happy days

The giveaway origami bag goes to Debbie in Jerusalem! Debbie, please send me your snail mail address and I will get the bag in the mail next week.

My new studio has become the center of our home and time spent there has become the priority of my days. How many years have I longed for this? How good does it feel? Very authentic and grounding and energizing. 

2011? Bring it on!

RX

on some days, i go back to basics.
peanut butter and jam on anadama toast.
clementine on the side.
i feel better already.

there's still time to try for the giveaway.

january landscape...

...basting pins, patchwork and batting on the table in my studio.

(you still have time to try for a giveaway.)

HOLIDAY MAGIC...one last "handmade" gift, and giveaway #5

Batman and I had such fun putting together this "handmade" gift.

This photo was taken the weekend we moved our

odds and ends of furniture into our funky little house

at our "bit of earth", four and a half years ago.

(The title was inspired by a black and white photo 

we bought in the early '80's entitled "Dining Out in Vermont", 

by Jill Noss, showing a group of farm animals

some dressed in bonnets and and straw hats,

eating grain from an old wooden table.

That beloved picture has hung in our dining rooms ever since).

We downloaded recipes and photos to a template provided by Apple,

and so it was "made on a Mac".
Here's a peek at a few pages...

Here's Stewart in his "slippy jammies" helping Papa make pancakes.

(So called slippy jammies allowed the kids 

to slide down the carpeted stairs...)

Here are our four having a tea party almost twenty years ago!

Some of you may recognize Gretta's paper vegetables...

This cookbook was a big hit, and we may need to produce another volume sometime...

And here's one last giveaway, 

to finish up my HOLIDAY MAGIC posts.

I've really enjoyed collecting my thoughts here,

in the midst of what can often be a joyful yet unbalancing 

time of year.

Thanks for stopping by and sharing the season with me.

My friend Ellen made one of these for Hannah and one for Gretta.

She found the tutorial here.

I made a few yesterday and here's one for a lucky reader...

This little bag measures about 7"x4 1/2".

It could hold chargers for cell phones, i-pods, cameras.

Or a wee first aid kit.

Or an emergency sewing kit.

Or whatever you might choose.

Please leave a comment or send me an e-mail 

if you'd like a chance to find this in your mailbox.

I'll post the winner's name on Friday morning.

xoxo

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!