Dreaming of Spring

Remember how I said that winter was fun?  Well.  I meant it.  I really did.  But as I sit here, it is a balmy -7 degrees out.  And all week my world has looked like a giant snowglobe.  It has been snowing lightly for several days and it has made everything so beautiful and still.  I  love dramatic winters.  I love the hibernation that happens when it is just too cold to go out.  Hot chocolate?  BFF.  Soup?  Same.  Fires?  Yes please.  Evan's winter beard?  Mmmm.

I feel like the majority of my 'making' happens during these cold months.  Once summer hits, it's hard to do much else besides devour popsicles and hang outside.

But this week, as it has been so very wintery, I am a little bit starting to think about Spring.

Thinking about the Spring Quilt (!!) that needs to be made.  My Mom treated me to a fabric shopping spree for my Christmas gift (the very best kind of gift, if you ask me), and I think a Spring quilt is in order.  I haven't been able to cut into this soft, buttery voile yet.  But I washed and pressed it the other day, so it's going to happen.   The fabric is from this lovely shop.  But you probably guessed as much.  I have a serious problem with Anna Maria's fabric.

And I've just begun another indoor gardening venture.  I took quite a break (it was unplanned, but I do think it had something to do with that silly pneumonia...) and I'm ready to get back into the game.   Since this photo was taken, a little sketch has begun to bloom and I'm getting excited.

So yes.  Winter is fun.  Even if it means I'm secretly dreaming of Spring.

Winter is fun

Nearly every Saturday and every other Friday we hop in the car and drive to Red Lodge.  It is a happy place.  There are art galleries, chocolate shops, and most importantly, big, jagged mountains.  Happy.  And in the winter, said mountains are covered in fluffy snow.  Which is good.   Remember last year?  Yeah.  Miss it.  

This year, we decided that instead of skiing at a resort, we would do something a little bit different.

It starts in the parking lot.  We put skins on our skis.  They help us walk uphill.  Kind of freaky, no?

Up up up.  I let Evan break trail.  It helps him feel macho.

These two are always waiting for me.  But I'm taking pictures, so that's why I'm so slow.

Cute.  Two hours later we reach the top.  I feel like laying down and taking a nap.

Now comes the fun part.  Where Gesso chases Evan down the mountain.  I let him go first again.  Nice.  Really, I am just letting him trigger any avalanches.  Not so nice.

And five minutes later, we are at the bottom.  Only to start all over again.

So very worth it.  Winter is fun.

{this moment}

{this moment} - A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' over at Soulemama for all to find and see.

p.s. I want a nap.

Felt-o-rama

Shortly after 'little gnomie' left us, I placed an order for some felt.  And right after I pushed the 'submit order' button, I happened to notice that it was shipping all the way from Israel.  So it took a while.  A long while.  But I was patient about it (not really, actually).

And it's finally here!  Wahoo!   Look at all those pretty colors!   Yum yum.

And I don't believe you've had the pleasure of meeting Creepy Baby.  Creepy Baby was made by my friend Shelece.   She was given to me after I couldn't stop giggling whenever I saw her.  I must remember that trick (giggles = present).  I LOVE her!   I think she is creepy in the best way possible (oh, there is a way I'm pretty sure).

Gesso loves her too.  Like, he wants to date her.

Evan hates her.  Like, she is banned from our bedroom.

We're trying to work through this family conflict.

In the meantime, I've felted a little something we can both agree on.  A baby mushroom.

Who is living in the greenhouse.  With the lid firmly closed.

Love

Happy Valentine's Day!   This is me with my Valentine (p.s. he is really cute).  Wishing you plenty of love and chocolate--today and everyday.

{this moment}

{this moment} - A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' over at Soulemama for all to find and see.

Heart Attack

Valentines Day.  It's coming!  And while it's not my favorite holiday, not even close, really, I still like the splash of color it can bring into the middle of winter.  So I play along.

 I had been wanting to make these hearts for a good while now, and I finally got to them last week.  Now I'm wishing I had made them sooner, because they are so very cheerful!

I unintentionally hung them over a heat vent.  And I am so glad I did, because every time the heater turns on, the hearts (and me!), do a little jig.   I would highly recommend it.  Instant happiness boost.

I got the idea from Martha Stewart (have you heard of her?).  She has a tutorial on her site, but I thought it was a bit short and void of photos, so I ended up taking a few of the process.

You begin by peeling some crayons and then running them through a pencil sharpener to get a good pile of shavings.

Then you fold a piece of wax paper in half and sprinkle the shavings on one half.  Get out your ironing board + iron and some newsprint or kraft paper (this helps with the mess that waxy crayons + wax paper make when melted)  Make a sandwich of newsprint, folded wax paper, and then more newsprint.  Now you must iron.  It only takes a few seconds, and you can just check on how it's melting by lifting up the newsprint.

Ta-da!

Once cooled, draw some hearts onto the wax paper and cut them out.

You can either hang them up with tape or hung from a string (I like dancing hearts--so I went with the string).  To do so, just thread a needle with some string or embroidery floss and 'sew' through the top of the heart, securing with a little knot.

You are now done.  Pretty!

Last night my sweetheart took me to see the Wailin' Jennys, which was completely lovely.  And another good way, we discovered, to bring some color to February.

Dear Gesso,

I am sorry that I have been spreading terrible gossip about you around these parts.  Even though it is all true.  You like to eat things.  Like human food.  And little gnomies.  And as of this morning, my Pakistani mukluks (frown).

But I forget to mention how much I like you.  Because I do.  Like like.

I think you are pretty.  People often confuse you for a girl dog, and I suspect it's because of your stunning good looks.  (gush)

And I really do think you are turning into a nice young man.  Look at your sideburns!  And your arm freckles!  You are really growing up.

And the way you sometimes turn into a snowplow?  I love it!  So please just stop eating my stuff.   

xo, Holly

Birthday Numbers

I have always been a big fan of Birthday Candle Numbers.  You know...they are in the baking aisle...and you pick out the correct age (usually combining two candles to get your age)...and then stick them on your cake and light them on your special night.  Those numbers.  Fun!

And then they are thrown away.  Never to be seen again.

Well, I wanted the number without the one-time-use factor.  So I made some!  Just in time for Evan's big day.

It was so easy!  I just got a couple packages of oven-bake clay.  I then proceeded to roll little 'snakes' out of the clay.  I took the 'snakes' and manipulated them into numbers, using my exacto knife to help with corners.  It took longer then expected, and my fingers got incredibly tired (clay isn't soft like play-dough!), but it was a nice activity to do in front of a good movie.  I was going to just use tooth picks for the part you stick into the cake, but I wanted the numbers to be something that lasted forever, and I didn't think it was very sanitary to be sticking a piece of wood in and out of cakes for 80 years.  Germs.  So I used some metal head pins (for use in earring making), and just stuck them in the numbers before baking.  I followed the baking instructions (15 minutes per batch), and waited patiently as my house smelled like burning chemicals.  

For the record, I made two of every number 1 through 6.  I figure once I'm 77, someone should be making me a cake.  Also, I was tired.

Once they were cooled, I painted them with acrylic paint.  And when the paint was dry, I gave them a healthy coat of Mod Podge.  

I whipped up a little storage bag using some (blue!) confetti fabric from my stash.  I used my alphabet stamps (that I also use for gift tags) with some watered down acrylic paint for the label.