Indoors

A little green:
And a little yellow:

Ah...that's better. Outdoors a mass of gray and swirling white greets me. Still. But my head is beginning to buzz with Springtime possibilities and dreaming about that seed catalog.

The aftermath

First there was an yummy ice cream cake brought over by my lovely sister and brother-in-law, then there was some sugar induced silliness:
I've heard of the theory that sugar doesn't have a direct impact on behavior, but somehow I just don't believe it.

Lilla

Lilla's post nap time hair was looking wilder and wilder each day.
But after a little snipping she's got a sweet little cropped 'do.

When I figure out where my time has been going these last weeks...I'll fill you in.
Lately, I haven't been accomplishing much in the crafting realm. I attempted a shirt for myself but ended up with a disappointingly bad fit- an extra large bodice coupled with tiny sleeves. Hmmm...maybe I'll gather the courage to salvage it later. Oh and then I knit a cap for myself (wow all these -Me- projects sound a little greedy!) but it ended up Rowan sized. Oh well, for After these misshapen "experiments" crafting has been replaced lately by more sleep and yoga.

Scaling new heights

Here I am- camera in hand- holding my breath as I watch Rowan navigate and strain to reach each rock. Although he's tethered and secure, he is a little uncertain at first about this whole rock climbing business. The first few tentative tries don't seem to do much for his confidence. But on the third or fourth attempt he finds his footing and all of a sudden nears the ledge, the entrance to the "cave" that has become the goal for all the children climbing that day. And then I see it, just a corner of the smile that has crept across his face- that slightly shy smile of recognizing one's own success. Lilla too is becoming a little climber at home, wanting to go "up, up, UP!" those stairs all by herself. And I'm trying not to hold my breath too much as I follow behind her, ready to catch her.

Heart Day

A woodblock print I found at the farmer's market : Danish paper hearts filled with chocolate goodies. This site has wonderful directions.
Rowan carved his very own soap with inspiration found over here. My sweet boy has wanted a real carving knife for quite some time. The butter knife and soap method is a great way to get those itching fingers crafting. The added bonus was mama received a fresh supply of castille soap shaving for whipping up a new batch of laundry soap.
And of course some heart shaped (or something approaching that) pancakes on the breakfast table.
Hope your day was surrounded by those you love.

Occupying me

The recurring theme over the last month has been furniture: moving furniture, fixing up furniture, and selling or freecycling the excess. Hardly a day has past when my trunk hasn't been at the ready with boxes destined for Salvation Army drop-off. With this kind of activity, one might guess we were preparing for a move. But no, not yet, though I do look forward to moving on from this place one day.
And these things- chairs, tables, buffets, dressers, an antique sofa, a mish-mash of old china, books, photos and sewing oddments- all landed in my dining room, filling it from wall to wall. So for a time here I've been swimming in excess... pouring through piles and trying to make sense of these bits and pieces accumulated over the years- ranging from the old and beautiful to the broken and worn. I've been sifting through boxes wondering about the woman to whom the items once belonged, imagining what her life might have been like and wishing I might have had the chance to know her better in person.

And here and there a project is finished. I was happy to bid farewell to my old dining room chairs and table and make way for these new (old) ones. I applied a favorite (and lovely smelling!) linseed/beeswax finish to all the pieces. Then I layered and stapled new cushions, batting and fabric onto the drop-in seats. The heavier weight cotton fabric is an Amy Butler design. The fabric purchase was a bit of a saga as I wavered back and forth between several choices. I browsed online to find quite a few I liked, but ultimately settled on purchasing this one from a local shop. While I wanted to do my little part in supporting the local economy, I think I might have chosen another fabric given the multitude of options out there. Ah well, at least we're enjoying being able to sit in our dining room once again. Stay tuned for more projects in the works!