HOLIDAY MAGIC...handmade gifts, round 2

lindsey made these lino block print note cards for me,

and she is trying to coax me to boston for a visit with this 

cute collage recycled from the insides of security envelopes...

hannah painted these beautiful wooden coasters.

gretta silk screened tote bags for everyone,

with a quote from this book
(an army we could really support!)

stew and dawn put together a neat set of books for us.
the covers are the same for each family member,
but the specific quote was chosen especially for the recipient.
the books are blank and stewart has challenged us
to keep track of our hopes, dreams and plans.

the quote he chose for us?
"buy land, they're not making it anymore"
-mark twain.
we bought the land...now stewart wants to see
the plan on paper.

be careful how you raise your kids.
they may turn out to expect the very same accountability
you've expected of them.
:-)

we do miss these young adult children,
but it sure is fun,
thinking of them, being crafty off in
oregon, illinois, ohio and massachusetts.

miss you, love you and thank you!

(i'll post one more special gift tomorrow,
and the last giveaway of this HOLIDAY MAGIC series.)

HOLIDAY MAGIC...handmade gifts

you may remember that our family has tons of fun 

making gifts for one another.

(or sometimes we support and buy gifts from local artisans).

here's some pictures of some things batman and i made...

i made a quilted tote for my mumsie (above)
in her favorite aqua color.

here's a very simple table runner i made for lindsey.
i made a flannel/snowflake pillow for hannah,
just like this one.

do you remember this little art quilt?

 i stitched it into a quilted tote for gretta

(her hints were so subtle!).

batman made a custom spice rack for
 lindsey's kitchen in massachusetts.

an inside joke inspired batman to make a
nimbus 2000  for gretta.

we're still not sure who had more fun with this one...
the giver or the recipient.
(isn't that the way it's supposed to be?)
batman also made a mini corn hole game for hannah
to play with her handsome kitty, javier.
(stew and dawn have just downsized and moved,
so we are waiting to hear what they might like
from the marmie and batman creative team.)

i bought a kit for this fish ages ago,

and finished it for batman this year.

now that he's a fledgling fly fisherman,

i thought this could be his "trophy fish".

it felt great to get this done,
and it looks quite handsome hanging
on the wall at our "bit of earth".

come on back tomorrow to see some more handmade gifts!

HOLIDAY MAGIC...sparkling possibilities

last night,

batman, gretta and i stood out under the magical dome 

of stars and constellations in the crisp, vermont  sky.

holiday magic?

the very best kind.

then, batman treated us to a fabulous fireworks display

(purchased at the warehouse in indiana while attending

hannah's graduation in may).

a neighbor across the valley chose exactly the same time to light theirs.

it was a lovely "call and response" celebration!

i invite you to read last year's post.

i think it's worth another look.

:-)

wishing you all the best of possibilities!

HOLIDAY MAGIC...gratitude

As 2010 dwindles to a close, I want to thank you all, dear blog readers. 

Thank you for your sweet and thoughtful comments. Thank you for your encouragement and your feedback. I have loved meeting a few of you in person this year and sharing snail mail and e-mails with some of you, too. Your generosity of spirit warms my heart.

And I want to thank the many of you who write blogs. I love following some of you as a daily habit. I love stumbling newly upon some of you, and being delighted by what I find. 

I read about sewing, crafting, knitting, parenting, books, spirituality, sustainability, farming and gardening. I love seeing your photos! Reading about your struggles and stumbles and your discoveries and triumphs convince me that we are, in fact, all connected in very real ways.

I am inspired by each and every one of you and I thank you for sharing your lives with me.

Best wishes to all of you for a safe and wonder-filled new year!

HOLIDAY MAGIC...hunkered in

gretta and lindsey on the way back up the hill...

after a toboggan run through the meadow.

Our "bit of earth" has been a nest of coziness and rest, with some folks recovering from colds and overall  weariness. No alarm clocks, no appointments and no schedule. So we've soaked up everything the season has to offer...

• baking, baking and more baking in our funky little kitchen, and more baking.
• enjoying thoughtful, handmade gifts.
• snow, wind, more snow and flurries...from the window, and outside to play.
• a long, snowy drive to spend an afternoon with dear friends, and a long, snowy drive home.
• catching up with family, in person and on the phone (missed you stew and dawn).
• napping, and lots of it.
• a girls' trip to king arthur flour in norwich. wicked fun.
• reading.
• watching movies, old favorites and some new ones. ("flipped" is a cute one).
• (a nice break from the internet)

What have all of you been up to?

HOLIDAY MAGIC...light

as we wait for the deepest and longest night of the year 

i light a candle for you, dear readers,

and send along the most magical part of the holidays,

the miracle of light.

the oil that lasted,

the star of bethlehem,

the return of the sun,

the light within,

the illumination of hope and love.

******** *       ******** * * **       ****  * ***** ***

(i am taking a break from sew and sow life for a bit.

i'll be back next week, with more holiday magic.)

nan, you won the pillow!

please send me your snail mail address

 (my email address is on my sidebar)

HOLIDAY MAGIC...wonder (and a reminder about the giveaway)

The world will never starve for wonders;

but only for the want of wonder.

-Gilbert K. Chesterton

To be surprised, to wonder, is to begin

to understand.

-Jose Ortega y Gasset

In the midst of this holiday season,

be sure to take a moment or two

to wonder, to be amazed, to be open to the magic

to be found in everyday life...

on a walk in the woods,

while standing in line at the store,

while watching dogs play in the snow...

just notice...

there is magic and wonder all around.

*   ****    *   ***     ** *         * * ****************

be sure to leave a comment over here

if you'd like a chance to have a wee pillow to rest on.

i've extended the deadline to noon tomorrow.
good luck!