April 2009

Field Packs and Exploration

April 30, 2009

I stayed up last night until 3 am sewing my latest project. Just as 2 am rolled around, I was on the home stretch and feeling so excited about seeing it completed. At 2:48 I took it off the machine, and learned a very grave lesson, NEVER sew when exhausted. I sewed the back of one piece to the front of the other, and now I will spend my entire morning ripping out stitches and redoing it. Oh well, so is life I suppose.

Yesterday, the boys and I gathered up everything that we would need to put our field packs together for our upcoming hikes and exploration. This year I took the kids to the book store and had them pick out their favorite books on identifying birds, animals and plants in our region. There was actually a ton of information, and we only needed to purchase one book, and the rest we were able to get in wonderful (and cheap) laminated ID tri-folds.

Our field pack includes our cards and books, as well as a pair of binoculars, a magnifying glass, small camera, our nature notebooks and colored pencils, and the all important Camelback. Having the field pack really seems to help the kids to look around, and try and identify everything around them, I think mainly in the hopes that they will then be able to go in and look up their new found animal or plant “friends”. It begins to teach them how to research and find answers to questions that they may have, and it also makes the process of learning about the world around them a fun adventure.

Now we are packed and ready to go, and tomorrow we hit our first big trail of the season.
Happy exploring

Pin it

{ 4 comments }

A Moment to Make you Smile

April 28, 2009

A few days ago I was reading Hip Mountain Mama’s blog post on the things that she is looking forward to with the warmer weather. Since then, I have thought a lot about what makes these transitional times from season to season so special for many of us, and I think that it really comes down to anticipation. The anticipation of what an entire season has to offer. Here in Colorado, Spring may be one of the most life affirming times in nature. We don’t necessarily experience crazy winters, but we do have a long winter season that normally begins in November, and does not end until mid to late April. As the light begins to shift, and the days get a bit longer, we allow ourselves to dance with the idea of warm weather, outdoor knitting, and picnics by the river. The anticipation begins to build about what is ahead, and while we are only shown glimpses of those moments, we know, we believe with every part of ourselves, that what we are longing for is almost within reach.

As I sit at my desk writing this, I am looking out on a grey morning. This is the moment to dream about what is ahead.

My children and I picnicking on the Poudre River

Spending many evenings outdoors listening to music

Exploring bugs

Sun hats and the constant application of lotion

Watching my 3 year old swim (he learned in March)

The lazy afternoon heat that sends us indoors to nap and read together

Hand embroidery under a tree

Knitting on my patio with friends who bring so much happiness to my life

Fresh fruit and vegetables that we have grown in our garden

Late night evenings, out on the patio, margarita in hand

A good book and rushing water at my feet

The Farmers Market

There are so many promises that the season holds, and I am looking forward to everyone of them. Perhaps the most important of these though, is time. The time that it takes to let go of the craziness that our lives can become, and simply be and enjoy all of the moments that bring us pure, sweet bliss.

Pin it

{ 3 comments }

Longing for Spring

April 27, 2009

Come, lovely May, with blossoms
And boughs of tender green,
And lead me over the meadows
Where cowslips first were seen

For now I long to welcome
The radiant flowers of Spring,
And through the wild woods wander,
And hear the sweet birds sing

Anonymous

Pin it

{ 1 comment }

A Skirt for a Special Friend

April 25, 2009

My oldest son, Jacob, has had a special “girlfriend” named Magnolia that he has known for a little over two years. I think that Jacob fell in love with Maggie from the moment he laid eyes on her, and I am pretty sure that no matter where life takes them, they will always stay close.

For Magnolia’s 5th birthday, Jacob sewed her a heart pillow, which he gave to her with an extraordinary amount of pride. I decided to put my love of sewing girl’s clothes to use, and I made her a skirt that I had seen on The Artful Parent, and which came from this tutorial. I loved the fabric here, and this was a really fun project from beginning to end. I find that putting together a handmade piece, no matter if it is knitting or sewing, brings immense joy to everyone involved. Seeing Magnolia twirl around in her skirt was really special, and knowing that one day it will be passed down to her sister, Sienna, well that makes it twice as nice.

Pin it

{ 6 comments }

Inspiration in the Making

April 24, 2009

For me, Friday is a day for dreaming and planning about all of the possibilities that the weekend can hold. I often spend my Friday mornings looking through inspirational books, journals and websites and I create an inspiration board for upcoming projects.

The time that we all have to relax, create and simply sit in pure joy is not always abundant, which is why I want to dedicate Fridays to living in inspiration. Here are a few of this weeks inspiring finds.

The Perfect Scarf: I am a huge fan of the Stitches in Play blog, and she has been featured here on a few occasions. I love how easy this scarf is to put together, how many different colors and fabric choices are available, and I think that these would make perfect gifts this time of year.

The Backyard Homestead: This book describes the type of life that I would love to create for my family and I. A fully sustainable life, but one that does not require a full farm and 5 acres of land. The book is comprehensive, and it really does provide everything that you could need to know to turn whatever amount of property you are living on into a means of feeding and caring for your family

Ruffle Love: Recently I have done an overhaul of my fashion sense, and tried hard to incorporate as much feminine beauty as possible. Really, what says that better then ruffles? These cuffs truly bring a touch of beauty to any outfit, they have just the right touch of vintage flair, and they are super easy to make.

A Great Piece of Jewelry: I use to love wearing jewelry, that is until my kiddos came along and pulled earrings from my ears, necklaces broke, bracelets were play toys, and my jewelry took a permanent place in the box on my dresser. This past Christmas, I reclaimed my love for handmade, unique pieces of natural stone jewelry, and I try everyday to wear a special piece.

I Wish I could: I want to jump into this mud puddle and join in the fun

Sipping the Day Away: As the days get warmer, and hopefully a bit lazier, it just seems natural to want to enjoy the perfect (and homemade) cocktail.

Spring Eatin: I remember first reading this blog entry, and thinking that it might be one of the strangest pizza combos ever. The more I thought, and reread, the more intrigued I became. We tried it a few nights ago, and it turned out to be the perfect spring pizza (I would suggest eating this outdoors with a crisp glass of white wine)