Monday, September 13, 2010

Handmade Holiday - 2010

Some wonderful ideas to share today ~

a sewn felt savings pouch from Heather at Shivaya Naturals ~




a knit bird pattern from Katie at  Duo FiberWorks ~



a gaiter from Angela at Peach Coglo ~



 a beautiful embroidered "quilt on a clothesline" pillowcase from Honor Crowned Crafts
and a bit about why a handmade holiday


Thank you to all for sharing.  I look forward to continued sharing and learning.  Please if I have a typo on the  Handmade Holiday page or if you would like to join in, please just let me know in the comments.

Many warm wishes on this beautiful Monday morning,
Tonya

Friday, September 10, 2010

~ This Moment ~

joining in with Soulemama 
{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember...

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

More on Food



"If people let government decide what foods they eat and what medicines they take, their bodies will soon be in as sorry a state as the souls of those who live under tyranny."

~Thomas Jefferson

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Morning Joys

As I went about my morning work yesterday, I snapped some photos.


As the bread was rising, I stepped outside to gather some lettuce.



While picking the lettuce in the quiet of the morning, I could hear the buzzing above my head of the busy paper wasps flying around their beautiful nest just above my head.

Upon heading back inside, I spotted a couple of chickens just inside the front door that I had to shoo back outside.  I headed in to finish the morning baking, wash the lettuce that would go with our supper, and help the little ones with breakfast.           I reflected on the fact that so much of my energy each day is devoted to growing and preparing food for my family.   What an honorable job, though, as food is truly so very important.  Eating healthy and respecting our earth by growing as much as we can and then buying local and then finally to make as much as possible from scratch - those are our goals.      A blog that is particularly inspiring is Farmama.  She preserves so much food for her family from her farm so that her family can eat much of their own food the year round.  That is our goal. To accomplish this though, we take steps and make new goals each year. The old goals truly do become habit.  For example, baking two loaves of bread each morning is just part of my morning.

Warm wishes for a joy filled day,
Tonya

(Thank you so much for all that are joining in on the Handmade Holiday - this is lots of fun and so wonderful to be creating for those we love.)

Monday, September 6, 2010

Handmade Holiday - 2010


Rachel from At the Butterfly Ball is working on a waldorf doll for her little girl.



Some wonderful embroidery ideas from Maureen at Twig and Toadstool.


From Sippy Cup Central this crocheted Baby Doll Tiara.

Finally,  I would like to share a wonderful site that I am sure many of you are already familiar with - 
Wee Folk Art.  It is just filled with ideas, inspiration and patterns.  

And remember to keep using your Handmade Holiday journal.  When I see an idea and I know just the perfect person to make it for, I grab my journal and either make a sketch, write a description and /or leave a blog address under that person's page.   It just helps so much to free your mind and to not get overwhelmed with all the terrific ideas.

Again, please feel free to grab the Handmade Holiday button and add it to your blog.  And if you would like to be included on the Handmade  Holiday page, just let me know in the comments. 

I need to make a small goal for this week as I let last week pass without working on a Christmas gift.  My small goal is to finish two playing card holders

Do you have a goal for this week or do you have a work in progress?

Warm wishes, Tonya

Friday, September 3, 2010

Gardens, Raspberries, Compost and Sunflowers

Lots and lots of tomatoes to pick each day.  We have mostly the smaller sun gold variety and then a slightly larger tomato that turns a beautiful bright shade of red.   Abraham came to me last evening requesting "one, two baskets for me and Sarah" and they returned in with baskets full.

Piling compost in new garden areas.


We discovered that we have fall raspberries!  Last autumn Mike brush hogged an area on the other side of the pond.  While talking with some  homesteaders at the library yesterday I learned that cutting fall raspberries down to ground level is what you are supposed to do after the first hard frost.  Yeah!  We inadvertently did this last fall and are reaping the benefits this season!



Our butternut squash is growing so large thanks to this unusually hot weather we are  having here in northern Vermont.



Sunflowers from our garden on a embroidered circle, one of the beautiful items I received from Maribeth for the
Vintage Swap.


Warm wishes for a beautiful weekend,
Tonya

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Creative Outdoor Play

This little outdoor play area has seen so many playtime meals and the "mother" and "father" busily at work cooking up stews and cakes.
We placed them under some maple trees in a little corner set apart near one of our gardens.

We used a large log piece for the table and 4 smaller logs for the chairs. 

One day I heard Sarah call out to Abraham, "Husband, go fetch me more water." 
She later told me that her husband is a hardworking man. 

Such sweet memories.

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Be sure to check out the just released today, Autumn Issue of Rhythm of the Home - it is free and filled with beautiful inspiration.

Warm wishes, Tonya