraps of paper and old broken tea-cup parts. She always seems to be traveling somewhere in her imaginary worlds--some distant place with beautiful, though high-maintenance, spa-going princesses and greedy ogres. I guess it's no wonder she needs all this money.